Hows my right side looking?

Ever parked in a spot that might have been a lil too small for your car? This guy hasnt. Check out his garage parking skills in what we would call a hallway.

Toyota's Sticky Situation

Toyota has stumbled into the new year and is now skidding face first through the end of January. The car company has announced that it would stop selling and building eight models in its lineup, including the popular Camry, Corolla, and Rav4. The reason for this is the sticking acceleration pedal that was a reason for a recall of millions of vehicles in 2009. After further investigation, Toyota seems to have found the problem and is taking drastic actions to correct the problem. This is a huge blow in reputation to the car company that became worlds leading car maker only 2 years ago. While I applaud the quick decision making of Toyota and their corporate responsibility to the public despite what this will have on the company's bottom line, I wonder how well they will come out of this. They say the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Unfortunately, with Toyota's large and growing business size, it seems to have become too difficult for Toyota to maintain the same quality control as it once had.

I still love Toyota. I was raised in a Toyota family and even though I don't think they arent a very exciting car company, I definitely believe that they are a great and reliable car company. When I started driving, I once drowned my dads Camry in a gigantic puddle. The car stalled as I tried to cross a flooded intersection outside my house. I pushed the car home and would only hearing water slosh around when I tried to start the car. After a couple days letting the car recover in my driveway, it fired back up perfectly and ran just as great for many more years. A British car show proved how well Toyotas were built when they tried repeatedly and creatively to destroy an old Toyota pickup truck. Fire, Water, Exploding building. It didnt matter. The thing would magically start up each time no matter the abuse.

Millions of vehicle owners are affected by this new press release and it will take some time for everyone to get their vehicles sorted and fixed. So lets say you're driving down the road and, suddenly, you feel a burst of speed and acceleration.

Oh Noes! What to do!? Don't worry, it was a "burst of speed and acceleration" so you probably weren't in a Toyota. OK, kidding aside, lets say your gas pedal does get stuck. What do you do?

First, lets not be hasty. I would actually consider this a blessing since you have an honest and legitimate explanation to any authority who tries to pull you over for flying down the road weaving and ducking in and out of traffic. It definitely beats that "I got the runs" excuse. But eventually you may want to slow down and if regular braking doesn't slow you down enough, just stay calm and try this:

Move the shift lever into (N)eutral and the car should stop accelerating which will let you pull over and stop safely. A word of caution: This will probably result in your car over-revving since the throttle is stuck and the engine will scream and pout in the redline, but hey, better a dead motor than a dead you.

*DO NOT just turn off your car. You will lose your steering and brakes.*

If that doesn't work, say a prayer and aim for something nice and soft to cushion your crash: like a smart fourtwo.

Bumper Cars for Adults!

I recently found out the awesomeness that is the British Touring Car Championships (BTCC). It is a series based upon production cars, and not even anything exotic, but ones anyone can buy off the showroom floor, driven by either robots, or absolutely legally insane drivers. The passing is awesome, the racing is super close, the skill is ridiculous. Intensity to the max!

Here is a compilation clip I found on the web. Pardon the music, and though it says highlights, don't be mistaken, what it depicts is what the BTCC is all about.



The BTCC, where passing = contact, where contact = racing, where racing = crashing. Where a "race" is where guys come together to vent their aggression on each other resulting every time in a big fight. The only race series where broken cars may be strewn about because the crews doesn't have time to clean them up. AWESOME!

(The vid is 07 highlights, but besides the slightly smaller group of cars, due to the economy perhaps, the racing is still as stupidly insane)

Brilliant Weather!

The past week has been one crazy ride (in So. Cal. terms)! Near as makes no difference, constant rain, floods, tornadoes, water spouts, lightning, hail, winds strong enough to break trees, and even tumbleweeds in the middle of the city!

Sometimes the rain go so bad, it literally became a 'white-out' of some sorts. My commute became very much an exciting ride, as even the freeways were flooded with at least one inch of water. And of course, there were still those drivers who prefer not to use their signals or headlights.

That said, take a look at this picture of the 710 fwy (I believe):



Ok, if you decide you need to go 15mph on the fwy that looks like that, you're forgiven.

(credit to where it's due, friend's acquaintance took photo)

in retrospect... I wonder how far that tumbleweed I had to avoid while driving had to travel... to be tumbling across the 57 freeway, in the middle of Fullerton...

Smug Alert!

South Park rocks. Its been one of my favorite shows since forever. The show satirizes just about everything and hybrids were one of the topics back in season 10. Its so funny cause its true! Check it out: Smug Alert

2011 Honda CR-Z (Can Really Zoom)

OK. Less ranting about impotent p---ses or dangerous s---t cars. Google advertising has been following our rants and since their software tracks what is blogged about, a lot of our ads have been hybrid related...and mostly about the ones that suck. Its like those stupid cars are mocking us! But fear not dippers, there is hope yet. Honda has announced a hybrid to kick all other hybrids’ butts: the 2011 Honda CR-Z.

The CR-Z is Honda’s update of the old CR-X: a fun sporty little civic hatchback from the 80s. It was popular for its performance, handling, and fuel economy. The car won many awards and there is a huge loyal fan base for the CR-X. Well, staying true to the hot hatch formula, Honda has brought the CR-X back!

Honda will bring the CR-Z (Civic Renaissance Zero) later this year. Its got good looks, great performance, and solid mileage. The car will get 140hp 1.8L civic engine w/ a system similar to the Insight, Honda’s current hybrid competitor to the P---s. It’s aiming to have bigger brakes, better handling and better performance than any other hybrid. Best of all, its gonna be the first hybrid with a… wait for it…6-speed manual transmission! Woot!

That’s how you know Honda is serious about creating a fun to drive hybrid. They let the driver pick the gears. On paper, this thing looks awesome. A hybrid for the enthusiast! But, I know that this car is facing an uphill battle though. When it comes to execution of an environmentally friendly vehicle, the mileage will still be a huge factor. The Accord Hybrid failed miserably because it made performance too big of a priority and not enough emphasis on good fuel efficiency. Pricing is also important. Honda will need to price it competitively with other cars on the market. On top of that, it even risks cannibalizing itself since they will also have the regular Fit and a Hybrid Fit to compete with. I really hope Honda gets the price and "power to tree" ratio correct with this car because I really want this underdog to win.

2011 Ford Mustang GT vs BMW e92 M3

For enthusiasts of anything fast on four wheels I'm sure many of you have already read the rumors regarding the upcoming 2011 Ford Mustang GT. Personally I rarely paid much attention to domestic models (except for the Corvette), I will be the first to admit the Mustang's return to the 5.0 v8 is beginning to look very interesting. I'm sure M enthusiasts will jeer me for even the thought of comparing the M3 to a Mustang GT. I mean who in their right mind would do such a thing? Competition for the M3 has always been other "daily" exotics ie. Porsches, what can a Ford Mustang GT possibly have in common with a "M3"?

For beginners lets start with some specs, since the car isn't out yet specifications are just rumors for now. However if the rumors are accurate, M owners beware. The BMW e92 M3 pumps out 414 hp producing 295 lb/ft of torque. This equates to 4.6 seconds from a dead stop to 60 mph according in published articles. The Mustang GT generates 412 hp and puts down a meaty 390 lb/ft of torque. There are no information on the weight of the GT but I'm assuming it's going to be lighter then the porky M. 0-60 mph should be comparable too. Yes, I know we're talking about numbers on a sheet of paper and I admit there's a difference between what's on paper vs. how it feels when you're behind the driver's seat. But feel aside, the numbers do look intriguing eh? Don't get me wrong, I love to own a M3 but with at least a $20k difference between the two plus the cost of ownership, the Mustang is looking ever more promising.

The M3 starts at $54k + change and the $$$ will quickly rise once options are added. The Mustang on the other hand is expected to go for $32k, a fully loaded GT shouldn't go past the $40k mark. The initial entry is already a $20k difference, now you add in the cost of ownership (fuel, maintenance, insurance, etc) and the difference is even greater! Oh and did I state that the Mustang is expected to achieve 25 mpg vs. 20 mpg for the M? Performance should be similar between the M and Mustang. I expect the aftermarket firms will pile on the goodies for the Mustang this support should take care of the pony's deficiencies. In case you haven't leafed through the Mustang's brochures of late, Ford offers a factory supercharger for the current 4.6 litre GT! That's a DEALER INSTALLED SUPERCHARGER with Ford's blessing! I can only assume that someone out there is already working on an independent suspension for the GT. If or when this option comes available, I wouldn't mind spending some hard earned $$$ for the swap (even if it costs $10k) - I'd still be well below the price of an M3. Ford's "Track Pak" includes firmer shock settings settings, slightly lower ride height, limited slip diff (you can chose between two diff ratios) and brembo brakes for a mere $1,400. You can probably negotiate this option off the MSRP when you purchase/lease the Mustang. Just writing this blog is getting me excited!

What Makes A Car Last?

I'm not talking about a car's durability or reliability, I'm talking about what makes an owner keep his/her car through the years or miles? Many who know me have observed me going through cars like college students go through kegs of bear. I love to drive, it's my "decompression" chamber so it's no coincidence that I rack up thousands of miles in a relative short period of time. Of course having a job with multiple locations doesn't hurt the cause either.

But seriously, what does make a car last?

I've owned or leased an impressive list of cars. I've owned every kind of car there is (SUVs, Minivans, Hatchbacks, Sports Cars, FWD, RWD, etc.). In fact the only type of car I haven't owned is an AWD vehicle. The highest mileage car I've driven/owned is a 1987 Honda Accord and a 2004 BMW M3 coupe. Both cars I bought new, the Honda racked up 120k before I traded her in and the M3 racked up 78k miles before I sold it. All my other cars were sold on or shortly after 50k miles was registered on the odometer. Looking back I'd have to say it's the versatility and utility of the vehicle that's made both the Accord and the M3 last as long as they did in my stable. The Accord was the perfect car as a high school student going to college - It was cheap to maintain, easy on gas, reliable, fun to drive and decent enough to take dates on. The M3, well what can I say? It was nearly the perfect car; amazing handling, more then decent acceleration, reasonably easy on gas for the amount of performance, room for 4 adults, enough trunk space for luggage/stroller/groceries, etc. It's only fault was the lack of a spare tire and expensive maintenance cost after BMW's maintenance program ended.

A high school classmate of mine recently sold his Acura MDX..... the thing had nearly 300k miles! When asked why he kept it so long, he simply said, "it was the perfect car for me". And indeed it was the perfect car - AWD (he loved to ski), reliable (according to him, the thing never let him down and in fact it never had a transmission replace/rebuilt, never had the engine replace/rebuilt), 3 row seating (for those times when his parents are in town), sufficient trunk space, a hitch for the bicycle rack, decent handling, etc. So I guess I haven't found my perfect car yet or have I? We'll just have to see how long my current ride lasts but I have to say, the relatively minor complaints I have about my current ride should be "abatable" with some aftermarket goodies.

Feeble Drivers of Southern California

Ah~ rain. It's not often rain comes to our area of the woods. Given that Los Angeles was originally nothing but a desert, it isn't surprising that rain seems to still fascinate many Angelinos.

Listening to the gentle pitter pattering of the rain drops on the window does have a calming effect admittedly, and, at least for me, whenever it's raining, I sleep like a baby.

But another aspect that rain amplifies, sadly, is the obvious lack of driving skills of Southern Californians. As fascinating as rain may be, it seems to sudden render everyone unable to operate a car. Suddenly, the normal 70mph freeway traffic turns into 35mph crawls, and the normal 35mph surface streets turn into 5mph parking lots. It's as if these commuters are saying, "Oh no! It's a puddle! If I drive into it at anything more than 10mph I'll spin wildly out of control and end up in a ditch!"

Of course there are those on the opposite end of the spectrum. The ones that maintain their 80mph velocities in 1 inch of standing water. More likely than not by people with four-wheel-drive, with a false sense of security. Or maybe by those with cars chocked full of electronic safety interference devices (ESP, VDC, DSC, TCS and so on). In all probability, they end up in a ditch.

I'm not sure whether this is the result of massively inadequate driver education, or just the general decline in the overall intelligence of the society, but whatever the case, it certainly boggles the mind. It really is a sad sad statement about Southern Californians, whether it says everyone here is so feeble minded that a little rain flummoxes their brains, or it says they're so devoid of common sense and the knowledge of basic physics to avoid crashing into a ditch, just because of a bit of drizzle. If all the world was like this, people in Norway should be traveling around on moose, and people in Oregon should all be in a ditch on fire.

Sure, no need to take my word for it. But as a piece of evidence to consider, here is a snap shot of www.sigalert.com taken today (a bank holiday), at about 2:30pm.



Diamonds, in this case, are not a girl's best friend.

Driving Laws for Dummies and the Decline of the Human Race

As many may know or should know, California (and apparently many other states) now bans the use of cellphones while driving. The law allows motorists to be stopped by officers solely based upon this violation. Apparently, people over 18 needs to utilize a hands-free device (blue teeth and what not) and people under 18 are not allowed to use any form of wireless phones, regardless of whether it is hands free. Additionally, passed after the first two sections, is the code that bans texting while driving... which is a whole other non-sensible issue; I shall not even go into that can of OMFG.

Anyways. So, you say, it is a good thing right? Of course driving while pre-occupied with a conversation on the cellphone with your significant other about what she should wear or with your buddy describing the desolate state he is in after his girl friend dumped him would bring your concentration on driving down, right?

Sadly, the fact that our government felt the need to spank our hands obviously show that there are a significant amount of motorist on the roads that simply do not realize and do not care about the affects of driving into another car, or a tree. However, there are crucial errors that the law makers (who by the looks of it, lives in lah lah land) have failed to consider.

Personally, I have obtained a blue tooth device so I can operate my phone within the law. But since after I figure out how to successfully pair it with my phone, I'm in the middle of next week, I just don't bother calling anyone while driving. And since I don't have many friends, I don't have a problem with missing too many calls. So it would seem this law has had its affects on my motoring life.

Despite that, and even if I do say so myself, I have never been distracted by my cellphone while driving. If and when I would be talking on the phone while driving, my attention would still be allocated to driving. Common sense dictates that one's attention should be focused on the more imperative things, even if it equates to many incomprehensible conversations ending with the person at the other end coming to the conclusion that I could be suffering from mental retardation.

Still, rarely does a day go by where I do not need to perform evasive to avoid a driver who, unsurprisingly, was using his/her phone. What makes our oh-so-wise legislators think that enacting such a law will actually stop inattentive cellphone using drivers, when eons of human evolution could not? If the possibility of death and serious bodily injury does not deter these so-called drivers, what real use would this law provide, beyond making the rest of us, who actually CAN drive with decent skill, a little more irritated?

The possible root of the problem may be the penalty associated with the violation of this law: $20 for the first offense, and $50 for any subsequent offenses.

Now hang on a minute. I remember, a while back, I received a "fix-it" ticket window tint (not limo tint mind you). I had to remove the tint and pay a fine of $30. Keeping in mind that these fines were from 10 years ago, and undoubtedly has since gone up, what the government is telling the dim witted cellphone using drivers is that protecting yourself from skin cancer is basically as bad as sending an elementary school kid crashing through your windscreen. It simply does not serve as enough deterrence for thick headed drivers to stop their habits.

If I was the one prescribing the penalty, I would seek out something more definitive. The US Air Force using the offending cellphone user's phone to triangulate his location and sending out a laser guided missile ought to do the trick. But of course that won't be allowed: creates too many potholes. It'll be cruel to the car too.

So what can we do? These imbeciles are obviously a step backwards on the evolutionary chain, so it would be a benefit to all of mankind if they would be taken out by tactical strikes. Unfortunately that'll also cost too much. Sadly, this could be another sign of the end. Evolution has been effectively stymied. Human civilization has started its decline. All because of drivers who can't seem to prioritize between crash and burning, and chatting on the phone.

Or we can make the fines much higher. Or get rid of the law completely. Yeah, I suppose those would make sense too.

Smart Crash Tests

Whiplash found crash test footage of a 2008 Smart Fourtwo. Check it out:

Surprisingly, it scored decent results. It flies out of frame each time it gets hit or something hits it, but it holds up rather well. The presenter gives pretty good analysis and warns that the Smart is too small. Even though it protects the occupants in these closed environment tests, it give up too much mass to anything (probably everything) else on the road in an impact. So this inspired me to look for a few more crash vids. Here are two more I really liked:


This test pitted the 2009 smart against its bigger cousin, a MB C-class (compact car). Crazy stuff. As you can see, it does very poorly against a bigger vehicle. Crashes are so fun to watch. All the shrapnel and destruction. Even though the entire 3 min video is just showing the same crash in various slow-mo angles, I was sucked in by the footage.

This last vid is the same scenario (lil car vs big car) but done outside on a dusty road and with a mighty S-Class (full size car). If you only watch one vid from this post: SEE THIS ONE!



OMFG! The smart not only caught air, but it flipped over! Im not an engineer or anything, but I dont think its a good thing when that happens. What I really loved about this clip is that you can actually see the fourtwo crap itself prior to impact. Really! In the slow-mo footage! Watch it closely and you'll see the smart car unload its bowels right before it gets pwned by the S-Class. It then proceeds to bounce away and rolls over to die.

While this is very amusing and fun to watch, I almost forget that this is an actual car in the real world. Smart car drivers can get seriously hurt if just about any car on the street hits it. Any car... hmmm... nah, I won't say it. Thats too evil...

A lil less relevant..... Google's Exodus

I guess this write up would fall under the "lil less relevant" category as it has nothing to do with anything automotive. I'm talking about the rumored exodus of Google from China. From an ethical/moral facet I applaud Google's management for it's decision to abandon a market that curves freedom of speech and information. It's certainly a very brave decision to make, risking millions perhaps billions of potential profits. From a business aspect it's a risky proposition, one that I'm sure many would believe to be foolish. The loss of profits, potential backlash from it's shareholders, loss of market share, etc. - it boggles my mind that management, especially one with such international exposure would even contemplate such a move.

In the many jobs and posts I've held, I am proud to have worked for just two firms.... Toyota and Tyco Electronics (Raychem Circuit Protection) that have placed people first before profits. It's companies like Toyota, Raychem Circuit Protection, and now Google that provides me faith that as a society there are some who will make the right decisions over profits.

If I had the financial prowess of say a Bill Gates or a Warren Buffet, I'd snatch up every share of Google that it's more materialistic shareholders would sell. A little naive I know but this is how I feel about the importance of morals and ethics. Doing the right thing should be rewarded. In this materialistic world where corporate and government leaders care more about profits then how profits come about, I applaud Google for it's decision. We'll see in the next couple of weeks if this rumor is true. It would be even more interesting to see the potential market backlash or reward. Either way, the market's reaction and it's impact on other companies doing business in China would be interesting. A battle of morals/ethics vs profits.

Super Slug Vs Mecha-Hybrid: The Battle for the Ages

Scientists have recently discovered a green sea slug that is half plant and half animal. It eats food as all animals do, but it can also absorb energy from the sun, through photosynthesis, just like a plant does!

Imagine, waking up from an afternoon nap w/ a case of the munchies, but theres nothing to eat at home. No sweat, it’s a nice day outside. Just step outside, relax, and catch some rays. You’ll be magically full like you’ve been to a Vegas Buffet.

The way the slug is able to use the sun for food is that it can actually create the chlorophyll (it’s the stuff that makes plants green and makes photosynthesis work) from eating lots of algae. Talk about becoming what you eat. The slugs are able to incorporate the genes from the plants they eat and have adapted to be able to pass this ability on to their babies. Its some weird DNA stuff that goes on. As babies, the slugs eat algae and accumulate the chlorophyll until they become sun-absorbing adults. Once they eat enough of the algae, they can survive without food as long as there is light.

So that basically means this green sea slug is nature’s hybrid! Like the automotive version, it takes in two different power sources and melds them into one working unit. Scientists have discovered Mother Nature’s Prius. As you know, a Prius uses a gas engine and electric motor to power the vehicle. It can run fully on either or use both in harmony. Mama Nature’s slimy friend works very similarly too; it runs on either plant food, solar energy, or both. What really cracks me up is that nature’s hybrid and our car version are both slow moving slugs. Ok. I guess that’s not entirely fair to compare the two like that. Sorry.

The sea slug is better looking and more interesting.

Check out the original article Here

SUV vs. Minivan

I don't get it. What is so bad about driving a minivan? Personally I think the minivan is a rather cool car. It's most definitely the most versatile vehicle I've ever owned. I can't see how I could have commuted around without one, granted I've got a family of 6 (wife, 4 kids and I) but even so how could anyone get along without one? It's roomy (seating for 8 in my Odyssey), it can serve as a truck (like a truck with a camper shell), it's got surround sound for DVD playing (perfect for when the wife goes shopping or for long trips), gets better gas mileage then any SUV, invisible to law enforcement (just ask my wife), handles better then any SUV I've driven and it's got those automatic doors that allow me to quickly eject the rowdy monsters who are just itching to sprint to the bathroom.

Oh and about the auto side doors, THEY'RE SIMPLY A GOD SEND! Awesome on raining days, terrific for expediting boarding procedures, super wicked for unloading the kids at the drop off curb for school (no more getting out of the vehicle because the mindless kid decides to semi close the door as he/she runs off with friends), no accidentally dinging the car parked next to us (specifically my car once the wife enters the garage and attempts to disembark the kids). The only thing I regret not getting in our Odyssey was the auto hatch in the rear. This would have made trips to the local grocery store and Costco so much easier. But I degress......

So there's a stigma around minivans, something about it being a "Mommy Mobile". I don't know about you guys but 80% of all "mommies" at my kids school drive SUVs! You know the ones, they usually hold up all the other mommy's at the drop off curb because their child didn't properly close the SUV's doors and ones that produce the unusually high door dings on our prized possessions. As stated before the minivan handles better then any SUV I've driven, seats more people more comfortably then a SUV, takes less gas to move around, etc. But why a SUV? For some people I completely understand, they probably have a boat or trailer to haul around (in case you didn't know, most minivans can pull 3,500 lbs).

If you compare a SUV to a station wagon, you'd quickly realize a SUV is simply a raised station wagon. Yet we seem to have a stigma about station wagons as well. Does a SUV make the driver anymore sexy or macho then a driver in a minivan? Yeah, I guess you got me there. But with the amount of money I can save on fuel, insurance and aggravation of having to get out of the vehicle in order to shut the stupid door my kids can't seem to shut on their own is all worthwhile.

Technology Driven

As technology enters our lives in every which way, I tend to wonder if it's taking more then its giving. It's made us numb to many sensory events that make the event either pleasurable or horrific. In many ways, it is this blogger's belief that it's made us dumb and numb to events happening around us. It is this pursuit of continuous improvement that I wonder if it's really helping to make us better.

In the automotive world, electronic "nannies" continuously monitor our driving habits so as to "ensure" that as drivers, don't do anything we didn't intend to. There's no doubt it's saved countless lives and property damage - remember there are no such thing as an "accident". But with these technologies becoming increasingly commonplace in the modern automobile, is it really making us safer and better drivers? I reside near an university and have had more then my fair share of close calls by young, inexperienced drivers. It made me wonder if the drivers knew just how close they were to causing injury and damage?

In my world as a Safety Engineer, I often see "Personal Protective Equipment" being dispensed to reduce the possibility of an injury or fail safe systems that are designed to reduce the possibility of a catastrophic event. In vehicles however, it seems to embolden drivers as it does in an industrial setting. Taking unnecessary risks, making turns way too quickly, stopping late, inappropriate application of either the brakes or the accelerator in certain situations, etc. If it weren't for these systems interjecting as they did, the Darwin Theory of survival of the fittest would have most certainly rid of these poor drivers and acts of stupidity.

Although I'm not one to propose that all safety systems in an automobile be removed, these safety related technologies has taken away some pleasures of driving. Hopefully automobile manufactures will continue to allow the drivers to manually override such systems in the future because if they don't, I see no point in paying the extra dollars that I do for "performance orientated" cars that may not perform any better then a Dihatsu or a Yugo.

Car to Save the World? Or Lead the Lemmings?

I finally cannot see a Prius, or hear talk about a Prius, without bursting a blood vessel. It makes absolutely no sense for the so called 'green' movement to put its backing for a car so inherently un-green. Why can't people open their eyes and see the reality? The Prius is just a temporary marketing enriched mode of transportation designed to fool people into thinking that by buying one they're helping the environment! Hello? They still run on gasoline! How is that going to help our world from reverting into the stone age once gasoline runs out?

I would be half ok with these so-called cars if they were half decent to drive. But no. Driving one can only be considered a slow torture at best. I would imagine being killed by a thousand knitting needles would feel about the same. No. That's not true. A thousand needles would have infinite more feel than driving a Prius.

I would also concede to these monstrosities if they offered considerable advantage in gas mileage. But no, they do not. A VW diesel will easily out pace the crap mobile hybrids, and any compact on the market today will come close, while being cheaper to buy, and more enjoyable to drive. Which means you won't want to commit suicide.

And why would anyone with half a brain believe that these hybrids are actually beneficial to our environment? The basic idea behind the hybrid car is that it has two power plants: an electric motor, and a regular gasoline engine. The motor can general enough power to allow it to travel about as fast as a slug, and then the regular gasoline engine will kick in for the extra oomph. The gasoline engine is also used to burn gasoline to convert energy to be stored in the massive battery pack. I'm sorry, but having two engines is like having four legs, with the two in the back to help the front ones move. But the front ones are too weak and not properly developed to actually do any moving. So now the body has to feed two sets of legs. Argh!

It's particularly sad when I see people, and indeed my friends, get caught up in the hybrid hype. They say, "Oh! It's economical!" or "It's helping the environment!" or "It get's 60mpg!" No, no, and no, it doesn't. All it tells me about these so called green people is that they haven't bothered to care, or they haven't got half a brain.

Further contributing to my confusion at what in the world these people are thinking, is that I frequently get blown by on the highway by Priuses (or just Prius?), while I'm in my M3 no less. How is that doing anything to help you save fuel? I happen to know that a Prius can't lug around my groceries without needing the help of its second pair of legs, so there is no damn way that it can be anything close to economical at its theorhetical pathetic top speed of something like 90mph. The only explanation I can see for these drivers to be going at such a ridiculous pace would be that they admit making a mistake, that the more they drive their cars, the more they want to die, and that the only way to prevent all of the cells in their bodies from spontaneously combusting is to shorten up whatever trip they had as much as possible.

Yes I am angry, but please, stop this idiotic course to certain death. Stop being lemmings. Get a MINI, get a Fit. Get a VW Golf TDI. And stop killing our planet.

Ken Block: Gymkhana 2

Greetings, Dippers! TGIF. Its finally the weekend and to celebrate this occasion I present to you: Ken Block's Gymkhana 2. Gymkhana 2 was filmed in the Port of Los Angeles and Mr. Block does some pretty amazing things w/ this rally spec STi. Enjoy!



I first found out about Ken Block when he drove a Subaru rally car through a ski park along w/ some snowboard friends. He even took the jumps! He then made a film (Gymkhana 1) out in El Toro Air Force Base doing crazy driving stunts on the abandoned air strip. The guy has some crazy skills. I can't even do half of these things in a video game.

Unfortunately, this may be the last time we see Ken in a mighty Subaru. Its been announced that Ken Block has signed with Ford and will make a push to try and get into the World Rally Championship. The WRC is world stage of rally and where the big boys play.

As a Suby fan, Im bummed to see him leave, but as a rally fan, Im thrilled. Its good to see rally getting some representation from the US. The field is pretty much filled w/ Europeans. And plus, now w/ Ken jumping ship into a Focus (or Fiesta), Travis Pastrana will be the main driver representing Subaru. Mr. Pastrana was the guy who recently jumped his Subaru STI 269 ft on New Years Eve from Long Beach Pier onto a floating landing pad out in the ocean. He broke the world record for the longest car jump, which was previously held by... you'll never guess.. Ken Block at 170 ft.

Since its well known that the distance a car flies through the air has a direct correlation to the size of the driver's penis, Block will probably be looking to do something crazier. sweeeeet. I look forward to seeing two American rally drivers trying to one-up the other. Competition makes you bring your A game. Good luck, boys, and try to keep it shiny side up.

Greetings and stupid smarts.

Hello and welcome to Dip Sticks: The leading automotive resource on the web. Well, not quite, but you will find useful information and valid opinions from those within the automotive community... or not, I'm not quite sure.

My friend and I were discussing the cars we hate the most. This is easy for me; its the smart car. I have a genuine hatred for these machines. They make absolutely no sense to me.

How ironic they name the stupidest car in production "smart". For those that don't know what a smart car is: its supposed to be a practical, affordable, micro-car built by Mercedes Benz to commute around town. However, the designers at Daimler decided to play a global prank on the world and plague us with what is basically an over-glorified golf cart. There is only one model, which is referred to as the fourtwo. It was named this because thats the average IQ of the potential 'smart' buyer. There are also three trims available: pure, passion, and passion cabriolet. I'm not even joking. Look it up if you dont believe me.


I found a photo of this thing. Look at it! Ugh! My blood pressure rises slightly even as a look at this cancer of a vehicle. I don't understand the appeal of this car. I've always thought its design was inspired by a hard boiled egg. Ive also sat it one. Its cramped, claustrophobic and cheap feeling. So why is it that this car exists?

Is it economical?
Not really. The prices range from $12K to $17K. You are essentially purchasing a two-seater golf cart w/ that can barely hold your golf clubs! Honda Fits, Toyota Yaris, and so many better choices exist in this price range.

Is it safe?
Not quite. The smart rated "good" in the highway safety for frontal and side impacts. Which is ok for people going around and running into stationary objects. However, in a recent crash test where a mid-size cousin of the smart car, a MB C-class, slammed into it, the results weren't pretty. The crash test dummy was pretty trashed w/ the legs being broken at the knees and, since the cockpit was so tiny, the head and arms bounced out of the car. Needless to say, the rating was "poor" for an offset frontal crash w/ a bigger car. So while its somewhat safe at hitting other things, don't ever get hit by anything bigger than it. Good luck w/ that in the US, where moms SUVs rule the streets. That means, a smart car driver should avoid all roads and stay in the power wheels section at Toys R Us. It should be a lil safer there.

Well, its environmentally friendly right?
All the smart cars get 33 / 41 mpg. While numerically, that's not too shabby lets remember that this car is tiny: its only 1800 lbs. To put that in perspective a Mini hatchback is 2,500 lbs, a Honda Fit is 2,400 lbs, and a Toyota Yaris would still smack the smart car around at 2,300 lbs. The reason why the mileage is rated so high is also because the engine is sooo tiny. But that doesn't mean its anything close to being efficient or green. The power plant for this bad boy is a 3 cylinder engine cranking out 71 hp. That's not efficient, its just small. There are refrigerator motors more powerful than this. Its basically like taking half of a V6 engine. This was advanced technology about 40-50 years ago but in today's standards, its incredibly weak and pathetic . A comparable 4 cyl engine w/ almost twice the power could put up similar, or better, mileage figures in a car as light as the smart car. And on top of that, if you actually drove a smart car, you would be be on full throttle just to keep up w/ traffic. This would be incredibly un-friendly to the environment... and Al Gore would not be very happy about that.

So lets review: the smart car is ugly, unpractical, slow, expensive, dangerous, and inefficient. When I come to power, it shall be deemed legal to flip a smart car over when you see one. It doesn't matter if its parked, stopped, or running. In fact, it would be your civil duty to put this car upside down. I mean why not? It would definitely be as beneficial to society as voting and jury duty.