There I was, tooling around in a silly orange Camaro, when I hit traffic on PCH in Malibu. Why?
‘Cause some rich dood with a Ferrari decided to park right in the middle of the highway! Can’t you believe it!!??? I mean, the noive….
May have had something to do with the fact that he got WHAM, BAM THANKYOU MA’AM’D from the rear. I figure it’s about $50K work of work. Maybe I shoulda left my card?
Ouch. Today was the first Press Day so expectations were high. And did they hit the mark? ……Welcome, to the MORGUE.
Okay, maybe a morgue is a bit extreme, but there were some serious things missing. Namely, NISSAN. And with the Leaf coming soon, you have to ask… “WUT UP, NISSAN DOODS?” Now, I did get my fair share of automotive fixations, but I was left a little… dead. Ok, another mortality reference. Wups.
Below, are the COMPLETE highlights of the show. Not many, but some cool stuff. I decided to make it easy for y’all to understand how I felt about each one. I call it the “SHOCKSWEETSNORESUCK.” That’s the long version. Let’s just call it the “SHNUCK.” The LA Shnuck Show. Yea, I like it….
And here we go Shnucksters!!!
And that’s a wrap for me, folks. Back to LA in the morning, but this was one helluva show. Looks like the hit was the CHEVY CAMARO with about 60 cars appearing. But there were many others that were awesome and heavily involved timewise.
Some final parting shots from North Hall. Not many cars or girls, but some great products for you to check out. Best of Show here.
Big shoutout to the boys and girls of SEMA. They put on another spectacular event. Hot Rods by Rom, Cool Customizable Caliper Covers by MGP, a great new solvent by BIO SOLV and I hung with Todd and db from Motoringfile and White Roof Radio …and of course, the hardcore doods of MOBSTEEL. Check ‘em out…
So, into to Vegas I’ve come for COOL CAR SMACKDOWN!
Snuck in to see some of the best rides up close without the crowd since the show opens tomorrow. They weren’t gonna let me in until I told them who I was. Then, they DEFINITELY didn’t want me to come in. So, I jumped the fire encrusted SEMA fence and was nearly captured by vicious cockerpoos. Whew… The first non-surprise is that there was 250,000 Camaros everywhere. Lame. I mean, if you’re going to SEMA, and you want to stand out, then get the car that EVERYONE else will have. Make sense? Not.
But here’s a sneek anyway for what’s coming this week. So far, the rides are smolderin.’ From cool SCIONS from 5Axis to a Nasty Chrome Green FORD FOCUS from ma buddy Gary Watson at CNC. Nice job, G.
Old school, new school, and Detention. Yea.
As with most weeks, I got cool stuff sent to me. “Hey Fireball! Whatta ya think of my (fill in the blank).” And with that kinda traffic coming at me, I get the privilidge of seeing the best of what’s out there. Sort of.
Well, not all of it is lip smackin’ goodness. Some of it is downright cheese of the Limberger nature. But, without more dumb explanation, here’s what cool in design this past week. And no, you can’t buy the Phat Boy Can from me. It’s on “special order” from Iceland.
THE BUGATTI BORDEAUX
Big and beautiful, but they’re only building them for the richest MoFo’s on the planet. So, if we get to “see” one, it’ll cost about 10K.
BMW Concept Cool
A rad BMW sketch that evokes movement, style and grace. Obviously not the traits that the final build will have, but sweet to look at. So, whatever.
THE ROLLS GHOST
WealthSquared. I wonder if can rent one of these puppies at Hertz? I think they give you a discount on your next Lear Jet World Tour.
THE PARAJET SKY CAR
Yea. I want it. I need it. Comes with barf bags. I SO am gonna rock this thing!
MA PIMP’D PACER
Orange. Phat. Tasty. I mean, why don’t they do REAL design like this anymore? Can’t you see a Mom pullin’ into Vons with this? I mean, I’D help her with her groceries for sure!
TRANSFORMER CAMARO
It’s a Camaro, yes. But it’s a Transformer, too! Like,… two toys in one for the price of one! That’s like getting a Star Wars Action Figure with an extra lightsaber!!! COOL!!!
ZAGATO PEOPLE MOVER
A what? A People Mover? Um,… what if you have a dog? Or,… a lizard or something? Are they serious? I mean, how would I pick up my ex-wife if I had one??
Cool cars that have come to me over the week include some serious beasts, but it’s obvious that design trends from aftermarket companies are solid and cool. (Not like you’ll be seeing the above anytime soon, but I’d rock it for sure…) The big thing now is powerplants. Gas is on the way out and alternative is on the way in. An upward spiral shift, raising the conciousness of society.
What will be available in the next 10-20 years? Fuel Cells, BioFules, Electric Hybrids and more. And design? Well, it just keeps getting better.
Cool. The Infinity Essence. Why do I like this? Um. Duh, just look at it. Virtually EVERY line on the beast is unique and fresh. And fresh ideas are what we ALL like.
This week’s WINNERS. …The APTERA Hybrid, Lingenfelder Camaro, Guigaro Coolness and Aston One77. (This one should be Jimmy Bond’s new beast) It’s no joke now that hybrids, electric cars and alternative fuel vehicles are changing automotive culture. So, along with your Ferrari F430 that you have stuffed in your garage, it’s probably time for you to do some “greenwork.” Let’s be cool, and make the planet that way.
Oh, and book of the week? “Autobiography of a Yogi,” by Paramahansa Yogananda.
Okay, here it is because YOU asked for it. “BLOGDISSECTION.™” Like my show on MyRide, “Auto Dissection,” only… it’s on my blog, duh. And since it’s the first one, I’ll call it… #oo1. Isn’t it neat how I thought that up? I’m just kinda deep that way.
Whatever… Here we go.
The CAMARO is here. …Almost.
A very long time in the making, …and there’s a huge list in Santa’s lap for this one. So why? Nostalgia? History? Power? Design? Well, …all actually.
But, since design is my thing, and this is “BLOGDISSECTION™,” that’s what we’ll discuss.
I’ve chosen silver to look at, mostly because the form is easier to read. And that’s what car companies do for the first few passes. No glitzy colors, but straight forward design. And this car rocks in many ways.
I’ve seen the Challenger and Camaro both up close. The Challenger is beefy, muscled and aggressive. But the Camaro is like a 50 yard sprinter with a six pack, groomed for the red sharp launch. Lean, ectomorphed and ready for serious power sprints.
The design captures all the nostalgia of the original passion, but it is now sculpted as if carved from Michelangelo’s magnetic fingers. If you were to take the wheels off and fill in the space, a beauty of a speed form it would be. Camaro fanatics will rock this car hard, and get in serious trouble with the cops. I anticipate a girth of tickets flowing through the system, funding all sorts of neat things.;(
There’s an interesting “pinched” element along the beltline that gives the impression of a lean waist. I dig that. A hip that diverts into the waist, then egresses up to the shoulder in front. Looks as if it’s been chopped and channeled. That’s the language. I’d call it “Pinched Surfacing.” Bitchin.’
The greenhouse is also lean. Tight, small glass gives a cocooned feel, or cockpitted. “Enter this space and we’ll launch,” it says. But be ready…
Tail lights are robotic. Following this beast is intimidating. But, my MINI would take him…;-) A three door wagon is a push. Interesting, but it may fall the wayside of the Magnum. Although, at 2 side doors, the lean waist still works.
As an overall design (I don’t know the initial conceptualist), this is a very successful approach. Although, coming to the table a bit late, it should do very well. So, where is it??
