saw a test mule tonight

The goods:

-Really really excited about seeing a test mule on my way home from work.
-full zebra prints hiding the design
-it's a hatchback (could be the next gen Suzuki Swift Sport)
-probably a Japanese manufacturer (here in Japan of course)
-my first ever spotting a test mule in full disguise
-the body disguise looked something like this (completely different shape needless to say)



The bads:

-10 at night, didn't get a chance to see it real good
-my guess can be way off, may be a Lexus hatch

The questions:

-We're so far from any car development facilities in this part of Japan (Chiba ken)
-parts manufacturers test their brakes and other safety systems near here, but not a full car
-If a family hatch, absolutely no reasons to use a test mule with full disguise
-guy driving the mule gave me a good long look because I revved and went real slow past him, wishing him good luck
-please give us something good!

2010 title (F1)

Who deserves it more this year? Alonso, Webber, or Vettel? Short answer: They all do.

Personally I'd say Webber most deserves the championship because he's worked so hard for so many years, stayed with a start-up through the worst, and finally sees a fruitful season. If he doesn't get this one he may very well never have another shot.

BUT, in this business there is no such thing as who deserves it more, only who's more dominant, more consistent, and more....... lucky. Yes it's better to be lucky than good sometimes, umm... all the times. Any of those on top now will need all three qualities to claim the most sought after prize in all of motor racing.

Good luck to them all!

F1's last 4 races

Or 3 remaining if not counting Korea.

The closest driver's championship race since, err, since forever. How can Button, the underdog champion, make a run for it? Personally I think he should go for all or nothing. With what's he's been doing the last 4 races, his current strategies aren't going to put him on top, so why bother?

Current ranking after Singapore before Japan, drivers - points
Mark Webber 202
Fernadno Alonso 191
Lewis Hamilton 182
Sebastian Vettel 181
Jenson Button 177

25 points up for grasp with each remaining race (25 * 4 = 100), it's really everyone's guess. One crash, strategic misstep, that's all it takes, but it won't happen to all 4 of them above Button. So all or nothing.

Aggression, more, thanks

If the Brits don't make it this year, PLEASE let Webber take the crown. PLEASE! Vettel will have his (many) championships when he's finally ready. While Alonso does deserve credit where it's due, he's stopped being amazing.

racing games

There are at least 4 racing games that look incredible on PlayStation 3 coming out near end of this year. It's a car enthusiast's heaven but with so little time, how am I going to play all these games?




The no-brainer: Gran Turismo 5
(place holder for vid)
merits: best simulation series for a decade




The look-at-me: NFS Hot Pursuit
(place holder for vid)
Merits: all the new super/hyper cars. Veyron, 918 Spyder, Zonda F




The free-world roamer: Test Drive Unlimited
(place holder for vid)
Merits: roam the island of Hawaii and drive the best cars in the world




The F1 lover: F1 2010
(place holder for vid)
Merits: the latest F1 season with all drivers and all tracks

feel good youtube

I hope, in the future my children will restore my S2000, before I die. Brought a tear to my eye. Could this be a viral ad? Who cares, it's so well done.

Senna, the movie

It looks like Senna, the Movie is being released in Japan first. Japanese title:
アイルトン・セナ　音速の彼方へ

Go to the official movie website to see a clearer trailer:
http://senna-movie.jp/

There is a trailer posted to youtube here


It's being released on Oct 8th in very limited theaters in Japan. I'll probably go see it in Odaiba Cinema Mediage in Tokyo.

driving Honda CRZ

Car: Honda CR-Z Alpha auto-manual (pedal shift)
Price (in Japan): 2.5 million yen (roughly USD 29k)


from my experience, here are two ways to look at it:

1) from a sports car point of view
It really is disappointing. It feels bulky, despite its best effort to keep the weight down. The steering input and feedback is a major let down. I don't know in that aspect it's better than Honda Fit - a family compact.

2) from a hybrid car point of view
This is way more fun than your run-of-mill Prius or Honda's own Insight. The preset modes are actually useful too. Sport/Normal/Econ. I was on Sport mode 99% of my test drive. The Econ mode is really snail-like, but it gets the job done - saving gas.

The good:
dash, dials, general interior feel very modern, easy to see, although there are way too many buttons to fiddle with
the pedal shift feels pretty textile, can't say I like it but general public probably do

The bad:
no punch behind the push, if the battery is fully charged, in Sport mode, and pedal to the metal, it gets up to speed, but no torque, at all

The ugly:
the sheer size it feels... it feels empty, especially with the so-called auto-manual pedal shift. VERY LITTLE FEEDBACK.

Verdict:
Until I can drive it a little harder for real, for now it lacks what makes a car sporty - information from the road conveyed back to the driver. It fails as a sporty car. It fails as an all-out hybrid in mileage. It's pitched toward the casual driver, somewhat environmentally minded, interested in sporty looking car, with no children (teeny tiny backseats).

the new widow-maker?

...introducing Ferrari 458 Italia

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/41513/

The Ferrari 458 Italia, the Italian car manufacturer's latest model, might just be cursed. Ten of the exceedingly expensive vehicles have crashed in the past month, according to reports on Tuesday.

Six Ferrari 458 Italias have been involved in accidents, three caught on fire, and one was destroyed in a fire while it was being stored innocently in a warehouse.

what to listen to?

These have strangely been the days I listen to music often. Let's put it this way, "no music no life" has always been the furthest from my truth. I'd rather listen to a good engine scream to be honest. But with the drive I have now (good open top motoring, not so busy country roads) and the extra speakers right around my neck I finally got myself wanting to look for that missing piece of puzzle.

Here is what I've come up with in my journey to a second music discovery.

Indie

Everything that has indie in its names, indie rock, indie alternative, alternative rock, indie pop. I can't listen to anything else. For 3 years, I have tried everything on the horizon, well besides death metals. I find indie music a breath of fresh air, the only thing that goes into my ears through to my entire being without the cynicism.

But soon after my decision to stick with indie music I was hit with a dilemma. As I find out more about a particular band, I start to lose interest in them. I don't want to know who they are. I don't want them to become widely popular (main stream-ish), case in point, The Black Keys.

So the most sane thing to do is I get what I can from Internet indie outlets that bring in the unknowns and the lesser knowns. Still the damage is there. When I'm 50 years old, I'll look back to this decade seeing a blank sheet of music history when I chased the invisible. (I don't pay attention to who they are. The chances of them being played on the radio, now or ever, is a whopping zero.)

I'd rather have that than current pop, hip hop, pop rock, please god no. And I'll have the occasional opera tracks. Thanks.

manly romance

The most romantic thing I can think of, in toying with human emotions, the respect, glory, stupid manliness, death, cold machines, etc, etc, etc...



Forget this being a commercial. Forget this being a video. Forget this being two champions reminiscing about the past. Forget this is about Prost as much as Senna.

In the olden days these would have been battle machines, where generals had fought and lost their lives for all the glory to the people they served. In a sense completely meaningless. This is the same battle, without massive loss of lives except a handful.

The most romantic thing I can imagine, by a mile. Genuinely stupid.

cake and eat

Can we have our cake and eat it?

Can we satisfy our need for speed while maintaining a balance with our environment? To determine that we must revisit the origin of our intelligence tens of thousands of years ago (or maybe 4 millions) when the first human ancestors stood upright and freed their hands for tools. And speech, don't forget how important that was for brain development. With speech we were finally able to shed the skin that kept us primitive. We saw the intangibles, the past, the future, innovation, and hence culture.

That was the dawn of our civilization. Once that ship has sailed, there is no stopping it, until, until everything is gone, the sky, the ground, the air, the home, the livable habitats that have given us the necessary protection from the elements and dangers.

The Earth, our planet, is not going away. At least not anytime soon. When our star in the center of our solar system dies, it'll swell and swallow our planet. And until then, even though literally thousands of scenarios can end our existence, none seems as likely as ourselves. We are the scenario now. We can end this in a flash.

This is the crossroad. I know perhaps every generation has thought about this very idea, but we're closer than ever. BECAUSE, there are a record number of us. BECAUSE of our insatiable need for advancement.

Ironic, isn't it? That was what brought us here. That exact collective personality trait enabled us to strive as a species. That's why this is the crossroad.

We can't measure how beings and existence outside of our knowledge and power can and may end us. We can, however, wise up and deal with our desire to have more and better every time the clock ticks.

In 100 years, we'll either prove ourselves to be the parasites who do NOT deserve to occupy this beautiful pale blue dot; or we'll come through as a species and have found a way to curb our enthusiasm. We can have our cake and eat it?

to mod or not to mod

....that is the question.

Honda S2000 ended its 10-year production run last year (2009 or Heisei 21). For an S model (S500, S600, S800 etc) it was considered successful. It's never meant to be a mass market highly profitable dime-a-dozen car. In fact we can't really be sure it was profitable for Honda until you factor in such intangibles like brand image. Now it begs the question- should I mod my last-production-year top-of-the-line S2000, or leave it as stock as possible, hence preserving the will of its designers (most importantly Uehara-san's).


If I decide to mod it (fully tuned in above pic)
good: more capable, personalized, more trackable
bad: expensive, not as clean, regrets 10 years down the road


If I decide against it (bone stock pic above)
good: very clean look, linear power delivery
bad: not tapping into its truest potential

Well I guess another choice would be going to Spoon (the best modder out there who knows Honda's balance) for some light tuning. Maybe that's what I'm going to do.

JDM cars in the pipeline

or rumored to be...

There are plenty of speculations, spy reports, insiders' leaks on these "secret" developments. So I'm not going to speculate any more here. Assuming all of them will make production in 5 years (2011 - 2016), this list would be my favorite.

1) Honda new NSX (or whatever it'll be called) based on HSV-010 GT

why? If the name Honda NSX isn't enough persuasion, then there is the most menacing stance I've ever seen with a Japanese car. An instant classic. VTEC V8, FMR lay-out, light, pure as pure comes.

2) Mazda RX7 (2012?)

why? Despite this ugly picture of a mock-up, the sight of a brand new RX-7 would be very incredibly attractive, not to mention long overdue. As wonderfully flawed and unique as the RX-8 is, it's time to move on.

3) Mazda Roadster (MX-2? 2012?)

why? Going back to MX-5's root. What made it such a good car isn't the power, but the weight, or the lack of it. 990kg (~2181lb), handles.

4) Honda CR-Z Type-R (non hybrid)

why? The half hearted hybrid is for the general public. Now give the enthusiasts a reason to buy Honda again, come on.

5) Subaru WRX STI coupe (or sedan)

why? Subaru is known for their special versions. This one would make a few more people happy. Niche market!! A few more dedicated performance parts as well please!

6) Subaru AE86 STI (in my dream?)

why? Why the hell not? FR, Toyota AE86 bloodline, Subaru's boxer engine, perhaps turbo charged, STI treatment.

7) Mazda Furai (first Mazda production supercar?)

why? Mazda won 1991 Le Mans with a 787B. Show us the sky is the limit, pretty please?

to be continued................

playoffs underway, but F1...

...is where my heart is at this season.

NBA basketball is booooooooooooring! Where are the stars? Maybe they'll pick up the pace deeper into the post season.

I'll have a bucketful of Formula One instead please. I don't really have a clear favorite but I guess I'm naturally rooting for last year's driver's champion Button. Wait, before you bash me, hear me out.

1) Button drove for Honda in 2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08


2) That means there is a connection between him and my S2000, and NSX, which he owns (owned). Kind of like Senna and the NSX.

(not his actual car in this pic)

3) Jessica Michibata being the coolest, needless to say gorgeous, sportsman's girlfriend, good choice so far (yatta indeed, Jessica)


4) But most importantly, his driving style. (smooth as silk)

5) And what a down-to-earth all-around laid-back dude.

Yes, yes, yes, you're right. Hamilton is a better, funner to watch driver. And yes you're right again Button doesn't have as much consistency as, say Schumacher, or Alonso, nor did he win the championship with Honda. But to me he's (tire-management) smart. Going fast gets you somewhere, but being smart and pretty quick makes the race that much more interesting. Go Button.

Porsche steals show in Geneva

2. Porsche's game changer at Geneva Motor Show 2010
3. Monstrous hybrid the sweet future?
4. What happened to Porsche's lazy designers? (/sarcasm)
5. Can Porsche keep ludicrous promises?
6. VW not hindering Porsche's growth

Any number of these would be a completely valid title. Car enthusiasts around the world got hit by a fresh-faced all new hybrid concept by the secretive Stuttgart auto manufacturer. No one saw it coming, not the spy photographers, not industry insiders, not even rumors.

Not very often you'd go to an auto show where nobody even gives a second glance to stunning Lamborghini, Ferrari, Mercedes Benz, Pangani, not even Bugatti. People were there to see Porsche 918 Spyder Concept that they didn't know existed until last week. It is the center piece of the whole event.





Has Porsche gone bat shit insane claiming these numbers?

V8 engine = 500hp
motor = 218hp
0-100km/h (0-62mph) = 3.2s
Top speed = 198mph
fuel economy = 78 miles per gallon
carbon dioxide emission = 70 grams per km

CR-Z is finally here

Honda's new nippy (hopefully) hybrid sports/y car is here. This is said to be the first of its kind - hybrid + light + sporty + manual transmission + small footprint (size & carbon)

Today Honda Japan officially updated their website with new info on CR-Z. To me the most important thing is its weight.

some important specs:
weight: 1130kg (manual transmission)
price (Type alpha): 2.5 million yen (~27k USD)
engine: 1.5l i-VTEC IMA (intergrated motor assist)
114ps at 6000 rpm (~112hp)

motor: 14ps at 1500 rpm
gas mileage: 22.5km/L

Dilemma dilemma dilemma - potential buyers of the new CR-Z would want something light and very chuck-able if Honda CR-X (~850kg) was any indication. Now this reincarnation of former feather-weight CR-X is a hybrid and of course that means added kilograms of a motor, its battery, various parts and modern safety concerns. I wish they would build a lighter version (-100kg) with slightly more power (~150bhp). People like me won't mind missing a number of features.


Cut-away graphic. There is hardly any room in the back. A 2+2.

Good thing rumor has it a CR-Z type R is in the pipeline. Do it, Honda! Do it.

driving Japan's country roads

I've driven across most of Japan. Most, as in spanning the country length-wise, from as far south as Kyushu and as far north as Hokkaido. I have even been to the northernmost point of Japan where Russia is a stone's throw away (well slightly farther away than that).

In the earlier years I wanted to save money so I never used the expressways. They're expensive. 2500 - 3000 yen (~35 USD) is the typical fare for a 3-hour drive. But as long as time not a real concern, I recommend national roads (国道) in the country side that promise better sights.

The daily commute being too short for my S2000, last Sunday we took it out for a stretch of its legs on a beautiful road - the Kujukuri tolled road (九十九里有料道路) on the east coast of Chiba prefecture. With the sun peeking from behind a few late winter clouds, we had the top down and let the crisp air greet our faces before the pollen-filled hay fever season begins in the last week of Feb.



not my pic

If you look carefully you can see the coastline to the right and the blue body of water to the left is I believe a river.

beauty, thy name is HSV-010

The most beautiful non-production car for a long while. It looks better than Lexus LF-A, Mercedes Benz SLS gullwing, dare I say Ferrari 458 Italia. But does it perform better than aforementioned? We'll never know. For shame! http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/18/officially-official-honda-releases-photos-and-specs-on-hsv-010/

suggestion: turn up the volume


Honda, give us a production model!
SHAME!

2010 Cayman

Back to one of my current favorites Porsche Cayman. 2010 model hasn't changed much. From 2009 on it's gained an option of an LSD, to me the absolute, single most important thing for a serious ride like this.



What's new 2010 Cayman (Cayman S)


I got my gloves on one, so here goes my firsthand review.
PROS
-PDK (Porsche double clutch) a breeze
-PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) real world useful
-allows you to go like stink (Mr Hyde mode- sport, sport plus)
-civilized, settles into city traffic (Dr Jekyll)
-really sorts it all out for you, got the tail slightly out? no worries
-great brakes, stop on a dime

CONS
-PDK (someone says it's the auto-manual that you can respect, but not love. I agree)
-price tag (in Japanese yen 9,500,000, ouch! same spec US? $70,000. That's $25k more expensive)

COMPARED to my S2000, it is/does
-better looking
-more prestige
-double the price
-faster, quicker (Cayman 0-100km, 5.8sec, Cayman S ->5.2, S2000 ->6.0)
-less raw (in the world of sports cars, raw is good*)
-beefier torque (S2000 famous for lacking low-end torque)
-feel properly expensive
-


*On the topic of raw being good, true as long as you're an enthusiast. Otherwise buttons like "normal" "sport", "sport plus" may suit you better. To me the sport mode is a bit of a gimmick, a nuisance, since I will only be on sport mode 24/7. If you however found yourself in a super car, e.g. Ferrari F430, it would actually be more useful.


...to be continued.

onsen and Twin Ring Motegi

Over the New Year's holiday, we spent some quiet recharge time in an onsen and at Twin Ring Motegi. Here are the pics.

Within Motegi premises, there are a number of facilities:
4 race tracks
a hotel
a Honda museum
a small amusement park (some cart racing for kids)

In the Honda Collection Hall
an S500 next to Japan's first Formula 1 car


S500, grandfather of S2000


An alpaca in Tochigi