if only we could have the tastiest Focus yet released stateside
There were rumblings of an SVT re-badge for the US, but I dont think it ever picked up any steam.
I must admit, that is kinda orgasmic. The back end looks a bit "hanging" but who knows, only from this angle it does.
That is a really sexy car, well done ford! No wonder they are the only American car manufacturers who actually made a profit in this "recession/depression".
Also this:
The Peugeot EX1, fully electric shoe car. Nah i'm just joshing, it looks like a sultry batmobile of the future.
It's a all wheel drive, 340 bhp super roadster that seats two people. Not a fan of these small cars cause I like to cruse with my friends, but it does look unique.
The Peugeot EX1, fully electric shoe car. Nah i'm just joshing, it looks like a sultry batmobile of the future.
It's a all wheel drive, 340 bhp super roadster that seats two people. Not a fan of these small cars cause I like to cruse with my friends, but it does look unique.
Beautiful. Peugeot develop tons of amazing concepts. I'd say they are one of the most prolific when it come to concepting cars.
Then they pump out this shit.....and dont get me started on the tail lights...gahh!
That Golf R looks pretty damn sweet. I have an '09 Jetta, and I really don't care for the redesign I'm glad to see they haven't mutilated the Golf yet. It usually follows by a year or two though.
i have an 09 jetta as well. it seems like they wanted the "lowest common denominator" look to the new jetta. its absolutely as bland as a car can possibly get. i mean. if you were making a cartoon and needed a generic car, thats probably what it would look like.
Here's my criteria for a new bike so far.
-More powerful than my existing 500cc custom
-ABS brakes
-Fairing (up for debate)
-Year 2006+ model
-No more than 70k SEK (~7500 EUR). We generally have more expensive vehicles here in Sweden.
I don't believe there is alot of bikes with those specifications(abs+year+price). ABS is still pretty new when it comes to bikes. Only one that comes to mind is Suzuki Bandits/GSRs. I've driven one at the driver school. They're nice and easy to handle but pretty dull.
Also, when picking a bike I'd start out with narrowing down what I want out of it. Dirt, Street, Track, Commute.
Then I'd move on to picking what kind of engine. Twin, Inline 3/4... heck, maybe even an "enst
No you are right, there are not many bikes who fit in these criteria. But there are some.
What type of riding? Mostly city communiting and back road easy riding. So no dirt or track. I'm not out to break speed limits either, but enjoy the feeling of having a powerful machine that will respond when i crank the throttle. I prefer a more upright riding position, so generally not a "super sport" bike either.
There are 4-5 candidates which fit my preferences but I really can't say much toward which I want at the moment. It's all about trying them out first and see which one I enjoy riding the most.
From what I've heard and as you say, the street triple should be the clear pick if it wasn't for ABS. When that one time occurs when I have a split second to react or end up on someones windshield I want that extra feature that might save my ass because I didn't react perfectly due to the dire situation.
Choice of engine? Well I can't really say since I've only ever ridden parallel two-stroke and inline from what I can remember. I'll have to decide up this after testing specific bikes.
I don't believe there is alot of bikes with those specifications(abs+year+price). ABS is still pretty new when it comes to bikes. Only one that comes to mind is Suzuki Bandits/GSRs. I've driven one at the driver school. They're nice and easy to handle but pretty dull.
Also, when picking a bike I'd start out with narrowing down what I want out of it. Dirt, Street, Track, Commute.
Then I'd move on to picking what kind of engine. Twin, Inline 3/4... heck, maybe even an "enst
I definitely suggest checking out the Street Triple and taking a test ride if you can. As you say, you are limiting yourself by specifically looking for ABS.
In all honesty, it's a luxury but by no means a necessity. I know some of the schools tend to drum it in a bit and if their learner bikes have it, then they'll stress the importance of it, but people have been riding bikes for so many years without it, it's not like you 'need' it to enjoy riding, or indeed not dropping your bike.
However, I know first hand how damn scary it is when the wheels lock up through harsh braking so if there's anything that can help reduce the risk of that happening, then I'm all for it. But to be honest, I don't think I'd limit my choice in bikes for the sake of ABS.
Tl;dr... test ride a Street Triple, instantly fall in love with it, buy it, forget why you ever wanted ABS
I think I will test drive it but I quite certain I will stick to ABS, even if it has better feeling.
I can always get a Street Triple in a year or two when they add ABS to it. Their Speed Triple is getting it for 2011 models. Only a matter of time before several other of their models will get it. At least that's what I think.
I definitely suggest checking out the Street Triple and taking a test ride if you can. As you say, you are limiting yourself by specifically looking for ABS.
In all honesty, it's a luxury but by no means a necessity. I know some of the schools tend to drum it in a bit and if their learner bikes have it, then they'll stress the importance of it, but people have been riding bikes for so many years without it, it's not like you 'need' it to enjoy riding, or indeed not dropping your bike.
However, I know first hand how damn scary it is when the wheels lock up through harsh braking so if there's anything that can help reduce the risk of that happening, then I'm all for it. But to be honest, I don't think I'd limit my choice in bikes for the sake of ABS.
Tl;dr... test ride a Street Triple, instantly fall in love with it, buy it, forget why you ever wanted ABS
The street triple is definitely a nice bike, especially that it's so light weight - though the missing abs is kind of a negative point here.
I do have abs and I dont want to miss it especially in crowded areas like our cities, where everybody seems to oversee motorcyclists or drives around like they've never seen a driving school from the inside.
Its good to know that you can break at the bikes limit without falling down or slipping your front wheel in those situations.
On a side note: To beak on abs level without abs from speeds up to 50 km/h is hard already, 75 km/h wont make it easier and other conditions like wet strees, sand or loose chippings make it more difficult as well.
HAL> Thank you for the tip. It seems like a nice bike. There are hardly any used ones to get where I'm at. At least that's what it seems like. Will keep an eye out for it. Could also be that ABS was introduced just recently which will make it hard to get one with ABS within my price range. I mean a 2011 model of this bike is around 10.000EUR.
The FZ6 i spoke of earlier has similar specs and seems easier to come by.
EDIT: Seems the ABS on the shiver was introduced at least 2009, maybe even earlier. I see used shivers -09 with ABS at around 8800EUR.
The street triple is definitely a nice bike, especially that it's so light weight - though the missing abs is kind of a negative point here.
I do have abs and I dont want to miss it especially in crowded areas like our cities, where everybody seems to oversee motorcyclists or drives around like they've never seen a driving school from the inside.
Its good to know that you can break at the bikes limit without falling down or slipping your front wheel in those situations.
On a side note: To beak on abs level without abs from speeds up to 50 km/h is hard already, 75 km/h wont make it easier and other conditions like wet strees, sand or loose chippings make it more difficult as well.
Yeah good points HAL. I think once you've ridden with ABS, it would indeed be very hard to go back. It's just a shame more bikes don't have it yet.
Have you looked at the Gladius Kodde? Nice looking little naked bike, and incredibly comfortable, riding position is awesome. IIRC it's the replacement to the SV650, which is obviously a well regarded bike. Also available with ABS (possibly as an optional extra, I can't remember).
creationtwentytwo> I've read a lot of good about the gladius. Only thing I'm not certain about is the look of the bike. Have to go see it IRL before I dismiss it though.
There's quite a few alternatives if you start counting them. Gladius, XJ6, ER6, FZ6, GSX650, GSF650, Shiver, 696, CBF600.
EDIT: 696 with ABS seems to be 2010- and at around 9000EUR at cheapest.
Koenigsegg CCXR:
i can't help but love this car, simply because they took the time to line up the carbon fiber body panels so that the patterns created in the carbon fiber would match from one piece to the next.
plus its a rocket on wheels.
Thanks to a buddy of mine, I was able to go to the Autoshow and saw some pretty sweet rides. There were some nice models there... the cars and the women
Thanks to a buddy of mine, I was able to go to the Autoshow and saw some pretty sweet rides. There were some nice models there... the cars and the women
Thanks to a buddy of mine, I was able to go to the Autoshow and saw some pretty sweet rides. There were some nice models there... the cars and the women
Kinda confused after I saw this... what the hell is it?
I feel like it would just fall over when you accelerate ahahaha.
Also I'm sure some of you guys remember this? The compressed air car made by MDI manufactured by Tata Motors.
Not a looker but sure is amazing! I wouldn't mind getting my hands on two of those, one to drive around in and the other to take apart and use for energy .
The Honda TS-1X Concept, based on the CRZ. The front looks a bit weird with that yellow air intake, I think they should make it a bit symmetrical, other than that it's kinda like a R Type version of the CRZ with crazy aerodynamic experiments.
Damn... the japs have done it again! An EV vehicle that travels 550km on a single charge, thats better than most internal combustion engines!
Introducting the sexy new: TGMY EV Himiko
Dunno what he's saying. but, I absolutely love the fact they put it in a vintage style car. Is it a new design or modelled on an old chassis. Front looks like an old Jag
Dunno what he's saying. but, I absolutely love the fact they put it in a vintage style car. Is it a new design or modelled on an old chassis. Front looks like an old Jag
Yeah man, they are probably uploading an english version soon, DigInfo usually does.
You're right though, the old meets new is just classy as hell. Damn... I wish I had one of these EV's .
I don't believe in EVs... yet. The concept is good and all but it comes with so many limitations and problems. I know every engine have it's weaknesses and problems but the EVs got problems all over. Even before they're even made.
Where do we get enough lithium to replace? Where do we get the "fuel" from? Are they safe?
All in all, are they really better for the environment when looking at it from a wider perspective than just usage? (Manufacturing, assembly, disassembly, destruction, usage, fuel production)
At the moment I'd say no, not by a long shot. In the future? Perhaps but that's still way off. At least nowhere near 2-5 years that some people claim we will have switched to EV's completely.
What? What are the limitations and problems? The three things you mentioned?
How about the oil as a limited resource? They will most likely recycle the batteries from these to maintain the lithium supply long term. Not to mention, new battery tech will be discovered down the road. The original EVs still had lead-acid batteries and made up 75% of the weight of the car.
As for charging them, I've noticed this new spin of suggesting it will create more environmental damage to supply the energy to charge these vehicles. For me, we get power supplied from nuclear power, and soon we'll have wind and water turbines supplying power. Once the infrastructure gets there, it will be extremely clean.
Safe? They have to go through the same crash testing that any other vehicle performs. If the cars started catching on fire, or acids flew everywhere, it would have been noted.
Sorry if that comes across harsh, but I'm really tired of people trying to prove why EVs suck, and IMO, they should have existed a LONG time ago. Too many people fall for the BS, that I can only assume originates from petroleum companies. The mileage excuse doesn't seem to work anymore, so they are focusing on other false fears.
And in all honesty, I could give a shit about environmental impact, since countries like China and Russia continue destroying the environment with their lack of emissions control. I get more concerned about rising gas prices and an oil supply that will eventually dry up, or become extremely scarce. But to be clear, I don't think they will replace gas cars in 2-5 years. I think it's more like 10-15, if the auto makers stick to it (and they won't be 'replaced'). I also think both forms will always exist for decades.
Seems that its way better than anyone expected with a 240 mm back tire
Such an awesome looking bike, but that headlight cowl is just plain fugly. Can you get it without that? I'd be ripping it straight off if I ever bought one of those.
I dont know if its the video or sumthing, but when I had the chance to sit on one of the preproduction ones at our dealer it looked definitely better then in the vid, and nope wont come without that light
Unfortunately she is stuck in a barn at the moment with a buggered double roller bearing .. and I don't have time to extract the engine and gearbox to fix it
Anyway, on the whole, I dislike modern cars, they are way too aerodynamic. Give me a 60s or 70s brick
Although there are the odd exceptions...
Replies
I'll post you a Focus over if you can get me a Mustang! Stupid boring English Fords... :P
http://2011-mustang.com/images/2011_mustang_gt_4.jpg
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/13/caterham-counts-far-beyond-seven-with-new-sp-300r/
DOUBLE OOOOOOH~
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/13/report-fords-kuzak-hints-that-gt-successor-may-be-in-the-cards/
Lol, your comment just reminded me of this:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ObUXS4KD7s[/ame]
I must admit, that is kinda orgasmic. The back end looks a bit "hanging" but who knows, only from this angle it does.
That is a really sexy car, well done ford! No wonder they are the only American car manufacturers who actually made a profit in this "recession/depression".
Also this:
The Peugeot EX1, fully electric shoe car. Nah i'm just joshing, it looks like a sultry batmobile of the future.
It's a all wheel drive, 340 bhp super roadster that seats two people. Not a fan of these small cars cause I like to cruse with my friends, but it does look unique.
Cool, I thought they were going to end the GT. I guess they changed their minds. It's definitely a badass car, and I'm not much of a Ford fan
Beautiful. Peugeot develop tons of amazing concepts. I'd say they are one of the most prolific when it come to concepting cars.
Then they pump out this shit.....and dont get me started on the tail lights...gahh!
i have an 09 jetta as well. it seems like they wanted the "lowest common denominator" look to the new jetta. its absolutely as bland as a car can possibly get. i mean. if you were making a cartoon and needed a generic car, thats probably what it would look like.
"Homer: Mmmmm...."
I don't believe there is alot of bikes with those specifications(abs+year+price). ABS is still pretty new when it comes to bikes. Only one that comes to mind is Suzuki Bandits/GSRs. I've driven one at the driver school. They're nice and easy to handle but pretty dull.
Also, when picking a bike I'd start out with narrowing down what I want out of it. Dirt, Street, Track, Commute.
Then I'd move on to picking what kind of engine. Twin, Inline 3/4... heck, maybe even an "enst
What type of riding? Mostly city communiting and back road easy riding. So no dirt or track. I'm not out to break speed limits either, but enjoy the feeling of having a powerful machine that will respond when i crank the throttle. I prefer a more upright riding position, so generally not a "super sport" bike either.
There are 4-5 candidates which fit my preferences but I really can't say much toward which I want at the moment. It's all about trying them out first and see which one I enjoy riding the most.
From what I've heard and as you say, the street triple should be the clear pick if it wasn't for ABS. When that one time occurs when I have a split second to react or end up on someones windshield I want that extra feature that might save my ass because I didn't react perfectly due to the dire situation.
Choice of engine? Well I can't really say since I've only ever ridden parallel two-stroke and inline from what I can remember. I'll have to decide up this after testing specific bikes.
In all honesty, it's a luxury but by no means a necessity. I know some of the schools tend to drum it in a bit and if their learner bikes have it, then they'll stress the importance of it, but people have been riding bikes for so many years without it, it's not like you 'need' it to enjoy riding, or indeed not dropping your bike.
However, I know first hand how damn scary it is when the wheels lock up through harsh braking so if there's anything that can help reduce the risk of that happening, then I'm all for it. But to be honest, I don't think I'd limit my choice in bikes for the sake of ABS.
Tl;dr... test ride a Street Triple, instantly fall in love with it, buy it, forget why you ever wanted ABS
I can always get a Street Triple in a year or two when they add ABS to it. Their Speed Triple is getting it for 2011 models. Only a matter of time before several other of their models will get it. At least that's what I think.
http://www.aprilia.com/en-US/Model/13680/SHIVER+750+GT+ABS/Overview.aspx
Has abs, has fairing (can get it without it as well but thats a matter of taste, personally I dont like those bikes with half fairing)
and it got 95 bhp
@creationtwentytwo:
The street triple is definitely a nice bike, especially that it's so light weight - though the missing abs is kind of a negative point here.
I do have abs and I dont want to miss it especially in crowded areas like our cities, where everybody seems to oversee motorcyclists or drives around like they've never seen a driving school from the inside.
Its good to know that you can break at the bikes limit without falling down or slipping your front wheel in those situations.
On a side note: To beak on abs level without abs from speeds up to 50 km/h is hard already, 75 km/h wont make it easier and other conditions like wet strees, sand or loose chippings make it more difficult as well.
e:/ wtf crappy word order
The FZ6 i spoke of earlier has similar specs and seems easier to come by.
EDIT: Seems the ABS on the shiver was introduced at least 2009, maybe even earlier. I see used shivers -09 with ABS at around 8800EUR.
The Lightning GT. It looks like an Aston Martin and a Ford GT had a baby. It's niiiice!
Have you looked at the Gladius Kodde? Nice looking little naked bike, and incredibly comfortable, riding position is awesome. IIRC it's the replacement to the SV650, which is obviously a well regarded bike. Also available with ABS (possibly as an optional extra, I can't remember).
Ducati's current monster lineup is nice as well, especially with the 696 and the 796, and all of the monsters having abs optional.
IIRC the 696 is one of the lowest naked bikes with a seat height of 770 mm as well.
Also they're all aircooled.
There's quite a few alternatives if you start counting them. Gladius, XJ6, ER6, FZ6, GSX650, GSF650, Shiver, 696, CBF600.
EDIT: 696 with ABS seems to be 2010- and at around 9000EUR at cheapest.
i can't help but love this car, simply because they took the time to line up the carbon fiber body panels so that the patterns created in the carbon fiber would match from one piece to the next.
plus its a rocket on wheels.
some more picture links:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Koenigsegg_CCXR_Edition_%282_von_2%29.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Koenigsegg_CCXR_Edition_%281_von_2%29.jpg
Here's a gallery of the cars: http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/3189941/1/Autoshow?h=f97c2b
Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so I had to use my cell phone.
A couple of interesting items to me:
The new Buick Regal was surprisingly cool looking
The 2 seater segway-ish experimental vehicle (reminded me of Tron)
Audi W12
This color just surprised the hell out of me
I totally dig the paint job on the Tesla Roadster. That orange on white is sweet!
Send him a thanks from me! Awesome stuff man.
Kinda confused after I saw this... what the hell is it?
I feel like it would just fall over when you accelerate ahahaha.
Also I'm sure some of you guys remember this? The compressed air car made by MDI manufactured by Tata Motors.
Not a looker but sure is amazing! I wouldn't mind getting my hands on two of those, one to drive around in and the other to take apart and use for energy .
The Honda TS-1X Concept, based on the CRZ. The front looks a bit weird with that yellow air intake, I think they should make it a bit symmetrical, other than that it's kinda like a R Type version of the CRZ with crazy aerodynamic experiments.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ViuH5miVkc&feature=sub[/ame]
Probably made it like that, if the air box/air intake sits on that side.
Usually I wouldn't care about a new Ferrari, but this new FF looks really snazzy.
http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/ferrari-ff-2011-01-25
The R8 with a V12 TDI
more here: http://www.beautifullife.info/automotive-design/rolls-royce-apparition-by-jeremy-westerlund/
http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/26012011/36/spectacular-230mph-pagani-supercar-unveiled-0.html
I currently own one of these:
This is not mine, but I own one which is the exact the same model, except it is black with white striping/roof.
On a side note my fantasy just came true. Autodesk + Tesla = sex.
I feel like the little boy in this video . Close yet not even close.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl5OvKptfNA[/ame]
Damn I just want to drive this thing... just wanna find out
Seems like a lot of hassle just to avoid parking meters :P
Introducting the sexy new: TGMY EV Himiko
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7IF3NmM3vM[/ame]
Dunno what he's saying. but, I absolutely love the fact they put it in a vintage style car. Is it a new design or modelled on an old chassis. Front looks like an old Jag
Yeah man, they are probably uploading an english version soon, DigInfo usually does.
You're right though, the old meets new is just classy as hell. Damn... I wish I had one of these EV's .
soon Xeno soon
Edit: Found the english version.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFYvK82V0ns&feature=channel[/ame]
Where do we get enough lithium to replace? Where do we get the "fuel" from? Are they safe?
All in all, are they really better for the environment when looking at it from a wider perspective than just usage? (Manufacturing, assembly, disassembly, destruction, usage, fuel production)
At the moment I'd say no, not by a long shot. In the future? Perhaps but that's still way off. At least nowhere near 2-5 years that some people claim we will have switched to EV's completely.
How about the oil as a limited resource? They will most likely recycle the batteries from these to maintain the lithium supply long term. Not to mention, new battery tech will be discovered down the road. The original EVs still had lead-acid batteries and made up 75% of the weight of the car.
As for charging them, I've noticed this new spin of suggesting it will create more environmental damage to supply the energy to charge these vehicles. For me, we get power supplied from nuclear power, and soon we'll have wind and water turbines supplying power. Once the infrastructure gets there, it will be extremely clean.
Safe? They have to go through the same crash testing that any other vehicle performs. If the cars started catching on fire, or acids flew everywhere, it would have been noted.
Sorry if that comes across harsh, but I'm really tired of people trying to prove why EVs suck, and IMO, they should have existed a LONG time ago. Too many people fall for the BS, that I can only assume originates from petroleum companies. The mileage excuse doesn't seem to work anymore, so they are focusing on other false fears.
And in all honesty, I could give a shit about environmental impact, since countries like China and Russia continue destroying the environment with their lack of emissions control. I get more concerned about rising gas prices and an oil supply that will eventually dry up, or become extremely scarce. But to be clear, I don't think they will replace gas cars in 2-5 years. I think it's more like 10-15, if the auto makers stick to it (and they won't be 'replaced'). I also think both forms will always exist for decades.
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/videos/2011/February/feb1011-video-ducati-diavel-first-ride/
Seems that its way better than anyone expected with a 240 mm back tire
Such an awesome looking bike, but that headlight cowl is just plain fugly. Can you get it without that? I'd be ripping it straight off if I ever bought one of those.
Fisker Karma
Mitsubishi I (seriously Mitsu... you can do better, but you're probably hiding something hot )
Honda Fit EV
Nissan Leaf
Ford Focus EV
Chevy Dolt
And sexy Electric Motorcycles here:
http://www.egrandprix.com/
Unfortunately she is stuck in a barn at the moment with a buggered double roller bearing .. and I don't have time to extract the engine and gearbox to fix it
Anyway, on the whole, I dislike modern cars, they are way too aerodynamic. Give me a 60s or 70s brick
Although there are the odd exceptions...
I saw this on American Chopper the other night:
http://www.transamdepot.com/trans_am_showroom.html
They convert the new camaro into their interpretation of a firebird version!
My favorite is the firehawk, but here's the TransAm and GTO versions:
Funny you should say that... look at Volvo... they went from some incredibly stylish (and aerodynamic) car designs to utter bricks on wheels.