I found a little discussion on Honda-Tech, and thought it might be applicable to those folks that are looking for a first REAL car, after getting a REAL job. Both are very capable sport sedans and Lorena just bought an IS300 so we have to let her know she made the right decision. :wink: Here are some specs:

IS300: TSX:
3.0L I6 215 hp 218 lb-ft 2.4L I4 200 hp 166 lb-ft
Rear wheel drive Front wheel drive
18 city/25 highway 22 city/ 25 highway
Curb Weight: 3,255 lbs 3230 lbs
Weight distribution: 54%/46% 60%/40%
0-60 6.8 seconds 7.2 seconds
Starts at: $29,980 hock: $26,490

IS300:














TSX:














What would you choose, son?

BOOBIES

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seriously though, watch the kid in the background. poor guy doesn't know what to do with himself...or maybe he does?

I know that it is a ways off, but...

Registration has started:

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Chris Hawley sent me this, I posted it on my site, but I would assume most of you don't visit my site much

Borderline worksafe. 2 short parts that might get you in trouble (a naked butt and clothed strippers). Very good video.

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So I've got a North Carolina title for the 300ZX. It's signed by the seller and notarized, but does not include any mention of the sale price of the vehicle, nor does it have an entry on the title form for that sale price. According the Virginia DMV website, I need "proof of purchase price, such as a buyer's order, bill of sale, or the seller declared sale price on the title certificate" in order to title the car in Virginia. Can I just use the same color ink to write in the "sale" price of the car somewhere on the NC title, or will the DMV give me grief?

Share your experiences.

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Honda CEO takes 181 mph joyride

Takeo Fukui hits the race track during a day-long presentation showcasing new safety technology.
August 24, 2004: 9:01 AM EDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - Few auto makers boast a CEO who can demonstrate his company's racing vehicles at speeds of 181 miles an hour. Honda is one of them.

"Takeo Fukui, president and chief executive of Japan's third-biggest car maker, pulled off a publicity stunt Tuesday that had spectators applauding as he squeezed out of Honda's BAR f-1 racing car after doing laps around the test track.....

Minutes after stepping out of the F-1 machine, the 59-year-old Fukui continued to impress as he got on an RC211V racing bike and roared past the crowd, clearly in his element....

He then drove off quietly in the newly developed hydrogen-powered fuel cell scooter."

Man you gotta see the pics. You gotta remember Honda only uses CEOs who were past engineers with them. This is why they are so successfull. They only use guys who know what racing is about and have a passion for it. Wonder if you'll ever see any of the other CEO rip around a track on such wicked and dangerous machinerey. Especially the RCV211V.

You better recognize!! I always new this company had the spirit of racing.

Here's even more from Da Man from Motogp.com. You just gotta respect what he says about team orders.

Honda Motor Company president Takeo Fukui
Interview, 11/09/04

Honda Motor Company president Takeo Fukui was at the Estoril circuit last weekend to witness for himself Valentino RossiÔÇÖs Yamaha revolution and watch the Italian rider take another step towards maintaining the title he won for Honda three times in a row. Fukui-san, the man behind the 1973 Honda Civic and the head of the engineers that created the NR500 in 1979, spoke frankly about the plight of the Honda riders in the MotoGP World Championship this season and admitted the factory were missing Rossi.

Q: Why are you here?

TF: I come to motivate all Honda riders, meaning to energise them to get better results.

Q: Do you think theyÔÇÖre not doing enough?

TF: I think so, especially in MotoGP

Q: Were you expecting better results?

TF: Yes, I think this years conditions are very severe.

Q: Were you involved in the decision about which Honda team does development?

TF: For us the current situation is not reasonable. Basically, the works team should be top level, but at this moment itÔÇÖs different and there are a lot of reasons for that. HRC is now thinking about 2005 but at the moment I canÔÇÖt tell you what will happen except that the works team should be top.

Q: What do you think about Max Biaggi? Do you think heÔÇÖs got the racing and personal characteristics for your factory team?

TF: Hmm, I think so.

Q: The season is coming to end, whatÔÇÖs your feeling about team orders?

TF: Personally I donÔÇÖt like them. They use them in F1, but I donÔÇÖt like. We wonÔÇÖt make orders, I would prefer to lose the championship rather than use team orders.

Q: Are you missing Rossi?

TF: Yes, (laughing). But it was his decision, we canÔÇÖt do anything about that. We did everything we could do but he chose his own way.

Q: Do you think that losing Jeremy Burgess and the rest of the crew was very bad for Honda?

TF: Yes, but we couldnÔÇÖt keep them.

Q: Will you give special support to a Japanese rider like Tamada?

TF: Tamada has potential, but Biaggi also, Sete also, so weÔÇÖre not yet decided. We will decide two works rider from our six riders.

Q: Will you keep Nicky Hayden?

TF: Mmm, yes.

Q: WhoÔÇÖs you favourite Honda rider of the past?

TF: Freddie (Spencer). I need Freddie now!

Q: Ducati is making a Desmosedici streetbike and there are also heard rumours that Yamaha will make an M1 replica. Do you any plans for an RCV replica?

TF: At the moment we have no plan, but IÔÇÖm sure we will in the future, if you request!

W000000000!!! Time to start writing the letters!

The cruise was quite a success! I believe we had a turnout of nearly 15 carsit was quite an awesome sight to see the huge convoy of sports and performance cars that made its way through harrisonburg. We chilled with MM members and met some new faces as well. There was also some very nice machinery! Cars that turned up ran the gamut from an ML430 to a BMW 2002, complete with stock 4 speed manual and fiberglass fender flares. Come to think of it, there were no less than 6 BMWs if I am correctit started looking more like a DTMPower meet than an MM meet!

We met up at KohlÔÇÖs and mingled until about 10 after in the beautiful September weather. Everyone got to shake hands and check out the cars, and it was decided we would try to drive over to a middle school on the way to 33W to get a few pictures as a group. Due to the size of the turnout, it wasnÔÇÖt exactly easy to make our way through downtown without losing a few people at red lights. The front half made it through downtown (by the courthouse) ok, but the other half got separated. As I led our small front group to the middle school we waited for a few minutes and I began to worry if they would find us ok. Eventually the back half pulled into the lot amid the impatient revving of engines and the bass notes from some music flowing out of a few windows and we parked our cars for a moment to snap a few pictures.

With that out of the way we proceeded on towards the mountains. With no more traffic lights to cut up our group we cruised at a calm pace westward, with only the passing of a few quaint amish buggies to throw in some excitement. Everywhere you turned, there was nothing but open farmland dotted with the occasional rusty silo and maroon barn. It was a welcome sight compared to the congestion of downtown. The farmland turned to forest and the air became cooler and denser. I could almost feel my engine tugging me harder as it ingested the oxygen rich air. The tall, mighty hemlock stands that line the road gave some welcome shade from the blazing sun. The forest lining 33W was so thick I felt almost like a deer slicing through the woods. Traffic was scarce, and passing was no problem on the long, flat stretches that parallel the mountain river. I could even hear it roaring from the rain of the previous days. Every now and then I would contact Chris, or he would contact me, and weÔÇÖd make sure the group was tight. After traveling through the low country and through the masses of hemlock we finally came to the first turn of the road that makes 33W such a pleasure to drive on. As I passed the yellow sign that says ÔÇ£curvy road, 25mph,ÔÇØ I downshifted into second and began the curving climb to the summit.

The front of my accord bit eagerly into the banked tarmac of the first turn as I braked slightly. In my rear view mirror I could see the brilliant blue mazda 6, and the dark silhouette of a canteen green golf hatchback do likewiseuntil they momentarily disappeared as I rounded yet another steep switchback. I could distantly make out the sounds of VR6s, boxer 4s, BMW straight 4s and 6s shifting crisply over the roar of my own engine as I continued to power up the mountain to maintain my speed of roughly 45. Soon we were linking the kinks of the mountain road together as our group glided through the banked turns like bobsleds. As we reached the summit, Keith (riding shotgun) and myself looked out the windows and marveled at the monumental range of mountains thinly draped in a dirty haze.

Our sightseeing was to be only momentary, though, as yet another yellow sign warned us of the incoming 9% downhill grade. Shortly thereafter I found myself blipping my 2.3 with abandon to rev-match into second for the upcoming sweeper. As we proceeded down the mountain we could see farther and farther down the mountain range and really got a feeling for our altitude. Soon I could smell my brake pads baking from the hard use they were getting as I set myself up for one turn after another. Suddenly Chris radioed me to keep my eye out for a group of bikers that had passed him at his end with little hesitation. Not 5 seconds later I was looking into my driverÔÇÖs side mirror to see 4 bikes streaking down the side of our group into a blind turn. I was shocked but all I could do was get close to the shoulder and slow down. In no time they had screamed past us, downshifted, and were seen only distantly as I rounded that corner and readied myself for another.

We eventually reached the bottom and turned around at the entrance to a park of some sort. Once we had re-grouped we climbed back towards the top. There were a few sections where the road becomes two lanes on our side, and we were able to take the turns wider and apex the corners, which was pretty fun. Some of the turns were so sharp and so steep I was able to look back over my shoulder and almost look down on the roofs of all the cars in our formation. After weaving through a few more switchbacks, we again crested the summit and snaked down the other side, with the smell of brakes again wafting through the windows. Upon reaching the bottom, we quietly proceeded again through miles of enormous pine trees that stood straight up, lancing hundreds of feet into the air. In a few more minutes we were again in the open country and bounding over small hills and valleys. As we came into town I had to drive through campus to drop Keith off, and the majority of the pack broke off to drive down main street. I dropped off Ketih, and as I rode back to my place I noticed the roads around campus seemed to barely require turning my steering wheel compared to where we had just come from. After parking my car, I walked slowly back to my apartment, thinking of what a perfect day it had been for a drive!