Care to guess?

When I first saw the ad for this exact car, I was confuzzled. What is this? A vintage Nissan? Shouldn't it be a Datsun instead?

Nope. The post title was Nissan Spartan II Custom, LIKE NEW.
As it turns out, it is a converted 1988 Nissan 300zx 2+2. It even has T-top roofs!

After a quick sleuth through the internet, I found out that Spartan Cars is a car conversion kit maker. Based in Pinxton, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, they have been doing for quite some time. They've converted jeep styled cars, and a lot of 2+2 styled cars. Its a very unique company.

link to orginal images:
http://www.carsforsale.com/used_cars_for_sale/1997_Nissan_Spartan+II_117244755

Peugeot EX1: Future of Electric Supercars

When I first saw this car, I could only wonder just what it was. It sort of looked like a LFA mixed with a Lotus Evora and the Batmobile. But it's not any of those. This is Peugeot's EX1, their attempt to give Peugeot a face lift and a new image. And as far as I can tell, it's working. The EX1 has bold, hard edges, sinewy door panels, and unique water-drop architecture. It's a work of art in itself. Sure, I'd love to drive this thing around, turning everyones head where ever I go. But that's not the best part about the EX1. The best part about the EX1 is that it can match a Bugatti Veyron from 0-62mph, even though it has 660 less horsepower.

The Ex1 uses two electric engines, one hooked up to each axle. These two make a total of 340 hp and power its 750kg carbon honeycomb composite body around the track. This coupe sports sucide doors, with the bucket seats actually attached to the doors.

To most people, this sounds a lot like the Tesla Roadster. In a sense, yes, it is. But in a superficial way. Why? Because the EX1, Peugeot's first attempt at an electric anything, has taken for itself 6 international acceleration records for electric vehicles. A blazing 14.4 second quarter mile, 28.16 second kilometer, and a mile in 41.09 seconds at a lightning 87.6 mph.

*Images from www.topgear.com/uk

Lotus Elite: DB9 Rival

Danny Bahar (Former Ferrari), taking full advantage of his new position of head of Lotus, has major plans to change Lotus's image as tiny pocket-rocket-super-car-track-monster. And he's going all out to achieve it.

Enter, Lotus Elite.

This here, is a front engined, 2+2 coupe which is quite capable of rivaling the Aston Martin DB9.

Lotus has always used Toyota-sourced engines in its USDM imports, and that hasn't changed. But now, Lotus is getting the best Toyota's got, a certain 5.0L V10 that makes 610 hp @ 8100 rpm, that just also happens to be in the LFA. Most of us would agree that the LFA engine would be perfect. But no, that wasn't good enough for Lotus. So they decided to supercharge it. And add integrated electric motors. And a F1-style KERS regeneration system. All this tech will get the Elite from 0-62 in the neighborhood of 3.5 seconds.

And all of that goodness can be yours for a mere $180,000 USD.

*Images from www.topgear.com/uk

J.Ma On: Chick Magnets

One of the best ways to get a girl's attention is to simply get to know her, have a nice dinner with her, and hopefully be more than friends from there. However, say that you had the guts to ask the girl to a nice dinner at Olive Garden. You drive up to her house, ring her door bell, and she walks out, excited as you are. But, what vehicle are you going to use to drive her there? If she saw a 1987 run down Pontiac, I don't think she'll be very excited to go with you. She'll go with you, but not with much excitement.

So, this brings up the big question. What is a chick magnet car?

Clearly, there are sporadic personalities throughout this world, thus creating a like for many cars. But as I stated before in my first article, girls only like rich, luxurious sports cars. You aren't going to impress a lady with a Toyota Camry.

However, there are those "cheaper" types of luxurious cars. And I believe I have found the type of car that impresses the majority of Asian females.

The Lexus IS(insert you model here).

That's right, it doesn't matter what type of IS it is. It could be the 250, 350, or the F. To most girls, they all look the same. Clearly, the performance of each car is very different, but that's for the men to know.

For this explaination, we will be comparing the 250 AWD, 350 AWD, and the F.

Now, as the model name explains, the 250 AWD has a 2.5 liter engine, 350 AWD has a 3.5 liter engine, and the F has an incredible 5.0 liter engine. But, no lady will care about that.

So lets add up some crunchy numbers. 250 AWD reaches 204 hp @ 6,400 RPM. 350 AWD reaches 306 hp @ 6,400 RPM. And the little F boy reaches 416 hp @ 6,600 RPM. Again, boys will find this intersting, and girls wont.

Finally, the price. The 250 AWD will cost you $35,775. That is alot, but it doesn't compare to a BMW or a Mercedes. THe 350 AWD will cost you $41,030. The extra money is just for the conversion of the engine really. And finally, we have the F series, which will cost you a whopping $59,010. If you were to tell a girl about these prices, she'd find absolutely no difference in design, comfort, and size. What she doesn't know, is that the evolution of the sport car from 250 to F. That is something she will never know.... since all have leather seats.

That's great. All these numbers are very nice. So what does this have to do with your thesis? Nothing much, just to prove that girls aren't very deeps on cars. But here's the thing. Girls find Lexus IS's to be "cute". To be honest, they are cute little rich cars, espicially if you get them in Lexus's Pearl White. So will a Mercedes do the same? No, because it isn't cute. Will a BMW M3 do the same? No, because it isn't cute. Will a Corvette do the same? Yes, except the "cute" will become a "cool". Why? Because girls know what a Corvette is, but don't know what an AMG Mercedes Benz is. But what are girls more attracted to? Hardcore performance muscle cars, or luxury-filled cutesy Lexus?

Well, if she's Asian, get the Lexus.

4thGear Tips: Understanding VINs

When buying a used car, you have to be very careful about a car's past. Salvage, theft, water, fire titles/reports are not good.

What is a VIN number?

The car's vehicle identification number (VIN) is the identifying code for a SPECIFIC automobile. It is just like the car's fingerprint. A VIN is composed of 17 digits and characters that act as a unique identifier for the vehicle. A VIN displays the car's unique features, specifications and manufacturer. The VIN can be used to track recalls, registrations, warranty claims, thefts and insurance coverage. If the VIN is not 17 characters long, the VIN is most likely from a pre-1981 vehicle.

Where can the VIN number be found?

On each car, there is a unique serial number located on the front windshield (driver side) and it can also be found on the door frame of the driver side. Copy down the serial number, double check if you have it right.



Where can I get a VIN Check or Report?

There are several websites that provide this service. But it's not free; the ones we recommend is CARFAX and AutoCheck. Both of these websites offer a free basic preliminary check, they tell you the number of "reports" but they do not specifically tell what they are. You will need to purchase the report to see everything in detail.

www.carfax.com

www.autocheck.com

The Next Big Thing.

View the entire Next Big Thing Series ft. Justin Timberlake @ Audi's Youtube homepage:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Audi

Volkswagon GTI

Hey! Welcome back. We haven't been posting that much recently because school started and we don't have as much free time. But not to worry, I have something that will make up for the last couple of days... The VW GTI!


The original VW Rabbit GTI came to the United States in 1983. It was equipped with a 1.8 liter engine producing 90 horsepower. It was lightweight and nimble; to many people at the time, more appealing in looks and performance compared the under performing American sport coupes.



Ever since then, VW has been pushing up the bar with this car. Every every model, every year they manage to crank out more horses and still maintain efficiency. The newest GTI (FWD) comes with in-line 4 cylinder supercharged engine producing an amazing 200 horsepower. It can reach 60mph in just 6.7 seconds. 6-speed manual is standard,and a dual-clutch automated manual transmission called DSG (direct shift gearbox) is optional.

Think the performance is amazing? Check out the mileage on the car.

City mpg (man/auto) 21/24
Highway mpg (man/auto) 31/32
MSRP (2010): $23,465

This proves that you still can have a fun sporty car but not have to cringe every time you fill up the tank.


(click to enlarge)

Notice

We haven't been posting up new articles recently. We are compiling a series of articles and will soon release them.

Aero II: New Fastest Production Car?

SSC plans to bring out of its latest monster, the Aero II. These SSC guys aren't joking around either. They're going for the top spot, which is currently being held by Bugatti's Veyron Supersport. The Supersport previously stole the title of fastest production car in the world from the first Aero, the SSC Ultimate Aero. Now, this sleek machine, dressed in a pearl white color, surfaced on Top Gear's website a few days ago. TG has secured an exclusive sneak-peak at the Aero II, and has released photos of the Aero II in the a special edition October TG magazine, today.

BP Oil Spill Investigation Probes

This is the biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history, it caught the attention of the entire world.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39046088/ns/us_news-environment/?GT1=43001

I thought this comment had a lot of truth and meaning to it..

"Even after a technical investigation, many people will try to twist the facts.
BP, though negligent, has a vested interest in protecting the environment. They are taking a huge monetary loss because of the spill.
The outcome of this disaster needs to be a culture shift in the oil industry, much like nuclear underwent after Three Mile Island. Financially destroying BP does nothing."-
ms-397461

In the end, we still need the oil. Where do we get it from? Are we going to simply not use oil anymore? Nope, not in the near future.

Top Gear Stig: Revealed

Top Gear's mysterious Stig, is finally revealed after Top Gear lost a legal battle with HarperCollins publishing company. The Stig, now revealed to be Ben Collins, wrote an autobiography, and was attempting to reveal his true identity. Top Gear took legal actions, claiming that the book was a violation of the Stig's contract. The battle was taken to court, but the jury ruled that Ben Collins was allowed to publish.

Donto P1

Even though you're a regular auto fan, chances are, you haven't heard of the growing world street legal track cars. Currently this market is dominated by two cars, the KTM X-Bow, and the Ariel Atom. But now, a new company from an unexpected corner of the world is determined to break its way into this market.

In comes Donto Motor Company, an Argentinean company, with its new concept car, the P1. Not too much information is known about the P1, as it still is in its developmental stages. What I do know, is that its being powered by a 1.8L VW sourced engine making 180hp. This car is rumored to weigh in at around 1500 lbs, and is construcked with a split body exoskeleton. Target price: $55,000.

Bugatti Veyron Rebirth?

Next gen Bugatti Veyron? Not quite. Everybody, meet the Bugatti Renaissance. Designed and rendered by a Canadian student, John Mark Vincente. The images were produced in Softimage XSI and rendered in 3ds Max/Mental Ray. Simply incredible. Enjoy.

*Images obtained from www.gtspirit.com

BMW M1 Teaser Revealed

BMW released on the net just a few days ago a tantalizing glimpse of the upcoming BMW M1 Sports car. Currently, there is no idea what kind of car the M1 will be. Will it be another M3 (400hp 4L V8), or as M Division Chief Kay Segler says, "in tradition of the original BMW M3 (200hp inline 4)?

Only time will tell.



In other news, Honda has released its sports-hybrid(such a terrible contradiction, I know), the CR-Z.