Simplify your laptop buyingI'm still running through notes I made when visiting the 52nd Annual International Auto Show here in my current residence of San Francisco, California regarding cars and topics to feature here in this blog. I'm still rolling-rolling-rolling like Limp Bizkit (did I spell that right?) and about to get all environmental with a video about one of the several hybrids I saw at the 2009 IAS, the 2010 Lexus RX450h.
The RX450h isn't Lexus's first foray into the mid-sized hybrid game and really it isn't all that different cosmetically from the outgoing RX400h. Likewise, based on much of what I've read about the RX450h that it isn't all that better for the environment or fuel economy than it's gas guzzling Lexus counterparts. But it ain't all bad - it's as plush and fashionable as one might expect a Lexo to be, and just the fact that Lexus has been making a concerted effort to jump on the hybrid bandwagon in the end is probably a good thing.
I've been showing lots of love to the many fabulous new sports cars I scoped at the recently held 2009 International Auto Show, but it's not as if those were the only types of cars on display at San Francisco's Moscone Center. So I thought it was time "now for something completely different" like Monty Python's Flying Circus. But this car isn't British (although I'm a sucker for a Jaguar of any vintage). Instead I thought we'd share a pint with the 2010 VW New Beetle that made its presence felt at the International Auto Show as only a Beetle can.
Supposedly the newest "New" Beetle, being designed in California, is to be more modern on the outside as well as under the hood. While in my opinion the body style of the "New" Beetle has never been all that similar to its historic '70s predecessor, the newest Beetle does seem to be looking more current millennium than ever. Supposedly there are going to be a series of spinoffs bearing the Beetle name, including a convertible and even a minivan. Apparently VW has some nontraditionalist intentions with this supposed throwback to a cult classic. Only time will tell if this ends up working to VW's advantage, or if the buying public who had been drawn to the obvious personality of a Beetle will thumb their noses at such a blatant attempt at streamlining one of the most famous makes in automotive history.
I've been taking a lot of inspiration for my blog posts lately from the many beautiful and bad-ass cars I saw earlier this month at the 2009 International Auto Show in San Francisco. Likewise, I've been focusing on the several sports cars that really tickled my fancy at said car show, and I've been posting up Web video covering their attributes in great detail amid scenic backdrops and general fanfare. Today I'm going to talk about yet another newly unleashed sports car, the 2010 BMW Z4, but the video posted here is more of a hit-and-run affair for those of you who possessing a short attention span. So without further ado let's begin...
The official name of this car is the 2010 BMW Z4 sDrive 35i, and it sure looks pretty on the road, eh? BMW has gone out of its way to reimagine the Z4 as more of an everyday, multiseason hardtop convertible, but it's still small and punchy enough to be thought of a sports vehicle as well. One could opt for the 3.0-liter version to pinch a few pennies, but if you've got the money for a Beamer, then why are you so worried about gas mileage? Go for the twin-turbo, 300 HP version and really kick up some dust when you take this toy out for a spin. You can scope how the superconvenient retractable roof works at the 0:51 mark.
There were a lot of impressive European sports cars on display at last week's International Auto Show in San Francisco. I've been giving Porsche and Lamborghini a lot of lip service lately in this blog, so I thought it was time to show a little love for the rather remarkable new Lotus--the 2010 Lotus Evora.
Like many of its European contemporaries, the 2010 Lotus Evora is a small, lightweight midengine sports car notable for sleek design and performance capability. What's strange is while Lotus isn't quite the household name that Lambo or Porsche is, the Evora is actually more expensive than comparable makes from these two sports-car powerhouses, which on paper doesn't seem like that great of a selling strategy. Despite this, Lotus has put together a sporty four-seater (yes, really) that is more utilitarian than one may expect from a sports vehicle and doesn't seem entirely ridiculous to drive to work every day...assuming you have the type of job that allows you to afford a Lotus.
This catchy tune reminds me of one of the pop songs from the soundtrack of the hit movie "Juno." The two-minute jingle praises the Chevy Volt singing: "Volt could change the world someday." The video features pictures of various General Motors executives and President Barack Obama to push a "hope for the future" message.
The battery-powered Volt travels 40 miles on a single charge. After that, a range extending gas generator kicks in, letting the car travel hundreds of miles on a single tank of gas.
One of the few European sports cars at the 2009 International Auto Show in San Francisco that people were allowed to get behind the wheel of was the 2010 Porsche Boxster S. I had to get in on the act, and I must tell you that all I wanted to do was punch the gas pedal and go for a joyride. And for those of us who may never get such an opportunity, here's a video of the 2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder in action on the roadway. Boy, what a sweet view it is.
This new Boxster model is a few hundred pounds lighter than its predecessors to optimize its performance, yet it retains its midengine design and high-end sports car sensibility. But, alas, this video is not about the 2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder's statistics--it's all about its aesthetics. As you can tell, this Porsche is poetry in motion against a backdrop of green and mountainous highways. The swiftness of the Boxster Spyder can easily be felt merely by watching a video clip of this car in action, and you'll only wish that you were behind the wheel feeling the wind rushing against your face in this fine automobile. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Last week I got to attend the 52nd Annual International Auto Show in San Francisco. I actually got to sit behind the wheel of many fine automobiles, but one of the several cars that were off limits was the 2010 Lamborghini Murcielago. Unfortunately I've never had the pleasure of sitting (let alone driving) in a Lambo, so I've got to live vicariously through Web videos like this to get a taste of what it's like to drive the 2010 Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce. And just as you might expect, this car appears to kick ass even on the Welsh country roads within this review from Fifth Gear.
This video gives us the view both outside and inside this SuperVeloce Murcielago cruising at high speed along the twists and turns of the Welsh countryside. As is noted within the official title of this sports car, the 2010 Murcielago boasts 670 horses driving its 12-cylinder engine that tops out at over 200 mph and it's nearly $500K price tag correlates accordingly. Specs aside, this car looks and sounds pretty kick-ass to me. According to the commentary, Lamborghini will be phasing the Murcielago SuperVeloce out of production in the near future. 'Tis a damn shame, my friends, as the Murcielago SV is a world-class sports car to be reckoned with.
Yesterday I was writing about the new Audi R8 sports car that's borrowed at least a few attributes from the Lamborghini Gallardo. I figured since I brought up the subject that I may as well present you with a video of that very car, and specifically in this case we are putting the spotlight on the 2010 Lambo Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder as it blazes through the Canary Islands.
Lamborghini's Gallardo is numerically its biggest production car and is generally regarded the world over as one of the best performing and aesthetically pleasing modern sports cars. The Spyder edition of the Gallardo has been around for a few years and while it doesn't quite have the muscle of other Gallardo models, it's still a sleek European sports car. The environmental aspects of this Web video are great, showing this beaming yellow Lambo cruising the roads against a backdrop of misty skies and rocky terrain. We also get a look under the hood at the :17 mark and then hold onto your hats as shortly thereafter you're gonna get blasted with the roar of the Gallardo as its tires burn Australian pavement. You'll also get to check out both the interior and exterior features of this fine Italian sports car.
With all eyes in the auto world this week focused on the LA Auto Show, I thought I would take a look at what else was going on. Here's a car shaped like a cricket bat. It was built by the man who brought the world the soccer ball car and the toilet car.
There was lots of automotive eye candy to behold at the recently-held 2009 International Auto Show in San Francisco, but one particular car definitely caught an extended gaze of my eye. My vision honed in a shiny white and black sports car, sitting in a "hands off" section of the showroom floor. To my surprise, this mean-looking sports car was an Audi, but not just any Audi. This here was the 2010 Audi R8 rockin' a length-side up with a mounted V10 mid-engine. I had to know more and see more of this particular car, and that's how we ended up with today's video that looks at the pros and (are there any real) cons between the 10-cylinder Audi R8 and its 8-cylinder counterpart.
Constructed by Audi's performance specialty division quattro GmbH, the R8 two-seater from the front pretty much looks like an Audi (albeit a little more sleek than one might associate with an Audi). The R8 has also drawn some heat for being very close in style and construction to the Lamborghini Gallardo to the point where some sports car snobs basically consider the Audi R8 a cheap knockoff primarily because of its engine looking awfully similar to that of the Gallardo. So what? I'll leave that argument for you and your friends to debate. I'd rather spend the time hearing the R8 engines revving up and the tires burning asphalt. The V10 engine looks especially beautiful (best seen at the 3-minute mark) and at 2 minutes you get to see in real time how quickly the R8 goes from 0-60. The V8 edition obviously doesn't have us much push as its 10-cylinder brethren, but hey you could do way worse than this.
