It can be depressing to be a car enthusiast living in America, especially when you have much love your own Domestic powerhouses but also have much respect for other delicacies the world has to offer. I am talking about all the cars that the American market do not have or at least the top of the line model. Marketing strategies can be blame for this lack of choices. Perhaps bringing these imports over would ruin the domestic market. Our strict smog regulations are also causing these bad boys to stay put in their origins? It could also be that the low octane rating we have, especially in California (91octane, Premium) is just too low for these cars to perform the way they should. Whatever it is, America still gets the cold pizza. For instance, the Nissan 350Z in Japan offers many different models which differentiate substantially in performance and price. I have created a list of U.S. models vs. Japan models to show you what we are being deprived of as far as performance.

US MODEL (based on 2007 models)

 350Z - Touring Coupe

Hp: 306 @ 6800RPM

Tq: 268 @5200RPM

Noticeable difference: Standard leather seats and optional navigation.

MSRP: $32,700

350Z – Grand Touring Coupe

Hp: 306 @ 6800RPM

Tq: 268 @5200RPM

Noticeable difference: Brembo brakes, Vehicle Dynamic Control and 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels and 19-inch in the rears

MSRP: $36,100

350Z – Nismo Edition

Hp: 306 @ 6800RPM

Tq: 268 @5200RPM

Noticeable difference: Tweaked suspension, stiffen chassis, aerodynamic bodyworks and wing, Japan-spec leather, upgraded exhaust

.MSRP: 38,070

JAPAN & EURO MODEL (Non U.S. version listed only)

350Z GT-S

Hp: 382

Tq: 424

Noticeable difference: New body kit for more cooling and downforce, wider tires, more hp.

MSRP: 36,000 Euro dollars

Nismo Type 380RS

Hp: 350 @ 7200RPM

Tq: 293 @ 4800RPM

Noticeable difference: VQ35HR engine stroked to 3.8litre, new dampers, and wider Bridgestone tires.

MSRP: 5.397 million yen (38,695 USD)

NISMO Type 380RS-Competition

Hp: 400 @ 7500RPM

Tq: 421 Nm @ 5200RPM

Noticeable difference: 3798cc engine, based on the GT 500 race car that entered in Super GT championship

MSRP: 26.25 million yen

Note: Need Perfomance Brake Rotors and Pads for your Race vehicle? Visit us at R1 Concepts

Donate a car to charity and get a great tax deduction and free up some garage or driveway space. This may sound simple enough but before you hand over that car or truck consider these useful tips.

Stay away from the middlemen: When you watch TV you might notice commercials by various organizations offering to help you donate your vehicle to charity. Sometimes these organizations will even offer you cash for the donation. The thing you need to know is that if you let these organizations help you they will usually keep 50%-90% of the profit from the value of your donation. Instead, what you can do is contact the charity of your choice directly to see if they accept car donations. Most reputable charities will accept your car as donation. Doing this gives your charity the maximum benefit and you get the biggest deduction possible.

Get to know your charity: If you decide to donate your vehicle to charity and want a tax deduction make sure to do some research on that charity. In order to get a tax deduction for your donation the charity you donate to must be an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) group. Some examples of qualify organization are churches, synagogue, and temples.

Take the time to transfer the vehicle: When you donate a vehicle it is best that you report the transfer to the DMW and re-title the vehicle to your charity. Also, remember to never leave or agree to leave ownership blank on the charity donation paper. Taking time to do all of these things will eliminate your risk of violations once you hand over your vehicle.

Always keep files of your donation: When you donate a car and the car is worth more than $500 you will need to include with your tax return IRS form 8283. If your donation is worth over $5,000 you will need proof of the donation. This proof can be a receipt from your charity or a copy of the title change.

Do your homework: If you are too busy to do the donation yourself and have to resort to an organization to help you – make sure to ask the organization how much of your donation will go towards the charity. The amount that goes towards your charity can affect your eligibility for a tax deduction. For example, you’re donation is worth $2,000 but the organization only gives to charity a flat fee of $100.00. This amount will probably not let you be eligible for a tax deduction.

Always tighten any wheel in the proper sequence pattern in order to evenly distribute the load between the wheel and the hub.   Use a torque wrench for the best result. 

In recent weeks, one of my co-workers injured himself while trying to lift a box containing a crib for his new born baby boy. Vince told me not to mention his name in the blog so I told him I won’t. What I will do is tell you how he hurt himself. First off, he is about 5’6 inches tall and about 150lbs soaking wet trying to lift a box a bit more then half his weight. He told me he did not stretch or prepared for the lift because he did not realize how heavy it was. He barely bent his knees and when he lifted the box which was bit further from where he was so he had to reach a bit over on front to lift, and the rest was history. This is totally the wrong way to lift any heavy object. Now, I am going to explain how to lift a box properly without hurting yourself so when you recieve a package from UPS containing R1 Concepts rotors, you know what to do:

According to family doctor.org:

-         Warm up by stretching your legs and your back before lifting anything especially if you are over 25yrs old, lol.

-         Make sure you have enough room to lift safely.

-         Make sure the weight is balanced and packed so it won’t move around.

-         Be sure you have a tight grip on the object before you lift it.

-         Get as close as you can to the load. Slide the load towards you if you can.

-         Don’t arch your back; avoid reaching out for an object.

-         Do the lifting with your legs and your arms, not your back.

-         Use the slow and precise movements. Hurried, jerky movements can pull and strain the muscles in your back.

-         Keep your body facing the object while you lift. Twisting while lifting can hurt your back.

-         Lifting with your legs should be done only when you can straddle the load. To lift with your legs bend your knees, not your back, to pick up the load. Let your legs lead the way up. Keep your back straight.

-         Try to carry the load in the space between your shoulder and your waist. The box should be snug against your body. This puts less strain on your back muscles.

-         And last but not least, if the box is too heavy, GET SOME HELP!

Note: Need brake rotors and pads for your loading vehicle? Visit us at R1 concepts

(Info provided by family doctor.org)

If you live in one country your whole life and believe you have ate everything different you can think of, you havent been around the world. Once you travel, there are many different types of food you can choose from that you would love and some that would disgust you.  If you have a weak stomach and just ate, you might not want to see the delicacies I researched and found around the world.

Australia-Crocodile meat has said to taste like gristly(difficult to chew) chicken

Africa-Fried Grasshoppers

Laos and Vietnam-Scorpions

New Zealand-Hu-Hu Grubs

South America and along the Caribbean-Stewed Turtle meat

Japan-Puffer fish served as fugu, an expensive sashimi dish. When eaten, it numbs the lips and creates an alcohol-like buzz. The fish contains levels of poison, and only licensed, trained chefs are allowed to prepare it. This may be deadly to eat if not served right.

Cambodia and Venezuela-Tarantula, imagine putting this in your mouth

I have showed you some of the different types of delicacies around the world, but there are many more.  Some of the delicacies I’ve seen doesnt look so delicious, but if you like to give it a taste, good luck to you and hope you enjoy it. Please reply back and let us know what you have eaten that everyone else would be grossed out from.