feature
Gear featured post, a Gear Media favorite.
The Tesla Paradox: Why People Pay More for Less (Compared to Chinese EVs)
I sat in a Model 3 a few years ago during an exhibition. The salesperson said that I could try it, but I was not interested in EVs, especially Tesla; my focus was only on the car.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo9 months ago in Wheel
The Demise of Manual Transmissions: Why Fewer Cars Have Stick Shifts
As far as I know, automatic transmission was the most expensive option you could add a few decades ago. From some old car brochures I read, at least automatic transmission added about 20–30% to the price of the car. Let’s say you bought a sedan for $5,000 in the 1960s. An automatic transmission costs more than $200. That was quite an expensive option, and not everyone liked it.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo9 months ago in Wheel
eSAF: Putting Consumers at Risk — How a Leading Brand Failed
Honda Indonesia, or AHM, introduced the eSAF frame for its scooter lineup in Indonesia. The frame is said to be stronger and lighter thanks to a special type of alloy. Since it’s lighter, it’s expected to boost performance—especially for lower- or mid-range scooters in Indonesia. Honda started using the eSAF frame on its scooters from the 2020 model year onward, and they’re still using it today.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo9 months ago in Wheel
5 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Truck Bed Tent Camper
Camping and overlanding are undoubtedly among the best ways to spend free time. The open road, fresh air, and beautiful scenery are ideal for recharging your batteries, while the opportunity to explore near and far opens up possibilities for experiencing all the beauty the world has to offer.
By BTR Outfitters9 months ago in Wheel
BYD Leads Price Cuts: How Intense Competition Impacts Chinese Electric Vehicle Market
Have you ever seen a BYD? If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a Chinese electric car that’s been getting pretty popular in a lot of countries, especially around Asia. They’re popular mainly because (let’s be real) they’re cheap, and they actually seem to make a pretty decent car. At least for daily use, it holds up fine. I read somewhere that they’ve even overtaken Tesla in terms of sales, which honestly isn’t that shocking—Chinese companies are usually pretty aggressive when it comes to competition.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo9 months ago in Wheel
Modern Meets Classic: Can You Customize a New Car to Look Vintage?
I think this is a pretty common question: “Why doesn’t anyone design a modern classic car?” Honestly, just the fact that people ask that shows there’s probably a market for it. I mean, if someone’s thinking about it, chances are someone else would buy it, right? I think manufacturers have been toying with the idea for a while now.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo9 months ago in Wheel
Honda-Nissan Merger: Can They Challenge Tesla and Other EV Giants?
Some time ago, we heard that Honda and Nissan were thinking about teaming up—maybe even becoming one company. Why? Well, Nissan hasn’t been doing too hot. They’ve been struggling and needed someone solid to back them up before things went south. That’s where Honda comes in, offering support so Nissan doesn’t go under. But Honda wasn’t just being nice—they had something to gain too. They’re interested in Nissan’s EV tech. See, Honda doesn’t really have a proper EV ready yet, and they’re looking to take on BYD’s growing dominance in the electric car game. They can’t do that alone, so teaming up with Nissan, who’s been in the EV world a bit longer, kind of makes sense.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo9 months ago in Wheel
Power-to-Weight Ratio: The Double-Edged Sword of Car Performance
Power-to-weight ratio is a big topic among car enthusiasts—especially those into racing. Basically, you can’t just drop a big engine into a small car without tweaking a few things, because it’ll mess with the handling. Every car has a different chassis strength, and that plays a huge role. That’s why you need to carefully plan and adjust things based on what you're going for—there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. The core issue is that chassis are only built to handle so much. Push them too far, and they can crack, or the car can get unstable—or worse, totally uncontrollable.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo9 months ago in Wheel
The Honda Quality Paradox: Why Older Models Often Outlast Newer Ones.
Obviously, we’ve all seen it—or maybe even lived it: in a lot of countries, the first car people drive is a Honda. And they last. Toyota’s right there too, but Honda is still one of the big names. But why? Shouldn't all cars be basically the same? That’s what I used to think a few years ago.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo9 months ago in Wheel
The Muscle Car Meltdown: Why Camaro and Mustang Sales Are Stalling.
A simple example is the Ford Mustang. A while back, people weren’t too happy when Ford dropped an inline-4 turbo engine into the Mustang. It didn’t really fit the image, and now that version has been discontinued. But that’s just how things are now—people have moved on to cars that are more economical. The days of V8 muscle cars dominating the streets are kind of over.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo9 months ago in Wheel
Conquering 1000 HP: Engineering Hurdles for Chevrolet’s Corvette Engines
Chevrolet recently announced that they have a special edition of the Corvette that produces 1,000 HP from a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. Obviously, you know that turbocharging stresses the engine, and engineers have to make strong parts for it. Those of you who are familiar with tuning will understand how difficult it is to make a 1,000 HP engine that is safe for daily driving; hence, that is probably what Chevrolet engineers are facing; however, that is not a big problem now.
By Pinesthi Mukti Rizky Wibowo9 months ago in Wheel
