Archive for October, 2006

SEMAture Ejaculation: Wert’s Exclusive “Interview” With Chrysler Design Guru Ralph Gilles

Monday, October 30th, 2006

While attempting to get my full fill of the Chrysler Group’s SkunkWerks team SEMA ’splosion in Auburn Hills on Friday, I had the chance to sit down (and by sit down, I mean I stood behind a camera, question-filled notepad in hand) with none other than Chrysler Group design guru Ralph Gilles. Gilles is the artistic genius behind some of the automaker’s most innovative and polarizing designs of the past few years. The gangster-land Chrysler 300, the mean-looking Dodge Charger and the power wagon for the soccer dad Dodge Magnum all are considered to be the children of his wonderfully wired-for-the-masses mind. I have to give Gilles a lot of credit for taking my interrogation in stride — I’m not known for asking the world’s most likely, or even relevant, questions — and this case was no different. On top of letting us know he’s a reader of Jalopnik, Chrysler’s non-Stuttgartian bringer of SexyBack to…

…the ‘merican side of the German-American hybrid stood his ground while quickly riffing with us on the “relevancy” of American design in the face of European prettiness, the direction of the next generation of Chrysler Group trucks and SUV’s, and even takes a moment to deny rumors* of alcohol use by certain product teams. Yup, it was that kind of an interview — and all YouTube’d up for your pleasure.

*Even if we did start them here, they’re still totally rumors.

Related:
All our SEMA coverage [internal]

Ad Watch: Leo Burnett “Drops” A New Pontiac G6 Commercial

Monday, October 30th, 2006

Well, after Modernista! dropped that little piece of Cadillac action onto the airwaves this past weekend, it looks like the former holders of the account weren’t going to let it go unanswered. The folks at Leo Burnett decided to drop us a copy of their ad which dropped this evening for the Pontiac G6. If you haven’t yet guessed, it’s called “Drop” — check out the shattering results yourself above.

Related:
Exclusive Ad Watch: The Cadillac XLR-V Is A Punk Rocker, Bored With Lookin’ Good; Ad Watch: The “Passion” Of The Hispanics — How The Silverado Helped Chevy Get Its Salsa On [internal]

Marc Ecko Nissan Pathfinder Revealed

Monday, October 30th, 2006

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Another five minutes, another corporate-sponsored, customized late-model car. (Hang in, kids, we’ve got a whole week of this stuff to get through.) Urban-chic designer Marc Ecko unveiled a promotional Nissan Pathfinder that bears his corporate seal at a show in New York. The exterior’s done in a cream Landau roof, laser-etched rims and “safety orange” side panels. The interior is rendered in cream and tan calfskin leathers, with high-contrast stitching. The Pathfinder is one of two Nissans he’s creating to heighten the profile of two of his clothing lines. The other is an Armada, which we haven’t seen yet, but just give it time. [Gallery]

UPDATE: We spoke too soon — the good folks at ForbesAutos.com have a gallery of their own of the Armada.

[via World Car Fans]

Related:
Ready to Wear: Marc Ecko, Nissan Team up on Pathfinder, Armada Customs [internal]

Mr. October’s F-Body: Reggie Jackson 1969 Camaro

Monday, October 30th, 2006

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“Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning,” deadpanned Howard Cosell. It was Game 6 of the 1977 World Series, and the ABC cameras were panning beyond Yankee Stadium, catching shots of the fires devouring the blighted South Bronx. Reggie Jackson was on his final at-bat, having slammed two home runs into “Ruthville” in earlier innings. But the vicious stare he flashed Dodgers’ reliever Charlie Hough said he wasn’t nearly done. Perhaps Jackson was imagining the head of manager Billy Martin — with whom he’d been feuding all season — when he cracked Hough’s fastball straight back. It pinged into the bleachers with such force, Cosell exclamed, “What a blow!” toupee flying off into Tom Seaver’s mug of spiked coffee (or so we imagine). Thus, “Mr. October” was born. Jackson was always a major collector of old Chevys — a bunch of which went up in an Oakland wildfire that torched Jackson’s home and garage during the 1980s. Now, Chevrolet’s promoting the “Reggie Jackson 1969 Camaro” rebuilt with GM Performance Parts with old-school NHRA driver Warren Johnson. It’s all mainly to promote Chevrolet’s new cast-iron LSX block. It’s no Reggie Bar, but nothing really is anymore. [Gallery]

Related:
Droppin’ Mad Jacksons at Barrett-Jackson [internal]

SEMAture Ejaculation: Foose’s CNN Hummer

Monday, October 30th, 2006

DSC03278.jpgChip Foose must have lost a bar bet he made with Boyd Coddington and got stuck building a Hummer for CNN. The “Warrior One” appears to be a salute to the reporters covering the Iraq war, though it may alternatively refer to Wolf Blitzer’s “blitzkrieg” career path during which he stuck a butter knife into Bernard Shaw’s epiglottis. The real question is this: Even if it’s for charity — why does every entity in the world need a custom car created in their honor? The end of days is just a “Yes, Dear”-themed Volkswagen away. Full gallery of the nausea-inducing Hummer below and the full press release after the jump.

[The Chip Foose CNN Hummer Gallery]

CNN to Donate Proceeds of ‘Overhauled’ Hummer Auction to Fisher House
TLC’s Overhaulin’ Unveiled Restored Iraq War Vehicle Today in Front of CNN Center in Atlanta

Following the unveiling of an overhauled CNN Hummer that saw action during the war in Iraq, the network plans to put the vehicle on the auction block and donate the proceeds to the Fisher House Foundation, an organization that builds “comfort homes” for families of hospitalized military personnel.

Nicknamed “Warrior One,” the Hummer will be the subject of an upcoming episode of Overhaulin’, a highly rated program on The Learning Channel. The program’s co-hosts Chris Jacobs and Adrienne “A.J.” Janic and hot rod designer Chip Foose presented the refurbished Hummer to CNN employees this morning.

After Warrior One’s tour of military bases and other sites across the country, the Barrett-Jackson Auction Co., a premiere classic car auction house, will auction the vehicle on Jan. 20, 2007, at the auction company’s headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“The crew from Overhaulin’ has created a memorable tribute to military personnel who serve during times of war and the journalists who cover them,” said Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide. “We feel the Fisher House - with its mission to support military families during times of medical need - is an ideal recipient for the proceeds raised by the auction.”

The Fisher House provides temporary residence for families of patients receiving major medical care at military and Veterans Administration centers. Since its founding in 1990, the Fisher House has offered more than 2 million days of lodging to more than 100,000. Presently, the organization operates 35 houses in 16 states and one in Europe.

CNN purchased the Hummer in 2002 from the King Hummer dealership in Kuwait. Network producers, video journalists and correspondents used the vehicle when they were embedded with the First Battalion, 7th Marines in the war in Iraq in 2003. The vehicle came under heavy fire near Baghdad in April 2003 as Iraqis celebrated the arrival of coalition forces in Baghdad.

This summer, Overhaulin’ took the Hummer to the show’s workshop in Irvine, Calif. Crews overhauled the Hummer’s engine and body and installed an extensive entertainment system that includes a DVD player, four LCD monitors and a state-of-the-art sound system. Airbrush artists Dru Blaier, Mickey Harris and Mike Lavallee painted images of journalists and military men and women onto the vehicle as a tribute to those who served during the war in Iraq or covered the war.

The Overhaulin’ program featuring the Hummer will premiere on TLC on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is one of the world’s most respected and trusted sources for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; four Web sites, including CNN.com, the first major news and information Web site; CNN Pipeline, an on-demand broadband video service; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and partnerships for four television networks and one Web site.

Related:
All our 2006 SEMA coverage [internal]

Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Audi RS4 - He Said Supercar, He Said ‘Meh’ Edition - Part 1

Monday, October 30th, 2006

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After the enthusiastic embrace of the initial, “He Drove/He Drove” Ford Edge review, Mr. Michael Spinelli did what any good editor would do — call the boys and yell, “Again! Again! Do it again!” Reality being what it is (poor, impoverished auto-journos living thousands of miles apart) Mike “Likes to Pray” Austin was not available to fracture speed limits with the Loverman. But Davey G. sure was. The boys set off from Pedro in the beyond-hoontastic Audi RS4 in search of celebrity Malibu crash sites, the most dangerous road in California and drunken cheerleaders/supermodels. As of right now, we only know that the Loverman has made it back alive. Click through for the debauchery. And we do mean debauchery. The photographic, gallery-type evidence is here.

Loverman: This is one of those rare instances where I am at a loss for words. Almost. Mr. Johnson, does a more astonishing vehicle exist? The RS4 is as fast as a supercar, it handles better than most supercars, it sucks fuel like a supercar and you look like nothing more than a run-of-the-mill associate producer while driving it. As we discussed, this sucker is faster, lighter and much more sure-footed than the old E39 M5, a car which previously held the title of Q-car king. And with the new M5 actualizing as a spastic, rotten gear-boxed race-track-only meathead in a shark-suit, I think the crown now belongs to Audi.

Johnson: Loverman, after thinking about it over a drunken cheerleader, and after our awesome display of twin RS4-ness in front of Emil’s house, I am beginning to wonder about the RS4. No doubt, as Bumbeck once said, the motor sounds as if it’s well-stocked with Isky Supperleggera cams, and the noise it makes offers up “Oh shits!” at a random stab of the loud pedal. I mean, said “Oh shits!” are entirely involuntary. They come from the gut. You know this better than I do, as you’ve been living with the car for a week.

Loverman: Do I ever! Aside from you feeling “drunk” after I finally got us down out of the hills of Malibu and almost tripping and falling over when you exited the car, I have made three other people ill after just a few miles. Plus, I tossed my friend’s girlfriend all around the backseat ripping through Hollywood to the Eastside until she finally pleaded, “Stop making it so bouncy.” I love being me.

Johnson: That said, I would not own this car, even if I had the 70-or-whatever-K to do so. The gas mileage is atrocious, despite its non-supercar status and lack of towing capacity. It’s too heavy, and the only thing that’s pure about it is the motor, which admittedly is Nutella-coated manna from the skies. Seriously, people. It’s that fucking good of a fucking mill.

But the seats suck. Moreso, I think the lack of effortless available hoonage super-potential leaves the car suspect and tainted. Sure as hell, the thing was amazing to toss over Decker Canyon. What that car can do is frankly astounding. The brakes are a gift from Thor. But when we attempted to whip donuts in the parking lot — where I was mightily impressed at the car’s grip — I was left sorely disappointed. Why? Because it pushed, which to me, is an unpardonable sin in such a situation.

Loverman: Um, dude… as I was the jerk doing said donut I will tell you that for an all-wheel drive car with stupid-low 35-profile tires that are as wide as your torso, the RS4 was making Krispy Kremes out there.

Johnson: After you and I endured the Schnitzer Nose Job Incident, we got into your WRX — and that little hatchback was much more fun than the bloated, tacky BMW. When I finished backseating in that A8 on the Bullrun, we got into an Evo and bombed from Beverly Hills to Venice. The Evo danced, drifting across lanes. And while the A8 was no slug, and I was blown away by its competence in situations where it should’ve fallen of the road — it’s an apples-and-oranges comparison for sure — the Mitsu felt far more alive. And both Japanese rally-studs can be had for a third of the price of the Audi. True, the RS4 is on another level performance-wise, and with the exception of the seats, I really liked the interior (although the chairs are such a gigantic minus in everyday driving, I’d rip ‘em out and throw in a set of Kirkeys or Recaros with five-point harnesses or sell the car). I do, however, think the gun compartments are a rather awesome touch.

Loverman: The gun-holders just add to the overall Q-carness of this evil blue puppy. So you all know, if you ever find yourself in an RS4 during a drug-deal gone south, reach between your knees for the little latch — odds are, that’s where the owner keeps his Glock. I would. I mean, why the hell was the dude in Transporter 2 driving the S8? The RS4 is far superior. I know what you mean about the eagerness of both the Evo and my “snatch-back” WRX (wagon), but I’ve taken a lot of cars over Decker Canyon in my time (featuring more deaths per mile than any road in California), and no car has even been close to the effortlessness gymnasticness and sheer angry grunt of the manic RS4. It is my opinion that at root, all German cars secretly want to be either trains or tanks. The RS4 is a bullet train that wants to be a rocket sled.

Precision steering, anonymous looks, endless torque, an engine tuned by Slayer and as you mentioned, mythological Scandinavian brakes add up to the car of my dreams. Audi has built my drug! Sure, the seats are no good, the mirrors are useless, the ride is drunken-Irish-husband-abusive, I’ve had the car for six hundred miles and have filled it up four times (remember — they give us the car with a full tank) but WHO CARES?

Your buddy Emil who owns both the RS4 and the Lambo Gallardo said he likes ze Audi as a vehicle better. And the RS4 is $150,000 cheaper than the Gallardo. What more proof is needed? Seriously Johnson, the Audi is an even better performance “bargain” than the much hullabalooed Z06. I have to say it — the RS4 is the best car on the road right now, period.

Johnson: Look, that thing goes way harder than anything with that amount of mass has a right to this side of the Space Shuttle. I cannot front on any of your refutations of my disappointment with the car. The torque is phenomenal, and available anywhere you want it, at any time you may ask, and the crazy thing is, there’s not all that much of it compared to say, your joe-average Brabus. The steering is good and responds to your movements with Fine German Precision. However, it lacks feel. It doesn’t feel like a car — despite pretending to be one — which I think is my problem with it. It feels like a train. Last night I rode home in a Focus wagon (not a snatchback) driven by Wonder Woman. That, well…that felt like a damn car. I could call the Audi an invisible jet right now, stop typing and score killer reference points. But I won’t, because the A4-on-meth may be a Q-ship, but “invisible jet” is simply the wrong way to describe it. The RS4 is a simply rocket sled with the entire engine hanging over the front axle, held onto the rails by über-expensive tires and a hyper-intelligent computer.

Loverman: Oh man… why are we even talking about stupid cars? Let’s get back to Wonder Woman. When you were playing “Guess Which Knuckle?” with the drunk young thing in the cheerleader outfit, I learned that Mz. Wonder is a ballet instructor and she touched her ankle to her forehead for me and Autoblog Frank. Not only that, but at one point she was showing the other girls how to dance “like a black girl.” Which meant nothing but violent waves of well-shaken ass. Man, I could really get used to parties where you to turn to the beautiful chick next to you, ask, “So what’s your story?” and hear back “I model for Victoria’s Secret.”

Johnson: Agreed. Party more at Emil’s for sure. And drive his Gallardo, since he’d apparently rather take the Audi to track days than his Lambo.

Loverman: That Emil’s a pretty sharp cookie. OK, I got a date — say hi to Vegas for me. Oh, and go eat at the Pink Taco in the Hard Rock. Thank me later.

Johnson: Emil and Keri, please have more parties. And don’t stop inviting us. We’re sorry for everything.

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2007 Ford Edge: Special He Drove/He Drove Edition [Internal]

SEMAture Ejaculation: More On The Dodge Challenger Super Stock

Monday, October 30th, 2006

Dodge-Challenger-Super-Stock-04.jpgWell, we weren’t the only ones with a bit of a “staying problem” — it seems that some of the folks over at the Allpar forums couldn’t hold it in either over the Dodge Challenger Super Stock. So for those of you who want another taste of the Mopar before the official pics come out later today — follow the gallery below and check out the link to Allpar to find a series of speculations over the new concept. Oh yes, and they’ve also got a video. [Hat tip to Zerin!]

[2006 SEMA Dodge Challenger Super Stock Gallery]

Short Video Of Challenger Being Unloaded At Sema, Red, white and blue exterior colors [Allpar.com]

Related:
SEMAture Ejaculation: The Mopar-Enhanced Dodge Challenger Super Stock [internal]

SUPER BATHING POTENTIAL! Vanpooling in Japan

Monday, October 30th, 2006

Coming soon to a prefecture near you: Super best mobile bathing go!

Related:
Japan’s Mini VW Micro Bus Replicas [internal]

Misubishi’s New D:5 Minivan for Japan

Monday, October 30th, 2006

mitsubishi_d_5.jpg

Turns out Mitsubishi’s D:5 minivan concept (the one that looked like a squared off Dodge Tradesman) was a preview of the company’s newest minivan for Japan. Mitsu announced today that the new monobox van, like the concept, will be dubbed “Delica D:5″ when it hits dealerships early in 2007. D:5 means it’s the fifth generation Delica in a line that traces its roots to 1968, with the first Delica light-duty cab-over pickup. The new model, the company says, “fuses a minivan with an SUV,” making it somewhat of a crossover vehicle, though it has more in common visually with Japanese vans of yore.

Related:
Tokyo Motor Show: Mitsubishi to Show “Go Anywhere” Minivan Concept [internal]

Pontiac to Show Maximum Solstii at SEMA

Monday, October 30th, 2006

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Pontiac’s SEMA 2006 show cars will again be culled from its herd of Solstii, with the Z0K Club Sport (pictured) — showing off the company’s SCCA factory race package — and the yet-unseen GXP-R (Wert!), which broadens the Solstice GXP model’s power and spizzarkle. Product of the GM Performance Division, the SEMA Club Sport car comes with a carbon-fiber roof, six-point safety harness (Sparco), racing seats (Racetech) and steering wheel (Sparco) and “Orange Crush” paint scheme. Out of the box, the Z0K Club Sport package includes ABS, limited-slip rear diff and FE3 suspension (larger front and rear sway bars, revalved shock dampers, higher-rated springs). The GXP-R gets a power boost to 300 hp from the direct-injection 2.0-liter turbocharged four — reportedly via a cam job and software and turbo tweaks — and a full custom treatment, including Hydro Blue paint, mesh graphics, and some manner of body kit.

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[via GM InsideNews]

Related:
A Whole Lotta Pontiac Solstice News [internal]