State of the Stick

[theholycow]

How does the snowplow driver get to work...

Very carefully.

[IMBoring25]

Can't tell if the two of you are aware and making funny guesses or not. It was an allusion to an old Beetle commercial playing on the advantages to which the propeller of the woven fabric stranded product alluded.

[Rope-Pusher]

Last of the Mussolinis

"The first North American California Ts should reach port by the end of September, priced at $198,000 before delivery or options. Perhaps to incentivize turbo acceptance further, Ferrari has dropped the price $4,000 from the outgoing California.
Either way, more turbocharged Ferraris are certainly on the way, probably starting with the next update of or replacement for the 458 Italia. Yet with the California T, there's another milestone as noteworthy as the return of the Ferrari turbo, one possibly more ominous: the demise of the Ferrari with a conventional, manual transmission.
The outgoing California was the last to offer a manual with clutch pedal. The take rate was so low that Ferrari has given up."

[ClutchFork]

Apparently when my in-laws were dating/engaged, my mother-in-law had a Beetle. It was having some issues so my father-in-law rebuilt it over a day. When a car is that small and relatively simple, apparently that's not too difficult. I feel like InlinePaul would want one.

Those are the second Model T! But a bit small for my big frame. I am squeezed when I take the Escort for fuel. my Ranger is a bit tight but workable.

[Squint]

Can't tell if the two of you are aware and making funny guesses or not. It was an allusion to an old Beetle commercial playing on the advantages to which the propeller of the woven fabric stranded product alluded.

I was most certainly not being serious.

I mean, technically they might be correct answers. But I wasn't using them as such.

[Rope-Pusher]

Apparently when my in-laws were dating/engaged, my mother-in-law had a Beetle. It was having some issues so my father-in-law rebuilt it over a day. When a car is that small and relatively simple, apparently that's not too difficult. I feel like InlinePaul would want one.

Those are the second Model T! But a bit small for my big frame. I am squeezed when I take the Escort for fuel. my Ranger is a bit tight but workable.

No excuses!

[Rope-Pusher]

In the clearing stands a boxer...

After 50 Years, Porsche’s Iconic Boxer Still Improving

"Ward’s 10 Best Engines competition has recognized outstanding powertrain development for 20 years. This installment of the 2014 Behind the 10 Best Engines series looks at the history and development of Porsche’s thrilling H-6 boxer.

Just as only two major automakers today, General Motors and Chrysler, still proudly build and market cam-in-block (pushrod) V-8 engines, just two, Porsche and Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru), proudly offer flat, horizontally opposed "boxer" engines.

Chrysler's powerful Hemi V-8s and GM's small-block family continue to enjoy strong reputations and sales, and so do Porsche's flat 6-cyl. engines and Subaru's versatile H-4 and H-6 powerplants.

Subaru has used front-mounted boxer engines since its early years. Porsche has installed high-performing flat 6-cyl. engines in the rear of its 911 sports cars for half a century and counting. The German automaker also has situated its boxer engines between the axles in smaller, more affordable ’69 to ’76 model year 914 models and more recently in Boxster roadster and Cayman coupe 2-seaters.

Porsche also built H-4s for its original rear-engine 956 sports cars, early entry-level 911s (which were badged 912s) and base mid-engine 914s and even a small-displacement boxer 8-cyl. for a few rare 904 race cars.

And it now builds powerful, sophisticated V-6s and V-8s for its sedans and SUVs. But the iconic flat-6 lives on at Porsche, and 50 years after debuting in mid-1960s 911s, it keeps getting better and more refined.

Flat horizontally opposed piston engines date back more than 100 years and have been used in everything from lightweight aircraft to motorcycles. They still are popular on current BMW and Honda 2-wheelers, in part because they have some inherent advantages over inline and “V” configurations, including good natural balance and low centers of gravity. But Subaru admits they can be more expensive and require different transmissions compared with transversely mounted inline engines.

From a packaging standpoint, boxers are lower but much wider than inline engines, which (combined with their low center of gravity) makes them ideal for Porsche's rear- and mid-engine sports cars (not to mention decades of now-extinct H-4-powered rear-engine Volkswagen Beetles). And this latest 275-hp Porsche 2.7L 6-cyl. boxer, which is standard and not an up-power option in ’14 Boxsters and Caymans, is one of the sweetest yet."

http://wardsauto.com/auto-makers/after- ... ing?page=1

[Rope-Pusher]

I guess that the Vacuum shift didn't shift cleanly, or we would still be using them, right?

Lots of issues with them such that conversion kits were available to achieve armstrong shifting.

[Rope-Pusher]

GM confirms horsepower, towing for Colorado and Canyon pickups
The mini truck returns with up to 305 hp

GM says the pickups will “top the segment in power,” which is pretty easy considering the segment is only four cars. Still, GM's Canyon and Colorado will both come standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 200 hp and 191 lb-ft of torque. The upgraded models get a 3.6-liter V6 rated at 305 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque. If neither of those entices you, Chevy says it'll roll out a 2.8-liter diesel later in 2015.

Both GM engines are matched with a six-speed automatic transmission, while select two-wheel drive trucks are offered with a six-speed manual.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/2014061 ... z3539A53Pp
Follow us: @AutoweekUSA on Twitter | AutoweekUSA on Facebook

[Rope-Pusher]

Dragon Wayne!
Dragon Garth!



2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Dragon Edition review notes
The Dragon Edition takes a Hallowed American Tradition and asks the set designer for the first two “Rush Hour” movies to help pander to the burgeoning Asian market. For an additional $4,500 you can sit in chairs embossed with faux dragon scales, stare at dragons through the gauges, and step out of a vehicle with Twin Dragons resembling the neck tattoos of Yakuza gangsters as they primp and preen across the hood, left fender and rear wheel cover. It's like “Portlandia” by way of Asia: put a dragon on it!

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/2014061 ... z353BeWFfI
Follow us: @AutoweekUSA on Twitter | AutoweekUSA on Facebook

[watkins]

We have sold between a half and full dozen of the Dragon Wranglers. Every single purchaser has stipulated that the decals must be removed before they would take delivery of the vehicle.

[theholycow]

GM confirms horsepower, towing for Colorado and Canyon pickups
The mini truck returns with up to 305 hp

GM says the pickups will “top the segment in power,” which is pretty easy considering the segment is only four cars. Still, GM's Canyon and Colorado will both come standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 200 hp and 191 lb-ft of torque. The upgraded models get a 3.6-liter V6 rated at 305 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque. If neither of those entices you, Chevy says it'll roll out a 2.8-liter diesel later in 2015.

Both GM engines are matched with a six-speed automatic transmission, while select two-wheel drive trucks are offered with a six-speed manual.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/2014061 ... z3539A53Pp
Follow us: @AutoweekUSA on Twitter | AutoweekUSA on Facebook

Towing weight in the Canyon and Colorado is rated at 7,000 pounds when properly equipped. The Frontier can pull 6,300 pounds, while the Tacoma is rated at 6,500 pounds.

I hope there are some practiced, patient drivers if they're towing that much with a tow vehicle of so little footprint and weight, and I hope people know how to load properly and when a sub-optimally balanced trailer is inappropriate even within the tow rating, and that they use proper equipment setup properly.

Anyway, I'll take that I4/6MT drivetrain for the Buick please. I'd sacrifice some rated torque but I bet I'm below 191 already, between differences in measurement standards and 34 years of rot/wear. What I'd really sacrifice is low-RPM torque, I bet. Any word on the RPM of that 191ft-lb?

[theholycow]

We have sold between a half and full dozen of the Dragon Wranglers. Every single purchaser has stipulated that the decals must be removed before they would take delivery of the vehicle.

What is it that they like about it? Interior?

[Squint]

Towing weight in the Canyon and Colorado is rated at 7,000 pounds when properly equipped. The Frontier can pull 6,300 pounds, while the Tacoma is rated at 6,500 pounds.

I hope there are some practiced, patient drivers if they're towing that much with a tow vehicle of so little footprint and weight, and I hope people know how to load properly and when a sub-optimally balanced trailer is inappropriate even within the tow rating, and that they use proper equipment setup properly.

Anyway, I'll take that I4/6MT drivetrain for the Buick please. I'd sacrifice some rated torque but I bet I'm below 191 already, between differences in measurement standards and 34 years of rot/wear. What I'd really sacrifice is low-RPM torque, I bet. Any word on the RPM of that 191ft-lb?

You can totally just buy that truck and rip the drivetrain out of it. You've already done one swap, how hard would another be?

We have sold between a half and full dozen of the Dragon Wranglers. Every single purchaser has stipulated that the decals must be removed before they would take delivery of the vehicle.

What is it that they like about it? Interior?

I would like to know this as well.

[Rope-Pusher]

Cruze Up & Down This RoadAutoline Daily
Chevy introduced the all-new Cruze in Detroit last night. As you can see the styling has been updated and is much sleeker than the outgoing model. It also adopts the new face of Chevrolet. The car is built on a new, more rigid and lighter architecture, which weighs 250-pounds less than the previous model despite being slightly longer than before. And there’s 2 inches more legroom for rear seat passengers, it’s actually pretty comfortable in the back even though it’s a compact car. Under the hood, the Cruze sports a new 1.4L turbo 4-cylinder with direct injection and start/stop technology. It’s paired with a new 6-speed manual or automatic transmission. The powertrain is estimated to crank out 150 horsepower and 177 lb.-ft. of torque while getting 40MPG on the highway. A 1.5L naturally aspirated engine is also available which is mated to a five-speed manual. In 2017 a new 1.6L turbo diesel will be available but we’ll have to wait for more details about that. The company also loaded the car up with new safety and amenity features. Look for the new Chevy Cruze to hit U.S. showrooms early next year.

http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/news ... cruze.html