Saw a paper-plated Lexus HS-250h yesterday. Based on the JDM Avensis platform like the Scion tC, this entry-luxury sedan is slightly larger than a Toyota Corolla, beating out the next nearest luxury competitor, the Civic-based Canadian-market-only Acura CSX. I don’t have any gripes with the design (it looks great for a sedan), or the technology (Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive is the benchmark), or the market segment (this has been empty since the Infinity G20 disappeared): It’s the labeling. The HS is a hybrid-only vehicle, hence the “H”. Does it really need the “h” after the 250 to drum it into out heads that it is a hybrid? If they intended to keep the little h to make it fall in line with all the other hybrid models nomenclature wise, they should have chosen a different series name.
(0)Archive for the 'car' Category
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Saw the 2010 Toyota 4Runner today. I guess it is possible to make it uglier than the previous generation! It’s as unatractively boxy as the latest Honda Pilot. They have carried through the very Korean-car-looking nameplate over the rear number plate like the new Highlander, and borrowed the “crab-eye” taillights from the FJ Cruiser. This example was without a rear wiper – I guess that’s where they are cutting costs on the base models now, just like on the base Matrix.
(0)Finally saw a Hyundai Genesis sedan last week. Up until now, I’ve only seen it on Korean dramas and in print ads. Hyundai is trying to place this car amongst similarly sized upmarket rear-wheel-drive premium sedans, but after seeing a silver example of this vehicle, my impression is, “it’s big, but it’s still a Hyundai”. The paint finish is not at the premium level, nor is the chrome trim. Design-wise, there are a lot of unresolved lines and curves like where the rear windscreen meets the adjacent metal, and the edge of the boot lid and the associated panel lines. I’m still waiting for the Federal Government to slap them with dumping for selling this car for $25K USD less than what it costs on the KDM.
(0)Nice to see all the krappy drivers back in Hawaii. On my way home on the day I got back from Japan, I was in the center-right lane of Alapai by the police station turning onto Beretania when a maroon Camry went speeding by in the center-left lane and went straight up Alapai! Today, I was going down Lagoon in the second left lane to turn left onto Nimitz. There was a big-ass Lexus tailgating me all the way down from Tripler, constantly poking her nose out into the turning lane so she could try seeing around me. At the intersection when I got into the right of the two turning lanes, she went into the far left lane. As I turned left onto Nimitz, I could see her flash by in back of me going straight down Lagoon Drive diagonally across two lanes! Good job poeple!
(0)Once again, thanks go out to the boys, Fab and Scat cruised on by late afternoon to help me pull the engine out of the red Corolla. There wasn’t anything terribly wrong with it, except it’s not the correct block for the model, so techinically puts me into a different class for racing. It’s the supercharged block, without the supercharger. So in actuallity I’m makeing LESS power than stock since the pistons are lower compression. Anyway, previously we’d dropped the transmission and I’ve since rebuilt it with all new bearings and synchros. I decided to pull the engine since I have a spare original spec engine, and installing the transmission onto the engine should be easier. A few little snags, but it was relatively painless. Continue reading ‘Right Tool for the Job’
Finally saw a 200-series Land Cruiser here. It was a black Lexus version with vanity plates. I’ve already seen several in Japan since they came out in late 2007.
(0)Not sure what some people are thinking sometimes.
Like jelly-roll cottage-cheese-thigh uber-woman going slow on her beer-rack-commuter-bike in the left-most lane of King Street, blocking everyone trying to make left turns, wallowing from intersection to intersection, causing the same problem at each junction. What happened to “bikes on the right”? I guess at some point (maybe as far down as University), she has to make a left turn, so she had might as well be in that lane from the get-go. Just like all those people going slow up the left lane of Like Like in Kaneohe because they eventually have to turn left on School.
How about the driver of a white Nissan pickup truck with surfboard loops going up St. Louis drive crossing into the oncoming lanes on the turns because she was too lazy to turn the steering wheel more than a half-turn. She made no concessions to oncoming traffic, forcing them to slow down to accomodate her. What happened to staying in one’s own lane? Too much trouble? Some dumb excuse like it causes excessive wear to the tires and steering parts? Can’t be bothered? So self-centered that she feels that the rights of others pale in comparison to hers? It’s like all those people who pull left into the oncoming lane of traffic when making right turns.
I guess the problem lies in assuming people are actually thinking.
Every year around this time I get this unexplained urge to buy a Suby Impreza STi… Ford had a good showing in the X-games Rallycross with the EDM Fiesta Olsbergs MSE rally cars on the eve of a USDM release of a significantly more pedestrian version alongside its Mazda 2 platform-mate. Definitely a good marketing move on their part. The Mitses did as painfully bad as last year.
Good to see Rune take Gold again this year in skate/park.
Didn’t catch any of the BMX stuff this year.
(0)Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! It’s SCCA Test and Tune day at the stadium! A day for all the SCCA geeks (and geekettes) to bring their cars out and drive them all day on the course. The weather was clear, and hot. I see many a lobstered racer tonight! It was a full house for the entire day, so turnover was kinda slow, sometimes almost 30 minutes between runs, but it was enough time to weight my car, and get in about 7 runs. Enough to start to get a feel for the car, get the tire pressures sorted, discover that this Corolla is fun, and get an unexpected kustom tuning job. Continue reading ‘Test n Tune, Shake n Bake’
This should go under a category of what the heck have I been doing until now?! I finally purchased and setup an air compressor for the garage a little while back. Bought the bargain 14pc kit with it. This past week used the 1/2″ impact to take off the wheels on the hachibroku. It was almost fun! After a few impacts the lug nuts spun right off, it went by so fast I felt like a racetrack pit crew person. Continue reading ‘To Air is Good’