O să-mi fie dor de România si in special de prietenii mei de aici. Sper că ne vedem curând!
I'll have my people call your people. They'll do lunch. :)
Saturday, August 30, 2008
La Revedere!
Well... Ce sa zic? Sa terminat încă o vacanţă placută... Prea repede. Zbor acasă dimineaţa, inapoi la treabă!
O să-mi fie dor de România si in special de prietenii mei de aici. Sper că ne vedem curând!
I'll have my people call your people. They'll do lunch. :)
O să-mi fie dor de România si in special de prietenii mei de aici. Sper că ne vedem curând!
I'll have my people call your people. They'll do lunch. :)
Viper ACR Nurburgring Video with Telemetry is Here!
Thanks to photoshocks' youtube video response, we now have full in-car footage with telemetry from the now-famous ACR Nurburgring record-breaking run (first brought to you here and enhanced here). I'm glad to see this made it to the net after all instead of just for-sale DVD as mentioned on the Viper forum. Some commentary by driver Tom Coronel within as well.
Note: too bad there's no speedo or tach, but the sweet lateral G-meter and downforce gauges make up for it!
Note: too bad there's no speedo or tach, but the sweet lateral G-meter and downforce gauges make up for it!
Nurburgring Viper Telemetry Coming from VCA
According to insider information posted on the Viper forum, the Viper guys were running telemetry too... they just didn't include it in the public video the way GM did. Check out that downforce gauge!
On a sadder note, it appears we won't get to see this footage on the net. According to Y2K5SRT's post, the Viper Club of America will be selling DVD's with the high quality, telemetry-enhanced video soon.
On a sadder note, it appears we won't get to see this footage on the net. According to Y2K5SRT's post, the Viper Club of America will be selling DVD's with the high quality, telemetry-enhanced video soon.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Viper ACR vs Corvette ZR1 Side by Side at Nurburgring Video
Since the record-setting Nürburgring laps for the Corvette ZR1 and the Viper ACR were both on video (here and here, respectively), as you might expect I've been trying to dissect the driving styles and driving dynamics evidenced within.
As I mentioned previously, Jim Mero's driving style is very smooth and looks like he's very close to a perfect lap. Some folks on the forums have been erroneously calling Jim's driving unsmooth, as if they could do better. Those that think GM should have picked a genuine racecar driver instead of an engineer for this überlap would be well advised to have a look at the roster from the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans.
On the other hand, Tom Coronel shows his Touring Car roots by manhandling the poor Viper like his Seat Leon back home. It's not a Touring Car, Tom....
Forum chatter is also going wild about the unofficiality of the Viper's time because of suspension adjustments made between Coronel's sessions. Did y'all not get that memo? The ACR is a race car for the street. All that stuff is adjustable. Right out of the box. It's no less stock if you change a shock absorber setting or wing angle - the car wants to be adjusted more than a hypochondriac at a chiropractor's office. Seriously folks, the owner's manual tells you to bolt on the front splitter at the track and unbolt for street use. Think about it.
Anywho... I decided to do something to make it a little easier to compare these record-setting laps. I present to you... A side-by-side comparison of the Viper ACR (7:22 record lap) and the Corvette ZR1 (7:26 previous record lap) assaulting the Nürburgring in sycnrhonized harmony. Your alt (or apple :-D) and tab keys can take a much-deserved break.
Cheers,
Andi
Related:
Porsche Calls BS on Nissan GTR Nurburgring Lap Times
What Would Heinricy Do?
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Snake Bitten: Nürburgring
Motor Trend is reporting that a 2009 Viper ACR just lapped the Nürburgring in 7 minutes, 22 seconds. Four seconds faster than the ZR1, and 7 seconds faster than the Sony Playstation Gran Turismo -R. All hail the new king.
Quite frankly, I was expecting better. I can already hear the Corvette crowd screaming "but the ACR was on race tires!" The Nissan fanboys don't have this right, as I'd still bet a beer the Skyline in question was on cheater tires. At least the Viper boys were honest.
Let' s analyze the in-car video shall we? Click the picture to view...
Quite frankly, I was expecting better. I can already hear the Corvette crowd screaming "but the ACR was on race tires!" The Nissan fanboys don't have this right, as I'd still bet a beer the Skyline in question was on cheater tires. At least the Viper boys were honest.
Let' s analyze the in-car video shall we? Click the picture to view...
Constant repeated mashing of the rev limiter, missed shifts, jerky tankslappers abound, etc... Perhaps a rabid monkey on crack should take a stab at it - the pushrods deserve a break. The 7:22 might be on race tires, but it's nowhere near a perfect lap the way GM did.
My prediction: On the same tires, the ZR1 and ACR would be pretty damn close...
Thanks to elanderholm at corner-carvers.com for the tip.
Update: I created a split-screen video to compare the ACR and ZR1 record laps. Also, the Viper Club of America has since released better footage of the ACR lap with telemetry.
Book Review: Inside Steve's Brain
Inside Steve's Brain really gives you an idea that maybe there is a method to Steve Jobs' madness. Or at least it's a good ploy to make you think so. Leander Kahney begins with a history of Apple's beginnings, continues through where the company lost its way, and narrates one of the greatest comebacks in history. Kahney pulls no punches, telling both good and bad, and the pages seem to turn themselves. Great Book.
BTW, Steve-- the iPhone 3g is a flop. It's sad when you have to turn off the feature that differentiates it from its predecessor just to be able to make phone calls. Or have to charge it twice a day. Or lock it with a button and hope my sweaty thigh doesn't unlock it in my pocket at the racetrack and dial an international roaming long distance call back to the USA. Again. And while I'm ranting... why the heck does AT&T sell a buffet international data plan to Blackberry users but none for iPhone users? I know half the free wifi hotspots in Bucharest by heart already.
I know, I know.. the iPhone was just a marketing trick to get people to buy a Mac Nano cleverly disguised as a phone. And it's a damn good Mac Nano. It's just a crappy phone. I look forward to seeing what the future brings.
PS I miss my Razr. Please build a flip.
BTW, Steve-- the iPhone 3g is a flop. It's sad when you have to turn off the feature that differentiates it from its predecessor just to be able to make phone calls. Or have to charge it twice a day. Or lock it with a button and hope my sweaty thigh doesn't unlock it in my pocket at the racetrack and dial an international roaming long distance call back to the USA. Again. And while I'm ranting... why the heck does AT&T sell a buffet international data plan to Blackberry users but none for iPhone users? I know half the free wifi hotspots in Bucharest by heart already.
I know, I know.. the iPhone was just a marketing trick to get people to buy a Mac Nano cleverly disguised as a phone. And it's a damn good Mac Nano. It's just a crappy phone. I look forward to seeing what the future brings.
PS I miss my Razr. Please build a flip.
Viper Doomed?
Our friends at Jalopnik report that Chrysler may sell Viper - the brand, not the car. Seems nobody knows what to do with Hot Potato Cars Inc's cult image car. Tragic.
Don't be fooled for one minute - the writing on the wall is there, and this is just an addendum.
The days of freedom, liberty, and the open road are disappearing before our very eyes. In the name of saving this inanimate object we live on, we are all giving up what are really the most precious natural resources we have on this earth: our time and our freedom.
The cycle will reverse itself, but it will take a long time. One day, we will all be driving (ahem, be driven by) Jetsons-style eco-friendly electric pods (golf carts). No more pollution, no more speeders, no more fines. Sacré bleu! What happened to all the speeding tickets? Thousands of cities just went broke.
And the cycle begins anew. I hope I'm here to see the next round.
Don't be fooled for one minute - the writing on the wall is there, and this is just an addendum.
The days of freedom, liberty, and the open road are disappearing before our very eyes. In the name of saving this inanimate object we live on, we are all giving up what are really the most precious natural resources we have on this earth: our time and our freedom.
The cycle will reverse itself, but it will take a long time. One day, we will all be driving (ahem, be driven by) Jetsons-style eco-friendly electric pods (golf carts). No more pollution, no more speeders, no more fines. Sacré bleu! What happened to all the speeding tickets? Thousands of cities just went broke.
And the cycle begins anew. I hope I'm here to see the next round.
Update (9/15/08): Bowling Green Corvette Plant To Take a Week Off
Update (9/14/08): Viper for sale. Suggested suitors include Roush and Saleen
Bucharest 2008
Like most things I do, I'm posting this kind of late. And in reverse chronological order. And unlike most things I do, I'm doing it outside, and still sunburned. Wow, what a vacation. And wow, what a city. It's Wednesday night and I can hear Für Elise playing from the pub next door.
I arrived here in Bucharest a couple weeks ago, around midnight on a Tuesday night, and my dear friends Bogdan and Olga picked me up from the airport. I'd been on the road for 24 hours straight, not counting the DefCon weekend in Vegas that only got me home just a few hours before my trip to Romania. The wise thing to do was go get some sleep. So, of course, we headed straight to Mon Cher Cafe (our late night haunt to be) for a late night pick me up.
The next night, as we were heading to Herăstrău for a dinner, we spotted a couple white Lamborghinis on the side of the road. That meant Razvan and and Bogdan (different Bogdan) had finally gotten their cars. These dudes are nuts, in a good way. Two brothers, totally obsessed with cars, and always have a pair of identical vehicles. I met them here last year and saw their Jeep SRT8s and C6 Corvettes, and advised them on mods for the Vettes. And found out about the Lambos on order.
So, to give you an idea of the scene we stumbled upon within 24 hours of my arrival in Bucharest (yes, I do live a charmed life), imagine that I later found out that we just missed getting photographed by the Romanian Tabloid Cancan by a few minutes. Pictures, you ask?
Maybe video? (Get a Romanian to translate for you..)
BTW, I must say, I was shocked how good the Murcis sounded at WOT. I might be a V12 convert. Here's a vid I took of the two leaving Mon Cher (sorry it's just a crappy digicam..)
As you can see my vacation was already off to a good start. :D The next day I found about the Bucharest City Challenge on a billboard, and began pursuing leads to cover it as an official correspondent. Not an easy task, as I'm sure you've already read, and I'm still working on getting all the pics together.
First, allow me to give you a taste of Romania... ;) That's Bogdan and Olga in the video.
Bogdan and Olga, along with Mihai, Ruxandra, Bebe, and Cristina have been truly wonderful hosts and friends and I hope they come to my side of the pond soon.
But I digress.. back to Bucharest pictures... which I now realize I haven't taken enough of. I'll work on that over the next day or two before I take off for the US. Notice the lifestyle here. The architecture. The history. It's a very different life.
While the USA has been able to Americanize pretty much the whole world at least to some extent, and I can see evidence of that even here in Bucharest (Starbucks, KFC, McDonalds, flashy cars and people in debt...), there's a few things that are distinctly different and make an American raise an eyebrow.
Just to name a few... Smoking is okay in restaurants - everywhere. Drinking and driving doesn't have a BAC level, it's just plain zero tolerance. Got a credit card? Put it away. It's a cash society here. And there's a lot of cash floating around.
On another note.. What the hell's with that ripoff "IDM" logo? (Bottom right picture, billboard). LOL.
More pictures and writeups coming soon. Beach pics, my Bucharest Ring coverage, hopefully more Bucharest pictures, and last but not least my DefCon coverage.
Cheers,
Andi
I arrived here in Bucharest a couple weeks ago, around midnight on a Tuesday night, and my dear friends Bogdan and Olga picked me up from the airport. I'd been on the road for 24 hours straight, not counting the DefCon weekend in Vegas that only got me home just a few hours before my trip to Romania. The wise thing to do was go get some sleep. So, of course, we headed straight to Mon Cher Cafe (our late night haunt to be) for a late night pick me up.
The next night, as we were heading to Herăstrău for a dinner, we spotted a couple white Lamborghinis on the side of the road. That meant Razvan and and Bogdan (different Bogdan) had finally gotten their cars. These dudes are nuts, in a good way. Two brothers, totally obsessed with cars, and always have a pair of identical vehicles. I met them here last year and saw their Jeep SRT8s and C6 Corvettes, and advised them on mods for the Vettes. And found out about the Lambos on order.
So, to give you an idea of the scene we stumbled upon within 24 hours of my arrival in Bucharest (yes, I do live a charmed life), imagine that I later found out that we just missed getting photographed by the Romanian Tabloid Cancan by a few minutes. Pictures, you ask?
Maybe video? (Get a Romanian to translate for you..)
BTW, I must say, I was shocked how good the Murcis sounded at WOT. I might be a V12 convert. Here's a vid I took of the two leaving Mon Cher (sorry it's just a crappy digicam..)
As you can see my vacation was already off to a good start. :D The next day I found about the Bucharest City Challenge on a billboard, and began pursuing leads to cover it as an official correspondent. Not an easy task, as I'm sure you've already read, and I'm still working on getting all the pics together.
First, allow me to give you a taste of Romania... ;) That's Bogdan and Olga in the video.
Bogdan and Olga, along with Mihai, Ruxandra, Bebe, and Cristina have been truly wonderful hosts and friends and I hope they come to my side of the pond soon.
But I digress.. back to Bucharest pictures... which I now realize I haven't taken enough of. I'll work on that over the next day or two before I take off for the US. Notice the lifestyle here. The architecture. The history. It's a very different life.
While the USA has been able to Americanize pretty much the whole world at least to some extent, and I can see evidence of that even here in Bucharest (Starbucks, KFC, McDonalds, flashy cars and people in debt...), there's a few things that are distinctly different and make an American raise an eyebrow.
Just to name a few... Smoking is okay in restaurants - everywhere. Drinking and driving doesn't have a BAC level, it's just plain zero tolerance. Got a credit card? Put it away. It's a cash society here. And there's a lot of cash floating around.
On another note.. What the hell's with that ripoff "IDM" logo? (Bottom right picture, billboard). LOL.
More pictures and writeups coming soon. Beach pics, my Bucharest Ring coverage, hopefully more Bucharest pictures, and last but not least my DefCon coverage.
Cheers,
Andi
Update: Insurance and privacy discussion.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Bucharest City Challenge 2008
This past weekend the FIA GT Championship and British F3 International Series were both in town, competing on a small street-road course called the Bucharest Ring. Built around the Palace of the Parliament in the center of downtown Bucharest, it's one of beautiful tracks that racers hate but fans love. (Trivia: this building is the second largest edifice in the world, behind only to The Pentagon. Cool huh? )
Here's a sweet in-car video from last year's race:
On last year's vacation to Romania I wasn't here for the race, and this year I actually found out about it after arriving. As you can imagine, getting press credentials together at the last minute was a bit of an undertaking... :-o But.. after some hard work and communication with the right people, all was taken care of. Thanks a million to Jacquie at FIA, you're a sweetheart!
Pictures coming soon!
New Blog; Live from Bucharest!
So the end of my vacation in Bucharest is nearing. I'm sitting on a porch swing on a terrace attached to my friends' house in the heart of the city, wondering if I'll ever get all the pictures and stories from this trip posted. Not to mention DefCon Las Vegas and the business trip to Boston the week before. It's been a crazy August!
Why is blogging troubling me so? Maybe I'm too much of a perfectionist. Since I work with computers for a living, dicking around with them for a task as simple as posting vacation pictures to the internet seems a bit 1990s. By now, with the millions of drones out there blogging and twitting their lives away, I expected the process to be perfected and as seamless as brewing a cup of coffee.
It's not.
I first tried WordPress. My first attempt at a blog, covering the Bucharest Ring race, can be found here. I found that WordPress is generally more stable than Blogger, and lets you have a fancier looking page... but if you want to upload a bunch of pictures -- forget it. The process is too cumbersome. So, I'm moving my blog here. Picasa's integration with Blogger makes it easy to post pictures to my blog, and it does all the work for me.
My apologies to everybody still awaiting pictures, impressions from Defcon/etc... I need a vacation from my vacation. Everything will be posted shortly.
Cheers,
Andi
Why is blogging troubling me so? Maybe I'm too much of a perfectionist. Since I work with computers for a living, dicking around with them for a task as simple as posting vacation pictures to the internet seems a bit 1990s. By now, with the millions of drones out there blogging and twitting their lives away, I expected the process to be perfected and as seamless as brewing a cup of coffee.
It's not.
I first tried WordPress. My first attempt at a blog, covering the Bucharest Ring race, can be found here. I found that WordPress is generally more stable than Blogger, and lets you have a fancier looking page... but if you want to upload a bunch of pictures -- forget it. The process is too cumbersome. So, I'm moving my blog here. Picasa's integration with Blogger makes it easy to post pictures to my blog, and it does all the work for me.
My apologies to everybody still awaiting pictures, impressions from Defcon/etc... I need a vacation from my vacation. Everything will be posted shortly.
Cheers,
Andi
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