Category Archives: General Automotive

Bored With The Wrangler

So, I bought a Jeep Wrangler Sport S back in October 2018. I love Wranglers. I still love this vehicle, but I’m not sure it’s Covid-19 (I no longer drive to/from work – in fact, I rarely drive now) or the fact that there’s not a lot of trails around here to drive on, but I’m beginning to be bored with the Wrangler.

It has some mods but nothing traditional. For example, the first thing folks do is throw on big wheels and a lift. I don’t really want bigger wheels or even a lift. Why? Because Jeep will not remedy (under warranty) suspension issues if I start adding my own parts. I like the way the Jeep currently rides. Also, I can’t stand tire hum and big all-terrain tires will do that. Yes, I can have two sets of wheels/tires in case I want to play on the trails, but there are no trails close by. I’m not going to spend the money on a lift and tires/wheels if I’m not going to use those tires/wheels.

Currently, I’ve side steps, LED headlights (mandatory, IMO), and Mopar mats in both the front and back.

What I really miss is my STI. Will I be getting another? Not unless they release a new revamped version.

I have been looking at several other sports cars:

Late model (2008) Porsche 997.1 Carrera 2 Manual

Porsche (2009) 997.2 Carrera 4S w/ PDK & Chrono package.

Early Porsche 718 w/ PDK and Chrono package (I’d prefer the 718S, but most are out of my budget)

Toyota Supra MkV (either the 2020 or the 2021 model)

VW Golf R (2017 or so; DC-equipped)

VW R32

I wouldn’t even mind a hard-top Miata at this point (I’d even consider supercharging it).

I’m leaning heavily toward a Porsche but I’ve to pay off the damned Wrangler first (plus, I’m putting a kid through college with another heading to college in 3 years; another is almost done with college). Plus, the two I really want is either the 997.2 or a 718S. The 991 is too expensive and any 997.2 2010 or above will cost dearly (997.2s have been creeping up in price, too). If I want a 997.2, I should be looking at them now…they might be unattainable if I wait too much longer.

I can also step down in Carrera models (996s, which I do not really care for, especially when those could have IMS issues), but that’s considered settling for less, IMO.

I think I’m just missing a sports car. I suppose I could find an older R32 or Miata and keep the Wrangler too (I’ll definitely consider this option), that way I can have my cake and eat it too. I don’t need a lot of power or an exotic to have some fun.

So, I did this thing…

What did I do this weekend?

I traded the STI for a 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

I now have all these parts to sell but need to spend some time trying to appropriately price them.  I still have the winter wheels (OEM) and tires (new Blizzaks), a CNT catted downpipe that’s never been installed, a Cobb AP (unmarried), a Nameless cold air intake (was installed a few years but is near perfect), and a few other things (turbo blanket, EBCS, Walbro fuel pump).

The funds I receive for those parts will go to Jeep parts!

I was considering another STI but didn’t want to buy one and see Subaru release an engine revision soon after.  I also considered a Golf R, but quickly gravitated to the Wrangler instead.  I briefly looked at Focus RSs but for some reason, I’m not attracted to them, regardless of 350HP.

Oh, I got $17,500 for my 2011 STI.  That’s a healthy down payment.  That’s the highest offer I’ve received from a dealer (I’ve seen $14K and $16K).  The car had 44K miles and had wear and tear associated with a 7 year old car. It had 3 door dings and some chipped paint on the hood.  KBB quoted me $18.5K and $19.5K a week later.  I think I did well enough.  This is the value power of STIs.  If I’d had a different brand, especially domestic, they would’ve given me maybe half that.  This is the main reason I decided to go Wrangler…they’ve more value power than even STIs.

The car was stock when I turned it in (that was mandatory for me to do…I was not going to shaft the next owner).  Before I returned it to stock, it only had the Cobb OTS stage 1 with AEM intake tune and the Nameless cold air intake.  Was easy enough to put it back to stock…would’ve been a bit more difficult if I’d added those other parts like I’d planned.

Anyways, I’ll keep this site up for now and I may occasionally post about WRXs or other sports cars.

The 2019 Toyota 86 TRD Special Edition Doesn’t Get More Power, and Honestly, That’s Fine

So, I checked FB today and saw this at Road and Track’s page:

I honestly haven’t even read the article yet (will do so soon) but immediately went to the comments section, because I knew there would be guys insisting they know how to build a better sports car than Toyota or Subaru.  Well then, if that’s the case, you’d think there would be many more cars better than this (while also being at an equivalent price point) on the market already.

I’ll update the post once I’ve read the actual article.

UPDATE:

So, the article is saying that if people want more HP from the 86, they should just wait for the upcoming Supra.

Subaru Gains Class Win in Nurburgring 24 Hour Race

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http://www.car24news.com/subaru-wrx-sti-scores-back-to-back-class-win-in-a-very-wet-nurburgring-24-hrs/

I post the above for those that insist that Subaru is no longer relevant in motorsports.  Subaru certainly isn’t the only manufacturer in the SP3T class.  Thanks to Car24News.com for the above article.

Note that the SP3T class requires 2.0L or less in engine displacement, as well.  They’re using the EJ207 as a base in their NBR race cars, which doesn’t represent USDM but is nonetheless one of their core engines.  This also means that this car will not be competing with the Focus RS, as the RS is using a larger displacement engine (2.3L, I believe).  I mention this because several people insist that the RS can do better…it so, it’ll have to step down in displacement to prove that…that’s certainly not going to happen, because they’d have to either homogenize a 2.0L version of the car and then step down.  Or, Subaru would have to use the 2.5L variant of the EJ, which would put them in the same class as the Focus RS would race within (that’s not going to happen, either).

Subaru Isle of Man – Fast Lap

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/a29557/at-subarus-record-shattering-isle-of-man-lap-the-fastest-run-never-happened/

Higgins’s flying lap record attempt in a Subaru WRX STI is a recently-established tradition. Historically, the TT is a bikes-only event. But Subaru is a major sponsor of the annual two-week racing festival, and Higgins, born and raised on the Isle of Man, is deeply respected in the Manx motorsports world.

This is a significant quote of the article if you’ve been hearing that these attempts are nothing because Isle of Man people only care about motorcycling.  I’m pretty sure they care about Higgins just as well as the event itself and history of the event.  People that think that the time was slow need to understand that if the time was related to a motorcycle, it would’ve been a qualifying time (ie, it’s running as fast as many of the motorcycles that attend the events).  Trivializing the feats is just ridiculous.  IMO, the only people that can legitimately criticize the runs are people that have driven their cars at an equal or faster pace at the Isle of Man while also using a 4-wheeled vehicle.  And just because other car makers haven’t run their cars in the event, doesn’t make the feats any less significant.  Nothing is stopping other car manufacturers from attempting the same, right?

As well, I’ve heard such comments as, “A Z06 or Ferrari 458 Italia can equal the feat”.  I highly doubt that, as neither of those will have the AWD advantage to  go balls-out like Higgins has been doing.  There is no run-off, the streets are bumpy and not designed with speed in mind, yet the Higgins has no problem running the Subaru quickly and without mishap on those streets.  Another AWD car (probably of similar genre) would be the better choice.  I’ve actually love to see other manufacturers run the Isle of Man!

Ford Focus RS – Hyped?

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2016-ford-focus-rs-vs-2015-subaru-wrx-sti-2016-volkswagen-golf-r-final-scoring-performance-data-and-complete-specs-page-5

The new (2017 model) Ford Focus RS is the most hyped car I’ve ever seen.  All last year, people saw the buzzwords “drift mode” and “350 HP”.

Well, I want to point out a few things.

  1.  You don’t have to have a built-in mode in order to drift in an AWD car.  Seriously.
  2.  The Focus RS may make 350 HP at the crank, but a good portion of it isn’t making it to the wheels.

Let’s talk about bullet #2.

If you view the above URL, and look at the quarter-mile stats, you’ll notice that all three cars (the Ford Focus, the Subaru WRX STI, and the VW Golf R) have almost identical times and trap speeds.  The Focus has a 45-60 (crank) HP advantage, depending on the car being compared.  The trap speed of the Focus RS doesn’t show that advantage at ALL.  The Focus ran a 105 MPH trap speed, the STI ran a 104 MPH trap speed, and the Golf R ran a 105 MPH trap.

The car is rather new and hasn’t been compared/reviewed by other magazines (R&T, MT, Automobile).  In fact, I’ve only seen two dynos.

Also, I saw someone post that the car has overboost and that it runs overboost at 15 sec intervals and resets after that time frame.  It also resets after shifting, so if an RS is running a 1/4th-mile track, overboost will be reset at every shift, meaning overboost timing out isn’t a factor in the 1/4th-mile, yet it still only manages a 105 MPH trap.

Now, each of those three cars are designed for spirited driving, yes, but they are not designed with the quarter-mile in mind.  But again, that applies to all three cars.

The bottom line is, the Focus RS is either over-rated from the factory (not an unusual thing for Ford, from what I’ve heard), or something is sapping all that power, because it’s like 50 HP is AWOL.  It isn’t a gearing issue (the gearing is hardly aggressive enough to affect a 50 HP advantage).  It isn’t a weight issue (the RS weighs just as much as the STI).  A dyno chart I’ve seen hints that the RS isn’t peaky and doesn’t make a lot of power up high.  Another dyno chart showed 270 peak wheel HP, which is only 20 more than what an STI typically makes.  I’d like to see more dyno charts.

Another thing that people are hyping is that the Focus RS is far more upgradeable.  I’m not so sure about that.  This car is pretty much maxed out from the factory.  You might be able to get some minor gains from it but you’re not going to see a giant leap in HP with bolt-ons.  The argument against this is that the Mustang Ecoboost  has high upgrade potential, so the RS will have the same.  No.  The RS is using more robust parts already, just to get 40 more HP than the Ecoboost engine in the Mustang.  Any car that offers 350 HP from the factory is going to be over-engineered to the point that it’s going to be maxed out from the onset — that’s the case with the CLA45 AMG as well…it saw some gains in it’s latest iteration, but those weren’t all that significant.

Another thing I’ve heard:  The Focus will make the STI obsolete.  I doubt this.  Subaru has always marched by their own drum beat.  This isn’t the first time they’ve had competition.  Some say that Subaru is stagnant, which is true, but what they have works well enough for them.  Not every turbocharged AWD four-cylinder needs to make 350 – 400 HP.  We hear the same thing about the BRZ and FR-S, but I think those cars do fine with the 200 HP they have…they aren’t meant to be powerhouse-type cars, and neither is the STI.

The Focus isn’t really bringing anything to the table that Subaru doesn’t already have.  While the STI is using the old EJ257, the WRX uses the FA20DIT.  The AWD platform in the STI is certainly going to be more robust, though.  The Focus RS AWD platform is too “wizardly”.  There’s too much hocus-pocus going on with it.  It’s a GT-R wannabe.  We know it’ll put all power to the left- or right-side wheels and put up to 70% of the power to the rears when needed, but it’s basically a FWD-biased AWD system…not particularly good as it applies to track usage (the CLA45 AMG isn’t a good track car either, but it wasn’t designed with the track in mind…the Focus RS WAS designed with racing in mind).  The Focus RS’s AWD system is great for highway fuel economy because it’ll cruise with only the front wheels being powered.  That’s cool, but not something that Subaru is interested in.  If fuel economy is a major factor for you as an owner, the STI isn’t the best car for you and Subaru isn’t going to change their mind on that.  If that’s what you want, look down toward the WRX instead, but the WRX and the Focus RS are hardly competitors, as the Focus RS is going to out-class the WRX in a major way (on the track and on the street).  Those that are expecting Subaru to be afraid of the Focus RS don’t understand Subaru at all.

What I’d like to see is the other magazine publishers (R&T, Automobile, and/or MT) doing a comparison similar to what C&D did.  One thing that C&D didn’t do that seems very hokey is that they didn’t comment on the HP discrepancy of the Focus RS.  It almost appears that they purposely ignored it.  Fortunately, it was noticed by the readers and it has been heavily discussed in the comments of the article I mentioned above.  I also found another forum (http://www.focusrs.org/) that has a thread of similar concerns, from actual owners of Focus RSs. So yeah, this is a real concern, especially for someone willing to spend between $30K-$40K on such a car.  It means the product they bought isn’t as advertised.

Do I want Subaru to improve the STI?  Yes, I do.  Do I want a FA20DIT-engined STI?  NO.  Why?  I believe that engine won’t do well in an STI.  There’s a reason why the USDM and JDM STIs aren’t running the FA20DIT engines, and it’s probably because they want an engine that is just as peaky as the EJ207 and EJ257.  The FA20DIT is not that engine.  I believe I’ve said this in other posts on this website, too.  Subaru’s Nurburgring car was powered by the EJ207.  All of their recent JDM special editions have been powered by EJ207 variants.  When I see Subaru using the FA20DIT in their STI variants (street and track vehicles), I’ll eat crow.   A new version of the Focus RS isn’t going to push Subaru into desperation.  I honestly think Subaru doesn’t care.

A Four-Cylinder Porsche Boxster Is Not the Sign of the Apocalypse

http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/a28293/porsche-718-boxster-first-ride/

Excerpt:

I’ve flown 10 hours to listen to an engine. Which isn’t that big a deal, really. I once drove 20 hours straight for a corned beef sandwich. But the stakes here are considerably higher. See, Porsche is replacing the near-perfect flat-sixes in its Boxster with brand-new, turbocharged flat-fours. The 718 Boxster now has a 2.0-liter four making 300 horsepower and the 718 Boxster S has a 2.5-liter good for 350 hp.

 

I shared the following news about the Porsche Boxster and Cayman flat-four engines:

Here’s what you need to know about Porsche’s New Turbo Flat-Four Engines

Power Specs and Details on Porsche’s New Boxter and Cayman Engines

Flat Four-cylinder Turbo Porsche Cayman

Porsche to Manufacture Horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder Engines

Yeah, I’ve been fixated on that car because…well, because of the flat-four.  I’m interested in seeing how a non-Subaru manufacturer extracts power from a flat-four.  As well, I’d like to hear how they sound.  I’m also wondering how the Porsche purists will respond to those two cars and their flat-four engines.

Sadly, I’ve not seen or heard much yet, but I’ve no doubt I’ll have my questions answered once the first real reviews are made public.

Collectible Classic: 1984-1988 Pontiac Fiero – Automobile Magazine

 


 

Excerpt:

Pontiac had long pined for a two-seat sports car, only to be rejected by GM management on the grounds that such a car would compete too closely with the Corvette. But as fuel efficiency became a compelling issue in the late 1970s, engineer Hulki Aldikacti successfully pitched management a plastic-body, mid-engine two-seater. The key was that it wasn’t a sports car, but a cute little fuel sipper for cost-conscious commuters. “It was kind of a backdoor car,” explains Gregg Peterson, an engineer for Pontiac at the time. To avoid raising any suspicions at the corporate level, official drawings of the car showed only a four-cylinder engine aft of the rear seats. “But in every drawing we made sure a V-6 would fit,” says Peterson.

Read more at http://www.automobilemag.com/features/collectible_classic/1602-collectible-classic-1984-1988-pontiac-fiero/

My thoughts about the car?  I owned one, a 1986 GT model, without the rear spoiler.  I had no mechanical issues during my ownership of it.  It was a well-rounded two-seater, with decent power, good handling, and good aural characteristics.  I was impressed with the facts that it had mass (ie, it wouldn’t just disappear in a crash), there was ample interior space, it had a small but very deep trunk in the rear of the vehicle and I still had space enough in the vehicle to throw two sub-woofer boxes behind the seats.  Many people nowadays measure vehicles by how much power their engines produce.  I don’t think anyone in the 80s era expected this car to be an over-achiever.  It was good for what it was.  It’s a pity the car died after only 4 years of production, as the last versions were very good.

It is indeed a classic…and no, not all cars reach classic status.  All cars age, but not all become memorable.