Hyundai makes a questionable call

One of the first articles I wrote was about the entirely new Hyundai Genesis. The Genesis reversed Hyundai's image of an average, sometimes sub-par car company. The words luxery and Hyundai were definitley not used in the same sentence before the Genesis. It appears that Hyundai enjoys this new found interest in their cars so they decided to develop a Genesis Coupe. Something that I found interesting was that the V8 that was in the sedan didn't carry over to a version of the coupe. That seemed to be one of the things that Hyundai did so well with the Genesis, its a mystery to me why they would pull that out of the design, replacing a V8 with either a turbocharged inline-4 engine, or a 3.8L V6. The V6 is the more powerful of the two, giving about 310 horsepower to the wheels. Thats a good amount of power, but the next step down is the turbocharged version with only 232 horsepower. In my opinion the V6 version should be the base version, and then a step up would be either a turbo V6 or a V8. If Hyundai is really looking to change the consumers mind, mediocrity isn't going to cut it. Something that Hyundai did really well with the Genesis Coupe is made a 6 speed, manual transmission standard on both models. This gives the driver a sense of really being in control, and breaks the mold of Hyundai's crappy reputation. I was pretty impressed with the styling of the Genesis coupe, however not blown away. At first glance, it has a really cool design... But after looking at it for awhile I noticed that it looked very similar to some of the old Hyundai Tiburons. While the look has been updated, there is no mistaking the similarities. I was impressed with the Genesis coupe, but here's the bottom line... Don't make a coupe who's sedan counterpart is faster. That just doesn't make sense to me. If your going to go for the sporty look make sure you can back it up with performance. The Hyundai Genesis sedan would mop the floor with both versions of the coupe, which is a dissapointment.

Audi's Secret Weapon

Audi has been hard at work to keep their new hybrid a secret and finally released it at the Paris Auto Show. The "Audi A1 Sportback" is clearly a well thought out, well planned piece of machinery. The A1 can be run either on gas or off of electricity. Drivers can expect around 60 miles off of the electric side, and and massive 73 mpg on the gasoline side. The A1 has two settings: Sport mode and Efficiency mode. The Efficiency mode controls the shifts and acceleration to allow for maximum fuel and electricity use. The Sport mode, a more likely choice for me, allows for maximum performance and acceleration. The A1 packs a 1.4 litre engine that is both supercharged and turbocharged... This gives the Sportback 150 horsepower which is not a lot by performance car standards, but a huge step forward for performance-hybrids. The A1 will glide to 60 mph in under 8 seconds... which is great if your racing a minivan. The more important thing is that this car takes hybrids to the next level. Buyers no longer have to feel like to be earth friendly they have to drive something that resembles a shoe. The A1 breaks both the style and performance barrier that has for so long held back hybrids from being the hot car to have. The A1 incorporates technology that hasn't been seen before in mainstream consumer vehicles. When you put the car in Efficiency mode, it also ties into the navigation system. The GPS gives you the shortest route possible. A wireless internet system allows passengers to allow components of the car like navigation from select cell phones. I'm not entirely sure why thats useful, but its cool as hell. One cool feature of the cell phone system is that it allows you to monitor your car remotely for security. For example if you leave a door unlocked, the car will let you know. The A1 Sportback is definitely a huge step forward for Audi, and it will drive other companies to compete to make a car to appeal to this market segment. While it might not be the fastest car out there, you'd be suprised how satisfying it is to race soccer moms... Not like I would know or anything...

Bentley Continental GT Speed

Bentley is one of the nicest brand names that you could see. They are known for their luxurious cars and their great products. If you have ever watched the television shows MTV Cribs, then you would see that it is somewhat of a trend to have a Bentley in your fleet of cars. If it is the Flying Spur of the GT, they always seem to have a Bentley.

The Bentley Continental GT Speed is made for driving with power and agile handling. It is definitely the power house of cars, with is outright performance and handling. It has a 600 horse power engine and a max speed of 202 miles per hour. It also has a 0 to 60 time of 4.3 seconds, which is a phenomenal specification. The performance is one of the greatest parts of this vehicle.

There is also the fact that the Continental GT's appearance is the summit of deluxe and sharp looking. All the sleek lines of the car are its greatest attribute. This car is definitely a great pick when we all make the money we want and dream of. The price is set over $175,000. Either way it is definitely a car that is hand made and shows why it is priced so high.

Nissan...What's Wrong?

Back when I was a senior in high school, I was obsessed with the Nissan Z’s. It did not matter what year it was I thought that everyone of them looked so sexy. It could have had rust to the high heavens and I would have done anything to trade it for my little ’97 Nissan Altima. But more recently I have noticed that the obsession I once had for these cars has slowly slipped away. Of course we all get tired of some things we obsess over, but this one just really upset me the way it “went out.” Usually if I enjoyed something for awhile when I came back to it, it would bring back so many memories, but now I see a clean 350z driving down the road and I think nothing of it. I truly believe this to be a crime of the new poorly designed Nissan automobiles. They have solely stolen my once beloved Nissan obsession away from me.

Their new lineup includes the new Altima coupe, Maxima, 370z, and many others. I picked these 3 in particularly due to the fact that they are the ones that truly disgust me. First off, the new Altima coupe does not in any way, shape, or form look like a sexy sports car. I’m sorry Nissan but I think that I’d rather have a Toyota Prius than drive that piece of shit. It has no real body lines to it. All it has are two doors that open up into a huge “family sized sedan” looking vehicle. Sports cars are supposed to be small, sort of like little tiny matchbox cars. And then there is the Nissan Maxima. Maybe it’s just me but does anybody else think that this new Maxima looks eerily similar to the new Toyota Camry and Lexus Ls models? I think so. Here’s the concept you need to grasp Nissan: do your own thing! Finally, we have the brand new 370z. I won’t down this car too much because I actually don’t think it looks half bad. The only thing I will say though is why it looks so much like its predecessor, the 350z. If I wasn’t paying attention I would not have even noticed a difference. Just read the comments people put on Car and Driver’s website.

When I was about 16 years old, I landed my first job at an Infiniti Dealership washing cars on Saturday mornings. As many of you may know, Infiniti is Nissan’s luxury side. At Infiniti I would drive brand new Infiniti vehicles and even brand new Nissan vehicles and they always looked very similar and I always remember telling myself that “man, these guys really do a great job of designing their cars to look like luxury vehicles without the huge price tag.” Nowadays I tell myself a completely different story. Nissan needs to get their act together and start producing the type of cars they once used to manufacture. Classics like the 300z, 200sx, and 240sx were and still are prized possessions, among car lovers, today. I guess the only good thing that Nissan has going for them right now is their concept vehicles. No worries though I truly believe deep down that Nissan will rise again.

Annoying

Alright I know this has nothing to do with cars, but I was sitting at my computer the other day and one of my friends called me and told me to look up this video on YouTube called "Annoying." Usually when people tell me to look up YouTube videos, I do. It easily creates a distraction for me and gives me an excuse to either have something new to talk about or an excuse for why I didn't get what I was working on, done. So as I watched this video it made me laugh...and laugh...crack up...laugh some more...then...it stopped. My initial reaction was HAHAHAHA. It was probably the most hilarious video I have ever seen on Youtube! I won't spoil the video but it's basically these two guys who are in college and one of them is trying to sleep and one is not. From here I think you can get the rest. Enjoy!



I didn't notice this the first time but these guys are actors! They also have a website of all their other videos that they have made but the rest of them aren't really that good. Here is the link for their website: http://www.fndfilms.com

Classic, always an experience...

We all know that the old muscle cars are a hot item for any car finatic. There are so many old classic cars to think about, but specifically I like to think about the 1969 Cheverolet Camaro. As I stated in one of my previous posts, "Oldies but Goodies", my dad bought a 1969 Cheverolet Camaro RS/SS at the Auburn Auction and it needed a lot of work.

I was driving this car to get it to the shop so we could fix all the little things. Of course, it's a huge project to restore the classic cars to their best state like they used to be when they first came out. Most classic cars are 40 or more years old. There are plenty of things wrong with the Camaro but they are all little things. For example, there are some knobs missing, making it impossible to turn the air on or off. The new thing i found wrong with the car was that the windshield wipers don't work.

As it started to rain on my way to the shop so we could drop off the car, I found that the windshield wipers weren't working. With all the water drops falling and then looking like little water skiiers gliding up my windshield, it was a very wonderful time to figure out this inconvenience. I'm not going to continue to bitch, I just wanted to tell of the experience of finding out new things that aren't always to a benefit. Luckily, I had the top up so I wasn't getting rained on directly. Only a little rain spraying in at the top of the windows where they should be closed securely, they don't really go up all the way. It was quite a cold ride since it's the middle of October and the rain was coming it every once in a while. Also, the air vents were blowing in cold air directly from outside. It was all quite humorous for me, it really isn't that big of a deal because I have fallen in love with the car and the way it rides, sounds, and looks.

This shop is a friend of ours and he has restored some classic cars such as a '60 Corvette and another '69 Camaro. I would have taken a few pictures but I forgot my camera so I will have to show you what these cars look like by other people's pictures.

2008 SEMA Preview

For those of you who do not know the 2008 SEMA Auto Show is just around the corner. The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) will host the 2008 SEMA Auto Show on Nov. 4 – 7 in the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. I, myself, have wanted to go to the SEMA show ever since I first got interested in cars. could not think of a better place to be for a guy that loves tuners and aftermarket car products than the largest show in the world. But I am writing this post because I was perusing through the Cardomain website the other day and discovered an article about how people and companies that were featuring their products and cars in the show, were creating pages on Cardomain and basically showing you what will be at SEMA this year! Obviously, Chevy will be bustin’ out their brand new baby, the 2010 Chevy Camaro, I read about how they really supped it up this year which I am excited to see. I’ll let you guys look around on that but I’m sure you already have before reading this.

On another note, if you guys, or girls, have not had the chance to see a wonderful show called “Unique Whips”, located on the Speed Channel, you should watch it.Lately I have been talking with the guys at Unique Autosports about what they will be bringing to SEMA and they sent me a couple flyers:

Aside from Unique Autosports, West Coast Customs will also be bringing their “A” game to SEMA. Located on the opposite side of the country from Unique Autosports, West Coast Customs will feature their WCC Experience for the second 2^nd time in which people can attend class-like settings where they can learn the basics of welding, fabrication, paint, mobile electronics, and much more. I would love to attend something like this. West Coast Customs will also be auctioning off a brand new customized 2008 Ford Flex in which the money would go towards scholarships for young people pursuing automotive careers.

After reading the article about the ’08 Ford Flex I scrolled down an article and found many other interesting cars that I think were totally awesome. Click on the link below:

http://blog.cardomain.com/blog/sema_2008/

If you scroll down past the Ford Flex, you’ll see a sweet customized Toyota and a unique looking Monster themed off-road vehicle, along with plenty of other vehicles. I cannot wait for SEMA to get here.Although I am not going I still can’t “hold my brakes” to see what will be the next, new idea.