(Jalopnik.com)
Monday, February 29, 2016
Power Rankings: Trades shaking things up - ESPN.com
2. Anaheim Ducks
- The Ducks received a hat trick from Corey Perry en route to a 4-2 victory over the Kings on Sunday. Anaheim has won eight straight and has a 12-1-1 record in February. Since December the Ducks have been outstanding.
- The Kings lost a Pacific Division battle to the Ducks on Sunday but acquired Stanley Cup-winning forward Kris Versteeg from Carolina as they gear up for the stretch run.
- The Sharks posted a 4-1 win over the Canucks on Sunday. San Jose landed goalie James Reimer and forward Jeremy Morin in a deal with the Maple Leafs late last week.
Turns Out You Can Make A Pig Less Ugly With Lipstick
10 Modern Performance Cars That Look Awesome In Retro Touring Car Liveries
There is nothing cooler than classic touring cars; regulations were relaxed, grids were packed and liveries were awesome. So this got us thinking: what would modern performance cars look like with retro paint schemes?
2. BMW M3 E30 Warsteiner DTM - BMW M4
5. Nissan Primera Vodafone Super Touring BTCC - Infiniti Q50
6. Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo2 DTM - Mercedes-Benz C63
Complete list (CarThrottle.com)
There is nothing cooler than classic touring cars; regulations were relaxed, grids were packed and liveries were awesome. So this got us thinking: what would modern performance cars look like with retro paint schemes?
2. BMW M3 E30 Warsteiner DTM - BMW M4
5. Nissan Primera Vodafone Super Touring BTCC - Infiniti Q50
6. Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo2 DTM - Mercedes-Benz C63
Complete list (CarThrottle.com)
A Man With Bizarre Eating Habits Has Sound Life Advice
Andrew Zimmern, The Host Of ‘Bizarre Foods’, Hit Me With The Three Keys To A Successful Life And #3 Is Eye Opening
Andrew: Well, I teach entrepreneurship at Babson College, and so I’m constantly in front of college aged students, and I do a lot of mentoring programs in Minnesota, and so I talk to people about this a lot. And I find myself the older I get sounding more like my grandfather.
There are a couple things that are really true in life:
I also believe in ‘well timed risks’ as well, and I think that if you have enough people in your life that you trust they can help you make those decisions. I left the restaurant world 18 years ago, and I went to a magazine, a radio station.
(BroBible.com)
Andrew: Well, I teach entrepreneurship at Babson College, and so I’m constantly in front of college aged students, and I do a lot of mentoring programs in Minnesota, and so I talk to people about this a lot. And I find myself the older I get sounding more like my grandfather.
There are a couple things that are really true in life:
‘Gravity is one of them.’When I was young I did not believe that to be as true as I did when I was middle-aged. I tried to do it every other way I could except by work harder, better, faster, stronger, earlier, and later than the other people. And the minute that I started doing that amazing things really happened.
‘Be a good person and it will end up paying off.’
And the one that a lot of people don’t like to hear, which is ‘hard work pays off’.
I also believe in ‘well timed risks’ as well, and I think that if you have enough people in your life that you trust they can help you make those decisions. I left the restaurant world 18 years ago, and I went to a magazine, a radio station.
(BroBible.com)
If You Ain't Cheatin' You Ain't Tryin'
Nokian cheated on tire tests with custom-made ringers
Tire maker Nokian Renkaat created custom versions of its products that performed better in comparison tests, according to Bloomberg citing a report from Finnish newspaper Kauppalehti. The paper made these claims based on internal emails and sources at the company.
Nokian CEO Ari Lehtoranta admitted to using custom tires in tests before 2014, which was also prior to him taking over as the corporation's boss. The Finnish newspaper alleged the deception began in 2005, according to Reuters. Lehtoranta claims the company has stopped giving out modified versions of its products for evaluations.
Nokian released a statement (below) about the Finnish report, and the company claimed this was an industry-wide issue. "In past years, when the testing organisations asked manufacturers to send them tyres for the tests, activities in the industry were dubious," it said. "On our behalf, we apologise and regret the mistakes we have made in the past."
(AutoBlog.com)
Tire maker Nokian Renkaat created custom versions of its products that performed better in comparison tests, according to Bloomberg citing a report from Finnish newspaper Kauppalehti. The paper made these claims based on internal emails and sources at the company.
Nokian CEO Ari Lehtoranta admitted to using custom tires in tests before 2014, which was also prior to him taking over as the corporation's boss. The Finnish newspaper alleged the deception began in 2005, according to Reuters. Lehtoranta claims the company has stopped giving out modified versions of its products for evaluations.
Nokian released a statement (below) about the Finnish report, and the company claimed this was an industry-wide issue. "In past years, when the testing organisations asked manufacturers to send them tyres for the tests, activities in the industry were dubious," it said. "On our behalf, we apologise and regret the mistakes we have made in the past."
(AutoBlog.com)
These Japanese Classics Have Stood The Test Of Time
16 Japanese Cars That Need to Make a Comeback
Datsun 510
Datsun 510
- This car is all but forgotten among the masses. Amongst the car-loving community though, it sits upon a pedestal of respect, as a tiny, lightweight sedan that could kick some serious butt on a racetrack. Nissan knows that this is a car that needs to come back -- it even teased a concept car that was a very clear homage. Hopefully the car gods will answer the prayers here.
- The Integra, especially the early 1990s variant, remains a standard bearer for great handling front-wheel-drive cars. The tiny two-door was crazy light, and its absence weighs heavy on the market. Maybe someday we'll get something comparable again. After all, the NSX eventually returned, so anything's possible.
- To some, it's absolutely inconceivable that the Supra is in its second decade of hibernation, having enjoyed a reign at or near the top of the performance heap for much of the '80s and '90s. Rumors have been rampant for years that it's set to make a return, possibly on a platform shared with an upcoming BMW. The irony would be rich, since in the mid-1990s, the Supra Turbo could rightly be considered a faster, more luxurious, and more expensive version of the M3.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Code Name: Benny
The World's Newest Supercar Is Named After A Dude Named Benny
The ‘BC’ doesn’t stand for ‘Because Carbon’ or ‘Boisterously Cromulent’ or even ‘Big Car.’
It stands for ‘Benny Caiola,’ a “larger than life” rich Italian car collector and New York City real estate magnate friend of Pagani’s founder, Horacio Pagani. Caiola was Pagani’s first customer and he died in 2010, so Horacio named his newest limited-edition run of supercars after him.
It’s a sweet tribute, and still a funny name for one of the fastest and most desirable cars in the world.
(Jalopnik.com)
The Pagani Huayra BC is everything that a gearhead
could dream of: it’s a lighter, more powerful version of the already
light and powerful Pagani Huayra. Also, it’s named after a dude named
Benny.
It stands for ‘Benny Caiola,’ a “larger than life” rich Italian car collector and New York City real estate magnate friend of Pagani’s founder, Horacio Pagani. Caiola was Pagani’s first customer and he died in 2010, so Horacio named his newest limited-edition run of supercars after him.
(Jalopnik.com)
The Locations Of Parts Of Heaven On Earth
Eleven of the Greatest Car Factories in the World
- AMG - Affalterbach, Germany
- Chevrolet Corvette - Bowling Green, Kentucky
- Bentley - Crewe, England
- Rolls-Royce - Goodwood, England
- Lotus - Hethel, England
- Mazda - Hiroshima, Japan
- Ferrari - Maranello, Italy
- Lamborghini - Sant'Agata, Italy
- Porsche - Stuttgart, Germany
- Mclaren - Woking, England
- Volkswagen - Wolfsburg, Germany
It's Hard To Get California Wrong
Every State, Ranked by How Miserable Its Winters Are
37. Nevada
37. Nevada
- Other than in the northern reaches of the state, Nevada’s generally pretty well protected from the worst aspects of winter. However, it is NOT protected from packs of bros descending on it for Super Bowl weekend (Chad only gets married once, right guys?!), then getting unruly with the staff at the Hard Rock because they expected the pool to be open even though it’s actually only like 49 degrees out. Then Brett (Chad’s best man) ends up drinking 12 vodka tonics too many and picks a fight with some guy who seemed small but turned out to be a flyweight UFC fighter and shit just got ugly.
- There is no generalizing about the climate of a state the size of Italy, except to say that SF’s weather rarely changes except during the weird time during the summer when it becomes winter and everyone misquotes Mark Twain; everyone in LA and San Diego just wear bikinis and surf to work year-round (except during Sharknado season) and they don’t have meteorologists in Fresno, so no one knows what happens there during any season, much less ONE of them, but it seems like it can't be that bad.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
The Cup Does Have Magical Powers
Woman became pregnant following Cup kiss
Improbable conception after meeting 'Stanley' 20 years ago
(NHL.com)
Improbable conception after meeting 'Stanley' 20 years ago
Stan Riley is your normal 18-year
old college freshman. He is focused on his engineering classes at
Carleton University in Ottawa, and in his spare time plays in men's
pickup hockey games and even does some hockey officiating too. When Stan
is home, he "sleeps all day and stays up all night," said his mom,
Cheryl.
But the story of how Stanley C. Gordon Jeff Riley -- that's his full name -- came to be is anything but typical. It's one of heartbreak, determination and fate, and revolves around one kiss given to the most famous Stanley of them all: the Stanley Cup.
But the story of how Stanley C. Gordon Jeff Riley -- that's his full name -- came to be is anything but typical. It's one of heartbreak, determination and fate, and revolves around one kiss given to the most famous Stanley of them all: the Stanley Cup.
(NHL.com)
Another Unfortunate Sign Of The Times
One Of The Biggest Motorcycle Magazines Just Announced It's Closing Shop
Motorcycle USA has been a staple in the motorcycle media field for 20 years. After this coming Friday, they will be no more. The only thing is, I’m not sure if this will make waves in the industry, or if it’s just a sign of things to come.
(Jalopnik.com)
Motorcycle USA has been a staple in the motorcycle media field for 20 years. After this coming Friday, they will be no more. The only thing is, I’m not sure if this will make waves in the industry, or if it’s just a sign of things to come.
(Jalopnik.com)
Unfortunately, This Is True
No One Knows What "Sports Car" Actually Means Anymore
Remember when names used to mean something?
(Road&Track.com)
Remember when names used to mean something?
When did the definition
of "sports car" change? Well, here's the thing: It never did. What
happened was that the cars themselves changed. Fear about prospective
DOT rollover regulations in the 70s caused an entire generation of cars,
from the Jaguar XJ-S to the C3 Corvette, to be conceived and sold
primarily as hard-top Grand Tourers. In many cases, this led to the
"sports car" name following the marque or badge, even if it no longer
applied. An XK120 was a sports car; an E-Type Mk1 was a sports car;
therefore, the Jaguar XJ-S must be a sports car despite being the size
of the HMS Hood and sporting a 12-cylinder engine. If the original 1953
Corvette was a sports car, and it most assuredly was, then certainly a
2016 Corvette Z06 hardtop is a sports car, right?
In
some cases, the "sports car" name was used for something that was meant
to be an antidote or alternative to traditional sports cars—see "911,
Porsche" and "240Z, Datsun." This depresses me; a Porsche 911 is
certainly not a sports car. I know. I own one. A Boxster, which I also
own, is definitely a sports car. That's why the Boxster, er, 718, and
the 911 can co-exist. That, and the fact that the 911 is basically the
same car as the Boxster for much more money, and no manufacturer with
its head on straight would permit such a thing to disappear.
With
all that said, however, there are cars out there that should not be
referred to as "sports cars" by anybody who considers himself or herself
to be a member of the sainted automotive cognoscenti. The list of such
cars includes:
- SUVs, CUVs, or anything else that doesn't require the use of a floor jack to change the oil and is not a Porsche 959 Dakar. Which is also not a sports car. So leave that in.
- Fast sedans, like the BMW M5, or their two-door variants, like the BMW M6, or the four-door variants of the two-door variants, like the M6 Gran Coupe, or the crossover variants of the four-door variants of the two-door variants of the four-door, like the X6M.
- Hot hatches, like the GTI.
- Rally-reps, like the Mitsubishi Evo or Subaru WRX.
- Big-money cruiser droptops, like the Bentley Azure, recent-generation Mercedes SL, or Lexus SC430.
- The Honda CRX or anything else that was meant to be a copy of the Honda CRX.
- The Mustang, Camaro, Firebird, Challenger, Cougar, Javelin, Barracuda, Genesis Coupe, Accord Coupe, Mazda RX-8, or Mercedes-Benz CLK63 Black Series.
That
last one seems to be where most of the confusion occurs. The Mustang is a
sedan. Don't like it? Take it up with the Sports Car Club of America,
which classifies the Mustang in the "American Sedan" class. The Mustang
was always a sedan. It has always been a sedan. It always will be a
sedan, unless it changes significantly. If the word "sedan" offends you,
then choose the term "pony car," which is also fine and respects the
Mustang's unique role in history as a sporting sedan variant of a
non-sporting sedan, in this case the Ford Falcon.
Don't
call a Mustang a sports car. It's not a sports car. The word "sports
car" doesn't mean "car that I like and think is really cool." Were that
the case, then I would call the Rolls-Royce Wraith a "sports
car," because I really like the Rolls-Royce Wraith and I think it's just
the bee's knees, old boy. Come to think of it, I also like the Phantom
Drophead, which is also not a sports car by any sane estimation.
(Road&Track.com)
Sigh, No Manual Option
This is the 2017 Audi S4 Avant
Plenty of room for cargo, no dice for Americans.
Plenty of room for cargo, no dice for Americans.
Sporty and stable: handling(AutoBlog.com)
In the new S4 models, a fast and smoothly shifting eight-speed tiptronic handles power transfer. Their lower gears have short, sporty ratios, while the upper gears are long to reduce revs and fuel consumption.
What Could Have Been
Here’s The Story Of A Promising Race Track That Was Never Finished
Heard of the Balatonring? No, didn’t think so. This race track had the potential to be very quick and pretty challenging, but it was never completed
(CarThrottle.com)
Heard of the Balatonring? No, didn’t think so. This race track had the potential to be very quick and pretty challenging, but it was never completed
(CarThrottle.com)
The Interesting Times Of F1
10 Incredible Stories From The World Of Formula 1
F1 has a long, rich and illustrious history, creating some incredible moments along the way
2. A wild trip
In biographer Tom Rubython’s book Shunt, he reveals that James Hunt, known more for his playboy lifestyle than his 1976 F1 title, slept with 33 British Airways hostesses during a two-week break in Tokyo, Japan. All while going out with girlfriend Jane Birbeck.
5. Bye, bye wheels
We’ve all seen the clip and GIFs. Sebastien Buemi had a nasty surprise when his two front wheels flew off at the end of the Shanghai International Circuit back straight during practice in 2010. But just what happened?
Toro Rosso tried out a new, lighter pair of suspension uprights but while weight saving may have been on the agenda, the parts were clearly not strong enough to withstand the huge g-forces of the cars braking for the slow hairpin.
The right-front upright went first and that put such huge pressure on the other side that it broke within milliseconds. The wheels flew off down the road, with one even clearing the fence, but thanks to the tarmac and gravel run-off areas, Buemi was able to emerge unscathed.
6. Swimming to safety
Alberto Ascari, competing in his final F1 race, was racing his Lancia out of the tunnel during the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix when he lost control and crashed through the barrier. His car ended up in the sea and he had to swim to safety.
7. That ill feeling
One of the most bizarre radio messages in the history of F1 has to be the one Mark Webber gave to his Red Bull team during the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji. Suffering from food poisoning, he actually was sick in his race helmet during the first Safety Car period. Yeah, a grim thought. Amazingly he managed to continue, only to be taken out later in the race by a now familiar name: Sebastian Vettel.
Complete list (CarThrottle.com)
F1 has a long, rich and illustrious history, creating some incredible moments along the way
2. A wild trip
In biographer Tom Rubython’s book Shunt, he reveals that James Hunt, known more for his playboy lifestyle than his 1976 F1 title, slept with 33 British Airways hostesses during a two-week break in Tokyo, Japan. All while going out with girlfriend Jane Birbeck.
5. Bye, bye wheels
We’ve all seen the clip and GIFs. Sebastien Buemi had a nasty surprise when his two front wheels flew off at the end of the Shanghai International Circuit back straight during practice in 2010. But just what happened?
Toro Rosso tried out a new, lighter pair of suspension uprights but while weight saving may have been on the agenda, the parts were clearly not strong enough to withstand the huge g-forces of the cars braking for the slow hairpin.
The right-front upright went first and that put such huge pressure on the other side that it broke within milliseconds. The wheels flew off down the road, with one even clearing the fence, but thanks to the tarmac and gravel run-off areas, Buemi was able to emerge unscathed.
6. Swimming to safety
Alberto Ascari, competing in his final F1 race, was racing his Lancia out of the tunnel during the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix when he lost control and crashed through the barrier. His car ended up in the sea and he had to swim to safety.
7. That ill feeling
One of the most bizarre radio messages in the history of F1 has to be the one Mark Webber gave to his Red Bull team during the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji. Suffering from food poisoning, he actually was sick in his race helmet during the first Safety Car period. Yeah, a grim thought. Amazingly he managed to continue, only to be taken out later in the race by a now familiar name: Sebastian Vettel.
Complete list (CarThrottle.com)
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
NHL Power Rankings: Ducks rise from dead to No. 1 - SI.com
1. Anaheim Ducks
- record: 31-19-8
- Maybe the pundits were right about the Ducks after all. The preseason favorites to win the Stanley Cup have reeled off five straight wins and are 12-1-1 in their past 14. The change? An offense that’s finally living up to its paper. Anaheim has scored 68 goals in its last 17 games (4.0 per game), including five-or-more in four straight.
- Last week: 3-0-0
6. Los Angeles Kings
- record: 34-20-4
- No Anze Kopitar. No Marian Gaborik. No wonder the Kings are having trouble scoring. Los Angeles has mustered just three regulation goals over the past four games, heightening expectations that GM Dean Lombardi will be a busy shopper ahead of the deadline.
- Last week: 1-1-1
8. San Jose Sharks
- record: 32-21-5
- How about a little love for Joe Thornton? With a four-point night in Monday’s win over the Blues, Jumbo has gotten on the board in 25 of his past 28 games. He now has 41 assists, fourth-most in the league, and 55 points, good for 10th in the scoring race. Not bad for a guy who’s supposed to be on his last legs at the ripe old age of 36.
- Last week: 3-1-0
Weight A Minute
Apples, Oranges, Weights and Measures
There are two primary units of weight measurement that carmakers typically use when they are talking about a vehicle’s mass – dry weight and curb weight.
In simple terms, dry weight is the weight of the vehicle on its own with no fluids. Curb weight is the weight of the vehicle “ready to drive” – with all oils, coolants, fuel and other liquids. If you want to dig deeper, there are weights that we, as manufacturers, are legally obliged to declare as part of the Type approval process. For the EU, we use ‘Mass In Running Order’, which is curb weight plus 68kg for the driver. In the US, we have to declare the ‘Gross’ weight, which is curb weight plus 300lbs.
Some manufacturers don’t calculate curb weight with a full tank of fuel, but with a “nominal” fuel level (e.g. 50%). Various requirements define different amounts of fuel to be included.
As you can see, it can be difficult to compare apples to apples.
(Koenigsegg.com)
There are two primary units of weight measurement that carmakers typically use when they are talking about a vehicle’s mass – dry weight and curb weight.
In simple terms, dry weight is the weight of the vehicle on its own with no fluids. Curb weight is the weight of the vehicle “ready to drive” – with all oils, coolants, fuel and other liquids. If you want to dig deeper, there are weights that we, as manufacturers, are legally obliged to declare as part of the Type approval process. For the EU, we use ‘Mass In Running Order’, which is curb weight plus 68kg for the driver. In the US, we have to declare the ‘Gross’ weight, which is curb weight plus 300lbs.
Some manufacturers don’t calculate curb weight with a full tank of fuel, but with a “nominal” fuel level (e.g. 50%). Various requirements define different amounts of fuel to be included.
As you can see, it can be difficult to compare apples to apples.
(Koenigsegg.com)
This Is A Top 5 Problem
The Problem with Modern Teaching? Too Much Data
Over the last 20 years, I've witnessed the emergence of a troubling trend in swing analysis: an overabundance of reliance on numbers. Launch monitors tell us way more than we need to know. Clubhead speed, attack angle, ball speed, launch angle, spin rate—and a lot more. Recreational players are beginning to treat this data like golf's Holy Grail, and their pursuit of perfect Tour-player numbers is not only stifling their improvement, it may also be destroying their bodies.
For 400 years or so, golf was played with the left heel coming up on the backswing and the left knee releasing behind the ball, with the hips and the torso turning freely. All of a sudden, around 30 years ago, the modern swing decided that was all wrong. Now you're told to keep your left heel down on the backswing and resist with your lower body to create torque and separation in the hips and shoulders. There is no real reasoning behind this philosophy, other than the fact that the "reverse C" swing of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson was thought to cause back problems. Well, I'm here to tell you that this "modern" swing has caused more back problems than ever before.
(Golf.com)
Over the last 20 years, I've witnessed the emergence of a troubling trend in swing analysis: an overabundance of reliance on numbers. Launch monitors tell us way more than we need to know. Clubhead speed, attack angle, ball speed, launch angle, spin rate—and a lot more. Recreational players are beginning to treat this data like golf's Holy Grail, and their pursuit of perfect Tour-player numbers is not only stifling their improvement, it may also be destroying their bodies.
For 400 years or so, golf was played with the left heel coming up on the backswing and the left knee releasing behind the ball, with the hips and the torso turning freely. All of a sudden, around 30 years ago, the modern swing decided that was all wrong. Now you're told to keep your left heel down on the backswing and resist with your lower body to create torque and separation in the hips and shoulders. There is no real reasoning behind this philosophy, other than the fact that the "reverse C" swing of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson was thought to cause back problems. Well, I'm here to tell you that this "modern" swing has caused more back problems than ever before.
(Golf.com)
FYI - Car Dealerships Edition
Secrets New-Car Dealerships Don't Want You to Know
The window sticker's not worth the paper it's printed on
The window sticker's not worth the paper it's printed on
- The window sticker, aka the Monroney, isn't the real price you ever want to work with. Instead, there are several sites that provide reasonably close estimates of the actual invoice price of a car and its options. It's not the price the dealership is on the hook for, but it's generally several thousand lower than the MSRP, and it's the number you absolutely, positively need to know before making contact with a dealership.
- Knowledge is power, and I'm not even talking about knowledge of the actual car. I'm talking about all the rebates, incentives, and special financing offers that are available. Most manufacturers offer these, and if you don't know about them, it's quite literally your loss, to the tune of $500, $1,000, or more. The sales manager will usually know them, but there is absolutely zero obligation to pass that information on to you.
- Down payments, monthly payments, and interest rates can wait. Your trade-in isn't going anywhere, either. You need to negotiate the price of the car based on what the car is worth, not what you can spend. Opening with, "I've got $3,000 to put down and I can afford $300 per month," isn't just bringing a knife to a gun fight, it's bringing the gun, too, then handing it to the dealer, who will use it against you.
Some Game Changing Machinery
5 Race Cars That Were Banned For Being Too Good
Motor racing forces engineers to push boundaries, develop ingenious solutions, and to bend rules without breaking them. Here are five times engineers pushed those technological limits to the maximum
2. Toyota Team Europe Celica GT-Four
Motor racing forces engineers to push boundaries, develop ingenious solutions, and to bend rules without breaking them. Here are five times engineers pushed those technological limits to the maximum
2. Toyota Team Europe Celica GT-Four
There are teams that decide to bend the rules, and then there
are other teams who decide to break them. Back in 1995, Toyota Team
Europe (TTE) was the latter. After the madness of the Group B era, the
FIA was determined to not let speeds get out of control. As a result, it
required the top tier cars to run restrictor plates on their turbos
reducing air intake by around 25 per cent; equating to around a 50bhp
loss at the wheels.
The clever boffins in the Toyota race department developed a genius way to bypass the seals around the restrictor. When the car was on the move, the air restrictor would move just enough to render it ineffective. When the car came to a stop, cleverly designed springs would force the restrictor back into position. The design was so beautifully carried out that the car passed numerous technical inspections before someone knew what was up. Max Mosley, the president of the FIA, said: “It is the most sophisticated and ingenious device either I or the FIA’s technical experts have seen for a long-time. It was so well made that there was no gap apparent to suggest there was any means of opening it”
The FIA may well have been impressed with TTE’s ingenuity, but it took such infringements of the rule book very seriously; TTE was banned for the rest of the 1995 and 1996 season.
Complete list (CarThrottle.com)
The clever boffins in the Toyota race department developed a genius way to bypass the seals around the restrictor. When the car was on the move, the air restrictor would move just enough to render it ineffective. When the car came to a stop, cleverly designed springs would force the restrictor back into position. The design was so beautifully carried out that the car passed numerous technical inspections before someone knew what was up. Max Mosley, the president of the FIA, said: “It is the most sophisticated and ingenious device either I or the FIA’s technical experts have seen for a long-time. It was so well made that there was no gap apparent to suggest there was any means of opening it”
The FIA may well have been impressed with TTE’s ingenuity, but it took such infringements of the rule book very seriously; TTE was banned for the rest of the 1995 and 1996 season.
Complete list (CarThrottle.com)
Monday, February 22, 2016
Power Rankings: Caps, Ducks taking charge - ESPN.com
2. Anaheim Ducks
- So how about this: Could Bruce Boudreau go from the coach everyone thought would be fired in the first half of the season to a Jack Adams Award nominee by the end of the second half? He certainly deserves consideration for helping turn around this season.
- The Kings' offense is suddenly sputtering with just four goals in their past four games. The Flames, Oilers and Sabres visit Staples Center this week.
- The Sharks win the Roman Polak sweepstakes with Monday's trade. And I'm serious, there were a number of contenders interested in the veteran, rental D-man. Nice pickup by the Sharks. Nick Spaling will be a useful add-on too.
Did You Know - Tire Info
What you'll see on the tire
- The width of the tire (in mm)
- The sidewall height (displayed as a percentage of the width)
- The type of tire and the wheel size
“A certain sidewall size is always the same”:
(CarThrottle.com)
- Wrong. Remember that the sidewall is a percentage of the width, so a 205/45 will have less sidewall than a 295/45.
- Wrong. Different manufacturers have their own biases towards actual measurements. You may find certain brands run consistently narrower or wider than others. Sidewalls should be consistent, however.
Teemu's Stick Skills Have Not Diminished In Retirement
Selanne shows off skills with golf club
Retired NHL forward posts trick shot to Instagram
Retired NHL forward posts trick shot to Instagram
Teemu Selanne is almost as slick with a golf club as he was with a hockey stick.
The retired Anaheim Ducks forward posted a trick shot to Instagram this week. At the driving range, Selanne swings at two golf balls placed atop one another. One heads out of the tee box, while the other goes up into the air and is caught by Selanne in his hat.
Video link (NHL.com)
The retired Anaheim Ducks forward posted a trick shot to Instagram this week. At the driving range, Selanne swings at two golf balls placed atop one another. One heads out of the tee box, while the other goes up into the air and is caught by Selanne in his hat.
Video link (NHL.com)
Some Simple Life Lessons For The Gen Y Idiots
11 Essential Life Lessons Millennials Can Learn From The Mistakes Of The Fired Yelp Employee
Be Prepared And Willing To Start From The Bottom
Be Prepared And Willing To Start From The Bottom
- I commend Talia for being willing to start at the bottom of a company, and work towards her desired position or department.
- However, don’t assume that you’ll just be anointed the social media manager of a $3.5 billion company after a year of working customer service and having no actual experience in social media besides tweeting out some cat memes. This is a prime example of entitlement that seems to plague millennials.
- Another glaring issue is not taking responsibility of your errors. It sounds like Jane had an issue on several occasions. Yet she did not rectify the situation and did not leave for work earlier in case this issue arose again. When you don’t take ownership for when you make an oversight or don’t take precautions to prevent a potential problem, you enable yourself to escape any culpability, thus you’ll easily make excuses for more and more misfortunes.
The Wannabe Car Guys Ruined It
Has Cars And Coffee Gone From A GREAT Idea To The BIGGEST Sh!t Show Going?
First came the rather unnecessary shenanigans brought forth by the "hoon" crowd. You know these fools. They think they're talented drivers that can drift anywhere, rev their motors without reason and will attempted to do a burnout or donuts for any gathering provided there's a slight chance they can get a tiny bit of attention. We think these types were not breast fed enough as newborns.
(AutoSpies.com)
First came the rather unnecessary shenanigans brought forth by the "hoon" crowd. You know these fools. They think they're talented drivers that can drift anywhere, rev their motors without reason and will attempted to do a burnout or donuts for any gathering provided there's a slight chance they can get a tiny bit of attention. We think these types were not breast fed enough as newborns.
(AutoSpies.com)
Who Knew They Had Such A Tasty Investment
The best-selling Volkswagen is a sausage
An actual sausage. Currywurst, to be exact.
Volkswagen may have had a tough 2015, but at least sales are still strong in the processed meat department. Currywurst, a spiced sausage produced by VW (and served to us at many VW-hosted events, incidentally ... it's delicious!), actually beat cars sales this year by a million units. Not many Americans know that since 1973, Volkswagen has produced an award-winning version of this German street meat at the company's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. The plant is one of the largest car manufacturing facilities in the world, and it also runs its own butcher shop where millions of pounds of sausage are produced every year.
Sure the 6.12 million cars sold by the Volkswagen in 2015 may have brought in more profit, but car sales are slowing. The slowdown can be blamed on the ongoing diesel scandal, in which the company was caught using emissions control defeat devices. Now the company faces lengthy lawsuits and potentially billions in fines.
There's no slowing down sausage sales however. Sales of currywurst were up by nearly one million over last year. If you're wondering what to pair your currywurst with, Volkswagen also sells a special ketchup tailored to the currywurst. The company sold 167,608 gallons worth of the spicy ketchup.
You can find the special currywurst on the menu at the company's lunchrooms inside VW offices and factories, as well as in supermarkets and the stadium of the Wolfsburg soccer team. You can also grab a package at Volkswagen dealerships in Germany, where salespeople give sausages to buyers before they drive their new VW off the lot.
(AutoBlog.com)
An actual sausage. Currywurst, to be exact.
Volkswagen may have had a tough 2015, but at least sales are still strong in the processed meat department. Currywurst, a spiced sausage produced by VW (and served to us at many VW-hosted events, incidentally ... it's delicious!), actually beat cars sales this year by a million units. Not many Americans know that since 1973, Volkswagen has produced an award-winning version of this German street meat at the company's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. The plant is one of the largest car manufacturing facilities in the world, and it also runs its own butcher shop where millions of pounds of sausage are produced every year.
Sure the 6.12 million cars sold by the Volkswagen in 2015 may have brought in more profit, but car sales are slowing. The slowdown can be blamed on the ongoing diesel scandal, in which the company was caught using emissions control defeat devices. Now the company faces lengthy lawsuits and potentially billions in fines.
There's no slowing down sausage sales however. Sales of currywurst were up by nearly one million over last year. If you're wondering what to pair your currywurst with, Volkswagen also sells a special ketchup tailored to the currywurst. The company sold 167,608 gallons worth of the spicy ketchup.
You can find the special currywurst on the menu at the company's lunchrooms inside VW offices and factories, as well as in supermarkets and the stadium of the Wolfsburg soccer team. You can also grab a package at Volkswagen dealerships in Germany, where salespeople give sausages to buyers before they drive their new VW off the lot.
(AutoBlog.com)
Did You Know - Malt Liqour
The Sleazy and Spectacular History of Malt Liquor
Don Vultaggio says he was like Captain Kirk, boldly going where no other had gone before. With a VW van, a partner, and enough guts to set foot in the roughest parts of late-’70s Brooklyn, Vultaggio began delivering malt liquor. This was a dangerous job -- so dangerous, in fact, that the breweries’ own truck drivers refused to do it, which is the opening Vultaggio wanted to exploit. He braved stickups and shoot-outs. He hauled cheaper product from upstate wholesalers back into the city, because gas was 30 cents a gallon, and the hassle paid well.
In time, one van became a dozen trucks, and then two dozen. One little fly-by-night distribution operation became a $2 billion beverage empire that now makes everything from malt liquor and flavored malt beverages, to beer, to -- wait for it -- AriZona Iced Tea.
And it all started with malt liquor. To Vultaggio, malt liquor was a good business proposition. Serving the underserved. Getting product to market. In the years that followed, malt liquor came to represent a lot more, to a lot more people, in a hell of a lot more places. Since its creation, malt liquor's fortunes have been entangled with America's sorest social bugbears, from race, to class, to poverty, to whether or not capitalism ought to give a shit about any of those things.
Maybe you're familiar with its baggage. Maybe not. As Kihm Winship (who wrote one of the few good histories of malt liquor) put it, it is "a story without heroes." But what a story. Thanks to the people who made it, sold it, protested against it, rapped about it, and of course drank it, the history of malt liquor is a spectacular and uniquely American shitshow. And here it is, in all its glory.
(Thrillist.com)
Don Vultaggio says he was like Captain Kirk, boldly going where no other had gone before. With a VW van, a partner, and enough guts to set foot in the roughest parts of late-’70s Brooklyn, Vultaggio began delivering malt liquor. This was a dangerous job -- so dangerous, in fact, that the breweries’ own truck drivers refused to do it, which is the opening Vultaggio wanted to exploit. He braved stickups and shoot-outs. He hauled cheaper product from upstate wholesalers back into the city, because gas was 30 cents a gallon, and the hassle paid well.
In time, one van became a dozen trucks, and then two dozen. One little fly-by-night distribution operation became a $2 billion beverage empire that now makes everything from malt liquor and flavored malt beverages, to beer, to -- wait for it -- AriZona Iced Tea.
And it all started with malt liquor. To Vultaggio, malt liquor was a good business proposition. Serving the underserved. Getting product to market. In the years that followed, malt liquor came to represent a lot more, to a lot more people, in a hell of a lot more places. Since its creation, malt liquor's fortunes have been entangled with America's sorest social bugbears, from race, to class, to poverty, to whether or not capitalism ought to give a shit about any of those things.
Maybe you're familiar with its baggage. Maybe not. As Kihm Winship (who wrote one of the few good histories of malt liquor) put it, it is "a story without heroes." But what a story. Thanks to the people who made it, sold it, protested against it, rapped about it, and of course drank it, the history of malt liquor is a spectacular and uniquely American shitshow. And here it is, in all its glory.
(Thrillist.com)
I Tuned In To Watch The Final Lap & I'm Glad I Did
This Is What A 0.01-Second Photo Finish At The Daytona 500 Looks Like
It really couldn't have got much closer at the 58th Daytona 500 - Denny Hamlin edged Nascar Sprint Cup rival Martin Truex Jr by 0.01 seconds to win by the smallest margin in the famous race's history
(CarThrottle.com)
It really couldn't have got much closer at the 58th Daytona 500 - Denny Hamlin edged Nascar Sprint Cup rival Martin Truex Jr by 0.01 seconds to win by the smallest margin in the famous race's history
(CarThrottle.com)
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Some Of These Are Surprising
Surprising Foods With More Calories Than a Big Mac
Caesar salads
Rice bowls
Caesar salads
- With few toppings, it's on the simpler side of the salad spectrum, but make no mistake: the Caesar salad is often pretty high in calories. In fact, the new one from Micky D's outdoes the Big Mac by far. With crispy chicken and dressing, it clocks in at 730 calories. And take the one served at The Cheesecake Factory. Without chicken, it's got 860 calories; with chicken, it'll set you back 980 calories. But at least you're getting some greens! Silver linings, friends.
Rice bowls
- Before Chipotle made it on to some official shit lists (ahem, the CDC's), the chain known for portraying itself as a healthier alternative to classic fast-food joints offered its burrito bowl to those looking for a lighter alternative to the burrito. At essentially its barest -- just chicken, brown rice, and black beans -- the bowl comes in at 510 calories. Add some much-loved guacamole (obviously), and the calorie count jumps to 740.
Socal Would Greatly Support Another Outdoor NHL Game
ANAHEIM DUCKS
(SI.com)
- Pros: last of the California teams to get outdoor game
- Cons: soft market; location
(SI.com)
This Sucks For The NY Rangers
NEW YORK RANGERS
(SI.com)
- Pros: one of the league's marquee teams
- Cons: aren't allowed to host one
(SI.com)
Capitals top Super 16 for 10th straight week - NHL.com
5. Los Angeles Kings (33-20-3)
- Total points: 85
- Last week: No. 4
- Hit: Forward Dustin Brown has nine points in his past 10 games. He had zero points in the 10 games prior to his current hot streak.
- Miss: Forward Tyler Toffoli has one goal in the past 12 games; the Kings are 5-7-0 in those games.
- Total points: 73
- Last week: No. 10
- Hit: The Ducks are 17-4-2 in their past 23 games and are three points behind the Kings for first in the Pacific Division. Each team has played 56 games.
- Miss: They have allowed seven power-play goals in the past five games, though it hasn't hurt them because they've scored six power-play goals of their own and are 4-0-1 in that stretch.
Say What?
The BMW M2 Is Only 25 Pounds Lighter Than The BMW M4
The news comes from MotorTrend, which listed the car as 3,411 pounds in European specification, 101 pounds lighter than an M4. But MT talked to BMW North America about how the cars would stack up when ordered in the United States, and the results looked different:
The news comes from MotorTrend, which listed the car as 3,411 pounds in European specification, 101 pounds lighter than an M4. But MT talked to BMW North America about how the cars would stack up when ordered in the United States, and the results looked different:
In grand 2 Series tradition, the M2 is shockingly overweight. Despite being 8.3 inches shorter and 0.6 inch narrower than an M4, the M2 we tested weighs only 101 fewer pounds—and our M2 was a European-spec pre-production car that lacked some weight-adding features that come standard on U.S.-spec M2s, namely power seats, automatic climate control, and an upgraded Harman Kardon stereo with satellite radio. We expect the U.S. car to be at least 75 pounds heavier, and indeed BMW of North America lists the weight difference between the M2 and M4 at just 25 pounds.(Jalopnik.com)
The Ultimate Flaw In The Driving Machine
Dear BMW: Please Sort Out Your Manual Gearbox
After driving a manual BMW, and again being left utterly disappointed with the gear shift, I think it's about time we called on BMW to make a manual worthy of the brilliant cars it makes
After driving a manual BMW, and again being left utterly disappointed with the gear shift, I think it's about time we called on BMW to make a manual worthy of the brilliant cars it makes
However, this week I spent time with both a 2016 M235i and
2011 1M Coupe, and the manual problem persists. First up the new car,
and immediately on moving the thing around a car park I noticed that
changing gear required a bit of force. (In fact, finding reverse
requires you to almost punch the shifter across past first, so why not
just use a lift or depress of the shifter like other manufacturers do?)
Once you’re going at speed, the problems are exacerbated. The throw isn’t as long as in the old E46, but it’s anything but short. Worst of all, changing gear requires you to really concentrate and ram the shifter into place; the action of moving the stick doesn’t inspire great confidence as to where exactly you are in the gate, and when you push the stick into a gear, you have to get past an initial resistance. It’s almost like the stick is catching on something.
The 1M, despite being older, is actually a little better, but it’s far from perfect. I found with both cars that the shift action is vastly improved by rev matching, so perhaps the problem lies in the syncromesh? When giving the 1M stick in Sport mode, braking hard and applying a heel-and-toe blip of the throttle as you downshift improves things immeasurably. Unfortunately that’s not very practical in most driving situations.
Once you’re going at speed, the problems are exacerbated. The throw isn’t as long as in the old E46, but it’s anything but short. Worst of all, changing gear requires you to really concentrate and ram the shifter into place; the action of moving the stick doesn’t inspire great confidence as to where exactly you are in the gate, and when you push the stick into a gear, you have to get past an initial resistance. It’s almost like the stick is catching on something.
The 1M, despite being older, is actually a little better, but it’s far from perfect. I found with both cars that the shift action is vastly improved by rev matching, so perhaps the problem lies in the syncromesh? When giving the 1M stick in Sport mode, braking hard and applying a heel-and-toe blip of the throttle as you downshift improves things immeasurably. Unfortunately that’s not very practical in most driving situations.
It’s frustrating, because in all other aspects you make
fantastic cars, BMW. Sure, the interiors hardly ever change between
generations and the orange dials feel hopelessly outdated in 2016, but
it all works nicely. As a driving experience, you’re on top of your game
in chassis feel and engine performance - if you could fix arguably the
most important feature of tying everything together, you’d have 10 out
of 10 cars.
I think if you spent a bit of time with some of the elites of the manual world, you’d see where I’m coming from. In a Honda Civic Type R, every movement of the stick is purposeful and it feels solid underneath. You know exactly where you’re going and there’s a satisfying slotting action. The king of this is the Toyota GT86. It almost feels artificial in its brilliance, as it’s like the stick is sucked into place with a pleasurable thunk. The merest suggestion of a shift and you clunk quickly into place. It’s a wonderfully tactile experience and it means that when you’re really pressing on you’re not taken out of the moment because you’re having to focus so hard on making the gear stick.
(CarThrottle.com)
I think if you spent a bit of time with some of the elites of the manual world, you’d see where I’m coming from. In a Honda Civic Type R, every movement of the stick is purposeful and it feels solid underneath. You know exactly where you’re going and there’s a satisfying slotting action. The king of this is the Toyota GT86. It almost feels artificial in its brilliance, as it’s like the stick is sucked into place with a pleasurable thunk. The merest suggestion of a shift and you clunk quickly into place. It’s a wonderfully tactile experience and it means that when you’re really pressing on you’re not taken out of the moment because you’re having to focus so hard on making the gear stick.
(CarThrottle.com)
A Lof Of People Agree With This, Including Me
Friday Firesmith – The Sins of Cam Newton
Believe it or not, everything I’ve mentioned has nothing to do with the Sins of Cam Newton. There have been young and excitable quarterbacks before who have made millions playing a part of a larger whole were the men doing the hardest work are never mentioned. That isn’t his fault, either. Joe Montana was the best quarterback of all time, but he had Jerry Rice catching for him and Ronnie Lott hitting people for him.
The difference between Newton and other young and brash passers is Newton showed up for the game in a gold pair of shoes. During the game, he fell to the ground and rolled around when a call went the other way and when Denver scored a touchdown. That’s hubris. And that is childish.
Oddly, even those two sins can be forgiven. They are signs of deeper character flaws yet not fatal. Did Newton Quit?
Late in the game, with the Panthers down six points, Newton was stripped of the ball. It fell at his feet. With the defense swarming to the ball, the game on the line, and Newton standing right there…he stepped back from the ball.
I watched the Buffalo Bills come back from the 35 point deficient. I’ve watch Peyton Manning stand and deliver when the game was clearly out of reach. I’ve seen teams play their guts out in the last seconds of a game when the fans had given up long before, and their team comes back to win.
Newton could have gotten that ball. Newton could have orchestrated one hell of a fairy tale ending in the biggest game of his life. It was the biggest game in his teammates’ lives, it was a game fans spent thousands of dollars to see. It was by far the biggest stage he had ever put his golden shoes on and they turned out to be the color yellow.
The only sin that cannot be forgiven in a game is that of quitting.
Cam Newton quit during the Super Bowl.
There isn’t a defense out there who has failed to realize what this means now. Hit him hard enough, and often enough, and Newton will fall down and roll around on the ground.
And Cam Newton is a quitter.
Take Care,
Mike
(Bits&Pieces.us)
Believe it or not, everything I’ve mentioned has nothing to do with the Sins of Cam Newton. There have been young and excitable quarterbacks before who have made millions playing a part of a larger whole were the men doing the hardest work are never mentioned. That isn’t his fault, either. Joe Montana was the best quarterback of all time, but he had Jerry Rice catching for him and Ronnie Lott hitting people for him.
The difference between Newton and other young and brash passers is Newton showed up for the game in a gold pair of shoes. During the game, he fell to the ground and rolled around when a call went the other way and when Denver scored a touchdown. That’s hubris. And that is childish.
Oddly, even those two sins can be forgiven. They are signs of deeper character flaws yet not fatal. Did Newton Quit?
Late in the game, with the Panthers down six points, Newton was stripped of the ball. It fell at his feet. With the defense swarming to the ball, the game on the line, and Newton standing right there…he stepped back from the ball.
I watched the Buffalo Bills come back from the 35 point deficient. I’ve watch Peyton Manning stand and deliver when the game was clearly out of reach. I’ve seen teams play their guts out in the last seconds of a game when the fans had given up long before, and their team comes back to win.
Newton could have gotten that ball. Newton could have orchestrated one hell of a fairy tale ending in the biggest game of his life. It was the biggest game in his teammates’ lives, it was a game fans spent thousands of dollars to see. It was by far the biggest stage he had ever put his golden shoes on and they turned out to be the color yellow.
The only sin that cannot be forgiven in a game is that of quitting.
Cam Newton quit during the Super Bowl.
There isn’t a defense out there who has failed to realize what this means now. Hit him hard enough, and often enough, and Newton will fall down and roll around on the ground.
And Cam Newton is a quitter.
Take Care,
Mike
(Bits&Pieces.us)
This Is A Good Read
What has changed in the last 40 years so that it now takes two incomes to maintain a household?
The cost of living has not paced with the average income. Basically, things cost more than they used to (which is expected due to inflation) but wages have not increased by the same amount.
http://www.mybudget360.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/inflation-and-actual-prices.png
On that chart, the middle column is what things would cost if it paced evenly with wages, and the right column is what they actually cost.
We can see that a long time ago, a house was a bit more than 2 years average salary. Now a house is almost 10 times the average salary.
So basically, the rise of cost has outpaced the rise of wages.
– Tennesseej
(CavemanCircus.com)
The cost of living has not paced with the average income. Basically, things cost more than they used to (which is expected due to inflation) but wages have not increased by the same amount.
http://www.mybudget360.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/inflation-and-actual-prices.png
On that chart, the middle column is what things would cost if it paced evenly with wages, and the right column is what they actually cost.
We can see that a long time ago, a house was a bit more than 2 years average salary. Now a house is almost 10 times the average salary.
So basically, the rise of cost has outpaced the rise of wages.
– Tennesseej
(CavemanCircus.com)
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