Turbo Nerdz

Unlike the previous episode about Mercedes Benz, Trust Fund Kids (TFKs) in the house cannot relate to this episode; God When! So, as a "non-TFK", I travelled home about 2 weeks ago by public transport and the vehicle I entered was definitely produced before my parents ever thought about conceiving me and yet this vehicle remains somehow road worthy. I am talking about non-other than the Toyota Previa. Aside Interstate travel, I have been opportune to reside in Delta State, Edo State and Oyo State and the kind of public transport in these places differ from one another, these differences will make up the bulk of the discuss in this episode. INTERSTATE PUBLIC TRANSPORT On the interstate, most transport companies make use of the Toyota Hiace bus or Sienna, with the only variation being the models from different companies. However, we will be focusing on the grandaddy of vehicles used for interstate travel, the Toyota Previa. FIRST GENERATION TOYOTA PREVIA The first generation To...

When it comes to naming cars, different car companies do their thing, but there tends to be a usual trend. Asian car makers like the Japanese usually give 'just names', hence we have the Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Subaru Impreza, with the only distinction being the year of the car make. So you could see a sign with the words, "2012 Toyota Camry for sale" and an image is immediately formed in your head. On the other hand, the German car makers make use of an alphanumeric style, hence we have the Mercedes C300, BMW M250, Audi RS6 and co. Only very few people reading this could have pictured all three cars as the alphanumeric style is quite confusing.  In all honesty, if I am to go in-depth into how all car manufacturers name their cars, we would sleep here. So, I am going to focus on the most common German car brand in Nigeria which is the Mercedes Benz, specifically the SUV department, so that my TurboNerdz can daze anyone on the topic of Benz SUV's. Above: 2015 ...

 As a Nigerian, you have most definitely come across a Honda in the exact same situation pictured below. This problem not only affected Honda but also it's luxury brand Acura, as they share parts. The Honda Plague It is a well known fact that of all the Japanese Car Brands, Honda and Toyota are the most popular. I have a family friend who owns four different Hondas. This is not uncommon, as Honda's reliability and fuel efficiency almost equals that of Toyota. Honda used to be the 'go to' choice for a first car until people began to notice that Honda front tires were pulling off indiscriminately. Now, what exactly is the cause of this problem?  Honda's Ball and Socket Joint Set-up The Honda problem of pulling front tires was caused by a flaw in their suspension lower ball joint. For my fellow medics in the house, we can all remember our shoulder joint as being a ball and socket joint, involving the head of the humerus fixed into the glenoid cavity of the scapula. As ...

For those for you wondering who this wanna-be Automotive Journalist is, my name is Ebunmide and I am a certified automobile freak. As long as it has an engine or motor, a nice body work, a steering or handle bars, I am very much interested. Someone would ask, where did it all begin? For one, I grew up the son of a semi gear head. I remember having conversations about cars with my Dad as little as 9 years old. My dad makes the most research about cars especially when it comes to fuel efficiency, lol. By the time I was in secondary school, I began to influence his choice in cars and I have personally handpicked some of the cars he has bought over time. Growing up, we had a desktop and there just happened to be Chicken Invaders, Road Rash and Need For Speed 2 installed on it. Not sure, but I bet it was my uncle who installed them on the system. I would have been about 6 or 7 years old at the time and once I got home from school, I wouldn't even take off my clothes, it was straight to ...

If you are familiar with the 90's car scene, you should know that Toyota dominated with a few outstanding cars such as the Toyota Selica, 2000GT, AE86 (drift car) and the flagship Toyota Supra (Mark IV) especially. The Mark IV (MK IV) Toyota Supra is a proper sports car that can wage war with any modern day sports car, of course with a few tweaks here and there, such as slapping on a turbo or supercharger. The MK IV Supra usually came in the legendary 2JZ engine which is capable of producing the supposedly 276 horsepower. At this point, I want you to pause reading and quickly google the amount of horsepower produced by a factory Nissan R34 GT-R. If you did pause and check, you would realize that the R34 also produced 276 horsepower. Coincidence? Not at all.  1994 Mark IV Toyota Supra Due to something called the Japanese Automakers Gentlemen's Agreement, almost all Japanese sports cars produced in the 90's were marketed as having 276 horsepower, when in reality they all prod...

Today being All Souls' Day, I decided this episode was going to feature 3 automobile gear heads who have gone before us. I consider these individuals as role models in this car thing and their names are forever written in the sands of time of the automotive world. Paul Walker Paul Walker, famous for his superb acting in the Fast and Furious franchise as Brian O'Conner, passed on November 30, 2013 in a car crash at a charity car show he organized. Paul Walker was not someone who just pretended to love cars in the fast and furious movies, as he was an absolute car freak off set. “If one day speed kills me, don’t cry because I was smiling”. This quote from the star himself still keeps him alive and makes us cherish each and every memory he has left for us. To commemorate his well lived life, I will be giving a list of the amazing cars he owned before his untimely death. They include the 1989 Skyline GT-R, 7 different BMW M3's, 1995 Ford Bronco, 1963 Chevrolet Nova Wagon, 2000 ...