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Friday, September 24, 2010
Quick, name something the Toyota Prius has in common with Ferrari. Tough one? The answer (as of now) is hybrid drivetrains. Ferrari took the wraps off its new hybrid 599 HY-KERS at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, and it’s as green as Ferrari can make it. Featuring a bit of traditional hybrid tech and a healthy dose of Formula1 witchcraft, Ferrari has manufactured a car that loses none of the dynamic performance of its gas-only brethren.
To avoid confusion, I'm using the Road Car designation because most people immediately think of the dominating Audi R8 LMP Race Car when "Audi R8" is mentioned. Whereas the Audi R8 LMP has little or no problem winning races, the Audi R8 road car wants to win your adoration. The R8 Road Car was the work of Audi's sportscar racing dominance in the 2000 decade as well as the work of the Le Mans Quattro Concept back in 2003. Since 2006, the Audi R8 Road Car has graced us with her beautiful appearance.
I usually call beautiful females as alluring goddess. Well, the Audi R8 road car is ESPECIALLY an alluring goddess. Either in 2008 or 2009, I had the chance to see this car at the Houston Auto Show once. You need to see this car in person if you ever get a chance. I even got to hear this car a bit at speed after I went to my doctor one morning. Many say that the Audi R8 Road Car is a bargain for its performance.
The front of the car has some big grills and vents up front. The headlights are aggressive, yet beautiful, especially considering the LED daytime running lights that outline the bottom half of the headlights. The side profile of the R8 road car is both sexy and smooth. I've been a bit critical on the carbon fiber portions that make up the side profile, but I've grown to accept its design. The rear of the Audi R8 is very clean along with the rest of the car. If you're looking for something ugly about the Audi R8 road car's exterior features, good luck. There's nothing ugly about its design. The R8 is a beautiful goddess.
The exterior suggests a beautiful and alluring car that can blow away almost any car in its class. The interior, however, suggests a liveable supercar. Imagine taking this car out on the road for a full year. Take this car to work. Take this car on a long-distance trip with your lover/spouse. This car's interior suggests a supercar that can be used all year long if need be. The gated shifter is lovely as well.
Personally, I love the V10-powered Audi R8 a bit more in terms of style and performance. You still can't go wrong if you love you some Audi R8! :) Also check out the Audi R8 Le Mans Series GT3 car. It's everything you love about the Audi R8 in a competitive GT3 racing car.
What happens when you take a Ferrari Enzo-styled car, add it some Mercedes-Benz style headlights, and give it the biggest dosage of ugly this side of the Pontiac Asstek (Aztek)? You get this hot mess known as the Mitsuoka Orochi:
--- Car Style: The Mitsuoka Orochi ---
Saying that you love a car like this is like a guy saying he loves his women to be ugly-looking to the point where nobody wants to date her. Guys in pop culture would say "I'd hit that." Well, you must have a sad life if you'd "hit" THIS car. Of all Japanese makes (big or small), Mitsuoka makes some of Japan's ugliest cars (to me). This car is more like the usually-beautiful female celebrity that makes a terrible choice of fashion and looks terrible from top to bottom.
Exterior.
The front headlights have a Mercedes-Benz style look to them. They actually look very nice on this car. The front grill looks like a shark with a narrow mouth. If the grill doesn't scare you, maybe the openings at the front of the car will. And if THAT doesn't help, look at its aggressive front hood. It has four sets of openings on either side of the front bonnet. And in the middle lies an extra long piece dividing the two sides of the front bonnet. Thank goodness the side mirrors aren't ugly. Overall, this car exudes ugliness up front. Even if you paint it black, it's still Whoopi Goldberg ugly.
The sides aren't really that bad. The wheels that come with the Orochi are actually quite lovely, as are the side duct designs on the sides. They aren't that bad. Dramatic fenders add a sweet touch to this car's side character and aren't as much of an eyesore as the front of the car. The side windows are somewhat reminiscent of the McLaren F1 to me. The windshield even has a little McLaren F1 character to it. Aggressive, yet beautiful side skirts are ready to howl through the wind at speed.
The rear is much less of a hot mess. The rear is actually styled quite nicely and not as grotesque as the front. A nice set of taillights make up the lighting arrangements for the back. An aggressive-looking rear bonnet for this mid-engine car adds some serious character to this car. A pair of small mufflers accentuate the rear of the car. The only ugly elements are the little openings between the taillights and below the rear bumper.
Interior.
The front is terrible, the sides are lovely, and the rear is... very manageable. What about the inside? Not sure whether to say ugly or cheap or what. There is LOTS of leather accentuating the dashboard and the sides. I don't think I've seen an interior that almost all leather. The interior looks nice, but all the leather is just tacky and ugly. Almost an overkill of leather on the inside. I'd hate to imagine if one of these were driven on a hot day, and you had to make sure not to touch the leather or something.
As a whole, this entire car is ugly. With better styling cues, this car would be MUCH lovelier. The sides and most of the rear are this car's only saving grace from just begging to be taken to the car crusher. Marvel at its uniqueness, but make sure you don't throw up or soil your underwear at the sight of this thing. When in doubt, envision your favorite Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition model and try not to let this brutal Japanese gargoyle give you nightmares.
Saying that you love a car like this is like a guy saying he loves his women to be ugly-looking to the point where nobody wants to date her. Guys in pop culture would say "I'd hit that." Well, you must have a sad life if you'd "hit" THIS car. Of all Japanese makes (big or small), Mitsuoka makes some of Japan's ugliest cars (to me). This car is more like the usually-beautiful female celebrity that makes a terrible choice of fashion and looks terrible from top to bottom.
Exterior.
The front headlights have a Mercedes-Benz style look to them. They actually look very nice on this car. The front grill looks like a shark with a narrow mouth. If the grill doesn't scare you, maybe the openings at the front of the car will. And if THAT doesn't help, look at its aggressive front hood. It has four sets of openings on either side of the front bonnet. And in the middle lies an extra long piece dividing the two sides of the front bonnet. Thank goodness the side mirrors aren't ugly. Overall, this car exudes ugliness up front. Even if you paint it black, it's still Whoopi Goldberg ugly.
The sides aren't really that bad. The wheels that come with the Orochi are actually quite lovely, as are the side duct designs on the sides. They aren't that bad. Dramatic fenders add a sweet touch to this car's side character and aren't as much of an eyesore as the front of the car. The side windows are somewhat reminiscent of the McLaren F1 to me. The windshield even has a little McLaren F1 character to it. Aggressive, yet beautiful side skirts are ready to howl through the wind at speed.
The rear is much less of a hot mess. The rear is actually styled quite nicely and not as grotesque as the front. A nice set of taillights make up the lighting arrangements for the back. An aggressive-looking rear bonnet for this mid-engine car adds some serious character to this car. A pair of small mufflers accentuate the rear of the car. The only ugly elements are the little openings between the taillights and below the rear bumper.
Interior.
The front is terrible, the sides are lovely, and the rear is... very manageable. What about the inside? Not sure whether to say ugly or cheap or what. There is LOTS of leather accentuating the dashboard and the sides. I don't think I've seen an interior that almost all leather. The interior looks nice, but all the leather is just tacky and ugly. Almost an overkill of leather on the inside. I'd hate to imagine if one of these were driven on a hot day, and you had to make sure not to touch the leather or something.
As a whole, this entire car is ugly. With better styling cues, this car would be MUCH lovelier. The sides and most of the rear are this car's only saving grace from just begging to be taken to the car crusher. Marvel at its uniqueness, but make sure you don't throw up or soil your underwear at the sight of this thing. When in doubt, envision your favorite Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition model and try not to let this brutal Japanese gargoyle give you nightmares.
The world's best little sports car since 1996 is the Lotus Elise. The Exige series is a coupe version of the usual Elise roadsters. Is it safe to say that a small sports car like this one can blow away ANYONE? It may be powered by a 1.8-liter Toyota engine, but this car is still purely British from the lightweight sports car specialist Lotus. While I haven't been in love with the styling changes the Series 2 Elise when it was unveiled in 2000, the car and its handling prowess remain very much top-of-the-line.
This blog entry regards my ideas on this car's style. I was able to see this car a bit at the 2008 Houston Auto Show. It came in a light blue color with black stripes.
This blog entry regards my ideas on this car's style. I was able to see this car a bit at the 2008 Houston Auto Show. It came in a light blue color with black stripes.
Car Style - The Lotus Exige
As I mentioned before, I've disliked the style of the 21st century Elises compared to the Elise Series 1 models. I will admit, though- the newer Elise and Exige models move you standing still. Get ready for a car that will be guaranteed to move you. It may be a short car, but this car is in no way a sport compact. This is about the shortest pure sports car on the market. This would put just about any sport compact like it's nothing. It's not any kind of tuning toy. In a creative sense, think of this little car as Boise State trying to take on the big boys of NCAA FBS college football. It manages to balance road-going sports car with exotic car styling. Considering that this car costs almost as much as a fairly decent recent Porsche, this car looks much more expensive than what it really is.
Exterior.
The car tends to look faster than it really is. I look at this car up front and imagine a car that could put any much more powerful and exotic sports car to shame. The headlight arrangements have a great deal of sporty character. The front bumper features some curved and edgy openings. The front opening is flanked by two small fog lights. Below these openings is a modestly aggressive front splitter. Overall, this car up front suggests a car that is much faster than this car really is. The W-like vents up front adds some aggression. There is no front bonnet, so its versatility is compromised. These cars were mostly meant to be weekend racers, so don't expect to carry a lot of groceries or a few golf clubs.
Lotus' little monster is even more of a possessed demon on the sides. A lot of curved lines and aggressive lines adds some sexy appeal to it. The fenders are aggressive in nature, matching the aggression of the front. You almost want to imagine the Exige as a condensed supercar based on its side styling. Up top, you see a hood scoop with a thin opening. It doesn't consume wind like water to feed the mid-mounted Toyota engine, but it's aggressive enough to exude some character.
From the rear, its aggression becomes even more apparent. A sporty (and functional) rear wing compliments the rear deck lid of this car. The engine bay in this mid-engined car is complimented with lots of ducts to help it breathe better. Four identical taillights (two on each side) help accentuate the lighting arrangement at the rear along with a race car-like rear valance. This rear valance makes you question whether this car is a road car or a race car. Outlining the rear valance on the rear bumper is a little extra body work protruding outward, but only modestly.
Interior.
Considering this is a miniature pure sports car, don't expect much in the way of anything super fancy. It is a business-oriented car with its interior designs. It features a very sporty and stylish steering wheel. Fairly basic gauges accentuate the instrument panel. The dashboard is nothing special since it's so business-oriented. Items such as a stereo system and stuff like that are optional. In fact, I don't think this car even has a glove compartment. You do get four circular air conditioning vents. The seats are nicely styled. If you want the closest to a miniature GT race car, go for the racy Lotus Exige 240.
Don't call the Exige a sport compact. Don't call the Exige a grocery getter. Absolutely DON'T call it a "boy racer." What CAN you call it? The world's smallest true sports car. This car is capable of putting almost any larger sports car to shame. The car is impressive as it is. With tuning, it can be even better. This car, while small and powered by a Toyota engine, is dead serious on leaving a huge impact. From time to time, you'll see a few recent Lotus models. Get your camera out if you see an Exige on the road. This is a lovely sports car.
Exterior.
The car tends to look faster than it really is. I look at this car up front and imagine a car that could put any much more powerful and exotic sports car to shame. The headlight arrangements have a great deal of sporty character. The front bumper features some curved and edgy openings. The front opening is flanked by two small fog lights. Below these openings is a modestly aggressive front splitter. Overall, this car up front suggests a car that is much faster than this car really is. The W-like vents up front adds some aggression. There is no front bonnet, so its versatility is compromised. These cars were mostly meant to be weekend racers, so don't expect to carry a lot of groceries or a few golf clubs.
Lotus' little monster is even more of a possessed demon on the sides. A lot of curved lines and aggressive lines adds some sexy appeal to it. The fenders are aggressive in nature, matching the aggression of the front. You almost want to imagine the Exige as a condensed supercar based on its side styling. Up top, you see a hood scoop with a thin opening. It doesn't consume wind like water to feed the mid-mounted Toyota engine, but it's aggressive enough to exude some character.
From the rear, its aggression becomes even more apparent. A sporty (and functional) rear wing compliments the rear deck lid of this car. The engine bay in this mid-engined car is complimented with lots of ducts to help it breathe better. Four identical taillights (two on each side) help accentuate the lighting arrangement at the rear along with a race car-like rear valance. This rear valance makes you question whether this car is a road car or a race car. Outlining the rear valance on the rear bumper is a little extra body work protruding outward, but only modestly.
Interior.
Considering this is a miniature pure sports car, don't expect much in the way of anything super fancy. It is a business-oriented car with its interior designs. It features a very sporty and stylish steering wheel. Fairly basic gauges accentuate the instrument panel. The dashboard is nothing special since it's so business-oriented. Items such as a stereo system and stuff like that are optional. In fact, I don't think this car even has a glove compartment. You do get four circular air conditioning vents. The seats are nicely styled. If you want the closest to a miniature GT race car, go for the racy Lotus Exige 240.
Don't call the Exige a sport compact. Don't call the Exige a grocery getter. Absolutely DON'T call it a "boy racer." What CAN you call it? The world's smallest true sports car. This car is capable of putting almost any larger sports car to shame. The car is impressive as it is. With tuning, it can be even better. This car, while small and powered by a Toyota engine, is dead serious on leaving a huge impact. From time to time, you'll see a few recent Lotus models. Get your camera out if you see an Exige on the road. This is a lovely sports car.
Car Style post #50! No car is as awesome as the McLaren F1. Fifth Gear called it as the greatest car in the world. It is a British car with a German powerplant. The British car packs 624hp from a BMW V-12. It is sexy from every angle. It is an angelic devil. The car may be nearing two decades old (as of the date of this blog entry), but I STILL consider this car as the greatest car ever. It is awe-inspiring and absolutely a great car. It's one of the rarest of its kind with all that makes it such an awesome car. I know there are people who say the Enzo Ferrari and the Bugatti Veyron as the greatest cars in the world. They may be incredibly fast, but they are nowhere near the athletic and agile beast the McLaren F1 is.
This blog entry is a look at how I think about the McLaren F1 design-wise. Welcome to my 50th "Car Style" segment.
^ from: sobreruedas.org - the McLaren F1 was cool even WELL before the likes of the Enzo Ferrari and the Bugatti Veyron. Though 15+ years old, it's still one of the greatest supercars ever made.
The McLaren F1 is my all-time favorite car. It is a very hot car with great styling. It is still beautiful even if it is somehow obsolete compared to today's supercars. Even while I love the new MP4-12C, the McLaren of the '90s is still a beautiful and fantastic car. I will mostly discuss the original McLaren F1, not any of the other versions (F1, F1 LM, GTR, etc.).
The front of the McLaren exudes "I'm better than you" character. Two big headlights in two headlight clusters help light the way. The front bonnet has a little scoop to it, adding to the aggressive nature of this car's looks. The front windshield is styled beautifully in matching the swoopy looks of the rest of the car. * The sides feature a combination of swoopy and sharp styling. The side doors have plenty of aggression with sharp lines. The side door windows look very racy. The view from up top is beautiful with a somewhat modest (yet still functional) hood scoop. Only the McLaren F1 LM features a larger hood scoop. * The rear completes this car's aggressive and racy character. The rear bonnet features that awesome V-12 BMW engine. The rear windshield features a split window deal. You'll see why there is a split rear windshield once you sit behind the wheel. The car features a dynamic rear spoiler that makes sure the car stays on the ground even while at speed. A pair of twin mufflers compliment the rear just above the rear valance.
What makes this car REALLY different? Its interior makes it unique. What other car can you enjoy driving in the center? Getting into the car can its own gymnastics event. You could actually have three people in this car once you add in the two extra seats. However (and with all due respect), do you really need to bring along two more people to make this car more enjoyable? Remember earlie about the split rear windshield? A reason why there are two rear view mirrors on either side is to properly see behind you with the little windows. The instrument panel is very basic as well as with the basic set of panels. The steering wheel also looks very basic. Despite the fact things look so basic on the inside, it's very much an inviting car (since when is a superexotic NOT inviting?). I think this car even has gold-plated tools to help you fix the car since you'll be pulling some insane speeds even for a car of its age. This car's version of a center console are to your left and your right. You have a few controls by your left legs and your right legs, including a stick shifter. Simply put, this car was designed for people who want to enjoy driving while feeling like they are high above everybody else. It's like being in a monster truck, only much lower to the ground and not with any macho character. You'll feel like you're God behind the wheel of a divine beast like this.
Before the likes of the Ferrari Enzo Ferrari, Bugatti Veyron, SSC Ultimate Aero TT, and cars like that... this was the "it" supercar. Newer supercars may be outstanding in their own right, but I still consider the McLaren F1 as the greatest car ever made. There's one thing this car can lay claim to that none of today's more recent supercars can say- winning Le Mans outright. That was the case when the Ueno Clinic McLaren F1 GTR won Le Mans outright in 1995. The only McLaren I love more than the original is the rare McLaren F1 GT (not the McLaren F1 GTR, though I love that car too). Here is your look at the McLaren F1 GT:
This blog entry is a look at how I think about the McLaren F1 design-wise. Welcome to my 50th "Car Style" segment.
^ from: sobreruedas.org - the McLaren F1 was cool even WELL before the likes of the Enzo Ferrari and the Bugatti Veyron. Though 15+ years old, it's still one of the greatest supercars ever made.The McLaren F1 is my all-time favorite car. It is a very hot car with great styling. It is still beautiful even if it is somehow obsolete compared to today's supercars. Even while I love the new MP4-12C, the McLaren of the '90s is still a beautiful and fantastic car. I will mostly discuss the original McLaren F1, not any of the other versions (F1, F1 LM, GTR, etc.).
The front of the McLaren exudes "I'm better than you" character. Two big headlights in two headlight clusters help light the way. The front bonnet has a little scoop to it, adding to the aggressive nature of this car's looks. The front windshield is styled beautifully in matching the swoopy looks of the rest of the car. * The sides feature a combination of swoopy and sharp styling. The side doors have plenty of aggression with sharp lines. The side door windows look very racy. The view from up top is beautiful with a somewhat modest (yet still functional) hood scoop. Only the McLaren F1 LM features a larger hood scoop. * The rear completes this car's aggressive and racy character. The rear bonnet features that awesome V-12 BMW engine. The rear windshield features a split window deal. You'll see why there is a split rear windshield once you sit behind the wheel. The car features a dynamic rear spoiler that makes sure the car stays on the ground even while at speed. A pair of twin mufflers compliment the rear just above the rear valance.
What makes this car REALLY different? Its interior makes it unique. What other car can you enjoy driving in the center? Getting into the car can its own gymnastics event. You could actually have three people in this car once you add in the two extra seats. However (and with all due respect), do you really need to bring along two more people to make this car more enjoyable? Remember earlie about the split rear windshield? A reason why there are two rear view mirrors on either side is to properly see behind you with the little windows. The instrument panel is very basic as well as with the basic set of panels. The steering wheel also looks very basic. Despite the fact things look so basic on the inside, it's very much an inviting car (since when is a superexotic NOT inviting?). I think this car even has gold-plated tools to help you fix the car since you'll be pulling some insane speeds even for a car of its age. This car's version of a center console are to your left and your right. You have a few controls by your left legs and your right legs, including a stick shifter. Simply put, this car was designed for people who want to enjoy driving while feeling like they are high above everybody else. It's like being in a monster truck, only much lower to the ground and not with any macho character. You'll feel like you're God behind the wheel of a divine beast like this.
Before the likes of the Ferrari Enzo Ferrari, Bugatti Veyron, SSC Ultimate Aero TT, and cars like that... this was the "it" supercar. Newer supercars may be outstanding in their own right, but I still consider the McLaren F1 as the greatest car ever made. There's one thing this car can lay claim to that none of today's more recent supercars can say- winning Le Mans outright. That was the case when the Ueno Clinic McLaren F1 GTR won Le Mans outright in 1995. The only McLaren I love more than the original is the rare McLaren F1 GT (not the McLaren F1 GTR, though I love that car too). Here is your look at the McLaren F1 GT:
^ from: sportscarforums, by way of autosrapidos.com - the McLaren F1 GT is a beautiful, yet rare McLaren.Gran Turismo 5 will welcome the McLaren F1 to its already stellar lineup of cars. It will be featured for the first time aside from the BMW McLaren in Gran Turismo 4. The McLaren F1 is also the car I mostly use in "Need for Speed 2: Special Edition." Everyone has their opinions on what the greatest car of all time is, and mine is the McLaren F1. There's just nothing like it even today. Time has passed it by, technologies have passed it by, but you know what? It's still a damn good car for what it is today. This car could go as fast as a Champ Car back in its time (meaning it's possible of 240 mph). So love your 21st century supercars. While you're at it, make sure to pay this beautiful car its greatest respects. The McLaren F1 was cool before other recent supercars got their face time.
That concludes my 50th "Car Style" blog entry. Thanks so much for reading and for your continued support!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The new supermini, the Chevrolet Spark, which will go on sale in 2010 with a snazzy new design and small economical engines, had its premier at the Geneva Motor Show. The most striking visual features of this five-door vehicle are its high roof and almost vertical tailgate. The front end is dominated by long slanting headlights framing the large radiator grille which is adorned with the traditional golden logo. This supermini is 3.64 metres long and has a wheelbase of 2.38 metres. The boot has a 170-litre capacity which can be expanded to 994 litres once the rear seats are folded away.
There is a choice of two petrol engines for the Spark, the 1.0-litre version delivering 66bhp and the 1.2-litre 78bhp. Either of these will return over 56.5mpg and they are both coupled to a manual five-speed gearbox.
Last year, one item of news in particular rocked the automotive establishment around the world: the new Tata Nano was to go on sale in its native India for roughly 1,700 euros. Fairly quickly, word got around that this version contained only the barest essentials – no trace of modern safety technology. But now, Tata are showing off an improved model of the Nano that has been specifically designed for the European market.
Its idiosyncratic basic shape remains unaltered: a high build combined with small wheels allowing for maximum use of space. The Nano Europa is 3.29 metres long and 1.58 metres wide, and the only visual differences are the newly designed headlights and taillights. Under the bonnet, the previous two-cylinder engine has been replaced with a three-cylinder petrol engine, producing CO2 emissions of less than 100g/km. According to Tata, the Nano Europa meets all safety requirements, with ABS, ESP and airbags on board. So far, no launch date or prices have been released, but in India, the production model will be unveiled on 23rd March 2009 and go on general sale from April.
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