Speaking of amazing finds, when I was in getting an oil change done on the Cayman today, some dude had brought in his DeTomaso Pantera in a rather lovely pumpkin color. You know I wasn't letting that girl get away without a few snaps
Untitled by Rev. Christberg, on Flickr
by Rev. Christberg, on Flickr
by Rev. Christberg, on Flickr
Thing was in immaculate condition.
Untitled by Rev. Christberg, on Flickr
by Rev. Christberg, on Flickr
by Rev. Christberg, on Flickr
Thing was in immaculate condition.
Love the Pantera! You don't see many of those around but they definitely still have that old school exotic air about them.
I realize I haven't talked much about TTRS ownership and I'm coming up on 2,000 miles on the odometer with only 6 weeks of ownership. It's fair to say that I've been driving it quite a lot and have already road tripped it to my folks house once ( 100 miles each way) and have been driving it to work most days as well as driving it for fun when I have the chance.
My new favorite thing to do with it is to drop the windows and do some hard first to second to third gear pulls because you can actually hear the turbo spool and "woosh" along with hearing the exhaust sound better. There's a lot of things I like about this car but the sound really is the stand-out feature and I give props to Audi for making a turbo car actually sound really good.
I'm averaging about 24 MPG overall which is better than I thought considering my heavy foot but the highway portions of my commute do help that somewhat. Keeping the turbo spooled and staying in boost drinks the fuel but staying low in the rpm range and out of boost returns fairly decent gas mileage so you can drive it like you want. I consider that a plus even though I have had to get used to how a big turbo car responds versus a normally aspirated one. There's a bit of a delay before the power comes on if you are just cruising along but when it does it's very strong and before you know it you are doing 100 mph. And because the power is delivered so smoothly you don't realize how quickly you are actually gaining speed. The car is sneaky fast.
Other thoughts? - I am definitely going to drop down to 19" wheels at some point in the not to distant future. The 20" wheels look good but the 30 sidewall is just too narrow which means I am being fairly paranoid about bumps and road imperfections. A 19" wheel with a 35 aspect ratio would be the exact same overall diameter as a 20" wheel with a 30 ratio but you gain an extra inch in sidewall. I'm doing some research on options just now.
My new favorite thing to do with it is to drop the windows and do some hard first to second to third gear pulls because you can actually hear the turbo spool and "woosh" along with hearing the exhaust sound better. There's a lot of things I like about this car but the sound really is the stand-out feature and I give props to Audi for making a turbo car actually sound really good.
I'm averaging about 24 MPG overall which is better than I thought considering my heavy foot but the highway portions of my commute do help that somewhat. Keeping the turbo spooled and staying in boost drinks the fuel but staying low in the rpm range and out of boost returns fairly decent gas mileage so you can drive it like you want. I consider that a plus even though I have had to get used to how a big turbo car responds versus a normally aspirated one. There's a bit of a delay before the power comes on if you are just cruising along but when it does it's very strong and before you know it you are doing 100 mph. And because the power is delivered so smoothly you don't realize how quickly you are actually gaining speed. The car is sneaky fast.
Other thoughts? - I am definitely going to drop down to 19" wheels at some point in the not to distant future. The 20" wheels look good but the 30 sidewall is just too narrow which means I am being fairly paranoid about bumps and road imperfections. A 19" wheel with a 35 aspect ratio would be the exact same overall diameter as a 20" wheel with a 30 ratio but you gain an extra inch in sidewall. I'm doing some research on options just now.
By Lunatic Go To PostJust another reason to hope that garbage company goes under.But he is single handedly saving the world m8
By matmanx1 Go To PostThe level of particulates in the oil as well as the condition of the detergents (which can help you determine how often you should actually be changing the oil). Here's a sample report from an Audi 3.0 engine that shows what it looks like and what they recommend based on their findings. https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/420208-Blackstone-Labs-oil-analysis-report!-Great-results! Also, the standard test is $28 so it is fairly cheap!
Huh. Never thought of that. So what were the results? And glad you're enjoying the car.
Haven't hit 15k yet on my car 😜
I love driving super early in the morning. Roads are clear and it is still dark enough that the scenery has an air of mystery to it. It's also quiet and just not stressful. So pleasant.
By Kibner Go To PostOh, also seeing the sky slowly change as the sun rises is an amazing experience.I agree 100%. I also like driving late at night when nobody else is out although that is more for cruising than sport or performance driving.
In other news, yesterday was significant. Our garage is now complete! The doors were installed and the power company turned on electricity to the building so we are fully operational. We had already been parking in it for a couple of days (just without doors or power) but now it is officially complete!
The original plan was to build the garage and then buy the car but once I decided on the TTRS and saw their limited availability plus the deal I was offered I bought the car first and have been itching to get it into the garage ever since. Feels like the completion of something significant and now I am looking forward to enjoying it.
Got a pretty good deal on Indy 500s for my car. 400 otd including alignment. Had some all seasons for about 25k miles but they were trash and I’d spin em easily on this car. Lol. Hope the 500s are as good as the s04s I used to have.
Madman, I totally feel you on worrying about 20" being too thin. That was one of the reasons I went with 19" myself since the road quality here is pretty bad.
Ahhh, September is getting closer and I'm getting so dang excited!!!
Ahhh, September is getting closer and I'm getting so dang excited!!!
By BubbaKrumpz Go To PostGot a pretty good deal on Indy 500s for my car. 400 otd including alignment. Had some all seasons for about 25k miles but they were trash and I’d spin em easily on this car. Lol. Hope the 500s are as good as the s04s I used to have.
Have them on my 370Z. Hate them.
Sloppy steering feel, soft sidewall, and a little louder than they should be. Glad I didn't buy them - the previous owned installed them because he didn't want to shell out for another set of Michelins.
Oh boy... there's a 2016 F-Type R with ~12,000 miles becoming available for $63,000. It still has a warranty until July 2020. It has alcantara seats.
It would also fit my goal of <$1k/mo financing. This is tempting af.
It would also fit my goal of <$1k/mo financing. This is tempting af.
By reilo Go To PostOh boy… there's a 2016 F-Type R with ~12,000 miles becoming available for $63,000. It still has a warranty until July 2020. It has alcantara seats.
It would also fit my goal of <$1k/mo financing. This is tempting af.
Spend $500 on car, the other $500 invest/save.
By AlphaSnacks Go To PostHave them on my 370Z. Hate them.
Sloppy steering feel, soft sidewall, and a little louder than they should be. Glad I didn't buy them - the previous owned installed them because he didn't want to shell out for another set of Michelins.
Yeah can't recommend them at all. If you want amazing super sticky tires for dirt cheap, get Federal 595 RSRR's. Best bang for the buck on the market.
By AlphaSnacks Go To PostHave them on my 370Z. Hate them.They are a step above from the all seasons I had but don’t compare to the s04 PPs. Can’t really complain about the price tbh. They work well enough for this car since it doesn’t put down a lot of power and steering feels fine.
Sloppy steering feel, soft sidewall, and a little louder than they should be. Glad I didn't buy them - the previous owned installed them because he didn't want to shell out for another set of Michelins.
By reilo Go To PostOh boy… there's a 2016 F-Type R with ~12,000 miles becoming available for $63,000. It still has a warranty until July 2020. It has alcantara seats.That would be a pretty good pick up if you want something that is fast, loud and gorgeous. I was really tempted by the 2016 that I drove but the Audi interior and tech won me over. F-Type definitely has the "wow" factor in spades though.
It would also fit my goal of <$1k/mo financing. This is tempting af.
It's not too bad. Handsome.
But I still don't like full blown TFT displays in cars, which I will have to learn to like when I buy an XJ next year.
But I still don't like full blown TFT displays in cars, which I will have to learn to like when I buy an XJ next year.
By Kibner Go To PostSmokey is going to buy the first car to put an oled screen in the console.
That means I'd have to buy a car tho
Yeah, that's a handsome Audi, but then so is everything else they put out. Handsome in an inoffensive way but that's not a bad thing - it'll age well.
By Kibner Go To PostSmokey is going to buy the first car to put an oled screen in the console.Needs gsync
And here come the lawsuits. Surprised it took this long
https://www.autoblog.com/2018/08/11/lawsuits-tesla-elon-musk-fraud-tweets/
https://www.autoblog.com/2018/08/11/lawsuits-tesla-elon-musk-fraud-tweets/
That's a good looking new A7. As with most Audi products I really love the interior and that's where their real strength is these days.
I went back to my detailer for a follow-up today and to address a few air bubbles that hadn't sorted themselves out. There was another customer there with a 93 Mustang SVT Cobra with a couple of upgrades making 500whp getting ceramic coating done and my detailer washed my car and gave both of us a tutorial on washing in the process. It was informative and pretty cool to wash a professional in action.
Basically he mists on Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine with a spray bottle and then uses microfiber towels to sort of lift off the dirt and then follows up with Optimum Opti-Seal (which has a drying agent) 1 panel at a time. He uses 1 towel per panel for the dirt, 1 continuous towel for the Opti-Seal and in 20 minutes (minus wheels) the car was completely dry and looking spotless all without water or soap. The real advantage of that method is that you can use it in your garage with minimum mess and regardless of the outside temperature or weather.
I went back to my detailer for a follow-up today and to address a few air bubbles that hadn't sorted themselves out. There was another customer there with a 93 Mustang SVT Cobra with a couple of upgrades making 500whp getting ceramic coating done and my detailer washed my car and gave both of us a tutorial on washing in the process. It was informative and pretty cool to wash a professional in action.
Basically he mists on Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine with a spray bottle and then uses microfiber towels to sort of lift off the dirt and then follows up with Optimum Opti-Seal (which has a drying agent) 1 panel at a time. He uses 1 towel per panel for the dirt, 1 continuous towel for the Opti-Seal and in 20 minutes (minus wheels) the car was completely dry and looking spotless all without water or soap. The real advantage of that method is that you can use it in your garage with minimum mess and regardless of the outside temperature or weather.
Went to the Petersen earlier and man that was awesome. I was like a kid at the candy store seeing all the cars except that I couldn’t take them home or eat them lol.
My C&C had 40 cars come out. Including a TT-RS in Daytona Gray, I figured I'd post:
But then this showed up and stopped the show:
A 1965 914/6 with a 3.0L 911 motor making 300HP. Car weighs all of 1980lbs. All of the carbon fiber work is custom made by the owner of the car who is a lightweight bicycle frame designer and restorer. He shaved 200lbs off the old car. And it has no A/C. It was super badass. Each door weighed 14lbs, down from 70-80lbs.
But then this showed up and stopped the show:
A 1965 914/6 with a 3.0L 911 motor making 300HP. Car weighs all of 1980lbs. All of the carbon fiber work is custom made by the owner of the car who is a lightweight bicycle frame designer and restorer. He shaved 200lbs off the old car. And it has no A/C. It was super badass. Each door weighed 14lbs, down from 70-80lbs.
While this picture may look simple enough, that isn't a regular STi next to my car. That's an STi Type-RA. One of only 500 built.
By AlphaSnacks Go To PostI found a unicorn…Haven't been around in a couple of days but wow is that rare! I didn't even know it was possible to get a 6 speed manual in a 650i. That would likely be a really satisfying car to drive if you could stomach the maintenance.
https://www.carmax.com/car/15368516
:O
Yep.
In other news, 600HP is finally here. :')
I can't wait to experience it. Just need to send off my file and upload the new one.
In other news, 600HP is finally here. :')
I can't wait to experience it. Just need to send off my file and upload the new one.
Whoa, that 914 is a crazy find. Love people that have those types of skills, always impressive stuff.
By AlphaSnacks Go To PostWhile this picture may look simple enough, that isn't a regular STi next to my car. That's an STi Type-RA. One of only 500 built.
One of 500 built with a crappy motor that spits in the face of their buyers by continuing to milk out the leftover EJ25's in their inventory. Subaru just won't get rid of that dogshit motor.
While I agree, the rarity of any vehicle always gets me excited. If I saw a Chaika in Florida tomorrow, I'd shit myself. LOL
Not going to lie, this excites me a little bit. They are putting the I-5 from my car and the RS3 into the Q3 and calling it a RS Q3. https://www.motor1.com/news/262275/audi-rs-q3-spy-photos/
I'm pretty sure we are getting it over here in the USA as we love all things SUV and crossover and I can see it appealing to the same folks who might have looked at a GLA45 or Macan. Think I can talk my wife into it? ;-)
I'm pretty sure we are getting it over here in the USA as we love all things SUV and crossover and I can see it appealing to the same folks who might have looked at a GLA45 or Macan. Think I can talk my wife into it? ;-)
BMW has come *a long way* but still got a ways to go. I think they are starting to invest more in that regard for the next generation of cars.
Gotta be either Mercedes or Audi. Slightly preferred Mercedes, but not so sure it's gonna stay that way with that huge wraparound dual LCD setup they've got with their new interior design. Doesn't integrate cleanly with the dashboard, comes across as kinda cheap as a result.
Audi. It's one of the reasons I bought the TTRS. I consider MMI/technology, design, comfort, material and build quality as part of my interior evaluation and Audi's virtual cockpit just puts it over the top for me. And it also helps that both TTRS's I drove felt as solid as a tank and had no squeaks or rattles. Both Porsche and Mercedes have rattle issues on some of their models, especially on their sportier stuff with the stiffer suspensions. That being said, I like both Porsche and Merc interiors pretty well and they are all three doing a good job in that department.
Audi for sure. Their interiors are disgustingly good. Porsche and Mercedes aren't far off. BMW... LOL. Their interiors have fallen so far from the godliness of the E39.
Also, first driving impressions on the G20 3-series (330i) are coming out:
A 50/50 weight distribution has been retained. The sedan has also lost about 120 pounds and its center of gravity has been lowered 0.4 inch. None of which was easy to come by, as the G20 is slightly larger than the F30 in every dimension, including wheelbase.
To achieve that balance, the engine is still set as far back in the chassis as possible. "Any further back and we would have to move the driver's seat," says engineer Robert Rothmiller. They have also changed the front subframe from steel to aluminum and they've widened it, along with the A-arms. Both the front and rear tracks are now 1.2 inches wider, which matches the track width of the current 4 Series Gran Coupe, but there are no carryover parts from that model. The chassis is stiffer, too, with the strength of the front strut mounts increasing an incredible 50 percent.
Turn in is sharper than it is in the F30, and the sedan is soaking up mid-corner bumps brilliantly. I can tell in just a few miles that this is an easy car to drive quickly.
The Active Front Steering system, which everyone hated, has been tossed. The steering ratio is variable and the range feels right. There's also good feel from the front tires (Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S sized 225/40R19 front and 255/35R19 rear), but the initial effort is a little light, and there's too much damping.
Bachmann strokes his keyboard, "How's that?" he asks. Suddenly, the steering is heavier, and there's even more damping. "Not good," I say, bending the sedan into a tight left-hander. "Now it feels like Grand Turismo." He taps a few keys. Now there's less damping, which gives it more consistent effort. "Better," I say. "But too heavy. Can you lighten it up?" He does, but I'm still not satisfied.
...
I can tell he added damping and returned the effort to the original level. And it does feel better than before. "Ha," I say. "I guess this is the way most Americans drive. I just didn't realize you tuned for it." He smiles.
Gone is the internal spring stop system in the last 2 inches of shock travel (rebound in the front at full droop and compression in the rear), replaced with a hydraulic stop system that smooths damping and improves body control with the help of new, more acutely tuned bumpstops. It doesn't ride harshly, but some American soccer moms may find the new tuning to be too firm, which I believe is the point.
Tweaks to the rear suspension geometry have reduced toe and camber changes throughout the stroke to lessen understeer, and the G20 is well balanced. It feels better the faster you go, and the stability control system works in the background, unobtrusively, keeping the car on line when I overcook an entry.https://www.autoblog.com/2018/08/15/2019-bmw-330i-prototype-first-drive-review/
This is a more dynamic 3 Series. And that's good for BMW.
Work started on this car, code-named G20, in 2014, and it’s clear from the deep-rooted tweaking that his team was well aware that the previous 3-series had lost too much of its road-taming allure. Van As says the overwhelming priority was to improve the 3’s dynamics without sacrificing ride comfort.
Within an hour’s drive of the ’Ring is a buffet of road surfaces almost as extensive as the variety of meat on the area’s dinner menus. “We call this section the rally stage,” says Van As, referring to an extremely tight and immaculately paved section, before goading us into attacking it at ten-tenths. A couple of towns over is a challenging ride section with undulations that vary significantly across the lane; the new 3 practically swallows it whole, impressively resisting side-to-side head toss while remaining exquisitely taut and solid. And many things didn’t need fixing: The brakes continue to be strong with a firm bite, and the seats, with effective adjustable lateral bolstering, retain their supportive embrace.https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2019-bmw-3-series-sport-sedan-driven
Which brings us to steering, one chassis area that, although certainly improved, is less than perfect. Van As says one key lesson his team learned is that relying on the tuning latitude afforded by electric power steering—such as automatic self-centering—tends to mute feel. This time around, they worked more on the underlying kinematics, and to good effect. Road texture has infested the wheel. The steering ratio is slightly quicker than before but well off that of the current king of veer, the Alfa Romeo Giulia, due to a desire to make the 3-series friendly to pilot at sustained elevated speeds. And it is friendlier, even as the autobahn performs its scenery-blurring routine at 155 mph. Fortunately, the variable-ratio steering is the simple type, achieved by narrower tooth spacing at the center of the rack, so there’s no monkey motion affecting it. But the area just off-center feels slightly too light and underdamped in both Comfort and Sport modes. With the steering calibrator in the passenger’s seat with a laptop, we went out and tried to dial in something we found preferable, although we’re not sure we convinced the team we were right.
Next we set out on an hour-plus route used by the development team. It offers a brilliant mix of twisty, hilly, and straight country roads with widely varying surfaces, village roads, and unrestricted autobahn stretches. Application driving dynamics boss Jos van As notes that the test cars are the "worst case for ride"—sport suspension and lowest-profile run-flat tires. Yet body motion control is impeccable, and the vehicle absorbs the sharpest impacts with trademark vintage-BMW suppleness. I can only imagine how cosseting the base car on taller sidewalls will feel. Even when those bumps occur in the tightest of corners, they're absorbed without deviating from the driving line. The e-LSD axle can be felt helping dig the car out of the tightest corners when the throttle is open. In a few hard hairpin corners that clearly involve steering-ratio variation, the effort and motion feel entirely natural. And at 155 mph on the autobahn, the solid on-center feel inspires confidence.
The session ends. I struggle to think of constructive feedback for the chassis team. My criticisms are all for other 3 Series engineers. The transmission's sport-mode tuning needs a lot of work. It was forever grabbing high gears at the wrong time and it too seldom downshifted appropriately while slowing for a corner. The shift paddles and manual-gate shifter work great, except the thin red line in the cluster that blinks at redline is too faint to get my attention. I'd also love to see some improvement in the sound of the engine/exhaust at lower revs. It sounds great at full boil, but it's still plagued by that dieselish clatter at idle and low cruising speeds. (The only other news we received during this chassis-focused trip about the 2.0-liter turbo engine is that it will gain about 7 hp and 37 lb-ft of torque.)https://www.motortrend.com/cars/bmw/3-series/2019/2019-bmw-330i-prototype-review/