#post script i like that there's dodge assist OR auto dodge

[liketheinferno2]

few disconnected things about xvi:

The big eikon fights are all LONG like bare minimum ten minutes I think I was on titan for thirty. To make this bearable they're in checkpoint phases like xiv raids. I like it. Unfortunately I have a habit of pausing to talk to people and then completely forgetting what I was doing so left Clive in the knife edge of Zantetsuken for 2 hours.

These summons are as classic as you get for like... narrative function. I'm a huge fan of old ff summoners where they're just kind of born this way and the visual on it is the form of this god creature overtaking their entire body. Less classic when most characters only get one eikon but very effective. Jumping out of my seat about some of this stuff I love gamma ray level megaflare. Titan the size of an mountain dwarfing summons as tall as buildings. Odin's SCARY in this one man maybe it's just me... but when the guy on the other end can sever anything he perceives as capable of being severed that's the sort of thing I love to see with reality bending fantasy powers.

I'm about 90% of the way done I think... at this point it is coming back again and again to this thesis of choice and autonomy as essential to human life and worth fighting for, for yourself and others. This story has an interesting presentation where characters can be very groundedly human having literal conversations at some points and theatrical actors posed for effect at others. Not a bad thing, feels very Utena-like to me. The eikon pulling scenes too, I have to compare it to sword pulls? Like this isn't sex but it can be intimate/caring/painful/violating in a very personal way... I'm just counting on my fingers here but you see it used like 1. By accident, painful and stressful for both parties, 2. on purpose, pushing Clive fearfully into a new life like he becomes a Bigger Adult, 3. to assert dominance, bad for everybody, 4. out of caring to gain understanding of another person, 5. out of love and trust willfully given, 6. forced and violent in that weird theatrical way I was talkin about earlier.. looking back on these as a whole I feel gears turning.

Kinda shoujo kinda berserk kinda thing you have to embrace the chuuni to get into. Other thing that keeps crossing my mind is how much this feels like ff's take on a Guts and Casca. OTHER other thing is how much this feels like this team's take on ff7's Avalanche, ff15's mistakes, ff4's drama with ff14's design ethos. REMINDS ME OF A LOT OF THINGS I LOVE BUT IS ALSO DISTINCTLY IT'S OWN THING both in and outside the bounds of the rest of the series. Not really getting the GoT comparison but that was low hanging fruit for lazy critics in the first place lol.

Also really really really good at portraying gentle touches and the sense that these characters feel safe in each other's arms and I love that shit. I'll hold off for now with the pictures but almost my entire photo library for ff16 is characters holding each other or saying some gay shit or both at once. Stopping myself here but there's your thinking out loud gamer post for the week o/

[orbemnews]

Odometer rollback fraud on the rise in Tampa and throughout Florida PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — In keeping with Carfax, the variety of rolled-back odometers in Florida jumped to 75,000, a 19 p.c enhance in 2020 in comparison with 2019. Carfax ranks Florida fifth within the nation in terms of automobiles on the highway with rolled-back odometers. Native Carfax studies 18,300 automobiles on the highway with a rolled again odometer within the Tampa, St. Pete and Sarasota space, a 16% leap from the earlier yr. Pasco County resident Robert Stennett says he thought odometer fraud was a factor of the previous till he bought a 2007 Dodge Charger from an area automotive lot in June 2020. “It seemed prefer it had been taken care of, low mileage,” he mentioned. Robert Stennett The contract mentioned the automobile had 131,000 miles on it when Stennett purchased it from a Pasco County automotive lot final June. Stennett says he bought suspicious after the automotive saved breaking down. He confirmed ABC Motion Information restore payments involving work on every little thing from the engine to the shocks within the weeks and months after buy. Then he checked the Charger’s historical past. “I bought extraordinarily mad,” Stennett mentioned, after discovering the Dodge had 182,000 miles on it when it modified palms — two homeowners in the past — in 2017. Carfax spokesperson Emilie Voss mentioned individuals assume odometer tampering doesn’t occur anymore. “It’s an enormous false impression that odometer rollbacks are a factor of the previous and it doesn’t occur with these newer digital odometers,” Voss mentioned. Thieves are getting round new automotive know-how with a software they will buy on-line for just a few hundred {dollars}. Josh Ingle the proprietor of Atlanta’s speedometer says that the identical software is used for reliable instrument repairs, however it could possibly roll again mileage in seconds. “265,000 miles exhibiting on the odometer and with the push of a button….it’ll go right down to 85,000 miles,” he mentioned. Autos with decrease mileage promote for 1000’s greater than these with greater than 100,000 miles. And, as Voss factors out, excessive mileage means excessive upkeep. “A automobile with 85,000 miles that you simply assume had 85,000 miles has a very completely different upkeep schedule than a automobile with 265,000 miles on it,” he mentioned. The Carfax report for Stennett’s Dodge posted a possible odometer rollback alert in 2018 when a seller reported an odometer studying of 126,000 miles, 60,000 fewer than the yr earlier than. The automobile was then bought to a distinct automotive lot which bought the automobile to Stennett. The seller didn’t need to take the automobile again till Stennett made a “Name for Motion.” “As quickly as you wrote them it was just like the lights got here on [and] they determined to do one thing,” he mentioned. In December, the automotive lot lower Stennett a examine for $7,000. It included a full refund for the automotive and half of what he paid for repairs. “It feels very nice to have it behind me,” he mentioned. “And to know that somebody is on the market keen to assist the patron.” Suggestions for purchasing a used automotive When you’re contemplating shopping for a used automotive right here’s some recommendation: Go browsing to the State of Florida’s web site and put within the Car Identification Quantity (VIN) to examine the final recorded mileage on any automobile. The service is freed from cost. By no means purchase a used automobile and not using a automobile historical past or Carfax report. Examine the automotive for extreme put on on the driving force’s seat or brake pedal which can point out extra miles than the odometer exhibits. Think about paying for a pre-purchase inspection. Paying a few hundred {dollars} upfront may prevent 1000’s of {dollars} down the highway. window.fbAsyncInit = function() FB.init( appId : '168779733303299', xfbml : true, version : 'v2.9' ); ; (function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Supply hyperlink #carfax #Cars #Florida #floridafifthinthenation #Fraud #odometer #odometerfraudontheriseintampa #odometerrollback #odometerrollbackfraud #pascocounty #Rise #rollback #stpete #Tampa

[smoothshift]

Kia Stinger GT2 - My impressions and review after 7,000 miles. via /r/cars

Kia Stinger GT2 - My impressions and review after 7,000 miles.

I bought a 2018 Kia Stinger GT2 for $38,000 before TTL. It was leftover on the lot and the owner had driven it for approximately 5,000 miles. I got a new title at used price. MSRP was ~$52,000.

For some background, my last two cars were a 2014 Audi S4 Prestige and a 2015 Mustang GT Performance Package. I also have driven a 2018 Audi Q8 and a 2015 Audi RS5 enough to give a comparison to those cars as well.

TLDR. I have gotten more compliments, window roll downs, honks, waves, and questions about my Stinger GT2 in 7,000 miles than I did in over 100,000 combined miles of my S4 and Mustang GT. A Stinger GT2 is a very competent grand touring car. It is a pleasure to drive around town, has gobs of power, is very comfortable, and has precise and sporty turn in and balance even if it has low overall grip and balance when at the limit. The features and interior quality are not quite enough to match a brand new mid-level Mercedes, Audi, or BMW, but it's right behind.

I'd say a good comparison is the GT2 is just behind a mid-level mercedes, bmw or MB that has come out in the last 2-3 years, but ahead of anything older than that.

What's Good

Interior. The interior of the GT2 punches above its $52,000 MSRP. It does not quite rise to the level of a new mid level audi, bmw or mercedes, but it far exceeds the interior in my 2014 Audi S4 Prestige. That's not exactly a fair comparison, given the Audi B8.5 platform came out in 2013, but it gives you an idea of where it falls. There are no blank switches in the interior. Every switch is solid, feels good to press, and doesn't look cheap - even the plastic ones. The interior is intelligently laid out and all of the important every day controls are physical buttons, not buried in the infotainment system. The interior is a mix of padded leather, brushed aluminum, and soft touch plastics. Use of hard plastic is very limited, but there are two key areas that I wish were not hard plastic - the airbag cover on the steering wheel and the side of the center console where your knee can touch the console. Other than that, every important touch surface is high quality materials.

Seats. The front seats do not come close to a true luxury car like Lincoln, but are nicer than what you would expect from a sports focused car. The seats in my GT2 are heated and cooled. Adjustments include independent left/right thigh extenders, lumbar support, adjustable side bolsters, and your typical back and seat adjustments. They are more comfortable than the seats in my Audi S4 while also managing to be more supportive. Compared to the Audi Q8 I find them just as comfortable as the Audi Q8.

Features. Adaptive cruise control, lane assist, blind spot monitoring, cross traffic monitoring, automatic lifting tailgate, and a heads up display are the highlights of this car. Get a 2019 or newer and you also have a 360 degree parking camera. The only major modern feature the GT2 is missing is a full digital and configurable dash. Kia did a lot of good things with features that just make sense. For instance, when you change the wiper mode the screen between the tach and speedometer shows you what mode you are in. When you change the auto wiper sensitivity, that screen shows you that too. Simple things like that show that Kia has put some thought into everyday usability.

Powertrain. Stock a Stinger GT will dyno anywhere between 350-375hp and lb-ft. Add a $500 piggyback tune and you will dyno close to 400hp and 470lb-ft. These numbers are more than enough for someone who just wants their car to be fun to drive. The transmission is a competent 8 speed automatic that I have no qualms with. Not as fast as a dual clutch, but much smoother and calmer at low speeds than a dual clutch. There is a launch control, but it's nothing to write home about in terms of how violent your launches will be. At least it's easy to engage.

Handling. Turn in is immediate and precise. The car is balanced when under control, but understeers heavily when you begin your four wheel drift. The car apparently does not actually perform as well as it feels. Look at Lightning Lap Results at VIR and you will scratch your head wondering why the lap time is so slow for a car that feels so precise and balanced. The answer is that overall levels of grip and balance deteriorate at the very limit and there is not much you can do with the throttle to fix it except lift. Steering weight and feedback is not as good as my Audi S4, but on par or better than the Mustang GT. Overall, it's a pleasure to take this car on an off ramp, but it's not going to light your hair on fire at a track day or autocross. Big red Brembos are a nice visual touch.

Infotainment. The speakers in my GT2 are superb, on par with the speakers in an Audi Q8. If you are someone who likes good audio but not enough that you would spend money on an upgraded aftermarket system, you will not be disappointed. The infotainment is unintrusive and highly customizable - even some stuff that you might scratch your head and wonder why anyone would customize it (for example, you can customize the relative sound levels of almost every audio input). Android auto works flawlessly and seamlessly. The screen between the tach and speedometer has a lot of useful information and is easy to navigate. If you opt for Kia's navigation, I found it to be very competent and I like the overall design.

Incentives. Incentives on these cars are ridiculous at the moment. Especially lease incentives. Lots of cash back, and you can buyout your lease right away and still keep the lease cash benefit. They simply cannot move these cars so you will get a lot off MSRP. I wouldn't buy one for more than 85% of MSRP. 80% of MSRP is a killer deal that some people claim they have gotten, but those are very rare.

Kia Warranty. No comment needed. Great warranty.

What's Bad.

Badging. The Kia badge is hideous. I don't mind that it's a Kia, and I'm not embarrassed to say it is a kia, but the badge is hideous. Luckily there are some replacements available which cure this problem if you are willing. I'm running the stinger script out back and the international kia logo on front and on my steering wheel. Unfortunately that looks a lot like a lexus badge, so people get confused often.

Heads up display. The heads up display does not have the option to show a gear position indicator or display shift lights, even when you are in sport mode. Kia, please patch this into the firmware! You let me have my blind spot monitoring and turn by turn directions show up in my HUD, but not a gear position indicator? C'mon.

Manual mode. When in sport mode and manual shifting, the transmission will revert to default "Drive" when you come to a stop - even if it's a momentary stop like a red light. If you call for a downshift while stationary it will revert to manual shifting, but there's no reason that the transmission should exit manual shifting just because you come to a momentary stop. Kia, please patch this into the firmware!

Range. The gas tank is too small and fuel economy is not stellar. I average between 20 and 24 mpg on mixed driving and that nets me about 300 miles between fillups.

Dealerships. Kia dealerships. I consider myself an informed purchaser and I went into the dealership with a number in mind to buy the car. They got close, we made a deal, that was that. I didn't have a bad experience, but I have seen a lot of posts and stories about people who are less informed than me who have a less than stellar experience at the dealership. It can be a bit weird to shop for a $50,000 car next to people who are trying to spend less than $20,000 for a brand new car.

Exhaust. The exhaust note is meh. It's not bad, but it's not great either. The V6 in my Audi S4 had a better exhaust note and I was happy to get a louder and more expressive exhaust on my S4. To give you an idea of what exhaust tone I like, AWE touring was perfect on my S4. I want a louder exhaust on my Stinger, but I'm also very very cautious about getting one that drones or is too farty. MBRP's new release seems to be the right thing for me and I will probably head that direction.

Why Buy a Stinger

The Stinger GT2 is the perfect car for someone who needs to put a car seat in the back seat and some stuff in the trunk, but doesn't want to be bored when they drive the car. Realistically the only car that is comparable is the Dodge Charger. For me the Charger is preferable if you want that raw v8 sound and more power, but the Stinger GT2 is more preferable if you want a more refined and comfortable ride.

Other comparable cars in this class are either too expensive or do not have the same power and sportiness. An Audi A5 Sportback is competitively priced but can't touch the GT2 in terms of power. Step up to an Audi S5 Sportback and you've blow the budget trying to get similar features.

I modified my Audi S4 and my Mustang GT, not to a crazy extent, but enough that you could tell they weren't stock. I've gotten more complements, window roll downs, honks, waves, and questions about my stock Stinger GT2 in 7,000 miles than I did in over 100,000 combined miles of my S4 and Mustang GT. Everyone loves this car, but no one is willing to spend the money to buy it. I suspect the reason no one wants to buy the Kia Stinger is because they would rather be seen in an Audi, MB or BMW. The other lawyers in my office gave me shit for "downgrading" from my Audi S4 to my GT2. I give them a ride and then they are surprised at how nice it is. Doesn't mean they'd buy one, but at least they understand after being in one.

I see myself holding on to my Stinger GT2 for a long time. I sold my Mustang GT because I needed a functional back seat. I thought my S4 would give me the same grins plus more functionality, but I never really connected with my S4 and it didn't make me look back at it after I parked it. The Stinger GT2 gives me the grins I miss from my Mustang GT while having the back seat, comfort, and trunk space that I need at this stage in my life.

I cannot recommend the GT2 highly enough to someone in a similar spot in life. It's a steal at the prices dealers are letting them go for.

[itsworn]

Just Right: 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T

The design of the Challenger is now 14 years old, and it’s a canvass for many owners to modify. Ray Oslowski has taken a subtle approach, adding a vinyl top and chrome accents to Michael Castiglione’s now timeless and iconic design with a cool, totally retro 1970s vibe.

Walking among the more than 2,000 cars displayed at this spring’s LX Fest, one could not help but be impressed by the width and breath of the ways that 2008-2019 Dodge Challenger owners have modified their cars. Some cars on display were essentially stock while other were over the top, riding in gigantic rolling stock and sporting wild paint and graphic schemes. So how does one stand out in such a field and catch the eyes of Mopar Muscle’s editors?

Sometime less is truly more, and a car sporting understated modifications is all that’s needed. That’s the case with this Inferno Red 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T owned by Ray Oslowski, president of the NorCal Challenger Club, of which has spawned several chapters covering Northern California and Western Nevada.

Ray has the typical car guy resume. He started working on cars with his uncle when he was just 15. “He helped me pinstripe and taught me the proper way to detail a car,” recalls Ray. “My first car was a red 1988 Dodge Daytona Shelby Z at age 16. In my 20s, I restored two different 1969 Plymouth Road Runners. In my 30s, I was into rock crawling on the Rubicon Trail and restored a 1974 Toyota FJ-40. In my 40s, I returned to my muscle cars roots — only this time with modern muscle, my 2010 Dodge Challenger. I purchased the car in November 2011 with 10,000 miles on it. I actually went to the dealer to purchase a different Challenger, but they made me a much better deal on this Inferno Red beauty. Over the years, I have traveled twice from Sacramento to Pomona for Spring Fest as well as cruising to Yosemite National Park several times, which is my father/daughter trip every year. I have drag raced it twice, and I have also driven it twice on a closed road course. It gets driven as currently the odometer shows just over 60,000 miles.”

What caught our eye when we walked every row at Spring Fest was not only the black vinyl top, but the chrome accents that made the car pop. Ray explains, “Early on I decided to go with the classic chrome theme. I bought rolls of chrome trim in several different sizes with double-stick tape from a local store that supplies the body shop trade. I applied it in the locations found on the original 1970-1974 Challengers. I talked about the black top for several years until my lovely wife bought the materials for me for my birthday last year. I wanted the full roof, pillars, and all. I also wanted the vinyl to have a faux leather texture like the original tops. Premier Auto Tint in El Dorado Hills, east of Sacramento, found this brand-new product and applied it to my car. I used the chrome on the seam of the red paint and the vinyl. I also put the Pentastar emblem on the passenger-side front, as all classic Mopar muscle cars had back in the 1960s and 1970s.” As fans of classic Mopar muscle, touches like this show an attention to detail that connects Challengers of both eras together.

The designer of the 2006 Dodge Challenger Concept, Michael “Casti” Castiglione is a long-time friend of author Richard Truesdell and the pair stay in contact via Facebook. When the original 2006 Challenger Concept came about, Michael worked at Chrysler’s Pacifica Advance design studio north of San Diego, working with the legendary Freeman Thomas. Rich asked Michael what he thought of Ray’s personalization efforts and here’s what he had to say: “I agree this color combo looks really cool. This has sort of a retro vinyl top look. The chrome at the base of the pillar is just like my ’67 Camaro. I’ll admit though, even on my car I would prefer it all one color instead of the two-tone. I’d like to see this one in person some day. Unfortunately, I missed LX Fest because of a family reunion. Hope to hit it next year.” Back in 2008, just before the release of the production 2008 Dodge Challenger, Rich interviewed Michael on the design evolution of the Challenger concept. Rich has the story archived as a PDF, which can be viewed here.)

The other element of Ray’s modification path that caught our eye are the selection of his wheels. “The wheels were added when I did the Brembo Brake conversion,” says Ray. “I chose 2015 Hellcat replica wheels in chrome. I had chrome wheels on it before also. I ended up selecting these because they were a factory-type wheel, and Dodge never offered them in chrome making them more unique.”

The other tweaks are equally subtle, nothing over the top and typical on what are found on many modern-day Challengers. They include a billet dress-up kit for the larger pieces. Ray also used chrome trim on the engine cover and cut extra vents in it as well. He added an Eibach lowering kit, dropping it 2 inches, which might be what helps to pull everything together, He added Scat Pack antisway bars with adjustable endlinks along with installing a Mopar front strut tower brace. The complete exhaust is all SRT including headers. The rear end and axles are also converted to SRT. Ray fabricated the custom grille himself. The final touches included tinted taillights, tinted windows, and a cold air intake.

Ray is an active member of the modern Challenger community. He’s the president of NorCal Challenger Club as well as the vice president of the Team Red Challengers International and the chapter captain of Challenger Demons. He shows the car extensively at local events and has attended Mopars in the Park on multiple occasions and has made the journey to Pomona twice for Spring Fest.

With his wife, Theresa, their enthusiasm for Challengers is infectious. At Spring Fest we started talking about Norcal Challengers and asked Ray if he thought he could get a group of NorCal Challenger Club members together for a sunrise photoshoot Sunday, before the group headed back to the Bay Area for the long trip home. Ray was able to get six members to show up 30 minutes before sunrise, and we were able to get a group shot (see sidebar), documented on video, and posted on the NorCal Challengers Facebook page by club Vice President Mika Whitfield.

When asked what he wanted to say to Mopar Muscle readers seeing this feature, here’s what Ray had to say: “I have been into Mopars since I was 16. I am a self-taught mechanic and have a good knowledge about the modern Challenger. Every mod done to this car aside from applying the black top was done by me. The Challenger was the only choice for me. I never even test-drove or looked at a Mustang or Camaro before buying my Challenger. For me, it’s Mopar or no car!

Ray was kind enough to get six members of the NorCal Challengers Club out of bed for a Sunday morning group shot following LX Fest.

Clockwise, from Ray’s 2010 Challenger, lower front left, here are the other members of the group: Richard Jahn, 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat; Daniel Denofrio, 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat; William Hilgen, 2017 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack; Zuniga Antonio, 2018 Dodge Challenger T/A 392; missing; Mika Whitfield, 2015 Dodge Challenger SXT; and Terry Henderson, 2014 Dodge Challenger 392. Ray estimates that there is 3,700 advertised horsepower shown in this photo.

ENGINE Type                                         5.7L VVT MDS Gen III Hemi V-8 Bore x stroke                               3.92×3.58 Block                                            Aluminum Rotating assembly                    stock Cylinder heads                          stock Compression                            10.5:1 Camshaft                                  stock Valve train                                 stock OHV Induction                                   naturally aspirated Oiling system                            wet sump Fuel system                              stock Exhaust                                    SRT Ignition                                     stock Cooling                                     stock Fuel                                          SMPFI Output                                      372hp rated, actual 415 hp Engine built by                          Dodge

DRIVETRAIN Transmission                             Autostick five-speed automatic Rear end and axles                   upgraded to SRT Exhaust                                    full SRT exhaust from the engine back Converter                                  stock Shifter                                      2015 manual shift ball with a leather boot install autostick Steering                                    stock power assist Front brakes                             SRT four-piston Brembo brakes Rear brakes                              SRT four-piston Brembo brakes Rollbar/chassis                         N/A

WHEELS & TIRES Wheels                         20×8 2015 Hellcat replica wheel in chrome Tires                                         275x40x20

INTERIOR Seats                                        OEM leather with red piping added throughout interior, custom dash badge with the Classic Challenger script, chrome pieces throughout interior Audio                                       OEM non-uConnect with 12-inch sub and amplifier added in the trunk, Mopar 10 steering wheel added Wiring                                       stock

The post Just Right: 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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