Acura TL Type S - 3000 year old technology finally improved

After the first wheel was invented it was probably not long until someone came up with the idea of bolting two wheels together and putting something on top. The wheel was first used most likely Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) but it was the Chinese that made the most drastic improvement through the invention of the differential. Let me explain:

When you run a race around a circular race track you know that it is best to run on the inside lane, why? Because running on the inside lane is the shortest distance around the track. The same can be said for your tires when you go around a corner. The two tires closest to the curve do not have to go as far as the tires on the outside of the curve. When you hear tires on a car squealing while it goes around a corner you are hearing the inside tires losing rubber because they are moving too far. The Chinese fixed this problem by inventing the differential, a device that allows two connected wheels to spin at different rates while turning. This made their chariots much better handling and made turning a lot more predictable. The one problem with differentials is that they essentially work by decreasing the speed of the inside tires, thus resulting in slowing down the entire vehicle. Honda however, developed technology called ATTS in 1997 and revolutionized the way cars operate.

ATTS works not by slowing down the inside wheel, but by speeding up the outside wheel. Think about it, you are going around a corner, the wheels start squealing, so the computer on the car decides that the best solution is to turn the car more quickly with the wheels that need to go farther, thus whipping the car around the corner in no time. Honda first used this technology in the Prelude, and Honda now uses it in their Acura line of cars, including the TL Type S.

Now the first thing that must be said of Acura, and Honda in general, is that this is a company that does not take many risks, especially when it comes to design. The last Honda worth talking about with regards to looks was the NSX, and that car has not been built since 2005. An S2000 is scarcely different from a Mazda Miata in terms of looks, which is a shame because the S2000 is a much better car from a mechanical standpoint. The TL if put into a lineup with an Accord, Camry, Mazda 6 and any other average sedan, would be difficult to pick out for the average observer. Compare that to say, a BMW 3 series or a Jaguar X-Type, whether you like them or not, both cars have a distinctive look that separates them from the crowd unlike the Acura.

Where the Acura beats the competition is technology. The Acura TL was the first car with bluetooth integration built in, as mentioned before the ATTS system was revolutionary, and Acura beat many other car companies to the punch when it came to MP3 player integration. The inside of the cabin feels like an electronics store, with lights and brushed aluminum everywhere. Everything looks and feels solid, good Honda engineering all around.

Now it must be said that when you drive the TL, or any Acura with the ATTS system for that matter, you are not usually going to feel the effects of the ATTS system. In fact, you really need to go to a track to experience that ATTS. But the TL feels like a solid and capable car from the beginning. It has great power and the computer does a good job of keeping the tires from spinning out of control without losing too much power. Acura offers an A-Spec package, which gives you larger wheels and a stiffer, lower suspension. With the A-Spec package the TL can keep up with the best performance luxury sedans on the market. There really is nothing negative to say about driving a TL and that is the problem, the TL is just too perfect. It is perfect to the point that it is forgettable.

When you drive an Infiniti G35 the rear wheel drive setup gives you the feel that you are riding an untamed horse that likes to buck every now and then. When you walk out to your driveway and see the distinct kidney grill of the BMW 3 series you are reminded that you are about to get into a car that handles like a free-spirited sports car. If you have a Jaguar you know that when you pull up to your friends house for dinner nobody else will have a Jag parked out front. The Acura seems like a plain Jane around its competition.

All that said the Acura is a GREAT car, it is just not a distinctive car. For some people the Acura is perfect. If you want a great car without any of the attention then the Acura is for you. If you like to look at your reflection in the glass of a building you are driving by and admire your car, perhaps you should get something a little more daring than a Honda.

Porsche 911 - the key is on the left

The key is on the left. If someone tosses you the keys to a Porsche 911 and you open the door and sit in the driver's seat the first thing that will jump out at you is the location of the ignition, it's on the left. It may seem strange at first. Why in the world would Porsche do that? Once you know the answer to that question, you will understand Porsche.

Porsche put the key on the left to help them get a faster start in the 24 Le Mans race. For nearly fifty years Le Mans started by having all the drivers line up their cars against a wall with the drivers lined up a few yards away. The starting flag would be waved and the drivers would run to their cars, jump in, start them up and drive off. Porsche put the key on the left so that the driver could jump in, turn the key with his left hand, push the clutch in with his foot and put the car in gear all at the same time, thus resulting in a faster start. Although the Le Mans is no longer started in the same manner, Porsche is a company of tradition, so even on new Porsches you will find the key on the left.

So that sets the tone for the company. At its core, Porsche is about building race cars, nothing else. So I am going to review the car that is the foundation of Porsche as we know it, the 911. Now, the 911 has been essentially the same for nearly 45 years. A 1964 911 looks strikingly similar to a 2008 911. The only other car to keep the same basic design for that long is the classic Jeep, which has been basically the same since WWII.

The layout of the 911 is what makes it most unique. The engine is in the back, and all the power is sent to the two rear wheels. (Porsche now makes an all wheel drive version, which is a little easier to handle.) With all the weight and power in the back the 911 could be quite a handful at times, depending on the engine you had. For this article I am going to talk about the 911 that was built between 1989 and 1993. I choose this version because it was the last 911 that was an example of unabashedly race-inspired German engineering in my humble opinion.

Sit in one of these older 911s and you will be shocked at how utilitarian the cabin is. The dials are there to tell you information, they are not trying to look pretty. The cabin is loud, you can hear both the engine and the tires clearly. The seats are leather, but that is the only way in which they are comfortable. You could use many words to describe the cabin but beautiful would not be one of them, a Ferrari this car certainly is not.

Now it must be said that it was during the 1989-93 911 run that Porsche began to offer an all wheel drive version for the first time, but I am not going to talk about that version, today I am strictly focusing on the classic, rear wheel drive configuration. When Porsche began putting turbo chargers on the 911, people jokingly referred to them as widow makers. The car had so much power going to the rear wheels that often times people would find themselves spinning out when the turbo finally kicked in after it overcame its lag. You could be driving around a curve with 200 horsepower going to the rear wheels, then the turbo kicks in and all of a sudden you have 300 horsepower going to the rear wheels, resulting in spectacular crashes when driven incorrectly. This trait made the 911 unique, and to many it made it too scary to drive, especially in poor weather.

There is something to be said for driving a car that feels like it can kill you at anytime. Taking a risk behind the wheel of a car makes the driver feel more alive. One time I was driving with a friend in his 911 and we went around a corner and next thing I know we are spinning into a gravel pit and came within feet wrapping the car around a tree. Did we stop joyriding after that? Of course not, we pushed the car out if the gravel, jumped right back in (started it up quickly, thanks to the key being on the left) and kept on driving like it was Le Mans.

Driving this car is a real pleasure. The transmission is solid, but it is possible to put it in the wrong gear so it takes time to get used to. The sound of the engine is classic Porsche, an engine like that was built for one purpose: racing. Everything feels solid in the car, you are not worried about it breaking at all. Unlike a Ferrari, this car feels like it is willing to drive 20,000 miles without you ever having to pop the hood and baby the engine. This car is not an Italian supermodel with an eating disorder; no this car is a hearty German woman named Heike, who might be able to beat you in an arm wrestling match.

The only downside to this car for me is the size. At 6'5" my legs are crunched, and I would have a hard time driving this car much longer than an hour or two. Other than that the car is a dream to drive. It is easy to see why 911 owners become Porsche enthusiasts, even apologetics. A true 911 owner will claim that the engine should alway be in the back, safety be damned!

If I were to buy a 911 I would most certainly buy an older one. The newer 911s are great, but there is something to be said for having a pure Porsche experience. What is great about 911s is that they can be used as a daily driver. They are durable cars, and most models have a semblance of a back seat to allow you to put your briefcase in. Believe it or not, you can get a decent 911 from the the years 89-93 for between $15-22 thousand dollars. Not a bad price for a car this much fun, and depreciation is next to nothing on these cars, so conceivably if you get a good deal on one, you could drive it for two years and sell it for the same price you bought it, especially if you keep it in great shape.

If you have the money to buy a new 911 go right ahead, they are faster, safer, and more comfortable than the old ones, but for my money I like a good classic. But whichever 911 you drive remember: the key is on the left.

Mercedes 560SEL - an automotive milestone

Sometimes there are pinnacles of engineering that set the standard for an entire industry. In airlines, it was the Boeing 747. It came out just in time for the the fabulous polyester lifestyle of the 1970s. It had two decks, and on early versions the upper deck was used as a bar/lounge, where passengers could go and be funky in their Afros and bell bottoms whilst listening to Three Dog Night.

What made the 747 special though was that it was by far the best plane in the air. It held more passengers than any other plane, in fact it took 35 years for any company to build a larger plane. It had four huge engines, and it looked different from any other plane on the runway. I once flew on a 747 from Seattle to New York and the upper deck was used for something called Ambassador Class which was designed for important people like me who consider First Class accommodations quaint. (OK, I got a free upgrade for some reason, but that seat was practically the size of a small couch and at 6'5" I appreciated the space.) The 747 set the standard for planes for nearly four decades, and it is hard to imagine any current plane setting a standard quite like that in our lifetime.

In the car world there is a similar pace setter, a car so great that everyone else tried to mimic its greatness. That car is the Mercedes S-Class, and in this case I am looking at the 560SEL. (Model years1986-1991 if you're counting.) To give you an idea of how great the Mercedes S-Class is here is a list of equipment that first appeared on the S-Class before almost any other car:

-Anti-lock brakes
-Air bags
-Traction control
-Seatbelt pre-tensioners
-Crumple Zones
-Three Point seatbelts

Although some of these features appeared on other cars first, Mercedes opened the door to making these features standard in cars throughout the auto industry.

But the 560SEL is special not just for the technology it brought, but also for what it represented. In the eighties if you were a big shot on Wall Street you drove to your home in the Hamptons in an S-Class. If you were a ruthless dictator, you would not be caught dead oppressing anyone in anything other than an S-Class. If you were the bad guy in a movie about international intrigue you would be driving an S-Class. If you were a rich oil tycoon in the Middle East you started each day with your driver opening the door to your gold-plated S-Class.

In 1988 a 560SEL would cost you $70,000, that is a lot of money even today, but think about how much that seemed like 17 years ago. If you sit in a 560SEL today the cabin will feel a little dated compared to today's cars. The original stereo was not that great then to be honest, and it seems especially weak nowadays. But you forget all that when you turn it on a drive.

The 560 had a huge 5.6 liter V8 engine, and considering how massive the car was, it needed all 5.6 liters to move it. It was rear wheel drive and as soon as you got this car on the highway it was apparent that it was made for long cruises. The leather seats were practically indestructible so don't be surprised if you see one today with seats that look pristine. (Although I have noticed that the driver's seat can develop wear spots, especially if the driver was, how can I put this delicately? Had some junk in the trunk.) It is a car that is easy to drive on a highway and it makes you want to find excuses to drive long distances.

What I loved most about this car is how it made me feel. I felt like I was a head of state, or a big player on Wall Street. If you had passengers in it each one felt like they were in a swank hotel lounge, rather than a passenger in a car. It looked so dignified and respectable, people would pull to the side of the road and let you by because they figured you had someplace important to be. OK, maybe I exaggerated on that last one, but you get my point.

After the 560SEL car the luxury car market became diluted in the nineties. Lexus came in and built the LS400, which looks remarkably similar to the 560SEL, only it was more reliable and more refined. Acura began producing the Legend, BMW beefed up the 7 series, and Jaguar began building better cars than they had in the eighties. But all of them were essentially odes to the greatest luxury sedan of the past 30 years, the Mercedes 560SEL.

Four Days a Year

The average commute is 25 minutes in the U.S., which means the average person spends at least 4.3 days a year in their car. That is the equivalent of a vacation every year, just sitting in your car. Now, if I told you that you had to spend four days in a row in your car would you look forward to it? If you answer 'no' to that question you probably drive a terrible car. What I mean by terrible is not that the car doesn't drive well or is unreliable, I mean that the car does not inspire passion inside you. Look, if you were to go on vacation for four days would you choose to sit in a shower? Would you sit in an elevator for four days? Both sound ridiculous, but someone out there is sitting in a car that is as exciting as an elevator in a government building. Why on earth would they do that? I have no idea. But there is hope, and this blog will attempt to save such poor and unfortunate souls.

Now, if I say that you are going to spend four days in a row in your car do you imagine being parked and staying in your car, or do you imagine driving for four days? The answer to this question is important because it says a lot about who you are as a driver.

If you imagine being parked for four days then you are the kind of person I describe as a "passenger with a steering wheel in front of them." For someone who is a passenger they care more about comfort, ergonomics, and ease of driving above everything else. A passenger never really cares about something like the sound of the exhaust, or the how fast the rubber on the tires heats up. A passenger wants to to get to their destination comfortably and with as little drama as possible.

Now, if you are the type of person who imagines driving for four consecutive days then you may be a driver. A driver may prefer a manual to an automatic transmission or turn the stereo down so they can hear the engine purr. Drivers care less about what their car looks like and more about how their car feels and drives. An ugly car is fine if it outperforms most other cars for drivers. A driver keeps a car in the garage so they can tinker with it, while a passenger keeps their car in the garage so they don't have to scrape ice off of it in the winter.

Since the average person does spend over four days a year in their car then it is important that they know which kind of driver they are, a passenger or a driver. This blog will attempt to show its readers how driving can be a vacation, even in everyday traffic.

So the next time you get into your car look around and ask yourself, do you want to spend the next four days in your car? Because like it or not, you are going to spend more than 96 hours in that car this year.