April 2009
58 posts
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My Ride in a Famous Taxi
Taxi cabs are, without a doubt, my biggest vice. I’ve often said that cabs are to me what crack-cocaine is to a crackhead. I realize that may sound overly dramatic and you might, at this point, be wondering why I speak of this common mode of urban transportation with such disdain. Well, here you have it: when you’re a young working person in New York (and you don’t work for a...
Captionize...It's Tuesday
TODAY’S PHOTOGRAPH comes to us from: http://rachelhulin.com/blog/
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Dream Car: 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Spyder...
photo via Luxist
Time and again, I’ve been asked what treasures my dream garage might hold. I tend to avoid answering because it’s just too hard to pinpoint a handful of favorites. As with music, my thoroughly mutable tastes change based on environment, mood, and circumstance. That said, there are a few precious vehicles that, like James Taylor or some retro Snoop Dogg, will...
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A Must for the Speed Demon
I’ll admit it: sometimes I’m a speed demon. Sometimes, the road beckons to me. It tells my foot to press harder on the pedal. It tells my shifting hand to throw the engine down a gear, gun the motor and maximize acceleration. On occasion, against good judgment, it tells me to take that upcoming bend in the road hard and, once in a while, it tells me it’s okay to weave in...
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“Driving down your freeways, midnight alleys roam.”
– The Doors (LA Woman), 1971
“[Fiat] now seems set on remodelling the global car industry.”
– Read the full article: The Economist
...And the Winner Is:
This week’s photograph, the Venetian wake-boarder, solicited a mere nine captions. Thankfully there were a few good ones in there. Thanks to all who participated. Here are the week’s results:
Third Place went to aramdavid’s ”Snowboarders furious after republicans claim global warming is a myth”
Second Place went to Alison’s “the new gondola”
...
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Chrysler to File for Bankruptcy
Chrysler 300C (via www.chrysler.com)
So what does this mean and what’s entailed?
Well, I’m honestly not sure. And, it’s been a brutal week (one that included a Tumblr mishap that resulted in the accidental deletion of the draft of a piece on the Porsche Panamera that I’d been working on for weeks just as I was reaching the “finishing touches” stage - note...
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Status Incarnate Has Terrible Gas Mileage and An...
photo via: Los Angeles Times
Dan Neil’s piece on the new Bentley Continental GTC is highly amusing…check out the full length piece by hitting the link below, or read the excerpts I’ve posted.
Text via: Los Angeles Times
As day follows dawn, I’ll get e-mails this morning to this effect: “Dear worthless shill, how can you justify writing about a...
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eBay Find...
You just never know what you’re going to find on eBay. Like, for instance, last night I found this 1957 Corvette race car. Initially a drag racer, the car was modified and converted into a vintage racing car in the 1990s. Since then, this striking ‘vette has won a number of races and has even set a handful of records. Current bid is $65,000. Buy it now price is $125,000. Access...
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Separated at Birth?
I’m not digging the similarity of the Hyundai Genesis’ grill and the Mercedes S-Class’ grill. Something’s gotta give.
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What in the World...?!
photos via: www.blog.wired.com/cars
What is that? Read about the unusual 3-wheeled Aptera here: http://blog.wired.com/cars/2009/04/we-drive-the-ap.html.
Check out ApteraMotors website.
Another Tuesday, Another Caption...
TODAY’S PHOTOGRAPH is a special gem from The Boston Globe:
Here’s how it works: Create-A-Caption Tuesday is when I, the URR writer, invite, you, the readers, to hit the comments section with a vengeance and create a caption for an absurd, outrageous, amazing, or just plain sweeeet photograph. A winner will be announced on Friday. And since we all know how much winning rocks, feel...
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The Estoque: Not Dead After All?
text and photos via AutoBlog:
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/23/lamborghini-denies-estoque-death-rumors/
After a series of stories surfaced over the weekend reporting the demise of the Lamborghini Estoque, the supercar manufacturer has issued a statement addressing the rumors. According to Lamborghini, the Estoque has not been killed off, but it hasn’t been approved for production either....
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Car Falls Three Stories After Plowing Through...
If I could have figured out how to post the video that went with this article, I most certainly would have (hit the NY1.com link below to see it).
photo via: CBS, text via NY1.com:
A parking attendant remains in serious condition after falling three stories inside a car that crashed through the window of a Greenwich Village garage this afternoon.
Investigators say it happened around 3:15...
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A Positive Development for a Cause Célèbre:...
This is good news, not only for China but for Planet Earth.
via: The New York Times
“The main message is simple enough: ‘China will need to decide for itself how to proceed,’ the report says, “but its actions, more than those of any other country, will shape the global approach to the cleaner use of coal that is urgently needed to avoid the worst effects of climate...
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HORSEPOWER
VIA http://benhasten.tumblr.com/
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...And the Winner Is:
This week’s caption photo brought out everyone’s A-game. Thanks to all who participated. Here are this week’s results:
In THIRD Place, we have New Word with: “Lambor-Gina”
In SECOND Place, we have Ronnie with: “can you please take down this picture…my mom would rather not be posted on the internet.”
And the WINNER (for a second week in a row!)...
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Stunner: 2009 Morgan AeroMax
photos via: www.roadandtrack.com
Read more about this car in Road & Track Magazine.
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Sighting: Toyota FJ40 Landcruiser
There are very few things that can surprise a New Yorker. In the automotive realm, you really see everything. There are minivans cruising the FDR Drive with big chrome rims. There are Honda Accords with blown out windows that have been replaced by the finest in garbage bag and duct tape engineering. There are plentiful Maseratis, Maybachs, and even an occasional McLaren to be sighted....
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The Fisker Karma Gets a Monetary Boost
Beautiful as it may be, the Fisker Karma does kind of look like it’s coming, gleaming jaws clenched, to eat you. Perhaps it was this intimidation factor that Fisker used to get Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers and Eco-Drive Capital Partners — two venture capital investors — to ante up $85 million. The capital infusion is expected to be enough to propel the Karma into its...
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“Driving sideways, taken in by the scenery as you’re propelled along. And...”
– Aimee Mann (Magnolia Soundtrack), 1999
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Get to Captioning!
TODAY’S PHOTOGRAPH COMES TO US VIA ffffound.com
Here’s how it works: Create-A-Caption Tuesday is when I, the URR writer, invite, you, the readers, to hit the comments section with a vengeance and create a caption for an absurd, outrageous, amazing, or just plain sweeeet photograph. A winner will be announced on Friday. And since we all know how much winning rocks, feel free to...
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URR is on Twitter...and Already Stirring...
Well, Urban Road Ramblings has officially been on Twitter for about two weeks now. And, although it takes some getting used to (and we’re still finding our way), overall, we like the micro-blogging system and use it primarily to register cool road sightings when we’re out and about on the streets. I registered one such sighting last week while I was down in Florida when I saw two...
Fecal Fuel? →
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Bill Gates Files Patents For Electromagnetic... →
Via Jalopnik:
The patent filing, number 20090091138, describes several different designs which do away with the traditional generator design with a standalone power source driving a separate electromagnetic generator. In a traditional generator, an oscillating or rotating permanent magnet is driven externally and moves inside a tightly wound and carefully designed bundle of wires, creating a...
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One Sweet Photograph
Métro parisien - Paris by Auré from Paris / © All rights reserved
via: http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=2534527038&size=large
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UNREAL ALERT.
While we’re on the topic of customizations, check out these sick pics of a custom Mercedes 300SL. Built from the mid-1950s through 1963, the 300SL was the fastest car of its day and boasted novel fuel injection technology. The custom camo paint job seen below was done by Japanese all-around cult brand, BAPE (Bathing Ape [what is Bathing Ape?]).
For those of you that are having a hard...
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Andreas Gursky is One of My Favorite Photographers...
I saw these a while ago when they were at the Matthew Marks Gallery in Chelsea in Spring 2007 and, well, you know how some images just stick with you? For me, this series of shots taken during various pit stops at a Formula 1 race are some such images that I don’t think I’ll soon forget. Click the photos below for larger images.
All Photos via: Matthew Marks Gallery
F1 BOXENSTOPP...
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Von Dutch Kustom Cycles
Von Dutch. Best known by the masses for their — now dweeby, once cool — trucker hats (see inset), is really a custom motorcycle design shop. Von Dutch Kustom Cycles are really more like works of art than they are bad-ass choppers, but, evidently, the ride is pretty sweet too. I don’t know much about motorcycles, but the ones I’ve dropped below are pretty nice to look...
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We Have A Winner!
This week’s submissions were slow to come, but as the week got on, some real gems emerged…thanks to everyone who participated! Results are as follows:
In THIRD Place, we have B M Double U’s “Auto industry factory worker makes failed US economic allegory.” — HAHAHA…I liked this one a lot.
In SECOND Place, we have Senor Paul’s “Wrong car,...
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Okay, Segways ARE Officially Taking Over...
Is GM Finally Catching On to the “Green” Movement? It’s About Time!
photo via: www.npr.org
Well, I resisted posting about this because I promised in my last segway-related post that Urban Road Ramblings was NOT being overtaken by segways, but I finally caved (after many of you called and emailed to bring this item to my attention — thank you for keeping your eyes...
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Aston Martin, Meet Bang & Olufsen.
Now my dream car has my dream sound system…
photo via: www.automobilemag.com
photo via: luxurylaunches.com
You can read all about it on the Bang & Olufsen website.
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It's Tuesday...Time to Create-A-Caption!
TODAY’S PHOTOGRAPH comes to us via http://vickytoria.tumblr.com:
By now, you know how we do around here…
Create-A-Caption Tuesday is when I, the URR writer, invite, you, the readers, to hit the comments section with a vengeance and create a caption for an absurd, outrageous, amazing, or just plain sweeeet photograph. A winner will be announced on Friday. And since we all know how...
Flipping the Boss' Ferrari...Ouch.
Via The Anniston Star:
“The California Highway Patrol said a 23-year-old woman driving an expensive Ferrari owned by her boss flipped it after taking a curve too fast, causing an estimated $125,000 in damage.”
image via InsideBayArea.com
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Brand New Camaro SS in Manhattan...Bliss?
Photo Via Jalopnik
“One block into my drive in lower Manhattan saw guys grabbing camera phones to take photos. Never saw that with one o’ them fancy-pants’ed Euro cars. Nope, this big ol’ ‘merican muscle car was something different. It carries itself differently — with kind of a swagger.”
Read the rest of Ray Wert’s highly enjoyable Review of the...
Nine Years Later, The Fast and Furious Cast...
photo via: The Wall Street Journal
The most dramatic economic contraction since WWII…that is the only thing to which I can logically attribute the success of this weekend’s release of the fourth installment of the Fast and Furious.
Sure, I saw the original Fast and Furious when I was in High School. I even liked it. A lot (if we’re being truthful here). But when second and...
Segways Taking Over?
I swear…Urban Road Ramblings is NOT turning into a blog about segways. But this image was too crazy not to post.
(image via: ffffound.com)
Lamborghini Puts the Kibosh on Its 4-Door Estoque
(via conceptcarz.com)
Last week, Lamborgini announced its decision to abandon plans to produce a four-door sedan that would have competed with the Maserati Quattroporte, the soon-to-be Porsche Panamera, and the maybe-some-day Aston Martin Rapide. Named for a special sword used by bullfighters, the Estoque, was to be Lamborghini’s attempt to offer a modicum of practicality to its buying...
The Honda Humanoid Robot.
Meet Asimo, The Honda Humanoid Robot