Get a Blower Bentley for $32.00 (Auto / Car Article)

October 9, 2006 by tsikot · Leave a Comment

Think you need to have a stock portfolio with an 8- or 9-digit value to own a Blower Bentley? Think again! For the entirely manageable sum of £16.98 (approx. $32 USD), you can get yourself Blower, the plush Bentley from the Bentley Collection. The friendly-looking racer’s wheels are even removable to facilitate “bedside repairs,” according to the website. Of course, with kids, “removable” is a euphemism for “loseable,” so if you bring home Blower, make sure you keep track of his rolling stock. The last thing he needs is the ignominy of being laid up on a set of Lego jackstands because his wheels are missing. Blower hates that.

[Source: Luxist]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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[tags]auto articles, auto news, car stories, car articles[/tags]

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VIDEO: the $10,000 car wash (Auto / Car Article)

October 9, 2006 by tsikot · Leave a Comment

, Etc., Videos, Supercars

Not many people would list washing cars as a career aspiration, but then they’ve probably not seen this video. Here’s a guy who gets to work over every detail of the most exotic of exotics, and gets paid as much as ten grand each time he does.

The attention to detail and the methodical steps involved are mind-boggling, as are the costs of the materials he uses (including a $12,000 tub of carnauba wax). Mind you, when you’ve spent half a million on a car, “cost is no object” takes on new meaning.

Nice work if you can get it….

(Thanks for the cleansing tip, Drew!)

[Source: Pun Gas]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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eBay Find of the Day: Moller SkyCar (Auto / Car Article)

October 8, 2006 by tsikot · Leave a Comment

, Gadgets, Trends, Auction Action, Etc.

The McLaren F1, Koenigsegg CCX and Bugatti Veyron all held claim to the worlds fastest car title for at least a short time, by they ain’t got nothin’ on the Moller M400. Moller M400? Yeah, the Moller M400. It isn’t just inching past them either. It will literally fly past these three supercars like they are standing still. It can outpace them by a good 100 mph. Heck, its cruising speed is 275! And it will do it with some added versatility that puts it miles above the competition. Well, 36,000 feet above them anyhow. The Moller M400 is the funky looking Skycar developed by Moller International Inc. and promised to be the next big thing for commuters tired of increasing traffic congestion.

Until now, a few orders were taken and the prototype was demonstrated, and the car even appeared in last year’s Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. Perhaps not as stylish as the special edition M6 convertible in this year’s catalog, but it can fly, remember? And now one lucky owner will actually be able to get his hands on a functioning prototype! You see, company principle Paul Moller has decided to put one up on eBay starting Monday. Starting bid will be $4 million. The company has had some problems recently and is selling this “car” to help clear a debt backlog. Paul himself has given up about $1.5 mil in salary to help out.

Besides being well-heeled, we are guessing that you’ll need at least a pilot’s license if you plan to actually use it. You’ll also probably have to fly out of airports, rather than from the freeway whenever you feel like it. Well, technically the car isn’t even road legal just yet anyhow. So maybe this isn’t for everybody. Maybe you’d prefer spending your 4 extra-large on something more like the Ferrari 612 P4/5. Or a Veyron and a Cessna or two. But come on people, who wouldn’t want a flying car? And since we were among the first to tell you about it, whoever gets this has to take us for a ride.

tip: Andrew

[Source: Sacramento Business Journal]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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[tags]auto articles, auto news, car stories, car articles[/tags]

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A Crown Vic that probably won’t be seen in your rear-view mirror (Auto / Car Article)

October 7, 2006 by tsikot · Leave a Comment

, Sedans/Saloons, Etc., Ford

Ford’s SOHC 4.6L V8 isn’t exactly known for its potential to make big power, and saddling it with over two tons of mass means that Crown Vics aren’t exactly feared on the streets unless they’re being driven by a police officer. Sal Mennella from Power Surge Performance (a shop specializing in Ford PCM tuning) developed a solution for this problem, however, in the form of a supercharged 5.4L that he snagged from Ford’s defunct Lightning sport truck. As delivered from the factory, this engine was usually good for about 330 rear-wheel horsepower - a substantial improvement over the sub-200 RWHP provided by the stock motor.

As if that wasn’t enough, the stock Eaton blower was replaced with the substantially more efficient Whipple supercharger to provide more boost. The stock heads and throttle body remain, though, as do the stock cast iron exhaust manifolds. This combination produces nearly 540 horsepower at the rear wheels, as well as a dead-flat torque curve that maintains more than 500 lb-ft over the entire duration of the dyno pull.

This has us convinced that Ford should offer a GT500 version of the CV - just so long as it promises not to offer them to law enforcement agencies.

[Source: Crownvic.net]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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AutoblogGreen for 10.06.06 (Auto / Car Article)

October 7, 2006 by tsikot · Leave a Comment

, Green

Yesterday, AutoblogGreen revisited a few evergreen ecological debates. Is it better to throw things away and start over with new, cleaner technology (Ford’s lightbulbs)? Does new technology carry with it too much damaging R&R waste to make it worthwhile (Hummer vs. Prius)? Should cops be riding around on stand-up tricycle (the T3)? Ok, that last one isn’t commonly debated in green circles. But if more police started using the 25mph Segway-ish trikes, maybe someday it will.