Auto Mags and Their Prime Demo

I wanna talk about automotive magazines. I get a subscription to four different automotive magazine. As we all know, men drive cars as well as women. Cars are a universal thing among race, class and gender, almost everyone has a car of some sort. Whether it be a $300 1988 chevy impala or 1.6million dollar bugatti veyron, it seems everybody has a car of some sort. That being said, I had a revelation, all of these magazines are targeted at white, upper-middle class men. They are highly gendered and I believe, through the ads and other cues, that they are targeted at affluent white males.
In the back of the magazines there are ads for viagra, cialis, levitra and other natural male enhancers. There are ads for pheromones that guarantee that they will attract women to you. "10x!!!", it reads. There are also ads for men's accessories such as watches, hats and clothing. There are almost no pictures minorities or women in the ads. My point is that if it is an automotive magazine, and everyone of every race, gender and class have cars, shouldn't there be ads for women as well? Or they could at least not be so blatant in their main demographic.

Miniature M3

Since it's debut a few years ago BMW's 1 series has been a hit among frugal buyers of smaller stature. Since it's introduction in 1986, the BMW M3 has set the benchmark in the luxury performance market. But with the 135i, you can have M3 performance and luxury for 20 grand less. This "pocket M3" has nearly identical acceleration figures. 60 comes in only 4.7 seconds and it goes on to beat the M3 by a hair in the quarter mile. Handling is also very similar, the 135 can hold .94g on the skidpad compared to the M3's .96. Many also note that the 135 also has more comfort over bumps and a better overall poise. Both cars offer the same features as well, they even offer the same twin clutch automated manual tranny. The best thing about it is that it is cheaper to buy and cheaper to maintain. When it comes to BMWs, you must follow the simple rule to maintenance costs. The higher the number on the back of the car, the more it's gonna cost to fix. And if there's an M in front of, double that number. So if you do the math, the 135 should be almost half as expensive to service. Bottom line is that the 135i is slightly faster than a 335i and slightly slower than an M3. So one could say that the 135i bridges the gap (performance wise) between the 335 and the M3. But the catch is that its the cheapest of the three.

The Numbers Don't Always Add Up

There is talk that many drivers, such as wrx drivers, are blinded by their cars cult-like following. They are not open to other cars and only look at the stats the numbers. 0-60;quarter mile;slalom;skidpad etc. We are a people of discerning tastes when it comes to cars. Younger buyers, I believe, are attracted to these kinds of numbers. It's all about hanging out in the parking lots of Krispy Kreme's and In and Outs and comparing 0-60 times, skidpad adhesion and slalom speeds based on the numbers given to them by MT,CD,RT. WRX drivers could easily convince themselves that their cars are superior based on a sub 5 second 0-60 time or the fact that it has all wheel drive. Mazdaspeed owners could brag about it's .90g skidpad and all the options from leather seats to swiveling xenons and a "micronav" interface. Ralliart drivers could brag about the dual clutch gearbox and...thats about it. But my point is everyone has a reason for buying a car. Many cars in this price range have fanboy cult followings.The true enthusiast makes his choice based on his experience in knowing that it is not about the bragadocious numbers but the feel/soul of the car. See MT's article by Arthur st. antoine.

Europe vs US

I recently took a trip to Italy and got to drive my rented Fiat Punto on the autostrada. Hooray! lol. So maybe driving a car that has a top speed of 96mph and a 0-60 more worthy of a 14 year old's scooter is a little dull. But I can tell one thing, I only had to fill the 12 gallon tank once, and I drove over 600 miles. The car got about 40-50 MPG. And I wasn't the only one. Everywhere I looked, everyone drove minicars that were run on diesel. Going to Italy's Tuscan wine country, I was let down in that I expected to see Enzo's and Lambo's cruising around at 120+. Instead it was just a bunch of wussy econoboxes that sipped on diesel like it were a fine wine, an 84 Chateau Margeaux possibly. But here's the catch, we are a country obsessed with our cars. They are our second homes, our status symbols, our american contagion. Europeans are far more eco sensitive than Americans, especially when it comes to transportation. All the VW's, Fords, BMWs, Mercs and Chevy's are retrofitted to have little tiny engines that run on diesel and average up to 76mpg. AND THESE ARE NOT HYBRIDS. MPGs are doubled and carbon footprints are cut in half. A perfect example is the new Ford Fiesta. IS the US it gets a 1.6 liter that gets 35mpg and has a Carbon Footprint of 261gram per mile. The UK version gets a 1.6 litre diesel that is capable of 76mpg and a carbon footprint of 157. We need to get our priorities straight. What is more important to us? Performance or Economy? We are too obsessed with getting from A to B quickly. Lets live like italians and relax. Cruise the highways at a safe speed and be courteous to our fellow motorists.Just to give you an idea of how disinterested we currently are with these European cars. Road and Track magazine gives the stats of all the cars it has tested in the back of each issue. There was only one euro-enviro-like vehicle tested. It was the VW Golf TDI with a tested 38.9mpg. Of course the tested some Teslas too. But we need to expand our taste of enviro friendly vehicles beyond the Supercarish Tesla, which is essentially one of its kind right now. Please correct me if Im wrong on that.

Read more: http://forums.motortrend.com/70/8287695/future-concept-vehicles/the-future-of-transportation/index.html#8221876#ixzz0psnB71X6

Pony cont..

I recently wrote about how today's Mustang is no longer the "one trick pony" it has been in the past. I pointed out that it's handling, and specifically grip, have drastically improved over the models of yesteryear. But I failed to mention the huge improvement in fuel economy. The said Mustang V-6 gets almost 30mpg highway, thats incredible when you look at the figures of the Pony cars of the 1960's. The question is, "will the internal combustion engine find ways to cope with rising gas prices and environmental pressures or will there be an automotive revolution?" With oil spilling uselessly into our Gulf Coast at thousands of barrels an day, it's good to know that u wont have to be stopping at the pump every other day. Especially when the effects of the BP spill hit the gas prices.

Read more: http://forums.motortrend.com/70/8201525/sports-high-performance-cars/pony-cars-no-longer-a-one-trick-pony/index.html#8221747#ixzz0pskpsJcr

Read more: http://forums.motortrend.com/user/01/NewThread/30103/index.html?ForumId=30103#ixzz0opYFFvKk

Say Goodbye to the One Trick "Pony"!

Forty years ago the Pony car was introduced to America. It was you basic Mustang or Camaro. They had huge engines and put up great numbers in the quarter mile as well as their 0-60 times. The downside to these one trick Pony's was just that: they only accelerated quickly. The new Pony cars are more than just big wild beasts, they're nimble as well. The affordable new base Mustang can get to 60 in about 5 and a half seconds and pull .95g on a skid pad, that grip is almost as good as the rally-bred Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. This performance is all for around 23 large, thats cheaper than my Subaru; maybe I should have reconsidered...buyer's remorse, well...possibly a little.

The Electric Car and The Future

We are coming to a crossroads in the automobile industry. Will there come a day when the internal combustion engine (ICE) will be as antiquated as the horse and carriage? Some believe that this is a possibility and others think that the ICE is here to stay. Statistics show that only 10% of the cars on the roads in 10 years will be fully electric. But is the emergence of the electric car the notion we should be entertaining? What about an evolutionary shift in the field of transportation itself? Instead of everybody driving around in Teslas, maybe we won't be driving at all. Perhaps our future, and the solution to our energy crisis, lies in a whole new infrastructure of trains, trolleys and bicycle paths. Roads and highways have been around for almost a century and the american love affair with the ICE is irrefutable. Can we transfer that American passion to the electric car? Will we wither away in the future? Or will we adopt a whole new infrastructure that will save us from the environmental and financial perils of the internal combustion engine?

Car Modz

So Ive now had my Subie for about 6 weeks and I'll tell you that I can't stop spending more and more money on the car. It's not that the car handles poorly, it's simply that the car possesses some kind of aura that makes you want to modify and tune as if you were on the F1 circuit. Main problem with all wrx's and sti's would be the understeer. Ways to mitigate understeer without fear of voiding factory warranty are rare. Springs can cause problems with alignment and camber, struts are expensive to install and don't help tremendously. Sway bars are a great solution, chassis bracing can also help body roll and chassis flex as well as producing a more responsive steering feel. So far ive added a front tower brace, lower H brace and mid ladder brace, rear sway bar is in the mail. With the three braces up front, Ive definitely noticed improved steering feel and a tighter ride. Cold air intakes are another way to improve hp without sacrificing money or creating warranty issues. If you are interested in seeing some improved handling and acceleration on you ride, I'd suggest you start by adding a strut tower brace and a cold air intake. Both are very easy to install (if you know how to use a wrench, you can install the tower brace yourself), and both will add noticeable improvement in both handling and power departments. Happy Tuning.

2011 Subaru WRX, What the 2010 buyers missed out on.

As some of you may already know, Subaru has rolled out it's new, revised and improved, 2011 WRX. It will hit dealerships this summer and will include aesthetic as well as performance upgrades. The new suby sports a wider body with the sti's fender flares, giving it a noticeably wider stance and a performance oriented distinction over the non turbo Imprezas. It will also have the sti's rear bushings and 235/45/17 summer rubber for better grip and handling over the 2010 wrx, which I unfortunately just purchased 2 weeks ago. The new body will aid the car in lowering it's drag coefficient and reduce wind noise at higher speeds. Also included in the new model is the revision of the symmetrical AWD system to a "continuous symmetrical AWD". What the 2010 buyers like myself will not miss, however, will be the enormous dealer mark ups when it debuts this summer. Expect to pay a premium for these new rexers as demand for them is high and supply in many areas is low. My advice to buyers, use this debut as a bargaining chip at your local dealer to get the price u want on a 2010 model. Hey, 0-60 in 4.7 seconds for 25 grand is not a bad deal even if the car kinda looks like a Kia with a hood-scoop.