A Prius, a Veyron, and an MP4-12C walk into a bar…
Posted: February 22, 2012 Filed under: AUTOMOTIVE INSIGHTS | Tags: 0-60, 12C, 458, acceleration, audacious, Birdman, Bugatti, Car, Celebrity, Chris Harris, Cruise, culture, dollars, Driver, fake, Ferrari, hired, Horsepower, Italia, Mclaren, million, Mind, motor, MP4, MP4-12C, mpg, Nick, numbers, ostentatious, Over, Pop, Price, Prius, review, ruin, speed, Sport, Status, sticker, Super, Symbol, Tom, top, Veyron, Walker, Window 1 Comment »That is a silly title, I know, but it does beg the question as to why I would put those three specific cars together at all? The answer lies in how they all have a similar reason for their existence, to be a number. Each was meant to achieve some specific measure of performance that would define the car to the world. While all three have been successful in achieving their tangible goals they have all wound up becoming relics of a more regimented and boring existence. They all cater to an increasingly soulless and superficial world where people judge everything from a bunch of numbers on sheet of paper or a computer screen, and not so much from actual experiences. Read the rest of this entry »
Something is up with BMW’s power claims
Posted: October 4, 2011 Filed under: INDUSTRY TALK | Tags: 1, 1M, 28, 35, 550i, bhp, BMW, dyno, engine, figures, Horsepower, low, M, Mind, motor, new, numbers, Over, power, rear, results, sDrive28i, series, turbo, underrated, wheel, whp, Z4 Leave a comment »Recently BMW has made a commitment to turbocharging their entire lineup in the name of efficiency. Many enthusiasts are skeptical that this move will serve to improve the cars, but I think otherwise. I have driven a few 335is and can say that BMW has gotten these boosted cars to deliver their power very smoothly. They are a far cry from the more crude turbocharged cars of old that were plagued by excessive lag and sudden onset power that could unset the car’s balance in a corner. These cars seem to be living up to the BMW reputation quite nicely, and have even shown some surprises that BMW executive wanted to conceal on paper in order to preserve demand for their other cars. Read the rest of this entry »

