Oh. Not sure what we are arguing about then. Heh

 

I'm just trying to point the Lexus' direct competitors is all, nothing more.

I like the RC-F & I really enjoy driving them when the opportunity comes up, but it wouldn't be my first choice over the BMW unless the M4 really disappointed me. Even then, I'd consider the C63 depending on how the next generation turns out.

 

You're being pedantic. There's no reason why a 380hp F-Type S, a RS5, and a RC-F wouldn't be cross shopped. It's not any kind of a stretch.

 

yeah, I'm just like

 

So I really like the Mazda 3, but I can't get over the "stick the iPad in the dash" interior design. I know MB, BMW, Audi, and others are doing this too, but it just really made me like the Mazda 6 interior that much better.

Taken at the auto show:





Versus the 6. (Unfortunately I didn't take a photo, so I'll use this one off the net instead.)

 

So the Porsche 918 Spyder gets 67 combined MPGe? At which speed and RPM was that tested at?

 

The Ipad style Screen is here to stay. It is just one of those things that is weird at first and eventually it will become the norm.

There is only so many ways you can resign an interior and most of the feature locations are pretty much fixed. So someone will actually have to do something new to introduce a "new interior design"

BMW did it with the Idrive and i dont know who introduced the new Ipad and the new shifterless gear selector...

They are all here to stay

 

I actually prefer the iPad style more than the older one.

 

I think this is what it is, kind of like LED DRL strips. The rest of the 3's interior (and car) is good enough to make up for that, IMO.

 

Having driven a 3 last year, it's really not that bad. Who knows on the longevity of it, or durability if you happen to bump/knock it around.
Doesn't really bother me too much, as long as it isn't an enticement to car break-ins.

 

Mine looked weird to me for about 1 week then I got used to it.

Soon you will realize the position of the screen is much more ideal than the traditional integrated Navi because it is more eye level (except for the Ipad that is located in front of the AC Vents in the Merc).

The only downside i can think of is the heat. The screen itself is constantly baking under the sun directly... I know it gets extremely hot without its roof on the top.

Dont know if it will affect its resolution and reliability down the road.

 

Except your reasoning is the same as thinking it's not any kind of stretch to believe one won't cross shop a CGT Speed, S65 AMG Coupe, & a 458 because they all retail at $234,000 & are all performance coupes. 2 of our examples are 2+2 Executive sports cars & 1 isn't. It's the biggest hint at the target demographics.

Understand that I'm not saying you can't cross shop them, but doing so is rather pointless b/c they're simply not competitors; 1 was built for the 911 market & one was built for the 3 Germans. I thought the cars they compare them in reviews would make that rather clearer.

 

I don't like it either but everyone is doing it. It's probably sourced from a single vendor. Either saving some greenbacks or stupid is contagious..

 

Golf Rs are showing up at dealers ...

J/k

 

I asked this on one of my Dodge forums but figured maybe one of you guys might know the answer.

Reducing unsprung weight question for the wheel gurus.

I understand the basic idea of reducing your wheels weight to increase performance, but does it apply equally to all four wheels or does it have a greater effect on the two wheels being powered by the drive train?

Here's an example on a RWD car. Say there's a set of wheels that are all 20x9 and weigh 27lbs a piece, and another set of wheels that are staggered, 20x10 and 20x8.5, the 20x10s weighing 29lbs a piece and the 20x8.5s weighing 25lbs a piece. So both sets have a combined total weight of 108lb. The 20x9s would be a split 54lbs back and 54lbs front. The staggered set would be offset 58lbs rear and 50lbs front. Would both sets have the same effect of reducing upsprung and rotational weight or would the set that are all the same size have an advantage because the engine would only have 54lbs to spin vs 58lbs for the initial momentum of propelling the car forward. Do the non-driveline wheels have as much to do with performance gain as the wheels being powered by the car?

I am just having a hard time wrapping my brain around if the advantage of a lighter wheel is due to making it easier on the drivetrain to power the wheels around or if it's simply the reduced weight of all four initial rotation whether powered by the drivetrain or not.

 

a simplified explanation:

Put 10 lbs on each of your ankles and run vs having 20 lbs on your back and run.

There is definitely a difference between the weight on your Drive wheels vs. the other 2 (assuming the car is 2WD)

But common sense tells me that it would be harder to control the launch and cornering when the front wheels are heavier than the rear. (RWD)

because of that you want your rear wheels to be light (RWD) and the front wheels should be the same or even lighter.

 

its a good question, intuition would lend itself to thinking the powered wheels make the bigger difference in lowering unsprung weight, but the changes in the non drive wheel weights would impact handling as well

 

few pages back about my Accord.

I got the quote for the following items for $1000 for parts and labor, does it sound about right?

- Replace Water pump
- Valve adjustment
- T-Stats
- some belt connect to the water pump (Not timing chain)
-Spark plugs
- Engine/tranny/brake/coolant
-Air and cabin filter
-Power steering fluid

 

^ Sounds legit to me but I'd do the filters and PSF yourself. You can do both in less than an hour if you're slow.

 

Tell them $34.50

 

legit as in overinflated?? just because most shops charge +1k, doesn't mean it's legit.

 

only if they are Indian.

 

Uhh...what?

You want to lower your unsprung weight as much as possible, it doesn't matter what wheel it is. In terms of launching, it's not weight but traction that is key. If you have a set of carbon fiber wheels that weight 4lbs vs aluminum wheels that weigh 25lbs with the same tires, the CF wheels would be faster.

The issue with unsprung weight is that you cannot manage the behavior of that load actively. The mass will do whatever it wants given the forces applied. You cannot alter the movements at all. Sprung weight is managed weight meaning you can actively control what happens to it using springs, dampers, brackets, etc. If you have higher unsprung weight, it kills handling more so than acceleration. Acceleration is more of a function of overall weight rather than sprung vs unsprung. More mass to turn requires more work, less mass is less work. Weight on your drive wheels is quite a bit different than unsprung weight and in that regards, you want the lowest weight possible in the center of mass for the whole car for the best balance.

tl;dr: Lightest wheels possible. Weight of the wheel has much less of an effect vs the available traction.

 

$1k for all that work sounds about right to me. Remember they charge in book time not actual time. All the stuff there is about 8hrs in labor plus parts. $90/hr in labor ($720) plus parts (~$250 total) plus tax.

 

He has a 4 banger.. $150 in parts.. should be $400 in labor. ~600-700 is a reasonable price for the work.

 

I think the water pump + 4 spark plugs + all the fluids + Tstat + filters will be a lot more than $150 in parts

My Asianness is telling me to offer them $800 LOL

 

Ah, I was just estimating the timing kit.. yeah, probably closer to $250 then if you get a gates kit with NGK iridiums and honda fluids ($).. I'd use a low moisture high temp brake fluid. Stick to honda coolant / trans / psf.

btw, how many miles are you at? You should just ping the regional board and hook up with a member who can help you out. Buy the parts and what you need.. throw them a few hundred.. you're good.

 

I googled the other day about water pumps on the k24. A lot of responses were that their Accords at 200k miles still had the original one and to change when it busts. I'd personally wait it out.

 

Question: FWD car, 2 situations

1. Front wheels are carbon fiber 4lbs each, rears are 25lbs each
2.Rear wheels are carbon fiber 4lbs each, fronts are 25lbs each

Does it make a difference? Total unsprung weight in both situations is the same. But does the weight of the drive wheels vs non drive wheels matter?

 

I had experience with broken water pump on my dad's 93 MPV.

with the towing fee and time wasted, i'd rather not wait till it busts.

 

i am at 105,000 miles. Not that i don't trust strangers but i don't trust strangers.

 

The new Audi R8 debuted with production photos. It's an evolution of the previous car.

The interesting thing is that there's no navigation screen anymore. The new DIS has it all built in. I think it makes the dash look a lot cleaner:

From Motor Authority:




Yummy, you move this post and I keel you!

 

^^^The new TT has that same TFT screen for the nav and the gauges.

 

Somebody say move a post?

 

you moved all of mine... so....

 

Your posts will be moved and you'll like it.



<---- and therefore, communist.

 

Had a dream last night that I drove a new ZO6 in a wet parking lot and ended up in the grass and a lake.

 

I will cut you!!!

 

SILENCE!!!!













I kill you!