Thursday, December 31, 2009

Some Facts About Brembo Brakes

Author: David Ostiguy
Source: ezinearticles.com

Brembo began, drills
, in Bergamo Italy back in early 1961. Brembo easily became a huge name in brakes for high performance,, drills
, drills
, vehicles and motorcycles. At the beginning, Brembo imported discs from the United Kingdom, but eventually landed a deal with Alfa Romeo. In the early 1980’s, Brembo started to add their brake system to Mercedes Benz, BMW’s, Porsche and many more. Brembo is a very reliable braking system due to them controlling their entire production systems, such as raw materials and distribution.

Some of the questions that are commonly, drills
, asked about Brembo Brakes are is the largest brake disc the best answer for your vehicle? Not always. There are several factors that you need to take into consideration when choosing, drills
, a performance, drills
, brake system. A brake system needs to be designed based on the parameters of the vehicle and the type of use the brakes will experience.

So why does Brembo use larger brake, drills
, discs that others? Because using your brakes generates heat. The more heat the discs can take, the larger the fade resistance of the brake system. The larger discs usage results in a larger effective radius. This increases the torque, drills
, of the brakes.

So how long do Brembo Discs last? It depends of several factors, such as the way you drive, the weight of your vehicle,, drills
, how much a person uses their vehicle and much more.

Brembo offers different kinds of brakes for just about every budget. For starters, there, drills
, is the Sport System, which,, drills
, drills
, includes the cross drilled or, drills
, slotted, drills
, discs. This is also the replacement for the OEM components, drills
, . Brembo also offers the Gran Turismo system,, drills
, which upgrades the complete corner braking assembly. This kit usually contains a fixed mount,, drills
,, drills
, 4 piston, drills
, aluminum calipers that are equipped with high performance, drills
, brake pads, two piece, drills
, directionally vented, drills
, discs and steel braided brake lines.

Should brakes this big be installed on all the wheels of a vehicle? When you brake, the brakes in the front are the ones that do most of the work. With some vehicles, adding a big brake system to the back of the car could result in creating an unstable condition for your vehicle. Brembo offers rear brakes for vehicles, but it’s usually used for only specific high performance vehicles.

Learn How To Get Discounted Brembo Brakes by Visiting Our Site.

[Via http://waravut.wordpress.com]

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Don’t Mess With a Car that has an Apple Sticker on it.

IF you have Facebook, which is probably the only way you’ll see this post anyway, then you can go on my wall and simply see who said this. But for the purpose of the general Internet I’m going to redact the name

[name redacted]

today at a red light, a pontiac firebird pulls up beside me, nice rims, nice lights, the works. light turns green and we are off. he beat me, but as he pulled forward, i realized that he had an "Apple" sticker like yours in the back windown which was an even bigger stab in the chest.

I take back everything i eva said about ur apple sticker on ur car LOL

So, by way of reason, I have three Apple stickers on my car (2 exterior, 1 interior). That must mean I’m a real bad-ass, right?

[Via http://seyhee0919.wordpress.com]

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Best of 2009 Motorsports images #2. Francis Martin

This is also high on my list of favourite images I’ve ever shot. It’s from the final turn at Mosport where you can get quite close to the track. This was shot at 200mm and barely a crop at all so that shows just how close you can get. What I really like about this is the sharpness and detail. In the full size original when viewed at 100% you can read the time on his lap timer (the little black box between the handlebars.)

Canon 20D
70-200 f/4 L
1/400th
f/7.1
ISO 400
200mm

Click for full size.

[Via http://bbphotog.wordpress.com]

Car Shopping

Test drove some cars today. my 2003 BMW 325i has had some expensive maintenance costs this year, and I’m beggining to consider buying something different.

After paying a large sum to fix the power steering, we got a large purchase phone call from Discover. When the discover car guide saw that the charge was from a BMW dealer he said, “yeah, I had a pretty German lady, but she became so high maintenance and expensive that I had to trade her in.”

I still really like my car and its sad to think about trading it in. I like the way it drives. It is very tight and responsive with a good kick of acceleration. It’s fun to drive, even after 6 years. I bought this car because I fell in love with it. I knew that it was not as reliable than the Honda Accord I was also looking at at the time, but it was much cooler and only a little bit more expensive.

Today, I test drove a Toyota Prius. this is a brain car, not a heart car. it drives like a go-cart. one way they could have increased efficiency would have been to cut out holes in the floor so you can use your feet, ala Fred Flintstone. The cool thing about the prius is geeky tech factor. it’s like playing a video game where the object is to get the lowest gas milage. I like the Prius, the dashbord is all techy and gadgetty. also, there is suprisingly a lot of room, both in the driver and the passenger areas. It is not spunky, especially in Eco mode.

I’m intrigued. I’m currently keeping an open mind and trying different things.

[Via http://looseassoc.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Random snaps, New York, New York

Start spreadin’ the news.

Credit: www.berniedechant.com

[Via http://bulgogibrothers.wordpress.com]

The Journey of Pearl: Pearl's Love Story: Part 1

1.The Raiders' defense is very poor against the run, ranking 30th in the league and allowing 158.7 yards per game. Washington must get its ground game going. Quinton Ganther, who will start, has shown a good burst but with Marcus Mason and Rock Cartwright helping to carry the load, the team is averaging 82.6 yards per game on the ground.

Get to Gradkowski

2.The Redskins must be able to pressure quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, who has been much better running the Raiders' offense than JaMarcus Russell. Gradkowski threw three touchdown passes against the Pittsburgh Steelers in an upset last week, but if the Redskins can get some pressure on him, they may be able to force a mistake.

Finish the game

3.The Redskins have put themselves in position beat Dallas, Philadelphia and New Orleans but have given up late leads and lost. Good teams just don't do that, and if the Redskins hope to snap their losing streak, they'll have to find a way to hold on to a fourth-quarter lead when they have one — especially against a shaky Raiders team.

Take an early lead

4.The Raiders will be feeling some momentum from last week's upset. If the Redskins can take an early lead on the road, they would quiet the crowd and perhaps keep the Raiders from building on recent success. They'd also force Oakland to throw against one of the league's top-ranked pass defenses.

– Paul Tenorio

Because your family often forgets that money doesn't grow on trees, MoneyTree is here for you.

This holiday-shopping season is indeed one for the bargain hunter. Here are four spending tips to help keep you ahead of
the pack.

No. 1: Make a Realistic Budget … and Stick to It

Experts say one of the most common mistakes made when it comes to holiday shopping has to do with your budget. Not only
should you make a budget, but you should also make sure it is realistic.

Make the usual list for the people you need to buy gifts for and how much you are willing to spend per gift, but also remember
to add in the “extras.” For example, budget in hostess gifts for any scheduled holiday parties, and also consider the extra
groceries you’ll need to stock up on ahead of family visits.

And spend within your means. Your family would rather enjoy your company than have you give them something they don’t need
that you’ll be paying for for many holidays to come.

The average family will ring up just under $1,000 this season, according to Mike Peterson, spokesperson for American Credit
Foundation and president of Debtguru.com. At current interest rates,
it would take 22 years to pay off that balance if you are only making the minimum payment each month, Peterson said. That’s
a long time.

“No one wants to accept a gift that puts you in debt,” he said.

Jennifer Jolly, a consumer lifestyle expert, says bloated cell-phone and gas bills are another holiday-budget breaker.

“Cell phone bills tend to catch people off guard, you make more calls and texts during the holiday season than normal and
they can add up if you go over your minutes,” she said.

Save on gas by doing all your price comparison and window shopping online and then make one trip to pick up gifts, Jolly
advised.

And don’t forget your list.

“If you walk into a store without a list, 9 out of 10 times you will spend more than you anticipated,” said Peterson. Impulse
items will become tempting and it’s harder to say no when you don’t have a list to check.

No. 2: Shop Alone

The more the merrier? Not when it comes to shopping. It’s better to fly solo to the mall, said Bill Losey, a certified
financial planner and author of “Retire in a Weekend.”

“When you go with other people, even if it’s a spouse, you get caught up in the experience of shopping and things are no
longer black and white, you don’t want to be influenced by any one else.”

No. 3: Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute

Maybe more than ever, this year bargain seekers don’t have to wait until the final days before Christmas to find the biggest
steals.

“It’s an old-fashion thought for this year,” said Jolly. “Retailers had more stock last year, but they smartened up and
have a lot less inventory [this year], they are trying to spark a big buying frenzy right now.”

And waiting until the last hour could actually end up costing you more.

“You can’t assume things are going to go on sale right before the big day, you need to have a back-up plan, because people
are left with little options and spend more money on a gift than allotted,” Peterson said.

No. 4: In Tight Times, Skip Decorations with a Lifespan

In this economic environment, buying a Poinsettia is just silly, according to Jolly.

“Any money you spend on something that is going to die a couple weeks is just like throwing money away,” she said.

nfl jersey,
basketball jerseys

It was a sunny afternoon. The wind was warm and fresh as it flew and touches my bare skin. Students were all at the ball ground busy chatting, playing, jumping, and running as they gathered like busy ants on the field. The wind whispers their little tiny voices into my ears, echoing as they shout and laugh in my ear canal and hitting my three tiny bones as the message was sent into my brain. 'The busy students on the field.'

Students started to experience different kinds of things in their life as they start studying and as they mingled with their fellow ages. Growing up gives them adventures and new wonderful stories to tell. And here is a story about a girl on her going up stage.

While everybody was busy, I, Chloe Quenes was alone sitting on the grass. I was pulling the weeds while reading a book which describe my social boldness;

''Your Social Boldness: Introverted VS Extroverted. You are quite introverted. Socially, you prefer a more relaxed, low-key environment, rather than the hustle and bustle of a wild night in the city. You tend not to talk a lot, but when you do people listen, because when you say something it has meaning. You are not seeking the limelight, usually you prefer to let the attention-mongers do their thing while you observe. In an unfamiliar setting, you tend to be cautious and shy while you evaluate the circumstances. You prefer to avoid conflict, so you do not put yourself into a threatening situation. Your shyness may be perceived as unfriendly, but that could not be further from the truth. People need to be patient with you and take the time to get to know the complex, private you.''

While reading this first part of my personal evaluation, my friend came to tell me a “not- nice-word-to-hear”.

“Chloe, I have to tell you something!” my friend said.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Somebody has a crush on you!” she said again.

“Who is he?!!” I asked angrily.

“Look, there he is! He's a friend of your friend Daniel Dacer!”

I frowned and walked away. I didn't like anybody except my crushes on the 6th grade. They're Harry and Shaggy, the intelligent boys in their class.

nba jersey,
discount nba jerseys

[Via http://happywomenjerseys121.wordpress.com]

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Toyota! From the same people who brought you Pearl Harbor

I noticed the bumper sticker on the Chevy Impala in front of me as I was driving home today. It had the Toyota logo with a line through it. It boldly proclaimed: “Toyota! From the same people who brought you Pearl Harbor.” I stared incredulously. Suddenly, I had a epiphany.

Such logic is undeniable!

Heretofore, I shall boycott Toyota. But I’m not stopping there. I’ve compiled the following list of other boycotts in which I plan to participate. Thank god for that bumper sticker! Join me in my boycotts:

  • BMW! From the same people who brought you the Holocaust.
  • Tobacco! From the same people who brought you slavery.
  • Nobel Peace Price! From the same person who brought you dynamite.
  • Jesus! From the same people who brought you the Crusades.
  • Women! From the same people who brought you the fall of man.

[Via http://davohynds.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Function over form: BMW M-System "Turbine" wheels

The [E34] M5 came with an unusual wheel design. From 1988-1992 the M5 featured the M-System wheels. These wheels were 8×17J, but came with directional bolted-on wheel covers. Under the cover was a black 5-spoke alloy wheel. The press was critical of the design, often claiming it gave the M5 the appearance of having “white-wall” tires.

In 1992 BMW changed the design and a new cover was produced – the M-System II. The original intent of the M-System cover was to direct more air to the brake assembly to increase cooling. The cover actually integrated a fin assembly behind the cover. The M-System II covers, known as the “throwing stars” did not have as much capability to direct air to the brake assemblies. In May 1994, the M5 came with M Parallel wheels that did away with the cover (source).

Initially maligned, we have come to really like these.

  • They announce performance. The association with the early E34 M5 is so strong, it’s hard to think of one without the other
  • Not unrelated to the first point, the faux whitewall just looks badass. It is the anti 20-inch-rim-riding-on-30-profile-tires
  • Some twenty years later, in the warm, fuzzy gauze of time, they seem very much appropriate for the period. They capture the performance zeitgeist of the times. And we really like that.

Fortunately for BMW, they did themselves no disservice by moving away from the Turbines, because the Throwing Stars might be one of our most favorite BMW OEM wheels ever (one of several), and the M-Parallel is likewise a very handsome wheel.

While the Throwing Stars arguably look sportier, if we had an E34 M5, we would probably run the Turbines in the summer, and a second set of wheels (on snow tires) with the Throwing Star covers in the winter.

Bonus photo of the Turbines on an E30– with stretched tires.

[Via http://bulgogibrothers.wordpress.com]

Chrysler + Fallon

A conta da marca Chrysler agora é da Fallon, agência do grupo Publicis. As primeiras peças vão ao ar em 2010. Anteriormente, a conta era atendida por um escritório de Detroit da BBDO.

Um comunicado do CEO Olivier François enviado ao Advertising Age, respondendo uma matéria que acusava o anunciante de ter contratado uma agência italiana para um job, mesmo com ajuda do governo dos Estados Unidos.

Desde 2005 a Fallon não tinha uma conta de montadora, quando a BMW deixou a agência. Em breve, a Chrysler deve abrir uma concorrência pela conta de mídia.

Redação Adnews

[Via http://oliverstuff.wordpress.com]

Sunday, December 6, 2009

This seat taken: on F1's young driver days

Last week’s young driver test showed there is no shortage of talent waiting in the wings.  Much as these future F1 drivers impressed, it is often the size of their wallet, not their right foot, that determines whether they reach F1.

Of all the teams on the grid, let us assume that among F1’s top tier (Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Renault if it survives), pay drivers are unnecessary.  These teams are well-funded, recognizable brands and they choose talent without regard to budgets. That’s great news for Jules Bianchi, who has signed a deal with Ferrari.  Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo topped the time sheets, but the Red Bull seat that currently belongs to Mark Webber could go to Kimi Raikkonen at the end of the Australian’s deal in 2010 (Is Raikkonen’s Red Bull-sponsored rally drive a complete coincidence? We think not.). So we won’t see Ricciardo in a Red Bull any time soon unless Sebastien Vettel moves on (doubtful).

In the next tier (Williams, Toro Rosso, Force India, Sauber), funded drivers are always a possibility and usually a likelihood.  Williams has chosen pay drivers in the past, for example, the presence of Nakajima was based more on Toyota’s influence than sheer ability.  BMW tested young drivers, but the company is leaving F1 and the team is reverting to Sauber.   Sauber is talking about Russian Vitaly Petrov and we think that involves a pay drive.  Toro Rosso could use a funded driver, as that team cannot endlessly and exclusively rely on Dietrich Mateschitz’s money.

At the bottom tier (the four new teams), funding is essential.  After his test with McLaren, Gary Paffet told Autosport that: “It seems like most of the new teams require you to have a fair few million pounds in the bank, or that much sponsorship to give the team, so it’s more difficult to get a race seat even though there’s more available.”

Take the case of Jose Maria Lopez, who will drive for USF1 next year. Lopez was required to bring $8 million to the team. This precluded the team from using a talented, known driver like Anthony Davidson.  The same is true for Campos, which wanted a Spanish driver but may not be able to afford one without a budget.   Andy Soucek admitted as much last week.

The truism here is that the fastest do not always get to F1.  There are not enough seats to go around for talented young drivers unless money is involved.  We hope the departure of the manufacturers will reduce the relentless pace of development that prevents smaller teams from competing on the same level, forcing them to bring on pay drivers to afford testing and development.  Let us hope that reduced pressure to spend money will let talent again decide who drives an F1 car.

[Via http://onthelimit.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Hello, Reader!! I Need Your Help...

Hey there.  I’ve only had this blog up about a day and I’ve gotten some hits, which surprised me.  I’d love to get some more readers and some feedback on how I’m doing so far with this blog and what you all would like to see in the future.  This blog is only as good as it’s content. If i’m not putting up news and information that you want to read, it’s kind of pointless, right?

So, I’m asking and encouraging you all to please leave comments, emails, anything at all.  I’m even going to set up an instant messenger account (either on Yahoo or Skype) for those of you that would like to talk to me directly and exchange ideas. I would really appreciate the feedback.  Constructive criticism is always welcome as well.

Thanks everyone!

-TripleDeuce

[Via http://thesteeringcolumn.wordpress.com]

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Aso ei ansainnut voittoa!

Tää on siis tän postauksen ainoa aihe. Voi vittujen kevät! Mä en tajua mitkä saatanan turkulaiset kebabinpyörittäjät ton lässyttäjän äänesti voittoon. Voitto olis kuulunut Kätlinille tai Esalle. Aso on tyhmä, lässyttää ja jankkaa samaa asiaa koko ajan, ajatuksisse on pelkät kulmakarvat, kalja ja pillu ja jätkä oli kauhee laiska valittaja koko ajan. Ei aktiivisuutta, ei ryhmähenkeä, ei ajatuksia, ei hauskuutta. Kai toi kohta tekee jonku vitun Pensseli-sedän kaa jotain Sloggi-promoo Stockalla. Jumalauta!

Mulle tuli iranilaisen tsubuni kans kauhee riita tästä kun se tietty mielistelee tota kun on jotain rättipääsukua itekkin. Alko syyttää mua rasistiks ja mä sanoin et mulle on ihan vitun sama mitä kansallisuutta Aso edustaa mut se jätkä on yks vetelä paska vaan. Ja tää muija alkaa mouhoon mulle että mää muka syyllistän et kaikki maahanmuuttajat on lasikoja. Siis mitä vittua! Annoin sit tulla ihan suoralta laidalta ja sanoin et kuule tommonen karvatoosa ei laita sanoja mun suuhun, ootko koskaan kuullut Gillette venuksesta.

Nyt sen ämmän kaverit lähettelee mun henk.koht. naamakirjan wallille ja viesteihin kamalaa haukkumashittiä ja mulle tulee kaikilta sen ählämikavereilta hirveitä solvaussoittoja. Siinä meni se ihanuus ja eksotiikka tosta muijasta, se on täys hullu! Mä en voi sietää sitä että mun suuhun laitetaan väkisin sanoja ja mun päähän ajatuksia. Miks naiset tekee tollasta? Mulle meinaan on ennenki käyny näin. Yks mun exä koitteli kerran mekkoja ja kysy et kumpi on parempi. Mä sanoin tyyliin et toi sininen sopii sun vartalolle paremmin. Ja ämmä käänsi tän niin, että hän on mun mielestä lihava ja et olin haukkunut sitä läskiksi.

Hermo menee. Pitkä junamatka eessä huomenna ja vituttaa jo nyt kun saan jonkun paskanaaman kuiteskin samaan vaunuun. Mä nimittäin möin rakkaan jaguni. Se ei ollu helppoo, mut totesin, että enhän mä uskalla melkein koskaan sitä käyttää ja se on pari kertaa tärveltyki jo. Ja mä kuiteskin tykkään käyttää lelujani :D Nyt on siis uuden auton hankkimis projekti edessä, on vaan niin paljo namia tarjolla et en tiä minkä valkkais. Mm. Toyotan uudet mallit on ihan jees, vaikka eihän ne Bemsuu pese :)

[Via http://ristipissarit.wordpress.com]

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Mining Parties and Porn: what the non-average miner thinks of Bill C-300

     

Last night, Friday, I went to a dinner party with the upper crust of the mining community in Vancouver.  My small Civic cowed out of sight amongst the BMWs and other large cars that hogged the impressive driveway up a steep incline to an imposing house tucked away high in the hills of West Vancouver. 

At first, the conversation was of the best seats at the upcoming Olympics, Christmas in Hawaii, real-estate investing, Tiger Woods and the local golf club.   As the wine flowed, the conversation became more interesting: how the local Olympics Committee intends to prosecute innocents who display the five rings,  how “sweet and charming” it is to see the lower classes delight in the passage of the Olympic torch, why ex-teachers in British Columbia deserve better medical coverage than mere miners, and ignorance of Americans about the wonders of British Columbia. 

Desperate to flee this arrogant belly-gazing, I asked what these intelligent and informed folk thought of Bill C-300.  That set a gentle cat amongst the pigeons.   Sad heads were shaken in despair about how Canadian mining has a bad reputation; about the silliness of common folk in not realizing where the good things in life come from (mining of course); about those venial NGOs trying to make a case–”just like the people who threw marbles beneath the horses hooves at the start of the Olympic torch parade in Victoria.”  Then the loud, repetitive lady remarked that she thought Canadian mining companies should be held to account for their behaviour overseas.   Reminded that mining had paid for her BMW, she backed off just a bit. 

         

Luckily the wine continued to flow.  Conversation turned from Chinese mining to Chinese foot-binding: “It was barbaric and resulted in the death of one in ten whose feet were bound.”    A sweet lady noted that the bound foot had a certain sexual look to it.  I opined that it was all part of the evolutionary principle called the handicap principle.   The loud lady remarked that one night, unable to sleep, she had Googled foot binding only to land up on a number of porn sites.  “I did not look at them, of course,” she protested.  All the gentlemen present nodded in agreement—no looking at porn sites on the web.  Sort of as nasty as watching American TV, they agreed. 

        

Except me.  Getting drunk and desperate for honesty at this stage of the farce, I told of the statistics of this blog.  It is interesting that some very old pieces on this blog, written a long time ago, continue to get a substantial number of hits.  The keywords for one of them include “ladies in hard hats.”  Keywords for the other blog posting include “mining machines”.    Curious to establish the reasons for the continued popularity of these postings, I undertook Google searches using the same keywords.  I was delighted to see that the resulting lists included this blog, but also a substantial number of porn sites.  I confess, in the interest of research of course, that I examine those sites.   Throws a whole new light on mining, machines, and hard hats, not to speak of foot binding. 

By this time the upper crust was discombubulated.   Opinions and invective flew free and fast and the truth seeped out.  In the interests of the reputation of miners everywhere I will tell no more.

[Via http://ithinkmining.com]

Don't let the door hit you on the rear: Sauber gets the keys back from BMW

After failing to find a suitable buyer for the F1 team it acquired just four years ago, BMW has sold the team back to its founder, Peter Sauber.  As much as we love to drive a 3-series, BMW’s departure from F1 has left a sour taste in our mouth.  Very un-Munich, to say the least.

Earlier in this decade, BMW partnered with Williams and came up with one of the strongest engines in F1.  Suffice to say, the chassis from Grove just wasn’t quick enough.  Despite having a top-flight lump, BMW did not win a championship and had to settle for race victories and a pair of second-place finishes in the constructor’s standings.

Frank Williams refused to cede control of the team to BMW, and the couple divorced in 2005.  BMW promptly acquired Sauber, at the time a very good second-tier F1 team run (uniquely) from Switzerland.  Peter Sauber is a sober, cigar-chomping Swiss with a racer’s heart.  This is the guy who put a very young Michael Schumacher in a Mercedes sports car for Le Mans.  But, being Swiss and therefore efficient, Sauber read the writing on the wall.  A sale to BMW gave Sauber a nice retirement, full of raclette and Cuban stogies.

Even though BMW started with small expectations, the team never experienced the kind of success it hoped for.  A three-year plan was developed, from newbie to world champion. In the event, things did not go as planned.  Driver selection was spotty–Nick Heidfeld is a capable driver but he will never be a world champion.  The choice of Robert Kubica was inspired.  Kubica is one of the grittiest drivers on the grid and is unafraid of anything (witness his huge shunt at the Canadian Grand Prix in 2007).  The cars were immaculate, the presentation complete.  But, in light of its resources, the team underperformed.

Wins finally came, but the board grew impatient. In 2008, development was halted in order to begin work on the 2009 challenger.  This irritated Kubica who felt (rightly) that BMW was giving up on his shot at the championship.  Perhaps BMW grew frustrated with the endless political wars between the FIA (read: Max Mosley) and FOTA (read: manufacturers).  Mosley’s personal sex scandal did not help matters.  BMW also felt the FIA was “dumbing down” F1 in the interests of cost-saving.  This was inconsistent with BMW’s reason for entering the sport in the first place.

Suddenly, in July 2009, BWM announced its departure.  The stated rationale seemed paper thin: the company was to focus on its “green” credentials and F1 did not aid in that effort.  Many in the paddock thought this smacked of bullshit, and BMW was called out.

We viewed BMW’s departure as the actions of a company smarting over its lack of instant success. Perhaps team principal Dr. Mario Thiessen had misled the board into thinking that race wins would be more frequent by this point.  Perhaps the economy, politics, and various F1 scandals led BWM to conclude that F1 no longer delivered the necessary return on investment.

Whatever the reason, after great fanfare in 2005, BMW quit F1 in 2009.  Peter Sauber tried to buy back his team, but the terms were onerous and he backed away.  A reported sale to the Qadbak investment group was touted, yet it quickly evaporated.  When allegations of past chicanery emerged about Qadbak’s managment, many wondered how BWM had missed the mark so badly.  The sale of the team seemed bungled and chaotic, compared with Honda’s more orderly depature from the sport.

Peter Sauber taking control of his old team is a win-win for F1 and the team.  The factory and race team will continue on, albeit slightly smaller.  Racing will still continue in Switzerland, which (for some odd reason) we like.  BMW’s investment in infrastructure is certain to aid the team down the road.  Peter Sauber could not have done this on his own.

The irony is that BWM, like Honda, could find itself having withdrawn from F1 just as its investment begins to bear fruit.

[Via http://onthelimit.wordpress.com]

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Все никак у людей

Почему-то сорвалась эта фраза после просмотра рекламного ролика, в котором баварцы рекламируют свое чудо иженерной мысли. У них что двери не открываются? Вызывает сочувствие… Кстати, в окончательном варианте, ауди убрали по объективным причинам. =)

[Via http://exand.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Minunile se intampla...

In aceasta seara o echipa de care nu auzise nimeni din afara Romaniei a obtinut o victorie impotriva uneia dintre cele mai titrate echipe de fotbal din Europa.

Un rezultat obtinut  cu multa daruire si cu o ambitie inimaginabila corelate cu o organizare foarte riguroasa.

Spectacol nu poti sa zici ca a fost, dar sincer nici nu cred ca asta ne am fi dorit sa vedem.

Sa joci frumos, iar la final sa iesi cu capul in pamant ne am cam saturat. Vrem rezultate. Vrem sa fim cineva in lumea fotbalului. Vrem sa vedem nume mari care vin prin Romania pentru a juca fotbal.

E imposibil sa i domini pe cei de la Sevilla atunci cand ei ii au in teren pe Luis Fabiano, Kanoute sau Navas, dar totusi poti sa iti folosesti la maxim inima si plamanii pentru a compensa lipsa de tehnicitate si pentru a obtine ceea ce ti ai propus.

Asta au si facut cei de la Urziceni. O echipa campioana care arata ca o campioana.

Acum mai ramane un hop de trecut si romanii pot sa iasa in strada de bucurie, deoarece micuta echipa din Ialomita nu apartine doar Urziceniului, ci apartine Romaniei.

Am zis minune deoarece o echipa cotata la 20 de milioane de lire a reusit sa invinga o echipa a carei valoare depaseste 210 milioane de lire. E ca si cand te ai lua la intrecere cu un BMW in timp ce tu conduci un Matiz.

Fotbalul ne arata insa ca bani, prestigiul si palmaresul nu sunt cei care decid soarta unui meci. De asta e frumos fotbalul. Pentru ca din cand in cand mai avem parte si de astfel de seri.

Felicitari UNIREA URZICENI!!! Bravo baieti!!!

[Via http://cekilumeu.wordpress.com]

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Ordered: 2009 BMW R1200GS Adventure

After some intensive research, I have decided to order the still SOHC R1200GSA instead of the upcoming DOHC HP2S-based engine R1200GSA (model 2010).

Some reasons why not the 2010 model (compared to the SOHC 2008/2009 model):

  • The new engine gives 5 HP more (110 HP instead of 105 HP) and 120 Nm of torque. It’s only about 5% increase.
  • The redline is increased to 8500 rpm (instead of 8000 rpm). But it is an adventure bike. Who needs higher rpm?
  • The new engine needs 98 RON. Again, it is an adventure bike. I need a bike that can be riden to Morocco or Tunisia or Eastern Europe or Russia. Moreover, the gas price in Germany is already pricey.
  • Electronically controlled exhaust valve. Just another thing one doesn’t need on an adventure bike. And of course it is a great more shit to go wrong. Moreover, it is very badly located. Just a little “kick” from your riding boot and you have already a bad day. The worst thing is, that BMW built this, in order to improve sound (“more agressive muscular sound”).  What the hell! If I want more muscular sound then I just upgrade the exhaust pipe to Akrapovic one (or other aftermarkets). Or just take Ducati or Harley Davidson!
  • The reliability of the new engine has not been tested in adventure world yet. The HP2S engine normally needs a rebuild every 45.000 km. Yes, the engine for GS is a modified one. But still it has not been proven.
  • Meanwhile the new engine promises less vibration and perhaps also longer service interval (reference: the service interval of DOHC engine of Ducati is 12.000 km), but how about the heat problems (some say the HP2S engine can be really hot). Moreover, the DOHC engine needs longer time to be serviced.
  • Reliability, stability, steadiness, and predictability are very important for me. I do not want to be a beta tester for BMW. The 2009 model is the latest model in its product life cycle. Most issues have been ironed out.

The decision is clear: the 2009 R1200GSA. I ordered the red one with short first gear. The bike was produced in the end of August 2009 (on September 2009 they have summer holiday and on October 2009 they started with the 2010 production). After hard negotiations, I get 10% rebate and free mounting of Touratech farkles. Normally, in Germany you get only 5% rebate and 8% at most for BMW bikes.

Besides Touratech farkles, I will also upgrade the seats. I do not want my girlfriend gets bad mood due to uncomfortable seat. As a proverb says: “Happy wife, happy life” :-)

Finally, I get a new toy. A real toy for a big boy ;-) This bike will be mine for the next 10 years…

[Via http://sanjaya5.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

BMW 1502 - a rarity ! ! !

Have a nice day – Solobugas followers out there !

On my daily way from my home place to jail to university I found this wonderful buga right next to the street: an original BMW 1502. Red, fast and soon mine.

Joking apart. This buga is from the primary type series 114, which was also known as BMW serie 02. BMW was building this vehicles in the years 1966 – 1977. They were called “the new class” of BMW and one thing made this buga a little bit more interesting than it already was: a fully independent suspension – Mac Pherson struts in front. Additional there were front disc brakes, hell yeah.

My investigations at BMW Germany let me know, that the 1502 is actually an economy model of the BMW 2002. This means that it has a low compression 1.6L machine and that it was sold only in Europe, from 1975 until 1977. I am sorry baby sad that this means, that this car for example never reached Norway, cause they still think they are not a part of Europe, hehe.

The type serie 1502 was actually replaced by the first BMW 3 (serie E21) in the year 1975, but the 1502 was still built until 1977.

Well people, my next reportings should bring me to the city of Geneve, where I hopefully can bring you some more cars on the blog. But first I have to survive a concert of a German folk music band…

Stay tuned, yours Ole Markus

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Valley no more...

So it was planned for yesterday to ride towards the valley of Parnassos, but on the move the plans changed!
We started at 09:00am in the morning, 3 motorcycles and 4 riders, headed – as we initially had planned – towards Delphi, the weather was sunny but yet this time it was colder, I didn’t predict the lower temperature on some places and I was not wearing suitable trousers!
We arrived at Delphi really refreshed, as the road had no real traffic, we sat at a nice cafe which overlooks the olive trees of Itea / Chrysso of Fokida, a view that surely rewards your ~160Km ride towards it
Drunk the coffee and while we where thinking of riding towards the Valley, we re planned and decided to head towards Livadia because some of the people needed to be early back home. I had no real problems, since the Valley is a place where you can easily reach, so I decided to drop the Valley route for the day and head towards Livadia, enjoy some food and return back home!
So we are back on the road, we make a short stop over at Arachova for a quick picture, and then we head towards Livadia which is around 35Km’s away from Arachova!
After a few twisties, we arrived at Livadia where we had the chance to enjoy a nice meal near the river (Vryses called), lots of Green, people walking around (since the weather was lovely) and lots of bikers arriving!
Surely a fantastic place to be!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Dahsyat, BMW Akan Produksi Motor Enam Silinder

Berlin, 12 November 2009 - Pabrikan otomotif asal Jerman, Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW ), Rabu (11/11) mengumumkan konsep varian baru sepeda motor yang bakal diproduksinya. Kali ini BMW berencana menawarkan sepeda motor bermesin enam silinder.

Siaran pers BMW seperti dikutip worldcarfans.com, menyebutkan BMW Motorrad, anak usaha BMW yang memproduksi sepeda motor, telah memutuskan untuk segera mewujudkan produksi motor dengan tenaga mesin enam silinder segaris tersebut.

”Motor ini bergaya Cafe Racer dengan nama Concept 6. Angka enam merupakan jumlah silinder,” tutur sumber BMW.

Daya mesin tersebut setara dengan mesin mobil 1.300 cc empat silinder segaris. Tetapi torsinya jauh lebih besar ketimbang mesin 1.300 cc, karena sebesar torsi mobil bermesin 1.600 cc. Torsi maksimum mencapai 130 Newton Meter pada 2.000rpm. Meski demikian, BMW mengklaim motor itu sanggup dipacu hingga torsinya lebih dari 9.000rpm.

Desainnya sengaja dibuat agar bagian depan lebih panjang dibanding buritan. Sedangkan kerangka motor ini dibuat dari paduan rangka alloy ringan duolever dengan paralever yang memanjang dari roda depan hingga belakang. Sementara speedometer menggunakan Light Emitting Diode (LED).

Namun, anak usaha BMW yang memproduksi sepeda motor itu belum menyebut kapan varian baru itu akan diproduksi secara massal. Begitu pula dengan harga yang akan dipatok untuk produk tersebut.

Sumber foto 01 | Foto 02 | Foto 03 | Foto 04 | Foto 05

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

BMW e as corridas - 2ª parte

Como vocês puderam observar no outro post, o texto sobre o GTS ficou grande o bastante para não dividir a sua atenção com mais nenhum modelo. Também pudera, o carro é simplesmente espetacular.

Mas hoje vamos falar sobre a história do mais fabuloso dos BMW’s CSL (Coupe Sport Leicht) já produzidos para as corridas. O carro é tão marcante que a BMW criou um M5 atual com algumas caractarísticas do carro antigo. Na verdade, foi uma homenagem da BMW, lembrando os 25 anos de criação do BMW 3.5 CSL de 1975.

Para competir no automobilismo americano, a BMW escolheu o seu projeto que alcançou sucesso na Europa, através do ETCC – European Car Cup Touring.  Apenas quatro CSL foram produzidos pela BMW América do Norte para competir na série IMSA, a International Motor Sports Association, na classe GTO.

Foi o primeiro produto da BMW Motorsport GmbH, uma subsidiária da BMW dedicada ao desenvolvimento dos esportivos mais encapetados da BMW e que hoje é mais conhecida como a famosa divisão M. O carro de base era um BMW CS 3.0, que sofreu a devida depenação e recebeu um belo kit aerodinâmico que acabou dando ao modelo o apelido de Batmóvel. Além disso, o carro recebeu uma das mais marcantes pinturas que um carro de  corrida poderia receber.

Na parte mecânica, o motor era o novíssimo M49 que foi desenvolvido com uma configuração de 24 válvulas DOHC para a temporada 1974. Em 75 o motor recebeu alterações para participar em Le Mans, passando de 3.0 para 3.5 litros. A BMW dos EUA viu com bons olhos essa modificação, acreditando que o carro poderia se dar bem contra um punhado de Porsches no solo americano.

A BMW obteve várias vitórias ao longo do ano, mas não conseguiu derrotar o Porsche da equipe Brumos Racing Porsche RSR, que acabou vencendo o Camel Trophy GT Challenge por pontos. Porém, a equipe estava satisfeita com o desempenho e o sucesso alcançado, mostrando que era bastante competitiva a ponto de vencerem em 1976 as 24 Horas de Daytona. Mas isso já é outra história.

O NOVO

E o carro que foi criado para celebrar os 25 anos desta bela passagem pelas pistas esta logo abaixo. Como não podia deixar de ser, os destaques incluem um motor maior, de 5,5-litro, além de um extenso programa de redução de peso.

O motor passou a contar com respeitáveis 580cv e para resfriar toda essa cavalaria instalaram um radiador maior, que esta instalado atrás do local que se encontrava a placa. Sua carroceria passou a conta com vários pontos em fibra de carbono, como o teto por exemplo.

Já a transmissão Getrag de dupla embreagem é oriunda do M3 e passou por modificações para suportar o torque de 55,3 Kgfm.

Na próxima oportunidade falaremos de outro BMW que arrebentou nas pistas no final da década de 70.

Abraços

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Thank you, Forbes, for yet another pointless list

We… deliberately omitted some vehicles that rated higher on the particulate-emissions scale, including exotics like the Ferrari F430, uber-luxury cars like the Bentley Continental Flying Spur, and high-performance variants from Mercedes-Benz’s AMG line. Those cars have marginally worse emissions ratings than some of the entries on our list but are produced in such small quantities and driven so infrequently–on weekends or on racetracks–that they often don’t contribute much to air-pollution problems.

- Forbes, America’s Dirtiest Vehicles

Forbes then goes on to rate the BMW M6 “sedan” as the third most, er, pollutingest car on the road, followed by the BMW M5 in the number two spot (the Jeep Grand Cherokee took dubious top honors).

What is the upshot of all this? Obviously, it’s that E63 and SL63 owners track their cars, while their BMW-owning counterparts are busy killing Mother Earth. Get with the program, BM!

- Gyro

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Toyota out of F1, Lotus failed to woo Petronas

WITH one stroke of a Japanese pen yesterday, a new twist unfolded for the future of Formula One and a new scenario for the Lotus F1 team.

It took just the first piece of bad news on Toyota’s pullout from F1 for a handful of opportunities to emerge and much concerns Malaysia’s F1 hopeful Fairuz Fauzy.

As a result of Toyota’s move, it is imminent that Sauber, the victims of BMW’s pullout from F1 previously, will be back in keeping the projection of 13 teams to start next season.
For Lotus F1, this will mean the loss of a potential sponsor in national oil company Petronas, who remained tied to Sauber as a premium partner.

On the positive side, this will mean that both Toyota drivers Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, confirmed by technical director Mike Gascoyne on Tuesday as having had detailed discussions with the team, are now available.

Gascoyne, himself, was previously technical director at Toyota.

Fairuz is likely to be part of the Lotus F1 Team either as a test driver with possibilities of him taking up a race seat as well. But Fairuz said he has yet to sign on the dotted lines.

This leaves the 27-year-old, who finished second in the Formula 3.5 World Series by Renault championship this season, suddenly with more than one option.

BMW had announced in July that they would end their F1 campaign at the end of the recently concluded season, leaving Sauber in the lurch.

But the outfit found a new lease of life in Switzerland-based Middle Eastern investment group Qadbak and their return as the 14th team was up to an agreement by the rest of the teams in F1.

That return now seems a certainty with Toyota out, but it could still turn out otherwise if the International Automobile Federation (FIA) decides to fall back on a similar approach to invite other teams initially rejected, to reapply as they did following BMW’s initial pullout.

British team Prodrive and Basque team Epsilon-Euskadi are two teams waiting to pounce on any vacancies for slots in F1 next season.

Without BMW, Petronas would act as the biggest sponsor for Sauber and this provides the company a firmer grip on team decisions.

Insiders claim it could now be payback time for Petronas, who has served as an obedient sponsor of Sauber since 1995, without a say in driver selections.

These claims indicate that there will be a strong push for Fairuz to drive for Sauber than before.

A reliable source said the decision makers at Petronas had been approached by Lotus F1 for sponsorship, but this depended on whether the Sauber deal was really due to end prematurely.

Lotus F1 team principal Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes confirmed that he had approached Petronas offering an attractive commercial package.

“As it is, it looks like an announcement will be made by Petronas in the coming days once it becomes clearer whether that vacancy left by Toyota becomes Sauber’s,” the source said.

“If Sauber are back in F1 for sure, and it looks a virtual certainty, then Petronas aren’t going anywhere.”

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Обзоры современных машин: BMW – Часть 3.

Окончание. Начало здесь

X1

AUTOCAR

Наше мнение: Нет мнения
Результаты тестов: Нет мнения

AUTOEXPRESS

Наш выбор: Нет мнения
Позиция в рейтинге : Не участвует

CAR

О модели: нет мнения

TOPGEAR

О модели: Маленький паркетный внедорожник, основанный на 3-ей серии. Но “зеленые” могут спать спокойно, эта машина не собирается уничтожать планету, благодаря программе Efficient Dynamics, которая позволила снизить содержание CO2 в выхлопе, а также свела расход топлива к минимуму.
Позиция в рейтинге : Не участвует
Наш выбор: 23d отличная модель, но она тебе обойдется минимум в 30К фунтов…
Не обманывайся насчет: префиксов X и S. Первый означает полный привод, а второй – только на задние колеса.
Конкуренты: Audi Q5, Land Rover Freelander, Volvo XC60 и э… BMW X3?

WHATCAR

За: Нет мнения

X3

AUTOCAR

Наше мнение: Неплохой конкурент для Land Rover Freelander
Результаты тестов: Средне

AUTOEXPRESS

Наш выбор: Бензиновые версии так себе, так что бери 20d SE вместо них.
Позиция в рейтинге : Не участвует

CAR

О модели: Если Х5 – это костюм от Хьюго Босса, то ХЗ – майка с дешевой распродажи. Ездит так же хреново, как УАЗик, хотя тряска означает, что при таком жестком шасси, теоретически, машина должна классно управляться на шоссейке. Худшая машина из всех, что делает BMW.
Наш выбор: 30dSE
Секрет фирмы: Новая модель выйдет в 2010 году.
Вердикт: Тот случай, когда книгу можно судить по обложке.
Конкуренты: Audi Q5
Результаты тестов : Плохо
Одним словом: Урод

TOPGEAR

О модели: Уменьшенный вариант Х5 с обычным выбором прекрасных двигателей BMW, но подвеска настроена слишком жестко. Кстати, дурацкая ценовая политика привела к тому, что единственный реальный конкурент у этой машины – Х5.
Позиция в рейтинге : 52 из 152
Наш выбор: 3.0i Sport
Не обманывайся насчет: утверждений, что 4х4 плохо держат дорогу. Это же все-таки BMW, так что повороты “облизывать” ты сможешь. А вот про бездорожье забудь – Х3 может по ним ездить только в рекламных роликах.
Конкуренты: Audi Q5, Land Rover Freelander, Subaru Forester

WHATCAR

За: Классно управляющаяся машина, которая поможет тебе набрать очки среди мамочек, привезших своих чад в школу. Иногда, но не очень часто, может выезжать на бездорожье, но делает это не очень охотно. Дизельные двигатели превосходны и багажник довольно просторен.
Против : У конкурентов зачастую лучше интерьер салона и качество сборки. Подвеска просто слишком жесткая для кошмарных британских дорог. Выглядит устаревшим по сравнению с другими моделями BMW.
Вердикт: X3 выглядит и ощущается устаревшим. Стремление инженеров к наделению этой машины хорошей управляемостью привела к тому, что настройки подвески у оказались слишком жесткими, что приводит к неприятным ощущениям при езде. Качество интерьера не соответствует стандартам BMW.
Рейтинг для лучшей модификации: Средне
Рейтинг модели по версии читателей журнала: Хорошо
Наш выбор: xDrive 20d SE

X5

AUTOCAR

Наше мнение: Классический паркетник
Результаты тестов: Очень хорошо

AUTOEXPRESS

Наш выбор: 30d M Sport лучше других с точки зрения затрат и внешнего вида. Но для полного кайфа надо брать V8 48i
Позиция в рейтинге : Не участвует

CAR

О модели: Суперская динамика автомобиля недавно уступила пальму первенства таковой у его собрата под названием X6. Это, кстати, не означает, что мы перестали хотеть эту машину. Правда, Range Rover по бездорожью ездит лучше.
Наш выбор: 30d M Sport
Секрет фирмы: Эй, олигархи! Новые движки с двойным турбонаддувом скоро выйдут в свет. Занимай очередь!
Вердикт: Машина, которая является иконой в этом классе.
Конкуренты: Range Rover Sport
Результаты тестов : Отлично
Одним словом: Хорошо.

TOPGEAR

О модели: Новый вариант X5 стал семиместным, так что он теперь оправдывает свое позиционирование на класс выше Х3. Внутри он тоже стал больше. По количеству сидений он сравнялся с Land Rover Discovery, но в части езды по бездорожью он однозначно проигрывает конкуренту.
Позиция в рейтинге : 48 из 152
Наш выбор: В наше время – только дизель.
Не обманывайся насчет: внешнего вида. Будут у тебя затемненные стекла или нет, ты все равно будешь выглядеть, как возвращающийся со стрелки браток.
Конкуренты: Lexus RX, Mercedes ML, Porsche Cayenne, Land Rover Discovery, Infinity FX50

WHATCAR

За: Немногие большие внедорожники ездят так же хорошо, как это делает Х5. Он более быстр, чем это ожидается от такой большой машины, но при этом обладает достаточным запасом мощности и, в общем, экономичен. Добавочные два кресла опциональны.
Против : Настройки подвески несколько жестковаты на некачественном покрытии, особенно в варианте M Sport. X5 достаточно дорог, если его сравнить с Land Rover Discovery и не настолько практичен.
Вердикт: Отлично ездит по трассе и достаточно неплохо на бездорожье. Экономия топлива поразительна если ты выберешь модель, которую мы предпочитаем (3.0d SE). Конкуренты в лице Land Rover Discovery более практичны.
Рейтинг для лучшей модификации: Хорошо
Рейтинг модели по версии читателей журнала: Хорошо
Наш выбор: xDrive 30d SE

X6

AUTOCAR

Наше мнение: Первое в мире внедорожное купе
Результаты тестов: Хорошо

AUTOEXPRESS

Наш выбор: Бери 35d – у нее двигатель с двойным турбонаддувом
Позиция в рейтинге : Не участвует

CAR

О модели: К нашему удивлению, гибрид кроссовера и купе сработал совсем неплохо. И даже по бездорожью эта машина ездит отлично. У нас остался только один-единственный вопрос: Нафига?
Наш выбор: xDrive 35d
Секрет фирмы: Каждый движок в гамме – с турбонаддувом.
Вердикт: Уникум во всех отношениях
Конкуренты: Э… как насчет Mercedes CLS на 35-дюймовых колесах?
Результаты тестов : Хорошо
Одним словом: Хорошо.

TOPGEAR

О модели: Это… в чем смысл этой тачки, вообще? Если ты думал, что Mercedes пытается залезть во всякие странные продуктовые ниши, то как ты объяснишь сей агрегат?
Позиция в рейтинге : Не участвует
Наш выбор: 35d
Не обманывайся насчет: всего. Никто из нас толком не уверен что это за машина.
Конкуренты: В теории мы должны были бы сказать BMW X5 и Mercedes ML, но эта фигня слишком уникальна для них.

WHATCAR

За: Если X6 и не является идеальным внедорожником с точки зрения управляемости, то он максимально приближен к такому идеалу, несмотря на свои размеры. Машина комфортабельна и очень экономична для такого большого и тяжелого внедорожника.
Против : У автомобиля всего четыре сидения, а покатая линия крыши приводит к тому, что места для высоких пассажиров маловато. Для ног места тоже мало, кстати. Дизели немного шумные. X5 дешевле и более практичен.
Вердикт: X6 великолепно управляется, мощное ускорение сочетается с повадками спортивной машины. Но четыре кресла и высокая цена – аргумент против покупки этого автомобиля. Мы выбираем базовый дизель.
Рейтинг для лучшей модификации: Хорошо
Рейтинг модели по версии читателей журнала: Хорошо
Наш выбор: xDrive 30d

X6 M

AUTOCAR

Наше мнение: Нет мнения
Результаты тестов: Нет мнения

AUTOEXPRESS

Наш выбор: Нет мнения
Позиция в рейтинге : Не участвует

CAR

О модели: Через десятилетия, историки автопрома будут указывать на 2009 год, как на ту отправную точку, когда подразделение М BMW полностью рехнулось.
Наш выбор: Jaguar XFR. Пожалуйста…
Секрет фирмы: Коробка – 6-ступенчатый автомат, а не пятиступенчатая SMC, как у M5.
Вердикт: BMW M3 E30 вертится в своей могиле.
Конкуренты: Range Rover Sport Supercharged
Результаты тестов : Средне
Одним словом: Хорошо.

TOPGEAR

О модели: Нет мнения

WHATCAR

За: Нет мнения

Z4

AUTOCAR

Наше мнение: Отличное купе-кабриолет
Результаты тестов: Нет мнения

AUTOEXPRESS

Наш выбор: Нет мнения
Позиция в рейтинге : Не участвует

CAR

О модели: Z4 подрос, получил складную металлическую крышу и наточил зубы, благодаря новому двигателю-шестерке. Porsche пока может не волноваться, но вот Mercedes уже может паниковать.
Наш выбор: sDrive 35i
Секрет фирмы: только sDrive 35i получил семиступенчатую коробку DCT (опционально, конечно – это же BMW).
Вердикт: Неплохо, но Porsche Cayman лучше.
Конкуренты: Porsche Boxster/Cayman
Результаты тестов : Хорошо
Одним словом: Хорошо.

TOPGEAR

О модели: Как-то так получилось, что Z4 никогда не была сильным аргументом в борьбе BMW с конкурентами. Несмотря на стильный вид и отличные движки, а также надоедливый маркетинг, эта модель не может состязаться с Porsche Boxster.
Позиция в рейтинге : Не участвует
Наш выбор: 3.5
Не обманывайся насчет: “зеленых”, которые утверждают, что е-мейлы – это хорошо для планеты. А сервак откуда энергию берет, а?
Конкуренты: Mercedes SLK, Nissan 370Z, Porsche Boxster, Audi TT

WHATCAR

За: Z4 выглядит потрясающе с крышей или без, а качество отделки салона просто источает высочайший уровень качества. Машина очень приятна при вождении, обладает хорошей линейкой двигателей, впечатляющей управляемостью и отличным комфортом.
Против : отсутствие четырехцилиндровых двигатель делает стоимость владения машиной не такой низкой, как хотелось бы. В багажнике практически нет места, когда крыша сложена.
Вердикт: Отличная машина. Она выглядит и ездит как настоящий спортивный автомобиль и ты будешь радоваться каждый раз, когда тебе удастся сесть за ее руль.
Рейтинг для лучшей модификации: Хорошо
Рейтинг модели по версии читателей журнала: Нет мнения
Наш выбор: 2.5 sDrive23i

По материалам AutoExpress, AutoCar, Car, TopGear и WhatCar. Фотографии утянуты с WhatCar

Saturday, October 31, 2009

RaceFanNetwork Covers ARRC At Road Atlanta

If you are a vendor who is thinking of participating in the American Road Racing Championship (ARRC) at Road Atlanta next weekend; do we have a broadcast value for you. RaceFan will be streaming audio and video live at the circuit for three days. So, if you want your product message heard and seen in conjunction with the event contact business@prracewire.com and we’ll get you set up with a low cost ad blitz program.

LET ME HELP YOU HELP OTHERS

I NEED YOU HELP!!!

I need your help, I’m on a mission to connect 1,000,000 people with 1,000,000 cars, I have recently partnered with a few companies in the tri-state area that have an OVER STOCK of vehicles that need drivers, yes these cars need drivers. They range from bank repossessions to trade ins, these vehicles range from 6 months old to 25 years old, manufactures from AM General to Yugo, trucks to motorcycles, forklifts to bulldozers, what ever you are looking for I can offer at a discount to any advertised retail price. The inventory changes daily, I come across many vehicles.

I am working mostly in the New York, New Jersey area, this does not make a difference, even if you are in a different state or country I can still ship and/or export you the car you are looking for.

I like to work with individuals, but I will take on a legitimate businesses looking to liquidate or up grade their fleets.

I’m not looking for anyone to sell anything all I’m asking is if you know someone looking for any kind of car THAT DOES NOT WANT TO PAY FULL RETAIL PRICE, forward this e-mail and my phone number and this is what I will do for you and anyone that buys a vehicle.

I’m going to give away 10% on the purchase price of any vehicle up to $1000 to your favorite non-profit charity in your name. I’m not only going to give the store away, I’m going to give it away in someone else’s name. What is he crazy! No I just know if I help others help others, life is better for all. This means if you or someone buys a car or light truck for $2500 I will give $250, buy for $4000 I give $400, buy for $6,000 I give $600.00, etc on up to $1000.00

Listen to what I am saying I am going to give away most if not all of my profit in your name to YOUR charity this is a win win for all. We all know someone who needs a car or wants to upgrade to a newer model and wants to save some money. You get a tax deductible donation that did not come out of your pocket, and your charity gets the help it desperately needs, if that’s not giving I don’t know what is.

That’s all I’m asking this in not a joke I am very very serious. Please read all attachments, if you have any questions you can call between 8am-6pm. At 631 671 9779 You can e-mail questions and vehicle request at ejacksoniaia@gmail.com, I will need to talk to you to verify all emailed info so don’t forget the best phone number to call you back

Thursday, October 29, 2009

BMW celebra 25 anos do M5 com um CSL único

O esportivo M5 comemora 25 anos neste ano e, é claro, a BMW não podia deixar esta data passar em branco. Para celebrar o aniversário do modelo, a marca bávara desenvolveu uma unidade diferenciada do sedã. Ele adota a sigla CSL, conhecida historicamente na empresa alemã pelo alto desempenho de seus veículos.

A novidade da BMW entrega 580 cv e 10% mais torque que o M5 comum, com carroceria 50 kg mais leve. De acordo com a fabricante, o CSL baixa em até 20 segundos o tempo do irmão “normal” no circuito de Nürburgring. Pena que terá apenas uma unidade…

GALERIA

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Cars for the Pacific Northwest Gentleman

What does a man’s car say about him?  Many variables must be considered when choosing the right “rig” or “whip” for the often volatile Pacific NW roads.  But what about impressions?  Choosing a ride that leaves others with a vivid impression of who a gentleman is and where he is going is also vastly important.  Consider some plausible questions that could be posed by on-lookers when you roll up at your next party, social scene, or perspective dating address.

  1. Is this a cool guy with a drinking problem but the bank account to support it?  (Does he live hard?)
  2. Does he care about footprints, carbon or otherwise?
  3. Maybe he’s a white trasher who likes Insane Clown Posse and moto-brap-braps?
  4. Maybe just a resourceful go-getter making a subtle yet powerful statement?
  5. Is he a “married” who spends his Saturdays at the fabric store?

The transportation list is never ending, so let’s focus on a small cross section of vehicles, semi-randomly selected, and evaluate them one at a time.  If you feel so compelled, go ahead an nominate additional vehicle types by leaving a comment below.

1. Subaru Outback/Honda Element (AKA: REI members)

“Hi, I love the PNW and have the car to fit all my outdoor adventuring needs!”  Lame.  You probably also listen to Car Talk and subscribe to a “green” lifestyle.  Oregon heart sticker??  You betcha!!  The Subaru wagon and Honda Element may as well be the same car.  Not going to impress but ain’t going to depress either.  Yes to questions #2, #5, and possibly #4.

Elements bangin' Subarus: Who's on top?!?

2.  BMW 2002 sedan

Big ballin’ and shot callin’.  Cars are like fine suits: one for every day of the week!  The 2002 sport racer of the 1970’s is a gentleman’s car through and through.  Compact for easy urban racing.  European styling for a styling Europeans (or cool dudes).  You can set the bar high when arriving in this car, but be prepared to back it up with a solid wit and worldly view.  No “bros” with flat bills should apply.  Yes to questions #1 and possibly #4, but due to this car’s vintage it’s hard to be sure.

Hello, I was born in Germany...do you likes das autobahn??

3.  Mercedes Benz diesel (80 to early 90s)

What can we say, the Beagle is a sucker for the classy Euro sedans.  The 80’s Mercedes sedans and wagons definitely fall into this category.  The problem with the Benz is the damn Bio-benzer owners with their bio-diesel stickers and “Look, look…I run on war-free fuels!”  attitudes.  That, and the hippies.  What happened to the starchy stiff collars synonymous with the Benzes of yore?  Yes to questions #2 (sadly) and possibly #5 ‘cuz Portland liberals are everywhere.

Got a side of fry oil with that?

4.  Ford F-150

Well, look who just rocked up rockin’ the new Kid Rock!  You bet those are Mickey Thompson 44s.  You can also bet that any man driving this rig is no gentleman.  Fine ladies, fine liquors and fine trucks??  No.  See question #3 from above.

“How big is my cock? Well, these mudders will kill you, so shut up!” 5.  Bike (fixed or otherwise)

God dammit.  Yes to question #2 and the drinking problem portion of #1.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Der Mini das Kultauto auch für die Ökos

Den Siegeszug, den dieser kleine Flitzer aus England hingelegt ha,t sucht in der
Automobilbranche seines Gleichen. War er in den 70ziger Jahre noch jung, revolutionär so ist er heute dank moderner
Technik aus dem Hause BMW, als Erwachsen zu bezeichnen. Selbst auf der Renntrecke
macht er eine gute Figur. Hier kann jeder fahren, trotz oder weil es gerade nur ein kleines Budget für die Rennfans bedarf.
Ein Spruch von früher hat keine Gültigkeit mehr. Früher brauchtes du zwei Minis: einen für das Fahren und einen für die Werkstatt.
Das trifft heute nicht mehr zu, Heute ist er Flitzer und Showobjekt in einem.
Zur Geburtsfeier des kleine Minis gab es eine Party bei der Mini Challenge in Silverstone.
Echte Racingluft zu schnuppern war hier möglich, auch für Nichtrennfahrern, die bei den sogenannten
Proberunden mit den Profis mitfahren durften. Eine Mitfahrgelegenheit auf hohem Niveau! Äh kleiner Höhe natürlich!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

The New Frontier: Workplace Democracy

I often wonder what is coming next, what with instant world wide communication, and access to information instantaneously.  With personal choice now more than ever the key question for everyone in all countries, people are seeking – and obtaining – answers from all around the globe.

That marvelous final bastion of time consumption for the majority of us on this little blue planet: not sleeping… employment: trading our time for money is now being questioned more than ever. Perhaps we feel that being gainfully employed means more than money, like “something to do with our time”, but recent studies show that employee disengagement is the epidemic of the 21st century:  6 out of 7 employees are switched off.  We are running in neutral; idling;  bored;  tuned out; not interested; keen to move on.

That’s 86% of the work force not happy to be there / here / anywhere!!

H1N1 has nothing on the misery and suffering caused by that amount of disengagement.

That’s why I’m excited.  With all this untapped human potential, just sitting in idle, what does it take to re-engage, re-motivate and obtain excellence from them?  That’s exciting: that potential. I know the answer and it’s straight forward: once you get your ego under control.

A friend of mine is doing her MBA in Kuwait and I was helping her prepare for an exam and a group assignment on leadership and organisational management. Great stuff.  I was enthralled by a case study about BMW I was reading.  It clearly identified the democratic, participative management work environment that clearly explained why BMW is so successful right now, whilst other car manufactures are faltering.  As an example BMW has engaged 12,000 new people since 2000, whilst GM and Ford have sacked similar numbers.  BMW does not have workers and managers, they have associates and leaders, but there’s more to it, and what they are doing is not important.  It’s why and how that counts. And it’s all about engagement. This web page is not the case study, but alludes to BMW’s practices a little. Brilliant stuff.

I explain it to my colleagues and my teams like this: the traditional method of business is like a school class room.  [It's really based on the military model, as is school, but relatively few of us have military experience, but "all" of us have been in school.  I'll use the term "us" as the students here, because we know it so well ;o) ]

In a typical school there is a teacher and there are the students.  The students are a bunch of individuals being told what to do by one person: classical management style theory.  The teacher dictates the rules and the students work to our own limits – on our own – to reach our own level of achievement: our grades.  That’s it.  Students can’t wait to leave.  The teacher can’t wait to leave.  There’s very little group work, in fact working in a team can get you expelled (it has a special term: “cheating”).

Consider what happens when the teacher leaves the room?  What do we do?  We all know: we’ve all been there before. We bumff off, goof off, focus on anything and everything but the subject matter.

Something else very interesting is happening that is the essence of participative management: we group together into little collections to discuss stuff, all kinds of stuff.  Do we talk about the subject matter of the class?  Unlikely.  We talk about what interests us at that time.

Imagine if those little groups could be harnessed to drive outcomes?  Self driven, enthusiastic, motivated…

That’s exactly what companies like BMW and Google have done.  They have worked it out.  They work as dynamic, organic groups, openly and in plain sight.

It’s so much fun to do to as well!  People come alive in my groups when I employ the strategies and tricks to engage and motivate a team: to form a participative group.  Quite people suddenly contribute.  Bullies and those who can’t manage their egos become quite, and they either get with it or leave the group.  It’s magic to watch it working.  Just watching the outcomes and achievements of a self motivated, self actualized group of people is wonderful.

Have a look at this very good web site: WorldBlue.com.  Traci Fenton, the founder, has decided to recognize ”democratic” work places and on her web site there are 40 companies that qualify for her 10 point checklist as a democratic company for 2009.

Here are her 10 points:

The WorldBlu 10 Principles of Organizational Democracy™

10: Reflection + Evaluation
Democratic organizations are committed to continuous feedback and development and are willing to learn from the past and apply lessons to improve the future.

1 : Purpose and Vision
A democratic organization is clear about why it exists (its purpose) and where it is headed and what it hopes to achieve (its vision). These act as its true North, offering guidance and discipline to the organization’s direction.

2: Transparency
Say goodbye to the “secret society” mentality. Democratic organizations are transparent and open with employees about the financial health, strategy, and agenda of the organization.

3: Dialogue + Listening
Instead of the top-down monologue or dysfunctional silence that characterizes most workplaces, democratic organizations are committed to having conversations that bring out new levels of meaning and connection.

4: Fairness + Dignity
Democratic organizations are committed to fairness and dignity, not treating some people like “somebodies” and other people like “nobodies.”

5: Accountability
Democratic organizations point fingers, not in a blaming way but in a liberating way. They are crystal clear about who is accountable to whom and for what.

6: Individual + Collective
In democratic organizations, the individual is just as important as the whole, meaning employees are valued for their individual contribution as well as for what they do to help achieve the collective goals of the organization.

7: Choice
Democratic organizations thrive on giving employees meaningful choices.

8: Integrity
Integrity is the name of the game, and democratic companies have a lot of it. They understand that freedom takes discipline and also doing what is morally and ethically right.

9: Decentralization
Democratic organizations make sure power is appropriately shared and distributed among people throughout the organization.

Apply these principles and just watch what happens.

I believe that the essence of a successful democratic process,  is captured by Malcom Gladwell in his book Tipping Point from 2000. That is: “Peer pressure is much more powerful than the concept of a Boss. Many, many times more powerful”.  (You’ll find this little gem buried on page 186).

Think about the teacher/student concept.  How much power does the teacher have?  Very little really. It depends on their character, but it is a doomed, decaying system.  The stronger and more controlling the teacher is with the class, the more the class will work against the teacher when the teacher is absent: it’s a system bound to fail.  On the other hand, peer pressure does nothing but enhance the values and achievements of the group – the only thing to do is guide the group in the desired direction.

But this is not new is it??

Of course not.

Here are some very interesting events of world note that were affected to some degree by the amount of engagement of the participants:

  • The Dutch East India Company founded in 1602 experienced stable consistent share price growth for nearly 200 years, paying an average dividend of 18%
  • British South Sea Bubble and crash of the early 1700’s
  • French Mississippi Company another early 1700’s crash
  • Erlanger Cotton-backed bonds of the US Civil war great in theory but doomed the entire was effort

So what does all this mean?  We’ll it means that a company can limp along on a net profit margin of 0% to 5% using traditional management processes (stressed out managers and tuned out employees) or a company can achieve 20 to 30% returns in an environment with very little turnover, where everyone wants to be there – “The New Frontier: Workplace Democracy”

I want to end with two beautiful quotes from Sir Richard Branson he made on 13th October 2007 when being interviewed on TED.   The video is called “Life at 30,000 Feet“.  Richard left school when he was 15.  He was told by his headmaster that he will either be a roaring success or he would go to prision: he’s done both.

“A company is all about finding the right people, inspiring those people and drawing out the best in people.” @ 1 minute, 45 seconds

“I don’t actually think that the stereotype of a business person treading all over people to get to the top generally speaking works.  If you treat people well, people will come back and come back for more.  All you have in life is your reputation.  It’s a very small world.  I actually think that best way of becoming a successful business leader is by dealing with people fairly and well, and I like to think that’s how we run Virgin.” @ 21 minutes, 20 seconds

Jeremiah Josey

Best Value Motoring Car of the day

It’s hard to believe this Bangle designed Z4 has already been superseded and is already more than 5 years old. Yet, the incredibly phallic shape of the Z4 with it’s ‘flame surfacing’ still looks amazingly fresh even today. It has definitely aged gracefully and now that we’re more accustomed to Bangle’s use of concave and convex lines down the flanks, I have to say that it makes contemporary competitors look a bit stodgy. Chris Bangle must be smiling now that the critics have been silenced. Yet, as much as BMW has been pushing the design envelope, it has always been about the drive. The driving position of the Z4 is classic roadsters, where you sit behind the centre of the wheel base with a seemingly unending bonnet in front of you, an extension of your arms on the till. The fantastically smooth 2.5l inline six is matched well with this chassis and provides more than enough go, while being poised and balanced through the turns. Roadster are about fun and the wind in your hair, but this BMW does refinement and cruising around very well indeed. Even with the roof down at highway speeds, wind buffeting is kept to a minimum and conversation is possible without shouting.

The inside is an inviting place to be, though not exactly sporty. The dash design is clean and simple although it does not reflect the adventurous exterior lines. Instrumentation is basic and works well without the use of the much talked about iDrive system. You sit low in the car and feel snug surrounded by leather. Built quality is exemplary with no creaks creeping into the cabin except over the harshest bumps. It lacks the folding hard top of the latest Z4 but the fabric roof does not take up as much space in the boot and is extremely quick in folding. With the roof up, the cabin is quiet and cosy keeping out the elements well.

This particular 2003 Z4 has done 43,000kms with the owner asking for $36,500. It’s incredible value for such a wonderfully resolved car that still looks fantastic. With most of the sting of depreciation taken out of the initial buying price, the main running cost has already been accounted for. As with all BMWs, make sure to ask for servicing records and have them professionally inspected.

Pros: Aged well, smooth inline six, quick folding roof

Cons: Lacks security of folding hardtops

Via Carsales

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Jenson Button: 2009 F1 World Champion

Button & Brawn Celebrate a Double Victory

Last Sunday at the Brazilian Grand Prix, “Great Button” clinched his first ever F1 World Drivers’ Championship after finishing 5th place in the race with a time of 1h32:52.086. I’ve been following the highly talented Brit after watching some clips of his Formula Three performance, and when he became “the man” for Honda’s disappointing F1 team. The 2009 season with Brawn-Mercedes has only been a career blessing for Button after being overshadow by F1 sensation and fellow countryman, Lewis Hamilton, and Spain’s Fernando Alonso. Button responded to his critics by ripping through the competition – winning  the first two GPs and then winning four more GPs in a row. Button has 11 top-5 finishes for the 2009 season.

In addition, Brawn-Mercedes clinched their first ever F1 Constructors’ Championship in the team’s first year. Mark Webber was first with a time of 1h32:23.081.

No more doubting the "Great Button"

Toyota Mark X, Penantang BMW 5

Tokyo, 20 Oktober 2009 - Toyota Jepang telah meluncurkan redisain Toyota Mark X. Sedan baru itu akan diproduksi dalam dua tipe mesin V6, yaitu 2.500 cc yang mampu menyemburkan tenaga maksimum 200 daya kuda.

Mesin ini, sebut Toyota seperti yang dikutip autoworld dan wolrdcarfans.com diadopsi mesin Lexus IS250. Tipe kedua adalah mesin berkapasitas 3.500 cc, d yang mampu mencapai tenaga maksimum yang dihasilkan mencapai 314 daya kuda. Mesin tersebut diadopsi dari mesin Lexus GS350. ”Keduanya menggunakan sistem transmisi otomatis dengan enam percepatan,” tutur sumber Toyota.

Sementara, tingkat akselerasi kecepatan dari 0 -100 kilometer per jam dicapai pada 8,4 detik. Mobil yang akan dipamerkan pada Tokyo Motor Show 24 tu hanya butuh satu liter bahan bakar untuk 13 kilometer jarak yang ditempuh. ”Sedangkan mesin 3.500 cc jauh lebih kuat dan halus meski irit bahan bakar,”

Kapasitas bagasi yang mencapai 4.800 liter mampu untuk memuat empat tas stick golf. Sementara, fitur keselamatan berkendara yang ada di mobil ini antara lain, tujuh airbag, sistem pengaman bila terjadi tabrakan, sistem adaptive pada lampu depan, intelligent parking assist, dan masih banyak lagi.

Sedangkan di interior, terdapat perangkat sistem navigasi HDD, 12 speaker plus saluran televisi digital terrestrial 12 inci. Dan balutan kulit pada jok semakin menambah kesan mewah yang memiliki panjang 4,73 meter ini.

Soal kenyamanan suspensi? Tak perlu diragukan. dengan front double-wishbone dan rear multilink suspension menjadikan kenyamanan berkendara semakin mantap. Ihwal harga, sumber Toyota menyebut, sedan yang disebut sebagai saudara dekat Lexus IS dan GS itu akan dibanderol sekitar 2,4 – 3,8 juta Yen atau sekitar 17,6 – 28,1 ribu poundseterling.

Sumber foto 01 | Foto 02

BMW Individual Atlantis E90 M3

This BMW is unique  and it’s one of the latest projects of IND-Distribution for a special client that likes his cars to be personalized and it isn’t affraid to take risks.

I just love the Atlantis Blue colour. The car has carbon fiber roof panel,  RD Sport front bumper, Gloss Black powder-coated tips for the full Akrapovic Titanium exhaust,  Challenge rear diffuser,  KW coilover suspension, Dinan carbon fiber air intake, Rogue Engineering power pulleys and Active Autowerke engine software … but for the performance part this is the only thing we know.

[Source: Promotor]

Thursday, October 15, 2009

BMW lança nova moto no Brasil

Depois de fazer o primeiro lançamento mundial de um modelo automotivo no Brasil neste ano, agora a BMW escolheu o país para ser o primeiro a produzir motos da marca fora da Alemanha. A BMW Motorrad vai montar o modelo G 650 GS em parceria com a Dafra Motos a partir de dezembro em Manaus (AM). O produto estará disponível ao consumidor brasileiro em fevereiro de 2010, ao preço de R$ 29.800, cerca de 40% menos do que custaria se fosse importado da Alemanha.

A escolha do Brasil para montar a moto da BMW deve-se ao desempenho das vendas do país, afirma Rolf Epp, diretor da BMW Motorrad no Brasil, que espera uma expansão de 10% neste ano.

“O Brasil é o único país em que as vendas de motos da montadora crescerão dois dígitos.” A BMW quer encerrar 2009 com 5% de participação no mercado brasileiro de motos acima de 500 cilindradas.

Além da nova arquitetura com dois cilindros, antes era apenas um com 652 cm³, o propulsor da nova F 650 GS está bem mais potente: 71 cv (a 7.000 rpm) contra os 50 cv (a 6.500 rpm) da anterior. Sem falar que o novo bicilíndrico é bem mais silencioso que seu antecessor monocilíndrico.

O novo motor, apesar de derivado da esportiva F 800S, parece ter sido feito para essa funbike. Oferece um ótimo equilíbrio entre torque em baixas rotações e potência em altos giros para se acelerar em avenidas de trânsito rápido. Aliás, o torque máximo do novo motor também é bem maior: agora são 7,65 kgf.m já nas 4.500 rpm – contra os 6,12 kgf.m que chegavam nos 4.800 rpm.

Como resultado, a nova F 650 GS ficou bem mais “esperta”, como se diz no jargão dos motociclistas. Ou seja, responde prontamente a qualquer giro no acelerador. Seja na estrada quando mantém com facilidade boa velocidade de cruzeiro ou no trânsito quando não exige muitas trocas de marchas no câmbio de seis velocidades em função do torque elevado. Resumindo: diversão garantida tanto no uso urbano ou em curtas viagens, já que o novo motor pode levar essa BMW a 200 km/h.

Ciclística mais on-road

A nova F 650 GS ganhou também um conjunto ciclístico mais on-road. Ganhou um quadro tubular e rodas em liga-leve – aro 19 na dianteira e 17 na traseira – em vez das rodas raiadas da antiga versão. Apesar disso, o curso de suas suspensões foi aumentado. Na frente, o garfo telescópico agora tem 180 mm e, atrás, a balança traseira em alumínio tem um único conjunto mola-amortecedor com 170 mm de curso. Cursos bastante longos, fazendo da F 650 GS a moto ideal para enfrentar as valetas, buracos e lombadas de uma cidade como São Paulo. Porém as rodas de liga-leve limitam seu uso no off-road.

A posição de pilotagem continua bastante semelhante à versão anterior – bem ereta e com os braços abertos. Já o assento foi melhorado, e bastante. Está mais largo e confortável tanto para o piloto como para a garupa.

No sistema de freios, a F 650 GS traz a qualidade e a segurança características das motos BMW. Um disco de 300 mm de diâmetro na dianteira com pinça Brembo de dois pistões e um disco de 265 mm com pinça de um pistão na traseira. A versão testada contava ainda com sistema ABS bastante eficaz.

Ela ficou um pouco mais longa que a versão anterior, mas um pouco mais estreita. No total, com a nova ciclística e motor, a nova 650 engordou apenas 7 kg – agora ela pesa 199 kg em ordem de marcha.

Mercado Aberto e Web Motors

2009 BMW F 650 GS Photos – wBW Lightbox – Click photo to view.

NOTE: Photos are 800×600 pixels and open in a JavaScript window.<

Sunday, October 11, 2009

BMW e seus pulos

A nova série de vídeos para web da marca alemã BMW, “Jump for joy”, é bem legal. Mostra a preparação e os “pulos para a alegria” de seus felizes consumidores. O ritmo do comercial é muito bem usado, fazendo você se prender até o final (pra entender isso tudo tem que ver os vídeos).

São dois filmes, praticamente iguais. O primeiro, sem polêmica alguma; já o segundo…

Veja abaixo:

Saturday, October 10, 2009

garabatos en tiza

Mientras ojeaba una revista de bmw he dado con este spot [an expression of joy] en el que la marca alemana colabora con un artista sudafricano que desconocía hasta ahora. A Robin Rhode [obras] no se le puede encasillar en una simple pared con trazos de tiza, aunque haya conseguido darle una nueva dimensión a un gesto casi infantil. El hecho de pintarrajear sobre un plano urbano lo convierte en fotogramas que reflexionan sobre el espacio en que se enmarcan. Un paso más allá de los garabatos en tiza.

The Perfect 1000+hp Playground

Gustav over at M5 Board has got a good thing going. Not only is it a great forum, but he’s managed to secure the perfect playground for all of our favorite high horsepower toys – an airfield. Mmm mmm. He’s been bringing some seriously FAST cars out of the woodwork to show what they’re made of on the tarmac. And it’s an amazing thing to see cars have a home to go all out without restriction run after run after run…especially those who have the top end power they can hardly ever tap into on the road.

Now Gustav has brought some amazing and exotic machinery out to face off against the best of what BMW has to offer. And while it surely is a treat to see BMWs beat up on Lamborghinis and Kleeman-tuned Benzes, I think it’s even more exciting to see modded Roundels go head to head with their own.

The vids below are near and dear to my heart since I am a huge fan of E34s and E30s…but even moreso because they are packing much more heat than even your top shelf modders usually strive for. How much more you ask? Well, the E30 M3 is shoehorned with a V10 out of an E60 M5 (500hp) and the E34 M5…well that has a turbo’d S38 motor putting out 1000hp (although in this vid the boost is turned down to run ~750). The result? You’ll just have to see for yourselves:

V10 E30 M3 vs. stock M6 (just to put things into perspective):

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Welcome To Our Blog!

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After all, at Classic Marques, your satisfaction is our goal.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Alfa Group and my own inheritance Audi, Volkswagen, Volvo and etc.

From that nice shop  with the own name of my own mother that manager decided to beat me. His heroism happenly look Armenian woman, which in that family ,with connections with killing in Greece and slavetrading , play the role of the mother of  the wife of that hero.

Why that hero till now in alive if all of them’s must be kill  in  December 1979, from the starting the Afghanistan War ?

That Volkswagen company they appropriated not only with the castle but with Italian company Audi too- translated as -Au-u-u doubles.

Now that company registrate as Germany. And rule in Brussel, jummped to China, baked or deficated financies here .

Now Greece are occupate by Russians army with there’s Minister of Defence from IKEA company and with trading education Anatoliy Serdukov( with Armenian freak’s mixe),

foto- Serdukov with Putin

which some years ago lived in Asbest and has a private strong connections with Irina Noskova- Smirnova- Gorbacheva, which now with Ivan Smirnov and campany of doubles and face of George Soros happenly appropriated my own inheritance fund after my own grandfather in USA.

And with the help of Gorbachev’s fund deficated financies from that fund. All of them’s have a connections with Gazprom- my own inheritance from my own father. Lukoil and Gazprom – are twins companies.

The role of Greece police play the police from Georgia. Now the question – for what reason was mass killing the citizents in Georgia and North Osetia?foto Saakashvilli with Timoshenko

Michail Saakashvilli have strong connections with terrorist in Japan metro Oleg Lobov and his son Pavel Lobov- Surkov, Evgeniy Primakov with Maria Likhosherst – exotic name Sheikha Moza in Qatar and Bush family.

Having sat with me on one school and student’s bench all of them suddenly became billionaires.

Maria Likhosherst studied with me at the Ural University- before that she lived in Kiev, but education decided to took in Sverdlovsk. Now she have nickname Sheikha Moza in Qatar. Qatar is Opec country and from Qatar was the trustee of my own inheritance oil and gas business from Middle East projects of my own grandfather.

Natalia Chernova studied with me at the same time in the same University. Now she – new made queen with nickname Rania from Abdullah in Jordan. Lubov Mazurina – Eberzenok studied here too. Now she have another name too- Irina Abramovich. For all of them’s as for my adopting family and there’s slop pail Larisa Bakova- Asma Al Assad oil and gas growing up on the fig tree, where they looking that product all that years.

In Russia well known complex figure from three fingers which have a name – fig and means fuck. Understand?

One of the components of that growing up at the fig tree oil and gas business are coal and salt . One of the component’s of the fig tree at the Berezovskiy deposit gold and diamonds place near place of the killing Royal Romanov’s family Sverdlovsk are coal and chrome. One of the components of the fig tree specially for Josif Stalin’s( translated as -steel) family- is steel. One of the components of the fig tree specially for Larisa Ginko-Surkova ( now Hillary Clinton) and Pavel Lobov-Surkov-is nickel.

What all that’s gipsy’s family have there’s and not stolen from me and my own family?

In the Soviet Union that gipsy’s family has there’s native portrait at the theater stage- musical gipsy’s group” Romen” with Nikolay Slichenko ( Kovalenko-Lopatinskiy) at the head, which prepared the place for starting to the Rome.

They appropriated not only Swallow Nest in Krym, but Swallow Nest in Rome and Crete my own inheritance from my own grandfather and grandmother. All that gipsy’s with Armenian’s and Georgians relations , with Kerk Kerkorian, Anastas Mikoyan, Leonid Brezhnev with new names and with the masks and doubles one the morning decided that they could press me during all my own and my own relatives live- deficated my own live, live of my own grandfather, grandmother, my own father and mother and my own son’s. And live at my own profits and business from my own grandfather’s and own father as at there’s native financies, having long live pension for them and there’s mass gipsy’s posterities with mass doubles.

And will be pressed me by there’s freak Bienkowski, which in real live Pavel Kovalenko-Lopatinskiy- Lobov- Surkov with mass doubles. Killing the parents and appropriating there’s childs, there’s financies, property, business and trading by that childs and putting them’s for sex clubs and sex exploatation- they decide that can and could fascists under me and my own live, live of my own childs as they fascisting and sadisting under the live of there’s victims.

Ryutaro Hashimoto was Prime Minister of Japan from 11 January 1996 – 30 July 1998. His appearing in office was the date of the birth of my adopting mother. Her native relations Josif Stalin and Nikita Krushev.Ryutaro Hashimoto died or legalisated his death 01.07.2006 and two month later from 09.09.2006 started the series of the killing or legalisation the death in Russia.

First was Arkadiy Wolskiy, which face now as the king of Spain -Karlos. His partner new made queen Sofia has the face of Raisa Gorbacheva- native sister of Evgeniy Primakov- she happenly died 20.09.1999.

The name of that Prime Minister has translation- at the morning she has deficated( financies). He was the helper of Larisa Ginko- Surkova and her husband Pavel Surkov- Lobov in the cleaning my own inheritance banks accounts.

Tomiichi Murayama – prime minister of Japan from
30 June 1994 – 30 January 1996. “His government was criticised for not dealing quickly with the Kobe earthquake that hit Japan on January 17, 1995. Just two months later, on March 20, the Aum Shinrikyo cult carried out the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway.”

Tsutomu Hata prime minister of Japan – his name translated as – that’s we and m-o-o took that-in office from
28 April 1994 – 30 June 1994. Kiichi Miyazawa – translated as – go out cats and dogs – from the hero see have ( Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture)
5 November 1991 – 9 August 1993. Connections with Sergey Lopatinskiy, Natalia Bondarenko-Lopatinskaya and there’s son Sawa.

Toshiki Kaifu prime minister of Japan which name have translation- that she key and kaif- he in office from 10 August 1989 – 5 November 1991. “He was born in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture“. In the town of naked and the prefecture of the looking.

Sōsuke Uno- translated as – suck from the yought -was born “ August 27, 1922–May 19, 1998) was a Japanese politician and the 75th Prime Minister of Japan from June 3, 1989 to August 10,1989.” From adopting mother and her native daughter Larisa Bakova with exotic name now Asma Al Assad- translated as – herself pee urinate.

foto- Larisa Bakova with nickname Asma Al Assad which one the morning decided to look as I, appropriating my own inheritance after my own grandmother nominal jewerly with the letter A and my own childs foto album she jummped to Syria in december 2000

Sosuke Uno became the prime Minister in the day of the killing John XXIII – John XXIII was killed tree month later his meeting 06.03.1963 in Vatican with Kruschev’s daughter Rada Adzubey-Adzhubei and her husband- 03.06.1963. That prime minister with connections with one more there’s mummers – Phillip of Greece- happy husband of Elizabeth II with the face of Iya Smirnova.

Noboru Takeshita” (竹下 登 Takeshita Noboru, February 26, 1924 – June 19, 2000) was aJapanese politician and the 74th Prime Minister of Japan from November 6, 1987 to June 3,1989.”

Nakasone Yasuhiro- prime minister from 27 November 1982 – 6 November 1987.


Zenko Suzuki “(鈴木 善幸 Suzuki Zenkō; January 11, 1911 – July 19, 2004) was a Japanesepolitician and the 70thPrime Minister of Japan from July 17, 1980to November 27, 1982.”

Started the war in Afghanistan and appropriated Iran they appropriated Japan too. From that time some Ginko family rule in my own inheritance after my own grandfather and took at there’s hands Suzuki company.

That company has strong connections with

Hawaii Montgomery Motors, LTD
818 Iwilei Rd.
Honolulu, HI 96817

They install me by strange fascists installation and fascisting and sadisting at that installation at me. As I wrote .

05.10.2009- 00:29- I hear ” Sasha, close chat with her”- and I hear the voice of Ludmila Basanova-Lopatinskaya- native daughter of Arkadiy Volskiy, which with squeal has got to pull  me at uterus and beat on a teeth.

” You are old fool”- said the man , when they understood that I hear them . Who was that Sasha ? Ruddy Sasha Cibin with the face of prince Charles in UK or somebody else?

Bodyguard of the information picture of my own father John Paul II – has the same surname- Cibin ,only another name- Camilla. Who was that interesting bodyguard, which as Marcinkus -Marcinkievicius  which one the morning decided that can to rule in Vatican bank, decided that he must be the bodyguard of my own father and me? And which so overesexing and lier’s, that for his information picture was given the name-” illness novel  came “?

05.10.2009 near 18 : in Lidl some woman became with squeal  by installation stifle and strangle me- to stifle  in ears and in a throat and  to block oxygen in a brain.

Who must  kill such maids? Who must kill all that  rat’s and gipsy’s  nests families as Smirnov- Gromov- Abramovich, Lopatinskiy- Lobov- Gliklad- Kobson-Elcin- Mechrencev, Primakov- Andropov- Stroganov- Bush,  Ginko- Surkova- Merkel- Clinton and all freaks relatives of Gorbachev- Volskiy- Chernova, new Rockefeller-Soros- Murdoch- Rotschild  etc.?

Those, who all that’s years happenly took my own inheritance financies, business, property, profits without information me at all. Those, who all that years took billions from the profits in concern Opec to my own defence, write off that profits as for my own needs.

Don’t forgetting to took for our unblocking in Lithuania plus 1,5 billions- at that time appropriating 500 thousands billions profits at the year during min. 20 years and killing the trustees of my own inheritance oil and gas business in Middle East. Understand?

Those who happenly look now how some freaks fascisting and sadisting under me. All that’s Noskova- Smirnov- Gorbachev- Soros freaks which lied all that years, deficated my own inheritance financies from the fund’s.

Now blocking me in Greece and pressing they became once again to blackmail my own father, decided that my own inheritance financies are the pension for all that’s gipsy’s and dolly’s.

They take and calculate every cent from that pension that they pay for licking there’s bottoms. For renting  villages appartment with walls and without nothing, with making to dust all my new electronic things, computer,TV, new bed with elektronic pomba,begs- which that freak Aleksey Smirnov decided to deficate , my own new dresses, my hair -I must suffered the freaks at my own head on another floor- which that Aleksandr Gliklad or Aleksandr Primakov decided to  house here to my pressure.

All that’s Smirnov’s – Gromov’s- Lopatinskiy’s- Gliklad connections who must kill for all of that?

Renting for me that slop pail appartment for the fantastic price- they broke all what they see in that appartment- they regulate the water delivery to that appartment,  neighbours use that water and electricity- as in Vilnius  Russian- Belarus  freaks Botvinko- and must pay for that- I. They, that neighbours, regulate the temperature of that water and if there’s freaks minds decided, they with squeal’s present me instead hot water- cool  and instead cool hot.

I demand to remove all that citizens from ex Soviet Union countries and new Europe from my own live and live of my own sons. I demand   120 trillions for the sec. for there’s appearance in my own live and live of my own sons for everybody. I demand 120 trillions for the sec. for absence my own sons in my own live. I demand 120 trillions for the sec. for no execution the will and  testament of my own grandfather. I demand 120 trillions for the sec for no execution the will and testament of my own grandmother.

I demand 120 trillions for the sec. for presence there’s freaks in my own live. I demand 120 trillions for the sec. for there’s pressing by there’s freaks. I demand to kill them for there’s pressing  me by my own child’s. I demand to kill that fascists freaks. I demand to kill that nasty bliad’. I demand 120 trillions for the sec. for that chat with me. I demand 120 trillions for the sec for that  fascists installation inside me. I demand 120 trillions for the sec. for that covering for that’s fascists. I demand 240 trillions for the sec for regulary threat  my own  life and my own health. I demand 240 trillions for the sec. for regulary threat live and health of my own sons for everybody.

When that pedale  ( gay) Aleksey Smirnov was beaten me, some maid crying- ” Now you are deficated and gassing from bottom” and became to pull out me to the back pass.  As in Lidl they stiffled  and strangled me. Transport slop pail nasty maid. Web cam freaks.

I demand to kill those ,who installed me by that’s fascists installation, ordered and uses. As in me and with me, as in my own sons and with my own sons.