This video surprisingly makes a lot of sense.
Archive for the 'Offbeat' Category
7Tune.com has a pretty interesting article up that takes a look at some rather unusual car trends in Japan. Oni-kyan (translates as ‘Demon Camber’; seen in the above photo) is probably the least practical, but nevertheless rather entertaining. Oni-kyan involves adjusting the car’s wheel camber to accommodate extremely wide wheels and tires [that would’ve otherwise never fit].
For a while Demon Camber was popular with drifters but has since fallen out of favor as the negatives like increased wear and loss of overall stability outweighed the positives of having more front end grip… so Oni-kyan has become a visual style more than anything. The wildest Oni-kyan fitments are usually in the realm of VIP cars, often they run 12 inch or wider alloy wheels that necessitate a lot of negative camber in order to fit these wider wheels underneath the standard wheel arches while keeping the car as low as possible.
Full Article: Oni-kyan, Shakotan and Hippari Tire
I drive from Houston to Austin a lot and lately I’ve been practicing better driving techniques (read: going slower) to cut down on gas costs. However, some people take these practices a bit too seriously.
Hypermilers - drivers who exceed the EPA estimated fuel efficiency of their vehicles by modifying their driving habits.
Nempimania - an obsession with getting the best fuel economy possible from a hybrid car.
Reading over the wikipedia page for hypermilers, you’ll quickly start to see some rather outlandish ways these people try to save a few gallons of gas:
Draft-assisted forced stop: a variation of the forced (auto)stop (sometimes abbreviated as D-FAS), involves turning off the engine and gliding in neutral while drafting a larger vehicle, in order to take advantage of the reduced wind resistance in its immediate wake (This practice is illegal in some areas due to its danger); while tailgating itself is inherently risky, the danger of collision is increased with D-FAS as hydraulic power for power brakes is used up after a few applications of the brake pedal, and there is a loss of hydraulic pressure that provides power steering, however, there is less need for power steering at high speed.
I can accept the concept of a hypermiler. Reluctantly. But nempimania? Even the very word “nempimania” makes me want to slap myself. If you drive a hybrid car, then you’re already a douche bag by most people’s standards (it’s true). However, compounding that fact by driving 55mph while drafting 18 wheelers and calling yourself a nempimaniac? You’ve officially reached the pinnacle of douche-baggery: The Tyrannical Douche Bag.
Environmentalism be damned! New remote controlled HUMMER H3 lets drivers destroy mother nature (figuratively and literally) from the comfort of a lawn chair … or perhaps something equally as outlandish, like a coal burning La-Z-Boy. We love it!
[Source: GMNext.com]
