Draco-REX

Saw a C8 on 270 today. It looks a LOT better on the road than in pictures. All the pictures I've seen make it look kind of oddly proportioned. But on the road it looked really good. I like it a lot more now.

I admit, that past evidence has shown that I drop cars quickly. But not always by choice. Things change. This is my third attempt at a comfortable car to keep for a while. The Audi was traded when we needed something more practical. Then I tried again with the V and then we bought a house. This time, I'm hoping all the big life changes are behind me and I can keep this car for longer. To be fair, however, I will look at what the G70 is like in 3-5 years and see if I want to trade up. But If it's not notably better, I may stick with this 2019. Time will tell. I did consider other makes, including bimmers. But everything of this size is in a similar weight class. All the good sport trims sacrifice ride quality. And the price/convenience of the G70 was a HUGE sell. As for manual.. I have the BRZ for when I want to row my own. Yup. That was me. Going to try to get them test fit on the car this weekend and take some pics.

Yup, G70 manual is only 252hp 2.0T RWD. But then a "Tuner" Luxury car is a bit of an oxymoron.

Not any time soon. Got tons of warranty to go. But there is a piggyback for it. It claims up to 100 awhp, though I'm thinking that requires corn.

Thanks. The Stinger and G70 share a platform. But the G70 is about 6 inches shorter and almost 200lbs lighter. Not to mention I think the G70 looks better.

Earlier this year Dennis Hyundai of Dublin also became Genesis of Dublin. With that, the G70 arrived on our lot. I had heard a little about the G70 before, but after seeing them in person they really got my attention. After work I went home to check out reviews, hoping and praying that they didn't review well because I wasn't in a position to get one. Nope, Motor Trend Car of the Year. Every review I saw loved the car, and most felt the G70 is a better 3 series than the current 3 series. And so my obsession grew. Last month, I was finally able to get my finances in order. Last week, I drove this home: A 2019 Genesis G70 3.3t AWD Sport in Victoria Black. Lets just get this out of the way, shall we? HYUNDAI LOL AUTO LOL KIMCHI LOL 4 DOORS LOL Feel better? Ok, back to the review: Why? A few reasons. I miss the CTS-V. It was a beast and was also really comfortable for long trips. The Volt, while perfect for daily driving around town, was a bit uncomfortable for long trips; great drivetrain, I just wish GM put it in a better car. Another reason is that for the past year the Volt was the wife's primary car, leaving me the Evo and BRZ for daily driving duties. I really wanted a quieter, more comfortable car for long trips and daily use. I also wanted something with ALL the toys. The G70 fit the bill in spades. The Specs: 3.3L Twin-Turbo V6 making 365hp/375tq 8-Speed torque converter transmission, developed by Hyundai. AWD with a variable torque split from 50F/50R to 10F/90R Rear mechanical LSD 3,887lb Curb weight Exterior: Full Album Here. Some really like the styling, some find it a bit derivative. Personally, I like it, but I do see elements from other makes here and there. I'm also not a huge fan of how the chin of the front bumper angles upwards. But getting past that, it's a pretty good looking car. It has classic RWD sedan lines and muscular styling with nicely flared fenders. The Sport comes with darkened chrome trim with Copper tones and matching 19" 5-spoke wheels. Interior: I can never take good pics on interiors, so here's one from the internet (warning: large): https://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/jpg/201709/2018-genesis-g70-3.jpg The Sport trim gets full diamond-stitched seats with either Red of Silver stitching. When I first saw that stitching I was floored. I thought it looked like a Bentley. Funny enough, Genesis grabbed a lot of talent from Europe, including the Head of Design from Bentley. So that wonderful stitched Napa leather is no surprise. Overall, I think the interior looks really nice. Everything is well laid out and right where you expect it to be. It does have a tacked-on screen for the GPS, but it's not like you won't find that in a Merc or Audi either. The seats are very comfortable and are both heated and ventilated. The steering wheel has extra deep cutouts for your thumbs and the center console is just the right height. One little bit of genius, in my opinion, is the shift lever. It's a shift by wire system, so the lever only handles R, N, D. Park is actuated by a button. What I find really neat is that the lever has 3 states, 4 positions, but only 2 detents. And yet, it's completely intuitive to use. But while I admire the thought that went into the design, I think they should have just gone straight to a push-button selector like they are doing on the Palisade and the new Sonata. Technology: This car has almost everything. It certainly has everything I wanted. Heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel, HUD, adaptive cruise, Android Auto, and adjustable suspension were on my list of must-haves. But it goes beyond with Active Lane Keeping assist that almost drives the car for you. Auto Hold that keeps the car in place without your foot on the brake. Surround cameras with selectable views is a great bonus. And the list just goes on and on. Granted, the infotainment system looks the same as what you'll find in a lot of Hyundais, but that's not a big deal for me. It works well, which is the most important thing. Genesis can work on making it more "Bespoke" later. What's it like to drive? Very good. Another bit of European talent Genesis poached is Albert Bierman from BMW's M division, and it shows. The G70 is surefooted no matter what I've asked of it. The steering is quick and responsive and the chassis doesn't hesitate. It isn't soft and it doesn't wallow, but it also doesn't beat you up at all. My wife put the level of comfort up there with the CTS-V. I can't wait to take it on the long drive to the coast later this year. Now, I have a SEETHING hatred for conventional torque converter autos. Every single one I've ever driven has had me screaming at one time or another. Usually when taking off from a stop, where the auto transmission and the engine hold a committee meeting to determine the proper rpm and gear to proceed in. It's idiotic and I don't understand how people put up with it. So I was worried when the only transmission you get with the V6 and/or AWD is a torque-converter auto. But all the reviews had a lot of good things to say about this transmission so I took a G70 for a test drive to see if it was really as good as they say. It is. I haven't driven a ZF 8-speed, but even if it's better than this one, it can't be by much. Previous to this car my top PRNDL transmissions were, in order: The direct-drive Volt, The S5 DCT, and the Evo's Getrag SST. The transmission in the G70 is on par with Audi's DCT. The shifts are quick and it doesn't hesitate at all; it feels like a dual-clutch. And, miracle of miracles, the transmission knows it should be in 1st gear when leaving from a stop and it just goes like the Volt and S5 do. Also (I haven't tested this yet) supposedly it'll hold a gear in manual mode and bounce off the rev limiter if the car is in Sport mode and the traction control is turned off. My only gripe is that it doesn't have a Manual mode selection on the shifter so it likes to change back to D under certain conditions. But this is a Luxury car, not a sportscar. The engine is great. The turbos, though small, are tucked right up against the heads so they spool nearly instantly. Power comes on fast, and the car just leaps forward. And the AWD system just lets the car leave the line like it's in a slingshot. I'm not through break-in yet, so I haven't tested the launch control, but it seems to be pretty good according to the reviews. Overall, this is a great car. And I think it's going to be too easy to over look it because of the badge, but that would be a disservice for someone looking for a car in this class. It really ticks all the boxes. And that's not even taking into account that it is priced well below the competition when you compare features. How does it compare to the S5 and CTS-V? 2014 S5: I have to give the nod to the G70's styling, seats, engine, and suspension. The S5's interior had some nicer bits, but not everywhere, so it's kind of a wash between the two. 2013 CTS-V: Nothing can compare to the V's engine, or it's sheer presence on the road. But the G70's interior is FAR better. Ride is similar, but the G70 handles better. Obviously, the G70's tech is far better than both, but that's the difference of 5+ years. Again, if a 3 Series, A4, C-Class, or similar is on your short list, you owe it to yourself to check out a G70.

I think NAPA has M1 at 5.99 per quart for the rest of this month.

Don't know about CRV owners specifically, but Honda owners in general seem to be the least capable of properly operating their lights. 9 times out of 10 if there's a car with high beams on in traffic, or no lights in bad weather, or running with only DRLs in the dark, it's a fucking Honda. Either they attract that type of disengaged driver, or their instrument panel design is poorly through out across their model lines.

I haven't asked the sales guys yet. But I'd be surprised, it's Motortrend's car of the year and it's priced well below it's competition already. Either way, I'm not in a spot to get one right now.

The G70 is my current obsession for a DD. It pretty much ticks all the boxes.

RE71Rs. Then clean out any loose objects in your car, because they'll become projectiles in the corners.

Bellvue Washers.

This year ODOT barely salted.. UNTIL last weekend when we barely got that much snow, where they dumped so much salt my street was white. It's bullshit and obviously them crying "We don't have enough" through most of the winter, then spending as much as possible at the end to justify their budget request for next year.

I can live with DCTs. If the new performance torque converter transmissions are as DCT-like as the reviews say, then I could live with them too. But I'm not a fan of these crazy-high gear counts. I manually shift my Evo SST to maintain my sanity. I don't think I'd enjoy manually shifting through 10 gears. Ultimately, I'll do what I can to keep a stick shift in my stable, and preferably in my daily. Once I saw that automatics had become more efficient and quicker than manuals, I knew the manual transmission was on the way out. It sucks, but there's really no reason for manufacturers to continue supplying them in anything but the cheapest of the cheap.

Both the Ohio Valley Region and Western Ohio Region of the SCCA team up to put on RallyCross events. We have two locations this year and will also be hosting a National event. 4/27 - OVR Regional Event at Ross County Fairgrounds. 5/19 - WOR Regional Event at Ross County Fairgrounds. (This is the day after the Southern Ohio Forest Rally) 6/15-6/16 - Great Lakes Division/OVR National Tour Event at Ross County Fairgrounds (2 Day event) 7/20 - WOR Regional Event at Bitzer's Farm. 8/24 - WOR Regional Event at Bitzer's Farm. 9/20-9/22 - SCCA Dirtfish RallyCross National Championship at the National Balloon Classic in Iowa. 10/12 - OVR Regional Event at Bitzer's Farm. 10/26 - OVR Regional Events at Bitzer's Farm. Ross County Fairgrounds 344 Fairgrounds Rd, Chillicothe OH 45601 Bitzer's Farm 1697 Upper Twin Rd, Greenfield OH 45123 National Balloon Classic 15335 Jewell St, Indianola IA 50125

Not entirely. But the stress vs pay ratio is better than most jobs I've had. "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life." I tried that once. It just turned what I love into a job. So I work a job I can live with so that I can do what I love when I'm not working.

I've been looking to build a sim racing setup in my basement. I was originally going to go with a triple screen setup, but I'm thinking a VR headset would be better. Along with the depth perception increase, the ability to look around the cockpit and check blind spots would be fantastic.

I'll have to see it in person. I don't think the camera angles were very flattering. Well, I *hope* it was the camera angles. I'm curious about how it will drive and the price. Though I think the price will likely be high enough that I'd rather get something more special.

I was doing the Triple Nickle on Mondays when I had them off. Now that I don't, I'm going to have to find a time to do it. It's a great road, but definitely on the upper end of difficulty.

The RallyX Subaru was a BEAST. I took it to 2nd last year, and the guy who bought it took 2nd this year. I felt, however, that to compete with the Evos, I really needed the right conditions. I had been racing Subarus for 9 years and wanted to try something new to see if I could take a step further. But I also didn't want to just get the same thing that had been beating me at Nationals (Evo 9). I've always liked the Evo X. But even with it's trick AWD system, the X had never done well at national level RallyX competitions, so I took that as a challenge. 7 of the 10 runs at nationals I had the fastest time of the run group. I overcooked the launch control on one run which cost me at least 5 seconds. At the end of the event I was 3rd; only 4 seconds from 1st. If I don't use launch control and manage the transmission heat better, a championship should be well within my grasp. The X requires that you drive it a certain way. If you don't, it's just another heavy AWD car, and the STI I had will take it all day long. But if you do drive it in a way that lets it use it's whole bag of tricks, it is a stunning car. I half wish I had picked one up earlier, but half don't, as learning on the Subaru AWD system taught me stuff that I'd never have learned on the X.

In general, I want to get to more RallyX and AutoX events this year. Last year SUCKED with only 3 events total. Definitely 1 RallyX events per month with AUtoX events squeezed in where I can. I specifically want to get to an event at Dragway 42. This year is also the year that I'm going to take 1st at the SCCA RallyCross National Championship. Last year I had the times to be first, except for a mechanical issue. I need to bring it together and take the top spot. BRZ: There's a lot I want to do to it, but I need to resist the urge unless it's something cheap and easy. The Evo needs more attention. Evo: I need to do something about the clutches. They need replacement/upgraded, and I really should have the transmission overhauled when I do. It's going to be tough finding the money and time. I also will be giving the HotBits rally coilovers another chance. Finally got them rebuilt, so hopefully they hold together longer than 3 runs. If they don't, I'll have to figure something else out. There were other things I need to do to the Evo, but the clutches are now a priority so they'll have to wait until that gets done first.

This was fun, like the others. I think it was a bit donut-heavy though. I would really like to see more Point A to Point B driving. Something like a vehicular parkour, or Gymkhana-meets-Bullit. But I know that would probably be boring for most viewers.

I had a similar view until I saw the data laid out like this: https://xkcd.com/1732/ Take of it what you will, and I know that correlation is not the same as causation, but that is a wild jump that was kicked off as we started pumping pollutants into the atmosphere. Historical data shows that this warming is unlikely to be natural in any meaningful way. Regardless of where the blame goes, shit needs to be done.

Grats! It always strikes me that in some ways, that makes you more American than I am. I like that fact.