JF MUSIAL: Hello, and welcome to "DRIVE CENTRAL." I'm
filling in for Mike Spinelli, who is on assignment in Berlin
for the O Network.
Let's get things out of the way first with social media.
We're on the interwebs at slashdrive.tv, on Twitter
@drive, and of course, on Facebook at
Facebook.com/drivetv.
It's a new week and a new season, and that means Big
Muscle has returned.
Here's a promo for what's about to come
for the next 14 weeks.
[VIDEO PLAYBACK]
[HEAVY METAL MUSIC]
-So, I mean, we're in first.
But like I said, if you roll into it, it's like--
[CAR ENGINE ROARING]
[END VIDEO PLAYBACK]
JF MUSIAL: That's "Big Muscle" every Monday here on DRIVE.
And on Tuesday, we've got another "Driven" episode, this
time from Frankfurt, Germany, where we visit the workshops
of X-Raid, the MINI Dakar team.
[BEGIN VIDEO PLAYBACK]
[CAR ENGINE]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
-This is really the business end of the whole operation.
This is where the co-pilot sits, navigator, mechanic.
Well, in fact, they each can do each other's job, but this
guy is actually the one that's actually most active.
And the scenes, when you talk to these guys, they say the
guy in the right seat is actually doing more than the
guy in the left seat, because he's got to focus on
navigation.
He's got to focus on telemetry coming off of car, making sure
all the systems are working properly as well as making
sure that the driver keeps his right foot down.
And the redundant systems-- now, you won't see the GPS
system here, because that's actually issued by the FIA two
days before an event starts.
So there's no unfair advantage in terms of those GPS units
ahead of time.
You do get the typical Rally trip computers, redundancy as
well, simple controls on the right-hand side that the
driver can use, as well as buttons on the
floor, so they can hit--
reset the chip computer with the feet if they've got the
book in their hand.
[END VIDEO PLAYBACK]
JF MUSIAL: That's "Driven" every Tuesday
right here on DRIVE.
And on Wednesday this week, I'm sorry but no Chris Harris.
All you fan boys can send me death threats at
matt@thesmokingtire.com.
Instead, we've got our premiere episode of "Drive
Clean."
[VIDEO PLAYBACK]
-This is my home away from home, a place where Porsche
history is on every lift, and an artist and a mechanic are
one and the same.
Finding an expert who specializes in your specific
vehicle is ideal, but not always possible.
Be sure to find a mechanic who's willing to spend the
time with you to explain the positives and the negatives of
your potential purchase.
Spending a few extra dollars here can save you a big
headache in the future.
Gaspar Faisal, chief mechanic and Rennwerke partner, gathers
info by first test driving the 964 and calculating its
response against the years of experience he has
as a Porsche mechanic.
This step is critical in the success of the PPI, as your
mechanic will recognize the subtle nuances that might be
otherwise overlooked.
[END VIDEO PLAYBACK]
JF MUSIAL: That is "Drive Clean" every Wednesday
morning, right before "Chris Harris on Cars" for the next
13 weeks, part of our new season of DRIVE.
On Thursday, we have "After Drive" with Mike Spinelli.
And on Friday, it's Leo Parente with Doug Fehan of
Corvette Racing on Shakedown--
TrackDown from Lime Rock Park.
That's it for "DRIVE CENTRAL" this week.
Next week, I'm not hosting it, Mike's not hosting it, but
Edward Snowden is.
[MUSIC PLAYING]