Friday, September 24, 2010
Car Style - The Audi R8 Road Car
Posted by rodhi at 7:15 AM 0 comments
Labels: Car style
Car Style - The Lotus Exige
This blog entry regards my ideas on this car's style. I was able to see this car a bit at the 2008 Houston Auto Show. It came in a light blue color with black stripes.
Exterior.
The car tends to look faster than it really is. I look at this car up front and imagine a car that could put any much more powerful and exotic sports car to shame. The headlight arrangements have a great deal of sporty character. The front bumper features some curved and edgy openings. The front opening is flanked by two small fog lights. Below these openings is a modestly aggressive front splitter. Overall, this car up front suggests a car that is much faster than this car really is. The W-like vents up front adds some aggression. There is no front bonnet, so its versatility is compromised. These cars were mostly meant to be weekend racers, so don't expect to carry a lot of groceries or a few golf clubs.
Lotus' little monster is even more of a possessed demon on the sides. A lot of curved lines and aggressive lines adds some sexy appeal to it. The fenders are aggressive in nature, matching the aggression of the front. You almost want to imagine the Exige as a condensed supercar based on its side styling. Up top, you see a hood scoop with a thin opening. It doesn't consume wind like water to feed the mid-mounted Toyota engine, but it's aggressive enough to exude some character.
From the rear, its aggression becomes even more apparent. A sporty (and functional) rear wing compliments the rear deck lid of this car. The engine bay in this mid-engined car is complimented with lots of ducts to help it breathe better. Four identical taillights (two on each side) help accentuate the lighting arrangement at the rear along with a race car-like rear valance. This rear valance makes you question whether this car is a road car or a race car. Outlining the rear valance on the rear bumper is a little extra body work protruding outward, but only modestly.
Interior.
Considering this is a miniature pure sports car, don't expect much in the way of anything super fancy. It is a business-oriented car with its interior designs. It features a very sporty and stylish steering wheel. Fairly basic gauges accentuate the instrument panel. The dashboard is nothing special since it's so business-oriented. Items such as a stereo system and stuff like that are optional. In fact, I don't think this car even has a glove compartment. You do get four circular air conditioning vents. The seats are nicely styled. If you want the closest to a miniature GT race car, go for the racy Lotus Exige 240.
Don't call the Exige a sport compact. Don't call the Exige a grocery getter. Absolutely DON'T call it a "boy racer." What CAN you call it? The world's smallest true sports car. This car is capable of putting almost any larger sports car to shame. The car is impressive as it is. With tuning, it can be even better. This car, while small and powered by a Toyota engine, is dead serious on leaving a huge impact. From time to time, you'll see a few recent Lotus models. Get your camera out if you see an Exige on the road. This is a lovely sports car.
Posted by rodhi at 6:59 AM 0 comments
Labels: Car style
Car Style - The McLaren F1
This blog entry is a look at how I think about the McLaren F1 design-wise. Welcome to my 50th "Car Style" segment.
The McLaren F1 is my all-time favorite car. It is a very hot car with great styling. It is still beautiful even if it is somehow obsolete compared to today's supercars. Even while I love the new MP4-12C, the McLaren of the '90s is still a beautiful and fantastic car. I will mostly discuss the original McLaren F1, not any of the other versions (F1, F1 LM, GTR, etc.).
The front of the McLaren exudes "I'm better than you" character. Two big headlights in two headlight clusters help light the way. The front bonnet has a little scoop to it, adding to the aggressive nature of this car's looks. The front windshield is styled beautifully in matching the swoopy looks of the rest of the car. * The sides feature a combination of swoopy and sharp styling. The side doors have plenty of aggression with sharp lines. The side door windows look very racy. The view from up top is beautiful with a somewhat modest (yet still functional) hood scoop. Only the McLaren F1 LM features a larger hood scoop. * The rear completes this car's aggressive and racy character. The rear bonnet features that awesome V-12 BMW engine. The rear windshield features a split window deal. You'll see why there is a split rear windshield once you sit behind the wheel. The car features a dynamic rear spoiler that makes sure the car stays on the ground even while at speed. A pair of twin mufflers compliment the rear just above the rear valance.
What makes this car REALLY different? Its interior makes it unique. What other car can you enjoy driving in the center? Getting into the car can its own gymnastics event. You could actually have three people in this car once you add in the two extra seats. However (and with all due respect), do you really need to bring along two more people to make this car more enjoyable? Remember earlie about the split rear windshield? A reason why there are two rear view mirrors on either side is to properly see behind you with the little windows. The instrument panel is very basic as well as with the basic set of panels. The steering wheel also looks very basic. Despite the fact things look so basic on the inside, it's very much an inviting car (since when is a superexotic NOT inviting?). I think this car even has gold-plated tools to help you fix the car since you'll be pulling some insane speeds even for a car of its age. This car's version of a center console are to your left and your right. You have a few controls by your left legs and your right legs, including a stick shifter. Simply put, this car was designed for people who want to enjoy driving while feeling like they are high above everybody else. It's like being in a monster truck, only much lower to the ground and not with any macho character. You'll feel like you're God behind the wheel of a divine beast like this.
Before the likes of the Ferrari Enzo Ferrari, Bugatti Veyron, SSC Ultimate Aero TT, and cars like that... this was the "it" supercar. Newer supercars may be outstanding in their own right, but I still consider the McLaren F1 as the greatest car ever made. There's one thing this car can lay claim to that none of today's more recent supercars can say- winning Le Mans outright. That was the case when the Ueno Clinic McLaren F1 GTR won Le Mans outright in 1995. The only McLaren I love more than the original is the rare McLaren F1 GT (not the McLaren F1 GTR, though I love that car too). Here is your look at the McLaren F1 GT:
Gran Turismo 5 will welcome the McLaren F1 to its already stellar lineup of cars. It will be featured for the first time aside from the BMW McLaren in Gran Turismo 4. The McLaren F1 is also the car I mostly use in "Need for Speed 2: Special Edition." Everyone has their opinions on what the greatest car of all time is, and mine is the McLaren F1. There's just nothing like it even today. Time has passed it by, technologies have passed it by, but you know what? It's still a damn good car for what it is today. This car could go as fast as a Champ Car back in its time (meaning it's possible of 240 mph). So love your 21st century supercars. While you're at it, make sure to pay this beautiful car its greatest respects. The McLaren F1 was cool before other recent supercars got their face time.
That concludes my 50th "Car Style" blog entry. Thanks so much for reading and for your continued support!
Posted by rodhi at 6:47 AM 0 comments
Labels: Car style
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
2011 Chevrolet Volt Specifications
The 2011 Chevrolet Volt makes its debut as General Motors' first plug-in gas/electric vehicle. It is slated to see limited production in calendar 2010, with launches in California, Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington, DC. Nationwide availability is slated for late-calendar 2011. GM calls this 4-passenger, 4-door hatchback
an "extended-range electric vehicle" in that it does not work like most hybrids. With many hybrids, their gasoline engines and battery-powered electric motors can provide power to the drive wheels. With Volt, the wheels are always driven by electricity, provided either by the onboard battery or gasoline engine that powers a generator. The car can plug in to a standard household outlet and charge overnight.
A high-output 240-volt charging station will be available that should cut charging time roughly in half. Chevy claims a range of 40 miles solely on a fully charged battery and about 340 miles when the gasoline engine is used. The gas engine is an 80-horsepower 1.4-liter 4-cylinder. Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, curtain-side airbags, front-side airbags, and driver and passenger knee airbags. Among the available features are a remote-charging and vehicle-control program that owners can download and run from Blackberry and Apple iPhone cell phones. A navigation system is standard, as is a hard drive for storing digital-music files. Leather upholstery, heated front seats, front- and rear-obstacle detection, and a rearview camera are optional. We have not yet tested the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.
Posted by rodhi at 1:01 AM 0 comments
Labels: Car Modification, Car style, Chevrolet Volt Specifications, Luxury Car, Luxury car modification
2011 Chevrolet Volt Specifications
The 2011 Chevrolet Volt makes its debut as General Motors' first plug-in gas/electric vehicle. It is slated to see limited production in calendar 2010, with launches in California, Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington, DC. Nationwide availability is slated for late-calendar 2011. GM calls this 4-passenger, 4-door hatchback
an "extended-range electric vehicle" in that it does not work like most hybrids. With many hybrids, their gasoline engines and battery-powered electric motors can provide power to the drive wheels. With Volt, the wheels are always driven by electricity, provided either by the onboard battery or gasoline engine that powers a generator. The car can plug in to a standard household outlet and charge overnight.
A high-output 240-volt charging station will be available that should cut charging time roughly in half. Chevy claims a range of 40 miles solely on a fully charged battery and about 340 miles when the gasoline engine is used. The gas engine is an 80-horsepower 1.4-liter 4-cylinder. Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, curtain-side airbags, front-side airbags, and driver and passenger knee airbags. Among the available features are a remote-charging and vehicle-control program that owners can download and run from Blackberry and Apple iPhone cell phones. A navigation system is standard, as is a hard drive for storing digital-music files. Leather upholstery, heated front seats, front- and rear-obstacle detection, and a rearview camera are optional. We have not yet tested the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.
Posted by rodhi at 1:01 AM 0 comments
Labels: Car Modification, Car style, Chevrolet Volt Specifications, Luxury Car, Luxury car modification
The Audi Hydron Amphibious Super Cars


The concept also features a number of different driving modes such as parking mode and rotation mode. Depending on what the driver prefers and the driving conditions, the Audi Hydron supports front, rear or four-wheel drive.
Posted by rodhi at 12:48 AM 0 comments
Labels: Car Modification, Car style, Luxury car modification, New Car Modification
The Audi Hydron Amphibious Super Cars


The concept also features a number of different driving modes such as parking mode and rotation mode. Depending on what the driver prefers and the driving conditions, the Audi Hydron supports front, rear or four-wheel drive.
Posted by rodhi at 12:48 AM 0 comments
Labels: Car Modification, Car style, Luxury car modification, New Car Modification