On New Years' Day, Chrysler set out to remind the car world of its
300 sedan with a design contest. By customizing a 300, and sending in a video through YouTube, entrants were given the chance to win a trip to the L.A. auto show.
Well, visitors to the Chrysler site have chosen a contest winner -- and it's Lisa Marie Varon of Louisville, Kentucky. Varon won the “Spin It Your Way” challenge by submitting a 2-minute video of her customized 2006 300C, which she has named the “Black Widow.” The Black Widow has 24-inch rims, air suspension, indoor and outdoor lighting kits, a 7-inch visor, headrest video screens, Lambeau doors, and multiple other features.
As the winner, Varon earned a trip for two to Los Angeles, where her Chrysler 300 will be displayed at the
Los Angeles International Auto Show in November of this year.
Ralph Gilles, the lead designer of the 300, said “We have found from our owners like Lisa that the Chrysler 300 is not just a sedan, it's a passion, an expression of emotion captured in bold design that empowers and engages them to show their individuality.”
Posted in : 2008, Chrysler, Shoppers
Email this page to your friend:
A South Carolina-based company says they have the cure for damaging tire chains and for sloppy winter driving, too. Their solution: a new spin on tire treads that builds a retractable stud into the tire.
At the flick of a switch inside the car,
Q Tires says, its product's tread will bulge with studs that improve traction on icy and slushy streets. The treads revert to normal after another flick, says founder Michael O'Brien.
O'Brien, a Californian, founded the company after living a few years in the Midwest and dealing with winter weather. With $8.8 million in startup money, his Q Tires -- so dubbed with a wink and a nod to the James Bond films -- is developing its product with mass production in mind.
The tires are built around a central air chamber that, when inflated, pushes the studs out through the usual tread. A wireless transponder signals the tire to deflate or inflate the chamber according to the need for traction. The company estimates the tires could cost 30 percent more than normal winter tires, but wouldn't have to be mounted and unmounted. They might also reduce wear and tear on roads, the makers suggest.
In the meantime, the
New York Times reports O'Brien is lobbying state governments to amend laws that forbid studded tires in summer months -- because by law, his tires would be illegal even with their new technology.
Posted in : 2008, Shoppers, Technology
Email this page to your friend:
Ford is making the switch -- from hydraulic to electric power steering (EPS).
Ford said today that it plans to fit 80 to 90 percent of its cars with a new electronic power steering (EPS) system by 2012. Ford says the system will improve the fuel economy, performance, and reliability of all the cars outfitted with it.
Found now in the 2008 Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner, and both hybrid models, the system will be found in the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ next year and worked into the Ford Mustang, Ford Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator by 2012.
Ford says the EPS system can boost fuel economy by up to eight percent. It adds that the steering feel and handling of the vehicle are improved with EPS -- though most car writers have criticized EPS systems for artificial steering feel. Ford also says that hydraulic-powered steering systems have a higher failure rate and are less environmentally friendly than the new EPS systems. Ford says EPS can reduce CO2 emissions by 3.5 percent since it's only active when it's used, as opposed to a hydraulic system that's always being primed.
EPS will also lead to more sophisticated steering in the future. It could enable a feature like automatic parking, where your car will be able to parallel park itself by using advanced front and read bumper sensors, for example.
Compared to the rest of the world, Ford is a little behind the curve with EPS. In Western Europe approximately 6.1 million vehicles have EPS, nearly double the amount from 2003 according to just-auto.com.
Posted in : 2008, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Shoppers, Technology
Email this page to your friend:
It’s true--the most incredible things can be found on eBay. For instance, if you're a
Hardcastle & McCormick fan and survived middle school despite the fact, you may just want to
take a look at eBay with a relative or some close friend nearby to catch your fall. The original and only Coyote stunt/jump car from the show is for sale -- fully restored, under the original TV show preparation guidelines, too.
This piece of TV history comes with all the goodies, including an autographed script from Stephen Cannell Productions of the episode “The Birthday Present,” where the car was heavily featured. The car has the original wheels with “landing” marks on the inside, the original seat with a five-point Bell racing harness, and all the accoutrements are in working condition. The seller claims the car “runs as good as it looks.”
Doubting the authenticity of the vehicle? Take a look at the auction documents from Walt Disney Attractions that confirm the car's authenticity, as well as a letter from David Dines, who restored the car. It comes complete with photos of the restoration and all documents for display. Alas, there's no official stuff from the stars, Brian Keith (who passed away in 1997) or Daniel Hugh Kelley, not even a lock of Kelly's 'fro.
Everyone is welcome to bid on this auction--that includes you overseas readers. However, if you are from outside the continental U.S. you will be required to arrange for export and handle all docs and fees.
Posted in : 2008, Cars On TV, Shoppers
Email this page to your friend:
Auto journalists like to throw stones at automakers for the build quality of their cars. But what if the car writers had to take their spot on the assembly line and help shepherd a new vehicle from start to finish, and pass the quality muster?
That's what Automobile magazine editor Jason Cammisa was charged with, when the magazine wheedled its way into the Lamborghini assembly line in Sant'Agata, Italy, and installed him on the production line. Lucky Cammisa, the magazine's West Coast editor, got to be a part of the assembly process for the first
Lamborghini LP560-4 to come off the line.
Cammisa followed the LP560-4 through the 20 assembly stations at the factory -- "where German efficiency meets Italian style," the magazine says. (Lamborghini's a subsidiary of Audi these days.) He also bore witness to the changes in the factory that are supposed to make the cars faster, lighter and more environmentally friendly, but we suspect he was mostly interested in playing with all the tools.
Cammisa says his "Build-A-Bull" car left the factory with the stamp of approval from his new co-workers. The online version of the article includes a quartet of videos showing Cammisa on the line -- which you can see
here,
here,
here and
here.
Our advice? Take the gig full-time -- it has to pay better, right?
Posted in : 2009, Car Publications, Exotics, Lamborghini, Shoppers
Email this page to your friend:
RSS
Send Feedback!
Marty Padgett March 31st, 2008
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
