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Automotive Discussion Thread | OT2 | Zero to pointless fighting faster than a GT86

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Is going to court and getting a lawyer cheaper than paying a $150 ticket? If I was in a financial situation where I couldn't afford to pay a $150 ticket then I would either not drive or pay triple attention to the road. Why are you taking it to court anyway? Gonna tell them you shouldn't have gotten a ticket because the speed decrease makes no sense? Good luck with that.

Traffic court is free in the US. You're allowed to represent yourself and contest the charge.
 
Is going to court and getting a lawyer cheaper than paying a $150 ticket? If I was in a financial situation where I couldn't afford to pay a $150 ticket then I would either not drive or pay triple attention to the road. Why are you taking it to court anyway? Gonna tell them you shouldn't have gotten a ticket because the speed decrease makes no sense? Good luck with that.
Nah, I'm just gonna beg for mercy from the judge and come up with a sob story. Worst comes to worst, I can afford it but I'd rather not and I'm on school break so I have the time to fight it.
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
It depends on the place on where you got the ticket. Most judges in VA wont budge on traffic stuff unless you get a lawyer.

Its cheaper just to pay the fine most of the time.

Virginia might as well be another country. A complete crap hole ran by dictators, and not policemen.
 
Got the chance to drive the SL65 AMG today and my god, it's truly worth the six figures. Of course I didn't hoon it like the GTI, since you know the car is $100K+ but I did have some fun with it. The powerband is scary, it really smooth as butter, the suspension is magical, it drives as smooth as an S-Class but with the cornering abilities of a proper sports car. The shifts are ridiculously quick, and the way the automatic downshifts automatically, creating that bark behind you is pretty intoxicating.

That said, I probably wouldn't buy it even if I had six figures in my bank. It's a fantastic car through and through, but it's definitely more of a grand tourer than a sports car and if I was gonna spend a huge amount of money on a car, it'd definitely be more for fun than to sit still and look pretty.

Now for some pics!






I've got more(62 to be exact) but a majority of them are just plain boring shots meant to sell the car, not something artistic so this'll do.

Anyway, going back to the GTI, I think Flo_Evans is right and that I might've been unfairly comparing it to my Miata. But on the other hand, maybe these damn journalists actually do their jobs and quit proclaiming it to be the best cheap "fun" hot hatch you can get. I read a number of reviews last night and only Jalopnik was the one who said it wasn't a fun car to driver, meanwhile the lot of them said the opposite. And as much as I love Jalopnik, I do take their opinion with a grain of salt so to see that they were correct this time is kinda baffling lol.
 

GHG

Member
The GTI is an iconic car in the hot hatch space so I think a lot of journalists struggle to bring themselves to say something bad about it due to its heratige alone. It would be like insulting your grandparents. It's the same as the 911 in that sense. The amount of times I read or hear "we can overlook it's flaws because it's a 911/GTI" is quite shocking.

Having said that, VW/Audi get a lot of undue hate around these parts. Not every car needs to be able to go sideways you know :p
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Got the chance to drive the SL65 AMG today and my god, it's truly worth the six figures. Of course I didn't hoon it like the GTI, since you know the car is $100K+ but I did have some fun with it. The powerband is scary, it really smooth as butter, the suspension is magical, it drives as smooth as an S-Class but with the cornering abilities of a proper sports car. The shifts are ridiculously quick, and the way the automatic downshifts automatically, creating that bark behind you is pretty intoxicating.

That said, I probably wouldn't buy it even if I had six figures in my bank. It's a fantastic car through and through, but it's definitely more of a grand tourer than a sports car and if I was gonna spend a huge amount of money on a car, it'd definitely be more for fun than to sit still and look pretty.

It may sound hyperbolic, but driving a V12 is somewhat life changing isn't it? It truly gives you the perception of lightning fast acceleration without even realizing what's happening and how fast it has happened. V12 are so balanced and just feel so under-stressed to lug around two-tons+ worth of sheetmetal, to the point it's changed the way I look at other engines and cars.

You can distinctly feel a V6s or V8s short comings after driving a V12. Just you wait and see.
 

Smokey

Member
Got the chance to drive the SL65 AMG today and my god, it's truly worth the six figures. Of course I didn't hoon it like the GTI, since you know the car is $100K+ but I did have some fun with it. The powerband is scary, it really smooth as butter, the suspension is magical, it drives as smooth as an S-Class but with the cornering abilities of a proper sports car. The shifts are ridiculously quick, and the way the automatic downshifts automatically, creating that bark behind you is pretty intoxicating.

That said, I probably wouldn't buy it even if I had six figures in my bank. It's a fantastic car through and through, but it's definitely more of a grand tourer than a sports car and if I was gonna spend a huge amount of money on a car, it'd definitely be more for fun than to sit still and look pretty.

Now for some pics!






I've got more(62 to be exact) but a majority of them are just plain boring shots meant to sell the car, not something artistic so this'll do.

Anyway, going back to the GTI, I think Flo_Evans is right and that I might've been unfairly comparing it to my Miata. But on the other hand, maybe these damn journalists actually do their jobs and quit proclaiming it to be the best cheap "fun" hot hatch you can get. I read a number of reviews last night and only Jalopnik was the one who said it wasn't a fun car to driver, meanwhile the lot of them said the opposite. And as much as I love Jalopnik, I do take their opinion with a grain of salt so to see that they were correct this time is kinda baffling lol.

I don't like the front of this car.
 

matmanx1

Member
I don't like the front of this car.

I would forgive it that, if someone wanted to gift it to me. =P

So, I got my Miata back from the body shop this week. The deer damage is fixed and they did a great job with the reassembly and paint blending. It's been good to get back in it and drive it the way that I can't drive my GX-470.

The only aggravation was with the state of the interior when I picked it up. There was a fine layer of white dust on most surfaces and the carpet and glovebox was especially bad. The upside is the body shop came and picked the car up from my work yesterday and completely detailed it, inside and out, and brought it back to me. Now it's cleaner than it was when I dropped it off (I keep a clean car - there's a swifter duster in my glove box at all times) and it's completely repaired.

I don't understand why they would give a car back to someone with an interior as dirty as mine was but at least they owned up to it and took care of it. Car life is good again.
 

Flo_Evans

Member
It may sound hyperbolic, but driving a V12 is somewhat life changing isn't it? It truly gives you the perception of lightning fast acceleration without even realizing what's happening and how fast it has happened. V12 are so balanced and just feel so under-stressed to lug around two-tons+ worth of sheetmetal, to the point it's changed the way I look at other engines and cars.

You can distinctly feel a V6s or V8s short comings after driving a V12. Just you wait and see.

Some of us are still struggling with 4 bangers ;_;
 

rokkerkory

Member
Anyone else loving the moderately refreshed 2017 Mazda CX-5?

It looks simply amazing, mini CX-9 for sure. Totally new interior, exterior and additional safety and driving dynamics.

Looks like another winner from Mazda <3

2017-Mazda-CX-5-front-side-view-on-stage.jpg
 

Flo_Evans

Member
Anyone else loving the moderately refreshed 2017 Mazda CX-5?

It looks simply amazing, mini CX-9 for sure. Totally new interior, exterior and additional safety and driving dynamics.

Looks like another winner from Mazda <3

2017-Mazda-CX-5-front-side-view-on-stage.jpg

Look nice but I need something bigger than my cx-7 not smaller >_<
 

SliChillax

Member
Got the chance to drive the SL65 AMG today and my god, it's truly worth the six figures. Of course I didn't hoon it like the GTI, since you know the car is $100K+ but I did have some fun with it. The powerband is scary, it really smooth as butter, the suspension is magical, it drives as smooth as an S-Class but with the cornering abilities of a proper sports car. The shifts are ridiculously quick, and the way the automatic downshifts automatically, creating that bark behind you is pretty intoxicating.

That said, I probably wouldn't buy it even if I had six figures in my bank. It's a fantastic car through and through, but it's definitely more of a grand tourer than a sports car and if I was gonna spend a huge amount of money on a car, it'd definitely be more for fun than to sit still and look pretty.

Now for some pics!






I've got more(62 to be exact) but a majority of them are just plain boring shots meant to sell the car, not something artistic so this'll do.

Anyway, going back to the GTI, I think Flo_Evans is right and that I might've been unfairly comparing it to my Miata. But on the other hand, maybe these damn journalists actually do their jobs and quit proclaiming it to be the best cheap "fun" hot hatch you can get. I read a number of reviews last night and only Jalopnik was the one who said it wasn't a fun car to driver, meanwhile the lot of them said the opposite. And as much as I love Jalopnik, I do take their opinion with a grain of salt so to see that they were correct this time is kinda baffling lol.

Why buy this (or the SL63) when you can get an AMG GTC for that much money?
 
Here, have video of me driving a LeMons race car with totally improper gearing (4.10 rear-end with a 3 speed auto), brakes that tried to kill me twice and another guy once, and an engine that can't run above 5000rpm without overheating!

Lesson? Don't let hillbillies build racecars!

https://youtu.be/eLjMbYSf-Vg

The passing under a yellow, though? Totally my bad. But these brake pads that were left over from the last race that left me in the gravel at the end of the front straight? Not my bad. Just look at that one in the middle, that's virgin surface. I had to educate them on retaining hardware so maybe their pads actually touched the rotors all the time...

5ItqUTt.jpg
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Why buy this (or the SL63) when you can get an AMG GTC for that much money?

Comfort, for starters is supposed to be greater. But, the SL was out before the AMG GTS. And for that reason, actually, the SL may be going away soon. Sales of the car are dead. People are opting either for the sublime S-Class Coupe. Or the GTS.
 
Anyone else loving the moderately refreshed 2017 Mazda CX-5?

It looks simply amazing, mini CX-9 for sure. Totally new interior, exterior and additional safety and driving dynamics.

Looks like another winner from Mazda <3

2017-Mazda-CX-5-front-side-view-on-stage.jpg

This thing looks really good. Spotted one coming up on me a few weeks back and was very surprised by what it was. Rear is excellent as well.
 

matmanx1

Member
Here, have video of me driving a LeMons race car with totally improper gearing (4.10 rear-end with a 3 speed auto), brakes that tried to kill me twice and another guy once, and an engine that can't run above 5000rpm without overheating!

Lesson? Don't let hillbillies build racecars!

https://youtu.be/eLjMbYSf-Vg

The passing under a yellow, though? Totally my bad. But these brake pads that were left over from the last race that left me in the gravel at the end of the front straight? Not my bad. Just look at that one in the middle, that's virgin surface. I had to educate them on retaining hardware so maybe their pads actually touched the rotors all the time...

5ItqUTt.jpg

LeMons is hilarious. What are you driving this year? Sounds like a V8.

On another note, The Grand Tour is up on Amazon Prime. I just watched the first half and so far it is quite the spectacle. It's like an episode of Top Gear except with the budget for an entire season of that show which I guess is to be expected considering Amazon is footing the bill.

Edit - Just finished The Ground Tour episode 1 and I enjoyed it overall. Clarkson, Hammond and May still have it although some of the jokes and the whole busted celebrity bit was quite lame. The car stuff was excellent and the action shots and camera work were top notch.
 
First time posting in here, go easy on me! I bought a new Impreza Sport (2.0i-S, Japanese model) and should be getting it in a few weeks, around the time snow season is expected to start. So i'm looking to get winter tires and some new wheels to put them on.

Seems like i have 4 choices all around the same price for tires, but i'm having a hard time comparing. The models in Japan are mostly different to elsewhere in the world. Bridgestone Blizzak VRX, Yokohama iceGuard 5 Plus and Dunlop Winter Maxx 02 all seem unique, only the Michelin x-ice xi3 seems available elsewhere. I'm sure i'd be fine with any of them but still keen to hear anyone's experience. I haven't experienced the snow yet, but it seems like i should expect a lot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyooka,_Hyōgo

Then the wheels. This is only my second car ever, and i'm pretty much learning about it all now! I've got the easy option of just getting the alternative Subaru 17" wheels (down from the 18" it comes with; i don't want to buy the same wheels twice):

duPozP6l.jpg


But i've been looking about the place and becoming absolutely overwhelmed by choice. I'm not too fussed or knowledgeable enough to be looking for some specific performance, so i'm rather more focused on the look. The look i like the most is something like this Enkei RPF1:

WhJK8ob.jpg


But that seems to be a high end sports wheel, so i'm thinking the shop will think i'm nuts for wanting to put winter tires on them for 3 months a year! It's not like i'm expecting the car will be a rocket either; i just like that look!

Another i saw that had a nice trim of silver (the car is ice silver metallic) was this Hot Stuff CrossSpeed RS10:

GeBlYVA.jpg


I've seen the Subaru and Hot Stuff wheel in person and both look really nice and unique. Not sure if I should just pick one and be done with it or go nuts and get something like the Enkei just because i can :D So just interested to hear what people think of those 3 really!
 
There's nothing wrong with the enkei's for winter tires, I say go for it. The rpf-1's are good wheels and reasonably priced.

I mean, if you're in Japan, just go to an Upgarage and you can get a set of wheels cheap.

I used to use a set of enkei mesh wheels for my winter tires. Much better than using boring stock wheels or steel wheels. Don't be boring.

Here were my winter wheels. They're enkei 92 mesh wheels. Which are the ones now on my maxima.
 
Yes, you absolutely are nuts to use the Enkei RPF1's for the winter lol. Not only are they expensive, if they get damaged during the winter, they immediately lose value and are expensive to fix.

If I were you, I'd go to the wheel store and buy this:


Yeah, steel wheels look like shit but are pretty damn cheap, and they can take the abuse of winter.

As for tires, idk. The entire great state of Texas shuts down for the day or two if there's even tiny snow flakes on the road so I've never had to get winter tires for my Miata haha.

It may sound hyperbolic, but driving a V12 is somewhat life changing isn't it? It truly gives you the perception of lightning fast acceleration without even realizing what's happening and how fast it has happened. V12 are so balanced and just feel so under-stressed to lug around two-tons+ worth of sheetmetal, to the point it's changed the way I look at other engines and cars.

You can distinctly feel a V6s or V8s short comings after driving a V12. Just you wait and see.

I dunno if I would call it life changing, but it definitely made me feel like I can keep pressing the gas pedal and fly straight to the moon. The fast acceleration and lack of stress made the feeling endless.

But I totally get your point about the shortcomings of a V6 and V8, it left me wanting more now lol.

Why buy this (or the SL63) when you can get an AMG GTC for that much money?

SL's are grand tourers meanwhile the GT's are proper sports cars.

We don't even stock GT's at work since there's no demand for them with the general public. Like we'd get a client or two once a month asking about GT's but they'd never commit to it when we tell them how much it's going to cost. GT's hold their value really well that you'd be paying close to MSRP even after 2-3 years.

SL's on the other hand go through the usual luxury car depreciation... this SL65 for example retailed for $220K in 2013 and now you can get it for half of that. That's an insane drop, but totally expected for luxury models.
 
Hehe, two opposite responses. I can't bring myself to put bare steel wheels on the new car. I'd rather have a wrecked set of nice lookers lol. And i'm kind of averse to used stuff too, I don't like the idea of not knowing what they've gone through. But, my inlaws got their stuff at Upgarage and look at me funny for wanting to spend much more money than they do!

I did just pop down the local shop, and he thought i was nuts yep! Suggested making the Enkei the main wheel since it was an expensive one, and using the stock Suburu one for winter. But I dunno, the Subaru wheels look like they'd show wear much more on the bigger surfaces:

82nAxnnl.jpg


But, the price of the Enkei's with tires combo is about 50,000Y more expensive than the other options... which didn't go down so well with the wife :D She's probably right!
 
Anyone else loving the moderately refreshed 2017 Mazda CX-5?

It looks simply amazing, mini CX-9 for sure. Totally new interior, exterior and additional safety and driving dynamics.

Looks like another winner from Mazda <3

2017-Mazda-CX-5-front-side-view-on-stage.jpg
Hoping the 4 cylinder turbo from the CX-9 makes its way into the CX-5, 3, and 6.
fPV5C7d.jpg
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
I dunno if I would call it life changing, but it definitely made me feel like I can keep pressing the gas pedal and fly straight to the moon. The fast acceleration and lack of stress made the feeling endless.

But I totally get your point about the shortcomings of a V6 and V8, it left me wanting more now lol.

I did say it was hyperbolic. And that it was only "somewhat" life changing. As in, it changes your perception and idea of what smoothness means in automobiles. The enthusiast in you will never really look at a motor the same again. And the more you drive a V12, the more accustomed you get to one, the worse everything else feels. I'm glad my test drive of the DB11 only lasted a finite amount of time. Because I'd probably never want to step foot into anything else after. :p
 

op_ivy

Fallen Xbot (cannot continue gaining levels in this class)
First good snow storm since lowering the car an inch and not sure this was a good idea. I plowed snow the entire way into town and the front grill was packed with the stuff when I arrived.
 

boltz

Member
Hehe, two opposite responses. I can't bring myself to put bare steel wheels on the new car. I'd rather have a wrecked set of nice lookers lol. And i'm kind of averse to used stuff too, I don't like the idea of not knowing what they've gone through. But, my inlaws got their stuff at Upgarage and look at me funny for wanting to spend much more money than they do!

I did just pop down the local shop, and he thought i was nuts yep! Suggested making the Enkei the main wheel since it was an expensive one, and using the stock Suburu one for winter. But I dunno, the Subaru wheels look like they'd show wear much more on the bigger surfaces:

82nAxnnl.jpg


But, the price of the Enkei's with tires combo is about 50,000Y more expensive than the other options... which didn't go down so well with the wife :D She's probably right!

I'm on the steelies or using the stockers for the winter wheels side. Since you are spending money, might as well get something that looks good for your main wheels if you don't care too much for the stockers.

Hoping the 4 cylinder turbo from the CX-9 makes its way into the CX-5, 3, and 6.
fPV5C7d.jpg

It's going to be getting the 2.2L diesel engine, which makes 173 hp/310 lb-ft in other applications. Would be nice to get the turbo 4 as well though.

First good snow storm since lowering the car an inch and not sure this was a good idea. I plowed snow the entire way into town and the front grill was packed with the stuff when I arrived.

I've been tempted to lower my car as well but stuff like this is why I'd rather keep the stock ride height. But it did sound like you kept the intercooler icy cold :p
 
I've found the groups of people at autocross have been great to newcomers with offers to ride along in your car or theirs. You should check it out.

Yep, the Mazda and Honda community are real nice folk to learn autox from since a majority of them don't take it too seriously. That's not to say the others aren't as welcoming, but from my personal experience, the BMW and Porsche camps are a loooooooooooot more competitive and take it more seriously... which is why it's always fun to watch a decently modded Miata cream the competition easily lol.

I remember a few years back a 911 driver challenged a Miata driver to the racetrack coz the Miata won by a second. Mofo caused such a stir the organizer during the "awards ceremony" said something along the lines of autocross being the great equalizer since power doesn't mean shit when you ain't got no grip lol. 911 guy got so mad he didn't pick up his 2nd place trophy haha.
 
I want to get into this but I'm a coward. Need a friend to go with

Luckily I had a friend who's a regular.

That said everyone was incredibly friendly and kind about explaining how everything worked, what I needed to do for work and so on.

It was great to go out, appreciate all the cars, from the old dude with the 911 GT3 to the 87 Corolla with a hachi-roku. Seeing all the different modded Miatas, 86 twins, and everything else was amazing too.
 

Pinewood

Member
Welp, the car I was set on buying was sold while I was on a trip in Italy. The worst part is, the ad was still up on Sunday and I was determined to go there Monday after I got back to get it checked out and sign but I got called into office for some "urgent" stuff.
 

Pinewood

Member
"In total, the NIO EP9 can generate 24,000 Newtons of downforce, which is twice as much as a Formula 1 car."

How.

Isnt the aerodynamics and the amount of downforce produced heavily regulated on a F1 car? I assume they are using some clever fuckery with physics that isnt allowed on F1 cars.
 
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