FinalGear.com Forums

Ford Fiesta S2000 Rally Car

_dexter_ — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:11:35 GMT

M-Sport has unveiled the new Ford Fiesta S2000 rally car, at a launch celebration in the UK.

Designed and built in nine months, the S2000 will become Ford's first global rally car. This effectively means the car can be entered into a variety of events including national rally championships, the IRC (Intercontinental Rally Challenge), and the S2000 World Cup.

Power comes from a 1998cc Pipo-built four-cylinder Duratec engine, which produces 280 bhp and 260 Nm of torque. Other performance features include a permanent four-wheel drive system, a M-Sport/Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox (with an AP clutch), Brembo brakes, and an adjustable sports suspension.

Inside, the interior has been stripped and replaced with a full roll-cage, Sparco seats, and a fire suppression system.

According to M-Sport's managing director, Malcolm Wilson, "Today is a very exciting day for us. This is the first global rally car for Ford and M-Sport, I really believe that we have produced a fantastic rally car and this launch is a big step to seeing it out competing in rallies. It's the first time in five years that we have been able to offer a Ford rally car that can challenge for overall victory in national championships across the world." He continued, "We have worked closely with Ford on this project, their best-selling road car, the new Ford Fiesta, has been a perfect base car and its award-winning styling and kinematics together with M-Sport's expertise will surely make the Fiesta S2000 a huge global success."

+ YouTube Video
ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.

Which Episodes Are The Following?

airbusA346 — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:42:55 GMT

Hi,

What are the episode numbers of the Britcar race (2005 - with Barwell Motorsport) and the FIA GT3 races at Silverstone in 2006, when Tiff drove the DBRS9 with Tom Alexander?

Thanks
Tom.

"Multi Mode" A Strobe Experiment

Olie — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:23:45 GMT

Well this was a toss up between creating a thread or putting them all in the beautiful disasters thread.

Long story short, earlier today I was taking some shots and accidently put my flash into multi-mode. a quick preview of the shot I though "urgh, wtf?!" and deleted it. Later I Thought.... "what can I do with this?"

Here is a few shots of various powers/rates. some were successful others were not.

Things I have learned from this:

Slower rate = better
Power = better, but limits the speed and amount of shots

Next time I'm going to try the same again with a full sized strobe light to similar effect for longer exposures.

My Personal Car Reviews: Mercedes SLK 200

MacGuffin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:49:46 GMT

My Personal Car Reviews: Mercedes SLK 200

I don’t know about other countries but the car rentals here in Germany have thinned out and downsized their fleets considerably in the wake of the economical crisis. That has lead to some shortage especially on the more valuable cars, like BMW 5-series, Mercedes E-Class or the likes. It’s hard to get one of those on a short notice, as they are sold off after a while and are not all being replaced by new ones at the moment. Usually you have to make a reservation at least 5 days ahead to get your hands on one.

And if you are unable to plan that far ahead, you have to take what’s there -- if there is anything available at all. That’s how I ended up with the Ford Mondeo, the Volvo XC60 and the VW Tiguan in the past and that is how I now ended up with a Mercedes SLK200.

I had to choose between a Nissan Qashqai, a Citroen C4 Picasso and the SLK. So what would you have chosen?

Exactly :)

The reason the SLK was still there, was probably the fact, that on Wednesday we had the worst rain storm this autumn so far, with gale warnings for the whole North Sea coast. Not the ideal weather conditions to test a roadster, you know…

It was pouring, when I took the first photogaphs (as you can tell from the state of my sweater in one of the pics) and although it was only half past three in the afternoon, it was already very dark. So I decided the only thing to do for the rest of the day, was driving around in the wind and rain and see, if I could make a nice video of it. And I think it turned out rather well.

The following day was better and even brought some sunshine, so I was also able to drive on the Autobahn and even with the roof open for some time.

But now about the car.

The SLK200 comes with a supercharged 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine, that develops 184 HP. For a car that weighs a bit less than 1400 kg, that’s a decent motorization. However, the SLK isn’t decent when it comes to noise insulation: It’s loud. And not always pleasantly loud. And the automatic gearbox this one came with, is sluggish and slows the car down. But I’ll get to that later.

My first thought was: Will I fit into it? But I didn’t need to worry, because there is lots of space inside, even for a huge bloke like me. When I first sat down in it and adjusted the seat, it came to my mind that this is actually the first time I will be driving a two-seater in my life. Goody.

On my way from the rental to my home I also noticed, that a metal folding roof isn’t quite as solid and sturdy, as a welded one: There were creaks and fizzes and some clattering noises. The car had almost 20000 km on the odometer, btw. The sound insulation of the roof might be a better, than the fabric roof of the BMW 120d cabrio I had earlier this year. But it still let in much outside noise, more than a fixed roof. But I suppose that’s a compromise you can live with.

What you cannot live with, is the boot space, or rather the lack of it. Because all you have, is a slit underneath the roof mechanism. You might be able to squeeze a small suitcase or a sports bag in there, but shopping bags or a crate of Coke are out of the question. Such things would have to go onto the passenger seat and the passenger foot well. So one thing is clear: This is not the kind of car you wanna own as your only car. It’s a second car by its nature. A car that is only good for driving around in and nothing else.

The jacket wasn't mine... probably belonged to the last person they murdered in this car... ;)

I must admit, though, that I felt very comfortable and well inside. The seats are excellent (hugging but not clamping) and it all feels sophisticated, yet sporty. However, I reckon this is not a car for long journeys, because after an hour or so my thighs started to get tired: The seats lack a bit of support in that area.

But I liked the sitting position very much and to my surprise, it also is a car you can see out of very well. First car in a long time I felt confident with parallel parking in, without having to rely on sensors or panned down side mirrors. Also the “air scarf”, the little fan that blows warm air at your neck, is a delight. Seriously, all cars should be equipped with that. I’m speaking as a person suffering from migraine now. I dunno where the hot air comes from exactly but it heats up within no time.

Now about the noise: The engine has a nice grunt at lower revs and the exhaust makes a bit of a sporty noise, too (just a bit really), and the supercharger has a nice whine. But as soon as you rev it, it only gets loud. Unpleasantly loud. 4-pot loud.

And you would rev it a lot, because the automatic gearbox is hard to convince to shift down or -- even worse -- up again, once you started accelerating. I mean that literally, because you have to take the foot from the accelerator completely at times, or else it will go on reving like crazy. I think you can tell from some moments in my videos. To accelerate fast, you have to kick down the pedal hard, too, or else it will try to keep the high gear. Switching from “Comfort” to “Sport” mode only makes it worse, btw. The “Comfort” setting is explicitely recommended therefore.

This automatic gearbox is sluggish and completely unfitting for such an agile and sporty car. Of course the naked numbers are not bad: 0-100 km/h in under 8 seconds, top speed of about 235 km/h. But the way it delivers with this automatic, makes it feel slow somehow. As a result, you spend a lot of time with pedal to the metal, because otherwise you’re not moving forward. And it showed in my fuel consumption: I managed 14.1 liters/100 km (16.7 mpg). Last time I used up that much, I was in a Mercedes S-Class.

This car needs a manual. Period.

Of course the engine itself delivers fine -- despite the unpleasant noise it makes, when it revs high. The car literally jumps from a standstill with an angry grunt and supercharger whine, with no delay or lag on a dry road, and doesn‘t shift up before it nearly hits the limiter. In rain, however, you’ll be thankful for the ESP, because otherwise I’ll guarantee you, that you would sooner or later lose control and spin in a corner. And this is the entry model with the least powerful engine. I refuse to imagine the 360 HP AMG version on a slick road…

What about the handling? Well, it’s marvellous of course, what’d you expect? It’s the best handling car I have driven in my life -- and I’m saying that, even though I wasn’t able to test it to its limits on the current autumnal roads. Nevertheless I giggled and smiled a lot, while driving around. When I got back in my Golf afterwards, I felt like driving a blancmange. Enough said.

Ride comfort is okay, though you have to accept that such a car doesn’t filter away all bumps in the road. Enough said about that, too.

As I said, I was able to drive a bit with the roof down on Thursday and I must say that like it seems to be with all cabrios, the small imperfections and defects vanish away into thin air once you have the sky above you. I had a lot of fun on a very lonely back road, though I was giving the camera a hard time, because obviously this SLK is much more draughty, than the BMW 1-series I can use for comparison. It messed around with my hair as well as with the microphone of the camera. I left the sound unfiltered and unaltered, though.

The bottomline is, that this is a car, that is great to drive and gives you a lot of fun -- if you avoid the automatic gearbox. It’s hopelessly impractical, though, making only sense a a pure driving machine with the roof up or down. I’d really consider it as a second car.

Now for the vids. The first two were made during that rain storm on Wednesday and I couldn't resist driving down to the harbor to get some brawling sea footage. You will notice the hard noise of rain drops on the metal folding roof, when I pass under some trees, which reminds a bit of a tin can in that area.

Some side notes on this: at 2:06 minutes on the left are the gates to the shipyard, where the battleship "Tirpitz" was built, today it's used as an arsenal by the German Navy. Usually there are some frigates in there being outfitted or repaired.
At 2:56 on the left is Wilhelmshaven's main police station ;)
At 7:38 the ESP kicks in to prevent me from spinning off the road. Remember what I said about that above.

+ YouTube Video
ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.

+ YouTube Video
ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.

A small video of the interior with a close-up on the "air scarf":

+ YouTube Video
ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.

Onto the Autobahn, starting at my company's parking lot. I managed 225 km/h on the speedo, before I was forced to brake, and the wind noises were really loud.

+ YouTube Video
ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.

Two more vids up to come, after they uploaded.

If this doesnt just ruin your day...

Censored — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:09:31 GMT

...i dont know what would. This guy must really feel like a tool after this.

http://www.intomobile.com/2009/11/16...alt-marsh.html

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to a vid of them pulling it out of the marsh, too.

Automotive Delights

Labcoatguy — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:13:46 GMT

This is the opposite of Automotive Annoyances, where you post things that you found pleasantly surprising about your car.

I'll start. When I jacked up my car to put on the winter tires, I found out that the scissor jack that came with the car had a ratcheting handle! You wouldn't believe how much easier it was to jack the car up and down with that. Plus all you had to do was flip the handle around and the ratcheting direction would point the other way. So simple, and yet so helpful.

No 56k: Best interiors out there?

Atlantian — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:05:50 GMT

For a lot of us, we spend around a good 8+ hours per week in our cars.

What does your car interior look like?

What my interior looks like, not my car.

What car do you think has the best interiors/seats?
Generally speaking... VAG cars...

What is the best interior you've sat in?

Probably an s2k, but my mom's S60 or my friend's GTI is pretty nice.

What would you prefer for a daily driver?

B5 A4 or E36 M3

Those Vader seats looks so nice.

Just suggestions for responses.

Weird photoshop behaviour when converting from Adobe RGB to sRGB

IceBone — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:29:02 GMT

This regards Photoshop, but since you won't encounter colour profiles almost anywhere else, I put it in this section.

I found a weird thing happening when I save pics, especially now that I've had the screen calibrated. I load an image from the cam via ACR in 16 bit adobe RGB, so if I want to save it as a jpeg for web, I have to convert to 8 bit and sRGB. If I do this in photoshop normally, then do a Save As, I get this:

But if I keep it in 16 bit Adobe RGB inside photoshop and head straight for Save for Web and Devices, i get this:

Which is what the image is supposed to look like. I've tried all the different conversion engines and intents, but apart from very very minor differences, the in-photoshop conversion just doesn't do it correctly.

Anyone have any thoughts as to what might be going on? :S

And I know you've seen this pic already, but it captures the difference perfectly, as it has a lot of blues and greens. Also, 'tis pretty. :)

Mass Effect 2

spicysaurus — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:28:24 GMT

Pre-orders for ME2 now available.

I seriously might have to take time off work for this game. I played the first one through at least 6 times. Probably more. The sequel looks even better, with much better combat and awesome weapons.

And apparently your choices in the first game affect the story in the second game if you maintain your character profile.

Really looking forward to this.

What shouldn't I miss in Romania

HeidiL — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:38:10 GMT

For a while I've been planning for a while to grab Him Indoors and take a road trip round various bits of Europe, and after the latest top gear ep, I think Romania needs to be one of the places we go, so I'm wondering: what would you say are the must-see places? The trip will mostly be 'places Himself saw while being a truck driver' rather than the usual tourist traps, so I'm after places which perhaps aren't the ones that the tourist guides list.

DIY VW Commercial

allebrugere — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:05:59 GMT

I just thought id have a go at making a VW commercial (Not at all inspired by two old guys from a boring tv show which name i cant remember? ;))
I fell over the stupidly named Caddy Maxi Life TDI, and this is what it ended up with...

Help! I have no gauges!

spicysaurus — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:29:33 GMT

Okay, even though I'm a huge fan of Top Gear, I am in no way a petrolhead, and I don't really know anything about repair.

So today I lost all of my gauges all of a sudden. No tach, no speedometer, no fuel or engine temp.

Is this something pretty easy I can troubleshoot and fix myself (with a little help from you guys, maybe) or do I need to take it to a shop?

I'm so sick of my POS car. :(

EDIT: My car is a 2004 Dodge Neon.

[Autoblog] Schumacher to return to F1 - in a Mercedes?

chvvkumar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:37:43 GMT

Quote:

Say it ain't so, Schu! The Daily Telegraph is reporting that seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher is close to signing on with the newly formed Mercedes Formula 1 team. Mercedes is the new name of the former Brawn GP team, the current Constructors Champion. After a stellar rookie season that saw this former Honda team clinch not just the Constructors Championship, but also the Drivers Championship for Jenson Button, they had a bit of a dropoff as Button bolted for rival McLaren.

That left a seat to fill at Mercedes and if BBC Sport's Eddie Jordan is to be believed, none other than Michael Schumacher is about to sign a one-year contract to return to racing in that very car. The deal, which would net Schumacher the same salary that Button turned down at Brawn GP in favour of McLaren, would finally see the German teaming up with Mercedes, who were in the past unsuccessful in their bids to lure him away from Ferrari.

Ferrari almost lured the retired champ back this season when Felipe Massa went down following the infamous spring incident in Hungary. The Champ's sore neck put a stop to that comeback, but apparently it got Schumi's juices flowing again. Signing with Mercedes would create something of a German dream team with Nico Rosberg in the other car. If the deal goes through, MS will be reunited with Brawn GP-namesake and current Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn, the man who guided Michael to all seven of his World titles.

Still just a rumor for the moment, the deal is said to give Schumacher the same salary Button turned down when he defected to McLaren. The Schumacher deal is just the latest volley in the silly season melee that has seen Kimi Raikkonen vacate his seat in order to make room for Fernando Alonso at Ferrari, which lost adviser Michael Schumacher as well. Whatever the future holds, it is only going to get more interesting. We'll keep you posted as things develop. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/20/b...with-mercedes/

Well, it it is true, next F1 season should be one hell of an year!

Faulty ignition switch

argatoga — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:28:52 GMT

So I went to start the Roadmaster this morning (my MG is sadly still at the shop), and I noticed it wouldn't start. My neighbor came over and I tried jump starting it. No dice. I could hear the starter click, then nothing (no dash lights or remote locks). This happened even with the battery hooked up to the other car.

My neighbor than offered me use of her car. I hooked up the trickle charger and went off. During my lunch I tried again, the dash lights turned on and I heard a click, then all was dead again. The battery is a week old.

I'm suspecting the ignition switch. Any thoughts?

James May's Christmas toy fair

skylock — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:55:09 GMT

http://www.jamesmaystoyfair.com/

28th November 2009

Quote:

A fun-filled day that includes:
A Meccano model building competition
Marvel at Hornby's fantastic model railway layout
Make your own Airfix model
A collection of amazing Lego models
Create your own Plasticine Morph
Q&A with James May
And a chance to race against James May at Scalextric!
Many of the experts from the show will be on hand to discuss the history of each toy, offer technical advice and show some examples of their collections. You'll also see some of the amazing projects featured on James May's Toy Stories including fittings from the incredible Lego House. And don't forget to get your book signed! Call 02076 051400 for more details.

Spied: 2010 Audi A7

Pedrocas — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:54:15 GMT

:cool: :cool: :cool:

Global warming a scam? Hacked Hadley data might suggest so.

freefall — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:54:06 GMT

Examiner article

Quote:

Originally Posted by Examiner

The University of East Anglia's Hadley Climatic Research Centre appears to have suffered a security breach earlier today, when an unknown hacker apparently downloaded 1079 e-mails and 72 documents of various types and published them to an anonymous FTP server. These files appear to contain highly sensitive information that, if genuine, could prove extremely embarrassing to the authors of the e-mails involved. Those authors include some of the most celebrated names among proponents of the theory of anthropogenic global warming (AGW).

...

Some of the most embarrassing e-mails are attributed to Philip Jones, the Director of the CRU; Keith Briffa, his assistant; Michael E. Mann of the University of Virginia; Malcolm Hughes at the University of Arizona; and others. One such e-mail makes references to the famous "hockey-stick" graph published by Mann in the journal Nature:

I've just completed Mike's Nature trick of adding in the real temps to each series for the last 20 years (ie from 1981 onwards) amd from 1961 for Keith's to hide the decline. Mike's series got the annual land and marine values while the other two got April-Sept for NH land N of 20N. The latter two are real for 1999, while the estimate for 1999 for NH combined is +0.44C wrt 61-90. The Global estimate for 1999 with data through Oct is +0.35C cf. 0.57 for 1998.

...

As embarrassing as the e-mails are, some of the documents are more embarrassing. They include a five-page PDF document titled The Rules of the Game, that appears to be a primer for propagating the AGW message to the average subject/resident of the United Kingdom.

Whoop-de-doo :rolleyes:

The file(s) in question on TPB.

Hey, look, an original Mini in the US- HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!

Blind_Io — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:41:52 GMT

These photos were posted on a discussion over at FARK.com. I know nothing other than what is posted here:

Quote:

/Diapers not included
//Fark no you can't drive it
///Mechanic wrecked it once already

Quote:

Driving it is actually not bad, 1st gear is kinda like a tractor (10" wheels = some shiatty gearing in spots), but after that it's smooth sailing. Some torque steer if you really gun it. I don't know about top speed, but a) it hits 100mph on the freeway without batting an eye, and b) it gets pretty farking scary moving that fast in something the size of a shoe box. Front drums upgraded to Cooper S discs, rear drums still in place. It probably drives a lot like you would imagine it does, what with dropping a 130hp VTEC motor in a car that weighs probably 1400lbs on a rainy day. Just a fun, zippy, slightly maniacal ride.

Jalopnik: Hardcore Ferrari 599

Psirus — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:30:46 GMT

Quote:

Is the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE too tame for you? Ferrari is reportedly prepping a Ferrari 599 GTO combining 599xx-inspired looks, 700 HP and one classic name.

The Ferrari 250 GTO is revered amongst the Maranello faithful, meaning any 599 carrying the name needs power, style, and at least the illusion of exclusivity. Power should come in the form of the stock V12, which puts out a raucous 611 HP already, tuned to 700 HP. Style is said to be inspired by the wild 599xx Concept. And exclusivity? The GTO will probably be limited to just 500 units approaching $400K a piece.

Of course, all this is based on a report from autogespot saying Ferrari is taking pre-orders for a car named "Ferrari 599 GTO Limited Edition."

Considering mint GTOs go for over $5 million at auction, this is as close as your average millionaire may get.

Ferrari becoming interesting, me like.

Autoblog: REPORT: Citroen Revolte concept to enter production as DS2

argatoga — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:20:25 GMT

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/20/r...uction-as-ds2/

Quote:

Sometimes we're happy when a concept car gets approved for production. This time around... not so much. According to reports from across the pond, the Citroen Revolte concept has been approved for production and will carry the DS2 badge when it arrives.

The concept car was unveiled a couple of months ago at the Frankfurt show, and suffice it to say, it wasn't exactly the best looking debut at the expo. Supposedly reviving the iconic 2CV, the Revolte concept certainly lived up to its name. The production version, meanwhile, is tipped to take on the DS2 nameplate as part of the French automaker's new premium line-up that started with the DS3 and is slated to grow with the inclusion of the DS4 (based on the upcoming new C4) and DS5 (based on – you guessed it – the new C5). Power for the DS2 is expected to come in the form of a range of three-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines when it hits the streets sometime around 2011.

The best we can say is this: At least it will remain far away from the States, as Citroen stays out of the North American market.

Fuck you Peugeot.

does BBC HD broadcast Top Gear in 1920x1080 or 1440x1080?

af250xxl — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:21:20 GMT

does BBC HD broadcast Top Gear in 1920x1080 or 1440x1080?

thanks! :)

Do you skip 'star in reasonably-priced car' segment when watching Top Gear?

af250xxl — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:09:13 GMT

Do you skip 'star in reasonably-priced car' segment when watching Top Gear?

unless the celeb is a hot female or Kristin Scott Thomas, I usually skip it.... :D

just wondering.... :)

[14x01] Stats

upyourego — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:39:40 GMT

So anyone for some Top Gear stats?

Yes I know I'm nearly a week late with these viewing figures but have had a bit of an insane week with a Swine Flu outbreak.

So Top Gear at its later time of 9pm got 5.5 million viewers with a share of 19.1%. Up against the might of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, this isn't bad.

I'm a Celebrity in the same slot got 9.8 million with a share of 36.1% which put TG second in its slot - followed by Garrow's Law on BBC One with 4.5 million (share 15.5%).

It wasn't the MOST watched show of the night and to be honest didn't even get into the top five - but did get a respectable rating for a later timeslot on a very busy tv night.

1. The X-Factor with 14.3 million (47.9% share)
2. I'm a celeb with 9.8 million (36.1% share)
3. Doctor Who with 9.1 million (33.9% share)
4. Antiques Roadshow 5.8 million (19.5% share)
5. All Star Family Fortunes 6.1 million (22.4% share)
6. Countryfile 5.7 million (26.0% share)
7. Top Gear 5.5 million (19.1% share)
8. ITV News & Weather at 10:30 5.3 million (29.8% share)

Top Gear opened series 13 with an audience of 7.1 million and a 30.4% share.

Clarkson vs May in honorary degree

puer2 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:15:08 GMT

As I was watching a show today, I was wondering why has Clarkson received an honorary PhD in engineering 2x, while James May who is the more mechanically inclined never received one?

president van rompuy

bone — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:13:58 GMT

i'm surprised no one created a thread about this.

Quote:

Herman Van Rompuy (Flemish Christian democrat) has been chosen to be the first president of the European Council. The man who, just one year ago unexpectedly and reluctantly became the Prime Minister of Belgium, has now been chosen to take one of the top jobs in Europe. At a dinner meeting in Brussels the leaders of the 27 EU member states picked Belgium's Herman Van Rompuy as president and Catherine Ashton as foreign affairs chief.

The new positions- President of the European Council and Foreign Affairs Chief -were created by the Treaty of Lisbon that only this month was finally ratified by all 27 EU member states. It comes into effect on 1 December 2009. Herman Van Rompuy will take up his post as first president of Europe on January 1, 2010.

Herman Van Rompuy, a soft-spoken, mild-mannered and consistent politician, has managed to realise something that his contemporaries – the flamboyant Guy Verhofstadt (Flemish liberal) and heavy weight Jean-Luc Dehaene (Flemish Christian democrat) never succeeded in doing: get appointed to one of the top positions in the European Union.
And just who is Herman Van Rompuy?

Herman Van Rompuy was born in Etterbeek (Brussels) on October 31, 1947. He got a Bachelor in Philosophy from the Catholic University of Leuven in 1968, followed by a Master’s degree in Applied Economics.

Both of these fields were to have substantial influence on his life: both spiritually and politically.

Married to Geertrui Windels and father of four (Peter, born in 1980; Laura, 1981; Elke, 1983; and Thomas, 1986), Herman Van Rompuy is a man of profound faith. He is well-known for his wisdom, passion for reading and philosophy, and for writing haikus- a Japanese verse form.
A promising professional career

Mr Van Rompuy started his professional career at the National Bank of Belgium in 1972. Before the age of thirty a promising political career started unfolding. He was Vice President of the Flemish Christian democrat (CVP at the time) Youth section from 1973 to 1975. From 1978 he was a member of the National Bureau of the CVP. He worked in ministerial cabinets and became chairman of the Flemish Christian democrat CVP in 1988 (until 1993). He was also Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Budget from September 1993 to July 1999.

After his party’s defeat in the 1999 Belgian general election, he became a member of the Chamber of Deputies. In 2004 he was designated Minister of State. He was Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies from July 2007 to December 2008, when he was asked by King Albert II to take over the job as Prime Minister of the country.
A man of ethics and profound faith
Belga

Herman Van Rompuy is a man of profound faith and a firm believer in Catholic doctrine. He often goes on religious retreats in the Abbey of Affligem (Flemish Brabant) for renew his faith, read and meditate.

From the beginning of his political career Herman Van Rompuy was known as a ‘man of ethics’, a Christian democrat of the ‘old school’. It has sometimes been difficult for him to accept what could be termed as ‘ailments of modern society’ among his fellow Christian democrats. For example, it was hard for him when contemporary and former Prime Minister Wilfried Martens divorced, remarried and started a new family. When CVP chairman Johan Van Hecke started an affair with a journalist of the VRT, it was also difficult for Herman Van Rompuy to condone it.
The Van Rompuy clan is politically engaged
Belga

The 62 year old Herman Van Rompuy comes from a political family. His brother, Eric, is a former Flemish Minister and Flemish MP for the Flemish Christian democrat party. Quite different than his brother, Eric Van Rompuy is a Flemish nationalist. Herman Van Rompuy’s son, Peter, works in the cabinet of Defence Minister Pieter De Crem (also a Flemish Christian Democrat). His sister Tine found her political peace on the left. She was on the European list during the last elections for the extreme left wing PVDA+ party.

In a recent interview Eric Van Rompuy describes his older brother as: “A very mild, humane man who is concerned about others and has a good sense of humour… and who is able to hide his feelings and emotions.”

Herman Van Rompuy is a man who hates to talk about himself and comes out with comments like: “I have had important jobs, but I am not important.” In fact, it seems like Herman Van Rompuy rather likes the more modest, slightly behind the scenes jobs. He played an important behind the scenes role in the formation of more than one of the numerous governments of Flemish Christian democrat Prime Ministers Wilfried Martens and Jean-Luc Dehaene.
And finally: centre stage on the political scene
Belga

It would take until 1988 before Herman Van Rompuy would accept a more high profile job as chairman of his Flemish Christian Democrat party. In 1993 he became Vice-Premier and Minister of Budget Minister (from September 1993 to July 1999). In this position he was instrumental in successfully reducing Belgium’s budget deficit to meet the strict conditions to be eligible to join the Eurozone countries.

In 1994 it looked likely that Herman Van Rompuy would become Belgian Prime Minister because Jean-Luc Dehaene was hotly tipped to become the President of the European Commission. He stood a serious chance but came up against a veto from former British Prime Minister John Major. Herman Van Rompuy heaved a sign of relief that he did not have to take over the post of Prime Minister as Dehaene’s successor.

After the dioxin crisis the CVP went into the opposition. The Flemish Christian democrats were licking there wounds after a sobering defeat at the polls and it looked like Mr Van Rompuy’s career as a minister was over. He kept himself busy with his mandate as member of the Chamber of Deputies and he wrote reflections on his own weblog.

The Flemish Christian democrats need a rejuvenation jumpstart and the CVP became the CD&V. The party’s new child prodigy is Yves Leterme. He takes his party to new victories in the Flemish elections of 2004 and the federal elections of 2007.
Herman to the rescue!

After the overwhelming victory in 2007 Yves Leterme- the man of 800,000 preferential votes- becomes the new federal Prime Minister. Herman Van Rompuy, having reached an advanced age, is given a nice, respectable post: that of Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives- a perfect end of career position.

But things turn out differently than anyone could have expected. The economic crisis, the state reforms, the scandal around the split of Fortis and precipitated sale to a French company cost the once most popular politician in Belgium his job. Belgium was in an impasse with no captain to manoeuvre the country out of a difficult spot.

The former Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt (Flemish liberal) comes back to lead an interim government. But Mr Verhofstadt has European ambitions and is itching to get away from national politics. At the request of King Albert II Herman Van Rompuy becomes Prime Minister.

Under his leadership Belgium has been staying a difficult course, climbing out of the crisis. His government may not be the most energetic we have had in recent decades, but Mr Van Rompuy is navigating his team through the storms with a calm tenacity.
Belga

This apparently did not go unnoticed by his European colleagues.

From the unknown, after less than one year as Prime Minister, Herman Van Rompuy’s name had been coming up in the corridors of the European Institutions.

Early in November already according to several diplomatic sources the mild-mannered Herman Van Rompuy was rumoured to be the “most consensual” figure for the top job in the European Council.

And as it turns out, the rumours were true. A majority of the European Union leaders have agreed on his appointment.

i think he's a good man for the job. he's the type of guy who can completely outrule his own preferences and will do anything to find a compromise between everyone involved. Which is exactly what europe needs.

sucks for belgium though, we finally had a kind of stable government, now it'll have to be done all over again.

and what a careerjump for him. he's always been senator without much ambition to get to the absolute top. Now last year he was the only person in the whole of belgium on who all political parties could agree on to become prime minister. and they had to nag for a serious while before he accepted, he realy didn't want to in the beginning.

now, hardly a year later, he's president of europe, props to him!

Autoblog: Fiat 500: Rally Car, Mini Ferrari, Touring Car Racer, and now...

MadCat360 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:59:56 GMT

Endurance GT racer.

Via Autoblog

Quote:

Think you've seen the most hardcore 500 already? Sure, Abarth has churned out some pretty wicked versions of the retro-hatch, but even the 695 Tributo Ferrari and R3T rally machine can't hold a candle to the beast above.

Given the name, you might think this latest Cinquecento was the result of another collaboration between Abarth and its big sister companies. But this 500 is actually a product of independent racing garage Romeo Ferraris, which has rebodied the 500 in carbon fiber and fitted it with a wing that looks big enough to sustain a jumbo jet's flight path. If that's not bonkers enough, Ferraris has squeezed out an insane output of 360 horsepower from the Abarth's 1.4-liter turbo four. That's more than 257 horsepower per liter, and rivals even the similarly insane 427 Cinquecento from SEMA for pure lunacy.

Drivers Aldo Cerruti, Michela Cerruti and Mario Ferraris will be taking turns behind the wheel at the upcoming 6 Hours of Vallelunga endurance race on November 22. We'd suggest everyone else get the hell out of the way.

What's next? Dragster? Boat? Plane? Space ship? A Fiat 500 tank?

Rumour Mill: Is an upgraded Veyron actually coming for real this time?

CrazyRussian540 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:54:28 GMT

I'm really sorry to bring this topic up again, but there actually is substance behind the claim this time.

Quote:

We’ve been speculating for a while about an up-rated Bugatti Veyron. We thought this might come this year, Bugatti’s centenary year, however this now looks unlikely. It seems that these dreams are not quite extinguished yet though. A LamboPower reader recently posted these pictures showing what looks to be a Bugatti Veyron attached to monitoring devices as well as a few choice details.

Bearing in mind that all info is purely rumours, were not 100% sure what this car may have been testing (or for that matter whether the pictures are current).

The rumours suggest that this car is to be called the Veyron GT or the Veyron Grand Prix. As the Veyron’s final variant it’ll be the most extreme packing an uprated power figure as well as an increased rev-limit and a lighter weight.

The figures touted for the engine are close to 1200bhp. As we’ve said, the increased rev-limit may account for a lot of this as Bugatti may hope to push the car to a top speed to a staggering 260mph (420kph). With the weight loss also rumoured to be around 150kg, the Bugatti could potentially shave some time from it’s 0-62mph (100kph) time as well.

We’re told that the bodywork will be completely carbon fiber, a mixture of the ‘Royal Blue’ bare carbon fibre seen on the Sang Bleu and a matt black exposed weave making up the second colour. Upgraded brakes and aerodynamics will make the car Bugatti’s finest hour.

As you can see from the photos, this Veyron is missing the engine casing which exposes two sensors which appear to be monitoring the engine. Inside the car there’s clearly a laptop and the hole in the front grille suggests another hidden sensor.

Our source suggests that the car may be released at next years Paris Motorshow. If this all sounds familiar your probably thinking of the rumours that were present before the Geneva Motorshow 2009. Hopefully these rumours hold more truth!

Something is going on over at Bugatti, whether its the Veyron GT or not.
Could be just testing for the 16C Galibier, although it seems unlikely that they'd use a Veyron mule for that.

Land Rover Discovery buying advice

argatoga — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:33:44 GMT

So my Dad finally found a donor for his MGB V8 project. Problem is he became enamored with the idea of having a Land Rover. So now he is thinking of buying another similar truck. The Land Rover in question is a '96 Discovery Series I. The idea is that he can use the donor as a parts car for the running one he will buy since it won't be too useful without an engine.

I'll be purchasing this for him as a proxy. I've looked on-line and it seems they didn't have any major issues. Mainly electric crap like the power windows or moon roofs failing. Is there anything I should look out for when inspecting a car?

Unveiled: 5 series revealed ahead of official unvieling

the 5tig — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:11:52 GMT

Auto express has received exclusive images of the new 5 series..and .... its not gone well..at least in my opinion. take a look

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/au...h_5series.html

Airwalk Ad

FordGT — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:53:19 GMT

An ad I did for Airwalk shoes. I even photographed the shoes myself:cool:

Top Gear Changing Rooms Anyone???

macnerd93 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:23:10 GMT

I'm sure most of you will remember when Top Gear did "Top Ground Gear Force" for sports relief back last year in which they altered Steve Redgrave's garden.

Anyway to the point the BBC should do a Top Gear changing rooms (you know the god awful decorating program where friends/neighbours decorated each of there houses), it would be hilarious watch them decorate each others house's LOL, be good idea for children in need or something :) too bad its kinda too late for that, but you never know next year lol.

Spoilers bug?

EyeMWing — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:27:25 GMT

Check this out:

Foo

Spoiler Text: (Click here to toggle display)

Bar

Spoiler Text: (Click here to toggle display)

Baz

If you open both spoilers, and then close the outer spoiler without first closing the inner spoiler, things remain spoiled.

FF3.5.5Win

Trying something

EyeMWing — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:25:11 GMT

Foo

Spoiler Text: (Click here to toggle display)

Bar

Spoiler Text: (Click here to toggle display)

Baz

If you are in The City of Brotherly Love and don't tip, expect to be arrested.

Blind_Io — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:57:07 GMT

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/...052.html?yhp=1

Quote:

If you’re frustrated by poor service at a restaurant, think twice before you decide to not tip. You may be in for a bit more than just a dirty look from the waiter.

"Nobody, nobody wants to be forced to pay a tip or be arrested for terrible service," Leslie Pope said when her happy hour ended in handcuffs.

Pope and John Wagner were hauled away by police and charged with theft for not paying the mandatory 18 percent gratuity totaling $16 after eating at the Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pa. with six friends.

Pope claimed that they had to wait nearly an hour for their order and that she had to get napkins and silverware for the table herself.

“At this point I became very annoyed because I had already gone up to the bar myself to have my soda refilled because the waitress never came back,” Pope said.

After the $73 bill came, the group paid for food, drinks, and tax but refused to pay the tip. After explaining the bad service to the bartender in charge, Pope claimed he took their money and called police. The couple was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car.

“I understand that, you know, we didn’t pay the gratuity, but it was a gratuity, it wasn’t something that was required,” said Wagner.

The owner admitted that the group waited unusually long for their food, but said the pub was extremely busy that night. He said managers offered to comp the food, a claim the couple denies ever happened.

“Obviously we would have liked for the patron and the establishment to have worked this out without getting the police involved,” said Deputy Police Commissioner Stuart Bedics.

Police charged them with theft since the gratuity was part of the actual bill. However, it is doubtful that the charges will hold up in front of a judge. The couple is scheduled to appear in court next month.

Service sucks, they don't pay the tip. The management claims that they offered to comp the food (a much larger cost) but still calls to the cops to have them arrested for failure to pay tip.

Hmmm, I smell bullshit from the owner.

How can I make my v6 camaro faster (2010)

alnajjd — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:45:17 GMT

Mainly looking to increase 0-60 time. I hear that its not the hp thats making it 6 seconds, its that it doesnt have enough torque. What do you suggest I do to make it faster? .Thanks.

Top Gear 14x01 1080i TS Rip

FinalGear — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:30:01 GMT

After going back and forth over what type of 1080 rip to release for last Sunday's Top Gear, we finally decided to just release the 1080i transport stream we had rather than re-encoding it or deinterlacing it. This is a raw rip of the broadcast by the BBC, as if you were watching it live.

Note that unless you have a very large HDTV or are an advanced user who specifically wants this rip, I would suggest sticking to the 720p rip. On a computer or small HDTV, it will look better than the 1080i rip and it's only a 1/3 of the filesize.

If you need help on how to play back this file (or the 720p rip), check out this thread on our forums. Enjoy!

Posted By: Viper007Bond
Link: http://www.finalgear.com/news/2009/1...1-1080i-ts-rip

Plymouth Dakar Rally 2009

jack_christie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:16:23 GMT

On Dec 18th 2009 they start driving 4500 miles in three weeks to Timbuktu as part of the Plymouth Dakar Rally. To raise funds for Turning Point - as well as the charities the rally supports.

The rally has a few rules;
1) The car must cost no more than £100
2) Spend no more than £15 on rally preparation
3) Hand the car over to the Rotary Club in Bamako for auction
4) All rules can be broken (except rule 3)

http://www.plymouth-dakar.co.uk

http://www.bigfunwithbrian.com/timbuktu

http://www.justgiving.com/newport_to_timbuktu

Am I in the wrong here? People on Autoblog Love Buicks. WTF.

GruvDesign — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:44:31 GMT

Okay... anytime Autoblog posts anything about Buicks, I usually post how boring they are, or how they're for geriatric old farts that suffer from incontinence. Then I get marked down like crazy. Case in point:

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/19/b...ith-manual-tra

I post how this car sucks, as all buicks do, because it's soft, not even really a luxury car, and boring. So boring that it makes a Camry seem exciting. But yet... all these people defend it. There are tons of people excited about this car... and I'm not high right now, but what the hell is everyone else smoking?

Some say that he lives in Texas, and that his Pontiac has Holden badges on it...

tone76 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:08:33 GMT

.. all we know is, he's probably an FG member!

http://jalopnik.com/5408546/

:lol::lol:

Technology of Tomorrow! circa 1950

CrazyRussian540 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:16:02 GMT

Just imagine if they were right.....

I'm still trying to figure out how "Tomorrow's Engine" is supposed to work.

Dad kills son for molesting toddler

Koenig — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:13:50 GMT

Dad accused of killing son over sex abuse claim

Quote:

HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. - A 37-year-old father irate over hearing his 15-year-old son had sexual contact with a 3-year-old girl made the teen strip at gunpoint, marched him to a vacant lot and shot him to death despite pleas from the boy and his mother, a relative said.

Michigan authorities filed a first-degree murder charge Wednesday against Jamar Pinkney Sr. in the shooting death Monday of Jamar Pinkney Jr. in the Detroit enclave of Highland Park.

Defense attorney Corbett O'Meara said prosecutors should consider evidence of the father's state of mind over the sex abuse report.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

"If something were to happen that would cause a reasonable person to lose control of himself, that is something the prosecution would have to take into account," O'Meara said outside Highland Park District Court.

Tensions were high in the courtroom Wednesday as the handcuffed suspect was led into the room for the arraignment, which lasted less than a minute.

"No, No, No," one female relative cried before a police officer escorted her out.

‘Hard to deal with’
Judge Brigette Officer entered a not guilty plea for Pinkney, who's also charged with assault, and ordered him jailed without bond until a preliminary examination Dec. 1.

"This is something that's hard to deal with for all the parties concerned, including the police," police Chief Ted Caldwell said afterward. "Highland Park is a small city. These are people who have been members of the community for years."

Caldwell said the sexual misconduct allegation that led to the confrontation wasn't part of the police investigation.

The shooting happened Monday night in a vacant lot in the once-prosperous city of 16,000, where decay, abandonment, fires and demolition have eaten away at many of the sprawling homes. Highland Park recently exited years of state financial oversight.

Visitors built an impromptu memorial at the shooting site. Two votive candles sat amid 10 stuffed animals, including two white teddy bears with red hearts embroidered with, "I love you."

The boy's mother, Lazette Cherry, told the Detroit Free Press that her son told her he had improper sexual contact with the girl.

"I called and told his father. This isn't something you sweep under the rug," she said.

Cherry said the elder Pinkney arrived at the home with a gun, ordered his son to strip and marched him outside despite her protests.

"He got on his knees and begged, ‘No, Daddy, no,’ and he pulled the trigger," Cherry said.

Cherry did not immediately respond to a phone message Wednesday from The Associated Press seeking comment.

LINK

Dads of the year:

1a. This guy
1b. Drasius Kedys

Rumour Mill: Peugeot's new baby coupé

Pedrocas — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:12:06 GMT

Quote:

Take a look at Peugeot’s new baby coupé! Auto Express has learned that the Lion is getting ready to roar into the small sports car market with this sensational 2+2, which boasts Ferrari style at an affordable price tag.

The newcomer will sit below the eagerly awaited 308 RC Z, which is due in the spring, and is part of a plan for the firm to place its sporting focus on coupés, following its decision to step out of the hot hatch arena. And this baby coupé is set to be an even bigger hit than the 205 GTi, going into battle with a head-turning line-up of forthcoming stylish-but-affordable models from Ford, Honda and MINI.

As you can see from our pictures – which give you the best idea of how the newcomer will look – it’s every bit as stunning as its RC Z bigger brother. What’s more, it marks a new design direction for Peugeot.

The front-engine, 2+2 layout creates a rakish bonnet and muscular rear haunches, while the swept back headlights and ‘double-bubble’ roof , which also appears on the futuristic BB1 concept, are both borrowed from the RC Z. But it’s the updated nose that will really get people talking.

Sources have revealed that Jean-Pierre Ploue, head of design at PSA Peugeot Citroen, has some radical styling ideas on the drawing board, and the dramatic one-piece front grille with a floating badge – much like the current crop of Ferraris – is a big part of it. Expect to see this new look, which takes over from the current split grille arrangement, introduced across the range over the coming years.

The new coupé sits on a front-wheel-drive platform from the next-generation Peugeot 207, which is due in 2011. It will be a more practical and driver-focused alternative to the coupé-cabrio variant, thanks to its larger rear seats and bigger boot. Expect a flagship model to boast the same 208bhp 1.6-litre turbo engine as the MINI JCW.

At the moment, Peugeot bosses are tight-lipped about the coupé, although a company spokesman told us: “We are looking at niche markets in which we are not currently represented.

“These will have sales volumes that allow us to make a profit. That’s where the RC Z and the 5008 people came from. We’ll certainly be replacing the 407 Coupé in time, and a new version is likely to be much more sporty.”

The competitors

Small coupés are big news! You don’t need big engines and a huge price tag to have fun, which is why pint-sized sports cars are making a comeback.

Take a look at this rash of new talent being readied by major manufacturers. Sporty hybrids, roadsters and more traditional small coupés are all on their way, offering customers low running costs with the thrills of models higher up in the range.

* MINI Coupe

The exciting Coupé concept manages to blend styling cues from the past, present and future. And with a 208bhp engine from the JCW, the two-seater should be quick, too.

With that neat floating roof and a stunning but practical cabin that offers 250 litres of boot space, the Coupé is set to be a big hit when it arrives in 2011.

* Prius Coupe

Inspired by the much-missed MR2, Toyota’s new hybrid coupé ticks all the right boxes; 0-60mph in seven seconds, 60mpg and emissions below 100g/km thanks to a specially developed version of the Prius’s Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain.

Add in rear-wheel drive and a paddleshift gearbox, and it’s a recipe for a fun yet frugal experience.

* Honda CR-Z

It’s no stranger to hybrids, but this is the first time Honda has packed the technology into a desirable bodystyle. The CR-Z’s petrol-electric drivetrain features a 1.5-litre engine working with an electric motor to produce 130bhp and a top speed of 120mph.

Affordable, good looking and fast, the CR-Z is the sports car hybrid fans have been waiting for – and it arrives next summer.

* Nissan 200SX

Mazda’s MX-5 is squarely in Nissan’s sights, with this baby brother to the 370Z due in 2011.

The two-seater promises exhilarating pace from its 200bhp 1.6-litre turbo engine and is set to be a spiritual successor to the legendary 200SX – the definitive model for cheap rear-wheel-drive thrills, which left the line-up in 1998.

* Ford Puma

Production of the original Puma ended in 2001, and we’ve been crying out for a replacement ever since. With its superb handling and affordable price tag, it built a loyal fanbase.

Borrowing styling cues from the Fiesta and featuring powerful but frugal EcoBoost turbo engines, the new Puma should be ready to pounce by 2012.

AutoExpress

The front reminds me of the new Citroen DS3 and the back looks like something out of Hyundai Genesis Coupé.

:?

Clarkson...Am I going Mad ?

Maxwellsh68 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:19:57 GMT

Can someone please help me out...I am sure I read or heard somewhere that Jezza was going to be on the Radio this Friday but I cant find it anywhere...am I going mad ???

USPS: "Fuck you childhood".

argatoga — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:34:19 GMT

http://consumerist.com/5408444/north...letter-program

Quote:

New security rules have proven too complex for Alaska's post offices to bear, so they're ending their participation in Operation Santa, the 50-year-old program where letters addressed to "Santa Claus, North Pole" are answered by volunteers. The program will continue elsewhere, reports the Associated Press, but when I called the USPS to find out where letters should be addressed I was told parents should contact their local post offices for information.

The United States Postal Service has been running the current version of Operation Santa since the 1940s, when the public got to help out by responding to individual letters. In 1954, the Alaskan town of North Pole got in on the scam in a big way. But then our modern legal system got in the way, when a registered sex offender was discovered volunteering in Maryland in 2008. (I can't find any mention of what offense led to his registration, which seems like info you would need before determining whether he posed a threat. It's a lot easier to say "Omg sex offender coming after your children!" though.) This event forced the USPS to close the entire program for a few days while they addressed security issues.

Now they've addressed it: the last names and addresses of kids who write in are encrypted, and it's up to each participating post office to decide whether or not they can handle the new complexity. Alaska can't.

Anchorage-based agency spokeswoman Pamela Moody said dealing with the tighter restrictions is not feasible in Alaska.

"It's always been a good program, but we're in different times and concerned for the privacy of the information," she said.

If that news didn't shatter your holiday illusions about the postal service, here's one more thing: Anchorage is now handling all the North Pole postal cancellation marks. To be fair, North Pole was never equipped to handle the thousands of requests each year, so Fairbanks did it until this year. Fairbanks, however, is only about 10 miles northeast of North Pole, while Anchorage is about 260 miles south.

datsun stereo

nammedijus — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:37:59 GMT

found this gem in and old garage just wondering in what car did this was . heres a pic :)

2010 Porsche 911 GT3 R for the FIA GT3 series

marcos_eirik — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:32:03 GMT

Quote:

2010 Porsche 911 GT3 R - New Racing car for the FIA GT3 Championship

Porsche has unveiled the successor to the 911 GT3 Cup S, the 911 GT3 R.

Designed to meet international FIA GT3 regulations, the GT3 R features a 4.0-liter six-cylinder boxer engine with 480 bhp (353 kW). Connected to a six-speed sequential ‘dog' gearbox, power flows to the rear wheels without interruption.

According to Porsche, engineers worked tirelessly to give the GT3 R better drivability and easier handling than the GT3 Cup S. In order to do this, they cut the car's weight to 1,200 kg (2,646 lbs) and increased the engine size by 0.2 liters (which adds 30 bhp). The company also improved the anti-lock brakes (ABS), revised the traction control system, and added an ‘e-gas' function with throttle-blipping.

Besides the performance tweaks, Porsche updated the exterior with wider wheel arches, a revised front end, and LED taillights.

Priced at €279,000 (plus local sales tax/VAT), the 911 GT3 R will go on sale in spring 2010.

Sauce....

Need Help: How do I get rid of bad smell in my car?

Atlantian — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:27:51 GMT

My Mercedes smells like a mix of old Mercedes leather (good) and cigarette smoke (bad).

I just want to get rid of the smell and respray it with new car smell or leather scent.

I heard that pumice aka volcanic rocks, charcoal, and coffee grounds helps absorb smells a lot. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Should I use Febreeze or Rug Doctor?

UK to appoint "Pirate Finder General" - Jack Sparrow still at large.

Blind_Io — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:14:58 GMT

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/19...aked-uk-g.html

Quote:

A source close to the British Labour Government has just given me reliable information about the most radical copyright proposal I've ever seen. Secretary of State Peter Mandelson is planning to introduce changes to the Digital Economy Bill now under debate in Parliament. These changes will give the Secretary of State (Mandelson -- or his successor in the next government) the power to make "secondary legislation" (legislation that is passed without debate) to amend the provisions of Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (1988).

What that means is that an unelected official would have the power to do anything without Parliamentary oversight or debate, provided it was done in the name of protecting copyright. Mandelson elaborates on this, giving three reasons for his proposal:

1. The Secretary of State would get the power to create new remedies for online infringements (for example, he could create jail terms for file-sharing, or create a "three-strikes" plan that costs entire families their internet access if any member stands accused of infringement)

2. The Secretary of State would get the power to create procedures to "confer rights" for the purposes of protecting rightsholders from online infringement. (for example, record labels and movie studios can be given investigative and enforcement powers that allow them to compel ISPs, libraries, companies and schools to turn over personal information about Internet users, and to order those companies to disconnect users, remove websites, block URLs, etc)

3. The Secretary of State would get the power to "impose such duties, powers or functions on any person as may be specified in connection with facilitating online infringement" (for example, ISPs could be forced to spy on their users, or to have copyright lawyers examine every piece of user-generated content before it goes live; also, copyright "militias" can be formed with the power to police copyright on the web)

Mandelson is also gunning for sites like YouSendIt and other services that allow you to easily transfer large files back and forth privately (I use YouSendIt to send podcasts back and forth to my sound-editor during production). Like Viacom, he's hoping to force them to turn off any feature that allows users to keep their uploads private, since privacy flags can be used to keep infringing files out of sight of copyright enforcers.

This is as bad as I've ever seen, folks. It's a declaration of war by the entertainment industry and their captured regulators against the principles of free speech, privacy, freedom of assembly, the presumption of innocence, and competition.

This proposal creates the office of Pirate-Finder General, with unlimited power to appoint militias who are above the law, who can pry into every corner of your life, who can disconnect you from your family, job, education and government, who can fine you or put you in jail.
More to follow, I'm sure, once Open Rights Group and other activist organizations get working on this. In the meantime, tell every Briton you know. If we can't stop this, it's beginning of the end for the net in Britain.

Rolls Royce Mini?

Jacobfox — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:26:29 GMT

From Pistonheads:

Quote:

Rolls-Royce and BMW execs have confirmed the existence of a project to develop a bespoke luxury version of the BMW Mini, which will potentially be offered as the 'ultimate' option through Mini dealers.

One car - based on a JCW Mini - has already been prepared by the Rolls-Royce wood and leather workshops, and was shown confidentially to Mini dealers at their annual gathering earlier this year.

Unlike Aston Martin's Cygnet - a project to rebrand the Toyota iQ and thus help reduce the company's CO2 footprint, the Rolls-Royce trimmed Minis are not designed to be offered for sale via the R-R network. Indeed it has not even been decided whether the cars will carry any Rolls-Royce badging.
The project was instigated by Mini brand marketeers looking for ways to emulate some of the luxury kudos associated with the original Mini through the work of coachbuilders like Wood and Pickett and Radford.

No time-scale has been announced for the project, and Rolls-Royce says there's no imminent production plan - but that 'concept work' is ongoing.

Some images too:

Really, guys? Another faux luxury supermini? First the stupid little Aston Cygnet runaround. Then the ferrari fiat 500. Now this? Please, Rolls Royce, do NOT put your badge on this. It's fine if it's a mini-centric endeavor but the instant they slap a roller badge on this thing, my positive image of that company is going to be gone.

Autoblog: Billionaire buys $53 Million in Ford stock that you should have bought last year.

Blind_Io — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:44:58 GMT

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/18/r...=Google+Reader

Quote:

About a year ago, when Ford's stock dropped to just above $1 per share, we had a total Ralph Kramden-style get rich quick epiphany. Take all our money and buy Ford stock. Why? Having driven Ford's new, excellent products (like, say, the 2010 Ford Fusion), we knew that barring some weird disaster, that its stock could only, would only rise. Talk about easy money – we'd just sit back and get rich(ish). Trouble was A) we didn't have very much money B) we... forgot to buy any Ford stock.

Now, billionaire with a B investor and philanthropist George Soros has lots of money. Tons, quite literally. So much, in fact, that his holding group bought 7.3 million shares of Ford stock yesterday. All in, those shares are valued at about $53 million. Because of Mr. Soros' confidence in Ford, the price of the company's stock shot up briefly over $9.00, before ending the day valued at $8.98 a share. All in all, it's up 3.1% since Soros said "go." Imagine if we would have sunk $1,000 or so into Ford back when the share price was $1.26 last November. Nearly $8,000 smackeroos of cold, hard, profit! Maybe next recession.

Things just keep getting better and better for Ford.