Monday 31 December 2018

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In Bed With Brenna Sparks: Porn’s Rising Star Might Be Crypto’s Best Advocate
CoinDesk profiles Brenna Sparks, the SpankChain advisor who is equal parts porn star and cryptocurrency evangelist, during a recent visit to Las Vegas.
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January 01, 2019 at 12:02AM
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January 01, 2019 at 02:17AM

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Ethereum’s New Radical: Glen Weyl Isn’t Vitalik But He’s Its Next Best Hope
CoinDesk profiles author Glen Weyl, whose radical ideas are reviving development on the world's third-largest blockchian, ethereum.
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January 01, 2019 at 12:02AM
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January 01, 2019 at 02:17AM

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Submitted January 01, 2019 at 02:27AM by TonmoyMaksai http://bit.ly/2s4bXcA

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Fidelity’s Man: Can Tom Jessop Bridge Crypto and Wall Street for Good?
CoinDesk profiles Fidelity's Tom Jessop, who is leading the firm's effort to link the worlds of digital assets and Wall Street.
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January 01, 2019 at 12:02AM

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Crypto Mom’s Crusade: Inside the SEC, Hester Peirce Is Putting Up a Fight
Having worked over a decade in government before becoming a commissioner to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Hester Peirce is a regulator well-versed in matters of both rulemaking and securities law.
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January 01, 2019 at 12:02AM

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Stable Times at Circle: A Crypto Startup Counted Out Is Rebuilt and Riding High
CoinDesk profiles Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of the Goldman Sachs-backed crypto startup Circle that had a banner year in 2018.
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January 01, 2019 at 12:02AM

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McCaleb’s Quiet Comeback: Breakups, Breakdowns and Stellar’s Big Break-Out
CoinDesk profiles Jed McCaleb, the early cryptocurrency evangelist who created Stellar, now the world's sixth-largest coin by market cap.
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January 01, 2019 at 12:02AM

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A Psychic Visit with Nouriel Roubini: The Mother and Father of All Crypto Skeptics
CoinDesk profiles Nouriel Roubini, the NYU professor who won't buy the crypto hype – no matter what the price or the market says.
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January 01, 2019 at 12:02AM

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The FUD Stompers: Like It or Not, XRP Army Is Winning Crypto’s Hashtag War
The XRP Army is hands-down crypto's most vocal community. Who are they?
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January 01, 2019 at 12:02AM

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Bitcoin’s Warrior Queen: Lightning’s Elizabeth Stark Is Building an Army
CoinDesk profiles Elizabeth Stark, a woman entrepreneur leading a new phase for bitcoin, the world's largest and most valuable cryptocurrency.
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January 01, 2019 at 12:02AM

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In Bed With Brenna Sparks: Porn’s Rising Star Might Be Crypto’s Best Advocate
CoinDesk profiles Brenna Sparks, the SpankChain advisor who is equal parts porn star and cryptocurrency evangelist, during a recent visit to Las Vegas.
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January 01, 2019 at 12:02AM

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Ethereum’s New Radical: Glen Weyl Isn’t Vitalik But He’s Its Next Best Hope
CoinDesk profiles author Glen Weyl, whose radical ideas are reviving development on the world's third-largest blockchian, ethereum.
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January 01, 2019 at 12:02AM

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Crypto’s King Midas: Backstage With CZ, the CEO Who Can’t Be Stopped
The root of CZ's appeal goes beyond his occasional semi-outlaw status, to the way he exudes its core belief in cryptocurrency so effortlessly.
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January 01, 2019 at 12:02AM

Fidelity’s Man: Can Tom Jessop Bridge Crypto and Wall Street for Good?

CoinDesk profiles Fidelity's Tom Jessop, who is leading the firm's effort to link the worlds of digital assets and Wall Street.

Crypto Mom’s Crusade: Inside the SEC, Hester Peirce Is Putting Up a Fight

Having worked over a decade in government before becoming a commissioner to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Hester Peirce is a regulator well-versed in matters of both rulemaking and securities law.

Stable Times at Circle: A Crypto Startup Counted Out Is Rebuilt and Riding High

CoinDesk profiles Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of the Goldman Sachs-backed crypto startup Circle that had a banner year in 2018.

McCaleb’s Quiet Comeback: Breakups, Breakdowns and Stellar’s Big Break-Out

CoinDesk profiles Jed McCaleb, the early cryptocurrency evangelist who created Stellar, now the world's sixth-largest coin by market cap.

A Psychic Visit with Nouriel Roubini: The Mother and Father of All Crypto Skeptics

CoinDesk profiles Nouriel Roubini, the NYU professor who won't buy the crypto hype – no matter what the price or the market says.

The FUD Stompers: Like It or Not, XRP Army Is Winning Crypto’s Hashtag War

The XRP Army is hands-down crypto's most vocal community. Who are they?

Bitcoin’s Warrior Queen: Lightning’s Elizabeth Stark Is Building an Army

CoinDesk profiles Elizabeth Stark, a woman entrepreneur leading a new phase for bitcoin, the world's largest and most valuable cryptocurrency.

In Bed With Brenna Sparks: Porn’s Rising Star Might Be Crypto’s Best Advocate

CoinDesk profiles Brenna Sparks, the SpankChain advisor who is equal parts porn star and cryptocurrency evangelist, during a recent visit to Las Vegas.

Ethereum’s New Radical: Glen Weyl Isn’t Vitalik But He’s Its Next Best Hope

CoinDesk profiles author Glen Weyl, whose radical ideas are reviving development on the world's third-largest blockchian, ethereum.

Crypto’s King Midas: Backstage With CZ, the CEO Who Can’t Be Stopped

The root of CZ's appeal goes beyond his occasional semi-outlaw status, to the way he exudes its core belief in cryptocurrency so effortlessly.

CoinDesk’s Most Influential in Crypto 2018

$182 Million: ICE Exchange’s Bitcoin Startup Bakkt Announces Massive Fundraise

The New York Stock Exchange–affiliated Bakkt completes its first fundraising round, with 12 partners.

lamboblogging

I am working on less expensive vehicles from lower levels now. My Superbike is only at 12s so I don't think I am going to work on it now unless you think I should max it. I have the Rally Car, Supercar, Chopper and Super Diesel maxed out now in that order. I am working on the Monster Truck but I still have it at 14/13/13/14 and I recently got the Dune Buggy and up to 6s with the free levels and yesterday purchased the Sports car for the first time and up to about 3s. I was thinking about working on the sports car but I am looking at the records and it's no match for the Rally Car and even the Super Diesel and Monster Truck have better records. Should I just max out the Sports Car or should I just continue working on the Monster Truck or perhaps the Dune Buggy considering the vehicles I have maxed out already.

Submitted December 31, 2018 at 09:21PM by Calix131 http://bit.ly/2BQq0XK

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2018 Year In Review

I started following this sub just before the start of 2018, but failed to actually submit my rough list of games I planned to complete. Which is probably a good thing, because my plans for gaming shifted a ton mid-February due to starting out-of-state travel for work. In February I purchased a New 3DS XL to play games during the work week while living out of a hotel and played my PC/Xbox/PS4 on the weekends.

As a note, I am trying to clear my backlog roughly based on release date so basically everything I played this year was from 2012 or before.

Based on Month Completed

January
- Rayman Legends
February
- Rogue Legacy
March
- Ghost Trick
April
May
June
- Dark Souls
- Fire Emblem Awakening
- Knack
- 999 (Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors)
July
August
- Forza Horizon
- Legend of Zelda
- Metroid
- Army of Two
- Zelda II: The Adventures of Link
- Banjo Tooie
- Crackdown
September
- Fable 3
- Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death
- Star Wars The Force Unleashed 2
- Gears of War 3
- Child of Eden
- Outland
October
- Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Shadows of the Damned
November
- Hitman: Blood Money
December
- Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Other
- PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

Top 3

Forza Horizon - Wow! This game was everything I have ever wanted in a racing game! The worlds fastest cars barreling through the mountains of Colorado while some of the most iconic electronic music blasts through your speakers. The Horizon Festival brings the location to life. A hub with carnival rides and concerts playing all through the night. Airplanes and hot-air balloons cutting through the open sky. The races are fun as they stay unique and cut through various terrain. Racing several others all in VW Beatles through city streets and through city parks. Or having the well-known supercars do a lap around the entire map averaging 200+ MPH. Sometimes having events where all you're tasked with is driving a classic hot-rod or supercharged car out to a unique location and snapping a photograph. I've only heard great things about the sequels to this game, but I think it'll be hard to top the first entry to this series.
Dark Souls - This game is incredible. It's the reason I completed zero games in the months of April and May. Logging around 60 hours I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. Although I do have a confession in that I used a guide during several portions of the game for my completionist habits. Most of the time I would play until I felt I had exhausted or fully explored a zone and then turned to a guide. Without fail, every single time I would learn about unique items I had missed or NPCs tucked away that I would have never noticed. The sheer depth of this game is astounding.
Ghost Trick - My first game completed on my 3DS. It's technically an original Nintendo DS game, but I found it still holds up extremely well. This game has a simple mechanic of moving your ghost spirit around to perform "tricks" on objects that trigger some event or chain of events. All in the name of figuring out why you're dead in the first place! The best part of this game is in the animations. The objects and characters all move so smoothly that it's just pleasant to watch. And the unique cast of characters you meet along the way help to lighten the mood for a game about death. I typically despise adventure games, but this one was such a unique take on the point-and-click adventure that I didn't even realize it was one.

Conclusion

Overall I am extremely happy with how this year turned out. Completing exactly 24 single player games and then having a consistent multiplayer game with PUBG when my friends wanted to play. The most significant accomplishment for me was clearing out a huge chunk from my Xbox 360 backlog thanks to Xbox One Backwards Compatibility. Also the 3DS Virtual Console allowed me to play NES, SNES, Gameboy games, which helped me to finally complete some of those old games that I could never beat as a kid.

Submitted December 31, 2018 at 11:40PM by Fluxuate23 http://bit.ly/2R53tRd

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Bitcoin Exchange Paxful Sees 20% 2018 Growth, Driven by Africa
Despite bitcoin's price volatility in 2018, P2P exchanges Paxful and LocalBitcoins each saw significant user growth in Africa.
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December 31, 2018 at 10:02PM

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Bitcoin’s Next Halving Rally: Coming Soon in 2019
Get ready for talk about bitcoin's halving – the once-in-a-while event that won't happen in 2019, but that just might have an impact on the markets.
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December 31, 2018 at 10:02PM

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lamboblogging

Without all that hype that surrounds him his companies would be considered mediocre. He just does the things normal people like us would dream of doing if we were as rich as he is.

SpaceX is just a hyped up company. Jeff Bezos has launched a mission to explore other planets too but he doesn't get as much recognition as Musk. I may sound salty but think about it. Why have we got to try to explore another planet and toss out more space debris and burn tons of resources when we can't even look after our home planet properly.

Teslas are really not that special. Few fuel engine supercars accelerate to 62mph in 2.5s too. But tesla gets more recognition from the techies of YouTube and gets hyped up more because apparently hes "cool".

Falcon test launch was just a test launch. Which is why he put a car in it. He didn't do something miraculous. His car is just like a satelite. Doesn't deserve the publicity it got.

Submitted December 31, 2018 at 05:21PM by sabskrmn http://bit.ly/2BQEiHJ
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December 31, 2018 at 08:50PM

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lamboblogging

Just got my Mosler this afternoon, and honestly, if it hadn't been for everyone here saying how it could be done, I wouldn't even have tried. Not into the team stuff at all, but really appreciated all the can-do attitude around here, and now I have a fancy new supercar to show off for it. So once again, thank you!

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10 New Year’s Resolutions We Hope Automakers Are Making

The start of a new year is a great time to set personal goals to improve your health, happiness, outlook on life, or any other area you want to see progress in. We as individuals make New Year’s resolutions, but we wonder: Do automakers, too? If not, then now is the perfect time to start. Here are 10 suggestions from the MotorTrend team on how automakers can improve and innovate in 2019.

Automakers: Bring back CD players

Old fogeys like me want CD players to not go away. People can talk about the convenience of streaming audio all they want, but the fidelity of compact discs is supreme. Now that automotive stereo systems are so good, they deserve to get the full awesome power of CDs.—Mark Rechtin

Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis: Shoot for better fuel economy

The three Korean automakers have made extraordinary progress over the years across many segments (congrats, G70!), but fuel economy remains elusive. When your all-wheel-drive compact crossover can’t achieve on the highway what the Honda CR-V gets in the city, something’s gotta change.—Zach Gale

Infiniti: The QX50 needs a new transmission

We love the idea of the variable-compression engine that Infiniti uses in the new QX50. But the execution? Not as much. Swap the continuously variable transmission out for a good old-fashioned automatic, though, and the VC-T would finally be able to shine.—Collin Woodard

Nissan: Update the Z or introduce an affordable, sporty car

I’d love to see Nissan embrace its sports car heritage and prepare a new Z car. Or, to get enthusiasts’ attention, the automaker could build a production version of the IDx concept of 2014, introducing the joys of driving to a new generation—provided the model is priced right.—Stefan Ogbac

Jeep: 4WD or GTFO

I’ll keep this short and sweet. When your key brand value is the ability to go anywhere at any time, the fact that you still have two-wheel-drive Jeeps on the road (and likely stuck every winter) is an affront to the brand’s legacy.—Christian Seabaugh

Automakers: Bring back front bench seats

Car makers continue to adopt electronic shift-by-wire transmission systems, which means traditional shift levers have been replaced by everything from push buttons to knurled knobs to piano keys for gear selection. These new input controls have often been moved to the center stack, freeing up space between the seats for more cubbies and USB ports. But why not a front middle seat? Who wouldn’t want to become the industry’s first nine-seat luxury SUV? While we’re at it, how about bringing back those six-passenger family sedans of yore? And yeah, I’d love a three-seat Supra or five-seat Porsche 911.—Ed Loh

Subaru: More power, please!

Subaru, you give us many reasons to love your vehicles, but power is usually not one of them. Your engines make lots of noise when you get on the gas, but the resulting acceleration (or lack thereof) leaves us wanting. Give your powertrains some torque and stop eating the competition’s dust.—Michael Cantu

FCA: Keep working on that nine-speed

I don’t have too much to complain about in our long-term Chrysler Pacifica yet, but by far my biggest gripe concerns the nine-speed automatic transmission. Thanks to numerous software updates since its launch five years ago, the nine-speed has come a long way from the jerky, gear-hunting ZF-sourced unit we first sampled in the Jeep Cherokee. But the rough shifts are still there, and they happen far too often. I hope FCA can further improve the transmission’s software, but if this is as good as it’s going to get, then I hope the nine-speed’s successor is more refined.—Alex Nishimoto

Automakers: Give us better sun visors

I’ve driven many cars this year with wimpy sun visors. Even some of the most functional vehicles, like the Subaru Forester which I otherwise enjoy, have this issue. On many vehicles, the pull-out extensions don’t reach far enough to cover the whole side window, and they’re so thin they don’t block more than a strip of sunlight from your face. It’s a small but important detail that I hope automakers can pay a bit more attention to in the future.—Kelly Pleskot

Toyota and Lexus: Redesign your infotainment systems

Toyota and Lexus’ infotainment teams need to go back to the drawing board. The systems of both automakers operate as if they were designed by someone whose personal computer is a typewriter and who still calls friends by picking up the phone and asking the operator to please connect them with Fordham 4141. I highly suggest spending some time with FCA’s UConnect system, or the systems from Hyundai and Kia, when considering a replacement. Sincerely, frustrated millennial.—Christian Seabaugh

The post 10 New Year’s Resolutions We Hope Automakers Are Making appeared first on Motortrend.

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2018 BMW X3 M40i Long-Term Arrival

With a blip, rip, and a snarl of its exhaust note on startup, the BMW X3 M40i has entered our long-term fleet for a year of amassing miles. This tuned and tweaked version of BMW’s mainstream SUV is the performance offering for the third-generation X3. Press the start button, and it’s immediately obvious this is not a standard-issue X3. As soon as the straight-six fires up, the engine goes into a burbly, deep, high-revving idle that most certainly announces your daily departure from the neighborhood to anyone with ears. More important, though, is that it’s a daily reminder that this X3 means business and craves more than just jaunts to work, Home Depot, and the grocery store.

The 2018 X3 M40i replaces the standard car’s four-cylinder turbo for a turbocharged inline-six that makes 355 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. This gives the M40i a notable 107 hp over the X3 xDrive30i. But it’s important to note that this is not a full-blown M car like, say, an X5 M. Rather it’s a BMW that’s been massaged by the M division with a slurry of added parts and tuning meant to sharpen all aspects of the driving experience. What this means is that M has enhanced the driving experience here but not as thoroughly as it will when it rolls out the promised X3 M later in 2019. Yet letting the M division shape its magic into the X3 makes a lot of sense because most agree that, unlike some of BMW’s current car and SUV offerings, the X3 has embodied BMW’s core driving dynamics ever since the gen-one vehicle went on sale here in 2004. So yes, take your already well-driving crossover and make it louder, faster, and handle better. And in doing so, become directly competitive with Audi’s SQ5 and Mercedes’ GLC 43.

Included in the M40i’s price is BMW’s Driving Dynamics Control (adjustable ride) and a sport-tuned eight-speed transmission with paddle shifters. Notable M equipment includes better brakes and steering, plus an adaptive suspension. The steering and brakes come standard, but the suspension is a $700 add-on. Default wheel size on the M40i is 19 inches, but this test car has been upgraded to large-and-in-charge 21-inch wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Alenza 001 RFT tires ($1,900).

Additional standard equipment includes a stitched dash, leather sport seats (with a muscular-looking stitching that looks like Batman’s suit), adaptive LED headlights, and a burly body kit that’s unique to the M40i and gives the vehicle a substantial-looking stance while parked on the curb. Unique puddle lights known as the “welcome light carpet” cast a multi–hockey stick design onto the asphalt below the rocker panels, and the same design is also mimicked in the dome lights and HVAC vents inside the cabin.

Additional options include BMW’s Premium package ($3,300), which includes heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, navigation, and a head-up display. The Executive package ($2,250) includes parking assist, gesture control, an upgraded all-digital instrument panel, and 3-D surround view, which uses onboard cameras to help you avoid rubbing the X3 on any hard, inanimate objects while parking.

Other a la carte items include adaptive cruise control ($1,200), a Harman Kardon stereo system ($875), a wireless charging pad in the center console ($500), front ventilated seats ($350), , Apple CarPlay ($300), and rear-seat window shades ($250). The snazzy blue paint is called Phytonic Blue Metallic and is a $550 upcharge.

All tallied up, this X3 rings in at $68,670. And with that we set off ripping and roaring up and down California’s highways as we pile on the miles and send the X3 to all corners of the state in search of weekend exploration and the path less traveled (and lots of curvy byways). This X3 is unmistakably fast and capable, but we also want to know how it will hold up to the wear and tear of being a performance SUV in the hustle and bustle of the L.A. jungle.

2018 BMW X3 M40i
BASE PRICE	$55,295
PRICE AS TESTED	$68,670
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV
ENGINE	3.0L/355-hp/369-lb-ft turbocharged DOHC 24-valve I-6
TRANSMISSION	8-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	4,282 lb (50/50%)
WHEELBASE	112.8 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	186.1 x 74.7 x 66.0 in
0-60 MPH	4.8 sec
QUARTER MILE	13.4 sec @ 103.7 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	112 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.85 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	25.9 sec @ 0.72 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	20/27/23 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY	169/125 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.86 lb/mile

The post 2018 BMW X3 M40i Long-Term Arrival appeared first on Motortrend.

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2018 Was the Reality Check. 2019 Starts the Crypto Comeback
Micah Winkelspecht is CEO and founder of Gem, a crypto portfolio app company based in Los Angeles, The following is an exclusive contribution to CoinDesk’s 2018 Year in Review. If 2017 was the year of irrational exuberance, 2018 became the year of reality checks when the market sputtered and crashed. I predict that this year will […]
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Blockchain Gaming: Separating Signal from the Noise
Games frequently serve as an experimental playground for new technology, writes Devin Finzer.
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lamboblogging
https://youtu.be/q0yA-ePt704

Submitted December 31, 2018 at 02:34AM by carscrashes http://bit.ly/2Amz0no
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lamboblogging

My C7 Corvette Grand Sport is having some minor electrical problems and unfortunately my Chevy dealership experiences have not been too great in going about solving them. I have a pretty busy job, and though I love Corvettes I find the service at my local Chevy dealerships to be a bit unacceptable...and I also find having some of these electrical problems to be unacceptable in a car that is one year old. So I was thinking going with luxury car maker in the future since the Chevy dealerships around me are a little lulzworthy, and so far Audi is the brand that I most have my eye on.

I decided to rent a 2018 TTRS as it is a car that looks more unique and sporty than your typical luxury sedan/coupe but at the same time is a bit more practical than the C7 Corvette. Though I am mainly comparing this to a C7 Grand Sport I've also driven a V8 Audi R8, Alfa Romeo 4C, 997 Porsche 911 Turbo, and a Ford Focus RS and will every once in a while mention how the car stacks up against those when appropriate.

The areas I will focus on are: Power, Handling, Practicality, Style, Build Quality, and Overall Driving Experience.

Power(Powah!)

So this is kind of an interesting metric to look at between these two cars. The Audi TTRS has a 2.5L 400HP 350lb/ft torque turbo charged 5cylinder engine mated to an AWD 7 speed DCT transmission. My C7 Grand Sport has a 6.2L NA V8 producing 460HP 460lb/ft torque and is mated to a torque converter 8 speed automatic.

Chevy's claimed 0-60 time is 3.6 seconds in the Corvette Grand Sport (which honestly is not practical or possible from a dig on the streets), Audi's is 3.7 (with a lot of people measuring 3.5 in the real world on the streets). So though the power numbers skew in the Corvette's favor the Audi does realistically get the power down quicker in real life (at least up to 60).

The Audi feels similar to other low displacement turbo charged cars that I have driven. It has some initial go from the engine and then once the turbo spools up a big wave of torque and power carries it up to speed. I wouldn't say the system is "laggy" but you do gain a few thousand RPM's before you really feel the turbo kick in.

Whereas the Audi probably would beat the C7 Grandsport to 60 in the real world, I would describe it as "quick" whereas the Corvette just feels powerful almost everywhere in the RPM band. This power difference is really noticeable when driving the cars back to back.

I often criticize the Grand Sport for being too balanced of a car and too tame but compared to the TTRS it is much more visceral. The TTRS in a lot of ways is just as fast, but you kind of get to speed without feeling much effort, or excitement. So the TTRS brings you get up to speed in a rather unremarkable blur, whereas in the Grandsport you feel like you're attached to a rocket by comparison.

On the highway the Corvette is the better car to have. The extra horsepower and torque really begins to shine after 60mph, and on the highway the Corvette just puts you in any position you want to be in with all of the torque and power it has. The TTRS will get you up to speed pretty quickly, but you don't feel like you are bristling with power too much past 60. The Audi can get you to speeds in excess of 60mph quite easily, but you don't feel the sense of power or satisfaction that you do with the C7 Grand Sport.

A lot of reviewers praised the TTRS for having a really unique sound full of personality and a great exhaust mated to it. Though the car does sound nice and is definitely the most exciting sounding German car I've driven thus far (which isn't saying much) The C7 Corvette's V8 is just so much more present and pleasant to listen to. Now obviously, comparing a 6.2L V8 to 5 cylinders is kind of unfair. But I would also say that the 4cylinder Alfa Romeo 4C has an engine with more character to it as does the Ford Focus RS. The TTRS does sound about as good as the 4.2L V8 in the Audi R8 though and better than the anemic 997 Porsche 911 Turbo that I drove.

Handling

The TTRS got blasted in a lot of track focused reviews because it has a 60/40 front weight bias. The AWD system on it is also a claimed to be a little wonky as it likes to predominately send power to the front wheels, only sending them to the rear wheels when needed. Because of this, the car was claimed to be a little difficult to drive at the limit and a lot of people complained of understeer and poor turn in.

The C7 Grandsport by comparison is objectively one of the best handling cars on the market period and features the Corvette's tried and true double wish-bone, leaf spring, magnetic shock, RWD suspension setup.

In terms of steering feel, both cars are great. The TTRS feels very quick yet still connected to the road with how it steers. I believe it has an electric steering rack, but it very much feels like a hydraulic rack with how it is weighted.

The C7 feels very direct with its steering feel. I don't want to call it precise, because the large tires on all corners do muddy some of the "accuracy" you might get. But when you turn the C7 you begin to feel the suspension immediately load up and the car start figuring out how to negotiate that turn for you and that's where the directness comes from.

So I would describe the TTRS as quick, fun, and darty (but in a good way) handler. The C7 is "target locked" at all times.

The TTRS comes standard with a magnetic shock suspension but there is an optional stiffer, fixed suspension that my rental came with. My C7 comes with magnetic shocks.

Despite being the "stiffer" option, the Audi's suspension was wonderful. It absorbed bumps nicely, rarely felt unsettled, and in general it allows you to drive with great speed because you feel like you aren't getting thrown around too much. It very much displayed the German suspension characteristic of absorb all imperfections in one "bump" whereas most American cars have a big initial bump and then a few smaller bumps (C7 included)

The C7, even with the magnetic shocks in general feels much harsher. This isn't to say that the C7 feels unpleasant to drive per say, but places where I could keep pushing with the Audi I would have to take slower in the C7 for fear of getting beat up too much. The big achilles heal that no-one has talked about with Corvettes in a while is the fact that the leaf springs introduce a lot of transverse movement. Though the C7 does a great job dampening that movement...it's still there and makes it hard to really push the limits of the car because it doesn't feel as settled as it should be. I don't think Corvettes are going to feel like phenomenal handlers until those leafsprings go.

Overall both cars handle great, with the C7 definitely being the overall better and more capable handler. The issues that many reviewers had with the TTRS' front weight bias weren't really felt by me. The car planted itself really nicely and handled everything I could throw at it. The car also felt very fun to steer and drive around in thanks to its quick steering. The C7 on the flip side is just in another stratosphere. The car locks into turns and you slow down because you can't handle the G's and speed not because the car can't.

So in terms of fun, the Audi TTRS is probably the car that feel like you are driving the most because of how quick and engaging the steering can be and on the street you're not going to find the limits of the car, but you're going to have fun feeling it come to life as it turns. Though the C7 isn't as "fun" as a handler...it is pretty cool doing stupid things with the C7's crazy amount of grip. I would say that the TTRS felt very similarly to the R8 that I drove. Once it locked into a turn it just pulls you through in a way that you don't think is possible. In some ways the TTRS feels better because it weighs less so there's an agility to it the R8 doesn't have. The 4C is engaging like crazy because of its unpowered steering, but you never can push the cars' handling abilities because you physically can't turn the wheel hard enough to make the same kind of turns you can with powered steering. The TTRS in general was more comfortable and capable of a handler compared to the Focus RS.

Practicality

The C7 Corvette is easily the most practical car with supercar-ish level performance capability that is available today. Plenty of trunk space (15 cubic feet in the C7...20! in the C6) legit 30mpg highway gas mileage, lots of creature comforts (heated and cooled seats, front and rear camera,great infotainment system, generally infrequent and cheap maintenance and upkeep needs.

The TTRS might not have the raw performance envelope that the C7 has, but for what it lacks in performance it makes up for in additional practicality. It has a large hatch back trunk, rear seats (that can be folded down to make a cargo space that is even larger than the Corvette's) parking and blind spot sensors, tighter turning radius, and a ride height that you don't even have to worry about.

The C7 also has has a "sweet spot" ride height that doesn't scrape as much as older models do...but you're still taking turns at an angle.

As a daily driver that can go everywhere without you having to think or worry about being in a performance oriented car...the Audi is amazing. It's easy to get in and out of. Is great to navigate in parking lots...people can actually use the backseats (though if they are taller than 5'8" they'll hit their heads...but this is better than the Porsche 911's where the rear seats weren't even accessible by adults) and in general you could give this car to just about anybody and they'd be able to drive it.

The C7 Corvette by comparison is not bad at all to drive as a daily driver, but you're definitely aware of some of the compromises that you are making by being in a sports car. Though I drive my C7 everywhere I do worry about it about when going to busy downtown areas and often feel less flexible when navigating parking lots or dense areas because of how low, wide, and wide turning the car is.

There are a few areas where I think the C7 is actually a bit more practical.

For one it has (2) cup holders, the TTRS only has (1) which seems odd to me because adding a second was probably very doable. I feel like Audi just went with (1) because it looked better.

The Corvette has an older infotainment system but it's a better infotainment system. The TTRS uses Audi's virtual cockpit, which essentially places all of the navigation, radio information, etc that you would typically find in a center mounted screen of somesort...onto the dashboard itself. Though the virtual cockpit is pretty cool and works better than I thought it would...it is not as intuitive and makes using things like Android Auto and Apple Car Play a nightmare. This is because there is no touch screen present, and instead are quite a few buttons integrated into the steering wheel and center console. The buttons...though practical once you figure them out...are totally confusing and I found myself focusing more on how to navigate the car's menus than I did focusing on the road at times O.O

With practice I feel like TTRS' infotainment would eventually become easier to use...but with the Corvette's infotainment system anyone can figure it out in a few minutes and there's just no effort or anything that you have to think about. Mess ups and misclicks have very little consequence...whereas with the Audi you have to figure out which series of buttons will get you out of the menu you accidentally got yourself in, and it's just a bit of a hassle.

The Audi also has surprisingly limited range. After (2) days of driving it it was already getting low on gas. The C7 I can drive for about a week before needing refill. I think the dynamic and sports modes in the TTRS really start to suck up fuel efficiency, and you have to use the throttle a lot more on the TTRS to get some speed and excitement from it. With the C7 this just isn't the case.

The Audi really is a delightfully easy car to drive around day to day, but I did find the virtual cockpit to be very distracting. There's just too much clicking and button pressing. Actions that are two touches on a touch screen are five clicks, and scrolls with the virtual cockpit. Since the car does insulate you very well, it's kind of easy to forget that you're on the road and need to focus on it. So if one were to daily this car...you'd have to figure out how to make sure that virtual cockpit doesn't distract you because it can and will if left unchecked.

Style

I was a little concerned that the TTRS would look a bit like a girl car but it looks great in person. It's very well proportioned, aggressive but not over the top, and in general it feels like a good car to get into. The car also does some cool LED dancing with its headlights and turn signals. There are also "Audi" logos that project on the floor when you open the door. I've always thought that was kind of gimmicky when I've heard about it but it looks pretty cool in person. The car does have a presence to it but it isn't over the top. Just enough personality to keep you interested at all times.

The C7 on the flip side looks like a stealth fighter and I get comments about it everywhere I go. With that, the C7 also commands tons of presence on the road which can be both a good thing and a bad thing. On the positive side I feel like cars give the C7 more respect because it looks like an exotic car (so no one ever really honks at me, tries to get overly aggressive with me, and often people change lanes for me when I come up behind them). On the negative side...I feel like because so many eyes are on the C7 you can't really get too crazy with it because everyone will see it.

Every ding, scratch, and paintchip feels like I am ruining the beauty and purity of my C7 Corvette. I don't feel like I would be as heartbroken or concerned about things like that in the Audi.

Though the C7 looks very compelling on the outside, the Audi looks absolutely amazing on the inside. There's quilted leather seats, stylish airvents, carbon fiber and alcantara all over the place. High quality interior LED lighting. It's just a fantastic looking interior and a great place to be. The C7's isn't bad by any means...and isn't necessarily trying to win too many interior contests, but the Audi is the first time I've gone "man that's an interior I want to have" and this is from someone who places a low value on interior quality and styling.

Overall in terms of style the C7 is a car that you walk up to and go "man...I can't believe I get to drive it" and it's styled so strongly that you can tell that other people are ogling at it as you get inside. The TTRS speaks to you in its own special way though, and if you've already experienced all of the attention that a strongly styled car can bring, you can really appreciate the styling on the TTRS for all that it is.

Build Quality

I am generally pretty annoyed with reviews that praise foreign luxury interiors and poo-poo American interiors, because I feel like a sports car is about going fast and having fun...not necessarily wrapping yourself in wealth and worrying about what things look and feel like. Likewise...I've felt like used luxury interiors haven't held up very well over the years, at least in my experience...whereas the American ones...though not as nice initially, still kind of look like themselves after a few years.

Think of it like the super hot girl in high school who looks like a trainwreck by age 40. You see the decline. Compare this with the average looking girl who still kind of looks like her young self after all of those years and you realize that she must have fared through life pretty well.

Anyways...the build quality on the Audi is way better all around and I am starting with the interior because this is the place where it shouldn't hold up well. The car uses real leather, has alcantara, gloss, carbon fiber, and just nice fragile things all over the place and my 10,000 mile rental car that probably gets beat to hell everyday looks and feels brand new.

My C7 by comparison, which is a little over one year old and has 15,000 miles on it is already showing some issues. The steering wheel leather is wearing poorly, there's an indentation on the door leather where my elbow rests because GM used a foam formula that wasn't dense enough. I have a loose connection in my driver's side door speaker, and the car has a few small rattles.

The paint on the Audi looks and feels more substantial than the paint on the Corvette. I know that's an odd call out but that's something I totally notice when looking at the two side by side. Everything also feels very "solid" with the Audi whereas things tend to feel a bit more flimsy or hollow with the Corvette.

The Audi is a bit more insulated to road noise and is generally quieter (it probably helps that it doesn't have huge tires on it or a targa top!) but the C7 isn't bad by any means.

This is not to say that the C7 is not a pretty well-made car...because it definitely is...but the Audi feels like it can last a really long time whereas I'm already planning to dump the C7 after its warranty expires because I don't think it's going to hold up too reliably long term.

Mechanically there are a few things that I think the C7 actually does a bit better though.

The brakes on the C7 seem to be a lot stronger and just more reliable to lean on (and I'm using the stock steel brakes. The TTRS has Carbon ceramics in the front and steels in the rear). I can see myself needing to change out the Audi brakes much sooner than the C7 brakes.

Despite being a rather strongly criticized, "slow" shifting torque converter transmission. The C7's transmission is on top of things and feels very dialed in. You can tell that it's just trying to perform at a very high level to give you power and performance when you need it. The S-tronic 7Speed DCT in the Audi is good, shifts fast, and is generally smooth for driving in automatic mode. It just feels like it's kind of anemic, or not sure how to really get you the power that you need.

I feel like both transmissions will hold up well over time...but the C7's is almost more enjoyable to have because it is integrated into the car better.

In general though...the Audi does beat the C7 in build quality across the board.

Overall driving experience

So would I buy an Audi TTRS? Yes...but only if I also had a Corvette in the garage. The thing with the TTRS is that it is a great all around performer but it isn't phenomenal in enough areas to satiate all of your desires. If we were to give this car numerical rankings it would get 7's and 8's in every category. It's quick, but doesn't necessarily feel like it is powerful. Handles well, but you know there's cars out there doing it better. It looks great and feels great, but you don't necessarily dream about it like you would some of the other sports cars that are out there today.

That being said...for someone who already has a great performing sports car (like me) it's probably the perfect car to have because you would be the only person who could appreciate how great it is across the board. You'd appreciate the fact that it looks unique, but not flamboyant. It would be just different enough where you wouldn't have to hold your head in shame for driving some stupid coupe, sedan, crossover (or god forbid) SUV. It would handle well enough to put a huge smile on your face, while also reminding you of the amazing things that your other car can do. You could fit more than (1) other adult in it! You would have as much, if not more storage than your sedan and coupe counterparts! It would be fast enough for you to beat almost anything that isn't a Tesla out of a stoplight, but not too powerful enough that you would feel like you would have to restrain yourself. You'll smile realizing that you can floor it stop light to stop light without much consequence because that's something you just can't do with your other car.

However if the TTRS was my only car I think I would grow tired of it. For me the biggest thing is that it just doesn't have enough presence to it. In my C7 I feel like I command the roads and can challenge just about anyone. I've beaten V10 Audi R8's, kept up with Huracan's, and when cars start to run out of wind getting north of 80 mph, the C7 just pulls like a freight train like it's nothing. The C7 has a presence to it that commands respect. In the TTRS you're having your fun and hoping that no one really sees. In the C7 all eyes are on you and you are always setting an example.

Beyond that...the TTRS does feel a little too gutless to me compared to the C7. Not a single review of the TTRS complains about its power, but once you feel the raw torque and responsiveness of the C7's engine it's really hard to go back to a car with smaller displacement...even if it can get that power to the ground incredibly well. The exhaust is also a little disappointing because of how subdued it is. It just isn't satisfying or surprising enough to keep someone happy for a long time.

I feel like this car definitely needs to be modded. It does so many things really well and there's a lot of potential there. It just needs some help getting from a 7 in a given area to a 9. Throw a bigger spoiler on the back and some cool aero stuff and the car will scream with personality. Tune the transmission so that it's more aggressive and you'll start to feel more connected with the car. Throw a louder exhaust on the car so it has a bit more of a soul to it, and then remap the turbo so the car can make you just a little afraid of the gas pedal and you have an absolute winner.

The problem is...I've never once felt like I have had to mod my C7 Grand Sport. The car has everything I need in great abundance. When I drive it...I have to show restraint because I am the limiting factor. With the Audi TTRS you mash the pedal and go "comeon give me more, give me more!" with the C7 you mash the pedal and pray that it wasn't accidentally too much.

Still! Of the cars that I have driven. The TTRS is so far the only car I would buy to compliment a Corvette. The R8 is too expensive (and...slower?). The Alfa Romeo 4C isn't practical enough. The Porsche 997 911 Turbo is just a snooze fest and the Focus RS is too boy racer. Sedans and Coupes don't do much for me because they are too heavy nowadays.

The Audi TTRS really is a great car to enjoy driving around town fast in, which is something the C7 really has trouble with. The C7 goes from comfortable cruiser to "kill everything" mode very fast without much "sporty, safe, fun" in between. The TTRS by contrast can be a lot of "sporty, safe, fun" and it can also be incredibly comfortable and easy, it just lacks a bit of a soul or edge to it. If you already have a car that has an edge to it, you'll love everything about the TTRS. If you haven't experienced that yet though...you'll be dreaming of something more despite the TTRS doing a great job fulfilling just about every logical need you'd have.

tl:dr The C7 Grand Sport is probably the more fulfilling car to own but the Audi TTRS is a great all around fun car to have. Only complaint is the really wonky infotainment system.

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10 New Year’s Resolutions We Hope Automakers Are Making

Automakers: Bring back CD players

Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis: Shoot for better fuel economy

Infiniti: The QX50 needs a new transmission

Nissan: Update the Z or introduce an affordable, sporty car

Jeep: 4WD or GTFO

Automakers: Bring back front bench seats

Subaru: More power, please!

FCA: Keep working on that nine-speed

Automakers: Give us better sun visors

Toyota and Lexus: Redesign your infotainment systems

The post 10 New Year’s Resolutions We Hope Automakers Are Making appeared first on Motortrend.