Michael Chua's Chronicles

Kelly Carlson

2008-12-04T08:17:00.001+08:00

Jenny McCarthy

2008-11-19T08:54:00.000+08:00

Cloverfield Monster

2008-01-29T15:31:00.000+08:00

Ferrari Enzo

2008-01-21T13:15:00.000+08:00

Manufacturer Ferrari
Parent company Fiat Group
Production 2002–2004
400 produced
Predecessor Ferrari F50
Body style(s) Berlinetta
Layout RMR layout
Engine(s) 6.0 L V12
Transmission(s) 6-speed semi-automatic
Wheelbase 2650 mm (104.3 in)
Length 4702 mm (185 in)
Width 2035 mm (80 in)
Height 1147 mm (45 in)
Curb weight 1365 kg (3000 lb)
Related Maserati MC12
Ferrari FXX
Designer Ken Okuyama under Pininfarina
The Enzo Ferrari is a 12-cylinder mid-engine sports car named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It is currently the most powerful naturally aspirated production car in the world. It was built in 2003 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fibre body, F1-style sequential shift transmission, and carbon-ceramic brake discs. Also used are technologies not allowed in F1 such as active aerodynamics. After a downforce of 775 kg (1709 lb) is reached at 300 km/h (186 mph) the rear wing is actuated by computer to maintain that downforce.

The Enzo's V12 engine is the first of a new generation for Ferrari. It is based on the architecture of the V8 found in sister-company Maserati's Quattroporte, using the same basic architecture and 104 mm (4.1 in) bore spacing. This design will replace the former architectures seen in V12 and V8 engines used in most other contemporary Ferraris. The 2005 F430 is the second Ferrari to get a version of this new powerplant. In 2004, Sports Car International named the Enzo Ferrari number three on their list of Top Sports Cars of the 2000s.

Motor Trend Classic named the Enzo as number four in their list of the ten "Greatest Ferraris of all time".

Naming
Enzo Ferrari (side)
Enzo Ferrari (rear)The Enzo Ferrari is sometimes referred to colloquially (some say incorrectly) as the Ferrari Enzo and Ferrari F60; this gives the false impression that it was named for Ferrari's 60th anniversary, which is 2007 rather than 2003 when the Enzo was launched (the official internal nomenclature is actually F131). The Ferrari Enzo Ferrari is commonly referred to as just the "Enzo" with no marque or other words attached.

The car is named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari, who died in 1988.[1][2]

Celebrating its first World Championship of the new Millennium, in Formula One, Ferrari built the Enzo to celebrate this achievement and the company named the car after its Scuderia's founder, Enzo Ferrari.

ProductionThe Enzo was initially announced at the 2002 Paris Motor Show with a limited production run of 349 units and priced at US$643,330. The company sent invitations to existing customers, specifically, those who had previously bought the Ferrari F40 and Ferrari F50. All 349 cars were sold in this way before production began. Later, after numerous requests, Ferrari decided to build 50 more Enzos, bringing the total to 399.

Ferrari built one more Enzo - the 400th car - and it was auctioned by Sotheby's Maranello Auction on June 28, 2005, to benefit survivors of the 2004 Tsunami for €950,000 (US$1,274,229), almost twice its list price. This sum was presented to Pope Benedict XVI, while former Ferrari Formula One driver Michael Schumacher gave the pope a steering wheel to commemorate the donation. This wheel included a plaque which read, "The Formula 1 World Champion's steering wheel to His Holiness Benedict XVI, Christianity's driver."

The Enzo Ferrari typically trades above $1,000,000 (£500,000) at auction.[3]

Three prototype "mules" were built, M1, M2, and M3. Each was bodied to look like a 348, even though the mules were built in 2000. The third mule was offered for auction alongside the 400th Enzo in June, 2005, bringing €195,500 (US$236,300).[4]

Specifications
Engine of the Enzo Ferrari
Main article: Ferrari Dino engine#V12
The Enzo is a mid-engined car with a 43.9/56.1 front/rear weight distribution. The engine is Ferrari's F140 65° V12 with 4 valves per cylinder, dual overhead cams and variable valve timing. Bosch Motronic ME7 fuel injection is used and the engine is naturally aspirated. It displaces 5998 cc (366 in³) and produces 485 kW (651 hp/660 PS) at 7800 rpm and 657 N·m (485 ft·lbf) at 5500 rpm.[5] The redline is 8200 rpm.[6]

ChassisThe Enzo has a semi-automatic transmission (also known as the F1 gearbox) using paddles to control an automated shifting and clutch mechanism, with LED lights on the steering wheel telling the driver when to change gears. The gearbox has a shift time of just 150 milliseconds.The transmission was a first generation "clutchless" design from the late 1990s, and there have been complaints about its abrupt shifting. [5][7]

The Enzo Ferrari has 4 wheel independent suspension with push-rod actuated shock absorbers which can be adjusted from the cabin, complemented with anti-roll bars at the front and rear.[8]

The Enzo uses 483-millimetre (19 in) wheels and has 381-millimetre (15 in) Brembo disc brakes.

Gear 1 2 3 4 5 6 Final Drive
Ratio 3.15:1 2.18:1 1.57:1 1.19:1 0.94:1 0.76:1 4.1:1

Performance
The Enzo can accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.3 seconds[9] and can reach 161 kilometres per hour (100 mph) in 6.6 seconds.[5][6] The ¼ mile (~400 m) time is from 10.8 to 11.2 sec at well over 130 mph (210 km/h) and the top speed is estimated at 350 kilometers per hour (213.5 mph).[5] It is rated at 12 mpg–U.S. (19.6 L/100 km / 14.4 mpg–imp) in the city and 18 mpg–U.S. (13.07 L/100 km / 21.6 mpg–imp) on the highway.

Despite the Enzo's extraordinary performance and price, the Ferrari F430 Scuderia (an improved version of the Ferrari's current cheapest production car) is capable of lapping the Ferrari test track just as quickly as the Enzo.

Trishaw Uncle Gets Bullied by Ang-Moh Tourists

2007-11-03T18:48:00.001+08:00

THEY SHOULD CARRY 3 OLD FOLKS...
Make a video of it and post it online
By Liew Hanqing and Tan May Ping

The New Paper
November 03, 2007

HE watched the online video over and over again.

Each time, it broke his heart to see his father having to beg for the fare he had earned.

Mr Sam Lee, 33, son of Mr Lee Shee Lam, the 67-year-old trishaw rider who was filmed being taunted and cheated by three UK tourists, said he also watched the video repeatedly to make sure his father was not physically or verbally abused.

In the video, his father is seen pedalling slowly, struggling under the weight of the three men.

When they alight, they take a taxi without paying Mr Lee.

He said they had earlier agreed on a price of $15 for the ride from Clarke Quay.

After the video was uploaded on YouTube last week, local netizens lashed out at the way the trishaw rider was treated.

The younger Mr Lee, an IT engineer, found out about the video when a cousin called him yesterday to tell him his father had made front page news.

Said the cousin, who did not want to be named: 'I felt it was an insult to my uncle, so I informed my cousin.'

Mr Lee, his sister, Miss P L Lee, and their cousin spoke to The New Paper last night together with the father.

Said the son: 'I read the article in The New Paper, then went online to look at the video - I just wanted to make sure my Dad was not harmed.'

The part that angered him the most was towards the end when his father was seen stretching out his hand and asking the men for his fare.

'It really kicked in at that portion. I felt very irritated because it made him look like a beggar,' he said.

He added that he had considered taking legal action if he found his father had been hurt or verbally abused by the tourists.

But now he hopes the tourists would accede to three requests.

First, Mr Lee's children want a formal apology.

'We want it written, not by email or a posting on the Internet,' said the younger Mr Lee.

Two, they want the men to pay the amount due to their father.

Said Mr Lee: 'It's only right for them to pay up. My Dad is just trying to make an honest living.

'He did not cheat or swindle them. He provided them an honest service, and he should be paid for it.'

Finally, they want the men to take a video of themselves carrying any three old folks and to post it on YouTube.

The older Mr Lee, however, said he doesn't expect much.

'It's a small matter - it is only a small amount of money,' he said in Cantonese.

Mr Lee said he was approached yesterday by two passers-by who gave him about $10 each.

'They said they recognised me from the Internet and newspapers,' he said.

He also spent about two hours speaking to reporters yesterday for both print and TV.

'Spending all this time talking to reporters is making me lose money,' he said, laughing.

His children give him and his wife a small allowance every month. However, his son said it is 'not enough' to give them a comfortable life.

The younger Mr Lee declined to reveal his income and how much money he gives his parents.

He said: 'We tried to tell him to find a lighter job, but my father has always enjoyed his job as a trishaw rider.

'He enjoys having the ability to work and be independent.'

Their mother, he added, hoped her husband would get justice and the attention would die down.

Mr Lee added that he has a good relationship with his parents, and the family makes it a point to meet at least once a month at his parents' home for dinner.

Miss Lee, 31, a store manager, said she did not feel good about what had happened to her father.

'Somehow, it also reflects something about us,' she added.

The younger Mr Lee said he was surprised at the online furore.

He said: 'It is madness. I can tell there's a lot of concern over what happened - and I would like to thank the public for expressing their concern.'

However, he was shocked by some of the crude comments posted in response to the video and on the YouTube profile of Mr Bo Davis, 26, one of the tourists who posted the original video.

Mr Davis later removed the video and posted an online apology for being 'disrespectful to the elderly'.

But netizens still flooded Mr Davis's profile with angry comments, often laden with expletives.

Said the younger Mr Lee: 'All we are asking for is a proper apology, and for my Dad to get back the fare he deserves. Then we can all move on.'

He has also read posts on the Internet of people wanting to band together to raise money for his father.

'We want to thank everyone. We may not be well-off but we can provide for our father,' he said.

后有追兵, 前有大炮

2007-10-22T14:59:00.000+08:00

Soldiers in pursuit

cannons ahead

two roads that lead to death.

It's not the car that kills you...

2007-09-27T10:22:00.000+08:00

TODAY, Thursday, 27th September, 2007
It's not the car that kills you...
-----------------------------------
So licences shouldn't be issued by engine size
Letter from Michael Chua Kheng Hwee
I refer to Darren Lee's letter, "Life is no test drive" (Sept 24), in
which he suggested sub-dividing the Class 3 licence into various
categories for driving vehicles of different engine capacities.
However, I disagree that doing so would prevent new drivers of
high-capacity performance cars from driving recklessly. The fact of the
matter is that nobody drives recklessly when learning or when taking a
driving test. Drivers only start driving recklessly after they have passed
their driving test and gotten their driving licence.
If they were reckless, they would be a menace on the roads, regardless of
if they are driving a 1.6-litre or a 3.0-litre car. Both cars would still
result in about the same amount of damage in crashes at speeds of over
80kmh. In fact, the 3.0-litre car would probably be better built and
better protect its occupants.
Furthermore, sub-dividing the Class 3 driving licence into various
categories creates another problem: What about goods vehicles which are
3.0 litres and above? Will all new drivers who have only attained a Class
3 licence be unable to make a living as a delivery driver?
Besides, I believe new drivers of performance cars can easily familiarise
themselves with the handling, acceleration and power of such vehicles
within their one-year probation period.
Perhaps raising the age limit from the current 18 to 21 might help as
adults in their early 20s are generally more mature than those in their
late teens.

The Best "Out-Of-Office" E-Mail Auto-Replies

2007-09-11T09:57:00.000+08:00

1: I am currently out at a job interview and will reply to you if I fail
to get the position.

2: I'm not really out of the office. I'm just ignoring you.

3: You are receiving this automatic notification because I am out of the
office. If I was in, chances are you wouldn't have received anything at
all.

4: Sorry to have missed you but I am at the doctors having my brain
removed so that I may be promoted to management

5: I will be unable to delete all the unread, worthless emails you send
me until I return from vacation on 4/18. Please be patient and your mail
will be deleted in the order it was received.

6: Thank you for your email. Your credit card has been charged $5.99 for
the first ten words and $1.99 for each additional word in your message.

7: The e-mail server is unable to verify your server connection and is
unable to deliver this message. Please restart your computer and try
sending again.'

(The beauty of this is that when you return, you can see how many
in-duh-viduals did this over and over).

8: Thank you for your message, which has been added to a queueing
system.You are currently in 352nd place, and can expect to receive a
reply in approximately 19 weeks.

9: Hi. I'm thinking about what you've just sent me. Please wait by your
PC for my response.

10: Hi! I'm busy negotiating the salary for my new job. Don't bother to
leave me any messages.

11: I've run away to join a different circus.

AND, FINALLY, THIS ONE TAKES THE CAKE :

12: I will be out of the office for the next 2 weeks for medical
reasons.
When I return, please refer to me as 'Loretta' instead of 'Steve'.

The View From Serendip

2007-07-28T14:43:00.001+08:00

Obssessed With Lifts

2007-07-25T13:55:00.001+08:00

At 4

2007-07-23T16:11:00.000+08:00

Shawn at the airport.

Having a jolly good time downing a pack of green tea.

Shawn plays TV games. He doesn't really know how to play yet. He just keeps crashing his vehicle and relishes at hearing the explosions and other sound effects which he deems amusing.

Massage 101

2007-05-24T17:39:00.000+08:00

At long last!

2007-01-04T11:09:00.000+08:00

Finally, after so many months of having my old blog address "hijacked", i got it back. Thank God. Ever since my old blog address was taken, i've been blogging at
Siao Lang Geng.