From Chopsticks to Sporks: A Brief History of Eating Utensils
The chopstick, as we know it
As chopsticks spread in popularity throughout Asia, different cultures adopted the tool to fit their own predilections. In China, the sticks are commonly a little longer and thicker (hehe) than most other varieties, coming in a blunt, rounded edges (perhaps due to Confucius’ influence?). In Japan, the sticks are shorter, and tapered to a sharp, pointed end. Korean chop sticks are medium in length, and usually made of metal -- as opposed to the prototypical bamboo/wood sticks used by Japan and China.
Complete list (Thrillist.com)
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Did You Know - Super Formula Vs Formual 1 Edition
Here's How A Super Formula Car Compares To A Formula 1 Machine
Super Formula is a very competitive Japanese single-seater series that is the closest in terms of car performance to F1. Here's how the cars compare
Formula 1
As we all know, F1 cars are all very different. Some may run with the same power units, gearboxes, brake manufacturers and, of course, tyres but the chassis, aerodynamics and many internal parts are all unique to each team.
Super Formula
Formerly known as Formula Nippon, Super Formula is Japan’s leading single-seater series. Last year was the championship’s 29th season and second under its new name, with seven rounds and eight races, taking place at the country’s most famous circuits – including Suzuka, Fuji and Twin Ring Motegi.
The grid is typically made up of top Japanese drivers, but some racers from Europe have moved across, partly thanks to few clashes with other international championships like F1 and the FIA WEC. Endurance racer Andre Lotterer and British driver James Rossiter are just two recent examples, while big brands like Honda, Petronas and Lenovo have also been involved in the series.
(CarThrottle.com)
Super Formula is a very competitive Japanese single-seater series that is the closest in terms of car performance to F1. Here's how the cars compare
Formula 1
As we all know, F1 cars are all very different. Some may run with the same power units, gearboxes, brake manufacturers and, of course, tyres but the chassis, aerodynamics and many internal parts are all unique to each team.
Super Formula
Formerly known as Formula Nippon, Super Formula is Japan’s leading single-seater series. Last year was the championship’s 29th season and second under its new name, with seven rounds and eight races, taking place at the country’s most famous circuits – including Suzuka, Fuji and Twin Ring Motegi.
The grid is typically made up of top Japanese drivers, but some racers from Europe have moved across, partly thanks to few clashes with other international championships like F1 and the FIA WEC. Endurance racer Andre Lotterer and British driver James Rossiter are just two recent examples, while big brands like Honda, Petronas and Lenovo have also been involved in the series.
(CarThrottle.com)
Some Timeless Old School Machines
The 10 Best Looking Endurance Race Cars Ever Created
Endurance race cars are not only insanely quick, but some of them are absolutely stunning too!
3. Mazda 787B
The beautiful orange and green-liveried Mazda was raced in the World Sportscar Championship, All Japan Sports Prototype Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1990 and 1991. Powered by a 700bhp four-rotor engine, it sounded epic and proved to be very reliable, helping it to the Le Mans victory in 1991.
5. McLaren F1 GTR
The GTR was an aggressive-looking beast, an unusual beauty and one that was very successful too. It’s most famous for beating prototypes to the out-right Le Mans win in 1995 thanks to superior reliability. Various upgrades were made to the F1 and in 1997 the ‘Long Tail’ version debuted. Some were raced well into the 2000s after being picked up by private owners.
9. Mercedes CLR
This one will probably split opinion, as the CLR was certainly a peculiar-looking machine, but it had an odd beauty and elegance to its design. While it was a striking car, though, its stint in sportscar racing was short-lived.
The Merc’s one and only outing was at the 1999 Le Mans endurance race. Two terrifying airborne incidents for a young Mark Webber meant the number 4 car was withdrawn before the race and a similar, scary crash happened during the famous event, forcing the one remaining car to be retired.
Complete list (CarThrottle.com)
Endurance race cars are not only insanely quick, but some of them are absolutely stunning too!
3. Mazda 787B
The beautiful orange and green-liveried Mazda was raced in the World Sportscar Championship, All Japan Sports Prototype Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1990 and 1991. Powered by a 700bhp four-rotor engine, it sounded epic and proved to be very reliable, helping it to the Le Mans victory in 1991.
5. McLaren F1 GTR
The GTR was an aggressive-looking beast, an unusual beauty and one that was very successful too. It’s most famous for beating prototypes to the out-right Le Mans win in 1995 thanks to superior reliability. Various upgrades were made to the F1 and in 1997 the ‘Long Tail’ version debuted. Some were raced well into the 2000s after being picked up by private owners.
9. Mercedes CLR
This one will probably split opinion, as the CLR was certainly a peculiar-looking machine, but it had an odd beauty and elegance to its design. While it was a striking car, though, its stint in sportscar racing was short-lived.
The Merc’s one and only outing was at the 1999 Le Mans endurance race. Two terrifying airborne incidents for a young Mark Webber meant the number 4 car was withdrawn before the race and a similar, scary crash happened during the famous event, forcing the one remaining car to be retired.
Complete list (CarThrottle.com)
A Beater Is Best When Warm, Not Cold
Why You Should Think Twice Before Buying a Winter Beater
If you're going to get an unreliable car, is winter really the best time?
(Road&Track.com)
If you're going to get an unreliable car, is winter really the best time?
The fact of the matter,
however, is that warm-weather months are the best time to own an
unreliable piece of junk. Would you rather walk four miles home in
February or June? If you have to get under a car and fix it, would you
rather it be 20 degrees outside or 75? Have you ever left skin on an
open-end wrench chilled down to what feels like 10 degrees Kelvin?
Wintertime,
on the other hand, is the time to have a car that starts every time. A
car where the heater works and the defroster defrosts and there's tread
on the tires and every gear in the transmission reports for duty every
single day. It doesn't have to be a truck or an SUV; the best winter car
I ever had was a brand-new Audi S5 on Dunlop Wintersports. Absolutely
unstoppable thanks to the all-wheel drive, and the heated seats made it
comfortable sixty seconds after it started.
Let's
also not forget the fact that enthusiast cars often come up for sale
right when everybody else is buying their winter beaters. You want a
great used Porsche that isn't a Cayenne? December is the season to
remember. Looking for a trackday toy? January's the time.
(Road&Track.com)
There's Some Interesting Alternatives Suggested
Want a Porsche Cayman? Get a Subaru BRZ
The Porsche Cayman is one of the most rewarding cars to drive that’s on sale today. With fantastic chassis balance, immediate steering response and a sweetheart of an engine, the Cayman has a fun-to-drive factor that’s off the charts. But, it also costs more than $50,000 for the cheapest model.
For half the price, there is the rear-wheel-drive Subaru BRZ. Sure, it gives up 65 hp to the Cayman, but it still offers a great chassis, fantastic steering and that all-important rewarding driving experience. And hey, it even has a horizontally opposed engine like the Cayman.
Want a BMW M4? Get a Ford Mustang GT
The BMW M4 Coupe is a fast four-passenger coupe with great handling. Powered by a 425-hp turbocharged six-cylinder engine, the M4 blends high-speed with sophistication. But this all comes at a price, specifically $65,700.
Those interested in the performance of an M4 but in a more affordable package might want to check out the Ford Mustang GT. With a 435-hp V8 engine, the Mustang is also rear-wheel drive, can be had with a manual or an automatic transmission and is capable of carrying four people. It may lack some of the sophistication of the M4, but the new Mustang is a far cry from the crude solid-axle Mustangs of old. Best of all, the Mustang GT starts at a price of just $32,395, about half the price of an M4!
Want a Mercedes-Benz G-Class? Get a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a highly capable off-road monster that can go places most other vehicles wouldn’t dream of. Locking differentials, a proper two-speed transfer case and high ground clearance, the G-Class is ready to climb a mountain. But being a Mercedes-Benz, it’s also luxuriously appointed and the cheapest G-Class starts at an eye-watering price of $119,900.
If off-roading is all you’re really interested in and you can forgo the G-Class’ luxurious interior and fire-breathing V8 engine, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is for you. Starting at a price of just $27,695, the Wrangler has a deep military history and a retro boxy look like the G-Wagon and will easily keep up with the Mercedes-Benz SUV on the road path less taken.
Complete list (AutoGuide.com)
My Current Ride Still Has #5
5 Old-School Innovations We Desperately Want Back In Modern Cars
The automotive sector is a fast-paced constantly evolving environment. As a result, brilliant designs are often pushed to one side by modern technological advancements. Here are five old-school innovations we'd like to see return . . . . .
1. Yellow headlights
There are few things in life cooler than a classic French car with yellow headlights. Legend has it that the yellow lights were introduced in France in 1936 so that allied forces could distinguish between ‘friendly’ French citizens and white-lit Nazi invaders. The truth behind the story is up for debate, but we do know that the French retained their quirky coloured headlights until 1993, when they were banned by EU legislation.
The French loved their yellow lights for a number of reasons. They allegedly worked better in the fog, created less glare for oncoming motorists and gave citizens a sense of national pride - all of this was subjective of course. With the European ban on these lights, the only place we now get to see them is on the racetrack, where they serve a very useful purpose. Slower GT cars tend to run the coloured lenses so that they can see the faster prototypes approaching from behind in low light conditions. And just like the citizens of France, many racers swear that the tinted lights create less of a glare in adverse weather conditions.
So they serve a semi-functional purpose, and they also have a cool retro look. Not surprising then that tinted lenses are slowly finding their way back onto road cars. But like all of the trends on this list, they only work on the right car. Porsches suit them down to the ground, and we love the effect that they’ve had on Paul Geudon’s (owner of Mulholland Racer) dark grey Porsche GT4 - truly beautiful.
5. Manual Gearbox
When Porsche revealed that its most involving driver’s car - the GT3 RS - wasn’t going to be available with a stick, the automotive community went into collective mourning. I mean, if Porsche couldn’t offer a manual gearbox, what hope was there for the future of shifting yourself? But it can be all too easy to get angry at supercar manufacturers. At the end of the day, they’re just reacting to market demands. For example, only one per cent of buyers ordered the previous Audi R8 V10 Plus with a manual gearbox, thus this year’s model only comes with flappy paddles - makes sense to us.
But it’s important to remember that some manufacturers still cater for the one per cent, and for that they should be celebrated. Both Ford and Chevrolet offer its high performance muscle cars, the Camaro ZL1 and Mustang GT350 with good old fashioned gear sticks, and both companies have expressed its intentions to retain the option of a manual in future models. Thank god for ‘Murica.
But Porsche has also shown that it’s not completely given up on that third pedal just yet. The GT4 is arguably Porsche’s most popular car of 2015, and the demand for its last analogue 911, the GT3 RS 4.0, is absolutely through the roof, with examples swapping hands for up to £300,000.
However, it really comes down to us, the car enthusiast, to ensure that the manual gearbox survives. So if you do find yourself purchasing a new car, make sure that you go for the manual without hesitation; the future of performance cars is counting on you!
Complete list (CarThrottle.com)
The automotive sector is a fast-paced constantly evolving environment. As a result, brilliant designs are often pushed to one side by modern technological advancements. Here are five old-school innovations we'd like to see return . . . . .
1. Yellow headlights
There are few things in life cooler than a classic French car with yellow headlights. Legend has it that the yellow lights were introduced in France in 1936 so that allied forces could distinguish between ‘friendly’ French citizens and white-lit Nazi invaders. The truth behind the story is up for debate, but we do know that the French retained their quirky coloured headlights until 1993, when they were banned by EU legislation.
The French loved their yellow lights for a number of reasons. They allegedly worked better in the fog, created less glare for oncoming motorists and gave citizens a sense of national pride - all of this was subjective of course. With the European ban on these lights, the only place we now get to see them is on the racetrack, where they serve a very useful purpose. Slower GT cars tend to run the coloured lenses so that they can see the faster prototypes approaching from behind in low light conditions. And just like the citizens of France, many racers swear that the tinted lights create less of a glare in adverse weather conditions.
So they serve a semi-functional purpose, and they also have a cool retro look. Not surprising then that tinted lenses are slowly finding their way back onto road cars. But like all of the trends on this list, they only work on the right car. Porsches suit them down to the ground, and we love the effect that they’ve had on Paul Geudon’s (owner of Mulholland Racer) dark grey Porsche GT4 - truly beautiful.
5. Manual Gearbox
When Porsche revealed that its most involving driver’s car - the GT3 RS - wasn’t going to be available with a stick, the automotive community went into collective mourning. I mean, if Porsche couldn’t offer a manual gearbox, what hope was there for the future of shifting yourself? But it can be all too easy to get angry at supercar manufacturers. At the end of the day, they’re just reacting to market demands. For example, only one per cent of buyers ordered the previous Audi R8 V10 Plus with a manual gearbox, thus this year’s model only comes with flappy paddles - makes sense to us.
But it’s important to remember that some manufacturers still cater for the one per cent, and for that they should be celebrated. Both Ford and Chevrolet offer its high performance muscle cars, the Camaro ZL1 and Mustang GT350 with good old fashioned gear sticks, and both companies have expressed its intentions to retain the option of a manual in future models. Thank god for ‘Murica.
But Porsche has also shown that it’s not completely given up on that third pedal just yet. The GT4 is arguably Porsche’s most popular car of 2015, and the demand for its last analogue 911, the GT3 RS 4.0, is absolutely through the roof, with examples swapping hands for up to £300,000.
However, it really comes down to us, the car enthusiast, to ensure that the manual gearbox survives. So if you do find yourself purchasing a new car, make sure that you go for the manual without hesitation; the future of performance cars is counting on you!
Complete list (CarThrottle.com)
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