La Dolce Veloce » General

World’s Fastest Cars

Matt — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:33:14 +0000

Just in time for you Christmas-shopping gazillionaires is this list from Forbes magazine of the world’s fastest cars. True car nuts won’t be surprised by the list, with such beats as the Bugatti Veyron, Koenigsegg CCX, and my favorite, the Pagani Zonda F.

Cool car video

Matt — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 05:40:34 +0000

I came across a cool computer generated car video called ‘Overdrive’, a race between an NSX and Diablo. The course reminds me of the video game ‘stunts’ – loops, etc. Neat video, you can find it here.

Jeremy Clarkson’s review of the Bugatti Veyron

Matt — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 19:38:04 +0000

Jeremy Clarkson, one of the hosts of the TV show Top Gear, is without a doubt my favorite automotive journalist of all time. His latest review is of the Bugatti Veyron, and has some interesting tidbits of information, such as in the R&D phase, they found out that the side mirrors were generating a significant amount of downforce! You can read the whole review at the Times Online.

All is NOT quiet in the car world, but…

Matt — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 22:28:36 +0000

Sorry for the lack of news this past week on La Dolce Veloce. I was offline, exploring various beaches in Kauai. About the only automotive-related thing I did that week was to do an exhaustive road test of the Chevy Cobalt, but I can sum that up by saying that car hardly even deserves mention on a blog dedicated to fast cars (though for what it is, I found it quite decent and was pleasantly surprised at how well it did on the rutted, muddy back roads on the island – proving that the ultimate off road vehicle is…a rental car). I missed a heck of a week with the Tokyo motor show, too, and will attempt to get caught up in the off chance that you didn’t hear the news elsewhere already…

Jeremy Clarkson reviews the Ford Mustang

Matt — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 04:31:58 +0000

If you don’t already watch the TV show Top Gear, you really owe it to yourself to check out an episode (you can find links to bit-torrent files of it here). It’s a fantastic British car show, with some hosts that have that wonderfully British sense of humor and make the show FUN to watch, rather than the boring dribble you’ll find on almost any American car show. But anyway, Jeremy Clarkson is one of the show’s hosts (probably the most popular of the three), and in his usual writing style, has reviewed the Ford Mustang in an article printed in the Sunday Times. He does a great job of pointing out some of the inadequacies in Ford’s design, providing a nice counterpoint to the generally glowing reviews I’ve seen from the American press. One quote typical of the tone of the article:

“But by European standards this car is rubbish. Its engine has wasteful, unused capacity that turns fuel into nothing, it couldn’t get from one end of a country lane to the other without running out of brakes and it handles like a newborn donkey.”

EPA to revamp mileage testing

Matt — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 16:20:04 +0000

Owners of many hybrid vehicles (such as the Toyota Prius) have been surprised to find that their real-world mileage is not nearly as good as what the window sticker advertises. The car manufacturers aren’t to blame here; at fault are EPA test procedures that do not accurately test hybrid vehicles. Responding to this criticism, the EPA has announced plans to change their testing to better reflect real world conditions (such as higher speeds, colder weather, and greater use of accessories like air conditioning).

Citroen C4 VTS

Matt — Thu, 04 Aug 2005 16:28:31 +0000

The new Citroen C4 VTS is shaping up to be a nice, sporty little hatchback. The styling is reminiscent of the early 80′s Honda CRX, a car that drew a loyal following from enthusiasts seeking its nimble handling and decent performance. The September 2005 edition of Sports Car International magazine has a nice review of the C4 VTS (page 28). Vital stats: 177hp, 149 ft-lbs torque, 0-60 in 8.3 seconds, priced a few thousand less than a VW GTi. It’s a nice little car, there haven’t been many French cars lately that appealed to me but this one seems like a great around-town car. (AutoExpress review)

All about Tires

Matt — Thu, 07 Apr 2005 20:28:41 +0000

Motor Trend has a nice article explaining tire technology. Tires are easily the most important part of any car; this article is worth reading.

ZAP Smart Car

Matt — Tue, 05 Apr 2005 01:44:29 +0000

Fans of the Smart Car rejoice! Zap is continuing its plan to import the Smart ForTwo into the US. They’ll now have the advantage of not having to compete with Mercedes for Smart car sales. Zap has accumulated around $200 million in orders for the Smart Car, but there’s no official word on when they’ll start selling.

Attack of the engine sludge!

Matt — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 01:14:40 +0000

The automobile has been around a century or so, long enough that you’d think we’d have figured out how to run motor oil through those engines reliably. However, in the past decade, a problem has been cropping up at several car makers (Toyota, VW, Audi, and Saab have admitted guilt, though others are likely guilty as well). More and more owners these days are suffering engine failure due to excessive sludge buildup in the oil passages (and the resulting oil starvation that can occure). Why is this? Automakers usually claim that it’s due to the oil not being changed on schedule, yet it appears to be more than that, it’s related to the design of modern engines instead. In Toyota’s case, it seems it may be related to the PCV valve, of all things. The problem is not limited to just small engines though – the Dodge Durango appears to have similar sludge problems. I think the best thing a person could do would be to use synthetic oil, as it’s less likely (if at all) to form any sludge in the first place. Read more about this over at AutoWeek.