The Petrolhead Goes Green

Hybrid and electric cars get a lot of grief amongst petrolheads.  They are viewed as uncool.  They are viewed as wimpy versions of their gas powered equivalents.  They are viewed as... a threat.

Nissan ESFLOW

Yes, that's right... a threat.  The one thing that car enthusiasts will admit is that they truly feel threatened by the thought of a motor vehicle that does not rely on internal combustion.  And I used to fit into this category.  I was all for the powerful V-10 engine that cranks out 500+ hp and propels cars to 200+ miles per hour.  Up until a few years ago, I believed that the hybrid car was a threat to the pure, unbridled joy of driving a sports car.

Well, as anyone with doubts would do, I began to research and dig deep in order to figure out what hybrid cars were really about.  I chose to tackle this particular subject matter for a presentation in my sociology class during my senior year of high school.  What I found really made me think about what a car should do and what we as a society should do in order to protect the environment.

Now before we really get started, let me just say: I am not against gas-powered cars.  I still love Aston Martin's 4.3 V8 and I still adore the V-10 that gets placed in every Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera.

The first thing that I really wanted to tackle was the fact that so many hybrid cars looked uncool (this was back in 2006, before hybrid cars really stepped it up).  In 2006, there were not nearly as many hybrid cars as there are on the roads today.  The Toyota Prius was the most accessible and it didn't look that great at all.  There were a few other car manufacturers starting to get into the market, but the Prius was definitely the front-runner.  As a petrolhead, I was immediately turned off by the looks.  Yes, it had (and still has) amazing fuel economy, but that was the only great quality that I could find about it.  It was around about this time that Ford, Chevrolet, GMC, and Lexus were going to start offering hybrid versions of their current models.  This would definitely help improve the "looks" department.  I would definitely have an easier time buying a hybrid version of a car that already looks good.

My research then gravitated to what was powering these hybrid and electric cars.  Hybrid cars, by definition, run on both battery power and gasoline.  The batteries used are typically Lithium-ion batteries.  At low mph, the battery component is used and the car functions without consuming any fuel.  As speed is increased, the battery component switches over to the internal combustion engine (this switch typically occurs around 35 mph).  So, in turn, your fuel economy is improved because you are not using any gasoline in the city (which is primarily stop-and-go traffic).  To this day, I think that this is a great idea.  It makes so much sense to conserve energy, especially in heavy traffic.

However, the thing that really floored me about hybrid and electric cars was the concept behind regenerative braking.  Regenerative braking allows the battery to be re-charged by the energy created whist applying the brakes.  The Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) uses energy that goes to waste on cars with conventional braking systems.  The whole concept still blows me away, but it is a genius idea.  After researching for several days, I started to change my opinion of these cars.  I realized that these car makers are using state of the art technology to change the motoring world for the better.  As I continued to research, I found several interesting developments in the form of the first hybrid sports cars.

I was excited to see that car manufacturers hadn't forgotten about car enthusiasts!  I found these particular cars to be very interesting and a great way to bridge the gap between the average car owner and the petrolhead:

Ford Reflex Concept

Tesla Roadster

These cars are filled to the brim with the most advanced technology that saves on energy usage.  The Tesla, for instance, is all electric and it gets 245 miles per charge!  However, the best part is that this car produces 0 tailpipe emissions.  I quickly began to warm-up to the idea of hybrid and electric cars.  If we can help the environment and still enjoy the thrill of motoring, then we can truly please everyone.

Porsche GT3R Hybrid

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the 2010 LA Auto Show and there was a marked increase in the number of "green" cars:

Jaguar C-X75

Fast-forward to 2011.  I have matured a great deal when it comes to cars.  Yes, I am still working on my car lust, but I am starting to realize why cars were built in the first place.  They were built to carry people.  Looks were not important back when the car was first built.  Henry Ford was quoted as saying, "Any customer can have a car painted in any colour he wants, so long as it is black".  Henry Ford is the reason we have mass-produced cars.  His goal was to help everyone.  And I think that many of us have lost sight of that.  So in this new mature state, I now present some of my favorite hybrid/electric cars (some of these are concept cars and may never be produced).  These cars are for everyday use and will help the general public get from place to place whilst saving the planet.

GMC Granite Concept

GMC Granite Concept

Nissan Elure

Nissan ESFLOW

Porsche 918 Hybrid

Lotus Evora Hybrid

Okay, so maybe those last few weren't daily drivers, but it just goes to show you that even hyper-cars can be hybrid.  I saw the Granite and the Elure at the LA Auto show and they are truly the future of urban transportation.  The seats in the Granite can be folded and moved in order to accommodate a full-size bike!  In addition to the daily driver cars, Lamborghini have announced that they will jump into the hybrid arena and Lotus will offer a hybrid version of several of their new models.  If companies like Lotus, Porsche, Lamborghini and Jaguar create hybrid and electric cars, then I feel that it is our job as petroheads to support these fantastic companies.  They haven't forgotten about the joy of motoring and they haven't forgotten about us. They are just now starting to think about the environment as well.

Goodnight.

(500) days of Julie (-497)= Valentine's Weekend 2011

 
Julie came to visit LA for the third time this past weekend.  The schedules worked out really well and it was the closest weekend to Valentine's Day, so everything seemed to come together perfectly.  It had been a little over a month since I last saw Julie, so I was definitely ready see her again!

Julie flew in pretty late Thursday night.  I picked her up from the airport and then took her back to the apartment.  We exchanged gifts Thursday because Julie had packed my gift, but didn't wrap it, so she was afraid that I would see it at some point during the weekend.  This worked out well because I had bought her present several weeks before and I was dying for her to see it (or them, in this case).  I bought her pink sparkly TOMS and she seems to like them (if there is any doubt, then you should just check out her blog).  She bought me a shirt from J. Crew and a pair of J. Crew boxers.  The shirt is green which is awesome because I don't have much green clothing!

At the Grove

On Friday, I had a normal school day, so Julie chilled at the apartment while I went to rehearsal.  After rehearsal, I took Julie to the Grove.  The Grove is an outdoor mall and farmer's market.  It is a really cool place and we enjoyed walking around all of the expensive stores.  I even manned up and went into the American Girl store with Julie.  I have never seen so much pink before in all of my life!  The farmer's market is also pretty cool.  You can buy local produce and basically any other kind of food of which you can think.  After walking around for a couple of hours, we went back to the apartment.  I cooked a Caribbean stir-fry and then we went out for the night.

James Beach!

Bars aren't really my thing, unless I am playing music in them, but we decided to go to James Beach in Venice.  It is a really cool bar with a great SoCal vibe.  The real reason that we wanted to go there is due to the movie, I Love You, Man.  In this movie the main characters go to James Beach and eat the "best fish tacos in the world."  This movie has become a favorite of ours, so we couldn't pass up this awesome opportunity to go to the place where they actually shot that scene.  I invited my neighbors to come along and we had a great evening.

On Saturday, I had to teach a few lessons in the morning, so Julie relaxed in my room and I taught lessons in my living room (which also doubles as my private lesson studio).  My last lesson ended at 11:30 AM, which was awesome because it meant that we had the rest of the day to go the the Getty.  The Getty is an art museum just north of UCLA in the mountains.  The views of Los Angeles were unbelieveable.  It was incredible to see the entire city from nearly 1,000 feet up.  Julie and I enjoyed walking around the gardens and taking pictures in front of the scenery.  We walked around several of the exhibits as well.  The art was really cool and the place was so huge that we could have definitely spent all day there.  We stayed until the sun started to set and then we went back to my apartment.   Tonight was to be the night for our Valentine's celebration, so I cooked dinner (tri-color pasta with a bolognaise sauce, salad and some sour dough bread).  After dinner, I manned up (again) and watched The Notebook with Julie.  It was a very nice evening spent in each other's company.

A Beautiful Day at the Getty

 
Sunday was an interesting day.  Going into the weekend, Julie and I both knew that Sunday was going to be a little crazy.  And it didn't disappoint.  The thing was... I had a concert at 4:00 PM with a 3:30 PM call time.  Julie's flight didn't leave until 5:50 PM.  Our original plan was to go to church in the morning and then spend most of the afternoon exploring downtown.  Well, my concert got in the way of things, so I had to drop Julie off at the airport three hours before her flight!  I felt terrible, but there was literally nothing that I could do about it.  On Sunday morning, I decided to show Julie around the downtown area.  For the most part, it is just like any other downtown area.  Shady areas, lots of tall building, crowded sidewalks, tons of traffic, and an incredibly beautiful park.  Yes that's right... in the middle of the chaos rests a small wedge of land called Angel's Knoll.  It has been made famous by being in the movie (500) Days of Summer.  The park is one of the main character's favorite places.

So I decided that Julie needed to see this place before she left.  It really is beautiful.  Right in the middle of this concrete jungle is an oasis.  It was really quiet and peaceful (there were a few homeless people sleeping on benches and one patch of grass smelled like booze), but Angel's Knoll didn't disappoint.  We took some pictures and sat on THE bench from the film (there is a plaque on the bench marking the one that they used for the movie).  After enjoying the serenity, I took Julie down to Pershing Square and then along Broadway.  After walking around for a while, I wanted to show Julie the Staples Center and LA Live.  The only issue was that the Grammy's were taking place there that evening and we couldn't get anywhere near the Staples Center.  It was kind of cool to see all of the limousines driving around the downtown area.  So after a failed attempt to get to the Staples Center, we went back to the apartment and Julie and I had lunch.  At this point it was pretty close 2:30 PM and I had to take Julie to the airport.  It was really unfortunate that things had to turn out that way, but everything happens for a reason.  I dropped Julie off at the airport and then I just made it in time for my concert.

Overall, it was another great weekend.  I really enjoy showing Julie around Los Angeles.  The "City of Angels" will always be a special place to me because it has served as my home.

However, the things that we did this weekend may not have been as spectacular had the weather not cooperated as it did.  The weather was beautiful... really beautiful.  It was so clear and it was warm.  The sun shined every day and there was a light breeze.  We got up into the lower 80's on Saturday and it was perfect.  All weekend, we kept overhearing people's conversations about how amazing the weather was and how it hasn't been this clear in a long time.  So, Julie really did pick the perfect weekend to come out here.

British Classic Cars- Lotus Esprit

This is my sixth post in a series entitled, British Classic Cars.  For those just tuning in, I have been writing (since October) about the cars that have made Britain one of the best car-building nations in history.  It is with great national pride that I try to "summarize" the high points of each car and state its place in the motoring world.

For post number six, I have chosen a car that is quite different to the cars about which I have written previously.  The first five in the series are certainly considered classics, simply because those models are not produced anymore.  The interesting thing about the Lotus Esprit is that it has been around since the 70's and hasn't really gone away.  Sure, Lotus stopped making them in 2004, but a newly updated version is scheduled for release in 2013 (I have actually seen the 2013 model in person).  So, this particular car marks a real turning point in my series of blog posts.  I will start featuring cars that we can call "future classics."  I have borrowed the term "future classics" from Top Gear.  Sometimes a petrolhead just knows when a car is destined to become a classic, and my writings will help to contribute to this list of future classic cars.

Enough of that... now let's talk about the car.



The Past

This car is the first mid-engined sports car that has been featured in my series.  To clarify, mid-engined sports cars have their engines just behind the driver/passenger seats.  This equals better weight distribution.  Better weight distribution equals better performance statistics.  Here is a list of famous mid-engined sports-cars: anything Lamborghini, Audi R8, Ferrari F40, F50, Ferrari Enzo, and the 458.  I could keep going, but you get the point.  A mid-engined car is purpose-built for one thing... speed.

The Lotus Esprit deserves a massive series of posts for the number of versions that have been built over the years, but I only wish to provide an overview, so I will keep things brief.  Lotus nearly named this car the Kiwi, but they decided to name the car the Esprit (all Lotus cars follow an "E... naming format).  The first model was dubbed the S1.  It produced 160 bhp and had a 2.0 litre engine (the same size engine as my Lancer).  This was the engine previously used in the Jensen-Healey (I will post on this car later).  The S1 had the looks of a sports car and is considered to be the best handling of any Esprit built since then.  The S1 garnered international attention by appeared in the James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me.  In that film, the Esprit transforms into a submarine following a lengthy car chase.  Check it out on Youtube if you haven't seen it!

S1 as a submarine!

The S2 and S3 came out several years after the S1.  A number of improvements were made on these cars and not as many were produced, so finding one in good condition can be quite difficult.  In 1980, the Esprit received a hearty performance boost in the form of a turbocharger.  This version of the car is referred to as the Essex Esprit because of the strong ties to F1 sponsorship.  The turbo kit brought the Esprit's engine up to 210 bhp.  Two Essex Esprits can be spotted in another Bond film, For Your Eyes Only.

So, in just four years, the Esprit found itself in two Bond films and available in seven different versions.  It became one of the first British supercars.

The Peter Stevens' Esprit Turbo

The Esprit is also one of the only supercars to go through several design changes.  Peter Stevens (known for designing the McLaren F1) created his version of the Esprit in 1987.  This car had Kevlar reinforcement for roll-over protection and was built using a Lotus patented process called Vacuum Assisted Resin Injection (VARI).  This Esprit was faster than the previous models due to an increase in horsepower.  This version also went on to become a movie star by being featured in Pretty Woman, Basic Instinct, and The Rookie.


Another redesign was performed in 1993 by Julian Thompson.  This Esprit became known as the S4.  This was to be the last of the Lotus Esprit, but all in divine timing, a canceled project for a front-engined car left Lotus with a V8 and no car to fit the engine.

2002 Lotus Esprit V8

The Lotus Esprit V8 is arguably the most well known version of the highly esteemed sports car.  It features in the dream garages of petrolheads all over the world.  The Esprit V8 has a twin-turbocharged all-aluminum V8 that originally produced 500 bhp, but had to be limited to 350 bhp horsepower in order to prevent damage to the gearbox.  The gearbox is made by Renault (the French can't get anything right).  Despite the gearbox, the Esprit V8 goes 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds and possesses a top speed of over 175 mph.




The Future

2013 Esprit

As mentioned before, the Lotus Esprit is the first car in my series of posts that has never really stopped being made (I don't count the new MINI's because they are made by BMW).  The future looks very bright for this car.  In 2013, the world will get to experience the Lotus Esprit all over again, but in a new way.  There will be a V6 and a V8 version offered (both with twin-turbos).  Within the V6 option, there will be several engine sizes to choose from and the same goes for the V8 option.  This new Esprit will also be offered in an environmentally friendly hybrid version which will have a KERS regenerative braking system.  Early figures state that the Lotus Esprit V8 (with a 4.8 litre engine) will have close to 600 hp and will go 0-62 mph in 3.4 seconds.  Lotus also state that the Esprit will have a top speed of 205 mph (making it one of the fastest production cars in history)!

The 2013 Esprit looks stunning!

Lotus plans to re-invent itself and surely everyone must view the Esprit as the figurehead of the new fleet of vehicles.  The Esprit is truly a working man's sportscar.  From the Renault transmission to the Jensen Healey engine, the Esprit was built using whatever parts could be found.  From the beginning, the Esprit has always been about getting the most power out of small engines.  The Esprit was never the fastest car, but it has always had a certain "spirit" about it.  The Esprits built before 2004 can now officially be called British classic cars because I am now stating that the 2013 Esprit is a "future classic."  The world is ready for a British company to give Porsche, Lamborghini, and Ferrari a run for their money.  Even though I am a little bias, my money is on the Esprit.

Goodnight and I can't wait to see you in 2013.  

2013 Esprit seen at the LA Auto show 2010

Esprit V8 that I saw at Cars and Coffee Irvine!