I read that Daytona was quite the spectacle.

Although I'm a born 'n raised southern boy, I've just never been a fan of NASCAR and the new rules + cookie cutter cars makes it even worse in my opinion. At one time it was pretty damn cool and more grassroots, but those glory days are over and it has become as about as relevant as the American sedan, which is also dying.

I much prefer watching road racing,
but my big love is the rally...

...and February always means Sweden:

 

 

Thanks for the video. I love watching rally also, though haven't done much except the occasion YT ones. The Nordic countries produce a lot of talents. Like anything else tech the cars now are just awesome, even from Hyundai. We are in peak ICE era though where precisely in the curve remains to be seen.

Like any competitive sports one cannot dismiss NASCAR technologies and arts. The races however is just so so boring to watch except the spectacular crashes. The EuroNASCARs was something to watch doing the hill climb at Goodwood Revival. There are races at PIR with these "stock cars" here. The NASCAR events seems to be selling American (includes Toyota) SUV and trucks with mighty torque nowadays, and the summer beers that you substitute plain water.

Spring is almost in the air. One of my track buddy Miniacs who was toying with getting a Porsche just order a new car and I am genuinely happy for him.

 

 

 

Funny and quite true. I know someone sold a tin top R53 to buy a Tesla Model 3. All he wanted to do with the Mini was taking it to PIR drag test. He love the acceleration of the Tesla.

 

This season I am going to pay more attention to the tires. I plan to get a pyrometer. I did some quick research and Joe Racing's seems to be the best bang for the buck for circa $100 shipped. I like the right angle probe that is ergonomic. It is amongst the lowest prices also. You can pay more for the connivence of the instrument remembering the many measurements for all 4 tires for you.



Else I can put my kitchen Thermapen to second duty. It will require me to heed the insertion depth, and has no memory features. The probe is also a bit long so awkward to use.

 

I must say, I really enjoy watching this Tesla guy destroy some formidable opponents on his racing channel.
I think he's from Kentucky?

 

There is no doubt E-cars have upper hands on drag racing. The thing is what is the endurance, unless you have the pocket depth of VW Group. I heard that the Model 3 can be made pretty decent for track, but again good for how many laps? Like your smartphone the motor management have to throttle back as things get too hot tracking.

Long lives the ICE.

 

 

I talked to a lady that took her Model S out for a HPDE at PIR. She obviously is not a seasoned track driver. I steered the conversation to how many sessions the car was able to sustain, and the nearest charge facilities. If memory serves the car was able to run 2 typical sessions of "20 minutes" and she went out to get a quick charge. I was quite surprised there is a quick charge station nearby. When you quick charge a e-car, it is a big compromise such is the nature of the e-beast.

It would be a very long time that hybrids like the NSX being the best of both worlds if you have deep pockets. Everything else is just hype.

 

I've never watched Formula E racing --- looking into it and I'm just not pulled in.

I like motor sound.







ICE for life!

 

 

Some hybrids are quite OK - like this one that took off all the gloves. In the long straight it clocked just shy of 370 Km/h = 230 mph.

 

Some hybrids are not so OK, like this beige one. Mini knows better to park farther away least getting butted in the butt.




We brake for cool cars, and this Alfa Giulia is one , spotted at a Costco. It has paddle shift, evidently still a slush box by ZF. Note the glover leaf inspired wheels.

 

You can never be too safe with parking!

I've always loved Alfas but unfortunately I don't see many around here, more likely to see a Maserati than an Alfa.

I'm sort of fascinated with their MiTo, which originally was gonna be called Junior in keeping with their heritage, but that name got changed at the last minute.

It would have been neat if they had brought them over here, but it was probably seen as "too downmarket" in light of their reintroduction to the US market.

Meant to be a sort of entry level model with a youthful edginess:


They even made a GP style hardcore edition GTA, but it never got past the concept stage and was never actually produced.



In the USA, we are severely lacking in 3 door hatchback options.

 

There is a very long and extensive thread started back in circa 200x on parking strategies for our Mini. It might be this Parking Lot Strategies but I am sure there are many. I remember it has hundreds of posts like something along the line of "What I didn't know about my Mini". I practice most if not all with my cars as I cannot deal with door dings. For sure never take up more than one spot unless you are the boss at the facility. Long before arriving to a destination I have a very good idea where to park. I would even plan what car to take for specific events as I have a sacrificial vehicle like going to the airport. It is most fortunate that most drivers here do not like to walk. Desire is antisocial in where she wants to be - like next to the dead than those alive. We should revive the best of these threads.

Alfa lost its way when it first introduced the FWD. I do like the more recent models including some before the company's return to the US. But when you compare what you can have for the same money Alfa always lose out. I had no idea about the MiTo. Being a FWD it likely will do poorly here in the US because of the Alfa premium. Alfa has always been an aspirational brand and its customers have the sentimental affinity with the Italian marque. As always their cars are never competitive if you try compare what you can get for the same money.

 

Scratch that! There are many and the one that I tried to find was a sticky if memory serves. It has hundreds of posts. This "who else only parks like this" comes close but still too specific to why you should never take up two spots.

 

LOL

There are a few Mini memes out there regarding "false opens"...

...this one is titled:
"every time i think there is an open parking space"



Although my R53 ain't quite as Mini as the classic, I usually do the same thing as in that meme picture.
Whenever I must park in close quarters, I always park a ways back from the front kerb so my butt sticks out enough to easily see.

 

RE: FWD Alfa

I've always been a fan of front wheel drive cars, but yeah you're right, in Alfa's case it is wrong wheel drive!

The MiTo was supposed to be like an updated Alfasud...



...which was mostly a dud!
LOL

I think the MiTo is sort of a dud too because I can't find many images of boyracer or modded out examples online, and only a very scant few doing the 'Ring.

Alfa Romeo does still stir passion though, and it is most deffo a marque of emotion as you say.

And those logos!
Outside of the Abarth scorpion,
the Alfa snake is one of the coolest of all time:

 

Not sure I agree with the price point for the Alfa in regards to other cars like it. Take the Quadrafioglio that appears to be pictured in your post. Even after fully loading the Alfa Quadrafioglio, it is $95K and a similarly equipped M5 is $132K. And an MB AMG E63S starts at $104K. The Alfa is a down right bargain. Is it better then it's competitors? Probably not better but just as good and it is so much better looking. The Alfa Quad doesn't come in AWD guise like the M5 and AMG.

 

Not meaning to be disagreeable, I wonder why would you compare Alfa Giulia with BMW M5 or AMG E63S. It is a smaller car while M5 and AMG E63G are obese. When I say Alfa premium I was referring to the FWD MiTo chance of success here in North America. Compared to other FWD hot hatch I doubt its competitiveness anywhere in the globe.

I hate to go pricing any car here in the US with their dumbed down configurators. If you are a petrol head the first thing you want to see is the specs. Fog that as few of the manufacturers' site show that until you wasted a lot of time search for it. But for you I endured. Compare to BMW M3 the Alfa Giulia is more expensive for less performance. The base engine is turbo 4. To get the Ferrara modular V6 you have to step up to the QUADRIFOGLIO RWD, which has the all you can choose as long as automatic transmission that is ZF 8-speed paddle shift slush box. Without piling on the poser options it comes to $75,600.

A similar equipped M3 comes to $71,400. Yet the BMW has real dual clutch paddle shift and is lighter on curb weight.

Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio RWD basic price per configurator





BMW M3 basic price per configurator






One of the most important spec is the curb weight. Alfa at 3,360 lb and BMW at around 3,000 lb. On US fogging stupid dumbed down sites it is next to impossible to find the fogging specs.

I wholeheartedly agree the Alfa is better looking as there are so many brands blatantly copy the German stylings. Alfa has more personality because of the rarity for the calculating consumers tends to shunt it. Still the biggest drag with the Alfa Giulia is you have to select the Quadrifoglio for the V6 engine, and in the end you are still ended up with a ZF slush box as opposed to a dual-clutch paddle shift.

 

You are bringing up one most interesting topics of automobile that is the emblems. I wholeheartedly agree Alfa is one of the most iconic. To judge any you have to examine the history of the organization and its design aesthetics. Under scrutiny few companies fares well thru the long time horizon. Many changed branding for one reason or another, but most did it for the wrong reasons. Cast in point is Datsun which became Nissan, and don't get me started with the Japanese companies that created new brands to go upmarket.

As prime example of one of the worst emblems is Buick. When GM faced with the dire choice of having to pared back the countless redundant brands that proliferated by badge engineering one has to wonder why would they keep the Buick brand?



Most of the coolest emblems has not been carelessly adulterated over the decades because the companies understand the importance of the history.

 

I had always have an unsettling feeling about the VW emblem which hasn't changed for decades but I have always felt it is far from iconic. I did a search and realized it was one much better; like this one on the steering wheel hub.



A lot of German brands are based on the coat of arms of the region where the company first formed. I can best infer that of the old VW was from the Wolfsburg coat of arms as it is the VW's manufacturing centre.

BTW, Audi's precursor was NSU. Not surprising NSU is better known as National Socialist Underground that is a German terrorist group.

 

Animals are used extensively for obvious reasons,
like the famous VW Rabbit:



A rabbit is fast!

So why use a fuggin' turtle?!?!?
LOL



Gordon-Keeble has one of the oddest emblems I think.



Another one I've always like is the Lancia High Fidelity elephant:



There are many legends as to why Lancia chose an elephant, but my favorite explanation is this one:
" Lancia mechanics painted an elephant on the side of the Mille Miglia cars to take the mickey out of Ferrari and their prancing horse"
LOL
Don't forget also that the Mille Miglia involves the Alps, so the elephant also conjures the historical aspect of when Hannibal used them to cross the Alps!