Review Your Cars

Sunday, June 27th was the forty-fourth annual Palo Alto Concours D’elegance . It was another scorching hot event just like last year, covered in my column from July 3rd, 2009 . And again, for $20 prior to the show date, it’s a bargain. Besides that, seeing five street cars I’ve never seen in person is very memorable as well. In my opinion the hot sunshine made the colors even more vibrant. This year Cadillac and Mercedes Benz were the featured marques which is a great combination. There is a tremendous amount of history between the two, but there were standouts past and present. The Gullwing Mercedes are timeless classics. 1930’s era V-16 Cadillacs have a certain magic about them as do many Concours quality cars from that era. And yes, the first view in person of the new SLS was a treat. It seems small compared to the McLaren parked next to it and the rear styling is a little weak in my opinion. There were dealers and manufacturers that had their own cars on display too. Sure enough, t...

Click here for Part 1: Background and Interior Impressions Driving The Beast: It whirs and clicks. “Mechanical” is the description that comes to mind over and over. You hear the whirring of the engine and robotic clicks of the dual clutch transmission behind you. I found it pretty cool, conveying its operations although the owner was talking about adding sound insulation. Almost mind blowing was the way it rockets out of turns with no drama. It was simply uncanny and obscene how early and how hard it could accelerate right after the apex. No hint of oversteer or drift. At full throttle in the less aggressive drive mode setting, the shifts feel like it’s from an automatic transmission. It’s very large yet the impression given in the turns is that it cannot be rocked when parked if you push it from the side. It’s as if the suspension tolerances are so tight that there is no slop in lateral movement. The ride is quite firm in the sport mode and the pogo effect can be faintly detected but ...

Click here for Part 2 of 2: Driving the Beast There were quite a few surprises driving the awesome and controversial Nissan GT-R. Having the opportunity to drive one on a twisty mountain road favored by motorcyclists was a thrill. It’s very “mechanical”, quite large and my impression more of a competitor to the Audi R8 than the Porsche 911 Twin Turbo. Background: This 2010 model has about 2000 miles on it. The MSRP was over $80,000. It features a 6-speed dual clutch paddle-shift rear transaxle. The 3.8 liter twin-turbo V-6 produces 485 hp at 6400rpm and 434 ft. lbs of torque at 3200 rpm. Known for consistent deep 3-second 0-60mph blasts and high 11-second quarter mile times, the biggest controversy was the factory reported Nurburgring time of 7:29, beating far lighter, 600 hp plus cars like the Porsche Carrera GT and Pagani Zonda F. The owner has had some notable cars in the past and is no stranger to track days. Cars like a track prepped Acura NSX, two E46 BMW M3s, and an ’04 Porsche ...

I saw your article on lifted trucks online. I am about to buy a great used truck, but it is lifted.. and I don't really want it to be. Any ideas on where or how is the best way to lower it again and what that would cost? - Adam from L.A. Hello Adam, I had this question asked once before. You can reference my answer from September 23rd, 2009 in the link here . There are other reasons besides the safety, mileage and courtesy factors. It allows easier access to contents in the truck bed and interior. Also being able to park in your own garage or a public parking garage is nice. Finally, females in skirts and dresses tend not to like climbing in and out of them and that can be critical... _____ Have a question about cars you would like answered? Want to know about performance, racing, modifying, shopping, makes, models, events, etc? Reach me here: AskRobAboutCars@gmail.com and I'll do my best to answer your question and publish it here on Examiner.com!

The Ford GT500 is now the car it always should have been. A weight loss of 146 lbs as tested by Car & Driver is the biggest reason. A brief review of the revised 2010 gave positive feedback for the revised interior but weight was still my concern. By all accounts in the media the 2010 suspension was much improved vs. the previous year. The big news now is an aluminum engine block, saving 102lbs vs. the iron mill. This also contributes to a better front/rear weight distribution for improved handling and braking. At 3751lbs it's still pretty heavy for a 107.1" wheelbase and not very aerodynamic, but what muscle car is? As mentioned, Ford made improvements to the solid rear axle ( SRA ). I can't say this ideal for handling like a rear independent suspension (IRS), but it is better for the dragstrip . Although the rear seats are hardly usable, it does offer that degree of practicality a Corvette cannot. Also, it now raises the bar for Chevrolet to come out with the Z/28 C...

Part 2 of the American LeMans race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca . There were 9 races over the weekend in 6 different classes but even if you just attend one, there was much to see and do. The main race is the 3rd longest race in the series and unfortunately even the new date in May vs. October didn't bring much better weather. Although temperatures were bearable in the sun it was quite windy. I know people that stayed home thinking it was going to rain. Some highlights: A tribute to racing Corvettes, past and present and serial # 001 2011 commemorative Z-06 in the paddock area. Walking the starting grid before the main race was a treat, meeting the drivers and seeing the cars up close. Taking the path up to the corkscrew made for some terrific views and is easier than going straight up. As it turns out, there were more spectators on the hillside than in both grandstands combined. Makes for a great although limited view, louder and protected from the wind. How could you go wrong? ...

Six hours of triple digit speeds wasn't the only story this past weekend on the Monterey Peninsula. Anticipating warmer weather this May vs. past races in October, it was still a little cold and windy. A hardcore race fan may watch the entire 6-hour race, but there is so much more going on the entire weekend. Be sure to check out Part 2 regarding all the other events taking place. RACE RESULTS: Most notable was the Highcroft Racing Acura HPD ARX-01C finishing in first place after starting at the back of the grid. It turned it's fastest time on lap 5 with a 1:14.441. Witnessing this lap in the grandstands at turn 4, my buddy and I looked at each other as the car flew by us, knowing were watching something special. This is the fastest turn and Acura states up to 131mph! The Acura battled the Mazda powered Lola B09 86 throughout the race, which interestingly qualified 2 seconds quicker. Unfortunately the oil filter blew with only 24 minutes remaining, causing the Lola to withdraw,...

Last weekend marked the beginning of the 20th Anniversary of the California Mille. A 1,000 mile driving and social event for pre-1958 cars throughout Northern California. In the tradition of the Mille Miglia in Italy, it is more than just classics being driven around with a $5,800 entry fee. For the public, it is essentially a free Concours D'elegance at the Fairmont Hotel at Nob Hill in San Francisco. Participant cars are parked in front of the hotel and other gorgeous classics on the street. The variety and caliber of the cars is extraordinary. As a matter of fact, cars from the Palo Alto Concours were present as well. The beauty of event is these cars are not sitting in a garage undriven and unappreciated except by a few. They are gorgeous, mostly in excellent condition being driven hundreds of miles a day. Many of them do not have air conditioning, radios or other modern comforts. Somewhat like all the benefits and detriments of motorcycling come to think of it. In some cases, ...

Club Auto Sport in San Jose, California, the premier car condominium and club also hosts various automotive themed events throughout the year. On Friday, March 5th, the Art and Autos event was a, “An Exhibit of Fine Automotive Art and Auto Design.” The San Francisco Academy of Art Industrial Design School presented several futuristic automotive designs with models, story boards and illustrations. The director of the industrial design department, Tom Matano was the special guest. Known as the “The Father of the Miata sports car design”, Mr. Matano was the General Manager of Mazda Design and held other prominent positions within the company. Besides artwork on display, the automobiles are always pleasant to look at that are being offered by Premier Auto Sales. The condos that are open to public view offer fascinating views of collections, automobiles and artwork. Below is the press release from Club Auto Sport. Be sure to check out the free Showoff Saturdays car shows including today as ...

It's great when sedans crack the 12 second quarter mile mark at 108mph or more. But when they weigh 4,000lbs and are rated at 333hp, something doesn't add up. In this case, the S4 seems to be making approximately 70 horsepower more than advertised. Consider the following test results: Road & Track May 2010: 12.9 seconds @ 108.6 mph Road & Track January 2010: 13.2 seconds @ 106.8 mph Car & Driver October 2009: 13.4 seconds @ 106 mph With very aggressive gearing and AWD like the Porsche Panamera this would be believable from a 333hp 2-ton sedan. But these times have been achieved with 6-speed manual cars. Looking back to the 420hp RS4 that was also around 4,000lbs, this matches pretty well. Audi isn't lying about the weight either. The Road & Track car weighed in at 4,010lbs. A really quick pig, if you will. At 333hp, an all-wheel drive car needs to weigh around 3,300lbs to achieve those speeds. There is more parasitic loss with AWD vs. two-wheel drive powertr...