2017 MCLAREN 570S & YERBA BUENA HIKE is FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 550
2017 MCLAREN 570S! – FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 550 – Fireball and Kathie head into the hills of Malibu for a HIKE to the Yerba Buena Grotto, spot a 2017 MCLAREN 570S afterwards!
1939 DELAHAYE TYPE 165 V12 is FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 549
Fireball heads to the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard California to see some incredible french cars including a concept 1939 Delahaye from the 1939 New York World’s Fair!
ABOUT DELAHAYE from Wikipedia… Delahaye automobile was an automotive manufacturing company founded by Émile Delahaye in 1894, in Tours, France, his home town. His first cars were belt-driven, with single- or twin-cylinder engines mounted at the rear. His Type One was an instant success, and he urgently needed investment capital and a larger manufacturing facility. Both were provided by a new Delahaye owner and fellow racer, George Morane, and his brother-in-law Leon Desmarais, who partnered with Émile in the incorporation of the new automotive company, “Societe Des Automobiles Delahaye”, in 1898. All three worked with the foundry workers to assemble the new machines, but middle-aged Émile was not in good health. In January 1901, he found himself unable to capably continue, and resigned, selling his shares to his two equal partners. Émile Delahaye died soon after, in 1905. Delahaye had hired two instrumental men, Charles Weiffenbach and Amédée Varlet in 1898, to assist the three partners.[1] Both were graduate mechanical engineers, and they remained with Delahaye their entire working careers. Weiffenbach was appointed Manager of Operations, and, with the blessing of both George Morane and Leon Desmarais, assumed control over all of Delahaye’s operations and much of its decision-making, in 1906. Amédée Varlet was the company’s design-engineer, with a number of innovative inventions to his credit, generated between 1905 and 1914, which Delahaye patented. These included the twin-cam multi-valve engine, and the V6 configuration. Varlet continued in this role until he eventually took over the Drawing Office, at 76 years of age, when much younger Jean François was hired in 1932 as chief design-engineer. In 1932, Varlet was instructed by Weiffenbach, under direction from majority shareholder Madame Desmarais, Leon Desmarais’ widow, to set up the company’s Racing Department, assisted by Jean François. Those who knew him well at the factory affectionately referred to Charles Weiffenbach as “Monsieur Charles”.
Two Type 165 cars exist today, both being Paris and New York showcars, identically bodied as streamlined roadsters, finished in different shades of deep red, by Joseph Figoni. Two other Type 165 bodies were designed and built by Henri Chapron, but were demolished during the Second World War.
The government had ordered all private automobile sales to cease in June, 1939, but small numbers of cars continued to be built for the occupying German forces until at least 1942.
RIDE OF THE WEEK is Michael Carson’s AUDI TT!
Ride of the Week: Michael Carson’s AUDI TT is big power in a small package
As a health and wellness coach and creator of www.fitinseconds.com, Michael Carson knows what it takes to get in great shape.
Just looking at his frame – he’s like a rock. So when it came to driving, he hand-picked a car that was his version of a speed machine.
It’s true that we pick animals, friends and cars that are just like us and our personality. Convertible Camaros are generally driven by women and men are behind the wheel of classic Morris Minors. And although the rule can be broken, Michael was pretty clear when he decided on this bright white 2013 Audi TTRS.
As a six-speed manual and weighing in at 3,307 pounds, this 2.5 liter, 5-cylinder turbo Quattro coupe produces a hefty 360hp and 345 lb-ft of torque. That’s like a young Mike Tyson wearing a white tuxedo.
Mods include an APR ECU upgrade to Stage II and APR downpipe adding approximately 80-90 hp and 100 lb-ft of torque to the stock figures.
“A little over three years ago,” Michael said, “I drove my Dinan 135i into the Beverly Hills Audi dealership to look at the TTRS out of curiosity, and I left with it. When stock, it was a bit slower than the 135i. I had it tuned to 430hp, dropped an inch, and that soon changed.”
Michael said all the boxes were checked for him.
“It looked and sounded unique with carbon fiber side mirrors from the Bugatti Veyron, German precision with a timeless yet future forward design inside and out,” he said. “There were only 200 sent to the US for 2013. Either way, was sold.”
Plus with a superior Quattro all-wheel-drive system at half the cost of its cousins at Porsche, Michael could afford its best to nearly the entire Porsche lineup, after the APR mods.
The best part of the car, according to Mr. Extreme Fitness? The exhaust.
When at idle and at 4-7000 rpm, Michael never gets tired of the soundtrack especially in sport mode.
OK, up to this point, I know what you’re thinking: just a guy with a need for speed, working out and driving cool places, right? This is where is gets good.
Michael’s best short story is the discovery of his dog, named “Freeway.”
“Standing in the center lane of the 90 East on a fine Saturday evening,” said Michael, “this little pup turned my TTRS into a Pet Medivac. After surviving being dropped right in the middle of the freeway, two cars collided over him.”
Freeway was almost killed and lay nearly lifeless with a broken pelvis. Michael managed to scoop him up and get him quickly to a vet.
“Five days in intensive care in a shelter, he was all mine,” Michael said. “If it weren’t for the acceleration of the Audi RS providing me the extra seconds to help stop the dozens of other rapidly approaching vehicles from further colliding, I wouldn’t have him in my arms right now.”
According to Michael, the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
When I met him at Bluffs, we took a spin and shot another Episode 183 of my show, “Fireball Malibu Vlog.”
I realized how much I love driving with car enthusiasts up Pacific Coast Highway and hearing their stories. All the face-thumping I felt from the car talk was immediately healed by the warmth I felt for Michael’s little Chihuahua, Freeway. Watch the episode for a close-up of his little face, but the stories are what makes us feel alive. It’s what cars do for us and the only thing better than having the experiences like what Michael went through was sharing the story with me.
What do does he dig about driving in Malibu?
“I love the feeling you get early morning on a clear day driving on PCH past Pepperdine,” he said. “Cruising all the way past Decker Canyon, the coastline almost looks European at times and feels like a departure from the day.”
And his favorite Movie Car?
“As a young boy I must have played the VHS 2000 times with the opening scene of “Cannonball Run” where the black Lamborghini outruns the police on a stretch of highway. I had the poster over my bed and the 12-cylinder soundtrack in my head.”
Yeah, it’s a sickness, right? But the best one ever.
Be sure to check out Michael’s site listed above. He’s committed to getting his clients healthy and seems to be doing a great job.
Thanks for the stories and drive, Mikey. Give that tiny pooch a pet from all Malibuites. You’re both heroes to us.
Want to be featured as my Ride of the Week? Shoot me an email to askfireball@fireballtim.com.
1917 STANLEY STEAMER STILL RUNS!! – FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 548
Fireball and Ken head to the Mullins Museum for CARS & CARRIAGES, spot this 100-year-old STANLEY STEAMER that still runs! Also, great interview with Maureen Magnuson.
1917 STANLEY STEAMER History… Twins Francis E. Stanley (1849–1918) and Freelan O. Stanley (1849–1940) founded the company after selling their photographic dry plate business to Eastman Kodak. They produced their first car in 1897. During 1898 and 1899, they produced and sold over 200 cars, more than any other U.S. maker.[1] In 1899, Freelan and his wife Flora drove one of their cars to the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire,[2] the highest peak in the northeastern United States. The ascent took more than two hours and was notable as being the first time a car had climbed the 7.6 miles (12.2 km) long Mount Washington Carriage Road; the descent was accomplished by putting the engine in low gear and braking extensively. [2] The twins later sold the rights to this early design to Locomobile, and in 1902 they formed the Stanley Motor Carriage Company.
Early Stanley cars had light wooden bodies mounted on tubular steel frames by means of full-elliptic springs. Steam was generated in a vertical fire-tube boiler, mounted beneath the seat, with a vaporizing gasoline (later, kerosene) burner underneath. The boiler was reinforced by several layers of piano wire wound around it, which gave it a strong, yet relatively light-weight, shell. In early models, the vertical fire-tubes were made of copper, and were expanded into holes in the upper and lower crown sheets.[3] In later models, the installation of a condenser caused oil-fouling of the expansion joints, and welded steel fire-tubes were used instead.
The engine had two double-acting cylinders side-by-side, equipped with slide-valves, and was of the simple-expansion type. Drive was transmitted directly from the engine crankshaft to a rear-mounted differential by means of a chain. Locomobiles were often modified by their owners, who added third-party accessories, e.g. improved lubricators, condensers, and devices which mitigated the laborious starting procedure, and so forth.
A 1917 Stanley Steamer set the world record for the fastest mile in an automobile (28.2 seconds) in 1906. This record (127 mph (204 km/h)) was not broken by any automobile until 1911, although Glen Curtiss beat the record in 1907 with a V-8 powered motorcycle at 136 mph (219 km/h). The record for steam-powered automobiles was not broken until 2009.[5][6]
Production rose to 500 cars in 1917.
2017 TOYOTA MIRAI EVENT with SYD MEAD! – FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 547
Fireball heads to an exclusive event put on by Car & Driver Magazine and Toyota to reveal the tech behind the 2017 TOYOTA MIRAI. Meets up with Car Design Legend Syd Mead!
Some tech about the Mirai for those wanting more… The Toyota Mirai (From mirai (未来?), Japanese for “future”) is a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, one of the first such vehicles to be sold commercially.[6][7] The Mirai was unveiled at the November 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show.[8] Toyota planned to build 700 vehicles for global sales during 2015.[9]
Under the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cycle, the 2016 model year Mirai has a total range of 502 km (312 mi) on a full tank, with a combined city/highway fuel economy rating of 66 mpg‑US (3.6 L/100 km; 79 mpg‑imp) equivalent (MPG-equivalent), making the Mirai the most fuel efficient hydrogen fuel cell vehicle rated by the EPA, and the one with the largest range.[5]
Sales in Japan began on 15 December 2014 at a price of ¥6.7 million (~US$57,400) at Toyota Store and Toyopet Store locations. The Japanese government plans to support the commercialization of fuel-cell vehicles with a subsidy of ¥2 million (~US$19,600).[10] Retail sales in the U.S. began in August 2015 at a price of US$57,500 before any government incentives. Deliveries to retail customers began in California in October 2015.[11] Toyota scheduled to release the Mirai in the Northeastern States in the first half of 2016.[9] As of June 2016, the Mirai is available for retail sales in the UK, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, and Norway.[12] Pricing in Germany starts at €60,000 (~US$75,140) plus VAT (€78,540) .[13]
2017 HYUNDAI SONATA PLUG-IN is FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 546!
Fireball heads into DTLA for a quick spin the the 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid, snags Kathie for a Kangaroo run then gives us his REVEIW on the car. A creamy smooth Vanilla.
From Car&Driver.com… The Hyundai Sonata was completely redesigned for the 2015 model year, with the re-engineered Sonata hybrid and plug-in hybrid following a year later. In their battle against the Ford Fusion hybrid and Energi, the Toyota Camry hybrid, and the Honda Accord hybrid, the 2017 models get new connectivity—and look, new colors!
Now back for their second year, the 2017 Sonata hybrid and plug-in hybrid earn a little more visual separation from the rest of the Sonata lineup with an entirely fresh and distinct color palette, while hybrid models, even at the base SE level, get upgraded infotainment and connectivity.
Beginning in early 2017, the Sonata plug-in will be offered in Hyper White, Nocturne Black, Metropolis Gray, and Skyline Blue, while the hybrid comes in Hyper White, Nocturne Black, Metropolis Gray, Ion Silver, Cosmopolitan Red, Astral Blue, or Skyline Blue (the same number of colors as last year, just different hues). They’re complemented by gray (or beige for the hybrid) cloth or leather as well as Blue Pearl leather upholstery with contrast stitching and accents.
For 2017, all versions of the Sonata hybrid include a larger, 7.0-inch high-resolution touchscreen with HD radio, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and the latest Blue Link Connected Care system. The plug-in hybrid continues to come only with the larger infotainment screen and those other upgrades. An 8.0-inch system with navigation, satellite radio, and voice recognition is available on the hybrid and included on all plug-in hybrids, with Infinity premium audio optional.
Ride of the Week welcomes ANNA McKINLEY and her ALFA 4C!
Ride of the Week is ANNA McKINLEY and her ALFA 4C!
There’s lots of guys in Malibu who have cool cars, but every now and then there’s a woman out there that has no problem putting them to shame – with her car, I mean. So this week’s Ride of the Week just happens to be one of those ladies — Malibu’s Anna McKinley.
As an executive assistant, Anna’s job is to smooth out the wrinkles, control the potential pitfalls and organize a plethora of messy potentials. Her love is in helping to keep people like her boss on track, focused and straight on the apex. Which is why when it came time to grab a cool ride on Dec. 14, she and her husband chose Alfa Romeo’s 2015 4C launch edition. It’s actually the very first Alfa in Malibu and No. 42 out of only 500.
“It showed up Dec. 14,” said Anna. “So about a month now. It was shipped out from the Alfa Romeo dealer in Laredo, Texas. There are only 80-some dealers, and a handful have delivered cars to customers.”
The specs as a stock pocket rocket? Factory fresh at 237-horsepower and 258ftlbs, weighing in at only 2,465 pounds. That results in a liquid fast 0-60 in 4.1 seconds.
But why this car, Anna? “My husband and I have had a few Italian cars. A couple old Alfas and an Abarth which is my daily driver. Italian sports cars are in my blood. We were lucky enough to drive a 4C press car in Monterey last August and I fell in love instantly. I knew I had to have one. I’ve never been so excited and it’s really a special car.”
Special for sure, as the red on this car makes you want to either nuzzle up against it with some Merlot or lick it like a Telly Pop.
The car is mainly used for fun — like, would it be used for anything else? I think not. Can you see her boss saying that something needs to be picked up? Like a cartoon character, there would be nothing left of Anna but a puff of smoke.
“It only has 600 miles on it and the furthest I’ve been in it is to Ojai so far…” continued Anna. “But I guess the best story is how it arrived. My husband had the transporter deliver it to my office. He called me and said, come outside then handed me a key and pointed to a shiny red Alfa with a silver bow on it.” Whoa. Silver bow on a red car equals some big smooches. (That will be another article.
But what about Malibu?
“We live at the top of one of the canyons, so as car lovers there’s no better place. Everyday is a fun driving experience. The only downside is how fast I go through tires, but that’s a good problem to have. For us, Malibu is a perfect combination of country living and beach community, yet if we need a dose of big city life, it’s only minutes away.” So true and something we can all relate to equally.
As usual, I asked my two main questions as well, to which Anna responded with vigor and elegance.
Your favorite movie car? “Can I have two?” she said. “Sean Connery’s 1964 Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger — elegance, speed and gadgety. And ‘The Bandit,’ 1976 Pontiac Trans Am because it’s the exact opposite of the DB5 and my mom had one when I was a little girl.”
Sounds like Mom was a badass. And finally, Anna’s favorite chocolate is one of dark.
“It’s supposed to be healthy for you, right?”
Well, regardless if it’s healthy or not, dark chocolate and a new Alfa 4C is a perfect combination for the abundant lifestyle. And the trunk is just big enough to hold it, although I think her husband is going to have to get in line with the rest of us.
Do you want to be featured as Fireball’s Ride of the Week? Let him know what you’ve got! askfireball@fireballtim.com Be sure to get on of Fireball’s cool Automotive Books on Amazon!
Ride of the Week is BUZ ALEXANDER and his ITALIAN TWINS
Ride of the Week is BUZ ALEXANDER and his ITALIAN TWINS
One of the best things about doing this Ride of the Week column is where I actually get to go in this wee town.
Tiny corners of car heaven tucked away in the nooks and crannies of Paradise. Case and point: an undisclosed, phenomenal beach where the two Alfa Romeo Spyders of Buz Alexander live.
Shhh! You didn’t hear it from me!
Being a filmmaker dablbing in real estate, Buz Alexander’s life bounces from surf to land deals to Vampire Zombies. And in between all that, he loves to drive his 1974 and 1986 Alfa Spyders: the Veloce and Graduate.
The ‘74 has a 1750 cc twin cam matched to a five-speed manual, and the ‘86 is a 2000 cc twin. Mostly stock Italians, but even so, they’re fun to drive – as all Alfas are.
Buz has had the ‘74 for 20 years. He snagged it from a university friend near USC, and the ‘86 came from a South African yachtsman here in the ‘Bu.
“Alfa Romeo has such a great racing history and tradition,” Buz said. “And beautiful Italian design by Pininfarina.”
The best part of the car?
“The high-compression twin cam aluminum engine and racing gearbox,” Buz said. “The canvas convertible top is very nice, too.”
And although he only uses these cars for pleasure driving here in Malibu, they’re functional surf cars and used to take his 14-year old daughter to Malibu Middle School.
The Alfas have a special place in his heart as he actually brought her home as a newborn from the hospital filled with “It’s a Girl” balloons. That officially puts that car in a “I’ll never get rid of it” category.
I always say that if you really want to keep a car, take your kids for rides and the smiles that come will lock that puppy into place.
And what is there to love about driving in Malibu according to Mr. Alexander?
“Everything,” he said. “Seeing the ocean on one side and trees on the other. Putting the Alfa through its paces on winding canyon roads.”
Can it get better than that? Not even.
Veloce means “Fast” in Italian. But, that can mean fast in the canyons, fast to school and fast just standing still. Nothing like an open air cockpit to absorb all the beauty that we have here to offer.
If you haven’t driven in a convertible in a while, I suggest that this summer you either rent one, steal one or get Buz to give you a spin. But be sure to brush the bugs out of your hair afterwards.
Oh, and by the way, check out Buz’s latest film on Amazon, “Nocturna.”
I wasn’t kidding about the vampires and zombies part – they’re real!
Because it’s BEACHLIFE, it means FIREBALL MALIBU VLOGS in TURQUOISE!
About TURQUOISE…
Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium.
The finest of turquoise reaches a maximum hardness of just under 6, or slightly more than window glass.[2] Characteristically a cryptocrystalline mineral, turquoise almost never forms single crystals and all of its properties are highly variable. Its crystal system is proven to be triclinic via X-ray diffraction testing. With lower hardness comes lower specific gravity (2.60–2.90) and greater porosity: These properties are dependent on grain size. The lustre of turquoise is typically waxy to subvitreous, and transparency is usually opaque, but may be semitranslucent in thin sections. Colour is as variable as the mineral’s other properties, ranging from white to a powder blue to a sky blue, and from a blue-green to a yellowish green. The blue is attributed to idiochromatic copper while the green may be the result of either iron impurities (replacing aluminium) or dehydration.
The refractive index (as measured by sodium light, 589.3 nm) of turquoise is approximately 1.61 or 1.62; this is a mean value seen as a single reading on a gemmological refractometer, owing to the almost invariably polycrystalline nature of turquoise. A reading of 1.61–1.65 (birefringence 0.040, biaxial positive) has been taken from rare single crystals. An absorption spectrum may also be obtained with a hand-held spectroscope, revealing a line at 432 nanometres and a weak band at 460 nanometres (this is best seen with strong reflected light). Under longwave ultraviolet light, turquoise may occasionally fluoresce green, yellow or bright blue; it is inert under shortwave ultraviolet and X-rays.
Turquoise is insoluble in all but heated hydrochloric acid. Its streak is a pale bluish white and its fracture is conchoidal, leaving a waxy lustre. Despite its low hardness relative to other gems, turquoise takes a good polish. Turquoise may also be peppered with flecks of pyrite or interspersed with dark, spidery limonite veining.
It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue. In recent times, turquoise has been devalued, like most other opaque gems, by the introduction onto the market of treatments, imitations, and synthetics.
The substance has been known by many names, but the word turquoise dates to the 17th century and is derived from the French turques for “Turks” because the mineral was first brought to Europe from Turkey, from mines in the historical Khorasan Province of Persia.
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THE ULTIMATE SUCCESS PLAN! – FIREBALL MALIBU VLOG 545
A rainy day in Malibu leads to some awesome inspiration about creating an Ultimate Success Plan at the end. What is the Ultimate Success Plan? 1. A Clear Goal. 2. Belief 3. Faith. 4. A Batmobile
