Archive for September, 2009
Ich bin ein Frankfurter
Sep 24th
As you might know all the recent automotive news in coming from the Frankfurt motor show, so I thought I would share with you my highlights.
Maserati GranCabrio
I know I blogged about it not very long ago, but how good does it look in real life?
Citroën REVOLTe
This cool quirky looking concept bears more than a passing resemblance to the iconic 2CV. The interior is also very interesting with this concept, with woven black leather, crimson velvet and aluminium. Rumours are a toned down version of this baby town car is set for production.
Ferrari 458 Italia
One of the most hyped up cars has been the Ferrari 458 Italia. Personally I’m reserved about some styling points, I think the bonnet looks like it doesn’t fit to the headlights properly and I’m not keen on the sticky out rear lights. There are two things I love about it however, the gorgeous shape, especially the rear, and this incredible video:
Audi R8 V10 5.2 V10
Most cars look stupid with overuse of chrome, very few can get away with being totally chrome – although I think the Audi R8 pulls it off big time!
Lamborghini Reventon Roadster
Ok so you can’t really see the Reventon, but I think this Lambo frauline offers way more in the way of eye-candy.
Thanks to autoblog for the pics!
Our favorite drifter, Ken Block, returns…. Again
Sep 7th
Ok, so we all remember Ken Block (he’s the guy with a shiny WRX STi Subaru, flinging it superbly around an unused aircraft hanger somewhere in America)… well anyway, he is back, but this time he has a friend.
The video does all the talking… So take a peek! Incredible, and this time hilarious stuff. This guy is truly skilled.
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Car Modding – 70s style
Sep 3rd
Image by exfordy via Flickr
The people who make Max Power would probably encourage you to believe that car modifications took off in the 1990s, people have been customising their motors at least since Monsieur Renault decided he could improve on De Dion’s handiwork back in 1898.
Back in the 70s and 80s, bad boys around town wouldn’t be seen dead without a set of Cibiés. Other popular retro modifications included removing the bumpers, ‘shaving’ and ‘frenching’ (removing or recessing respectively anything that sticks out), adding racing stripes and decals
Image by rutthenut via Flickr
(perhaps even Martini or Gulf) and, if performance was your thing, sticking something like a Rover V8 into a Mk1 Escort, or a Porsche engine into a Beetle was a relatively painless exercise, although still not to be undertaken lightly.
But for people with only a passing interest in cars, two modifications from the age of the white dog poo tend to stick in the mind more than all of these, the Dixie Horn – soundtrack to my childhood – and the extra wide wheels, which became known as Carlos Fandango wheels, after a ludicrously exaggerated version of this mod was featured in this cigar ad:
I wonder, with the eighties revival in full swing, how many people will be doing these mods (at least the ones that haven’t been banned by Brussels) to their cars again? One thing is for sure, as long as there are modified cars, people will need modified car insurance.
Dave Wilson on Google+