Porsche 911 GTS vs. Acura NSX Type S Comparison Test: Who Knew?

It goes without saying, though it's often mentioned, that it takes enormous courage to full throttle your way up Pikes Peak with its 156 turns surrounded by unforgiving borders. Even with a laundry list of safety equipment, capable tires, and almost cartoonish aero, pushing a high-powered vehicle to its limits while maintaining control is a big ask, but it's the sort of challenge that PZ Tuning's William Au-Yeung seems to relish in.We've been here before, unfortunately. In 2019, after having earned multiple wins and track records in the U.S., Australia, Japan, and perhaps his most prized win - the overall course record at Global Time Attack, besting RWD and AWD competition, William's 9th gen. Civic coupe was unstoppable. That is, until it threw a rod while traveling over 170mph at Road America. His tires would make contact with the rush of oil from the newfound window in the block and the car then made contact with the wall multiple times. Fortunately, William walked away, the car however, was done.On their way home from that fiery wreck, William's wife was already scouring the web for a new chassis to build and just a few years later, version 2.0 was completed, and a comeback established. The new build was performing well at Pikes Peak last year and getting comfortable behind the wheel, William and his team were on pace to capture the FWD record, but weather conditions demanded an early stop to the entire competition and that goal was cut short. Returning to Pikes Peak for the 100th running, William was fully prepared to pick up right where things left off the year prior. Conditions weren't ideal with low visibility and a wet surface to contend with, but competition continued and the PZ Tuning Civic was on a tear during the event, focused on grabbing that FWD record that seemed almost inevitable based on its pace.Blazing an impressive effort throughout sections 1-3, this was it - William was on his way to earn that record even with freakishly thick fog offering very little visibility. He was pushing the turbo K-series and gobbling up turns but in section 4, he went off course, sending the car into the air and flipping end-over-end. It's not the worst-case scenario, given the massive drops that surround the road, but it's right up there. Once again, William was uninjured and able to unbuckle himself and climb out of the car to survey the damage. Take a look at the video footage below, provided by our friends at Acuity Instruments.Pushing the car to its limits in heavy fog and on a slippery surface in search of a record might not make sense to some, but it's what makes William such a fierce competitor. "I was giving it my all racing up the mountain and it decided to humble me," William says. "Honestly, I don't think I could do it any other way. If I went 'half fast' in racing, then I shouldn't be on that starting line." He also noted that yes, his wife has already located a few potential 9th gen. Civic coupes, a chassis that he says is truly the fastest in his opinion, and yes, he will return with version 3.Based on his experience with the first chassis as compared to the second, I asked if there would be any major changes in store. "No, this car was almost perfect, it was dialed in. The biggest shame out of all of this is we could've just kept racing it forever just as it was. Not to say there won't be improvements in the new build, but definitely not a whole other level in it. I mean, the speeds we had this car at are simply unbelievable. To qualify between a V8 Hayabusa Wolf and an LMP3 would be unthinkable in a normal world."In terms of a timeline for PZ Tuning's return, William says, "There's no timeline honestly. We're one of the smallest race teams out there and our normal business is just a small auto shop comprised of my wife, one employee, and myself…that also comprises the bulk of our race team! I do almost all of my own fab work from the cage to the carbon fiber, and all of my mechanical work like the engine, gearbox, electrical, harness, etc."Photos Courtesy of Acuity Instruments and Larry ChenOne thing is for certain, the small team at PZ Tuning knows how to put a competitive car together and they don't skimp on safety details. Two serious crashes both resulted in its pilot walking away virtually unharmed. Will says, "There are parts of this chassis that were designed specifically for Pikes Peak and there was more weight to be saved if it was only for Time Attack. I'm a true believer that you can never build it safe enough, whether Pikes Peak or circuit. You always want to have the right scenario for all safety to work as intended."

mazda mazda3 Full OverviewAspiration toward a higher plane of luxury and refinement is a near-universal notion. Plenty of us Yanks would call it the American dream, but the idea is far from exclusive to those living in the States. Mazda has been working at it for years.The Japanese automaker has been known for decades as the sportier alternative to similarly priced Hondas and Toyotas (insert the well-worn "zoom-zoom" tagline here), but it's been striving toward a different brand identity as of late. Based on its product strategy over the past five years and having developed a rear-drive hybrid inline-six platform for the next Mazda 6 and a pair of new SUVs, it's obvious Mazda is working to go upscale along the lines of Lexus or Acura.But what of its current lineup? With the optional turbocharged engine, AWD, and the Premium Plus package, our 2022 Mazda 3 test vehicle rang in at a steep for the segment $34,115—more than $10K richer than a base Honda Civic and within three grand of a BMW 228i Gran Coupe. So the question becomes, is a loaded Mazda 3 a proper luxury alternative, or a cheap compact with a handful of extra features?Test Figures and Driving ImpressionsOne thing's for sure, this particular Mazda 3 isn't your basic front-drive compact sedan with a wheezy four-cylinder. Its optional 2.5-liter turbo inline-four develops 227 hp (or 250 hp on premium fuel) and 310 lb-ft of torque; both numbers are the highest you'll find in the compact segment this side of a Civic Type R or a Subaru WRX.Here are the numbers: 0-60 mph in 6.4 seconds and the quarter mile in 14.8 seconds at 94.6 mph. For context, when we tested an AWD Mazda 3 with the standard naturally aspirated four-pot kicking out 186 hp and 186 lb-ft, it reached 60 mph in 8.1 seconds and took 16.2 seconds to run the quarter. (By comparison, our long-term BMW 228i Gran Coupe took 6.0 seconds to hit 60 mph.) Braking from 60 to 0 mph was slightly better in the Mazda 3 turbo car, too, taking 120 feet and 122 feet, respectively, to get to a full stop. That's quite a bit off the stopping power of the new Honda Civic Si, however, which hauls to 0 mph in just 110 feet.On the road, this top-spec Mazda 3 delivers a driving experience that's more refined and mature than you'd expect of this class of vehicle. The turbo-four's plentiful torque provides a good shove any time you explore the latter half of the throttle's pedal travel, plus the earlier peak torque disguises the aging six-speed automatic tranny's lack of cogs compared to some of its peers. Additionally, noise, vibration, and harshness levels from the powertrain are better than some entry-level luxury cars.The steering is weighty and accurate, even providing a bit of feel. This is one area where Mazda's sporting history shines through. Ride quality is firmer than a more relaxed compact like the Hyundai Elantra, but that pays off in the 3's superb body control and stable handling. The platform feels rock-solid through corners and is happy to keep up when you get excited on a twisty two-lane. We had a chance to drive in snow and ice, too; the AWD system shuffled torque fore and aft to keep the little Mazda pointed straight and the driver unworried. The traction control system severely limits power, but you can turn it off and have a bit of fun when you do.All that said, Mazda's driver assist system isn't programmed to be nearly as supportive as those from Honda, Hyundai, Kia, or Toyota. Lane centering hardly ever engages, and the adaptive cruise control occasionally exhibits unnatural braking behavior. If you want something that minimizes fatigue on the highway with modern active safety features, the Mazda 3 isn't it.Design ExcellenceThe Mazda 3 easily looks like the most expensive vehicle in the compact segment, with a dash-to-axle spacing that disguises its FWD underpinnings better than competitors like the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe. Its LED head- and taillights are distinctively premium, and the way the turn signals blink on strong and slowly fade looks like it's straight off an Audi.Inside, the 2022 Mazda 3's interior layout is minimalist without feeling cheap, and there are no finicky touch buttons; you get expensive-feeling knobs for climate control and volume, which is a huge plus. This is what elegance and class can feel like in a relatively inexpensive vehicle. Materials and build quality feel top notch, too, and the ergonomics are excellent other than the cupholders, which aren't ideal for taller drinks.Some staffers experienced issues with the infotainment system (it can take a few too many steps to find basic functions like a radio tuner), but in many ways it comes off as a better-executed version of an older BMW iDrive system. Mazda's use of a rotary infotainment controller rather than a touchscreen allows the standard 8.8-inch infotainment display to be mounted high on the dash, which means drivers can keep their peripheral vision on the road while selecting a podcast or adding a gas station to their navigation route.That's not to say the interior isn't missing a few features given its nearly $35,000 price point. Even fully loaded, the Mazda 3 lacks cooled seats, wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, rear climate control vents, and a wireless charging pad—all of which are available in lower-priced competitors. It's also worth noting that the Mazda's rear seat is the tightest in the segment. Six-footers will be brushing their noggins on the headliner, and sharp impacts aren't going to be easy on the spine.Is the Mazda 3 Turbo a Good Car?The turbocharged and loaded-up 2022 Mazda 3 isn't a vehicle for everyone. Its back seat is exceedingly small and poorly equipped, the driver-assist tech is way behind those of the competition, and some folks won't vibe with the infotainment system's occasionally convoluted layout. There are competitors with more features, too. But would we take it over an entry-level luxury sedan like the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe? In a heartbeat.Looks good! More details? 2022 Mazda 3 Sedan AWD Turbo Specifications BASE PRICE $31,565 PRICE AS TESTED $34,115 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 2.5L Turbo direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4 POWER (SAE NET) 227 hp @ 5,000 rpm* TORQUE (SAE NET) 310 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,376 lb (62/38%) WHEELBASE 107.3 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 183.5 x 70.7 x 56.9 in 0-60 MPH 6.4 sec QUARTER MILE 14.8 sec @ 94.6 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 120 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.84 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 26.6 sec @ 0.67 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 23/32/27 mpg EPA RANGE, COMB 343 miles ON SALE Now *250 hp on 93-octane fuel Show All

There is a legitimate debate to be had over whether Autopilot, Tesla's lane-centering and adaptive cruise control driver assists isn't as safe or capable as it claims. But as with many things Tesla, things can easily get muddy, and not just because the pioneering automotive automaker evaporated its PR team years ago. Take, for example, The Dawn Project founded by Dan O'Dowd, who also owns Green Hills Software, which technically competes with Tesla's software. O'Dowd himself has kicked off a congressional bid vowing to rid the world of the "scourge" that is Autopilot, and recently released a video showing a Tesla running Autopilot running over a child mannequin to "prove" the system's failings.Of course this gambit went viral, not least because it inspired Tesla's cult-like owners to use their own children—or try and borrow other children, and we're not joking—to disprove The Dawn Project's claims. Now, Tesla is declaring the original video is defamatory and demanding that the clip be removed, since it "misrepresents" the safety and capabilities of Autopilot and FSD (the step-above, still-not-yet-in-production Full Self Driving feature Tesla is real-world testing using its customers). As regular followers of Tesla's ups and downs are surely aware, there is mounting evidence that the Autopilot software isn't as perfect as Tesla and CEO Elon Musk claim it is. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently investigating the feature after several instances of Teslas crashing into stationary vehicles or objects roadside, namely emergency vehicles.The Video In QuestionOne video shows a Tesla Model 3 with FSD Beta 10.12.2 running over a child-sized mannequin in a crosswalk; the Tesla never slows down, even once it hits it. Another clip has better production value and is taken at Willow Springs International Raceway using a similar child-like mannequin, which is summarily mowed down by a Tesla in the same manner as in the other video.Initially, the response from Tesla's overzealous fans with small children of their own was to march those kids in front of their moving cars to "prove" that FSD and Autopilot work as intended. Fortunately, no children were sacrificed at the altar of Tesla's public relations, but YouTube did step in to remove many of those videos, leaving for the originals made by The Dawn Project.Now Tesla, according to a letter attained by the Washington Post, is demanding that The Dawn Project and Dan O'Dowd remove those videos because of their defamatory nature that have disparaged "Tesla's commercial interests" of Tesla's Full Self Driving technology. Dinna Eskin, senior director and deputy general counsel at Tesla, also demands in the letter that O'Dowd and The Dawn Project "immediately cease and desist further dissemination of all defamatory information, issue a formal public retraction within 24 hours and provide Tesla with the below demanded documentation."Many of the complaints or concerns aired by O'Dowd and his project are seemingly legitimate or possible to make in good faith, though it seems best to leave such investigation to the unbiased experts at NHTSA, which, again, has begun investigating other safety issues surrounding Tesla's Autopilot. While not every bad messenger needs to have a squeaky clean background, it's tough to paper over the obvious conflicts of interest between O'Dowd and software related to driver assistance features and, well, Tesla.Who is Dan O'Dowd?Dan O'Dowd is a software engineer who graduated from the California Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in 1976. He then went on to work on embedded development tools for early microprocessors used in Mattel's handheld electronic games of the late 1970s. O'Dowd also worked with National Semiconductor (who is now owned by Texas Instruments) to design the NS32000 32-bit microprocessor used in 1980s personal computers such as the IBM RT PC, the BBC Micro, and others. His company, Green Hills Software, was founded in 1982 and its claim to fame was being the "first and only" software company to develop an operating system (OS) that meet the NSA's certification for EAL 6+ High Robustness, meaning that it's incredibly difficult to attack this OS no matter how well funded and "hostile" your hacker is.Green Hills also states that it developed the OS for the Boeing 787, the Lockheed Martin F-35 multirole fighters, Boeing B1-B bomber, and Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle manufactured by Lockheed Martin and operated by NASA (which, coincidentally, has a glass cockpit derived from the 787's). Green Hills is also the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) software supplier for the 2022 BMW iX EV crossover, which raises yet another, if slightly tangential conflict of interest here.O'Dowd also had a brief run as a Democratic primary candidate for California's Senator Seat (eventually won by Alex Padilla) and his campaign message was all about cybersecurity and Tesla's FSD and Autopilot safety. It was roughly around this time that The Dawn Project launched but it was a full-page New York Times ad back in January 2022 that got the attention of the general public. In that paid ad, The Dawn Project led with "Don't Be A Tesla Crash Test Dummy" and then laid out a case for why Autopilot and FSD were "unsafe at any speed." It and O'Dowd then began several video campaigns demonstrating the failures of Autopilot and FSD with child mannequins as was demonstrated above.Again, while Tesla may have a case against O'Dowd and O'Dowd might be merely asking fair safety related questions, the situation here is, frankly, a bit of a mess. To answer the obvious question here, which is whether or not a Tesla will indiscriminately flatten children should it meet them in a roadway while its Autopilot or FSD features are active, a lot more investigation needs to take place. We'll need more scientific endeavors than possibly biased social media clips of mannequins (or real children) being aimed at by moving Teslas. So, while it might seem like Tesla has a brewing problem here, so far, there isn't much to go on. That could change should anything come from the separate investigation being conducted by NHTSA and any corrective actions it recommends. But for now, can we think of the poor mannequins? Oh, and while Tesla has no PR team to reach out to, we assume (based on its cease and desist letter to O'Dowd) the automaker would prefer you not try and replicate The Dawn Project's, uh, project.