i can haz biofyool

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It's been quite a while since I last posted anything on the Gas 2.0 site, and I can't honestly tell you which of my many excuses was truly to blame for this. Regardless, I'm back there, too!

More me is always a good thing, I think. Click the pic above to read up on Dyno-Comp's new high-boost E85 STi demon package, Rich and co. did a great job!

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Thanks for the tip, Shane!

ecomusing and more bullsh*t

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This is one of my favorite episodes of Penn and Teller's Bullshit series, as it highlights the mythologies and not-so-hidden socio-political agendas of the environmental hysterics.

With all the talk of hybrid this and eco that these last few days (with more to come, I'm sure) I'd like to point out that I absolutely DO NOT believe in some impending global environemental crisis, the doomsday scenarios of the "peak oil" wingnuts, or any other chicken-little theory.

That said, I AM a strong supporter of increasing CAFE standards and firmly believe higher gas prices are good for America.

Without getting too far off track (this is a blog about cars, after all) I will also say this: more efficient vehicles are simply more fun.

If you deny that claim, then admit, at the very least, that efficient vehciles have the potential to be fun - consider the latest crop of electric cars from Tesla and Fisker. That Tesla thing looks like fun ... and putting around Key West on a 100 mpg scooter while you're blowing a 0.22 is a BLAST, I promise!

I mention this because we're building a hybrid now - and, while it will share many characteristics with its wussy green brethren (I'm looking at you, Prius!), it shares more (in spirit) with the Tesla Roadster and a nearly forgotten generation of Group B Audi Quattros and Lancia S4 Deltas. That is: instant torque.

An electric motor hits with all of its available torque at 0 rpm. The INSTANT you "flip the switch", as it were, you are on the move ... and if you have enough batteries on board, you are on the move Very quickly!

Does it save gas?

Sure, it does - but that's just gravy.

The point is to have fun, try new things, remain true to who you are, and not hurt anyone else in the process, you know? To have a car (in this case) that was good at everything you wanted it to be good at, and that didn't make you sacrifice anything you wanted to keep. If only there was some sort of corporate motto or catchphrase that could sum that up ...

I'll think of something. In the meantime, enjoy the Bullshit.

renntech announces green racing engine

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Lake Park, FL - 15JAN2008 - RENNTECH's New Year Resolution: Greener Engines.

After closing out 2007 with exciting news about the SLR McLaren 722GT and Jamie Ferrell's big Open-class victory at December's Tulsa Shootout, the Mercedes-Benz super-tuning firm RENNTECH is kicking-off 2008 with some environmentally responsible resolutions, starting with the XR50 rotary kart engine.

"When the XR50 was at the Tulsa Shootout, which was the engine's first national-level race, many people were asking why we were building a rotary to begin with," explains Hartmut Feyhl, RENNTECH's president and former AMG technical director. "Development on the motor first began in 1996, with Paul Woelfle in Germany, who built the motor as a response to tightening emissions regulations in Europe. The goal was to have an engine that was competitive, but with much cleaner exhaust than the 2-strokers. We accomplished that, and the engine is now as clean as the very best 4-stroker kart engines - but we felt we could still do better, and that led to the E85 version."

Shown here in an "Eco Green" paint scheme (production models remain "RENNTECH Red") the modified RENNTECH /Aixro XR50 offers environmentally conscious racers something really unique: a cleaner, flex-fuel karting engine that can run away from the "dirty 2-strokers" that have, until now, dominated the sport. "On most track configurations the Aixro is superior, which is what you would expect from a motor with almost 50 hp," offers Feyhl.

You read that right: almost 50hp. In a 285 lb. sprint kart (weight with driver) the RENNTECH /Aixro XR50 delivers a power-to-weight ratio better than a Corvette, Porsche 911 or Ferrari F430, so buyers can expect to experience 100 mph at 2" from the ground (!).

"2008 is really going to be a big year for RENNTECH," says Feyhl. "We will be announcing a few other projects soon, and a good number of them will have a 'green' angle. This is something that all tuners will eventually be doing, even though many are still fighting it. We think it's a very exciting time to be developing new products, and have been very excited by the potential of some of the new technologies."

E85 Aixro rotaries will be available in Feb., MSRP for the XR50 is $5250. Contact RENNTECH KARTING for more information.