Gathered here are the Oppositelock posts that people put a good deal of effort into writing last Tuesday. It includes F1 aerodynamics, small pickup trucks, PITA dual mass flywheels and more.
The change in the 2014 Formula 1 rule book will bring about a shift in how teams manage the airflow around their chassis. The main cause for this shift in aerodynamics is the mandated repositioning of the exhaust exit to the center of the car, just between the diffuser and rear wing, which should not allow any more use of the exhaust gasses for aerodynamic benefit.
.
Nothing gets some Americans riled up quite like the truck wars. Pickup truck buyers are very loyal, often buying the same truck time after time even after test driving the competitors. This is normally taken as a boon for the truckmaker in the number one spot, which for 36 years has been Ford with its F-150 again and again reigning king… But success breeds complacency, and Ford has met an awful lot of success.
What happened to the old cheap/easy clutch replacement that added value to purchasing a manual transmission? One reason I buy manuals is because I look forward to not having to rebuild or buy an expensive slush box. Replacing a clutch should be an affordable Saturday activity. My Mini is proving that this may no longer be true.
.
Over the last week or so GM has been saying that it is looking at alternative power-trains to propel their big 3 SUV's. I've read many posts on this very subject and today after reading this one Carscoops.com GM Hybrids and Diesels for Big SUV's. I had to say something.
They say that driving a car in Alaska is like owning an Italian car in any other part of the country. Metal parts will rust immediately and for every twelve months of ownership you can only drive it for six. The only thing more prevalent than rusting carcasses in last frontier state of Alaska is freshly slaughtered caribou, so why not combine those two into one single craigslist ad? - Also check out this one in a Brazillian Puma and super Clean 1988 Integra.
One Sebastien stepped down to make room for another. With nine titles and bazillion wins and other records under his belt Sebastien Loeb waved final goodbyes to the World Rally Championship. Not in a way he intended though, but I find it very fitting - he is old and wants out, so crashing and rolling is the best way of saying "I'm too old for this shit"… But hey, the guy is out, we have a new champion(s) in Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia and one title is still up for grabs. Entry for this is obviously closed as the Rally has already happened. My bad.
Being that this edition is XL, lets look at a quintessential larger vehicle made by the American automotive industry. The Escalade is being replaced. The Escalade was the stepping stone for Cadillac's coolness to evolve into the cars we are envying today, and without it, we may be looking at the famous brand's failure the same as we did Mercury, Lincoln, and Buick. The old king of cool was voted uncool; could this be it's chance to reclaim the throne, or just a side note in it's utterly bloated demise?
The Best of the Rest
Offroadkarter attended Cars Cars & Cars in Germantown MD. Decay installed a short shifter in his FR-S. Paul, Man of Mustangs prepped an Explorer axle for installation in his '65 Mustang. BKRM3 took his e90 M3 to the track. Daender shared a video of his passenger ride in a Miata around Roebling Road. Takuro Spirit got pulled over - Russian dash cam video.
.
As always, If I've missed something and you would like me to include it, let me know.
Fun Discussions
There were several posts that asked questions and sparked some good discussion last Tuesday. Take a peek and chime in on some of them listed below:
Just the #tips
Honourable Mentions
These posts have already been shared with Jalopnik directly but deserve to be mentioned again because they were first posted in Oppositelock:
Want to participate on Oppositelock? Check out the general handbook for posting on OppositeLock as well the Oppo tools to help you get started.
Best of Oppositelock: October 22, 2013