This can be posted under: Another failing American automobile manufacturer makes yet another mistake moving them even closer to their eventual demise.

I have seen some advertisements where GM is offering a 100,000 mile warranty! Now most people will probably think “Why is that a bad idea?”, and that is a very good question, which I will try to answer. You see, GM has a cash flow problem, they have ridiculous union and pension liabilities and not enough revenue to cover them. The profit margins on all automobiles have narrowed to a point where they simply can’t afford the concessions they made to the UAW over the last few decades. The problem is so bad, that GM actually loses less money if they pay their employees not to make cars! Ha! So what does this have to do with them offering a 100,000 mile warranty? Well, this is a quick fix to bolster their short term cash flow problems. Sure, there will be an infusion of cash as a result of this offering, but without correcting the “real” problems facing GM, this will only make their end happen sooner and more drastically.

A few other car companies have offered a long term warranty to increase sales and turn the company around, but the success of this approach depends on a couple of factors: first, you have to be able to reasonably expect your cars to last for 100,000 miles without having to do major repairs to a significant percentage of them, and secondly you have to be able to rework your organization so that this infusion of cash makes you profitable. GM has not increased the quality of their products, so any extension to the existing warranty is only going to result in an increase of related warranty costs, and they certainly haven’t convinced the UAW that all of the members will be out of work sortly if they can’t turn this company around. Volkswagen offered a 100,000 mile warranty or a while, but it was after a serious reworking of every vehicle they offered and genuine attempt to gain back the public’s trust by building a considerably better car, this plan worked very well for VW, I doubt that it will do the same for GM.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, it is difficult to express my remorse over the release of this movie. I have listened to a number of commercials for it on the radio and I have seen a couple of the trailers on TV. These advertisements make me sad. Sad to see a niche auto sport like drifting being trammpled upon by the Fast and the Furious franchise.

So what is so bad about The Fast and the Furious you ask? Well, let’s start with the cars (which is all I really care about anyways). The cars in these movies are literal caricatures of themselves. The directors of these movies take otherwise nice cars and ruin them with goddy paint jobs and ridiculous graphics. Next, let’s talk about some of the events in the movies. In 2 Fast 2 Furious, the cars do some ridiculous jump that would destroy any one of the cars in the movie. In an interview with one of the actors for Tokyo Drift, he said that drifting was accomplished by using the handbrake to slide around a corner! Come on! Oh yeah, and the trailer talks about using “slick” tires to accomplish a drift. Damnit people.

Drifting, also known as Touge (which roughly means “mountain pass” in Japanese), is an amazing thing to see. You take an extremely skilled driver, a ridiculously light and powerful car, a number of sweeping turns and you end up with an exhilarating mix of burnt tire rubber and screeching sounds while a car goes flying by you into a corner at an impossible speed.

I have been thinking about what new cars I would most like to own (realistically). These are cars that when I see them on the road they inspire me. They have the perfect combination of styling and performance, in my opinion of course. One recurring theme you will notice with this list is that they are all realtively powerful and rear-wheel drive, both a “must have” for me. So without further ado, the list (in no particular order and subject to constant change):

Infiniti G35 Sport Coupe 6MT

The Infiniti G35 Sport Coupe 6MT pretty much has it all as far as I am concernced. Power, handling, styling, comfort and luxury for a little under $34,000 (US). This car sets the bar in the “bang for the buck” category.

Under the hood the G35 sports a 298 horspower 3.5 liter V6, the relatively new, standard setting VQ35DE. This power gives the G35 a respectable power to weight ratio of .084. The G35 also shares the chassis of the Nissan 350Z, which means that it’s handling is superb. Apart from impressive performance, I think the G35 is one of the most attractive cars ever built, and I mean ever. It is aggresive and beautiful all at the same time! This is something that many car makers have tried to do, but only a few have ever succeeded. The G35 Sport Coupe is due for a facelift sometime soon, the car debuted in 2001 and is getting a little long in the tooth by automotive industry standards. The sedan version received it’s facelist for the 2007 model year, so one would assume that a revised coupe will be forthcoming. Hopefully any changes to this masterpiece will build upon and accentuate the perfection that is the Infiniti G35 Sport Coupe.

BMW 330Ci

Those crazy Germans! The BMW 330Ci probably wouldn’t have made my list in the past, but recently I have had the great fortune of being able to drive one of these wonderful cars. This car is an amazingly capable pice of road going machinery. It seems that it handles whatever you throw at it with a certain elegance and poise. This car does not ever want you to see it sweat.

As with most things German, this car is uber-engineered. Every little insignificant part seems to have been designed by an entire team of world leading engineers. I think this stems from their (BMW’s, and it seems Germans’ in general) design process being more evolutionary than most other car manufacturers.

While the power to weight ratio of 0.068 (horsepower per lbs.) is significantly less than that of the G35 Sport Coupe, I would assume that it’s driveability and handling would make up for any shortcomings power wise.

As for price, well it is defintily the most expensive of the group at $37,600.00. Of course you also get the most luxury and refinement of the group for that price as well.

Nissan 350Z

Ah… How I love Nissan. Every one of their vehicles leads their class in power output. While not as refined as the BMW, or as classy as the Infiniti the Nissan 350Z offers performance that neither of those cars can touch. Utilizing the very capable VQ35DE (same as the G35 Sport Coupe) with more aggressive tuning, the 350Z manages 300 horsepower which provides a power to weight ratio of 0.083 horesepower per pound.

If you have ever noticed a Nissan 350Z going by you, perhaps you have heard the wonderfully low and grumbling exhaust note coming from the tailpipes. It seems like every aspect of this car is designed for performance and, as always with Nissan, value. The “Z” offers performance at a price point that just isn’t matched anywhere else in the automotive world. Just $34,500.00 will get you the “Track” model which has bigger brakes, lighter wheels and wider tires. Notice that these are actual performance upgrades and not just ground effects (although it includes those too!).

Subaru Impreza WRX STi

Last, but certainly not least in my roundup of cool cars is the Subaru Impreza WRX STi. This car is born of a heritage that has been a major player in the World Rally Championship for many years. While not as good looking (to some) as the other cars in this brief list, the WRX is definitely eye catching. I don’t know if it is the hood scoop or the wing, or maybe just the overall demeanor that this car projects, but it certainly looks like it can move.

The WRX STi has the best power to weight ratio of this group, 0.0895 pounds per horsepower. This is acheived with a 2.0 liter four-cyclinder “boxer” engine putting out 300 horsepower and curb weight of only 3,351 pounds the WRX STi is a rocketship on four wheels. As with all Subaru’s the WRX STi is all-wheel drive. While certainly adding to the complexity of the drivetrain, it should also allow those 300 horses to plant their hooves with confidence. The WRX STi is also the cheapest car of the group, coming in with a base price of $32,995.00.

Someday my car will look like this! Well, without the stickers.

Photo taken at the JGTC event in Fontana, CA on December 18, 2004.

Every time I see an Infiniti G35 Sport Coupe on the road, I begin to salivate. This is the most beautiful car on the road today, period. If I were to win the lottery tommorow, I would buy 3 of them. One heavily modified for the track. One moderately modified for the street. One luxuriously appointed for comfortable cruising.