Formula One for 2007

First of all, new cars galore – Ferrari, McLaren, BMW, Honda, Toyota have come out with their new ‘07 racers with updated liveries and sponsorships. Second of all, Kimi in a Ferrari, Alonso in a McLaren. Personally, I’m rooting for the flying Finn – he’s been robbed of too many races due to faulty mechanics. New rules for ‘07, in particular the one-tire supplier mandate and the retirement of Schumacher represents a major shakeup in things to come this year. Looking forward to the opening race in Australia, March 18th.

 

Sportsmanship

If the word had to be described with a picture, here’s a good one.

 

Super-Heavy-Duty Towing

Faithful readers of my site will know that I’m vehemently opposed to SUVs in general. The VW Touareg is no exception – except for the fact that it can tow a Boeing 747. For a PR stunt, VW hitched a V10 TDI Touareg to the Boeing jumbo jet and hit the gas. Well, they didn’t really “hit” the gas – the Touareg was moving at merely 5 mph during the tow, but still. Under the Touareg’s hood lies a 4.9-liter V10 diesel powerplant that makes 310 hp and a massive 553 lb-ft of torque. Serious muscle for serious towing duties. This PR event comes as no surprise after TDI-powered Audi R10’s won both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 12 Hours of Sebring. Look for another application of TDI technology in Audi’s upcoming Q7 luxo-SUV. It packs a 6.0-liter, V12 TDI with twin-turbos that cranks 500 hp and 738(!) lb-ft of torque.

 

Fastest Couch

 

I commend those who go to the Bonneville Salt Flats to try to set new land speed records. I mean, if rocketing 1,200+ km/h on land and trying to keep the vehicle stuck to the ground doesn’t do it for you, I guess nothing will. All that is great but what if you could drive around in a couch that hits 140 km/h and lets you watch TV and read a book at the same time? Imagine the time savings on the commute home. You can be on the road while catching up on the evening news. Leather seats (or faux cheetah skin) never felt so good.

 

For the hopeless romantic/gearhead

How cool would it be to show your endless affection to your loved one, while affirming your love for wheels? Brian Bergeron Designs solves this problem with his innovative wheel-inspired rings available in silver, gold and platinum. Prices start at $60 and go all the way to $5000.

 

Ship Tips Over

 ”I’ll never let go, I’ll never let go.” Cue My Heart Will Go On.

It wasn’t quite as dramatic for the cargo ship Cougar Ace that tipped  after her ballasts were adjusted. The ship isn’t sinking, however, just out of order for now. Approximately 4,700 Mazda vehicles bound for Canada and the US are in her cargo hold. I’m sure the cargo was secured prior to leaving port, but secured enough to withstand a 60-degree roll – well, that remains to be seen. Of the 4,700 vehicles, 60% were Mazda 3’s, 30% were CX-7 SUVs.

 

The New Volvo Attitude

Just looking at the Volvos on the road today, things are moving for this company. Who remembers the boxy 850 and 960 sedan of the late 1990s? Even the tailpipes were square. Nowadays, you look around and see very forward thinking designs and concepts that could even be labeled as exciting. Take for example, the V50 wagon. Swoopy lines. Big wheels. Good proportions. Pleasing on the eyes. The fact that they’re based on a Mazda chassis might have something to do with its success. Reminds me a lot of the last-gen Audi A4 wagons.  

Next we have the Euro-bound only C30 hatchback coupe with striking similarities to the Audi TT. Again, this doesn’t look like something Volvo would have come with only 10 years ago. Personally, I like it and I wish more high-dollar car co’s would embrace this type of next-gen styling.

All this is great but it makes me wonder about Volvo’s strategy into the next decade. Previously, Volvo was all about safety – and they accomplished this by building cars inspired by Dessert Storm tank design. It seems that Volvo has gone a complete 180-degree and focused on cars having more go and more show. Is safety and sassy styling compatible? Or is Volvo having an identity crisis that left unchecked, could potentially upset the entire Volvo brand line?

 

China: Geely by 2008

First it was capitalism. Then it was space. Now it’s cars. You have to admire the effort of our distant neighbors across the Pacific, even though they’re a few decades behind. So what if it doesn’t pass US and European emissions and safety specs? So what if the brand sounds like that movie with Affleck and what’s-her-name-with-the-hips. And so what if the quality is questionable? If a large proportion of drivers in North America are willing to put up with faulty vehicles from the Big 3 that spend most of their days in a garage undergoing warranty repairs, who says they wouldn’t jump in another faulty vehicle at the half price? It’s time to revisit that 80’s time capsule – the days of $10,000 family sedans are coming back.

 

 

Pixar’s Cars

As a major car guy, I had to see this flick. I would have to give this movie 7 out of 10. It’s not quite as good as Finding Nemo but it had its moments. The story is about a race-car who encounters incredible success early in his racing career and lets his ego get ahead of him. On the way to a racetrack, he gets lost and ends up in a boon town where he discovers that there’s more to life than just fame and fortune. The story starts off good with lots of high octane action scenes and superb animation. Towards the middle, it slows down – a lot. Not like it became boring or anything, but it definitely tries the patience of smaller kids who just want to see action.

There’s lots of good parts to the movie, namely the witty humour and how Pixar transfers human qualities into cars. One of the main characters is Sally Carrera who is – you guessed it – modelled after a Porsche Carrera. It’s interesting how they decided to give a Porsche a feminine quality since Porsches have always been associated with speed, thrills, and testosterone. How many moms begin trading in their minivans and wagons for this sporty coupe remains to be seen. The animation is top notch, as is the sound effects. As one with discerning ears, I can say that Pixar got the sounds of Sally’s engine just right. From the idle burbling to full acceleration, it really does sound like a Porsche.

So what’s my recommendation? Save your money for Superman Returns.

 

Miata hardtop ups the ante

I realize that there are many naysayers about the status of the Miata as a man's sports car. And I also realize that we've been through this discussion already in an earlier post on The Scroll Bar Bimonthly but I have to raise the issue just one more time (or a few more times, who knows). The Discovery Channel ranked the Miata as the number two greatest sports car ever (losing only to the Porsche 911, but beating out the venerable McLaren F1). So if Discovery Channel says so, then it must be true. And now with its retractable hardtop, you're looking at a true four-season, daily driver sports car with good looks and a peppy engine to match. What remains now is the manliness quotient. Maybe giving it a more masculine name would change that. Miato?