24 Heurs du Mans Round-Up

The annual 24 Hours of Le Mans race occurred last weekend and, after years of trying and failing, through breakdowns and superior competition, Toyota finally won the thing, becoming only the second Japanese manufacturer in history to win, the other being Mazda, who used to have freaking awesome race cars. It certainly helped Toyota this year that Porsche and Audi no longer competed in the LMP1 class, leaving them as the only factory team in the World Endurance Championship. It’s awfully easy to come in first when you have the fastest car in the fastest class without any other competitors. Regardless, they didn’t breakdown, which itself is a feat in endurance racing. Porsche meanwhile dominated the LMGTE Pro and Amateur classes with its 911 RSRs, with the number 92 Pink Pig Porsche winning the pro class. You can clearly see why it was called the pink pig, and appreciate that fans were calling the car’s pit stops “pigstops.”

Overall, the race was pretty uneventful, which makes for pretty boring watching. Part of that comes from the fact that new rules meant that no team was allowed to run more than 14 laps per stint and that there was a per-stint fuel limit that was, in many cases, less fuel than the cars were capable of holding, making for some headaches in the pits and a few mistakes that cost drivers time. Another part is because the rules have stifled competition so much that racing has become too expensive for many manufacturers to take part. Thus, Porsche and Audi’s departure for Formula E.

Fortunately, things will be changing in a couple years, as the FIA announced shortly before the race some exciting changes that are coming to the World Endurance Championship. The LMP1 class which currently consists only of Toyota, will be scrapped entirely, being replaced instead with a hypercar-type class that will impose limits on car power, weight, weight distribution, aerodynamics and downforce, but with more freedom to design the cars more closely to road-going hypercars and supercars. This not only gives the race a bit more relevance to real-world drivers, it gives companies a chance to test technology they may be actually able to use on the roads in their hypercars. The class will still mandate a hybrid drivetrain, but internal combustion engines can be up to the manufacturer, so long as they’re limited to 697 horsepower, which is still a lot, especially when paired with a standard 268 horsepower hybrid electric motor. Race commissioners say they want to move the series to the point where “manufacturers can win at Le Mans on a limited budget,” and I’m sure that’s relative, but still a good sign that may invite more competition moving forward. The new rules will be introduced in 2020 and we’ll apparently get to vote on the name of the class, so I look forward to watching the hypercars compete in the racy mcrace-face class in the not-too-distant future.

Authored by
Devlin Riggs

New Cars for the week of February 12th, 2018

Geneva Cars Coming Early

Honestly, I’m not sure why we have car shows anymore. I’ve talked a little about their obsolescence before, but it seems like automakers are starting to embrace it. The Geneva Motor Show is coming up next week, but we’ve pretty much already seen all the actually new cars we think are going to be announced there. And it’s not like they’re being leaked, either. The automakers themselves are blowing the lids on their new cars, sending information to the press without making a big splash at a show like they used to. So what do we know about already?

There’s a new BMW X4, which is great for fans of jacked up sedan/SUV bastardizations that are worse at everything than either of the vehicles combined to create them. And if you think the X6 is useless because it’s not as spacious as an SUV and lacks cargo, but the stilted ride height makes the car stiffer and handle worse, first of all, you’re right, second of all, the X4 is even worse because it’s like an even smaller, more useless X6.

We also got a refreshed Mercedes C-Class, which gets a slightly revised exterior and is infused with some self-driving technology from the E-Class. Unlike the BMW, this is a totally useful vehicle and will be enough car for virtually everyone, but since it’s a sedan, people won’t want anything to do with it.

Mercedes also unveiled an updated version of their Maybach S Class, which essentially takes a $150,000 top of the range car with the latest in every conceivable technology and increases the “fancy”, charging more than twice as much for it because rich people are rich and can afford it.

There were several other sort of minor announcements, but we’ll keep an eye on the show next week, maybe it’ll surprise us. 

Chicago Auto Show

Speaking of surprises, the Chicago Auto Show was last week. And I don’t mean that in terms of like “there were a bunch of great surprising new cars unveiled in Chicago” but more as a “you probably didn’t hear about the Chicago Auto Show because nothing happened at it, so surprise to you that it has actually occurred.”

Really, we got some lifted Toyotas and Nissans, some faster versions of a Hyundai, a GMC and a Fiat, a Volkswagen we’ve already seen, a bunch of customized vehicles and a Nissan giveaway that looked like a breast implant. Swear to god. It’s apparently a hand warmer, but look at it. Tell me that’s not a boob.

Faraday Future Small SUV

Their FF91 still isn’t a real vehicle, but that doesn’t mean nothing’s going on at Faraday Future headquarters. They have actually been very busy, not on building a real car but in sketching another potentially real car. They released last week a sketch for a smaller SUV that could slot in below the FF91 which, of course, presumes the FF91 ever actually gets made. To me, Faraday Future is like when you see a dog using a pillow or sitting up in a chair and you’re like “aw, it thinks it’s people,” but in Faraday Future’s case it’s like “aw, it thinks it’s real.”

Toyota Supra

I normally try to steer clear of speculation, especially in the new car section because so much can change and so much rumor tends to be either wrong or underwhelming, but as a guy who grew up with a poster of a Toyota Supra on my wall, it’s hard for me to temper my own excitement about the forthcoming Supra. Toyota themselves released a teaser image of the rear end this week, which showed little except a big wing and a double bubble roof. Then that same day, scans of Japan’s Best Car magazine were posted on a forum which revealed some more details about the car set to debut in Geneva. The specs seem to indicate it’ll have 335 horsepower, be relatively lightweight and, somewhat incredibly, sprint to 60 miles per hour in less than 4 seconds. With just 335 horsepower!

I’ve seen the leaks posted on several sites and although the reaction has generally been split between domestic and foreign fanboys, there have been several comments I’ve seen bemoaning the fact that it doesn’t have more power and won’t challenge the Nissan GT-R for ultimate Japanese super car supremacy. And I think that’s actually part of the reason why I’m so excited about it! The original Supra cost about the equivalent of $45,000 in today’s money, which is less than half of what Nissan charges for the GT-R. With that amount of power and performance, I have to think Toyota is still aiming at the same sort of price range for the new Supra, which means, unlike the GT-R, it’s actually going to be a Japanese sports car people can sort of afford! The only things that really get me down on this car are the styling that we’ve seen so far and the engine. I don’t think it’s very attractive and the drive train is derived from BMW, which one might think is a good thing until you remember that German engineering is the greatest lie ever perpetuated in automotive history. BMWs are notoriously unreliable, especially the more modern ones, and reliability was part of what made the original Supra so great. You could drive it every day, experience the thrill of ownership and not have to worry about it breaking down. Unless Toyota has had a pretty thorough revision of BMW’s motor, I’m afraid we’re about to experience the most unreliable Toyota in history.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

In other pre-production car news, Alfa Romeo stayed true to its Italian roots and left drivers of a nearly production-ready Stelvio Quadrifoglio stranded after the SUV broke down in the middle of Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. Now, having lived in LA, I know that having a flashy car there is a high priority, and being able to park in high visibility areas to attract attention is usually pretty desirable, so I’m not completely ruling out the fact that this was an elaborate awareness building marketing campaign, but if it is, advertising the complete unreliability of your brand new cars seems like a really strange tactic. Then again, it could totally appeal to the vapid, flaky demographic of many Angelenos. There’s a reason I don’t live there anymore.

New Lancia Stratos

In case you weren’t alive in the 1970s, you may never have heard of the Lancia Stratos. Long story short, it’s an awesome little two door sports car with an engine in the middle that puts out a lot of power and was used extensively and successfully for rallying because of its short and wide wheelbase. Well, a small manufacturer is bringing the Stratos back with an updated look and updated technology. They’re only going to make 25 of them and they’ll cost $615,000 apiece. Oh, and you’ll need to provide a Ferrari F430 to the company because that’s the car on which they’ll base the new Stratos. So all in, you’re looking at close to $800,000 at a minimum for a 600 horsepower body-kitted Ferrari. Or you could spend half the amount on an original Lancia Stratos when they come on sale and get the real rally car. Or you could spend one tenth the cost and buy a new Supra and get to 60 in about 0.3 seconds slower. 

Authored by
Devlin Riggs

My Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Automotive Wednesday

If you listened to my podcast last week, you'll know that everything sort of went to shit for me in a number of ways, some of them quite literal. Let me set the scene...

It's Wednesday, January 3rd, 2018. 

First thing in the morning, one of our cats (we have two cats and two dogs to keep harmony in the pet universe) has been having kidney issues and heart troubles and has lost some weight from not eating, so my wife took him to the vet in her Ford Fusion Energi. Undoubtedly traumatized by the experience, the cat does absolutely nobody a favor and spends the ride home from the vet shitting himself, and then freaking out and jumping all over the shit. Which, fortunately, was confined to the crate in which he was being transported. 

People, if you do not transport your pets in crates, not only are you asking for shit all over your seats and carpets, it is extremely dangerous for the animals if you get into a wreck and they go flying. 

Speaking of wrecks, that’s where the evening comes in.

This video was captured by my Yi dashboard camera as I was t-boned while driving through a green light on my way home last night. I really pride myself on being able to anticipate other drivers and having great situation awareness, but I honestly did not see the impact coming at all. You may have noticed toward the end of the clip that you hear me laugh, or at least I think that’s me and not the episode of the Everyday Driver podcast I was listening to. Apart from the fact that it makes me sound like I’ve lost my mind, I think it’s because a driver had just run the red light going eastbound on the road I was crossing. There are three lanes going that way and only one lane going westbound, so I was looking to the left to make sure nobody else was going to run that light and hit me. And then pow, I’m hit by someone in the only lane going westbound. And this wasn’t some sort of light-turns-green-I-gun-it thing. The eastbound driver blew the light a second after it turned red and I waited until I saw that the others going that way had stopped.

By the time I got hit, the light had been green for at least five or six seconds. The guy who hit me offered no explanation for why he wasn’t paying any attention to the light. He did, however, admit fault to both me and the police and apologized. I mean I know he didn’t mean to do it, his 2010 Escape is just as messed up as the Mazda. 

Fortunately, both he and I are okay. I got a knock on the knee and am still a bit sore, but I don’t anticipate any lasting effects. It might have been a different story if he had hit me on my driver’s side. I’m waiting to hear about whether or not my car is totaled, but it took a really big hit and I would be more surprised if they try to fix a five year old Mazda with 85,000 miles on it. 

They say bad things come in threes, so naturally the universe had to bend us over a barrel and show us the 50 states yesterday when we got home after my wife picked me up from the police station where I was taken after my car was towed. 

We got home, raised the garage door and went inside, closing the door as we entered the house. After a couple of bangs and squeaks, we rushed back out to the garage to find the door had managed to detach itself from the track on four of the eight rollers and was perilously hanging, unable to be lifted or lowered. But this is where our luck (finally) started to change. We have amazing neighbours. Honestly, my wife and I feel like we won the neighbor lottery. Next door lives a contractor and his son, who is a small engine certified mechanic and who has already helped out with a few things I couldn’t figure out myself. One of his best friends, who I frequently talk to about trucks when he’s over, is honest to god an overhead door technician. He was over in 15 minutes and in 30 minutes we had the door closed and back on the track. It’s not totally fixed yet, but should be soon, and it’s no longer an open invitation for someone to rob us of all our shit. So thank you thank you thank you Nick and Garret, you guys are awesome!

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My first consideration is the Mazda CX-9. This is the safe choice. The 2016 model is drastically improved over its predecessor, offers tastefully sharp styling, a pretty rewarding ride and decent handling and fairly good power from a four cylinder skyactiv turbo engine. It also has a third row of seats, which is great for winery trips or hauling other people’s children to be eaten by German fairy tale grandparents. It's not especially interesting or special in any way, though.  

Next is the Toyota 4Runner. It’s no secret, I’ve been a fan of four runners for a long time and the rugged utility would be nice on lake weekends or for home renovation projects, which seem to be basically the only thing I do anymore outside of work and this podcast. The styling of the most recent generations isn’t great, in my opinion, and the power from the 4-litre V6 is okay, but it definitely doesn't have the speed, handling or enjoyment to drive I'm looking for. The 4Runner does have a third row and off-road capabilities which I might use more if I had them.

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I'm also considering the Toyota Tacoma. Like the 4Runner, I’ve been a fan of the indestructible Hilux or Tacoma for a long time, and that sort of nostalgia and brand loyalty plays strongly in the inclusion of them both in my decision. The 2016 model introduced some great changes to the Tacoma in a nicer interior, more aggressive styling and a bunch of handy features that pickup enthusiasts understand better than I do. Again, points are gained for utility, but no third row seat, and lost for ride, handling and speed. But reliability and resale value of both these trucks is absolutely off the charts, so if it turns out two years down the road that I’m ready to be back in a fast car, I won’t lose much when it comes time to sell. 

The Lexus IS 350  is not the ISF because I’ve checked prices and those are well out of the range of feasibility, but the IS350 is no slouch. It’s quick, it’s reasonably nimble and it’s a nice, comfortable place to be inside. It’s crazy reliable, but not especially interesting, and recent model years have become afflicted with lexus-face, which sort of looks like cyborgs mated with the aliens from predator, but also with Lightning McQueen from cars and the outcome was, well, not good. Interior space is also apparently cramped so fitting all my stuff may be a challenge.

The the successor to the G35 and G37 sedans, the Infiniti Q50, retains the 3.7 litre V6 that makes my heart skip a beat when I hear it. There’s no question that nostalgia plays into this because I miss my G35 coupe so badly, but is it a good idea to basically get the same car, but with four doors? Can I move forward while also moving back? Speed, handling and reliability are all checked but the Q50 is fairly ubiquitous on the roads these days, so it’s not very interesting or special. But I know how that smile is going to crack across my face when I punch it and hear that exhaust note.

I'm also considering the Infiniti FX50. I’ve talked about this on the podcast before. Nissan basically took the G35 platform, stretched it a bit, put a larger wagon body on it, lifted it a few inches and threw out the V6, replacing it with their biggest engine, a 5 litre V8. At almost 400 horsepower, this is the most excessively fast on this list, and the S model has rear wheel steering and active dampening, so sharp handling and fun to drive are definitely in the “yes” camp. I’ve also heard many positive things about the long term reliability of the V8 and it has more cargo space than the Mazda (albeit barely), so it’s fairly practical. It definitely is not fuel efficient, but it’s interesting and special. 

Number seven on the list (if you're counting) is the Acura TSX Sportwagen. I looked at these when I got the Mazda and really liked them, but they were slightly out of my price range. Five years later and guess what? They’re in my price range. Go figure. They’re totally practical, totally reliable, somewhat rare because they didn’t sell very well in the states because they were released before the wagon renaissance, but also without Acura’s lovely V6. All that weight has to cope with a 200 horsepower four cylinder, and it does pretty well. It’s not fast, but it’s not slow, and it handles well for having a pretty big body. I liked it a lot when I drove it before and that probably won’t change. But will it put as big a smile on my face?

Lastly, the Volvo V60 T6 R design. It’s 325 horsepower and 354 pound feet of nordic fury, but packaged in an unassuming estate package. Powerful enough with its turbocharged straight six to put a smile on my face and practical enough to haul all my photography gear doing it. The interior may look like it’s from 2006, but coming from the Mazda, almost anything is a step up. Reliability on newer Volvos is somewhat questionable. They’re not as bulletproof as they used to be, and it’s not the Polestar version that is completely mental, but I think the T6 R-Design is still pretty special. 

That about does it for my unfortunate tale and quest for a new car pending the decision of my insurance. If you have any suggestions that you didn't see on my list or experience (positive or negative) with the cars I'm considering, please leave me a comment below!

Authored by
Devlin Riggs