So You Think Hybrids Aren't Cool...

Back when I was first kicking off Lexi.Laron, I did features on the renewal and maintenance of my '98 Lexus ES300 with over 250,000 miles on it.  But as I started to realize that I really wanted an RSX Type-S, I decided to focus on making my dream happen.

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My baby

But let's put it this way, dreams don't just happen.  Dreams are inspired.  And being that Honda's slogan is "The power of dreams," I find it appropriate that their CR-Z Mugen RR was one of the cars which sparked a flame in my heart and drove me to put my first down payment on that RSX pictured above.

Yet, recently I've questioned Honda's ability to power dreams-- or at least power dreams of speed and screaming VTAK!!!!  Well, for those of you in the same boat as I am, I think that there is really hope that Honda may finally be on the verge of making something cool again...but wait-- it's a hybrid??

Honda Performance Development Supercharged CR-Z at SEMA Auto Salon Source

I mean yeah, I've been talking about how the CR-Z would come out in a cooler package, but this is the second time that Honda's brought a supercharged CR-Z motor out to SEMA Salon (let alone a whole car), and it's not the first supercharged CR-Z we've seen.  Again, reference that Mugen RR link I have up there^.

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And it's always like car companies to come out with concepts of cool cars just to let us down again, but when they bring it out over and over again to major shows around the world, like Nissan did with the GTR concept before they made the R35 GTR, I've seen a higher likelihood that the cars actually get produced.

Anyway, enough chatter.  Let's delve into the details of Honda's most recent showcase for forced induction goodness in a little 1.5 L.

Engine bay of the HPD Supercharged Hybrid Source

On October 31, 2012 Motor Trend posted an article showcasing the little pitbull talking about modifications made by HPD.  Modifications include a tuned suspension, tuned brakes, exhaust, and new wheels with better tires.

Sporty rear valance with center-exit exhaust-- can you say Mini Cooper S?  Source

I spy with my little eye what looks like a four-piston caliper with slotted rotors!  Source

So now...now we talk numbers.  Numbers are always a controversial topic for Honda owners, with some owners boasting about their horsepower per liter numbers while adversaries mock their poor torque numbers.

Yet, as you know with new emissions regulations coming about and with increasing gas prices, it's just not economical to make naturally aspirated engines that rev to 8300 RPM like my K20Z1 does.  No matter how cool it is, it's just not practical.  So that's WHY Honda has chosen the route of forced induction.  By pushing air into your engine it is possible to get more horsepower per liter while also getting great increases in torque as well.

By pairing a hybrid drivetrain with a super capacitor (high power density) and lithium-ion batter (high energy density) with a forced-induction engine with a down-sped crankshaft, the thermodynamic volumetric efficiency of the engine is increased (more horsepower per liter, less fuel consumption), gas is saved, and the torque is all provided by the sudden release of power from the super capacitor which powers the electric motor!  All of this results in a predicted power output of 185 horsepower and 169 ft-lb's of torque.  Those are some pretty well-balanced numbers for a 2500 lb chassis!

Honda's supercharged Integrated Motor Assist Engine at SEMA Source

So, no it's not a rear-wheel drive car with a low center of gravity and a high-revving engine or turbocharger.  It's a hybrid.  But I'd say it's a pretty cool hybrid.  Maybe Honda is working on the next new thing.  Well, we'll have to see, right?

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Until next time, Lexi.Laron is signing out.  Peace.

The Werks

How you think we live that lyfe?  We werk for it.

Lexi.Laron...

Tim's WRX

Hey guys, so if you remember, the last cool-ass car I shot was a C4 Corvette.  It got me a lot of views, and to this day I am still getting a lot of hits on the site from old-heads who love American Muscle.  Well, today I'm doing a little something different from the same owner.  He's my boy Tim and he bought a Subaru WRX recently.

The car has a stage 1 tune, HID kit, LED interior and exterior lighting, custom fog light re-wire, tinted windows, STi carpeting and shift knob, and is due to possibly get a turbo seal replaced some time soon to endure the higher boost pressures associated with a stage 2 tune.

Cat and mouse Subaru and Honda fun!

Lexi.Laron, signing out.

What do Those "Truth in Engineering" Ads Mean Anyway???

So as of recently I've been walking around malls and watching TV and driving on the highway and I've been seeing these car commercials from select manufacturers who have been bragging about their superior engineering practices.

"Truth in Engineering" Trademark from Audi Source

But why?  Why have we seen so many ads as of recently capitalizing on this word, "engineering?"  Quite frankly, as an engineer who has his own opinion of what superior engineering really is I am offended when I see things like this.  I mean, why is it that you, in your German luxury car can boast about your great ability to  create a superior car while American cars, Japanese cars, and even Korean cars (no offense) have been making great cars with their own character and finesse and even an obvious lack of those aforementioned qualities!  In other words, what makes a well-engineered car?

Volvo: "Engineered by Scandinavia's Bad Weather Experts" Source

Well, while I can't tell you concisely what makes a "well-engineered" vehicle while being completely objective, I can tell you what doesn't make a well-engineered car.

The 2010 Toyota Priuses were subject to a near $2 billion recall in January Source

A good example of a poorly engineered can be recalled when remembering Toyota's brake crisis that resulted in billions of dollars worth of losses for the company and some lost lives for their dedicated customers.

Basic Process Control System and a Safety Instrumented System being implemented in a plant-based process (chemical engineering and process technology) Source

Now some of you may be like, "here we go again, the braniac is going to ramble," but let me stop you before you do that.  Shut up and listen!  It's car-related too!

You see, according to safety documentation which engineers adhere to when designing plants at least-- in any process where a safety risk is present which may affect an important product or form of life in a serious manner, the control system for the process and the control system preventing safety mishaps must run independently.  In controls lingo, the control system that monitors and controls the basic activities of a process (like speed for cruise control) is called the "basic process control system" (BPCS) while the control system monitoring safety-related activities in a process (such as braking while cruise control is on-- thus leading to the deactivation of cruise control) is called a "safety instrumented system" (SIS).

You see, as an engineer, you're expected to know and understand regulatory and company engineering practices and philosophy before designing something, and everything you design should be beneficial to your new project and should adhere to the philosophies and practices that were just mentioned.  Whether your car is a Prius or a Lamborghini Gallardo, the safety instrumented system must be separate from your basic process control system.

Toyota's fault was simply running the brake system and the accelerator system from the same unit, thus resulting in what is called a "common cause failure."

The bottom line kids is that when your engineers DON'T adhere to company or regulatory policies which set forth practices like this, your company's owner, president, CEO, WHATEVER, will usually go from looking like this...

Akio Toyoda lookin' pretty Source

Generally, (and this is just a brief and loose conclusion) a well-engineered car will be made as a result of countless hours of ingenuity, adherence to well-working regulatory and company policies, and well-thought out policies set forth in the industry amongst other things.  The final result is just what you drive off the lot.

And with that I leave you to enjoy your holiday....peace, viewers!  Lexi.Laron signing out.

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Torque and Horsepower: What's the Difference?

We all know that torque is what slams you into the seat and that horsepower is what carries you at 100 MPH (or at least we're told), but when it comes down to it, how many of us actually understand what torque is and what horsepower is?

Curve of Horsepower and Torque Vs. RPM Source

Think of it this way: both have definitions that can come from your physics text books that can be easily applied to your favorite automotive hobby.

A Car's Wheel on a Dynomometer Roller Source

There is a specific equation relating the two via RPM value, but more simply put, power is defined as "the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed."  Basically, the more horsepower you have, the higher the rate at which you transfer rotational energy from your wheel and tire to kinetic energy, moving your car forward.

This Honda S2000 produces about 125 horsepower per liter, but very little torque in comparison-- very good for road racing in stock form but not fun for the drag strip where force is an important part in getting down the drag strip in a short amount of time.  Source

Torque, however, is defined as "the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot."  In other words, the more torque your car has, the more ability your car has to twist the wheels.  If you have a lot of torque, but little horsepower, like in a diesel car, you'll be able to turn the wheels with great force, but the rate of energy transfer from your wheels' rotational movement to your car's forward movement will not be as great.

Jetta TDi's are well known for their high mileage due to the amount of work they extract out of the fuel they run off of and they are also known to produce more torque than horsepower (nearly double for this model).  Source

I hope this helps you to familiarize yourself with the differences between horsepower and torque.  This writeup is only intended to help you acquaint yourself with the concepts rather than understand the mathematical relation.  But still, it should make you sound a little more knowledgeable if the topic ever comes up.  ;)

Until next time, Lexi.Laron signing off.

The Daily Werks Crew November Cruise and Shoot

Last Sunday my boys and I headed out to Core Creek Park in Langhorne, Pennsylvania to meet up and chill, eat some food, and talk about our favorite subject: cars.

A couple of different whips rolled up, including but not limited to some swapped Hondas (like the one you saw in my last article), Toyotas, Euros, and even some American cars.

Check out the photos!

Edd Lalo's Mean Muggin Bimmer!

She lookin' at you.

The man himself!

My boy's Integra GSR clone!

Nice little M3, wouldn't you say?

The boys lined up at Oxford Valley Mall in PA to get some grub!

A gift from my boy in the silver Teggy <3 .="." p="p">

My baby <3 .="." her="her" love="love" much.="much." nbsp="nbsp" p="p" so="so">

Look at that face, smooth and sexy but elegant and smooth all at once.

Lookin over her shoulder and into the distance.

Watchin the creek with my boo.

This knob is from eBay, but honestly it does just what a shift knob should do (be heavy and shfit) and it looks so good.  Accented with a clean interior and some lanyards from WEKFEST, how can you go wrong?

Gotta have faith!

I see you!

After taking some solo shots of my car, my boy Andres pulled up to the waterfront with his white DB8 integra.

Stanced side-by-side, the two cars, white and red, accented eachother quite well with a blue backdrop.

As far as specs go, Andres' Teggy is mainly stock, but it's lowered and sitting on some rims.  It's also awaiting a manual transmission swap.  It's amazing what wonders tech school can teach!

Bug-eye o___o

Mean-eyed D:<

After the day was over, all I can say was that we had a good time.  I got to spend some seriously relaxing and fun time with my bros and it allowed me to get an appreciation for my car despite the fact that I take it for granted sometimes.

Take care, fans.