Performance clutch + wet roads = wheelspin

I know this sounds like an obvious statement, but it's something I hadn't really noticed until lately. I have the TRD performance clutch in my 2007 Yaris (I had it installed in January, 2010). Now that the rain is falling here in Portland, the rapid, more aggressive clutch engagement leads to much more wheelspin on the wet pavement. I really didn't drive my car a whole lot during the winter last year, since I was working out of my house, so maybe that's why I hadn't noticed it until recently. I'll need to modulate the clutch more, or else new tires will be in the much nearer future.

An xD with a nice, big rack

This is what I like to see: A small, practical car made even more practical with a nice big rack. (Insert perv remarks here). All innuendos aside, a roof basket, as evidenced above, can be super handy for smaller cars. There's all kinds of stuff you can throw up there (Insert vomit sound). It looks like this xD owner may use his basket as a surfboard/sailboard rack, since it has pads up there. There are a number of great rack baskets available from Thule, Yakima, and many more.

Local guy builds a sweet SX4 rally car

As you know, I bought a set of 2007 SX4 alloy wheels. Well, I bought them from the owner of this car.

Beaverton, Oregon's Jonathan Erbmann picked this vehicle up used, and the transformation began. Current modifications include 15" Enkei alloys shod with dirt tires, and Rally Armor mudflaps to keep the dirt in check. The car currently rides on stock shocks, but a set of Tein Gravel Spec coilovers are on the way. Jonathan has a performance muffler on the back, but the engine remains stock, but not for long: A custom turbo kit is being developed for the car. This will no doubt give this Suzuki rally racer some serious thrust.

Currently, the car is used for rallycross, but it will be a stage car in the very near future. Jonathan has gotten a couple sponsors already, and has some great plans for the vehicle. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of it soon.

The Toyota Yaris GT-S Club Racer

So this is the Toyota Yaris GT-S Club Racer that'll be at the SEMA Show next week. It's a bona-fide race car (shown here at Road America, I believe). This photo was from a thread at YarisWorld.com. Anyway, there's a ton of stuff done to this car, but one thing is for sure: It's awesome. There are 25 pages of build thread for this subcompact racer on YarisWorld. I'll snap some photos of the car at the show. FYI, be sure to check out page 23 of the thread. Cool spread.

Toyota Yaris GT-S Club Racer to appear at SEMA

Hmm ... I just got a press release from Toyota telling journalists what is going to be in the company's booth at the SEMA Show. Among the eight vehicles will be the "Toyota Yaris GT-S Club Racer." Hmm ... I wonder what this will be? Whatever it is, it'll likely be much cooler than last year's SEMA Hard Kandy Yaris. However the terms "GT-S" and "Club Racer" definitely have some promise. Maybe it'll be similar to a Vitz One Cup race car ... maybe they've shoehorned a 1.8 or a 2.4 liter engine into one! Stay tuned.

A subcompact SEMA Show preview

Yep, the great SEMA Show starts next week, and there will be some sweet vehicles there, as usual. I'm most looking forward to seeing is the Fiat 500, or at least the Fiat 500 Concept. Apparently, there will be a tuned and customized version in the Chrysler booth (see above). I'll be sure to snap a photo of two. I really just want to see how small the 500 is.

I'm also looking forward to seeing if there is a Nissan Juke or two. I've seen my first Juke at a Portland-area Nissan dealership. I didn't have time to stop and get photos, but they are hitting the dealers. I hope there are some juiced-up Jukes in Vegas.

In addition, I'm looking forward to a couple of Mazda 2s. I know there will be at least one, since it's listed on the SEMA site (e.g. the 2 pictured here.

Some of the other vehicles that will be in attendance include customized versions of the Honda CR-Z, Ford Fiesta, Kia Soul, Nissan Cube, and undoubtedly many others.

Anyway, stay tuned; I'll post up a few photos from the world's largest car show next week.

TPMS is as PITA

So see if you can follow me on this one ...

Our 2010 Suzuki SX4 came with 16" steel wheels with TPMS sensors. As an upgrade, I purchased a used set stock 16" alloy wheels from a 2007 SX4, also with TPMS sensors. These alloys, however, had the original tires on them, which needed to be replaced. Regardless, I decided to run them for a week until I had time to swap the new rubber from the 2010 steel wheels to the 2007 alloys.

After putting the alloy wheels on, as expected, the "low tire pressure" indicator light came on when I put the 2007 wheels on our 2010. I also expected the car would automatically recognize the new TPMS sensors, and our indicator light would turn off after about 30–40 miles. Well, 100+ miles later, the light was still on. But hey—I'm was going to swap the nice new tires onto the alloy wheels anyway, so I'll ask the tire shop about it.

Today, I brought the SX4 to America's Tire to have the swap done and to see if they could get the TPMS indicator light to turn off. The tire swap went fine (and I had the tires siped; we'll see if that does anything or not). Disappointingly, they were unable to get the TPMS light to turn off. They didn't have any documentation as to how to put the SX4 into "learning mode" so their magic TMPS recognition tool could do it's thing. They tried, but no dice.

After coming home I decided to do what any car blogger would do when they have a car problem: turn to the Internet. I went to the source of all sources for the SX4—SX4 Club—to see what other SX4 owners had said.

I found a couple of threads talking about TPMS troubles, and sure enough, there is a way to put the car into TPMS learning mode. According to a couple threads, the sequence goes like this:

• With the door shut, put the key into the ignition, and turn the key to the "ON" position.
• Open the door, depress the rubber covered button in the door jamb, and hold it for two seconds; release.
• Hold for two more seconds; release.
• Hold for two more seconds; release.

Apparently the flashing TPMS indicator lamp should start flashing at a different rate. Only then can you take the magic TPMS recognition tool to the wheels.

Well, I've tried to initiate this pairing mode about 20 times and I can't get it to work. I suppose, if I can't figure this out on my own, I'll have to take it to the dealership. Apparently, there are manufacturer-specific TPMS tools and generic TPMS tools. Whatever.

All I know is that the TPMS on the SX4 is a PITA.

Install and Product Review: Road Race Motorsports' Short Ram Intake for the '10+ Suzuki SX4

An intake is a good first modification to any vehicle's engine. Although it may not be a big horsepower maker out of the box, when you combine an intake with other modifications, such as a header, an exhaust system, etc., it becomes part of a system.

As with most of my cars, the first engine modification I decided on for my 2010 Suzuki SX4 was an intake, specifically Road Race Motorsports' Short Ram Intake. Consisting of a red powdercoated intake tube, a 10mm screw to attach to the tube to the engine, a hose clamp, a filter, and two set screws for the MAF sensor, the unit feels sturdy and well made—much like RRM's '07–'09 SX4 SRI.

The installation, as you hopefully witnessed in the video, is very simple. There were two slight adjustments that needed to be made to make it fit perfectly. The first was to bend the bracket that holds the tube to the engine (the Suzuki bracket, not the intake bracket) out about 1/8 inch. This allowed for plenty of room between the upper plastic resonator (located on the stock intake tube) and the engine cover. No rubbing or vibrating. Additionally, there's a rubber brace on the wire loom that fits into rubber channel on the OEM intake tube. This put a bit more tension on the wires leading to the MAF than I was comfortable with, so I moved the rubber piece down the wire loom farther.

IMPRESSIONS
This is one one of the quieter aftermarket intakes I've heard, even at wide open throttle. It sounds nearly stock, so if you're looking for a "noise maker" intake, this isn't it. It does, however, allow the engine to breathe/rev noticeably easier. In addition, throttle response feels improved. The price is $199 and RRM claims a 10% increase in power.

Road Race Motorsports is an internationally recognized authority in Suzuki tuning. So, if you're looking for a short-ram for your new SX4, you'll want to check out this product.

LINK
Road Race Motorsports

Suzuki SX4 will be featured in US Top Gear's "Small Car for Big Stars"

Yes, there will be a Stig, and the Suzuki SX4 will be featured in Small Car for Big Stars segment. Cool, and cool. Glad to see Suzuki getting some exposure, and anxious to see the US version of Top Gear.

SOURCE

Jalopnik.com

SEMA build: Loganbuilt 2010 Nissan Cube SL

Photo by Jeffrey Cabacungan at Photoshootmycar.com

LoganBuilt is a build group formed by the founder and editor of MicroCarMag.com, Thomas Musante. The group will make its debut ath the 2010 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The project car of choice? A 20101 Nissan Cube SL.

About the Car

LoganBuilt 2010 Nissan Cube SL

Builder: LoganBuilt

Car Owner: Thomas “Logan” Musante

Contact: microcarmag@gmail.com

Modifications:

Engine bay:

Weapon-R Intake

Randode Design Battery Tie Down

Exterior:

Forjworks Eyelids

Forjworks Rear Light Covers

Auto-Tech Interiors Custom Billet Grill

Nissan Window Vents

Interior:

Clazzio Seat Covers

JP Neck Pillow

JP Square Pillow

JP Curtains

JP Knot

Wheels:

FIVE:AD : R6F – 18” 4x114 -45

Yokohama S.Drive 215/35R 18

MGP Caliper Covers

Suspension:

Tokico HTS Damper Shocks / Struts

Tein Suspension Luxery Master HighTech Springs

Project Sponsors / Supporters:

Agundis Tire Shop / Auto-Tech Interiors / AutoFashion / BeanGarage.com / Clazzio / FIVE:AD / Forjworks / LoganBuilt / MGP Caliper Covers / MicroCarMag.com / PhotoShootMyCar.com / Randode Design / SMARTWax / Tein / Tokico / Yokohama Tires

Special Thanks goes to the people that made this possible: Marshall Lum / Paul Higashi / Troy Sumitomo / Matt Teske / The Crew at FIVE:AD / Freddie Fernandez / The Crew at AutoFashion / Ben Wong / Marc Masuda / Spencer Vliegen / Trung Nguyen

What the hell? Toyota Yaris shoes are automotive apparel atrocities.

What the what? Frequent Tweeter (@highmileage), automotive analyst, and social media guy, Adam Barrera, posted a Twitpic of these Toyota Yaris shoes. Hey, I love my Yaris, but these ... these are slightly terrifying bits of automotive apparel. A Google images search for "Yaris shoes" yielded some more photos, which can be seen at NiceKicks.com. I would not wear these, just so you know.

Upgrade: New (used) shoes for our Suzuki

The 2010 Suzuki SX4s do not come standard with alloy wheels like the 2007–2009 models. However, I stumbled upon a set of mint 2007 SX4 alloy five-spokes on SX4Club.com, and the seller (who is building a sweet SX4 rally car—pictures of that later) just happened to be in Portland. So for $250, I was able to pick up a set of alloy wheels with the TPMS sensors, plus the the tires still have some tread left on them. Score.

These will be the car's summer wheels, and we'll eventually swap over the brand-new rubber from the steel wheels onto these wheels. However, we'll also be getting a set of 16" snow tires in the very near future.

Is this the 2012 SX4 (or just the VW Rocktan)?

So ... is this the 2013 Suzuki SX4? We know that VW owns 20% of Suzuki these days, and the German automaker is considering an SX4-based crossover called the Rocktan. Since the SX4 is due for a redesign in 2013, one could only assume the Rocktan, assuming it actually happens, would be based on the newest Suzuki SX4. This rendering from SuzukiFan.com via Autobild, shows the VW Polo crossover. Could this be riding on a Suzuki chassis? Would Suzuki get this model, too? Regardless, it looks great to me.

SOURCE

2013 SX4? (SuzukiFan.com)

Puget Sound Toyota Owners Festival Pics

The Puget Sound Toyota Owners Club hosted its annual Festival. Subcompact Culture reader, Yaris owner, and overall good guy, Brandon (aka Astroman on Yaris World and Micro Image) shot these pics of the show. Some very cool rides. I particularly enjoy the modified Tercel Wagon—something you don't see too often.

Hopefully I'll be able to attend next year. Thanks for the pics, Brandon!

Next-gen Yaris spied?

Soooo ... are you looking at the next-gen Toyota Yaris/Vitz? Possibly. This picture, posted to Turbo.fr certainly looks like it just might be. Decked out in Modellista garb, this possible new Toyota subcompact looks pretty good, IMHO. Be sure to click the Turbo.fr link to see more photos.

What's the smallest car you've owned?

While driving my Yaris to and from my newish day job, I got to thinking: The Yaris is a small car, especially next to some of the larger vehicles I park next to in the lot. However, the Yaris isn't the smallest car I've ever owned. That title easily goes to the 1979 Honda Civic 1200 my roommate Scott and I owned in college.

That little Civic—with its 1200cc carbureted engine, 145/80/12 tires, two-speed Hondamatic transmission, and bumpers that had been welded on from an early '80s Nissan Sentra—was a great little car. It started in the Arctic-like temps of NW Wisconsin (manual choke and all), and cut through the snow like a sharp knife through Bratwurst. It was darn small and it was great; the thing couldn't have weighed more than 1,800 lbs. It's probably the only car I wish I hadn't gotten rid of, actually. However, that Hondamatic transmission really sapped the power, and I use "power" in the most scientific of definitions. It generated power, however, it was not powerful. Here's a video from 2001 of me driving (Scott filming) in our trusty '79. Which leaves just one question:

What's the smallest car you've ever owned?

Sweet Subaru Sambar

The Micro Image Open House was October, 9. There are a bunch of cool photos in this thread. However, one of the coolest vehicles was this old Subaru Sambar. Man, I'd love to get one of these someday. So retro. There is, of course, the Sambar rusting in peace by my house, but as far as I know, the owner isn't interested in parting with it. Anyway, WRX swap anyone? (Sorry; had to be said.)

A new Versa on the horizon

Nissan has announced there's going to be a redesigned Versa coming out, and Nissan released this sketch of the car. It's certainly a stylish drawing, no? It definitely shows the car with a corporate Nissan look without being stodgy. Of course, who knows what it'll look like when it's actually built.

Nissan and Smart team up for new subcompact

In an attempt to jumpstart its sales in the U.S., Smart has teamed up with Nissan to build a new subcompact car. Speculation is that it'll be based on Nissan's new Micra chassis. Smart needs something other than the ForTwo to survive, its sales have been less than savory and have been steadily declining. Nissan's Versa, however, has been a titan among the small cars in terms of sales this year, eclipsing nearly everything else on the market. However, the the Versa is also the biggest small car in the segment. More details to come, no doubt. I have a feeling this could get interesting, though ...

Road Race Motorsports takes the Kia Forte Koup to the track

Road Race Motorsports was at Willow Springs Raceway testing a new Kia Forte Koup on the "Streets" track. RRM took the Forte Koup supplied, by Rally Innovations and Kia USA, and did extensive track testing of RRM's new product line for the Kia brand.

The car was equipped with half a dozen of RRM's performance products including performance sport suspension, strut bars, brakes, and engine performance pieces such as their piggyback ECU, intake, and lightweight pulley system. Also on the car was RRM's low-profile carbon Fiber wing. Road Race's driver and owner, Robert Tallini, did the testing.

LINK
Road Race Motorsports

Compact Camping Concepts offers small car camping solutions

If you're like me, you often envy larger vehicles' ability to tow a trailer to go camping. And more than once we've literally shoved all of our gear (and our friends' gear) into our SX4, Civic, xB, etc. to go camping. However, now a company, based right here in Salem, OR has a solution.

Compact Camping Concepts offers a variety of plans for do-it-yourselfers and turn-key trailers (for those that don't want to DIY) that can be towed behind small cars. These gear-hauling trailers turn your subcompact into a subcompact pickup.

Owner, Scott Chaney, says, "When we mean 'compact' and 'lightweight,' we mean it. Our Explorer Box trailers typically weigh approximately 400 lbs." Scott says the compact size is a benefit both when stored and being towed. When packed up waiting for the next adventure, it takes up very little space. On the road, the small size minimizes the impact on mileage, handling and braking when being towed.

So, not only can you tow your gear with a compact camping trailer, you can also put your tent up on the top of one! The company offers a variety of trailers for an array of needs. Be sure to check them out—it's a great solution to us small-car enthusiasts who enjoy heading out to the wilderness every once and a while. Heck, this would've been a great thing to have when my wife and I drove from Portland to Minnesota to visit family (and ended up taking, literally, a carload of stuff back).

LINK
Compact Camping Concepts

Actually driving my car

By the time you read this, I've likely given back the 2011 Mazda2 review car. And, for the first time in weeks, I won't have any thing in the driveway for review. Why? Well, I need to catch up on reviews, writing, general blogging, etc.

But you know what, I'm OK with that. I haven't actually driven my Yaris more than a few miles for weeks. I did drive it briefly this weekend, and it reminded me how much I enjoyed the car. Yes, it has a lot of rattles (thanks to being lowered most of its life), has somewhat overboosted steering, and has a plasticy interior, but I still love it. I've put a lot of blood, sweat, tears, money, and cuss words into it, and it's my baby. So there you go: I'll be driving my car next week.

Monster Suzuki SX4 drifting demonstration

Hey, who knew the Monster Suzuki SX4 hill climb car could do other things than just climb hills?

September 2010 subcompact sales

Look at all those green numbers on the board! September was a pretty good month overall for subcompacts. The big winner—and by a long shot—was, oddly, the Chevrolet Aveo, which was up 243.8% over Sept. 2009. I am not sure why there was such a spike for the littlest Chevy, but it produced some big numbers. Less surprisingly was the big increase by the Kia Soul, which keeps producing voluminous sales.

The big loser this month was the MINI Cooper Clubman, which was down 51.7% vs. this time last year. However, overall, the Smart ForTwo is still down the most overall in 2010.

Also of note: Fiesta sales ... some 10,742 of them already. Mazda 2 sales, only in their third month, are also starting to gain steam.

Make/Model	Sept. '10 vs. Sept. '09	Units Sept. '10	YTD '10 vs. '09	YTD sold '10
Chevrolet Aveo	+243.8%	6,552	+12.1%	35,286
Kia Soul	+117.4%	5,346	+102.3%	49,024
MINI Cooper/S Hardtop	+59.9%	3,304	+1.6%	22,281
Toyota Yaris	+48.7%	2,835	-37.1%	31,793
Nissan Versa	+46.9%	7,021	+20.4%	76,736
Honda Fit	+45.9%	4,792	-25.9%	40,936
MINI Cooper/S Convertible	+9.3%	1,046	+17.7%	5,801
Hyundai Accent	+0.8%	4,885	-28.8%	39,767
Scion xD	-2.0%	894	-34.7%	7,602
Nissan Cube	-31.7%	1,523	+32.3%	19,521
Suzuki SX4	-39.0%	749	-52.0%	8,246
Kia Rio	-41.7%	1,637	-10.1%	20,891
Smart ForTwo	-48.2%	422	-61.5%	4,779
MINI Cooper/S Clubman	-51.7%	543	-19.9%	6,506
Ford Fiesta	--	3,050	--	10,742
Mazda2	--	589	--	1,096