2015 BMW M3 / M4 first drive review Coupe-like crossovers, carbon-bodied sportscars, urban-mode city hatchbacks--BMW can build them all, but when it gets placed in the balances and judged by its hardcore enthusiast audience, the only BMW that matters is the M3. It's the critical nuclear core of the brand and a bellwether for Bimmerphiles and the wider auto realm alike. If...
Ford Motor Company is in the midst of a run of performance cars like we have never seen before. The Shelby GT350 and GT350R Mustangs are arriving right now. Next up is the all-wheel-drive Focus RS, followed by the SVT Raptor, and then the king of them all, the reborn GT. The 2016 Focus RS isn't due to hit dealer showrooms...
Lexus unveils new F-Sport performance accessory range It seems this year’s SEMA Show had almost as many official presentations as the true aftermarket guys and we’re not just talking regular production cars with shiny wheels and a new coat of paint. This year saw a number of carmakers unveil their own interior accessories, entire stand alone engine kits and...
Advances in material science aside, not much has changed with vehicle braking systems over the past 200 years. While today’s antilock, six-piston caliper, carbon-ceramic rotor braking systems may not resemble the leather-pad-against-wooden-wheel systems found on early coaches, friction is still the deciding factor behind stopping. Friction creates heat, and heat can have a negative effect on component life and vehicle performance. Modern racing brake systems...
Drilled, slotted, or vented; which brake rotors are best? Without question, brakes are the most powerful system on your vehicle. No matter how much horsepower you have, none of it’s of any use if you can’t scrub off enough speed to keep from rear-ending the car in front of you. Your factory brakes provide ample stopping power for your casual...
Brake Dust what is it and what causes it? Brake Dust on On Cars and trucks The unsightly brake dust that we all see on automotive wheels is 92% Fe which simply put is in part iron caused by abrasion of the cast iron brake rotor by the pad and secondly fibers from the semi metallic elements of the brake...
Brake technology, just like suspension technology and fuel-system technology, has come a long way in recent years. What began in the '60s as a serious attempt to provide adequate braking for performance cars has ended in an industry where brakes range from supremely adequate to downright phenomenal. The introduction of components like carbon fiber, sintered metal and lightweight steel, along...
Buying and fitting new brake pads for your car Brake pads and discs or rotors can be home fitted by most mechanically minded folks observing safety guidelines especially with the use of a suitable manual. The choice of pad brands is endless so this short guide gives you some insight from a manufacturer who blends its own pads, produces...
Why Disc Brakes? Mountain bikes first used cantilever brakes; next, direct-pull brakes, which avoided the risk of snagging a transverse cable on a knobby tire. But mountain-bike rims are often wet, muddy and warped, making for problems with any rim brakes. Disc brakes have become increasingly popular on mountain bikes and are gaining some popularity for other bicycles.. John Olsen, expert mountain bike rider...
Years ago my dad had a Dodge St. Regis as a company car. It would have been a more reliable car if the car dealer that took care of maintenance had not persisted in replacing one part at a time. It was towed out of the driveway because of minor problems like a bad spark plug wire and then returned...
