McLaren 650s

On March 4 at the Geneva Auto Show, McLaren is going to fully release its new super car. Placed in between the MP4 and P1, the 650s is a more luxurious MP4 but a toned down P1.

Like every McLaren, the 650s has a carbon fiber MonoCell as its backbone, that is extremely light but also extremely strong. It also provides very responsive steering while still retaining a exceptional ride. Behind the rear seats, like a real sports car, sits a McLaren 3.8 liter V-8 with twin-turbochargers that produces 641hp and 500 ft-lb of torque which is spread from 3000-700rpm. That is awesome because you can drive it around town at low rpm while still having power at high rpm, best of both worlds. The power from that little V-8 (2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser has a 4.0L V-6) goes to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox that offers near instantaneous gear shifts. To help the 650s slow down from its top speed of 207mph or after accelerating from 0-60 in just 3 seconds, there are carbon breaks at all four corners and an air break in the back just in case.

Open the dihedral doors to the 650s to find a luxurious and comfortable interior. The 650s is not a minimalist on the inside with available options like a back up camera and electrically adjusting steering column. However the seats are still light and sporty while still being comfortable, just like they should be. The steering wheel is also like the seats: light and sport but also comfortable.

McLaren has done it again. They have made a awesome looking sports car that, hopefully, will perform extremely well both off and on the track. Unfortunately it will most likely be too expensive for us common folk, but someday...

Toyota TRD Pro

Last Thursday at the Chicago Auto Show Toyota announced a new package for the Tacoma, Tundra, and 4Runner. The packages will give the vehicles a beefier off road image both outside and inside. Each model will have its own signature equipment suited to that vehicle but they will also all come with TRD-tuned springs with Bilstein shocks, a TRD front skid plate, a TRD shifter, black wheels, branded floor mats and a "TOYOTA" grille badge which pays heritage to the original 4x4 Toyotas. They will also come in three specialty colors: new Inferno paint color, Black, and Super White.

The Tacoma is the best selling compact pick up in the US, so adding a awesome off road package will most likely boost its even more sales. The Tacoma gets softer springs that boost the ride height a couple inches. An extra inch of wheel travel is available in front and 1.5 inches of travel are provided in back. The Tacoma also features 16-inch beadlock wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires. A TRD catback exhaust is also included.

The Tundra is a lot like its smaller brother getting benefits from softer TRD springs that also provide a two-inch lift and a better ride in the rough, while the truck itself rides on 18-inch wheels with Michelin ORP tires. Each truck gains an extra two inches of wheel travel in front and 1.25 inches in back, while a TRD dual exhaust should generate a nicer sound than the trucks's standard V8 engine. Finally, a unique interior with red contrast stitching freshen up the cabin. Its not quite as extreme as a Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, but it's definitely a very capable off-road oriented truck that is much capable than your average pickup.

Finally the 4Runner, which only gets a 1.5-inch lift, but gains an extra inch of wheel travel. 17-inch TRD wheels come standard, while bumper accents add a bit more personality to the 4Runner. Unlike the pickup trucks, the 4Runner doesn't feature a TRD exhaust. However being the most capable out of the three before the enhancements, mot as much was need to be a tough 4x4 like what Toyota is known for.

I really hope these stay past limited production because I really want one. Toyota has not said how long they will make them and there are no set prices yet for these three musketeers, so we will have to wait for Fall to come around before they hit dealer floors. Until then all we can do is dream and drool, like most of the cars I post.

2014 Honda Pilot: buying a new car

First off, I apologize for the boring car, but very recently my mother purchased at 2014 Honda Pilot, and I learned some interesting things about car salesmen. The Pilot was not our first choice when my mom decided it was time to part with our '96 Toyota Previa. My first choice for her was a Mitsubishi Evolution 10, for its superb all-wheel-drive, which she soon realized was too small and I, that my dreams of having a Evo 10 would not happen. However, the Pilot is a much more reasonable car for my mom, who forgets she is driving a van, but still finds ways to put massive objects into her "small" van. What I mean by that is, the Pilot is a pretty good at handling for its size, but can still carry very big objects in the back or on a trailer.

That brings me to the part of the blog that I find the most interesting: the specs. When compared to the 2013 Toyota Highlander, which we were also looking at, the Pilot actually seems like the better choice, and so far it seems like we made the right decision. The Highlander has a whopping 270 hp compared to the Pilots 250 hp. However the Pilot has 253 ft-lb of torque compared to the Highlanders 248 ft-lb. The Pilot also gets better gas millage, a combined 20 mpg instead of 19 mpg.  Its cheeper too, only $33,520 for the 4WD EX instead of $36,010 for the SE 4x4. However you should keep in mind that the 2014 Highlander is a better competitor toe the Pilot, but my mom did not like how it looks. The big selling point was the fact that three people could sit in the middle row normally and how the power got to the ground. The Highlander has an AWD (not 4x4 like what they say for the 2013 but they corrected that for 2014) system whereas the Pilot has a 4x4 system. Its not the kind of 4x4 system you would find on a FJ or Wrangler, so you would no take the Pilot through the Rubicon, but you could try, because the Pilot has a rear locking differential, and when my mom is at the wheel, that is a good idea.

The most interesting thing about the two cars is when we did the test drives. Because when we drove the Pilot, the salesman was perfectly fine with us going off on our own, but the Toyota guy was not. Which is weird, giving the fact that earlier in the month my mom went and drove a Highlander and the guy did not need to be with her on the test drive. Also when my dad and I went and test drove a FJ Cruiser back in 2008, at the same dealer, the salesman did not need to go with us. He seemed like a grouchy person, so it might have just been him.

Next week I will bring something with a little more spice, but If you want a comfortable, reliable, and neat looking SUV, the Pilot would be a pretty good choice.

(These are 2012 but the 2014 looks exactly the same)