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ccap41

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Everything posted by ccap41

  1. ccap41
    I sat in the new CX-9 in LA and it is every bit as good as these press photos suggest. Drew, is that nav screen move up and down into the dash? Looks like it could. Reply back from Mazda - The NAV screen does not retract into the dash. Bummer that would give is a very clean look when the end user did not want the nav / screen use. Much appreciated on getting an answer. Thanks Drew. I assume it would always be in use, though, with the radio on. It would look very clean down but realistically, I don't see a time when it would be down other than when you turn the car off and it would just be adding weight and complexity to have it move up and down.
  2. ccap41
    It's still a prestigious thing to hold the fastest production top speed mark. Can other auto makers do it? Yup. Can they so it with the class the Veryon has? Doubtful. I mean the next closest cars are all race cars with everything stripped from them. That is what really impresses me. Is that they kept a full interior with all leather and aluminum not rock hard carbon buckets, a tach, and a momo steering wheel. I agree that most are chasing a magical lap time, as if anybody can match that who buys most of the cars anyway, but the best at that are also stripped out street cars that sacrifice interiors for lap times. No other car close to this performance level can touch this interior. Yes there is the P1, 918, and LaFerrari but those are brand new and north of $1,000,000 as well and if you look at pics of those 3 none of them look like they can hold a candle to the Veyron's interior as well. Getting a 4600lb car to 260mph is "excellence in engineering" at its finest.
  3. ccap41
    I understand where he is coming from but at this stage it isn't necessary. When $h! hits the fan again(because it is inevitable, eventually) and sales go down I could see something like that. A commercial brand and a "people's" brand. They're both just doing too well to do something like that now, imo.
  4. ccap41
    Looks pretty dang good! I've always had a spot for hatchbacks, I've always thought they looked better and sportier than their brother, the sedan. As a Ford guy I'd love for them to turn on of these up into an ST/GTI/Speed3 fighter. More competition always breeds better products for them all. The 2.0 GM has is a great little motor and just pull it from one of their other vehicles and it would be good to go.
  5. ccap41
    Every vehicle that costs north of 100k looses an ass-ton within the first few years. Period. Not sure why the "debate". *if there are any miles put on the vehicle*
  6. ccap41
    Yeah like you said Drew... The low end of these small turbo cars gives the illusion of being a quicker car than they are. They have the low end tq that is actually used unlike a n/a inline 4 that needs revs to make the car move. I like the small turbo cars with low end because that's how I drive my vehicles, under 3k 99% of the time and when it's warmed up its usually under 2500rpm. It's all about that low end(the usable power).
  7. ccap41
    So-so fuel economy..? Really? Motor Trend's "Real MPG" tested it at 30mpg highway and 25 combined. I know it's just your opinion but personally, I think that's damn good. That truck is rated better than my little CUV. Yes, fuel costs more, but it's still a truck that can to real truck things, unlike my Escape. That's why my dad bought a Tacoma. He just didn't need more than that and a half ton would have easily cost probably 10k more for all he wanted.I just built and F150 XLT with just 4wd, extended cab(like his Tacoma- not 4 doors), and he needed a 6ft minimum bed. And it was almost 38k. Either starting with the XL and adding the power locks and $h! or just starting with an XLT Basicslly brought the price up to 38k. His Tacoma, I believe, was 26-27k.
  8. ccap41
    Save even more with a gently used E Class.. and so on down the line.. lol
  9. ccap41
    I was watching some college football this past weekend(Thursday night actually) and I saw this guy in the background. I took a SnapChat of it and sent it to my friends but I realized I didn't want to lose the pic, lol. http://vid32.photobucket.com/albums/d5/ccap41/D7E691FE-2832-4C1E-BBC4-6D927E942D40_zpsy7vifzpl.mp4 Well, that didn't upload as I wanted to because it isn't a GIF but check it out! It's like a 4 second clip..
  10. ccap41
    ** First, Sorry for posting the whole article.. It's just short.** Product Liability Case Ends in Michelin's Favor "In a unanimous verdict, a jury in Lake Havasu City, (Mohave County) Ariz., recently found in favor of Michelin North America Inc., on all claims relating to a product liability lawsuit filed against the company by the plaintiff, Kimberly Allen. The three-week trial was heard in Arizona State Court. The verdict was handed down on Nov. 19. In the lawsuit, Allen and her attorneys alleged that a defective Uniroyal tire -- manufactured by Michelin at its plant in Ardmore, Okla. -- was the reason for a single-vehicle rollover accident on Oct. 8, 2011, in Arizona. The plaintiff demanded $20 million in compensatory and punitive damages, claiming a faulty tire separated, caused the accident and resulted in severe injuries. Michelin successfully showed that the tread separation on the Uniroyal Tiger Paw AWP preceded the accident and was caused by a number of factors, including an improperly repaired puncture days before the accident as well as chronic under inflation of the tire. The jury determined there was no proof of product liability, and Michelin was found faultless on all claims. Michelin says the jury's decision in this case highlights "the critical importance of proper inflation and safe tire maintenance." The company adds it "will continue to vigorously defend its reputation and quality in cases that it knows are without merit." " http://www.moderntiredealer.com/news/411301/product-liability-case-ends-in-michelin-s-favor I'm not sure about you guys, but I LOVE that they didn't win due to their own lack of maintaining their own vehicle and wrecking it then trying to put the blame on somebody else. I'm glad Michelin defended themselves and aren't paying a dime to the scumbags trying to steal from them.
  11. ccap41
    I think Hyundai has been working on this for a few years at this point. No clue where/how the progress is at this point though. I just remember reading something on it quite awhile ago and I thought the idea was awesome. Definitely make diesels irrelevant in passenger vehicles. I don't know what kind of energy difference there is between a given amount of diesel vs gasoline but if you can get diesel efficiency with gasoline prices, we're talking monster jump in the industry. Well, it's not not going to go into HD trucks, it doesn't have the torque. Overall, the power characteristics of the engine don't change, because anything above light throttle and it switches back to being a conventional engine. The only advantage is in fuel savings during light load times.... You'd get fantastic highway fuel economy, but city would be the same as any other conventional gasoline engine of the same size and features since that's when you're into the throttle most often. Interesting, I didn't know that. Thanks! I was actually going to ask if they would be gaining the diesel-like power band but you already answered that.
  12. ccap41
    I think Hyundai has been working on this for a few years at this point. No clue where/how the progress is at this point though. I just remember reading something on it quite awhile ago and I thought the idea was awesome. Definitely make diesels irrelevant in passenger vehicles. I don't know what kind of energy difference there is between a given amount of diesel vs gasoline but if you can get diesel efficiency with gasoline prices, we're talking monster jump in the industry.
  13. ccap41
    An advantage Tesla has is they can take all the information from these consumers and/or accidents because of it and have one of their genius programmers write a program and re-flash everybody's cars from their own house and everything could be fixed over night because this does not sound like a mechanical issue at all. If that isn't awesome, I don't know what is. Looks like them rookies always have some sort of youth trick up their sleeve.
  14. ccap41
    What is HCCI? Is that the gasoline compression ignition?
  15. ccap41
    the Amateur you're talking about is Honda right? I mean, only a newbie would design an oil filter mount in a spot where any (and I do mean any) leak would drip right onto the exhaust manifold output. For added benefit, it also manages to leak onto the CV boot while you're doing an oil change. Ask me how I know. It was to lube up your.. CV boot... Every X thousand miles you get 1/4 of your suspension lubed up. It's actually a great idea. lol No I think he may have been talking about Porsche's being amateurs.. They don't even know how to build an ICE without the car burning to a crips! I don't know which has been around longer regenerative braking or the internal combustion engine but one of them has been around a long time. Porsche should never sell cars again if they can't build 1 measly engine without it burning to the ground.. "amateurs building cars" ... (the puke guy is just funny to me)
  16. ccap41
  17. ccap41
    They don't feel slow because they pull hard. Off the line is fast. See, that's what is weird with me. I am a very conservative driver and rarely do I ever put my foot to the floor anyway so the low end grunt of a diesel would theoretically be PERFECT but when I do put my foot down, as rare as it is, I want it to go a little. Ya know what, I just need to find my way behind the steering wheel of one of these new 2.8 Duramaxes.
  18. ccap41
    The very latest generation of Mazdas have fantastic FANTASTIC interiors. The CX-3 far far exceeds it's class and would put an Audi Q3 to shame. Easily best in class. I sat in the new CX-9 in LA and it is every bit as good as these press photos suggest. Damn, gorgeous interior! I wish when I was car shopping the CX-5's that I could afford weren't only the first model year which had the 155hp engine, no thanks. The '14s were a little out of my comfort zone when it came to dollar signs and I wasn't going to stretch myself for a vehicle.
  19. ccap41
    Don't a lot of high end luxury vehicles do that though? I thought a 50% drop in only a few years wasn't uncommon when the owner actually puts a few miles on it(22k in this case). Like Range Rovers, Audis, Porsches, anything that could fetch 150k. Here's an example.. 2 years old(okay, 3 now that it's 2016) 22k miles S8(starting price is about 115k) listed for 74k. Definitely not 50% but that is a MASSIVE drop off. Plus, we can all cherry pick autotrader cars for what we're looking for all day long. http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=62249&endYear=2015&modelCode1=S8&showcaseOwnerId=69754049&startYear=2013&makeCode1=AUDI&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=0&mmt=%5BAUDI%5BS8%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&listingId=413918297&Log=0 2014 RR Supercharged. STARTS at 103k and I had to find a VIN decoder to find the winder sticker, and 26,730 in options = ~130k. Listed for...$72,180 and only 17,550 miles on it. http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=98133&endYear=2015&modelCode1=RANGE&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&showcaseOwnerId=10617495&startYear=2013&makeCode1=ROV&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=0&showcaseListingId=417096181&mmt=%5BROV%5BRANGE%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&listingId=412665993&Log=0 Also, to all Why does anybody give a crap about how much a dealer marks a car down as a push against said company? Let's just be honest here, in the S Class's sake, it's by far and away the best vehicle in its respective class of car and if the dealer mark downs is the largest gripe about the car I'd say it is extremely successful. If the company is making money off the car and not closing the doors.. then they must be doing something right by offering the dealer markdowns. It's always been one argument I've never understood and there are a handful of people I've been on forums with that LOVE to push the "incentive" argument as if it makes the car/truck and less of a vehicle. Yeah I guess an S Class is all of a sudden some peasant car now that it is makred for from 118k to 108k...
  20. ccap41
    Does Mazda even want a V6 anymore though? If they are the most efficient lineup, like Drew said, then they're probably content with a family of 4's. They'd probably prefer to boost a 4 banger rather than throw in a heavier V6 because they put so much emphasis on driving dynamics. Afterthought: I completely forgot about the CX-9. To me, that would be the only application for a V6 in their lineup. Everything else can be done with an I4, boost or n/a. The CX-9 is getting a boosted 2.5 liter 4-cylinder with 250 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. No need for a Pentastar. Well, there ya go then! lol Also, How large is the CX-9? Is it Explorer side? or more like an Edge? It's a 3-row SUV, right? So I assume it's larger, more Explorer-like. Between Edge and Explorer in length, but narrower. Yes it's a 3-row, but I think the 3rd row is rather tight. The advantage of building the platform to only use 4-cylinder engines is that the engine cradle can be smaller and lighter. Making the decision early on to say "no V6 ever" allows them to save weight. They say that the platform itself dropped 287 lbs, but I don't know if that includes the switch from a 3.7 liter V6 to a Turbo-4 or not. If that weight loss is just in the structure, then total weight loss should be over 300lbs, putting it under 4,000 lbs in FWD form. That's a good bit of torque, and at a low RPM, for a CUV under 4k lbs. It should move along smartly. First, Thanks both you and dfelt! Second, a sub 4000lb suv of that size even in "just" FWD form is fantastic! My Escape, I believe, tips the scales just a tad over 3800 with AWD and the damn panorama sunroof. So for something to grow in size that much and gain less than 200lbs is a job very well done, yet again, my the Mazda crew. I like everything Mazda has done in the past 3ish years. They're the "drivers cars" of the common folk and put up fantastic economy numbers while doing so. Oh, and they are all the best looking in their respective classes, IMO. I don't know about the interior comparisons as I haven't been in one, let alone all of the competition for a comparison.
  21. ccap41
    Speaking of awesome shades of greens. http://www.motortrend.com/news/jeep-celebrates-75th-birthday-with-special-edition-models/ The one on the Wrangler looks PERFECT for a truck or a jeep. The "champagne" colored accents match perfectly, imo.
  22. ccap41
    Does Mazda even want a V6 anymore though? If they are the most efficient lineup, like Drew said, then they're probably content with a family of 4's. They'd probably prefer to boost a 4 banger rather than throw in a heavier V6 because they put so much emphasis on driving dynamics. Afterthought: I completely forgot about the CX-9. To me, that would be the only application for a V6 in their lineup. Everything else can be done with an I4, boost or n/a. Why waste R&D dollars on a V6 wen you can go Hybrid for the CX-9 and use a turbo 4 plus a decent electric motor. Better yet, use their I4 N/A as a generator and go with a pure electric AWD power train. Make the CX-9 like the Volt. Pure EV for the first 80 miles and then generator driven. I like it. Sounds pricey, but I like it.
  23. ccap41
    Does Mazda even want a V6 anymore though? If they are the most efficient lineup, like Drew said, then they're probably content with a family of 4's. They'd probably prefer to boost a 4 banger rather than throw in a heavier V6 because they put so much emphasis on driving dynamics. Afterthought: I completely forgot about the CX-9. To me, that would be the only application for a V6 in their lineup. Everything else can be done with an I4, boost or n/a. The CX-9 is getting a boosted 2.5 liter 4-cylinder with 250 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. No need for a Pentastar. Well, there ya go then! lol Also, How large is the CX-9? Is it Explorer side? or more like an Edge? It's a 3-row SUV, right? So I assume it's larger, more Explorer-like.
  24. ccap41
    No doubt about it. Are U going to Detroit?? I think I'm gonna stay East Coast this year and do New York again. OH.. PM sent Oh of course. I travel to all 4 major auto shows each year. daaaaang.. I wish I could do that. How is Chicago's? That's within driving range for me for a little weekend trip. As a member of the press it's the least important to attend. If my day job didn't pay for the trip to get there, I probably wouldn't go, and may skip it this year. As a member of the public, it's the largest and nicest facility, but there will be fewer concepts shown there on the floor. Dang, you make it sound crappy! lol Well, If you've ever attended the one in STL you'd think differently about Chicago. I've gone to STL's many times and I'm disappointed every. single. year. It's basically a new car dealer showroom. There isn't much rare, NOTHING exotic(if you want to you have to pay and stand in a line to see the "million dollar mile" ). I'm not sure if any of the German 3 luxury makers were there at all, pretty sure they weren't. This weekend there is a motorcycle show.. I'm intrigued but I'm scared I'll go and then just want to sell what I have to buy whatever bike I want, lol.
  25. ccap41
    According to testing, the 1.5T hits 60 in well under 9 seconds and runs the 1/4 mile in mid 16s. I think we're all being jaded if we start calling that borderline insufficient acceleration. From the 60s-80s that required a V8 or hi-po V6. Most of us have owned cars significantly slower. Maybe it's not brisk or fun, but you're never in danger unless you do something unreasonable to begin with. As far as personal preference, I fully admit I won't own a car that slow, though I will say that 1.5T can easily be tuned aftermarket for an extra 10-20% power. The previous gen 1.4T (port injected) from the Cruze and Sonic can make 160 hp/180 tq like it's nothing, the 2.0T can make 300 hp/330 tq, so I'm sure this engine is capable of 190 hp/210 tq safely. That's a decent benefit of a turbocharged engine and a company that doesn't take counter measures on the ECU like Hyundai/Kia. Yeah Ford's ECU in their Escapes pretty much needs a tune for any atermarket parts because it will still try and default to the factory settings whether you add an intake or exhaust. I just assumed most OEM ECUs were like that on these smaller and more fuel economy-minded cars. The 1.5T already has aftermarket goodies???? I guess I didn't realize this wasn't its first application. Or are you talking about a custom tune for the 10-20% gains?
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