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Roadmice: Forget Surfing the Web, Drive it Instead.

It’s holiday season folks, I saw this and had to post about it! “RoadMice” is what it’s called, and I think it’d be a great stocking stuffer for whomever automotive inclined you decide to get it for. Basically it’s a mouse styled to look like a car. There’s no two ways around it.

It’s got your standard left and right click mouse features (Minus you Mac weirdos…kidding.) and a scroll wheel, but the way it portrays it is SO much cooler. Right and left click are on the appropriate side of the hood on each vehicle, and it’s styled to represent a cowl induction hood. (On the Camaros at least) The scroll wheel glows red and looks akin to a blower sticking out the hood. Another nice touch is fully functioning headlights (Which can be turned off).

Each car is Officially Licensed by the respective companies and they come in, but are not limited to, a wide range of GM, Dodge, Ford and Chevy flavors. No imports yet guys, sorry. Each mouse is wireless and uses a USB receiver to function and has an accurate 800dpi. Each Roadmouse comes with an Individual VIN and personalized Registration and Title.

A Roadmouse would be the perfect Holiday gift for the auto lover in your family. If a Roadmouse isn’t quite their style, they also offer USB Flash Drives and Mouse Pads which are emblazoned with whatever Domestic vehicle you choose. Prices for each car are $44.99. Give Roadmice a shot!

December 17, 2008
Ecoboost: The Next Aftermarket Wave

So by now I’m sure most of you know about this new Ecoboost motor that Ford is going to be throwing in half a million of their vehicles in the next 5 years.

Basically, the forever ingrained V8 motor that ford uses in everything is slowly going to be phased out. Know what this means: A V6 mustang. Holy shart, no V8? Blasphemy, you might say. I think otherwise. This isn’t to say that the V8 will go away completely, because of course you know that will never happen, but there is sure to be WAY less than there is now. The ecoboost family of 4 bangers and 6 cylinders features turbocharging and direct injection. Turbocharging? Oh yes.

The Premium motor (3.5 Liter TT V6) will produce somewhere in the neighborhood of 340 horsepower and 340ft/lbs of torque. Did I get your attention yet? Another added benefit of this new ecoboost shenanigans is that it will deliver up to 20 percent better fuel economy. Of course, this is depending on the way you drive. If you are a stranger to boost, it is very very addicting…

The 2.0 liter four banger is no slouch either, producing an impressive 275 Horsepower and 280ft/lbs. These numbers, while impressive, aren’t what I’m excited about. What I am excited about is POTENTIAL. Factory turbocharged cars have always been instant hits with tuners and any sort of aftermarket.

Hold on a second while I put on my flamesuit…Okay.

This may be a bold statement to some, but I think the new twin turbo V6 Mustangs are going to be the birth of the American Supra. Think about it: RWD, twin turbo V6. As long as Ford isn’t cutting corners in the motor/tranny compartment, I think that this thing will take off. Throw in some larger injectors, larger turbos (pr convert to single) and crank up the boost and see what happens.

My question however is: Is America ready for a V6 Mustang?

December 16, 2008
Killer Robot Speedbumps – Speeders Beware.

What would you think about Speed Sensitive Speedbumps? Kind of an interesting concept, I think.

I’m not too sure about the technology behind it, but apparently if you drive the speed limit, the bumps do not raise. From what I understand, by using a small damper inside to flatten out when a car drives over it at low speed, the higher force applied by a faster car would prevent the bump from lowering, thus causing god knows what. I just read it, and I still don’t understand it but it’s alright. It slows people down, that’s what matters.

Designers Jae-yun Kim and Jong-Su Lee had going green in mind when coming up with this sleeping speedbump. The designers say their goal was to reduce the amount of exhaust pollution, wear on brakes and the amount of starts and stops made by encouraging drivers to maintain a constant slow speed. To reduce the shock value, LEDs have been placed all over the thing so hopefully you’ll see it before you bend a rim.

Let’s just hope that this doesn’t happen.

Personally, I absolutely hate speedbumps of any kind, seeing as I have to drive over them completely sideways. I say as long as you’re driving the speedlimit, you have nothing to worry about. Make sense? No word on when these killer robot speedbumps are supposed to drop onto streets, but watch out for them once they do!

December 15, 2008
Running on Fumes: Improper sizing of…Everything.

One thing that I’ve noticed: a lot of people can’t size equipment right.

What I mean by this is the guys that are throwing a 70 trim journal bearing turbo on a small displacement motor and wondering why they don’t spool until 1k before redline. They always ask why their powerband is so bad, or nonexistent. LAWL. This is what I mean folks. It’s all about sizing. In the case of turbos, bigger isn’t always better. If anything, if you’re running such a large turbo on a small displacement motor, when it finally DOES spool it’ll probably just blow your tires off anyhow. More often than not, you’d be way better off getting a smaller ball bearing turbo and actually having a powerband while still having some response.

Having an aftermarket stall on a automatic is great also, but just like everything else, it’s got to be properly sized. Let’s say you have a 4400rpm stall on your daily driven car. Does this make sense to you? I guess most people tend to forget that if you have such a large stall, your car will barely move in traffic unless you are applying a gratuitous amount of throttle. Finding a proper sized torque converter is key if you plan on driving on the street without sloppy and jerky acceleration.

Let’s see. How about cams? I’ve seen guys with stock GSRs, stock valvetrain, with stock compression and Toda Vtec Killers. Hmm, why does my car produce 1ft/lb of torque at low RPM and stutter until I get to 6,000 RPM? Fail. There is no reason to get the largest lift/duration cams there ever was, because in that case, it just doesn’t work. Sure, you’ll have top end power for days but you’ll have to rev to 50,000k (exaggeration, obviously) to get the use out of them.

Of course, this is just a few minor niggles than bother me, but I’m sure I’m not the only one. Before you buy anything. Please for the sake of yourself and anyone else around you. Please either do research, or talk to someone that knows what they are talking about.

Thanks,

Greg

December 12, 2008
What is a Two-step? – Basic Launch Control

Two-step, and Three-step. It has one purpose in mind, making lots of noise and propelling you forward as fast as possible. Not dancing.

First off let’s start with the basics. Two-step is also known as a stutterbox and is a form of launch control. Essentially two-step works as a secondary rev limiter. Two-step works off of your speed sensor so it knows when you’re moving and when you’re not. When you’re not moving and the clutch is depressed, the motor will be able to rev and hold at a lower set value. This puts load on the engine and if you’re running a turbo setup will also build a few pounds of boost. Three-step just adds another step (no kidding) and comes into play after you’re already moving. Three step is a third rev limiter essentially and allows you to No Lift Shift. NLS also allows you to hold boost between shifts.

So basically if you’re at the dragstrip and you roll up and stage, you will be able to slot the car into gear, put your foot to the floor and it will hold to whatever RPM you set the two-step for. All you have to do now is slip the clutch on the third yellow and proceed to launch like ‘eff. This is where three-step comes into play, after you blow through first you can keep the pedal to the floor and safely powershift into 2nd, 3rd and so on. By using two and three-step, you would build boost not only at the staging line, but between shifts as well.

MSD Ford 2-Step in action, New Best

The best way to start 2 stepping is to get an AEM EMS or MSD 2-step module. A 2 or 3 step is a very good way to build boost off the line and be able to hold boost between shifts. It will definitely cut down your 1/4 times and give you a better launch guaranteed.

December 11, 2008
Full Steam Ahead: British Steam-Powered Car Test Run

Those crazy Brits are at it again! Seeking to get their names in the record books for something besides bad teeth and crazy lingo* — “Balderdash!” “Bloody hell!” — the British Steam Team (hehehehe) have set upon breaking the land speed record for steam powered cars.

The steam powered “steamster” (patent pending) recently fired up its 360 HP turbine engine for a test run. This is all leading up to the official record breaking run which will take place at the Edwards Air Force Base in the near future.

The original steam-powered record stands at 127.66 mph which was set in 1906. Currently the British Steam Team (hehehehe) has their sights set on breaking that record with a whopping 170 mph. Hat tip to Jalopnik for the info (and for resisting the urge to use as many bad “steam” jokes as I did).

*The author apologizes for using stereotypes for the purposes of humor. It’s a slow news day.

December 11, 2008
What is VIP? – Bippu Styling

VIP or Bippu, is a somewhat new style of tuning that is slowly taking over the scene. Companies like Junction Produce, Auto Couture and Fabulous are starting to creep into US Car shows.

What is VIP you ask?

VIP cars are Japanese luxury cars such as the Nissan President, Toyota Celsior and Toyota Aristo. These aren’t the only models eligible for VIP status, however. The car makes the style, and it’s very specific. If you don’t have one of these models, your car is not eligible for being VIP. From Toyota you have the Century (JDM only), Celsior (Lexus LS), Aristo(Lexus GS), and Crown (very similar to Lexus LS). From Nissan you have the President (JDM only), Cima (Infiniti Q45) and the Cedric (Infinity M45). These are the only “True” VIP platforms.

It is rumored that VIP started off as a way for Yakuza to roll around incognito. By riding around in a big black 4 door sedan, you became way more inconspicuous than if you were in a high-profile European sedan such as a BMW M-series or Mercedes S-class. Osaka street racers, after suffering numerous police crackdowns in the early 1990’s, turned to large sedans after police started targeting sport compacts.

Most VIP cars carry the same characteristics: large diameter wheels (big lips are a plus) with low offsets that are flush, a lip kit or body kit(only to accentuate existing lines), and lowered ride height. More often than not, the vehicle is black as well. Low, dark, and slow is how they roll. Interior is where these cars really shine. Everything is available from Leather Tissue boxes, Curtains and even Tables crafted out of exotic woods. Most importantly (IMO) is the Fusa Knot.

This isn’t to say that the VIP Style cannot be applied to other platforms, as there are many Kei cars, Sport coupes, and even vans applying it. This is called Auto-luxury. Auto-luxury cars, even though not considered true “VIP”, can be pulled off very well, as evidenced by a friend of mine’s Anh-tuans SC300 as seen above. I see this style growing and more people immersing themselves into the VIP culture. My prediction: before too long you will see quite a few VIP themed rides rolling around on the street.

December 10, 2008
Terminator Salvation: Japanese Trailer Sneak Peak

He’ll be back. Again.

That’s right folks, the powers that be have decided that a fourth Terminator movie is necessary and a Japanese trailer has just leaked onto the internet offering a sneak peak at what is sure to be a better sequel than Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

You might be asking yourself why this has any relevance on the National Speed blog and I’ll tell you why: 1) I have a major fetish for post apocalypse wasteland movies and 2) there is some serious vehicular carnage going on in this trailer. I don’t know what those crazy motorcycle looking things are but I want one. NOW.

Don’t take my word for it though. Check it out for yourself and tell me you don’t want one of those. And sorry about the subtitles, this was leaked from Japan so it’s the best we’ve got.

December 9, 2008
Sittin' right: Automotive Ergonomics Part 1

I think people very seldom value how important proper ergonomics is.

What exactly is Ergonomics? The scientific study of people and their working conditions, done in order to improve effectiveness. While it sounds boring, ergonomics is insanely important. You only get one body, and you know how fast that can all go downhill, which is why items in your car such as your steering wheel, shift knob and seat are so important.

First off is your steering wheel. This is the most direct contact you personally have with your car. Having a comfortable steering position isn’t always an option in a highly modified car, but it’s very important. There are many options on the market today that are more ergonomically correct than others. The manufacturer Sparco has always been praised as having ergonomic wheels and very high quality products. Not only will you gain steering feedback but whatever wheel you get will net you instant baller status!

Next up, and arguably most important, is your seat. Without a good seat, you’re missing the most important piece of the puzzle. A good seat should have your knees placed above your hips (did you know that?) and should be adequately wide enough to hold you into it. Recaro is a very well known and respected name in the automotive industry and their Racing Seats are known for being the best.

Stay tuned tomorrow for part two of our Automotive Ergonomics blog. There’s much to know about proper ergonomics and I think you’ll be surprised with how important it can be…Can that sound any more like a boring professor???

December 9, 2008
Missing Mustang Junkyard Discovered in Rhode Island

For all of you domestic owners out there, this is as close to heaven on earth as you’re likely to get.

Imagine this: you’re walking through the woods clutching your hunting rifle and six pack (because if you’re anything like me that’s what you do in the wilderness) and you come upon an amazing discovery the likes of which has never been seen.

What is it you ask? Jimmy Hoffa? Big foot? Nope. This is so much cooler than missing teamsters and mythical bipedal fur balls.

Heaven is a Rustang on Cinder Blocks

An undiscovered junkyard from the 70’s loaded with more classic Rustangs than you can shake a Hemi at (not that you can shake a Hemi, but you get the point) was recently discovered in Rhode Island.

This is great news for fans of classic cars and old Detroit muscle, but unfortunately there’s a catch: the Rhode Island Authorities, in all of their infinite wisdom, have decreed from upon high that the cars are to be crushed.

Gearheads seeking to make a pilgrimage to this automotive mecca will need to move fast and say a prayer for the Rhode Island Police Department to have mercy. Screw saving the trees, won’t somebody please think of the cars???

Hat tip to Jalopnik for originally breaking the story.

December 9, 2008