The BMW 335d has 425 lb-ft of torque at 1,750 rpm. While this might not mean a lot to most people, the translation is simple. When you are merging on the freeway and the 18 wheeler isn’t even thinking about the brakes, all you need to do is give a little push on the gas pedal and the rig shrinks in the rear view mirror. That is what 425 lb-ft of torque is a car this light means. Just for comparison, that is more than a Corvette, Dodge Challenger SRT8 or the new BMW M3!
Read moreCategory: Beach Street Drive
At Beach Street News, we get cars. SoCal is the epicenter of the car culture and we are right in it. We are always looking for the cars and rides that make our days on Beach Street better. It might be a super mileage TDI or Hybrid, or it might be a classic rag top or the new KuhlToys Jeep JL. If we drive it and like it we’ll tell you about it. If you drive it and like it, tell us about it.
Arrive and Drive, Racing For Really Busy People
The human mind works in funny ways. How many times have you struggled with a problem only to have it pop in your head while you were pumping gas or looking or chips in the cupboard? By getting the mind to so effectively focus on the track, you can actually free up the back of the mind to work out other problems.
Read moreRacing for the new economy, check out these clunkers.
The premise is simple. Get a junky old car for under $500, put in your own blood, sweat and tears, give it a theme and go race. Each team needs four drivers, (no experience required) to get on the track with some of the best drivers out there. Each track is a different venue, there are no extra charges to walk around the paddocks or pits to see all the cars.
Read moreHave You Ever Dreamed of Racing? Build a $500 Race Car
I have dreamed of racing a car on a track in a real race ever since then. I have gone to drag races, NASCAR races, American Le Mans races, GT races, autocross races and go kart races. I even went to Porsche Driving School and the Richard Petty Experience to fulfill my fantasy of being a race car driver. Then I found it.
Read moreRental Car Ratings for 2009
The final note for the FX-35 was the fuel economy. For a normally aspirated vehicle it was uncommonly high. The trip from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe to Reno was less than a half tank including a full lake tour on New Years Eve. In Reno I made the mistake of filling it up and washing it. I returned it with nearly ¾ of a tank after paying the $65 tank fee.
Read moreFerrari California or Aston Martin Vantage?
In one dealership there was a water leak dripping on the aluminum hood. As a guy who designs acoustically treated rooms, the sound of the water was music to my ears. The solid plump, plump, plump instead of ding, ding ding, let me know the aluminum had been treated with a sound deadener. If I am going to spend this kind of bank on the car, it can’t be louder than my cell phone call unless my foot is buried in the loud pedal.
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