Posted by Janaki on
December 31, 2009
USF1: The Series
Venerable motorsports news site Crash.net has been running this hilarious series of cartoons called USF1: The Series and starring “Peter Windsor” and “Ken Anderson”. It culminated in a Christmas special just last week, and the animation team behind it will shortly be presenting a new series called TailEnders that will also run on Crash.net.
After you check out part 1 above, you can check out Brian Kerramba’s YouTube channel to see parts 2-7, as well as the Epilogue and Christmas Special. He’s even got a couple other animated motorsports goodies available for your perusal. Get to slacking! 
P.S. Have a great New Years Eve!
Posted by Peter on
December 30, 2009
Just Like The Mob, We’re Everywhere
In case you’ve only been coming to this blog every day, but you just can’t seem to satiate your jonesin’ for even more CarEnvy goodness, here are the other place you can find our even more regular updates.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/carenvy
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52725500708&ref=ts
And now, Tumblr: http://carenvy.tumblr.com/
Not familiar with Tumblr yet? It’s like Twitter (i.e. microblogging), but with photos, movies and even quotes. As your obsessive Editor, I, Peter Dushenski will be updating the tumblr page with my random and nonsensical snippets of automotive consciousness. I’ll leave the more well-written and well-thought out material for you guys here at CarEnvy.ca.
Posted by Janaki on
December 30, 2009
F1 News: Silly Season in Full Swing
The speculation is over. Our questions have been answered. Kamui Kobayashi will no longer stay on the sidelines, watching all the action; he has been signed for the 2010 Formula One season.
Follow the jump for more.
Posted by Jonathan on
December 30, 2009
Capstone Turbine’s CMT-380 Shocks Tesla Roadster
The Tesla Roadster is a cute little electric runabout. Based on the Lotus Elise’s architecture, it is still light at 1215 kilograms even with the batteries and thus a nimble little rollerskate. The 185-kilowatt motor spins the Roadster to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds on the way to a top-end of around 200 km/h. It’s sexy because it retains much of the Elise visage. Tesla claims a range of just under 400 km, but those of us with a right foot full of anything except helium should expect quite a bit less.
Speaking of heavy feet, Capstone Turbine Corporation recently debuted the CMT-380. Don’t think electric car, and don’t think traditional hybrid. Think next-level hybrid with batteries kick-started by a 30-kilowatt microturbine. This is much more sexy.
Posted by Peter on
December 28, 2009
CarEnvy Cars of the Year 2009
Can you believe it’s already been a year since our inaugural COTY awards? Well it’s true. Last year at this time, we sat down and drew up an 8-category competition of the year’s best new cars. The category winners were as diverse as Apple’s App Store but only one car could walk away with the overall crown. In 2008, the Honda FCX Clarity appeared to have taken the glory for Japan, but then the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 clubbed the Honda in the back of the head and snatched the title for Italy (and indirectly Germany).
As you will recall from last year, the winner of each category need not be the fastest in a straight line, nor on a circuit, nor have the best brakes, nor the sexiest styling. The winner of each category is the most desirable car among the nominees. It’s intangible and ephemeral, yes, but it’s also why we love cars. Also, considering the economic events of the last 12 months, the winner should also be conscious of the market’s more frugal buyers. Or at least those who want to appear to be more frugal in these times of penny pinching.
This year, the number of categories has swollen to nine, adding Concept of the Year to the list. The nominees were determined by our collective staff and whittled down to just one by closing our eyes and pointing to the list. Or maybe we deliberated until the sweat stung our eyes, who knows. If you’re wondering why cars like the new Ferrari 458 Italia, Lexus LFA, and the Mercedes SLS AMG aren’t on the list, it’s because they weren’t on sale in 2009. But watch out for those three heavyweights in 2010.
Without further ado, we present the CarEnvy Cars of the Year for 2009.
Posted by Janaki on
December 27, 2009
Slidin’ in a Winter Wonderland
Sweet mystery of life, at last I’ve found you…and your name is Nokian Hakkapeliitta R. Follow the jump for more.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Peter on
December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas from CarEnvy and the Alfa Canguro
To make your special day with family and friends just a little bit better, we’ve dug up the one-off 1964 Alfa Romeo Canguro from our dusty archives. Just for you. Beautiful, isn’t it?
Merry Christmas!
Posted by Janaki on
December 23, 2009
F1 News: He’s Baaaaack!
What was only strongly hinted at last week has now become a reality. Michael Schumacher will be driving alongside Nico Rosberg for Mercedes GP for the 2010 season. It has officially been confirmed. The song in the video above may still be applicable, though someone’s clearly going to have to do a new edit of the visual elements. Follow the jump for more.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Peter on
December 23, 2009
Before There Were Radial Snow Tires, There Was The 1926 Armstead Snow Motor Vehicle
The video might be a little on the long side, but no one said revolutionary ideas came easy. So suck it up, princess, and learn how to conquer the repressive Canadian winter that has you down.
[YouTube]
Posted by Peter on
December 21, 2009
Video: Lexus LFA
For a visceral automotive experience that will shake your brain around in your skull like a vibrator in, uhh, something, there’s only one car that comes close to the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. You’re think that it must be a Lamborghini, or a Pagani, or an Aston, or something European. But it isn’t. It’s the new Lexus LFA. Yes, the maker of cocooning luxury sedans like the LS600h has a supercar that can be mentioned in the same breath as the modern greats. Even if the LFA’s price tag is the cause of much consternation and discussion, that doesn’t change the nearly miraculous result. From a company known for dreary reliability no less.
You can thank Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s new President/CEO, grandson of the company’s founder, and the man who has spent much of the last 10 years working on the LFA project personally. It’s really no wonder that the car was finally green-lit for production after Akio-san took the helm of the company.
With a V10 that revs to 9,000 rpm in only six tenths of a second, the tachometer is a TFT screen, rather than an analogue dial out of complete necessity. An analogue dial simply couldn’t keep up with the manic engine.
There is a fine line between barking madness and brilliance and that is embodied in no vehicle better than the LFA. So sit back and enjoy a Japanese Domestic Market commercial of the LFA. Ignore the Japanese voiceover and note the tail-out winter shennanigans. Those Japanese… they really get us Canadians, eh?
