Car Brand Loyalty-- Good or Bad for the Community?

We've all been there-- you roll up to a meet and see some of your favorite muscle cars and a couple of 80's American Cars with big block engines as well and your jaw drops.  You hear the loud rumble of an All-American, All-Motor V8 rumbling and it gets your skin tingling.  All of this is going on to your amusement, when all of a sudden-- "RICER"-- someone has to be "THAT GUY."

Who hasn't seen this picture?

 

 

 

I myself drive a Honda-- yes a two-liter, four-cylinder that makes 100 horsepower per liter, and yet the critics STILL have something negative to say about my ride like, "there's no replacement for displacement" or "there's no torque."  (Even though a Mitsubishi Evolution or Subaru WRX STi owner will disagree saying..."TURBO!")

 

All-American big block with turbos Source

 

All-American, naturally aspirated drag car on the dyno Source

 

Yes, mine and many other Hondas are torque-deficient, but did you ever think of them as being well-balanced cars for road courses or for auto crossing?  No one ever said a car had to be ultra fast to be fun, and no one ever said a car had to be fun to be fast, get it?

 

And it's not just the oldheads that talk trash, it's the tuner community too.  We got tuner on tuner violence (Volkswagen and Honda(?))!  We got car meet drama!  We got meanie heads!  Ok-- retract that last statement, it doesn't make me sound cool...

 

Source

 

But anyway, the truth is I wish sometimes people would look past how fast they are on a straight line or how well they can drive on the street and I wish people could look at the mechanical integrity of the owner's car or even the owner's passion if they can't appreciate their car.  We're all in this together.  What's all the fuss?  Is this all just a result of brand loyalty?  I have the best car?  Or is it something less friendly-- is it something less loving-- is it something that is hurting our community?

 

Till next time, this is Lexi.Laron signing off.  Have a good one!





The New Acura NSX

The new Acura NSX was revealed today at the Detroit Auto Show.  Although details are scarce, the car seems a lot like its father.  It's sleek and sexy, it's got interconnected taillights, and its got a mid-engine setup.

However, this is no normal NSX.  Rather than sporting a meaty V10 like the expensive LFA or a 3.4 liter V8 engine like the previous concept, it will sport a hybrid powerplant.

The engine will be a VTEC V6 with direct injection, and a hybrid drive to send power through its all new Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive System for better handling on corners where torque is needed at slipping wheels.

Although we are all stoked to empty our wallets for this new supercar, it is three years away.  And what is to say that this new concept is any different from Honda's....awesome EV-ster Concept (aside from being a supercar).  Will Acura trash this plan as they did with the previous concept or will they persevere to make this dream a reality?

Only time will tell.  But, I'm just saying...I like this one.