Higher Education Visual

SuperCar or Not

When it comes to the topic of the Nissan GT-R, most car enthusiasts' pay full attention. The legend of the Skylines GT-Rs goes back to the 1969 with its first production up to the R34 in 2002. This new R35 did not hesitate to win the car enthusiasts favor with unbelievable track times for a price under $100,000. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of the GT-R can be considered to be a super-car such as the Ferraris and Lamborghinis. On one hand, people say that it is not a super-car because of the engine size, a tiny 3.8L V6 relative to, for example, the Lamborghini Aventador's roaring 6.5L V12. Their argument is also that the price of a super-car cannot be under $100,000. I don't know who decides the price of a super-car. What if Bill Gates decided to sell his Ferrari for $50,000, does that mean it can no longer be counted as a super-car? My own view is that the Nissan GT-R is indeed a super-car. The nickname "Godzilla" isn't there for no reason. The V6 Twin Turbocharged power-plant creates just over 500 bhp (Brake Horse-Power). State of the art suspension and handling system make it one of the fastest production cars in the Nurburgring track, a track where manufactures test their cars lap time and then compare to other cars. The car is also a tuning favorite. A local shop in Chicago, IL called AMS Performance has developed a package, Alpha Omega, for the GT-R to boost its power to 2,000 bhp. That is not a typo. It does 0-60 mph in 1.7 seconds and a quarter mile in 7.9 seconds. They also claim it is daily drive-able and are backing up their statement with a full warranty. So even though it may not look like a super-car to the common eye without its aerodynamic shape or as popular sounding name as Ferrari to the common ear, the GT-R is indeed a super-car and for those that disagree, let the numbers speak for themselves.

A life-time of Student Debt? Not Likely

     In discussions of Robin Wilson, one controversial issue is the enormous number of college students in debt. He thinks that borrowing will lead to their own financial disasters in their near future. On the other hand, Michael McPherson, an economist and president of the Spencer Foundation, argues that most students borrow a reasonable amount of money that they can pay back and are better off for going to college. He states that even though 2/3 of all students are in debt, 65% of them owe $20,000 or less, which is the starting price of a new Ford Escape, implying that the debt is not that high for a higher level of education. My own view is that the students know exactly what they are getting themselves into. Some will attend their dream college no matter what they will have to borrow in order to attend. Majority of the students do not complain about the loans and think it is worth it. Since the average college graduate earns on average $1 million dollars in their lifetime more than a non-college graduate, the $20,000 debt they face is worth it. And because the loans have low interest rates, it can't be a bad investment because you're basically borrowing "free money." I also think that most colleges are the same and therefore there is no need for me to pay a ridiculous amount of money to attend one college when I can get the same education at another college for a fraction of the price such as here at Rock Valley College.