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Brian Makse

@brianmakse

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Cars. Racing. What the press release leaves out.
National Champion 🏁 | 100K+ YouTube
YYZ | LAX | DTW

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The algorithm sent a plaque. Apparently 100,000 subscribers is a thing that happened. None of it without the people behind it. @russell.ess for the music, @nickslostadventures for making me look like I know what I'm doing with a camera, and everyone else who helped along the way. And everyone who watched. Genuinely didn't see this coming. by @brianmakse

Lexus took away my best joke about the NX. The paddles used to work like the door-close button in an elevator, and on the 2027 model they hold the gear through a corner and add some engine braking. The brake pedal didn't need fixing, and it still hides the handoff between regen and the friction brakes completely. by @brianmakse

Somewhere in the mountains is a roundabout I misjudged in a Nissan Rogue Hybrid. It was off camber with low grip, and I brought too much speed. The Rogue drifted through the exit on all 4 wheels and the stability control never stepped in, which was more forgiving than I deserved. Then Smooth Stop softens the end of every stop in traffic, and your passengers assume it was you. by @brianmakse

Your condo board treats a charger request like a zoning appeal, and this is the hybrid that makes sense for you. The Nissan Rogue Hybrid drives on electric motors and makes its own electricity, so there's nothing to plug in. e-Pedal takes it to a dead stop in traffic, and I left it on all day. Then there's the uphill part of your commute, which you can hear for yourself. by @brianmakse

The badge does some of the work, and nobody should apologize for that. That was my answer to the most common question I got before driving the 2027 Lexus NX: why not just buy a RAV4? The rest is materials you can see and touch, and a car that does its job much more quietly. For the people who say a 4 cylinder has no business in a Lexus, this hybrid makes more power than the V6 in the first RX. by @brianmakse

Nissan says the Rogue Hybrid's engine waits for road noise to hide behind before it starts. It only makes electricity, and the motors do all the driving. A long mountain climb at highway speed is where a small battery runs out of help, so that's where I went listening. The full 2027 Rogue Hybrid first drive is on the channel. by @brianmakse

Lexus put the fix for the NX's most annoying habit in writing. The 2027 model leans harder on the battery so engine rpm climbs with road speed, which is the exact complaint I've made about this car twice. The plug in has 22.7 kWh to work with and the hybrid has 1.1. Watch which one keeps the engine out of the conversation. by @brianmakse

Mazda went shopping for grams and then parked them in its heaviest Miata. The 25th Anniversary got hand selected, balanced internals along with a power folding hardtop. On the road the engine is willing and spins to redline with little effort, though nothing about it is especially sweet. Mazda was careful never to say whether you'd notice. by @brianmakse

Mazda put a limited slip diff behind 140 lb-ft, and it turned out to be the best part of the car. The 6 speed in the late NC has short throws and reverse where it belongs, and the pedal box works in skate shoes or flip flops. The diff squares up the rear instead of lighting a tire. Forget the automatic. by @brianmakse

The fat Miata is the one I'd take across the country. The 2015 MX-5 25th Anniversary weighs 2,606 lbs, and the internet has held that against the NC since day one. On a broken road it takes hits with a firm thunk and no cowl shake, which no earlier Miata manages. Bring a long playlist and skip the physio appointment. by @brianmakse

Hydraulic steering on a twenty year old Miata still tells you more than most new cars. On the Mazdaspeed it tells you about the turbo hanging ahead of the front axle, a half beat before the nose bites. Mazda added the turbo and 90 lbs and left the brakes alone. The pedal is good on the street, and track owners upgrade the pads first. by @brianmakse

The Mazdaspeed makes its speed with a shove of torque instead of revs, which is the least Miata thing about it. Everything else is a regular NB2, right down to a cup holder lid that steals your elbow rest all day. You'll baby the boost and let it cool before shutdown. Underneath, it is still an ordinary Miata. by @brianmakse