So, what you do for? Well being or results?

"Nissan GTR vs Porsche 911"...
flip thru any recent car magazines, and chances is that this will be the headline you see... For the benefit of many, Nissan GTR is new sports car launched recently, which re-writes many records and created, sort of, a new legend. A new technological milestone, and fascinates every petrol heads worldwide.

Not that I'm not fascinated by it (had drool over Youtube abt it racing at nurburgring), but rather, i'm more interest about another car currently... it's the Mazda 2. Although it seems like another ordinary 5 door hatchback made for the masses, there's more to the car. Another rule-book rewritten, probably.

While every car had increased in size and weight with every successor, the Mazda 2 is one of the rare one that actually grew smaller and lighter by 100kg, as compared to the previous model it replaces. That's something difficult, because new cars developed nowadays have to meet with increasing tougher crash test (so heavier structure), more consumer demands (so more equipment installed) and less environmental impact (so cleaner engine, less fuel used)

And be lighter is indeed a solution to the problem of pollution... Forget the complex Hybrid system you see in the Prius... Just by reducing the weight of the car, it will need less power (drink less fuel) and become more agile (more fun to drive) . A simple solution, which is not easily done.

Yet those passionate guys at Mazda took up this route. In order to achieve this, the engineers used high strength steel which gives less weight, and reduces weight of everything in the car..including that mirror and stereo speaker, to save 1+ kg. Unneccessary items such as reading lights and hand grip are omitted too. Which gave us that total weight saved.

Brilliantly engineered, great handling, and a proud japanese styling...But did consumers appreciated that? It had received many awards and recognition form the automobile-media world, as the top 5 in Europe's car of the year and Australian 'wheels' mag car of year top 3, but does the consumers know about it? Would the buyer be informed about the weight lost benefit? Rather, what they would care is about the interior hard plastic, the more expensive price, insurance, and those items that they had ommited. And it will not be a fuel effecient car to them, as the Honda Jazz had already been identified as the fuel saver, and mazda is perceived as the drinker.

On the other hand, what is selling like hotcakes are cars that have a well known brand name, spacious, reskined but uses a outdated engine, old auto gear, and heavy. Better still, if the price is low, you dont even need the brand name. That's how those budget car sells, despite being loosely designed and poorly built.

Green car? Perception are, not the light weight one, but one that openly state themselves as one. That is why hybrids are perceived as the world saver when it still drinks as much on motorway, and use much more materials to manufacture, while fuel saving diesels are still not accepted here.

Isnt some events in life similiar too? Many times what deserves the attention and credits are not rewarded. Rather, winners are those who put the effort in whichever areas where the attention is at and which are perceived as the correct thing.

Does an examination really test our knowledge? That first class score do not imply that you know every thing in the subject and is passionate about it; it happens that what you knew well came out. Meanwhile, that true good student did not argue well enough for that question, so thus not so good scores. Like wise, a good car is not the best selling. The best selling one is one that ticks the consumers' box.

And just like car makers needing that sales level to survive, we need that examination score to survive. What it takes is not passion and study with interest, but hitting the correct point and doing it correctly for the examination.... which doesnt quite match the initial intention for further quest for knowledge isnt it?

Anyway, who will really go for studies nowadays for quest of knowledge? Many did a degree 'cos you need it to progress in society, and did business 'cos there's no other better choice.


.....and i'm doing all these so that i can earn enough to buy the under-rated but brillant Mazda2.
How ironic.

.

The SUN issue..

Just yesterday, i got the chance to ride/guide in a rented car. 
No prizes for the correct guess, but it's the Fiat Punto again. For the 4th time.

But, i'm not complaining, 'cos it's still a brillant car in my opinion... and this one is the Skydome variant.
...or in Fiat-speak, the sun roof version. 

Which is great! It brightens up the car cabin, making it more airy and fresher. In a nice clear day, pop it open and enjoy the fresh air....you do not need to pay high price for a cabriolet to enjoy this benefit. And with the wind defuser, it wouldnt gushes in to mess up your hair.
Just drive below 80kph and it's not noisy.

This two pieces of glasses plus all the mechanism does add more weight, and that's why the car seems to feel slightly heavier when accelerating as comparsed to the previous 'normal' punto i had driven. This time steering does feels less sharp...or is it just me?

Beyond that, this is still a true italian car. From Fiat to Alfa Romeo to Ferrari, they produce fantastic sounds. The Punto's 1.4 8v engine growls superbly great and eager..and even better when rev up hard. It simply feels so alive.

The soul brightens me, but i'm sweating:  This rental car was, gotten at the wrong time. First night it was raining non-stop (with singapore at record low 22C degree, til i thought the car thermometer was spoilt) so the roof wasnt opened much. Next day it was hot and shining blindly bright, which the glass created greenhouse effect (even with the sun screen fully drawn). And some one before us broke the aircon fins! Which means aircon could not reach the driver seat at all! What a hot sauna!

So conclusion...with the good equipment level, looks, engine vocal and low end power, and low 2nd hand price, this car seems like a good buy. And this skydome sun roof does serve as a great sweetener, adding that level of sophistication and breeze. Just please, tint the glass more, coz singapore is a sunny island.


the car with opened top......the entire length of sun roof....and that sun.


On the other hand....

Here's the scenery that greeted as i step out of kelvin's residence today. 
Snapped it down with my phone immediately.

Seems to tell....no matter what, the sun is always behind the clouds.
Move on, step on, and the rays will guide you to the ulimate brightness.

Symbolic isnt it?

admin admin

Just realised that, so it is possible to view photos on Facebook, even if you are not a member...

Since i really havent been using that yahoo photo thingy and had moved on to facebook photos, here are links to the Public pages of my photo albums there....for the benefit of the guys and gals who are not facebook members....and insisting on not signing up ;^)


15th SC gathering 28dec07

OG11 Chalet 19dec07

OG11 Chalet (album 2)

OG11 CNY visits 2008 (p1)

OG11 CNY visits 2008 (leg2)

Steamboat @ wen ling hse -- p1

Steamboat @ wen ling hse -- p2


....that's means too that in future, with any new photos, you will see a link here.
Certainly, requests for Zip file of original photos are still accepted. All original photos are fit for 4R size developing.