...enough said.

H/T Autoblog.

The Cobb AccessPort v2 for the 2006 STi

...just plain rocks.

The uber-tuners over at Cobb recently released version 2 of the Cobb AccessPort. I have been playing with this thing now for a couple of weeks, and I've been having the most fun I've ever had in an automobile while fully dressed. For those of you who are uber-tuners yourselves, you clearly need much more - but speaking as someone who is not used to modifying vehicles, this couldn't have gotten much easier nor made its presence known more soundly.

So here I am, a guy who has never done anything more than a K&N replacement filter on a Prelude... I get this adorable little gadget, it works exactly like the gang on IWSTI.com said it would, and literally 15 minutes later I've got 325 HP and 340 lb-ft of torque and I can feel it.

That's right. From opening the box to over 13% more torque, in 15 minutes. The first thing the AP V2 does is to record your stock fuel map verbatim, right down to the VIN. You can go back, entirely. And then you can sell the darn thing for darn near what you paid for it, because Cobb requires their retailers to sell them at sticker - $695. And they're in high demand - they are being bought by 07 STi owners because the Stage 1 reflash seems to address the hesitation issues they've been seeing. As a result, they can be hard to get from time to time.

In fact, maybe that's part of the reason that I had such good luck with my AP. Some people weren't so lucky. I won't rattle off the issues, but search IWSTI.com for details. You see, the guys I ordered from had a lot of trouble getting the 'Ports for awhile, and so as a result, I read. And read. Because for almost a month, I had ordered it and paid for it, but I hadn't gotten to play with it yet. So I read some more.

Again I have to give credit to the fine experts over at IWSTI.com, because that is where I did the vast majority of my "waitin' for the mailman" research.

Another great feature of the AP is the ability to load a realtime map to the ECU. It works like this - you reflash the ECU with the map that most closely matches your mods ( and in the process, the AP V2 saves your stock map, "marrying" the AP to your car). You can then overlay that map with a realtime map. The realtime map can dramatically change the behavior of the car. For example, I have flashed the Stage 1 93 Octane map. If I'm ever filling up with 91 or 92 octane, I can flash a 91 Octane map in 30 seconds, before the pump cuts off.

Or how about this? I'm romping on it on the way to work in the morning, enjoying the sunshine, lack of humidity, and hammering all 325 HP right into cool, dry pavement, and 8-and-a-half hours later I'm driving rush-hour traffic in 6 inches of wet snow. I can overlay a stock-like map, or I can even flash a real-time fuel economy map, which essentially caps the boost at about 8 or 9 PSI and advances the ignition timing in favor of saving the occasional buck on premium. Here, it's helping to let the car know, in advance, that we won't be doing any silly stuff tonight.

There's even a "valet mode" map that sets the rev limiter at 3500 RPM, and an antitheft map that sets the limiter at 500 RPM, so the car won't even stay running. Park the car, flash the antitheft map, put the AccessPort in your pocket and go enjoy your dinner - rookie thieves need not apply.

So, to summarize. Does it work? Yes. Is it easy? Yes, but read, read, read so you know precisely what to expect - remember, you are messing with your car's ecu here. Is it worth the money? Absolutely. Would I do it again? Yeah, but I'd call to make sure they really had them in stock first. Is another 40 lb-ft of torque fun?

Um, yeah, another 40 lb-ft of torque is always fun.

Actual, non-computer-generated pictures of the new STi

Some actual pictures of a lightly-disguised STi testing in Japan are right here.

H/T AutoBlog.

Future Power Ltd to unveil 300 BHP LPG-powered Subaru

H/T to the guys over at AutoBlogGreen, reporting that Future Power Ltd., a British company, is offering an LPG (liquid propane gas) conversion kit. They will be showing it off in a 300 BHP Subaru WRX, with the ability to plug in your laptop, and tune for economy or performance.

I'm a big believer in our right to drive powerful cars. I'm also a big believer in the idea that while we might very likely have plenty of oil available to us for the foreseeable future, we are also definitely burning it faster than the earth makes it. Finally, I truly enjoy and appreciate automotive innovation. That's why you'll read about alternative fuels here, but without all of the political and preachy backwash that normally comes with it. I think that with all of the research being done around getting powerful engines to run on something that we can make faster than we burn it, sooner or later something's going to come along that lets us drive like we do today, and not have to worry about running out of gas for good... and that's cool.

2006 Subaru Impreza STi

Note: This is another in a series of cars I've had the privilege of enjoying.

The 2006 Subaru Impreza STi. This is my current ride, acquired in March of 2006. Ever since I read a car magazine article back in the 90s about 3 supercars we couldn't have here
in the US (the Skyline GT-R, the Lancer Evolution, and the Impreza 22B), I wanted one. I had my choice of color options that day, but for me, there was really only one color - World Rally Blue with the gold rims.

With 300 BHP and 300 lb-ft of torque, all-wheel drive, a solid suspension, 4 LSDs, Brembo brakes, a driver-controlled center differential, and a built-in spray button to shoot water onto the intercooler, this is a serious piece of hardware. Motor Trend took the STi from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, and did the quarter in 13 seconds flat.

With a set of high-performance snow tires, this is year-round excitement. Plus, it's got a big trunk and four real doors. So when it was finally time to settle into adult parental life, this is the all-wheel drive sedan I went with. Sneaky, eh?

Anyway, after investing $695 and half an hour to reflash the ECU using the Cobb AccessPort, I am now running with an estimated 325 BHP and 340 lb-ft of torque. The additional power is intoxicating. If you're an STi owner and you're on the fence about the version 2 AccessPort, I say go for it - you won't regret it.

I've truly loved all of the cars I've had the pleasure of driving, but the STi is by far the most versatile, practical, scary-fast ride I've ever owned. As a famous young man once said:

"It is so choice. If you have the means, I'd highly recommend picking one up."
- Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 1986

Colin McRae has died

World champion rally car driver Colin McRae has been killed in a helicopter accident. My condolences to his family and friends.

USDM BMW 1 Series to start under $30K

Autoweek is reporting that the BMW 1 Series will start at under $30,000. The 128i will make 230 HP, and the 135i will sport 300 HP.

BMW says that the 135i will do 0-60 in 5.1 seconds. Riiiiiight. Maybe if you launch in second gear...

I can't wait to see pricing on the 135i.

Subaru WRC Concept at Frankfurt

Not a lot of details forthcoming about how closely the concept will mimic reality, but AutoBlog has over 30 pictures. Check it out.

Frankfurt Auto Show

Our friends at AutoBlog are at the Frankfurt Auto show. A Badass Saab, engine specs for the Nissan GT-R (which conflict a bit with their earlier reporting), and much too much to list.

Just keep scrolling, and keep checking back.

Joe Gibbs Racing announces move to Toyota

If you were watching the race last Sunday, this was the worst-kept secret of the NASCAR week, but it has been made official; Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and the great Tony Stewart will be driving Toyotas next year and beyond.

JD Gibbs said that with all of the other great teams running GM hardware, JGR wasn't in a leadership role with the manufacturer. With Toyota, Gibbs is clearly the number 1 team in the stable.

That's right... the #20 Home Depot Camry.

The King of the Hill Returns

Autoblog points us to a Motor Trend article reporting that the oft-rumored mega-Corvette will debut in January at the Detroit Auto Show, under the ZR1 moniker. It will sport a blown LS3 6.2L V8, and will relegate the Z06 to the middle performance tier.

Wow. Just Wow.

1997 Acura Integra Type R

Note: this is the first in a series of reviews of vehicles I've had the pleasure of driving, day in and day out, for several years.

The Acura Integra Type R. I bought mine in September of 1997. It was my daily driver until the winter of 2001. I then drove it occasionally until 2005, when I sold the car to another enthusiast.

In its prime, the Type R was widely regarded as the greatest FWD sports car of all time. Nicknamed the NSX Jr. by one auto magazine, this was the total package - high-revving VTEC four-cylinder, minimal sound-deadening, stiff suspension, limited-slip differential, and balanced weight. It could keep up with much more powerful RWD cars on track day, and even won the SCCA Touring Car Championship against more powerful BMWs, in a race series where victory brings not only a trophy, but a big pile of lead 'penalty weight' for the next race.

1997 Type Rs are very rare. Under 400 1997s were made, and then Acura changed the front and rear fascia a bit for 1998. The only available color was Championship White, commemorating Honda's first F1 victory.

As a daily driver, an Integra is hard to beat. It is roomy for its size, offers FWD for dealing with inclement weather, and provides a hatchback with split-fold rear seats that go all the way down. You could really load this car up and still have room for two. On top of that, I experienced 25 mpg in the city, and 33 mpg on the highway - in a car that does 0-60 in 6.2 seconds that's nothing to sneeze at.

There were a few downsides to owning a Type R. The stock suspension is very stiff, and if you have back problems, you'll feel 'em. The back issues I experienced were what drove me to retire the car as a daily driver. Also, the cars were serious theft targets - there were many places I simply didn't go because it was highly unlikely that the car would be there when I got done.

All in all, the 1997 Acura Integra Type R is a piece of automotive history, a wonderful weekend track car, and a practical daily driver. If you're contemplating one that has not been heavily modified, I would highly recommend it. I still miss mine.