Urban Road Ramblings

Fantastic.

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:50:17 -0500

Santa Monica billboard wars:

The Range Rove Evoque is Only Mildly More Attractive than the Ford Edge...

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:36:58 -0400

Sure, you might be getting better interior details and overall better performance, but for but for $15-20K less and Ford’s infinitely better reputation for service, I think I’d rather drive the Edge. Agree or disagree. Go.

Top photo via: Fat Scribe

Bottom photo via: Auto Fans

Top photo via: NewCar-UsedCar

Bottom photo via: Sales Point Solution

"It’s been two years since I let you go. I couldn’t listen to a joke or rock and roll. ..."

Thu, 26 May 2011 11:54:51 -0400

“It’s been two years since I let you go. I couldn’t listen to a joke or rock and roll. Muscle cars drove a truck right through my heart.”

- Lady Gaga (Born This Way), 2011

A Thing Of Beauty: The 2012 Aston Martin Virage

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:45:00 -0500

When Aston Martin introduced the Virage in 1989, it intended for the car to be the top-of-the-line model in its fleet. By 2000, the car was replaced by the Vanquish. Next year, it makes its triumphant return and will be positioned mid-way between the DB9 and the DBS. The car promises 490 horsepower powered by a 6.0 liter v-12 engine. A strong emphasis on handling and an array of fancy interior accouterments will make this ride the height of pleasant. While I certainly wouldn’t complain if offered the chance to drive this car, I’m getting a little sick of the Aston Martin architecture. In the opinion of this author, it’s time for an Aston Martin architectural re-vamp…Jaguar has caught up and the cars look too similar now. If Aston is to continue to charge what it does relative to Jag, they’re going to have to offer greater aesthetic distinction (performance distinction is important, but not entirely sufficient).

Photo via Uncrate.

DON'T Take My Spot

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:35:00 -0500

READ. Check out the original site.

Long Live the Camaro

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 09:02:00 -0500

I just adore this shot:

photo via FastAsAShark

Automotive Art

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:00:00 -0400

I suppose if this blog is any indication, my future home had better be large because it will be adorned with a variety of large and cumbersome automotive artwork. Take a look at British artist Anthony James’ KO: a sculpture of a battered Ferrari 355 Spider in a fluorescent lit glass box:

Personally, I think it’s a rather awesome piece.

photos via: trendland.net

I'll Take One in Red and One in Blue Too

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:54:04 -0400

The Ferrari GTO 612. The Italians churn out another masterpiece:

photos via: designyoutrust.com

There's a New Art Car in Town

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:57:00 -0400

Since 1975, BMW has commissioned artists to treat its cars as canvasses. Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, and Andy Warhol are among the talented pool of contemporary artists who have taken a turn at decorated one of the German automaker’s products. The latest installment to BMW’s art car initiative comes from pop artist, Jeff Koons, and it is mighty cool. The vehicle was revealed at Paris’ Pompidou Centre.

Pictures below come from Wired Magazine.

S is for Sturdy, Spry, Stunning...Take Your Pick

Tue, 25 May 2010 16:49:00 -0400

S could also be for “speechless,” a condition that I’ve been caught in ever since I had my first opportunity to drive the new Audi S5 Cabriolet a few months ago. The experience of driving a real sports car, with a drop top, in the spring when the weather is beautiful, and turning heads everywhere (red has a tendency to be pretty eye-catching) is truly indescribable and hence my silence for so long.

But it’s time for me to muster the words and take a stab at describing what it feels like to press the gas pedal in the S5 and be pinned back into the sumptuous cinnamon leather sports seats while the warm sun quells the goosebumps that accelerating has brought about. Is there a greater sense of exhilaration that one can experience than that incited when looking in the rearview mirror of the S5 and seeing your sunglass-covered face against the gorgeous red rear of this perfect vehicle and the gleaming black asphalt trailing behind you? I really don’t think so.

While most cars tend to adopt just a few personality traits, the S5 has a rather multifaceted personality, with no single trait dominating at the expense of another. Below, I outline the most distinguishing features of the 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet:

The S5 is fast. Press the start button to ignite the engine and watch the needles make make the rounds throughout the gauge cluster. You will feel like a pilot. With its turbo-charged 3.0 liter V-6 engine, the S5 generates 333 horsepower and blasts from 0-60mph in about 5.3 seconds. That said, the brakes are also highly responsive, a must given the drive to go fast in this car.

The S5 handles like a dream. Once you have driven the car for a little while and you recognize how smooth and precise the vehicle is, you will not be able to resist the urge to power through every turn or curve in the road. With its 7-speed Automatic transmission and its graceful transition from one gear to the next, the preceding statement is really not all that surprising.

The S5 is practical. You may thinking I’m being too liberal with the term “practical”, but consider this: the S5 has (i) all-wheel drive, (ii) sufficient space to comfortably seat 4, and (iii) a surprisingly ample trunk (with the ability to fold-down the back seats). Further, Audi’s Multi-Media Interface (MMI) is what the Mac Operating System is to the computer world: extremely intuitive relative to its competition.

The S5 is “tricked out.” Forgive my use of silly slang here, but it seemed the only way to convey what I was trying to say. A few additional options take the S5 from “cool” to “awesome”: a sick Bang & Olufsen stereo system, an iPod connector, Audi Side Assist (a light that goes on to let you know if a car is riding in your blind spot), and neck a/c or heat vents (to keep you cool or toasty when the top is down).

The S5 is stunning. Red paint, cinammon leather interior, and chrome accents come together in the form of serious beauty.

I really don’t have anything negative to say. The S5 is magic (“woah, oh it’s maaagic, you know…”). Check out some pics below.

Photo

Tue, 25 May 2010 15:45:00 -0400

Retro Delight

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:07:21 -0400

Thanks to The Pretentious for combing the pages of e-Bay to unearth this nostalgic throw-back: a 1973 Ford Bronco in pristine condition. The Ford Bronco, most famous for a certain car chase that interrupted coverage of the Knicks v. Rockets NBA Finals game in 1994, was produced for three decades. The first generation model was issued in 1966 and spawned five distinct generations, but most Bronco connoisseurs (if anyone can be called that) consider the vehicle’s production within two time periods: early (1966-1977) and late (post-1977). Early models were built on a platform intended to compete with other compact SUVs like the Jeep CJ-7, while the platforms of the later models had a broader stance and were designed to compete with larger SUVs like the Chevrolet Blazer.

The model being auctioned on e-Bay, which, unfortunately, did not meet its reserve price of $18,000 and thus did not sell, is a full refurbished specimen of the early edition Broncos and might make for a great retro ride (having only had three owners in its lifetime). Check out the pictures below (via e-Bay).

Photo

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:05:00 -0400

Love. This. Advertisement.

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:37:00 -0400

This probably wouldn’t fly nowadays, but it’s a great example of early edgy automotive advertising. Love it.

Thanks AD.

Data Collected from NYC TAXI GPS Units Yield Fascinating Information About Big Apple Traffic Patterns

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:39:00 -0400

photo via The New York Times

Conclusions gleaned from a recent study that looked at NYC traffic patterns as indicated by data collected from yellow taxi cabs revealed that rain, visits from political leaders, and parades are the outside factors that have the most negative impact on traffic. Major holidays like New Year’s Day, Christmas Day, July 4th and Memorial Day offer the most ideal driving conditions: relatively NO traffic. Weekdays, particularly Wednesdays (when theaters offer matinee shows), present the worst driving conditions, with speeds averaging under 10 miles per hour.

“Nearly every yellow taxi trip taken in Manhattan’s business district — from 60th Street to the Battery — between November 2008 and October 2009. In that 12-month period, weekday traffic in the district moved at an average of 9.5 miles per hour — about the speed of a farmyard chicken at full gallop. (The New York Times -3/24/2010)”

City planners have already begun to use the data to influence their actions. In particular future decisions about how to regulate traffic along 34th Street are currently being worked out and much of the planning will rely on the data collected from this study. But data as extensive as that which is presently being collected on the matter of Manhattan traffic may have applications that reach beyond the road.

For instance, “on a typical Tuesday night, about 13,000 cabs travel south from the Upper East Side to a destination between 14th Street and Canal Street; on Saturdays, about three times as many cabs (38,000 on average) make the trip.(The New York Times -3/24/2010)” What does this say about night life and other recreational options on the Upper East Side? Perhaps restaurateurs and nightclub owners want to take some of this information into account…?

Bentley Aero-Ace Project

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:48:25 -0500

The Bentley Aero-Ace Project, a collaborative design effort championed by Bentley and the Royal College of Art, challenged students at RCA in London to create an automotive design concept that married forward-thinking aerodynamic styling with Bentley’s traditional old-world aesthetic. The collaboration yielded several stunning concepts. I have highlighted a few of my favorite renderings below (photos via wallpaper.com).

concept by Anand Krishnan of India, age 29

concept by David Seesing of Germany, age 26

concept by Miika Heikkinen of Finland, age 26

concept by Philipp Siebourg of Germany, age 30

Sighting: The Rambo Lambo

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:17:00 -0500

Winter’s three-day weekends are for skiing, fire lighting, and runs to the general store to pick up provisions. This past MLK weekend was no exception, except that Friday’s typical Seven Eleven stop in Stratton, VT resulted in much more than the usual gasoline, Clif Bars, and beer. Walking out of the store, toting my recently purchased breakfast items, my ears became overwhelmed by the sound of a booming 12-cyllinder engine. Over the automotive music came the familiar voice of my friend, Eric, who motioned for me to turn around and said “Rach, check it out…a Lambo truck.” It was that moment that set off an education when I immediately whipped out my cell phone to do some research on the Lamborghini LM002.

The LM002 is, by all accounts, ugly. But then again, I’ve never found Lamborghinis to be particularly stylish or aesthetically pleasing. Lamborghinis are rarely sexy. Ominous and imposing are adjectives better suited to describing these Italian exotics. The LM002 is thoroughly menacing and not in the slightest bit polished. But the foreboding LM002 was originally conceived as an army vehicle, so its harsh and boxy architecture is not surprising.

Lamborghini’s departure from sportscars was well received and the LM002 became a big success among the public. Civilian models were outfitted with luxury accouterments. Military models were equipped with machine gun mounting points and other army-amenable features. Though, only 301 of the brute vehicles were produced between 1986 and 1993, the car was popular in Saudi Arabia. The civilian model was marketed toward wealthy Saudis as the car and its Pirelli Scorpion tires offered superior performance in the desert. Saudi Arabia and Libya ordered several of the LM002 for use in the countries respective armies.

photo available here

Stunner.

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:00:00 -0500

photo via FastAsAShark

"She sang the soul train with a friend named Jen; her booty was bigger than a Mercedes Benz."

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

“She sang the soul train with a friend named Jen; her booty was bigger than a Mercedes Benz.”

- Mickey Avalon (Mickey Avalon), 2006

Man About Town

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:33:00 -0500

Well, here’s a new way of getting around…strap on one of these aeordynamic wheel-covered suits and let the good times roll (pun definitely intended). Founded by master body blader Jean-Yves Blondeau, body blading (which is also commonly known as “buggy rollin”), is an extreme sport that came into existence in the early 1990s when Blondeau created the 31 wheel suit for an art project in school. Body blading is NOT for the faint of heart. Becoming “one” with the road requires a high tolerance for risk and a low regard for what I would deem “good sense”. That said, there’s no question that watching those who fit the risk-phillic good sense-phobic bill is of the utmost entertainment value. (photo via LIFE)

Watch this (the whole thing), to see what I’m talking about: