The Audi R8 Spyder is not to be taken lightly. As it hits North America this summer of 2010; It will have a range of amenities to be reckoned with. With a choice of two different variations of engines coupled with eleven different paint schemes and six different interior color choices. It’s enough send you’re the average person in to a state of confusion. The R8 Spyder will still be available with the 4.2L V8 but this year it will have that long awaited 5.2L V-10 that we all love. The 5.2L V-10 (borrowed from the Gallardo) will have 525hp and 390ft-lbs of torque at the tap.
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As many Americans may come to realize, there are just a certain number of cars that aren’t available stateside. We just have to resort to drooling over the internet pondering to ourselves why don’t manufactures just bring it over to the American market. Well there are many reasons but we’ll get to that later. But for the Ford Motor Company, the Ford Fiesta is something that we just haven’t heard of yet. Till my recent trip to Las Vegas I was fortunate to get a first hand look and test drive of the latest Ford Fiesta and what a surprise it was.
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Lamborghini is known for making powerful, exotic, lust inducing supercars. They are however lesser known for their candle making prowess. That may change after this holiday season with the recent release of these Gallardo LP 550-2 Valntino Balboni themed gift sets. You can buy that special someone a set of three ornaments, $83US, a set of two candles with Lambo logos for $65US or even a pack of Holiday cards with envelopes.
No word on whether these candles are guaranteed to stay lit at 200mph, but we would recommend against using them to freshen the interior of your Gallardo. The calender however, may come in handy while you are counting down the days until you get your license back from previous 200mph attempts.
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Drifting a Smart ForTwo
The Smart ForTwo gets accused of a lot of things. People call it slow, lumbering, and inefficient for its size. It’s the chubby little brother of more successful, efficient, and competent small cars like the MINI, the FIAT 500, the Honda Fit, and even the Toyota Yaris (all of which get better mpg’s and are more fun to drive). In stock form, it isn’t fun for automotive enthusiasts to drive. It’s not efficient enough with fuel to be considered by the folks who are seeking self satisfying ‘green cred’. It only seems to exist because it is cute. I can say one thing, in the land of the Rising Sun, not ALL Smart ForTwo’s are dull!
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Psychologists will tell you that people can be lumped into groups based on personality profiles. While everyone exhibits all of the basic traits to some extent, it’s the mixture of these traits that define us individuals. Even natural born leaders can be broken into two groups. Some of us are brash and bold Mavericks; some are more cool and calculated Icemen. I suppose the followers in this world can be called the loyal and slightly unlucky Geese.
Despite the horrible movie clichés, we think aircraft are super cool. If you are lucky enough to live near a big military base you can see a world-class collection of both military and civilian planes and helicopters on an annual basis. In San Diego California The United States Marines host what is considered by many to be one of the best air shows in the world. This year seemed a little smaller than usual, which is understandable given current economic conditions and the fact we are fighting wars in two different theatres. Even with the condensed size, the show was still amazing.
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The new Mercedes E Class has been celebrated as one of the most classy, handsome and understated designs in years. As usual, it didn’t take long for tuners to change that. For those who want to look more like they belong in a rap video or the parking lot of an NFL training camp, tuner Lorinser has released photos of their latest E Class treatment for the W212 chassis.
We will admit, we really like the more aggressive front bumper and the rear diffuser, but after that, we would leave it stock. Lorinser may be going for the DTM Racecar look with the vented front fenders, but it instead, screams boy racer. Now that every Civic, Integra and Scion is sporting this look, I think it’s time to let it go. Same goes for the 1990s throw-back boxed side skirts with the vent in back. I don’t car if it is functional, which I doubt, it looks ridiculous and dated.
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We love turbo cars. For quick and easy power, economy and power to weight ratio, there is nothing like them. However, for psychic levels of throttle response, sound and overall driving enjoyment, there is no replacement for a well-built naturally aspirated engine. A Porsche GT3RS in stock form is already one of the best naturally aspirated cars on the planet. Getting 415hp out of a streetable 3.6-liters a few years ago would have been nothing short of a miracle, even for a tuner. For it to come with a factory warranty was the work of dark forces.
Sharkwerks Tuning in Fremont California know that your average enthusiast has a very short memory. For those no longer impressed with a mere 415hp, they are offering a 3.9-liter conversion for GT3 and GT3 RS’s to take them to an astounding 500hp.
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Red Bull Soapbox has been taken on by many brave souls; this ain’t no boy scout race. An event of this magnitude is only meant for real men and women that have the courage to try and conquer the intricate course at the latest pit stop in LA. The first Red Bull Soapbox Race took place in Belgium in 2000 and has since visited over 30 countries including Austria, England and Jamaica just to name a few.
With an estimated 111,000 people, the L.A traffic, and the rising temperatures, Angelinos still came out in droves to watch the 40 home made soapboxes from all across the US race through the streets of Downtown LA. The downhill course was mayhem, navigating the jumps, a banked 90-degree turn, and tight chicanes; only a few teams that managed to complete the course with their Soapboxes intact. Even more surprising was a record –setting speed of over 45mph.
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I know a lot of you R8 owners out there are losing sleep wondering if you will need to trade in that old V8 when the V10s start hitting dealerships. The thought of sitting at a stoplight and someone pulling up with a faster Audi just eats away at your very being. Well fear not fans of the one up-manship game, VF-Engineering has just the thing for you. It is not a prosthetic two-cylinder bolt on addition, it’s better.
VF-Engineering has been mastering the art of force feeding German power plants for 15 years. Originating in the UK, VF’s R&D facility in located in sunny Southern California, apparently wet English roads could no longer handle all the power they were creating. They made their name creating supercharger kits for the e46 M3 and MK4 R32. They later moved into turbo kits for the VW and Audi 2.0t and both MK4 and MK5 R32s. Lately they have been moving up to even larger engines focusing on supercharger kits for the new e90 M3 V8 as well as the V8s in both the S4 and RS4.
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I have been told I have a slightly irrational love of Volkswagens. I love their cars, believe in their core values and hopefully, will be a life long customer. I am however no fan boy. I will be the first to acknowledge VW’s few faults and shortcomings. As their biggest fan, I may also be their biggest critic.
The biggest complaint I have ever had with VW isn’t directly their fault. VW dealerships are generally some of the worst in the business. Taking a car in for service quickly turns into a test of one’s patience and restraint. The problem just seems to escalate when you add in factors like performance modifications or little things like expecting them to actually fix the car correctly the first time.
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