219 MPH - Ultimate Ownage

There has been an extraordinary amount of buzz about the Lamborghini video that shows multiple high speed runs in excess of 200 miles per hour.



If for some reason the links don't work, just search YouTube for 219 mph.

I saw the video on perhaps its second night of release. I was amazed at the stupidity of the event, and the brazen act of posting this video. I posted a comment about how reckless the video was and surprisingly, I got a rash of insults back from what I assume were automotive enthusiasts who are misguided. Perhaps the same group of people who enthusiastically embraced The Fast and the Furious? The 2001 movie about an undercover cop who infiltrates an underworld subculture of Los Angeles street racers.

In my original comment, I mentioned that law enforcement would be quick to follow up on this. Oddly, some thought that the Arizona Police would be too busy to go after a "speeder". I got this comment from the following YouTube user:

DRATMMM
And I'm sure law enforcement will be very gracious for your vigilance as they chuckle at you behind your back.

Well DRATMMM. It appears I was right. I certainly had nothing to do with reporting this to law enforcement, but others were outraged enough that they did it themselves.

If the driver was looking for notoriety, he certainly got it. If the driver wanted to remain infamous and keep his identity a secret he was foiled. Clear identification of the car's license plate was shown in the video.


This screen capture was posted by Kevins89notch5.0 of www.mustangworld.com

So now that anonymity went out the window, it was found that the Lamborghini is owned by FRV Inc., in Las Vegas. As reported by Channel 5 KTAR, FRV Inc. is a company owned by a former Phoenix dentist. It is suspected that the driver/owner runs an Internet porn site, on which some of the models pose on the same car featured in the video. (Originally, I put the site address up. But I refuse to send click traffic to a porn site.)

Rather than endlessly write about the facts of the case, I'll let the journalists do the job for me. This is currently the best summation video that is out there.

http://www.azfamily.com/video/localnews-index.html?nvid=196721

As the internet world consumes and debates the events of these testosterone charged fools, we are seeing more evidence of recklessness using what is perhaps the only gold 2008 Lamborghini in the United States.

The website of channel 10 FOX Phoenix uncovered a video showing the same Lambo illegally using the Bondurant race facility in Arizona and a number of different clips of the driver endangering the public. At one point the video shows a potential head on collision on public streets.

Video from channel 10 Fox

Print article at http://news.ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=658773

It is unclear if the owner of the car was in fact the driver. But my mind begs the question who is the filmer? The person filming the high speed runs is thought to be a college student in Arizona. The filmer goes by Phenix on the Mustangworld.com website. Initially, Phenix posted a teaser of the 219 mph run on Mustangworld.com. After law enforcement got involved, Phenix took down, or requested that the teaser post be taken down. Thanks to the wonderful cache at Google, his original post can still be seen at:

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:4Z1CB1BlYmoJ:www.mustangworld.com/forums/showthread.php%3Ft%3D514031+219mph+site:mustangworld.com&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

This post identifies the driver as Rob. Thus the link to the possible owner of the car mentioned by the AZfamily website. Ironically, the video was shot in HD. I have no doubt that the law enforcement authorities will be using available technologies to find out who the driver is.

Possibly this is a huge publicity stunt for nothing more than a porn website. I have a hard time believing that someone who is smart enough to earn the material wealth required to buy a Lamborghini was so short sighted to not envision this falling back on him. Classic Ownage? What I worry about is that the driver in the video has challenged the public to beat the 219 mph speed. While the driver may be able to stave off jail and get a slap on the wrist, I wonder if the misguided testosterone fueled automotive enthusiast will actually try to beat the 219 mph challenge. Stay tuned.

Progress

Here is where I'm at. So many changes. Some good, some seemingly in reverse, but Little by Little....

I had a good time creating this slide show. Great walking down memory lane. To appreciate it, put the music in first. The Song is Little by Little from Robert Plant. The album is called Shaken and Stirred. Fitting that the car is an 85 Bertone, and the song was released in 85. I also wanted dancers in the video; that was a hard find. So, get the music playing, then watch the show. You may have to click the view slide show button.

Race tires

It's been kind of hard to blog. Crazy stuff going on in my life. The car now sits on a set of Yokohama Advan race tires. When I went to get them mounted, it was more for the pick me up, than getting to run corners a bit harder.

Relearning to drive on those little beasties has been tough. Brake points and steering input is weird when 99.99 percent of my driving has been done on road tires. There is so much grip I have a tendency to lock them up. Not fun when you are looking at flat spots. So, instead of braking late, I find myself slowing for entry and exiting faster. Totally different than how I drive my street car.

My daily driver is a Mercedes C230 Coupe with an AMG brake package from the C32. The binders are RS-4 brake pads from Porterfield. A bit expensive ($200 plus for front pads!), but so worth every penny. The AMG/Porterfield package has excellent feedback, and pedal modulation is instinctive. Of course that car runs on a Toyo T1R tire which is a durable performance tire and therefore different than a DOT approved race tire that I have on the X now.

Literally I feel like I'm relearning things. I have yet to have the X loosen or slip front or rear in a turn. There is your 50/50 balance baby! Mostly, I have yet to push the envelope of my turn in and lateral grip. Its the damn brake zones that are giving me such grief. Ever seen a race tires brake skid? In front of a Fedex drop off, not so cool.

Stay out of the ice plants kids.

Watch this

I was forwarded this You Tube video, and thought it would make an excellent addition to the blog.



Things in my life changed dramatically last nite. Long story, but suffice to say, I'm handling it, like a Fiat handles a curve.