Car Sangarz

Driving the Alps - BMW 335is European Delivery Trip from Janitha on Vimeo.

Shaped like the head of a Tyrannosaurus-Rex, Laguna Seca is my favorite track on Earth.

Brush pit exit at turn 1, shift to 2nd at turn 2, be careful of understeer as turn 3 closes, turn 4 opens, lots of sand at turn 5, make sure you have speed out of turn 6, brake at the crest, throw the car into the "Corkscrew," slow for turn 9, turn 10 opens, and a desperate last attempt late-brake passing opportunity at turn 11 before the start/finish.

I know what some of you might say. This is your favorite track in the world? What about Watkins Glen, Indianapolis, Imola, Silverstone, SPA Francochamps, Circuit de la Sarthe, Nurburgring Nordschleife? The list goes on and on.

Of course, those circuits are nothing short of legendary.

But really, there's two things that define Laguna Seca-- 1.) Corkscrew and 2.) The battles.
The nail biting, passionate, brutal, brave, beautiful, ugly, questionable, honorable battles.

Here are some of the notable battles in the past:

Courtesy of MotoGP Anyone remember? Stoner VS Rossi in 2008 Corkscrew gravel dive: Perhaps the most daring pass in Rossi's entire career.

Not only is it utterly spectacular to watch, but it's incredibly fun to drive on. Because of this, when I'm on Gran Turismo 5's online lobby looking for some trouble, I sort my race rooms by track. By Laguna Seca.

For the readers out there with a copy of GT5 and a PSN, my network name is Capn_Chimichanga.
Brahs, get at me if you want a piece.

Also, please share with us! What's YOUR favorite track?

We're fans of motorsports. But we were fans of humanity first.

Dedicated to all the people that wonder what makes sitting down behind a steering wheel a sport.

Folks, it's a road trip post!

Completing my last final exam at around 11pm last Wednesday night, I receive a call from mom with exciting news that we would be going on a trip to Cape Cod the morning after. Road trips with mama dukes always meant that you'll have to mentally come to terms with her role as the back seat driver for the coming four hour drive. But hey, I was desperate and I really needed this.

I'd like to use this opportunity to just say how important family really is and that I'm really glad we did it. In the end, this turned out to be one of the most pleasant trips of recent memory. My parents are no longer young and they're only going to get older. Another family trip is another memory that we'd be able to share together. When my folks get to an age where they've become too old to travel, I hope not to have any regrets on not spending time with them when I had the chance.

Road trips also remind us what owning a car is really about. Fundamentally, it is mobility. When an owner buys a Ferrari only to leave it in a climate controlled garage, I can only believe that what the owner must feel is a sense of regret and remorse that grows exponentially for every back road that he prevents his Ferrari from stretching its legs on.

Anyway, without further ado, please enjoy the pictures!

Day 1, Cape Cod:

Considerations were made on whether or not to make this post a review on the Lexus (this is supposed to be a car blog after all) but I was afraid that it'd make readers fall asleep.

Let's get this over with. The Lexus GS 300 awd. Design wise, it's one slippery and handsome bar of soap, or as Lexus likes to call their design direction, "L-finesse". It seats four comfortably, though headroom is a bit lacking and I would have much preferred to leave my hat on while sitting inside.

Performance is good. With all passengers and luggage in the car, the engine was not out of breath when it was asked to accelerate to merging speeds. I'd describe the delivery as similar to that initial feeling you get when an elevator starts to move from underneath you. Boring, pretty much.

The chassis is rigid, the suspension is firm, the dampers are forgiving. The cabin is extremely quiet, the air conditioner blew cold, the leathers are soft, the ergonomics are sensible, the Mark Levinson stereo system was most welcomed. My mom and dad were especially happy with it whenever Lady Gaga's Telephone came on. Really, they're more hip than you think!

In conclusion, the Lexus is a good long distance tourer, but we'd prefer something with a bit more passion (a quid in the Italian swear jar) or a bit more Maserati Quattroporte.


Day 2, Provincetown and Gray GablesToken "editor in front of test car" picture.Paying Uncle Bob a visit!Day 3, BostonTop of the Prudential with Danny ChinCoordinating get up was unintentional. Probably caught a bit of attention though.Danny Chin and I sitting around talking about cars as usual. Note how my left arm is flat against the armrest and my fingers are curving upwards. I'm convinced that this picture was taken when I was in the middle of describing this white Aston Martin V8 Vantage I saw earlier that day and what my arm was actually doing is imitating the Aston's duck tail spoiler. Yes.

All in all, I had a great time and it was great to visit Boston again. Special thanks to Sandra and Uncle Bob, a thank you to my parents for becoming less dorky, and special special thanks to Danny Chin and his family for the hospitality. It was wonderful to see you all again!

I'm sure there will be more road trip posts in the future. It is arguably the most rewarding thing to be able to do as a driver. This sort of combination of spontaneity and freedom is rare and I don't think it's even something I see many major publications write about in detail.

I hope you enjoyed this post, let us know of your memorable road trips or one that you've always wanted to do!

If you ask this question, then obviously you are not a car guy. If you have an answer to this question, you are also not a car guy.

How on earth would you answer that anyway? It's very similar to "the question" raised in the novel, A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. "The ultimate question" to life, the universe, everything. Please, if you're about to run over to the nearest book store in hopes of finally discovering the answer, don't bother. There isn't one. It's just too vague.

Given, the question "what is the best car in the world?" does not have the same universal measure of importance.
My mother, for one, would care less, or just say that the best car in the world is her Nissan Maxima simply because she drives it.
And there's the bombshell. I respect a person as a fellow car guy if this person understands that the cars they like or the cars they would own in turn becomes an extension of who they are. It sends people a message of the things you hold important to yourself. The best car in the world is simply what is best for you.

I don't know, just thought it was a nice thing to think about if you ever find yourself asking that question.

-Danny Choy-

A week ago, I drove my friend to the airport for his flight to Chicago and just yesterday, I picked up my cousin returning from Hong Kong.

It was no trouble at all as I'm always up for a drive if it's really late at night or early in the morning (significantly less traffic). I also find terminal ramps to be pretty fun and windy.

On our way back, my cousin began to mention an actor/musician from Hong Kong named Aaron Kwok who's supposedly a huge car guy. Aaron loves his sports cars so much that he's bought a climate controlled hangar in mainland China so that he could store them right by an airstrip, where he'll spend his weekends driving them without restraint. That is pretty boss.

Two weeks ago, I saw Jay Leno's special video posted on YouTube. He maps out a circuit of road in Los Angeles centered around Mulholland Drive in the new AMG designed SLS sports car. You guys can check it out at the end of the blog. Seriously great stuff!

Well, this all got me thinking of the possibilities if Aaron's airstrip and Jay's Mulholland Dr. ideas were to come together.

Ladies and Gentleman, behold::

to zoom, give the image a click^


A circuit approximately 3.5 to 4 miles long. Sure, it can probably use some improvements, but I'd be having the time of my life if someone were to close off that bit of road for a day and hand me the keys to a Porsche! I know, crazy talk...

-Danny Choy-

... but one can dream.