Big Rizza

So why the Mazda fettish? Get a series 8 RX7 if you want a Mazda.

Is this the Top Gear video from like 3 years ago? CBF downloading it and taking the risk that I've already seen it. That would be the worst day ever if that happened...

Having not heard anything, and never having done this conversion myself, I will use my internet wisdom powers to give my 100% recommendation of the 2JZ over the RB.

I reckon street racing IS a real crime. Yes, many of us have done it, but that doesn't make it right.

Death trap? I always wondered about this. What exactly would happen to a Smart in an accident? Mercedes claim it's super safe. So I found out: It turns out it doesn't crumple into a small cube, it just gets kicked around like a football. Hillarious.

What model is it? Are we talking a 316ti or a 330Ci, coz there's a big difference from one end of the three series scale to the other. Anyways, I've seen an E36 with a 2JZGTE, so one would expect the E46 to swallow it also. 2JZ is better than RB anyways. *hides behind flame retardant barrier*

In two years of ownership, there have only been minor niggles, and the car has ALWAYS been drivable - it's never left me stranded on the side of the road. The sorts of trouble I have had include: - Power steering leak - busted hoses replaced - Excessive front tyre wear - worn steering rack mounts replaced - Suspension bushes cracking - replaced with polyurethane bushes - Battery died - replaced - Coil packs worn - soon to be replaced - Misfire under load (after service) - spark plugs gapped incorrectly, repaired - Boost guage failed - replaced cracked air hose - Stereo speaker failed - replaced all speakers with new ones - CD head unit failed - serves me right for fitting a crap one, replaced - Aircon not very cold - windows lowered So yeah nothing major has gone wrong. Stock boost however, which I'm sure has helped keep the engine in tip top shape. Right now it has an intermittant problem where it won't start - the starter motor will turn the engine over, but it won't fire into life. Haven't had a chance to diagnose, but leaving battery on charge over night cures it temporarily, and you can always jump or push start the car. It might be a dead battery again - the car gets left undriven for weeks at a time due to work commitments, and that's usually enough to drain the battery so they wear out pretty quick for me.

I'd go the Civic, although when I was in a similar situation to yourself I ended up going a category smaller and walked away with a Toyota Yaris and a stack of spare cash. Don't let anyone tell you they're too small - I'm 6ft4 120kg and fit no worries. In fact, I fit in the back seat when the front seat is set up for me to drive. Don't buy a Kia. Don't buy a Proton. Don't buy a Daewoo (Holden). They're all getting better with time, but the quality isn't quite there yet.

I'd hate to try and source parts for something obscure like that. I find the twincharge concept interesting, although it's very uncommon. Having said that, Volkswagen have recently taken a stab at it with the Golf GT...

I heard it's only 40mm longer, but it always looks more than that so I looked it up: GTS-T Type M Coupe Exterior dimensions (LxWxH) 4530 x 1695 x 1325 mm GTS-T Type M Sedan Exterior dimensions (LxWxH) 4580 x 1695 x 1340 mm So it's actually about 50mm longer, and 15mm taller... So I was right, it is more than 40mm, but not a lot more...

I'm trying to work out what the marketing logic is. Maybe they want to drop the price of the Liberty GT, but don't want the "premium" turbo sedan to undercut the WRX? Dunno, grasping at straws here... I recently sat in a Proton Gen2. The interior of that car has redefined cheap and nasty in my books.

Actually, the EVO was slower than the Murci in the time attack lap with the Stig, but that is often conveniently cut out by EVO fanboys that post the top gear vids on the net. 1 Koenigsegg CCX (with TG spoiler) 1.17.6 2 Pagani Zonda F 1.18.4 3 Maserati MC12 1.18.9 4 Ferrari Enzo 1.19.0 5 Ariel Atom 1.19.5 6 Porsche Carrera GT 1.19.8 7 Koenigsegg CCX 1.20.4 8 Ascari KZ1 1.20.7 9 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 1.20.9 10 Ford GT 1.21.9 11 Porsche GT3 RS 1.22.3 12 Ferrari 360 CS 1.22.3 13 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 1.22.4 14 Lamborghini Murcielago 1.23.7 15 Pagani Zonda 1.23.8 16 Noble M15 1.23.9 17 Koenigsegg 1.23.9 18 Prodrive P2 1.24.3 19 TVR Sagaris 1.24.6 20 TVR Tuscan 1.24.8 21 Mitsubishi Evo FQ 400 1.24.8 22 Noble 1.25.0 23 Lotus Exige S 1.25.1 24 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder 1.25.7 25 Lamborghini Gallardo 1.25.8 26 Morgan Aero 8 GTN 1.25.9 27 BMW Z4 M 1.26.0 28 BMW M5 1.26.2 29 Porsche Cayman 1.26.2 30 Ferrari 575 GTC 1.26.8 31 Chevrolet Corvette 1.26.8 32 Mercedes-Benz CLS 55 AMG 1.26.9 33 Lotus Exige 1.26.9 34 Porsche 911 GT3 1.27.2 35 Spyker C8 1.27.3 36 TVR 350C 1.27.5 37 Wiesmann 1.27.9 38 BMW M3 CSL 1.28.0 39 Marcos TSO GT2 1.28.2 40 Dodge Viper SRT-10 1.28.5 41 MG SV 1.28.6 42 Mitsubishi Evo VIII 1.28.9 43 Porsche 911 Carrera S 1.28.9 44 Mercedes-Benz CL65 1.29 45 BMW Alpina Z8 1.29.0 46 Subaru Impreza STi WRX WR1 1.29.4 47 Alfa Romeo 3.7 GTA 1.30.0 48 Vauxhall Monaro VXR 1.30.1 49 Subaru Impreza STI 1.30.1 50 Volkswagen Golf R32 1.30.4 51 Aston Martin DB7 GT 1.30.4 52 Audi S4 1.30.9 53 Porsche 911 turbo 1.31.0 54 Vauxhall VX220 turbo 1.31.3 55 Honda NSX Type-R 1.31.6 56 BMW 535d 1.31.8 57 Mazda RX8 1.31.8 58 Nissan 350Z 1.31.8 59 BMW M3 1.31.8 60 BMW 130 1.31.9 61 Ford Focus RS 1.32.2 62 Lotus Esprit V8 1.32.5 63 Audi TT V6 1.32.7 64 Jaguar E-Type 1.32.8 65 MG ZT 1.33 66 Noble 1.33.1 67 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG 1.33.2 68 Corvette Cadillac CTS-V 1.33.3 69 Renault Clio Cup 1.33.8 70 Holden Monaro 1.33.9 71 Ford Mondeo ST220 1.34.5 72 Jaguar XKR 1.34.7 73 Ford Focus ST 1.34.9 74 Volvo S60R 1.35.0 75 Vauxhall Vectra VXR 1.35.3 76 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA 1.35.6 77 Lotus Elise 1.35.6 78 Aston Martin Vanquish 1.36.2 79 Renault Clio v6 1.36.2 80 Honda Civic Type-R 1.36.5 81 Saab 95 hot aero 1.37.9 82 Mazzer 1.38.0 83 Bowler Wildcat 1.39.4 84 Bentley Arnarge 1.40.8 85 Overfinch 1.44.0 86 Aston Martin DB5 1.46.0 Not sure if this is the up to the minute latest lap time leader board - I seem to remember seeing the 360hp EVO IX on there at some point, but that might just be the crack I smoked earlier... I'll have to find out when I get home (I have every episode of the 'new' Top Gear on my computer )

Both have RB20E, RB20DE and RB20DET options.

Dunno about the R32, but in other cars I have driven the "power" button lets the automatic transmission hold on to gears longer during acceleration and will kick down to a lower gear with less provocation. Some newer transmissions will also have harder and faster gearshifts in power mode vs normal mode. The "hold" button in other cars I have driven will force the automatic transmission to stay in the current gear right up to redline without upshifting, regarless of how much throttle you are using. If your car is automatic, I'd suggest that is what they do. If your car is manual, I have no idea.

Depends on a number of factors, mainly price range and intended purpose. If it's an investment and you plan to sell as soon as it's landed, then the EVO 3,4,5 suggestion seems valid. Cheap to buy in Japan, but still highly priced in Oz. If it's for yourself, get something we don't normally see here in Australia. And remember that you're not limited to Japanese models - also consider European and American sports cars that we don't get here. Vauxhall VX220 turbo? Renault Clio V6? Corvette Z06? Perhaps something a bit more outrageous. Van Den Brink Carver? Arial Atom? Campagna T-Rex (although that might be considered a motorbike for registration purposes...) The other alternative is to import something heavily modified, as I beleive the car does not have to be returned to standard for compliance and registration with a personal import, unlike a regular import. We see the big tuning names on videos over here, but rarely get the chance to actually own those machines. A genuine RE Amemiya RX7 touge monster? A genuine JUN racing Supra? A genuine Mine's Ultimate Response Machine? Now we're talking! Now where'd that lotto ticket get to...

I don't usually let my car get too dirty, but one time I had to go away for work for a long duration and parked my car at my parents house for around 6 weeks. The problem was, I didn't cover it up, and I parked it too close to the lawn, and the lawn has automatic reticulation using ground water. My car was stained yellow/brown when I came home. And it wouldn't come off - it seems to eat into the outmost layer of paint and embed itself. Some cutting compound managed to remove some of it, but it was a slow process, and I was still busy with work, so it stayed like that for a few days, and by the end I wanted to sell it coz I didn't even want to look at it. I ended up paying a guy to come out and acid wash it. When he saw the car, he didn't say anything, he just frowned. It took him around 4 hours to clean (although he did do the interior too). Car looked fantastic again afterwards.

http://www.j-spec.com.au/list/index.php?ID=8654 The answer to this debate: A hot pink 930 911! Just $48,000... More seriously, there is no absolute definitive quantifiable measure of whether car A is better than car B. I reckon my Toyota Yaris is a fantastic car. I reckon my Skyline is a fantastic car. Do I judge both these cars against the same criteria? No, of course not. A boxster is better than a GTR in some ways, a GTR is better than a 911 in some ways, a 911 is better than a boxter in some ways... Just pick your priorities, pick your car and go have fun!

You can't go wrong with a boxter. Beautiful cars. But just make sure you're willing to accept the stigma associated with being a Porsche Boxter driver. What about the previous generation Mazda MX5 SP? Turbocharged for 155kw if I remember rightly, Just make sure it's a genuine SP, and not the wimpy later model turbos with only 120-odd kw. Can be had for under $30k, so you should buy two of them. What about a Lotus Elise? So much cooler than the boxter, and handles just as well (if not better), and it will be cheaper. If you can stretch to a 2ZZ engined model (or even an Exige ), that's the go, otherwise you'll have to settle for the inferior K-series engine. Or you could go really extreme and get a Caterham Super 7, or pre-order the Arial Atom 2 (due mid-2007 in Aust, apparently). What about a Honda S2000? More powerful than a boxter and much cheaper. And it has VTEC, yo. Probably not as fluid as the boxter or elise in the handling department, though... Dunno if you could stretch to a Mercedes SLK32 AMG. It'd be a rocketship, but hardly the refined balanced handler that the boxter and elise are. If it doesn't have to be a roadster, how about BMW M3, Mazda RX7 Spirit R, Nissan 350Z, Nissan R34 GTR, Mitsu EVO IX, E-Series HSV GTS, Porsche 964 911, early model Honda NSX, etc. If you can get through all those other temptations and still want a Boxter, then clearly your decision was already made!

My car goes dead if it isn't driven for a few weeks - it's always a flat battery. Just get a car battery charger and/or jump start it and all should be well. If you jump start just remember to drive around for a while to charge the battery or it'll happen again when you go to start it the next time.

Woops, it appears that the Alfa Romeo 159 missed the poll. Oh well, I don't think it will win anyways If you think it will win, then feel free to flame my incompetence!

It's that time of the year again - time to guess who is going to win Wheels Car of the Year! My money is on the new Commodore, since Wheels hasn't stopped raving about it for several months. But admittedly there are a few others will a real possibility of victory, including the Mazda CX-7 and Toyota Aurion. I had to group a couple of the options together as there are more eligible cars than there are slots available on the poll generator! These cars will obviously be judged seperately at WCOTY. For the record, the following new models were not eligible for WCOTY this year: - Alfa Romeo Brera (Sales) - BMW Z4 Coupe (Sales) - Ferrari 599 GTB FIorano (Sales) - Ford Fiesta (Insufficent Change) - Jaguar XK (Sales) - Kia Carnival (Safety) - Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 (Sales) - Lamborghini Gallardo spyder (Sales) - Lotus Exige S (Sales) - Mitsuibishi Colt Ralliart (Too Similar) - Nissan Tiida (Safety) - Proton Savvy (Safety) - Subaru Liberty (Insufficient Change) - Volkswagen Golf R32 (Too Similar) Cars can be ineligible if they don't have a lap-sash centre belt (safety), if they don't sell in large numbers (sales), if they are too similar to the previous model (Insufficient Change) or if they are too similar to existing models in the range (Too Similar).

He wants one already modified with an RB25 - that would be pretty tough to get through SEVS as an import! Better off searching for one already in Oz. Or get a 1988 Cefiro with an RB25DET and bring it in through RAWS instead

Just chuck twin turbos on the VQ35, it'd probably be cheaper. Or is the VQ35 too common for you is it?

I've been quoted around the $800 mark for a re-map.

Dunno what the exact rules are, but I've heard that full cages are illegal, but 1/2 or 3/4 cages CAN be approved for road use. Whether or not that is true, the things they would look at when determining a cages legality is whether the cage will impede the occupants getting out of the car in an emergency. So intrusion bars incorporated into the roll cage are a definate no-no, and anything else that may block any part of the doorway. Another would be crash safety i.e. if can you smash your head on it in a collision? No worries on the race track when you're wearing a helmet, but on the road you'd be looking pretty worse for wear... But remember the cops will use it as an excuse to canary you regardless of whether it's legal or not unless you have it fully engineered and documented as road legal.