Before you find yourself in this position, take a quick look over our review of the tires that will keep you firmly planted on the road, and out of the hedges.

Michelin Pilot Sport PS2: For right around $200 a pop you can pick up Michelin’s max-performance summer tires. These are the gem of Michelin’s performance line and will handle any condition a summer day could possible throw at you. The Pilot Sport PS2 is pricey and only recommended for places where summer never ends (Don’t take them in the snow! You won’t make it back). The PS2’s are best fitted to high end sport and luxury cars that can achieve speeds towards the far end of the speed spectrum, as they are rated up to 186 mph. Again, not cheap, but the sexiest (not to mention stickiest) shoes this side of a catwalk that money can buy.

Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus: For all-season max performance, you can’t get much better than Michelins Energy MXV4 plus tires. Around 165$ a piece these grand touring tires are an all around excellent choice for those who value athletic handling, but live in a region with spotty weather conditions. The Energy MXV4’s can handle any road surface, and perform admirably in deep snow, and slick ice. And for those driving enthusiasts with a particularly green conscience the MXV4’s make a truly excellent choice; the low rolling resistance vastly improves tread life, and provides a significant improvement on gas mileage.

Yokohama Avid V4s: If you’re looking to spend less than a Benjamin on each of your tires Yokohama just came out with a deal made for you. These all-seasons aren’t the best in wintery conditions, but handle great on wet and dry roads. The Avid V4s make use of innovative Nano-technology which provides ultra-grip, and consistently catapults them above the competition.

Hankook Mileage Plus II H725: Coming in at only $70 per tire, the Hankook’s performance is nearly equal to the more expensive all-seasons. Obviously we’re not saying that they’re amazing on ice or can live up to the higher priced tires in slick and dry conditions, but for the price they really aren’t a bad deal. They also have a low rolling resistance increasing their gas mileage and have a tread wear warranty of 80,000-miles.

While many of us will never even hit speeds of over 100 in our life, there are some that live for the raw adrenaline that 100 mph plus speeds deliver. There are drivers, designers, mechanics, and investors who spend countless hours and piles of cash developing cars that will continue to push the envelope of speed. Then there are those that burn the envelope with a mixture of jet and rocket fuel, igniting it at over 700 miles per hour. That is exactly what the gurus behind the BLOODHOUND rocket car intend to do- smash the existing record of 763 miles per hour achieved in 1997 hour by reaching 1000 miles per hour, or Mach 1.4.

How can this be possible? Read on. The power necessary to hit 1000 mph will be derived from a hybrid system, one not unlike the system found in a Prius- just kidding. This hybrid system is a blend of rocket power and jet power. The problem with a rocket is that there is one speed: fast. A jet engine, like one found on a jet aircraft, can be manipulated and controlled. By using both a jet and rocket, the pilot (probably a more appropriate term than driver in this case), will be able to control the rate at which he hurtles to a questionable outcome.

What is the point of this, you may ask yourself. After all, this is a British team trying to beat a British held world record, so achieving this is clearly not a flex of American muscle for the sake of flexing. Here’s why you should care. For one, the scientific implications are pretty exciting, but more importantly, going 1000 mph in anything, anywhere, is just about as cool as it gets.

The goal is to get the car operational by 2011. The production of the vehicle will take three years and the project will be headed up by Richard Noble, leader of the previous record holding car project, the Thrust SSC. The driver will be a brave Andy Green, a Royal Air Force fighter pilot, and operator of the Thrust SSC during its record breaking runs in 1997.

Breaking the record is less about bragging rights and more about discovery and inspiration. The creation of the BLOODHOUND should excite anyone interested in science, young and old, as well as aid in the development of new technology and engineering. The team is currently looking for a testing ground long enough to allow the 6.4 ton behemoth to stretch its legs. So if you have a flat backyard that stretches at least ten miles, is devoid of all vegetation, and is reliably dry for at least three months each year, maybe the BLOODHOUND team will be knocking at your door in the near future.

All 4 are in concept form now…which one would you most like to see make it to production?

I would like to take a minute and talk about the slowest car I have ever been excited about. With only 140 horse power, 236 foot pounds of torque, and a 0-60 time not worth estimating, you may wonder what car on earth with these stats would be a featured car on Hotcars.com. I can tell you this: she is German, neat, clean, is a light drinker, smokes only occasionally, is 50 state legal, and will probably give hybrid’s a below the belt kick to their batteries.

I could only be talking about the new 2009 Jetta TDi. It is no secret that diesel vehicles have been a means for gas savvy Europeans to save money at the pump for years, but for some reason diesel cars have never really caught on in the States. Even in the throws of a gas crisis, Americans have looked everywhere but up; we have ignored the most obvious and proven direction: the diesel engine.

Things are beginning to change. Rising gas prices have ushered in a lucrative market for high mile per gallon vehicles. Hybrid cars have gained immense popularity as the world searches for the answer to our current energy crisis. Americans are changing their car buying criteria, and even though American car companies are continuing to push low mpg musclecars, the demand for high mpg vehicles has increased. For many of us, this means that we are buying cars that we would have scoffed at only a few years ago- say the Toyota Prius. If many American buyers were able to get over the looks and performance of the Prius, then they will almost certainly fall in love with the sportier, better looking, and more comfortable, Volkswagen Jetta TDi- I know I have.

One of the biggest concerns with any diesel vehicle is emissions. Picture a big rig chugging down the highway spouting plumes of black soot, and you have an idea of why diesel has gotten such a bad rap. Historically diesel has not had a reputation of being the cleanest burning fuel. Diesels can also be loud, temperamental, and, as proven with the new TDi, have a slight horse power deficiency. Volkswagen hopes that its new TDi will change the way the diesel engine is perceived.

The first issue VW tackled was the Jetta’s emissions. In order for the TDi to sell in the states, it must not only be fuel efficient, it must be clean. And clean it is- The TDi is the first automobile to meet the world’s most anal emission control standards in the form of California’s Tier II, Bin 5. I doubt Governor Schwarzenegger’s Hum V can say the same.

The 2.0 liter four cylinder will be dissimilar to most contemporary German diesels in that it will deal with its NOx emissions differently. Instead of injecting a urea-based solution into the exhaust system upstream of the catalytic converter where it is converted into nitrogen and water, the new TDi will utilize a NOx-storage catalyst which will temporarily hold the noxious emissions until they can be burned off during an engine cycle. The TDi will also use a common-rail fuel injection system which will permit higher injection pressure, making better use of fuel.

How does it drive? The first thing that you notice is that it is extremely quiet, well at least for a diesel. If you look past the paltry horsepower figures, you will see that the Jetta is turning out 236 foot-pounds of torque, which is no small figure when you pull up to a Prius and start revving for a drag. The Jetta is surprisingly fun to drive both around town and on the open road. Lets be straight here, the Jetta is no sports car, but if you find yourself behind the wheel of a new Jetta TDi, you will be pleased to discover it is possible to have a car that is fuel efficient, yet does not drive like a forty year old tractor.

The Jetta TDi is an exciting advancement in the world of fuel efficient cars, and it will be exciting to see what the future holds for diesels in America.

The new M3

So, faithful readers, what do we think of the new (fourth generation), V-8 powered, fire breathing, BMW M3? Sure it’s fast, sure it makes 414 horses and is 22% more powerful than its predecessor, and sure, it does a g on the skid pad. But what do you think of it?
In my opinion, the E46 M3 (third generation) was a much better car. I know, I know, it can’t really hold a candle to the current version.

The E46 CSL

Or can it? In reality, the new M3 only roars to 60 miles per hour .2 of a second faster than the old one, and in this writers humble doesn’t look half as slick. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is, it isn’t a bad looking car, not by a long shot, but the E46 has more soul, more character, and in the long run, is a much classier looking car.

So let’s have it readers. Which version of the M3 reigns supreme?

The E46 interior.

The new M3 interior

The engine from the E46

The new M3 V8 engine

The new......

The old.

The RX-8 is Mazda’s reincarnation of its popular sports car, the RX7. Both vehicles are pushed along by the rarely used Wankel Rotary engine; a four-cycle wonder which converts pressure into a rotating motion, instead of using the typical reciprocating piston design found in most automobile power plants. The benefit of the Wankel is almost immediately obvious to the driver, as it delivers a smooth, high-rpm powerband from a relatively small and lightweight package. The power delivery is so smooth in fact that the RX-8 comes equipped with a shift light that informs the driver when it is time to shift as it is hard to tell by feel alone.

By mounting the engine behind the front axle and the fuel tank ahead of the rear axle, the tech team at Mazda has achieved nearly perfect 50:50 weight distribution. While the high-revving engine does not produce the quickest 0-60 times (6.6 seconds), it does allow for a relatively high top end, and its 3000 pound curb weight and solid center of gravity makes for a car that handles almost like a go-cart when pushed hard into a turn. All this comes together to create a vehicle that handles like a true sports car, yet doesn’t tempt you to burn through tanks of fuel drag racing around town.

Speaking of fuel, one of the only downsides to the Mazda RX-8 is its fuel consumption. One may falsely assume that a six-speed, 238 horsepower, 1.3 liter sports car would yield high miles per gallon. Like me, you’ll most likely be surprised to learn that the RX-8 only makes 16 miles per gallon city, and 22 highway. When considering those figures, it’s hard not to start looking at cars with more than the paltry 159 foot-pounds of torque that the Mazda provides.

Even with its short comings, the RX-8 still manages to shine. It’s comfortable, livable even, and the rear-hinged “freestyle” doors, similar to suicide doors, provide easy access to the rear seats, which while not overly large, are more roomy than many other coupes in this, or any class. Front seats are very comfortable as well. Base level RX-8’s seats are covered in cloth, while the Touring models are covered in supple leather. The upcoming 2009 RX-8 R3 models will come complete with leather trim and Recaro sports leather seats, which are a true treat to sit in.

A trick feature on the RX-8, one usually found only in higher end luxury vehicles, is the keyless start, which allows you to start the car by turning a knob on the console, while leaving the key fob in your pocket. Depending on the trim level, the Mazda comes equipped with 6 speakers and a CD player, while the Touring and Grand touring models come with a nicer 9 speaker, 300 watt Bose system with a six disc CD changer.

The bottom line is that the RX-8 is fun to drive in just about any situation. From boring in town driving, to high rpm autocrossing, the RX-8 will not disappoint- until you shop around and see what else your $30,000 will get you. While the RX-8 is a blast to drive, and is one of the better handling cars on the road, for the same amount of money, you can find a vehicle with higher horsepower, more torque, and much lower fuel consumption.

With that being said, lets open up the lines of communication here. I would like to see some comments on what is most important to you in a sports car-or any car, for that matter. Is it power? Handling? Looks and styling? Brand or model exclusivity? Does Mazda have a winner on its hands here, or just an underpowered gas guzzling two seater?

Call me un-American, but with the exception of the Shelby Cobra, I don’t like musclecars. I prefer a rifle to a howitzer, a hammer to a pile driver, and a sports car to an engine surrounded by metal and wheels. I have never understood this great countries’ fascination with strength and power alone. Drag racing is lost on me, and NASCAR, while requiring over three turns, is likewise unable to keep my attention. Don’t get me wrong, I love a powerful engine, but I crave the total package. If a car is going to have 500 brake horsepower, then it should damned well be able to handle it, both in a straight line, and through turns. Who cares if your car runs a 12 second quarter mile if it can’t handle the drive-through at Wendy’s?

Enter the Dodge Challenger SRT8. As you can imagine, I have been less than enthused regarding the recent resurge in musclecars. Without galloping off on a tangent, I feel that American car companies (and Americans, for that matter) should start focusing on smaller cars that pull their power out of forced induction aided engines, and can actually handle twisty roads and not just straight-aways. With that in mind, the new Challengers, Mustangs, and Camaros are not what I had in mind. Never one to pass up a free ride, I nevertheless welcomed the opportunity to take the new Dodge Challenger SRT8 for a spin.

When I first approached the Challenger, upwind, and careful not to spook the wild beast, I took note of its massive size: Its wheel base is nine inches longer than the original, it has ten inches of additional length, and two extra inches of width. I will admit that the brash Hemi orange paint, functional air-intake, and twenty inch forged-aluminum Alcoa wheels began to excite me. The dark detailing of the SRT8 also compliments the retro front grille, and full-width rear taillights. My eyes we’re drawn to the front air splitter and I began to picture the hulking Challenger in an air tunnel.

When I climbed into the driver’s seat and looked around, one word came to mind: Cheap. Whatever it is that has driven the Challengers price tag into the stratosphere, the interior can’t have much to do with it. Even with heated leather seats, leather trimmed door panels and a thick leather wrapped steering wheel, the overuse of plastic made the car feel more like a dressed up economy car than a well appointed competitor in the luxury scene. The problem was amplified when I cranked up some Skynyrd on the radio, and began to feel like I was trapped inside a babies rattle. This can be blamed on the eight-speaker Boston Acoustics stereo with 368 watts of power punishing the poor layout of the plastic cabin. Perhaps this was done by design. Who needs to listen to the radio when you have the sound of a 425 horsepower, 6.1 liter, Hemi V8 to rock your work boots off? At 4,800 rpms you have 420 foot-pounds of torque, which translates to a 0-60 time of just over 6 seconds, slightly higher than the Chrysler claimed sub-five second time. This was easily verified without complicated gadgetry or stopwatches, as the Dodge has a 0-60 timer built in.

While the engine certainly does rock, I was happy to notice the cars lack of roll when I pushed the Dodge into a sweeping right. This car is no slot car, but it does impress, especially when your expectations were as low as mine. The Dodge Challenger has a superbly tuned multilink suspension with premium coilover dampers which makes it not only fun to drive in a straight line, but transforms this musclecar into a great touring vehicle. This is really the area that most impressed me about the Challenger. The Challenger is a car that you could drive comfortably every day, and still scare yourself silly- on a track, of course.

The six speed manual transmission was a joy to use, and the shifters pistol grip was a fun addition to this retro-rocket. The well defined point of engagement of the weighty clutch pedal was nice when shifting frequently, either when flogging the car, in heavy traffic, or negotiating long lines at the gas pump during one of my many stops to refuel. With an EPA rating of 14 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, you should have adequate time to get to know your local gas attendant and field questions from other motorists regarding the bad-ass nature of your car.

As the gas station speedily disappears in the rear view, you’ll be happy to know that the power is divided between the rear wheels by an anti-spin limited slip differential, installed specially by the nice people at Dodge to keep you and your investment on the road. Grip is also excellent. The wide Z-rated all seasons provide the lion’s share of the bite, even with the help of traction and stability control. Large Brembos have been put in charge of stopping the Challenger. With 14.1 inch rotors in the front and 13.8 inch in the rear, they do a great job of reining the monster in.

At the end of the day, I was happy with my time behind the wheel. The drivability of the car made it easier to overlook the interior, and the price would have me seriously considering this car over higher priced Euro imports. Do yourself a favor and test drive the Challenger- our economy could sure use another American car on the road.

You don’t have to read the news or have a formal education to know that current gas prices have gotten out of hand. While prices for Premium have recently dipped back down below four dollars, there is no reason to think that they will stay there, and no reason to believe that gas will ever be inexpensive again. So does this mean that in a few years you may find yourself battling Mel Gibson in a desert over a gallon of E85 for your battle scarred Chevy Uplander while a leather clad mass of muscles in a chopped Prius tries to assaults you and your dingo? We all certainly hope not, and as luck would have it, millions and billions of dollars are being dumped into projects designed to formulate the future of energy.

While the future is still uncertain, our present is a juxtaposition of re-released muscle cars sitting in traffic next to gas sipping hybrids and economy cars. Like spoiled children, Americans are demanding high mpg cars, all the while drooling over V8 powered heavyweight hotrods, and the rest of the world is having a laugh at our expense. Most countries have been enjoying fuel frugality in the form of diesel, and high mpg, high powered turbocharged cars which harness horsepower through increased airflow, not massive engine volume and added cylinders. Americans are divided into two camps, those that gripe about fuel prices and drive small economy cars, and those that complain about fuel prices and drive huge SUV’s or high horsepower cars.

Currently, the golden child of high mpg cars is the Toyota Prius. Americans are experimenting with some other hybrids as well, but Toyota, a Japanese company, seems to hold the market for hybrids, even though the United States is the largest consumer of gas/electric hybrid vehicles. Are we really the energy saving, gas conscious country that we think we are, or are there other alternatives, diesel for one, that will more efficiently get us through the current gas crisis and transition us into the future of energy in a more economical and environmentally sound manner?

I have a hard time accepting that hybrids and battery powered vehicles are the future of automobiles. I also have a hard time believing that they truly are as eco-friendly as automotive marketing teams make them out to be. In order to make money, a business must produce a product as cheaply as possible while selling it for as much as the market will allow. While many car companies claim that they have the environments’ best interest at heart, I choose to believe that they have their wallets next to their hearts and are using the environmental movement as a marketing technique.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. While there are countless people who are truly concerned about the environment, people who do their own research and have their own factually based opinions regarding the current environmental state, there are also many people who are beginning to take notice of environmental issues as a result of what is largely a marketing movement. It is trendy to be “into the environment”, and as a result, companies that have no real environmental roots are raking in a fortune by selling products that are slightly more environmentally friendly than their other products.

What this means is that much of the information available through mass communication tools such as the Internet, magazines, and newspapers may be slightly tainted, or slanted in a way that does not provide completely accurate information. The result is a country full of opinionated individuals who all believe their viewpoint to be the correct one. This is certainly the case with hybrid vehicles and the debate over the best source of future energy. While researching hybrids I found some interesting “facts” that have either been swept under the carpet because they are not entirely factual, or because they may be detrimental to a variety of different markets.

When starting my research I first wanted to see if the half gas, half electric jellybean Toyota Prius had any skeletons in its closet. The biggest concern/problem I found is with the production and shipping of batteries for a hybrid vehicle. Hybrids such as the Toyota Prius utilize two engines. One is a gasoline powered internal combustion engine, while the other is an engine powered by a nickel-battery. The battery-powered engine propels the car to a set speed or until the charge is gone, at which point the gasoline powered engine takes over. This means that the car not only still requires fossil fuels, it also needs a large battery power source: the nickel-battery. Production of the nickel-battery has a devastating impact on the surrounding environment. The mining and smelting process causes acid rain and in many cases creates a dead zone around production plants. Not only does this process cause extreme negative environmental impact, but the shipping of the nickel and other parts needed to complete the car from around the world requires untold amounts of fossil fuels. While the Prius and other hybrids may have lower emissions and require less fuel during the usage of the vehicle, the overall impact, from creation to destruction, must be evaluated when deciding whether or not gasoline-electric hybrids are actually green.

I then looked into the actual savings a hybrid owner will experience. Are buyers actually saving money with the purchase of a hybrid? Hybrid tax incentives are being phased out, most Hybrids cost thousands more than their similar gas engine counterparts (Some studies show that it could take over twenty years to actually “save” any money with a hybrid when compared to a less expensive gas powered “economy” vehicle), and it is hypothesized that resale value of hybrids may become dismally low. Why? For the same reason you four-year-old computer isn’t worth anything- Hybrid technology is in its infancy and continually evolving. Older hybrids won’t be nearly as desirable as newer ones.

For the most part, Hybrids do achieve better gas mileage than gas powered vehicles. But here’s a question. What about diesel? Diesel vehicles have been chugging under the American mainstream gas conscious radar for years. Too noisy you say? Too dirty? Not enough power? Before you start throwing fists over the last Prius on the lot, do yourself a favor and check out the new lowered emissions, common rail diesel VW Jetta. If you want a sporty feel, pray for the new diesel Audi TT to hit our shores, or even better, start saving for the new diesel R8. If you live in a snowy location, Subaru will start importing a diesel Outback for the 2010 year. The point is, if you are worried about spending money on gas, don’t be afraid of the higher price of diesel. People have been reporting over 70 mpg’s in their VW’s for years, and that is a number that will leave Hybrid owners weeping for a bigger battery.

My goal with this column was not to bash hybrids but to present a small sampling of some of my findings and hopefully stimulate a discussion in the comments section at the bottom of this page. I want everyone with an opinion, and I am sure everyone reading has one, to comment on what you believe is a good method of alternative energy, what you think about hybrids and electrics, and where you see the future of car manufacturing going. I am excited to see where this goes!

When I first heard of a clay bar I wasn’t sure what part of town it was in, or what it had to do with cars. I cornered Hotcars.com Editor in Chief, Elias Kolsun, for an answer. Turns out a small square of clay, only slightly thicker than the wad of cash needed to purchase it, would completely revitalize your paint job. I was intrigued. As the new owner of a sports car, I have become accustomed to emptying my wallet for such superficial things. I then found out I would have to block a week of time off on the calendar to use one, so in retaliation, I blocked off two months to make sure that I wouldn’t have to.

Later, I began talking with several more car nuts, and became convinced that the Clay Bar was a worthwhile investment and that applying it would actually only take up a few hours of my time. Winter is coming early here in Vermont, and I knew that if I wanted to see my car shine, I would have precious time left before the poor girl is covered in more salt than the HMS Pinafore. So I did it. I headed to the auto parts store and bought a Clay Bar, and then headed to the local car wash.

As I placed several coins into a coin slot on a vacuum in an attempt to begin removing remnants from a road trip full of people who don’t cringe when open containers of food are present in their car, I was approached by a fellow vehicular janitor who offered me a discount coupon on perfume and cologne. It was a kind offer, but I respectfully declined. I would have considered accepting however it if it had been a coupon granting me a discount on an antidote to whatever he was wearing.

At this point I feel it necessary to provide insight into my long relationship with car washing. My first vehicle was an 84 Jeep CJ-7. For the CJ “clean” meant that there were no mud cakes on it, and “detailing” meant giving a thorough account to my parents regarding the corn stalks stuck in the bumper. Subsequent cars have faired only slightly better. My dad has made me a believer in DIY carwashes, which means that due to my ongoing bout with laziness, none of my cars have ever really been clean. With the recent purchase of my fastest and most modern car to date, I have become slightly more concerned with cleanliness. It started with more frequent car washes, longer visits to the car wash, vacuuming my car at work, yelling at friends and family, and finally the acquisition of a “douche bag”- a duffle bag full of a growing number of car products that I store in the trunk of my car, just in case I see a car wash.

Back to the Clay Bar. I read the directions several times. I especially liked the section where it is stated that there is no need for heavy pressure. I began to wish that more things in life were like the wad of clay in my hand. Only partially comprehending the simple instructions, I sprayed a small portion of my car with the provided cleaner and then began to rub the bar across the lubricated surface in an overlapping manner. Things were going smoothly, and although I had no tangible evidence, I felt as though I was doing everything correctly. A minute later I looked down and realized that I had a death grip on the poor Clay Bar, which had begun to look like a clock from the Dali painting, Persistence of Memory. I relaxed my grip, and per instructions, polished the section of car I had just been working on, and then kneaded the clay into a more usable shape.

As I began work on one of the fender flares I started wondering if I was actually doing anything beneficial. The car was looking great, but in preparation for the Clay Bar treatment, I had washed the car to a degree seldom achieved, and even dried the car with a chamois, forgoing the typical 90 mph “highway dry”. Was the Bar working, or had I just reached a new level in my washing abilities?

I continued on.. One of the things that had piqued my interest when reading the instructions was that I was supposed be able to tell when it was time to move to another section of car by listening. Like a child with its first bowl of Rice Krispies, I was not disappointed. The snap, crackle, and pop of the clay bar removing dirt and chemical impurities from my precious Chrystal Gray metallic paint became music to my ears. As I moved on to the dirtier side panels of the car, I began to truly see the difference. The Bar was lifting out spots of dirt that I had confused for paint chips. Unfortunately the paint chips I had confused for dirt were there to stay.

Overall the Bar did an excellent job. I seldom use a product with such immediate and evident results. For anyone who has been considering using a clay bar, but has been turned off by either the cost (about $20 and up), or the time it takes to use the bar (I spent about two hours, but should have spent three), I say forget your trepidation and do it. You won’t be disappointed. For those that haven’t considered using a clay bar, you too should spend an afternoon getting to know every inch of your car’s paint job. The process is well worth it, and you will be more than adequately rewarded for your efforts.

In the 70s, Newman, bored with the ego and pomp of Hollywood, became comsumed with auto racing, a sport he studied while he starred in the 1972 film, “Winning.” After turning professional in 1977, Newman and his driving team made stellar showings in several major races, including fifth place in Daytona in 1977 and an amazing second place win in the Le Mans in 1979.

“Racing is the best way I know to get away from all the rubbish of Hollywood,” he told People magazine in 1979.

Here are some photo’s of Newman doing what he loved best.