Category Archives: CARS 101

CARS 101

Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R 2.0T Modification and Tuning Guide

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L-Mk6-Volkswagen-Golf-R-Engine

Volkswagen’s 2.0T has been the backbone of their lineup, at least here in the US, for nearly a decade now. It has nestled itself into a versitile position, powering the higher-end VW models as well as the lower level Audi models.

Volkswagens equipped with the 2.0T include: the GTI, Golf R, Jetta GLI, Passat, Beetle Turbo, CC, Eos, and Tiguan.

Audis equipped with the 2.0T include: the A3, S3, A4, A5, A6, Q3, Q5, and TT.

The 2.0T has wide-ranging capabilities, and, what luck, it just so happens to be quite tuneable. While there are a few varying versions of the 2.0T out there, depending on the model, the general modification path is pretty standard fare.

Continue reading Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R 2.0T Modification and Tuning Guide →

CARS 101

How Fast Is “Fast?”

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Porsche 918 Spyder Performance Specs
One of the fastest accelerating production cars on Earth.

I remember seeing an episode of Doctor Phil (don’t ask why) where he was scolding a kid for street racing. I remember the distinct moment where, in an excessively appalled tone, he said, “You went 100mph?!!!!” And my immediate reaction was that if I had a nickel for every time I’d done over 100mph, I’d be well on my way to saving up for a Ferrari.

The truth is that 100mph just isn’t all that fast, especially these days when every new car on sale can do it. Hell, even V6 Camrys and Accords are now pushing on the 300hp mark, and could surely top 140mph with any limiters removed. Those are just normal everyday cars, though, in a supercar, like a Lamborghini, 100mph comes in 2nd gear.

This begs the question of what “fast” really is. The answer will be entirely subjective, but let’s see if we can find some reasonable middle ground to define it.

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CARS 101

Mind Over Motor Modification Guides

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Modified Mazda Miata Supercharged BMW M3s

Every type of car has an aftermarket where you can customize your car and make it faster. When searching around for a new car to buy, many enthusiasts spend a lot of time digging through online forums to learn about what can be gotten out of each type of car with performance modifications. Online forums often provide a thorough, if cluttered and confusing, picture of what can be done to each type of car, and it often takes hours of digging to find it.

This is why we want to make some general modification guides for our readers that are quick and easy to understand. We won’t be going through every single possibility that you might find on the forums, no, this will just leave readers with a good idea of what to expect in a short amount of time. For any extremely specific concerns, the forums are still the best place to go.

We also aren’t going to go into too much detail on everything that is possible to do to a car with an outrageous amount of money because at that point, your imagination is the only limitation. Hell, you could make a Toyota Prius run a 10 second 1/4 mile if you had the money to spend, and the desire to do so.

What we are going to do is try and illustrate what can be done to a variety of different cars for a few thousand, or even a few hundred, dollars. Most people aren’t interested in doubling or trippling the cost of their car with modifications, but many people are interested in what they can get for a couple extra grand. These days, everyone seems to be doing at least some modifications to their cars, so, in many cases, the modification potential may be just as big of a selling point as anything else about a car.

We’ve already posted our Subaru WRX STi modification guide, but there are many more to come in the future. Let us know in the comments what cars you’d like to see us do modification guides for!

-Nick

CARS 101

Subaru WRX STI Modification Guide

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Modified 2004 Subaru WRX STI

The Subaru WRX STi is a fantastic package with solid Brembo brakes, a high-performance suspension, and around 300 turbocharged horsepower being put to the ground with pure all-wheel-drive traction. It is a deadly back road weapon as-is, but there is a lot of room for improvement should you want to take your rally car the the next level.

While better tires will improve any car, overall, the STi is already very well set up for handling and braking. To raise the excitement level, you can just dive right into adding horsepower.

This post is meant to be a generic, easy to understand guide for anyone who is looking into modifying a Subaru STi. We hope this will help save people the hassle of having to dig through online forums just to find the basic information. Look for more modification guides for other types of cars in the future.

Continue reading Subaru WRX STI Modification Guide →

CARS 101

One of the best looks at speeding laws I’ve seen

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We all dread speeding tickets, yet most of us willingly speed everywhere we go. In truth speed limits, everywhere outside of towns and neighborhoods, are far too low. Cars have come a long way, and the government should, if they were concerned with actual public safety and social function, be doing studies to find the optimal speed limit for each road within their jurisdiction. In reality, though, governments, care very little about actual public safety or the practical functioning of society. They are far more concerned with preserving the massive revenue that is brought in by traffic fines. Because of this, the speed limits have remained too low, allowing the cops to literally pick any motorist out of the pack to get a citation.

While I doubt anything will be done about this issue soon, the above video, “Speed Kills Your Pocketbook”, makes a valid and intelligent point. Enjoy.

-Nick

CARS 101, Opinions

Cars 101: How to live the “Low Life”

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Slammed Honda Accord Coupe
Slammed Honda Accord Coupe by Dan Valanzola

Have you ever been so stoned that you wondered, “Hey, what if my car… and the ground… were the same thing?”

Evidently, someone asked that very question at some point, and the stance craze was born. Slammed cars have all but replaced ricers as the automotive fad of choice, and now everyone wants to be “Hella Flush” in their mom’s Jetta.

It is a movement based entirely around vanity, compromising practical functionality in the name of style and form. There comes with it a rebellious undertone, projecting a level of pride in deviating from the automotive norm. Most people won’t “get it”, and that is the whole point.

So how does one go about conforming to the non-conformity of the Stance Movement? There is a lot more to it than just lowering your car, although that is an inevitability that you might as well just get out of the way. As said by Stance Works, “Low is a lifestyle”, so you’ve gotta really love it to live it low, bro.

Continue reading Cars 101: How to live the “Low Life” →

CARS 101, Motorsport

Oh The Motoring Irony!

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How much longer will this be a familiar sight?

It goes without saying that Audi owns Le Mans; both figuratively and sort of literally.  The eleven overall victories certainly cement the figurative bit and the constant ‘Quattro’ this and ‘Quattro’ that plastered everywhere seem pretty literal if you were to ask me.

So it came to little surprise to me when Porsche unveiled their new 2014 LMP1 racer a mere week before the 2013 Le Mans race.  The motorsport world had been fast approaching what was seeming to be (and was) yet another overall victory for Audi on the La Sarthe circuit, and Porsche wanted everyone watching to remember that in one year they would be returning to the track to defend their honor (and their sixteen overall victories).

However, while watching a portion of the 1998 Le Mans race on YouTube, I had a revelation of just how ironic this impending on-track battle between the two marques actually is.  Yes, you read that correctly, ironic is the perfect word to use to describe the 2014 24 Heures du Mans.

So, we start the beginning of this ironic, frighteningly Star Wars-like (more on that later) story with the Audi RS2 Avant.  In the early 1990s, Audi engineers decided that they wanted to mix their expertise in building sensible cars with a bit of eye-popping performance.

Continue reading Oh The Motoring Irony! →

CARS 101

Autocar: Snow tires vs AWD in the snow…… what’s better?

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Ok, the obvious answer for the best snow setup is to have an all wheel drive car that is equipped with snow tires. That’s what I personally have, and it is flawless in winter driving. This is still quite relevant though, if you can only have either snow tires or all wheel drive, then which is better?

Spoiler alert: the snow tires win. Truth be told, all wheel drive is far superior in snow for getting moving and for controlling your car in a skid. However, when it comes to braking and avoiding a skid by having grip snow tires are what you need. Too many people think all wheel drive does far more than it actually does in bad weather. It only helps you get traction when using the accelerator, other than that your car is just like any other car.

So the moral of the story is this: No matter what type of car you drive, if you drive it in snow, get some snow tires for the winter months. Safety first.

-Nick Walker

CARS 101

Cars 101: Video games and real driving

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Forza’s Kinect feature allows casual players to simply steer, and the game takes care of the rest. More hardcore players should stick with a controller though.

My generation was the first to grow up with video games that could really simulate reality to a high degree. There are titles out there now that can simulate the likes of ruthless combat, dog fighting a fighter jet, and of course racing a car. Every generation after us will continue to grow up with these simulating games, and will wind up trying to use the experience they have gained in these games when it comes time to get behind the wheel for real. Many people out there do not believe such games hold any real merit in such skills as driving a car, but they would be hugely mistaken. Much can be learned from experience in realistic video games, but it is important to understand what translates into reality and what does not.    Continue reading Cars 101: Video games and real driving →

CARS 101

Cars 101: “Certified Pre-Owned”

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We got a cah for every-body! Note: These are the guys you don't go to.

When I was a little kid, there were two different ways to buy a car.  One would either buy new, or buy used.  For the most part, the path of buying used was a spread of options, ranging from buying a used car at a new car dealership for a price that would often be too high for the market, buying from a shady dealer in an even shadier area (Big Paulie’s Used Car Barn!  Everyone is approved! No credit? No problem!  Right in Newark’s West Ward!), or buying from a private seller (which would often prove to be either the very best or very worst option, depending on the seller or the car).  Now though, as has been the case for at least the past ten years, the “Certified Pre-Owned” programs are everywhere.  So, what exactly are they? Continue reading Cars 101: “Certified Pre-Owned” →

CARS 101

A telling emissions test by Edmunds Inside Line

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For all of the eco conscious folks out there here is a test showing that you should not judge a book by it’s cover, or the “green-ness” of a car by it’s engine size. Knowledge is power.

-Nick

CARS 101

Cars 101: Overheating

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If the temperature gauge starts going over the halfway mark, you're in trouble.

Pretty much anyone with a driver’s license has seen someone standing at the side of the road staring at a stranded car with steam billowing out of the engine bay.  Some of these people (myself included) have been forced to pull over due to overheating.  So, how do you handle such a thing, and how do you avoid it happening in the first place?  Read on. Continue reading Cars 101: Overheating →