Car thread

[Firebird]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... olice.html

An Atlanta man shattered the record for fastest drive from New York City to Los Angeles last Saturday by making the transcontinental trip in 28 hours 50 minutes.

Impressive feat here. Can imagine how fun it was.

To pull that off you need scouts several miles ahead and the car was outfitted with all means of radar detectors and jammers. They also add fuel cells in the trunk, and use bedpans.

This is how I'd like to drive the turnpike from Pittsburgh to Philly in 2.5-3 hours.

Large tanks: In order to cut down on fuel stops, Bolian installed two 22-gallon addition gas tanks that let him drive 800 miles straight--with the help of bedpans

should've went with a diesel VW. 2- 22 gallon fuel cells and the stock tank and he could probably shoot for 2800 miles non stop for fuel.

How efficient are Diesels at 100+ mph? I have no idea. But you're going to need a performance car at those speeds with decent brakes, agility, and suspension for the extra weight and stress (something a Jetta or whatever won't have).

On a side note, this made CNN, and the typical CNN hippie commenters are going ape-****: "He's lucky he didn't kill someone!", etc. Entertaining.

[Willie Kool]

Spoiler:

[mac5155]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... olice.html

An Atlanta man shattered the record for fastest drive from New York City to Los Angeles last Saturday by making the transcontinental trip in 28 hours 50 minutes.

Impressive feat here. Can imagine how fun it was.

To pull that off you need scouts several miles ahead and the car was outfitted with all means of radar detectors and jammers. They also add fuel cells in the trunk, and use bedpans.

This is how I'd like to drive the turnpike from Pittsburgh to Philly in 2.5-3 hours.

Large tanks: In order to cut down on fuel stops, Bolian installed two 22-gallon addition gas tanks that let him drive 800 miles straight--with the help of bedpans

should've went with a diesel VW. 2- 22 gallon fuel cells and the stock tank and he could probably shoot for 2800 miles non stop for fuel.

How efficient are Diesels at 100+ mph? I have no idea. But you're going to need a performance car at those speeds with decent brakes, agility, and suspension for the extra weight and stress (something a Jetta or whatever won't have).

On a side note, this made CNN, and the typical CNN hippie commenters are going ****: "He's lucky he didn't kill someone!", etc. Entertaining.

I get 42=43MPG and average 75-80MPH on my work commute. I was speaking from a longevity standpoint that he only got 800 miles of what was probably 60ish gallons of gas.

[Shyster]

How efficient are Diesels at 100+ mph? I have no idea. But you're going to need a performance car at those speeds with decent brakes, agility, and suspension for the extra weight and stress (something a Jetta or whatever won't have).

Diesel-powered race cars (either by Audi or Peugeot) have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans every year since 2006, so the engine type is certainly capable of high performance. Porsche makes a diesel-powered version of its Cayenne SUV. That would certainly have the pedigree to run at 100+ mph and also have the strength to carry the weight of the necessary extra fuel.

[Shyster]

I recall some posters here have connections to tire shops, so I thought I’d post this and see if anyone has any insights. Pennsylvania just revised its car-inspection regulations as of October, vehicle inspectors are now required to fail an inspection if:

(xxii) A tire is smaller than the manufacturer’s recommended minimum size or below the manufacturer’s recommended load rating.

67 Pa. Code § 175.80(e)(1)(xxii). This “minimum tire size” check now applies to cars, trucks, buses, trailers, and even motorcycles. The problem I see is that “manufacturer’s recommended minimum size” is not defined in the regulations. This came up because my brother is shopping for snow tires for his wife’s car, and he was planning to “minus size” her new wheels/tires because narrower tires actually do better in deep snow (and the City never fully plows his road). When he called the Tire Rack to talk to them, the salesperson told him something along the lines of “minus sizing tires is now illegal in Pennsylvania.” Is the “manufacturer’s recommended minimum size” the smallest size listed on the placard stuck inside the edge of the car’s door?

[Bioshock]

I know what car i'm getting next!

[tifosi77]

Bio, Mrs Tif and I spent Saturday afternoon at the L.A. Auto Show. That WRX 5-door is also on my short list. One thing I'm curious about, tho; I sat in it and tried it on for size and saw that the '14 has a flappy paddle shifters, but the engine is a CVT. Unless I'm very much mistaken, a CVT does have 'gears'. So why need a way to change gear? Is it really just to simulate gear ratios so the driver can select where in the powerband the engine is operating?

How efficient are Diesels at 100+ mph? I have no idea. But you're going to need a performance car at those speeds with decent brakes, agility, and suspension for the extra weight and stress (something a Jetta or whatever won't have).

Diesel-powered race cars (either by Audi or Peugeot) have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans every year since 2006, so the engine type is certainly capable of high performance. Porsche makes a diesel-powered version of its Cayenne SUV. That would certainly have the pedigree to run at 100+ mph and also have the strength to carry the weight of the necessary extra fuel.

I wish I had seen this sooner.

The Audi R8 and R10 TDIs were and are utterly dominant racing machines, a prime example of what Roger Penske called the "unfair advantage". That said, the TDIs are kinda creepy, because they don't really make engine sounds. First time I heard one I was head down looking at photo tumbnails on my camera and I heard this sort of whooshy noise and some metal-on-metal scrapey sounds. The advertising banners were bustling like a car had just driven by, but surely I would've heard that..... Next lap, same thing. Next lap, I kept my head up and was treated to unnerving spectacle of seeing a machine hurtling at me at 160 mph in almost complete silence.

[Shyster]

Bio, Mrs Tif and I spent Saturday afternoon at the L.A. Auto Show. That WRX 5-door is also on my short list. One thing I'm curious about, tho; I sat in it and tried it on for size and saw that the '14 has a flappy paddle shifters, but the engine is a CVT. Unless I'm very much mistaken, a CVT does have 'gears'. So why need a way to change gear? Is it really just to simulate gear ratios so the driver can select where in the powerband the engine is operating?

Yes, basically. My mother has an Outback wagon with the CVT, and putting it into manual mode let's you use the paddles to switch between six fixed ratios. They aren't really gears, but you can fix the ratio for stuff like towing or driving in slippery or bad-weather conditions.

Is that the 2014 or 2015 WRX? I was of the understanding that Subaru was killing off the hatchback version of the WRX for the revised 2015 model year because they determined it was too expensive to do both a sedan and hatch version. If that's still true and you two want a hatch, then you have about a year to buy them.

[tifosi77]

They were showing '14s.

[tifosi77]

Or maybe it was the '15s......

[mac5155]

Bio, Mrs Tif and I spent Saturday afternoon at the L.A. Auto Show. That WRX 5-door is also on my short list. One thing I'm curious about, tho; I sat in it and tried it on for size and saw that the '14 has a flappy paddle shifters, but the engine is a CVT. Unless I'm very much mistaken, a CVT does have 'gears'. So why need a way to change gear? Is it really just to simulate gear ratios so the driver can select where in the powerband the engine is operating?

How efficient are Diesels at 100+ mph? I have no idea. But you're going to need a performance car at those speeds with decent brakes, agility, and suspension for the extra weight and stress (something a Jetta or whatever won't have).

Diesel-powered race cars (either by Audi or Peugeot) have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans every year since 2006, so the engine type is certainly capable of high performance. Porsche makes a diesel-powered version of its Cayenne SUV. That would certainly have the pedigree to run at 100+ mph and also have the strength to carry the weight of the necessary extra fuel.

I wish I had seen this sooner.

The Audi R8 and R10 TDIs were and are utterly dominant racing machines, a prime example of what Roger Penske called the "unfair advantage". That said, the TDIs are kinda creepy, because they don't really make engine sounds. First time I heard one I was head down looking at photo tumbnails on my camera and I heard this sort of whooshy noise and some metal-on-metal scrapey sounds. The advertising banners were bustling like a car had just driven by, but surely I would've heard that..... Next lap, same thing. Next lap, I kept my head up and was treated to unnerving spectacle of seeing a machine hurtling at me at 160 mph in almost complete silence.

I love the sound my tdi makes when I punch it from a stop sign. It's almost as if the car is just going "wheeeee!"

[Shyster]

I think they were supposed to be showing the '15 at the LA auto show. That car, so far as I know, only comes in a sedan body style. It does come with an optional CVT, so that may have been what you were looking at. The picture in this thread of a hatchback version is a '14. I think the '14 comes only with a manual.

[mac5155]

If you're getting a wrx you almost have to have the 6-speed manual..

[Bioshock]

Bio, Mrs Tif and I spent Saturday afternoon at the L.A. Auto Show. That WRX 5-door is also on my short list. One thing I'm curious about, tho; I sat in it and tried it on for size and saw that the '14 has a flappy paddle shifters, but the engine is a CVT. Unless I'm very much mistaken, a CVT does have 'gears'. So why need a way to change gear? Is it really just to simulate gear ratios so the driver can select where in the powerband the engine is operating?

The WRX 5-door I test drove had a 5 speed manual without paddle shifters. I think you were looking at the concept 2015 model.

It was a 5 speed with 265 HP. Was just a monster.

The 6 speed is the WRX STI version. But that's close to 40K.

[tifosi77]

I think they were supposed to be showing the '15 at the LA auto show. That car, so far as I know, only comes in a sedan body style. It does come with an optional CVT, so that may have been what you were looking at. The picture in this thread of a hatchback version is a '14. I think the '14 comes only with a manual.

The car I sat in was a 5-door and had paddle shifters, which to my knowledge only comes with the CVT trans, and it was badged as a WRX Impreza (so one of the base models). The '15 actually made its world debut at the show and was off in its own feature area. (I think they had a red one and a blue one) I think the rest of the cars on the floor (minus the Legacy concept) were '14 model year cars.

Sadly, I didn't take any pictures in the Subaru area. As a result, I'm going slightly mad trying to figure out what the frickin' car was!

[Factorial]

What's the point of a "sports car" that doesn't have a manual transmission?

[Factorial]

On that topic, I was looking at the VW site and did a build on the 2014 Golf and there was not an option to select a manual transmission. I find that odd as I'm sure they come with that configuration.

[mac5155]

It depends what Trim package you get, I believe. Only the base and GTI models probably come with the 6 speed option.

[Factorial]

It depends what Trim package you get, I believe. Only the base and GTI models probably come with the 6 speed option.

That would be new this year then as they've always offered the 5 speed manual on the base model.

Edit: I was looking at the base model.

Edit 2: Just checked the site again and you need to upgrade to TDI/GTI to get manual. Lame.

[mac5155]

perhaps then the 2 door vs. 4 door came in play? i dunno.

[Factorial]

From Kelly Blue Book:

What's New for 2014

Changes to the 2014 Volkswagen Golf and GTI are limited to two special-edition GTI trims: Wolfsburg and Driver's Edition. The 2-door Golf/GTI body is dropped taking with it the option of a manual transmission on the base 2.5. The Golf R is also no more.

[mac5155]

Regardless, just get the TDI with the manual tranny and hypermile that beotch to 55 MPGs.

[Factorial]

Regardless, just get the TDI with the manual tranny and hypermile that beotch to 55 MPGs.

I'll probably wait for 2015 model as it's using their new "universal" platform.

[tifosi77]

Victory is mine!

I forgot that while I was siting in the car, Mrs Tif used the iPad kiosk at the front of the car to have Subaru send me an info pack.

It was NOT a WRX, but just the Impreza 2.0i 5-door. I forgot Subaru separated the WRX and Impreza into two distinct product lines this year.

Feel equal parts silly and relieved.

[Hockeynut!]

I'm thinking about buying some aux. lights for my Wrangler. Installing/Mounting them seems extremely straight forward, but I'm intimidated about the wiring/electrical aspect. Is this something I, as someone who's never done anything like that before, should even try or should I plan on paying someone to do it right? I found videos on line and it doesn't seem too hard, but that doesn't mean I can do it.