Recent Comments:
Gunbus motorcycle finished, proves just excessive enough {Autoblog}
Jul 12th 2008 6:27PM Just like a bicycle, primary steering input comes from the bars. A turn is initiated by counter-steering. Shifting your weight can turn the vehicle a little, but as you pointed out it's less effective as the vehicle gets heavier. It's all but useless as a primary steering mechanism on anything heavier than a bicycle.
Shifting your mass does come into play at the highest levels of motorcycle performance as a means to control lean angle. This bike will never ever see that kind of performance anyway.
Autoblog autocrosses the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 and Viper ACR {Autoblog}
Jun 27th 2008 2:37PM Agreed. That would have made it much much more interesting. Even better would be if they still made a sports car other than the Viper.
The Challenger... a "sports car" with a torque converter. Yeah right. Very funny.
First Drive: 2009 Hyundai Genesis {Autoblog}
Jun 27th 2008 1:29PM "increased dampening would stabilize everything in the easily attained triple digits."
Would you like me to piss on it for you? Would that help? Or did you possibly mean to say "damping"? I hate to be one of those guys that points out typos in posts, but this one gets to me. I'm sure there are lots of people that actually think "dampening" is the right word here.
On to the car: I'm glad to see it. I personally have no interest in cars of this type, but anything that brings more competition to the automotive marketplace is alright by me.
Fisker's request for arbitration granted in Tesla lawsuit {Autoblog}
Jun 13th 2008 5:53PM And now it will for me too.
Ferrari Soapbox Derby kicks off at Imola {Autoblog}
May 28th 2008 11:38AM The tires look suspiciously like Michelin's blue-walled, ultra low rolling resistance tires that are normally in a much smaller size and not publicly available. Do they also have similar looking tires sold at bicycle shops? I wasn't aware of it if they do, but maybe I just haven't been to a bicycle shop lately.
Ferrari Soapbox Derby kicks off at Imola {Autoblog}
May 28th 2008 10:37AM Interesting that the car pictured has such horrible aerodynamics. Perhaps exposed wheels and spokes are required by the rules?
What I really want to know is where I can get those tires...
Chrysler criticized for $2.99 gas, Suzuki jumps on bandwagon {Autoblog}
May 6th 2008 6:48PM Their estimates were based on 15kmiles per year? Are they assuming that everyone has two vehicles and only half of the driving will be done with the one in question? Wouldn't that fancy little credit card work in both of your vehicles anyway?
Or do they really think people only drive 15kmiles per year?
Maybe the funniest part about this is that they would think they need to do this calculation for people. I can't imagine anyone would choose to take this deal without figuring out their own numbers.
Tesla Roadster rated at 300 HP {Autoblog}
May 5th 2008 12:28PM Thanks to both of you guys for the links. I took only a brief look at the magazine articles, but I'll look more later.
Maybe my definition of sports car is different from every one else's, but IMO it needs to be able to deliver consistent, good performance for over a minute. Then at least it can handle the typical autocross course. Even then, I'd call it an almost sports car. What kind of sports car can't do track days? Marketing it as a sports car still seems pretty misleading to me, but again, it's doing good things for the automotive community.
Tesla Roadster rated at 300 HP {Autoblog}
May 5th 2008 11:32AM I've still heard no word on actual performance of this thing. It's being called a sports car, but so far I don't believe it will be one. The Tesla Roadster is a gimmick.
Why do you think they keep giving us 0-60 times and never a 1/4mile time. Heck, I haven't even seen a 1/8mile time or 0-100 time. Why haven't they let any reviewers drive the thing? From what I've read, they only ever ride along. I wager that it's all because the car won't perform like a real sports car other than that little burst every once in a while. Sure it'll do 0-60 in 4 seconds, but then for how many seconds is it derated (less power available) while the motor cools? Maybe it can handle 0-60 at full power once every 2minutes. That still makes for a neat car, but it definitely does not make a sports car. Since these type of doubts are the obvious questions as soon as someone mentions an electric sports car, you'd think they would address them. But they haven't. Don't you wonder why?
Please don't misread. I love the Tesla for what it is. It's a motivator. It's proof that electric cars can sell and can be cool. It's pushing technology development along. But let's not kid ourselves and call it a sports car until somebody shows that it can really be used like one.
Owner takes Prius topless, makes hybrid convertible {Autoblog}
May 1st 2008 3:25PM Can you really make a car as ugly as the prius uglier? I don't think beauty can really be measured once you pass a certain point, so i don't think he really hurt it in that regard. But it would have been cheaper and even better on fuel to just buy a motorcycle for the hot days that you want to feel the wind.
However with all of that said, I'm a huge fan of somebody taking his automobile and "fixing" it. He turned it into what he thought it should have been in the first place. It took a lot of creativity and problem solving to do that, and I applaud it. If we all thought something about a car should have been done differently, in most cases it probably would have been done differently. Car companies compromise on everything and end up making the perfect car for almost no one. It's our job to fix their errors and make the car right for us. I think this guy did a fantastic job.
