Honda Civic Type R - looking good, but...
I always liked cars made by Honda… Since I was a teenager. I respected the brand, considered myself as a fan… When I started studies, I wanted a Civic… A used one of course. Back then there was only Subaru and Honda for me. Two brands that had the edge I was looking for, being at the same time down to earth. In 1999 I became a proud owner of a 1991 Honda Civic. 1.4 liter, 90 HP. Perfect car choice for a student being on a budget (mpg was really good). Absolutely no equipment inside – made the car superlight, what gave it pretty good performance. That was then…
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Mazda 2: step in the right direction
Just watched this video (found it HERE originally). And I really liked what I saw… The topic is worth mentioning as the continuation of the thought stated in some previous post: Old vs New – are the cars getting better?. Video below, made by the Fifth Gear team is showing in a pretty straightforward way what weight does with the car. Especially a small one… It’s a about doing the right thing by a car maker… finally.
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Forget about reaching these values - it's time to save some fuel
I’ve decided to write few words about Ecodriving. As far as I don’t really buy all the “greenwashed” efforts the car makers do to sell more cars, it doesn’t mean that You (We) shouldn’t try to be “greener”… We don’t have to throw away the fun cars and buy some horrid hybrid, or any green- eco- blue- line of cars to have aerodynamic tiny alloys, longer gears and body patched everywhere to cut through the air better. All this to save 5% of fuel (of course at the same time loosing extra 10 – 20% of cash when buying the car).
The key to the best efficiency is in driver’s foot. I recently watched again the Top Gear: BMW M3 vs Prius mpg test for inspiration. Also they just announced some social research results about eco-awareness among Polish drivers.
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F1 logo
Last Sunday I watched the Formula 1 Silverstone Grand Prix (Great Britain). I have to admit that it was the first race of the series that I watched this season. Until now I only read some summaries or news. Although I consider myself as a fan, somehow I didn’t really feel like watching the previous races. But this was Silverstone – last year it was the best race of the season (very wet track), so I decided to sit in front of the TV and check what will happen this year.
And this first race… was pretty boring. My expectations were low, after reading all the bitter news from the press… About teams vs FIA conflict. About the double diffuser issue…
Where was the competition? The adrenaline? Where are the duels? Overtaking?
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Smart scientists once discovered that when we look at the cars, we use the same part of our brains as we use for peoples faces, to recognize them.
SsangYong Stavic
Probably that is why they are designed the way they are: lights on the sides – eyes… some grill or badge – nose, and bumper – mouth etc. And the same way we feel the mimic emotions and character: like Mini has wide open and cheerful eyes… And new Mitsubishi Lancer is aggressive (narrow headlights descending to the middle)…
Knowing that… why do the designers put all these funny, ugly or sad faces on the cars…
Why “bottoms” – rears?
Because that is what we see the most of the time on the streets. We stand behind the cars in traffic lights. We are forced to look at their rears … And some of them are just harmful to our feelings 
Check out the following photos of horrid modern car designs from this decade, below…
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Tags: bmw, Citroen, design, Fiat, Lexus, Nissan, rear, Renault, Seat, Skoda, top 10, Volvo, VW
Why should I?
In most countries talking on a mobile while driving is forbidden by the authorities. Some of them even try to establish penalties heavier than regular tickets (ex. jail) for doing it.
The authorities try to protect us at all costs, forbidding to do the every day stuff – and “mobile” is just one of the examples. This particular ban is one of my (and their) favourites. You’re not allowed to use it on a plane, in the post office, library or at the gas station and in the car. I can understand the post office and library – there is a need of silence there. But for example there is no proof that the electro-magnetic waves influence other machines around.
And is this really so dangerous when in traffic? Picture Yourself driving on a highway and talking on the phone (held in hand). Does it feel as creating danger to the people and cars around? Or is talking something natural, that don’t necessary takes much of Your focus away from the road?
Of course I’m not talking about freaks that go 100 mpg in heavy traffic and still talk – it’s not talking that’s dangerous then.
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Golf GTI - old vs new
Some time ago I watched a road test of the new Ford Fiesta on TV. Guy was doing a full scale review, praising Ford for a good job. Talking about the interior, trunk, drivers position, brakes, engine, fuel economy and prices… all the boring stuff. And then he said (what was in his opinion the greatest news there) about the car: New Fiesta is not heavier than the previous model! Wow, a success?
And that made me think. What happened with the motoring… if during the review they find as a success that the car didn’t get fatter? That is a real success for myself, when I look in the mirror from time to time and see that the diet is working But with cars? All the hi-tech, aluminium, carbon fibre, computers – and they still get heavier. And needless to say: what weight does with the fun of driving.
Let’s start with the example: Volkswagen Golf GTI.
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We all get up in the morning (that fact itself is annoying), do our morning routine, get in the car, and drive to work. I don’t know about You, but in the morning for the first half an hour or so, I’m a person that hardly talks. I don’t talk because if I would, it would be shouting at other people or things (“You… stupid elevator door!!!”).
Although I’m aware of this fact and try to calm it down, there are some things that still annoy me when I drive to work.
Looks familiar?
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