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[Mazdaspeed]

Finally finished Stage One of Norma Jean!







Mods:
H&R Springs
Bilstein shocks/struts
High Pressure Fuel Pump
Corksport Bypass Valve
Cobb Intake
Corksport turbo inlet pipe
StreetUnit Top Mounted Intercooler
Corksport full turbo back exhaust
Damon Rear Motor Mount
Stratified Stage 3 Tune


And I want to say that the Corksport exhaust sounds fuckin amazing. I think this might be the best sounding 4 cylinder I have ever heard. Its deep and rumbles, reminds me of a better STi exhaust.

Looks good! Did you do all the work yourself? I had a hell of a time with the rear shocks, one of those bolts is such a pain in the ass. As far as the tune goes, did you get an off the shelf map or did you do some e-tuning with Stratified?

 

[Shortt Sirket]

Nice list of mods! Yeah the corksport exhaust is really nice, my buddy got it on his Mazda.

I am pretty surprised by how good it sounds. I didn't expect it to sound so good. It even has some nice bubbles on lift off. I do wish they had options for resonators in the 6 like they do the 3 because it feels just a bit too loud.

I saw a Speed6 like this yesterday in Orlando, same color. I love seeing them around, because they were such cool cars. Very expensive to keep running, but cool.

I love it, I really do. The prices to fix it and do stuff has been actually really reasonable to me. Of course, I did have an E36 M3 before this so my view might be skewed.

Looks good! Did you do all the work yourself? I had a hell of a time with the rear shocks, one of those bolts is such a pain in the ass. As far as the tune goes, did you get an off the shelf map or did you do some e-tuning with Stratified?

Had to have it done for me since I live in an apartment and have no real options to do it myself. Been eyeing some nice houses with big garages for some point in the near future.

And Stratified has this new thing where you just give them a list of your mods, what options you want and they give you a tune from there. It's only $50 so it's the perfect thing for me to use until I get an actual Etune soon. Thinking Freektune or PD but I still haven't dropped the cash yet. Also been debating getting an APV3 to replace my V2 so I can use the new features.

 

[matmanx1]

It won't happen, the M2 isn't as limited as the 1M.

I test drove a Camaro SS today with the automatic and magnetic ride. My M235i felt like a piece of shit after, everything about the Camaro was superior even most of the interior quality. I was shocked how good the car handled and how amazing the magnetic shocks are. It's also the same price as my M235i it's ridiculous. The V8 was magical, steering feel was amazing and sharp, exhaust sound godly, everything about the car was perfect to me. I also love how it looks, it's a HotWheels car and I love it, it's pure theater. I felt like a rockstar driving that thing here in Italy, everybody loves it. I will definitely sell my M235i in the summer and get a Camaro, it was that good. I also drove the Mustang GT, felt wobbly slow heavy and cheaper inside, I don't understand why people buy it over the Camaro? For the looks only? I mean visually I prefer the Camaro but that's subjective. Very very impressed by the Camaro, can't stop thinking about it. Here in europe having a car that good and visually striking for 55,000 euros is incredible.

The new Camaro refresh is fantastic and I say that as someone who really did not like the total revamp it got a few years ago. But now, wow is it a great looking car. I think it's better than every Mustang out there except for the GT350 which is still a pretty special beast.

 

[Xdye7]

I'll probably just take it to this detail spot here in KC in a month or so for its first wax. Place has 4.5 stars with like 500 reviews - Vipers, Lambos, Porshe, etc - so I'm fine spending $300 there to avoid screwing up its first application... I've never had a black vehicle before.

Dude what? $300 for wax?

Apply with microfibre towel, let it sit, buff off with another clean microfibre towel. Done. Impossible to screw up.

edit: since no one replied to this

As a follow up to the washing bit, any good short guides for washing a car?

Haven't really looked into it since it was cold outside but spring is almost here so...

water, bucket, soap, wash mitt, spray wax, mf towels

rinse car
mix soap and water in bucket. Dip mitt into bucket and wash car
rinse dirty mitt. Dip mitt into bucket again and continue washing car, repeat as necessary
rinse car, try getting it dry as possible by using the flow of water ("sheeting")
While car is still wet, spray with spray wax and use mf towel to "dry" the car by section. For first pass spray the towel a couple times. You'll use less and less spray wax as the the towel becomes saturated (you can wring out the towel as needed)
final buff/dry with another clean mf towel
done

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Eh, my Boxster S is a tiptronic. Wouldn't have been my first choice. But it has a lot of advantages.

There are "paddle shifters" on the Miata automatic which lets you have pseudo-manual or something. Makes me think of playing Gran Turismo quite frankly, I'm not sure what if any benefit using those has over just leaving it in fully automatic.

Can you even buy an RF with an automatic? I know you can with the regular ND.

Oh yes. It would be silly if you couldn't since the RF is the one targeted towards people who wouldn't otherwise get a convertible..

Eh, it's your money and your life. Do what's best for you. Mazda's automatic is actually good but it's still going to be a step down in fun factor and engagement versus the sublime 6 speed manual.

Well like 94% of North American drivers, I never learned how to drive a stick. Part of me wants to but I'm also planning on using the car as more than a weekend toy, I really want to drive it to work every day and that involves sitting in city traffic with stop-and-go conditions and apparently manuals are really not fun for that kind of thing. So there's that.

 

[Futaba]

Would it not pass inspection with a turbo? What difference does it make if its an engine swap? Is inspection hard to pass for modified cars in Japan?
Kinda makes me glad I live in a place that doesn't have an inspection, though we emissions testing which can be shitty.

It would, but along with the turbo + supercharger (was running twincharged), comes the exhaust system, and to get it to idle right i ended up having to remove all but one of the cats, and even that got switched to a high flow, and there in lies the issue, you can, for certain cars (and the 86) usually get away with removing the manifold cat (as I do with the tomei uel), because it's all tucked away behind the shielding, and as long as the car still passes the sniff test you're good, but for the other exhaust sections, it has to pass both sniff test and visual inspection, which includes counting the number of cats versus OEM.

In addition to that any aftermarket exhaust parts need to be fitted with a certification plate to show that it meets a particular standard, all mufflers/exhausts without this plate fail by default, then theirs noise level tests, height from asphalt tests, all manner of test, it gets crazy and unless you put the car through yourself you're at the mercy of whether or not the inspector got out of bed on the right side that morning (so I always put them through myself)

That combined with an equal level of strictness throughout the testing procedure, coupled with the long standing government incentive and general trend to get a new car every 4-6 years means craploads of engine/car exports that in great condition, and a constant influx of cash to the government and manufacturers. People who buy one car and stick with it for 10+ years are few and far between.

But my main reason for pulling it all out and considering an engine swap is that I've pushed the FA20 to the raggedy edge and far short of making it dangerously unstable or putting serious money into major rebuild work there is little more I can do with it as it is, so my options where : undo everything and bolt it all back in after Shaken, leave it all on and just fork out the extra charges for modified vehicles (and still have to worry about failing), or just bite the bullet and make the most of modified vehicle status and go the whole 9 yards, because one of the biggest changes that occurs when your car is given modified vehicle status is, it's resale value plummets insanely, to a point where it's worth less than half the current value if selling at auction or through a dealer.

So a big, beefy engine and a much more solid transmission are future additions, with the sale of the current FI parts and eventually, the stock engine and transmission fueling the swap + rebuild, so all in all it shouldn't really be too expensive all said and done (may even make a small profit on the switch).

tl;dr Shaken sucks if you like to modify your car.

 

[nabe_shogun]

It would, but along with the turbo + supercharger (was running twincharged), comes the exhaust system, and to get it to idle right i ended up having to remove all but one of the cats, and even that got switched to a high flow, and there in lies the issue, you can, for certain cars (and the 86) usually get away with removing the manifold cat (as I do with the tomei uel), because it's all tucked away behind the shielding, and as long as the car still passes the sniff test you're good, but for the other exhaust sections, it has to pass both sniff test and visual inspection, which includes counting the number of cats versus OEM.

In addition to that any aftermarket exhaust parts need to be fitted with a certification plate to show that it meets a particular standard, all mufflers/exhausts without this plate fail by default, then theirs noise level tests, height from asphalt tests, all manner of test, it gets crazy and unless you put the car through yourself you're at the mercy of whether or not the inspector got out of bed on the right side that morning (so I always put them through myself)

That combined with an equal level of strictness throughout the testing procedure, coupled with the long standing government incentive and general trend to get a new car every 4-6 years means craploads of engine/car exports that in great condition, and a constant influx of cash to the government and manufacturers. People who buy one car and stick with it for 10+ years are few and far between.

But my main reason for pulling it all out and considering an engine swap is that I've pushed the FA20 to the raggedy edge and far short of making it dangerously unstable or putting serious money into major rebuild work there is little more I can do with it as it is, so my options where : undo everything and bolt it all back in after Shaken, leave it all on and just fork out the extra charges for modified vehicles (and still have to worry about failing), or just bite the bullet and make the most of modified vehicle status and go the whole 9 yards, because one of the biggest changes that occurs when your car is given modified vehicle status is, it's resale value plummets insanely, to a point where it's worth less than half the current value if selling at auction or through a dealer.

So a big, beefy engine and a much more solid transmission are future additions, with the sale of the current FI parts and eventually, the stock engine and transmission fueling the swap + rebuild, so all in all it shouldn't really be too expensive all said and done (may even make a small profit on the switch).

tl;dr Shaken sucks if you like to modify your car.

The exhaust thing kinda sucks. I guess that means you can't just make your own. Or I guess just swap the stock one back on when it comes time for inspection. Same with other mods. I had a friend with a 240sx and every two years for emissions he pulled out his rb25det to swap in the stock ka24de to pass emissions. This is because he had a 1998, and here all cars 1996 and newer they do an OBD2 scan for emissions. Unfortunately the RB25 doesn't have OBD2, so its automatic fail. He now has an LS1 which passes emissions just fine, lol.

Also, what do you mean by put the car through yourself?

Also, what are the ride height limits? Because I've saw some very low cars when I was in Japan. Though I guess thats another thing you can change before inspection.

 

[Futaba]

The exhaust thing kinda sucks. I guess that means you can't just make your own. Or I guess just swap the stock one back on when it comes time for inspection. Same with other mods. I had a friend with a 240sx and every two years for emissions he pulled out his rb25det to swap in the stock ka24de to pass emissions. This is because he had a 1998, and here all cars 1996 and newer they do an OBD2 scan for emissions. Unfortunately the RB25 doesn't have OBD2, so its automatic fail. He now has an LS1 which passes emissions just fine, lol.

Also, what do you mean by put the car through yourself?

Also, what are the ride height limits? Because I've saw some very low cars when I was in Japan. Though I guess thats another thing you can change before inspection.

Generally it's about distance of chassis rail from the road, supposed to be a minimum of 10cm and around the same for tailpipe distance from road too, most people running lower just adjust before testing then slam it afterwards.

As for putting it through myself, you have two options really, letting the testing staff handle it in which case you kick back and have a few hours sat by a vending machine or just come back later, and pay a higher price, or you go through the inspection process yourself using the various bay sections to perform each test and check off the progress on a sheet, staff do stop by and do things like visual inspection and insuring you have equipment connected properly (sniff test etc) but it's generally cheaper when you're doing the less important stuff yourself, ticking off boxes and entering numbers as you go.

It's more or less the only way to get a modified car through because most shaken centers staff don't want the headache of testing and filling out the additional paperwork for a modified vehicle

Think I'll pull the Tomei uel off this weekend too and partially ceramic wrap it, with summer on its way I'd like to avoid a repeat of last years heat soaking issues

 

[Fallout-NL]

There are "paddle shifters" on the Miata automatic which lets you have pseudo-manual or something. Makes me think of playing Gran Turismo quite frankly, I'm not sure what if any benefit using those has over just leaving it in fully automatic.

Yep, I have those too (though they're buttons instead of paddles). I use them because the tiptronic tends to hang around fairly low in the rev range. Which might not be that good for certain parts of the engine. You can also use them when you simply want to be in control of what gear you're in. Works fine.

Well like 94% of North American drivers, I never learned how to drive a stick. Part of me wants to but I'm also planning on using the car as more than a weekend toy, I really want to drive it to work every day and that involves sitting in city traffic with stop-and-go conditions and apparently manuals are really not fun for that kind of thing. So there's that.

It's not that hard to learn. Though the finesse of properly driving a stick does take some time. It's worth it. It's true what they say that a manual is more fun to drive. You're simply more involved.

I don't miss it that much however when I'm driving my Boxster. My 0-60 times are always the same , never miss a gear or botch a launch and not having to deal with the stop 'n go thing like you said is nice in traffic.

 

[Pinewood]

Dude what? $300 for wax?

Apply with microfibre towel, let it sit, buff off with another clean microfibre towel. Done. Impossible to screw up.

edit: since no one replied to this



water, bucket, soap, wash mitt, spray wax, mf towels

rinse car
mix soap and water in bucket. Dip mitt into bucket and wash car
rinse dirty mitt. Dip mitt into bucket again and continue washing car, repeat as necessary
rinse car, try getting it dry as possible by using the flow of water ("sheeting")
While car is still wet, spray with spray wax and use mf towel to "dry" the car by section. For first pass spray the towel a couple times. You'll use less and less spray wax as the the towel becomes saturated (you can wring out the towel as needed)
final buff/dry with another clean mf towel
done

Would hand buffing/drying be enough to "blend in" minor scratches?

 

[mike6467]

There are "paddle shifters" on the Miata automatic which lets you have pseudo-manual or something. Makes me think of playing Gran Turismo quite frankly, I'm not sure what if any benefit using those has over just leaving it in fully automatic.



Oh yes. It would be silly if you couldn't since the RF is the one targeted towards people who wouldn't otherwise get a convertible..



Well like 94% of North American drivers, I never learned how to drive a stick. Part of me wants to but I'm also planning on using the car as more than a weekend toy, I really want to drive it to work every day and that involves sitting in city traffic with stop-and-go conditions and apparently manuals are really not fun for that kind of thing. So there's that.

They're not. That doesn't mean it's not worth learning. Rowing through gears is a near religious experience when you're in the right setting. With that said, if you're in traffic 90% of the time, it's not going to pay off. Also, snow? Being able to start in 2nd is a pretty major advantage. Apologies if you mentioned this, but I couldn't find it in the recent posts.... Also don't shit on paddle shifters until you use them. My Impreza GT Spec B with a 6 speed made me love the stick, but once I was forced to drive in and out of downtown for 45 minutes a day, it wasn't so easy to decide.. So once I made the call, I was super pumped about the DCT on my 135i M. I really do feel like that's been the best overall car I've owned.

 

[Xdye7]

Would hand buffing/drying be enough to "blend in" minor scratches?

It depends, but no probably not. The final buff/dry is just removing any residual water and the haze left by the spray wax.

A proper waxing would do a better job hiding small scratches/swirls but it doesn't actually do anything to remove them. They'll be back once the wax wears off. If that's what you're asking.

 

[ascii42]

Well like 94% of North American drivers, I never learned how to drive a stick. Part of me wants to but I'm also planning on using the car as more than a weekend toy, I really want to drive it to work every day and that involves sitting in city traffic with stop-and-go conditions and apparently manuals are really not fun for that kind of thing. So there's that.

My ATS is my first stick shift car. My family has had others over the years, so I had a small amount of experience prior, but it's not that hard to learn. Traffic certainly can suck, though.

 

[Evo X]

We got demo Panamera Turbo and 4S at work. Got to drive the hell out of them. Did a whole write up on it but the mobile site refused to post. :/


Long story short, it's the new benchmark to beat for a daily sports sedan. Improved looks and tech are nice, but the biggest improvement is the wider breadth of ability. The comfort suspension mode has a much better ride than the out going model, whereas Sports Plus tightens things up to a proper level allowing you to take turns far faster than you think.

I appreciated the old Panamera for its practicality and performance, but would honestly never have one in my garage. That's changed with this model.

 

[J-Rzez]

Save the manuals...

 

[Stinkles]

We got demo Panamera Turbo and 4S at work. Got to drive the hell out of them. Did a whole write up on it but the mobile site refused to post. :/


Long story short, it's the new benchmark to beat for a daily sports sedan. Improved looks and tech are nice, but the biggest improvement is the wider breadth of ability. The comfort suspension mode has a much better ride than the out going model, whereas Sports Plus tightens things up to a proper level allowing you to take turns far faster than you think.

I appreciated the old Panamera for its practicality and performance, but would honestly never have one in my garage. That's changed with this model.

Cabin/road noise? Maybe unfair ask of the Turbo. Have you driven the vanilla?

 

[matmanx1]

There are "paddle shifters" on the Miata automatic which lets you have pseudo-manual or something. Makes me think of playing Gran Turismo quite frankly, I'm not sure what if any benefit using those has over just leaving it in fully automatic.



Oh yes. It would be silly if you couldn't since the RF is the one targeted towards people who wouldn't otherwise get a convertible..



Well like 94% of North American drivers, I never learned how to drive a stick. Part of me wants to but I'm also planning on using the car as more than a weekend toy, I really want to drive it to work every day and that involves sitting in city traffic with stop-and-go conditions and apparently manuals are really not fun for that kind of thing. So there's that.

Miata stick shift is super easy to learn and work with and it is one of the least fatiguing clutch and shifter operations you will ever find. I daily drive mine most days of the week and do the stop and go thing for the last part of my commute.

If all I had was stop and go then the automatic would be the way to go but if you have some great roads around where you aren't fighting the stop lights then you will have more fun down the road with the manual. It is well worth the effort and one of the best manual gearboxes around.

 

[AlphaSnake]

I went to the Celebration FL Exotics Concourse. McLaren brought the 720S with them. The same silver one that's been making rounds on the east coast of the US. It is absolutely astonishing to see in person. Got to sit in it a little, took some vids, and got the McLaren rep pissy because I opened the passenger side door for some interior shots. She told me to close it. I said "what's the difference?" And she says "because of the battery". Not sure what the battery has anything to do with having two doors open, but I closed it.

I also think she was surprised I knew how to open it. LMAO. A few minutes later when there was nobody sitting in it, I'm about to hop in...and I see someone open the passenger door. The rep lady looks at me and says "I'm sorry, they just ordered one...". I said it was cool. I let them see the car while I wait outside the driver's side. I then hop in, and she asks me if I have any questions and I told her "I pretty much know all there is to know". I then told her I have a Performante on order with Lamborghini of Long Island to mess with her LMAO.

She continues to apologize for the door thing, and I just keep nodding my head "sure, sure".

Anyway, the 720S looks simply bananas in person. Love the interior too. Love the doors. Love the aero aesthetics and all. If anyone lives in Central FL, go to Celebration now before they take the car home at 5PM.

 

[jongkookie]

Miata stick shift is super easy to learn and work with and it is one of the least fatiguing clutch and shifter operations you will ever find. I daily drive mine most days of the week and do the stop and go thing for the last part of my commute.

If all I had was stop and go then the automatic would be the way to go but if you have some great roads around where you aren't fighting the stop lights then you will have more fun down the road with the manual. It is well worth the effort and one of the best manual gearboxes around.

+1

I daily drive my NC... drive around 60 miles a day, usually get stuck in traffic for at least an hour and I don't really have any problems with it.

The only time I do is when I'm using chukkas or dress shoes... but that's only because those shoes are slippery or are just downright uncomfortable to wear.

 

[TimeEffect]

Got my accord 2016

Idk what the fuss over the CVT is, I enjoyed the smoothness

There was some weird cheese/throw up in the buckle pits that I cleaned out with wipes, but everything else is dandy

Boy is it a big car. Used to driving a corolla so its gonna take some getting used to.


My big disappointment is that it has some bonus features like the ACCORD logo lighting up on the doors which is nice, but the wireless charging wont hold my gigantic phone!

Is there a workaround/trick?

 

[ascii42]

Congrats

There was some weird cheese/throw up in the buckle pits that I cleaned out with wipes, but everything else is dandy

Mmm, that's an image.

My big disappointment is that it has some bonus features like the ACCORD logo lighting up on the doors which is nice, but the wireless charging wont hold my gigantic phone!

Is there a workaround/trick?

Trim your phone so that it fits.

 

[v1lla21]

Congrats


Trim your phone so that it fits.

Loool

 

[Pterion]

Drove the Camaro SS to see what the fuss is all about. Didn't impress me at all. Couldn't test drive a M4, but preferred the C43 AMG compared to the BMW 340. Still nothing special overall. Starting to think I may have to go with Porsche to get what I really want in a car. Will try the M3/4 within the next 2-3 weeks though.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

The salesman at this dealership told me to get in the Miata and come back in 20 minutes. I was like okay.

It was nice just driving the car by myself, I guess this is the salesman's goal.

It's actually sunny right now so I did the obvious thing and cruised south on the freeway with the top down.

I shouldn't buy this car.

I really shouldn't.

 

[SliChillax]

Drove the Camaro SS to see what the fuss is all about. Didn't impress me at all. Couldn't test drive a M4, but preferred the C43 AMG compared to the BMW 340. Still nothing special overall. Starting to think I may have to go with Porsche to get what I really want in a car. Will try the M3/4 within the next 2-3 weeks though.

Did it have magnetic ride control? Also if the SS didn't impress you, don't bother with the M4.

Anyway, the 720S looks simply bananas in person..

I know right? I hated it when I saw it pictures but the car just makes you think "screw the competition, this is it"

 

[v1lla21]

The salesman at this dealership told me to get in the Miata and come back in 20 minutes. I was like okay.

It was nice just driving the car by myself, I guess this is the salesman's goal.

It's actually sunny right now so I did the obvious thing and cruised south on the freeway with the top down.

I shouldn't buy this car.

I really shouldn't.

 

[jongkookie]

The salesman at this dealership told me to get in the Miata and come back in 20 minutes. I was like okay.

It was nice just driving the car by myself, I guess this is the salesman's goal.

It's actually sunny right now so I did the obvious thing and cruised south on the freeway with the top down.

I shouldn't buy this car.

I really shouldn't.

I've been driving around all day with the top down and I couldn't be any more happier despite the fact that I was stuck in mall traffic for far too long lol.

 

[opticalmace]

I've been driving around all day with the top down and I couldn't be any more happier despite the fact that I was stuck in mall traffic for far too long lol.

Miata or..? What year/trim?

 

[TimeEffect]

Congrats

Mmm, that's an image.


Trim your phone so that it fits.

Lol, damn these iphones. I knew I should have stayed android

I cant even use google maps

Thats the worst part


So I just found out self driving cars exist for consumers via the tesla. Thats so crazy. How long until we see it exist for average consumers? 2020?

 

[KRaZyAmmo]

I've seen this Suzuki Jimny drifting from a Noriyaro video. So it's interesting to see it go time attack at the Rev Speed Event at Tsukuba. Looks weird without it's widebody on it.
Yellow Bullet 2: The Time-Attacking Suzuki Jimny

There's even a video of it at Rev Speed.
Rev Speed Kinokuni Jimny

 

[AlphaSnake]

Lol, damn these iphones. I knew I should have stayed android

I cant even use google maps

Thats the worst part


So I just found out self driving cars exist for consumers via the tesla. Thats so crazy. How long until we see it exist for average consumers? 2020?

Pretty much every major manufacturer has self driving cars for sale already.

 

[v1lla21]

I've seen this Suzuki Jimny drifting from a Noriyaro video. So it's interesting to see it go time attack at the Rev Speed Event at Tsukuba. Looks weird without it's widebody on it.
Yellow Bullet 2: The Time-Attacking Suzuki Jimny


There's even a video of it at Rev Speed.
Rev Speed Kinokuni Jimny

I like it... A lot. Something I'd drive lol.

 

[KRaZyAmmo]

I like it... A lot. Something I'd drive lol.

I also think I have a unhealthy love for Tsukuba circuit.

Noriyaro video of the Jimny drifting (also before it got updated)

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

Put me in the camp that loves how the Camaro SS rides. It was leaps and bounds better on the highway and through sharp turns than any other car I drove twice its price.

Unfortunately, not a huge fan of how it looks - though I think the more aggressive front-end really evens the vehicle out on the ZL1... though that's a $70K car.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Put me in the camp that loves how the Camaro SS rides. It was leaps and bounds better on the highway and through sharp turns than any other car I drove twice its price.

Unfortunately, not a huge fan of how it looks - though I think the more aggressive front-end really evens the vehicle out on the ZL1... though that's a $70K car.

The Camaro looks cheap and toylike. It just don't have the presence of a Challenger or even Mustang.

 

[v1lla21]

I also think I have a unhealthy love for Tsukuba circuit.

Noriyaro video of the Jimny drifting (also before it got updated)

😍😍😍😍

 

[Evo X]

Cabin/road noise? Maybe unfair ask of the Turbo. Have you driven the vanilla?

I would have to drive both the current and outgoing model back to back and be consciously on the lookout for that to give you an honest opinion on that.

The Turbo and 4S are inherently sporty models so you get that exhaust and engine noise in Sports Plus mode. We got our first vanilla Panamera 4 in today. I'll take it out Monday and see how it feels.

 

[jongkookie]

Gonna have to agree with Alpha. Camaro's are definitely nice and a performance bargain but it looks uninteresting these days. I mean I don't necessarily turn my head everytime I see a Mustang or Challenger, but when I see one, I know it's a Mustang or Challenger. When I see a Camaro on the other hand, I still sorta take a second look and figure out if it's really a Camaro I'm looking at or something else.

Actually, that's a criticism I have of GM/Chevy's cars these days. They just don't catch your eye at all. It's not bland, beige, or whatever, but it at least just blends in the sea of other cars. I guess on one hand that's a net benefit, but IMO, I don't think a Camaro/Corvette should be able to easily blend in a sea of sedans and SUV's.

Miata or..? What year/trim?

Yup.



2006, 3rd Gen LE trim(basically LSD, Bilstein shocks that have been long gone, chrome trim, and the gorgeous red paint).

 

[Futaba]

Said it once and I'll say it again, you can't go wrong with a Miata or 86, both great cars, with Miata being a bit ahead in terms of overall build quality but the 86 being ahead in terms of pricing.

Both excellent cars for the price though.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Was waiting for my wife to come out from her parents house and took this photo. I thought it looked pretty, so I figured I'd share it.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

2006, 3rd Gen LE trim(basically LSD, Bilstein shocks that have been long gone, chrome trim, and the gorgeous red paint).

I love how the NC cars are basically up front with their fascia. Just adorable cars you want to hug.

I feel like the more "aggressive" styling shift of the ND fascia loses a lot of the cute factor because became more like > but maybe that's because cute cars don't sell as well as they used to. Oh well.

Anyways now that I'm home I've cooled down a bit. I almost bought the car on the spot but damn were they asking a lot for it. Maybe I'll sit tight and wait for the demand on the RF to cool a bit, the pricing is a bit crazy right now.

 

[boltz]

Went to my first ever track event (Willow Springs) last week, and it was pretty awesome. I was also pretty happy that my car ran all four sessions with zero issues (except for when I spun out in the last session, but that was on me ). Will post some pics soon.

Got my accord 2016

Idk what the fuss over the CVT is, I enjoyed the smoothness

There was some weird cheese/throw up in the buckle pits that I cleaned out with wipes, but everything else is dandy

Boy is it a big car. Used to driving a corolla so its gonna take some getting used to.


My big disappointment is that it has some bonus features like the ACCORD logo lighting up on the doors which is nice, but the wireless charging wont hold my gigantic phone!

Is there a workaround/trick?

Honda CVTs do their job just fine, it's some of the other companies that don't program them quite as well.

I'm sure that other folks have run into the wireless charging issue, so the answer is probably out there on one of the Accord forums.

Put me in the camp that loves how the Camaro SS rides. It was leaps and bounds better on the highway and through sharp turns than any other car I drove twice its price.

Unfortunately, not a huge fan of how it looks - though I think the more aggressive front-end really evens the vehicle out on the ZL1... though that's a $70K car.

The ZL1 front end should've been the standard frontend for the current gen car. That alone probably would've boosted sales a good bit.

 

[sfedai0]

I love how the NC cars are basically up front with their fascia. Just adorable cars you want to hug.

I feel like the more "aggressive" styling shift of the ND fascia loses a lot of the cute factor because became more like > but maybe that's because cute cars don't sell as well as they used to. Oh well.

Anyways now that I'm home I've cooled down a bit. I almost bought the car on the spot but damn were they asking a lot for it. Maybe I'll sit tight and wait for the demand on the RF to cool a bit, the pricing is a bit crazy right now.

And thats why ND might become the most popular Miata of all time. Its gotten the attention of a whole lotta folks who wrote off the Miata as too feminine or just too cute. I have never considered a Miata, but have been looking at the ND RF quite closely.

 

[Bandit1]

Was waiting for my wife to come out from her parents house and took this photo. I thought it looked pretty, so I figured I'd share it.

Are those... petunias?

 

[TimeEffect]

Pretty much every major manufacturer has self driving cars for sale already.

Really?? Why isnt this a big deal? That seems incredibly useful :O



BTW, why dont cars all come with built in dash cams and parking mode detection. I feel this should have been standard already

 

[mmazurkiewicz]

The Demon has been unveiled.

 

[TimeEffect]

Anyone have experience with dash cams? Installed one via the cigarette socket. When I turn the Jetta off, I get a warning that my 12 Battery is running low. This suggests the dash cam is still being used even when the car is off.

Within seconds, the Jetta turns the infotainment off, saying the battery is too low.

Did I do something wrong? Do I need to unplug the dashcam every single time?

 

[jongkookie]

Anyways now that I'm home I've cooled down a bit. I almost bought the car on the spot but damn were they asking a lot for it. Maybe I'll sit tight and wait for the demand on the RF to cool a bit, the pricing is a bit crazy right now.

Yeah, wait until winter if you don't mind. Back when I bought mine 5 years ago, it sold for $12K at the end of January. The same equivalent model in trim and mileage 6 months later went up to $15K... and that's only because the season changed.

On the other hand, unless you're dead set on the RF, I don't think it's an absolute must. I thought about this a while back and I never really had an issue with my soft top. Sure I didn't use it a lot(mostly coz I get dark pretty quickly, and Texas sun is a murderer), but it still protects your head and more importantly, there's less weight on the car.

And thats why ND might become the most popular Miata of all time. Its gotten the attention of a whole lotta folks who wrote off the Miata as too feminine or just too cute. I have never considered a Miata, but have been looking at the ND RF quite closely.

Yup. The ND somehow appeals to everyone and their moms and still deliver a superb sports car experience. From what I know, it isn't exactly selling like hotcakes but Mazda is pretty happy with the sales regardless.

The Demon has been unveiled.

I like it. But mostly because you can't tell what it is unless you see the demon badges on the side.

 

[J-Rzez]

The salesman at this dealership told me to get in the Miata and come back in 20 minutes. I was like okay.

It was nice just driving the car by myself, I guess this is the salesman's goal.

It's actually sunny right now so I did the obvious thing and cruised south on the freeway with the top down.

I shouldn't buy this car.

I really shouldn't.

I had a similar experience when I bought my Evo 8. All the dealerships around me wouldn't let me drive them. Went to one, sales manager came out, looked at my car, said wow that paint job must have a cost a lot (it was a 3 stage house of color kandy), then literally threw the keys to me. He said go down the road, hang a right, enjoy the twisty road. Guess where I got my Evo from?

Best experience ever shopping.

 

[TimeEffect]

Getting an incredibly worrying warning when I turn off a Jetta.

Says something like "12v battery almost drained, please turn off infotainment" and then "turning off infotainment, battery almost drained"

What's this about? Why is the car drawing battery and why is the battery low? Car was bought used last week