C4Rworld

        F rom a 1995 Mustang GT Convertible to a 1999 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS Coupe is quite a leap. The former is a wallowing, unrefined, primitive, ugly, heavy machine. The latter, a handsome, nimble, lightweight, taught, true example of what a sports car should be. This leap is one I made 5 months ago today, but surprisingly, it hasn't all been a love-story.        First, let me start off by saying that there is no purpose in owning a sports car if one is not able to drive it in a sporty manner, whether it is due to the driver's incompetence, or the reliability of the car. Fortunately, I am a very competent driver, but unfortunately, my Impreza 2.5 RS has been extremely unreliable. This surprises me, because throughout my life, all I have ever heard about Subaru's is that they are extremely dependable, and can virtually out-last any other car on the road.        What a load of bullshit. Becoming an owner of a Subaru has given me the opportunity to unlock the tr

T he Pontiac Solstice GXP, right…where do I start? Well, it’s a small, two-seater sports car, and it looks a lot worse than its face transplanted sister, the Saturn Sky Redline. Both cars are essentially the same, though, because the only difference between the two is in the looks department, so reviewing the Solstice GXP indirectly reviews the Sky Redline. The basic shapes of the two, though, are identical. Short stubby rear, short wheelbase, and a long nose. In a way, these two sports cars were GM’s final effort in increasing sales for its two long-time declining branches, Pontiac and Saturn. Obviously - as neither of the two companies exists any longer - GM’s attempt came up short, but it was a valiant effort. As my friend and I approach the car for the first time, we are very skeptical. I have seen many of these cars on the roads, and yes, obviously, they look sporty, but never have I seen one being driven with much gusto. In fact, the majority are owned by mid-agers. So, it

While driving down the road, you glance into your rear view mirror, noticing that the car behind is about to pull into the left lane and perform a passing maneuver.  As the car approaches on your left hand side, curiosity causes you to take a look at who is doing the passing, and what you see is disturbing. There is a person in the car, and both of this person’s hands are threaded through the top portion of the steering wheel, holding a cellphone sideways, texting away. You sit there and think, “What the hell is keeping me from beating the daylights out of this person?” At that same moment, you realize that your phone has vibrated several times in the past 30 seconds, and fearful that whoever is trying to contact you may get impatient, you grab at your phone and start texting. This is the problem with modern day commuters. They all say that texting while driving is an absolute no no, but the majority of them are vast hypocrites. To top it off, I’ve even seen police officers dri

Here is a post inspired by a segment done by James May on Top Gear. He was saying that a car is the most entertaining to drive when it is being driven at its limit, and I agree with him 100%. Take, for example, the new and very beloved Suzuki Swift Sport. Yeah it doesn’t have a lot of horsepower, but the most fun of driving any car is when you are driving the car at its limit of capabilities. For the Swift, it's limits are going to be pretty low, meaning you can achieve them way easier than say the limits of a Ferrari or Lamborghini, or even just a car with 250hp. Wringing every last rev out of the engine and changing gears often is when driving is fun. It may sound wrong, but which would you rather do: trundle in a Ferrari at very low speeds, or thrash a small and underpowered car around at its comparatively lower limits of ability? I know most people would automatically say "well of course a Ferrari!", but just think about it. Going back to the idea that a car

These days, car manufacturers are all under the misconception that speed is the defining element to making their cars good. Take, for example, the new Hyundai Genesis R-Spec. Since when does Hyundai make tire-smoking, fire-breathing sedans? Last time I checked, the Korean car company’s primary focus has been to make cars that look exactly the same as Mercedes. Their cars have been as unique as a high-school student, yet over time, they have earned the trust of people – and their wallets – by being persistent and actually making half-decent cars. So, now, by doing what they do best - copying - they have created a knock-off super saloon, just like every other car manufacturer out there. BMW has the unparalleled M5, Mercedes, the beefed up E55 AMG, and so on and so forth. Hyundai wants to be the “new kid on the block”, and they might very well be, but that’s not the point. Manufacturers are thinking that the more horsepower they stuff into a car, the better it will be overall.

I know, this is just my second post, and instead of being happy and celebrating the many positive sides of the automotive industry, I'm going to start talking about something that has been bothering me for quite a while now. Ever heard of the site Kelley Blue Book? Well it's a f**king awful thing, and it has absolutely ruined the used car market. What has happened to the time when people could buy proper used cars, with low miles, for $1-2,000? Now, with the existence of KBB, people are selling their cars for an extremely high price, just because a stupid website spits out random numbers based off of some algorithms. In addition, these prices are mainly intended for insurance companies, so that in case of an incident, the insurance can know what the damaged cars were worth. Sadly, though, anyone, no matter how small his car knowledge is, can try selling his exhausted and worn out car for an absurdly high price, just because KBB produced some number based on a couple of vague

Hello auto enthusiasts of the world! Let me just start things off by posting a picture of one of the most beautiful cars ever made. This is what we, mankind, are capable of doing. Turning something which was first created to replace a horse, and over a span of more than a century, sculpt it into a beautiful and Aston-ishing machine. Marvel at the beauty of the Aston Martin DB9.  The flowing shoulder line, elegant, but by no means too feminine. The smoothly bulged hood and purposeful stance add just enough masculinity without making it ostentatious. Few cars will ever look as good as this. Enjoy my blog!