Coming (Back) To America: Alfa Romeo Introduces The Tiny 4C-

" Finally! For all the Alfisti who have kept the faith since it went out of business here 20 years ago, Alfa Romeo has brought back a car to sell on American soil: The 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C sport coupe.

The 4C has a 237-horsepower 1.8-liter direct-injection 4-cylinder engine with a twin-clutch transmission, a system that will make it feel like a tiny rocket ship to drive because it weighs only 2,200 pounds. (The monocoque body is carbon-fiber, after all.) It’s a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive that hits 60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds, with a top speed of 160mph."

Dying to order yours? More info @ http://4c.alfaromeo.com/en_us

Read the rest here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahelliott/2014/04/21/coming-back-to-america-alfa-romeo-introduces-the-tiny-4c/

Photo Credit: http://wot.motortrend.com/we-hear-alfa-romeo-us-launch-delayed-until-mid-2014-410023.html/2014-alfa-romeo-4c-from-above/

" A group of eight hooded vandals is apparently responsible for picking up several parked smart cars and turning them on their sides or upside down.

“All of a sudden I just see eight hooded figures walk up to the car,” Witness Brandon Michael says. “I thought it looked like they were up to no good. And then sure enough they walk up to this smart car right here, all huddle around it, and then lift it up and set it on its hind legs.”

Police say witnesses report seeing similar vandalism on smart cars at about the same time just on the other side of I-280. It’s unclear what the motive may be for the car tippings."

Source: http://news.kron4.com/news/san-francisco-vandals-tip-over-several-smart-cars/

Magic Mall Plaza, Orlando Fl.

Believe it or not, gigantic 30-inch (76.2-cm) wheels are trending in Florida.

Case in point, this pink Chrysler 300.

"This Valentine's Day, why wear your heart on your sleeve when you can wear it on your car doors? That's why Smart USA is apparently thinking by rolling out six romantic wrap designs that they hope make their little cars the perfect gift to a loved one.

For a full sized car, they might come off as silly. But the microcar look pretty good in the wraps."

Image & text source: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/02/smart-usa-romantically-wraps-its-cars-for-valentines-day-/1#.Uv2smv0-ZhA

"Valentine’s day is upon us and many a guy is now scrambling for ideas of what to get his special lady friend. What gift to get? Where to get a dinner reservation? What flowers would she prefer? Maybe we have the answer. Not all women like pink, but those who do are in luck with this Ferrari California."

See 4 other obnoxiously pink cars here: http://www.tflcar.com/2013/02/top-5-pink-cars-to-get-your-special-lady-for-valentines-day/

Annoyingly cute Vday card.

This 911 Carrera S could just be enough to satisfy any petrol head’s sweet tooth cravings.

Your car does a lot for you, so show it you care this Valentine's Day.

A complete detail is like a day at the spa for your vehicle, including an exterior polish massage, clay bar cleansing wash, and a complete polish to leave it feeling shiny and refreshed.

"Cleanliness is next to attractiveness when it comes to capturing the attention of the opposite sex with our vehicles, Valentine’s Day or not.

That is among the findings of a survey of 2,000 drivers by Insure.com. The biggest turn-offs – about the same for men and women – were:

-Cigarette butts in the ashtray (men 23 percent, women 23 percent)

-Trash on the seats (men 23 percent, women 22 percent)

-Bad loud music (men 16 percent, women 21 percent)

Other turn-offs, according to survey participants, included bumper stickers for political candidates, car dents, loud exhaust and pine tree air freshener."

Text source: https://www.roadloans.com/blog/valentines-day-vehicles-fetching-opposite-sex-part-2/

Petee you can drive my car.

Image source: http://thepoodleanddogblog.typepad.com/the_poodle_and_dog_blog/2012/12/what-would-a-dog-do-if-he-ever-caught-the-car-he-was-chasing.html

A charity in New Zealand is teaching rescued dogs how to drive a car.

"No, this isn't some sort of wacky car commercial. It's the SPCA Auckland (located in New Zealand) coming up with an innovative way of proving that it's possible to teach a rescue animal new tricks. Monty, Porter and Ginny are all dogs rescued by the SPCA Auckland, and each was taught the ability to drive a Mini Countryman around a track.

After being strapped into the driver's seat, the dogs are able to use their paws to start the car, steer it and work the gas and brake, which have been modified similar to a car setup for a special-needs driver.

These dogs aren't being trained to drive on the street as any sort of driving-eye dogs, rather it is just a demonstration of how smart and docile rescue dogs can be regardless of how they ended up there. Porter was found wandering the streets, Ginny was abused by her owners and seized by the SPCA and Monty was surrendered by his owners to the rescue. Ironically, Porter and Ginny initially got carsick during the exercises, but have since gotten over this."

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/12/new-zealand-spca-teaches-rescue-dogs-how-to-drive-a-mini/

Yingying the giant panda.
Like any regular 17 year old, Yingying, a giant panda born at a zoo in the south-western Chinese province of Sichuan, celebrates coming of age by climbing behind the wheel, his first motor; a battery operated go-kart.

Image and text source: http://www.virginmedia.com/motoring/features/animals-behind-the-wheel.php?ssid=1

"The new 2014 wall calendar from Audi Tradition has arrived. Under the theme of “RaceSeries”, it shows 27 automotive specimens from the history of AUDI AG.

Automotive photographer Stefan Warter has created sophisticated studio setups pairing the race versions of these cars and motorcycles with their series-production counterparts. Contemporary graphic material sets the historical context of the photos."

$41.00 @ http://fourtitude.com/news/motorsport_news_6/raceseries-2014-audi-tradition-calendar-announced/

Frozen Fiat Toaster. 22 in Norcal this morning. Nothing for the Eastcoast but for here, that is major!

Me too Hammond.

I have always thought in a "big city" like San Francisco there would be no place to leave car projects sitting around. However after wandering down a few alleys yesterday, I found this not to be the case.

Thanksgiving dinner preparation just got faster; incorporate a cordless drill into this years meal prep.

Use it as a:
mixer, pepper grinder, cheese grater
and my favorite -- a dish scrubber!

Get creative, use your cordless power drill to beat up a cake batter, whip up cream or egg whites and more.

Source & extra how to video: http://makezine.com/projects/Making-Cooking-More-Fun-by-Adding-Power-Tools/

"Ludovic Barras is a 27-year-old marketing executive at Fig & Olive restaurant group. This is the story of his search for old Hollywood glamour in a Porsche Speedster.

Growing up in Paris, I was always reading books about everything that was happening in Hollywood in the 1950s and '60s. It was my dream to come to Los Angeles, and a car was part of the dream. I moved here five years ago and today I live on Sunset Boulevard. I found the car in 2011—a 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster that I got a great deal on at an auction in Florida. I had it painted the color of seafoam and restored every piece, from the chrome to the camel-colored leather.

People are so distracted by the technology in their cars. When I am at the wheel, I can turn off my phone and I'm in another world. I can go back to the 1950s for a while. There is nothing modern about the car. I can concentrate on driving, on the purity of the experience. I love the smell of the leather and the song of the engine. And L.A. is the perfect place to have a Speedster. The weather allows you to drive without a roof year-round.

When I was young reading about James Dean, this is the kind of car I imagined him driving. It embodies the old Hollywood glamour that I have always been searching for. "

" F1 racer Kimi Raikkonen to miss last two races of Formula One season.

Kimi Raikkonen has pulled out of the last two races of the Formula One season in Texas and Brazil after deciding to have back surgery next week, the Lotus driver's management said on Sunday.

The decision ended the 2007 world champion's two seasons with Lotus on a controversial note, with the Finn already warning the team a week ago that he could walk out if his wages were not paid.

Raikkonen is returning to Ferrari next year, the glamour team with which he won his world title, and had a seat fitting with them last week.

Manager Steve Robertson said in a statement that Raikkonen would have surgery this week with "the consequent four weeks recovery time forcing him to miss the forthcoming United States and Brazilian Grands Prix.

Raikkonen has a long-standing back problem, which flared up in Singapore in September and is understood to be a legacy from a crash he suffered in testing with Sauber during his 2001 rookie season."

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/kimi-raikkonen-to-miss-last-two-races-of-formula-one-season/1193489/

Kate Walsh in a 2008 Cadillac CTS Advert. Edgy marketing!

Baby,You Can’t Drive My Car. Why does the auto industry get women so wrong?

An EXTREMELY well written article about car companies lame attempt to sell to women written by Libby Copeland.

" ....about 10 years ago, GM had 100 of its male employees attempt to get into a full-sized SUV while wearing heels, fake nails, and plastic bag skirts, and carrying purses and babies. Upon reaching the driver’s seat, one engineer had a revelation that has occurred to virtually every woman: “I thought, ‘Well, shoot, I would want my purse right at arm's reach.’ ” He wound up designing a console to store it."

Read the rest: http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/03/car_ads_for_women_does_the_industry_get_it_all_wrong.html

An image from Horst A. Friedrich's latest book: Drive Style

"Horst's style is about as far away as you can get from the balls-out vibe in a lot of today’s lifestyle photography. This image collection dives into Britain’s rich & eclectic car culture, capturing amazing rare, historical, and custom automobiles alone or with their owners, drivers, and spectators."

Amazon.com $26: http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Style-Horst-A-Friedrichs/dp/3791348590
Text & image source: http://selvedgeyard.com/2013/11/05/the-photography-of-horst-a-friedrichs-win-a-signed-copy-of-his-latest-book-drive-style/

For some cars hitting the 300,000 mile mark would be considered an impressive accomplishment, but for a 1995 Toyota Tacoma (2.4 L engine).... it's nothing to write home about.

My brother just drove coast to coast with this truck, and all it required was 2 oil changes and gasoline.

A 2010 interview with the late charter Auburn Cord Dusenberg club member Josh Malks.

Josh was the authority on Cord automobiles and had written many books regarding the ACD cars. I had the pleasure of judging on his team at the Marin Concours in 2012. He was kind and knowledgeable gentleman who will be missed.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Josh Malks to The
Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Palliative Care and Support Team, in care of
Dr. Bill Morris, 2850 Commercial Crossing, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 or to
Hospice of Santa Cruz County, in care of Kim Diserpa, 940 Disc Drive,
Scotts Valley, CA 95066. Both of these organizations brought so much
comfort to Josh.

Philip Spencer (my brother) in Eastern Oregon with the 2013 CCCA Mini Tour. This Packard was his favorite car on the tour! Photo courtesy of Sylvia Potter http://www.oregonccca.com/P-2013%20mini%20Tour.htm

A comical 3 min. advert for the new Fiat 500L.

Of course they will have to spend A LOT of time and money on clever marketing, since they managed to make the ugliest scaled-down minivan EVER.

Ever melted ants under a magnify glass?

"A new London skyscraper dubbed the "Walkie Talkie" has been blamed for reflecting light which melted parts of a car parked on a nearby street.

Martin Lindsay parked his Jaguar on Eastcheap, in the City of London, on Thursday afternoon and returned to find a member of the public photographing the vehicle."

Source: BBC

Not the most riveting 13 minute interview, however if you have ever been to Jalopy Journal or the H.A.M.B. then you might enjoy this visit with founder Ryan Cochran, and what he has to say about his brainchild. Source Fuel Tank TV: http://fueltank.tv/portfolio/ryan-cochran-the-jalopy-journal/

An image from the 2012 Ladies Classic Car Tour of Tuscany, Italy.
Jacque Connor organised an ambitious 40-person classic car tour, that embraced style for the sake of style, distraction for the sake of distraction, and laughter for the sake of laughter. Shown here is a photo of San Francisco’s Sarah Moody and Alison Hahn as they 'dig' the 70’s with their 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona. More photos of these ambitious ladies seen here: http://hk.asiatatler.com/motoring/gallery-ladies-classic-car-tour-of-tuscany

A 1913 Oakland christens the new Devil Slide Tunnel in San Mateo County CA (just South of SF). The 4,200-foot twin-bore tunnel is the first highway tunnel in California in nearly 50 years and a state-of-the-art project that will eliminate a dangerous stretch of highway known for collapsing in wet weather. Caltrans will block off the troublesome 1.1-mile stretch of Highway 1, build parking lots at either end and hand it over to San Mateo County, which will turn it into a hiking and biking trail with a great view. Motorists will have less of a view as they zip through the one-lane bores, but they'll have a safer trip, and some assurance that the highway won't collapse as it has repeatedly since it opened in 1937.

Source: sfgate.com

"Toll collector Marilyn Alvardo receives the last toll from Jim Eddie who is driving a vintage 1937 Packard, at her tollbooth at the Golden Gate Bridge toll plaza in San Francisco, California March 27, 2013. The Golden Gate Bridge will convert from manned tollbooths to a full electronic tolling system starting March 27. With the automated system in place, motorists will have the option of using the existing FasTrak electronic toll collection system or the newly implemented pay-by-plate option." Source: REUTERS/Stephen Lam

If you find yourself having a spare 12 minutes, this video although extremely long winded is a pretty interesting comparison.

"It's a once in lifetime match up as Jonny Lieberman pits the classic 1956 Citroën DS-19 against the ultra modern 2013 Tesla Model S. Innovation is the name of the game as conventional combustion collides with bleeding edge tech. Will the upstart American electric disrupt the tried & true French four-cylinder? Which of these two contenders will go down in automotive history as the true revolutionary?" source: Motortrend.com

"The Princesses'Rally gives all women who love classic or prestigious cars an unusual opportunity to discover a passion for driving, during six straight days of stress-free, fun-filled and friendship-building moments. So ladies, climb into your favorite cars and treat yourself to this incredible journey." http://www.zaniroli.com/welcome/princess-rally

Modern Vauxhall Adam vs. Fiat 500 "In 1957, Fiat introduced the 500. Cute and affordable, it was an instant hit, shifting nearly four million units and mobilising a post-war generation. More than that, it defined a genre of city cars for decades to come, encapsulating an effortless, Italian chic that no car has matched since.
In 1957, Vauxhall introduced the Victor. Apparently, it was OK, but everyone was too busy admiring the 500 to notice.." continue to the article: http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/Fiat-500-v-Vauxhall-Adam-2013-03-15

"There are more than a billion cars in the world today - and by the middle of the century there could be up to four times as many, as the growing middle classes of countries like India, China and Brazil seek the freedom and status car ownership appears to offer.
But if so many people want to drive - how will we prevent global gridlock?

BBC News looked at the ways in which new technology can help to keep us all mobile for What If?, our special series looking into the future." source BBC.com

This paint scheme doesn't makes sense for a Fiat Abarth 500 EsseEsse, but it looks freaking awesome.