Japan’s Ministry of Transportation has directed Toyota to investigate a series of consumer complaints related to the braking system on third generation Prius models. These complaints come from customer’s in both Toyota’s domestic market and the United States. While the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has yet to demand a recall of Prius models, the agency is investigating over one hundred complaints related to braking issues in the Prius.
Braking issues reported most commonly occur on rough or icy pavement, which has historically been a challenge for all anti-lock braking systems. Narrow, low rolling resistance tires as used on Prius models may offer increased fuel mileage, but at the expense of traction and braking ability. Could this latest blemish for Toyota simply be a case of operator error, or is it another example of cost savings with a disregard to safety?
The Vyrus 987 C3 V4 undergoes rigerous salt water testing. Photo: Vyrus
Emerging from the sea like a modern day Aphrodite (but built by Italians), I give you the Vyrus 987 C3 V4. Billed by the manufacturer as the “world’s most powerful production motorcycle”, the bike features a supercharged 1198cc Ducati motor good for a claimed 211 horsepower. Clearly, Vyrus blew the marketing budget on making this beast go faster, and I say that’s a good thing.
The 987 C3 V4 shows its dual sport capabilities. Photo: Vyrus
Carbon fibery goodness. Photo: Vyrus
You know that all this carbon fiber and hand-built-by Italian-craftsmen goodness won’t come cheap, but I still recommend you sit down before I throw out a price. Based on current exchange rates, the out the door price (in the EU, at least) works out to be just north of $90,000.00. There’s no word on U.S. availability, but if you’ve got pockets deep enough to drop ninety large on a bike, the absence of a U.S. distributor won’t stop you.
My ’06 MX-5 on a road trip to Barber Motorsports Park
“It’s a chick car. Driving a Miata is like humping another guy – it only feels good until someone sees you doing it.”
“They don’t go fast enough to be entertaining.”
“My Civic / Mazda 3 / Tiburon / Mustang / Dodge Caravan can kick your ass.”
“Aren’t you afraid of other cars?”
In the eight years that I’ve owned Miatas (1993 “B” Package from 1998 to 2002, 2006 Galaxy Gray Sport from 2006 to present), I’ve heard it all. Yes, I know that my Miata isn’t going to get me laid. Your Corvette probably doesn’t get you laid, either. Yes, I know it’s not going to beat a Mustang GT in the 1/4 mile. Yes, I know it’s smaller than most other cars on the market today (OK, ALL other cars on the market today), but none of that matters once you get the jones. I blame mine on Dustin Hoffman – that scene in The Graduate where he’s driving his Alfa Romeo Spider 1600 Duetto up the California coast at sunrise is simply epic:
I sold my original Miata in 2002, during a frenzy of simplify-my-life-by-downsizing angst. I tried to combine the need for fun with the need to be practical, so I bought an Acura RSX Type S. It wasn’t a good match, and by 2005, I was once again in the market for a pure sports car. Mazda had just introduced the NC version of the Miata, but I’d already owned one. Buying another would violate my “life is too short to own the same car twice” rule. I convinced myself that I really wanted a Honda S2000 and went out for a test drive.
First, the good points: the seats were comfortable, the interior was well laid out, the transmission was hand built by God himself and the handling was better than any production street car I’d ever driven. The motor made plenty of power if you spooled it up and the top went up or down at the touch of a button.
Now, the bad points: the price was steep for a four-banger (even one with 237 horsepower) and the motor didn’t come alive until you were north of 6,000 RPM. That may work well on racetracks, but it doesn’t make for an enjoyable commute in bumper to bumper, rush hour traffic. Insurance was high because early S2000s were prone to sudden oversteer when driven by those without good judgement in bad weather. Theft rates were also high, since S2000 seats fit nicely in Honda Civics.
I wanted to like the S2000, I really did. She was gorgeous, and she put out. God, did she put out once you got her spooled up. Still, something was lacking; it was like dating the hot blond with the drop dead body and finding out she didn’t brush her teeth. Or shave her armpits. Whatever the ultimate reason, I just couldn’t talk myself into a long term relationship with the S2000.
About the same time I received an invite from Mazda to attend their “Zoom Zoom Live” event at a local racetrack. Spend the day driving the latest offerings from Mazda in closed course events? Use their gas, their tires, their brakes, their coffee? Sounded like fun to me.
At Barber Motorsports Park, pre suspension and exhaust upgrades
On the day of the event, I arrived early to avoid the crowds. Stop one, of course, was the autocross track they’d laid out to showcase the new Miata’s handling prowess. I sat down in the car, belted up and set off. First impression? The car finally had enough horsepower. Not too much, but just enough from the naturally aspirated MZR motor. One hundred and seventy ponies to be exact – just what you need in a light two seat roadster.
At Deal’s Gap, working the corners, still stock. Photo credit: Killboy.com
Next impression was how good the handling felt in stock form. Sure, the car had more gap between the tire and the wheel well than some SUVs, but by the third corner, I was turning in and steering with the throttle. Brake, turn in, stand on the gas, light the tires and step the back end around. Gently lift and counter steer to straighten the car, stand on the gas out of the corner and repeat for the next turn. I could have driven the car like that all day long, with an ever-widening grin on my face. After three passes, the line for the autocross event looked like the security line at O’Hare on the day before Thanksgiving. Reluctantly, it was time to let someone else get a turn behind the wheel.
Cutaway view
Four months later, with a Nor’easter blizzard pending, I cut a killer deal on my 2006 Sport version (car buying tip – dealers are HIGHLY motivated when faced with pending natural disasters). As soon as the bank account would allow, I dropped the ride height with Mazdaspeed springs front and rear, replaced the sway bars with Mazdaspeed components and changed out the muffler for one from Flyin’ Miata. I added black leather shift and handbrake boots from Redline and completed the build with the addition of the same Voodoo shift knob I’d had in my ’93 Miata.
That’s more like it – suspension and exhaust mods complete.
The car has seen road trips all over the US and Canada and has driven the Tail of the Dragon at Deal’s Gap (318 corners in 11 miles). It remains the only car I’ve ever owned that can consistently put a smile on my face every time I drive it.
Hey baby, nice ass. Note the correct size exhaust outlets.
Why? Consider this – every time I get behind the wheel, I can drive it at 100%. I can run it up to redline in at least four gears. I can practice threshold braking (as long as no one is behind me). I can rev match while downshifting for corners, or even get sloppy and rev match while downshifting mid-corner. If I didn’t suck at heel-toe driving, I could do that as well since the pedal design gives you a flange on the accelerator for just that purpose. The car makes you feel like a much better driver than you probably are. It’s one of the few sports cars forgiving enough to allow even somewhat significant mistakes. Drive like a knucklehead and the car will slap your hand, not kick your ass. You simply can’t say the same things about a Porsche 911 or Chevy Corvette.
Proper ride height for a roadster
If I want to take it easy, I can enjoy top down driving with the wind in my hair at speeds that ensure my license isn’t revoked. There’s plenty of torque above 2,500 RPM, so I don’t need to wind it out to make power (although the Flyin’ Miata exhaust sounds so damn good when you do spool it up). It’s comfortable, so long days behind the wheel don’t require a chiropractor’s visit. Cops aren’t inclined to stop Miatas, since we all know they don’t make enough power to hoon around in. Best of all, insurance companies think you’re driving an economy car.
Redline boots and Voodoo shift knob add 10 horsepower
So here’s my advice – if you’re on a limited budget, go take a test drive in an NA Miata (sold from 1989 to 1997) or an NB Miata (sold from 1999 to 2005). Try to find one that’s as close to stock as possible. Driven to church on Sundays by a little old lady is ideal, and there are plenty of little old ladies selling Miatas out there if you look hard enough.
If you’ve got a little more in the bank, look for an NC Miata (2006 to present), preferably one with the limited slip differential. Ride height is a little extreme in stock form to meet pedestrian crash test requirements, but this is easily corrected with a set of aftermarket springs. A stiffer rear sway bar dissuades the car from understeering quite as badly, and the poor man’s solution is to find one from a salvaged Mazda RX-8.
If you’re really an enthusiast, someone who lives for a properly apexed corner or the joy of a well executed downshift, you’ll understand after your test drive. Chick car? Maybe, but you just won’t care anymore.
Michael Schumacher’s official return to Formula 1 racing began on Monday, with the first test of the new Mercedes W01 car at Valencia, Spain. No comparative lap times were given, but Schumacher admitted to feeling “like a young boy that has a toy in his hands”.
Rule changes for 2009 and again for 2010 have made for closer competition than in Schumacher’s earlier F1 career. Drivers like Lewis Hamilton have an equivalent amount of talent but perhaps more ambition; it should prove to be an interesting season, and I’ll lay down my World Driver’s Championship prediction now: Hamilton first, Schumacher second, Felipe Massa third.
Call Hyundai the “anti-Toyota”; brilliant marketing initiatives like their ten year warranty and “buy your car back if you lose your job” have apparently paid off. January represents the thirteenth straight month of year over year market share increases. What may be more significant is that the month represents Hyundai’s best performance since the “Cash-For-Clunkers” program ended.
Build good cars, that people want to buy and sell them at reasonable prices. Sounds like the Koreans have adopted the same strategy that worked for the Japanese automakers in the 1970s.
How much does it suck to be Toyota right now? The U.S. Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, told the Detroit Free Press of his anger towards Toyota and called them “a little safety deaf”. I’m sure the fact that NHTSA officials were forced to fly to Japan to “remind Toyota management about its legal obligations” (LaHood’s word) didn’t help his blood pressure.
Toyota officials are set to appear in Washington next week for a “Congressional inquiry”, political speak for a good, old-fashioned ass kicking. Add in the reports that Toyota’s problems are really electronics based, and you can bet Toyota is in for a rough month of February.
Owners of 2006 and later Mini Cooper S models rejoice: Superchips has announced an upgrade that will give you 20 more ponies and 19 more foot pounds of torque. US pricing has not been set, but based upon UK pricing you can expect the chip to be in the $700 range. You still have to drive in reverse to get the power to the correct set of wheels, but no you can do so even quicker.
I’m pretty confident in my Toyota FJ Cruiser’s ability to get me into and out of places no sane man would travel, but the Chainlink Extreme puts the FJ to shame. Can you say “articulation”?
I’ll come clean: I want to like electric vehicles, I really do. What’s not to like about a motor with a flat torque curve that starts at zero RPM? What’s not to like about stratospherically high redlines? What’s not to like about a vehicle with fewer moving parts that doesn’t require oil changes or coolant flushes?
Sadly, there are no electric cars in my price range, but electric bikes are another matter entirely. Take, for example the Brammo Enertia pictured above. With a list price of $7,995 and a 10% tax credit, I could own one for just under $7,200.00. Problem one is that I’d need to travel to either California or Oregon, where the Enertia is available from one of six specially authorized Best Buy stores. Not handy for a test ride when you live in Florida.
Problem two is the bike’s range and top speed. Current production models have an advertised range of 40+ miles for urban commuting, 30+ miles for suburban / rural commuting and only 20+ miles of open highway commuting before they require a four hour charge cycle. As with any electric vehicle, a lot of factors come into play when determining range. Electric vehicles generally favor stop and go traffic to achieve maximum mileage per charge; they don’t like elevation changes or sustained highway driving. Which turns out to be a good thing, since the advertised top speed is said to be around 60 miles per hour. That may be good enough for commutes on city streets and feeder roads, but it’s likely to make you a hood ornament in rush hour metropolitan highway driving.
To be fair, I haven’t ridden a Brammo Enertia, and their fit and finish appear to be top notch. I’m sure they make perfect sense for someone with a short, urban commute and no interest in weekend road trips; I just don’t know any people who fit that demographic.
Kawasaki KLR 650
For a $7,200 investment, there are plenty of great commuter bikes that offer fuel economy in excess of 50 mpg. Take the Kawasaki KLR 650, for example; new, they can be purchased for under $5,000. That leaves you plenty of scratch to buy decent gear, with enough left over to ease your guilty, fossil-fuel-sucking conscience by donating heavily to the Sierra Club.
Though the added weight of his custom body kit cost Tim some fuel mileage, he saw a noticeable improvement in the number of drivers yielding the left lane.
A study by the Natural Resources Defense Council, documented by
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/02/could-cars-have-caused-the-mortgage-meltdown/#more-19091″>Autopia, analyzed foreclosure rates in San Francisco, Chicago and Jacksonville. Their findings? Mortgage holders in ‘compact neighborhoods,’ where car ownership isn’t mandatory, were less likely to face foreclosure than suburban homeowners. How much less? In terms of the Chicago market, 2.7% less.
The study cited such variables as the volatility of gas prices and rising insurance rates. Fuel costs, prior to the spike in 2008, accounted for 17% of an average household’s income.
Speaking just for myself, of course, I’ll give up my cars and bikes when they pry the keys from my cold, dead hands. I’d rather eat ramen and peanut butter than forego the joys of senseless top down motoring, or the rush of acceleration when I grab a handful of throttle. Living in an urban hipster commune, reliant entirely upon public transportation, isn’t my idea of the American dream; in fact, it’s closer to my vision of hell. Give me the suburbs any day, with three cars and a bike overflowing from my two and a half car garage. I’ll worry about budgeting to pay my mortgage, thanks.
Reeling from the collapse of the motorcycle and powersports market in the U.S., Harley Davidson has announced the extension of its current trade in promotion through the end of February. Under the terms of the program, owners of competitor’s motorcycles can receive an additional $500 trade in credit from Harley Davidson, above and beyond any trade in price negotiated with the dealership. The credit must be applied to the purchase of a new Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Forced to shut down operations of Buell Motorcycles and unable to sell MV Augusta, Harley Davidson witnessed a forty percent drop in revenue from 2008 to 2009. Excess production capacity forced Harley Davidson to shutter one assembly plant in York, PA and announce layoffs of up to 1,000 workers in December 2009.
In case you needed proof that even F1 has underdogs, witness the 2010 BMW Sauber C29. Left for dead when BMW announced their withdrawal from F1 in 2010, the team scrambled for a buyer before being acquired by original owner Peter Sauber.
Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi
Though still labelled as ‘BMW Sauber’, the car will actually be powered by a Ferrari motor. Driving for the team in 2010 will be Pedro de la Rosa, a former McLaren test driver, and rookie Kamui Kobayashi, who drove briefly for Toyota in 2009. Both drivers are bringing sponsorship dollars with them, essential if the fledgling team is to make the grid in 2010.
In an announcement that surprised no one, Spyker has declared that new acquisition Saab will be a niche player in the automotive market. Spyker’s plans, previously developed by Saab’s management team, will be to reposition the marque as an environmentally friendly, performance oriented brand. The company will focus production on three or four model lines based around the 9-3, 9-5 and 9-4. The 9-1, a compact hatchback designed to compete withe the Mini Cooper and Audi A1, has not officially been killed. Though not in the current business plan, the 9-1 would give Saab product in the entry level luxury performance segment.
I see this as good news. Saab has always had a strong cult following, with a reputation built on quirky but stout cars. GM nearly killed the brand in their attempt broaden its appeal. Saabs, like lutefisk, are an acquired taste and there are reasons why McDonalds doesn’t offer the ‘McLutefisk with Cheese’ on their menu. In keeping the brand small but targeted, Spyker will likely ensure it’s long term success.
Ford has resumed production of diesel Transit Classic vans at its Jiangling Motors joint venture plant in China. Ford halted production last week to review the safety of CTS accelerator pedal assemblies used in the construction of the Transit Classic’s diesel variant.
Jiangling Motors issued a statement when the production halt was announced, clarifying that no reports of unintended acceleration have been received in the Chinese market. It’s worth noting that the population of diesel Transit Classic models in China is only around 1,600 units, which may not represent a significant enough population sample.
Still, this raises the question of how many other vehicles use the CTS pedal assembly, and why there are no reported issues with these vehicles. The evidence is mounting that Toyota’s problems are just beginning, and that the current recall situation may prove to be only the tip of the iceberg.
Alright, I’ll come clean – I’m a big fan of the Mazda MX-5 (aka Miata), and in fact own a lightly modded 2006 Sport version. Even I’m wondering what Mazda is thinking with their completely underwhelming 20th anniversary edition, to be unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.
Available with the 1.8 liter motor only, the car will come in red, white or blue paint, except in France where they’ll be sold in blue, white or red paint. Celebratory upgrades include color matched decorative interior bits, a front suspension brace and a serialized stainless steel scuff plate. Cue the sound of crickets now.
How about a special edition with the Cosworth blower on the 2.0 liter MZR motor and a coilover suspension? Make it available in the US, lose the “grinning-tapdole-on quaaludes” front end styling, paint it in the same Sapphire Blue Mica paint as the 10th Anniversary edition and I’ll be right in to put one on order.
What is it with Camaros lately? A Cincinnati man walked away from this horrific accident with minor injuries and a new found love of Jesus. The unnamed driver was last seen buying lottery tickets.
http://www.wcpo.com/mostpopular/story/Car-Splits-After-Hitting-Pole-Driver-Walks-Away/ml2JtGU1RUK-Mje-uOC63Q.cspx”>WCPO via Jalopnik
A Louisiana man attempted to return his Toyota Tundra to a local dealership for the recall repair. Told that parts were not yet available and that he’d have to wait, the man left the dealership and, suspiciously, experienced unintentional acceleration. Into the dealership’s showroom.
Now I’m not saying it was intentional, and neither are the local police or the Toyota dealer in question. Still the timing is, um, suspicious and would lead one to believe that anger perhaps played a role in the events. You can bet that this won’t be the last such incident.
