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The Car Thread ... !
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Repeating my thoughts: it's a looker. It's one of those smaller cars that grab my attention immediately. It, its cousin and even the MR2 Spyder stand out. You don't see many of them on the road, which leads me to suspect they're hidden away by their older owners. Jealous of your nice weather. It's been cold and overcast for weeks now. Not that I'm complaining about not feeling like a baked potato!
Edit: Do you remember what that crossover behind it is?
Edit: Do you remember what that crossover behind it is?
Yep, spark/fuel + air metering hardware will properly compensate for the mild change in airflow. Untuned you might see 7-8HP, with a proper tune maybe 8-10, in combination with other mods a little more. I've logged it, seen it, and air intake changes are generally so mild (in terms of additional flow) it is one of those "why bother"? Some of it is "every little bit counts", maybe a touch of throttle response improvement - plus other more subjective things outside of the performance considerations like sound and engine bay aesthetics (good grief that last one was major with my intake mod).
So true though about the intake designs, many put an open element under the hood that spike IATs, or introduce a concern over water. That's why I went with a combination of a replacement intake tube (better flow, more velocity, removes restrictions like the sound tube hookup) and a AEM dry filter in the stock airbox (with the latter also being "cleaned up"). Combined with my Velossa intake ducts, my IATs are actually lower vs. stock, throttle feels better, engine bay looks way better, no water issues, and inexpensive vs. a whole "system" to boot.
So many stock components are a compromise of: cost, owner maintenance and consumables targets, design goals dealing with NVH, etc. Obviously with wheels the looks are a big factor, but without question, there are performance improvements in the aftermarket vs. stock.
I mentioned it a few pages back I had my GT ceramic coated weeks ago. Although pleased with the results, honestly; I think I overpaid I for the “Three year” service. The paint looks great, but it already _looked_ great before it was even ceramic coated. I was expecting some more dramatic aesthetic enhancements to the actual paint itself, but perhaps that’s because it was immaculately detailed already. (This Car has only been exposed to spring/summers with 12,000 on the Odometer) with the exception of the shop having to decontaminate the paint as a protocol before the Ceramic coating process, They also said there was no paint correction required on my car either. (Even though ‘Paint correction’ is part of the service the customer is charged in the package.)
Another colleague suggested I should have just opted for the six-month service, which actually would have more longevity of a year or longer based on that I do not drive the car throughout the year. [And its not exposed to any winter Elements.] I really look forward to the ceramic coating with bug stains washing off easier and with all the pollen in the air currently.
That all said, I did notice when the car was returned, there was some ‘clear’ dots on the plastic molding and trim, located along the window sills and on the rear diffuser. Although barely visible, I still looked over the entire car when I had better lighting when I arrived home and found them. {And they were not there before}. So before I decided to call the shop, I decided try to remove them myself, which they mainly were removed for the most part. I’m Assuming it has something to do with the ceramic solution that inadvertently Touched the plastic molding.
The product that I mentioned earlier in this thread is Carguys. I have the plastic restorer, and not only does it restore the plastic to looking like factory OEM with a deep finish, but it did also correct the issue with the clear dots. The other thing I want to add about this product, is not also does it restore blacks if its faded or discolored, but it’s not something that you need to apply every so often before it fades again, and it really lasts a long time and won’t just ‘Wash’ off’. I own all Carguy products, but the plastic restorer is Outstanding.
Another colleague suggested I should have just opted for the six-month service, which actually would have more longevity of a year or longer based on that I do not drive the car throughout the year. [And its not exposed to any winter Elements.] I really look forward to the ceramic coating with bug stains washing off easier and with all the pollen in the air currently.
That all said, I did notice when the car was returned, there was some ‘clear’ dots on the plastic molding and trim, located along the window sills and on the rear diffuser. Although barely visible, I still looked over the entire car when I had better lighting when I arrived home and found them. {And they were not there before}. So before I decided to call the shop, I decided try to remove them myself, which they mainly were removed for the most part. I’m Assuming it has something to do with the ceramic solution that inadvertently Touched the plastic molding.
The product that I mentioned earlier in this thread is Carguys. I have the plastic restorer, and not only does it restore the plastic to looking like factory OEM with a deep finish, but it did also correct the issue with the clear dots. The other thing I want to add about this product, is not also does it restore blacks if its faded or discolored, but it’s not something that you need to apply every so often before it fades again, and it really lasts a long time and won’t just ‘Wash’ off’. I own all Carguy products, but the plastic restorer is Outstanding.
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The latest Wheel Bearings podcast talks about possible suitors if Tesla goes into bankruptcy. Sam Abuelsamid suggested Volkswagen would buy them if the opportunity came up.
Of course, this would be after bankruptcy because Tesla is a waste of money right now.
Of course, this would be after bankruptcy because Tesla is a waste of money right now.
Mark Webber was able to test drive a prototype Mission E. Looks like it's almost done!
The prototype looks better put together than a production Tesla
VW would win back hearts and minds with such a move. Though it would be interesting if it was a joint purchase between the major German companies such as VAG, MBZ and BMW. And, in true form, DT is right with his snipe at Tesla. The Mission E looks incredible and it's something I've been eagerly waiting to see in person, in production form, since it was announced.
True. I'm simply wondering about ride quality and NVH, versus less or more force transferred to the components housing the wheels where a heavier wheel would soak it up. Wheel design seems to come and go. I like 2 and 3 piece wheels but there aren't many that can look as good as some of the best stock wheels.
Yeah, it's Porsche, so they'll focus on the whole package: the driver experience, have some character in the design, the fit, finish, everything ... and given their history, I suspect it will be a brilliant execution.
Wheels can have such a huge performance impact, unsprung weight is effectively 4X the actual weight, it affects handling, braking, all the dynamics like feedback, response. For overall performance, I'd rather drop 15lbs at each corner vs. having another 50+HP.
Definitely. What does Tesla focus on anyway?
I guess you make a good point. Though it would be prudent for a manufacturer to both reduce 15 lb of each wheel in the next generation of their cars and add 50 HP to each wheel, for a total of 200 HP.
Marketing.
They should be DOA. They won't die, though. I would imagine VAG would by them and turn them into a battery-only outfit and sell their batteries everywhere.
The questions was kind of rhetorical. They're a jack of all trades, master of none. Even their marketing isn't that great.
The only thing they have right now is fanboys. The blind faith people have in Elon Musk is a little crazy.
About sums it up. Reminds me a lot of Apple fans back in the day who thought (and rightly so) Apple was the best. Those in the know have moved onto Linux or Windows based workstations. Time will tell. As I've said before, the only impressive thing about Teslas, and mainly the Model S P100D is its rapid acceleration. Quoting my own post here:
Goldy said it best. Most Model 3s are going to be optioned out with options and reality will set in once those incentives run out. In regard to the Roadster they unveiled, I'm not sure how viable it'll be in the long run considering the costs and I have my doubts of how the car was set up for that run. The real bread winner for Tesla will their big rigs. If they can perfect that, they'll win a lot of contracts. Even if it's not autonomous, it'll still sell very well due to the lower running costs over the average 300-600K mile lifetime of a big rig frame and engine.
My comparison with early Apple owners is fair. Back then, many would compare a sweet iMac to a really, and I mean really crappy sub $300 prebuilt PC with ancient hardware right off the factory floor. You go watch Tesla owner videos and they compare their Model X with say an A3 with the highest options package, and all you can think is, "Gee, this guy/gal is a freaking moron, and it shows."
There's also the small issue of the batteries constantly overheating in cold weather, too. You can gun the majority of sports cars or fast sedans constantly provided it isn't blistering hot (105+), and they won't have problems.
Interesting truck news:
The new 2019 Chevy Silverado will offer a 2.7 L turbo Charged four-cylinder, producing 310 HP/348 torque (Which surprisingly is even _more_ powerful than the 4.3 V6 they currently offer). Allegedly GM designed this to be a ‘truck’ engine with a longer stroke, but producing more low-end torque for hauling purposes. For the time being, they still will be using the 5.3 L/6.2 V8 for higher trims as well.
http://autoweek.com/article/trucks/...ve-sampling-surprising-all-new-27-liter-turbo
Also, seems there is more circular talk about the 7.0 L for the new 2019 Raptor becoming more of a reality. For the sake of anything truck related, I hope this is true, especially considering where the V-8 segment is fading with Ecoboost engines and now four cylinders are in full size trucks. Interesting times indeed.
The new 2019 Chevy Silverado will offer a 2.7 L turbo Charged four-cylinder, producing 310 HP/348 torque (Which surprisingly is even _more_ powerful than the 4.3 V6 they currently offer). Allegedly GM designed this to be a ‘truck’ engine with a longer stroke, but producing more low-end torque for hauling purposes. For the time being, they still will be using the 5.3 L/6.2 V8 for higher trims as well.
http://autoweek.com/article/trucks/...ve-sampling-surprising-all-new-27-liter-turbo
Also, seems there is more circular talk about the 7.0 L for the new 2019 Raptor becoming more of a reality. For the sake of anything truck related, I hope this is true, especially considering where the V-8 segment is fading with Ecoboost engines and now four cylinders are in full size trucks. Interesting times indeed.
@Zenithal I find it funny Tesla is now going to produce a performance Model 3 before they produce a $35k model. Obviously they’re relying on the higher margins of the upsold vehicles. It will be interesting to see if the demand really keeps up.
Consumer Reports recent review is also quite devistating for Tesla. Even if they fix the braking issue, which sounds like an unacceptable issue, all the other glitches and problems make for a pretty impractical daily driver.
With just about every other major manufacturer looking to release EV’s within the next several years, Tesla is going to find themselves in trouble. Especially considering nearly all the other manufacturers have teamed up to have a universal charging system. Tesla currently has an advantage with the supercharger network, but I can’t see that edge lasting too much longer.
I’m not even convinced the Tesla Semi will be successful. The economics don’t quite add up if you consider the cost of batteries, not to mention the excessive weight of the batteries limiting legal hauling capacity. Of more importance perhaps, Tesla is supposed to build the Semi next year I believe, yet no factory yet exists to built it... it usually takes years to set up a production system. And if Tesla’s reliability with the Semi is anything like that of their other cars- transportation companies will not tolerate it. There’s actually been some rumors to if Tesla is even going to follow though.
In summation and Tesla’s massive financial issues aside, in several years I’m not sure Tesla is going to be the major automotive player some project them to be. I’m not sure they’ll disappear, but I think it’s more likely they will be a very niche market- perhaps of very high end EV’s with the existing automakers filling in the gap. Tesla has demonstrated they can’t effectively mass produce quality vehicles and their time to prove otherwise is quickly runnning out. As I’ve said a million times buillding an EV drivetrain is easy, it’s building the rest of the chassis that’s difficult and many other companies have far more experience. Tesla once held a technological edge, but I’m not convinced they really stand to hold that title any longer either.
Tesla is a very revolutionary company that undoubtably has reshaped he future of cars, but I’m not sure they’re sustainable without some sort of massive upheaval.
Consumer Reports recent review is also quite devistating for Tesla. Even if they fix the braking issue, which sounds like an unacceptable issue, all the other glitches and problems make for a pretty impractical daily driver.
With just about every other major manufacturer looking to release EV’s within the next several years, Tesla is going to find themselves in trouble. Especially considering nearly all the other manufacturers have teamed up to have a universal charging system. Tesla currently has an advantage with the supercharger network, but I can’t see that edge lasting too much longer.
I’m not even convinced the Tesla Semi will be successful. The economics don’t quite add up if you consider the cost of batteries, not to mention the excessive weight of the batteries limiting legal hauling capacity. Of more importance perhaps, Tesla is supposed to build the Semi next year I believe, yet no factory yet exists to built it... it usually takes years to set up a production system. And if Tesla’s reliability with the Semi is anything like that of their other cars- transportation companies will not tolerate it. There’s actually been some rumors to if Tesla is even going to follow though.
In summation and Tesla’s massive financial issues aside, in several years I’m not sure Tesla is going to be the major automotive player some project them to be. I’m not sure they’ll disappear, but I think it’s more likely they will be a very niche market- perhaps of very high end EV’s with the existing automakers filling in the gap. Tesla has demonstrated they can’t effectively mass produce quality vehicles and their time to prove otherwise is quickly runnning out. As I’ve said a million times buillding an EV drivetrain is easy, it’s building the rest of the chassis that’s difficult and many other companies have far more experience. Tesla once held a technological edge, but I’m not convinced they really stand to hold that title any longer either.
Tesla is a very revolutionary company that undoubtably has reshaped he future of cars, but I’m not sure they’re sustainable without some sort of massive upheaval.
There's been a few writeups on the truck. It'll be heavier than a typical extended cab rig, obviously. It'll carry less, but what loss is there is gained back and then some in fuel savings over time. Walmart has its own truck operation that develops new tech for their fleet. I wouldn't be surprised if they partner up with Tesla to increase the miles per KW the semis can get. I don't believe the Teslas are meant for long haul rigging. Long haul is more fuel efficient than short haul. It's more cost effective for trucks to be at highway speed rather than stop and go traffic. I can definitely see the Teslas in cities and county regions. There's a few videos of the Truck concepts in the wild being driven around on public roads. Some companies have been looking into hybrid and electric tech for years.
And I have no idea what you mean by Model 3 Performance, but I'm guessing it's a very fast Model 3?
Having driven a Tesla, I can almost understand the appeal of EVs. I find them incredibly boring and lackluster. I won't bring up how little value you get outside of raw speed for your money. To me it felt like being a cat with my whiskers cut off.
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A performance model, so Tesla will probably call it a P-model. Like the P100D vs. the 100D in the Model S line. Apparently it’s going to cost around $78,000.
In other news Nat’s dad’s Model S (a 2016 with 35,000 miles) needs a new “drive unit” (or units? It’s AWD so idk if that’s one or two motors that require replacement). Also needs a new mirror as it stopped folding. #TeslasDontHaveEnginesSoTheyreMoreReliable
I want to say who'll buy that but I'm sure people will.
That's been an issue for years. I'm not sure if it's fixable, but in the car world sometimes it's easier and faster to replace the affected part rather than fixing it. I'm not really surprised that shoddy parts and workmanship affects Teslas of all price ranges and both inside and outside are affected.
The braking thing is pretty serious, and especially so when you consider its lack of consistency and the fact that one hard stop basically seems to kill it.
I was a bit curious and looked up the braking distance for my MG. It was a good stopper for the time, but with skinny tires, rear drums, no power assist(until 1975), and of course no ABS it still seems to stop pretty well. I found a couple of different reported number from period literature, and it was consistently in the 133-135ft range from 1965 to 1972(I didn't find earlier or later numbers). Of course, that would be contingent on actually having good tires(even the worst all season tires now are better than what the car shipped with, but a lot are running around with tires that look brand new but are 10+ years old and hard as rocks). Also, even though the rear brakes don't play a HUGE role(the bias is about 80-20 on the car) you'd still need to be sure your rear brakes were in adjustment-a manual and often neglected procedure. That reminds me that I've yet to use my fancy brake adjusting wrench, and I should probably get out and adjust them tonight(the procedure is simple enough-jack up the rear, turn the adjuster screw 1/4 turn at at time until the wheel locks, then back off 1/2 turn and make sure the wheel turns without dragging on the shoes).
In light of that, a car with 4-channel ABS and 4-wheel disks with big sticky tires stopping in 150+ feet is absolutely unacceptable.
I was a bit curious and looked up the braking distance for my MG. It was a good stopper for the time, but with skinny tires, rear drums, no power assist(until 1975), and of course no ABS it still seems to stop pretty well. I found a couple of different reported number from period literature, and it was consistently in the 133-135ft range from 1965 to 1972(I didn't find earlier or later numbers). Of course, that would be contingent on actually having good tires(even the worst all season tires now are better than what the car shipped with, but a lot are running around with tires that look brand new but are 10+ years old and hard as rocks). Also, even though the rear brakes don't play a HUGE role(the bias is about 80-20 on the car) you'd still need to be sure your rear brakes were in adjustment-a manual and often neglected procedure. That reminds me that I've yet to use my fancy brake adjusting wrench, and I should probably get out and adjust them tonight(the procedure is simple enough-jack up the rear, turn the adjuster screw 1/4 turn at at time until the wheel locks, then back off 1/2 turn and make sure the wheel turns without dragging on the shoes).
In light of that, a car with 4-channel ABS and 4-wheel disks with big sticky tires stopping in 150+ feet is absolutely unacceptable.
Corvettes never really appealed to me. But this ZO6 in Red looks amazing. A few changes I would make would be the chrome wheels to start. The chrome look is dated, those exact wheels in a high gloss black would set this car off nicely. (And slightly drop it to reduce the wheel gap). And the heat extractors in the Hood should be painted black for added contrast, at least Match the painted wing/Mirrors.
Otherwise, this Vette was immaculately clean.
Otherwise, this Vette was immaculately clean.
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Heading into a dealer next week to discuss this: Audi A4 2.0 TDI. Not the most powerful engine, but I've tried this 190 PS variant before in an A5 Sportback I had as a courtesy car a while ago and felt that it was smooth and wholly adequate for general usage.
So our family car setup right now is the E-Class which is lovely and a 2001 C180 which has become horribly unreliable. I'm hoping this A4 will mean we have a nice reliable second car which is up for longer journeys too. Only really started to consider one after seeing really cheap lease deals. Mostly for the 1.4 petrol version, but I'm hoping they can offer me something similar on the car pictured above.
So our family car setup right now is the E-Class which is lovely and a 2001 C180 which has become horribly unreliable. I'm hoping this A4 will mean we have a nice reliable second car which is up for longer journeys too. Only really started to consider one after seeing really cheap lease deals. Mostly for the 1.4 petrol version, but I'm hoping they can offer me something similar on the car pictured above.
Very nice! I’ve had the older 2011 2.0 TDI (170PS) and 2014 (177PS) versions in an A4 and A5 and they were great! I’m sure you’ll be very happy with one
I'm really looking forward to it! My previous car was a 2013 A5 with the 177PS TDI engine and I loved it.