Comparison run

Here's a comparison run from 3000 RPM to 7000 in first, to top of 3rd gear between 2 cars.

Car with red trace is accelerating harder. Car with black trace has weight disadvantage and running lower boost. Doesn't make 1 bar of boost until 6000 RPM.

Note the difference in air intake temps!

Fifteen years ago, on this month...

Ron Gilbert and gang unleashed upon an unsuspecting public what would turn out to be possibly the best adventure game of all time.

Evo X Concept!

Evo X Concept

Oh man this car looks too cool to describe. Autoblog has more details.

OKCupid! Politics Test

You are a Social Liberal (63% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (35% permissive) You are best described as a: Democrat Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid

I'm Gorby's cheek! Not too shabby :)

Evo 9 RS wreck :(

Saw these pics of a totalled Evo 9 RS, accident appears to be in Japan. The cabin seems to be in pretty decent shape, although the gearbox is a goner.

http://203.223.68.44/img/0664996734/0001.jpg
http://203.223.68.44/img/0664996734/0002.jpg
http://203.223.68.44/img/0664996734/0003.jpg
http://203.223.68.44/img/0664996734/0004.jpg
http://203.223.68.44/img/0664996734/0005.jpg
http://203.223.68.44/img/0664996734/0006.jpg
http://203.223.68.44/img/0664996734/0007.jpg
http://203.223.68.44/img/0664996734/0008.jpg
http://203.223.68.44/img/0664996734/0009.jpg
http://203.223.68.44/img/0664996734/0010.jpg
http://203.223.68.44/img/0664996734/0011.jpg
http://203.223.68.44/img/0664996734/0012.jpg
http://203.223.68.44/img/0664996734/0013.jpg
http://203.223.68.44/img/0664996734/0014.jpg

GTR vs Evo

Colonel Mullet compares the GTR and the Evo:

Long-termers on here may already know about my love-hate relationship with my Skyline R34 GTR. It was and probably still is my ‘dream car’ but it failed to fill the hole left by my Evo 6 to such an extent that when the wife’s car (the sensible, practical, 2nd car) was due for replacement we ended up with another Evo. And of course, since then the GTR has been languishing in the garage doing not a lot. So, it was time to see if it could be turned into something worth driving rather than just something nice to look at. Having already done the visual mods with a Nismo body kit and Trust lowering springs to sort out the comedy ride height (come back from the continent and remember to check your wheelarches for asylum seekers) it was time for an Abbey Stage 1 conversion…


Figures first. 326bhp @ the hubs, 400bhp @ the pub. Not too impressive these days – especially compared to what people are getting from a Stage 1 Evo 9. Still, a significant upgrade from the original and the result of a full exhaust system, induction kit, ECU, boost controller and remap. So what changes does it bring? The first thing is the full-throttle noise; this car now howls in a frighteningly bestial way - every trip to 7500rpm brings you the glorious sound of a yeti getting his todge caught up in his fly zip. It’s a schizo thing, too, as at normal speeds it’s just as quiet as standard. Of course, lifting off brings the obligatory pops, bangs and the occasional chavtastic flame although presumably it can’t be overfuelling too much as it now does at least 50 miles more to a tank. If you’re brutal with the lift-off you can also get a dog-yelp noise (think Jack Russell sitting on a cactus) which is rather amusing.


The second thing is the choice of performance - the stealth-installed boost controller in the driver’s sunglasses compartment has three boost settings, all labelled “F*ck”: 0.8 bar (F*ck that’s slow, have the turbos broken?); 1.0bar (F*ck, now that’s more like it) and 1.2bar (F*ck, now I really have broken the turbos). I’m sure the 1.2 setting is fine really but adding high boost to ceramic turbines is like bringing Ian Paisley to the Pope’s birthday party – it’ll be fun for a short while but fireworks are guaranteed and you know it’ll all end in tears. Possible best saved for special occasions, then. Which is, of course, why I’ve been driving everywhere with it on max… ah well, if you shut the compartment you can’t see the overboost warning light anyway…


Now to the real question: Is it quicker than an Evo? At long last, I think the answer is yes. Acceleration in the “John Holmes” geared GTR has always been a more drawn out affair than the sprint-special Evo and the ‘linear’ effect is clearly exaggerated by the power increase. It feels like 80-120 is as quick as 40-80 (which given the still-very-much-present lag in 2nd gear at 40 may actually be true). Hit 5th at 125 or so and things get silly as it starts pulling harder than a 13-year old with his first Razzle. I have never kept my foot in to see where it would end up but I suspect this car can now hold its own in most dual-carriageway duels. Dare I say it, it would probably beat off anything below a FQ-340. And as we all know, beating off is where the fun’s at.


So, do I finally have a car that is as enjoyable to drive as my old standard Evo 6 or the wife’s GT-A? Well, nearly. The noise and the speed are genuinely fun but as usual there’s a pube on the soap bar… for this car it remains the computer that controls the ‘handling’. Have you ever seen a silicon chip wearing a chestwig and medallion? If not, have a look in the boot compartment of a GTR and check out Mr ATESSA. He’ll be sat there, gold connectors glinting like teeth, wishing he was in a real man’s car like a Mk3 Supra but in the meantime ensuring he impresses the laydeez with a super-macho display of manly oversteer at every possible opportunity. The end result of the Mr Hero-chip’s efforts is that the GTR wags its tail more than a Labrador with Down Syndrome. This is most noticeable when attempting to perform basic, everyday manoeuvres like overtaking. In these situations, the Evo loves to be flicked. I mean, really loves to be flicked. Like a lesbian with no arms. Engage acceleration, flick onto opposite carriageway, fly past and flick back in again. No fuss, no drama. Trying to flick a GTR in this way is like attempting to bugger a sleeping lion. If you take it steady and you’re really, really smooth you might, just might, escape with your life. Get it even slightly wrong and it’ll wake up and have your bóllocks for breakfast.


The standard car was the same, but with the power upgrade it’s now even more keen to play Ditchfinder General when you’re trying to pass slower traffic. The only way to do it is to proceed at a very gentle angle onto the opposite carriageway, straighten up and ensure there is no more than 0.0001 degree of steering lock applied, floor the throttle, wait for the lag, check your foot to see that the mat hasn’t got stuck under the throttle as you still don’t appear to be going anywhere, check that the steering wheel is still perfectly aligned, observe the approaching lorry that is now rather closer than it was, wait a bit more for the turbos to wake up, ignore the wife calmly pointing out the apparent imminence of death, hold on tight to make sure you’re absolutely dead straight as everything goes warp speed and you scream past three more cars than you’d intended to pass, tuck back in very gently to avoid any sudden movements that may rouse Mr ATESSA from watching his re-runs of Magnum PI in the back, wave politely at the lorry driver who’s doing the special “I’ve seen a Skyline” wave that everyone does (you know, the wrist-action one) and then laugh as you look in your mirror and see one of the Rovers you overtook slew off into a field after the pensioner driving has a coronary from your exhaust noise. It’s kind of fun, but then so is train-surfing or crocodile wrestling or wanking on the bus… either way, one day you’ll get caught out and the result won’t be very pretty.


What’s the conclusion? A Stage 1 GTR is finally a worthy competitor for a standard Evo – I can actually be bothered to get the thing out of the garage to go to work now, which has to be an improvement. However, what the Stage 1 kit, springs and bodykit highlight more than anything is just how utterly, completely, unforgivably crap a standard GTR is. It looks unfinished; it’s pathetically slow; it’s got a stupidly harsh ride; it drinks petrol; it doesn’t handle… in short once you look past the hype it really is a rubbish car. Be in no doubt – the towering legend of the GTR is built entirely on race-bred versions flying round Bathurst, massively modified cars being driven round the ‘ring by pro drivers and, of course, your mate’s cousin’s brother’s one that has a thousand horsepower. None of which have anything at all to do with the sorry effort that Nissan stuck in the showrooms. Fair play, you could say the same about Evos and their rally heritage but next time you hear someone talking about road-going Evos having bugger-sod to do with the rally cars on which their reputation was founded, remember that a standard, unmodified Evo is still a blindingly capable car. Perhaps Nissan will raise their game with the new GTR in 2007 or perhaps they’ll continue peddling a substandard product on the back of the brand’s image. Whatever, until then the MLR can keep on winning the TOTB handling while the GTROC entrants can keep fishtailing into the cones like a bunch of auctioneers… going… going… gone!

By the numbers:

1999 Nissan Skyline R34 GTR
Power: 208 kW (280PS) @ 6800
Torque: 392 Nm (289.1 lb-ft) @ 4400
Weight: 1666 kg (3673 lbs)

2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR
Power: 208 kW (280PS) @ 7500
Torque: 407 Nm (300 lb-ft) @ 3500
Weight: 1410 kg (3109 lbs)

:(

Just read that the US Evo forum owner was killed by a driver who intentionally plowed into him. He was only 26.

EvoM link
CNN link

Wiki in Chinese

This is the first time I've ever come across an URI with a page name encoded in Chinese. And yes, the selected topic is the geeky subject of red-black trees.

Datalog from Sepang

These histograms were from a run made last year at Sepang. Click on the thumbnails to view a larger image.

Late throttle application... not maximizing the engine's torque.

On to the second histogram. By the time 6000 RPM swings around the car is only making 1 bar of boost more than 75% of the time. Car is not even making boost half the time at 5000 RPM! Less time braking and more time accelerating would be good.

Last histogram. Intake air temps well under control even under boost.

Lego Church 04

Lego Church 04

Whoa, check this out... the person who came up with this is simply brilliant...

Ministry of Sound

So Ministry of Sound is finally opening in Singapore... Adrian used to wonder how the name could pass registration at RCB since in theory a person could be misled to think it's an actual department within the government... that would be funny if it were true...

6 figure salary

West Virginia resident Bob Kiblinger is one of the pioneers of the virtual marketplace. He started playing a game called Ultima Online in 1998 and discovered he could make money by buying other players' accounts and reselling their virtual property online.

Eventually he quit his job as a chemist with Procter & Gamble Co. and now says he makes "six figures" annually selling items for more than a dozen online games through his site, GamingTreasures.com. "I had a really good job with Procter & Gamble, but I wanted to be in control of my own destiny," Kiblinger said. "This was it. It was perfect."

KNN...

Link

Mitsubishi Sportback concept car

Props to Axl for sending me this link on evolutionm.net: seems that Mitsubishi unveiled a sports hatch concept was unveiled at Frankfurt. Will this be the new Evo X?

Looks a little like a Lexus RX300 from the back.

Autoblog link

Slip/launch control on MoTeC

Original thread from BMWSG forums:

One of the unique features of the Heffner Twin Turbo Vipers is the AEM management system. Heffner is the only Viper tuner to use an engine management system to regulate the boost and fuel for the twin-turbo set up. One main advantage of this is that lower boost can be run at certain times to make the car drivable on the streets. It's one thing to build a 1000 horsepower car, but an entirely different accomplishment to build one you can actually drive on the street. In theory, the more horsepower you have the better, but actually driving a car with this amount of horsepower on the street can be quite difficult and many times dangerous. Here's a helpful hint: if your car can lose traction at 100 mph or more when you give it too much gas, then you should probably stick to the drag strip. With the AEM system, however, boost is regulated until the wheel speed increases enough to make the car drivable at any speed. Heffner has allowed horsepower freaks to have their cake and eat it too.

I would call this a boost/fuel compensation map(s) based on wheel speed which is nothing special. On a turbo car such as this Viper you lose "anti-lag" abilities, since boost is regulated. A better way would be to introduce gradual ignition cut based on calculated wheel slip in conjunction with a rev limit.

Compensation Channel Assignment

Here is how I would implement such a system in a MoTeC setup. First, assign the wheel slip voltage to be a compensation channel for both fuel and ignition. Note the number of possible channel sources; there are more than 50 possible sources to choose from.

Channel Assignment

Next, assign wheel slip voltage to a pin so the ECU knows what it is.

Sensor Calibration Table

Now we need to calibrate the ECU to read the sensor. 0V means no slip, 5V means 100% slip.

Ignition Compensation Table

This is the ignition compensation table. Right now it's set up so that if there's 50% slip, then we introduce a 50% ignition cut. No slip means no ignition cut so the car can continue to put all its available power to the ground. If it's slipping 100%, then just cut ignition totally. Sensible and straight-forward. It's just as easy to set up the fuel compensation table.

Traction Control Function (advanced)

For ECUs with advanced functions enabled, this screen allows a whole lot more parameters to be set up so we can skip all those previous steps.

Behold! A new Ferrari...

Lickable goodness!

What's better than a standard Ferrari? A Challenge model, of course! Check it out.

Link

Be With Me...

WARNING: Spoilers ahead.

The film's protaganist is certainly a remarkable woman, and it's been said that the film evokes tears from the audience, yet I didn't feel any emotional connection with her, which reinforces the documentary tag; she is capable despite being doubly handicapped, and leads a life no less fulfilling than other "regular" people.

The other two sub-stories were superfluous. Making the star-crossed lovers a lesbian couple didn't do anything to provoke thought or enhance the film in any way. And the "secret admirer" dude... that was just plain black comedy.

The director needs to work on an action film sometime soon cos I'm getting sick of the clichéd arty farty mood shots which contribute nothing to the story or character development.

Overall the film was well-executed, pace was a little slow. I wouldn't recommend it unless there's nothing else to watch.

Ten years ago, on this very day...

Television ads flash the cryptic words: (e)NOS.

People, mostly college-age kids, were packing the malls in anticipation of one thing.



Happy Tenth Anniversary to the US Playstation.

Gear change ignition cut

This is the options screen for gear change ignition cut, also known as flatshift or no-lift shift. There are five ways you can do GCIC on a MoTeC, via:

1) gear voltage
2) a switch
3) a clutch pedal position switch
4) RPM limit
5) throttle position angle change

You also get to specify minimum RPM and minimum throttle angle before this feature kicks in, as well as the cut level, and any spark retard. The benefit? If it's programmed correctly, it will be less stressful on your drivetrain when shifting quickly through gears. On turbocharged vehicles, you also make instant boost between gear shifts. About 0.5 bar in my case. Needless to say, this makes an extremely huge difference in the way the car accelerates in an all-out effort.

Dead ringer for Robert De Niro

President Hosni Mubarak

Saw this picture of President Hosni Mubarak on Wikipedia and felt he bears an uncanny resemblance to Robert De Niro, albeit a portlier version ;)

Enneagram Type Five

Via zeenie...


free enneagram test

Profile Summary for Enneagram Type Five

Healthy: Observe everything with extraordinary perceptiveness and insight. Most mentally alert, curious, searching intelligence: nothing escapes their notice. Foresight and prediction. Able to concentrate: become engrossed in what has caught their attention. / Attain skillful mastery of whatever interests them. Excited by knowledge: often become expert in some field. Innovative and inventive, producing extremely valuable, original works. Highly independent, idiosyncratic, and whimsical. At Their Best: Become visionaries, broadly comprehending the world while penetrating it profoundly. Open-minded, take things in whole, in their true context. Make pioneering discoveries and find entirely new ways of doing and perceiving things.

Average: Begin conceptualizing and fine-tuning everything before acting — working things out in their minds: model building, preparing, practicing, and gathering more resources. Studious, acquiring technique. Become specialized, and often "intellectual," often challenging accepted ways of doing things. / Increasingly detached as they become involved with complicated ideas or imaginary worlds. Become preoccupied with their visions and interpretations rather than reality. Are fascinated by off-beat, esoteric subjects, even those involving dark and disturbing elements. Detached from the practical world, a "disembodied mind," although high-strung and intense. / Begin to take an antagonistic stance toward anything which would interfere with their inner world and personal vision. Become provocative and abrasive, with intentionally extreme and radical views. Cynical and argumentative.

Unhealthy: Become reclusive and isolated from reality, eccentric and nihilistic. Highly unstable and fearful of aggressions: they reject and repulse others and all social attachments. / Get obsessed yet frightened by their threatening ideas, becoming horrified, delirious, and prey to gross distortions and phobias. / Seeking oblivion, they may commit suicide or have a psychotic break with reality. Deranged, explosively self-destructive, with schizophrenic overtones. Generally corresponds to the Schizoid Avoidant and Schizotypal personality disorders.

Key Motivations: Want to possess knowledge, to understand the environment, to have everything figured out as a way of defending the self from threats from the environment.

Examples: Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates, Georgia O'Keefe, Stanley Kubrick, John Lennon, Lily Tomlin, Gary Larson, Laurie Anderson, Merce Cunningham, Meredith Monk, James Joyce, Bjšrk, Susan Sontag, Emily Dickenson, Agatha Christie, Ursula K. LeGuin, Jane Goodall, Glenn Gould, John Cage, Bobby Fischer, Tim Burton, David Lynch, Stephen King, Clive Barker, Trent Reznor, Friedrich Nietzsche, Vincent Van Gogh, Kurt Cobain, and "Fox Mulder" (X Files).

No wonder import car owners get a bad rep in the US

Small exhaust is never good for engines, Americans invented the automobile, their cars can only go straight, there's no F1 race in the US, V8s are behind in the technology.... because he says so.

死了不會倒...

From: ViperDrv (RICHARDYE) Sep-4 11:33 am
To: Grey Lancher (Cubpolice) (4 of 45)

". There are many schools of thought to this :) I think the small to big school gives better low end torque, while the full straight through gives better high end. But you are always gonna be stuck with LTA approved cat back systems which are usually 2.75" at the cat end."

That's the wrong school of thought .. either way .. small exhaust or restrictions or whatever is NEVER good for engines ..there's no such thing as smaller = better low end torque .. bigger = lose low end but better high ..

how much hp you want will dictate how big the exhaust you have .. local context .. a streetable 400+hp engine 2.75" is more than enough ..

From: ViperDrv (RICHARDYE) Sep-5 7:27 pm
To: Extreme Performance (Xtreme0) (23 of 45)

well .. they invented it :P

be careful though .. americans live their car lives in seconds .. the rest of the world does it on a racetrack.. their methods and ideas is a go fast or go home cowboy style .. their cars cannot be driven on the roads as it is not a road car at all (as in not drivable no power from 0-6000rpms then 1000hp from then onwards)

you want fast road cars .. look to the brits .. their road cars are fast and drivable ..


From: ViperDrv (RICHARDYE) 8:35 am
To: YellowEvo (Evo9161) (31 of 45)

yes .. no kidding ..

their cars are designed to support that .. not a road race

drive the pony car if you have the chance ..
I've driven the mustang, the corvette (missed the viper ! sheez), camaro SS .. all these cars > 4L engine .. but chassis can only go straight ..


From: ViperDrv (RICHARDYE) 8:38 am
To: Extreme Performance (Xtreme0) unread (32 of 45)

hahah .. that's abit too much lah .. rough and ride horses :P

it's what they call 'oldschool' nowadays .. and its not to a certain extent .. it is predominant in US .. ever notice International F1 series does not include US as a location ??


From: ViperDrv (RICHARDYE) 10:21 am
To: evolvix (34 of 45)

find 1 US location for me lor ..
I couldn't find any ..


From: ViperDrv (RICHARDYE) 11:54 am
To: evolvix (39 of 45)

eh .. good try ??

That's an Indy 500 track .. no doubt it can be converted to F1 if required .. but still not an International F1 ..

BTW their indy cars are almost similar to F1 cars .. probably some ruling differeences .. but shape looks the same .. so easy to get confused .. I know I was for a while.

From: ViperDrv (RICHARDYE) 12:01 pm
To: Repeat Offender (CruftyDusty) (41 of 44)

"Don't hate, appreciate."

not hating, just comparing.. V8s are nice .. but technology wise .. still way behind .. engine is built for brute power using cc .. chassis is designed for big American butt and comfort, not handling (not even a compromise) ..

"FYI the "chassis-can-only-go-straight" cars have been giving Ferrari a hard time in Le Mans for the last few years. They're also competitive in SCCA Speed World Challenge, 12 Hours Sebring etc.
"

A corolla with enough mods can outturn an evo with the kind of money involved at these races ..

My Chinese fortune...

此格推来福泽宏
诗书满腹看功成
丰衣足食多安稳
正是人间有福人

Link
Zeenie's

Awesome taxi dashboard, Singapore

Awesome taxi dashboard, Singapore

Man this dude's dashboard is way happening...

ARC titanium gear knob

The topic is about the ARC titanium gear knob.

From: nothingness (SHITE) Sep-1 8:25 pm
To: sgian1 (8 of 28)

IMHO, though the ARC titanium one looks absolutely bling, it gets hot under the sun, not to mention damn exp. Personally I like mine better... :P

http://www.bmw-sg.com/photopost/data/500/medium/P1010043s.jpg

From: ViperDrv (RICHARDYE) 8:19 am
To: nothingness (SHITE) (13 of 23)

Propeties of titanium include excellent heat dissipation :p

if it's true titanium.. it dissipates heat so fast that you can't feel it getting hot.. that's one of the reasons why titanium is very hard to weld too

From: Grey Lancher (Cubpolice) 9:46 am
To: ViperDrv (RICHARDYE) (14 of 23)

If titanium is a good conductor, doesn't it conduct heat faster to yr hands too?

From: ViperDrv (RICHARDYE) 4:47 pm
To: Grey Lancher (Cubpolice) (20 of 23)

hahaha ... nope .. it cools so fast that if you heat one end and your hand on the other end .. before the heat gets to you already cool to the touch liao .. of course if you dumb enough to heat the same place where your hands are .. then no bet lor :P ..

Actually .. it conducts heat away from your hands faster .. so you feel titanium always very cool (looks cool too :P)

From: Grey Lancher (Cubpolice) 5:03 pm
To: ViperDrv (RICHARDYE) (22 of 23)

Actually, and don't hold me to this, since I not a Physics degree holder.. a good conductor merely conducts heat quickly in either direction.

When it is colder than your hands for instance, it should conduct heat AWAY from them, making it colder to the touch.

When it is hotter, on the other hand, it should then heat TO your hands quicker, which is what IceZone and I found.

Think cooking pots, which by definition requires good conduction properties. If you heat it up, well, let's just say I wouldn't recommend you try touching it. But in an air-conditioned room, the same pots will feel really cold.

In the gear knob instance, if left to bake in the hot sun, the ARC knob does get very very hot (being the good conductor that it is) but by the same token, once you switch on the air-conditioning, it cools down fast too. What IceZone and I found is that for that brief period while the heat is being conducted away, the knob still feels freaking hot.

Conversely, a bad conductor of heat like, say leather would not feel hot nor cold in the same conditions.

From: ViperDrv (RICHARDYE) 6:32 pm
To: Grey Lancher (Cubpolice) unread (23 of 23)

understand what you're saying .. ok .. let me reSAY what I said :)
DISSIPATE HEAT faster .. how ?? :P

you're referring to this:

"Thermal Conductivity. The ability of a metal to conduct or transfer heat is called its thermal conductivity. Thus, a material, to be a good insulator, would have a low thermal conductivity, whereas a radiator would have a high rate of conductivity to dissipate the heat. The physicist would define this phenomenon as the time rate of transfer by conduction, through unit thickness, across unit area for unit temperature gradient."

Titanium is a poor conductor of heat .. what you feel is just the heat .. hehehehehe :P it doesn't reach your hand any faster ..

From: Grey Lancher (Cubpolice) Sep-2 11:59 pm
To: ViperDrv (RICHARDYE) (28 of 31)

Guess you might need to rephrase that..

"it cools so fast that if you heat one end and your hand on the other end .. before the heat gets to you already cool to the touch liao"

Trust me, where got so fast one.

From: ViperDrv (RICHARDYE) 8:21 am
To: Grey Lancher (Cubpolice) unread (30 of 31)

trust me.. it is that fast!..though it was accident of course.. not stupid u know :p

then again.. yours is ball mine is thin.. aiyah dun believe me nxt time i bring blow torch show u lor!!

I don't think anyone is disputing the fact that any substance which has little mass is able to lose heat quickly, since the specific heat capacity is lower.

Given two knobs made of the same material, one that has a mass of 100g and the other, 200g, both of them at 60 degC, the heavier knob will have twice the heat energy stored in it.

Given two exhaust systems, one made of stainless steel, the other made of titanium. Let's say the steel system weighs 12kg, while the titanium one is 5kg. Both are at 700 degC. Which is hotter?

If you answered the steel system.... then the answer is wrong, because they are at the SAME TEMPERATURE. The steel system has more HEAT ENERGY stored in it due to the greater mass.