The Toybaru or Subaota or Whatever You Call the FT-86 Concept is Finally Here

About 2 years ago Toyota and Subaru decided to work together to bring the first completely new sports car to the market in years. The car they have created is beautiful and very light, with a very low center of gravity. Due to this the car has no need for a turbocharger or supercharger to make them fast. The whole idea behind this dual creation car was to make something that handled like a dream.

The two car companies used their vast knowledge and resources to create a car that has the lowest center of gravity of almost any production car.  The reason that anyone would want a very low center of gravity is simple, the lower the center of gravity the better the handling can be. The center of gravity on a car may not be the only factor that will make this car handle well but it is a huge influence on the characteristics of the vehicle.

The styling of the car caught the attention of the car world almost instantly. The main reason was because of the elegant looks that still had some serious aggression. A look that said yeah I am fast and mean but I still look great…kinda reminds me of the way an Aston Martin makes you feel. This car will be instantly recognizable as a sports car and will have a very distinct sound. What is the reason for the distinct sound? That would be the boxer motor which is not only very flat which means the center or gravity stays low but also creates that unique Subaru sound. Love it or hate it the sound will be very different for a 2 door rear drive sports coupe. 

Traveling Turkeys

What am I thankful for this year? I am thankful for the DVD player in my car to keep the kids quit during a road trip. I am also thankful for the navigation unit to get me to my in-laws’ house, and then to the closest sports bar.

What am I not thankful for? I am not thankful for having to travel this holiday season.

One of my least favorite moments of the holidays is traveling with all the other turkeys out there. What makes me even unhappier is discovering that an estimated 42.5 million people will be traveling this Thanksgiving.  According to AAA, 90% of these travels will be driving to their destinations.  I’m not the greatest at math, but 90% of 42.5 million drivers clogging up my interstate does NOT sound like a good time.

However, it could be worse.  I could have been one of those unlucky go-getters on the Pennsylvania Turnpike last night.  Driving through a 40 mile stretch of driveway sealant taught them a lesson.  A tanker with a leaking valve spread black goo all over the highway.  It covered the car’s tires and undercarriages.  These travelers will think twice before leaving a day early for Thanksgiving next year.

Did the Danish Build a Supercar that can Hang With the Big Boys

Every year a few small car companies come along and think they know better than Ferrari and Porsche when it comes to car building. Most of the time these car some up short with quality issues arising with parts that look like they are built by children. The in-dash navigation or car stereo, which in a normal car are built for the specific vehicle in most cases but in small shed built supercars they are pulled from other cars. In other words while the car may look amazing from a distance when you get up close things just don’t seems right.

The curse of all cars is that individual components cost a lot to have them custom built for a truly bespoke vehicle. Recently the Danish company Zenvo has decided to undertake the monumental task of creating a supercar and what’s really amazing it looks stunning. All of the parts for the car are built specifically for this one application hence everything looks like it belongs. The car is known by the name Zenvo ST1 and this beast houses a turbo and supercharged V8 creating over 800HP per ton. This means that this first time supercar can hit speeds of 60 mph in the low 3 second range and a top speed over 230MPH.

While the performance of the ST1 may be staggering the looks are what really sets this car apart in the current field of supercars. The striking looks are reminiscent of something from blade runner and there is nothing else on the road that looks anything like the Zenvo. Sharp angles and an unrelenting quest for aerodynamic style have made the body not only sleek but slippery enough to pass the super-duper car holy grail of 230 mph. So now that you are intrigued and want one, let us talk price. There is no easy way to say this…it’s 1.7 million dollars before options. While this may seem like a lot of money (and it is) keep in mind that the average Occupy Wall street offender can still afford it even though all we can do is dream. 

Porsche Goes to New Heights

One of the downfalls of living in a high-rise building is that you have to park your diesel turbocharged VW in the garage, and take an elevator all the way up to your floor.  How many times have you wished that you didn’t have to park in that dark concrete maze, which smells like someone’s old diesel fuel pump? Well, it looks like Porsche has figured out a solution.

A new building in Miami, Florida called the Porsche Design Building is about to take residents directly to their apartments.  It doesn’t matter if you are on the first floor or the 50^th.  The high-tech car elevator will take you right to your front door.  Think of the elevator as one of those claw machines at the local arcade that your kid wastes $100 bucks on to get a stuffed animal, but instead of a stuffed animal it’s your car.

The apartments are going to have windows in the front, so you can see your car while lounging in your living room.  This also means when you pull in, you can wave hello to your family. Just like all the people living out in the burbs. The only thing missing is the annoying neighbor, demanding that you trim you hedges.

Each car elevator ride to an apartment which may cost a mere $9 million, will last approximately 45 to 90 seconds.  That sure is one expensive ride.  For that amount a money they better have some really good elevator music.

Are Old Cars Safer Than New Ones

It is a common held belief that old cars are safer in an accident than a new modern car. This is simply not true but the thought that there is about 500 yards of metal between you and the car in front makes some people feel safer. Older cars with their steering gear box and steering rack units that had to handle a great deal more weight than newer cars had a much harder time avoiding accidents. The fact of the matter is there is no replacement for technology when it comes to being safe behind the wheel.

After watching a number of crash-test videos from new cars and seeing how much of a beating a new car can take I thought it would be a good idea to take back at the classics. What can be found by just doing a search on YouTube is a bit scary. Older cars seem solid and like they could take on a brick wall without flinching, it is just not true. Recently an independent company put a 59 Impala and faced it off against a modern one. The result is not as expected while the modern impala may have been totaled but seems to be just superficial. The damage looks bad but the cabin seems to be completely intact which means the passengers would be ok. The 68 did not fare as well, Not only did the car seems to completely collapse from the impact but the driver was subject to many injuries that would threaten their life. That is if they were not crash test dummies.

 

The fact of the matter is that modern cars have been built with safety in mind and the technology to back that up. Even though a new car may seem to be plastic and light the truth of the matter is that crumple zones and frame strengthening in key areas means that the car will disperse the energy of a crash more efficiently. This in turn means that the driver will be more protected from the force of the impact. After watching all the test videos of older cars it become clear that modern automotive travel is a much safer way to travel then the classics. 

TVR a legacy of Beauty in Motion

For those of us here in the states it is a shame that we miss out on a lot of the most amazing vehicles in the world due to US regulations. A car may be perfectly safe using the newest electric rack of the powersteering system and the most up to date safety equipment but if it doesn’t meet Cali emissions it ain’t getting in. This is a shame because cars like TVR fall into that category and they are some of the most stunning cars crated by man …or woman.

A few years ago TRV lost its backing and went the way to the dinosaur, so even for those of us lucky enough to have one there would be no more.  This week though, there is a flicker of life from the old girl yet. A brand new website that seems to be legit is offering TVR models as bespoke cars. This means that even though they will not be in full swing production there will be availability for those who want one. Well in Europe that is. TVR may be beautiful but to be honest they are never the most practical or even the safest.

TVR’s just slightly have a tendency to break down or bust into flames but for a car guy it is worth it. It is a true car guy who is willing to drive a car that basically could fall apart at any moment and would not stop a speeding geo headed your way. The Sagaris and the Tuscan have to be some of the most visually stunning cars not to mention TRV uses paint that changes color depending on the angle from which the car is seen. Combine this with stunning body lines, a V8 bellow that can shake the foundation the tallest buildings and intense acceleration to create what has to be the ultimate driver’s car. It is nice to see that in at least one way TVR will live on because even if they were gone for good they will always live on I the heart of the car crazy world or the petrol head. 

The 2012 Plug in Toyota Prius

Toyota is one of the largest car manufacturers on the planet and they continue to be thanks to innovations and forward thinking. The Toyota Prius has been a sales explosion due to the great mileage and trendy nature of being green but the car also has lots of features to make it more efficient. The Prius incorporates a number of new technologies such as electric steering rack and drive by wire throttle. The Electric rack and pinion is more efficient than a fluid based system since it eliminates the need for the whole pump system. The drive by wire is an electric system that controls the throttle making millisecond adjustments to reach peak efficiency.

This year Toyota has expanded the Prius line to more than just one car but a family of automobiles that are hybrid or complete electric. The Prius family will consist of the original Prius with 3 different options, the hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and then a complete electric. There are also new versions of the car that are being released as well, a 5 door hatch back bigger than the original and also a sportier 3 door car too.

Toyota has been expanding their empire and even though there have been some serious natural disasters that have slowed down the production they still seem to be holding their own. The production of most of the Japanese based car companies has been somewhat lacking since the tsunami but it is good to see that they are starting to get back to normal production. Normal production means that their lives are getting back to normal and that is what we all want to see. 

The Ferrari 458 Italia Spyder is it a Hypercar or a Supercar

Just a few years ago Ferrari was pumping out cars like the 360 or 599, while an amazing driver’s cars they were not the prettiest things on the planet. In fact in the past decade most Ferrari’s have been very striking to look at but not pretty. Ferrari caring more about new technology like electric steering rack units and smart traction control then looks. While an electric rack and pinion is neat, it is looks that really make stunning cars. Well last year all that changed with the release of the 458 Italia, which has to be one of the most beautiful cars that has ever touched tarmac. Now Ferrari has really stepped up their game and released the 458 Spyder to an unsuspecting public.

The 458 Spyder is stunning to behold…not just stunning but fast too, very fast. Ferraris of the early 2000’s fall into the category of “wow a Ferrari …Meh” which is just unacceptable for any supercar builder. Cars like the Testerosa were poster cars, things of beauty and there was not a child in the 80s who didn’t have that poster on their wall. The only thing about the Testerosa is that it was a great poster car but horrid to drive. It worked better as art then a car. There are two types of cars that Ferrari can make a Supercar or a Hypercar. A supercar is stunningly fast and a bit fragile, while a hyper car is all about showing off. A hypercar has the looks but really does not need the speed, while to be called a supercar speed has to be the main concern.

 

The 458 has combined the 2 most important elements of a supercar and a hypercar, speed and good looks. The Spyder is even more stunning like a supermodel with a degree from MIT, loves sports and beer too. This car has it all, while this car may be the ultimate expression of automotive bliss it only means one thing to the automotive world…someone has to one-up them. 

The Integration of the Video Game industry and the Auto Industry

A few years ago people who played video games and enjoyed computers were considered to be “nerdy” as the rest of the world stayed analog but nowadays it is very different. In the last few years the car CD changer units and center console screen have become so advanced that they designs are being created by the video game companies that make racing games.

The idea of a video game company programming for a car may seem a bit strange to some but there are not many people more qualified to do it. Most racing game programmers have done more research into the way a car handles than a race team and they are used to using that raw data in a understandable way. Games like Gran Turismo have been programmed for years to display every bit of into that the car would give top the gamer. Polyphony Digital who created Gran Turismo was hired by Nissan to create the interface on their GTR.

This may be a strange marriage but it seems to have worked because the GTR is one of the most track capable cars that has ever been created. Now other companies are getting on this with the interfaces for the Navigation and social media platforms in new models being created.  Mercedes, BMW and Ford have all wrangled themselves a video game company or two to create the new designs for in car entertainment set ups.

This new integration of electronics into cars will surely mean a shift in the dynamics of the industry that used to be mainly reserved for car companies alone. This also means that the gaming industry will have the backing of the auto industry which can prove to be great for the future of gaming.

October New Car Sales Numbers Have been Released

Each month of a sales year for cars is as important as the last, while some months are bigger in sales numbers than others they all matter. Car sales numbers do not take into account individual parts like the indash navigation screen or car radio, they are all about whole cars. Car companies use the numbers in the slower seasons to get a hold of the demand for the larger seasons and what customers want as well.

For the month of October there are some very surprising shifts in the total sales numbers.  Volkswagen and Mini both saw close to 40% more sales than they did a year earlier, while Honda stayed just about level. October is a slow down in the automotive world and it’s a time for the dealers to start up their winter ad campaigns.  And start to push SUV and truck sales with the promise of safety with 4wd, even though many SUV’s are sold as RWD set-ups.

The sales numbers for the last 3 months are not really the best way to judge the actual demand for many car makes due to the lack of supply for many Japanese models and parts. The Earthquake and resulting tsunami shut down many plants in Japan where car models are built. None the less the sales numbers that are released this month are measured by percentage change vs the last year. This means that the car companies that are down may still have sold 4 times as many cars as the top companies.