Why Gearhead and Gamer? Part 2: Gearhead

Well as discussed in my last entry, I've been a gamer for a very long time and continue to be today.

However, cars began to become a big part of my life around high school when I got my license.


1992 Honda Accord 4-door sedan, mine was burgundy red (picture from Consumer Guide)

The first car I drove that was given to me by my parents. It was a burgundy red 1992 Honda Accord with a single overhead cam (SOHC), 16 valve, 4 cylinder, 2.2L engine that made 125 horsepower. I'll be damned if it made that much horsepower though by the time I got it though.

The car was as good of a performer as anyone who was just getting their license would need it to be. Not too fast, but peppy enough around town. It rode really low too, so it actually handled really well. Today's cars just seem taller.

Getting back to the point though, I got into cars in the first place because I wanted to learn more about what I was driving. Not only that, my friend had an Acura with which he fitted a cold air intake on to, so that got me into seeing how cars could be modified and what those modifications did.

So when I first did some investigating into the engine in the old '92 Honda, I found that it had 16 valves. I'll admit embarrassingly that I mixed up the valves with the cylinders, so I literally thought that the car had 16 cylinders. I got the two terms mixed up. Any gearhead would laugh at such confusion, but I've since learned the difference between the cylinders and valves and know what they do.

Moving on, it was also around this time I found my first 'dream car'. I did not know much about sports cars, but I saw that Nissan was reviving the Z car. The 300Z had been out of production for a while, but Nissan was coming out with the new Z33 350Z. I had seen concept photos and when the production model rolled out, it was, to put it in cliche terms, love at first sight.


Nissan 350Z, my first 'favorite' car and it remains that way today, and probably always will (image from RSportsCars.com)

I didn't know what kind of engine it had, how fast it would be, how well it would handle, I just knew I loved the way it looked. I would later research the car so feverishly and watch so many videos about it that I would be able to identify the car by sound alone.

I was very fortunate to have the chance to drive this car as well. Fortunately, it had the manual transmission. Unfortunately, I sucked at driving manual (and still do, as I have sadly not had the opportunity to really practice). To keep it brief, the car was everything I expected and only made me want it even more.


The new Nissan 370Z. Better than the 350Z in every way. (image from RSportsCars.com)

Since then, Nissan has made the new 370Z, which is essentially better in every way possible when compared to the old 350Z. The 350Z was benchmarked against the Porsche Boxter, and mathced it. The new 370Z however, aimed higher, at the Porsche Cayman. To say the least, the 370Z has certainly matched that as well. 0-60 in 5.1s, quarter mile in mid-high 13s, and almost 1g on the skidpad! The 370Z also stops from 60mph in a shorter distance than a 911 Turbo! Now that's insane. Add in the fact that you can have all that for around 30 grand, and you're looking at one of the performance bargains of the century.

Which one would I have though? Well, if I can afford the 370Z, great, I'll take it. But you know what? Part of me will always want that 350Z, even if its successor is better in terms of interior, speed, and handling. Why? Because that's what dreams are made of. Nissan made the 370Z to give everyone what they wanted. But the 350Z was everything I wanted. And to be honest, part of me wouldn't have it any other way.

Anyway, it was because of the Nissan's Z car that I found myself interested in cars in a whole new way. I began learning about engines, suspension, modifications, brakes, transmissions, etc. Naturally, I learned mostly about the 350Zs mechanical specs, but I picked up plenty of knowledge about other cars along the way as well as general knowledge as well.

So basically I've turned into the kind of guy who loves cars a lot, reads automotive news every day, and is extremely happy when a new season of Top Gear starts.

Speaking of Top Gear, for those of you who don't know, it's a TV show from the UK that's about cars. They're not quite so serious in that they do more than just do car reviews the entire time, but sometimes they, as they would say, 'cock about' and have some fun with cars and that's why I love Top Gear. They do reviews of outrageous cars (sometimes sensible ones) and they have entertaining segments where they do outrageous things with 'average' cars.

Here's a couple of car reviews that I found very entertaining:
The Koenigsegg CCX


The Ascari A10 (a more humorous review)


The Koenigsegg and the Ascari are the two cars I would get if I were obscenely rich. I would certainly have to be, because if I were to get both it'd cost me around $1 million.

And if you want to see how Top Gear goes on 'cocking about', here's a clip from the tail end of a review they did of the European Ford Fiesta where it takes part in a beach assault training mission with the British Royal Marines:

Before the beach assault, Top Gear did make sure to address the usual stuff though like pricing, interior quality, performance, and such... and being chased through a mall by a Corvette.

To sum things up, I became interested in cars when I first started driving. Cars became a full-fledged interest/hobby when Nissan brought back the Z car with the 350Z and when the 350Z became my dream car. Since then, I've learned a good deal about cars and could tell you a lot about engines, transmissions, drivelines, suspension, etc. I can't really quantify just how much I know, but I'm sure more of that will be revealed the more I write things about cars in this blog.

If any of you are curious and haven't read any of the previous blog entries, I currently drive a 2008 Volkswagen GTI. I opted for the DSG transmission after driving it and being very impressed by it. I also enjoyed the 2.0L 4 cylinder turbocharged engine which offered peak torque of 207 lb-ft from just 1800 or 1900 RPM or so. The car is incredibly fun to drive and is perfectly civilized if all I want to do is cruise around. I'm only disappointed right now though because it's too cold outside to drive with the windows down so I can't hear the turbo spool up as well.

The only 'modification' the GTI has is an upgraded high-flow drop-in air filter. For those of you with any experence with the 2.0L FSI (BPY) engine, you'll agree with me when I say that even just changing the air filter can involve a lot of cursing and hassle. Thankfully VW has changed the intake design for the newer TSI (CCTA) engine and gone back to a standard air box rather than putting the air filter in the engine cover.

Quick facts about my driving history:
Cars I've driven as 'my car' (in order):
-1992 Honda Accord
-1999 Nissan Altima
-2005 Nissan Altima
-2008 Volkswagen GTI (current)
Note: None of these cars were ever involved in accidents *knocks on wood*. My parents were just generous enough to keep 'upgrading' cars for whatever reasons.

Overall Dream car: Nissan 350Z

Dream car(s) if I were rich: BMW M3 (E46, I'll take the straight 6 over the V8. A used one is relatively cheap now, but maintenance sure isn't), Porsche Cayman S, Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R (that old RB26 was a beast, the iron block was amazing for durability when it came to performance tuning)

Dream cars if I were a bit more than just 'rich': BMW M6, Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, Ferrari F430, Porsche GT2, Maserati GranTurismo S, Alfa Romeo 8C Competezione

Dream car(s) if I were obscenely rich: Koenigsegg CCX, Ascari A10

Best cars driven (test drive, or friend letting me try): Audi TT 1.8L Turbo Quattro, Nissan 350Z (this will be elaborated on in another blog entry further down the road)

Worst cars driven (test drive, or friend letting me try): Saturn Ion(the automatic wasn't good, but the manual is better), Dodge Charger V6, Hyundai Elantra (this will also be elaborated in another blog entry later)

That's about it for now.

-G&G Allen

Quick Tidbits
-Barack Obama, the nation's first African-American president, is being inaugurated Tuesday. This will be the first inauguration I'll be watching. I have high hopes for him!
-CNNs poll analysis offers a bit of insight on what some people thought of Bush's presidency.
-Hyundai's Genesis Coupe is beginning to show more of itself and some of the motoring press have gotten their hands on the car for some quick test drives. Initial impressions are good and I am really anxious to learn more about the car and see what it can do. Too bad people are so quick to put the Genesis Coupe down just because it's Korean. I personally believe Hyundai is a very good company, or at least has turned into one in the last few years.
-Edmunds.com InsideLine found the Ford Fusion Hybrid to be good overall. I say good for Ford! Of all the domestic brands I'm cheering for most, it's definitely Ford.
-The cold weather here is finally getting a bit 'warmer'. I was literally excited to have 25-degree weather back after a couple days of single-digit highs.
-I was lucky enough to find a new copy of Okami at EB Games in the mall here for PS2 at a price of $19.99! On Amazon.com, a new copy is $36.98! My parents have the game on Nintendo Wii, but I went ahead and purchased it for PS2 anyway considering its rarity and the fact that it's just a great game.

To-Do List:
-Comments on Edmunds.com InsideLine's comparison test between the BMW 135i and Nissan 370Z.
-Is Honda going the way of Toyota?
-Fanboys and their belief that they all have the best thing since sliced bread. Who's right?
-Why I think GM did it all wrong.
-Game copy protection, what I think is the best way
-The Porsche Cayman, why it's not that great of a car