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[Battersea Power Station]

Are you familiar with those USA SPEC and Grom adapters that let you control an iPod via the manufacturer's CD controls? Is there anything like that for Android devices? (I know there are adapters for generic USB drives, but I can't mount my phone as a drive using them.)

 

[BoobPhysics101]

Is that a fact? I don't know much about the Civic Si.


Torque steer...too much power to the front wheels causes the car to veer. A Base 3G TL 6-speed runs to 60 faster than the Type-S I believe (mid to high 5's)...yes you read that correctly. Base TL 258hp vs. 286hp Type-S...not a typo.

You can get a 6-Speed 3G TL but they're very difficult to find. If you do find one for $15k it will most likely have high mileage (70,000+). You should also know that at the 100,000 mile mark it is recommended that you change the timing belt. That costs about a grand.

I'm a 3G TL owner

That was actually me that posted that.

Yes, it's a fact. The 06+ Civic Si spanks a TC TuRD Supercharged.

And uh... torque steer wouldn't make a Type-S 3G TL slower than a base 3G TL. A Type-S 3G is faster 0-60 than the base, period, transmission-for-transmission (i.e. a 6 sp base < 6 speed Type S). It's also faster in the quarter mile.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

they have a grille only a mother could love.

this is what the grille looked like

back when I used to like Acura exteriors.

That's the 3G TL, which is sexy as hell. THIS is the shield grill everyone hates, from the 4G TL

 

[Dreams-Visions]

That's the 3G TL, which is sexy as hell. THIS is the shield grill everyone hates, from the 4G TL

yea...that shield shit can kiss my ass. I hate everything about it. That grille single-handedly sold me on BMW. I *knew* I'd have an Acura in my collection. I guess I'll have to wait until they get redesigned a bit again.

 

[Enron]

yea...that shield shit can kiss my ass. I hate everything about it. That grille single-handedly sold me on BMW. I *knew* I'd have an Acura in my collection. I guess I'll have to wait until they get redesigned a bit again.

The shield grill isn't even the worst part of that car. Actually, I don't really mind it. It's the rear end of the 4G TL that shits it up.

 

[reilo]

C'mon guys, I just ate.

 

[BertramCooper]

Got my new Malibu today!

I love it. It drives beautifully.

 

[kehs]

they have a grille only a mother could love.

this is what the grille looked like

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/5052/96472004acuratl.jpg

back when I used to like Acura exteriors.

agreed, it's like they got rid of everyone with good taste after that generation

 

[MisterNoisy]

Got my new Malibu today!

http://i.imgur.com/YlY9v.jpg

I love it. It drives beautifully.

Congratulations! Great long-distance runner - I rented one for a 1200-mile trip last year, and came away pretty impressed.

 

[Goron2000]

My new toy; Mk2 Golf (1990) 20vt 251bhp

1.8t AGU block
Ko4 turbo removed from a tt
S3 injectors & fuel rail
big air filter
front mount intercooler
mercedes twin fans, (these things are imense)
custom down pipe and exhaust, straight through to the back box.
custom code live re-map from jabba-sport, print out reads 251.4bhp

 

[plasmasd]

Love the MK2 with the K04. I've been wanting to put a k04 in my Mk6, but your new toy should be amazing and lots of fun.

 

[Ovid]

That was actually me that posted that.

Yes, it's a fact. The 06+ Civic Si spanks a TC TuRD Supercharged.

And uh... torque steer wouldn't make a Type-S 3G TL slower than a base 3G TL. A Type-S 3G is faster 0-60 than the base, period, transmission-for-transmission (i.e. a 6 sp base < 6 speed Type S). It's also faster in the quarter mile.

Sorry if my post came off that way. You're correct, torque steer doesn't cause the car to be slower. As I mentioned it causes it to veer.

If I floor it, the car usually turns to the right. Sucks but I'm use to it.

Type-S is mid 5's, base 6-speed is high 5's, low 6s, base auto 5-speed mid 6s.

 

[Goron2000]

Yeah my brother picked it up for me last week, i'm really looking forward to driving it tomorrow . Never really looked into the Mk6, i say if you can fit it do it.

 

[Valkyr Junkie]

The new Pikes Peak Suzuki.

http://mylifeatspeed.com/archives/2018

Looks fast...

Can't believe he's dropping the Monster branding on the wing. I guess that sponsor money is too irresistible :lol

I'm actually going to Pikes Peak for the event in June with a few friends. This will be the last year before the entire trail is paved, so it'll definitely be the end of an era.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

Sorry if my post came off that way. You're correct, torque steer doesn't cause the car to be slower. As I mentioned it causes it to veer.

If I floor it, the car usually turns to the right. Sucks but I'm use to it.

Type-S is mid 5's, base 6-speed is high 5's, low 6s, base auto 5-speed mid 6s.

Don't look at 0-60 times, they're absolutely meaningless. Look at 1/4 mile (specifically trap speed) and 60-120 times to see how fast a car truly is.

For example... let us compare the 1/4 mile and traps of the 2011 STI to a 370z, just to appease the AlphaSnake since he's our resident 370z fanboy.

They run around the same ET's (low 13's, 13.1-13.3 in the quarter mile), but the STI traps 100 mph while the 370z traps around 107 mph on average.

What this means is that the 370z absolutely rapes the STI once the quarter mile is over. The STI has a fast 0-60 and 0-100 speed due to AWD and minimal traction issues, but once past the 1/4 mile the 370z is already going 7 MPH faster, and still gaining.

That's why 0-60 is meaningless: it's a stupid stat which only shows how well a car gets off the line, and not how fast it truly is.

Got my new Malibu today!

I love it. It drives beautifully.

Nice, the new Malibu really is a nice, well-made car. Big improvement in the last decade.

 

[MisterNoisy]

Don't look at 0-60 times, they're absolutely meaningless. Look at 1/4 mile (specifically trap speed) and 60-120 times to see how fast a car truly is.

For example... let us compare the 1/4 mile and traps of the 2011 STI to a 370z, just to appease the AlphaSnake since he's our resident 370z fanboy.

They run around the same ET's (low 13's, 13.1-13.3 in the quarter mile), but the STI traps 100 mph while the 370z traps around 107 mph on average.

What this means is that the 370z absolutely rapes the STI once the quarter mile is over. The STI has a fast 0-60 and 0-100 speed due to AWD and minimal traction issues, but once past the 1/4 mile the 370z is already going 7 MPH faster, and still gaining.

That's why 0-60 is meaningless: it's a stupid stat which only shows how well a car gets off the line, and not how fast it truly is.

It's the 'traffic light' metric, so it's actually fairly valuable to 'Joe Blow', who just wants to be a dick to the other people at the stoplight. I'd imagine that's why it persists -- it's not like you're going to run up to 107 in daily driving.

 

[ascii42]

It's the 'traffic light' metric, so it's actually fairly valuable to 'Joe Blow', who just wants to be a dick to the other people at the stoplight. I'd imagine that's why it persists -- it's not like you're going to run up to 107 in daily driving.

Well, right. Most performance statistics tend to be useless for pratical purposes. All that matters is how quick it is off the line, and how good the engine sounds.

 

[MisterNoisy]

Well, right. Most performance statistics tend to be useless for pratical purposes. All that matters is how quick it is off the line, and how good the engine sounds.

That's my point - the 0-60 metric is still around because being a dick measurably is absolutely a practical metric to Joe Blow.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Build your own C63 Coupe is now up on the MW website.

http://www.mercedes-benz.de/content...ssionid=0000a0_FroTHDx3LWxgOAeuAix9:15hadrbkp

 

[Spottty]

Agree with everything but the 'it's still quicker than most cars out there.' and 'fun to drive'. 15.5 in the quarter mile is ridiculously slow, especially for a RWD 'sports sedan'. The fact that the Civic Si runs faster quarter miles even with FWD and a 4 cylinder just goes to show you how slow the IS300 is.

It really, really needs boost to become a fun car.

That 15.5 is an Auto, the manual does it in high 14's. The Civic does it in mid 14's. So its slightly faster. At the end of the day though the civic is still FWD and doesn't ride nearly as nice as the Lexus. Oh and drifting the civic is, well, dumb.

Yes it needs boost to be a truly fun sport sedan but it is still fine for a ordinary person to enjoy everyday. IF you were a power mad fool like some people are, just swap in a 2JZ-GTE!!

 

[AlphaSnake]

Don't look at 0-60 times, they're absolutely meaningless. Look at 1/4 mile (specifically trap speed) and 60-120 times to see how fast a car truly is.

For example... let us compare the 1/4 mile and traps of the 2011 STI to a 370z, just to appease the AlphaSnake since he's our resident 370z fanboy.

They run around the same ET's (low 13's, 13.1-13.3 in the quarter mile), but the STI traps 100 mph while the 370z traps around 107 mph on average.

What this means is that the 370z absolutely rapes the STI once the quarter mile is over. The STI has a fast 0-60 and 0-100 speed due to AWD and minimal traction issues, but once past the 1/4 mile the 370z is already going 7 MPH faster, and still gaining.

That's why 0-60 is meaningless: it's a stupid stat which only shows how well a car gets off the line, and not how fast it truly is.

My man. Very well said.

To add a little to that: a lot of car mags and drag racers abuse the piss out of their STis. Clutch dumping at 5K (which is absolute hell on a car), just because they know that unlike an FWD or RWD car, the STi will hook up. So yeah, STis get that big jump off the line, but fall flat on their face in the long run. A trap-speed is also indicative of what would happen between two cars if they were to race from a roll.

 

[BloodySinner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeLSk9AITkE&feature=player_embedded#at=18

 

[ecnal]

Don't look at 0-60 times, they're absolutely meaningless. Look at 1/4 mile (specifically trap speed) and 60-120 times to see how fast a car truly is.

For example... let us compare the 1/4 mile and traps of the 2011 STI to a 370z, just to appease the AlphaSnake since he's our resident 370z fanboy.

They run around the same ET's (low 13's, 13.1-13.3 in the quarter mile), but the STI traps 100 mph while the 370z traps around 107 mph on average.

What this means is that the 370z absolutely rapes the STI once the quarter mile is over. The STI has a fast 0-60 and 0-100 speed due to AWD and minimal traction issues, but once past the 1/4 mile the 370z is already going 7 MPH faster, and still gaining.

That's why 0-60 is meaningless: it's a stupid stat which only shows how well a car gets off the line, and not how fast it truly is.

fast is relative. being faster from 100-160 != "truly fast." just as 0-60 != "truly fast."

in terms of every day driving, 0-60 and 0-100 are going to be the most relevant "stats," as the former is achievable in normal everyday driving conditions and the latter being plausible depending on conditions.

a 370z -- among a plethora of other cars -- is most definitely faster than an sti from a 60+mph roll, but this scenario is highly unlikely -- not to mention extremely dangerous -- in normal driving conditions... unless, of course, the drivers are morons and don't mind doubling the speed limit on a public road.

My man. Very well said.

To add a little to that: a lot of car mags and drag racers abuse the piss out of their STis. Clutch dumping at 5K (which is absolute hell on a car), just because they know that unlike an FWD or RWD car, the STi will hook up. So yeah, STis get that big jump off the line, but fall flat on their face in the long run. A trap-speed is also indicative of what would happen between two cars if they were to race from a roll.

clutch dumping is horrible, but, in general, the sti is built for the abuse. there isn't another sub $40K car that has as beefy of a drivetrain/transmission as the sti.

there are tons of people who are driving 400+whp sti's with stock blocks/internals and stock transmission/drivetrain with no mechanical issues whatsoever. shit, my gt30r sti had 85K miles, hundreds of hours of track time, and never had a single mechanical issue. for comparison, i couldn't even get 3 track days out of an e46 m3 before i cracked a control arm.

 

[Smokey]

Build your own C63 Coupe is now up on the MW website.

http://www.mercedes-benz.de/content...ssionid=0000a0_FroTHDx3LWxgOAeuAix9:15hadrbkp

I'm thinking of getting a the '12 C63 AMG or M3. I believe the 63 won't be available here until September so I most likely wouldn't make the move until end of the year or early 12. I really like the redesign that Merc did for the '12 C series. Coupe looks like a beast too in black.

 

[caramac]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13160950

Lasers could replace spark plugs in car engines

Car engines could soon be fired by lasers instead of spark plugs, researchers say.

A team at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics will report on 1 May that they have designed lasers that could ignite the fuel/air mixture in combustion engines.

The approach would increase efficiency of engines, and reduce their pollution, by igniting more of the mixture.

The team is in discussions with a spark plug manufacturer.

The idea of replacing spark plugs - a technology that has changed little since their invention 150 years ago - with lasers is not a new one.

Spark plugs only ignite the fuel mixture near the spark gap, reducing the combustion efficiency, and the metal that makes them up is slowly eroded as they age.

But only with the advent of smaller lasers has the idea of laser-based combustion become a practical one.

A team from Romania and Japan has now demonstrated a system that can focus two or three laser beams into an engine's cylinders at variable depths.

That increases the completeness of combustion and neatly avoids the issue of degradation with time.

However, it requires that lasers of high pulse energies are used; just as with spark plugs, a great deal of energy is needed to cause ignition of the fuel.

"In the past, lasers that could meet those requirements were limited to basic research because they were big, inefficient, and unstable," said Takunori Taira of the National Institutes of Natural Sciences in Okazaki, Japan.

"Nor could they be located away from the engine, because their powerful beams would destroy any optical fibres that delivered light to the cylinders."

The team has been developing a new approach to the problem: lasers made of ceramic powders that are pressed into spark-plug sized cylinders.

These ceramic devices are lasers in their own right, gathering energy from compact, lower-power lasers that are sent in via optical fibre and releasing it in pulses just 800 trillionths of a second long.

Unlike the delicate crystals typically used in high-power lasers, the ceramics are more robust and can better handle the heat within combustion engines.

The team is in discussions to commercialise the technology with Denso, a major automobile component manufacturer.

Apologies if old.

 

[33-Hit-Combo]

Apologies if old.

Article may be new, but the concepts been around for a while. Nevertheless it's good to see that they're progressing this... So I can get more fun time out of my fuel

 

[Sanky Panky]

Ok Fancypants Auto-GAF,

It seems that auto-gaf may be a bit BMW biased, but I will ask this here anyway. Let's say you are looking for something in the $60-70k, classy, and you are a single young guy with a good finance job, living in Downtown Miami.

Which one of these 3 would you go for?


MERCEDEZ E-CLASS

To me, nothing says classy like Mercedez, and I really like the design on this one. I would probably go for the same color and style of rims.

BMW 5 SERIES

Why the 5 series? I really like the series 7 for the classier look, but this one is close (and cheaper). My only gripe with BMW is that everybody and their mother owns one.

RANGE ROVER

Minus any gas consequences, this would be my SUV of choice. Pure class imo, but not so sure on the reliability.

What do you guys think? what would you go for? any car that is better in that price range?

 

[Stinkles]

Ok Fancypants Auto-GAF,

It seems that auto-gaf may be a bit BMW biased, but I will ask this here anyway. Let's say you are looking for something in the $60-70k, classy, and you are a single young guy with a good finance job, living in Downtown Miami.

Which one of these 3 would you go for?


MERCEDEZ E-CLASS

To me, nothing says classy like Mercedez, and I really like the design on this one. I would probably go for the same color and style of rims.

BMW 5 SERIES

Why the 5 series? I really like the series 7 for the classier look, but this one is close (and cheaper). My only gripe with BMW is that everybody and their mother owns one.

RANGE ROVER

Minus any gas consequences, this would be my SUV of choice. Pure class imo, but not so sure on the reliability.

What do you guys think? what would you go for? any car that is better in that price range?

Of those, I would pick the 5. I've driven it a ton. It's comfortable as fuck and incredibly solid feeling. I WAY prefer the aesthetics of the Mercedes, but I hear horror stories from friends who own them. The Range Rover is miles below those two IMO. It's basically the kind of car you get if you're rich, live in the Suburbs and feel like you deserve more than merely an Escalade. It's a horrifically impractical, slab-sided gas guzzler with no real reason to exist. If you off-roaded it, sure, but you won't.

I would consider an Audi A7 while you're at it. Or a 6.

And since you're in Miami, an S5 Convertible.

 

[golem]

Ok Fancypants Auto-GAF,

It seems that auto-gaf may be a bit BMW biased, but I will ask this here anyway. Let's say you are looking for something in the $60-70k, classy, and you are a single young guy with a good finance job, living in Downtown Miami.

Of those I would get the 5-series, but why not a sports coupe of some sort?

 

[Pterion]

5 series out of those choices. The new one looks pretty good.

Now it that was my money, an E92 M3.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Of those I would get the 5-series, but why not a sports coupe of some sort?

+1 on both the opinion and the question.

unless you have kids or are chauffeuring around a lot of friends on a regular basis, a coupe needs to be on your list.

and +1 on the M3.

 

[AlphaSnake]

So none of you noticed he posted a pic of a 3-series and not a 5-series?

Pretty embarrassing.

I'd pick none of those and get the new A6 or A7. The new 5-series steers like an absolute train wreck thanks to its electric power steering pump.

 

[Pterion]

So none of you noticed he posted a pic of a 3-series and not a 5-series?

lulz, who do you take us for? I think we all noticed. Not enough of a big deal to remind the OP, really.

 

[AlphaSnake]

lulz, who do you take us for? I think we all noticed. Not enough of a big deal to remind the OP, really.

I'm just a car nazi.

Edit: Nice stealth edit, bitch.

 

[Pterion]

Bring it!

Actually I kind of understand the OP's attraction for sedans. If it weren't for the M3 coupe, I think my current dream car would be a sedan (C63 or E90). I like the extra ''mature'' image it brings.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Bring it!

Actually I kind of understand the OP's attraction for sedans. If it weren't for the M3 coupe, I think my current dream car would be a sedan (C63 or E90). I like the extra ''mature'' image it brings.

RS4.

May not be as wild, but Goddamn if it isn't the best looking Audi sedan ever built.

 

[Pterion]

RS4

would, if it weren't for the infamous carbon build-up issues. Talk about being robbed of power...

 

[AlphaSnake]

would, if it weren't for the infamous carbon build-up issues. Talk about being robbed of power...

Yeah, seriously. How upsetting.

 

[ecnal]

so if you guys were to a get a daily driver in the $30-35K range with utility (5 door hatch/small wagon or wagon) and mpg in mind, what would you suggest?

i've been thinking A3 TDI, TSX wagon, and Lexus CT200H. any other suggestions or recommendations?

 

[Dreams-Visions]

So none of you noticed he posted a pic of a 3-series and not a 5-series?

pretty sure we all noticed. just wasn't worth mentioning because we understood what he was asking.

would, if it weren't for the infamous carbon build-up issues. Talk about being robbed of power...

they *still* haven't fixed this issue?

maybe there isn't a way to fix it, then. that was affecting the S5 and A5 when I was looking at them too. maybe this time last year.

 

[AlphaSnake]

pretty sure we all noticed. just wasn't worth mentioning because we understood what he was asking.


they *still* haven't fixed this issue?

maybe there isn't a way to fix it, then. that was affecting the S5 and A5 when I was looking at them too. maybe this time last year.

Carbon issues are mostly issues on the RS4's 4.2L. The Audi R8 doesn't suffer from this. And only a very small few S5s - from experiences, neglected cars.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Carbon issues are mostly issues on the RS4's 4.2L. The Audi R8 doesn't suffer from this. And only a very small few S5s - from experiences, neglected cars.

kk

I just remember a number of people reporting in at Audizine. I was worried because the engine has to be damn near disassembled in order to clean the carbon out.

 

[AlphaSnake]

kk

I just remember a number of people reporting in at Audizine. I was worried because the engine has to be damn near disassembled in order to clean the carbon out.

Nah, not really disassembled. You just take the upper/intake manifold off, spray it down, and wash the gunky shit away. Intake manifold is only a bunch of bolts, and a few hoses and pins to disconnect. Audi dealers can complete the job within 2 hours.

 

[reilo]

So none of you noticed he posted a pic of a 3-series and not a 5-series?

Haha I definitely noticed.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Nah, not really disassembled. You just take the upper/intake manifold off, spray it down, and wash the gunky shit away. Intake manifold is only a bunch of bolts, and a few hoses and pins to disconnect. Audi dealers can complete the job within 2 hours.

ah okay. I thought it was a fairly intensive (or at least expensive) operation.

 

[Halvie]

they *still* haven't fixed this issue?

maybe there isn't a way to fix it, then. that was affecting the S5 and A5 when I was looking at them too. maybe this time last year.

All direct injection cars have build up issues. Just that the RS4 is worse than most. Had my valves hand cleaned at 15k and there was already buildup. Think Toyota might be the only ones who have figured it out so far. They spray in more than one spot, so fuel still washes over the valves.

Nah, not really disassembled. You just take the upper/intake manifold off, spray it down, and wash the gunky shit away. Intake manifold is only a bunch of bolts, and a few hoses and pins to disconnect. Audi dealers can complete the job within 2 hours.

Talking about something like the BG treatment? Just soaking the valves isn't going to get them like new again. Going to have to pick at them, or walnut spray them to do that.

 

[BoobPhysics101]

so if you guys were to a get a daily driver in the $30-35K range with utility (5 door hatch/small wagon or wagon) and mpg in mind, what would you suggest?

i've been thinking A3 TDI, TSX wagon, and Lexus CT200H. any other suggestions or recommendations?

Honestly, with MPG in mind, I'd skip all of that and save 8-13k by buying a used '08-10 WRX hatch for $20-22k.

What's the point of spending extra for a daily driver that gets better MPG when you could've spent that 8-13k on gas for something cheaper that doesn't get quite as good mileage? Ask yourself if you'd rather have 8k+ in your pocket or the ability to POTENTIALLY save more gas over a long, gonna-trade-it-in-before-you-reach-the-break-even span of time.

Also, all of those are hideous/lame other than the A3 TDI.

The focus on MPG is superfluous if you're spending EXTRA to get more MPG.

If your main focus is on saving gas and saving money while still getting a fun DD, pick up an 05-06 Acura RSX Type-S for $15k. Looks sweet, will run forever, and gets awesome gas mileage for such a fun car (I once got 500 miles out of a 13 gallon tank of gas in my RSX). And the interior is very classy if you're an interior-whore.

 

[AlphaSnake]

All direct injection cars have build up issues. Just that the RS4 is worse than most. Had my valves hand cleaned at 15k and there was already buildup. Think Toyota might be the only ones who have figured it out so far. They spray in more than one spot, so fuel still washes over the valves.



Talking about something like the BG treatment? Just soaking the valves isn't going to get them like new again. Going to have to pick at them, or walnut spray them to do that.

You have an RS4?

 

[Halvie]

You have an RS4?

No Wouldn't want an NA Audi to begin with though (b5 rs4 would be amazing. Shop I go to did a wide-body tial 605 b5 build...car is insane. Dude wants like 45k for it lol). Too bad since I think they are one of the better looking cars they have released.

I drive a lowly MKVI GTI. Someone should have told me before I bought it that it was going to fucking take forever for an after market to grow around the TSI motor. So frustrating.

 

[BloodySinner]

I love watching Jay Leno's Garage.

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/at-the-garage/custom-built/quotfast-fivequot-picture-cars/

If your main focus is on saving gas and saving money while still getting a fun DD, pick up an 05-06 Acura RSX Type-S for $15k. Looks sweet, will run forever, and gets awesome gas mileage for such a fun car (I once got 500 miles out of a 13 gallon tank of gas in my RSX). And the interior is very classy if you're an interior-whore.

The only voice of reason in this thread.