WeatherTech®, Audi OEM Floor Mats Review
By Michael PosnerFebruary 5, 2008 - 3,817 views
Given half a chance, most car guys would spend big bucks pimping their wheels. Needless to say, their better half ain’t buying it. So neither are they. While aerodynamic addenda and wikkid wheels are [ultimately] a less costly ego enhancement than regular spa treatments, all car mods tend to appear fairly low on the list of financial priorities known as the family budget. But guys, it’s time to go to the mat. Literally.
WeatherTech® earned a 5 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Cosmetics | Editorials | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | 20 comments 
NITTO Invo Ultra-High Performance Tire Review
By Michael PosnerJanuary 31, 2008 - 13,253 views
If you’re a pistonhead, you have people. You know, Nick the mechanic or Joe the dyno. I got a tire guy: Ernie Bello. Bello tires is a performance car hangout, with all the right equipment for mondo mods and a lounge, decorated with a map of the Nürburgring, stocked with car mags, ice cream and kick-ass Cuban coffee. When my sports car needed new tires I clicked on Tire Rack for price and advice. I then went to Ernie. Hey Ernie! Whaddayathinkin here?
Nitto Invo earned a 4 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Editorials | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | Tires | 8 comments
Redline WaterWetter® Review
By Michael PosnerJanuary 29, 2008 - 3,653 views
Inexpensive products that promise significant improvements to your car’s performance are almost always fool’s gold. This is especially true for engine additives (*cough* STP *cough*). However, there’s one company with a sterling reputation for delivering on its promises: Redline Synthetic. Since 1979, the Benicia, California company has been selling coolants, fuel additives and lubricants to the automotive, motorcycle, marine and industrial markets. As part of their range, Redline offer a product called WaterWetter®. They claim their potion can reduce car coolant temperatures by as much as 30ºF. That’s hot! I mean, not.
Redline WaterWetter® earned a 3 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Editorials | Fluids | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | 14 comments
Spike-Spider Winter Traction Package Review
By Michael PosnerJanuary 22, 2008 - 10,930 views
I learned to drive in Philly in the winter. Although we were always warned to watch out for the dreaded black ice, the roads where I lived were plowed, salted and gently hilled. So there was little winter drama. The only slip sliding away in my ‘hood: Paul Simon’s doleful tune and the snow-covered mall parking lot where we went for late-night donuts. Flash forward to the winter of ‘07: a family vacation to the mountains of North Carolina in our rear drive Cadillac SRX. Before embarking, I glimpsed a warning on our cabin rental website: “four wheel-drive is a must.” Ch-ch-chains. Chains for fools. Or not.
Spike-Spiders earned a 3 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Editorials | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | Tires | 10 comments
NEXTAR Snap3 3.5″ Navigation System Review
By Michael PosnerJanuary 11, 2008 - 11,198 views
Looking at last year’s Black Friday ads made it clear that a portable GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) satellite navigation device was the season’s most popular loss leader. Even department stores like Macys were offering a GPS device on the cheap. This strategy continues; last week our local Walgreen’s had a Nextar GPS device at the front counter for under $200, right there next to mints and quit smoking gum. I wanted to see if a cheap GPS unit could compete with the big boys. So I contacted Nextar, and they provided us with a Snap3.
NEXTAR Snap3 3.5" Navigation System »
NEXTAR Snap3 3.5" Navigation System earned a 2 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Editorials | Gizmos | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | 7 comments
Motorola HS820 Bluetooth Headset
By Michael PosnerJanuary 8, 2008 - 10,342 views
I know it's not PC to say so, but I hate a lot of things. For example, I hate people walking around with those stupid cell phone earpieces looking like Lt. Uhura from Star Trek. They wear them like some sort of fashion jewelry, even when they're not asking John to phone Sally to tell Jorge he needs to phone Mary. For my sake, they should put their headsets away when not in use. Meanwhile, to find out what these people see in these devices and whether they have any practical use, I tested the suddenly very cheap Motorola HS820, a small Bluetooth, wireless headset.
Motorola HS820 Bluetooth Headset »
Motorola HS820 Bluetooth Headset earned a 4 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Editorials | Gizmos | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | 9 comments
Sears DieHard 10/2/50 amp Automatic Battery Charger Review
By Michael PosnerJanuary 3, 2008 - 27,380 views
Like most middle aged men, I had a car crisis. So, after convincing my wife that an Imola Red BMW M Roadster isn’t “chick magnet red,” I bought my dream car. Of course, the dream is never the reality. I rarely drove the M. Summers were too wet and hot (real men don’t drive a convertible with the top up and the a/c on). Fall was too wet. Ah, winter in Florida! It’s the best ‘vert weather but… I just got a new daily driver. So Emily became a garage queen. And died.
Sears DieHard 10/2/50 amp Automatic Battery Charger »
Sears DieHard 10/2/50 amp Automatic Battery Charger earned a 4 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Editorials | Gizmos | Maintenance/Repair | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | 15 comments
Poorboy’s Spray & Rinse Wheel Cleaner Review
By Michael PosnerDecember 27, 2007 - 21,180 views
Go into any parts store and you’ll see rows of products that claim to clean wheels. Just spray and rinse! After buying, spraying and rinsing, you end-up with half clean wheels that beg you to take out the scrub brush and clean them the old fashioned way. And here’s the really horrible bit: OCD pistonheads keep after the cleanliness is next to godliness spray ‘n wash wheel cleaning Holy Grail until their garages are littered-- OK, carefully arranged with half empty bottles of wheel cleaner. So, is there a genuine no-brush wheel cleaning solution?
Poorboy's Spray & Rinse Wheel Cleaner »
Poorboy's Spray & Rinse Wheel Cleaner earned a 5 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Editorials | Maintenance/Repair | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | 12 comments
Dinan Cold Air Intake and ECU Software Review
By Michael PosnerDecember 20, 2007 - 27,896 views
Say the name Hartge or Alpina to a BMW fan and you’ll get instant nods of understanding and respect. While Dinan doesn’t get the pistonhead props afforded these German uber-tuners, they’re rightfully considered America’s foremost BMW tuner. Steve Dinan’s mob has been modifying BMW cars since 1979. His Morgan Hill California-based company offers upgrades for Bimmer engines, suspensions, brakes and wheels. Like the Germans, Dinan also sells “Signature Vehicles” and creates special Factory Works programs. We concern ourselves here with an ECU upgrade and a cold air intake.
Dinan Cold Air Intake and ECU Software »
Dinan Cold Air Intake and ECU Software earned a 2 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Chipping | Editorials | Engine mods | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | 14 comments
Whalen Shift Machine Review
By Michael PosnerDecember 18, 2007 - 10,681 views
Three pedals for two feet. A wheel and a shift knob for two hands-- that are supposed to be on the helm at all times. The manual transmission doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, does it? Never mind. For its increasingly marginalized adherents, the manual transmission makes driving a pleasure. Unfortunately, carmakers are deleting the manual option from many U.S.-spec cars. As you’d expect from “ultimate driving machine” fabricators, BMW offers a manual in all of its vehicles save the 7-Series, including the once SMG-only M5s and M6s. These manual-equipped Bimmers sport ZF-sourced six-speed transmissions crowned by a leather shift knob.
Whalen Shift Machine earned a 4 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Cosmetics | Editorials | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | 8 comments
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