A Passion for Cars - Vikram Singh

Another Honour For The Nissan GTR

2009-06-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

Forbes.com just conferred another great honour on Godzilla, the Nissan GTR. According to their research, the GTR is the most expensive car to insure (apart from the super-expensive supercars, of course).

Here's the list:

Most Expensive Cars to Insure

No. 1 Most Expensive: Nissan GT-R
Sports car
$2,533

No. 2 Most Expensive: Dodge Viper
Sports car
$2,446

No. 3 Most Expensive: BMW M6
Sports car
$2,236

No. 4 Most Expensive: Ford Shelby GT500
Sports Car
$2,186

No. 5 Most Expensive: Mercedes-Benz G-Class
SUV
$2,088

And here are the losers:

Least Expensive Cars to Insure

No. 1 Least Expensive: Hyundai Santa Fe
SUV
$832

No. 2 Least Expensive: Kia Sportage
SUV
$840

No. 3 Least Expensive: Hyundai Entourage
Minivan
$848

No. 4 Least Expensive: Kia Sedona
Minivan
$857

No. 5 Least Expensive: Kia Rio5
Passenger
$870

Crossing 95K Visits

2009-04-27T06:57:00.001-07:00

I just crossed the 95K visits mark on my blogs, on Friday:

Looking forward to 100K.

And on a smaller scale, my profile on blogger has now been viewed over 1,400 times.

My blogs Crossed 80,000 Total Visits

2009-02-18T12:09:00.001-08:00

Earlier in February, my blogs crossed the 80K visits mark. Sweet.

The list of my blogs is:

And on a smaller scale, my profile on blogger has now been viewed over 1,000 times.

I Saw My Second Nissan GTR!

2009-02-16T14:42:00.001-08:00

I just saw my second, live, honest to goodness Nissan GTR. This one was black, and this time I had my iPhone handy.

The photos aren't the best, since I took them while driving behind the GTR, but I'll take what I can get.

Oh yeah, it looked very, very nasty and nice!

Nissan GTR - Cool Fact

2009-02-11T10:26:00.001-08:00

I learnt a new cool fact about the Nissan GTR.

In Japan, road cars are electronically governed to a maximum speed of 112 mph. The Nissan GTR is meant to act as a sane road car, when needed, and it follows this rule.

However, if you drive up to a race track in Japan, the GTR's sat nav system figures this out, and switches the governor off, so you can thrash the car around the track to your heart's content.

That's cool!

Fifth Gear Video Of The Week - Lamborghini Gallardo

2009-02-10T17:15:00.001-08:00

This week, instead of a Top Gear video, I'm putting up a Fifth Gear video. Why? Because its awesome, that's why!

In particular, check out the sideways action half of the way through. Makes me feel I wouldn't mind switching my rear-wheel BMW 335i convertible for the LP560-4

fifth gear lamborghini gallardo in the snow

GM's Pains Continue

2009-02-10T14:55:00.001-08:00

GM continues its downward spiral, with an announcement for another 10,000 job cuts.

Depressing. But they still gainfully employ 80,000 - 85,000 people, so hopefully their strategies make sense.

I'm expecting more job cuts by the end of April, however.

More Bad News From Nissan

2009-02-09T18:08:00.001-08:00

Just like Toyota, Nissan also fell to a full-year loss. This was its first in almost 10 years.

As a result, about 20,000 employees (just under 9% of its workforce) are being let go.

Directors will not get bonuses, and will have salaries reduced by 10%.

Managers will have their salaries reduced by 5%.

Not the best news from the makers of Godzilla, the awesome GTR.

Auto Makers' Gold Standard, Toyota, With Net Loss

2009-02-06T12:58:00.001-08:00

As Cheech and Chong said, "Things are tough all over". Automobile's beacon of operational efficiency, Toyota, has tumbled to its first annual net loss ($3.85 Billion, or 350 Billion Yen). It's fiscal year ends in March.

At a broad level, there are only two main strategies Toyota can adopt to fix 2009-

a) Increase revenues. Not easy in this economy. But with a leadership in hybrid/ economical cars, as well as TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) cars, Toyota has a good chance here.

b) Reduce costs. Yes, Toyota is good at this. And I'm afraid this is where most of their efforts will probably end up. They are very good to their employees - which of course means contract employees are up a creek without a paddle. I'm hoping this does not make them cut their R&D budgets for hybrid/ eco-friendly cars.

A Green Shelby Super Car - Ultimate Aero EV

2009-01-30T14:18:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Sri (VP of Engineering at Kosmix) for sending me this one:

Shelby SuperCars, or SSC, is launching their Ultimate Aero EV in 2009. The second quarter of 2009 should see the first car roll off the lot, and we can expect (per SSC) to have full availability before the end of the year.

And check out the photos - it looks sweeeeet! In my humble opinion, gull-wing doors are a must for any super/hyper-car.

Why is this so special? Well, The Ultimate Aero EV is supposed to get to a Veyron-esque 1,000 hp, and 800 lb-ft of torque.

And how fast does that make it? How about a planned top speed of almost 210 mph, and a 0-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds? Wow! (These are planned, of course. But we've seen these types of numbers from another Green supercar - the Koeniggsegg CCXR, so we know it can be done. Whether you get killed on the way or not is a separate question).

Other relevant info includes the car's range on a single charge - 150 - 200 miles. And something called the "Charge on the Run" system, which enables a 10-minute full battery recharge. That's quite a feat, given that the Tesla takes 3.5 hours... conservatively - looking forward to getting more data on that.

I have to say, I haven't seen any new announcements from Shelby on this since July 2008, so I'm ready to accept delays, and reductions in specifications. Would love to see something soon, though!

BMW 335i - A Complaint

2009-01-27T17:24:00.001-08:00

This is a complaint about all BMW's, specially all the 3-series cars.

BMW can do so many thing so well. And they've kindly given BMW owners dual-climate control for the two front-seat people. But lets be reasonable and assume that most of the time, you want one temperature throughout your car. And most of the time, specially in the western world, people are driving alone (to/ from work, in particular).

Given these conditions, one would reasonably expect that the driver could control both temperature gauges through his/ her own gauge, if needed. But no, this isn't possible.

How retarded! How freaking retarded! Honda has been giving this (basic!) ability to drivers since the last 5 years at the least.

A New Era In Detroit - Italian Control

2009-01-23T16:52:00.001-08:00

Chrysler has a new dance partner. Fiat, which makes Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo (alfaa!) is taking a 35% stake in the Detroit, USA company.

Two important points:

a) Fiat is also cash-strapped.

b) Fiat has the option to get more (full) control of Chrysler, if it so chooses

Auto Sector Slowdown Affecting Commodities

2009-01-06T15:51:00.001-08:00

The Automobile sector is hurting badly, even as some of the best lineups of cars are becoming available. The Auto companies' woes are passing all the way down the supply chain to the commodities folks too, something that was only a matter of time.

Aluminium producer Alcoa is cutting down drastically on people and costs (my detailed coverage is on my Business blog). Of course, this isn't purely because of the automotive sector. But given that 2008 was a record bad year, and 2009 is shaping up to be a bruiser, the sector's effects are pretty clear.

Increased Page Rank

2009-01-03T16:44:00.001-08:00

My cover-all blog, Capoeirista, now has a Page Rank of 2, a bump-up of +1

Darn Google, you better give me more respect!

Over 70,000 Visits To My Blogs!

2008-12-29T03:05:00.001-08:00

Another day, another milestone. Over 70,000 visits to my blogs so far - quite a nice number to have at the end of the year.

Here's me looking serious, to celebrate :)

Funny Autos Bailout Joke

2008-12-21T14:50:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Jae for sending this one

"Ridiculous" Is Spelt "Maybach Landaulet"

2008-12-19T15:53:00.001-08:00

The Mayback Landaulet, or 57S, is a study in over-the-top luxury. What qualifies it as over-the-top?

Is it a 612 hp, 738 lb-ft of face melting torque?
Champagne cooler and 2 silver flutes, held by an automatic clip? (what?)
Reclining rear seats? Leg rests?
40 inches of rear legroom? (where's my business class seat?)
Retractable hard top.... only for the passenger? (what? why can't the chauffeur have an open roof as well?)
Illuminated vanity mirrors (ooh, how pretty we are)

No. Those are run of the mill (cough). What is over the top is the black star granite, sourced from India, that is in the passenger section. Granite. Stone trim. Shaped to fit the car's interior.

This is ridiculous. I love it.

Top Gear VoTW - BMW M3 CSL

2008-12-12T15:18:00.001-08:00

Jeremy Clarkson took the BMW M3 CSL to the Isle of Mann to test it out.

The Isle of Mann is a driver's dream - no speed limits outside the towns! Do whatever you feel like doing.... just remember there will be other idiots doing the same.

The BMW M3 CSL is an amazing machine. It makes a regular M3 look like a Honda Civic.

Nothing that adds extra weight-

no air conditioning
no radio
manual windows
carbon fibre roof (don't roll over!)
cardboard.... yes, cardboard!..... trunk floor. in other words, groceries shouldn't weigh more than a few pounds

An engine that squeezes out more horses from the same volume
Slick summer tires; before you buy the car, you have to sign a waiver saying you understand BMW is not responsible if you drive in rain or snow. Now that's a race car!

Check out the video

bmw m3 csl

Top Gear VoTW - Porsche Carrera GT

2008-12-02T11:55:00.001-08:00

(VoTW, of course, means Video Of The Week)

Jeremy Clarkson drove and reviewed the Porsche Carrera GT. He was completely floored by it.

The Stig must have loved it too - at that point, the Porsche GT was the fastest car around the Top Gear track.

I wish I had Jeremy's job.

top gear porsche carrera gt

Foiled! The San Francisco Auto Show

2008-12-01T01:45:00.001-08:00

Yoshi and I decided to go this Sunday, Nov 30, to the San Francisco Auto Show. Turns out we were a little off the mark - the show ended on Saturday.

Damn!

A New High

2008-11-25T08:43:00.001-08:00

Normally, between them, my blogs get around 500 visits/day. This Monday, November 24, my blogs hit a new milestone - 1,240 visits.

Sweet! This calls for a random photo - how about one from Kosmix' 2007 holiday party. Nagraj and Sailesh are flanking me.

Bugatti Veyron Top Speed - James May

2008-11-21T09:17:00.001-08:00

Top Gear has showcased the Bugatti Veyron, the world's fastest car, a couple of times. I specially loved the episode where they had "Captain Slow", James May, try to get the Bugatti to its top speed, 253 Miles per Hour. Whooo

The segment has everything - a likeable, muddle-headed protagonist set against impossible odds, an incredible goal, a magnificent machine, top speed driving, and an emotionally charged soundtrack threatening to bring tears to your eyes.

Forget your local movie-plex, just watch this episode a few times instead.

bugatti veyron top gear

New Milestone For My Blogs - 50,000 Visits

2008-11-19T18:46:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday this week, my blogs passed 50,000 visits. Sweet!

The blogs, of course, are:

And on a smaller scale, my profile on blogger has now been viewed 550 times.

Supercar Photos Of The Week - MC1

2008-11-19T09:33:00.001-08:00

David Hilton is the man behind the designs for the Ford Mustang, Focus RS and S-Max. That's a nice resume.

He is now working on the MC1, a British supercar. Britain is not too bad at building supercars and concept cars - witness the latest batmobile. And the MC1 is very drool-worthy.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X - Aggressive Styling

2008-11-14T14:47:00.001-08:00

My brother-in-law, Mr. A (a former rally driver), bought his Evo X around the same time I bought my BMW 335i convertible. We love our own cars, and have mutual admiration/ drool-factor over each other's cars too. So this is my homage to the Evo X's amazing functional and extremely aggressive styling.

Amazing, isn't it?

Check out that hyper-aggressive grill!

the side and rear look better than this photo shows

And now some action shots:

The engine, the culprit that powers this monster

Brembo brakes, of course, for this monster of a car

Recaro racing seats, to keep you from flying out of the car on turns

A big old spoiler to keep the Evo on the road, exhaust pipe to funnel away the baaad gaaas

Photos Of The Week - BMW 335i Ambient Lighting

2008-11-04T12:05:00.001-08:00

I love the BMW 335i Convertible, I really do. One of the really nice and warm features - the ambient lighting.

And finally, a gratuitous view of the interior, with red leather. You know when a red leather interior looks good? When it looks like this!

Car Companies In Trouble

2008-11-03T13:10:00.001-08:00

GM - October sales have fallen 45%

Ford - down by 30%

Toyota - down by 23%

Honda - down by 25%

Given how bad terms for financing are becoming, new car sales will probably take some time to adjust back up. On the other hand, people selling used cars are probably getting great offers right now.

Car makers are quite good at advertising - it will be interesting to see how they respond, and try to change the market. Look for lots of great deals around the new year!

Chrysler Update - Driving Off Into The Sunset?

2008-10-24T15:24:00.001-07:00

There is an update to my earlier update on Chrysler's plant shutdowns and layoffs. Seems Chrysler is more than doubling the number of full-time workers getting laid off - the number is 5,000, or a quarter of Chrysler's full-time workforce.

This doesn't even tell the full story; the company has a very large number of contract employees. Chrysler has mentioned a quarter of them will also be let go.... but it doesn't need to specify the number of contractors let go, so there's probably a lot of blood-letting there.

What does all this point to? Chrysler putting itself up for sale, or something else equally drastic. Or, only selling a much smaller sub-set of their current auto lines (eg: selling off Jeep). Wow. I wonder if this will be another car company from a developing market (think Tata buying Land Rover and Jaguar), or time for the Private Equity firms to get back into action.

Check out the page on Chrysler in RightAutos, a Kosmix site. (Ankur Jain is the product manager).

Signs of a Downturn - Chrysler Layoffs, Plant Shutdown

2008-10-24T15:00:00.001-07:00

Chrysler is laying off close to 2,000 people, by shutting down a Delaware factory (despite the favorable tax rules there?), and slowing down work at their Ohio plant.

That's bad for both places, and should also put some influence on the upcoming elections.

Supercar photo of the week

2008-10-19T10:15:00.001-07:00

Humle F1

for some reason, this one makes me think of the Plymouth Prowler, and that cheapens the effect somewhat.

Signs of a Downturn - Upheaval at Tesla

2008-10-15T22:25:00.001-07:00

What's new at Tesla? 5 items, apparently -

1. Elon Musk has kicked out Ze'ev Drori and become CEO himself. Drori, of course, was brought in by Elon and his gang after they kicked out founder Martin Eberhard. These are, of course, all signs of a stable company. Want some more signs of stability?

2. There are rumors that Tesla is looking for another $100 Million in financing. This is a complete rumor, so lets not think too much about this. After all, Tesla is very stable, as shown by...

3. They're about to have layoffs. Ooh. That isn't good. As I had written earlier, these are the same guys who were about to open a new manufacturing plant in San Jose. I'm not sure what's going to happen to those plans (although they are going to rely on funding from the Governator and others for that). Per Valleywag, a tipster says about half the staff is going to be asked to leave, but company officials are begging to differ.

4. But in another ominous sign, their proposed engineering center in Detroit now seems to be gone. Hmm. That is sounding a little less stable. So maybe this helps...

5. Tesla's Model S Sedan seems to have been delayed. Indications are that it will launch mid-2011.... which sounds like never.

Well, hopefully the girdle tightening helps Tesla survive and thrive.

Finally, some Page Rank for my Tech blog!

2008-10-14T02:12:00.001-07:00

My Tech/ Startups related blog finally has some Page Rank. It is at PR = 2 right now. That should help me show up higher in Google searches.

Supercar photo of the week

2008-10-12T22:13:00.001-07:00

Locus Plethora (2007)

Dig that single wiper. And that crazy front, with the recessed grill, those deep grooves (ditches?) on the hood, and the weirdly arced head-lights.

Supercar photo of the week

2008-10-03T20:40:00.001-07:00

McLaren F1

Gull-wing doors - a supercar isn't a supercar without them.

I would have bought the McLaren, but the bottom would scrape over the bumps in my driveway. Too bad

982 Visits on Wednesday!

2008-10-03T05:07:00.001-07:00

Wow, my main blog got 982 visits yesterday! The 1K barrier is close, I can feel it! I'm racing towards it!

And Now For Some PAGE RANK!

2008-09-29T07:54:00.001-07:00

Ah, it took its own sweet time getting here, but four of my blogs now have some Page Rank.

The older Autos blog is the leader, with Page Rank = 3

The younger Autos blog and my Travel blog have Page Rank = 2 each

And my main, all-purpose blog has a Page Rank = 1

Still waiting for the baby of the group, the Technology/ Startups blog, to get some love from Google.

Supercar photo of the week

2008-09-28T18:45:00.001-07:00

The Ascari A10

Top speed is supposed to be 220 mph. Oh, and just where do you go drive to check that out?

Ferrari FXX Supercar - Such Sweet Music

2008-09-24T13:42:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, I get bored of listening to music while working. I've found a grand new distraction - turning on a 3 - 5 minute audio or video of a supercar being thrashed around a track. It forms the perfect background to anything.

Check out the video of the Ferrari FXX, the chameleon skunk-works Ferrari that is always at the forefront of Automobile technology (never mind the Transformers). Listen to it. Just listen to it. That engine sounds amazing!

Ferrari FXX engine sound

New High - Daily Visits for my main Blog!

2008-09-24T07:21:00.001-07:00

I'm quite proud of my baby blog - Capoeirista. Yesterday (Tuesday, September 23, 2008), this blog received 855 visits (per StatCounter).

Well done!

Amazing Porsche Test Drive

2008-09-23T16:29:00.001-07:00

The Porsche Leipzig test race track is a dream destination. I would one day love to drive it. Just as with Nurburgring, Laguna Seca, and any street in Monte Carlo.

So first take a look at a video of the Porsche 996 GT3 being thrashed on the track. Put the volume up as loud as you can! This helps understand why Porsches generally have sub-par music systems.... the best sound track is the engine itself!

Porsche Leipzig test track

Next, for a truly great experience, go to the URL below, to get the official Porsche lesson on how to drive the Leipzig track. Click on the "Start Driving" link just below the video. No while the video is playing, you can choose between alternate screens - one a terrifyingly thrilling road view, that rivals any of the craziest video games; another a view of the car; a third of the driver handling the steering wheel, and finally of the virtuoso play of his feet upon the pedals. Keep switching between views, to get a full view of how to drive on Leipzig!

http://www.porsche.com/microsite/onelap/flash/default.aspx?language=en&market=INTERNATIONAL&pool=international&browser=other&instance=544&variant=&section=&showintro=true&bandwidth=dsl&width=1400&height=1050&specialguest=0

New High Daily Visits

2008-09-23T02:36:00.001-07:00

This cars blog just set itself a new record for visits in a day - 678. Nice!

Car Review - 2008 Chevrolet HHR

2008-09-22T14:57:00.001-07:00

Yoshi, a friend, rented the 2008 Chevrolet HHR this weekend, and I got to ride in it with him. So, here's my review -

The name: To start with, what's with the name? HHR? Healthy Human Resources? Hullo, Here's Roger? No, Chevrolet says it stands for Heritage High Roof. Um....

The looks: Here is my first reaction - who stretched the Chrysler PT Cruiser, and made it look a little less retro? To be serious - it doesn't look as nice as the PT Cruiser. But it isn't too bad. The exterior does look plastic-ey, and the interior does too. Which brings us to..

The interior: The car is long enough, and has a good amount of space in the trunk area (see photo below). But width-wise? No, it seems really narrow. This partly seems to be due to bad interior design. the center column in front (you know, the one with the radio, air controls, all those pretty knobs and lights) isn't well designed. It seems too wide, taking up leg room in a car thats already narrow, while simultaneously looking like everything there is pushed together. Seriously, how can 6 radio buttons in a row look so spacious in an Accord or BMW, but look so crushed together in this car? (One hint - stop putting extra chrome between buttons!)

And why are the window controls just out of reach, near my feet, at the bottom of that center column?

A nice positive - I loved the interior door handle design. Loved it!

The ride: The ride is like a lot of American cars, unfortunately - a bit like a boat. You can get seasick while driving in a straight line at a constant speed along a highway. It isn't as bad as the old Ford Taurus, but still, isn't this car aimed at the younger crowd?

Power-wise, the car is adequate. Yoshi doesn't push cars, but with what we saw, the car seemed to respond when you needed a little push. But we got the impression it doesn't like going fast on curves.

Supercar photo of the week

2008-09-22T01:10:00.001-07:00

Ok, so this one is (so far) a total myth. There has been a lot of talk about Mercedes coming out with a supercar to compete against the Audi R8. Auto Motor und Sport, a German auto mag, took a gander at creating this concept for Mercedes, thank you very much.

But I must say, I think it looks smashing! I would buy it!

Tesla Manufacturing Plant in San Jose

2008-09-18T22:07:00.001-07:00

Good news for motor-heads (and electric-heads?) in the bay area. Tesla is planning a factory spread across an 89-acre plot of land in San Jose. This factory should bring about 500 - 1,000 jobs to the area, although half of those might be relocations from current locations.

The new factory should be set up to churn out about 300 of their new sedans a week. This doesn't sound like a number to put the words "churn out" in front of, until you realize they are currently producing only 10 coupes a week in two locations. That should help them finally come closer to matching demand.

There is something that could be a snag in the plans - Tesla is looking at a quarter of a billion dollars in financing from Goldman Sachs and the Department of Energy to set all this up. They're also counting on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's tax breaks to the tune of over $15 Million. With all the current financial turmoil, lets hope there are no snags.

Spy Shots and Video - Mazda Furai

2008-09-15T22:12:00.001-07:00

The Mazda Furai concept car is among the top reasons Mazda is going to become a force to be reckoned with in car design - it is mind-blowingly awesome!

The Furai is the fifth 'Nagare' car, and the final one. Furai means "sounds of the wind", and thats where the entire car's concept comes from. Lets just say this - in design, in looks, in sound, this car captures that! Check out the photos below, followed by the videos - yes, its a real, running car, and only has relatively minor changes needed to turn it from concept to reality! Amazing.

And yes, it has gull-wing doors. Sweet!

It has a 450 bhp rotary engine - I'm not sure if that will be kept in the final version of the car. But listen to the sound in those videos, just listen to that engine! That is what driving is all about.

Mazda Furai concept car

Spy Shot - Nissan GT R

2008-09-14T22:09:00.001-07:00

Here's a spy shot of the Nissan GT R. The Top Gear guys loved the car, and covered it in their 2008 SuperCars magazine

Spy Shots - Lamborghini Murcielago Superleggera

2008-09-12T17:06:00.001-07:00

I love spy shots. Sometimes, even after I finally see the new car out in the open, I find myself missing the excitement generated by the spy shots - including trying to guess what the actual car's shape may be under the camouflage.

I have no such problems with the Lamborghini Murcielago Superleggera. I was excited when all I knew about the car was its name, when I heard about the specs, and when I saw the spy shots; and I will be just as excited when I finally see one drive by me.

Lego Camaro Photo

2008-09-10T18:30:00.001-07:00

This is a photo of the latest Camaro... built to scale using just Lego! Someone named "Crowkillers" built it. Wow.

And somehow, the car looks even more aggressive in lego form.

Moving up the Google rankings!

2008-09-09T14:55:00.001-07:00

I'm quite happy - I'm crawling up the Google ladder. eg: search for "Revolution Health up for sale", and my main blog is the second search result. Sweet!

Or search for "Revolution Health in trouble" - my blog is the third result.

Wish I could bottle this formula. Next step - getting my individual, focused blogs (Tech, Cars, Travel) to move up the rankings too.

Spy Shots - Porsche Panamera

2008-09-07T10:28:00.001-07:00

Photos captured by Herschel Brown

Well, what can one think of the Porsche Panamera? The front is unmistakably Porsche. So is the rear.... after our hearts and minds adjusted to the Cayenne. And the minor camouflaging isn't enough to confuse impressions of what the spoiler would look like..... unless they ended up without a spoiler. But still, Porshe, you've just diluted your brand for me. I can never see Lamborghini doing this!

Random thought - if there's a spoiler, and some machinery to control it (assuming that its not fixed in place, which hopefully it isn't), then how far does that cut into trunk space?

Spy Shots - Ferrari F149 (Dino)

2008-09-05T08:40:00.001-07:00

The Ferrari F149 is now not called the Dino, eh. But who knows, we might find something else out in October at the Paris Motor Show.

Auto Review - Porsche Panamera!!

2008-09-04T16:24:00.001-07:00

(posted August 24, 2008)

I love spy shots, spy videos, spy anything for new upcoming cars. The Porsche Panamera has been a badly kept secret for a while; this uber German car, coming out in 2009, has been photographed and video taped quite a bit.

After the jump, we have 2-minute video footage of the Porsche Panamera, that shows off all the car's lines, as well as some really nice photos. I have to say, I'm still reserving my opinion on the car - I can't quite figure out what to make of its shape, and the fact that Porsche is now making.... gasp... sedans! But if I had the chance.. yes, I would indeed want to drive it on the autobahn.

Hope its worth it, to have Aston Martin and Porsche diving into the 4-door sedan market.

Porsche Panamera spy video

Car Review - New Jaguar XF

2008-09-04T16:19:00.001-07:00

(posted August 25, 2008)

I haven't driven the new Jaguar XF yet. I wasn't even paying attention to it coming out, until I saw one driving next to me on Hillsdale blvd in San Mateo/ Foster City. I haven't reacted to a 4-door sedan like this in quite a while - it was quite the stunner.

Will the XF bring back Jaguar? Lets hope so.

Until I have test-driven it, here are some photos.

What an interior!

On the showroom floor

I love that grill

The side panels and lines remind one of the XKR

With pretty pretty lighting

The back here looks like it was designed by Lexus. To older tastes... but thats what Jaguar was always good at, eh

And finally, a shot of the XF concept. Ooh, can I have one!

5th Gear Supercar Experiment - head turners

2008-09-04T16:18:00.001-07:00

(posted August 22, 2008)

The 5th Gear guys put up a pretty interesting social experiment. They took three supercars and parked them on a busy street for 10 minutes, then counted how many people stopped and stared:

McLaren Mercedes SLR Three Hundred Thousand Pounds!!
Porsche Carrera GT Three Hundred Thousand Pounds!!
Lamborghini LP640 Two Hundred Thousand Pounds!!

So who won? The counts were:

McLaren Mercedes SLR - 19
Porsche Carrera GT - 78
Lamborghini LP640 - 84 people counted, numerous more just standing around and not moving

So I guess I'm buying the LP640; If I'm spending that much dough, I do want folks to envy me.

5th Gear Supercar experiment

Saturday: 600 Miles to Solvang

2008-09-04T14:42:00.001-07:00

(posted June 23, 2008)

After a long week light on sleep, Saturday brought the chance to celebrate with friends... and take my car for its first long-distance drive.

Aileen, a good friend from my days at LifeScan, got married to Neil. The wedding was in Solvang, with the ceremony at the old mission, and the party afterwards at the Crossroads Estate across from the Firestone winery.
The wedding was fun, I got to meet a lot of old friends. The temperature made it interesting - it was 116 degrees!!! I met a 95 year old man, who had moved to Solvang after retiring 44 years ago - he mentioned it was the hottest day in his memory.

Since I was running late, I drove on 101 instead of highway 1. The drive was amazing; I did however drive all the way with the top down, so ended up getting nicely sunburned.

Map of Solvang

I found out another thing - when the temperature climbs above 100 degrees, any speed below 80 mph in a convertible means you sweat continuously.

I left Solvang around 9:30 pm. Since I didn't want to drive while tired, I again had to take 101. (Highway 1 takes an extra 1.5 - 2 hours). Having a new car has made me more careful - I even stopped at a strip mall after King City to take a nap. It wasn't the smartest idea; I had planned on napping for 30 minutes, then buying a coke from McD's and driving home. When I went to sleep, the strip mall was full and quite busy. I woke 40 minutes later, parked under the only street lamp that was still lighted, and with the entire area dark and deserted. I have to admit - I was awake and alert very fast.

Finally got home at 2:15 am. A long drive, and a very enjoyable one. I would recommend you all have a lot of friends, and buy a BMW 335i hard-top convertible. Then convince those friends to get married in Solvang. This gives you the setting for a perfect Saturday!

Tesla Roadster parked outside our office

2008-09-04T11:37:00.001-07:00

Today, I found a red Tesla Roadster parked outside our office. Very cool! But the owner does need to clean the car a bit - it was quite dusty. Thanks to John B and Shveta for taking the photos!

Its pretty, quite pretty. But the size seems much smaller when you stand next to it.

I like the way they style the "A" in "Tesla"

The Tesla emblem. Ooh, I like!

And a final shot, with me showing it off.

Car buying tip - 1 (BMWs)

2008-09-04T10:20:00.001-07:00

Are you looking to buy, or thinking of buying a BMW in a year or so? If so, there's a small secret; join the BMW Car Club of America; members with over a year's standing get a nice discount that can range between $200 - $1,500 per forums, depending on the car you bought, of course.

But definitely try negotiating for a discount yourself first, before pulling out this card.

Photos from Yosemite

2008-09-03T18:04:00.001-07:00

Yosemite was gorgeous. But I wanted to keep its photos out of the Car blog. To see them, check out http://travelingman-vikramsingh.blogspot.com/2008/09/glacier-point-at-yosemite.html

(Thats my Travel-related blog)

Car Review - 2008 Chevy Malibu

2008-09-03T18:01:00.001-07:00

I drove with a bunch of friends to Yosemite this weekend. The original plan was to rent a Mazda 6, but we got a free upgrade to the new 2008 Chevy Malibu, with less than 2,000 miles on it. The best part was that there was plenty of trunk space, so the upgrade was worth it in that regard - we completely filled the trunk, and even had stuff left over for the back seats!

It had an inline 4-cylinder engine with 169 horsepower. Now I drive a 300+hp monster of a BMW 335i, so I was expecting a disappointing drive. However, given my lower expectations, the Malibu did well. It had decent pick-up, nice and comfortable at top speed. The only hitch came when the accelerator was floored while driving on the freeway; the engine screamed loudly, the car shuddered a bit, but it took perceptible seconds before it started accelerating. I would be cautious about overtaking in tight situations.

The car's exterior looks have changed a bit. I like the new aggressive front grill. But Chevy had better know what its doing - the grill looks like it would appeal more to younger folks; but I can't imagine the 20 - 30 year old set buying a Malibu over a Honda Accord, a Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, or even the Ford Fusion. So they might completely miss their current older market segment, who might prefer a more relaxed look.

The interior is nice and relaxed, though, and very spacious, specially in terms of leg room. I do also like that there is a single "info" button on the steering wheel, which gives you major car data, including tire pressure. Thing to note, though - seemed our tire pressure readings were off, way off. The interior has no major bells or whistles, but that's ok in this price range.

Ok, on to the one major flaw - you can't drive it aggressively on turns. The car can't maintain its grip, and skids if you aren't driving carefully. Again, that means the Malibu is really for the 40+ age group, or at the least for the cautious and conservative type.... who like a dash of danger, delivered by the grill.

Finally, a close-up of the aggressive grill

Off to Yosemite today

2008-09-03T17:50:00.001-07:00

(posted August 29, 2008)

Off to Yosemite today with a bunch of folks. We'll be back on Sunday afternoon. Yosemite temperatures should consistently be north of 80-90 degrees.

I'm also going to drive a rental Mazda 6 on the way. My co-driver, Adit, is also an avid car enthusiast. He owns a Mazda 3s Touring Sedan with a 5-speed manual transmission, so already loves Mazdas. His has a 2.3 liter four-cylinder engine putting out 156 bhp.

Yippee.

Car Review - BMW 335i Convertible (1)

2008-09-03T17:32:00.001-07:00

Part (1) of my review of the BMW 335i hard-top convertible:
(posted June 6, 2008)

Disclosure - I liked this car so much, that after test-driving over 50 cars from December - March, I bought one myself. I wanted a build that wasn't commonly available, so had to order one from Germany... which gave me the chance to drive a lot more cars before mine arrived.

So this part of the review is the summary. And the summary is.... its AWESOME!! No ifs, ands or buts. This car is the bomb! To misappropriate a quote from Jeremy Clarkson - its like a sharp Armani suit, but one you can put on all day every day.

Want to spend a very pleasant 10 - 20 minutes? Try building your own 335i Convertible!

Moving from WordPress

2008-09-03T17:20:00.001-07:00

WordPress won't allow me to implement Google Analytics, and instead wants to control the metrics I see. Well, too bad; I'm migrating my blog on Cars over to Blogspot.

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Saturday: 600 Miles to Solvang

Tesla Roadster parked outside our office

Car buying tip - 1 (BMWs)

Photos from Yosemite

Car Review - 2008 Chevy Malibu

Off to Yosemite today

Car Review - BMW 335i Convertible (1)

Moving from WordPress