What Daily Driver Would You Choose?

I know budget plays a primary role, but let’s say you wanted a new daily driver
an had a generous budget? Given your uses for the car, where you live, wtc., what would you choose? If I had such a choice this would be my selection

Advertisement

Taking it Back

Not too far back, just to 2004. The economy was on the rebound, new tuner friendly cars were on the streets in the form of the GD chassis STi, the Evo, the 350Z and G35. Nissan (Japan, of course, why should we get the cooler stuff?), had begun a full on tuning program centered around the newest Z car. This included participation in global motorsports, as well as development of street tuner models for their home market. One such car was the Type E. Only 5 models were produced, part of the homologation requirements needed for Super GT racing. The car featured various NISMO developed upgrades, most notably, the front and rear bumpers, which were extended long nose/tail versions. This general design concept eventually found its way on the NISMO/380RS versions that came in later years in a restyled form. In 2005, NISMO made a few more ( in the form of the S Tune GT, and to help celebrate the previous years performance in Super GT racing. This car was limited to just 20 units per month during that year, and was the who’s who of the NISMO parts catalog. A special S Tune version engine, with the full NISMO parts bin (cams, headers, ecu), full NISMO suspension, NISMO seats and steering wheel, and a host of other goodies added up to a nearly $60,000 US price tag.

Greddy Evo 3 Exhausts are Here!

The newest Greddy Exhaust, the Evo 3, is now available for the 2006-2009 Civic Si Coupe.

Features 70mm piping, with the signature bullet Evo muffler, and a 4 inch tip. Full stainless construction, and mandrel bent tubes ensure great fit and finish, and the smoothest possible flow. If you want an exhaust with a nice, deep sound, but that is still neighbor/wife/girlfriend-friendly, this is a great choice.

Contact us at z1sales@z1auto.com to get yours!

Cobb Front Mount Intercooler 2010+ Mazdaspeed 3

Brand new from the folks at Cobb. Contact us at z1sales@z1auto.com to get yours on its way! Free shipping now through June 30 only!!!

New Evo X Oil Cooler Kit

This oil cooler kit for the Evo X features dual 19 row cores in a V mount configuration, and munts just behind the passenger side foglight. The mounting bracket serves a dual purpose as it directs air to the cores. All hardware and lines are included and mounts right to the thermostatically controlled factory housing. In addition, it boost oil capacity by .65 liters as well. ) pressure drop, and a significant reduction in oil temps, which is particularly important for higher performance street or track Evo X’s, to avoid limp mode.

Features a lifetime warranty as well!

Contact us at z1sales@zauto.com to order yours

Ferrari Cavalcade

More than 100 Ferrari owners from around the world are set to meet over the next 2 days in Italy as part of the Ferrari Cavalcade. Starting in Bologna, the tour hits such famed locations as roads used during the Mille Miglia, as well as the Fiorino test track. Eventually headed to Florence and then back to Bologna. Sounds like an amazing event. Will do my best to find pics over the coming days to post. In the meantime, enjoy this video of the new 458 Spider on some of the roads the Cavalcade will cover.

http://www.ferrari.com/english/gt_sport%20cars/gt/special-events/Pages/120626-ferrari-cavalcade-2012.aspx

Allure

got a thing for those big body Benzes….

Road and Track’s 10 Most Infamous Crashes in LeMans History

Cool post

http://www.roadandtrack.com/racing/motorsports/10-most-infamous-crashes-in-le-mans-history

The Mercedes CLR GT1’s are simply amazing to watch (unfortunately). For Webber to have lived through 2 separate flips at precisely this same spot, and then, for Mercedes to STILL let their other 2 cars actually start the race, is insane. How the car managed to launch that high in the air, flip over and over, and still land on it’s tires, is even more amazing. But, with so much money put into the development and attendance of such a race, I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise. And of course, the race-flip was the worst of the bunch, with the car literally launching into the trees. I remember watching it when it happened. Jaw dropping

9’s

Just chatting with a guy in Australia and sent over this video of his Silvia

Clutchmasters Combos Now Featured

If you’re looking for an affordable, reliable performance clutch for your car, check out Competition Clutch. We’ve got specials going on right now for all sorts of cars. Order a clutch and flywheel combo, and get free shipping! Contact us at z1sales@z1auto.com for your setup

Toyota’s Road to LeMans

will air on Speed tomorrow at 8 PM EST -wil be very cool to see how Toyota developed the first LMP1 Hybrid car

LeMans 2012

On the heels of my favorite race of the year

Where are you guys planning to watch it?

Some good links: http://www.lemans-tv.com/
and of course, radiolemans.com

Japanese Prototype: Design Evolution

The 1960’s were a time when car development took a quantum leap forward. This was particularly evident in the race cars of the era. Whereas many cars from the 50’s still looked like ‘old cars’ the next decade brought about a fundamental change in design and engineering. This was a time of fantastic changes in all aspects of life. It was the jet age, it was the Space Age, it was the age of social change. All of this development boiled over into the automotive world in a big way.

The 60’s represent a time where our idea of the modern race car took shape. Gone were the open tubs and skinny tires. Cars took a much more modern, swooping design element to them. Chassis were being made of more modern, lightweight materials, tires got noticeably stickier and much wider. Aerodynamics came to the forefront, and engines began taking on a decidedly modern level of power.

Since LeMans is this coming weekend, and most of us are lucky enough to attend first hand, we thought it would be neat to examine some cars of days gone by. One such vehicle is the BRE Hino Samurai. Many of you will recognize BRE as Brock Racing Enterprises. As in Peter Brock. As in the Daytona Coupe.

Brock worked with Hino Motors, a Japanese manufacturer of the day most well known for their Contessa econo box sedan (which was actually built in Israel of all places!). Toyota fans will recognize that Hino was who made the original FJ’s for Toyota in the 60’s, which are highly collectible today. Eventially, Hino was purchased by Toyota. They are still a worldwide producer of trucks and buses.

As Brock has stated: “I’m obviously extremely proud of the success of the Cobra Daytona Coupe, but another of my favorite designs was the BRE Hino Samurai. It was perhaps the most advanced GT car design of its time. The Samurai, which I named in honor of Japan’s famed warrior class, appeared on track in Japan at the Fuji Grand Prix in ’67, and created quite a stir with famed actor Toshiro Mifune, as BRE’s honorary team manager.

Several unique design features that were never utilized on the Daytona Coupes were successfully applied to the Samurai. Most prominent was the “Ring Airfoil”, which I had initially designed for the Daytona Coupe, an adjustable wing at the rear to enable the driver to adjust downforce to match conditions. Ferrari eventually used a similar wing on its famed F40 racers, but those didn’t appear until 20 years after the Samurai! The Samurai was well ahead of its time and appeared on many magazine covers during those days. It was one of the last of the esthetically beautiful GT racers that relied on minimum drag for extra speed. Under today’s rules, when most aerodynamic devices are about applying downforce to reduce top speed, some of the esthetic grace of that earlier era has been lost.

Study the design, and you can see elements of cars that came afterwards all over. The spoiler design that found its way to the F40, the nose design that made a brief appearance on Toyota’s 2000GT. The rear clamshell that was found not only on Fords GT40, but on many cars since that time. I also spot a bit of Speed Racer’s Mach V.

While the Samurai never really took off on the global scene, it’s a great example of the design theories of the day, that continue in the modern era. While so much of GT racing nowadays focuses on powerplant development, most notably through electric vehicles, and the diesels of Audi and Peugot, firms like Nissan, with their DeltaWing, have taken racing design to a whole new level. Wonder what we’ll be saying 50 years on from this LeMans?

TurboXS Touring Exhaust 2008+ Subaru WRX

TurboXS Dual Tip Touring WRX

TurboXS has released the newly redesigned Subaru 2008-2010 WRX Sedan Dual Tip Touring Catback Exhaust System. The exhaust is a completely new redesign of their original system. It has been designed around the brand new Touring Muffler. The Touring Muffler features new Volume Tone Reduction (VTR). VTR maintains and enhances the exhaust tones you love but while eliminating the rasp and drone you hate in a performance exhaust system. These new mufflers maintain a straight- through design that aids in exhaust gas flow and maximum power potential but keep sound pressure levels reasonable at idle and while cruising. TurboXS achieved this by more than DOUBLING the internal volume of each muffler compared to their previous WRX Sedan mufflers and by utilizing a propriety quantity and blend of packing material in each muffler. The overall result delivers the signature tone of the Flat 4 Boxer engine at idle and cruise with none of the rasp and drone.

The rest of the exhaust system consists of a 3 inch in to dual 2.5 inch out Y-Pipe with free flowing mandrel bends that are aesthetically pleasing and also disperse exhaust gases efficiently. The design keeps excellent clearance to any moving parts including larger aftermarket sway bars and sway bar braces. A 3 inch midpipe with flex section and resonator complete the system and connect to any stock or aftermarket downpipe. Like all TurboXS exhausts, all piping, flanges, and mufflers are made from T304 stainless steel, TIG welded with precision, and all have a show quality finish.

Fits 2008-2010 WRX Sedan

Free Shipping for a limited time!

Contact z1sales@z1auto.com to order!

In Tow