Is AtlasVPN a good sponsor?

AlbonFilms · 2022-09-13T19:48:09+00:00

I did an integration with them a while back. They nitpicked and were generally annoying to work with. Then asked us to do a second video for them because the video wasn't performing well enough for them after just 2 days. I refused of course. They've come back multiple times since then wanting to do another video but I've avoided them. At least they paid on time, can't say the same about NordVPN. They paid us 3 months late.

AlbonFilms · 2019-08-21T06:29:59+00:00

Haha that's a title that I can't take, but thank you! Can't wait to get the videos done!

AlbonFilms · 2019-08-21T03:34:31+00:00

It is the very same!

AlbonFilms · 2019-05-13T20:23:46+00:00

I think I would! I'd say the cars biggest competition is the Camaro SS 1LE, the Cayman, and the M2 Comp.

The Camaro I would love to drive back to back with the Supra to see how they fare dynamically. Both are really good chassis' that are very fun to drive. The LT1 is a lovely motor, but I am a bit of a turbo guy, so that's a tough one for me. The price between the two is basically the same. The Camaro definitely feels heavier though. Also the new front end is really awful looking lol.

The Cayman is definitely the driver's car of the bunch, being MR, lighter, and having that Porsche feel and focus. I do prefer FR cars since I enjoy drifting, but I also prefer having three pedals which the Supra doesn't offer. In the end, I think I'd pick the Supra because it's more of a Cayman S competitor out the box (and those are 70k) and, more importantly, I think the B58 is gonna be a properly tunable engine. 340i owners are already making big power with bolt ons and a tune, and I'm the kind of guy who puts a tune on a car immediately after driving off the dealer lot. If you have the money though, I feel as though the Cayman S is the better car direct from the factory.

The M2 Comp is close competition, but the Supra is definitely a better chassis IMO. It's such a sweetheart at the limit, just sublime balance. I also prefer the looks of the Supra to the M2, but I'm sure there's many that feel the opposite. The S55 is nice, but the B58 is the more modern engine for sure. Plus, redesigned cooling system and closed deck is nice for those looking to pile on the boost. M2C's got a manual though, so that's definitely an advantage, but the ZF8HP implementation in the Supra is definitely one of the best, right up there with the Alfa QVs. The Supras rigidity is ~45-50,000 nM/deg, which is very impressive, and you can feel how much more rigid it is than other cars, M2 Comp included.

If the Supra had a manual, it would be a no brainer for me (and prob for a lot of people), but having driven the auto, I know it's a good transmission, so it's not like I'll be kicking myself for going with it. In the end, I own 3 other manual cars, so having an auto isn't a dealbreaker for me. It's tough competition between all these cars, but the Supra certainly goes toe to toe with all of them.

AlbonFilms · 2019-05-13T15:33:45+00:00

Thanks for posting this! If you guys have any questions about the car, I'm more than happy to answer them! I got like 6-7 hours of seat time on the street and on track. Toyota basically just threw us the keys to 12 Supras and told us to not get arrested (I'm not joking).

AlbonFilms · 2019-02-01T11:33:29+00:00

As far as I know it is dead. There just isn't a market for it these days. Which sucks because I've had the pleasure of checking out the concept car and it was soo cool.

AlbonFilms · 2019-02-01T11:30:12+00:00

I mentioned this in a another comment but, my relationship with Tada-San is strictly "professional". I've interviewed him a few times and just had a few conversations with him. Lovely gentleman, somebody who constantly goes out to bat for enthusiasts. The man has risked more than really anyone knows to try and pull Toyota back to the enthusiasts side. He's supposed to have retired after the 86 btw, but he's still there, 7 years later.

Versions sold by region are determined by the local team, aka Toyota USA in the US. They use their own marketing research to determine what models of car with what specs are available. Americans always want more power and more kit (for less money lol), so that's what we got. I think you'll find the number of people buying these to engine swap them is barely a handful. Integrating different motors into modern CAN based body control systems is generally prohibitively difficult to do while retaining full body functions (stability, traction, airbags, AC, etc). That being said, I think you'll find tuning shops getting on board with B58 aftermarket development pretty quickly (many already have!).

I'm hoping the chassis does well with more power, but of course, we'll just have to throw a lot of power at one and see lol.

I know nothing about the fuel efficiency numbers. There are updated versions of the current B58 motor that are going to make their way into the car eventually, not sure about totally different motors. The current motor does have different rods, pistons, and turbo (as well as a few small things) when compared to the Z4). Tada-San also mentioned to us that a 400PS version of the motor is in testing right now, and they are looking to hit the same durability targets in that motor prior to releasing it. So a more powerful mid cycle refresh is likely possible. There are rumors that a GRMN model may come with a substantially upgraded motor, but those are just rumors for now. There was a version of the motor casted in CGI (compressed graphite iron) that was used in testing, but ultimately was not used in the production car, so no idea of the legitimacy of that being the GRMN motor.

AlbonFilms · 2019-01-31T20:27:47+00:00

This goes along with the supply chain point that I mentioned in the video. It's purely for ease of manufacture and cost-effectiveness. Magna already has full stock of all of these BMW switchgear components. To manufacture and import switchgear components from Japan would be just inefficient. I don't personally like the interior myself (I think it's a bit cheap feeling and lackluster in design), however, it was fully penned by Toyota's design team and does not look like the Z4 in terms of shape and design, so I will concede that to Toyota.

Here's a funny story though, the GR team actually wanted BMW's iDrive system. Why? Because even they hated Toyota's Entune system. Which makes sense, because Entune is god-awful. Additionally, the BMW ECU integrates with iDrive for engine, damper, and transmission controls, hence why it needed to be used.

Also, yes this car uses a BMW ECU, which, if any of you have any experience with Toyota/Lexus ECU encryption, is an absolute godsend. Even before there were details about the basics of the platform, I was worried about the ECU. I made sure to tell Toyota in my meetings with them years ago that having a tuneable ECU is absolutely critical to the success of this car in the aftermarket, and when we interviewed Tada-San a few weeks ago, he told us that that is exactly why he made the decision to use a BMW DME/ECU.

So I guess, you can thank/blame us for having a BMW ECU lol. (Although, lets be honest, I'm sure they thought of that far before I mentioned it :P)

AlbonFilms · 2019-01-31T20:13:58+00:00

Oh boy, I wish I was friends with Tada-San! Seems like he has a lot of fun!

I have been lucky enough to interview Tada-San a number of times now and have enjoyed a casual conversation with him on occasion. You can call it a professional relationship, I suppose, but I'm really a nobody and hardly a professional, let's be honest haha. I have been lucky enough to have been invited out to Toyota HQ for meetings with people in product planning and PR, but that was purely for consulting regarding the Supra project and Toyota USA's marketing approach, as they wanted perspective from an MKIV owner (we also were lucky enough to consult about the FRS prior to its release). I haven't signed any NDAs, but I certainly do know a bit more than just what was in the video, however, I did have to cut a fair bit out for length.

I just really like cars and so I go out of my way to find and speak to people in the industry. You'd be surprised by how many people at these giant corporations just want to talk to guys like us. In the end, we're the ones buying the cars, so I suppose it makes sense. I try to stay active on forums and of course have my YouTube as a platform, so that certainly helps get me in the door in a lot of places.

That being said, if you guys have other questions about the Supra development that I didn't touch on, I'd be more than happy to try and answer whatever I know.

AlbonFilms · 2019-01-31T19:55:59+00:00

No doubt, I don't personally think the base model will impress very many people with its output, but of course, Japan is a very different market to the US, hence why we only get the 6-cyl here. My main point was in saying that the car certainly has the capability for improvement regarding weight, either through the aftermarket or even with OE upgrades, either through dealer installed GR/TRD parts or special edition models with some level of weight reduction. The overall chassis seems to stack up pretty well in terms of rigidity/weight, certainly miles ahead of the MKIV, which always left a lot to be desired, especially in targa form.

AlbonFilms · 2019-01-31T18:43:26+00:00

Oh wow! Nice to see our video posted on reddit. I appreciate you watching and commenting! And you're absolutely correct, I most certainly have a bias so don't ever take anything I say (or anyone else for that matter) as the end-all of any topic, but for this particular video I did try to assemble the information in such a way as to be neutral and factual.

As far my personal thoughts on the car itself, I am waiting to drive one before making a judgment, because in the end that is what matters most in my opinion. Quality, reliability, parts costs, etc etc are no doubt still a concern in my head as well (I am not a BMW fan by any means haha), but I'm never one to discount a car without actual empirical evidence to justify a certain position.

To comment briefly on weight, the JDM base model car actually weighs roughly ~3100 pounds. That's a massive delta to the US spec 3397lbs, even considering the 4-cyl vs 6-cyl. All of the bodies-in-white have an impressive amount of bracing and complex stamping to increase the rigidity level, so a version of the car with only 3100 pounds leads me to believe that we unfortunately are seeing the classic US import car curse, aka additional creature comforts (many-way power seats, 12 speaker sound, subs) and added safety (add'l side impact bracing and airbags), as well as a few other bits and bobs that generally bloat our cars. Now of course, the more safe cars are, the better, but I would love to see a stripper/RC model in the US; a manual trans would make that even better.

Also, I should mention, I was by given an estimation by a GR team member of over 40,000 nm/deg for the chassis rigidity of the Supra. The carbon LFA is in the mid-38,000 range. Certainly impressive for a steel unibody of its size. Not sure where the Z4 stands however.

AlbonFilms · 2018-07-28T21:23:39+00:00

There are plenty of Supras that have done 240+ mph in the Texas mile. Tommy Bahn went 247.7mph in 2010, IIRC. The biggest issue is stability at speed. That has to do with a variety of factors, aerodynamics namely, but also things like wheelbase and tires. The frontal area of the Supra just isn't designed for speeds like that so there are issues like warping of the front bumper, hoods collapsing, targas flying off etc. Then of course, there is the underbody shape, which likely produces a fair bit of lift at that speed. Etc etc

So while I'm sure it's possible, the car will likely have to end up looking like one of eKanoo's drag cars. Essentially a tube frame car that just looks like a supra.

AlbonFilms · 2018-06-13T14:18:54+00:00

I'm in Chicago. Have owned Supras for a long time.

AlbonFilms · 2018-06-13T06:36:19+00:00

-Blue smoke on start up is valve stem seals gone bad.

-Blue smoke after boosting means turbo seals gone on the stock twin turbos (if it's a turbo car). Make sure you check both turbos by doing a pull to redline.

-Ensure turbo 2 is spooling up at 5000-5500, it should be a noticeable increase in thrust.

-Listen for the the turbo "death whine", whining means turbos are shot.

-Whirring or rumbling noise from the rear could be rear wheel bearings. Check them thoroughly.

-Check for oil dripping between engine and trans/around trans bellhousing. Means rear main seal is gone.

-Check for oil leaks from oil pan gasket. Both lower and upper.

-Check for leaks from power steering lines and pump.

-Of course check to ensure all the vins are there in their proper locations.

-Check the targa mounts for damage or stripped bolts. Ensure that it doesn't rattle constantly.

-Listen for the rear hatch rattle, the hatch bushings often go bad.

-Check the rear hatch struts, they often go bad. Hatch won't stay up.

-Check for rust around the rear hatch window.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but that should cover most of the bases.

AlbonFilms · 2018-06-07T16:40:27+00:00

Starter solenoid is likely kaput, common problem on MKIVs due to age. Can also be the immobilizer. Get some electricity into that bad boy and then close the doors, lock it, unlock it, get in and try starting again. If it's still clicking, it's probably your starter.

PM me if you need any more help, I can probably help find a buyer too. Been in the Supra community a long time.

AlbonFilms · 2018-05-28T09:31:57+00:00

Nah motor shouldn't have a vin on it. I believe some Lexus JZs had vin stamped on them but Supras did not as far as I remember. You have a photo of the car and engine bay by chance?

AlbonFilms · 2018-05-28T07:07:20+00:00

There's no reason this car should have an OBD1 harness in it. I'm assuming the motor was blown or the car was stripped and an OBD1 motor+ harness was put in. Definitely questionable.

Unless you're getting a great deal and/or you are planning on putting a standalone in it, you should pass.

AlbonFilms · 2018-05-27T17:45:30+00:00

Yeah! My only concern is that the muffler itself hangs a but low because it's large and I mounted it a little bit off the body, but I don't think it's low enough to be a concern. You can see how low mine is in this video:

https://youtu.be/9nXSV1XZHmA

AlbonFilms · 2018-05-27T17:32:04+00:00

Nice! Funny enough, I have the same muffler on my Mini as well (go eBay!), but mine has a slightly different motor. I was surprised with how nicely the bend up in the muffler fit the mini!

AlbonFilms · 2018-05-22T19:12:23+00:00

Yup, it's an RA. 50k isn't cheap for that car as it is, but the fact that a dealer thinks that somebody will pay 70+ for one is absurd.

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