I'm a father, writer, blogger, digital strategist and insufferable new marketing geek. I'm into Apple technology, functional medicine, health and socio-political nerdery. If you've arrived here in error, I suggest clicking around a bit. If that doesn't work, well, there's always my Google Buzz stream. Not that that solves anything.
Every couple years, a video pops up showing cars trying to drive on ice. Here's (one of) this year's. You have to commend the passengers' presence of mind to bail once they realized their cars had no intention of stopping as it slid downhill.
Also, here's 2007's, just in case you like watching this sort of thing as much as I do.
Every year, Michigan’s Oakland County is home to the Woodward Dream Cruise, a weekend-long celebration of muscle cars of all stripes. If you have even a passing interest in performance cars and live in Michigan, you will be doing yourself a great disservice by not making your way down to Woodward Avenue.
This year’s Dream Cruise is officially on August 15, but anyone who is familiar with the Dream Cruise knows that the muscleheads start coming out several weeks beforehand. And, as you might imagine, the billboards along Woodward are purchased and changed in anticipation of the 1-million-plus visitors the Dream Cruise draws.
Here are this year’s billboards that will be lining Woodward. As you can see, GM is going all in with some excellent spots. As a guy who believes every car should have 400 HP and at least one turbo, this is advertising at its finest.
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Forgive me if I am skeptical that the government is going to show GM how to streamline its bureaucracy. Nor do governments historically have a good record as cutting-edge auto designers.
All the government can give GM is money. Our money. Perhaps we should change the name to American Leyland.
As one commenter notes, GM has every possibility of becoming Obama’s Vietnam.
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Turns out the swapping a car that gets bad gas mileage with one that gets decently good gas mileage is better than replacing a car that gets decently good gas mileage with one that gets outstanding mileage, and the numbers bear it out.
This very interesting article in Science, “The MPG Illusion” by Richard P. Larrick and Jack B. Soll at the Fuqua School of Business in Duke University (Vol 320, June 20, 2008, p. 1593), points out the mathematically obvious truth that gas used per mile is inversely proportional to miles per gallon, which means that you have a steeper slope at lower MPG ratings, and diminishing returns at higher MPG ratings.My rough calculations corroborated this (albeit not as succinctly) when I recently was deciding on a new car. Unfortunately, this is likely lost on most people, hence the exodus from many types of cars to hyper-MPG cars like the Prius. I think there's an element of overcorrection here, which is entirely human. (via kottke)
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As a citizen of suburban Detroit, I can personally attest to exactly how badly the city is managed and its atrocious condition today. Shameful. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNM6HHJTUMM]
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I previously wrote that I was considering a Toyota Prius to replace my Dodge Charger R/T, which has approached its lease mileage limit and sucks down over $500 in gas per month. I was interested in the Prius, even despite its stunted-tortoise looks, until I drove it.
I'm a car guy. I've always had a car with some degree of power and agility. The Prius, however, is the diametric opposite of that: it's ungodly slow and handles like a whale on a skateboard. It does one thing very well: bring the MPGs. Aside from that, I found it to be soulless driving. I could not see myself living with it for six months, let alone a few years.
My quest led me to the 2008 VW 4-door GTI, which I've always admired as a cheap, economical, yet powerful hatchback that has been through its ups and downs since its debut in 1983. Today's version -- the MkV, arguably the best ever -- shares its chassis with the Audi A3, and for the price, I could not find another car that had what the GTI offered. The DSG (direct shift gearbox) transmission -- a six-speed, dual-clutch, semi-manual setup -- was the deal-maker for me, as I found its performance (and lack of normal auto transmission downsides like a torque converter) to be spectacular. I think the DSG defines the platform, frankly.
As for MPGs, if you keep your foot out of the 2.0L turbocharged/intercooled engine, you can see up to 32-34 MPG on the highway. Get into the boost too hard, though, and you'll get around 22-24. So far, I'm getting about 30-31 MPG back and forth from work, and that's on an engine with only ~100 miles on it.
To me, the Prius gives up way too much to deliver its efficiency (and that doesn't even factor in the inevitable hybrid vs. conventional price breakeven calculations). It does one thing very well. However, as a car enthusiast, I'm willing to take less MPGs for the GTI's surprisingly edgy Mr. Hyde capabilities.
So, the decision is made and I've taken delivery of the car. Full review to follow if y'all want it.
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Not only do the Germans make fine cars, but they also have clever commercials nailed.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mTLO2F_ERY]
Beats the hell out of this overplayed, let's-ruin-the-NHL-playoffs-on-TV tripe, yes?
(via clusterflock)
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(I am essentially cross-posting this from something I wrote for Clusterflock. I want to get some thoughts and experiences from GF's readers as well.)
The current situation: I drive a 2006 Dodge Charger R/T, which I’m convinced is made of human feces and some wires. I hate the car across every dimension: the quality sucks, it’s a boat, the mileage is horrible (around 17-18 in summer; 15-16 in winter), the brakes warped at 23K miles, the horn honked randomly until the 3rd trip to the shop, and when I try to start it in the morning it cranks and wheezes and turns like an air-cooled VW that has been mortared and set aflame, even though this too has been looked at (and "fixed") by a dealership on two different occasions. Even some of its features, in their designed-as-intended state, are stupid. I often want to punch the car but don’t for fear of something important falling off/out, like an axle or the transmission.
Why did I buy it? Good question. I think it’s because I was stupid on that particular day.
So, fast forward to where I am right now: I'm coming up on my lease mileage limit on the Dodge and have a cool 8 months left on this screaming piece of shit, and with my monthly gas expense hovering nicely in the $450 or so range (more than my lease payment), I’m thinking about just buying this thing out and getting a 2008 Prius. I’m fairly sure the math works. (Math is numbers and language is letters, right?)
It’s to that end I am seeking your opinions, anecdotes and experiences with a late-model Prius. I know it’s not some supercar in terms of performance, but that’s not what I want in my daily driver. (That’s what I will buy a Nissan GT-R for.) I want a car that will get me to and fro with a minimum of this thing we call money leaving my pocket.
For reference, my Charger costs me about $1100-$1250 per month to operate. The Prius will cost me around $740. I think I know which way the alligator mouth is pointing on this one.
Go. I'm open to your comments.
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Having been in Chicago this past weekend, I can vouch for the necessity of such a program. It's like people were begging to be drilled by the nearest willing car.
The new program will be first unveiled in select, high-danger cities:
The program began in selected cities this month with the distribution of pamphlets at each city's most dangerous intersections. It will also expand into national radio spots, televised PSAs, and, most importantly, word-of-mouth. Included in the pamphlets are tips on how every responsible pedestrian can learn to "Get The Fuck Outta The Road," including "Move your ass!" and "Look where you're fucking going for once!" as well as an instructive diagram for removing one's head from one's ass prior to stepping into the crosswalk.
Then trickle down to the school level to help kids understand the danger inherent in getting obliterated by a car moving 60 MPH:
NHTSA officials say they hope the program will eventually branch out to include elementary schools with the child-friendly program "Hey Kids, Get The Fuck Outta The Road!" which will feature a mascot called Tire-Tread Teddy.
And then into a number of sub-programs:
The NHTSA has also launched a number of complementary subprograms using funding from the National Truck Drivers Union and Greyhound Bus Lines. These include "Oh, Good, Just Ride Your Bike Down The Middle Of The Road Why Don't You," "Ever Heard Of A Crosswalk, Dickhead?" and, for more affluent metropolitan neighborhoods, "What The Fuck—Are You Listening To Your Special Getting-Hit-By-A-Car Mix On That iPod, You Vacant Asshole?"
Even with the program barely in its infancy, the early results have been extremely positive:
The new program has already shown positive results. A test study in downtown Chicago was found to be nearly twice as effective in preventing pedestrian casualties as the NHTSA's previous "Have A Safer Journey" program. Likewise, early trials the family-oriented, "You Must Be Thinking, 'Hey, I Bet My Kids Are Playing In The Driveway, So I Think I'll Go Back My SUV Out Of The Garage Without Even Fucking Looking And Pulp Them Into A Steaming Red Mess,'" have been similarly successful.
I applaud the NHTSA's efforts and hope this radical new messaging finally makes people understand that they shouldn't be experimenting with car v. pedestrian weight ratios. It's a national epidemic, and collectively, we have the power to stop it. Take a moment today to help someone you love not get shredded by an SUV.
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There aren't enough words in the English language with the proper levels of reverence to describe how badly I want to own a GT-R. For my money, there is no better performer on the market and the engineering lengths to which Nissan went are staggering.
The GT-R previously held the production car 'Ring lap record of 7:38, which beat out ultra-high dollar supercars like the Porsche GT3, Lamborghini Murcielago and Mercedes SLR. Nonetheless, Nissan engineers (and GT-R test driver Tochio Suzuki) were disappointed, so they went back for another shot.
When the 193-MPH Nissan GT-R set a lap time of 7:38 last year at the 'Ring, besting cars like the Porsche GT3, Lamborghini Murcielago, and Mercedes SLR, the Nissan team was disappointed. There were two damp corners on the track, and everyone was quite sure that the car, piloted by official test driver Tochio Suzuki, could go faster.
On its latest try, with a dry track, the GT-R has cut a full nine seconds off its previous best time. This performance means the GT-R now tops such thoroughbred race cars such as the Porsche GT2, Koenigsegg and Mercedes SLR 722 GT. That's ultra-expensive race car territory kids. Purebred machines a production car like the GT-R has no right to trifle with.
Right?
If you take the bone-stock tires off the GT-R and give it racing skins, there's a very solid chance it would pass the next two record-holders up the road: the Porsche Carrera GT and Pagani Zonda F Clubsport.
Think about that: a production car, which you can bag for a reasonable $70K, topping full-on race cars 3x - 5x more expensive.
In other news, if you want to advertise on GF, I am now accepting ad slots. An exclusive spot costs $70K and you will stay on the site forever. Maybe longer. First come, first serve.
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