Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

Redliner said:
I think you need a better understading of how those things work. The turbo could be a small, low-pressure setup. Supercharger, perhaps?
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A small turbo would be great for your needs. But it would also help produce better milage if you don't drive it like you stole it.
 
Anyone know the difference between a Richmond T10 4spd and a Borge-Warner T10 4spd?

Obviously imput and outputs are different, but they also vary within the same manufacturer.
 
Shawn said:
Yeah, I've just come from the 1-Series spec sheet actually. No Bluetooth, no nothing.

I don't care for Infiniti's designs inside or out, or Nissan's for that matter. Just not my taste.
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strange... both BT and satnav is available in E-rope...
You'll pay through the nose for it, naturally, (like 700? for the bluetooth, no integration either, and 2k? for a decent satnav), but it IS there
 
Well apparently the US 1-Series has Bluetooth, according to Spectre. But definitely no sat nav.

It seems like with cars being so cheap in the US car companies leave out a lot of options that are simply unavailable. For instance the MkVI GTI in the US doesn't get headlamp washers (bumper cutouts are there though...), backup camera, auto-dimming and auto-bending mirrors, rain sensor for the wipers, etc. Not that I'm complaining, you can get a whole new GTI plus whatever options do exist for under $30,000.
 
Well, it makes sense not to have that sort of stuff when you consider what most US car buyers are looking for. Value. Almost nobody is going to buy a 30k+ hatchback, they will move up to a larger car with less options rather than have a loaded penaltybox. Hyundai has been so massively successful here because they offered the most car for the least money. It may not have been the best, but cheap and big causes a lot of other sins to be forgotten.

Oh, and IMO, GTI > 1-series. If you have to get a BMW, the smallest I would consider is a 3.
 
There is a lot to be said for demographics and what the average consumer of that market is after.

But honestly it seems like they rip out some stuff just out of spite because they have to sell them so cheaply in America. Apparently the US GTI even has the motor to angle down your mirrors when you put it in reverse, they just disabled it through software.
 
Shawn said:
There is a lot to be said for demographics and what the average consumer of that market is after.

But honestly it seems like they rip out some stuff just out of spite because they have to sell them so cheaply in America. Apparently the US GTI even has the motor to angle down your mirrors when you put it in reverse, but it broke by the time it got to the dealer.
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Fixed that for you.
 
Came back from that Career fair. GM brought a pre-production CTS-V Coupe to campus.

https://pic.armedcats.net/c/cr/crazyrussian540/2010/09/14/IMG_1307.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/c/cr/crazyrussian540/2010/09/14/IMG_1308.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/c/cr/crazyrussian540/2010/09/14/IMG_1310.JPG


I was just going to look at the car since I had 30 minutes between classes, but the recruiter recognized me from last year and we just talked cars for a bit. He then let me sit in it, start it, and rev it. I had a crisis.


And I after seeing it in person, I really do think the CTS-V coupe is the best looking new car you can buy for under $100,000.

And I'm debating picking up a used one after I graduate and start working. Would make for a nice daily driver. That said, thats still 2+ years down the road, and I'm not abandoning my dream of finding a 95 850 T5-R wagon in yellow.
 
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Redliner said:
I think you need a better understading of how those things work. The turbo could be a small, low-pressure setup. Supercharger, perhaps?
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The only aftermarket turbo I have seen was a big one (double the hp big), if someone knows of a small one I would look into it.
argatoga said:
Would a non intercooled super charger be a worthwhile and easy bolt on? It won't give massive performance, but it should be enough.
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There is this but I don't know if it is worth the money http://www2.neuspeed.com/491095-neuspeed-20l-8v-supercharger-kit.html
EyeMWing said:
Lies.

Also here.
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I don't particularly want to drive 2 hours each way out of state to go slightly faster than the speed of traffic on the road going there (I have done 90 on rt 495 on my commute and been going slower than the people in front of me, today I was doing 85 in the right hand lane) Either way the car starts feeling wobbly around 95 so I don't think I would WANT a higher top speed without switching out most of the car.
captain_70s said:
I'm curious, what is it?
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12 seconds :( I'd be very happy with a single diget number

Shawn said:
There is a lot to be said for demographics and what the average consumer of that market is after.

But honestly it seems like they rip out some stuff just out of spite because they have to sell them so cheaply in America. Apparently the US GTI even has the motor to angle down your mirrors when you put it in reverse, they just disabled it through software.
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Or the foglight switch on my car, They ripped that out too so the fog lights are just for decoration.
 
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katwalk said:
12 seconds :( I'd be very happy with a single diget number
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Hahaha, you consider that slow?

You car is faster than anybody I know's cars! :lol: I've not been looking at buying a car that can get to 60mph in less than 16 seconds, and thats modern cars!
 
captain_70s said:
Hahaha, you consider that slow?

You car is faster than anybody I know's cars! :lol: I've not been looking at buying a car that can get to 60mph in less than 16 seconds, and thats modern cars!
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Slow enough to be dangerous when getting on some US freeways - we have some really short onramps and acceleration lanes in places. Again, see prior discussion about ecoboxes being underpowered and unsafe in the old Undertaking thread. :p
 
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Oh not this again...

A 12-second 0-60mph car can't possibly be dangerous. Every freeway ramp is at least 200 feet long, and you never start stationary. As long as you are careful, you can't run into any trouble. You certainly don't need to floor the throttle every time you are getting on the highway.
 
_HighVoltage_ said:
Oh not this again...

A 12-second 0-60mph car can't possibly be dangerous. Every freeway ramp is at least 200 feet long, and you never start stationary. As long as you are careful, you can't run into any trouble. You certainly don't need to floor the throttle every time you are getting on the highway.
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I'm going to charge up the 808ChinaCam tonight and mount it to the Crown Vic in the morning. Should be able to get some video to prove you wrong on one or all counts. You also seem to forget about uphill onramps (need more power for those).

The problem is much more pronounced in dense urban areas. For example, there's one near here where the ramp proper isn't any 200 feet, it's uphill, and you really have to get on it to safely enter the stream of traffic.
 
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Spectre said:
Slow enough to be dangerous when getting on some US freeways - we have some really short onramps and acceleration lanes in places. Again, see prior discussion about ecoboxes being underpowered and unsafe in the old Undertaking thread. :p
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Well to be fair most of the UK (and all of my area) is A and B roads with the odd strech of dual carriageway, hardly any motorways. Even then most motorway entrances are downhill anyway, even my mates Nissan Micra 1.0 with 4 passangers managed to get to 65mph by the time we got to the end of it!

Of course I've seen people drive up to the end of the entrance strech and then stop and try and enter like its a normal junction! Thats dangerous! :lol:
 
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