Where culture and transportation converge
From the monthly archives:
Inspiration was buried away, along with some innovative and visually stunning design work. Skip ahead to 2005 when some curious members of BMW Classic opened a box and found the R7 bike 75 assembled – although not in shining condition. The engine was corroded, the metalwork was in dire shape, the battery was unusable, but the opportunity for restoration could not be ignored.
via Coolhunter.
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Beth Ann Bayus is sleeping soundly. Here she tells us why.
It’s like packing for a trip: you really only need two things, your ID and a credit card. The first will get you on the plane, and the second will get you anything else you may have forgotten once you land at your destination. Same holds true for new parents. You really only need two things when you get onboard for your trip: a book called “Growing a Reader from Birth: The Path From Language to Literacy” and a rotating video nursery monitor.
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Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Granholm made some great points on the today show — encapsulated in 600,000 Michigan jobs lost — the nation’s highest unemployment rate. “This country needs a manufacturing arm,” she says. It’s 3.5 million jobs — steel, glass, plastic and rubber industry. This industry has to survive if this nation is going to survive. It’s the backbone.”
It’s our opinion that demonizing executives is not the way to go. Those in charge are trying to sort through the fallout of layers of issues, and have an understanding of the complex manufacturing process that goes into building cars and trucks. GM’s structural challenges predate this era, and have propped up the global industry. This is not a distinct American issue.
To bash plans and ask for concessions from struggling Michigan based companies does not bring comfort or confidence to those anxious employees and laid off workers, to the family’s trying to determine what their next steps are going to be. What is noteable about GM and Chysler, is that they make good, safe,fuel-efficient products — and that is to their credit. The biggest issue now is that no one is buying cars this year.
These company leaders are not of the same creed as the Wall Street bankers who take billion dollar bonuses and generally appear to be disconnected from the employees who make up their ranks. Their employees look to them to leadership — and disarming their execs doesn’t bring reassurance that someone with an understanding of the issues has a plan. The automotive industry in the US is not set up much differently than foreign subsidies – they use the same supplier networks and compete neck in new. Therefore, the task to fix the American auto industry is much more complex than faulting a bank that knowingly took on bad assets out of greed.
And the depression in Detroit is real. Obama has that right. As one woman who works as an independent consultant to a car company said, “To live and breathe here everyday….it’s terrible. We are in the eye of the storm here and no one can ever truly appreciate that or “get it” unless you live here or are from here.”
Read the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News for the local perspective. CNN anchors can’t wrap their heads around this one.
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When Bentley calls, we answer. The iconic driving machine also known as automobile is always a surefire hit. Add Northern California wine country to the equation, and you’re a few clicks away from paradise. So when it came time to lock down plans, we called for back up — namely my 6-month old son and mother. This would be a three-generation Bentley GTC convertible excursion. That’s Speed like no other.
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Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the F-CELL Roadster project. The F-CELL Roadster is controlled with drive-by-wire technology, and a joystick takes the place of a conventional steering wheel. The vehicle is powered by a 1.2 kW emission-free fuel cell system located at the rear. It could reach a top speed of 25 km/h and achieve an operating range of up to 350 km(217 mile). “The F-CELL Roadster uniquely combines state-of-the-art technologies with the history of vehicle construction. As an allusion to the Benz Patent Motor Car from 1886, the vehicle is fitted with large spoked wheels.Moreover, the F-CELL Roadster incorporates stylistic elements from diverse eras of automotive history, such as the carbon-fiber bucket seats with hand-stitched leather covers and the distinctively styled fiberglass front section, based on the component from the Formula One racing bolides.”
Via: yankodesign
more pics after the jump
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No this is not about Florida. For fans of American Le Mans motor sports, 12 Hours at Sebring is a legendary race not be missed. In fact, my ride-and-drive partners scoured satellite radio channels in the front seat for live coverage of the endurance race over the weekend. Adding to the momentum of this year’s race was the winner — the Audi R15 TDI clean diesel race car. Never mind that this was the R15’s big debut. Audi fans are still celebrating after drivers Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello led the No. 2 Audi R15 to victory. Here was an old fashioned thriller of a race as a dramatic battle for the crown took place with the No. 8 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, which also runs on diesel fuel. Audi has won the past nine out of ten races at Sebring, but infusing a new contender proved to be a move in the right direction. We remember our loop around the block in a foxy TDI temptress at considerably lower speeds, and we still get shivers. With Audi technology at work, diesel is cleaning house.
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Gotryke contributor and Vain Magazine Editor Rachelle Gauthier takes on the mountain, one foot at a time.
It was a warm, sunny California afternoon and instead of going for a long drive, or drinking Mojoitos in Malibu I went for a Sunday, non-football kind of hike. So I drove about 15 miles north and headed to Rocky Peak Trail with my very competitive, tomboyish and pretty best friend, Tina, and my non-enthused husband. It was the first time that any of us engaged in an outdoor activity with warning signs that read: Beware of Mountain Loins, Snakes and such. We braved the unfamiliar.
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In case you haven’t frequented car blogs this week, the Chevy Camaro is making the scene. In a very low-key presentation, Gotryke spied the Camaro last night at Cooper Classics. The cocktail napkins had designer Sangyup Lee’s cool sketches. The Camaro was one of several unleashed in strategic Manhattan locales. We’ll get back to you with some wheel time reflection soon. [click to continue…]
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