Hey all, ***** early ********!  Got any special plans this year for your ********?  I just intend to spend some nice family time, open presents, have a nice dinner, maybe lunch too… yeah.

Do you know of the thing I am speaking about?  It’s Christmas.  Yeah, according to the mainstream media that is profanity.  Why?  I don’t know, but I’m not going to say “Happy Holidays” or “Seasons Greetings” anytime soon.

So before I rant about this rather personally unsettling matter, I got my wisdom teeth removed and 12-year molers exposed yesterday.  Not fun.  I thought I was going to be put under while the procedure went on, but nupe, I was awake.  Luckily I was still heavily sedated and even more fortunately I don’t remember most of it but… still rather terrifying.

So back to the topic, what’s so wrong with Christmas?  What is so offending about that word?  And why, oh why, is it necessary to censor it?  These are questions I ask myself every single time I see advertisements and the like saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.”  It’s extremely unsettling to me.

I will be honest, Christmas is of a religious origin, so I can understand why some would wish for it to be censored or otherwise removal of its name.  But seriously, it has been converted into a remarkably secular holiday already.  Why is this subtle, yet widespread censorship needed?  You’ve got to have a huge chip on your shoulder to be offended by this!  To me this is an unprecedented act of anti-theism, practically hate.  Call that accusation overkill as you please, but I find this act of censorship more offensive than the offending it intends to prevent – regardless of possible religious bias.

So yeah, just my rant.  As always though, have a Merry Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate this Winter season).

But before you go, enjoy this picture of my [now lost] optimized 2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV in Forza Motorsport 3.  Unfortunately… my career data was corrupted thanks to the console freezing as it was saving, but I’m working on acquiring this excellent car again.

Photo copyright ©2009 Damon Lavrinc / Weblogs, Inc.

You’ve heard of diamond-encrusted televisions. You’ve heard of gold-plated refrigerators. You’ve heard of bathtubs dipped in platinum. Are any of these things better because of their blinged-out status? No.

A gold-plated refrigerator is still a refrigerator. If I gold-plated my excrement, it would still be excrement.

When you get down to the nuts and bolts of the matter, it’s just flat-out tasteless.

This is what plagues the Lexus LFA.

It’s a great machine. It can lap the Nürburgring in 7:24. It’s got a great-sounding V10 engine. It’s dynamic, and it’s the automotive equivalent of gold-plated excrement.

I have come to this conclusion via the power of complex mathematical reasoning. If I were born yesterday, I’d be able to guesstimate the LFA’s price at $168,000 just by looking at it. If you told me how it performed, I’d add $25,000 to the total. If I were to hear the sound of the engine – which may be the best sound of any road car today - I’d start feeling generous and I’d add $30,000 to the expected price.

So where does that leave us? $223,000
Lexus LFA MSRP: $380,000
Discrepancy between perceived price and actual MSRP: $157,000

So where did all those Benjamins go? They went into the carbon fiber-reinforced polymer body which saves about 200 lbs. versus an all-aluminum car.

So tell me, are you willing to pay $157,000 to lose 200 lbs? I’m not and I’m certain NBC’s Biggest Loser isn’t either. So while the Lexus LFA is a great car, it’s a great car wrapped in carbon fiber, or the automotive equivalent of gold plating, and for an extra $157,000 … well, if i carry the seven and cross-cancel – yep, that makes the car crap – crap wrapped in “gold”.

I know, everybody wants to be like Audi. Put a halo car in the showrooms to get people to walk in, and they walk out with an A4. Same thing with the Ford GT. Same thing with the Acura NSX. Same thing with the Dodge Viper. All those cars changed their entire car companies and the way people perceived them.

But now the halo car business is becoming too much of a “me too” business; as a result, I think this car will hurt Lexus’s image. The Lexus LFA is a halo car done wrong. Halo cars have to present something new and/or unique to the marketplace. The Acura NSX was the best example – it was the first supercar that was easy to drive. The Dodge Viper – the automotive equivalent of a red thong flossing a tan butt on a summer day north of 100°F. Audi R8 - a true supercar you could drive every day and almost afford. LFA: just another fast car.

You see, halo cars don’t necessarily have to beat all their rivals, but they have to be compelling. I’m sorry, but among Ferrari 599 GTB Fioranos and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMGs … even the much cheaper Nissan GT-Rs, the Lexus LFA is leaving this reviewer cold.

The name LFA originates from “Lexus Future Advance”. It’s a shame because in many ways, this car is retarding Lexus’s future.

They should have made a successor to the Supra (the name alone sounds better than “LFA”) that would have been less expensive than the Nissan GT-R, but better-performing. What they’ve given us is an overpriced Supra with a Lexus badge and radiators in the back. Stinky.

Photos copyright ©2009 Damon Lavrinc / Weblogs, Inc.

No scale model this time. It’s the real thing. By SHEER COINCIDENCE, just after posting my 1/43 Nissan GT-R earlier today before I went to work, one of my co-worker’s friend drove over in his brand new Nissan GT-R earlier tonight and my co-worker called me out to check it out (knowing that I’m into this kinda stuff). “HOLY ****” was what came out of my mind. Black on black. up close and personal. First time being near one

I deeply apologize for the photos. They’re off my phone. Where was my SLR when I needed it?! D: The VR38DETT sounds just… orgasmic. Especially when gunned. I don’t know how else to describe Godzilla. It looks like a Batmobile? I was apparently too confounded and stunned that I was looking at it ^^;. Here’s a better image of the GT-R from Google:

The best part of the night? The guy was nice enough to let me take it for a spin! And I jumped on the offer! I admit… I was nervous and my legs were shaking a bit, thinking “OMG it’s me… alone… in a GT-R… wtf am I doing?!” ^^;. This is the most powerful and most expensive car I’ve ever driven… or even sat in. I’m not gonna dive too deep into the details though.This car drives like a dream. with a touch of the pedal, it just… flies off. Turns oh so smoothly too. People who have never driven this car complains about its weight but guess what? Godzilla here takes off like a feather and with all that power, it doesn’t even matter. My TSX (at ~3300 lbs, is actually 3-400 lbs lighter than the GT-R) feels obese compared to this. Still, such a wonderful and scary experience… ^^;

BUTTTTT, at the very end… I’d still rather have a Honda NSX Type-R

This is the GT-R display model I bought from HLJ to get the free shipping on their Black Friday Sale (I think it was only 2400 yen). I’ve always been fond of the GT-R since Gran Turismo ^^. I saw one in person on the road the other day and I almost felt intimidated by its presence haha.

One cool feature about this is the sound feature that plays the engine revving and taking off and sounds like it is running around a circuit. It was amusing for the first time (it’s really loud) then I got tired of listening to it xD. Sorry for the lack of soundclip ^^;

Some macroshots. Taking photos of cars is hard o_o. I couldn’t take any shots of the interior because it’s already hard enough to peek through those tiny windows but the details are actually there ^^;.

The last photo is tricky; I couldn’t find a focus point to bring in both the front and rear. I could turn up (down?) the aperture but then I would have to decrease shutter speed (past 1 second)… and then I’ll have blurry photos (no tri-pod). Maybe I should’ve pulled out my reactor… More lighting is always the better solution.

Anyway, I have to scramble to work now. I’ll catch up to all of you when I come back. ^^

FedEx dropped off a package from Japan earlier today. This will be my last loot for the year… it is also the biggest ^^;. If you’ve been keeping up with my posts, you can probably guess this is my HLJ Black Friday order. Let’s see what is inside this little box…

Oh ho! I’ve finally got my hands on a RD figure and it is none other than Turn X. Sadly, the 007S wasn’t in stock at the time of the sale but oh well. I’m surprised to see that it is almost the size of a 1/144 as well. Let’s see if this thing will be a gateway to more RD reviews in the future…

Die-cast display model of the Nissan GT-R… with engine sound! This was the item I chose for the black-friday blowout sale . Don’t think this is Gundam-related? The GT-R’s lines were partly influenced by Gundam!

I also bought some waterslide decals for Strike Freedom and Destiny but I didn’t bother with a photo for those. Now for the grand loot…

*ahem* I know I strongly bashed this thing and even canceled my original order (which was a GREAT idea) but… I thought, 25% off PLUS free shipping (final price was ~$200… where it could’ve been ~$380)? Even if I don’t want this thing, I thought I should still pick it up. When all is said and done, I’ve probably saved over $150 ^^; (assuming the real price for this thing is around ~$350 after shipping in other places)

HUGE box… no intention of building it… no room to store it… my mom will be yelling at me ^^;. I’m sure I can make something if I sell it.. It makes for a good footrest though. Not sure if I want to order the clear parts for it either (frankly, I really don’t care about it) since HLJ told me that I need a brand new 00 Raiser as you can’t really swap the parts (think MG Exia Ignition Mode… but more risks). So it is either one or the other… or buy two 00 Raisers. LAME.

The complimentary display base in the size of a HG 1/144 box. And that’s all in the box.

New review will be posted tonight! While I’m not sure that I’ll be able to squeeze out one last MG review by the end of the year, I can probably put out a few more easier reviews and share some new stuff that’s different from the usual ^^.

Common Name: GT-R
Driver: -
Make: Nissan
Model: GT-R (CBA-R35)
Engine: V6 DOHC (VR38DETT)
Drivetrain: 4WD
Horsepower: 480 hp / 6800 rpm
Torque: 588.42 nm / 3200 rpm
Color: Gray
Dimensions: 4655 mm x 1895 mm x 1370 mm
Wheel Base: 2779 mm
Weight: 1750 kg

Brand: Tomica
Year: 2009
Made In: China
Model Number: 094
Scale: 1/61

TOKYO (Oct. 24, 2007) – Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., today announced the launch of the Nissan GT-R, a new multi-dimensional performance machine that lives up to the concept of “an ultimate supercar for anyone, anywhere, at anytime”. The Nissan GT-R features a newly developed Premium Midship package, including the world’s first independent transaxle 4WD developed independently by Nissan. The Nissan GT-R will be available in Japan mainly through Nissan High Performance Centers nationwide from December 6th.

The Nissan GT-R was developed with a new understanding and appreciation of the Earth’s natural forces gravity, inertial force and aerodynamics and translates those forces into a completely new design, maximizing tire grip and airflow. Basic vehicle dynamics and integration with the driver have also been examined, resulting in new componentry and creating a Human-Machine Interface (HMI) never seen before in the marketplace. All of these theories have been integrated to balance “speed and efficiency,” “high-output with environmental consideration” and “high performance and safety.”

Taking these factors into account, Nissan created the all-new Nissan GT-R, which offers advanced high performance for secure and enjoyable driving by minimizing the effects of climatic, road condition or driving technique limitations. The Nissan GT-R offers ultimate performance for virtually every driving situation whether it be the Nurburgring circuit, to snow, rain or urban areas all manageable by the GT-R driver through advanced technology and driving dynamics.

The Nissan GT-R’s unique characteristics are instilled not just in the vehicle’s design, but also through a specialized production process. Carbon fiber, aluminum and steel components are assembled with a special high-precision process, which includes a series of vibration tests. Engines and transmissions are assembled by a single craftsman in a “clean room” environment and upon completion, every GT-R undergoes a battery of comprehensive tests to ensure the proper operation of all vehicle components.

To properly support the all-new GT-R, Nissan has established special Nissan High Performance Centers, where all certified advisors and technicians have received extensive training. Total support for the GT-R owner is offered for the first three years of ownership, including measurement and adjustment of the engine, transmission and wheel alignment after the first 1000 km, and again every 12 months, free of charge.

The all-new Nissan GT-R uses a Premium Midship package, an all-new, more advanced version Front Midship (FM) package utilized on other Nissan vehicles. This new package enables the use of the world’s first application of an independent transaxle 4WD system. The transaxle’s layout places the dual-clutch transmission, transfer case and final drive at the rear of the vehicle (instead of the usual front location), which enables vehicle weight to be evenly distributed throughout the car. This gives the Nissan GT-R a superb front-to-rear weight balance, while enhancing leg and foot space and allowing for an optimal pedal layout.

Under the hood, the Nissan GT-R features an all-new 3.8-litre twin turbo V6 VR38 engine, featuring plasma-sprayed bores and a special twin-turbo exhaust manifold system. A secondary air management system enables the newly designed powerplant to provide approximately 40kg/m of torque during ordinary low-rev driving, which gives an optimum air-fuel ratio for around-town efficiency and helps the Nissan GT-R meet ultra-low emission vehicle (U-LEV) standards in Japan.

The Nissan GT-R’s new engine produces 480PS (353kW) at 6400rpm and maximum torque of 60kgm (588Nm) from 3200 to 5200rpm. Putting the power to the ground is an all-new GR6-type dual clutch transmission, with paddle shifting and a Borg Warner six-plate dual clutch for direct control.

Suspension duties are handled through a special Bilstein DampTronic*1 system, which utilizes all pertinent vehicle information to provide appropriate damping forces for all situations and helps maintain a high level of control for straight-line driving, cornering, and braking.

Braking is essential for a daily-driven supercar and the GT-R features large Brembo full-floating drilled rotors, low steel high stiffness brake pads and Brembo mono block six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers, which in combination minimize fade and provide stable braking. Run-flat tires, exclusively designed for use on the Nissan GT-R, balance high grip and all-weather capabilities and a comfortable ride in all driving situations. The tires are designed to maintain structure for 80km of travel at 80 km/h, while still providing an acceptable level of performance.

Nissan has revealed that it’s stripped-out, hardcore Nissan GT-R will eventually go on sale on the old continent. Unfortunately, they will only sell 40 of them here. Mind you, with a price tag almost twice as large as the normal car and with so little modifications, it is improbable they would sell many more. First deliveries are set to start in April 2010 so you’d better get you cheque in if you want a piece of Godzilla. Just to remind our readers, the GT-R Spec V has the same twin-turbo 3.8-litre V6 engine as the normal GT-R, producing 478 BHP. However, the hardcore version gets carbon-ceramic brakes specifically developed for this car, lightweight forged aluminium wheels, a carbon fibre rear spoiler, a carbon fibre grille and carbon fibre brake ducts and a titanium exhaust system. All these changes add up to make the Nissan 60kg lighter than the standard car.

Right, this is a day late but I’m going to run a wee Advent Calendar in the run up to Christmas. I’ll talk about a different car I’ve seen – or similar – every day between now and the 25th. So for today there are two…

December 1 – Nissan GTR

I have become a little obsessed with these things in recent months if truth be told. I got used to seeing quite a few of them in Japan, but there are hardly any of them in Edinburgh. So it really does surprise me when I see one cruising about the ‘Burgh. I’ve seen three of them now, but this was the first time I had a chance to examine one up close on British soil.

I was taking a group of students out on a fieldtrip (to look at architecture, not to go Godzilla hunting), and as we rounded the corner an unmistakable shape caught my eye. From a distance of two hundred metres the black front grille and low squat shape was instantly recognisable, and as we drew closer the narrow headlights, undulating bonnet and broad windscreen confirmed I was in the presence of a very, very rare car.

The previous paragraph does, I know, read rather like an extract from the diary of someone tracking gorillas in the Rwandan forests, but it’s hard to explain how much this machine fascinates me. A vehicle built mainly for the purpose of firstly going round the Nurburgring as quickly as possible, and secondly making mincemeat of Porsches. This example had a tasteful covering of dirt and grime, with a liberal helping of black dust coating the dark alloys. The little red stripes on the front seats marked this out as one of the higher-spec ‘Black’ editions, but really the only thing that mattered were the three letters G, T and R, in particular the big R slapped on the bootlid.

As this was not a mechanical engineering class the car was of limited academic interest. I couldn’t ignore it though, so it was mentioned in passing as the sign of an affluent area and I was sure to give an explanation of features of the built environment from a position that would allow me to gawp at the Godzilla. Perhaps its the rarity of the thing, maybe it’s the fact that it’s the latest in a long line of cars that goes right back to my youth and what counted as a desirable car during my teenage years, or it could even just be the fact that this is a car that has no right to be built in our contemporary society by a mainstream manufacturer. Either way, the Nissan GT-R is an awesome car and a spectacular sight no matter where in the world you see it. Don’t be fooled by the oval and oblong badge – this is a fully-fledged supercar.

This, people, is the final production model of the Lexus LFA Supercar unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show. Pre- sales started at the same time of the unveiling. Pictures above. Only 500 units will be produced but don’t let that stop you from checking the specs on this beauty. It has a 4.8 liter V-10 producing 560 horse power with a paddle six speed sequential gearbox that helps the car reach 202 mph and go from zero to 60 in 3.7 secs. It comes to a full stop thanks to ceramic composite brakes. Body and chassis are constructed mostly out of carbon fiber. The LFA features a dial for automatic, manual, racing and wet modes that tells the car’s computer how to manage the vehicle’s assets under different conditions.

This Just In: All of a sudden Toyota, the parent company of Lexus, announced that is no longer going to sell the LFA (yep, what?) Instead they are gonna lease the supercar for two years (Oh…) after which the lessor has the option to buy it. They are doing this so the exclusive automobile won’t be resold for astronomical prices. And in their statement they say that they don’t want the LFA to collect dust in a museum or showroom. They want the car to be driven (cool!) The general consensus about this move seems to be: Genius! (yeah baby!)

Now, the interior is getting a lot of praise. On the dashboard, it features two LCD screens one is the gauges setup on top of the steering which has a physical circle on top that moves around the LCD screen and displays a big tachometer. It can give space to the left to show more info on the instrument panel like lap times, driving setup, settings. The other screen is placed in the middle of the dashboard and shows you the GPS, climate control, entertainment, etc. And, they are controlled by that new mouse like joystick that Lexus developed. It’s all very modern and elegant. Although it’s clearly a performance supercar, unlike Nissan’s supercar (the GT-R) , it has that very luxurious look and feel to it. It’s all covered with hand stitched leather and aluminum accents with some carbon fiber on the smallest things which shows Lexus great attention to detail. It also features most of the convenience, options and technologies other Lexus have featured like Bluetooth and stuff.

The exterior design it’s (according to Lexus) all functional. The engine is located in the front of the vehicle while the radiators are on the back behind the rear wheels. There are air dams next to the rear window and in front of the wheels for engine intake and cooling the brakes. It has that, now, signature triple exhaust that was displayed in the LFA’s concepts and prototypes. To Lexus credit, the design is very original. The concepts basically started trends in auto design. Now the final production looks great, more sporty and a bit less elegant that the concepts. It, still, bears some cues that make it recognizable to those that are familiar with Lexus and the F line .

The engine, high revving, low consuming power plant, was developed by Toyota but it’s particular sound was tuned courtesy of Yamaha’s musical department. So, it wasn’t enough to have the natural sound of a V-10. Lexus tuned that sound with a company that makes musical instruments (as well as engines). It tells you something about the whole idea of excellence here. Now there are levels of customization on this car like choosing the interior colors and their combination on the leather. The price for one of this examples is $375,000. Having a reliable, fast, v10, earth shattering and musical sounding supercar? Priceless.

The “Hachi Roku” is entering production again! Expect it in 2011. This here is the Toyota FT-86 concept. The successor to the AE-86, the legendary real wheel drive Toyota (which was extensively covered in Initial D) based then on the Corolla. The company is planning to start production of this new concept but it isn’t known yet whether it will by under the Toyota or Scion badge. This is the same platform that Subaru will release as a possible all-wheel drive. The engine in both will be a Subaru 4 in line 2 liter boxer engine. Complete initial press release here:

FT-86 Concept (world premiere)
The FT-86 (“86″ pronounced “hachi roku”), a compact rear-wheel-drive sports car, provides driving joy and excitement.

* Compact design gives driver greater control, while body’s lightness and low center of gravity allow race car-like handling
* Both power and environmental performance provided by 2-liter boxer engine and light body
* Flash Red body color contains hint of blue; interior expresses modern feel with minimal coverage of the highly refined structural components evoking enthusiasm for cruising

Vehicle Length Width Height Wheelbase Seating
FT-86 Concept 4,160 mm 1,760 mm 1,260 mm 2,570 mm 4

In attendance (of course) was the now revised Nissan GT-R and the Nissan GT-R Spec V supercars. Do I really need to tell you the Specs on these gravity defying things? Ok. The Nissan GT-R is faster than 911 Turboes and most performance supercars that are priced three times as much (or more) while the GT-R SpecV beats cars like the Corvette ZR-1 around the track. So, just feast your eyes knowing that these Nissans are the best performance and technology to price ratio or value you can get. For a video and more info on the GT-R and the SpecV click: HERE – A Senna tests the GT-R and 911 turbo… Yeah.

Check: The Nissan GT-R specs on The Modern Supercar Website: Here.

Previous post: Nissan Unveils GT-R Spec V. Enjoy and just thank me later.

Nissan has unveiled and announced the production of the Leaf EV, an all electrical car. They basically skipped the whole hybrid production thing and jumped into the plug in electrics business. The car gets marks for it’s interior design, well, as well as the exterior; the plug goes in the middle of the hood. And, we can expect this car to be sold here in the U.S. probably competing with the Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Volt. The Nissan Leaf looks more practical and spacious than the competition and the hatchback is fully usable. It seems the guys at Nissan have a winner here. Did I mention the part where this car has Zero Emissions?

We have seen this car before in concept form. The Honda CR-Z the long awaited successor to the Honda CR-X. What makes it more special is the fact that it is a hybrid sports car. According to Honda the first one at that. Awesome because it features a six speed manual transmission in a hybrid. The one here is the production model that will go on sale in Japan, some tweaks might be in place. It’s due into production next year and yeah it’s coming to America everyone.

This here is the redesigned Mark X, the Toyota car that was never released in America. The real-wheel drive luxury sedan on sale in Japan by Toyota makes its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show. What is there? A 2.5 liter v6 or a 3.5 liter v6 with 203 hp or 315 hp respectively. It comes with a six-speed paddle shifter automatic transmission, available all-wheel drive and a X badge on the grill instead of a Toyota logo. We could use one of this in the American market but hey, here we have Lexus.

Honda’s personal mobility solution which just might revolutionize the whole segment: the U3-X. Check the video above for more.

And, also the Subaru Legacy B4 GT300 Race Car which was on display at the floor of the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. This baby is intended for racing on the Japan Super GT series the coming year. It has a bit over 300hp on a 2.0 liter boxer engine, six speed sequential gear box and all wheel drive. Now, when is the “Toyobaru” gonna be ready?

Feb 12, 2009
Location: Fuji Speedway
Lap time: Mines R35 GTR recorded 1.49.782 s
Driver: Mr. Eiji Yamada (Professional race car driver)

On February 12th the Mines GTR broke the 1.50s barrier at the Fuji Speedway. With a 1.49.782s time on the Fuji Speedway and considering that the Mines GTR has been tuned as a Street car with stock tires their recent time is an amazing feat. Mines had further developed the exhaust and boost up system along with modification to the computer to improve the GTR’s performance. Once again the highly advanced expertise that Mines has developed for the GTR has proven their dominance in the performance of the GTR.

This is 7s quicker than a stock R35 GT-R and 1s quicker than a Mines R34 (ref. July 2005 – J-Tuner).

Borla 09+ Nissan GT-R True Dual Race Exhaust

Borla has released a true dual exhaust system for the 2009+ Nissan GT-R. This true dual racing system eliminates the secondary cats and is intended for off road use. This is an aggressive high flow system designed to maximize power and sound.

Product: True Dual Race Exhaust System – eliminates secondary cats
Application: 2009+ Nissan GT-R
Part #: 12658

For more info sales@jdmhub.com

Updated GT-R for Europe:

From the 2009 Tokyo Motor show a press release was given out to the media relating to the 2010MY GT-R which was applicable to the Japanese market. This has caused some confusion with European customers as some of the changes were not applicable to our European version.

Below are the changes that apply to the European version which goes into production from December

Engine and Transmission

• Emissions become Euro 5 compliant, without loss of output or performance

• C02 emission reduced by 3g to 295g/km

• Gearbox logic has been changed to give a later downshift from 6th to 5th when being driven in automatic mode, but a more aggressive downshift pattern is adopted when changing down from 4th to 3rd, and from 3rd to 2nd gear

• Two additional NACA cooling ducts have been added to the carbon fibre underfloor diffuser which will provide additional cooling to the exhaust and gearbox.

• A new, larger diameter pipe connecting the oil cooler will reduce gearbox temperatures

• Front transmission mount has been stiffened to reduce vibration through the driveline under high-load conditions

• The logic controlling torque distribution between the front and rear axles when the GT-R is manoeuvring at low speeds just after start-up, when fluids are cold, has been altered to reduce rear-axle ‘binding’

Braking System

• The rear brake cross spring has a change in design to reduce noise

• A modified air deflector increases rear brake cooling

• Balance of the electronic brakeforce distribution bias has been moved slightly rearwards, giving greater braking stability in dry conditions

Suspension

• Front spring and damper rates adjusted to improve the ride comfort. Handling becomes even more dynamic thanks to improved responsiveness and more accurate control of suspension movements

• Rear suspension radius rod bushings has been stiffened giving an improved feel and responsiveness during cornering

Exterior

• Front and rear bumpers now benefit from a double coat of clear paint, giving a deeper colour finish

Interior

• The speedometer and rev counter now sport a gun metallic finish surrounds

• Uprated insulation has been fitted to the rear seats, further improving cabin refinement

After some changes to the rules of the Le Mans Series, reports indicate that the Nissan GT-R and Maserati MC12 will be entering the Le Mans Series next season, including an appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

They both comply to the new set of rules, and they’ve had considerable success in the FIA GT1 championship, so this is very well possible. I’d be interested in seeing what they can pull off at Le Mans.

Source: Autoblog

P.S: Sorry for the poorly matching picture sizes, I was in a rush to post this.

Right, we have seen what most cars do to the environment…and I love it! There these…so called “eco-freaks” that “care-about-the-earth” it makes me sick and naturally…hurl. Although there are such things as Eco cars, why bother buying an electric car that can barely do 20mph? You will end up jamming the motorway and causing other people to be late for work/school/anything of importance but what annoys me is that the government says “Save petrol and money” well if we save petrol, whose going to help the Petrol station staff save their jobs? Maybe these so-called-eco-freaks want the petrol to themselves so that THEY can use the petrol for themselves…makes me wonder.

Anyway, these wombles should be ignored, I’ve seen worst things more expensive then petrol and they are things we CAN live without, namely, alcohol, anyone ever considered that a bottle of booze (in Singapore anyways) cost more than petrol? It is lucky our cars don’t run on Breezers huh? Mineral water is another example and even olive oil! and these are of abundance! so effectively, $1.767 per litre is the current price I am looking at (internet) and I have a bottle of alcoholic beverage in my fridge and it costs $8.20 for 250ml…wow…lucky petrol doesn’t cost THAT much! Embrace your cars and drive them around, I know people who drive everyday and they get to their workplace/school ON TIME, and they get to where they want to go, not some shoddy bus stop or an MRT station somewhat far away from your destination, if you are running late…you will be later than expected and then you will have to junk up an excuse like “Oh the bus was late and it was slow…” which is all true by the way, buses are always late, they are horribly slow and when you stand near so many people, there is a chance you might get swine flu as well, even the bus exhaust could give you lung cancer. All I am saying is that those who can drive, should and those who can’t, should learn.

Now, time for a different part of this blog where I put a view on 2 cars, one will be car of the day, the other will be wreck of the day

Car of the day

Nissan GT-R
Engine: 3.8l twin-turbo V6
0-62mph:  3.5 sec
Price (SG): $248,000 – $268,000
Price (UK): £52,900
Top Speed: 192mph (according to Nissan)
Cool Meter: 70%
Practical: 50%

It isn't just a turbo charged Datsun!

This car is spectacular to see, besides going around the Nurburgring faster than a 911 turbo (as top gear reports like in 2007) this car makes a really cool noise. The dash is extremely pretty and to sum it all up, it is a 4 seater coupe! with 2 doors it will attract ladies from where I am, because people are in Cherys and Peroduas everywhere I go! I have got 1 question for these car owners…why? it is not like you cannot afford something BETTER, even a the old Honda Civic was way better…when I mean old I mean WAY old. Why would you drive in something that has no life? The engine doesn’t scream proudly like a horse it barely squeaks like a rat, it is really disheartening to see a car that useless wandering the roads as though it has a place here. Anyway enough about rubbish cars there will be more, the Nissan is just amazing with the design, Shiro Nakamura (Nissan creative officer) has said that it represents the Japanese culture and it is influenced by Gundams (big robots in Japan…I’m not a fan though) and Polyphony Digital (Gran Turismo series, racing game, I am a huge fan) helped developed the multifunction display, which means it going to have a lot of things that you want in a car ACTUALLY being in one, how cool is that?!

Wreck of the day:

Chery QQ
Engine: 1.1l straight 4
0-62mph: does it even go that fast?
Price (SG): $35,999 – $43,999
Price (UK): unknown
Top Speed: You would have reached your destination before you achieve it
Cool Meter: -40%
Practicality: 20%

it is like dying...only worst

Hey...this looks kinda familiar?

I have to be honest here, I never really liked my car to be “made in China” because it would be an absolute rip, look at the top and it is effectively a lazily modified Chevrolet Spark, which is safer and more efficient than the QQ, so I have to ask, why would Chery try to kill its customers? I can imagine the marketing strategy of the QQ, “buy us because we kill you faster than our twin sister!” right…sure it is one of the cheapest cars in Singapore that you can get for first hand but lets face it…would you want something that looks like a deformed Spark? (it itself not a beauty)

http://paultan.org/2006/02/18/chery-qq-crash-test/

This will show you that QQ’s crash test in which the driver will probably die, and if I was the driver, I would happily kill myself rather than drive another mile in that shitbox. It gets worst than that, apparently GM found out that you can change the doors of the QQ and the Spark without modifications which means that this kinda takes ripping off to a new level doesn’t it? The inside of the car is rubbish too, every time I see another person in a QQ I have the urge to knock on his/her window, ask why and before an answer is given, punch that person in the face then going “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU BOUGHT THAT PILE OF SCRAP?!”

Recap:
GT-R: A contender for best car ever
QQ: Spark ripoff and a car where you just want to avoid
Eco-people: crazy hippies who had 1 too many smoke
Petrol is cheaper that booze

Nissan’ın Uluslararası Cenevre Motor Show’da, sergileyeceği araçlarından biri de, super otomobili GT-R. Çift debriyaj sistemli, dört çeker bu otomabille sürüş keyfi çok farklı. Nissan, 480PS güç ve 588Nm tork üreten, 3.8lt V6 twin-turbo motorlu, geliştirilmiş dört çeker ve çift debriyaj sistemli GT-R modeli ile otomobil ve sürüş tutkusu kavramlarını yeniden şekillendirmeyi hedefliyor.

Yükseklik ayarlı süspansiyon sistemi, sürüş moduna göre ayarlanabilen farklı vites kutusu ve stabilite ayarlarrının sunulduğu GT-R’ da, aracın dinamik ve sportif karakteri ön planda tutuluyor. GT-R felsefesinin ardında yatan; “her hangi bir zamanda, herhangi bir yerde, herhangi birisi için bir Super Otomobil” kavramı onu güçlendiren en önemli etkenler. Bir seri üretim otomobili olan GT-R, istenildiği taktirde şehir içersinde ağır başlı bir karaktere bürünürken, aynı zamanda da güçlü sportif karakterini Almanya’ nın efsanevi Nurburring pistindeki rekor tur zamanıyla da kusursuz bir şekilde kanıtlıyor.

GT-R’ ın bu fuar için en önemli özelliği ise ilk kez Avrupa’da sergileniyor olması.

So I don’t know if you will believe this or not but Nissan GT-R’s have been getting a lot of attention from tuners lately….Alright that’s a pretty obvious fact. Well It has been a while since Nissan’s R35 GT-R release and guess what? Nothing’s changed. Cody Johnson and his  team at Illtech Auto Salon have decided to give us a preview of what they’ve been working on for their project GT-R.

Some quick specs. Their Nissan currently brings 600hp and 600lb-ft torque to the table. Not enough? No worries, this is far from their final effort. According to Illtech there’s more to follow so stay tuned!

Now for the video preview!

Source: Autocar

Faster by 10 seconds to be exact. Porsche has taken the new 911 Turbo to the Green Hell and managed to slash 10 seconds off the lap time of the old one, making the new lap time 7 minutes 39 seconds. Problem is, it needs to beat Godzilla, the Nissan GT-R. That set a time of 7m 27.56sec the last time it went around the ‘Ring, meaning the Beetle in running shoes needs to find another 12 seconds somewhere. Now, there is the GT3 RS, and reports say that a Turbo S is in development, but I seriously doubt that they’ll be able to slash that time by a whopping 12 seconds. These are the Germans though, so you never know what to expect.