Company of the Week: ECS Tuning

Love this company, I’ve been buying Euro equipment from them for the past 3 years and I love dealing with them. Their web-page is can be navigated on easily and they provide accurate descriptions and images of the items they sell. This is very important when you can’t look at a product on-site.

I also can relate to the history of Andrew Demrovsky (founder of ECS) immigrating to a new country looking for freedom and prosperity:

“Trying to escape religious persecution and a corrupt political class, Andrew Demrovsky set his sights on United States of America and the American dream. The dream of religious and Economic freedom was the driving force to immigrate with his entire family to the USA. In 1959 Andrew Demrovsky came to the United States with a family, a few suitcases, and 500 dollars. His exceptional talent and rigorous training as a machinist in his home country had earned him a sponsorship to the U.S., provided by a manufacturing company in need of his unique skill set.

When he had honored the employment agreement with his sponsor, he opened a small, two-bay auto repair shop in Norton, Ohio, in 1962, and Euro-Car Service was born. With his young son (and namesake) assisting him, Andrew worked exclusively on Volkswagen vehicles at a time before VW had become an automotive icon. Soon, his reputation as a skilled, honest craftsman with old world standards and a total commitment to customer satisfaction enabled him to develop a loyal and growing list of patrons.”

Check them out especially for you Audi and Volks fan’s.

NSX Lift

Top Supercars to start off 2015 are the……Ford GT and Honda/Acura NSX. Other “Moc-Supercars” are the Cadillac ATS-V and CTS-V. Most of these models should be debuting at the 2015 Detroit Motor Show; with the exception of the GT being a rumor.

Anyways, I’m really excited about the NSX, as its performance in the market will help entice other Japanese automakers to invest in the sports cars again. The GTR has been alone. Toyota has had success with the FT-86 and have shown a concept called the FT-1. So its good to see Japan offer more than just everyday cars.

Anyways here is the NSX and its history till now.

The first of the NSX’s showed up in 1990: It utilized an all aluminum body and an in-line V6 mid-engine. The car was also a favorite of F1 driver Ayrton Senna. The R model was released in 93′.

As more computer and technological gains were verified the NSX was updated as years went by. Improvements were: Alarm system, automatic trans with a “more manual feel” (F-matic), electronic power steering, etc. The engine was also updated from a 3.0L to 3.2L for the manual transmission models.

In 2001 Honda refreshed the aerodynamics of the NSX, most notably are the fixed healights in the front. The R model followed the next year in 2002.

The vision for the NSX continued with the HSC in 2003. The new interior emphasized a more luxurious feel with paddle shifters and a V6-engine. The long wheel base design and interior of the HSC is a definite replica of the upcoming NSX. These new interior updates would help the NSX reach an exotic feel that it was missing when attempting to compete with Ferrari.

However, sales and a move to efficiency slowed the continuation of the project. Sales of the second gen, NSX ended in 2005.

As a phoenix dies, its reborn. The same year in 2005; Fukui, Takeo CEO of Honda, said the NSX should be revived in 3-4 years as a V10. The V10 was an obvious move that helped push Nissan with the GTR and excitement was through the roof for Godzilla (GTR) and meta-Godzilla (NSX) to meet again. By 2008 only one made it to production, the GTR.

The green movement from 2006-2010 as well as the global recession put the V10 project at an immediate halt. Honda announced the project will be stopping and the V10’s ended up in the new HSV JGTC cars. Surprisingly however, Toyota was able to make a V10 project happen with the LFA.

In 2009; Ito, Takanobu became the new CEO of Honda motors, following his entrance in 2010 he mentioned that the NSX will be coming back and it would be a hybrid. For those who knew Takanobu it wasn’t a surprise, since he had a long history with the engineering of the NSX ever since its birth.

Turner Motors F80

Although I would have liked a manny, they deal with track cars and a SMG/DCT/Auto-manny is ideal for the situation. Check this ride out and tuning the new turbo line of BMW engines that are taking over the M division! The Z-series will be the last to get its turbo.

Audi’s Next-Gen Cockpit

Due in the new 2016 TT (MK4), Audi will have its next-gen digital driver centered display in its TT. The plan is to follow this up on the next R8. Although its an innovative design I believe gran-tourers or coupes should be less concerned with a highly equipped driver instrument panel. Having a simple center cluster for the driver should be priority while having extra instruments for the passenger to keep themselves busy.

However this might also be the push from executives to engineers to be ready when Audi’s self-driving automobiles are released. Mercedes has 5 years until their S-class will reach this goal, so maybe Audi is trying to beat them to it. BMW is pushing so many changes that I can’t keep up.

We are in a computer age and its much easier to access a 2016+ car via computer hardware, and its only going to get much easier for you…………..or someone else.

NSX cruising

North American Muscle Era: Move Over German Autos

American cars have really stepped up their products, and as some German auto companies fumble with new models and nomenclature of their line-ups it seems North American muscle cars are taking advantage and attracting consumers outside the states. I myself agree, I’ve never seen such amazing and “pretty” cars in all North American line-ups. There has also been an increase in earlier muscle cars value.

The first of all Autoshows is coming up quick this next year and it might just pull Detroit out of bankruptcy, well I’m not an economy guy soooo….. Anyways I’ll be there and I can’t wait to see Detroit and the car show!!

Here are my favorites (some are unreleased or upcoming):

1. Cadillac ATS and CTS V models

2. Viper GTS 2015

3. Corvette Stingray Z06

4. Dodge Challenger Hellcat

5. Ford Mustang (Shelby or GT)

6. Camaro Z28

7. Focus ST

Rebirth and destruction: NSX

The Honda (Acura) NSX finally has a production model scheduled and showing on January 2015 at the North American Detroit Motor Show. Also in this release is an update for the “baby” Acura, the ILX, “replacement” of the RSX (Integra), which has been out-of-production for almost eight years. I seriously can’t believe how old I am now.

Anyways the rebirth of the NSX was something we have been waiting for. The Japanese sports car era of the 90’s came to a sudden halt, mostly because of a move to create an efficient vehicle portfolio. Toyota was the forefront runner and really hasn’t released a sport coupe model for nearly 12 years; not considering the Scion brand . As for Honda, they kept dipping their toes with the NSX. Previously the NSX was to sport a V10, however that was scrapped and the V10’s were put in HSV racing cars. Honda however still had the S2000 till 2010, and the Si and Type-R civics were still hot commodities. Nissan was the only company to truly have a high-performance supercar, until the LFA triggered a stampede to other manufacturers.

With the rebirth there is also destruction, and that’s with the last manual tranny in the Acura group. The ILX is the last to get its LED eyes to welcome the NSX and that goes with dropping the manual transmission to an 8-speed auto. This is due to sales and interest, which really doesn’t surprise me as Lexus did the same thing. The styling doesn’t really prompt a sporty feel as the RSX did, however it does have sharp lines. Honestly I’ve never been asked what transmission I would like when going to buy a car. Usually if the car has a manual the sales guy/gal will say, “now this only comes in a manual” or “this one has a manual, but we can try and find one without to match your needs.” Its never the opposite with current automatics.

Its been too long for the NSX and although I would have hoped for a 6 or 7-speed manny on a V-10, seeing this innovative track car will be a day of reckoning for the GTR as well as BMW’s i8. The NSX should be turbo’d with a hybrid set-up. All-wheel drive as all Acuras are standard now wish the SH-AWD and it will be built in…….Ohio?!?

Destiny X….coming to Detroit!

Acura’s manual dissolved. While the NSX comes to showrooms.

Cars and Coffee: MN Style

Bugatti can’t leave their title alone.

Looks like a younger sibling is coming to overtake its brother.

Rumored by some blogs, Top Gear, Car and Driver…..etc. Bugatti is making a come back called the Chiron, and hopefully this one actually sounds better than the Veyron. The Lamborghini Aventador sounds light-years better than the Veyron and its 1/3 of the cost of a Bugatti Veyron.

ENDAGTR

ENDA DAILY