Recent content by tripledigits

DET stands for detonation......

If you're going to the trouble of an engine swap on an already great car, I'd recommend spending your time building a kit car, such as a FFR GTR, and put big horsepower through a RWD car with tires that can handle the horsepower. Nothing more ridiculous than big horsepower in FWD with skinny...

Amsoil outperforms RP in all the oil tests I've read.

Who is going to be the first (AFAIK) to do a custom ram air mod to their hood to get cool air to the IC? A nice carbon fiber one........

I'm guessing if there was a poll, it would show most Mazdaspeed CAI owners have never had a CEL with it. As far as being the worst intake for your car, remember it's the only one that won't potentially cause warranty issues. My MS CAI has performed flawlessly so far. Water intake issues? -...

The temp gauge, like many other cars, will show dead center over a "normal" range of temperatures. If the gauge is going over the center mark, you may have an issue. You could get a code reader or ScanGauge type instrument and read what the temp actually is, and have a better idea of what's...

4700 miles and no issues. I've owned many cars over the years, and this car is unbeatable for utility/price/fun to drive factor. This car drives like a $35K car. Mazda did their homework well on this one. Yes, there is some torque steer at lower speeds on tight corners. No, this is not a...

I test drove a new Passat diesel last year, for my wife. It was so pathetic in acceleration we couldn't take it seriously. The Prius felt much quicker, and it's no race car. Maybe it gets quicker with some miles on it, but who knows....

You can upgrade your car to any power level, soon enough it'll just reset "normal" again. My bike is low 10s in the quarter, and it just feels average in acceleration.

Last year I test drove a Passat TDI and didn't care what the mileage was. It was so slow I wouldn't have taken it on the freeway for fear of getting run over on the on ramp.

It may be a matter of confidence. Until you've had your car at the limit in a bumpy corner, you don't really know how composed it is. Once you go to the track and go 100% (make sure you have runoff room), you'll be able to answer your question. Cars can be very different at 90% versus 100%...

My race car has no power steering - but it weighs 800 lbs........ I think the MS3 has as good a steering feel as any street car I've ever driven. That's one reason I bought it.

I hear all kinds of justifications for the high gas prices, but the bottom line is net profit, and our oil companies, with price collusion, are killing us. I'm not against somebody making a profit, but the current profits are outrageous by any standards. Time to organize a nationwide protest -...

This is a nice informative thread. I do agree that ABS was not the culprit here - none of the wheels had stopped turning, which is what the ABS looks for. For track use, I would certainly recommend the Hawk Blues over the HP+. The Blues handle heat better, and are not that hard on rotors...

Keep the Speed 3 and put the price difference in a mutual fund.... The BMW will be slightly faster, less reliable, less fuel efficient, more expensive to insure, etc. Thanks for serving our country, and best wishes for a trouble free tour!