Apparently RX-8 enthusiasts own the word “Brap” and it exclusively belongs to engines that have been Bridgeported; which is a specific method of enlarging the intake ports by connecting the two existing ones. My RX-8 lacks Brap, but I’m still good.

We still have a 1st-gen model. 14-years old and still delivering fully on what it was designed to do. With my youngest away to college now, the days of heading to the mountains with the thing filled with Boy Scouts and camping equipment are over and we really no longer need a vehicle this size. But it is still…

For some reason this reminds me of when I had the opportunity to take my Miata out on Willow Springs. The Streets of Willow was an absolute blast and I probably shaved two month’s tire wear in a few minutes. The big track was the exact opposite. Long straights, wide curves, my Miata never felt so slow.

My dad had a 1st Gen Concorde. Overall it wasn’t all that bad for a 90s Detroit product, but one flaw really stood out. The headlights were the worse I ever experienced in a car. In fact, before that car I never even considered headlight performance as an issue. LEDs or even HID in that size wouldn’t be problem but…

As disappointing as it was for the race to end on a Red flag, (particularly since my favs weren’t leading) views from inside the cars through the windshield was enough to convince me they did the right thing. As one driver put it, it ceased to to be racing and just became a matter of survival. Hoping for clearer skies…

AWD doesn’t really make sense here in Southern California, except for the few times I head up to the mountians in the winter, where weather it is a good rule or not, AWD means I can avoid mounting chains on my tires.  That alone makes it worth it to me.  If I actually lived in the mountains, I’d have a set of snow…

I’m with Meotter, I’ll take a remote control knob any time, particularly on a top-mounted screen.  And I have ape-like long arms.  Must be a real annoyance for someone with short arms.

Unless it is due to a new and usually annoying brand-wide naming strategy (looking at you Acura, Lincoln, and Cadillac) model names usually change when the current name has, by one means or another, gained a “loser” persona. Though all of the big three experienced this, mostly with their mid and compact sedans, they…

I wish I knew all this when I had one, though I did know about the D’elegance. I bought my ‘69 in ‘78 and it seemed like such an old car at the time. That’s three years younger than my present daily driver! That I bought it for $150 and the only electric components that worked on it were the lights, brake lights and…

I thought when these first came out, that they would make great used car buys, but I now reserve that thought for Genesis models. This one is just too complex in areas that VW does not have the best reputation for. As your vote brief implied. I feel my checking account dwindling just looking at it.

I second that.  No title

The problem with paying a premium for freakishly low mileage on any past cool car is that it puts you in the position of diminishing that premium value simply by taking the car out and enjoying it. I want to enjoy the cars I buy, so I pass.

I sure wish my oil filter was that easy to access.

I expect it to be reasonably quick, and the low center of gravity should make for decent handling. So what I’m most interested in is the ride. What car is its ride most comparable to? Also, what is throttle response like - can it be modulated easily in traffic jams? How effective and practical is the on-pedal driving…

My ‘98 Oasis (rebadged Honda Odyssey) had a gated shifter - on the column! That took a little while to get used to. I didn’t even know this until my first mountain run and I couldn’t figure out how reach the lower gears. I honestly thought the linkage was broken. I got over it, and it was a superb family vehicle.

You already know what the answer always is.

I guess it is all about what makes a car enjoyable for you. I am fortunate enough to have mountain roads within an hour from my home. And when I get a chance, I take my mildly modified RX-8 with its whopping 250 hp up to the most twisty roads I have found. There is one that I can almost never get past 2nd gear (at…

But Guru, you mentioned “pure automotive experience” and nothing about brand rarity or cost. Which is is as it should be because brand, and to some degree cost has nothing to do with the pureness of an automotive experience.  With some variations in expectations, I’d say that the cars Jasmits lists can make a pretty…

I always think of them as those small symbols fighter pilots used to put on the side of their planes to count their kills.

Agreed. The few I’ve experienced are very distracting. I’m very grateful the nav screen my 2007 Mazda folds out of site when I don’t need it, which is 90% of the time. Nobody appears to do that anymore.