The blog topic recommendations have been noted and I might write about them soon, but for today I just want to put up some videos of a hilarious episode of my favorite automotive TV show, Top Gear on BBC (also the source of the last Bus-Jumping video). In this hour-long episode the guys head across the pond to the good ol' US-of-A for some hoot-hollerin' fun. They start by buying each of themselves a car for under $1000 in Miami which they then drive to New Orleans with plenty of funny moments in between.
It is worth watching all six ten-minute segments, but if you want to just skip the funniest part, go to Part 4 and fast forward to approximately 7:30 in. In this segment the boys have been challenged to go camping and only eat whatever they can find dead along the side of the road. After finding and passing-up a few candidates they finally find a squirrel that might work, but Jeremy decides to keep looking and this is where he returns triumphant with his hilarious findings. Really the whole episode is worth watching though, so if you like this part you should watch the rest too.
Top Gear in America, Part 1
Top Gear in America, Part 2
Top Gear in America, Part 3
Top Gear in America, Part 4 (this is the funniest one, FF to about 7:30)
Top Gear in America, Part 5
Top Gear in America, Part 6
Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
6.13.2007
2.24.2007
Mini Fleet
My Franken-MINI obsession is well documented (part I, II, III, IV, V). It all started when I got the idea, "Hey, what if I got an old MINI Cooper and put a sweet Honda engine in it?" Then after digging around on the internet I found that several other people got this idea long before I did and that there are actually a few companies that specialize in doing just that. They put one of Honda's more potent four-cylinder engines in the diminutive MINI and turn it into a real road-ripping monster. I want one.
But then I got to thinking that the high-performance potent version is just one possible type of FrankenMINI. I found a company that is developing a retro-fit hybrid system; essentially an electric motor that replaces the alternator. This system combined with any of Honda's many powerful, innovative, and efficient four-cylinder engines could theoretically be installed into the diminutive MINI to make for some real clean, green, lean, mean, machines. So in addition to the balls-out fast version, I will also need these other versions:
I can't find any relevant videos, so I'm just putting up another Muse video because they are still awesome. This one is apparently called New Born.
But then I got to thinking that the high-performance potent version is just one possible type of FrankenMINI. I found a company that is developing a retro-fit hybrid system; essentially an electric motor that replaces the alternator. This system combined with any of Honda's many powerful, innovative, and efficient four-cylinder engines could theoretically be installed into the diminutive MINI to make for some real clean, green, lean, mean, machines. So in addition to the balls-out fast version, I will also need these other versions:
- Biodiesel Hybrid - Diesel engines are not very popular here in the States because they are seen as noisy, dirty, and stinky. That's too bad because diesel engines are quite a bit more efficient than their gasoline counterparts, producing significantly less CO2 per distance. When fueled with biodiesel, which is produced from crops rather than fossil fuels, the CO2 emissions are virtually erased because the crops grown to produce the fuel re-absorb that CO2 from the atmosphere through osmosis. Pretty much any diesel engine can burn biodiesel, and just as easily switch back to regular diesel. I could even convert it to run on straight waste vegetable oil from restaurant fryers. I thought that the only way I could make a biodiesel MINI would be to use Volkswagen's ubiquitous 2.0 liter turbo-diesel engine found in the Golf and Jetta, but this would have been difficult because the MINIs are designed to take Honda 4-cylinder engines, not VW ones. But then I discovered that Honda actually produces and sells a 4-cylinder diesel Civic in the UK. After reading as much as I could about it, it sounds like quite a marvelous little engine. Although diesel engines are more efficient, they have (until recently) produced a lot more nitrous oxide than gasoline engines. Honda has developed an emissions control system for this engine that reduces Nitrous Oxide emissions down to stringent new European standards. It sounds like it's also a pretty smooth and quiet little machine. In the UK Civic, which weighs almost twice as much as the MINI that I would put it in, it gets about 54 miles-per-gallon. Putting it in the much smaller car and adding the hybrid system, 60 or maybe even 70 mpg don't seem too far out of reach. And with over 250 lb/ft of torque, this little monster would still have plenty of scoot. This car would be difficult to build though because as far as I can tell, this particular engine is only sold in the UK, and has only been on sale for about a year, so finding a used engine (like from a wrecked car) would be difficult. Even if I did find one, this engine has not been approved by the EPA for sale in the USA, so I don't know if it would even be possible to import it here. I read somewhere that rumor has it Honda is planning to sell cars with this engine in the US starting in 2009 though, so maybe in a few years this will be a more feasible option.
- Natural Gas Hybrid - Honda sells a natural gas version of the Civic in California and New York (Civic GX). Natural gas is about as efficient as regular gasoline, but burns cleaner, emitting fewer greenhouse gases. I could also attach the retrofit hybrid system to this. In the civic, this natural gas engine returns the equivalent of about 39 mpg on the highway. This would also be a relatively difficult engine to find just because of its limited sales area and volume. Another challenge would be finding natural gas for it, but I could buy one of these nifty appliances which fills your cars tank using the natural gas supplied to your home. Because of the refueling difficulty, this car wouldn't be able to stray very far from home. This drivetrain doesn't make a lot of power either, but it would be a lot cleaner and more efficient than the balls-out fast one, and in the tiny mini, even the meager power would probably be plenty.
- Gasoline Hybrid - Honda also makes a four-cylinder gasoline hybrid Civic and Insight. At first I didn't even bother looking into this option because I thought it would be way too complex and convoluted to be installed in the MINI. But after doing some more research, it seems that Honda's hybrid system is much simpler than that of the Toyota Prius. So much simpler, in fact, that I think it would actually be entirely possible to just take the engine right out of a hybrid Civic and put it in the MINI. In the Civic, this drivetrain gets about 45 mpg. I would probably try to find a way to convert the engine to run on Ethanol blend fuels like E85. If I already had a biodiesel hybrid, however, that got better fuel economy, had more power, and emitted fewer greenhouse gases, then I would probably never want to drive this gasoline hybrid anyway.
- Plug-in Battery Electric - This one would have no engine at all, just batteries and electric motors. According to Wikipedia (a.k.a. the disinformation dissemination machine) battery electric vehicles are much more efficient and cleaner than gasoline vehicles. Like the natural gas car, though, this one would also have a limited driving range.
I can't find any relevant videos, so I'm just putting up another Muse video because they are still awesome. This one is apparently called New Born.
11.02.2006
You did WHAT?!
I don't really understand the American public. First they elect Bush the first time 'round back in 2000. Then for some reason they re-elected him in 2004. And now, since gas prices have receded a few dimes per gallon over the past month or so, Americans have rushed to car dealers in droves to snatch up their big, lumbering, gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs, with their sales in the month of October "doubling from the year before in some cases (Fortune Magazine, "American car buyers get a case of amnesia")." According to the article, not only did sales of large trucks and SUVs increase dramatically this past month, but sales of hybrid vehicles actually declined. This is kind of disturbing news for me
Firstly, from most of the things I have read about gas prices, higher gas prices are likely to become the norm rather than the exception. As oil field reserves around the world peak, oil production (and consequently gasoline production) is stretched to its limits, and as global demand continues to rise, prices will naturally continue to rise. And so any recent drop in gas prices is probably temporary and we will probably see $3 gas again soon enough. Interestingly, by buying these fuel-inefficient vehicles consumers will help to drive demand back up which will probably help to send prices back up to where they were, and higher.
Secondly, Bush is right when he says that American dependence on foreign oil is bad. The combination of our voracious appetite for oil and relatively high international oil prices contributes to volatility in the international system. Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, for example, would not be in the position of power and influence that he is if it weren't for all the money Venezuela is making from high-priced oil exports to the US. I don't think Hugo Chavez is really very dangerous for the United States, but he is certainly one of the most vocal and charismatic champions of the anti-American sentiment around the world.
Along this same point, but perhaps more crucial, is the relationship between US demand for oil, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. When I first heard the argument, "we are in Iraq because of oil," I thought it sounded like conspiracy theory. But in my political geography class last semester my teacher spent several class periods giving us a pretty sound explanation of why Iraq and our demand for oil are related. I am not capable of eloquently reproducing that argument here, but the basic jist of it is that Iraq and Iran have the fourth and third largest conventional oil reserves, respectively. By invading Afghanistan which has no real interest for the US other than a strategic location, and by invading Iraq which has large oil reserves but low production due to depleted infrastructure from international sanctions, the US is surrounding Iran.
I know, it sounds like total conspiracy theory, but I think it makes sense. Sure, the US rhetoric regarding all three of these countries has been mostly about security, humanitarian aid, terrorism, and those elusive weapons of mass destruction, but then you have to ask yourself, if it were really just about these things, then why did we go first to Iraq which appears to have been telling the truth when they said they didn't have WMDs (and it appears they didn't have any ties to Al Qaeda either), when North Korea on the other hand has been very clear about its intentions to build WMDs? Well, one possible factor is that North Korea doesn't have any oil. Or why don't we go into Sudan, a hotbed for international terrorists as well as the site of perhaps the worst current humanitarian disaster in the world (with the exception of Iraq, perhaps)? Well, Sudan doesn't have much oil either.
So why would the United States go to such great lengths to invade Iraq and surround Iran? Well, probably to help ensure cheap oil for the US so that Americans can drive their big trucks and SUVs. Until recently it was enough for the US to simply maintain their cozy relationship with Saudi Arabia, but in the face of rapidly increasing demand from countries like China and India, in combination with declining oil reserves, it's going to take a much more hands-on approach by the US to keep oil prices low. Of course, if we didn't USE so much of the stuff then this wouldn't be such a big problem for the US. But don't tell the US public this; instead let them keep driving their land yachts because they like to sit high off the road and have a commanding view of the vast American landscape...
Speaking of the landscape, that's the third reason why this news is so disturbing. You don't have to be a climatologist to be able to understand that global warming is real, is coming fast, is our fault, and will probably have disastrous consequences. In fact, you probably don't even need a high school diploma to be able to understand it. Sure, the movie The Day After Tomorrow had a lot of hyperbolic Hollywood entertainment packed into it, and global warming probably won't have quite such dramatic effects, but it still should have made people think. And then there was Al Gore's great movie An Inconvenient Truth, which I still think everyone in the world should see, that spelled it out clearly and accurately. Unfortunately that movie lacked the Hollywood action necessary to lure most American movie-goers. So if simple economics aren't enough, and international security isn't enough either, and not even saving the planet from an unprecedented climatic disaster is enough to make Americans drive more efficient cars, then I don't know what is.
Actually, it seems like simple economics is the most powerful tool here, it's just that as this article claims, Americans have amnesia, and they probably lack foresight too. If we could keep gas prices high enough long enough, maybe Americans would finally start to think differently. Or perhaps if they went high enough then alternative energy sources would become economically viable. So as much as I loved getting change back from my $20 on a full tank of gas a few years ago, I think that in the long run high gasoline prices are actually a great thing, but dang it America, why do you keep buying those gas-guzzlers?
I've heard all the reasons for why people claim to like these behemoths:
I love a rumblin' tumblin' gas-guzzlin' V8 engine as much as the next red-blooded American, but it's just irresponsible to drive those things all the time as a primary mode of transportation. I could go on, but I think you get the point.
Hopefully technology like that shown in this video can become mainstream:
At the bottom of that Fortune article, there is a link to another article about how obesity also increases fuel consumption. That's a rant for another day though...
Firstly, from most of the things I have read about gas prices, higher gas prices are likely to become the norm rather than the exception. As oil field reserves around the world peak, oil production (and consequently gasoline production) is stretched to its limits, and as global demand continues to rise, prices will naturally continue to rise. And so any recent drop in gas prices is probably temporary and we will probably see $3 gas again soon enough. Interestingly, by buying these fuel-inefficient vehicles consumers will help to drive demand back up which will probably help to send prices back up to where they were, and higher.
Secondly, Bush is right when he says that American dependence on foreign oil is bad. The combination of our voracious appetite for oil and relatively high international oil prices contributes to volatility in the international system. Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, for example, would not be in the position of power and influence that he is if it weren't for all the money Venezuela is making from high-priced oil exports to the US. I don't think Hugo Chavez is really very dangerous for the United States, but he is certainly one of the most vocal and charismatic champions of the anti-American sentiment around the world.
Along this same point, but perhaps more crucial, is the relationship between US demand for oil, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. When I first heard the argument, "we are in Iraq because of oil," I thought it sounded like conspiracy theory. But in my political geography class last semester my teacher spent several class periods giving us a pretty sound explanation of why Iraq and our demand for oil are related. I am not capable of eloquently reproducing that argument here, but the basic jist of it is that Iraq and Iran have the fourth and third largest conventional oil reserves, respectively. By invading Afghanistan which has no real interest for the US other than a strategic location, and by invading Iraq which has large oil reserves but low production due to depleted infrastructure from international sanctions, the US is surrounding Iran.
I know, it sounds like total conspiracy theory, but I think it makes sense. Sure, the US rhetoric regarding all three of these countries has been mostly about security, humanitarian aid, terrorism, and those elusive weapons of mass destruction, but then you have to ask yourself, if it were really just about these things, then why did we go first to Iraq which appears to have been telling the truth when they said they didn't have WMDs (and it appears they didn't have any ties to Al Qaeda either), when North Korea on the other hand has been very clear about its intentions to build WMDs? Well, one possible factor is that North Korea doesn't have any oil. Or why don't we go into Sudan, a hotbed for international terrorists as well as the site of perhaps the worst current humanitarian disaster in the world (with the exception of Iraq, perhaps)? Well, Sudan doesn't have much oil either.
So why would the United States go to such great lengths to invade Iraq and surround Iran? Well, probably to help ensure cheap oil for the US so that Americans can drive their big trucks and SUVs. Until recently it was enough for the US to simply maintain their cozy relationship with Saudi Arabia, but in the face of rapidly increasing demand from countries like China and India, in combination with declining oil reserves, it's going to take a much more hands-on approach by the US to keep oil prices low. Of course, if we didn't USE so much of the stuff then this wouldn't be such a big problem for the US. But don't tell the US public this; instead let them keep driving their land yachts because they like to sit high off the road and have a commanding view of the vast American landscape...
Speaking of the landscape, that's the third reason why this news is so disturbing. You don't have to be a climatologist to be able to understand that global warming is real, is coming fast, is our fault, and will probably have disastrous consequences. In fact, you probably don't even need a high school diploma to be able to understand it. Sure, the movie The Day After Tomorrow had a lot of hyperbolic Hollywood entertainment packed into it, and global warming probably won't have quite such dramatic effects, but it still should have made people think. And then there was Al Gore's great movie An Inconvenient Truth, which I still think everyone in the world should see, that spelled it out clearly and accurately. Unfortunately that movie lacked the Hollywood action necessary to lure most American movie-goers. So if simple economics aren't enough, and international security isn't enough either, and not even saving the planet from an unprecedented climatic disaster is enough to make Americans drive more efficient cars, then I don't know what is.
Actually, it seems like simple economics is the most powerful tool here, it's just that as this article claims, Americans have amnesia, and they probably lack foresight too. If we could keep gas prices high enough long enough, maybe Americans would finally start to think differently. Or perhaps if they went high enough then alternative energy sources would become economically viable. So as much as I loved getting change back from my $20 on a full tank of gas a few years ago, I think that in the long run high gasoline prices are actually a great thing, but dang it America, why do you keep buying those gas-guzzlers?
I've heard all the reasons for why people claim to like these behemoths:
- "I like to sit high so I can see over everyone" -- You wouldn't have to sit so high if everyone else didn't drive them too.
- "I like how safe I feel in a big vehicle" -- Big vehicles are more dangerous to other drivers, and most small cars these days are just as safe. Actually, because small cars handle better and are more maneuverable, in a way they are actually safer!
- "I need to be able to haul lots of _______" -- This is only true in a few cases, most of the time you just end up driving yourself and perhaps a passenger or two around town looking for a Starbucks and a gas station. When you do need to haul lots of passengers and their gear, just take two cars! And if you need it to haul around your large family, then that's a different problem because the world population is also getting too big and so you shouldn't even be having that many kids anyway, unless they're adopted I suppose. Also, while you are busy hauling all your stuff around in your big truck, I'll be hauling ass right past you in my speedy little Mini and I'll be getting over twice or perhaps even three times the fuel economy as you too.
- "I like how powerful they are" -- Whatever, trucks and SUVs are slow. Even the fastest ones are still not that fast by fast-car standards.
- "I like they way the drive" -- Again, you are wrong. They handle like mush.
I love a rumblin' tumblin' gas-guzzlin' V8 engine as much as the next red-blooded American, but it's just irresponsible to drive those things all the time as a primary mode of transportation. I could go on, but I think you get the point.
Hopefully technology like that shown in this video can become mainstream:
At the bottom of that Fortune article, there is a link to another article about how obesity also increases fuel consumption. That's a rant for another day though...
10.29.2006
Learn By Doing
I went to Veloswap today which is a huge gathering of cyclists buying and selling all kinds of bikes, bike parts, and bike paraphernalia. I went last year too, but since I didn't have any money and wasn't really looking for anything specific anyway, I just ended up wandering around wishing I had more money.
This year I actually bought a few things though. After waiting in a long line to get into the place (held at the National Western Stock Show building), I then had to wait in another long line to use the one ATM in the whole place because I was stupid and didn't go to the bank before I came. I had to pay a fee to use the ATM, but it figured I was still ahead of the game because I told the parking attendant to take her $6 parking fee and shove it while I went and found equally good parking for free elsewhere (I didn't really say that to her, but I wasn't very polite either).
So, after finally getting in and getting my money, I was off to the races. Unlike last year where I wandered around aimlessly, this year I had a bit more focus. I was looking for a new seat, a new front brake, a new front brake lever (if one should strike my fancy), and possibly a new handlebar (bull-horn style, specifically). As I snaked my way through the slow-walking crowd I quickly scanned the items being offered at each table. My first find was a seat. I was looking for something with a cut-out down the middle so that it wouldn't make my crotch go numb after only 30 minutes riding it. This seat I found had this crotch-saving cutout, a sleek low-profile design, titanium rails, and because it had been in a crash and got scuffed, it was only $5. For some people a scuffed seat just won't do, but I don't really care about scuffs. It is really just cosmetic, and actually having a damaged seat will probably reduce the likelihood of it getting stolen on campus. Anyway, I'll have to take it on a little bit longer ride some day to see how much better it is than my old seat.
Then I found a brake caliper that looked nice. It was black, and it was only $10. I probably could have bargained it down, but I don't really enjoy bargaining. Not long after that I found a brake lever that I thought would do the trick for only $5. I wandered around a bit longer, saw the type of handlebars that I thought I might want to get, but I ended up not liking them and so I didn't buy them. I also saw an old frame quite similar to the one I have now (same make, close year, different model, cooler colors; black and red) for $48. I was about to buy it and maybe build it into a second fixed gear, but luckily it was too big for me and so I didn't buy it. That's when I realized that I should leave before I spent the $45 I had left on something that I didn't really need.
So then I came home to put my new parts on my bike. The seat went on without any problems, but after a few hours of tinkering and a trip to a bike shop, I have realized that the brake caliper I bought is the wrong size. Before I left this morning to go to Veloswap in the back of my mind I was thinking, "Dustin, you should probably measure that thing so you can be sure to get a new one that fits," but alas, I didn't. I thought they were probably all the same and so I thought I would probably be okay without measuring. Well, I was wrong... luckily I'm not out too much money and I guess that's how you learn these kinds of things...
To remedy the situation I have bought another brake caliper on ebay that I am quite confident will fit. I didn't get the same bargain for it, but I think I'm at least not overpaying (too much). Hopefully it will arrive quickly and I can install it, but in the mean time my bike doesn't have a front brake and I don't think I'm "brave" enough to ride it anywhere without a brake.
So today I got on my mountain bike for the first time since I got the fixed gear and it felt really weird. After exclusively riding the fixed gear since September, getting back on the mountain bike felt kind of like driving a big, slow, lumbering, excessive Ford Expedition for the first time after months of driving a light, simplistic, lithe, Lotus Elise. So, in other words, I hope my brake arrives quickly so I don't have to ride my mountain bike for too long.
Speaking of the Lotus Elise, today's video is a video clip from the BBC TV show Top Gear testing a Lotus Exige which is just like the Elise only faster and better. I like this car a lot, and for most of the same reasons why I like the VTEC Mini. Because it does more with less. This car has a 1.8 liter Toyota 4-cylinder engine, and in this clip they race it against a Ford Mustang with a 5.4 liter V8 with quite a bit more horsepower. However, because the Lotus is so small and light, and just all around better, it beats the Mustang. I love it. It is at the same time both extreme and minimalist.
This year I actually bought a few things though. After waiting in a long line to get into the place (held at the National Western Stock Show building), I then had to wait in another long line to use the one ATM in the whole place because I was stupid and didn't go to the bank before I came. I had to pay a fee to use the ATM, but it figured I was still ahead of the game because I told the parking attendant to take her $6 parking fee and shove it while I went and found equally good parking for free elsewhere (I didn't really say that to her, but I wasn't very polite either).
So, after finally getting in and getting my money, I was off to the races. Unlike last year where I wandered around aimlessly, this year I had a bit more focus. I was looking for a new seat, a new front brake, a new front brake lever (if one should strike my fancy), and possibly a new handlebar (bull-horn style, specifically). As I snaked my way through the slow-walking crowd I quickly scanned the items being offered at each table. My first find was a seat. I was looking for something with a cut-out down the middle so that it wouldn't make my crotch go numb after only 30 minutes riding it. This seat I found had this crotch-saving cutout, a sleek low-profile design, titanium rails, and because it had been in a crash and got scuffed, it was only $5. For some people a scuffed seat just won't do, but I don't really care about scuffs. It is really just cosmetic, and actually having a damaged seat will probably reduce the likelihood of it getting stolen on campus. Anyway, I'll have to take it on a little bit longer ride some day to see how much better it is than my old seat.
Then I found a brake caliper that looked nice. It was black, and it was only $10. I probably could have bargained it down, but I don't really enjoy bargaining. Not long after that I found a brake lever that I thought would do the trick for only $5. I wandered around a bit longer, saw the type of handlebars that I thought I might want to get, but I ended up not liking them and so I didn't buy them. I also saw an old frame quite similar to the one I have now (same make, close year, different model, cooler colors; black and red) for $48. I was about to buy it and maybe build it into a second fixed gear, but luckily it was too big for me and so I didn't buy it. That's when I realized that I should leave before I spent the $45 I had left on something that I didn't really need.
So then I came home to put my new parts on my bike. The seat went on without any problems, but after a few hours of tinkering and a trip to a bike shop, I have realized that the brake caliper I bought is the wrong size. Before I left this morning to go to Veloswap in the back of my mind I was thinking, "Dustin, you should probably measure that thing so you can be sure to get a new one that fits," but alas, I didn't. I thought they were probably all the same and so I thought I would probably be okay without measuring. Well, I was wrong... luckily I'm not out too much money and I guess that's how you learn these kinds of things...
To remedy the situation I have bought another brake caliper on ebay that I am quite confident will fit. I didn't get the same bargain for it, but I think I'm at least not overpaying (too much). Hopefully it will arrive quickly and I can install it, but in the mean time my bike doesn't have a front brake and I don't think I'm "brave" enough to ride it anywhere without a brake.
So today I got on my mountain bike for the first time since I got the fixed gear and it felt really weird. After exclusively riding the fixed gear since September, getting back on the mountain bike felt kind of like driving a big, slow, lumbering, excessive Ford Expedition for the first time after months of driving a light, simplistic, lithe, Lotus Elise. So, in other words, I hope my brake arrives quickly so I don't have to ride my mountain bike for too long.
Speaking of the Lotus Elise, today's video is a video clip from the BBC TV show Top Gear testing a Lotus Exige which is just like the Elise only faster and better. I like this car a lot, and for most of the same reasons why I like the VTEC Mini. Because it does more with less. This car has a 1.8 liter Toyota 4-cylinder engine, and in this clip they race it against a Ford Mustang with a 5.4 liter V8 with quite a bit more horsepower. However, because the Lotus is so small and light, and just all around better, it beats the Mustang. I love it. It is at the same time both extreme and minimalist.
10.20.2006
Dream Cars: Addendum
I've been on the lookout for good videos of VTEC Mini Coopers on Youtube, but they are all pretty crappy. I did find this video, however, from an old episode of my favorite BBC automotive television program, Top Gear, with host Jeremy Clarkson.
It isn't a VTEC Mini, but it is an old mini with lots of power. My mini would be similar to this one, with a few differences:
It isn't a VTEC Mini, but it is an old mini with lots of power. My mini would be similar to this one, with a few differences:
- This one has a 1.4 litre original Mini engine which has been modified to make 160 horsepower. Mine would have either a 1.8 or a 2.0 litre Honda engine with over 200 horsepower.
- This one has straight-cut gears, which I hear is difficult to drive. Mine would have a friendly, smooth, Honda transmission.
- This one cost £50,000 (over $100,000), but mine would probably cost less than $30,000.
- This one is green, mine will be black.
- Mine will be just as tiny.
- Mine will probably be just as uncomfortable, and possibly almost as loud.
10.15.2006
Dream Cars
Oh my god, I just spent an hour writing a post and then after a series of unfortunate keystroke events, I managed to lose the whole thing! That might be the most frustrating thing in the world.
Anyway, here it goes again. I realize that most of the people that read this blog don't give a hoot about cars, but I do. Sometimes people ask me what is my one dream car. Although I always have an answer to this question, I always wonder, "why just one?" So, if I were to limit myself to ONLY, let's say... five cars, what would they be? They would be these, probably in this order:
For today's video, there is no video. I am not posting one because I still can't get enough of the All American Rejects song I posted last time. I have probably watched that video an average of about a million times per day over the past week. I love everything about it. I love the line, "your hands are mine to hold." I love the video concept of all the different shirts and backgrounds and stuff. I love how emotional the lead singer is. Also, I'm kind of strangely attracted to him in that jealous I-wish-I-were-that-hot sort of way. The girl who he seems to be breaking up with is also pretty gorgeous. I was so enamored with this video that I looked up the director, Marc Webb, and found his website www.marcwebb.com where I found a much higher-quality version of the video along with some other videos that I like but hadn't realized that they were also done by him. I don't think I can post it here, but go there and watch it if you like. As much as I love the video I found on YouTube, this high-quality video is even better because there's just more detail and stuff. Love it!
Anyway, here it goes again. I realize that most of the people that read this blog don't give a hoot about cars, but I do. Sometimes people ask me what is my one dream car. Although I always have an answer to this question, I always wonder, "why just one?" So, if I were to limit myself to ONLY, let's say... five cars, what would they be? They would be these, probably in this order:
VTEC Mini Cooper - Take an old Mini Cooper that weighs about 1600 pounds, restore it, give it a 2.0 liter Honda VTEC engine with 200+ horsepower that is fast even in a car weighing almost 3000 pounds, and you have a pretty sweet recipe. At only about $30k, this car is as quick as a Porsche (0-60 in about 4.6 seconds), but gets well over 30 miles per gallon, is easier to park, and is as easy to work on and find parts for as a Honda. Is it possibly the world's most perfect car? I think it might be, and I am pretty sure I'm going to buy one as soon as I can afford it.
Porsche 911 Carerra - Some complain that the 911 has become almost too sterile in recent years, but I love it because it is a precision instrument and an automotive icon. It is more well-rounded than most serious sports cars because it is quite reliable and comfortable to use as a daily driver where as many sports cars are not. The 911 comes in many different flavors. There is the base model, a faster "S" model, and then there's the legendary "turbo." There are all-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive variants. And then there's a coupe, a convertible, or a targa top. As tempting as the turbo sounds, I think I would probably go down a notch to the Carerra 4S Targa (fast, but not turbo-fast; all-wheel-drive so I can take it skiing, and targa for the big sunroof). The 355-horsepower 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine will get me from zero to 60 miles per hour in about 4.6 seconds, but it'll cost me about $100k.
Jaguar XKE, E-type - I actually owned one of these for a few years (this is a picture of it), and I still think it is about the sexiest car ever created. The one I had was a 1969 Series 1.5, 2+2 (meaning it had a small back seat), but if I were to get another one some day, I would probably look for a slightly older Series 1, 2-seater coupe with no back seat because they have slightly sexier proportions. With a 240-hp 4.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine, this car was considered pretty fast in it's day, and from my experience they still aren't slow even by today's standards. For a nicely restored example of this automotive icon I'll probably need about $30k.
Audi RS4 - This car can haul some pretty serious ass (5 asses, actually) in luxury and comfort, and with all-wheel-drive it can do it in the snow. With a high-tech 4.2-liter 420-horsepower V8 engine, it sounds pretty sweet doing it too (and it goes 0-60 in about 4.7 seconds). Since all the other cars on this list aren't really designed to haul more than two asses at a time, this car would be a good addition to the stable. But in all actuality, I don't have enough friends to really need a back seat anyway... hahaha. I do kind of have a problem with it being a V8 though because it seems so wasteful. And they aren't cheap, costing about $70k new.- Hmm, I can't really decide on what I would want for this last spot. Would I want a truck even though they are huge and so wasteful? Maybe I would want a Toyota Prius to balance out some of the gas-guzzlers on the list. Perhaps I would want another small, fast, lightweight sports car with a small, economical engine; something like a Lotus Elise or the totally impractical but amazing Ariel Atom? Maybe I would want some other cool old car like a sweet VW van, or a Lincon Continental with suicide doors (the car in The Matrix when they take the bug out of Neo's belly button). Maybe I'll just leave this as a wildcard slot.
For today's video, there is no video. I am not posting one because I still can't get enough of the All American Rejects song I posted last time. I have probably watched that video an average of about a million times per day over the past week. I love everything about it. I love the line, "your hands are mine to hold." I love the video concept of all the different shirts and backgrounds and stuff. I love how emotional the lead singer is. Also, I'm kind of strangely attracted to him in that jealous I-wish-I-were-that-hot sort of way. The girl who he seems to be breaking up with is also pretty gorgeous. I was so enamored with this video that I looked up the director, Marc Webb, and found his website www.marcwebb.com where I found a much higher-quality version of the video along with some other videos that I like but hadn't realized that they were also done by him. I don't think I can post it here, but go there and watch it if you like. As much as I love the video I found on YouTube, this high-quality video is even better because there's just more detail and stuff. Love it!
4.26.2006
Mini Mania
I had to come home this afternoon to take a nap because I was so tired because I couldn't sleep last night because I had MINI mania racing through my head all night. I couldn't stop thinking about racing around town getting 35+ miles per gallon in a sweet old Mini Cooper with an awesome honda engine shoehorned into the bonnet.
After some more research, it seems this Mini with a Honda engine idea is not so novel after all. Car and Driver did an article (click here to read it) about a shop in Georgia (click here to go to their site and daydream) that has made a business out of doing precisely this. So it looks like my previous estimate of $15k is a little off. This place says that they'll build you a custom one starting at $20k. For that price, they find an old mini, tear it down, restore it, find a honda engine to put in it, install that, and install anything else you want to pay them to install. It's built entirely custom to your specifications. I'm pretty sure that I want one for my next car. Seriously.
I'm sure nobody that reads this blog cares about cars or anything, but hey, I can write about whatever I want to write about. Haha!
After some more research, it seems this Mini with a Honda engine idea is not so novel after all. Car and Driver did an article (click here to read it) about a shop in Georgia (click here to go to their site and daydream) that has made a business out of doing precisely this. So it looks like my previous estimate of $15k is a little off. This place says that they'll build you a custom one starting at $20k. For that price, they find an old mini, tear it down, restore it, find a honda engine to put in it, install that, and install anything else you want to pay them to install. It's built entirely custom to your specifications. I'm pretty sure that I want one for my next car. Seriously.
I'm sure nobody that reads this blog cares about cars or anything, but hey, I can write about whatever I want to write about. Haha!
New Obsession
So, the new thing that I started obsessing about today is, believe it or not, a car.
I want to get a classic Mini Cooper (the tiny ones, not a new one) very much like this one that I saw on evil eBay:
And then maybe for the sake of better power, fuel efficiency, and reliability, I would like to swap the engine with a Honda engine. It would be fast and fun to drive, fun to park, not something you see every day, and it might get close to 40 miles per gallon! Also, because it is so small, I would almost never have to drive people places in it because they wouldn't fit (the car fits inside of 10 x 4 x 4 feet dimensions!). I would guess that altogether for the car and the Honda engine and the labor to swap the engines the grand total would come to MAYBE $15k, probably less... Also, because it is such an old car, insurance would be really cheap. Yeah, it would be pretty freakin' awesome.
I want to get a classic Mini Cooper (the tiny ones, not a new one) very much like this one that I saw on evil eBay:
And then maybe for the sake of better power, fuel efficiency, and reliability, I would like to swap the engine with a Honda engine. It would be fast and fun to drive, fun to park, not something you see every day, and it might get close to 40 miles per gallon! Also, because it is so small, I would almost never have to drive people places in it because they wouldn't fit (the car fits inside of 10 x 4 x 4 feet dimensions!). I would guess that altogether for the car and the Honda engine and the labor to swap the engines the grand total would come to MAYBE $15k, probably less... Also, because it is such an old car, insurance would be really cheap. Yeah, it would be pretty freakin' awesome.
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