Subcompact Supercar: Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro Concept

What's not to love about a 500 horsepower direct-injected 2.5-liter turbocharged five cylinder engine in a small car? The answer is nothing. Audi is claiming the Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro Concept will go 0–60 in 3.7 seconds, 0–125 in less than 11 seconds, and a top speed of 155 MPH. Wow. It will wear 19" wheels wrapped in 255/30/19 tires, and wears a matte finish.

Although a concept, you'll be able to drive the car ... in a video game. Need For Speed World will have the A1 Clubsport available as rental when the game bows tomorrow (June 1). No word on when the vehicle will make its in-person debut.

Thanks to Thomas for the tip!

The "Teal Terror" gets new tires, less decals

This weekend, I had the LT235/75/15 BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tires installed on the Teal Terror. They look good, and should perform admirably off road. I only had the chance to take them on gravel, so nothing too crazy to report yet.

I also took the time to remove the not-so-awesome two-foot long 1980s-looking "4x4" graphics from the doors. A heat gun and some Goo Gone made quick work of them. Overall, the look is much cleaner now. I also was able to fix a few rattles and squeaks, too. A good weekend for car stuff.

Why Americans don't like small cars, according to Valvoline's blog

I just ran across a blog called "The Real Car Guys," which looks to be Valvoline's blog. The post that caught my eye was called "Why Americans Don't Like Small Cars."

A pretty interesting short take on the subject. The author doesn't slam the small car segment, but rather states that "it’s doubtful that small cars will ever capture the hearts of Americans." He believes it's because Americans assume they're going to be in crashes at some point, and that larger cars are perceived as being safer. It's a quick read, but is quite thought provoking whether you believe Americans will never like the small cars or not.

Will there be a Mugen Honda Fit?

So, according to Autocar, in-house Honda tuner, Mugen, wants to build a hot version of the Honda Fit. And no, I'm not talking about the semi tarted-up Mugen version Honda displayed at the 2009 SEMA show (see above). This would reportedly be as much as 197 hp using a supercharged version the Honda CR-Z's hybrid powerplant. Not only would this likey make the Honda Fit a quick hot hatch, it'd likely make it the world's most expensive Honda Fit, especially if it's wearing a Mugen badge (example: The Mugen Civic Si was $30,000 here in the U.S.). It should be noted it was Mugen Euro that wants to build this, you can all just calm down. I'm sure we'll never see it in the U.S. How's that for the power of positive thinking?

SOURCE
Autocar

JDM Suzuki Jimny in Utah

During my last trip to Moab, Utah a couple weeks ago, there were two things I didn't expect to see: Beer with more than 4.0% alcohol and a 1990 Suzuki Jimny (and yes, I found both).

This is a bona-fide Jimny, not a rebadged Samurai. It was imported by Intermountain Mini Trucks (IMT) of Brigham City, UT (they also brought the Suzuki Carry minitruck I showed earlier). The little 4x4 has a 660cc turbocharged three-cylinder fuel-injected engine churning out 55 horsepower. Luckily, it is geared very low. Great for off-road use, not so good on the highway, though. I was told the vehicle crawls very well. (I can't remember the ratio off hand, but I want to say it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 5.72:1. FYI, my stock Suzuki Sidekick is 5.12:1). It's a good thing it has such a low gear ratio, as it rolls on 31" tires; a 3" lift was added, too.

The inside of the right-hand-drive Jimny looked very similar to a Suzuki Samurai (naturally). This one had a special roof with "alpine windows." How cool is that? Plus, the seats had the trick "TURBO" embroidery.

This JDM Jimny is licensed for street use in certain areas of the U.S. (Utah allows plates on certain off-highway vehicles in specified areas), basically the same places you can drive a plated side x side (e.g. Polaris RZR, Yamaha Rhino). So, yes, you could drive this from the campground to the trailhead in Utah without any legal issues. However, forget driving it downtown anywhere. But who cares: It's awesome.

What the hell? Confused Yaris edition

Really, what is there to say? Let's hope it's just a sick joke, and not a case of someone not knowing what Abarth really is. Ugh. It's like a Nissan owner putting Mugen badges on a car. It just ain't right.

SOURCE
Yaris World

The Teal Terror (aka Project Sidekick) gets new wheels and tires

As you can see in the post below, I got some new tires last week. However, I didn't have any wheels to mount them on. I never thought a 15x7 steel wheel with a 5x5.5 (5x139.7) would be so hard to find used. After many weeks of searching, I finally found a set on craigslist that'd fit. These wheels came off of an old F150, so they had a center bore large enough to accommodate the Sidekick's front locking hubs.

The stock Sidekick wheels are only a 15x5.5, so they're pretty narrow. They also have a tame offset to keep the wheels/tires in the fenders. These wheels are 1.5" wider, and have more backspacing, so they do stick out a tad bit. I think they look pretty sweet.

As an added bonus, they came with a decent set of 235/75/15 Goodyear Workhorse tires. They'll probably last a while, although I have the BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tires I bought last week. We'll see how long I keep the Goodyears, as the sidewalls do have some cracking; nothing terrible, but still cracking nonetheless.

So now it's about 2" taller. Next stop: a lift.

FYI here's a "before" pic. What a difference some different wheels and tires make!

Some "new" tires for the Teal Terror

I bit the bullet today and picked up a set of new-to-me tires. Scored a set of BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tires in 235/75/15 off of craigslist. There's plenty of tread, although some of the blocks are a bit chewed up. I had a co-worker at work take a look at them (I work in the off-road industry), and he said it looked like the tires had been used a lot on gravel roads. However, there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Now I need to find me a set of a 15x7 (5x139, aka 5x5.5) wheels!

Ford Fiesta ST spied

Hot diggity: Spy photos of a three-door Ford Fiesta ST—all 180 hp of it—on the Nurburgring. If Ford brings a three-door ST to the U.S., I'd be hard-pressed to not trade in the 'ol Yaris. Man, that'd be sweet. The three-door looks fantastic, too! Right now, the MINI Cooper, Toyota Yaris, and the Hyundai Accent (the latter two are soon to be sold only as five- and four-doors) are the only three-door subcompacts available in the States.

Be sure to check out Autoblog for the whole story.

Road Race Motorsports to offer Fiat 500 parts and tuned turn-key versions

Already known for making high-performance parts (including turbo kits) and dress-up parts for a variety of models, Road Race Motorsports is set to enter the Fiat 500 aftermarket with its latest crop of go-fast goodies. And, not only can these parts be ordered individually, buyers can choose to purchase them all at once, or have a turn-key car built. These turn-key cars will be called CLUB///SPORTIVO and CORSA///SPORTIVO. Here's the low-down:

Fiat 500 CLUB///SPORTIVO
Rob Tallini, CEO of Road Race Motorsports, says the CLUB///SPORTIVO package is a "Stage 1" group of modifications. These are designed to give 500 owners improved handing, acceleration, braking, and looks. The package consists of the following parts:

Drivetrain
Road Race Midram Intake system (dynoed and making 7 ft. lbs. of torque and 5 hp)
Road Race axleback Exhaust with dual, side-by-side SS angled tips
RRM timing controller unit

Suspension/Brakes
Bilstein Coilovers
Road Race camber adjusters
Road Race rear anti swaybar
Road Race slotted brake rotors and high-performance pads (street/track day compatible)
Road Race 15 x 8 inch wheels, machined and bored specifically for the Fiat 500 made by Stance (sold only through RRM)

Exterior
Road Race "CLUB///SPORTIVO" stripe kit
Tinted windows
Carbon fiber A and B pillars

Interior
Track Day 4-point harnesses

Again, buyers can purchase these parts individually. However, those looking to deck-out their 500s in one fell swoop, can opt for this, or the next package of mods.

CORSA///SPORTIVO Package
The CORSA///SPORTIVO packages are offered in "Stage 2" and "Stage 3" levels. Upping to a Stage 2 will net you more wild exterior parts.

At Stage 3, RRM will offer a fully-tuned bolt-on turbo kit. This kit is already dynoed with 60% more power than the stock FIAT 500, and more power than the FIAT 500 Abarth. Expect more and more from RRM 500 parts, including a full complement of dress up items as well as some surprises, says Tallini.

Having used RRM products, driven their turn-key vehicles, and seen their show cars, Road Race Motorsports' Fiat 500 products will surely please the Fiat enthusiast, and inject some adrenalin into an already hot hatch. You can visit Road Race Motorsports' website here.

A Suzuki Carry for the dirt

I'm back in Moab, UT for the Rally on the Rocks event with work. While strolling through the vendor arena, I ahppened about this rad little rig. I so want one of these.

This is a Suzuki Carry (a kei car) that has been outfitted with off-road ATV/UTV tires and wheels. This one is right-hand drive with a manual transmission. It also has a lift. Not sure what year it is, but I do believe it's newer than 2002. Anyway, I totally want one for the trails and the dunes!

Caboose Trailers' MINI Countryman hitch

While at the 2011 Overland Expo in Amado, AZ, I ran into Andy Cohen of Caboose Trailers. He showed me one of their subcompact-oriented products: a special hitch for the MINI Countryman. Rated for 100 lbs. of tongue weight and 1,000 lbs. of towing, it's a great accessory for those who might want to pull a small trailer (maybe one of their teardrop trailers?). What's really cool, is it's a no-cut, no-drill piece that utilizes the holes in the bumper for tow points. Plus, it's easily removable when you don't want it on there. Cool stuff.

LINK
MINI Countryman Trailer Hitch from Caboose Trailers

MicroImageOnline.com = great small-car forum

FYI, for those of you that haven't checked out Micro Image, you should. It's a great forum for small-car enthusiasts. Also, Subcompact Culture is fed into the site, so further discussion can be had there. Good stuff, great people.

In addition, they have an online store, e-zine, and more.

LINK
MicroImageOnline.com

April 2011 subcompact sales

April was a big month for small cars. With gas prices headed skyward, people were apparently looking to smaller means of transportation. The Soul continues to dominate, and even might edge out the Nissan Versa for most sales in 2011. Aveo had a good month, as did Fit, xD, and Accent; the latter two somewhat surprisingly. Suzuki's SX4 is trying hard to pull out of the red in the YTD column.

The big loser again was Toyota's Yaris, which continues its downward sales spiral. The slow selling Smart ForTwo continues to sell slowly. In other news, fire is hot, the sky is blue.

Of the newcomers, the Fiesta is on fire, selling nearly 29,500 units YTD, making it a solid third in the overall race for sales. Also of note, the chocked-full-of-compact-crossover-funk, Nissan Juke, which has had very strong sales, despite its ultra-forward styling.

But enough about me, here are the numbers ...

Make/Model	April '11 vs. Mar. '10	Units April '11	YTD '11 vs. '10	YTD sold '11
Kia Soul	+100.2%	10459	+102.3%	32516
Chevrolet Aveo	+67.3%	4645	+18.4%	12859
Honda Fit	+66.3%	8116	+54.2%	23585
Scion xD	+52.1%	1205	+24.1%	3727
Hyundai Accent	+46.8%	3367	+26.4%	18877
MINI Cooper/S Hardtop	+43.7%	1931	+7.4%	9843
Suzuki SX4	+2.0%	1000	-7.0%	3836
Nissan Versa	-2.8%	6413	-3.1%	36748
MINI Cooper/S Clubman	-2.9%	805	-16.2%	2351
Kia Rio	-14.7%	2575	-22.3%	7460
MINI Cooper/S Convertible	-15.8%	565	-19.9%	1583
Nissan Cube	-19.2%	1733	-23.5%	8677
Smart ForTwo	-31.3%	467	-16.5%	1734
Toyota Yaris	-50.5%	1987	-48.5%	8597
Ford Fiesta	--	9147	--	29474
Nissan Juke	--	3280	--	13449
Honda CR-Z	--	1819	--	5489
MINI Crossover	--	1709	--	5010
Mazda2	--	1386	--	5217
Fiat 500	--	882	--	1382

Trio of vintage Hondas

From Drop Box

Before venturing to the sand dunes with my Suzuki Sidekick, I stopped at Bob Lamphere Honda Kawasaki Yamaha Suzuki in Beaverton, Oregon. Low and behold there was a trio of vintage Hondas in mint condition. Very cool. In fact Lamphere opened his Honda dealer in 1964.

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Top Performance Mods for Subcompacts

If you’re a fan of Subcompact Culture, then you know subcompacts are by no means sub performers. Coupled with low weight and a high-revving power plant, a subcompact delivers plenty of driving excitement, yet can great fuel economy. And, with a rabid enthusiast base and a healthy aftermarket industry, bolting on extra driving excitement is easy. The best place to start is by letting that little mill exhale. And, a performance exhaust topped with high flow catalytic converters is a great beginning.

Next, let it inhale. A performance cold air intake, or CAI, topped with a free-flowing high-performance air filter is a must. Now, you’ve got cold dense power-producing air being forced down your engine’s throat, and the high-flow exhaust letting it out. This easy breathing is what really produces that extra power.

Colin Chapman of Lotus is quoted as saying, “simplify and add lightness.” And, any tuner worth his salt knows weight sucks power. So, the next step is to shed excess pounds from your sub. Light weight car batteries are a great start, and for good measure, toss the back seat.

Now that your subcompact is primed for power, make sure it stays grounded with some handling upgrades. A set of slotted rotors and performance brake pads let you stop on a dime and get nine cents change. Then, install some sport-tuned gas shocks and you’re ready to straighten the curves.

This post was provided by our site sponsor, AutoAnything. Be sure and support them!

Project Sidekick: The "Teal Terror" hits the sand

The "Teal Terror," aka the Subcompact Culture project Suzuki Sidekick, hit the sand this weekend at the Sand Lake Recreational Area in Oregon. All that was needed was a $10.50 OHV permit, a $17 flag, and 15 PSI of air in the tires. Proof you can have a small 4x4 and have just as much fun as the big boys. Heck, you don't even need any mods to have a good time (although I do want some bigger tires and a small lift, among other mods).

The Sidekick did great. It went up and over everything I pointed it at, although I did have to back down a couple of dunes for a running start. The vehicle was in low range all day, and it didn't falter.

For anyone that's never ventured off the pavement before, I highly recommend it. Off roading, especially in the dunes, is super fun. The dunes typically don't yield any damage to the vehicle, too. Plus, no mud to wash off, however, you still might want to give your vehicle a bath afterward.

I was not the only small vehicle there, either. There were some badass Samurais, a great old two-door Mitsubishi Montero, VW-powered dune buggies (and I-4, V-6 and V-8 powered buggies, too), even an old-school RX-7 on a Jeep chassis. Not sure if it had the rotary engine or noth, though (I doubt it).

Needless to say, it was great, especially in the rare Oregon Coast sunshine!