Follow the Bounce

US Recall News Reports:

Ba Da Bing! Volt crash test

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has formally opened a safety defect investigation into the Chevy Volt after several crash tests revealed a fire risk involving the electric cars’ batteries.

Although, as of the date of this article, they have not yet received any confirmed “real-world” reports of this problem resulting in a fire, the NHTSA is concerned because a Chevrolet Volt caught fire in the parking lot three weeks after a side-impact crash test.

Chevy Volt

         I believe that in their haste to bring a "green" vehicle to market, the technology was not fully tested. Granted, there are many electric vehicle behaviors that we will not recognize until they have been in service for some time. We have not used them in place of regular gas motors yet, so there is bound to be a learning curve. Face facts, the power delivery system should have been gone through with a "fine toothed" comb. If for no other reason than the technology's longevity had not been tested. But come on! Three weeks worth of testing should have been done by the battery manufacturer to catch this defect. Now this creates a blemish on the face of the vehicle that was supposed to save and grow GM, like the K car to Chrysler. No worries though, GM will bounce back quickly if the marketing team puts a positive spin on it and the design team fixes the problem permanently and quickly. If you remember the Ford and Firestone fiasco from 2000, you know a car company can come back from anything, As quoted by CNN Money in September of 2000:

 Federal safety officials say up to 88 deaths in the United States may have been caused by tread separation on some versions of the Firestone Wilderness tires, as well as its ATX and ATX II models. Most of the 6.5 million tires involved in an Aug. 9 recall are on Ford Motor Co. light trucks and sport/utility vehicles, such as its best-selling Explorer. Officials in Venezuela are also investigating whether the tires led to 46 deaths there.

If Ford can come back from that to become the number one selling car brand 

and to develop a car like the GT40, then GM can do the same.

Lest we forget that Toyota just went through the stuck accelerator debacle and they are back to selling cars hand over fist, in a recession. Also, you may not remember, but Audi had problems with unexpected acceleration, too, in the 80's.

• In Canton, Ohio, a mother shifted the automatic transmission in her 1985 Audi 5000 from park to drive while waiting for her 6-year-old son to open the garage door. The car unexpectedly accelerated. The mother hit the brakes but was unable to stop the rapid acceleration. The car sped into her son, dragging him through the garage and fatally crushing him against the back wall.
• A Swedish woman in a 1983 Audi shifted from park to drive and the car suddenly accelerated into nearby pedestrians. Before the car could be stopped it had killed one person and injured another.

In 1989, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued their report on Audi’s “sudden unintended acceleration problem.” NHTA’s findings fully exonerated Audi and some other implicated foreign makers.”

The report concluded that the Audi’s pedal placement was different enough from American cars’ normal set-up (closer to each other) to cause some drivers to mistakenly press the gas instead of the brake. 

 Audi and many other manufacturers quickly added an automatic transmission interlock, making it impossible to shift into drive or reverse without a foot on the brake. This changed the industry standard and now all automatic vehicles sold in the US have this feature.

A flood of lawsuits and bad publicity were already consuming the German automaker.

Lexus GSf interior

Audi Quattro Concept

 Audi sales collapsed, from 74k units in 1984 to 12k by 1991.  Sales fell during the same years that Lexus arrived to battle for the hearts and wallets of America’s upscale consumers. Lexus quickly became the hot and new symbol of prestige.

But, look at Audi now, quickly moving back into a controlling position in the luxury car market. 

So, can Chevy bounce back? They most certainly can and will. Car makers have bounced back from far worse. Nobody has been killed by this defect. Dig?

600+HP GTR and Aston Martin One 77

If you have not seen this GTR?!?! Dig it! The Aston is a work of art.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXmOg4QuVCE&sns=em

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lXEIz06AFs&feature=related

Silence is Golden

I have a family member who lost her voice temporarily to laryngitis and it makes me think of the wonderful sounds that an engine makes. The sound from the exhaust of a Ferrari or a Harley Davidson are very different but they are like looking at a painting, both are beautiful sounds with different qualities and texture. I believe muscle cars and their melodious V8s still sound the best to me but you may prefer the sound of a European V12. All big bore engines sound amazing but what about an electric car? I rented a hybrid Lexus and at start up you can’t tell that thing is running. It’s a little unnerving to a person who can appreciate the sound of an internal combustion engine. This got me wondering about all electric powered cars.

All electric powered vehicles don’t make a sound and, I’ll say it, that’s creepy. Silence is golden, they say, but not when it comes to cars and motorcycles. There is a Ron Howard film called The Dilemma, staring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James(two of the best modern day comedic actors), and in the film they are working on a sound emitter for an all electric car. There invention would bring muscle car sounds to an all electric Mustang that would otherwise be silent. Although this was fictional it would not be a bad idea to explore this idea. If we are all going to go green than you have to have something for the car guys to hang on to,  Dig?

Everyone wants to talk about the amazing torque of an electric motor and its lack of lag. That all well an good if the only stimulation you get from driving is speed. I like to feel the motor and anticipate the necessity for my input to the transmission. This is why I still prefer a manual “three pedal and a stick” shifter to a paddle shift set up. Yes a double clutch set up is much quicker in responsiveness and acceleration but I don’t drive and F1 car and if I get a track day a month I consider myself lucky. So I need a transmission that feels good through the twisties and is responsive on the back roads.

 For example, there is a road in the mountains of North Carolina near the Tennessee boarder, they call it The Tail of the Dragon. This road is in Deals Gap North Carolina and it has 318 turns in 11 miles. Would you want a paddle shift set up on this road? Certainly not, motorcyclists love this road and, that would be like a motorcyclist riding a scooter or a Honda DN-01(an automatic motorcycle with the ability to “paddle” shift ) down the Tail of the Dragon. 

http://www.tailofthedragon.com/

http://powersports.honda.com/street/crossover.aspx

Part of the fun is the requirement of driver input. It gives me and many of you a greater connection to the road and, consequently, a better interface with the world around us. 

In short, a stick shift and a flowmaster  muffler should never go out of style. At lease until I’m gone, then you guys can do the “minority report, judge dread” boring, lifeless driving thing. Dig it? 

Maybe not totally lifeless...this car was in Minority Report...

Thanks!

Thanksgiving is upon us once again, a time for gluttony and over indulgence.  I, like many people, am thankful for my family an my faith. I know we all need to put things into perspective sometimes and this is just a thought about the important things in life. Because you are reading this blog, I can make several assumptions, I know you have access to a computer, consider that a blessing. There are many who don’t. You also have breath and either sight or hearing to perceive these words. Count all your blessing for each one allows you to be you. Every day above ground is a great day because if you don’t like your situation, you have a chance to change it.
I am also thankful for a crowd of great cars on the market. The new Lexus gsF 350 seems to be a great car and worth the long wait Lexus has put us through. Check it out:

Lexus GSF 350 Sport
I had the chance to go to the car show locally this weekend and it was great. Our local exotic car dealership, Foreign Cars Italia, had a very nice display of vehicles. The had a 458 Italia on the floor, along with a Maserati and an Aston Martin. These cars were works of art, simply great and the gentleman who represented FCI was good to talk to and generally knowledgeable.

http://www.foreigncarsitalia.com/

I did have a friend engage him with a question of decibel level in the cockpit of a 458. His reply was insufficient. FYI. I don’t know would have been sufficient, also the correct answer. No Smoking Please. (don’t blow smoke, dig it?)
All the car manufacturers had good offerings, some more than others, but that’s for another day. Happy Holidays!

Not Super but a Car!

The purpose of a super car is to excite the body and mind during your journey. Many people cannot understand the draw of a super car. A Lamborghini, for instance, is a car without a wealth of practicality. But that is an analysis of  the “need” for a Lamborghini.  Which  is not the point of a super car, these cars are like motorcycles to the average car owner. Example, the average motorcyclist has a four wheeled vehicle and rides as a recreation or an extra activity. There is no real need to own a motorcycle, although I know many of us who ride would disagree on the suggestion that we don’t  need to ride. Like the old saying goes, “I never saw a motorcycle in front of a psychiatrists’ office.” This same therapeutic reward may await super car owners at the end of a long drive.

We must also understand the sheer beauty of these vehicles. A lot of hours of testing and engineering go into them, and we hope this is where the price is justified. 

If you have the means, why not? Your days on this planet are fleeting and should be enjoyed to the fullest. The amazing power and performance these cars offer is unmatched by your average grocery getter or family sedan.

Weather it’s a Porsche Panamera or a Maserati, a Ford GT 40 or a Corvette ZR1, super cars are magnificent. They allow you to have a unique experience and the feeling of exclusivity. Because, yes, any car can get you from A to B but can they do it while giving you the excitement and exhilaration of a super car? No. I once heard someone say the only factor stopping you from buying a super car is money. 

To be objective, theses cars will never appeal to everyone simply because of their practicality or impracticality. But I know a lot of people who would really enjoy owning a super car. How about you?  These days its wonderful just to have a car so owning a super car is a blessing indeed

Throughout life we find those things that look great and also perform well. Whether we are talking about a romantic mate or a new car. 

You are bathed in luxury and performance while becoming the temporary center of attention. Yes, they do draw eyes so be aware. Its like having a pretty girlfriend, you can’t expect no one to look at her when it was her beauty that captivated you. Enjoy and if you buy one, please get a track day or two so you can really see what it can do. Life is for the Living. Dig it?

How About a Kit Car?

Coyote 

Kit cars are truly amazing because many of us think that a fine automobile has to come from a major manufacturer. This is not true, do you remember the Hardcastle and Mccormick television series from the 80s. It only ran for 3 years from 83 until 86, anyway, there was a kit car in that show they called the coyote. Looked like a race car and, for the  purposes of the show,  it was, but really it was just a kit car that looked great. That car was based on a VW chassis but the wonderful thing about a kit is the flexibility in power plants and donor car bases. You can make it just look good, just go fast, or both. There are many kits out there these days that might just amaze you. The GTM super car is one of those that amazed me. It is Corvette based but in the build design the engine is relocated to the rear of the car. Awesome design and finished product. Factory Five is the company that produces this kit and others that are all interesting and appealing to different automotive tastes.

GTM Super Car by Factory Five

A television series you might be more familiar with is the Miami Vice series, the “Ferrari Daytona” in that series was a kit car. It was Corvette based also, primarily used because to reduce the cost of production throughout the long running show. Looked great though and you would be hard pressed to know the difference from the original unless you were really close to it or owned a real one.
The pricing for kit cars vary greatly. Depending on how detailed you want to get and if you plan on doing the work yourself or would rather but turnkey.

This is a Lambo build that I found to be amazing. Making these cars available to the working man is the kit's ability. Check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=DyQX0hRaf-g

Pull Over: Dead or Alive?

I live in North Carolina and in this state there are no laws pertaining to pulling over for emergency vehicles. So, when you have a medical emergency and are in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, no one is required to get out of your way. Theoretically you could die in traffic! This is not figurative or a metaphor for the way you feel on the way home every evening in rush hour traffic. This is literal. You might say, “well, I work out and take good care of myself so this won’t cause me concern.”  As silly as it sounds this may be true but what about your loved ones and the possibility of further pain for them because someone on their way to Chipotle to get lunch wants to get back home in time for Parks and Recreation? Frivolous loss of life.

The most disturbing part of this fact is the Southern tradition of showing respect to the dead by pulling over or just stopping as a funeral precession comes past. I have been in traffic that has just stopped without warning because a funeral was coming the other direction. This is not to say that the dead don’t deserve our respect because they most certainly do, but more that the living? Maybe this is an idea most of us have not really thought about. We need to respect each other more than we do and have honor for life and the living as well as for the deceased. You could get caught in traffic on the way to the hospital and die because you did not make the trip fast enough. After you would leave the funeral home in a casket and everyone would let you and your precession past with no delay.
So drivers are willing to stop for dead people but are not willing to pull over so an ambulance can pass? This seems to be the case and I think it is a sad statement of our world. Its like those who will give lots of time and money to the ASPCA but won’t give a dime or a minuet of time to the local homeless shelter. It just doesn’t make sense to me. You will save the homeless stray dogs but homeless people can remain in peril. In comparison, people will pull over to let a funeral pass but will not for and ambulance. So If I am in a casket, come on through but on a gurney is not close enough to death. You can gain respect for living and completing your life but not for attempting to save said life. Dig it?

Boasting a maximum speed of more than 250 miles per hour, the Veyron is unmatched in the super sports category. It offers a total of 1,001 HP.



Bugatti Veyron is the ultimate super car, or so it would seem. It is ultra exclusive due to its outrageous pricing and it quality craftsmanship. The epitome of “you get what you pay for”, is the super car for the super rich. I heard Jay Leno say it cost $44,000 to replace a set of two(2) tires on this car. 
With on thousand horsepower, this is not the average “grocery getter”,  it is a sleek and fast machine. To quote Ferris B, “If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”  This car deserves a life over seas, near the Autobahn, where you might get the chance to “stretch its legs” on a regular basis. If you own one in the states, I hope you are a great show off because that is the only purpose for having it. Unless you have regular track days and I would suggest that you could get just as much fun on the track with a vehicle that cost a fraction of the Veyron’s. This is a grand touring car and I am sure the majority of US owners have discovered the futility in ownership. Looks great though I am waiting on the kit car so I can slap a Chevrolet small block in it with a super charger. 
Wait till the Bugatti Galibier is in production! Four door ridiculous power plant and audacious luxury. The formula works, not for the whole but the 2% can put a new one in the crusher every week. Dig it.

If you want to spent a hunk of your inheritance on a car then I would suggest the Rolls Royce Ghost. it’s a 6.6 liter twin turbo V12 that puts our around 560hp. Its about half the horsepower of the Bugatti but its also a fraction of the price. Although BMW is the parent company, this car is all new so it is exclusively Rolls Royce. Within reason, simple parts may be shared but the power train and design is all new. Classic Rolls, super quiet and powerful. This car has status, power, raw luxury and it is not as big as the Phantom so it lends itself to being a “driver’s car”. 

Many of the automotive unenlightened will think you buy this car because you can’t afford the Phantom but I think that is narrow minded thinking. I like a smaller car, its easier to handle and that nimble feeling in the corners as well as the parking lot, turns me on. I would rather have an M5 BMW than a 7 series. Unless I had a need for the extra space then the bigger car seems to, with futility,  try to convey status. I believe your smart car choice says more than the price tag. Jessie J says its not about that price tag but I bet she doesn’t ride around in the back of an 85’ Cadillac. Dig it? 

But if you are going to pay to play, use some research tools. You have big dough to spend on a vehicle? don’t waste that money just because you can. Look in the DuPont Registry and save a couple hundred thousand on your next luxury item and if you still feel the need to waste the difference. Send it to me, I will give it a good home.