Monday, April 30, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Mercedes CLA concept previews expanded compact line
hat's the message Mercedes-Benz plans to pitch as it prepares to unveil the CLA Concept Style Coupe at the Beijing auto show. The concept will offer design hints for the new Mercedes-Benz A/B compact vehicles coming to U.S. showrooms in late 2013.
The luxury automaker previewed the CLA concept this week in Los Angeles and will provide a more detailed look in Beijing with the 2.0-liter, 208-hp, four-cylinder-powered Concept Style Coupe.
The coupe will be revealed in Beijing with a four-door body. Mercedes said it will be priced below the automaker's C class.
Mercedes parent Daimler AG has invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.9 billion) to build a new generation of compact premium cars in China, Hungary and Germany. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said last month that the automaker will improve the profitability of its compact cars by expanding the lineup from two models -- the A class and B class -- to five cars and building significantly higher volumes.
The CLA represents new territory for Mercedes-Benz, a brand traditionally known for its spacious luxury sedans.
"The Concept Style Coupe is expressive and powerful in its design," Zetsche said in a statement. "We are staking our claim very clearly here. This is the model against which sporty vehicles in the executive segment will have to measure themselves in future."
The concept features a large gaping grille known to insiders as a soft-nose treatment, headlamps with LED graphics, frameless side windows, panoramic roof, integrated dual-flow exhaust system and interior design cues from the Concept A-Class, with carbon-fiber trim instrument panel, suede trim steering wheel, chrome trim, Command Online multimedia system and the ability to browse the Internet when the vehicle is stationary.
Daimler did not say when it will begin building the CLA, although press reports say production of the car will start at year end and that it will arrive in showrooms early next year.
Sources told Autoweek, an affiliate of Automotive News, that the CLA styling is largely faithful to the production version of the new sedan.
"Certain design elements have been subtly altered to lend a more powerful look for added presence on the show stand, but as a whole the exterior and interior reflect the true design of the car we will build at our new manufacturing plant in Kecskemet, Hungary," an unidentified source told Autoweek.
The Concept Style Coupe is expected to undergo mild styling changes before the CLA lands in showrooms, Autoweek reported.
The CLA sedan's luxury-brand rivals will include a sedan version of the third-generation Audi A3, due in 2013, and a new sedan version of the BMW 1 series that is undergoing conceptual development and an expected introduction in 2015, Autoweek reported.
Mercedes said it has so far received more than 100,000 orders for the B class since its launch in Europe in November 2011. The B class is built in Rastatt, Germany, and Kecskemet.
The new A class, which also will be assembled in Rastatt, will go on sale in Europe in September and is scheduled to arrive in the United States in 2014.
New federal agency OFR stirs 'Orwellian' fears
The Office of Financial Research, or OFR, was created by the Dodd-Frank financial services overhaul that President Obama signed into law in July 2010. Technically housed under the Treasury Department, the agency has until now received its funding not from the Congress, but directly from the Federal Reserve.
Starting in July, the OFR Fiscal Year 2013 budget, estimated at $158 million, will be funded entirely through assessments -- also known as taxes -- on bank-holding firms with consolidated assets worth at least $50 billion.
But as became clear at Thursday’s hearing by the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, a close reading of the law the president signed provides no limit on the growth of OFR’s budget, nor on the taxes the agency can impose on big banks to fund it.
“We’ll call you on it,” said Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Mass., warning what would happen if he and his colleagues see the agency growing too large.
Yet the Congress’ prospects for doing that are at present limited, as it holds no power of the purse over OFR. Detractors call it "the CIA of financial regulators,” and conjure "Orwellian" visions of "an omniscient Soviet-style central risk manager."
The agency’s official mission is to collect financial data and funnel it to another Dodd-Frank creation: the Financial Stability Oversight Council. These agencies were designed with the idea of preventing another systemic shock of Lehman Brothers magnitude.
Toward that end, OFR was invested with virtually unlimited subpoena power. It can compel just about any company in America to turn over to the federal government sensitive internal data, even proprietary information.
“We're only going to be collecting the data that we absolutely need, to fulfill our mission,” testified Michele Shannon, the new agency’s chief operating officer. “We're trying to fill data gaps. We're not going to be collecting for collection's sake. We're going to be making sure that only those people who absolutely need to have access to sensitive data have that access.”
But Republicans on the panel remained skeptical about the potential for abuses of power.
“You're able to tax corporations without any oversight by the U.S. Congress,” said Rep. Steve Pearce, R-New Mex. “Our Constitution is pretty clear, and so if we're a little scratchy on our side, just understand it's because you're conducting things that we feel like are completely unconstitutional.”
Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., questioned both the need for OFR to exist and its ability to protect adequately the sensitive data it will collect through its subpoena power.
“Your agency…seems to think it can outsmart Wall Street, if they have enough extra people and enough software, that they can see where the next problem is going to be,” Posey said at Thursday’s hearing. “But everyone with half a brain in this country saw the last problem way before it burst. We knew there was a subprime crisis; it was just a matter of how long it would be before it burst.”
Posey also noted that the computer systems of some national defense agencies have been hacked. “I wonder whether or not you'll be able to have a safer process than some of them did,” he said.
One of the panel’s most liberal members, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., normally alarmed by unbridled expansions of subpoena power, defended OFR, citing the experience of the Great Recession. “I hope that all my colleagues agree that having, consolidating, and understanding this complex financial data would be key to preventing another systemic risk,” she said.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/04/19/new-federal-agency-ofr-stirs-orwellian-fears/#ixzz1saAXsCln
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
WOW - Kim Kardashian plans to run for mayor in 2017
WOW HERE WE GO! Kim Kardashian wants to run for mayor.
The reality TV star has revealed plans to enter the political arena in 2017 by running for the position in Glendale, California, where a quarter of its residents share her Armenian background and has already asked close pal Noelle Keshishian to help with her campaign.Speaking to her sister Khloe during an episode of 'Khloe & Lamar ', Kim said: ''I decided...I'm gonna run for the mayor of Glendale...but it's gonna be in like five years.
''You have to have full residency in Glendale...so I have to buy a house there. Noelle and I are looking into all the requirements. It's an Armenian town.''
Kim isn't the only celebrity to consider politics. In December Alec Baldwin canceled his plans to run for New York City mayor because he said he isn't as ''horny'' for the role as other candidates, who have a much bigger appetite for the job.
He explained: ''I've lost my appetite. They're all just so horny for it.''
He added the other candidates are ''like a guy on a date that you can tell he just can't wait to get his hand up your blouse before even the lights go out in the theatre''.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Norway Killer
Norway killer admits massacre, claims self-defense
OSLO, Norway (AP) — With a defiant closed-fist salute, a right-wing fanatic admitted Monday to a bomb-and-shooting massacre that killed 77 people in Norway but pleaded not guilty to criminal charges, saying he was acting in self-defense.On the first day of his long-awaited trial, Anders Behring Breivik rejected the authority of the court as it sought to assign responsibility for the July 22 attacks that shocked Norway and jolted the image of terrorism in Europe.
Dressed in a dark suit and sporting a thin beard, Breivik smiled as a guard removed his handcuffs in the crowded court room. The 33-year-old then flashed his salute before shaking hands with prosecutors and court officials.
"I don't recognize Norwegian courts because you get your mandate from the Norwegian political parties who support multiculturalism," Breivik said in his first comments to the court.
Eight people were killed in Breivik's July 22 bombing of Oslo's government district and 69 others were slain in his shooting massacre at the left-leaning Labor Party's youth camp on Utoya island outside the capital. Breivik has said the attacks were necessary to protect Norway from being taken over by Muslims.
"I admit to the acts, but not criminal guilt," he told the court, insisting he had acted in self-defense.
The key issue to be resolved during the 10-week trial is the state of Breivik's mental health, which will decide whether he is sent to prison or into psychiatric care. Anxious to prove he is not insane, Brevik will call right-wing extremists and radical Islamists to testify during the trial, to show that others also share his view of clashing civilizations.
Norway's NRK television was broadcasting parts of the trial live but was not allowed to show Breivik's testimony.
During Monday's opening session, he remained stone-faced and motionless as prosecutors read the indictment on the terror and murder charges, with descriptions of how each victim died, and when they explained how he prepared for the attacks.
But Breivik suddenly became emotional when prosecutors showed an anti-Muslim video that he had posted on YouTube before the killing spree, wiping away tears on his cheek with trembling hands.
After a lunch break, Breivik was again expressionless as he watched prosecutors present surveillance footage of the Oslo explosion. The blast ripped through the high-rise building that housed government headquarters, blowing out windows and filling surrounding streets with smoke and debris.
He didn't flinch as prosecutors played a three-minute recording of a young woman's frantic phone call to police from Utoya.
"Shots have been fired," the woman, who survived the massacre, said with panic in her voice. "I'm pretty sure that there are many injured."
More than a dozen shots in close succession could be heard as the woman fell silent.
"Are you still there?" the police officer asked.
"Yes," she whispered. She fell silent again, breathing into the phone as more shots cracked in the background.
Breivik also announced he doesn't recognize the authority of Judge Wenche Elisabeth Arntzen, because he said she is friends with the sister of former Norwegian Prime Minister and Labor Party leader Gro Harlem Brundtland.
The anti-Muslim militant described himself as a writer, currently working from prison, when asked by the judge for his employment status.
He claims he targeted the government headquarters in Oslo and the youth camp to strike against the left-leaning political forces he blames for allowing immigration in Norway.
If deemed mentally competent, Breivik would face a maximum prison sentence of 21 years or an alternate custody arrangement under which the sentence is prolonged for as long as an inmate is deemed a danger to society.
While Norway has a legal principle of preventive self-defense, that doesn't apply to Breivik's case, said Jarl Borgvin Doerre, a legal expert who has written a book on the concept.
"It is obvious that it has nothing to do with preventive self-defense," Doerre told The Associated Press.
Police sealed off the streets around the Oslo court building, where journalists, survivors and relatives of victims watched the proceedings Monday in a 200-seat courtroom built specifically for this trial.
Thick glass partitions were put up to separate the defendant from victims and their families, many of whom are worried that Breivik will use the trial to promote his extremist political ideology. In a manifesto he published online before the attacks, Breivik wrote that "patriotic resistance fighters" should use trials "as a platform to further our cause."
After he surrendered, Breivik had told investigators he is a resistance fighter in a far-right militant group modeled after the Knights Templar — a Western Christian order that fought during the crusades. Police, however, have found no trace of any organization and say he acted alone.
"In our opinion, such a network does not exist," Prosecutor Svein Holden told the court on Monday.
In his manifesto, Breivik described the supposed group's initiation rites, oaths and the "clenched fist salute" that he used in court, symbolizing "strength, honor and defiance against the Marxist tyrants of Europe."
After blowing up parts of the government building and shooting dozens to death on Utoya island, Breivik surrendered to police 1 hour and 20 minutes after he arrived on Utoya. The police response to his terror spree was slowed by a series of mishaps, including the lack of an operating police helicopter and the breakdown of an overloaded boat carrying a commando team to the island.
Coolest Car Ever
Coolest Car Ever
This week Citroën unveiled their latest concept car at the Paris Auto Show, called the Citroën GT, and all I can say is… damn, I want one for my living room. This has to be one of the coolest concept cars I’ve seen in a while. The car was built as a joint venture between Citroën and Polyphony (the makers of Gran Turismo) for the upcoming 5th game in the popular Gran Turismo Playstation series. Check out those blue LED headlamps! Slick.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
New Saleen supercar in the works
Now that Steve Saleen, founder of tuning firm Saleen Autosport and creator of the original Saleen S7 supercar, has won back the right to the legal use of his name on new products, the former racer-turned-automotive-entrepreneur is now looking towards his next big project.
Saleen is still at the helm of his latest tuning firm, SMS Supercars, and churning out a number of high-horsepower muscle cars.
However, the 63-year-old still has ambitious plans to launch more high-end models, including a new supercar based on the S5S Raptor Concept unveiled at 2008’s New York Auto Show.
"We're still planning on doing something like that," Saleen told Autoweek during a recent interview. "That's still a part of our plan. The S5S is still in our planning."
Saleen wasn’t willing to reveal when we might see the new car, though he did say that when it finally arrives it will likely be called something else.
Before that, Saleen will make a new-vehicle announcement that he says will be somewhat of a different direction. The announcement will be made within the next three months so we should have more details on it very soon.
The original S5S Raptor Concept was built around a lightweight aluminum chassis and powered by mid-mounted supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 engine delivering 650 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque. It was claimed to be capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in just 3.2 seconds and reaching a top speed of 200 mph.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Jaguar F-Type, the E-Type’s successor and Jag’s first two-seater in over 50 years, arrives in 2013
Jaguar says after 37 years it will build a spiritual successor to its iconic E-Type roadster called, logically enough, the F-Type. Based on the C-X16 concept shown last year, Jaguar says the new F-Type will be officially revealed late this year and go on sale in 2013. The company also claims that the car will accelerate to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds and achieve a top speed of more than 180 mph. To further whet our appetites, it provided a few shots showing an F-Type prototype hiding in plain sight.
The long-nose E-Type ranks among the greatest cars ever built -- one that not only won on racetracks around the world but set a style standard that Jaguar has reached for ever since. In 1996, the Museum of Modern Art in New York added an E-Type to its permanent collection.
Over the years the company has considered building other successors, even showing another F-Type concept in 2002, but years of financial trouble led Jaguar to focus on higher volume, higher profit models. With sales rising under ownership by India's Tata Motors, Jaguar has enough capital to restore a classic.
Arizona man survives after impaling himself through the head on pool fence
A man in his early 20s was impaled through the head Sunday as he climbed over a pool fence in Mesa, Ariz.
The man, who was not named, fell while climbing over the fence at approximately 3:00 pm local time at an apartment complex in the center of the city, 15 miles east of Phoenix, myFOXphoenix.com reported. He was impaled through the lower jaw.
Witness Katherine Metz told KNXV-TV, "I heard a moan and a scream and I walked outside and saw him there with the [top of the fence] completely in his neck and jaw area.
"His feet were on the ground, but the entire tip and three of the four side barbs were in his neck and jaw. He was spitting up blood and at times it was like his knees were giving out, so I just held his head as much as I could."
Fire crews took 20 minutes to free him, before he was transported to Scottsdale Osborn Hospital for treatment.
The man avoided injuring any vital organs and is expected to recover, authorities said.
The man, who was not named, fell while climbing over the fence at approximately 3:00 pm local time at an apartment complex in the center of the city, 15 miles east of Phoenix, myFOXphoenix.com reported. He was impaled through the lower jaw.
Witness Katherine Metz told KNXV-TV, "I heard a moan and a scream and I walked outside and saw him there with the [top of the fence] completely in his neck and jaw area.
"His feet were on the ground, but the entire tip and three of the four side barbs were in his neck and jaw. He was spitting up blood and at times it was like his knees were giving out, so I just held his head as much as I could."
Fire crews took 20 minutes to free him, before he was transported to Scottsdale Osborn Hospital for treatment.
The man avoided injuring any vital organs and is expected to recover, authorities said.
Answers Fly at the 2012 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge
There was no foolishness in the air this April 1 and 2 at the 2012 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge. Quite the opposite, in fact. 250 top students from the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) traveled to Los Angeles for a two-day competition and the opportunity to win as much as $50,000 in grants for their school. In a thrilling intellectual showdown, Morgan State University emerged victorious among the 48 teams and claimed its first National Championship title. Throughout its history, HCASC has been the only annual academic competition between the nation's HBCUs, touching over 75,000 students and awarding more than $6 million dollars in grants.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Shark-Infested Australian Golf Course Believed to Be World's First
Members of a golf club in Australia have something more to worry about than just their swing, playing on what is thought to be the world's first shark-infested course.
Six man-eating bull sharks live in the lake in the center of the course at Brisbane's Carbrook Golf Club, where their fins poking through the water has become a regular sight.
The sharks, which are between 8ft and 10ft long, got onto the Queensland golf course when it flooded some years ago after a river broke its banks.
They became stranded when the water receded, but now they are thriving and even breeding, Sky News reported.
"You can't believe how close you are ... just six feet [1.8m] away," club general manager Scott Wagstaff said.
"There's no drama, it's become a positive thing for the golf course. They are amazing. I've become a shark lover since working here."
Although the lake is well stocked with fish, Wagstaff occasionally throws in meat to encourage the sharks to come near the surface.
"I'm sure they are aggressive when you are in the water but when you are out here feeding them they are beautiful to watch," he said.
The sharks have become renowned in the region and there is even a monthly tournament called the "Shark Lake Challenge."
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Ferraris and more at RM's Monaco Auction
The top seller could be the 1957 Ferrari 625 TRC Scaglietti Spider, chassis No. 0608 MDTR. The car on offer is one of just two examples of the car. It was purchased by John von Neumann from the factory and enjoyed a successful racing career in the hands of Richie Ginther and others.
Its maiden race was at the Grosser Bergpreis von Österreich at the Gaisbergrennen near Salzburg, Austria, in August of 1957. The TRC was also there at the christening of Laguna Seca, coming in second at the track's inaugural race.
It was acquired by its current owner in 1981 and, over the past three decades, it has been fully restored, frequently raced and regularly shown at concours events. It will sell with its original, matching numbers Type 625 2.5-liter Ferrari racing engine. RM gives no estimate for this car, but as they say, if you have to ask, you can't afford it.
Another rare and desirable machine from Maranello is the 1966 Ferrari 206 S Dino Spyder, chassis No. 006. This Dino is the third of 18 produced. Finished in Rosso corsa with the Maranello Concessionaires blue stripe, it made its competition debut at the RAC Tourist Trophy in Oulton Park, England, with Michael Parks behind the wheel.
In 1967, it was sold to Gustaf Dieden before it passed to another Swedish owner who raced the car under the name “Team Bam-Bam.” Today it has been rebuilt, restored and certified by Ferrari Classiche. The 206 S Dino is expected to sell for $3.2 million.
For those into more modern metal, Michael Schumacher's Ferrari F1-2000 race car will be offered. Chassis No. 204 was raced in 2000 by the German champion at the Austrian Grand Prix. It was retired in 2001 and acquired by then-Scuderia manager Jean Todt. It was sold to its current owner in 2006. The F1 car has been restored to race condition including a new engine in 2009. It's estimated to sell for about $1 million.
Other recent Ferraris secured for RM's Monaco sale include:
--1952 Ferrari 225 Sport Spyder “Tuboscocca,” chassis 0192 ET, one of the 12 Vignale spyders produced
--A one-owner, 2006 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione, chassis 145766, always kept at the Ferrari factory's Corse Clienti Department
--A highly successful racing 1987 Ferrari F40 Protoype/GT, chassis ZFFGJ34B000074047, one of about eight F40 prototypes and one of seven cars upgraded to F40 GT specifications by Michelotto
--A 1955 Ferrari 250 GT Europa, chassis 0391 GT, a benchmark example of Ferrari's first, true series-production car
--An early 1949 Ferrari 166 Inter Coupé, chassis 015 S, one of just 38 Inters produced from 1948 through 1951
--A beautifully restored 1963 Ferrari 250 GTE, chassis 4093GT
--A spectacular 2008 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, chassis number ZFFFD608000159049, driven just 8,000 kilometers
For a list of offerings at Monaco, go to www.rmauctions.com or contact RM's London office at 44-20-7851-7070.
The Ten Commandments
Every Year the Movie The Ten Commandments comes on before Easter. And every year i find myself in front of the TV watching and watching and watching!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Ford Evos Concept
At the 2005 Frankfurt auto show, Ford’s stunning Iosis concept cardebuted the company’s “Kinetic” design language, which shortly thereafter debuted on non-U.S. models like the Mondeo, European Focus, C-Max, and Kuga. Our first taste of Kinetic design came more recently with the 2011 Fiesta and 2012 Focus models. But now Ford’s look is evolving, with another Frankfurt concept—the 2011 show’s gorgeous and aptly named Evos—previewing the next evolution (get it?) of Blue Oval design.
Sadly, the company won’t go so far as to adapt the Evos’s quad butterfly doors for production. But this fastback four-seater, which is shorter than a Focus sedan but wider than a Porsche Panamera, does embody a half dozen newly defined pillars of Ford global design—which will drop the Kinetic moniker. The Evos will provide the template for future Fords, and so we took a virtual tour of the car with Ford design chief J Mays, who explained those design pillars.
Ford’s New Global Design Language, Explained
The first two pillars of Ford’s new design language are “silhouette innovation” and “perceived efficiency.” The former, according to Mays, represents a profile “that defines your automobile and looks different than most of the other cars in a particular class on the road,” while the latter equates to visual lightness and sleekness. “We’d like to have lightweight pillars [and] a teardrop cabin [where] the lines on the side disappear at a vanishing point somewhere around 100 yards behind the car.” The gist? Think less ‘traditional three-box sedan’ and more ‘four-door coupe.’
 |
“Refined surface language” refers to a smoothing out of Kinetically sculpted body surfaces, among them the architectural fenders, creased door skins, and sculpted hoods. This directive also appears to be a reaction to other manufacturers that Mays claims have “annexed” and subsequently exaggerated Ford’s Kinetic motifs. Ford is going in “exactly the opposite direction” now, he said, keeping what he called the “excitement” of Kinetic design but rendered in “beautiful shapes you’d love to run your hands over.”
An emphasis on the fourth pillar, “technical graphics,” basically refers to the lamps and lower body addenda. “Headlamps seem to be growing to absurd proportions,” said Mays. “They’ve become less about technology and more about design flourish and style. And we think that’s reached its complete evolution. So we’re going to the minimal height for the headlamps and the taillamps and we’re going to let the technology speak for the graphics rather than overt style.” The headlamps on the Evos are rendered in LEDs “designed in such a way that you probably haven’t seen before.” Will every future Ford model get “razor-cut” headlamps such as these? Yes, and Mays told us that he is committed to LED headlamps on every new Ford, although we’ll have to see if those make it past the accountants.
The final two newly defined design-isms are the “new face of Ford,” which involves pulling the trapezoid grille way up to the leading edge of the hood (it gives the Evos a sort of Mustang-esque shark nose), and a “visual sense of premium quality,” which—besides being less catchy than the others—basically means creating the sort of designs people associate with higher-end cars. “We’ve tried to eliminate one of the grilles on the vehicle, and focus on the other. And what that does is allow us to have a smaller inlet, gives us better aerodynamics, and also, I think, looks much more premium.”
 |
If roadgoing Fords end up looking like the Evos, we say “mission accomplished” to the premium bit. Indeed, more than a few of us think that the “new face of Ford” looks a lot like the current face of Aston Martin, particularly, the slim, six-sided grille and Rapide-esque roofline. Could Ford be suffering from a case of “seller’s remorse” after getting rid of Aston Martin during the great fire sale of 2008? Mays didn’t admit any such—to borrow his own term—annexation of Aston’s designs, but when asked about the similarities, he seemed rather comfortable with the comparison.
Head in the “Cloud”
However Aston-y the Evos looks, it wouldn’t be a show car if it didn’t contain a boatload of future tech. Cloud-based connectivity supposedly helps the Evos identify and pre-arrange its various systems to match the preferences of the upcoming drive, thus promising “seamless connectivity” from home to car to office, which may or may not be a good thing. It also gauges the skills of the driver and, reconciling them with weather and road conditions, adjusts the powertrain and chassis to maintain “optimum safety”—which sounds a bit Hal 9000 to us. Then there are the “driver wellness” features, too, which include a heart-rate monitor; the car is able to use current and previous data via the cloud to monitor “the physical state and workload of the driver and adjusts the driving experience accordingly.” To the good, if you start driving aggressively, the Evos will also simplify the gauge cluster to provide only necessary info and switch the driver’s phone to “do not disturb mode.”
The Evos is powered by—what else?—the cloud. Just kidding. It features a lithium-ion-based, plug-in gas/electric powertrain that’s said to be able to deliver extended-range or parallel-hybrid propulsion, ultimately delivering the same sort of fuel economy as the Ford C-Max Energithat’s scheduled to arrive stateside next year. Ford gave no more details on the powertrain beyond this: The cloud would theoretically be heavily involved, directing the car when to make various on-the-fly powertrain adjustments, such as switching to electric mode when driving into a city center that may have emissions restrictions.
We won’t have to wait long to see the look previewed here on a saleable Ford product. The 2013 Fusion will be the first Ford to wear the new design language; we expect to see that car next January at the Detroit show. In the meantime, if you can make it to Frankfurt, check out the Evos—it’s a stunner.
Ferrari California
The first official photographs have been published of the Ferrari California, the latest addition to the new generation of Ferraris launched in 2004 with the 612 Scaglietti and added to more recently with the 430 Scuderia.
The Ferrari California joins the Prancing Horse's 8-cylinder family which has always been defined by power and performance. It also flanks the flagship 612 Scaglietti in the prestige sporty Grand Tourer segment.
The new Ferrari California will satisfy even the most demanding of owners in term of its superb vehicle dynamics and driving pleasure. The new model will be available exclusively as a convertible with a folding hard top. Both chassis and bodywork are aluminium, in line with the rest of the current range. The California will be powered by a new V8 engine mounted for the first time in the marque's history in the mid-front position.
In line with Ferrari tradition, the new model also features several innovations. Apart from its folding hard top, these include the original 2+ concept which guarantees exceptional versatility of use in the rear of the car. The California's 4,300 cc V8 engine features direct fuel injection and a "flat" crankshaft. It generates 460 CV at 7,500 rpm with a torque curve that enhances vehicle dynamics and provides maximum driving pleasure which is typical for Ferrari.
As per the traditional Ferrari transaxle layout, the engine, which allows the Ferrari California to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 4.0 seconds, will be coupled to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission that boosts the car's performance while enhancing the driving pleasure, improves ride comfort and reduces fuel consumption and emissions (c.310 g/km CO2). The comfort is further enhanced by a new multilink rear suspension system. The Ferrari California is also equipped with the exclusive F1-Trac traction control system which made its debut on the 599 GTB Fiorano and has been further honed to suit the typical driving conditions expected for this new GT. Brembo brakes featuring carbon-ceramic material discs as standard guarantee superbly efficient braking.
In addition to sporting the marque's classic styling cues, the cabin has also been beautifully trimmed using quality materials by Ferrari's own skilled artisans. New accessories and equipment, such as the seats, steering wheel, instrument panel and infotainment system, together with optimised aerodynamics ensure that this is a highly ergonomic and enjoyable car to drive regardless of whether the top is up or down.
The Ferrari California is aimed at owners who desire a car which embodies everything the Prancing Horse represents in terms of sporty design and innovation, but also seek a car with greater versatility than ever. The car will be officially unveiled to the public at the Paris International Car Show. However, over the coming weeks, new photographs and further details about it will also be published.
Ferdinand Porsche, 911 Sports Car Designer, Dies
He designed Porsche's classic 911 sports car — the sleek model that evokes power, wealth and envy among aficionados — cementing his grandfather's name into the modern psyche
Ferdinand Alexander Porsche died Thursday in Salzburg, Austria at age 76, Porsche AG said. No cause was provided.
Porsche, known as F.A. to his colleagues, was head of the Porsche design studio in the early 1960s when the company developed the 911 model that remains its brand-defining product. The car, now in its seventh version, remains recognizably the same vehicle, with its sloping roofline, long, low hood and prominent headlights.
"The creator of the Porsche 911 has founded a culture of design in our company that distinguishes our sports cars even today," Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller said.
Porsche was the son of former Porsche Chairman Ferry Porsche, who died in 1998, and the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who started the company as a design and engineering firm in the 1930s.
AP
In this publicly released 1990 black and... View Full Caption
Born in Stuttgart on Dec. 11, 1935, F.A. Porsche was initiated into the family business while still a boy, spending time in his grandfather's workshops and design facilities. He studied at the Hochschule fuer Gestaltung in Ulm and joined the company in 1958, taking over the design studio in 1962.
In the 911, he created a larger, less cramped replacement for the company's first model, the four-cylinder Porsche 356. The new car, with a rear-mounted, six-cylinder engine, was originally designated the 901, but the number was changed because French competitor Peugeot claimed a patent on car names formed with a zero in the middle.
Porsche left the operational part of the company with other family members in the early 1970s and in 1972 founded a design business, Porsche Design Studio, where he created eyeglasses, watches and pens.
As a designer, he had a reputation as a functionalist.
"A formally harmonious product needs no decoration, it should be elevated through pure form," he once said — a motto reflected in the lean lines of the 911.
He served as chairman of Porsche AG from 1990 to 1993 and helped steer the family firm through a crisis as sales plunged in the late 1980s under pressure from global competition and a strong German mark that hindered exports.
Under his chairmanship, the company brought in a new CEO, Wendelin Wiedeking, who is credited with turning the company around.
Porsche was to be buried in a private ceremony in the chapel at Schuettgut, the Porsche family's estate in Zell am See, Austria.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
SMS Technology
For Such a simple Technology there are so many uses... My Name is Kaan Zoroglu and I APPROVE TEXTING!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Bitter Employees
Sometimes as a small business owner you make horrible mistakes. And I made one last month. I hired a guy to run sales for my company and he SOLD ME" on how good he was. Go to find out he did absolutely nothing AND WHEN WE LET HIM GO he posted things on scam sites lol. Its a shame. I could care less who says what about me. I know the man i am, i feel bad for my employees. They have families to feed and collectively we are going to press charges against him. Our attorney LOVES this kind of stuff. I find it so boring and mundane so i guess everyone wins. Write me if this has happened to you!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)