Posted by Peter on
August 31, 2009
BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept – Put In Your Earplugs
Hmm. It seems that in the last 70 years, the Dutch have reneged on their once noble proclamation of neutrality. For where they would previously stand by and let the Germans march through their territory towards France and Britain, now, they’ve sent their own citizen soldiers East to conquer Germany. Not militaristically, of course, that just wouldn’t do, but with designers.
Exhibit A: Adrian von Hooydonk, Dutch designer for BMW. Exhibit B: The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept designed by Exhibit A.
Now that we’ve placed everything in the perspective of history, I’d like to ask you to please put in your earplugs. You’ll need them for what’s below. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Kevin on
August 29, 2009
Review: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Highline
By Kevin Harrison
There are a lot of things about North Americans that I really don’t get. For instance why do we like Walmart enough that it has to be open 24 hours? Have you ever bolted up at 4 am wanting to buy a new set of silverware?
Likewise, why are we so opposed to diesels? For some reason we’ve asphyxiated them with a bad reputation, and as a result, North Americans have not responded well to them.
This attitude is in complete contrast to Europe where selling a car without a diesel option is like ordering a hamburger at a Chinese restaurant – it just doesn’t make sense.
VW has been trying for decades to make diesels more mainstream in our market but they hit a bit of a snag in 2007 when stricter emission standards forced them to axe their diesel and revamp it. During that period TDI’s were missing in action in our market.
But they’re back for 2009, and VW promises them to be even more powerful yet more efficient than before. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Peter on
August 27, 2009
Playing Chicken with a Praguian Tram in a Weismann GT MF4
What I’m sure started out as an innocent enough evening in Prague, Czech Republic soon turned into a night that would become legen-… wait for it… and I hope you’re not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY! (Due credit to Barney from HIMYM).
The ill-logic of tempting the grim reaper’s bony finger with a 10 tonne vehicle on one-way tracks is irrefutable. And yet, the driver of a pedestrian-stopping, jaw-dropping Weismann GT MF4 could not resist that temptation. Or so it would appear. Here’s my take on how this completely perverse event came to be: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Peter on
August 26, 2009
MINI Coupe Concept Revealed: Steals Citroen DS3’s Roof
Fifty years ago today, the original MINI made its public debut to the world. To celebrate this milestone, MINI has just revealed their MINI Coupe Concept. Based on the same R56 platform as the regular MINI, the Coupe still differs in several important ways. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Janaki on
August 26, 2009
Fiat 500 Abarth Boring You? Yeah, Us Too.
Completely mad German tuners Karl Schnorr Kraftfahrzeuge have taken the Fiat 500 Abarth and made it even better. Follow the jump for more info and a full gallery.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Janaki on
August 24, 2009
2009 European Grand Prix: Barrichello Shows Those Kids How It’s Done
After a crucial misstep by the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes pit crew with reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton’s front right tire, the 2009 European Grand Prix at Valencia officially became Barrichello’s to lose. So did he disappoint? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Peter on
August 24, 2009
Videos: Aston Martin One-77 Live Reveal and Engine Sound!
The £1.25 million (or CAN$ 1.93 million dollar) One-77, of which only seventy-seven will ever be produced, was recently revealed for the media at LA’s Galpin Motors after this past week’s Pebble Beach Concours. There, select members of the public were privy to something truly surreal and truly extraordinary. When I think of the Aston Martin V12 found in the DB9, I think of lazy, yet brutal, power. So when I heard that Aston was boring and/or stroking the 6.0L out to 7.3L for the One-77, I certainly didn’t expect the sound to be anything like it is. I fully expected muscle car tones, maybe like a ‘68 Mustang 390 GT. And yet, there I was, jaw agape, as I heard the Carrera GT-like sound emanating from the aluminum and carbon fibre sculpture. See what I mean below
Posted by Peter on
August 23, 2009
Review: 2010 BMW Z4 sDrive 30i/35i – SLKification
I waited. Hanging out with the General Manager of Bavaria BMW. Waited for the 2010 Z4 to appear from its climate-controlled underground lair. I asked only for a manual transmission, not being brave enough to ask for the N54 in the 35i. The conversation started at golf, then drifted to vacation. Then to car design. Then back to golf. Finally, the Titanium Silver Metallic 30i appeared in my peripheral vision. The top was up and under the overcast late-summer sky, it had all the presence I could have asked for – like something costing twice as much. I caught myself staring at its profile and noting the length of the hood relative to the rest of the vehicle. It’s at least a third, maybe even four-tenths. A classic, long-bonnet GT where the driver is slung back over the rear wheels. What kind of effect will those proportions have over the driving experience? Can something that looks like that still be gunning for Porsche’s mid-engined pup?
Posted by Janaki on
August 21, 2009
DriveNorth: Changing the Face of the Canadian Auto Industry?
On August 19th in Ottawa, several Canadian car experts gathered together to participate in a conference called DriveNorth, presented by the CARTA initiative. Their mission? Figuring out how best to facilitate a Canadian car production industry. Wait a minute, not just assembly, but production?
Posted by Peter on
August 19, 2009
2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS Is Here
It is not important how I got this picture. I just did, ok? The point is that the newest GT3 RS, the hardest and most focused car in the Porsche range, has just been announced. Follow below for a gallery and to see how it stacks up against the already impressive GT3.
