Acoustic perfection

NA = Not Applicable? Not always.

The past month has been rather exciting as far as car testing is concerned. Having come to a firm conclusion that I’ll never derive as much pleasure driving a car with an automatic gearbox (DSG included), I’ve managed to focus my attention to analyzing engines and the way they deliver their performance. Two kinds of output come straight to mind. Forced induction (turbo to be exact) and naturally aspirated engines. Time to dissect them both.

Some might argue that if you want the pure thrill of being pinned back to your seat, look no further than forced induction to settle this urge for you. Yes, it will produce more torque from a small displacement, and the turbo lag helps in a way to create that “pause” and suspense. But do you really enjoy it all the time?

It’s time to draw a comparison. I have to admit that 90% of my mileage over my driving years has been clocked with turbo cars, and I have little experience handling NA machines. Being able to try a couple of NA cars guided my train of thought to focus on the wonders of naturally aspirated engines, regardless of the performance output.

Clocking 500 miles in the C63 AMG in Southern California partially changed my narrowed perspective of NA powerplants. It’s not the best car start with, since I was trying my best during the drive to siphon that distracting and addictive V8 symphony out of my mind, to comprehend how responsive that hand built Vee can be. It’s like studying with trance blasting out from your headphones. 600nm of torque didn’t help either. It’s a self-guided bullet train with gadgets perfected by German scientists. The AMG was oozing with absurd pace, but it didn’t manage to educate me with the basis of NA enjoyment, no matter how attentive a student I was.

I needed an instructor to provide me with more engagement. The Kia Koup with a 6 speed manual gearbox was perfect. 450nm of torque deficit wasn’t part of the syllabus. Crafting my own line in one of the tightest roads in Singapore needed a car with instant response, and it’s almost technically and physically impossible for forced induction to be considered, even with twinscrolls. (Unless we pop in a compound system form the Lancia Delta S4?) A simple tap on the accelerator out of any corner in this Koup was fuss free, with the eager motor replying to any of my information thrown at it. This is the car that can provide instant satisfaction, due to its high revving nature of the engine, and reliable self serviced gearbox. This Korean wasn’t even close to sprinting, but I hopped out of it confidently with a more knowledgeable driving brain.

Then came the revered machinery from Japan Land. Analyzing an F22C and two K20A within a span of 5 days helped me to indulge in uninterrupted NA goodness. 5 minutes in the Civic Type R was more than enough to help me dive into the nucleus of Honda’s core attributes. It was all about that springy needle on the tacho, shoving clockwise with absolute ease. It’s a sin not to mention vTec with Honda, and I could understand why after experiencing a 2^nd gear pull in the FD2R. Think forced induction with no lag at 6000rpm. That’s vTec for you, and you’ll be ultra impressed once you get involved in it.

The AP2 S2000 Type S, with its F22C, was way more linear in its delivery and to be honest, I couldn’t really feel the vTec kicking in. This engine aces in power delivery right from the moment you depress the throttle. It was never made to provide spurts of power, and its flat torque is laughable based on today’s towering numerics, caused by none other than forced induction performance. Try it if possible, and pay attention to how the engine responds to you. It’s razor sharp, way sharper than the C63 AMG. It’s as though the engine management system bypasses your limbs and sync wirelessly to your brain, whenever you want to make an attempt to rev it with any amount of pressure. This is how I derive driving pleasure.

You might realize that I didn’t put any emphasis on forced induction. This imbalance stems from the fact that NA will be more enjoyable than turbo most of the time. My opinion will definitely be met with plenty of doubts, and I will understand as I had been in this mindset for years. The past month changed my perception. Try some NA machines. It might change yours too.

Billboard Chart Toppers

Performance car ownership can be a tricky affair. When people splash the cash on their desired automobile, it doesn’t really have to make much sense. We jolly well know that the financial pressure and burden does not necessarily equate to the level of thought when putting pen to paper on the dotted line. The salesman will deliver his usual sales pitch. Your other half will wonder how your latest acquisition will affect her shopping habits. Some friends will challenge your buying decision. But what element of the car causes the dissolving of inertia and external factors, and is so enticing that shuts the outside world, leaving only you to know why you made that purchase?

I’ve narrowed down two reasons for acquiring a performance machine. Aesthetically pleasing cars will definitely favor the hearts of many, and your social circle will be expanded, no matter how sorry this truth will be. You walk in the showroom, zoom in on a car that you’ve been researching on YouTube for weeks, and request for a test drive. But how many times have you stepped out of the car feeling unimpressed? It ticks all the right areas in terms of driving involvement. It steers well and responds to your input, but does the engine note match up to how it looks and feel? In my opinion, that’s the key. They might not know what made them purchase it, but at the back of their minds, it could very possibly be the soundtrack that was responsible for the increase in pulse rate during the stingy 10-minute drive.

Does engine size really matter? Some might argue that more cylinders attached under your bonnet equate to microphones of better quality, but I beg to differ. Engines with Vee configurations will emit a rumbling effect, but too many cylinders responsible for the bark will disrupt the rhythm. The R8 V10, with her stylish dual rear pipes, could never sing as well as her younger sister with smaller lungs. The V8 variant’s oral expression seems more purposeful, with the quad setup revealing a voice that seems like it was pitched a few notches higher than the chart topping AMG V8 album, and this is by no means a bad thing. Remove 2 speakers and we are in the familiar V6 category. The MkV R32’s bent 6 will always remain as my perennial hero, but I wouldn’t ignore the S4’s hyperactive supercharged 6-potter. The way it hides the grumpy supercharger whine behind the glorious engine note is definitely worthy of Houdini’s attention, and now we wonder how the VAG family prepares such sweet sounding cars.

Compress the cartons and I will be analyzing straight and flat six 6 configurations. 2 manufacturers come straight to our mind. The BMW brand, responsible for the M Division, has been synonymous with creating cars that darts round corners like ballerinas, and never associated with adrenaline stirring engine notes when compared to equally illustrious Germans. The E46 M3’s 6 on part throttle sounds cagey, but when exhaust flaps free up and air flows into the pipes under full pressure, we will be greeted with a resonance that is unique only to straight 6 engines. On another "note", Porsche's flat 6 might be named this way, but sounding "flat" has never been in the Stuttgart automaker's dictionary. Porsche’s GT3 RS’s scream is the closest thing to a racecar that we can hear on our roads. I’ve been seeing a couple roaming around town, and the manual gearbox certainly adds to the sensation, when drivers tend to drag the 2^nd gear during gradual right handers, while passersby stand rooted to the ground and stare intently in awe. It’s this sort of sound that make us Singaporeans wish for an extension to the Marina Bay F1 Street Circuit contract, due to expire next year.

These cars sound brilliant, but in reality, people still buy them based purely on looks, and realize only after a few months that they were actually acquiring a piece of art with branded speakers to match. Why not make a more informed decision before giving yourself the green light? Please do not let your eyes do all the talking. Don’t forget to prompt your ears to listen, and guide your heart to go with what your hearing senses tell you to, and this will definitely add up to the value of performance car ownership. =)

Bulletproof Autobahn Cruiser

Battle of the compact executives

Mercedes unveils the face lifted C class to keep up to date with the sleek 3 Series and luxurious A4.

I'd still have the Beemer. Who needs an infotainment system when you can enjoy B roads with direct steering, RWD and 50-50 weight balance.

SLeeKster

We can tell that designers of the new Mercedes SLK have put in much effort in reshaping its newest model.

With styles that reminds us of the jaw dropping SLS AMG, we can't find anything wrong at first glance.

The question is: Although the new model has been rolled out, do u guys want to be spotted in this stereotypically feminine car?

I bet you do.

DraggerFest

Sick Evo. AND what on earth was the M3 doing?

AMG Motorenbau und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH

I know I have posted quite a few AMG cars in action, but we can't get bored of those grunty V8 roaring down the autobahn. How on earth did they manage to achieve such symphony.

V8 beauty

Saw a silver C63 AMG near City Hall MRT at 2am on New Year's Day. The sound after it powers from the bend is just intoxicating. Grunty and meaty. Who needs turbo whistle or supercharger whine when a pure 6.3 NA block sits right in front of you. It HAS to be one of the best sound in motorcar history. Thumbs up AMG.



ENJOY

AMG doing its job

1000NM 670bhp V12 Twin-Turbo

This can't be a car

They just name it the Merc SL65 AMG Black


Super exaggerated flared wheel arches


Where is the Black


Spoiler raises automatically above 75mph, an indicator cops to issue a ticket


Looks like any other ordinary SL, until u scrutinize the CF bits



Electronically limited to 320Km/h.. who cares

More photos in Autoblog



Power is never enough

Dubai - Supercar Territory

Singaporean car enthusiasts are deprived. They have the machine, but nowhere to operate them. Speed limits kept at 70km/h, traffic lights galore, peak hour jams and the ever present "cop on top" (traffic police with speed traps situated on the overhead bridge) are just some of the reasons why we cant exercise some right foot action. We can only dream of having straight uninterrupted roads here.

Nevertheless, lets have a look at roads in Dubai: automotive nirvana for petrolheads


Link: http://amitkulkarni.info/pics/expressway/highway-pages/artistic_images2.shtml


Link: http://www.zerotohundred.com/2009/auto-news/video-awesome-renault-f1-roadshow-in-dubai/

Latest season of Top Gear, pitting the Lambo LP-670 SV against the Merc SLR 722 hypercar. A must watch



For full episodes of Top Gear, visit http://www.hessmo.com/Hessmo/Top_Gear.html

Murcielago LP 670-4 SV
Fighter jet without wings

Link

Merc Mclaren SLR 722 Edition
Just admire those exhausts. Yes, you can view it at this angle.

Link

Aesthetics wise, my vote goes to the Raging Bull.. but.. haii.. just let me try both.. hehe.

Definition of "Muscle"

Muscle cars hail from across the Pacific. Must admit that i'm not a huge fan of them, possibly due to the extremely high road tax here in tiny Singapore (have not seen even 1 here). I'm more inclined to European models. They may not be as "muscular" as the Americans but the amount of sophistication and technology involved are way superior IMO.


A typical smokin hott Challenger

6.1 litre not enough? This might send your pulse rate sky rocketing. GERMAN muscle.


The quads and 6.2 litre badge gives it all away. "I'm not your normal C class"




This is car porn

Ready, Set, GRUNT

C63: "catch me if u can" - (M3: " not a problem bro")