Enzo Ferrari: The Movie

Recently the movie business started to show movies related with brand creators. Karl Lagerfeld, German fashion designer; Valentino Italian fashion designer and Anne Wintour, Vogue's legendary editor. They all share one thing in common, they have a movie about their job, brand and their self. Sure, these movies are not like block buster ones which you can watch in everywhere on earth but they are effective to understand who they are and what their brands are.

Founder of legendary Italian brand Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari has a movie also. It was shot in 2002 but nobody knows it. Actually it is quite hard to find its DVD even on internet. I don't know why! And even in Ferrari Store's web site, there is nothing called Enzo Ferrari Movie. They helped to make this movie but they are selling its DVD, this is quite weird for a company which is even selling paper weights with Ferrari logo.

This movie is explaining how the Ferrari brand was born and what sacrifices Enzo Ferrari suffered. It is not about just cars or engines, it is about a person's life which is devoted to create a car. After this movie, I started to interpret Ferrari brand in a different way. I could see what is underneath this heritage. Hopefully we could still see the trace of this heritage in every Ferrari car and Enzo Ferrari's sacrifices achieved the success.

 

chevrolet volt production car show

chevrolet volt production show car
chevrolet volt production show car
chevrolet volt production show car
chevrolet volt production show car
2011 chevrolet volt production show car

No Comment: Tesla Model S - Maserati GranTurismo


Maserati GranTurismo and new Tesla Model S

Pictures are taken from;
Maserati and Worldcarfans Websites

Fuel Cell, this is real cell :)

For long time, I was waiting to see a hydrogen car. I know they don't very different rather than the normal ones but I would like to see how it drives and how it looks like. Hopefully today I saw three of them at the same time. They weren't production models but at least they were hydrogen powered cars.

They were looking very nice for prototype and actually looking better than many Toyota cars! However the interior is a total catastrophe! Of course, it is pointless to expect to see very high quality interior from an university prototype. These cars have a range of 160 km. And very silent! Actually they are too silent and you may not even notice that a hydrogen car is approaching to you.

Finally, I really don't know where they fill up the car. It is sure that, they are filling up them somewhere but I didn't see.

VW China, hybrid bicycle !

Nowadays bicycles became very popular to car companies! May be focusing on China market and involving with their culture influence the manufacturers and they decided to manufacture bicycles besides cars. Yesterday I mentioned about the pointless and good looking Lexus hybrid bicycle and today VW announced their hybrid bicycle!

However, VW's bicycle looks quite descent. It worth to be tried at least once. But I would not planning to buy it! VW's bicycle might be good for riding for once but if I wish to own a bicycle I would be buying from bike company! I guess, VW and Lexus are focusing on how to increase our market share in China with whatever product we can make :)

Picture is taken from;
Worldcarfans Website

Enviromental Bicycle by Lexus :O

In automotive industry you can find many interesting things! As I mentioned earlier, you can have Porsche power drill, weird looking car branded shoes, pointlessly expensive car branded pencils and many interesting things, until now. Today, the world's the most boring car brand announced something more pointless than Porsche's power drill. Hybrid bicycle! Yes, a hybrid, an environmental bicycle. People who has nobody about hybrids, I would like to explain quickly. Hybrid is a technology which combine electric and petrol engine together to reduce CO2 level and offer more economy. This technology is designed for vehicle which are running with combustion engine not with feet!

Lexus's obsession with hybrid concept helped to reveal this ultimately pointless bicycle. Who on earth will going to buy a hybrid bicycle. I know there are many people who bought Apple iPad without knowing what to do with that but this is more pointless than iPad. Bicycle suppose to be ride by feet for sport or for fitness not to save the earth! Or to show off that I care environment and I ride this pointless thing.

The batteries are charged by regenerative brakes, I hope that these brakes are working properly. And it has 8 speed auto gearbox with 240W electric motor. Actually there is one thing nice in this bike, its design. Lexus's success on dull design on cars cannot be seen on this bicycle and I do hope that they will try this on their cars also ;)

Pictures are taken from;
Lexus and Worldcarfans Websites

Inside out Jeremy

Sometimes I do like Clarkson's non objective review on cars. Mainly I agree on many of them. And he is mentioning the right points which are ridiculous. Especially I cannot agree more on his thoughts on American cars. In some cases Mercedes public bus is a better choice! And last year, we all how other perceive American cars.

One of the most interesting things about American cars is where they were using wood! Clarkson mentioned this many time because it is senseless way of using it. Some American cars were using wood as a part of paint in outside of the car! It is similar to a dress on salad which supposes to be inside the salad. Hopefully they are doing this anymore.

Clarkson missed one point though. In UK they do the same thing. Just look at the buildings which were built between sixties and eighties. They look like a wood covered American car. Why? The material which was used outside on those buildings supposes to be inside the walls. Not inside the building, inside the walls! As you could see from the picture, it looks totally ugly, boring and lack of everything. Hopefully they are not constructing buildings like that anymore.

Pictures are taken from;
Guardian's Website
HowStuffWorks' Website

Porsche Cars

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Porsche Carrera Cars
Porsche Carrera
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Porsche

nissan leaf cars


The Nissan Leaf, set to be released in select US markets by the end of this year, will be priced at around $25,000 after a $7,500 federal tax credit. This will be about $7,500 less than the Chevy Volt after tax credits, which will be released about a month beforehand. In the upcoming weeks, people will be able to make refundable $100 dollar deposits on the Leaf. So far there has been an overwhelming interest in this compact four door hatchback with a 100 mile electric range. Nationwide availability will begin in 2011. Nissan sounds pretty serious about an electric future, and we think they are right
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Nissan has unveiled their first affordable, zero-emission car. Titled the Nissan LEAF, it is a “medium-size hatchback” that comfortably seats five adults and has a range of more than 160 km to satisfy real-world consumer requirements. And the most interesting part is it is almost ready for production, and slated for consumer release in late 2010.

Pricing details will be announced closer to start of sales, but Nissan expects the LEAF to be competitively priced in the range of a well-equipped compact vehicle. As an added benefit, because the vehicle has less mechanical complexity than a traditional petrol-powered car, Nissan says the car will require less maintenance.

The Nissan LEAF is powered by “laminated” compact lithium-ion batteries, which generate power output of over 90 kW, while its electric motor delivers 80kW, equivalent to 280 Nm.

Unlike regular vehicles, the Nissan LEAF’s powertrain has no tail pipe, and thus has no emissions of CO2 or other greenhouse gases. A combination of the LEAF’s regenerative braking system and innovative lithium-ion battery packs enables the car to deliver a driving range of more than 160 km on one full charge, enough for a few days of driving. However, top speed is a bit over 140 kph.

The Nissan LEAF can be charged up to 80% of its full capacity in just under 30 minutes with a quick charger. Charging at home through a 200V outlet is estimated to take approximately eight hours, convenient only as an overnight option.

The LED headlights provide yet one more benefit in that they consume just 10% of the electricity of conventional lamps.

Nissan LEAF employs an exclusive advanced IT system. Connected to a global data centre, the system can provide support, information, and entertainment for drivers 24 hours a day.



The dash-mounted monitor displays Nissan LEAF’s remaining power, or “reachable area,” in addition to showing a selection of nearby charging stations.

Another state-of-the-art feature is the ability to use mobile phones to turn on air-conditioning and set charging functions – even when Nissan LEAF is powered down. An on-board remote-controlled timer can also be pre-programmed to recharge batteries.

The first of Nissan’s EVs will be manufactured in Japan, with additional capacity planned for U.S. plants. Meanwhile, lithium-ion batteries are being produced in Japan, with additional capacity planned for the USA, the UK and Portugal, and other sites for investment are under study around the world. Plans include sales only in Japan, Europe and the United States, where it should easily undercut the hyped Chevrolet Volt and Tesla Sedan that will debut at around the same time. Nissan’s only problem would be convincing people to buy a car called LEAF.

High Heeled Boots and SUVs !

Nowadays the products and their names are not meaning the same thing! Their functionality and their name suppose to fit with each other. If they were named as boots, you suppose to wear them when you have to wear boots! Also a four wheel drive SUV is suppose to be driven in places where you need four wheel drive! But the marketing tactics and evolved demands of customers changed everything. Nothing is doing what it suppose to do. I know you will be saying, this fashion and it is dynamic, it is changing all the time. That's the nature of fashion. I do not disagree with this and I like the way how the fashion is changing over the years. Unless everything will be boring and nobody would like to buy anything! Also our incentives for buying will be blinded.

It is very usual to see unusual things in fashion and people are buying those unusual things as they knew those are unusual. Sorry, it sounds very complicated! In short term, nobody cares what its functionality, they just want to buy it :) You can easily see this by Versace's new high heeled boots! Yes, these are boots and they suppose to be used during cold winter or while snowing. However, wearing these boots during winter, especially during snowing is a bit crazy! They are not designed to be worn during winter and nobody is expecting this. Boots is just a word to define these shoes. And I am sure that nobody is going to wear them during winter!

Automotive business behaves like fashion business. Every year a new car is introduced and the other models looks like pre-historic. Fifteen years ago, everything was very simple. Family sedan was a family and four wheel drive was a four wheel drive. Now family sedans are capable of doing more than 300 km/h and four wheel drive vehicles especially SUVs’ off road ability is limited to climbing pavements. They are like the fashion boots, name and functionality do not match with each other. Nobody will ever try to climb a mountain with a BMW X5, because it is not going to climb! It does not have that ability. It is like wearing these Versace boots in winter, your feet will be frozen. However their names are promising to be worn during winter and reaching top of the mountains.

Actually, nobody is expecting to walk with Versace high heeled boots in winter and they do not wish to do it. These boots are not for that purpose, they have totally different purpose of usage. If Versace was offering boots for winter, it would sound weird. Boots just a name to differentiate the product from other shoes. And it is the same for SUVs. Nobody is willing to do off road with BMW X5 and if they try, you can see what happens in YouTube. If BMW was offering something for serious off road, they would be weird! Like the high heeled boots, SUV is just a name to differentiate the vehicles from others.

Pictures are taken from;
BMW and Net-A-Porter Websites

Home made Ad Blue

As far as I could from the reports from Google Analytics, Ad Blue is top of the Google search results for my blog. Some of the were looking for what is Ad Blue, what we can use instead of Ad Blue. For those of you who don't know anything about Ad Blue. I would like to explain it quickly.

Ad Blue is a liquid which helps to reduce NOx in diesel engine. Unlike petrol engine, diesel engine are producing NOx as a result of combustion process. So Ad Blue is something very environmental and easy to find :)

Like car companies suggested, try to buy Ad Blue from petrol station and do not use your own! Yes, everyone has Ad Blue :) Because it is pee or we can say it more polite urine! If you need Ad Blue in the middle of nowhere, you can use yours ;) But be very careful!

Pictures are taken from;
Mercedes Website

New Alpine

New Alpine Concept Design
Alpine
New Alpine Concept Design
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Mercedes Benz Cars

Mercedes Benz CLR 600
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Fat Maybach

In 1997, I can clearly remember the date when I saw first pictures of future Mercedes which will be named as Maybach. Maybach was left sleeping for nearly four decades and Mercedes launched the brand with an electro shock which was done by old Mercedes S Class (W220). Finally Maybach was on production in 2002! The features and technology was beyond imagination like its price tag. At the same time, Rolls Royce was working on new Phantom and Bentley was refurbished by Volkswagen. So the competition was getting tougher!

And Maybach revealed to market, however it was sharing too much in common with S Class. Actually Maybach was a stretched and pumped version of S Class. Or I can summarized it like this; Maybach is paint which was done by Botero.

Botero is well known painter who is expressing his ideas in terms of fat people and objects. He is exagratting the figures and objects to express the ideas. Maybach was like that, expressed the passion of Mercedes to go fight with Rolls Royce and Bentley with a S Class. It was basically a S Class with luxury.

And weirdly, current S Class is offering very similar features like Maybach and relatively cheaper! This also had impact on Maybach's sales performance. Despite its enormous engine power which can be used in World Rally Championship did not help Maybach to win! In UK last year, only seven Maybachs were sold. Just 7!

A few days ago Mercedes revealed a video for face lifted Maybach which will be introduced in China Motor Show. And the movie was took place in China with Chinese casting. This clearly Shows that, Mercedes is hopeless for Western market and they try their last chance in China. As matter of fact, Maybach is a great car but too expensive for a Mercedes

Pictures are taken from;
Mercedes Website and NTV.com.tr