Damn its time for a new car! If Darth Vader had a kick ass car in los angeles... it probably would be this one.... or maybe even this one... (darth vader stuntin?)
anyways this car pwns too hard...and its pretty much agreed that darth vader is such a pimp that he'd be rolling pretty hard like on some hollywood stuntin... what recession im rich.... get outta my way cuz u bout to get hit kinda pimpin......
i have a soft spot in my heart for kick ass SUVs and the G wagon is my ultimate ... so when one of my favorite aftermarket tuners (BRABUS) announced this car... i nearly fell out of my seat....
World Debut at the Geneva Motor Show 2009: The World’s Most Powerful Off-Roader – BRABUS G V12 S Biturbo with 700 hp (690 bhp) / 515 kW and 1,320 Nm (973 lb-ft)
BRABUS G V12 S Biturbo: The world’s most powerful off-roader comes from BRABUS (www.brabus.com). It is built by hand based on the latest Mercedes G-Class. The exclusive five-door is powered by a BRABUS SV12 S displacement engine. Like all special models of BRABUS – recognized by the German Vehicle Registration Agency as a vehicle manufacturer – the BRABUS G V12 S Biturbo comes with a comprehensive luxury package. The ultra-powerful 4x4 starts at 379,000 Euros.
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Mercedes x Brabus G-Wagon GV12 Bi-Turbo
Gumball 3000 Does San Diego
On Sunday Afternoon, the Gumball 3000 rally rolled through San Diego for it's 3rd stop on the Rally. Most of the cars were exotics which makes sense since the entry fee is $100k+ (seemed to be a lot of snooty British people). Because there were so many nice cars, even the two Prosche Carerra GTs got lost in the sea of money. The cars that stuck out were the different ones such as the 5&A Dime car (above) which they are racing WITH the bike on top, and the skater Sal Barbier's car (below) which was beat to hell, complete with the Mexican blanket across the back seats. I wish I had caught a picture of the whole car and I wish I could have seen what was inside the hood!
Among my other favorite standout cars was the super stealth Ford GT40:
Some Crazy European Import (the center one)
And this chromed out (yes the whole car, not the wheels) Lambo that some Sheik was driving, hopped out in robe and everything.
And of course Symbolic Auto in SD had to bring some heat so they dropped of a Bugatti just to show off
All in all, it was an interesting spectacle to ride down and see although the Juxtaposition of a a homeless person digging through the trash right next to the chromed out Lambo was a lot more interesting to look at and think about.
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The Lightning - The Supercar Of The Future
The Lightning Car Company, recently revealed what could be the super car of the future. With the rising concern of global warming and the success of the recently released Tesla, electricity might be the new direction for super cars to go. The Lightning sports new battery technology that can be recharged in as little as 10 minutes and has a battery life of 12+ years. With an efficient electric motor powering each wheel independently, it means fewer moving parts in the car. Few moving parts results in less energy loss and significantly less need for servicing (the dealerships will hate that).
The styling is clean, undoubtedly British, and beautiful if you are a fan of the likes of Jaguar and Aston Martin. Boasting a bhp equivalency of 700+ and a 0-60 in 4 seconds, this will be an excellent car for the people who need more car than the Tesla, or the collector who want another pony in the stable. With a release currently planned for UK only, it will be interesting to see if it ever hits our shores.
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5&A DIME Does Gumball 3000
5&A Dime is a street wear store in downtown San Diego's East Village. They have come a long way since being a small store focusing on the likes of vinyl toys to become one of the best clothing boutiques downtown.
The owner, who I have had the pleasure of meeting, and some of his people have been presented with the opportunity of a life time. They are going to be racing a car through 8 cities in 3 countries (US, NORTH Korea, and China)on 2 continents in the Gumball 3000 Rally. The race is $120K to enter and ends at the Beijing Olympics. They got hooked up with a sweet new Lancer Evo MR which they are adding some slight Mods and some dope gfx to.
Unfortunately, the sponsorships were not enough to cover the full expenses of the trip (shipping a car from China to the US is a GRIP) and so the team has been forced to give up for auction some prize possessions such as a vintage track bike built by the homies over at Veloculture, some limited run toys, and an ultra rare pair of Wu Tang Dunks. The race starts Friday in San Francisco and should be nuts! From what I have heard, there will be daily updates from the 5&A Dime crew on their blog and word is that there will be daily updates of the race from Hype Beast. So check out the nice cars and nutty race path online, and if you're ever in San Diego, drop by the shop, they carry what's hot, the people are chill, and the owner went above and beyond with the design and concept of the store.
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The Dark Knight: Batmobile Tumbler VS TOYOTA F1
what happens when you race the baddest f1 against the baddest crime fighting vehicle? straight up your wildest dream becoming a reality....
now the batmobile has always been like a staple for crime fighters means of transportation... it made me tempted to google/wiki older batmobiles of the past... which i came across this site.... BATMOBILEHISTORY.COM its pretty cool seems to cover quite a bit here cant wait to see this new batman movie... seriously when the dark knight returned to screens i was like.. jesus .. another one? i know the story... but it was flipped and done in such a style where i was like.. WOW.. good job.. kudos Christopher Nolan! so with just a few days away from the next one.. please believe that you will see a batman post again soon!
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Hummer - The Car People Love to Hate
GM just announced that, due to the high price of gas as well as the consumer demand, they will be shifting their focus to smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles (FINALLY). Of all the large vehicles they produce, the Hummer brand has to be one of their most famous (or infamous depending on how you look at it).
The Hummer has to be one of the most loved and most hated cars on the market today. It is the car that big car people love and the epitome of evil for the more environmentally conscious consumers. It used to be that Hummers were rare, if you saw one on the street you stopped and stared and told your friends about it the next day in 1st period. As the Hummer brand grew in popularity, they revamped it, creating the H2 (a clear status symbol), and later brought out a smaller, cheaper H3 (to make the Hummer brand more affordable to the rest of the population. Hummers now are pretty common (at least in southern California) and buying one is no longer a challenge (just filling up the gas tank is).
With the falling sales, GM had made plans to move the Hummer in a more "green" direction but are now reconsidering and deciding if they might want to sell it instead. I say going green is not the answer. GM does not have it in them to make a truly green Hummer. The Hummer Brand has too strong of emotions tied to it, the tree huggers will never buy a Hummer and the Hummer drivers will never go green. Allow me to take of my environmentalist hat off for a minute and make a suggestion.
GM will take a massive hit if the sell Hummer (and that's if they can find a buyer) so I think they should take Hummer to the ultimate extreme. Take Hummer back to when you would RARELY see one on the street so that when it passes by, everyone stops to stare. Redesign Hummer so it looks more like the old hummer, harsher lines but a modern look (the new ones look plastic).
Make one version of the Hummer and make it HUGE. Make it so big that the valet has no option but to park it right in front of the valet booth, eclipsing customers as they pick up their car. Hand build each Hummer from the ground up so that they are limited in production. Put an engine in that would make the corvette jealous and give it the ability to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Don't just put Bose in the cabin, put it on the suspension too.
As far as the inside, make the Maybach Jealous. The controls in the car should all be illuminated touch screens (no more buttons and dials and forget the i-drive). The car should talk with you, not too you, and the speech should sound like a person, not a robot. Put hand stitched leather seats in the back that vibrate, recline, rotate, heat and serve cappuccino. The sound system should make the accoustic designers of the Walt Disney Concert Hall wonder if they are in the right profession. Give it enough leg room in the back to stand up an pace around. Attach your laptop to the dock and use the 30" HD screen in front of you to do your work with the high speed mobile internet so that you are always connected. The car should be fun to drive but even nicer to be escorted in.
I don't believe the Hummer's image can be salvaged at this point, so why not just exacerbate it? This isn't the Hummer for the OC soccer mom anymore, this is the Hummer that the prince of Dubai drives out of town guests around in. This is the Hummer that no longer sits next to the Mustang GT, this Hummer sits next to the Enzo. Instead of changing the car, Hummer can change its market. These ridiculously priced, limited run cars often lose money but considering the amount of money GM is losing on them now, and the jobs they have to cut because of it, it might not seem like such a bad idea.
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BIKE TO THE FUTURE : PHILIPPE STARCK VOXAN XV
For a while ive been wanting a motorcycle. and why not? i've been seriously cycling for quite a while now and i drive a huge suv, it hasnt been the best on gas, and getting around LA just seems so much easier on bike, however LA is so spread out that a motorcycle would just make more sense to have no? well being a design nut, and hearing that Mr. Design himself, Philippe Starck has teamed up with French Motorcycle brand Voxan to create this insane looking super naked bike based on vintage 'cafe racers'.
So how Starck do it? He pretty much took the VOXAN GTV 1200 super touring bike motor, and stuck it on something that looks like a cross between a chair, a vacuum cleaner, a restaurant in LA, and a robot ( all of which he already designs btw). Starck seemed to integrate his minimalist design approach into re-creating the motorcycle and vintage cafe racers into this. Supposedly due for sometime in 08, it looks like this thing will be available for sale only in EUROPE, however rumors are out there that this bike may be available to the US via internet sales on VOXAN or STARCK's website.
I think its a refreshing way to look at motorcycles nonetheless . Even though i'm still not 100% sold on the design aspect of the bike (and im sure this can be debated up and down the river), i like to think that i would still be interested in owning one. And nakeds are not my thing (girls yes. bikes no), im more of the SUPERSPORT/HYPERSPORT motorcycle kinda guy. non asian of course, i like my ducatis, mv agustas, triumphs expensive and not 'played'.
So Mr. Starck, bravo... you done it again. you made something so simple expensive as hell and an object of my desire. damn you know what the bike isnt looking that bad anymore, i can apreciate the sharp angles on the side profile, mix of metal and leather, the simplicity of a naked... etc... whats next? actually dont answer that because im broke right now, and im still wanting a new motorcycle. and your VOXAN XV has easily become somewhere in my top 5.. no wait 10 bikes i want...
well here you go guys, check it out, enjoy and see what makes me want to make this leap from cycling to motorcycling as soon as my paper game is ready.
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