OK, now spring is really here!

It's true that the temperature dropped under zero again today, but with the record-setting heat of a few days ago, it's clear that spring is here. I have been really busy with work and other stuff, but I finally have a few minutes to post now.

We have not made much progress on getting the Civic ready for the enduro. The deadline is approaching... hopefully I can get some work done on the car this weekend.

Also this weekend, my girls' basketball team will be playing their biggest game of the year Saturday morning. We are definitely underdogs, but maybe we can pull off an upset like we did last year (see http://vincentbasile.blogspot.ca/2011/02/big-win.html ).

My men's team has won our last few games and we finished the regular season in first place.  The playoffs start in two weeks.

I went for a run on the Mountain about 10 days ago. It felt good to get out there and I wasn't terribly slow. I guess I am not too far off being in decent shape.

The BMW has been performing perfectly. The mysterious suspension clunk seems to be gone for good and the car continues to be a pleasure to drive.

Last weekend, Alex, my brother, sister and I went to New Jersey to see an NBA game (they beat the Bobcats by 13). It was a fun weekend. We rented a car from Budget and it was great value. The car was a Hyundai Sonata and I was quite impressed with it. The fuel economy (7.2 liters/100 km) was amazing for such a large car and the seats were really comfortable on the long drive. Some small criticisms: they only put leather on the top part of the steering wheel, which you almost never hold, and the ride is a bit harsh for a large family car. The handling is excellent and the power of the base model is more than adequate. The satellite radio was a nice touch as well.

I saw a new Porsche 911 for the first time. They're still nice, I still want one!

I spotted a new BMW 3-series today as well. It looks a lot like the 5-series, which is not a bad thing. I would prefer if it were a bit smaller, but I guess that it was to be expected that the new version would be larger than the old one.

With the spring weather, all the nice cars came out to play. Here are some pics.

A pair of rare Boxster Spyders

Bling in front of the LH hotel

Poor pic of a new 991

Cool cars spotted:
AMG G55
AMG C63
AMG C63
AMG CL63
AMG CLS63
AMG SL55
AMG E63
AMG SLS
AMG C63 Coupe
Acura NSX
Audi R8 V10
Audi S8
Audi S6 V10
Audi RS4
BMW 635 CSi
BMW E30 Wagon
BMW M5
BMW M5 E39
BMW M6
BMW M3
Volvo P1800
Mazda RX7 twin turbo
New BMW 328i
Mitsubishi Delica Off Road Express
Lexus IS-F
Ford Raptor
Shelby GT500
Toyota Land Cruiser Turbo Diesel 
Saab Viggen
Saab Turbo X
Lotus Elise
Tesla Roadster (!)
Ferrari 599
Ferrari California
Ferrari 456
Ferrari 550
Porsche 993 Targa
Porsche 991
Porsche 997 Turbo S
Porsche Boxster Speedster
Maserati GT
Maserati Quattroporte
Rolls Royce Phantom
Bentley Mulsanne (!)
Bentley Continental GT

Spring is almost here.

It always feels more like spring when we move to daylight savings time. It helps that it has been over 10 degrees outside a couple of times in the last few days. I have been driving the M3 a lot this weekend and am really happy with the new suspension setup. The car rides much better and the clunk in the rear end still has not returned, despite some serious bumps on gravel roads in the Laurentians this weekend.

Yesterday, I went to Perry Performance in Laval to pick up some sweet AlpineStars Tech 1-Z driving gloves as well as a new window net and tow strap for the race car. You can tell that spring is in the air when you see how busy the shop is. I was impressed with the cars parked in front of the shop and found that the M3 fit in quite well:

I haven't done much to prepare the race car for the big enduro at the end of next month. I guess I should get on that!

The basketball tournament last weekend did not go terribly well. We lost the first game by 7 against a team we could have beaten. Then we lost by 10 to a Division 1 team coached by my assistant coach. The only high point was that, after a slow start against a Division 3 team, we came from behind and won in overtime. At least my men's team has won its last two games without too much difficulty.

Finally, it seems people in Montreal are breaking out their summer cars:

AMG C63

AMG SL63

AMG CLS63

AMG G55 Supercharged

Mercedes S600 V12

Mercedes 560 sec

Mini Coupe

Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works

Toyota Celica GT-Four

BMW M3 E92

VW Golf R32

VW Corrado

Porsche 911 Carrera

Porsche 944

Porsche 997 Carrera 4S

Porsche 997 Targa 4S

Porsche 997 turbo

Dodge Omni GLH

Audi RS4

Audi S6

Audi S4 Avant

Audi S8

Saab Viggen

Saab Sport 900

Jaguar XF-R

Bentley Continental

Ford Raptor

Long delay since my last post!

I can't believe I haven't posted in 3 weeks! Things have been busy as Alex and I went to Playa del Carmen (Mexico) to an all-inclusive resort during Alex's spring break last week, which meant a bunch of work just before and just after the trip. The trip was fantastic. The weather was amazing and the service and food at the hotel was top notch. I had never been to a resort of over 3 stars and I was really impressed with this one (4.5 stars). It was also quite relaxing.

Big news in our little family: Alex is expecting a baby! All is going well as she enters the second trimester. We are both really excited about this! Stay tuned.

Other than that, I have been really busy with certain files at work. I played in one more basketball game which we lost. We were down by as much as 27 and lost by about 12. I have another game on Friday. Stay tuned.

The girls will play the Jeanne-Mance Dragons' tournament this weekend in Montreal. It should be fun, as our whole coaching staff (Darlington and me) and the whole team should be there. Stay tuned.

I just got back from picking up the M3 at Marc's place. While we were on vacation, I had him change the springs back to OEM and install new heavy-duty rear shock mounts. I really hope this takes care of the recurring clunk issue. So far, there have been no clunks on the drive home and the car feels more comfortable and stable on our bumpy roads. My only regret is that the car's appearance is slightly less "sporty", as the car does not sit as low as before. However, I believe this small trade-off will be worthwhile because of the increase in comfort and "pleasantness" when daily driving the car. Given that I already have a highly modified track car, I don't really see the point in having a second car with unpleasantly stiff suspension. Stay tuned!

Cool cars spotted:
Ford Focus RS (in Mexico)
Porsche 997 Carrera 4 GTS
Bentley Continental
E92 BMW M3 (Laguna blue and loud!)
AMG C63
Audi RS4
Audi Ur-S4

It's not raining any more...

Winter has become more normal temperature-wise, but at least we haven't been bombarded with snow. The basketball season has progressed. My girls' team, the Diamonds, has completed its regular season with a record of 9 and 3. We are confirmed in second place and will be playing in the regional finals (against 1st place Regina Assumpta) on March 31st. This will be my first time coaching in a regional final and I'm pretty excited about it. 

We also participated in a local tournament at Collège de Montréal. Because it was a division 3 tournament and we are a division 2 team, we entered in a higher age-group. We won two games out of three, and for the game we lost, we were without our two best scorers (they were playing for the division 1 city team). I think it was a good learning experience for the girls and myself and showed us what we can improve in the next few weeks. We have another tournament in three weeks.

My men's team played only one game. We came back from a 7-point deficit at half time to win by 17. My team was pretty impressive on the offensive end (not me, personally). There is some decent talent on my team. 

Other than that, I finally decided to enter a really long enduro with the Civic. I am signed up to drive in the April 28th Devil in the Dark enduro with the SCCA at the New Jersey Motorsports Park Thunderbolt circuit. This will be my first race of over three hours. I will have at least two co-drivers (Carl Wener and Jean-Michel Isabelle) and we will be running in the E2 class (2nd fastest class out of 5). I don't really care how we do in the class, I just hope we can have a smooth, incident-free event. We will be pitting next to the experienced and fast Bimmershop team, so hopefully, we can benefit from their expertise (they have finished 1st and 2nd in the two previous Devils). I am pretty excited, but there is a lot of work ahead to organize the team and the race effort. 

I spotted a Scion IQ on the road. It's surely a good car, but it's not a pretty one. I saw the Superbowl ad for the Fiat 500 Abarth. I am glad that car will be coming to North America. 

Cool cars spotted:

AMG C63

Maserati Quattroporte

Audi S8 V10

Audi S4 V6T

Porsche 997 Carrera 4S

Bentley Continental

BMW M3 (E92)

Winter... the rainy season?

I can't believe how much it's raining today! It's hard to believe we're in the middle of winter! At least it makes the BMW easier to drive.

I've been pretty darned busy at work and haven't had much time to write. My girls' basketball team are now 7 and 3. This puts us in 2nd place. Unfortunately, our 3 losses have all been to the 1st place team. This is the team that we will have to somehow beat in the finals this spring. We will be playing in a couple of local tournaments before that, so hopefully we can make progress in a few important areas.

I've missed the past couple of games with my men's team, due to weather and work. I have a game tonight and I'm sure I will be pretty rusty (and winded).

Winter is also the time to think about cars and do research on the Internet... I re-watched all the episodes of the awesome anime series called "Initial D" and it really makes me want another Japanese car. I would really like to pick up an economical and fun car like an early Miata or a (now rare) RWD Corolla GT-S. Alex does not approve. I guess it makes more sense to put the money into an RRSP... The Miata will have to wait a bit.

On the street, I have spotted a couple of new cars. The new Toyota Yaris is pretty similar to the old one, but looks a bit more like a mini-matrix. The new Subaru Impreza is a real disappointment. I don't know how they will find a way to make any version of it look sporty, as the base model looks like a small SUV. I've seen a few more Honda CR-Z's on the road. The more I see them, the more I like them. I would like the styling more if it didn't have that ridiculous SUV front grille. Also, I realized that I like the mini Countryman. It's a neat, small vehicle with 4 doors and 4wd.

Cool cars spotted:
Saab Turbo X
Hummer H1
Porsche 997 Carrera 4S
BMW M3 (E92)
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III

Coolest drives of 2011

Here is a list, in no particular order, of some cool cars I got to drive in 2011. Enjoy!

BMW M6

I can’t say that I was overwhelmed when I drove this car on the track, but, in all fairness, the car was on winter tires and I was not in Sport Mode (and therefore, was using only 400 hp instead of 500). The M6 is not designed to be a track car, but it really is a nice car. The quality of the interior is definitely a notch above the M3, and I am already a big fan of the M3 interior. Over all, I think the M6 is a pretty neat car and would make a fast and comfortable daily driver.

Ford GT

Lovely GT

This was a car that was on my “list” of cars I wanted to try. I took it very easy in this car on the track because it had awesome torque and no form of traction control. Despite the cheap interior, the car made a great impression. It had so much presence and I loved seeing it out on the track even when I was riding in other cars. I don’t know if I would ever buy a car like this, but I came away impressed by the over all package.

Nissan GTR

Awesome GTR

Another car from the “list”. What an awesome machine. I don’t really know what the purpose of such a car is, as it’s expensive and heavy for a track car, with much too much performance for the real world. In my few short laps, I noted that the car had awesome torque and that the excellent chassis and traction allowed you to use it. An impressive car for someone who wants a really fast street car for occasional use on the track. To never hit the track with a car like this would simply be a waste.

Porsche 997 turbo

I had driven the 996 turbo on a couple of occasions and the 997 just felt like a more modern version. What they say about these cars is true: it really is as easy to drive as a Golf. I can see why these cars are so popular. The interior is such a nice place to be and, like the GTR, the all-wheel-drive traction allows the driver to use the ridiculous power of the engine. A great car, but if I were spending my own money, I would be content with the much less expensive non-turbo 911.

Porsche 964

Interesting 964

This is, aesthetically speaking, my favourite 911. I finally got a chance to drive one in 2011 and I can’t say I was that impressed. Unlike newer 911’s, the only ones I had ever driven, you could really feel the weight of the engine out back. I love the narrow-bodied look of the car, but I can see why newer generations had a wider track. Newer 911’s feel much more stable in corners. I don’t think I would ever spend my own money for one of these, as they have such ridiculously high resale value. For that kind of money, I would buy an E30 M3 or an Ur-Quattro. Still, a neat car, maybe a future classic.

Hyundai Genesis Coupe

One of the more affordable cars on the list. I enjoyed the drive, as I thought I would. The car felt right and did not do anything wrong. There is no way you will forget you are in a Hyundai and think it’s a BMW, but it is still a fun car with great styling. I guess resale value will determine if this car ever becomes a performance bargain.

2000 Mustang track car

Hardcore Mustang

I got in a few laps in this track prepared 4.6 liter Mustang and I was pleasantly surprised with how docile it was. The rear felt very planted (it had independent rear suspension) and the over all experience, apart from the aluminium race seat, was really quite memorable.

Honourable Mention: Rob’s E36 M3

This was not the first time I had driven an E36 M3, but I still thought I should mention it, because I had such a blast the last time I drove my friend Rob’s M3 at St-Eustache. The car was so confidence inspiring that I found I was able to drive it almost like my Civic, despite the rear-wheel-drive. I can see why many of my friends have switched to rear-drive track cars. Also, these cars, even unmodified, are already great fun to drive. Not a bad weekend/track car for 10 000 $.

There you go! I hope to add some fun cars to the list in 2012… Maybe an RX7 twin turbo or an AMG C63? We’ll see!

Happy New Year!

Alex and I have been enjoying our time off. We managed to get away to Ogunquit, Maine for a couple of days. Although it might seem strange to go to the beach in winter, I can assure you that it is still a very relaxing experience, even if you can't swim in the ocean. Also, there is no snow on the ground there. Here are a few pics:

Alex on the beach at Ogunquit

Me on one of the walking trails at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm

Alex at Laudholm

Alex in the M3 at one of our favourite spots to eat

Other than that, the holidays have been quite relaxing. I got off the couch and went for a run last weekend. I was clearly out of shape, but I'm glad I went out. I wore my trail shoes, as I was running on compacted snow on Mount Royal. I'll try to head out again this week.

The traction control failed today on the M3. I don't know if this is due to the extreme cold, or if it's just a question of the steering angle sensor needing to be reset. I hope it's nothing too complicated to fix. I am still waiting for my new rear top plates so I can change the springs and hopefully get rid of that stupid clunk in the rear suspension!

Cool cars spotted:

Porsche 997 Carrera S

Porsche 924 (early one)

Porsche 911 964

Porsche 996 turbo

Porsche Carrera (80's)

Porsche 911 SC

BMW M5 (E39)

BMW M5 V10

BMW 633 Csi

Alfa Romeo Spyder

Mazda RX7 convertible

Mazda RX7 GSL-SE

AMG CLS

Volvo P1800