Another wagon filled post, I love how the cars below are both practical and fast (and don’t forget good lookin’).
Starting off with this set of Mitsubishi Galant, only bad thing about these cars is that they are FWD, otherwise they might of been a familiar sight in the drift scene, shame…
This one might not be as practical, but sure is cool:
The M3 bumper is really looking good on this one:
I saw this one at Hellaflush, its younger brother:
And its Rival, the Audi S4 Avant:
And a tad faster, the RS4 avant, for me the ultimate allrounder:
Staying in the Matte with this Forrester:
And, ofcourse, the Nissan Stagea, AKA the nissan skyline Wagon
And i’m going to close with this one, awesome stance:
I was driving down Santa Monica Blvd. in April last year and was stunned and impressed by a very blatant F*** You message to Audi from BMW. Although I’m a self professed Audi groupie I do love a rivalry and think that an attack campaign is a great, no bull way to get a strong message across, especially if you’re playing in a very niche and competitive space such as the luxury auto sector and you have the winning move.
Audi started the rivalry with a very dangerous, open ended invitation for BMW to respond to their side-by-side prime billboard real estate in LA, saying “Your Move BMW”. It was a battle that Audi lost when BMW posted a simple image of their new M3 with the caption “Check Mate” (at least in the short term until their RS5 arrived on the scene shortly after).
Audi and BMW duel it out on Santa Monica Blvd.
Weather or not it caused a scurrying of people trading in their Audis for BMWs isn’t relevent but it definitely couldn’t have hurt the BMW brand in a market where there are more luxury vehicles bought and sold than any other in the US and and industry where perception is everything.
Earlier today, GM Chairman and interim CEO Ed Whitacre delivered a statement stating that the GM CEO search is complete. The new CEO?
Ed Whitacre.
I’m a bit disappointed in the choice. And not because I’m bitter it wasn’t me.
I’m disappointed because I believe in Corporate Governance. I believe the CEO and the Chairman of the Board are separate positions for a reason. I believe that a board needs to be independent from a firm’s management, so that they can act in the shareholder’s best interest. A board whose chair is also the CEO is less likely to act independently solely because of the CEO’s presence.
And unfortunately, this is just more of the same for GM. Rick Wagoner served as both the CEO and Chairman, and presided over a massive slide in market share, stock price, and profitability. Was that truly in the best interest of GM?
Some other sites have stated that Mr. Whitacre wants to remain CEO because he’s enjoying the spotlight. I don’t think that spotlight is exclusive to the CEO position at GM. An active chairman could see just as much of the spotlight as the CEO; in fact, the chair publicly supporting the CEO may help GM’s image with their shareholders and improve stock prices.
So, who do I think GM should have picked for the CEO (other than myself of course)?
Bob Lutz. Lutz is the inside-outsider at GM. He’s been around for a few years, learned how to navigate the corporate structure, and championed some of the cooler GM products we’ve seen in the past decade. He’s worked for GM, Ford, BMW, and Chrysler, an impressive resume indeed. Most importantly, he’s a businessman AND a car guy. Ed Whitacre said he was going to learn about cars. Lutz has probably forgotten more than he’ll ever learn. He’s delivered some great speeches over the years, he’s used to the spotlight, and I think he understands the industry better than most. Considering GM’s afraid of the learning curve an outsider would need (this was the justification given for Fritz Henderson getting the job last year) Lutz fits the qualifications better than most.
Of course recently they said they want someone younger. Ed Whitacre doesn’t really fit with that criteria either.
Mini have updated their current car lineup with the new Countryman, a car which promises to be quite good off the road as well. It will go on sale in September in the UK with an estimated price tag of £17,000.
This new Mini si quite important as it is the first one with four doors from the current lineup and eve more interesting, it comes with an optional four-wheel drive system. It is a permanent all-wheel-drive system called “ALL4″ and it uses a electro-hydraulic differential which sends the power either to the front or to the back, depending on the situation. Normally, it has a 50-50 power distribution but under extreme circumstances it can become rear-wheel drive only. The suspension should be good as well as it features MacPherson spring struts on the front and a multi-link rear axle.
Three petrol and two diesel engines will be available for the Countryman when it goes on sale with power outputs ranging from 90 hp in the Mini One D Countryman to 184 hp for the 1.6-litre in the Mini Cooper S Countryman. The range-topping 1.6 petrol comes with modern technology like a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct fuel injection and fully variable valve management. This should maximise power while keeping fuel consumption at bay.
To make sure that the full capacity of the engines is used, the new Mini also gets other fuel saving technologies. Brake Energy Regeneration, Auto Start Stop, a gear shift point indicator, and on-demand management of the engine’s supplementary units are there to make sure the car doesn’t waste any fuel. As far as gearboxes are concerned, there are two available: a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic with Steptronic.
The new car is said to be highly customizable with a lot of interior colours, trim strips and upholstery combinations available. It comes as standard with four seats even though a three-seat bench is available as a free option. The car comes as standard with air conditioning and a CD player with sat-nav, a phone, a panoramic roof, adaptive headlights,a towbar, alloy wheels and sports suspension as optional extras.
Check out our gallery below for more pictures of the new Mini Countryman.
The heart of the ignition system in all BMW Twins is the magneto. It gives you a strong uniform spark over the full range of RPM and under any load. It gives you sure-fire starting, even with a dead battery. It gives you spark discharge gaps to protect against coil burnout. It gives you dependability under all engine operating conditions. In short, it gives you more value. Ask any BMW owner, bless his heart.
1965 BMW Twin Ignition System Magneto – Bless our little heart Vintage Ad available at www.DadsVintageAds.com
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Andrew Pitt is no longer riding for Ten Kate World SuperSport team anymore, this year he will be riding a BMW S1000RR Superbike for private team BMW Reitwagen Motorsport. The bike has shown potential with Corser last year, it will be interesting to see what happens in 2010 especially with Stiggy and Peter Goddard on board to help them. Recently at Eastern Creek, the race bike was not ready but Pitt did 1′36 which is proper fast on a standard bike.
A few weeks ago I got to spend a half-day at the nearby BMW Performance Driving School, racing a number of their very cool cars for an afternoon. Thanks to my friend Kamran Popkin, I saw firsthand how the BMW brand permeates the entire experience, and came away with a few branding lessons – as well as a track victory, some cool promo items, and an enormous grin.
The BMW M3 that carried me to a :23.18 victory
For those of you who know me well, if it involves racing bikes or cars, you’ve got my attention. So I eagerly accepted Kamran’s invitation to test my skills on the tracks at the BMW Performance Center, driving an M3, M5, M6, X6, 3-series and 7-series BMWs. And what a rush it was! (Needless to say, I was absolutely thrilled when they announced that I had turned in the fastest time of the day on the M3 track at :23.18.)
But since that day, I’ve considered how well the whole experience spoke for the BMW brand. Here are a few takeaways that I think could apply to any brand interaction.
1. Make it memorable. Sure, sliding $65,000 sports cars sideways around a wet circle will stand out for a few weeks in anyone’s mind. But BMW went out of their way to make the whole experience memorable. For instance, rather than just letting us drive the cars, at the end of the afternoon, we got to ride with a professional race driver and learn how fast the cars could really go (whilst we were thrown about the cabin like rag dolls). Is there some way to make an interaction with your company or brand more memorable? Maybe it’s something you give to all visitors at your facility? Or perhaps some personalization during your ordinary plant tour? Or even a handwritten thank-you note after a purchase?
2. Repurpose good content. When we left, we got a bag full of goodies from BMW, including a nice slick magazine which I later realized was actually a year old. I’m guessing they had extras left over from that print run, but rather than pitch them, they gave them out to visitors. And I read it and learned something about their product line. Do you have content you can repurpose? Maybe video excerpts from a sales conference that you can post on a corporate YouTube page? Or white papers from your website that you can offer on your company blog? Or even branded items left over from a marketing campaign that you could give to prospects you meet?
3. Provide networking opportunities. When the racing was done, they had a great spread of hors d’ouvres, and plenty of time for networking. I talked with an old friend I hadn’t seen in a while, found someone else in my field who was looking for work, and met 4 new business contacts, as well as chatting with the BMW driving instructors. And every time I think of the folks I met, I recall that our initial meeting was at the BMW Performance Center. Are there ways for you to incorporate networking opportunities in your customer events? Lunch and learns at your headquarters? Events at tradeshows? Any time you can get your company’s personnel and your happiest customers networking with other prospects is a good thing.
4. Make your customers feel special. We walked away with cool personalized lanyards and badges, plus a custom hat designating that we had participated in a BMW Performance Center driving experience. Do you do something special for your customers? Even acknowledging their name and company on an LCD screen when they come to visit your facility is a start, but there are other ways as well – personalized promotional items, even a “for VIP customers only” ordering hotline.
5. Reinforce the brand. We didn’t go one place where the BMW logo wasn’t present, but more importantly, the quality you come to expect from BMW permeated the event. The food, the professionalism of the instructors, the attire of the staff, the facilities, the cars (of course), and even the restrooms all spoke for the BMW brand. Of course, the same applies to interactions with your company, which is why the phone manner of your customer service reps, the cleanliness of the restrooms at your facility, even the landscaping of your entrance are all critical. But the same applies to the professionalism of your collateral materials and trade show booth – even the way your product is packed and shipped. Make sure your brand is reinforced the way YOU want it to be perceived.
At the end of the event, BMW passed out a questionnaire which asked, among other things, if our perception of the BMW brand had improved as a result of that day’s experience. Of course, I answered a resounding YES. If you passed out a questionnaire after customers interact with YOUR company, would you get the same response?
a few months ago my good friend Zeem asked if i could take his car to a photoshoot for him because he was going to have to be at work all day. of course i said yes since im such a good friend and i def couldnt let my homie not get a little bit of spotlight with his fresh out of the paint booth set up. so i meet up with the speedhunters guys and a few other guys they had lined up to shoot that day too. total there were about 5-6 cars. coincidentally the first one that drew my attn was a nice little e36. the owner, Mando came up and complimented Zeems car. we made small talk and made our way out to richmond / rosenburg (suburbs of houston). while waiting our turns for the photographers to finish with a few other cars, we all made small talk / shot the ish / and pretty much got to know each other, turns out these guys drove from San Antonio, pretty down ass guys if you ask me. while taking a break from shooting and waiting, we all went to get something to eat, Rod from speedhunters asked Mando to move his car up a driveway. as the car crept up the driveway, the bumper caught the concrete and flexed a little too hard and kicked out a fog light and broke the lens. gotta pay to play right? no big deal we’ve all lost something from riding low. after the shoot and on the way back into town, Mando had a little mishap and had a cooling problem, he never made it back to the meet. luckily one of the other guys from SA got in contact with him and we were able to go pick him up and get him replacement parts. this guy stayed in a parking lot for HOURS around the corner from my house fixing his little problem, solja indeed. about a month later his speedhunters feature came out all you hear is ppl complaining and criticising him for riding so low and how he ruined his car etc, the few that stood by him are the few that know him or know what it takes to ride low, just cause you cant do it, dont hate someone that is ready and willing to let his bumper spit out a foglight, thats barely scratching the surface of the costs of riding low. basically all those sissys need to shut up, they are too scared to do anything out of the norm, and too scared to ride low. basically what im saying is nut up, or shut up.
car had great stance and i love those vette wheels, either you hate it or love it i guess. i happen to love it. but all good things must come to an end, not but a few weeks later homie decided to change it up a little bit, got new wheels custom refinished and some other odds and ends done to the car, and guess what? car still looks badass.
Si vous vous antousiasmez á l’idée de la 33eme édition de l’America’s Cup, se sera trés facile d’être présent cette année á Valencia, on peut vous en assurer, et les tickets sont dors et déja disponible ici.
La coupe prend place pour la 33eme fois cette année depuis 1851 et pour la deuxième fois á Valencia en espagne. Il n’est pas entièrement clair aux laïques pourquoi ce regatta a lieu là, parce que selon le contrat de la coupe de l’América, il devrait avoir lieu dans l’hémisphère sud, et Valencia est, du moins je l’ai toujours pensé ainsi, dans l’hémisphère nord.
D’une part, il n’importe pas vraiment pourquoi elle a lieu à Valencia, la chose importante est, qu’elle est faite, et pourrons-nous finalement voir si l’équipe Alinghi, venant d’un pays sans littoral, pourra défendre la coupe une troisième fois ou si l’emballage de BMW, Oracle d’équipe prendra la couronne et détruira le rêve d’Alinghi ? Venez et voyez par vous-même, réservez vos billets maintenant et appréciez l’événement de plaisance le plus impressionnant de 2010 en live
Pour votre commodité nous recommandons la ville B& B, situé au centre de la ville, et donc près de l’événement.
To the dismay of safety advocates already worried about driver distraction, automakers and high-tech companies have found a new place to put sophisticated Internet-connected computers: the front seat.
Technology giants like Intel and Google are turning their attention from the desktop to the dashboard, hoping to bring the power of the PC to the car. They see vast opportunity for profit in working with automakers to create the next generation of irresistible devices.
This week at the Consumer Electronics Show, the neon-drenched annual trade show here, these companies are demonstrating the breadth of their ambitions, like 10-inch screens above the gearshift showing high-definition videos, 3-D maps and Web pages.
The first wave of these “infotainment systems,” as the tech and car industries call them, will hit the market this year. While built-in navigation features were once costly options, the new systems are likely to be standard equipment in a wide range of cars before long. They prevent drivers from watching video and using some other functions while the car is moving, but they can still pull up content as varied as restaurant reviews and the covers of music albums with the tap of a finger.
Safety advocates say the companies behind these technologies are tone-deaf to mounting research showing the risks of distracted driving — and to a growing national debate about the use of mobile devices in cars and how to avoid the thousands of wrecks and injuries this distraction causes each year
“This is irresponsible at best and pernicious at worst,” Nicholas A. Ashford, a professor of technology and policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said of the new efforts to marry cars and computers. “Unfortunately and sadly, it is a continuation of the pursuit of profit over safety — for both drivers and pedestrians.”
One system on the way this fall from Audi lets drivers pull up information as they drive. Heading to Madison Square Garden for a basketball game? Pop down the touch pad, finger-scribble the word “Knicks” and get a Wikipedia entry on the arena, photos and reviews of nearby restaurants, and animations of the ways to get there.
A notice that pops up when the Audi system is turned on reads: “Please only use the online services when traffic conditions allow you to do so safely.”
The technology and car companies say that safety remains a priority. They note that they are building in or working on technology like voice commands and screens that can simultaneously show a map to the driver and a movie to a front-seat passenger, as in the new Jaguar XJ.
“We are trying to make that driving experience one that is very engaging,” said Jim Buczkowski, the director of global electrical and electronics systems engineering at Ford. “We also want to make sure it is safer and safer. It is part of what our DNA will be going forward.”
Ford’s new MyFord system lets the driver adjust temperature settings or call a friend while the car is in motion, while its built-in Web browser works only when the car is parked. Audi says it will similarly restrict access to complex and potentially distracting functions. But in general, drivers will bear much of the responsibility for limiting their use of these devices.
Computer chips and other components improve every year while dropping in cost, allowing carmakers to introduce more sophisticated devices. Harman, based in Stamford, Conn., and a maker of such systems for cars, has created a pair of high-end multimedia systems due out this year that use full-fledged PC chips from Intel and Nvidia. Such chips once consumed too much electricity to be used in cars.
“We have always looked at the PC market with envy,” said Sachin Lawande, the chief technology officer at Harman, which works with Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Toyota and others. “They’ve always had these great chips we could not use, but now that’s changing.”
A complex new dashboard console from Ford, which it plans to unveil Thursday, brings the car firmly into the land of electronic gadgets. The 4.2-inch color screen to the left of the speedometer displays information about the car, like the fuel level, while a companion screen on the right shows things like the name of a cellphone caller or the title of the digital song file being played. An eight-inch touch screen tops the central console, displaying things like control panels and, when the car is not moving, Web pages.
The system has Wi-Fi capability, two U.S.B. ports and a place to plug in a keyboard — in short, many of the features of a standard PC.
The automakers’ efforts are backed by companies that make chips for PCs and that want to see their processors slotted into the 70 million cars sold worldwide each year.
“Cars are going to become probably the most immersive consumer electronics device we have,” said Michael Rayfield, a general manager at Nvidia, a chip company that on Thursday plans to announce a deal with Audi. “In 2010, you will sit in these things, and it will be a totally different experience.”
The giants of the industry contend they are giving consumers what they want — and the things that smartphones and the Internet have trained them to expect.
“Customers are expecting more and more, especially business people who expect to find in the car what they find in their smartphone,” said Mathias Halliger, the chief engineer for Audi’s multimedia interface systems. “We should give them the same or a better experience.”
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car prototype made to showcase a concept, new styling, technology and more. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced.
General Motors designer Harley Earl is generally credited with inventing the concept, or show, car, and did much to popularize it through its traveling Motorama shows of the 1950s.
Concept cars never go into production directly; in modern times all would have to undergo many changes before the design is finalized for the sake of practicality, safety and cost. A “production-intent” vehicle, as opposed to a concept vehicle, serves this purpose.
A few weeks ago I got to spend a half-day at the nearby BMW Performance Driving School, racing a number of their very cool cars for an afternoon. Thanks to my friend Kamran Popkin, I saw firsthand how the BMW brand permeates the entire experience, and came away with a few branding lessons – as well as a track victory, some cool promo items, and an enormous grin.
