24/7 Sportiva

What is Torbin driving today?

2008-05-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

Not everyday is filled with the joy of driving a Ferrari or Lamborghini, even for those of us here at Club Sportiva. My BMW was in the shop for a couple days this week for a dent repair at Chilton Auto Body in San Carlos and the onsite rental company (Enterprise) didn't have a Maserati or Lotus for me to use, so I got stuck with a lovely Nissan Sentra.

What is the upside, I ask myself? Well, a reality check, I suppose. It had been at least a few years since I spent time behind the wheel of a $17,000 econo box, so this was a good adjustment. At least, I've convinced myself of that. It was only four thrilling days with the Sentra, but it brought a new appreciation of the cars Club Sportiva is blessed to provide its Members. To say the 140 hp 2.0 liter engine is anemic is an understatement. It floats down the interstate like a brick thrown underhanded. It is darty. It is flimsy. The seats hardly adjust. It doesn't have power locks. Oh, I've become spoiled...but I did learn to drive on a Sentra 20 years ago.

To make matters comical and more disparate, on Thursday, I drove the Ferrari F430 to work for a meeting in Silicon Valley and later that same day drove the Nissan Sentra home. Talk about one extreme to the other. Rags to riches with a $213,000 price delta. Power trip to rotten roller with a 353 hp difference. Champagne to PBR on tap. You get the point.

At least today I get the BMW back from Chilton Auto Body! Chilton is Club Sportiva's authorized body shop for those unfortunate occasions when a wrinkle needs smoothed out.

Member online website goes LIVE

2008-05-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

For everyone who is a Member of Club Sportiva and has ever wished they could reserve a hot sports car online from anywhere in the world, well, this is your lucky week. Our brand new, custom-built, proprietary Member database (yes...we are damn proud of it!) went live on Wednesday morning and the database lit up with activity immediately.

We've already had over 100 Members visit the site in less than 48 hours and Members have made over two dozen online reservations with a couple simple clicks of their mouse. And best of all, no glitches!! How cool is that?

Members, please continue logging in to check it out. For everyone else, join the Club or you'll continue to be on the side lines while everyone else has all the fun. ;)

Brand new Ferrari model revealed today

2008-05-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

The news finally broke. As much as Ferrari management had denied it for months, a planned announcement later this week that a new and unique Ferrari is coming was trumped today when photos hit the web a week earlier than anticipated. Leaked photos have become common lately with the internet playing a more active role in disseminating information, and lighting fast too. This post is perfect proof of how quickly the word spreads ahead of printed publications.

The new Ferrari is called the California. It will be unique in several ways. It features a folding hardtop, a seven-speed dual clutch and will be produced in higher numbers that the current F430. It will have a 460 hp 4.3L V8 front layout with a bent towards grand touring tuning instead of the raw, racy edge of the F430. The single lamp taillights indicate Pininfarina's new design direction, like with the 599 GTB; a break in the twin taillights over the past 30 years. This will be an elegant and easy design for people to accept, whereas the stacked exhaust pipes (as with the Lexus IS F) may take longer to be loved.

This new Ferrari will be priced essentially where the F430 is currently, if early indications hold true. That will push the Ferrari F430 up a rung on the Ferrari totem pole. The term "Dino" was thrown around a lot, indicating a "lesser" Ferrari. From the looks of this beauty, this is a real Ferrari and with the price in the $180,000 range, it is no discounted car either!

Anytime a new Ferrari is announced, it is a big deal. It is an even bigger deal when the new Ferrari is an entirely new line. The F430 replacement is certainly coming, but the California isn't an evolution on an existing car, but an entirely new line. A good day indeed in the automotive world!

Should Club Sportiva get one? I think I know the answer...

Lexus IS F: Is it the REAL deal?

2008-05-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

Can a Lexus be exciting to drive on a twisty road? Is a sporty Lexus really just an oxymoron? The all new Lexus IS F is getting a lot of press for Lexus and many enthusiasts like me are wondering if the IS F a creative marketing ploy or is it the real deal? So with that in mind, I thought I should get some wheel time and share the experience first hand.

A Member of Club Sportiva took delivery of his IS F about two months ago, which he was told was the first in California when it was delivered. Alain M. allowed me the honors of experiencing his new Lexus IS F for a couple days. I have to give Alain credit for immediately taking his car to Laguna Seca for a Club Sportiva track day when he had just enough miles for its break-in! That is one happy Lexus. It now has about 3,000 miles on it, so Alain is enjoying every mile...

Based on my seat time, in a nut shell, the Lexus IS F is a performance sports sedan with a bent towards luxury. It is hands down the sportiest and most fun Lexus yet, but that's not saying much based on Lexus's traditional position as a faultless and soulless point A to point B automaker (what makes J.D. Powers and Associates happy doesn't always please the car enthusiast).

At 70 mph in eighth gear (yes, 8th) you are loafing at 1,900 rpms with no grunt whatsoever, but certainly helping you get better gas mileage. At 70 mph in third gear, you are at 5,900 rpms with plenty of immediate power to accelerate hard with ease. When getting on the gas hard when the revs are over 4,000 rpms, the engine makes a very non-Japanese sonorous bellow that isn't Lexus-like. It is lively and a bit Italianate in the tune (yes, I am serious) it belts out loudly but you've got to get on it to encourage the exhaust note. It also freely and happily revs all the way to the red line without a hint of protest. As you approach redline, you get an audible warning allowing you time to shift without having to look down at the tach or without hitting the abrupt fuel cut off.

The engine doesn't have as much low end grunt from the line as I would have expected for a healthy 5.0 liter V8 with 416 hp and 371 lb/ft of torque, but it quickly gets more brutal as the revs increase. The words brutal power and Lexus have never been used in the same sentence and this is a certified first time...and a good thing. But know that the power is polished, smooth and predictable, not raw, ragged or peaky. The steering is quick and sharp, but it is certainly filtered through the car's computers before reaching your fingertips gripping the steering wheel giving it a bit of a numb effect.

One of my favorite surprises was how much more the auto gear box is designed for enthusiast driving when set in manual mode than was the original IS300 I've driven. The previous IS in 2002 with 215 hp I'd driven in both automatic and the rare 5-speed manual transmissions. The original automatic set to manual toggle mode was constantly overruled by the authoritarian software program. It was really annoying and not worth shifting because you rarely got it to react, for it was permanently set in "no-fun" mode. Now, in Sport Direct-Shift mode, it is far better and more interesting to use. Kudos to Lexus for allowing the driver to have some control.

One knock I have to point out is the fake vent behind the front tires. Why bother? Make the vent go somewhere, otherwise it is nothing more than a cute little design someone thought up in the studio. It also has a regular steering wheel that I wish were sportier and meatier to match the brawn of the rest of the car. A few cool highlights worth pointing out include a unique trim that looks like silver carbon fiber weave. It also has speedo and tach needles in brilliant blue that really look cool, especially at night. The seats are also deeply bolstered unlike most sedans. Also, the stacked twin exhaust tips look better in person and less forced than in photos, fortunately.

At about $60,000 with a couple options (Navigation, Mark Levinson sound, rear camera, Bluetooth), it is a very worthwhile and significant car. I could see tooling about in the IS F as a daily driver, as Alain gets to do. I am very much a fan of pushing performance to its limit. I'd say the IS F represents Lexus in a way that has some of its executives cowering in fear for what beast they green lighted. I believe all enthusiasts will appreciate their daring.

Thanks Alain for giving me a chance to experience the car and to share with others. Comments welcomed. What other cars should I write up?

My take: Porsche 911 C4S vs. Cayman S

2008-05-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

Porsche vs. Porsche, or more aptly, big Porsche vs. little Porsche. Which is better? Which is a better value? Which is a better performer? Which do you prefer? Which would you drive? All good questions.

The comparo is run using one of Club Sportiva's vehicles, the 2006 Porsche Cayman S, in Member-approved yellow. The second is a 2006 Porsche 911 C4S Cabriolet provided by one of us at Club Sportiva who uses it as a daily driver. The Cayman S stickered at $63,000 and the 911 C4S Cabriolet windowed at a whopping $112,000. For starters, the Cayman S takes the lead straight out of the gate based on the price/value equation. At an eye-popping $112,000, we are talking exotic car territory...well, no longer these days, I guess.

Styling? It is tough to call which car is better. This is very subjective. Each car has strong attributes. The Cayman is a newer, fresh design, whereas the 911 has amazingly evolved for over 40 years. The 911 has meaty rear tires that look aggressive and the new headlights recall the ever-popular and timeless 993 911. The Cayman shares the beautiful and curvaceous rear haunches with the Boxster, which harkens back to the 550 Spider. I also like the fact that you can raise the rear spoiler on the Cayman, even when parked, as it looks cool, as though it should still be in motion. I'd say styling between them is a draw, based on very individual preferences (see my 911 dead end design post on April 1st). For me, I'll take the Cayman by a hair.

Exhaust and engine note? Without even driving the cars, I'd assume the prize goes to the sportier 911 and this assumption holds accurate in practice, as well. The 911 has a snortier exhaust note that borders on a raspy growl that just sounds mean at idle and gets better under revs. The Cayman has a good rasp but lacks some of the grunt at idle. Under acceleration, with the mid engine inside the cabin, the engine blends out the exhaust note for the most part. The one disappointing thing on both Porsche's exhaust is that the sound is superior from outside the car, which means the driver gets the least gratification from the ordeal. The engine note is, however predominant, which is a good thing in my book.

Road holding? The Cayman is tremendously well balanced due to the mid engine configuration and the rear drive layout gives the car some edginess that fills the gaps left by missing torque. The 911, in this case being AWD, has an intuitively planted feeling that offers the driver a sense of invincibility, even with the rear engine layout that would otherwise taunt the driver. In a corner, you can continue to gently press the gas and at the turn's apex, hit the gas hard. You couldn't drive that way in a Cayman and certainly couldn't do it in a C2 911. Choosing one over the other is tough. Which is better, the Cayman's agile balance and svelte finesse or the 911's gobs-'o-grip in the twisties? I love both car's features, but would choose the sure-planted AWD of the 911 over the lithe Cayman. Because this was a close one, I am sure I will contradict myself as some point since I am generally a bare bone, raw, agile sports car guy and here I am choosing the heavier 911 C4S for its grip.

Power and torque? This is a no-brainer. The 911 C4S wins hands down, as you would expect and as Porsche engineers carefully planned it. The 911 has a lot of grunt and power that makes it a thrill to drive. The Cayman S, on the other hand, is more a revver that requires you to row the gears a bit to get the grunt needed. This isn't to say the power band isn't easy to find with 295 horses on tap, it just isn't like the 911 with 355 horsepower.

Interior? The Cayman radio blows. And it is worse at night finding the preset buttons, which is stupefying. I would ordinarily say the true enthusiast shouldn't even turn on the stereo, as in any Ferrari or Lamborghini or a Lotus Elise with Stage 2 exhaust, but...since the exhaust is muted from the cabin and the famous Porsche engine note is refined, stereo use is permissible. Porsches are great for ease of ingress and egress, 360 degree visibility, seat comfort and position and generally good ergonomics. As simple as this sounds, Porsche has always done an excellent job of balancing the sporty driving nature and styling with the drive-ability of an everyday car. Both cars share a strong family resemblance and jumping from one into the other is simple. I'd take the uprent 911 interior.

Other features? Both gear boxes are great. They are crisp and direct, if not joystick-like in their action when flicking through the gears. Reliability? We've had zero problems that weren't easily covered by warranty with either car in the past 12-15 months since new. Wow factor? Well, in California, practically everyone has a Porsche, so you see them on every corner; so neither car is a unique sight - which is a great endorsement for living in California.

Final thoughts? Porsche has done an excellent job perfecting each car to excel in its performance category without overlapping with the other. The Cayman S is without doubt the little brother. The Cayman S leaves me yearning for more from the aspects of torque, exhaust note and the planted AWD option. Because of its price, significantly less than the 911, I am willing to forgo those attributes for an otherwise incredibly well balanced sports car. The 911, on the other hand, provides a more full-tilt sports car experience with its performance but comes with a heftier price tag.

Regarding the Cayman, it is hopefully only a matter of time before Porsche comes out with a club racer version that is louder, lighter, even more raw, with a dab of extra juice to motivate the car. That is the Cayman I will order for Club Sportiva. Then again, the Cayman I'm dreaming of here might bump into the 911 and begin to cannibalize its sales - so we may not get to see this uber-Cayman, like I hope.

Porsche has done an excellent job ensuring the Cayman will never be viewed in history as the undesirable dog that the Porsche 924 is remembered or the fading memory of the mid-pack Porsche 944, as it has proven to be over the years. The Cayman has likely, already, cemented its reputation as a true Porsche for the books and the 911 continues to forge ahead with its evolution, now several generations old.

It isn't an easy choice because the two cars are both winners that really aren't competing with one another. Give me the 911, even for the price difference. The Cayman is really just the starter car for the person who isn't ready just yet for the 911. Try them both out back-to-back with a car share club and see what you think! Feedback welcome.

Torbin gets an article published in FLQ!

2008-04-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

It is pretty exciting, but an article I wrote was just published in Ferrari Life Quarterly comparing my driving experiences in the F430 to the Gallardo. I suppose this is my first article to be published! Kinda cool... The article started life intended as a blog post, but then Ferrari Life got wind of the topic and picked it up for the publication.

In the article, I compare the Ferrari F430 to the Lamborghini Gallardo while driving on the German Autobahn during a recent trip to meet our German business partner. The notion is, Drive and Decide between Ferrari and Lamborghini. Most of the photos were taken my me on the trip, too.

Read the article in PDF form. My article starts on page 10, right after the 430 Scuderia article.

Ferrari Life also recently wrote a Ferrari Buyers Portfolio on V8 and V12 Ferraris from the 360 Modena to the 308 and the 550 Maranello to the 365. The book has been periodically sold out on Amazon, so it is selling well. It is well illustrated and contains some very cool insight into 13 Ferrari models that we all want to drive... I've read it cover to cover and recommend it. The book was published by Brooklands Books, ISBN 1.85520.7478

Here is the direct link to the article in case you need it:
http://www.ferrarilife.com/library/download_pdf.php?type=flq&id=91

Club Sportiva video now LIVE on MyRide.com

2008-04-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

If you saw my previous post this month about Fireball Tim's recent visit to Club Sportiva to film a segment of his show on Autobytel's MyRide.com, wait until you see the segment. Get ready for the goods!

For a 7 minute video, it will keep you riveted and wanting to book an outing in a Club car once you finish watching it. I think you will agree. Check out our video...

Fireball and his team did an incredible job filming and editing the piece and we are proud to have it live! I found it to be a very entertaining and exciting video. The cars look awesome and the crew got some very impressive footage with some great scenery. Even the music is cool.

It is also posted on YouTube, but the resolution is far better on MyRide.com.

Here's the full link in case you need it: http://community.myride.com/kickapps/_Fireball-Tim-Club-Sportiva/video/193831/3898.html

Who has the wildest custom ordered interiors?

2008-04-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

Who offers the wildest factory custom interiors? I'd say Lamborghini takes the cake. It's hard to argue otherwise. Not only do they offer a lot of interior panel options, they also offer some crazy colors that buyers actually choose on a regular basis. Between the carbon fiber and florescent colored leather panels inserts, you can really make your car a one-off. Here are just a few I've found interesting over the past couple years!

The ones shown here are just a few I've seen. Some help resale by being well appointed in a unique and tasteful way, while others probably (certainly) hurt resale with garish color combos that narrow the number of potential buyers who share the original owner's special passion for being extreme. Lamborghini owners are more flamboyant and are flashier risk takers than the more conservative Ferrari-set who are wild when compared to the understated Bentley and Aston Martin owners. Same concept goes for Lamborghini's exterior colors, with yellow, orange and lime green being among the most common. Interesting, red isn't a common Lamborghini color and I suspect that is because red is for Ferrari and thus Lamborghini owners shun red to stand out from their perceived cliche Ferrari-red counterparts. Lamborghini owners have never been know for being wall flowers. They achieved their success with hard work and now they are going to enjoy it and let you know it!

But is it the manufacturer who encourages the outrageous color patterns by offering them or is it the preferences of the owners requesting them over the years? I think the fact that Lamborghini designs and builds some of the wildest styled cars, people who like edgy expression are attracted to the Sant'Agata auto maker. The result is that the owners who like to push the style envelope then choose flashier interiors that are made available to them. A match made in heaven. The rest of us can live vicariously (which may be still a bit too much for most people) through the expressive decisions of these colorful risk takers.

Do the wild colors patterns hurt resale? Without doubt, Ferrari holds its value better than Lamborghini, but that probably has more to do with steeped racing heritage, market position and brand strength, overly limited production and other subtle factors than simply the funky colors selected. But yes, Ferrari's classic Daytona seat stitching is ever-classic, regardless of color. Has Lamborghini always offered wild colors or is this a recent phenomenon? Lamborghini and its buyers have always pushed the envelope of social norms on taste, but the institutionalization of florescent color interiors was popularized by the Gallardo, under the watchful eye of Audi (and VW) as a marketing method to further differentiate Lamborghini from under the shadow of Ferrari.

Ferrari also offers a lot of custom choices, but even the wildest combinations are still tasteful and relatively reserved. This might also be part of why Ferrari has the best resale; owners don't go out on a limb. Interestingly, in Europe, Ferraris predominantly have black interiors. Of the 20 Ferraris at Club Sportiva's partner in Germany, about 80% have black interiors, which matches Europe's preference for black leather over tan. The U.S. is all about tan hides. In fact, the dealers strongly recommend tan for a stronger resale. It is funny how different geographies of the world feel different about such simple things - social norms at their snootiest. ;) On the exterior, Ferraris are predominantly painted red and as such, it is rare to see a wild colored Ferrari.

Aston Martin, Bentley and Bugatti all offer bespoke interiors for owners specifying their new cars, but rarely do you see anything that borders daring. In my opinion, the more offensive and disappointing interior is likely to be drab and common black over silver paint. What a missed opportunity on an elegant and sophisticated Aston Martin or Bentley. I have yet to see a florescent lime green interior on a Bentley. I doubt the factory has ever been asked to die a hide a florescent color…

If you were specifying a new exotic, what would you choose? If you were helping Club Sportiva spec a car, as our Members occasionally do, what advice would you offer me? Are you daring or conservative in the way you would custom spec an interior?

A day filming with Fireball Tim & Autobytel

2008-04-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

Fireball Tim spent a day filming recently at Club Sportiva in conjunction with Autobytel and MyRide.com. Actually, the crew filmed from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. That's a long day on camera! They must have chewed through several batteries with their various cameras. It was certainly fun but grueling work, too. Being mic'd all day with people listening in on everything you say can create some awkward moments. After a while you forget the mic is on, but we won't elaborate on that specifically... ;)

Fireball Tim, for those who don't know him or his brand, Fireballed, is a lively television and brand personality. He's a bit irreverent, with some crazy off-the-wall questions which you can rather glean simply by the photos. He is also a rabid car nut, through and through, so we hit it off immediately. Fireball is actually his first name by the way. Yes, I verified it. After all day saddled up in some exotic cars, I had a great opportunity to talk with Fireball about all of his projects that keep him passionately involved and very busy while sharing my similar experiences with Club Sportiva.

So, among other projects, Fireball has going is modifying Mini Coopers with copious amounts of horsepower. We are talking 400 - 600 hp in a front drive Mini. Nutty, and hard to control he confesses. And yes, he makes the most powerful Mini Coopers out there that make the JCW version look down right diluted. Image a Mini Cooper with 600 hp. Scary fun!

Fireball and I drove a number of cars during the shoot. He drove the Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder and Bentley Continental GT extensively, while putting in some wheel time with the Maserati Spyder, Aston Martin DB9 Volante and Lotus Elise. We'll have to see which he liked most based on the final edited version of the show due out shortly, but I think he liked the Gallardo best based on his feedback.

One of Fireball Tim's best online features is his segment called Auto Disection, where he analyzes the design of some current autos. His is an alum from the famous auto-design-mecca in Pasadena - the Art Center. You can see a few of his critiques on www.myride.com. I recommend watching his take on the Audi R8, BMW 1-Series and the Cadillac CTS Coupe. He also has a hilarious segment on Lombard Street with a Go Car.

Once they complete the editing of our segment and the piece goes live on MyRide.com, I'll post it! Thanks Fireball for spending a couple days in San Francisco and taking time to visit Club Sportiva.

Danica Patrick Makes History

2008-04-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked a historic day for open wheeled racing, as Danica Patrick became the first woman ever to claim victory in a top tier open wheeled event, taking first place at the IndyCar - Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

The race, postponed one day due to unsafe racing conditions on Saturday, was Patrick's 50th start of her Indy Car career. She completed 200 laps of the 1.5 mile circuit at an average speed of 164.258 mph, beating Indy 500 winner Helio Castronevas by six seconds using a calculated racing strategy on the part of her Michael of conserving fuel to allow for a strong finish.

Patrick, starting on the third row, made her final pit stop on lap 148, staying close to the race leaders throughout.

Asked about the significance of her victory, the NY Times quoted her as saying "This reaches outside racing. This is about finding something you love to do, and following through with it."

She follows other notable woman in racing in helping to crack the glass ceiling that exists in motorsports. Janet Guthrie was the first to make a notable impact in open wheeled racing, proving that she could run competitively with men, qualifying for the Indy 500 in 3rd position and finishing 9th overall in 1978.

Lyn St. James has the most Indy 500 starts for a woman, with seven and her best finish was 11th in 1992 when she won rookie of the year honors. Current racer Sarah Fisher was the first woman to complete a full IndyCar series, the first to win a pole, and was the youngest woman to ever qualify for the Indy 500 (@ age 19 in 2000). The great NHRA champion, Shirley Muldowney won three Top Fuel season titles in 1977,'80 and '82. Eight other women have won NHRA events.

Yesterday saw another notable achievement for a woman racer, as the Atlantic Championship season opener at Long Beach won by Simone De Silvestro.

Debunking the Gas Email

2008-04-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a good friend forwarded to me (and at least a dozen other buddies) an email with this subject line "Interesting news on pumping gas". Purported to be from a pipeline company worker, it presents, in pseudo industry jargon, four seemingly compelling reasons to squeeze the maximum value out of each dollar spent for gasoline (backed up with a semi-rant on what companies are buying Saudi or Venezuelan oil).

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold.
When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode, always use the slow setting.
One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY.
If there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up!

I've reduce each exhortation to it's core claim, but the email goes into convincing (seemingly) detail for all. However a closer look, a little common sense and some investigation shoots down each of these presumably well-intentioned musings.

Item 1: We've probably all aware of root cellars and wine cellars - they're used for their year round constant temperature - and that comes from being underground. In the San Francisco Bay Area the average average annual underground temperature is 60° - coincidentally the temperature at which the gasoline is measured and loaded. The ground surface temperature may vary over the course of the day, but the underground temperature does not fluctuate daily. So if there is an change in the fuel's temperature, it can only occur during transportation, and should stabilize when dumped into storage tanks.

Item 2. The idea here is that delivering gas on the maximum discharge setting creates more vapor that is then recycled back into the station's tank on condensation. Perhaps, but we're talking just a few drops at best. Is it worth hanging around the pump another 5 minutes?

Item 3. First I'm in a quandary as what actually comes first: half-empty or half-full - I guess it's a chicken and egg thing. Perhaps the author of these tips is really trying to speak to both optimists AND pessimists simultaneously. Whatever - the real (specious) point this bonehead is trying to make is that the lower the fuel level, the greater the propensity is for evaporation. This is LOL funny - unless your gas tank is a pyramid, the surface area for evaporation is probably the same no matter what the fuel level (granted gas tanks shapes have gotten creative since they've become molded out of plastic, but you get the point). Plus, since evaporating hydrocarbons are a pollution source, every vehicle sold in the US since 1968 has a sealed fuel system with a mandatory vapor recovery system built in. Most vehicles won't even run with the gas cap loose. Besides who wants waste twice as much time in a gas station? On second thought there is merit to this claim - it'll only cost you half as much to fill the tank! That'll feel good, won't it?

Item 4. This is only one of the four with some merit - that the ingress of thousands of gallons of fuel will stir up sediment in the storage tanks that in turn could end up in your tank. It may have been true in 1966 but hey, we're living in modern times; with the advent of fuel injection sophisticated filtration systems are the norm, both on your vehicle and in the stations plumbing. Nothing to worry about here - except perhaps if it's 6 AM . . . has that tanker driver had his coffee? Is that diesel or regular that he just put in the premium port?

The lesson is that we should all be a bit more more skeptical before we hit that forward button.

For more details on this urban myth (and make it the first place to visit when you get the next forwarded email warning), be sure to check out Urban Legends.

Buying a Pre-owned Maserati Spyder

2008-04-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, Nivan, is always swapping his sports car to experience another one and he is looking for a Maserati Spyder. I've lost track of the various cars he's had over the years, but every year or two it is always something different. And, he drives them, which I respect as evidenced in my February 12 blog post about shaming the garage queen and hailing the driver. So, Nivan asked me for my take on the Maserati Spyder. I felt the feedback I shared with him was worth posting. Hope you enjoy and find it useful...

Nivan, the Maserati Spyder is a great all around car with gobs of power and torque if you are looking for a car that is out of the ordinary. Club Sportiva has had two of them over the past five years, so I've had a lot of first hand experience. The first one was titanium over black 2002 with Cambiocorsa and we had it for a year. The current one is a 2003 red over tan with a 6-speed manual and Tubi exhaust. It is a dependable exotic. We put about 20,000 miles on the first car before upgrading to the 2003, which we have put 40,000 generally trouble-free miles on.

A couple things, the Cambiocorsa gearbox is not my favorite, so be sure to do a thorough test drive to be sure you enjoy it. It shifts slowly, but works fine. The Maserati manual transmission is gritty and notchy, so both transmissions have a flaw. As long as you don't mind the slow shifting, you will be fine with the Cambiocorsa. Whereas the Ferrari and Lamborghini F1 systems are super fast (and a bit jerky as a result), the Maserati is setup more as a grand touring car and as such, the transmission suits the car's personality very well. By the way, do NOT try backing up a hill with the Cambiocorsa system or you will chew up the clutch very fast. The F1 systems hate inclines, while in reverse, remember that.

The thing I would recommend strongly is adding Tubi exhaust (see my February 18 Tubi post). The stock system is quiet, subdued, plain and disappointing, even under acceleration, which again, suits the grand touring nature of the car but leaves something to be desired of a passionate Italian grand dame. With Tubi, the V8 is much more sporty and lively with a real muscle car grunt and an extra 10 horsepower. The upgraded exhaust is the car's finest feature. It is worth $4,000 or so, without hesitation and I wouldn't look for an alternate exhaust brand (unless someone shows me a worthy one).

They all have a few convertible top glitches when occasionally the top gets stuck up or down. There is a manual over ride button tucked in the car (pre-read the owner's manual) that generally resets itself once the cycle is complete so you don't have to take it to the dealer. A 5" by 7" top panel snapped off our 2003 and it cost $500 to replace and install the panel, which is a wake-up call that these are expensive cars.

There is a lot of cowl and steering column shake. On our first Spyder, I thought the vibration may have been a sign of a wreck but our second Spyder does it too and I know the car is pristine. A $35,000 Honda S2000 convertible is rock solid, but a $97,000+ Maserati shakes like crazy. Annoying, but par for the course. The radio/NAV functionality blows. It simply has a poor user interface. Generally this isn't a big deal for a weekend car, but for a daily driver, it may get bothersome.

Overall, the Maserati Spyder is a solid car and I'd recommend it if you are prepared for an Italian. While I personally prefer lighter sports cars, the Maserati Spyder is a great car with good looks at a value. Coincidentally, just last week, a Club Sportiva Member forwarded me a few photos of their trip to Monterey and looking at the photos, I was reminded that the Spyder really is a great looking Italian car that doesn't need styled like a flashy Ferrari.

The exotic car market is awash with deals right now. Lots of cars are available and not a ton of buyers. I'd suggest calling a couple sellers if there are other Spyders out there you like. Work the pricing a little bit.

I first go to www.cars.com and search the car through the entire nation and then also within 250 miles. I sort by year and then look for similar mileage cars and look at asking prices, knocking off a few grand in my head to adjust for asking price vs. selling price. The nationwide search gives you a broad view while the local search within 250 miles may or may not tell the same story about pricing and availability.

I'd also be sure to get a third party to inspect it for both frame damage and mechanical condition. Since it is likely out of warranty, this is very important. A $250 - 500 inspection fee is money very well spent. Even if car fax is clean, you still need the full inspection. A compression test (not necessarily going so far as a leak down test) would be a good idea based on how the rest of the inspection goes. You are looking for red flags that indicate other problems.

Let me know if you have any questions. I think you will love the car if the cowl shake and Cambiocorsa transmission are okay with you...and seriously, consider the Tubi! Good luck.

Post note: My friend, Nivan, bought a 2003 Maserati Spyder with 20,500 miles in Los Angeles and drove it to Arizona. It is silver over grey hides, as you can see in the photos that he sent me. He chose a car with the Cambiocorsa paddle shift system. This Italian replaces his Porsche Boxster S, which he notes that his wife greatly prefers over the Boxster S. At this point, he's had the Maserati Spyder just long enough to know that he is enjoying it lot and is pleased with his purchase. Good selection Nivan! Let me know if you decide to try the Tubi exhaust.

We'll also be checking back with Nivan to see how long he keeps this car before he is ready for his next toy.

Is Tata's Jaguar acquisition good for us?

2008-04-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

Is Jaguar going to benefit or go further into decline in the coming years and decades owned by Indian conglomerate, Tata? Having worked for Ford Motor Company for a few years at its corporate headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, I have an opinion or two on this issue. Also, with this acquisition complete, we will all become familiar with this logo, as Tata is now on the world stage.

The short answer is: it will largely depend on how much money is invested and involve a degree of unpredictable luck. Ford invested a lot, actually billions, and it still didn't quite work out as planned. Ford tried valiantly to right Jaguar's woes and couldn't. I hate to say it, but Tata will likely need to leverage the new XF design and reformat the entire Jaguar image, leaving everything we know today in the past. Ford tried very hard to keep the stately designs of yesteryear (introduced the S-type and X-type car lines and refreshed the all new XJ and XK) that just didn't sit right with well-heeled buyers who wanted something newer looking instead of father's Jaguar. At the time, I wholeheartedly thought Ford's corporate direction was wise to stay true to the stately Jaguar heritage in spite of its competitors fresh (many say BMW's ugly Bangle design) style direction. Sometimes focus groups don't yield the desired results and sales were poor.

Will Tata handle the challenge? Will Tata's management have the perseverance to stick out the tough times and continue to invest in new platforms, drivetrains, powertrains, safety devices, manufacturing facilities, new technologies, top management staff, new product lines, etc? The cost is in the multi billions, and there are several car lines to support and grow in an ever increasingly competitive market environment. And...Tata has to cope with all the same issues at Land Rover too!

Granted, I don't have inside experience at Tata, but while it is an enormous corporation, the strains and complexity of a medium scale automotive manufacturer like Jaguar (not to mention Land Rover) will test Tata's resolve. The $2.3 billion paid by Tata (actually it is $1.7 billion paid after Ford subsidizes another $600 million to further fund the pension plan) pales when compared to $2.5 billion it paid 1989 for Jaguar and $2.7 billion in 2000 for Land Rover. Ford invested another $10 billion since 1989 to improve the two brands. These are nutty sums of cash...and investments that didn't pan out. The Indian company gets a chance for the first time to stand on the world automotive stage with two prestigious brands with steeped British history and this is very alluring to Tata's billionaire majority shareholder, Ratan Tata. Now, we will see how long the honey moon lasts and see how good looking are the children going to be.

I think Tata will end up casting off Land Rover in the next few years to a company who sees upside to producing upscale trucks. I think Tata will give it a serious go with Jaguar for the next decade without hesitation, even if sales are slow and the brand falters. One thing is for sure, Jaguar will not be an easy brand to manage. Ford's time with Jaguar will hopefully be noted in the history books as a quality attempt to right the struggling brand and not be written off as an obvious squandery under American ownership. Ford put a lot of attention into Jaguar and genuinely desired to improve the brand. While Jaguar did indeed improve in sales, quality and product breadth, the up tick was insignificant compared to the price tag Ford invested.

This brings us to another prestigious brand that has recently been spun off from Ford after 20 years to its newest and 13th owner for $925 million. Aston Martin is now owned primarily by a Middle East (Kuwaiti) funded private equity firm. This too will be interesting to see if they recognize the needs of an automotive holding that requires them to plow hundreds of millions (or easily billions) of dollars continually for refreshing and redeveloping the brand, much like loved or hated George Steinbrenner had done for decades with that one New York baseball team. Aston Martin's current path is positive, but without continued massive loads of engineering, technology and design, the car magazines and pundits will quickly dismiss the car as having veered of course. Aston Martin's brand has historically suffered in the shadow of Ferrari, fairly or unfairly. Point being, even with Ford having invested massively in the VH platform, V12 and recently V8 engines, Ian Callum's designs and new product lines, the car maker has just barely turned the corner towards a high quality product, beautiful styling, increasing production and sales and profitability...and then it got sold off. To use another baseball analogy, since it is the beginning of baseball season, the Marlins win the World Series only to then get sold off and dip back into the pool of contenders. Let's hope that Aston Martin's new home leads to a different fate.

The automotive industry is rife with companies that got the formula correct only to briefly take a collective sigh of relief and revel in the good times before realizing they are driving right back into the ditch again. Time will tell for Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin. When I was at FoMoCo, I solidly thought those three brands had a permanent home for eternity. How quickly things change when money and patience run out. Let's wish the brands well.

Do you have a perspective on how the models will fair in the market? Will they improve or deteriorate? Will the styling run a muck? Will the car makers cut corners and miss the mark? There are lot's of risk for these marques. Thoughts?

Our blog's skyrocketing success - Thank you!

2008-04-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

Club Sportiva launched our blog a few months back and based on the rapidly increasing number of visitors, we have hit a serious vein with the automotive community. Most viewers are U.S.-based, but we are finding traction around the world as well. We had high expectations of what our blog could/should achieve, (as with everything we do at Club Sportiva we aim high) but it has exceeded our wildest expectations. The number of visitors is astounding. The number of quality comments has been great. The time people spend on the site is exciting.

To keep up the pace, please continue forwarding the blog link to other car friends who will find it interesting. We have done nothing outwardly to promote the blog and it has simply caught on by word of mouth. Very exciting. The viral affect is really impressive. Of course I'd like to credit Chasmo's and my topics as a key to the success, but I also think it boils down to the fact that their is a void for this kind of content and Club Sportiva is filling an important niche for car enthusiast seeking unique topics.

Thanks to everyone who reads the blog. Thanks to all those who have linked to it and bookmarked it. Thanks to all those who have already forwarded it to their friends. The car community is a great space and I am personally thrilled to be part of it online to accompany what I do everyday in person with the cars sitting in our Paddock awaiting our Members for thrilling driving experiences.

If you have a cool topic for the blog you'd like to see me post, email me at torbin at clubsportiva.com or just post a comment here.

A personal thanks again to everyone who is active in promoting our blog. Club Sportiva's success depends on its Members and our blog's success depends on the enthusiasm of our viewers. Keep it up!
--Torbin

Behind the wheel of a 505 hp Corvette Z06

2008-04-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

After driving a C6 Corvette convertible at Club Sportiva, which is by far the most refined Corvette yet, getting next behind the wheel of Club Sportiva's 2007 Corvette Z06 was even better. Overall, the Z06 is a sinisterly powerful car with great looks that is still a little raw - standard Corvette DNA.

I will get a couple of the unforgivable issues out of the way, right up front... The Corvette has notoriously plastic laden interiors, buttons and controls that shame American ingenuity. It isn't just the surfacing, it is the quality of feel and touch when pressing buttons and interacting with the interior. Sure it has improved over the decades, but how long does it take GM engineers and marketing people to realize car enthusiasts don't want a shiny plastic interior experience. The problem is the Corvette's interior comes from the corporate parts bin and everything is hard shiny plastic and they don't want to develop a whole interior console for a single car line. A leather surfacing package is now available for a whopping $5,000, but that doesn't address the cheap radio and climate control buttons. Well, GM is moving in the right direction, at least. As a reference point, a $22,000 Mazda 3 has a far superior interior, to make my point clear.

How is the exhaust note? Well, it is subdued. Subdued? What?! It's a Z06...nothing should be subdued. It lacks an audible punch in the exhaust note category, disappointingly. The sound engineers, guided by the marketing team, should have said dial up the exhaust so drivers don't have to go out and install it after market. For another ~$1,500 (OEM cost), the bean counters at GM should have allowed the Corvette Z06 to have a sinister exhaust note to remind the driver that he/she is piloting a bad@ss machine. Instead, the Corvette team opted for an understated, plain (read lame) exhaust note. The entire group gets the blame for this from GM's marketing team, engineering community, program management and bean counters (of which I was one, at Ford Motor Company) for missing the opportunity to define the car with a menacing tune to match the splendidly powerful engine. I am calling it like I see it...

As such, firing up the car begins out on a somewhat anticlimactic starting point. And yes, I am being critical because the bar was set very high by GM's marketers and the auto press. Blip the throttle and it is not the rip roarious experience I expected, nor is the throttle as responsive as I would have hoped. I am not dumping cold water on the overall experience, just sharing essential first impression feedback as you climb in and start the car. It does get better, luckily, but right out of the gate the car has two strikes that you can't help avoid noticing continually while driving around. Normally, I'd save the negs for last, but GM really needs a disappointing slap on the wrist for a car that has been in production long enough they should understand what the target market wants and get it right, especially on the top of the line $75,000 Z06. Sure the$100,000 ZR1 is coming, but it is no excuse to leave any rocks unturned on the Z06. At $45,000 for a base Corvette, maybe I will take back my negs, but not for the Z06. Ultimately, I want to like the car enough to justify buying one, not looking for reasons to put up with its short comings. GM, are you catching this?

Now for the upside, finally. Once you dip into the throttle, you suddenly have no time to let your eyes gaze anywhere but far down the road. First gear is powerful, but not geared for sporty driving. Let's shift into second gear and this is where the fun starts. Third gear gets even better. There is enough power and torque on tap to peel up some serious asphalt. And cooler, the power just keeps coming across a broad power band. Even at 2,500 rpms, it will snap back your neck and keep your head pinned to the Z06 embroidered seat all the way to redline.

The pleasant thing about the Corvette Z06 is that around town, in normal daily traffic, the car is very reserved. Maybe too refined for my hardcore sports car preference, but impressive nonetheless. It isn't a light agile high revver, like the Lotus Elise but it isn't the heavy GT car like a Maserati GT or Mercedes-Benz SL either. It fits into a category like the Porsche 911, splitting duty as the high performance sports car that offers comfort and torque. A combination of raw performance and easy drive-ability. That is a tough balance to strike and GM has done a great job. Kudos.

I liked the heads up display, which also comes as an option in the standard Corvette. It doesn't save you much effort, since the dash is only a couple inches lower, but nonetheless, it is more efficient. The seats are very supportive and comfortable, as is ingress egress. Gas mileage can be surprisingly high for a big V8 as well. These factors make the Corvette a very livable daily driver without much sacrifice. Overall, for the market place, the Corvette is polished in many of the right spots, including a reasonable price for its high performance.

From a style perspective, this is the best looking, most aggressively designed Corvette ever. From any angle, the Z06 looks pissed off and ready to go. It is a mean looking car. The extra vent up front on the hood means business, as does the flared vent on the side behind the tire. The extra kick-up of the duck tail spoiler in the back is cool and functional too. The looks are probably one of my favorite features along side the brutal power.

For me personally, I am not a huge fan overall and it pains me to say that because I want to love the Corvette because it looks so good and has gobs of power. Yes I enjoy driving the Z06, but it doesn't make my top 10 list. A few insignificant issues worth the mention: When driving the Z06 in normal spirited driving scenarios, it has a heavy, dead pan steering feeling, which is okay, but not exhilarating or my favorite. The drive train is a little clunky and loud. From inside the car or out, you can hear it chatter when shifting. The CTS-V is the same, so GM's system inherently makes some clicking noises. Not a big deal really, but an entry-level Hyundai doesn't make rattling noise when shifted, nor should the Corvette. I prefer a lighter agile-on-its-toes driving experience which can be combined with a big brutal engine. NOTE: I actually don't like bagging on the car, so don't get the impression I like nit picking; it pains me to report these basic things!

The Z06 is a great car for most drivers, actually. The majority of Member's of Club Sportiva have really enjoyed the car tremendously. My preferences are not the norm, luckily for the success of the Z06. For those like me, who like the finesse of European cars, it doesn't quite work. This is disappointing because I want to like the Corvette. Cadillac's upcoming CTS and CTS-V look like they are dead on, so I think GM has turned the corner and the next Vette will be all it should be. Let's keep our fingers crossed!