3.5L V6 Family Sedans and the truth about them....

Car Plus ran an article for a review of Toyota Camry 3.5L and Nissan Cefiro 350JM. It caught my attention and I bought the newest (Janurary) issue right off the convenience store on the X'mas day. Both front-heavy-and-front-drive cars have straight line power but are humbled by their siblings with smaller engine in the corners, of any radius.

If you know earlier my decision to get the Mercedes AMG C36 this March was based on an early test drive of the Toyota Camry 3.5L (both 2.4L and 3.5L) in Feb. It was a rare test drive arrangement that an old Toyota salesman has arranged for us. The car actually felt more manageable than I thought, with the big 3.5L V6 with its accessories hanging off its nose. My initial impression was very good, despite I could always feel the mass. Toyota actually achieves something quite like what Mercedes does with its famed S-class - making a heavy car feel nimble and easy to manuver under "certain speed" and general road condition. Don't get me wrong. There are tons of engineering and development behind this achievement.

Go get your copy of the Car Plus and read about it. It is the kind of the article that attracts my attention. And I have waited 10 months for this article. What is the fuss about it? Well you know I bitch always about the wrong power/weight ratio of modern cars, and their emission control and the passive safety advancement.

This leads to the next question. Why I need 3.5L engine instead of 3.0L, 2.5L or 2.0L? I need the 3.5L as a minimum as a power reserve because there is a lack of advancement in automobile engineering, thanks to the marketing and the poor consumer public who have shown in the last 10 years the auto industry where the future is.

If you don't know what I am talking about, read this. Our cars are getting heavier in the last 10 years, by at least 15% or more in my estimate. And the tighter emission control and device has ripped the performance off our engine. And thanks to all of that, our cars are getting more expensive, too. And there is more. Depite the fuel efficiency claims of the modern cars, I don't think in the real world condition the cars today are more fuel efficient than those 10 years ago. It makes me think that enough engineering has been done in the past in fuel economy and whatever that have been done in the last tens years are only to offset with weight penalty of the passive safety equipment, luxury items and the 20 air bags.

What I want? I want a 1.5L engine Honda Civic with 0-100kph (0-62mph) in less than 8 seconds, with gross weight no more than 1,000kg. Please look at what our current environmental, sporty Civic we have today and tell me what you think. Ditto the Toyota Corolla. Both companies can no longer produce their entry level family sedans with 1.3L engine. Why? It is because then the cars will be too damned slowed and the sophisticated emission control and multiple catalytic convertors will just strangle the little peppy engine to suffocation. Don't believe me, get yourself, if you can find one, a 1.3L 4-speed manual VW Golf made in 1980s for a test drive. You will be amazed by two facts - first how much technolgy has advanced in the past 20 years. Second how little these advancements have done to us in a meaningful way.

And to end this blog, I have two groups of people to blame. First the majority of marketing people /product managers in the top selling or failing auto companies - their stupidity increases together with their power to show the direction, influence and shape the new cars we drive today. I suggest that they should always have an engineering degree or an pure science discipline under their belt and not a MBA degree. Sorry, I have both. Second it is the mass consumer public who have shown always the awful truth that "customer is always right". Thank you and it actually saved me money by making me turning to junk yards or second hand markets to look for ride made roughly 10 years ago. It is a shame, man!

MX5 - A 4-Month Long-term Update

If you notice I haven't discussed much about the MX5 in the blog. Don't get the wrong idea I still drive the little open-top twice a week. It is a fact that it gets less use between Tiki and myself. We have nothing against the MX5. We use it in bad weather as well as in the nice days.

I have no complaint about its suspension and handling. I think it is just right and complaint enough for most of the road conditions of Hong Kong. Although it is easy to detect the body flexing from time to time, the body and the interior trim still feel like like one tough solid piece. Rattling is rare and interior trim noise is low, even with the inferior road conditions. It was really an impressive feast how Mazda engineers have worked out a magical compromise. MK1 Mx5 has been known to be weak in this area. MK2 really improved on this big time.

The drivetrain (engine and transmission) is not really ranking very high on my list. The gearbox is notchy when it is cold. Sometimes it is difficult to shift from 1st and 2nd gear. However I must say that the gearbox and gearchange actions have improved since day one back in August. Somehow I feel that the clutch condition and/or the poor gearbox oil are to be blamed. However I find them tolerable as they are. The gearbox is a six-speeder that I was told a bit more difficult and less smooth and finesse when compared to the original 5-speeder. Anyway. I will have the gearbox/gear looked at during the next routine check.

The engine has a very nice smooth torque from 1'500 to 2'500 rpm. Acceleration in any gear at this rpm range is just really nice, with a feel of smoothness and urgency. Unfortunately it was so narrow but still usable in the less hurried traffic conditions. While the power and torque above 3'ooo rpm are present and linear in the delivery, there is nothing to brag about. It could be the flow restrictive catalytic convertor that was the culprit. Sorry, I have no plan to replace with an after-market, flow-free exhaust.

I think the MX5 is best driven as it is, as it is magically engineered where its deficit is very tolerable and easily forgiven. It does not have the leisurely and yet smooth torque and power delivery of the big inline-6 but it gets the job done one way or other.

AMG C36 - An 8-Month Long-term Update

To be honest, I like the C36 more than the MX-5 even thought the split in terms of usage is like 60/40. I wrote more about C36 than I did with MX-5. MX-5 is a fantastic car but it seems to me that I always have more materials on the C36.

I did a follow-up suspension adjustment right after return from the Kyoto trip last Saturday (November 25th). The rear ride height was lifted half an inch to its original height while the front was kept low. I like the steering feel and quick turn-in by lowering the ride height by half an inch in the front. So no change in the front. By lowering the ride height both front and rear the cambers were also increased, more in rear than in front, visually speaking.

In my previous report I have told what I found in the handling and ride. However after a few weeks I found that the rear was way too grippy and stable, and refused to self steer under load, therefore lessening the front wheel cornering load. The result was a tight and a nervous handling that constantly needs adjustment, especially when cornering in an inconsistently cambered road surface. And despite the additional grip and decisive turn-in the front would always want to understeer and behave slightly weird under steering load because the rear failed to give and passively steer. Simply there was way too much grip in the back due to lower ride height, lower CG, and increased camber. So I had been thinking of going back to where it was before where it felt very nice.

After changing the rear spring pads I was a bit nervous about it. Fortunately the C36 still looked level despite the higher ride height on rear wheels. One can tell the tire to wheel arch distance was different between front to back now but not easy to tell if viewed from a distance. The rear seemed to work with the front in harmony and the consistence was back. Basically I got what I want after only a trial and error. Not so bad, dude, and I lost the nervousness and tight handling characteristics I do not wish to find on any Mercedes.

The C36 runs fine as usual. Its ability to steer in tight space and make 2-point turn (instead of 3-point) in narrowly two-lane with small turning circle still amazes me today as it were the first day I laid my hands on the W202. It is a kind of car that I will leave it on a busy or quiet street (Mongkok, sidewalks or whatever) for a few hours or whole day without worrying a bit. I did that a lot now and it seemed to provided the added sense of freedom (of not worrying). I wonder if I will behave the same if I run a more expensive car.

Of course the ride could be better but I am not complaining. It is now and has always been too springy for me, as if the car is slightly under-dampened. It is not the best and will pale in comparison to the modern Bimmers and Mercs. The magic is that it works for me and is liveable as a means for A-to-B transport and daily commuting. I had bad experience when I was not happy in a big way with a much more expensive and overall better cars. But not this C36, as I don't love it nor hate it but like it a little. What am I looking at now for the future? A black 2003 E55 AMG...and it came with a pair of air twisters. However it is something that could not be traded with my pocket changes. So I will leave the idea at that.

AMG C36 - A 6-Month Long-term Update (Part 2)

The picture above was taken on Saturday (Oct 21st). With watchful eyes you would notice that the C36 has been dropped 1cm (half an inch) fron and rear. However I doubt you would because I need to measure by a ruler to tell. I did not change to sport springs or lowered suspension. I don't dare to think we the humble motorists can do any better job than a team of AMG engineers more than 11 years ago. Those who think they could can continue to dream on and suffer. The C36 still wears original springs and AMG shocks. The trick is to use thinner factory spring rubber pads. Why not lower even more? Well, I still need to go places where ground clearance is of paramount importance. Second, lower height does not mean better since it will hurt the handling balance (front and rear, as well as left and right) and suspesion geometry (usually resulting in more negative camber).

Suspension travel is important in HK, especially in some of the corners and roads that I need to make the car lean and move the center of gravity around to induce rear steering to balance the front understeer. Harder and/or shortened spring will make the task more difficult and I need to carry more speed into the corner to create the desirable amount of wheel loading. Otherwise the car will feel stiff and unwilling to turn progressively. With stiff and lowered springs the turn-in will always be snappy and direct but it also makes the chassis feels lifeless. Most of the time it does not help corner speed and smoothness. I have tried enough "amateur" modified "daily" cars myself who think theirs were a success. But in the end it would be heart-breaking to tell the owner it is much worse than the original car that he has started with. Putting a dent into someone's ego is not my cup of tea, so I always keep that to myself until a certain point.

By that 1cm I already feel sitting lower in the driver seat. I can feel the center of gravity dropped, too. There is no more rocking side to side. It cleans up a lot of quite a lot of body movement. And the suspension seems to deal with road irregularities with faster response, especially the speed bumps and road joints. Turn-in is much improved and the car feels more in one-piece. Corners now feel slower and more stable at the same speed. However ride hurts noticeably (or feels differently) even though the compliance and suspension travels are still retained. It is a good trade-off and the ride isn't offensive either. I have a feeling that once the car (or myself) has been broken-in, the pereceived smoothness and refinement will come back. My fingers crossed.

Steering effort has increased, perhaps due to increase in negative camber. A little amount of tramlining not felt before has presented itself. The front end is more snappy, stable and firmly planted on the road. The rear is no longer tail happy as before (slight disappointment here). There was a trade-off. It took me a few months to get used to the previous setting which I disliked in the first month or two (back in summer). Now it is time for me to learn again how to adopt this new setting. Ride definitely is choppier and less refined (more bump thumps). Gone was the initial softness (floatiness) in the first inch of suspesnsion travel. However the whole package is now more nimble and chuckable. Love it or hate it! I really don't mind the old ride. Either setting will work for me. It is hard for me to believe that reducing 1/2 inch of ride height without any change in springs and shocks provides such significant changes in ride and handling. Dropping the ride height by an inch will definitely be disaster to me.

Engine oil (Miller synethetic from a drum) and transmission oils have been changed at this 72'060km service. Throttle cable has been changed. What a joy and highly recommended! Much finer throttle response and the modulation is fantastic. Feeling I am driving another engine and reminding me the ultra smooth C240 we once owned. Rear parking sensors (4) were fitted. My wife absolutely loved it and wanted the same for the MX-5 even though there was one fitted.

To end this entry I must tell you one story and how I was forced to bring the car to the garage on Thursday leaving workplace. Well I did not drive the C36 nor it was driven to the garage. It was towed! When I told my friends my C36 was stranded in the middle of highway they laughed at me and told me to stop bragging about the reliability of Mercedes AMG cars. And get a life and an updated Japanese car. Well, they were wrong again. Ignoring the fuel warning light for a long time, I ran out of fuel thinking there might be 10 to 20 km worth of fuel left in the tank. My bad. Still I can claim that my C36 is as reliable as I speak now. I am not proud of nor feel bad about my first and hopefully the last bad experience. Now let's see this:

AMG C36 - A 6-Month Long-term Update (Part 1)

網誌分類：Motoring Experience in Hong Kong |

網誌日期：2006-10-13 20:27

The C36 remains a great ride for daily commutating. Reliable and refined despite some bump-thump on rough pavements. Smooth, torquey and quiet engine is its hallmark. Power and responsiveness are an advantage when looking for gaps in heavy traffic or a quick lane change. What C36 differentiates itself from its W202 brothers and sisters is its build quality and robustness. And there is a dose of calmness and peace feeling that can only be found in much bigger, less nimble Mercedes. I have started to worry about C36 that is growing on me. If the weather condition does not allow me to take the MX-5 with roof down, I will take the C36.

I have made a long list of things to fix. However Mercedes makes cars in such a way nothing really breaks all of a sudden. Instead it will deteriorate slowly so it is difficult to determine exactly when it is a good point to change or replace. Even though I have set up a policy it is not always a no-brainer. My policy is that if there is a threat to passive saftey or a nuisance, I will ask to fix. Will give an update here after the service.

W202 is a fine car to put good car stereo in. It is inherently a quiet place and solidly built. What has been bothering me is the factory speaker sizes (5" only)  for the front and the rear deck (6.5" only). They don't allow me to put the speakers of 'right' size in. Frustrating!

After 6 months it was time to "upgrade" the stereo inside the C36 with 'drastic' measure. In the past I used Focal 5" 2-way in the front and 6.5" 2-way in the rear deck, with Nakamichi CD300 CD-Player as head unit. The sound quality definitely has much room to improve. I thought hard about the upgrade and did not want to spend money, if all possible. I wanted to keep the system simple, with no weight penalty of added audio components or harnesses. This time I did not use the Kam Lun in Mongkok since very time I did not get good result. Money spent and the experience was not usually rewarding. I do not want to carry an amplifier unless it is the best amplifier my little pocket money can afford (this way only second-handed). I used a one-man small shop for his workmanship and skill, and his superb patience with me.

What I did was fun. the 6.5" Focals were moved to the front. With some modification and new wood panel the 6.5" would fit into the 5" factory speaker location. The bigger and deeper magnet fitted like a glove inside the front door panels. There is no interference and it was hidden well behind factory grille. Nice. I traded my 5" Focal two-way for the small shop's Altec Lansing ALS693 (used, very old and more than 10 years old). They sounded good with clean and punchy bass. Good for pop music. The shop owner happened to own 4 of the classics and I picked the best among them. However another panel and metal cutting were needed to mount the 6x9" speaker in the 6" space in the rear shelf deck. Again the shop owner did a beautiful job and hid the ALS693 (as old as the C36 I believe) securely behind the factory grille. I had no idea but the American 6x9" sounded great with the French Focal in the front. It was a sweet surprise. The CD300 Nakamichi remained. Not bad. The sound is now much improved, with fuller body and more presence and vocal details. The best part is the natural mid-bass and more punchiness. Soundstage is expanded and appears wider.

Next step would be getting a Audison 2-channel amp to power the Focal in the front. Right now I am happy with what I have. And it is time to enjoy the music on the road.

Road aggression and road presence

I believe there is a subtle change in some of the fellow road users in HK when there is a climate change. Climate change is not necessarily same as the weather change. The result of the climate change would result in more aggression in some of the keen road users, or a slight disrespect of other road users and less polite road manners in others. I found this change taking place today (9/18) even though the weather has been dry and cooler since early last week. I remember the similar case two years ago during a small traffic accident on June 30th where I ran into a frentic young Mercedes CLK230 driver. He slammed his car into my Subaru and sued me for riskless driving. Of course my wife and I made sure that he dropped his case.

In my own case, it results in a more defensive driving attitude towards my road rights. By that I mean I am least tolerant of the road users that do not meet my 'own' set of rules of driving, and subsequently tell them the explicit message of who is the 'boss' here by flexing the traffic muscle. Of course while doing so I myself sometimes commit traffic offence, minor as they may be, and ugly behvaior which makes myself laugh and embarasses my passenger (90% of the time it is my wife). Sometimes I explain to myself that rules are made to be broken when the traffic is thin but good for all when it is thick. Anyway I try to feel least guilty about it, even if sometimes I get myself into trouble. I just treat this as an inevitablity in life and tell my own ego to let go.

Sometimes it is difficult to tell the other driver not to get into my way if I am driving a wrong car, or a car that lacks the presence on the road. An Toyota Echo or C200 Mercedes Benz is hardly convincing. Of course there would be least problem with the C36 AMG or the roaring DC2. People usually give way when I am thundering down the road twice the road legal speed limit. I have no idea why there is a difference between the C36 and C200 because they look the same to me. But on the road C36 has road presence, even with its subtle innocent look. And it was the main reason why I gave up the C200 that is on the top of my pre-owned list. MX-5 is a mixed bag. It needs to drive relative swift and go around corners fast in order to create a road presence.

There I have the solution to myself during the time of climate transition. Drive cars with more road presence.

A short ride in the Z3 M Roadster

Too bad the short drive experience took place in a rainstorm. Not only I could not enjoy the drive with the roof down, but also could not unleash its M power (3.2L Inline 6 engine - 321PS). Finally at the last stretch of highway I was able to rev the engine to 4000rpm at 3rd gear. Boy, does this engine have power? Whoosh....

The ride was firm with good damping. The body was structurally sound and strong. The controls are meatier and require more effort compared to MX-5. In general it is easy and relatively stress-free car. Refinement is above average. The driver chair is comfortable, unlike the typical E46 chair requiring constant adjustment.

Low-end torque is aplenty for its weight (my guess is a little over 1'400kg) and I am sure it has plenty of power up its sleeve about 4000rpm. The engine feels stronger than the 3.6L AMG inline 6 in but more so from mid to high rev range. I think 0-100kph can be done in 6s. It is indeed a much faster car than C36 if the M power is unleashed. Engine refinement is high but I really doubt the engine has been broken in at all.

Excellent power to weight ratio - 321ps for 1'4xxkg. Similar to Mitsubishi Evos.

Tire sizes front and back are exactly the same as the C36. 225/45R17 and 245/40R17 Bridgestone. A sweet surprise. Bridgestone S-03 tires.

I was asked to pick up the car for a service check from the owner's resident to the Pak Lok garage. I took maximum care in that process.

Is it a replacement for the MX5? You bet, but not in a couple years.

Really it is a modern classic.

Mitsubishi "i" - The Rear-midship K-car

I was drawn to the car a month ago before it showed up in the showroom, next to where my office was. I was with my colleague who was actively shopping for a replacement for his 5-year old Mercedes A190. In July we finally paid a visit at the showroom during a lunch break to actually kick its tires, check out the interior and touch its metal skin. We did not have a test drive but simply were curious. Finally my colleague found himself a shining black VW Golf 1.6FSi with a good price. And we thought the price of HK$128,000 was high. We liked it a lot but could not readily accept its compactness.

There was some form of attraction just by looking at the early images and reading the spec sheet. I could not clearly tell you what exactly the factors were. I did not actually like the K-car concept. And I thought the "i" or any K-car would be too small and underpowered. What really drew my attention was its design/engineering, simplicity and effectiveness as a means of daily transport. I have then read many magazines about the "i", and all seem to respond positively after the test drive. One magazine reporter was delighted by the effectiveness of its air conditioning in the hot summer of Hong Kong, and the nimbleness of the 900kg chassis.

I have always high respect for the engineering at Mitsubishi, although not always in the "design" area. "i" seems to get both right. I like the look and I don't mind being seen in owning and driving one. I like the big slanted windshield and the supersized "double-wishbone" single-armed windshield wiper. It is so Mercedes. Of course it was designed as a platform for the next generation Smart-for-four, or in a slightly shortened and modifed form - the Smart-for-two.

I have no idea how it feels to drive it. I am not a big fan of 660-cc 3-cylinder turbo engine, which should be okay in terms of power and refinement (hopefully). The 0-100kph time of 12.5 seconds does not impress, but is not too slow either. A lot of small family, mid-size 2.0L sedans and 7-seaters also fall in this performance level. No big deal if it is good to drive. Fortunately Mitsubishi or Sime Darby did not opt for the dreadful CVT gearbox, but a well-engineered 4-speed auto box. It was reported to be excellent and working very well together with the small turbo engine.

In terms of fuel consumption it should be frugal. 18.4km/L (10.15 mode) and the 35L fuel tank should give a max. range of 644km. My guess is that it will have a 450-500km range for every fuel stop, approx. HK$400 per fill-up and around HK$0.8/km (based on HK$14/L fuel price).

Having said so much about the car, I think I should ask for a test drive to find out more.

What are your perfect cars?

網誌分類：Motoring Experience in Hong Kong |

網誌日期：2006-09-02 04:32

What is a daily car?

- must be relatively easy to maintain

- must be fuel efficient

- stress free and comfortable.

- basic luxury and excellent engineering

- a positive and clear image

- nimble and relatively light weight and balanced.

- good handling, willing to corner and responsive torquey smooth power delivery.

- painless to own and use.

- not worry about where to park and can go anywhere without second thought.

How I live with it:

- after a period I will be more sensitive to the shortcomings as the advantages and positive feelings fade.

- I need to live with the image.

- I need to live with the lack of power (C200)

- how to stop the negative feeling from building up?

- sometimes the build-up is not tangible as I find reasons here and there to shift attention and/or reduce the amount. But eventually it will catch up with me and ending up with a replacement.

- Tiki suggests I should always go for the best and avoid the intermediate. Going for the best go inline with a balanced decision.

MX-5 in the Slalom

At the invitation of the Peter I attended in the Sunday afternoon the slalom activity on the island side. I did not want to mention the name of the annual event because I didn't think it was well organized. The organizers there had done their best but every year it was just the same. I went there at 4pm and did my two rounds around 5pm. As expected I was given two opportunities and in both trials I had it wrong through the course and through the cones. No one was to blame because I knew I was a slow learner.

However after seeing all the more powerful and heavier cars before me smoking their tires and understeered I was happy to report that my little MX-5 did great. All the tight corners could be tackled with quick flips of steering wheel left or right, without the use of handbrake. The MX-5 has a clean and sharp weight transfer and handling, even with a passenger on board. The Toyos are worth a big mention. I just loved it. I went to wrong route twice so my time was not recorded.

However I was asked to leave after my trial. And I did with Tiki.

And I heard Peter won the competition with his Evo in his class. Congratualation!

Pity I did not see it.

Next time I need to get a ride first through the course before my trial.

AMG C36 - A 5-Month Long-term Update

The above image was taken almost two months ago by Eddie Ling. Thanks, Eddie.

It has been a while since I wrote about the AMG C36. Apparently my feeling for the C36 had changed slightly when the MX-5 arrived. Some were good and some were nearly not as good. The AMG has been with us since late March this year and has been a reliable workhorse. However it always seemed to be a much much longer time. Over the weekend I thought to myself what would I get next, a BMW or a Toyota/Lexus. I need to remind myself that it is not the time yet, at least not until Christmas.

Our time split between C36 and MX-5 has been 50/50. On rainy days of course we take the C36 always. Ditto when we need to carry more than ourselves or move a lot of stuff from one point to another. Having said that, we are entirely happy with the carrying capacity of the MX-5.

The C36 will be due for the 5000km oil change and service in a week or so. We report no problem whatsoever. The car feels more substantial and solid than either of the C200 and C240 we once owned, despite being the oldest of the trio. I believe it was handbuilt with the best engineered parts and components available in the mid 90's. It starts instantly in the morning every time with a twist of the key. It makes a lot of noise under the bonnet during the first minute and quiet down soon enough when the engine oil fully circulates and reaches all the moving parts. A/C runs and hums for a cool and quiet interior. Its engine still pulls like a train and remains smooth and silent at idle or city driving. When asked to do its AMG duty it will scream and redline without hesitation.

What separates the driving experience (or pleasure) between MX-5 and the C36 is the steering, chassis and the weight (1,030kg vs 1,600kg). While the MX-5 and the C36 have similar level of grips and double wishbone suspension in all 4 corners, there are a lot of play and body movement in the much heavier car. C36 just feels a lot less precise and less confidence inspiring. Only looking at the C36 speedometer I can tell myself I am probably going fast enough but the cornering limit is still convservative. I think I can always go faster but don't know exactly how. There is plenty of grip (Michelin PS2 225 in the front and 245 at the back), which cannot always be felt, especially in the wet. The C36 simply understeers initially and needs a few "seconds" to settle itself after weight transfer. In fast cornering it is important to dial the steering very quickly with slight trail braking to kill the understeering and settle the car. All needs to be done in a smooth and graceful way, especially in the quick left-right-left or right-left-right twisties. Believe me, it is always a handful, with the big Mercedes steering wheel. A BMW with similar weight will just do much better in the steering and handling department.

However it has always been a relax drive in the C36. There is no need to rev the engine up above 3,000rpm in city driving with good pace unless there is a need to impress fellow drivers sharing the road with me. Fuel consumption is much better than most people think (12L per 100km or 8.33km/L on average recorded since day one). The gear ratios chosen in the 4-speed auto can only be described as perfect. It will cruise at 2'500rpm at 100kph at 4th gear and seldom requires a kickdown 90% of the time. There is not a big gap between 2nd and 3rd gear I find in most cars today. The gearbox sometimes is a bit jerky but most of the time it does its job seemlessly without being noticed. There is a big change in the gear strategy when switching from "E" to "S" mode. In "S" mode, it will always keep the engine revving above 3,000rpm, where the engine is on the "hot" cams. I uses "S" mode very occasionally, sometimes after the action was over I remembered I could have used the "S" mode to a better effect.

A wax job at North Point was given to C36 on Sept 2nd, Saturday. It looked Fantastic.

Honda Civic

I have been always a Honda fans. I still have a 10-year old DC2 Honda Integra Type R in my stable. However it does not stop me from trying out new products from Honda. I always wish Honda would regain its past racy glory in the late 80s to mid 90s.

My test drive of the all new Honda Civic 1.8 was on the third day of Chinese New Year in the Wan Chai Showroom, 2006. Well, it has been more than 6 months ago. I went into the showroom with my wife and I was driving the Merecdes C240 there. I was filled with hope.

I was a bit surprised we were offered a test drive after spending 10 minutes checking the new Civic. I was wondering if the sale was not up to the expectation because there were stocks available for immediate delivery. Anyway I acccepted the invitation. The interior design felt very different and high tech. Sunroof (a bit small), electric leather chair (material and workmanship not bad), the nice instrument, stereo/air conditioner clusters (impressive) and the lovely designed leather-clad steering wheels got me excited. Everything else inside grew in size and was highlighted with a sense of solidity. All the switchgears were a class above what the Civic had been. In general it was a sweet surprise. My hope was mounting quickly in a way that Honda might have picked up what it left off in the late 1980s.

Just to let everyone know that back in early 1990s I had owned a EG9 (1.6L VTEC DOHC, 4-door) for a period of 4 years. And I was happy with the ownership. The engine was truly a jewel.

What caught me off guard when I open the short engine hood (you know the popular cab-forward design where the A-pillars were brought forward and mechanically connected to the front strut tower areas), was how small the 1.8L engine was and the big catalytic converter between the exhaust manifold and the radiator. I thought the catalytic convertor was a turbo-charger.

The 1.8L engine design was centered on fuel economy and low emission without sacrifice of power (140PS), torque (17.7kgf-M) and throttle response.

Once the car was on the move it was a mixed bag. The famed nimbleness of a Civic was all there but I could feel the drag of 1'200kg+ curb weight. However the throttle response was really a put-off. Drive-by-wire throttle control was never my cup of tea especially it was not well engineered. There simply was a sense of disconnection, despite the snappy response of engine and the efficient 5-speed autobox. Other people called it artificial. I didn't know how to call it, but I didn't like it because the engine ECU cared about emission than what I did with my right foot. So was my wife who was the passenger. The engine was also lacking the mid-end torque, for mild over-taking or quickening the pace. Any significant demand on acceleration would require a sure foot and a kickdown to 3500 - 4000 rpm. Give me a break, this was a 1.8L car, not 659cc!

Turn-in was quick and clean.There was plenty of traction and in fact a lot of tires (205/55R16) for a 1.8L family car. The rear suspesion was way too firm and didn't seem to work together with the excellent front. In some of the sharp corners the rear seemed to have a mind of its own. My wife went to sit at the back and complaint how firm and the amount of unnecessary vertical movement at the back. My suggestion was to reduce the tire size to 195/60R15 and reduce the firmness at the back. Otherwise the chassis was strong, stiff and solid, which was a big improvement over the softer ones that we had to deal with in the past, when Honda still offered us the 4-wheel double-wishbone at the 4 corners.

The decision was clear after 15 min of test drive. Sometimes I didn't know if Honda ever got it. Today's Honda, using its strong worldwide sales growth in the past 10 years as excuse, distants themselves from the hearts of the die-hard Honda fans, while its marketing arm kept telling us the spirit was still there. It wasn't, since the day they took the double-wishbone suspension away from Civic and Accord.

We would stick to the 8-year old Mercedes. The ride back home onboard the C240 (presently worth 40% of the brand new Civic in market value) , going through same stretch of the roads, proved exactly the point. The direct competitors of today's Honda Civic in Hong Kong in disguise, besides the obvious Corolla, Mazda 3, Sunny, Golf and what-have-you, are thereliable used cars from Europe built in the late 1990s, under the name of Mercedes and BMW. At least it is the case in Hong Kong.

You can find the spirit of Honda Civic today, but it is in an alternate form called Jazz or FIT.

A Brief Drive in the BMW 323i E90.

網誌分類：Motoring Experience in Hong Kong |

網誌日期：2006-08-08 14:32

It was last Saturday that I had a chance to try on this white body color 323i (Year 2006 with only 1,400 kms on the odometer. It has a black leather interior without sunroof. So my guess it was the basic version. The outlook was fine by me, giving an impression of a heavily downsized 5-series. The proportion was right.

It had a start/stop button so once the key was inserted you need to press the botton to set the engine revving. Sorry it was not only of my favorites. After turning on the air conditioner and the CD, off I went. The interior layout felt extremely solid and spartan, with elements of basic luxuy.

Once on the move, the suspesion and the body structure impressed me because they worked together to provide a very unique combination of ride quality - very stiff and yet quiet and comfortable. The stiffness was perhaps due to the runflat 225/50R16 Bridgestone which has thickened side walls as well as reinforced shoulder areas.

The other special thing about the car was the way the 2.5L in-line six worked with the 6-speed auto transmission. They worked seemlessly. No matter what speed I was in uphill and downhill I was amazed I was always in the right gears and engine revvs. Instant acceleration and torque response were available without an immediate need to kick down. That's wonderful. Engine started to deliver explosive power (in relative terms) once over 4,000 rpm. However there was plenty of smooth and responsive torque between 1,000 to 3,000rpm to pull the car briskly.

Turn-in was immediate and sharp. Despite its weight 323i's steering response and cornering pose were not bad in tight fast corners. Overall the handling could be described as precise and responsive, the BMW way. The steering was weighty and filled with feel.

Compared to the E46 320i (2.2L in-line six) I drove over one month ago, I think the E90 was much better in every aspect, especially in the solidity and refinement in ride, handling and drivetrain, rather than the fancy and superficial bits. The short drive really dispelled all my earlier prejudice on E90. A lot of fine tuning and engineering time had actually gone into the E90.

You may wonder why I had the chance to drive this car. I was asked to deliver the car to its owner from a garage to replace the 2 flat tires because of punctures. Yes, two flat run-flat tires!

Removal Notice! Click Here to the New Address.

Hi, I have moved my blogs to the following.

http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/damondlam1234

I like Blogger a lot and its feature set but it has no hit counter.

Damond

My first blog on Yahoo!

網誌分類：Motoring Experience in Hong Kong |

網誌日期：2006-08-07 12:30

This is my first blog on the Yahoo. I was using Google before but there was no page hit records.

This blog will be about my motoring experience. You all know that Tiki has recently sold her C240 (W202, 1998) for a Year 2000 Silver Color 6-speed MX5 MK2.

Besides our new baby MX-5, my wife and I also enjoyed the ownership of a 1995 Mercedes-Benz C36 and a 1996 Honda Integra DC2 Type-R (this is actually a restored race car which has spent nearly two years full-time at the Zhuhai Race Track, China).

I will try to blog here for this week, until a point I feel comfortable around here.

If you want to see my old blogs and my other cars, here you go....

http://damondc36.blogspot.com/

If you interested in photography here is another of the site for my images....

www.pbase.com/damond

Our First Weekend with MX-5

We just spent our first weekend with the MX-5, 90% of the time with the top-down. It is really a revelating expereince motoring-wise. The MX-5 has completed our triplet collection - a sports car, a 4-door sedan and a race car, and has given the collection a fine balance. It has taken us a while to come to this point.

With MX-5, every road we have traveled many time before takes a new dimension. There was simply so much more to see, to feel and to hear. Despite the notorious air pollution in Hong Kong, we did not find any sign of the breathing problem or discomfort in our lungs.

I am happy to report that the air-conditioner has been powerful and kept the interior reasonably cool, even with the top down but the windows up. Of course most cool air escaped in the open air but with the fan level set at "2" and the vents directed to the body and face it felt cozy enough even under the sun, at least for a short while.

I have done a simple service check-up on Saturday. Engine oil and rear brake pads, windshield wiper were changed and the engine revved smoothly and we reported a bit sharper throttle response. I had the six-year old Bridgestone ER30 tires moved from the front to the rear wheels. The pair of one-year old Toyo Trampio Vimode offered much more grip, steering feel and snappy turn-in and removed any trace of understeer. However I did not like harsh ride, especially when the Toyos were not warmed up. I was planning on getting a new set of Michelin but the tire size (205/45R16) were not available in Hong Kong. I like Michelin because in every grade of their tires they always put ride comfort ahead of performance and grip. And I like that, except they don't have any stocks, regardless of models, for the MX-5.

In terms of handling, the little MX-5 has in fact made our C36 uninspiring to drive. Its light weight (1'035kg) and reasonable power-to-weight ratio were really a joy. In terms of straight-line acceleration it would not stand a chance against the C36 or the DC2. But MX-5 offers a different mix of road experience that we have long owed to ourselves. What surprises me is the way Mazda has engineered the body flex and long travel suspension together to create this amazing road holding. Of course it won't corner as hard or as quick as my DC2 under any condition but it certainly will outrun my C36 in 90% of tight and mid-radius corners. However the way that it put the tires on rough road surface of Hong Kong without any sign of traction breakaway was simply amazing. I could feel the suspension worked very hard and the body flexed and shaked but it never lost its composure and roadholding.

Typhoon Prapiroon & Our First Day with MX5

After meeting up with the owner in the morning we have been through heavy rains and gale force winds to have the title ownership transferred. Officially the MX5 (MK2, Year 2000, 6-speed and Silver) is Tiki's right now. However I was the one who had driven it for a few hours today, mainly to find out things needed to be repaired on the car. Believe me the car was so good and I was able to come up with a very 'short' list.

Here is my first impression.

With the hardtop on all day to protect us from the nature's elements the interior was quite cozy and stress-free. It felt like driving a small Japanese sedan without the back seat. The headroom with the hardtop on was surprisingly ample. Tiki and I never felt constricted and as a matter of fact did feel less stressful and less claustrophobic than being in the Mercedes SLK230. SLK230 was another strong consideration, which MX5 eventually won, over our heart by merely a hairline. The MX5's raking A-pillar did not eat into my personal space in the level of my head. I hate the fact that in some convertible that when I lean forward my head would hit the A-pillar (or have my eye poked).

It is a simple car with excellent engineering and design details. It impresses me not with the features and niceties it has, but with the lack of nuisances and list of faults of big and small, that would have me bothered and bewildered.

Because of its low stance, everything on the road seemed to be much bigger and taller. Even the red taxis we found everyday were two feet taller. All the Mercedes S-classes looked like minivans to us. However the MX5, seemed to be stable between 80-100kph with strong cross winds while traveling on the open highway, despite its light weight and the rear-wheel drive chassis. Not bad. It was the other motorists that I was worried since they could not keep their rides tracking true and straight.

In terms of ride and engine performance other than "acceptable" and "reasonable" I have not much to write home about, especially after the first day. Again it was the lack of nuisance and faults that really impress. Due to its 1,030kg weight the handling is nice and the pickup is reasonable quick. Turn-in was amazing even with the 6-year old Bridgestone ER30 in the front.

Let me continue with more update during or after the first weekend, after the hardtop can be removed and when the fun of open-top motoring begins.

Body Color and Rate of Depreciation

I read an interesting article in Car Magazine, Aug 2006 issue. You may clip the title above and access it on my pbase. I hope Car Magazine doesn't mind because it has so much good stuff worth buying every month for the past 18 years (at least for myself).

One of my favorite articles this month, which proves at least statistically my preference for body colors of cars. At least this time I can find some statistical support for my own taste for the Mercedes Benzs that I have owned. Still today I find silver and black are the best for most 4-door Mercedes. And Black or Metallic Dark Gray are also excellent. White or light colors do not show the complex curves and shape of the modern European cars. Silver and black tend not to make the Euro cars larger than they are. Silver has one advantage under the sun or summer temperature where it keeps the interior temperature more stable and relatively cool - perfect for nearly tropical weather of Hong Kong seven months a year. For Japanese cars silver is generally a big no no. White is my preference and that's the body color of my Honda DC2 Type R. There is an exception to it, and that's the Mazda MX-5 (or Miata), MK 1, 2 and 3.

C240 Update and Bye.....

As you can tell by the title, the lovely C240 that once belonged to Tiki, belongs to someone else now. It was last week (Thursday, July 27th, 2006). Before it was sold we sent it to the Pak Lok for its final service, removing the scratch marks on the left rear panel and putting new spark plugs in. I was not in Hong Kong so Tiki did all the ownership transfer. I gladly say that we find the right owner who deserves the car we have cared for the last 11 months.

Of course the reluctant sale was expected, in order to make space for Tiki's new dream ride.

Of course we feel a bit attached to the C240, after spending nearly 12,000 kms since mid August 2005. But we guess the arrival of the convertible will make us soon forget it. We are, after all, human being.

The search for the 'right' MX5 MKII.....

That's right, MK II. We found one sample with silver color/black leather interior trim MKII yesterday in great condition. Great looking rear end design with curvy front end and side. It has a bit more refined and ridgid than the MK Is we have tested so far. My first drive turned out to be an average experience because I had been following big trucks, with the top down, in the industrial zone. To summarize it was light-weight, quick and responsive in turns and corners, nimble and stress-free. It has a 6-speed manual transmission, in which the shift was closely packed and snappy. Not bad. The engine sounded a bit boomy and offered sufficient progress. Of course after using the lazy C36 big six and the torquey and powerful DC2 complete race engine, the 1.8L MX5 engine felt numb and flat. However it was there to sing with the chassis and dance thru the corners. Tiki thinks it might not have enough power for me to keep but I think with acceleration figure 0-100kph in a little bit over 8 seconds it would do alright.

First we need to sell our C240. We simply cannot have 4 cars at the same time.

Struggle In Compromise

A few of friends have this problem. And all of them had cars and enjoyed motoring in Hong Kong for a long time. I had the same problem, too, until roughly this time last year.

And for the same reason why I ended up with three cars today. The long-term problem was resolved somewhat a large. As a matter of fact I learned the solution from my other friends having a joy in their car ownership. The key is - Purity of Purpose. I was going to use it as my title of this blog that you are reading. However since I wrote down the "Struggle in Compromise" first, for the reason of spontaneity I would leave it at that.

In my own fleet I have three cars - two daily cars and one race car. Therefore you can almost conclude as I do, that some element is amiss. There is a lack of sports car. Sports car, by definition (at least by British motorists or car enthausiasts) has three elements - open top motoring, rear wheel drive and manual tranmission. Secondary traits include fun to drive, numble and good handling. It does not necessary have high engine output, but only enough to sing with the chassis and make the car handles in the twisties.

To be continued....

Michelin XM1

Sometimes the C240 was a bit harsh over broken pavement and roared over coarse road surface perhaps due to the Pirelli Dragon (Asia market only) tires and its hard and long-lasting compound. The tall side wall of the 195/65R15 did not help. Finally on the first day of July, I traded in the Pirelli for the Michelin XM1 205/60R15 (with softer compound but made in Thailand. Manufactured in 2006) for smoother ride and comfort. The shorter side wall and wider contact patch brought a tad more stability at speed and a better and decisive turn-in. The ride was now quieter overall and bump-thumps were muffled, but the slight rattling of the interior trims could be more heard and felt. Cornering limit was now slightly lower and the front tires would squeak under loading. To me it was a perfect trade-off. As the miles piling up, I found the performance edge of the XM1 satisfactory especially when driving briskly in thin traffic.

The XM1 was a recommendation from a long-time friend who has placed comfort and good handling on his top of his list. As a matter of fact he has equipped both of his 7-seater vans (Toyota Previa and Alphard) with the XM1. He has been happy with the comfort and ride quality.

Here is what Michelin describes the Energy XM1:
Michelin Energy XM1 is proof that a tyre can have it all. Enjoy five star comfort plus the perfect balance of fuel efficiency, longer tyre life and smooth performance.

I would not disagree a bit, after merely a week of use. French does place comfort and ride quality on top of the list when they design their products, even at the entry level XM1.

In Hong Kong there are so many tires out there with different design emphasis, over 50% of them from Japan. Personally I have tried many, both on the street and on the race circuit. However I think the tyre companies have sold them based on merits on price and, tire noise the aggressive road grips. For me I would value comfort and ride quality first before grips and handling. I am sure there are similar tyres like XM1 out there.

I have no idea how a Michelin would work for Japanese cars. I have always been a firm believer that European tyres are designed for European cars and Japanese tires for Japanese cars. Of course there must be exception here and there. And I also hear that Korean tires are coming through quickly. It is very easy to explain if you notice how a tire is designed and fined tuned during the product development cycles. And how the tires work with the chassis and the suspension. I am just wondering how many German and Japanese cars (very expensive in Korea) have been brought to fine tune their tires performance. Personally I think the development has not been completed yet. A few more years later it will be difficult to say the same thing.

MB C240 Updates

The C240 is a sweet 'basic' luxury car, and is my wife's ride. I bought it in September 2005 when I was driving a 1997 C200 which was under-powered (later replaced by C36). It is roomy inside and yet small enough outside, easy to park in tight spots. The ride is compliant and yet with Mercedes' firmness and drum-tightness.

The beige color interior is a nice and pleasant place to be. The vinyl, wood and MB-Tex interior is calm, nice to touch and look at. Of course I always wish for a glass sunroof and a leather trim (Elegance Package). But sometimes life is not perfect and lack of the Elegance package does not spoil the fun of the C240 ownership.

I bought this C240 for its rich old Mercedes feel and unraveling basic engineering and build quality. Newer Mercedes seem to lose this quality slowly and I don't need to remind myself every 5 minutes I am driving a Mercedes. This 1998 W202 is definitely telling you what it really is.

It feels solid and heavy despite the 1420kg weight, which is below average of the car in the same class - 1500kg. The other 1500kg like BMW 320i feels less heavy. In terms of ride it has the floating quality when you go over a hump and long undulation. Handling is sharp and predictable but not a quick and nimble one. Steering feel is present but you need to detect it. It leans and wallows and its weight shifts when I turn the steering wheel and brake. But I like it because it feels like driving and is more fun to drive than a BMW 3 series if I am not in a hurry. Acceleration is leisurely and barely adequate but I would not call it a deficiency. The engine is probably due for some replacement parts like new ignition coils and a new air-flow sensor that can read correct value to the ECU.

I have been thinking replacement like Mercedes SL or SLK, and BMW E46 3-series. I have put on sales ad on the internet for one week. But I hate to lose this car and would probably keep this sweet little Mercedes for another six months. My wife has always wanted a convertible.

And I spare no cost in terms of maintenance and keeping it at mint running condition.

An Afternoon with BMW 320i (E46)

I had the fortune to have a drive in a silver color 320i (2.2L in-line 6) for a Friday afternoon. It was a delightful car, solidly built and comfortable.

In terms of engine torque it was not too strong below 3000rpm but it was overall responsive and got the job done. Response after 3000rpm was a delight and the chassis would sing with the engine. It was more agile than C240 but yet stable at speed. For dense city traffic with lots of stop and go and fighting for spots, a bigger engine capacity like 2.5L or 3.0L would fair better. The small capacity 2.2L in-line six was not silent or vibration free at all while idling but became creamy smooth and extremely refined revving up.

Front and rear balance was top notch and I didn't feel the weight of the engine at all, unlike C240 which was slightly front heavy. But then C240 was a lighter car (1420kg) vs 320i (1500kg+). Again I must express my frustration with modern cars with excessive weight against their engine capacity. This 320i would be a great driving machine with some performance potential and fine balance if the weight could be kept below 1200kg. I knew it was a wishful thinking. This E46 would only shine if the engine capacity exceeded 3.0L but then we would be talking about a 1600kg of a small compact 4-door sedan (M3 4-door sedan?) It would be another overweight.

Seating position was not ideal in the first place but after the infinite adjustments it was okay. In terms of interior appointment it was light-years ahead of the C240 (W202). It was a much modern environment with excellent ergonomics. Mercedes also had good ergonomic of an old school design. I could not say which is better because Mercedes seemed to have very solid construction but with cheap hard plastic dashboard while BMW's was soft and luxury to touch. BMW interior had always been an eye-candy.

The 320i was a kind of dull below 50 or 60kph. After that speed it came awake. And in the twisties it came alive, especially in the left-right-lefts or right-left-rights. Shod with 225/45R16 in 4 corners, the 320i had plenty of grip and rode compliantly over broken pavement and yet the handling was responsive and decisive. I could tell the damping was excellent (much better than W202) and it had tons of wheel travel to cope with extreme road undulation. It was indeed a sweet surprise. Body lean in tight corners or at higher corner speed wasn't felt as it tended to be flat when 320i was asked to go around them.

No doubt E46 BMW 3 series was one of the greatest German daily cars. I would get one for myself as a daily car after W202. Since now I was so used to the leisurely torque of the C36, only a 330i would do the job for me now.