driverheadquarter.com – The Auto Maintenance and Repair Expert

If you’ve been a loyal driver of Fords, Chevrolets, or another make of car for years, you might be a hard sell when it comes time to look for a new car and your friends start telling you how much they love their Nissan. Nissans, too, have a dedicated, devoted following, and for good reason. Nissan dealerships take great care of their customers, the brands’ cars are always among the most innovative on the market, and the company is dedicated to the environment and churns out environmentally friendly vehicles. Not to mention the cars are stylish, chic, and have won countless awards in the auto industry.

If you’ve been thinking about Nissan, take this into consideration: just since 2013, the company has won dozens of awards. These honors have included Top Recommended Compact Truck, Top Recommended Minivan, Fuel Efficient Best Vehicles of 2013, 12 Best Family Cars of 2014, 10 Best SUVs under $25,000 and more. You can see that Nissan offers a vehicle for almost any family and they don’t break the bank. Whether you need a sedan for commuting to work, a mini van for hauling the family to weekend activities, or a small work truck, Nissan has something for you. Visit Corona Nissan or your local dealership’s website, like http://metronissanredlands.com, to start getting an idea of the various Nissans on the market today. New and used Nissans are both great ways to make the foray into the Nissan world and dealerships are glad to show you what’s available and help you find exactly what you’re looking for. Come by anytime to test drive a Nissan and find out what all your friends have been raving about. We would love to talk to you and have you be part of the Nissan family.

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One-thousand and fifty horsepower and 723 lb-ft of torque. No, we’re not talking about some super exotic, or perhaps a big-block component of American Iron. All of the aforementioned power and lightning quick, low 9-second quarter-mile passes result from this 21-year-old Civic sporting a built and boosted H2B mill backed by smart purchases and a bunch ofDone Correctly

Carlos Santana isn’t some professional race car builder or a silver spoon-chewing millionaire. He works a normal 9-to-5 job like anyone else, has a family to tend to, and also in the immortal words of Ricky Bobby, I just wanna go fast. The H2B beast you can see pictured started off as nothing more than an automated Honda Civic hatchback rusting under a tree that somehow caught Carlos’ eye while he was driving home. He offered the property owner $500, got the vehicle home, and told his family he planned to transform the hatchback into a full-blown drag car. You can imagine their faces while they heard the language race car while staring at a weathered Honda Civic. He recalls, From on that day forward I worked on the automobile every chance I got. With help from many friends within the first year, I got the car to work with minimal modifications. The first order of economic was the energy equation. He knew a B or K Series just wouldn’t do, and instead, he opted for an H Series. A lot of people don’t run H-Series cars, especially the H2B, there aren’t any up by me. After some error and trial, Carlos ended up with a custom sleeved H22 block filled with CP pistons and one-off connecting rods. Carlos port-matched the pinnacle to his homebuilt intake manifold, then stuffed the top of the the engine with bits from Supertech and Skunk2. The huge Garrett GtX4202R wouldn’t fit in the Civic’s bay on an off-the-shelf manifold, so a custom built version was needed as well as a matching turbo-back exhaust system. Helping to keep things cool is a 90mm air-to-water intercooler and a custom-built intake for your turbocharger. Carlos knew his way around an engine and built his initial setups in their garage, but he was lacking in one very important component: tuning. That’s where his tuner, Rick Fedas and the crew at Racetek (formerly Kinetic Motor Works) came in. Carlos simply didn’t hold the dollars to back that up, so he opted for the very affordable Hondata S300, an underdog in the big kid arena of competitive drag racing, though carlos adds, I build everything I have got-engines, heads, everything-however i don’t know anything about tuning. The big-budget guys run Motec and custom engine management.With the new Civic engine now worth a lot more than the car it had been housed in, Carlos had to address the Honda rot that is persistent in the northeast. Gutting the inside and stripping the exterior as a result of only its necessary components helped Carlos kill two birds with one stone. He eliminated any superfluous weight on the inside, and exposed any invasive rust hiding underneath the carpets or exterior paint. Even when the OEM Honda Civic body panels were in good shape, these were tossed for lightweight variants. Thetrunk and hood, and doors were all substituted with carbon-fiber counterparts from Seibon, and Carlos got his hands dirty designing and installing a one-off carbon-fiber replacement roof panel. To maintain the shiny side up, Carlos designed and machined a custom-made carbon drag wing and full under-body diffuser. Through this point, if anyone questioned the intentions on this Honda Civic, a single piece, widened, carbon-fiber frontend by Jojo Callos was bolted up plus a parachute to assist anchor the beast.

Addressing the interior of your CIvic is really a Kirkey Racing seat and bracing the now barren cabin is actually a custom multi-point rollcage that Carlos designed. Getting all that four-figure horsepower to the pavement are Omni Power drag coilovers at all four corners and all of the tired bushings have been upgraded as well. Stock hubcaps and steel wheels wouldn’t do much with almost 10 times the factory horsepower, so a set of 26-inch M&H slicks wrapped around 15-inch Exospeed wheels cover Wilwood calipers and custom-made brake pads.

After a fresh coat of some across the top, eye-searing green paint and a custom wrap sporting his sponsor’s logo, Carlos hit the New England Dragway, his local track. After having a drag racing few test and tunes, he was able to blast a 9.2-second quarter-mile at over 150 mph! Carlos’ Honda Civic garnered a bit of attention regarding his super quick runs, which means that this season he’ll be taking the car nationwide to put the strength down. He hints which he might be planning for a complete rebuild and a possible color change, just keep the eyes out for the H2B Civic breaking necks and you’ll know it’s him!

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When Suraj Bhamra took the keys to this ’98 Civic sedan and began commuting to and from high school with it, he wasn’t exactly enthused. In most honesty, he wasn’t a fan of how the car looked, nor did he appreciate its automatic slushbox. Additionally, the Camaro SS that he’d been eyeing for quite some time, parked right across the street, had a on the market sign onto it, almost mocking him because he drove by it daily. His family had purchased the sedan as a workhorse, serving as his sister’s everyday car and occasionally his brother used it for long hauls relating to his job. When Suraj hit the big 16, his parents had two hand-me-down choices to choose for him: a Chrysler Sebring LXi or the Civic. He adds, Originally I wanted the Sebring because my brother did some ‘cool’ mods towards the car like chrome wheels, headlight covers, window tint, and a bendy antenna, etc. Suraj landed on a website full of body kits, and unknowingly, the modification seed was planted, but ultimately I was due to the Civic because it had fewer miles on it and my parents felt it could be more reliable. After some random online surfing.quite a clean silver EK hatch. My dad heard about the hatch, and becoming a car guy, decided he would let me do some visual mods to the car. The sedan was dropped off where the family friend proceeded to add a body kit, Altezza taillights, generic coilovers, Enkei wheels and had everything color matched. He adds, I thought the vehicle was the sh*t in high school and I won Best Car, which made me think I was super cool. In this high school ‘ricer’ phase, I stumbled across Superhonda.com. The target on complete suspension and engine builds intrigued Suraj. So, much so, that he’d jump on the tech forum the instant he arrived home from school everyday to read and learn more about his newfound passion.

Being a high school graduation student by using an almost nonexistent budget meant that a swap was completely out of the question, though with so many swapped Hondas floating around on the internet, the urge to put in a B or H Series engine haunted Suraj. Not any faster, though instead, a Flowmaster muffler was matched to custom piping at a local exhaust shop and made the automatic D16 louder.about this time that Suraj had graduated high school and was heading into the next phase of his life. He adds, It was time for college and the car, which I drove five miles to senior high school in, had become the car which i dragged both to and from college. I would change the wheels and bumpers [in the winter] back to stock and haul everything I needed to and from school. The car wasn’t particularly neglected; it was just kind of a ‘dark age’ for the build. In my junior year of college, I landed an internship and began working part time. A steady source of income and also the nod from his parents to start utilizing their 300M being a daily driver meant that Suraj could once more pick up the build, but this time he’d be doing the modifying himself. Most would undoubtedly take some sort of DOHC swap, but Suraj shook those thoughts off entirely after finding his way to D-series.org and learning all about the potential of a SOHC turbo setup. He removed the original engine in his garage and sourced a new block, which was fitted with Suzuki Vitara pistons and custom length FJ Distributor rods complete with ARP hardware. A Bullseye T3/T04E is connected tofor the most part, with no real snags on the way. That is, until it was time to fire it up, which contributed to a puddle of oil on the ground whenever a cam seal failed to make its distance to the rebuilt head. That ordeal was then followed by countless tries to nail an effective base map and once it was actually finally dialed in correctly, a few more problems showed up uninvited, including an issue together with the way and turbo too much smoke. Even after realizing he’d plugged the black box on the back of the D16 block, Suraj says the car continued to smoke between shifts, which is oftentimes a sign of bad valve seals. Off came the head so Suraj could replace the seals in the garage, whilst the turbo went back to Bullseye to cure some shaft play, and eventually everything was willing to be bolted back on. He adds, There were some additional problems like the GReddy boost controller not playing nice using the Hondata, a number of sensors for that gauges dying, etc. Nothing major, and so the next month or two were spent just experiencing and enjoying theHappy with the engine and turbo setup on the road, Suraj turned his attention toward the exterior and interior. He’d had his share of, shall we say, gaudy upgrades in high school, but having learned quite a bit in the process, he wanted a style that he wouldn’t regret when looking back 10 years from now. Thin OEM JDM side moldings were installed along with a Seibon carbon-fiber lip and MRacing mirrors on custom baseplates. Inside the cabin you’ll find a set of Corbeau Crow and seats harnesses mounted to a Revshift harness bar, a MOMO steering wheel, plus a slew of GReddy gauges.

Some might call it an opportunity encounter, although some might chalk it up to fate. What started as a hate/hate relationship with a family hand-me-down resulted in the development of a devoted enthusiast who learned everything he could about his car by just taking a hands-on approach using some very resourceful forums.

In 1976, Volkswagen created the “hot hatch” with all the MK1 Golf GTI. The little GTI has evolved to the seventh generation you see here, although since that time, many competitors have come and gone. Though the GTI has expandedbigger and stronger, and more refined over the years, it has retained plenty of its original character, with the Mk7 2015 GTI is the best one yet.

1976 Volkswagen MK1 Golf front-endWe need to list base trim, because, for the first time, Volkswagen will offer a Performance Package that, amongst other things, will bump power to 220 hp. Even bigger is the addition of 51 lb-ft of torque over the Mk6, bringing the whole to 258 lb-ft. (The figure is identical for Performance and base Package cars.) Better still, torque peaks at just 1500 rpm and remains tabletop flat all the way up until 4400 (base) or 4600 (Performance Package) rpm. I have a feeling the engineers in Wolfsburg are now being modest making use of their numbers, as not only does this GTI feel faster than the previous car, but the Performance Package car feels like it receives way over a 10-hp bump.

2015 Volkswagen Golf R – First Drive

In addition to having extra power, the third-generation 2.-liter EA888 turbo-four is lighter and more efficient. The increases come from several changes, the very first of which is the use of both direct and port injection. Port injection is still preferable for low RPM situations, and direct injection is a lot more efficient once power is requested. I actually have a feeling that using a small amount of port injection will even help with the carbon buildup on the intake valves inherent in direct injection engines, although it is unconfirmed by VW. Those valves are now controlled by a set of cams which include variable timing on both the exhaust and intake side. The exhaust-side cam also features variable lift, which optimizes exhaust charge velocity to reduce turbo lag.

2015 Volkswagen GTI front three quarters in motion 3

2015 Volkswagen GTI rear end in motion 4

2015 Volkswagen GTI side in motion 6

2015 Volkswagen GTI taillight

2015 Volkswagen GTI wheels in motion

2015 Volkswagen GTI grille

Another remarkable engine feature is the absence of the exhaust. Instead, the exhaust runners collect in the head before dumping out straight into the turbo. Minimizing runner length means faster spool times and probably saves a few bucks in the process. Those runners are surrounded by coolant to keep exhaust gas temperature down, primarily in high-power situations. Previously, these engines had to run richer than optimal to preserve the O2 sensor and the catalytic convertor. Besides leaning out at the top end pick up several ponies, it uses less fuel in the processcontinues to be the best blend of cost, durability and weight for this engine — it has lost some weight through optimization of mass. A good portion of the fasteners are now aluminum; the oil pan is plastic; as well as the new turbo, no longer a K03-based unit, is more lighter and efficient than the previous unit. Even with more power and substantially more torque, Volkswagen is expecting an EPA rating of 24 mpg city and 34 mpg highway for both models.

Instead of a straight mechanical Torsen or clutch-pack differential, Volkswagen went with an open differential combined with a personal computer-controlled, hydraulically operated wet-clutch coupling that locks the axles, although another GTI first is incorporating a proper limited-slip differential. The setup allows the differential to operate fully open after it is most advantageous, with the ability to fully lock it when needed. Charge of the differential is tied into the stability control as well as the old electronic differential system, now referred to as XDS , which is often used for brake vectoring in extreme situations. Unsurprisingly, transmission choices will continue to consist ofpurchased in the U.S. Despite being larger and better-equipped, the Mk7 will probably be almost 100 pounds lighter than the outgoing MK6. Hot-formed steel, which makes up 22 percent from the Mk7’s unibody versus only a 6 percent of the Mk6’s, part of the weight-loss is because of a dramatic increase in the use of ultra high-strength. The Mk7 also promises to be safer, with VW saying that the architecture was modified late within the development cycle to perform better in the new small offset crash test.

Anyone that’s ever labored on a Golf will find a familiar setup within the Mk7’s suspension. The front suspension arms and subframe are now produced from high-strength steel, although the front is still a MacPherson strut. While not as sexy to check out as cast aluminum, it can be both lighter and more rigid. The change may save 4 pounds, but keep in mind that these are larger and stronger components.is already hollow, something the aftermarket tuners have already been doing for the decade to shave ounces. What the tuners aren’t doing is vulcanizing the bushings directly to the bar to minimize NVH during use. VW has also labored on the geometry of the 2015 GTI, raising the roll center nearer to the center of gravity. This reduces the strength of the lateral force that pushes the body in the car from the inside of the turn, making for less body roll with the same spring rates.

VW also spent more time on the suspension bushings. Maintaining geometry through the suspension’s motion is key for keeping the car stable and predictable, and the Mk7’s stronger bushings keep the tires pointed inside the intended direction while still isolating NVH. On the front suspension mock-up VW had the event, the bushings looked and felt far stouter than those on thein the Mk5, but here too, VW shaved weight (some 9 pounds) and improved functionality. New bushings have risen transverse rigidity, improving rear tire tracking and quickening the entire car’s reaction to turn-in. The rear suspension also utilizes a hollow anti-roll bar and the locations of the anti-roll bar drop-shock and links-mounting points have been changed. It all adds up to a more connected-feeling car front to rear.

To quicken steering response, the 2015 GTI uses a variable-ratio steering rack that needs a mere 2.1 turns to go lock-to-lock. The teeth on the rack itself vary in pitch and spacing in accordance with the distance from the center of the rack. As a result, on-center the steering feel and response feel like those of the old car, but response increases while you dial in lock. Unlike active systems, however, the settings are constant and can’t be changed with all the push of the mouse.

Front rotors on the standard Mk7 GTI measure 12.4 inches in diameter and grow to 13.4 inches with the Performance Package. It seems that both will have the same calipers, though we couldn’t get confirmation.

In Europe, Volkswagen lists a 17-inch wheel as standard on the base GTI. The Performance Pack will get 18-inch wheels and 19-inch wheels will be optional. For the United states, VW happens to be saying that the 18-inchers will be standard, with no word around the 19-inchers. Summer tires will likely be an option and, after much prodding, VW admitted it willUnited states and European GTIs is the parking brake setup. European models can have a wonderfully efficient and-tech electronic parking brake operated from a small pull switch around the center tunnel. In the U.S. will we receive the old-fashioned mechanical pull-type E-brake that we all have demonstrated the extreme quantities of self-control to never use at 40 mph approximately in a snow-covered parking lot.

Design

Though the new GTI features a bigger footprint, its roofline is slightly lower. It’s visually more aggressive in comparison to the Mk6 and contains a bit more presence. It looks great and appears far more mature than rivals like the Focus MazdaSpeed3 and ST.

We still don’t really know what lighting options will be offered in the Usa In Europe, the GTI has bi-xenon lights with the active headlight option and LEDs can be used for the taillights and daytime running lights.

2015 Volkswagen GTI front endInside, the Mk7 GTI is only slightly bigger in writing, but seems much roomier in the flesh. I’m 6’2,” and there’s still more than an inch between my knee and the seatback with the front seat adjusted to my driving position. There is also lots of headroom front and rear, and the measured 4-inch boost in rear shoulder room doesn’t do the actual increase in space justice.

The interior might be the biggest single factor separating the GTI along with its rivals. The level of quality and refinement in the cabin is several notches above the Focus, Speed3, and WRX. The cabin iscomfortable and quiet, and better finished than even some more-expensive German offerings. The new 8-inch touchscreen now features Google Earth Maps and appears as good as anything in any other car. For those concerned that VW would decontent the GTI’s interior, sleep easy. Plaid cloth with Alcantara bolsters will once again be standard, with leather becoming an option.

2015 Volkswagen GTI front end in motion 7

2015 Volkswagen GTI front-end in motion

2015 Volkswagen GTI front three quarter in motion 3

2015 Volkswagen GTI side in motion 6

2015 Volkswagen GTI rear three quarters in motion

2015 Volkswagen GTI rear three quarters in motion 4

Driving Impressions

During our day in various Mk7 trims, VW offered up a palate cleanser such as a Mk1 GTI. It doesn’t hold a candle to the brand new one, as much as I adore the classic hatch. On the highway, the new technology does what it really should: fade into the background. The variable rate steering rack feels go-kart quick at first, but becomes second nature within 15 minutes. In typical GTI fashion, it feels comfortable and solid. It’s also quiet, rides better than the earlier car, and feels closer to an M or an AMG than an ST badge. The cars we drove showed major differences in ride and handling between the different modes of the Dynamic Chassis Control. We still don’t know if this is coming to the U.S., but I’m not holding my breath.It’s the split second afterward which makes the difference, although turn-in on the 2015 GTI is still quick and accurate. The GTI always had the ability to corner quickly, but once it started getting a lot more powerful, it became a point-and-shoot car. Now, it tracks as consistent unit. Instead of the front leading your back, it rotates around with front and back cooperating and the limited slip differential is an absolute revelation. The LSD allows for earlier throttle application, although gTI drivers are normally accustomed to carrying the brakes into the turn, late apexing, and receiving a bit straightened out before really getting on the power.In spite of the extra torque, there is no torque steer. Unlike the Focus ST and Speed3, which work to rip the wheel out of your hands, the GTI just puts the power down. Even aggressive shifts of the manual gearbox won’t elicit tugging of the wheel.

If the standard GTI feels quick, the Performance Package is downright fast. I can’t wait to actually test the cars together to see what happens, although the horsepower numbers still favor the rivals on paper. A track evaluation will be interesting as well. Previously, we have always gotten GTIs on all-season tires, though with an actual limited slip differential and summer tires, I think I might just put my money on the GTI.

In the real world, the refinement helps to make the GTI much more attractive compared to Focus. The new seats are the most effective to ever grace a Golf — I am including Golf Rs, Anniversary editions, and in many cases Trophies to suit your needs old-schoolers out there. The steering wheel is still among the finest in the industry, and how can you nothing like a golf ball shift knob? The trunk opening is low and wide cut, meaning it will be easy to fill the giant hatch with all the current stuff, which explains why you wanted a hatch for starters, right?

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