We are nearing the end of 2007 guys. We must be prepared to welcome 2008 with a bang---a bang sooo loud that all bad things will be scared to come near us the whole year through. As responsible motorists on the road, we must also try to be better not just because it is the New Year already, but also because it is about time. The simple act of nodding at fellow drivers on the road will not hurt as a simple gesture toward kindness. So do it nicely when you get a chance, because it will not only make the other driver feel better, but it will also make you feel a whole lot better. (Believe me on this.)
Aside from road courteousness, obeying all traffic rules at all costs is number one. Be mindful when crossing states since we all know that some isolated county might be having some odd law that we are not aware of. So, research ahead of time before driving over to that place. Be mindful of the expiry of your registration papers and license. Be dutiful and take initiative when doing these actions. After all, it is you who will be hassled in the end.
Most
importantly, New Year calls for another celebration, that's for sure.
So after you go out drinking your friend's most hypnotizing alcoholic
concoction, do not insist on driving. C'mon, drunk driving is not an
act that people are supposed to pull off. We are rational enough for
that. So take responsibility. Do all of these (and maybe add your own
personal driver's resolution for 2008) and you will surely have a
harmonious year on the road. Happy New Year!
This is not just another Aston Martin or Mercedes-Benz wannabe. Rather, it is something that is just as good and as beautiful as those European cars. This, is the Lexus LF-A baby. Catching your eye with its glimmering silver body, it will make you wonder if you have seen a shooting star pass you by because of its powerful V10 engine and more than 500 horsepower. But it was not any celestial body; it is just the marvel of Japanese engineering that can only be associated with the name Lexus.
“The first LF-A was a pure concept, but one that we went so far as to conduct engineering analysis on,” Bob Carter, Lexus Division group vice president and general manager said in an interview. “This latest concept is much closer to a vehicle that we would bring to market, and one in which we will be gauging consumer interest.”
Lexus has dreamed up a new version of its LF-A supercar concept, so feast your eyes out on this beauty. Remember its every curve, even the way that its headlights were contoured. Remember it well, because if one happens to pass by the street, you will only get to see its dust after it runs that 200 mph speed.
It’s Christmas y’all! I hope you had a merry one. I sure did. Aside from that warm feeling that tiny snowdrops give every time they fall on the head (what an irony), those all-smile children throwing snowballs at each other, my mother’s special cup of Christmas hot chocolate, and my girlfriend’s sweet kiss under the mistletoe---I was able to witness some Christmas magic on the road.
This
Christmas, my girlfriend and I planned to drop by my parents’ house. You know,
it’s kind of due for us to meet each other’s parents since we’ve been really
solid for five years now. Anyway, on the way to my hometown, I stopped at an
intersection, heartily obeying the traffic light since it was Christmas (for
chrisssakes) even if there were only like two cars in the street. I was humbly
sporting a Honda Civic Hybrid (yes, I am), and the car on my right side donned a handsome BMW X5 with the windows rolled down. Well, our windows were open
too so I guess it was but normal for him to give us a smile or something. But I
was sort of alarmed when he opened his car door and reached out his hand to the
passenger side. He offered something to my girlfriend and greeted us both a
merry Christmas. But alas, the light turned green so he quickly went inside his
car and sped off.
My girlfriend and I were stunned from what happened, but I looked closer as it appeared that he gave us a bottle…a Chardonnay. Now that, is Christmas spirit doing 160 km/ph on the road! If I had only gotten his plate number, geez! Merry Christmas dude! Hope to see ya soon!
You're
only looking at the back. Can you imagine how its face looks like?
Okay, here's a picture of its fascia.
Okay you can wipe that drool now. We all know that cellphones made by Motorola are really beautiful. They are slim, very stylish, sleek, and contoured just right for adults and the youth. (A “but,” goes inside this parenthesis though. But, while they are beautiful, their functionality is not at par with the phones of Nokia or Sony Ericsson. I would know, I have been a victim of the want to have a super slim phone, only to find that its memory and program sucks, especially its interface!) But when names like David Beckham or Ferrari is tagged along the Hello Moto line, then it will surely gain all the attention (and sales) that it needs to survive throughout the year.
Contrary to their line of Vertu phones, this Motorola is geared towards a broader clientèle. It is wished to be less expensive compared to the thousand-tag price of the Vertu, even wishing it has the same price range as that of the Motorola RAZR Maxx V6 Ferrari Challenge which was released before. It will be out by 2008 though, so this is just a sneak peek. Its features include special contents such as videos, ring-tones, and wallpapers that will match all the Ferrari accents of the phone's face. Oh well, go ahead and buy these Ferrrari items all you guys want, but I wouldn't go there unless I already have the real thing ya know.
Aside from automobiles, there are a lot of different products that carmakers are now offering to the market. This probably meant that aside from taking their competition out to the streets, they also took it indoor. From the simple shirt, jacket, umbrella, caps or office stationery, the automotive industry is expanding their dominance. The latest item to create a lot of buzz is the Contragiri, which was made in honor of the Alfa Romeo make.
This,
is not just any watch. It is not special just because the name Alfa
Romeo is impressed on its dial in meticulous cursive. It is special
because it is crafted by Giuliano Mazzuoli, the watchmaking
industry's most “best kept secret” according to Autoblog.com.
What a good secret indeed. I may have never heard of his name before,
but seeing this offering tells a whole lot about him. And so now I
ask, where have you been all my life? Kidding. Anyway, take a look at
how this timepiece is done. It is called the Contragiri (oh by the
way, it's an Italian word, not a last name) because it looks like a
speedometer of some sort---which is what the word translates to. The
curious placement of number is a cool break from the traditional ones
wherein 12 is placed at top center. This should be interesting. I
would want one, but then only 500 limited copies will be made, and
I'm pretty sure that its tag price will make me choke.
In true Pimp My Ride fashion, Galpin Auto Sports showed their support in the fight against breast cancer by showcasing a special edition decked-out Warriors in Pink Mustang. This is a very good way to raise awareness regarding the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure advocacy. This one-of-a-kind uber feminine Mustang will be given as a grand prize for the Warriors in Pink Mustang Sweepstakes.
“We are honored to be part of the Race for the Cure,” president and chief designer Beau Boeckmann of Galpin Auto Sports said in a statement. “We hope this Galpinized® Warriors in Pink Mustang will draw attention to the fight against breast cancer.”
This
rare beauty can be won by logging on to the Ford Cares website before
the year ends (December 31, 2007 you fool). There shall be a form
which you must fill out. While you are at the site, might as well
browse about the fight against breast cancer and what you can do to
help. After all, what else do we have in this world but each other?
(And Galpin Auto Sports [and Ford, fine].)
As if it was not enough to conquer the world of automobiles, Porsche is yet to take the world of general merchandise by storm too. (Yes, it will soon happen I tell you.) After hearing about that very manly and expensive kitchen design by Porsche, they have made things a lot more convenient for everyone who wants to purchase their products (provided of course, that they can finance such a luxurious thing) by putting up a store. As if Porsche was not aware that the airport of Frankfurt Germany was the busiest zone for trade and commerce, they planted their flag on its concrete soil. Hence, the Porsche Design flagship is now open---even for renowned Ferrari loyalists like Schumacher in case he happens to fly by the airport.
This move is also like Porsche's decision to move their pawn forward in their never ending chess battle against Ferrari. Which by the way, is a very good, sneaky move. Maybe Ferrari just shrugged the whole issue off...but then again, their armpits could be sweating underneath their luxurious coats, who knows. I want to check this store out, not window shop 'coz even that I cannot afford, just...check it out and look around. Who wants to sponsor my Frankfurt trip? Anyone? Maybe I can pass it when I finally get the chance to attend the 2008 Frankfurt motor show. When all else fails though I can always go to Hong Kong and check out other products by Porsche on my way to Disneyland...
Now
that is kinda odd. I liked the Suzuki Swift not just because it looks
like a total rip-off of the Mini Cooper, but it has its own beauty
too. Its five-door hatchback cuteness helped the fleet earn fans in
the automotive industry worldwide. But when some images that were
allegedly taken from Suzuki's plant in India got to Autoblog.com, I
just couldn't help but squirm a little in my seat because it
looks...well, ugly. This photo was taken from GM Inside News forums
as an exclusive spy photo. As there are no proofs yet on whether it
is real or not, it is safe to say that I am hoping it to be just a
cruel prank, or a designer trying out the new features of his Adobe
CS10million or whatever. This sedan cannot justify the Swift. It
looks like a hatchback has been injected with botox or
collagen---sorry I'm not a fan of surgery---so that its rear can
protrude. I am disappointed.
Maybe
this is not what Suzuki has intended for its growing Swift
supporters, especially since they haven't really included the Swift
in the US market yet. Why can't they just make smooth adjustments,
like that of the Honda Civic? Its hatchback and sedan version were
both smooth and aesthetically appealing. Oh well, I shall be back for
some real updates about this car soon.
After reports of budding team-ups between carmakers, there is one more tandem that will surely take the automotive industry by storm. Presenting, the BMW and Google tie-up.
As among the leading carmakers in the industry, of course it is only natural for BMW to entrust its navigational technology to the world's most trusted Internet portal. Hence, Google enters the picture. BMW will be launching a fleet of Bluetooth telephone preparation-ready cars except for the Z4 and the X3 models. It will come together with a satellite navigation in order to access the new BMW ConnectedDrive system. Ergo, Google is the tool that will make half of this operation possible, along with helping drivers to plan their route easier.
Before the driver speeds off, they must first log on to maps.google.co.uk from the car computer, so that the whole operation will be successful. Upon logging onto the site, they must also find their destination so that the navigation system will be able to suggest better route to find it. At the same time, Google also implemented a news feature for the car. Aside from navigation, the car can also receive up to 10 differently sourced RSS news feeds, according to a statement released by BMW. This awesome service for lucky BMW drivers is free of charge for three years. I don't know what will happen after that though. But anyway, it sounds like a great move to me. Technological advancement equals lesser traffic? Who wouldn't want that?
I think I have already posted my observations regarding car companies teaming up for future production models... After all the news on automakers negotiating with each other as possible future partners. There's the rumored tie-up between Aston Martin and Mercedes, and now here is a bubbling up tandem, Nissan and Chrysler. This team-up however, has been cited from a reliable source. So it is not really just some cooked up rumor, as Bloomberg reported that the two carmakers are negotiating on developing cars, trucks, and engines together.
Incidentally,
Nissan and Chrysler are both the third largest automakers in their
home market. Chrysler's resume shows that the company is a veteran
when it comes to professional collaborations. In fact, they have been
with Volkswagen and Chery. Nissan seemed to have found its perfect
match after their proposals for General Motors did not work.
According to the report though, both Chrysler and Nissan do not have
any intentions of imposing ownership to each other. This is just a
development joint for the two carmakers, as Nissan needs truck
developments and small car developments for Chrysler.
Just as well, this has opened a new opportunity for the Japan-established automaker to learn something from a US automaker. This is especially needed for their fleet of trucks, hoping to make the Nissan Titan a more competitive vehicle in the industry. But then again, remember that the talks between the two companies were private and that they have not disclosed anything to the public yet. Let's just watch out for what will come out of it.
My Groups
-
Cars rock! Updated: Nov 3, 2009
-
On The Drivers Side Updated: Sep 16, 2009
-
Volkswagen / Audi Group Updated: May 29, 2009
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
