Dinan Cold Air Intake and ECU Software Review
By Michael PosnerDecember 20, 2007 -
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 -
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
Escort Laser Shifter ZR3 Review
By Michael PosnerDecember 5, 2007 -
It's a never-ending battle between speeders and the police. Since the e-wars began, the police have moved from simple X-Band radar-based speed detectors to sophisticated KA-band radar guns, radar detector detectors (no really) and laser speed detection devices (with charming names like Stalker LZ-1). While the best consumer radar detectors can sniff out X and KA-band signals from a long way off-- before the signal can bounce back to Officer Not So Friendly-- if your laser beam detector goes off, tag you’re it. If you’re speeding (which you probably are as you’re reading a laser jammer review), you’ve been nabbed.
Escort Laser Shifter ZR3 earned a 4 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Editorials | Gizmos | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | 18 comments
General Tire Exclaim UHP Review
By Michael PosnerNovember 29, 2007 -
Selecting a performance tire is a daunting process. Over ten different tire manufacturers offer over forty different brands in a multitude of configurations for a range of road conditions. Tire prices range from less than a single Ben Franklin to nearly three times that amount. And it’s difficult to isolate objective information about any given tire because of the number of variables and the inability for any one tire to be the best in any one category (e.g. grip, wear, wet weather traction, wheel protection, comfort, etc.) Oy vey.
General Tire Exclaim UHP earned a 5 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Editorials | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | Tires | 13 comments
OBD-II Actron 9135 Scanner Review
By Michael PosnerNovember 27, 2007 -
Driving my new 2004 Audi with the family on a vacation to Sanibel Island, the check engine light (CEL) illuminated. We were 125 miles from home. In the past, an engine warning light would trigger panic, confusion and nameless dread. (Owners’ manuals are no help; they simply tell afflicted drivers to take the car to an official dealer.) All I could do was find, phone and visit a local dealer (if they were open) or limp home, knowing that every mile might be making an unknown situation worse. These days, I have an alternative: the OBD-II Actron 9135 scanner.
OBD-II Actron 9135 Scanner earned a 4 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Editorials | Maintenance/Repair | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | 11 comments
Wheelskins Cover Review
By Michael PosnerNovember 20, 2007 -
Now that you’ve attached that cherry faux sunroof you snagged on EBay onto your econobox, it’s time to spruce up the interior. No, I’m not talking about a pine-scented Magic Tree® air freshener (review to follow). Nothing says upwardly mobile motor like a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Now you could stunt down to your local auto parts store and pick-up one of those slide-on leather covers for about twenty bucks. But unless you have hands the size of Sasquatch, you may find this to be a sub-optimal solution. Thankfully, a slimmer, higher quality alternative is available. If properly installed, it adds a tasteful touch to any tiller.
Wheelskins earned a 3 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Cosmetics | Editorials | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | 11 comments
APR 93 Octane ECU Chip Modification Review
By Michael PosnerNovember 16, 2007 -
Enthusiasts have been tuning vehicles since the first car coughed into life. Back in the day, performance-minded pistonheads could enhance their car’s fun factor by putting stiffer springs on the distributor advance, or changing the top dead center degrees. In fact, there were hundreds of relatively simple ways a clever wrench could wring more performance out of his [formerly] humble four-wheeled steed. Today’s cars are too heavily computer-dependent for such simple tricks. Enthusiast-oriented entrepreneurs have created a whole new market of electronic modifications to fill in the void.
APR earned a 5 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Chipping | Editorials | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | 15 comments
Rotex Gold Brake Pads Review
By Michael PosnerNovember 13, 2007 -
BMW, Mercedes, Audi and other performance-oriented manufacturers all place a high premium on providing their customers with massive stopping power, with minimal noise. To that end, they fit relatively soft brake pads. The Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) brake pads are fabricated from a combination of high tech and simple materials: carbon fibers, metal filings and a powerful adhesive to hold the pad material together. These soft brake pads help the machines achieve astounding predictability, power and control but they do make your expensive wheels look like crap.
Posted in Brakes | Editorials | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | 8 comments
Magellan Maestro 4040 GPS Review
By Michael PosnerOctober 20, 2007 -
Given the changing pace of technology, the price of factory-fitted satellite navigation and the itinerant traveler's tendency to rent their chariot, a portable GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) navigation system is the ideal solution. When choosing an electronic pathfinder, map quality makes all the difference. Magellan (like Garmin) uses the premier map data supplier Navteq. The Magellan Maestro Series offers three models with a "just right" screen size (4.3"). The 4000 ($399) is the base model. The 4040 ($499) adds Canada (the maps, not the country) and Bluetooth, which lets you access addresses lurking inside your phone/palmtop. Although you can upgrade the 4040 to real-time traffic data for another hundred bucks, that same Franklin buys you the 4050 ($599) with a built-in traffic jam info receiver. On the road, the Magellan's 4040's geek fabulous 20-channel sirfsStarIII chipset instantly locked onto a GPS signal and updated quickly. The maps are pellucid, the voice prompts clear and the touch screen ergonomically sound. On the downside, the map disappears during recalculation and full-on sunlight is still a bugbear (a built-in visor would help). While RV-ing seniors might appreciate the AAA's TourBook info and roadside assistance (trip A members only), it would be nice to be able to choose a more (ahem) upmarket guide. Overall, the 4040 is a decent but not outstanding GPS device– at $499. But Costco's got 'em for $349 (in store price, call ahead). For that money, you're good to go.
Should this be a TTAC-approved product?
Magellan Maestro 4040 GPS earned a 4 star rating from TTAC
Posted in Editorials | Gizmos | News Blog | Product Reviews | Product Reviews | 23 comments
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