Cars I Can't Afford

I don’t know what it is but the G wagon looks sick if done right.

Blacked out Bently is straight fire….

This 5 Series is ridiculous, carbon fiber accents on the back look super clean.

[Via http://bayareayonsei.wordpress.com]

BMW Debuts 2011 5 Series in Portugal

BMW Group has chosen Estoril, outside of Lisbon, to debut its 2011 line of 5 series sedans.  More than 750 journalists and 7 thousand BMW dealers will travel Lisbon to from now through March 24 to test drive the new products.  280 5 Series sedans will be evaluated on Lisbon streets, curved ocean-front roads and around the fames Estoril race track.    

Test Driving the 2011 BMW 535i along Portugal's Atlantic Coast

“The forecasts of good weather, even in January, the improved roads, the high-quality hotels, the proximity of the Estoril race track for the testing of sports, and the existence of an international airport with good connections to the world’s largest cities were only some of the reasons that led to the election of Portugal, in particular, the region of Lisbon, to make this event, “says BMW in a statement.

 BMW Group has chosen Portugal as a backdrop for its presentations many times in recent years.  The first happened in 2001 with the presentation of the new generation Mini.  Followed by the presentations of the BMW Z4M Coupe in 2006, the BMW 1 and 5 in 2007, and last year, the presentation of the new BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo and the new BMW G450X, in Figueira da Foz and BMW S1000RR in Portimão.

The famed Autodromo do Estoril circuit maintains a prominent history in motorsport, including a 12-year stint as the home of the F1 Portuguese Grand Prix from 1984-1996

And, if early reviews are any indication, the new BMW 5-series will be successful, indeed: 

Autoblog.com calls it a “… a smooth operator.”  http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/25/2011-bmw-5-series-first-drive/

Insideline.com reports “…we are ready to pronounce the 2011 BMW 535i sedan a class leader in several respects.”

 http://www.insideline.com/bmw/5-series/2011/2011-bmw-535i-first-drive.html

Sportscarmonitor.com writes “compared to the last generation of the car, it’s a welcome return to driver-focused behavior behind the wheel.”  http://www.sportscarmonitor.com/web-blog/1041863_driven-2011-bmw-5-series-hits-the-track-at-estoril

[Via http://atlanticestates.wordpress.com]

Tara plina de cocalari (part 2)

Curs de marketing… (spicuim si noi)

Intrebare:
Ce inseamna LoveMark pentru voi?

O colega de-a mea raspunde:
ex: prietenul meu este innebunit dupa Nike, pentru el toate ar trebui sa aibe acest semn, iubeste semnul cum arata pe adidasi, iubeste mirosul din magazin cand (desi prefera e-commerce in acest caz) ; pur si simplu calitatea ,durabilitatea, comfortul , admiratia celor din jur au dus la asta; al exemplu BMW , ajungi sa adori cum suna motorul, cum se vad gentile, farurile, iti inspira o anume superioritate, stima de sine

Pisi… prietenul tau este un cocalar.
Si se vede asta dupa textul imprumutat de la el: gentile… de fapt sunt jante. N-am vazut genti pe post de roti la o masina. Obsesiile de BMW si Nike se regasesc in 99.5% din cocalari. Sa inteleg ca tu esti o pitipoanca?

[Via http://unuplusdoua.wordpress.com]

Jackson Motorsports Group Partners with USARacing

GREENVILLE, SC – January 19, 2010 – (Motor Sports Newswire) – Jackson Motorsports Group, the motorsports division of Jackson Marketing Group (JMG), will partner with USARacing for the next two years, providing tire distribution of BFGoodrich g-Force race tires as well as on-site support for the racing series.

“Jackson Motorsports Group partnered with the series in 2009,” said Jimmy Wilson, vice president/series director.  “They have provided excellent at-track service support and we look forward to building on that relationship.  BFGoodrich supplies our teams with a state-of-the-art radial tire that is second to none.  USARacing is proud to have the opportunity to offer such a product to our series competitors and we are pleased to have the support of Jackson Motorsports Group and BFGoodrich through 2011.”

“BFGoodrich has a long history in racing and with Jackson Marketing Group,” said Roberts Kukainis, BFGoodrich motorsports manager.  “We’re proud to have JMG supplying BFGoodrich tires to the USARacing series.”

“We are excited to have the opportunity to work with USARacing,” said Darrell Jackson, JMG president and CEO.  “We believe that this will allow us to grow and diversify in the motorsports arena, as well as help USARacing grow their business.”

In this new partnership, JMG will provide program management for BFGoodrich to include contingency, branding, tire distribution, mounting, and onsite support services for all BFGoodrich race tires in the series.  BFGoodrich will provide all technical and engineering support for the series.

Jackson Marketing Group, headquartered in Greenville, S.C., and with an office in Charlotte, is a fully-integrated marketing communications agency offering strategic planning , interactive services, advertising services, public relations, partnership marketing, event management, video production, support services. JMG provides a variety of integrated marketing communications services for blue-chip brands such as BMW Manufacturing Co., Bloom and Food Lion Grocery Stores, Blue Bird School Buses, NACCO Materials Handling Group, Clemson International Center for Automotive Research, Greenville Hospital System, Milliken & Company, Sage Automotive Interiors, The Palmetto Bank and The American Red Cross.

Jackson Marketing Group also has a motorsports division, Jackson Motorsports Group, with offices in Greenville and Charlotte. Its experience includes BMW, Volvo, Porsche, Ford, Monster Energy Drink, and Sony. It also has experience in some of the world’s leading racing series including NASCAR, NHRA, American Le Mans, SCORE, Best in the Desert, Rock Crawling, AMA, USARacing Series and the Mustang Challenge Series. JMG has also competed in and provided logistics for two transcontinental road rallies – Bullrun 2006 and the 2008 Fireball Run.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.jacksonmg.com.

Sharon Griffin
Executive Assistant
USARacing Pro Cup Series
78 Buffalo Avenue, N.W., Suite 200
Concord, NC 28025
sgriffin@usarprocup.com
Ph-704-788-7979 ext. 2
Fx-704-782-5477

####

[Via http://motorsportsnewswire.wordpress.com]

MINI Beachcomber concept

I had a great time at the 2010 NAIAS during press time. I got to experience the press conferences automakers were having, especially MINI. At the MINI press conference, they revealed the MINI Beachcomber concept. I did take photos before their press conference, which was at 2:45 pm and I got there at 7:00 am, and after the press conference when journalists were there and I have to say the Beachcomber concept looks great. Have a look for yourself in my gallery and you tell me what you think. This car is based on the upcoming MINI Countryman which will hopefully be released in the US this year for the 2011 model year. I’m almost thinking of ordering the Countryman instead of the Clubman as My Next MINI. I’ll keep you posted on what I know, till then, Motor On!

MINI Beachcomber concept

[Via http://mynextmini.info]

Movies That Should Be Remade Part II

http://m34nstr34k.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/movies-that-should-be-remade-part-ii/

So, in the original “Movies That Should Be Remade” post we suggested Big Trouble in Little China, Doom, Godzilla, Highlander, The Thing and They Live get a generational udpate.  Please don’t misunderstand, especially from the last post.  I’m not completely convinced that anyone could do these titles justice, let alone should.  On the other hand, seeing as how nothing seems to be sacred (The Texas Chainsaw, Massacre, Prom Night and Psycho), why not get a good director like David Fincher, Michael Mann or Ridley Scott to reimagine them?  Let’s avoid the Michael Bays of the film industry on these please; he’s done enough!  Below are some more suggestions.

Carrie

Directed by Brian De Palma and adapted from Stephen King’s Novel of the same name, Carrie was released in 1976.  I’ve heard the argument that no one could ever play the socially inept and insecure adolescent like Sissy Spacek.  In the movie Carrie discovers that she has telekinetic powers and begins to do research on how to control it.  In the meantime she is invited to the prom by an unlikely and popular guy and she falls victim to a very mean spirited prank.  The movie is dated, but the story is great.  They tried a sequel in 1999 and it failed miserably. They also a made TV movie in 2002 that I just found out existed.

What to improve:
Update the story for modern day
The action
The few effects that need an update. (Moving things isn’t hard. Paranormal Activity?)
Show more of the details in her research about telekinesys
In the book, Carrie’s rage doesn’t stop at the Prom in continues through town

What to keep:
The climax and the ending, just make them a little scarier
The religious overtones and undertones
The part with the kid getting launched off the bike

Christine

Directed by John Carpenter and adapted from another Stephen King novel of the same name this, film was released in1983. A socially awkward high school kid comes into his own when he buys a 1958 Plymouth Fury.  It turns out the car is possessed and very possessive of him.   It’s jealous of his girlfriend and protects him from anyone he encounters.  There were some significant changes to the story from the book to the movie, but it’s a classic.

What to improve:
Just make minor updates for modern day life
The action
Some of the antagonist just seem like your after school special high school bullies, give them an update too.

What to keep:
I’m on the fence about the car. Any car worth restoring should work, as long as it doesn’t remind anyone of The Fast and the Furious.
The scenes where the car repairs itself (“Are you in good hands?”)

Firestarter

Drew Barrymore plays Charlie; a little girl on the run from the government with her father. Her mom had telekinetic powers and her father has autohypnotic mind domination abilities; basically he can make you see and do whatever he wants.  As a result, Charlie has a few abilities of her own (reference the movie title), but because she’s a little girl, she doesn’t have them under control just yet.  The government, as usual, wants to harness her strength and use them for their own exploits.  Apparently, Stephen King sold out in the late 70’s and early 80’s because this was another one of his novels.  The movie was released in 1984.  As far as an update, I thought Dakota Fanning would have been a good candidate, but I think she may be a little too old now.  To help avoid cheese and bad acting, maybe they could change the age of the child in the story, but who knows?

What to improve:
The special effects were pretty good (how can you screw up fire?)
The action
Considering the government element in the movie, update the story to a modern, post 9/11 America

What to keep:
Stephen King fan or not, I think the story is great
Tweak the effects a little, but keep the ending the same

Ghost Story

I saw this as a kid and I’ve wanted an update for years.  Based on a book by Peter Straub, it was released in 1981.  Four successful men have hidden a secret for 50 years and now that secret has come back to haunt them.  It’s a great supernatural revenge tale and I’m surprised it hasn’t been remade by now.  It has both the jump scares, as well as the slow creep and dread of a good horror movie.

What to improve:
Action
Special effects

What to keep:
The story should only be updated for modern times or make it a period piece somewhat.

Phantasm

I love both the original released in 1979 and the second installment (1988) to this franchise.  There was a third and fourth film, but I’ve only seen parts of the third.  Rumors of either another sequel or a reboot have surfaced, but I haven’t read much about it lately.  The guys behind the films intended them to be cult/B-movies and they succeeded. The antagonist, The Tall Man who is played by Angus Scrimm, kills entire small towns, robs graves and converts the recently deceased into killer dwarfs for slave labor and hunting the living.  One of my favorites are the flying orbs that monitor the halls of whatever funeral home is being plundered.  The protagonists make weapons hunt and hunters and drive a 1971 HemiCuda.  It’s great.

What to improve:
Keep as much of the cast as you can, but if you have to replace people do it with respect for the franchise and do non-cheesy cameos
Update the special effects, make the dwarfs scarier
Update the action

What to keep:
The story is an original idea that could be updated quite well
The orbs could get a great update with today’s technology
The 1971 Hemicuda

The Wraith

The Wraith was a great B-Movie and revenge tale.  It was set to a supernatural backdrop, with street racing as the catalyst for payback.  The original was released in 1986 starring Charlie Sheen as the victim of a brutal murder, who comes back for revenge.  He drives a 1984 concept car; the Dodge M4S.  It’s like The Fast and the Furious meets The Ring.

What to improve:
The action
The cars (give the protagonist a helmet like the Stig and a bad ass 6-speed, turbo, V8, AWD, shit kicker with drug dealer window tint)

What to keep:
The story is simple, but it works well.

If anyone has input and suggestions please feel free to post here or message me.

I’m spent for now,

m34nstr34k

[Via http://m34nstr34k.wordpress.com]

Spare Parts – Audi A4

Designed by a brand that has attained legendary status in the minds of many, the Audi A4 was initially released in 1994. A fairly compact, yet still executive model, its layout is a bit different than many other choices on the market. With a longitudinal engine under the hood and a transmission at the rear of the engine, the set up is unique to the brand as a whole. Depending on the model you have it may even make use of the patented Quattro four-wheel drive.

During the course of production, the A4 has had a couple of different body styles available. The sedan and the wagon have always been choices, but during the interim years, there was also a convertible style choice.

The initial release with this vehicle was the first in the brand to feature a 1.8 liter 20 volt engine that had five valves for every cylinder. Because of the power involved, it was a hit with brand devotees and other consumers alike. By the turn of the century, Audi included a number of standard updates on both the cosmetic and global level. Not only did each one come with redesigned rear and front lights, but new door handle styles were introduced to this model as well. What excited many consumers, though, was the 2.8 liter 30-valve V6 engine and standard quattro with every model. As the years pass, the updates continue to draw interest to this particular line, which is part of what makes getting the spare parts you need for your A4 so important.

No matter which generation you purchased, finding the Audi auto parts you need can often prove challenging. What’s more, though, is that even when you do find them, you may not always have a reliable supplier on your hands. Even when you do find a great supplier, though, shipping times can be notoriously slow, leaving you without the parts you need now. Fortunately, Hirsch Industries can help. With locations throughout the United States and same day shipping on most orders, you get the Audi auto parts you need right away. Their easy-to-use interface makes online orders a snap, too. The Audi A4 shows no signs of slowing in terms of production, and you shouldn’t have to slow down because you don’t have the parts you need either. Take a moment to browse the Hirsch Industries site today, and gain instant access to the parts you’ve been searching for.

[Via http://hirschindustries.wordpress.com]

The Detroit Auto Show: Day 2

Its day two at the Detroit show, and we’re seeing some more action from GM than we did yesterday with the Granite concept and the Acadia Denali trim package.  Here’s what happened today.

Cadillac CTS Coupe:

The CTS, and particularly the CTS-V are proof that someone at GM gets it.  Its handsomely styled, fun to drive, has a rich interior, and competes with the best of Europe.  The few opportunities I’ve had to drive the V-series had me crunching numbers trying to figure out what organs I’d need to sell to get one in my driveway.  The one place the GM couldn’t compete with the Europeans was in the coupe category, as Cadillac hadn’t made a coupe since the Eldorado’s demise.  Now, the CTS coupe is here, with a wedgy back end that makes the vehicle appear almost as a hatchback.  This may prove the wrong design direction, although the fastback Mustang was always popular.   At any rate, it will be a great driving car and the V will offer a domestic alternative to the BMW M3, at a much lower price.

Chevrolet Aveo RS:

In a product category that for years has been described with terms like “penalty box,” the Chevy Aveo was arguably the worst of the worst, or at least close to it.  Produced by Daewoo and rebadged as a Chevrolet, it was everything the Koreans wanted you to forget about their past.  Considering that, why would GM, when coming out with a replacement for the worst-in-class, keep a model name that evokes images of plasticky interior, poor driving dynamics, and lackluster quality?  The Aveo RS itself looks much better than the model it replaces, but I question whether or not the package is improved beyond the looks.  The RS package is very Fast and the Furious looking, with the gaping air vents, big wheels, and shiny paint, but will it deliver those promises?  Will the slow and the frugal be turned off by it? Will anyone notice?  Or will they all spend their money on the new Ford Fiesta, or the class leader Honda Fit?

Cadillac XTS:

The XTS should have been big news for GM.  This “concept” is more or less what will be replacing the STS and DTS in the near future.  Instead, there has been a collective yawn from the blogosphere, and probably, at the Detroit show.  This is the BIG Caddy.  This is supposed to be GM’s flagship vehicle.  This is supposed to do battle with the extremely good Lexus LS, the BMW 7-series, the S-Class Mercedes, and the Audi A8.  Some say buyers in this class want an elegant looking car that doesn’t stand out.  If they don’t want to stand out, the XTS will be a good choice; their neighbors may even mistake the headlights for a Ford Fusion.

This car breaks no ground.  It follows the CTS’s design language, which doesn’t seem to translate as well to a bigger package.  This is supposed to be the aspirational vehicle, not an also-ran for when you outgrow (or get too old for) your CTS.  It should set the design theme for future Caddy’s, and be something that everyone will want to shop against the best from Japan and Germany.  I think it missed the mark.

The interior looks good, and the rear/side are handsome, if bland.  But that front end has to go if this car is going to go anywhere without a significant rebate.

So thats day 2 in Detroit.  Has GM shown all its cards for the week?  Or is there a surprise waiting in the wings of Cobo hall, waiting for the right moment to wow us all?  Tune in tomorrow to find out.

I’d also like to thank all my friends, and their friends who have become my fan on Facebook, or started following me on Twitter.  Please get the word out!  The more popular I am, the more likely someone from GM sees this and calls me for an interview.  If you’ve found me, welcome to the blog, I hope you enjoy it!

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[Via http://johnvrbanacforgmceo.com]

Wow that was fast!

The first official weekend of BimmerWorld’s entry into the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge is over. It seems just like yesterday we were heading down to Daytona and now we are back at home in the cold weather. Overall the weekend was a great success. James and Dave in car #80 progressively got faster as the weekend went on. It seemed that the changes on the cars made them faster or better handling every time we went out. There were some stabs at making changes that did go the wrong direction but in the end we feel we came away with a good setup to start the official race weekend January 30th. Bill and my car will get the setup that James and Dave are going to start with since we didn’t get a lot of track time this weekend. With the crew working to get our car back together this is going to be a tight couple of weeks to get everything done for our first race. Luckily there will be some more track time for Bill and I as we are going down to Sebring this week for the PBOC Winterfest event. Bill is going to run the 6-hour enduro down there and I am going to ride shotgun with him in the Solo run groups. This is going to be a part of our coaching program throughout the year to help get us up to speed as a team. I can’t wait to get down to Sebring especially since we are not racing there in the BMWs this year.

My highlight for the weekend was getting a chance to drive one of the Rolex GT Porsches for a few laps in the last practice session on Sunday. WOW, that was a blast. I was nothing but smiles getting out of the car. I found it very interesting how driving the GT Porsche was similar to driving the BimmerWorld CTSCC car. And no our ST car does not have the power or the straight line speed of the Porsche. What I meant by that is how similar the braking, turn in, power down, and line coming out of the turn were all very similar. The behavior of the car was a little different with the rear end supporting a big flat-6 and the front end a big fuel cell but overall it wasn’t bad. The rear end didn’t feel snappy and the front end just dug and gripped. Adding power I could get the rear to step out a little but it wouldn’t be an uncontrollable slide. Little bit of steering added to the car and off you would go. The craziest part of the car experience going past the start finish line at close to 180 MPH and hitting the brakes close to the 100ft marker in the brake zone, going down 4 gears in the transmission and slowing the car to about 60 MPH for Turn 1. That was very addicting. I could get used to that speed and sensation. After that I had to head home with a big smile on my face.

[Via http://seththomasmotorsports.wordpress.com]

Tuesday's Obscure Car of the Day

Welcome to another installment of Obscure Car of the Day. Today’s car is the 2009 G-Power BMW M6 Hurricane CS. The car is powered by a 5 liter twin-supercharged V10 SK III RS engine that develops 750 hp that propels the car to a world record top speed of 230 mph.

In addition to the upgraded engine the G-POWER M6 HURRICANE CS features a multi-part widebody kit, high performance Carbon-Ceramic breaks, an individually adjustable suspension kit and 21 inch Silverstone Diamond G-POWER wheels with MICHELIN Pilot Sport PS2 tires.

The interior features racing seats made from carbon fiber, which ensure a perfect support for the drive in its fight against the centrifugal forces. The standout cockpit of the G-POWER M6 HURRICANE CS features a speedometer with 400-km/h scale, clear-coated carbon-fiber panels for dash, center console and doors, as well as an ergonomically shaped G-POWER sport steering wheel with especially pleasant perforated Kjerba Nappa leather.

The G-POWER M6 HURRICANE CS can be ordered as a complete car starting at 360.000 Euros roughly 516,996 U.S. dollars

Courtesy of Serious Wheels

[Via http://escoben.wordpress.com]

First Mish Mash of 2010!

1. So, the Honda dealership somehow managed to get my car back to me after working on it, basically, for two days. This worries me. They replaced 60-some individual parts. I basically  have no confidence in the car I loved now. So, trying really hard to decide if I should just trade it in or not. Test drove a few things over the weekend, including a BMW that I LOVE. Now, I live very near the United States BMW plant. Their employees get some great perks, including dirt cheap use of their products. So I’ve never wanted a BMW because everyone and their cleaning lady here has one. But, damn, this one I have picked out is purty! And drives like a dream. Mmmm…what to do, what to do?

2. Had a great New Year’s weekend. Rang in the new year at a house party, where something called Jim Jones punch nearly got the better of me. An old friend and his partner visited my little town for the weekend, was great catching up and showing them around. We had dinner at a Persian restaurant I’ve been wanting to try. Basically, there was very little on the menu that sounded familiar to me, but I tried a sampling of kabobs that were incredible—particularly something called a Kabob Torsh, which is beef tenderloin in a pomegranite and walnut marinade. Very good stuff! We did some barhopping before and after dinner. Had a great time, though at our last stop the old Honey and the new Sweetie (yes, faithful readers, there is one) came face to face. Awkward for all, but I guess it’s good to have that over with.

3. Had three showings of the Plastic Palace last week, including one who came back for a second look. I smell an offer…and I think 2010 is gonna be a great year so long as work stays steady enough that I can keep a paycheck. Still not seeing anything but the dimmest glimmer of that light at the end of the economic tunnel.

4. There’s no cable at my temporary residence, but my roomie has a huge collection of movies and TV shows on DVD. He has gotten me hooked on “How I Met Your Mother“…I love all the cast members, and the storylines are great–I’d call it the “Friends” of the 2000’s. Anyone else a fan?

[Via http://thevinylvillage.wordpress.com]