Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
B5 S4 Avant.
So, for whatever reason one of my favorite cars is the B5 Audi S4 Avant (2000-2002). It’s a wagon, so it’s pretty sleeper. Although I wouldn’t mind a little more rear legroom, it is a nice little car. Add to that the highly lauded VWAG interiors and you have a great package. However, arguably what is most important in this car is that it has the amazing 2.7 liter twin-turbo V6. Although the stock U.S. version wasn’t all that impressive (250 horsepower, 254 lb-ft of torque), the engine has incredible potential.
Just with a chip alone, you can get great power out of the engine. 307 horsepower (on 91 octane fuel) is nothing to cry about. That would put the power to weight ratio at ~12.1 (as compared to the stock car’s ~14.8). That ratio would put it in the realm of: Mitsubishi Evo X MR; E90 335i; and the 2006 Infiniti G35 sedan. Not a bad value for $600.
Then, if you want to get really crazy with it, you can get some big-ass turbos and related components and you can get some very impressive power. Yes, that's over 160 horsepower per liter. Very impressive. And the great thing is that there are a number of companies that offer great packages for the B5 S4. And if more than one company offers off-the-shelf packages making 450-460 horsepower, then you have to believe those power levels are at least relatively reliable.
Anyone who reads this regularly knows that I tout power to weight ratios religiously. Which brings us to one downside about this car: because of all the German engineering, great interior, wagon body-style, etc. that goes into this car, you’re looking at a curb weight of 3,704 pounds. Which is a lot. But if you’re looking at the pump fuel (as opposed to race gas) power packages, you’re still looking at a ratio of ~8.2. Which is awesome. As a reference point, that puts the tuned B5 S4 *ahead* of: the new (2009) Porsche Cayenne Turbo S (~9.4); a chipped 2007 Cayman S (~9.4); a 2008 335i (E90) w/ Dinan S2 package (~9.2); a 2009 BMW M3 sedan (E90)(~9.0); and a 2003 BMW M5 (E39) w/ Dinan S2 (all-motor)(~8.4). It also is right in the hunt with: the 2009 M5 (E60)(~8.0); a 2006 Infiniti G35 sedan with a Vortech supercharger system (~8.0); and a 2004 (996) 911 GT3 (~8.0).
All very impressive company, particularly in a wagon package that looks (and is) 7 years old. You could surprise the hell out of a lot of drivers of very expensive machinery.
Maybe next time I’ll try and get back to my teaser posting from a couple years ago regarding my pick for cross-country driving machinery—the delay may be good as the number of available options has increased…
Just with a chip alone, you can get great power out of the engine. 307 horsepower (on 91 octane fuel) is nothing to cry about. That would put the power to weight ratio at ~12.1 (as compared to the stock car’s ~14.8). That ratio would put it in the realm of: Mitsubishi Evo X MR; E90 335i; and the 2006 Infiniti G35 sedan. Not a bad value for $600.
Then, if you want to get really crazy with it, you can get some big-ass turbos and related components and you can get some very impressive power. Yes, that's over 160 horsepower per liter. Very impressive. And the great thing is that there are a number of companies that offer great packages for the B5 S4. And if more than one company offers off-the-shelf packages making 450-460 horsepower, then you have to believe those power levels are at least relatively reliable.
Anyone who reads this regularly knows that I tout power to weight ratios religiously. Which brings us to one downside about this car: because of all the German engineering, great interior, wagon body-style, etc. that goes into this car, you’re looking at a curb weight of 3,704 pounds. Which is a lot. But if you’re looking at the pump fuel (as opposed to race gas) power packages, you’re still looking at a ratio of ~8.2. Which is awesome. As a reference point, that puts the tuned B5 S4 *ahead* of: the new (2009) Porsche Cayenne Turbo S (~9.4); a chipped 2007 Cayman S (~9.4); a 2008 335i (E90) w/ Dinan S2 package (~9.2); a 2009 BMW M3 sedan (E90)(~9.0); and a 2003 BMW M5 (E39) w/ Dinan S2 (all-motor)(~8.4). It also is right in the hunt with: the 2009 M5 (E60)(~8.0); a 2006 Infiniti G35 sedan with a Vortech supercharger system (~8.0); and a 2004 (996) 911 GT3 (~8.0).
All very impressive company, particularly in a wagon package that looks (and is) 7 years old. You could surprise the hell out of a lot of drivers of very expensive machinery.
Maybe next time I’ll try and get back to my teaser posting from a couple years ago regarding my pick for cross-country driving machinery—the delay may be good as the number of available options has increased…
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Good Golly, Miss Molly.
G-Power is one of the lesser known (in comparison to Hamann or Hartge) BMW tuners in Germany. However, they appear to be putting out some pretty cool stuff. See, e.g., their new M5 Hurricane (also available in M6 guise). More details can be found here, but the important numbers are:
- twin-turbo, intercooled 5.0 liter V10
- 720 hp
- 517 lb-ft torque
- power to weight ratio of ~5.6
- governed to 211 mph
- claimed 0-60 4.2 seconds
In comparison, the stock M5 has a curb weight of 4012 pounds, and has a normally aspirated 5.0 liter V10 that puts out 500 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. That puts the stock power to weight ratio at ~8.0—not too bad for a stock four door sedan.
An interesting side note here is a car that was announced last year. A company called Currency Motor Cars put out what they billed as the fastest M5 in the world. They also applied the twin-turbo treatment to their vehicle and came up with these numbers:
- 810 horsepower
- 733 lb-ft of torque
- curb weight of 4033 pounds
- power to weight ratio of ~5.0
In addition to the go-fast goodies, CMC also did a number to the interior, including such features as crocodile skin headrests, etc. They better have done something pretty damn cool to warrant the $250,000+ premium over a stock vehicle(!). Now, there appears to be some issue with the company. Their website is apparently down and has been for a few weeks at least (which is as long as I’ve been checking). This is, of course, just conjecture but perhaps they blew their wad on putting together their show car and didn’t have the market or other internal business infrastructure to back it up. Hmmm…
For those that are interested in that sort of thing G-Power has also crammed a M5/M6 V10 into an E46 M3 CSL. 3410 pounds, 542 horsepower, 428 lb-ft of torque, a power to weight ratio of ~6.3… Good golly is right!
- twin-turbo, intercooled 5.0 liter V10
- 720 hp
- 517 lb-ft torque
- power to weight ratio of ~5.6
- governed to 211 mph
- claimed 0-60 4.2 seconds
In comparison, the stock M5 has a curb weight of 4012 pounds, and has a normally aspirated 5.0 liter V10 that puts out 500 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. That puts the stock power to weight ratio at ~8.0—not too bad for a stock four door sedan.
An interesting side note here is a car that was announced last year. A company called Currency Motor Cars put out what they billed as the fastest M5 in the world. They also applied the twin-turbo treatment to their vehicle and came up with these numbers:
- 810 horsepower
- 733 lb-ft of torque
- curb weight of 4033 pounds
- power to weight ratio of ~5.0
In addition to the go-fast goodies, CMC also did a number to the interior, including such features as crocodile skin headrests, etc. They better have done something pretty damn cool to warrant the $250,000+ premium over a stock vehicle(!). Now, there appears to be some issue with the company. Their website is apparently down and has been for a few weeks at least (which is as long as I’ve been checking). This is, of course, just conjecture but perhaps they blew their wad on putting together their show car and didn’t have the market or other internal business infrastructure to back it up. Hmmm…
For those that are interested in that sort of thing G-Power has also crammed a M5/M6 V10 into an E46 M3 CSL. 3410 pounds, 542 horsepower, 428 lb-ft of torque, a power to weight ratio of ~6.3… Good golly is right!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Tires and rims for a B6 Passat.
Just a quick note/thought:
While perusing TireRack’s website, a regular habit of mine, I was test-fitting some rims and tires for the new (B6) Passat. Now, on my (B5) Passat, the widest tires I can fit are 245s, and that’s only if the rims have a wide enough offset. However, on the new Passat—a four cylinder, front-wheel drive, German sedan, you can fit 265s(!!!). I put some ridiculous BFG racing slicks in 265/35 18 size on some gorgeous, extremely lightweight Volk Racing wheels. The rims are 18 x 8 inches and only weigh 16.5 pounds each. The subject of unsprung weight is worthy of a Post all its own, but suffice it to say, that reducing unsprung weight on the corners of cars has a drastic impact on all areas of performance—acceleration, handling, braking. I don’t know the stock weight of a B6 Passat rim, but I would guess that the Volk Racing rims take approximately 10 pounds of each corner of the car. Granted, putting 265s on each corner is going to eat away at some of that reduction, but I’d hazard a guess and say that the end result would either break even or possibly reduce overall unsprung weight.
Also, 265 racing slicks would provide a huge amount of grip for the car. Needless to say, this would be something you’d want to do if you were making a track car out of your Passat (a subject Nathan and I have been discussing at great length lately). But it’s pretty freaking cool that you can fit 265s on that car.
While perusing TireRack’s website, a regular habit of mine, I was test-fitting some rims and tires for the new (B6) Passat. Now, on my (B5) Passat, the widest tires I can fit are 245s, and that’s only if the rims have a wide enough offset. However, on the new Passat—a four cylinder, front-wheel drive, German sedan, you can fit 265s(!!!). I put some ridiculous BFG racing slicks in 265/35 18 size on some gorgeous, extremely lightweight Volk Racing wheels. The rims are 18 x 8 inches and only weigh 16.5 pounds each. The subject of unsprung weight is worthy of a Post all its own, but suffice it to say, that reducing unsprung weight on the corners of cars has a drastic impact on all areas of performance—acceleration, handling, braking. I don’t know the stock weight of a B6 Passat rim, but I would guess that the Volk Racing rims take approximately 10 pounds of each corner of the car. Granted, putting 265s on each corner is going to eat away at some of that reduction, but I’d hazard a guess and say that the end result would either break even or possibly reduce overall unsprung weight.
Also, 265 racing slicks would provide a huge amount of grip for the car. Needless to say, this would be something you’d want to do if you were making a track car out of your Passat (a subject Nathan and I have been discussing at great length lately). But it’s pretty freaking cool that you can fit 265s on that car.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
The new 335i.
I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted. I’ve been busy with work and life and all that. Blah, blah.
So, today I am writing about the incredible Teutonic machine that is the new (2007) BMW 335i. The first thing to note is the new model nomenclature. Unlike models in the past, BMW now is calling both sedan and coupe models “335i.” I think this, as most things that make life more simplistic, is good. Here are some of the numbers (for the sedan):
· 3,594 pound curb weight
· Twin-turbo 3.0 liter inline-6 cylinder
· 300 horsepower
· 300 lb-ft of torque (available all the way from 1400 to 5000 rpms!!)
· Power to weight ratio of ~12.0
· 6-speed manual transmission
· 0.30 Cd drag coefficient (pretty impressive)
· 0-60mph in 5.4 seconds (as claimed by BMW—I’ve already seen 4.9 seconds in a mainstream car magazine)
· 29 mph on the highway (allegedly)
· $39,700 base price
· $52,200 “well-equipped” (read: the way I’d build one)
BMW claims, “Turbo lag is a thing of the past…,” and based on the torque spread (a veritable plateau), it certainly appears as if that’s a valid claim. This characteristic can be attributed to the unique positioning of the turbos. BMW has assigned one for three cylinders, twice. In most previous twin turbo applications, the turbos were set up in a sequential manner, such that one would work at lower RPMs (usually to try and replace displacement), and the other would work at the upper end of the rev range. I’d love to see a long term test of a 335i to see if the 29mpg highway rating can be duplicated anywhere other than the EPAs fantasy route. Another issue is the price. Although the base price is pretty impressive for a good-sized German sports sedan with 300 horsepower, if you option it out, it is approaching the price of an E46 M3. At this price you have to bring the S4 (340 horsepower) into the equation at a base price of $47,500 and fully loaded at $55,100. One could certainly argue that with 40 more horsepower and arguably better equipped (plus VWAG’s best-in-the-industry interiors), that the S4 is worth the extra $3k. I’d be hard pressed to decide between the two.
However, to further complicate the equation, Vishnu Tuning has developed a software package for the 335i. If you recall, a previous post here discussed Vishnu’s amazing work with Evos. In this application for the BMW, the software increases engine performance to approximately 370 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque (!!). It can be your’s for $1,400. Vishnu claims a 4.5 second 0-60mph time, as well as a 12.8 second ¼ mile time. A 12-second, 3,600 pound, German six-cylinder sports sedan? Incredible. The upgrade would drop the power to weight ratio down from the stock 12.0 to around 9.7, which would put it ahead of the E46 M3 (at 10.3)—not to mention an increase of nearly 120 lb-ft of torque. I’m guessing you’d feel that. For comparison purposes, the aforementioned S4 has a power to weight ratio of 11.4 (that all-wheel drive will get you every time!). So, if we add the software price to the well-equipped price, we have a cost of right around $54,000. At this price point, I think I’ll be taking my chipped 335i over the S4. The actual reason this has been in my head today, is that I was perusing Tire Rack’s website, as I am apt to do, and thought it would be interesting to find out what size tires you can fit on the new 335i. Well, I was VERY pleasantly surprised to find out that you can fit 295 width tires on the rear-end of both the coupe and sedan. In fact, with a slightly larger offset (say around +40mm), you could even fit 305 tires on it. That would be pretty sick. Obviously, the problem with more horsepower (especially if you’re looking at as much as 370 horsepower) is getting that power to the ground. With 295 tires on the back (not to mention 305s), I don’t think you should have much of a problem at all. Additionally, I found a set of OZ Ultraleggera wheels (18s) that weigh only 18.5 pounds each (front) and 20.8 pounds each (rear). We’ve talked before about how important reducing unsprung weight is, and with wheels that light, it would definitely offer a noticeable improvement. Also, the rear OZs for the 335i that I found are, in fact, +40mm offset, so we could fit 305s on there. The only tires I found in that size (305 30 18), however, were DOT competition tires, so not that practical for everyday use, but pretty freaking cool for track days. The new 335i would a hell of a great everyday driver. Add Vishnu software, OZ 18s, and Michelin tires (including 295s on the back) and that would be an incredible package.
Oh by the way, have I mentioned the new Infiniti G35 sedan? 3.5 liter VQ35 V6 engine, 6-speed manual, 306 horsepower, 268 lb-ft of torque, power to weight ratio of 11.5, starting at less than $33,000. But that’s a discussion for another time…
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UPDATE: So, I just received the new European Car magazine in the mail yesterday. Lo and behold, what did they have on the cover? A comparo between a Vishnu 335i and supercharged E46 M3. It is actually a really good article. You should take a look at it if you get the chance. About the new 335i they say, “…[a]lthough 335i tuning is in its infancy, it’s a forgone conclusion this car will become the Toyota Supra of the Euro Bunch.” That’s a pretty huge compliment. I’ve written about what I think of the 2JZ-GTE engine. And I think that EC’s claim is probably not all that farfetched. Now, back to the article. Probably the most interesting part was the dyno sheet from the Vishnu 335i. It put down 346.8 horsepower and 391.6 lb-ft of torque. If you use a (pretty conservative) 11% driveline loss, then you’re looking at 385 horsepower (!!!) and 435 lb-ft of torque at the crank. That’s simply amazing. So it looks like Vishnu’s claims (discussed above) are actually pretty conservative. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the tuning community comes up with for the 335i.
Also, I realized I forgot to mention something of import in yesterday’s post. The 335i does NOT come with a limited slip (only M cars get them from the BMW factory). So, that is obviously going to have to be on the list with any performance mods you are planning on doing to your 335i. It doesn’t matter if you have almost 400 horsepower if your tires just spin…
---
Next time we’ll discuss the best cross-country road trip/race cars. E63 wagon? S65? M5? S6? S8? Touareg TDI? Nope, it’s not any of these. It DOES, however, have a three-pointed star on the grill…
So, today I am writing about the incredible Teutonic machine that is the new (2007) BMW 335i. The first thing to note is the new model nomenclature. Unlike models in the past, BMW now is calling both sedan and coupe models “335i.” I think this, as most things that make life more simplistic, is good. Here are some of the numbers (for the sedan):
· 3,594 pound curb weight
· Twin-turbo 3.0 liter inline-6 cylinder
· 300 horsepower
· 300 lb-ft of torque (available all the way from 1400 to 5000 rpms!!)
· Power to weight ratio of ~12.0
· 6-speed manual transmission
· 0.30 Cd drag coefficient (pretty impressive)
· 0-60mph in 5.4 seconds (as claimed by BMW—I’ve already seen 4.9 seconds in a mainstream car magazine)
· 29 mph on the highway (allegedly)
· $39,700 base price
· $52,200 “well-equipped” (read: the way I’d build one)
BMW claims, “Turbo lag is a thing of the past…,” and based on the torque spread (a veritable plateau), it certainly appears as if that’s a valid claim. This characteristic can be attributed to the unique positioning of the turbos. BMW has assigned one for three cylinders, twice. In most previous twin turbo applications, the turbos were set up in a sequential manner, such that one would work at lower RPMs (usually to try and replace displacement), and the other would work at the upper end of the rev range. I’d love to see a long term test of a 335i to see if the 29mpg highway rating can be duplicated anywhere other than the EPAs fantasy route. Another issue is the price. Although the base price is pretty impressive for a good-sized German sports sedan with 300 horsepower, if you option it out, it is approaching the price of an E46 M3. At this price you have to bring the S4 (340 horsepower) into the equation at a base price of $47,500 and fully loaded at $55,100. One could certainly argue that with 40 more horsepower and arguably better equipped (plus VWAG’s best-in-the-industry interiors), that the S4 is worth the extra $3k. I’d be hard pressed to decide between the two.
However, to further complicate the equation, Vishnu Tuning has developed a software package for the 335i. If you recall, a previous post here discussed Vishnu’s amazing work with Evos. In this application for the BMW, the software increases engine performance to approximately 370 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque (!!). It can be your’s for $1,400. Vishnu claims a 4.5 second 0-60mph time, as well as a 12.8 second ¼ mile time. A 12-second, 3,600 pound, German six-cylinder sports sedan? Incredible. The upgrade would drop the power to weight ratio down from the stock 12.0 to around 9.7, which would put it ahead of the E46 M3 (at 10.3)—not to mention an increase of nearly 120 lb-ft of torque. I’m guessing you’d feel that. For comparison purposes, the aforementioned S4 has a power to weight ratio of 11.4 (that all-wheel drive will get you every time!). So, if we add the software price to the well-equipped price, we have a cost of right around $54,000. At this price point, I think I’ll be taking my chipped 335i over the S4. The actual reason this has been in my head today, is that I was perusing Tire Rack’s website, as I am apt to do, and thought it would be interesting to find out what size tires you can fit on the new 335i. Well, I was VERY pleasantly surprised to find out that you can fit 295 width tires on the rear-end of both the coupe and sedan. In fact, with a slightly larger offset (say around +40mm), you could even fit 305 tires on it. That would be pretty sick. Obviously, the problem with more horsepower (especially if you’re looking at as much as 370 horsepower) is getting that power to the ground. With 295 tires on the back (not to mention 305s), I don’t think you should have much of a problem at all. Additionally, I found a set of OZ Ultraleggera wheels (18s) that weigh only 18.5 pounds each (front) and 20.8 pounds each (rear). We’ve talked before about how important reducing unsprung weight is, and with wheels that light, it would definitely offer a noticeable improvement. Also, the rear OZs for the 335i that I found are, in fact, +40mm offset, so we could fit 305s on there. The only tires I found in that size (305 30 18), however, were DOT competition tires, so not that practical for everyday use, but pretty freaking cool for track days. The new 335i would a hell of a great everyday driver. Add Vishnu software, OZ 18s, and Michelin tires (including 295s on the back) and that would be an incredible package.
Oh by the way, have I mentioned the new Infiniti G35 sedan? 3.5 liter VQ35 V6 engine, 6-speed manual, 306 horsepower, 268 lb-ft of torque, power to weight ratio of 11.5, starting at less than $33,000. But that’s a discussion for another time…
---
UPDATE: So, I just received the new European Car magazine in the mail yesterday. Lo and behold, what did they have on the cover? A comparo between a Vishnu 335i and supercharged E46 M3. It is actually a really good article. You should take a look at it if you get the chance. About the new 335i they say, “…[a]lthough 335i tuning is in its infancy, it’s a forgone conclusion this car will become the Toyota Supra of the Euro Bunch.” That’s a pretty huge compliment. I’ve written about what I think of the 2JZ-GTE engine. And I think that EC’s claim is probably not all that farfetched. Now, back to the article. Probably the most interesting part was the dyno sheet from the Vishnu 335i. It put down 346.8 horsepower and 391.6 lb-ft of torque. If you use a (pretty conservative) 11% driveline loss, then you’re looking at 385 horsepower (!!!) and 435 lb-ft of torque at the crank. That’s simply amazing. So it looks like Vishnu’s claims (discussed above) are actually pretty conservative. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the tuning community comes up with for the 335i.
Also, I realized I forgot to mention something of import in yesterday’s post. The 335i does NOT come with a limited slip (only M cars get them from the BMW factory). So, that is obviously going to have to be on the list with any performance mods you are planning on doing to your 335i. It doesn’t matter if you have almost 400 horsepower if your tires just spin…
---
Next time we’ll discuss the best cross-country road trip/race cars. E63 wagon? S65? M5? S6? S8? Touareg TDI? Nope, it’s not any of these. It DOES, however, have a three-pointed star on the grill…
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Really ridiculous car.
So I was doing some research the other day on the internet and I found some stats and information about the 1991 Mazda 787B. I have always loved that car. My love was refreshed when I drove the car in GT3 on my PS2. The car was probably the best handling car in the game. It was dead-on money from the get go. Well, the stats I uncovered help explain how/why it was such a great car. You know how important I think power-weight ratios are. Well, the 787B was ridiculous. It had a curb weight of 1,831 pounds. It had a R26B engine (*four* rotor, 2.6 liters) that put out 700 horsepower and 448 ft-lbs of torque. From 2.6 liters mind you. Normally aspirated (no turbos). Unreal. If you do the math you'll find that gives the 787 a power-weight ratio of 2.6. Well on my chart/spreadsheet (which covers nearly 600 cars (and growing), both street and race cars) that puts it fourth on the list. And the three vehicles ahead of it don't (or at least shouldn't) really count. First on my list is Steph Papadakis' drag (AEM) Civic (with a twin-turbo 3.3 liter NSX V-6) at 1.5. Second is the 2005 Lol-Ford Champ car at 2.0. Third is a MV Agusta (1000 cc) race bike at 2.4. Those are the only three vehicles with a better power-weight ratio than a 1991 Mazda Le Mans car. Crazy. Also if you look at power-displacement, the car put out 269 horsepower per liter. Some perspective: Honda S2000 (2002 MY), 120 hp/L; BMW M3 CSL, 113 hp/L; Ferrari Enzo, 108 hp/L; Porsche Carrera GT, 106 hp/L; Porsche 911 GT3 (996), 106 hp/L; BMW M3 (E46), 104 hp/L; BMW M5/M6, 100 hp/L; Audi RS4 (2007 MY), 99 hp/L. Those are all normally aspirated cars. Even if you go to forced induction cars, they still can't touch the R26B: Mitsubishi Evo (IX), 143 hp/L; Porsche 911 GT2 (996), 133 hp/L; Subaru STi, 120 hp/L; Subaru WRX, 114 hp/L; Audi RS6, 107 hp/L; Audi S4 (B5), 93 hp/L. The rotary engine really is quite a technological marvel. The 3rd generation RX-7 (turbocharged) had a power-displacement ratio of 196 hp/L and the (new) RX-8 (normally aspirated) has one of 182 hp/L. Pretty damn impressive. There are some issues with oil consumption as well as sub-par fuel mileage, but I think that doesn't take away from how insane the rotary engines are. The 787B is one of the most ridiculous cars of all time. I love it.
Banged up baby.
So I posted a couple pictures of my beat up baby (see below). It doesn't look too bad. And obviously it could have been a lot worse (imagine if I had been a 1/2 second later). I guessed the damage would be around $2,500. One estimate I got was $2,192 and the other was $2,349, so I guess my estimate was pretty close. I'm still waiting on the (his) insurance to get everything in line so I can take it into the shop and get it taken care of. She'll be out of commission for five days. I'm a little disappointed because the options to repair the quarter panel are (1) bend it out and paint and buff it up to fix it, or (2) since it is a unibody, cut out the quarter panel and weld a new panel back in. I don't particularly like either option, but I guess there is not anything I can really do about it. I'll let you know when after she gets fixed...
Friday, October 28, 2005
My poor baby.
So I was on my way to meet some friends for dinner. Some guy pulled out on a red light, and ran into my brand new (for me) car--my baby. For some of you the details will be meaningless, for others they might help. So I'm going south on Silas Creek Parkway from North Point. I am almost to the Fairlawn intersection. I am actually (believe it or not) going the speed limit. I am in the slow (right) lane. From the time that I can see the traffic light until I get to the intersection the light is green (it didn't just change)--probably 10-15 seconds or so. As I am almost to the intersection some dipshit in a truck starts pulling out from Fairlawn (trying to turn left to head North on Silas Creek Parkway). Idiot. He wasn't trying to make it through a dark yellow/red light late. No, it was red, and had been for sometime. Either he was screwing around or trying to show off to his friend in the passenger seat or was tired of waiting for the red light or something, but it was a red light and had been for quite some time. So I pull (in my humble opinion) a stellar driving maneuver, stomping on the gas and swerving into the fast (left) lane to try and get around ahead of him. My other options were (1) continue on my original trajectory and T-bone him (likely totalling my car), or (2) try and swerve around him on the left without speeding up and get T-boned by him. Not good choices. So I almost pull of this incredible move, but he tags my right rear, right behind the rear passenger's door. My ass end comes out, but I correct and get it straightened out no problem. I'm already yelling and cursing and swearing like a damn sailor. So I immediately slow down, pull onto the shoulder and put on my emergency flashers. I'm automatically watching in the rear view mirror to see what he's doing. I figure he'll turn right, pull in behind me and we'll get it straightened out. He sits in the middle of the intersection for a few seconds (the light is still green in my favor/red against him) and then proceeds to continue pulling out and turning left IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM WHERE I AM SITTING. Now I'm all kinds of fired up. So I turn off the emergency flashers, signal, and pull a U-turn through the grass median on Silas Creek, so I am now going North. I get on it (about 80 in a 45 now) because I'm pissed and he is obviously bailing. I catch him right past the BP on North Point as he's getting ready to turn right (South onto University Parkway). I'm already connecting to 911 on my cell phone. There is the red truck, then a white Lincoln behind him and then I'm behind the Lincoln. So he turns right onto University and I'm following him. I can see that the guy in the Lincoln is also going the same way as him, right behind him and he also is on his phone. So the guy in the truck accelerates up University, then turns right onto Fairlawn. He continues across Polo into Wake's campus. By this time I've explained to the 911 operator that I got hit by some guy and that he bailed and I'm following him. It is also pretty clear by now that the guy in the Lincoln is also following him. So we go through campus, take the right to take us past the Divinity School. Finally in front of the Art Museum (at least I think that is what it is, the guy in the Lincoln pulls out beside the guy in the truck and starts blowing his horn and pointing over to the side of the road. The guy pulls into a parking area, with a curb in front of him (so he'd have to hop a curb to get away going forward), the Lincoln pulls right beside him so he can't get back out into the road, and I pull in behind him so he can't back up either. Some little teenager hops out of the truck. And another rolls out of the passenger side. The cops are on their way. A couple minutes later the cops show up and fill out an accident report and everything. Supposedly they got him (17 year old little punk) for running the red light and leaving the scene of an accident. So I'm sitting on the curb in the middle of Wake's campus with all the undergrad kids rolling by staring. The whole time I'm steaming. It's building up and building up. I'm furious. My car is my baby. I love her. It is my first (pretty) new car that I've ever gotten and I absolutely adore it. Also, as you may or may not have been able to tell yet, I have a bit of a thing for automobiles. The guy not only ran a completely, unequivocally red light, but then hit me, then bailed, then tried to ditch me. I'm furious. So I get an accident report from the cop. He says he's going to get the kid for the two things I mentioned above. Obviously I am not going to be making it to dinner at this point. Then I called Laura to see if I could go over to her house, because I'm absolutely furious and if I get anywhere near that kid I'm going to beat the living crap out of him and it's good the cop is there because otherwise he might not be living anymore and can I come over to her house to relax and calm down a little bit. So she said yes, so I headed that way. I called my (poor) mom and bitched to her. I cursed a lot. I felt badly. But she handed the phone off to my brother-in-law, so I hope I didn't offend her too much. So long story short, I got hit, had to run after the guy to catch him, and my baby got jacked up. Obviously, the glass-is-half-full side of it is that (1) I didn't get hurt, and (2) my baby didn't get hurt more badly than it did. I guess. I'm still pretty pissed at that kid. He *never* apologized to me the whole time I was sitting there behind his car while the cop was filling out the paperwork. I wanted to beat his bitch-ass. I called my insurance after I got to Laura's and they got a claim going for me and stuff and said that most likely the kid's insurance should cover all my stuff AND pay for my deductible, so that would be really nice. Laura made me dinner, and helped calm me down so that was nice of her. She takes good care of me. I'm going into the body shop tomorrow after school and I'll let you know what the damage actually is...My prediction is: right rear quarter panel and rear bumper need replacing (plus the sundry trim and lighting)--parts + labor = $2,500. We'll see. I'll post some pictures later of the damage (it doesn't look very bad)...
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Autocrossing.
I went down to an autocross they had in Winston-Salem this morning. It was quite interesting. There were some really cool cars there, and some that were not as cool. An STi put up the best time (1 minute, 41 seconds), but what was really impressive was a 3rd gen RX-7 (possibly my favorite car of all time) putting up a 1 minute, 43 second lap. We talked with the guy between laps and he said it was stock except for a cat-back exhaust, front anti-roll bar, tires, rotors and pads. Pretty impressive that a 255 horsepower (stock) car that is over 10 years old is able to (almost) keep up with a brand new rally-based 300 horsepower, all-wheel-drive monster. I love RX-7s...
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