theCARhack

4th Annual VRPerformance Kart Enduro

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:48:45 -0500

Sign up today for the 4th Annual VRPerformance Enduro at Kart2Kart in Sterling Heights. We'll be using the same format as in the past: 12 teams of 3 to 4 drivers, non-stop 90 minute race with starting positions decided by qualifying (or random draw, behind qualifiers, if you show up late). Every driver on the team needs to race at least one stint. Price is $150 per team (or about $38 to $50 per driver).

E46 M3 GT Part 3

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:46:40 -0500

Those who have been following this blog over the years know that I own a 2003 BMW M3 and that I've been slowly upgrading the OEM parts as they need to be replaced. In part 1 I talk about some of the cosmetic changes I made and in part 2 I introduce a new set of wheels. Now onto the suspension…

Perfection at Speed

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:30:12 -0500

In the pantheon of great automobiles, there is little debate amongst car enthusiasts and historians what is near, if not on, the top: the McLaren F1. Gordon Murray’s masterpiece is still one of the fastest, most exhilarating road cars ever to be produced. Not until the Bugatti Veyron was introduced decades latter were the F1’s numbers matched and surpassed. And by most accounts, those who have driven both still prefer the lither, focused F1 to the more luxurious Veyron.

The F1 was so good and so fast that, as Gordon Murray explains in the first video, the owners demanded a race version. The four part video series after the jump chronicles the F1’s amazing debut at the 24 hours of Le Mans.

Detailin'

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:07:02 -0500

There is nothing like taking home a brand new car. No dust on the dashboard, no grass clippings on the floor mats, haze free windows, and that fresh, new car smell. Since I'm not in the market for a new car, the next best thing is to have someone thoroughly "detail" your car. Sure you can spend the weekend doing it yourself-- which I have done many, many times before-- but sometimes the amatuer simply doesn't have acces to the tools and materials required (or skills to use them) to do it perfectly. That's when you hire a professional company, such as AutoLavish.

VRPerformance Open Track Day at Grattan Raceway

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:12:21 -0500

Date: Friday, July 17th, 2009
Time: 09:00 to 17:00
Cost: $225
Deadline: July 3rd, 2009

More details after the jump

EVO, EVO, STi: Part 3 Subie Pipes & Coils

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:31:53 -0500

The third installment of our Japanese make-over mini series stars a 2008 STi. All new coils for the struts, sway bars front and rear, complete new exhaust including down pipe, and new trans and engine mounts.

EVO, EVO, STi: Part 2 EVO X Sway Bar

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:24:35 -0500

Part 1 of EVO, EVO, STi went through a brake rebuild on an EVO 8. In this installment we go over a sway bar installation on an all new EVO X.

EVO, EVO, STi: Part 1 brake rebuild

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:44:54 -0500

Spring is in the air and the sun is rising on our Japanese performance car customers. The last few weeks we've had a rally of AWD sports sedans come through the shop: a couple of EVOs and a new STi. In part one we describe rebuilding brakes on an EVO 8. Part two goes through a sway bar install on a new EVO X. And part three follows a complete suspension and exhaust upgrade on a new 08 Subaru STi.

M3 Race Car Build (Part 3)

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:55:45 -0500

Our M3 race car is heading into its second season. The majority of the work was completed last year so this year the plan is to fine tune the car. Having had it on the track competing in several races the owner/driver has a good baseline for us. And one area we need to focus on this season is the aero package-- trying to find a little more speed in the corners. Time to wing it...

Lightweight Battery

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:28:28 -0500

One of the ways to improve the performance of your car is to reduce weight-- we've talked about this many times. The stock battery is usually a whopper, often weighing in at over 60 lbs. We now carry a line of lightweight batteries that offer similar cranking power to the stock units, at less than half the weight.

Cracking up: E46 Sub-frame issues Part 2

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:21:16 -0500

We already talked about issues with the E46 series BMW rear sub-frames in an earlier post, here is some follow-up information. The amount of damage on the vehicle in question was so bad that we decided to have the OEM sheet metal replaced completely instead repairing it by welding. Thankfully BMW stood behind their product and actually warrantied the repair portion of the work.

Perfecting the E46 M3

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:48:07 -0500

We've written about E46 M3 projects before, but most of those projects were hard core track oriented. What we have here instead is a perfect street set-up for the M3: more power, more sound and better handling. Our time honored philosophy of balanced performance was followed to produce a car that is better in every regard than stock without any one aspect overshadowing another.

Third Annual VRPerformance Kart Enduro

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:14:33 -0500

Sign up today for the 3rd Annual VRPerformance Enduro at Kart2Kart in Sterling Heights. Yes, Kart2Kart has reopened its doors, and just in time for our chase the winter blahs away race. We'll be using the same format as in the past: 12 teams of 3 to 4 drivers, non-stop 90 minute race with starting positions decided by random draw. Every driver on the team needs to race at least one stint. Price is $150 per team (or about $38 to $50 per driver).

Simply Brilliant!

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:13:30 -0500

The boys and girls (and Jeremy Clarkson) of Top Gear bring you this little ten minute gem of sight, sound and Ford Fiesta. Enjoy after the jump.

Cracking up: E46 Sub-frame issues Part 1

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:58:56 -0500

There is no doubt that the BMW E46 3 Series line up of cars is great. They are right sized, relatively efficient to operate and have superb all around performance. But there are critical weaknesses in the chassis-- especially in the M3 version-- that need to be addressed. We already reported on the fatigue issues with the front strut tower in an earlier blog entry. This time we will focus on the rear subframe.