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2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 - Back at the track!

A few weeks ago, I took my car - a 2012 Mustang Boss 302 - to the track for the first time this summer. Head to  2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 - Doing what it does best!  to find out what modifications I made and how I liked it last summer, stock, and how I like it so far this summer after modifications! This time, I'm back at the track with the local BMW club - BMW Club Atlantic - for a high performance driving school (HPDS) that I attend annually. The school is arranged twice a year and each time, it runs for an entire weekend. Each day, there are 2 sessions of slaloms and accident avoidance exercises and 2 lapping sessions for a total of 8 sessions on the track. Classroom sessions that go for 15 to 30 minutes run between each track session where vehicle dynamics and track etiquette are discussed. It is a very comprehensive school and between the 1-on-1 instructor time and classroom sessions, there's a lot to be learned for those who are trying to improve. If you're l

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 - Doing what it does best!

It was 6:30 a.m. and I was already up and getting ready to leave. It wasn't for work - I'm usually not awake until 7:30 a.m. on workdays. I also didn't need to grab or prepare lunch. I did grab a couple of items, though, my helmet and my second car key - the track key (TracKey), for the first day at the track this summer. The local track - Atlantic Motorsport Park  (AMP) - is about an hour away. I filled up the car and a 10 litre gas tank and headed to the track. I arrived shortly after 8:00. The last time I was at the track before then was the last weekend of August, 2012, and I have been counting down the weekends since then. Once I arrived at the track, saw the line up of cars and heard a few idling engines, it seemed like it was only last weekend that I had been there last. Now let's get to the important stuff - the car. I've had the car on the track before. Initial impressions were excellent. I bought my car "used" with 230 miles on the cloc

Toyota Avalon TRD - A Closer Look

One of the most puzzling cars at last year's SEMA show was a boosted Toyota Avalon. Yes, boosted as in relying on more than mother nature to stuff an engine cylinder full of air. The car was sporting a TRD supercharger with an Eaton Gen 6 TVS rotor assembly along with a slew of suspension and appearance modifications. Toyota apparently decided to leave it with the guys at Motor Trend to put through the tests. A couple of days ago, Motor Trend posted their tests and the numbers were.. interesting. Handling improvements are nothing short of impressive. 6-piston front brake callipers and 4-piston rear ones along with larger, cross drilled rotors help bring the car to a stop from 60 mph in 106 ft, which is sports car territory. Motor Trend was able to record an average lateral acceleration of 0.92 g. To put that into perspective, that puts it right in between two trims of an excellent RWD sedan, the Cadillac ATS. When tested by Motor Trend, the 2.0 litre turbo model was a

Will the C7 Corvette Stingray gain market share?

The C6 Corvette has a great chassis and suspension setup along with a stout drivetrain to boot. However, the interior has been holding back the Corvette name from being world class on every level and it was viewed as the bargain competitor. With the upgraded interior and luxury, upscale materials and features, the Corvette is no longer a compromise of luxury in favour of performance and sales are bound to reflect that. The Corvette already sells well, outselling luxury sports cars like the Porsche 911, Cayman and Boxter, Audi TT, BMW Z4 and Mercedes Benz SLK as well as mainstream sports cars like the Nissan 370Z, Mazda MX-5 (Miata), and Subaru BRZ (although the Scion FR-S outsells the Corvette). However, GM would like to see the Corvette do more than that. According to an Autoweek report, GM plans to extend its marketing efforts to attract customers of high end sports cars, like Porsche and other European luxury brands. GM is not planning on alienating the current and loy

2014 Corvette Stingray makes 460 hp!

When GM revealed the 2014 Corvette Stingray, 450 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque were the estimates for engine output (full post: The Stingray is back! Details about the new 2014 C7 Corvette ). It is GM tradition, though, to reveal hp numbers that are slightly lower than actual ratings and the C7 Corvette is no different. When equipped with the optional performance exhaust, it makes 460 hp (343 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) of torque at 4,600 rpm, as shown above on the SAE engine dyno graph. With the standard exhaust, the numbers drop by 5 hp and 5 lb-ft of torque to 455 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. The closest competitor to the Corvette in terms of performance is the Porsche 911 Carrera and these numbers put it well ahead of the pack. The Porsche 911 Carrera makes 350 hp and 287 lb-ft of torque and the Carrera S makes 400 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque, 110 hp and 60 hp lower the Corvette's numbers and even much lower torque. It doesn't just make higher gross numbers,

Nissan Juke NISMO - A Closer Look

I couldn't help but remember the less than worthy cars Chevy put the SS moniker on in the mid 2000's. The Cobalt SS and Traiblazer SS were great performance cars in their respective classes but the Malibu and Impala simply weren't. Nissan seems to want to cash in on the NISMO name the same way Chevy did with the SS moniker - by making more NISMO models. This is even worse, though, because of fact that the SS had an even longer heritage that is harder to tarnish with a couple of bad models. Here's the first example: the Nissan Juke NISMO. It will start at $23,780 for a FWD with a manual and $26,080 or an AWD with a CVT ($24,998 and $28,478 in Canada). So what is more sporty about this NISMO model? Well, you get a whopping 9 hp over the run-of-the-mill Jukes. On the outside, you still get the polarizing body but with a racy "aerodynamic body kit" (according to the website) and 18" wheels wrapped in Continental ContiSportContact5 tires that a

Details about BMW M5 and M6 Competition Package

BMW recently unrelieved the refreshed 5-series for model year 2014, which is scheduled to be in dealerships by August of this year. Along with the subtle facelift, the 5-series receives an updated diesel engine and the Competition Package. Information about the latter was recently leaked but more details have become available. Opting for the competition package will get you new springs and dampers, which lower the car by 0.4 in, and stiffer anti-roll bars. Since cars are now packed with electronic components that affect performance, most manufacturer performance packages included hardware and software upgrades and the Competition Package is no exception. The steering in the M5 has been an area of criticism and, while the upgraded springs, dampers and anti-roll bars should help, the electric power steering will also be revised for a more direct feel. Other upgrades include reprogramming the active M differential for improved traction and adjusting the stability control syste

Kia Cadenza First test - A Closer Look

Motor Trend recently tested the Kia Cadenza, a full-size sedan that's new for 2013 in the North American market (full post: 2014 Kia Cadenza First Test ). This new sedan will be Kia's flagship until the Quoris RWD sedan makes it to North American market. Buying one will set you back $35,100 before even ticking any options boxes. It seems that the folks at Motor Trend are struggling with this car - they're proposing that this could be a luxury car, if it hadn't been for the Kia name on the hood, because of the luxury car features and the "luxury car-like" starting price of $35,100. The $35,100 starting price is certainly a lot of money for a base model family sedan. Looking at just the price doesn't tell the complete story, though. For that money, you don't get a stripped out model. You get an 8-inch touch screen with the UVO infotainment system and navigation, leather, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, Bluetooth, backup camera

2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray Weighs 3,298 lb.

Chevrolet is making more information available about the Corvette Stingray as it gets closer to going on  sale. The new C7 Corvette will weigh 3,298 lb. For the Corvette faithful, that's about 90 lb. heavier than the current, C6 Corvette. How's that possible when we know from the release that the frame underpinning the C7 is 99 lb. lighter than the outgoing one? Well, Chevrolet broke down the areas of weight addition: 35.2 lb. - direct injection, VVT, AFM 6.6 lb. - standard engine oil cooler 13.2 lb. - dual mass clutch 15.4 lb. - steel torque tube part of AFM 4.4 lb. - AFM exhaust valves 11 lb. - 7th transmission speed 18.5 lb. - strengthened differential, half shafts 18.3 lb. - larger fixed brakes 17 lb. - new interior appointments and safety features 17.2 lb. - upgraded seats 18.5 lb. - structural safety requirements 31.5 lb. - new infotainment and cabin technology, as well as relocating battery to the rear 3 lb. - bigger fuel tank The total adds up

BMW M5 and M6 Competition Package - Packing 575 hp

A few reviews of the BMW M5 haven't been too positive - it has improved as a luxury car but moved further away from the "Ultimate Driving Machine." If you have an M5 or an M6 and you agree with these reviews, BMW might have an answer. Starting with model year 2014, BMW will offer a performance package called the Competition Package. The package will bump power from 560 hp to 575 hp. Other upgrades include distinct wheels, black exhaust tips, and, more importantly, a revised suspension and a more direct steering ratio. The revised suspension should sharpen up the handling and, judging by the reviews, should be a welcome upgrade to BMW M fans. Top speed will remain governed at 190 mph and 0-60 mph time should drop by 0.1 s to 3.6 s. We'll have to wait for an official release for more details about the suspension upgrades and pricing but, considering that the M5 and M6's aren't set up equally, (full post: BMW M6 Coupe - The Ultimate Twin-Turbo M Car! ), it






Does An Aftermarket Grille Really Increase Airflow?
I put a Saleen S281 grille to the test to answer that question.

Stock Suspension S197 Mustang With Square 305/30/19's
What you need to fit a proper size square tire setup.

How Limited Slip Diffs Make You Faster on Track
What you need to know about how they put power down and pros and cons.

Can Telemetry Explain Schumacher's Talent?
A comparison between Schumacher's and then team mate Herbert's data.






Cayman GT4 Track Review
The first Cayman with proper (911-challenging) power.

Is an EcoBoost Mustang any good on Track?
Two days at the track in a Mustang short 4 cylinders.

2016 BMW M4 DCT Track Review
It's quick (properly quick). But is it fun?

Can a stock Golf Diesel handle a Track Day?
Not your every day track beater.




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Falken Azenis RT615k+ Street and Track Review

Last year, I picked up a 2009 Lancer Ralliart to do a long term test with it as a dual duty track/daily. One of the first things I knew I was going to do was put a decent set of tires on it. The car came without OEM wheels which was actually good because I didn't have to hesitate about getting a good set of aftermarket wheels to support going wider. Thankfully, my friends at YST Auto Halifax  set me up with a great set of Superspeed RF03RR wheels. The Wheels I had never even heard of Superspeed but I trusted the good folk at YST Auto who mentioned some customer cars running on track with them. These wheels are rotary forged which is basically a prerequisite to be taken seriously in this market populated by companies like TSW and Fast Wheels. The wheels looked like a high quality, well finished wheel and each had a "QC" check sticker on. Just for appearances? Maybe, but I found no defects. The wheels seemed easy to balance (didn't need many weights) and at 18.1 lb. f

Michelin Pilot Super Sports vs Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 - Street Review

I've been a huge fan of Michelin PSS tires and exclusively bought them for the Mustang over the last four years. So how did I end up here? This year, I was hugely interested in trying an "R-comp" tire. I had my eyes set on Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R's for two simple reasons: price and reputation. Although not a true "R-comp" tire on paper, it performs like one by the account of every single test and review I've read (down to wear rates...). They seem like they're easily the most affordable (from a big brand) R-comp tire and combine that with a reputation for having tons of grip, it was an easy top contender. I had my concerns, though. For one, I'm told and have read that they are an autox tire, not really designed for high speed, pressure, and temps associated with open track. For another, the Mustang is a heavy car (as far as track cars are concerned) being roughly 3,800 lb. (including driver), which will amplify the unwanted open track load

GTR vs Evo X vs STI: which has the best AWD system?

A few weeks ago, I made a post explaining  mainstream AWD system types and how they compare , pros and cons, etc. including some simple diagrams to show where the power goes and how much. As promised, this post will focus on specific cars and what AWD systems they use, especially ones that that have more or less been defined by their AWD systems, and the best place to start may be with a bombshell; the Nissan GT-R. Nissan GT-R (R35) The GT-R has built a reputation around having monster traction and very approachable performance, thanks to its AWD system - Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-Terrain (ATTESA) - and what it can do for you. But the GT-R doesn't actually use the most mechanically sophisticated type of AWD systems discussed in the previous article, namely a "true" AWD with a centre differential. Instead, it uses a clutch pack to transfer power. RWD-based clutch-type AWD schematic - Rams Eye The Track Guy © The R32, R33, and R34 Sky

Winter Car Maintenance Tips

It's this time of the year again and I thought I would share a few winter maintenance tips that can be overlooked but they can keep a vehicle running better and more safely. 1- Tires They're the only components that connect your vehicle to the road. Regardless of the capability of a vehicle's drivetrain and suspension or how strong the brakes are, they will handle only as well as the tires allow them to. Always get snow tires and not summer or all season tires if snow stays on the ground. If you only get rain but no snow where you live, all season tires are a great choice. Check tread regularly to make sure the grooves are deep enough. Tires have wear bars which indicate  when the amount of tread left is unsafe for driving. Snow tires have two wear bars; one for dry/wet driving and one for snow driving. If the tread is at the taller wear bar (the snow wear bar), the tires are not safe for snow driving but may still be used in the rain or dry. If the tread reaches the