Why I'm Not A Rally Driver.

Yeah, I think I'll stick to Autocross...

Future Shock.

What are we going to do with all this technology? I’ve been wondering this for about a week, and I’m no closer to an answer. The new found pondering stems partly from the obscene cost of the clutch for my poor Focus, and partly from the announcement of Alfa’s new Mito Quadrifoglio Verde, which features Fiat’s new “MultiAir” system of intake-valve actuation.

First to the clutch: In short, the cost for replacement came to a slightly staggering $1561.03. Not to belabor the point, but that’s a lot of money; even more so considering that the car in question isn’t an exotic, but a hatchback, albeit one that’s a bit hotter than the average. The source of all this extra cost is not the clutch itself, but the dual-mass flywheel, a device of questionable benefit that carries with it a major drawback. It’s not exactly new technology, but it’s only in the last decade or so -perhaps just in time for the death of manual shift, but that’s another rant. Designed to allow a certain amount of give between the engine and drivetrain, and thus damp vibrations, it also in theory allows smoother shifting. I have not noticed this in my car’s case. What I have noticed is a motor that feels like a high-revving power plant handicapped by a heavy flywheel effect. The other thing I’ve noticed is that it can’t be re-surfaced in the manner of a conventional flywheel, and thus needs to be replaced at considerable cost with every clutch. The DMF is also supposed to prolong engine life, and allow increased fuel-economy. Of the first, I can only say that I’ve never had to replace an engine in a modern car, and that increased life in the motor must be balanced to some extent against the increased cost of the DMF system. Of the second, well… the SVT gets decent mileage on the highway.

This of course is for a traditional manual gearbox, not an automated manual or the now fashionable Dual-Clutch Transmission. I have little experience driving with either of these systems, and none with owning them, but I cannot believe either would end up making cost of ownership lower. And while I’m sure it’s a great thing to give people too lazy to figure out how to shift their own gears the warm glow of satisfaction in mistakenly thinking they now own a manual gearbox and are real drivers, I can’t see any real advantage to any of these systems. At best they’re toys, a halfway house that allows limited amusement to those who lack the ability to discern between action and interaction. A twin-clutch system may get you to 60mph a fraction faster than you could using only your own left foot and right hand, but is that the point? As I’ve lamented lately, areas where one can deploy a cars performance are in short supply these days, and paying more, both to buy, and to repair, a system that only makes the car easier to drive fast seems counterintuitive. This is the same argument I have against this decade’s fad for AWD rally replicas; as far as I can see, all they offer is less involvement, with three times the differentials to service.

MultiAir is another matter entirely. It’s a system with tangible, inarguable benefits, and it may be the technological leap that lets enthusiasts continue to buy sporting cars for the foreseeable future. In concept MultiAir is little more than a set of hydraulic push rods between the exhaust camshaft and the intake valves. This allows some of the benefits of a DOHC system, with lower drive losses, a not inconsiderable plus by itself. But the real benefits of the system come in when a computer (of course), and a set of pressure regulating valves come into play. At that point MultiAir becomes little short of black magic. This video does a better job of explaining than I ever could. All of this makes the New Mito Quadrifoglio Verde a better car than the first Mitos were. It’s cleaner, more powerful, and more efficient. And keep in mind this is with conventional fuel injection, combined with the latest generation of direct-injection systems, the results could be staggering.

At the same time, I can’t help but be a little chagrined at yet another layer of computer control between driver and car, and the added complexity the system brings to what is, in effect, a simple hatchback. It also seems destined to be a frustrating source of extra maintenance and fluid leaks. In truth, it’s been a while since home mechanics could realistically pretend to care for a new car without specialist assistance. But with systems like MultiAir and Direct-Injection motors become so complex that almost no involvement with the machinery is possible. There simply isn’t anything (other than perhaps changing the oil) that you, and a set of tools, can bring to the relationship. It’s just as well that they cover engines over with sound deadening these days, seeing one could only make you a little sad.

Again, I could be wrong; perhaps MultiAir will prove not only incredibly reliable, but also maintenance friendly, a drive system that can simply be drained and dismounted as a unit. Time, and ownership surveys will tell. But at the moment it’s just another pile of complex technology that takes the automobile –especially the performance car- further from being the purely mechanical objects that I’ve known and loved, and further toward a computerized transport module that makes me want to take the bus.

Out With The Old, In With The... Much Older.

I've been thinking lately of moving on from my trusty (somewhat), old (increasingly) Ford Focus SVT. Something about the $1600.00 clutch job I just endured, and the $300.00 for a key that I paid less than two months previous, and the fact that it eats brake discs at the same rate it runs out of pads...

Don't get me wrong, it's been a great car, and has provided daily transport, and driving fun, deep in the heart of LA, for several years now. That said, it's getting on in years, and mileage, and fun as it is to drive, it's a bit charmless. It's expensive to run as well (as mentioned above), and that keeps it from being as useful as a daily driver as one might assume from its hatchback proportions. It's very sensitive to setup and so every time I hit a pothole, or parallel park (a common occurrence as I have nothing so luxurious as a garage right now), I end up terrified that I'm going to kill an expensive damper, or knock the alignment out.

Ok, so what I need is a reliable daily driver, about which I don't really have to care, and that I can maintain cheaply, to a level where it should last for years... But this isn't Consumer Reports; this is Gearhead's Lament, and that means doing the stupid thing, while using all my knowledge of cars to convince myself and others that it's actually the wise move. In that spirit, I'm looking less at five-year-old Toyota Corollas, and more at something like... this.

I can hear my father hissing in disapproval from over 300 miles away, but he needn't worry too soon because finding a good one (not as good as this one of course) is going to take some work.

It's going to take some change in lifestyle as well. No matter how well I'm able to restore an Alfa Berlina, I don't think it will work for daily transport in the way that say, a Ford Focus should. I'll have to make some adjustments to the number of miles I drive, and look into an increase in bicycling locally. That's kind of the point however, I'm willing to accept that an Alfa has its foibles and limitations because it's a special car in a way that a Focus, even a fast, fine handling Focus just isn't, so I'm willing to make those adjustments. The Berlina is the suggestion of a friend of mine who, it must be said, has Alfas on the brain. It would however, almost certainly be a more practical choice than the other suggestion I've gotten since mentioning the idea of trading away the Ford... this one.

The Europa comes with almost all the foibles as the Berlina, then adds its own limitation, space. No, Europas don't have a lot of space, and finding a good one will be just as big (though perhaps not as expensive) an undertaking as the Alfa. All that said, while it won't even challenge an Alfa for practicality, it might just be more dependable once set up. That little Renault engine (not the Alpine motor in the video) is actually pretty bullet-proof as long as it's kept cool, which really just leaves the electrics... well, at least there isn't that much that's electric about the car... right?

All of this is probably just a lot of talk. I do, after all, have a life to look after, and limited funds on which to live it. But the thought of actually buying into a really special car, and not paying much more for it than I've been paying for a modern hatchback is appealing; if I can make it work, you'll read it hear first.