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The James Bond franchise is known for a few things. One of those things is cars. The Bond cars are amazing machines loaded with awesome gadgets. In honor of 007, here are my top 7 James Bond Cars. To be considered, the car must be the main car for James Bond in a film. Each of the cars have something unique about them that put them on this list.
2011 was a great year for cars. I did a list on the 8 worst cars of 2011. But in 2011, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Koenigsegg, Hennessey, McLaren, and Lexus all came out with incredible machines. The Mustang got a boost with the Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca and Chevrolet came out with the Camaro ZL1. The BMW 1M showed that small cars can be great performers. With that said, My 2011 Car of the Year is:
Hypercars have been around since the 1990s, when the McLaren F1 was released. To be considered a hypercar, a car must be rare, expensive and hit a top speed of at least 240 mph. The F1 reached a top speed of 242 mph with the limiter off. 2011 saw a few cars that push the limits of what a car can do. My choice for 2011 Hypercar of the Year is:
I decided to post up a quick blog just to get my mind running while I try to get my self to sit down and burn a few hours watching the rest of the movies in my Disney Sequels list. This is not a rag or rip or anything like that on Doug or any other reviewers and I suppose that is what commenting is for, but I just thought I'd give my 2 cents on some of the movies he hates, namely Cars and The Grinch (2000) as well as the sequel Cars 2. I do agree with him on quite a few points he made in his reviews and videos, but I still like said films okay regardless. So anyways, here goes:
First up, Cars. I do agree with him, the story is one we've seen several times before. It's the same old, big shot in small town, learning what's really important in life, what life is all about, there's more important things then just being the best..... yadda, yadda, yadda. Secondly, I guess after seeing well animated people and stories like The Incredibles, Toy Story, A Bug's Life etc. we really do expect to see stuff like that from Disney/Pixar more, and that the gimmick/concept that they were just cars....... is somewhat disappointing. Now, I actually like it. It's not my favorite Disney or Disney/Pixar film. But it's not really bad. I think i actually is quite good. It's a story we have all seen before several times, yes; but to be perfectly fair, Disney and Pixar honestly do tell that story rather well. While Moviefan12 might really hate the character of Chick Hicks, but I think he helps to enhance, I guess, the transformation or development of Lightning McQueen, as I think that he would likely be what Lightning would have become if had not wound up in Radiator Springs. You can really see that in the beginning of the film. The other characters were colorful, interesting and good enough for the movie and story Disney was wanting to tell. I liked them all okay, with the exception of Mater, and I think it might have more to do with his voice actor rather then character himself.... I just personally don't really care at all for a lot of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour...... It's just my personal feelings... But ignoring the VA, the character of Mater himself was fun and entertaining to watch. You know, just the usual good ol' boy type of redneck character. Owen Wilson also was pretty enjoyable as Lightning McQueen, I think one of my favorite parts was where he tried to get the passerbys who came through the town to help him. They got the late great Paul Newman for the voice of Doc Hudson, and for the most part, he did a good job. He's another typical sort of character as the grizzled worn out, skeptical and cynical veteran who eventually softens up at the end. I also liked the Italian tire salesmen, the hippie Volkswagen and the military jeep. The characters were fun and entertaining for this type of story. And they were also what really made up a lot of the movie. I also liked the little in joke at the end of the movie with John Ratzenberger's(spelling?) character of Mac watching the Cars version of other Disney Pixar films which had parts that he did voice work in and asking what kind of cut rate performance it was. It was nice tongue and cheek humor. It's not a great movie, it might possibly even be one of Pixar and Disney's weakest entries, again IMO, but it's certainly not terrible or even all that bad.
Next, The Grinch (2000):
Eeeeegghhhhh................. Well........ To be honest, I honestly do have to agree with Doug on a lot of what he said in his review. I still actually do like it....... but yes, he's got it pretty much on the money. It's a guilty pleasure, but for quite a few IMO good reasons. First of all..... I feel if you must do a remake of Dr.Seuss, it is much more suited for CGI then live action...... I just think it works better. They really did do a good job of at least transitioning it to live action. I give it that much. But yes, Jim Carrey gets a little grating if not very grating later on in the movie. There are quite a few things I wish they had the good sense to leave out. The crude humor certainly wasn't needed. The bestiality gag of the mayor kissing Max's ass....... The Grinch telling the Whos to kiss his ass....... and honestly the Grinch landing with his face in his girlfriend's cleavage....... Just "WHY?" Why did they feel the movie needed that? But believe it or not, it doesn't really kill it for me. I admit the Whos do look rather freaky from the makeup....... but how do you transition the otherworldly art style of Dr.Seuss to real live people without looking, well......... otherworldly?
Now, the good: They tried their damned hardest to make it a good movie. They really did. I can tell. Rick Baker doing the makeup effects, the musical score, they put a lot of money in effort into it. And I can tell if you can get past the negative stuff, the heart of the story and cartoon is still more or less there. Honestly, I think the message gets across slightly better with the Whos being materialistic and more human..... ish..... then the goody good Christmas loving saints they seem to be in the original. They actually have to learn a lesson, which helps the audience connect and relate easier. I like, if possibly it is just filler, how they gave the Grinch a more.... genuine(?) or deeper reason for hating Christmas, and a history. I like the fact that they didn't really add any other stupid character exploration, other then Cindy Lou Who; who, while bland as Taylor Momsen, served the purpose of a catalyst effectively enough. I also liked the character of the Mayor. From what little I've seen of him, Jeffery Tambor does a good job of playing the ass hole character like the Mayor. He really does lead the Whos like a shepherd, and to coin a phrase from the Snob, the Whos in this movie for the most part are sheep. At the celebration, they are actually getting along with them until the mayor makes fun of him, which kind of comes across as more of peer pressure to me then probably anything. But back to my point, the guy's a douche. He bullies the Grinch from day one, he causes the Grinch to ruin the celebration, blames it on a little girl (who actually did the right fucking thing) and when the Grinch comes back to steal Christmas, he blames it on Cindy Lou Who again, when the Grinch went batshit because you were a dick. I just want to punch the shit in the throat. The musical score was also good. James Horn's orchestration, the Siberian Orchestra and Faith Hill's cover of Cindy Lou's song was beautiful. Honestly, you could probably do better then Jim Carrey as the Grinch. An actor who can do comedy and drama like Robin Williams, or Steve Martin; while it might be hard to fan-angle them into the role, might have been better. Though I will say that Jim's rubbery face works better to the Grinch makeup. In short, I like it for the Music, the effort, the heart and some of the things I personally feel like they got right. Not a great movie, but ultimately more or less forgivable. It's a guilty pleasure.
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Supercars are high-performing cars. There have been several great supercars, including the Ferrari F40, Porsche 959, and Lamborghini Diablo. I see supercars and grand tourers as two different classes. Supercars have the engine located behind the driver, where as grand tourers have the engine in the front and a decent size trunk in the rear. To be considered, the car has to have been released in 2011. No second generation models will be considered. The Ferrari 458, Lamborghini Gallardo and its special editions, Audi R8, or Porsche 911 and its variants. The best supercar of 2011 is:
Grand tourers are the cars that are luxurious, high-performing, and just great for long road trips. For me, a grand tourer has the engine in the front, two-doors, and a trunk in the rear. Legendary grand tourers include the Ferrari 250 GTO, Aston Martin DB5, Lamborghini GT350, Chevrolet Corvette, and the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. When I look at grand tourers, I look for performance and style. To be considered, the car must have come out in 2011. No Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, Cadillac CTS-V, Aston Martin DBS, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, or Nissan GT-R. My choice for 2011 Grand Tourer of the Year is:
When gas prices started to rapidly increase, companies were looking for alternative power sources. One alternative power source is electricity. Electric cars have been around since 1899 and were competing with gas-powered cars. When gas-powered cars developed electrical starters, the electric car phased out. Now electric cars are back. The issue with electric car is the range the car would get on one charge. My pick for best electric car gets over 150 miles on one charge and is quicker and faster than the Nissan Leaf. My pick for 2011 Electric Car of the Year is:
Hybrids has been around since 1899. The first hybrid was the Lohner-Porsche Mixtre. Hybrid vehicles eventually died out by 1917. Now, hybrids are back and the Toyota Prius is the face of the hybrid car. Because of that, some people think that hybrids are slow, dull, and boring. But there is one car that proves hybrids can be fast, stylish, and fun. My choice for the 2011 Hybrid Car of the Year is:
With 2011 over, it is time to look back at the best cars to be released in 2011. I did a list on the worst cars of 2011, now it is time to award the best that came out in 2011, starting with Best Subcompact Car of 2011.
Right, first off lets clear up any confusion you might have by the title; I’m not talking about last years (2011) film Drive, that stars Ryan Gosling, nor am I referring to the very short lived TV series that starred Nathan Fillion (though that was awesome itself). I’m talking about the 1998 film DRIVE starring Mark Decascos (yep the Iron Chef) and Kadeem Hardison. It was a direct-to-DVD release and if you’ve seen it your opinion will probably be affected by what region you bought the film in…
DRIVE was one of those unfortunate films that was unlucky enough
to have been tampered with by a producer before release; so from day one it was
22 minutes lite of character development and sporting a fresh new techno
soundtrack:… because action films apparently don’t need character development,
it’s not like you want to care about them or have a varied soundtrack that fits
the mood of the scene at hand, people want action so let’s get from one fight
to the next ASAP… Right I’m drifting off topic, 2 versions of this film were
released, the producer’s cut that America got and the director’s cut (The
director being Steve Wang... but more on him another time). The director’s cut
was the film as it was meant to be, soundtrack restored along with the missing
minutes, and that’s what I’m mostly reviewing, I’ll summarise the plot
differences, and if you haven’t seen that version or the film at all just go
buy it… I got mine for £1.99 of amazon a few years ago.
This is the first classic car review I did. Since I am covering Ferraris for the month of December, its time to cover one of the all-time greats. This is one of the most important cars because it was the first car to hit the 200 mph mark. Its influence can be see in other supercars and even hypercars. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Ferrari F40.
I went to Ferrari Festival in November and saw 50+ Ferraris in one place. Since Ferrari is one of my favorite car brands, I am going to cover as many Ferraris as I can in December.
Aston Martin is known for making cars with power, beauty and soul. In 2005, Aston Martin started production of the Vantage. The Vantage is a beautiful car, but it weighs over 3,400 lbs. The 4.3L and 4.7L V8 engines were lacking in power. In 2009, Aston Martin decided to put the 6.0L V12 engine found in the DBS and put it in the Vantage. The result is a faster version of Vantage, called the Aston Martin V12 Vantage.
Ferruccio Lamborghini originally built tractors. He owned a few Ferraris. His Ferraris had inferior clutches. He brought up his dissatisfaction to Enzo Ferrari. Ferrari told him "How dare a tractor make tell me how to make a sports car." Angered by Ferrari, Lamborghini toke Ferrari's chief mechanic and started making his own cars. Lamborghini believed that grand tourers should have high performance, good ride quality, and a quality interior. He created his own car company and the first car with the Lamborghini badge is the Lamborghini 350GTV, which would be the prototype and forerunner for the 350GT, Lamborghini's first production model. Lamborghini first revealed the car in March of 1964 at the Geneva Auto Show and went into production in May 1964. Production ended in 1966 with 135 350GTs being made.
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On this episode, the guys find out what kind of car you can get for $500, Rutledge tests the CTS-V range, and Maroon 5's Adam Levine test his driving skills in a Suzuki.
Lotus has been making two door roadsters since 1962, when the Lotus released the Elan. The initial run for the Elan ended in 1975 and was brought back from 1989 to 1995. In 1995, Lotus replaced the Elan with the Elise. Lotus stopped production of the first generation Elise due to new European safety regulations. Lotus teamed up with General Motors to help them meet the new safety requirements. In 2002, the second generation Elise was released. GM got their own version of the Elise, the Opel Speedster and the Vauxhall VX220. The Elise is also the basis for the Lotus Exige and the Tesla Roadster. 
Since the Miura, Lamborghini has had a rear-mid engine supercar powered by a V12. Lamborghini ended its run of the Murcielago on November 5, 2010. To replace the it, Lamborghini came out with the Aventador LP700-4. The Aventador is the latest, rear-mid engine, four-wheel drive, supercar from Lamborghini. 
With gas prices rising and people becoming more environmentally conscious, some companies are looking into using alternative sources to power their cars. One alternative to gasoline is the electric car. Tesla came out with the Tesla Roadster, an electric sports car based on the Lotus Elise that can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. Nissan is going electric with the Leaf, marketing it as a zero emission car. IF the electricity charging the batteries of the Leaf come from coal, then the Leaf is not zero emission. The Leaf has gotten awards, including the 2011 World Car of the Year. I could name several other cars that deserve to be World Car of the Year, i.e. Bugatti Veyron, McLaren MP4-12C, and Aston-Martin DBS, but this is about the Nissan Leaf and what I think about the car.
De Tomaso was founded in 1959 and introduced its first car, the Vallelunga, in 1963. Pantera owned Maserati from 1976 to 1993. Maserati made the Biturbo, Quattroporte III, Merak, and Bora while under the De Tomaso banner. In 1970, De Tomaso started production of the Pantera in Modena, Italy. In 1971, De Tomaso released the Pantera. In agreement with Ford, Panteras were sold in the United States through Lincoln and Mercury dealerships. Between 1971 and 1973, 6,128 Panteras were made. Due to poor build quality and the 1973 oil crisis, Ford ended its deal with De Tomaso. De Tomaso continued to produce the Pantea until 1991, with a total of 7260 made from 1971 and the final Pantera sold in 1992.
Today on Music Fridays, we will taking a look at songs that were already popular before being used in a Disney film. Now if you recall my Lilo & Stitch review, I stated that I found this idea lazy. Let me clarify, while the idea of using already established songs does come off as lazy to me, I don't think of the songs as lazy. Just the practice. To be honest, if I had not heard these songs when attached to something Disney related, I may have not known about them. Now this will be a mix of songs actually sung by the original artists that were used in the film and covers of already popular songs the were covered for the film. For the covers, I have decided not to include the originals. In this Music Fridays, I want to mainly focus on how the song fits in with the film.
Somewhere Only We Know - Keane
To tie in with the release of Winnie The Pooh, I have decided to talk about this song, Somewhere Only We Know. Here is an example of a song that I did not know about until I first heard it in the trailer for Winnie The Pooh. The way I see it, this song fits in with the promotion of the film more so than the film. Because it feels as though this song is being used to tug at the child in all of us reminding us of the times in the 100 Acre Woods with Pooh Bear. So in that sense, I think the song fits quite well. I also feel that while it has a different sound than all of the songs I featured when I last talked about Pooh Bear songs, it still fits in nicely.
Route 66 - John Mayer
Now unlike Somewhere Only We Know, I was familiar with Route 66 before seeing Cars as that is a classic song. Funnily enough, the soundtrack for this film features both this version and the Chuck Berry version of the song. ( Which you would know if you checked out my Music Fridays on the Cars soundtrack that was a part of Automobile Month.) Now it is easier to see how this song ties with the film that it is attached to. A. Radiator Springs is on part of Route 66. B. It's a classic car song so that it makes sense to include in this film. I must say that I really dig the John Mayer version as it breathes some new life into this song. Oh, don't get me wrong the Chuck Berry version is timeless but their is just something about this cover that gets me pumped.
I Melt with You - Bowling For Soup
I love, love, love this version of I Melt With You. Now I have heard the original version and I can't quite recall who sang it but this cover which was featured in Sky High is just so upbeat and fun. I mean sure the inclusion is melting and superheroes and well, the best I came come up with is that is supposed to be their superpower. Well, that is the superpower of one of the sidekicks in this film. I don't know what it is about this song but I think I enjoy it because of the way, the band sings this song. It's just so much fun.
For our last song, we will be heading back to the world of Cars, to take a look at a song that was featured in Cars 2.
You Might Think - Weezer
This is one song, where I knew I had heard it before and I knew it was a cover but I couldn't recall who sang it. After doing some research this song was made famous by the band, The Cars. Ironic, isn't it. No, not really. Now this is one song where other than the original band name, I had a hard time figuring out how it tied into the film. The best guess I can come up with is that instead of talking about a troubled romance as I believe that is what the song may be about, the song was reworked here to focus on the friendship between Mater and McQueen. But it does not work at all. I mean sure, Mater is crazy and goofy but the lyrics in this song to me at least still hint at it about being love.
Join me next week when I take a look at songs that are either sung or about male characters that well are just manly and I think Linkara can say it best for these characters...
Day 1: Top 6 Male Villains (Oct. 17th)
Day 2: Top 6 Female Villains (Oct. 18th)
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On this episode, the guys see what luxurious cars you can get for $5,000, Tanner tests the Porsche 911 GT2 RS, and Arlene Tur is in the Suzuki. Segment 1: The $5,000 Luxury Cars
On this episode, the guys drive 3 4x4s that cost under $5,000 from the Mojave Desert, through Death Valley, and get to Las Vegas. Segment 1: Introduction
Tags: car, cars, Top Gear, TOp Gear US
Nissan is known for creating unusual cars. The Murano is a four-door sports utility vehicle that went into production in 2002. Nissan decided to be unconventional and change up the Murano. Nissan chopped the top off and replaced it with a convertible top and removed the rear door on each side. Nissan created the Murano CrossCabriolet, one of the least desirable cars of 2011. Nissan was showing off this car at the 2011 Houston Auto Show. My first question is "Why?" I do not think that anyone was asking for an SUV convertible. Nissan also showed off the Leaf, a car that is powered by only electricity. However, Nissan did not show off the GT-R. I personally do not see why Nissan needed to make a convertible SUV. The Murano was not a pretty car in the first place, and it just looks wrong with only two doors and with the convertible top either up or down.
On this episode, Jeremy tries out the Aston Martin Vanquish and Ferrari 575M Maranello, Richard Burns becomes a rally spectator, Jason gives advice on buying a second hand Skyline, Jeremy and Richard talk Bond cars, Steve Coogan goes around in a Suzuki, Segment 1: Aston Martin Vanquish vs. Ferrari 575M Maranello
Tags: car, cars, Jeremy Clarkson, steve coogan, Top Gear
At one time Jaguar and Aston Martin were both owned by Ford. Similar designs were used for Jags and Astons. After 2006, Aston Martin became an independent automotive company and in 2008, Tata Motors bought Jaguar from Ford.
Both Jaguar and Aston Martin are British car companies, although one is owned by an Indian car company. Which British car do you prefer, the Jaguar XKR or the Aston Martin Vantage? Let me know in the comments section.
Jaguar XKR: http://carjunkie713.blogspot.com/2011/08/first-impression-jaguar-xkr.html
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On this episode, the guys try to find America's toughest pickup, Tanner races an airboat in a Rally Fighter, and Bill Engvall is this week's Big Star in a Small Car. Segment 1: Truck Introduction
Welcome to Pt. 2 of my look at car based attractions at the Disney Parks. Join me as I take a look at three more car based attractions and one land that is being worked as we speak based around Cars.
Lights, Motor, Action! Extreme Stunt Show - Disney's Hollywood StudiosNow I don't even know how I could have left this one out last time. This show was brought over to Disney World during Disneyland's 50th Anniversary. As you see each park at Disney World received something from each of the other parks save for Animal Kingdom because at that time, Expedition Everest was opening. Anyways, this is located in Hollywood Studios but it is based on show from Disneyland Paris. The show is pretty simple in that this goes along with the idea of Hollywood Studios and showing how things work. By that I mean with this show, there are many different stuntmen and they show the audience how to pull of a car stunt safely. The whole idea is that they are trying to shoot a car stunt but in between shooting it, they'll stop and talk about how they did it. Now one thing I really liked when I went, Herbie The Love Bug made an appearance. That was part of the show. They would have a Herbie come out and do some tricks after showing clips from the Herbie films on the screen where they would also show the stunts to get a better view. This video give you an idea of that it was like. Now sadly, Herbie is no longer a part of the show as around the time of the release of Cars 2, he was replaced with Lighting McQueen. This does make me a bit sad to see Herbie go as personally I prefer Herbie to McQueen and having Herbie was a nice way of including classic Disney. Now don't get me wrong I like McQueen but c'mon it's Herbie. You don't mess with Herbie. Anyways here is a video of McQueen in the showNow I have nothing against McQueen as I like Cars but I like Herbie more than I like Cars.RC Racer - Disneyland Paris/Coming to Hong Kong DisneyNow we come to another ride that I have been on. Though that is due in part that I have never been to Disneyland Paris. Now if you'll recall my Top 6 Toy Story Characters That aren't Buzz or Woody, I said that RC was my favorite Toy Story character. I first learned about this ride when I was checking out the Bonus Features on my Toy Story 3 DVD and needless to say I was ecstatic to see that my favorite Toy Story character had been given his own ride. Now this ride is part of the Toy Story Playland that can be found in Disneyland Paris and at Hong Kong Disney. Now I don't know if it has opened in Hong Kong Disney but the lands will basically be the same and Hong Kong Disney will also have this ride. Now the ride is pretty basic as it is just your launch or shuttle ride as it shoots you up really fast and then you come back down backwards. Now as you can clearly see, you get to ride on RC and from what I saw on the video for this ride, they included the dialogue of Buzz and Woody from the first film when they used RC to catch up to the moving truck. Now you may have noticed the track is the Hot Wheels orange that most of their tracks and that was intentional as they wanted you to feel as though you were on a Hot Wheels track. Even though RC isn't an Hot Wheels car, at least I don't think so. Anyways, this ride may be simple but it looks like a lot of fun and I wouldn't mind seeing it come stateside. I mean Hollywood Studios can house it at Pixar Place where they are putting Pixar based attractions and I might add the entrance is a nice touch as they made it look like the entrance to Pixar Studios but I'm getting off track.
Test Track - Epcot Now if you recall my Top 6 Frightful Moments of Disney Rides, I placed the wall on Test Track at # 6 on that list. Believe me though there are quite a few fright worthy moments on this ride such as when your car comes into contact with a Semi. Though I still say that the wall on this ride is the scariest aspect of this ride. The ride is a lot of fun though as it takes you through the process of how a car is tested before it allowed to go on the road. A book that I'm not currently reading The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World states that as you go through the queue for this ride, you may find some Disney toys around the repair shop. Now I don't know how true that is because each time I have been on this ride I have never seen that. If you want read this book, read it with caution as not all the secrets are true but that is what you get when you purchase a book about Disney not published by the company, sometimes. Speaking of the queue, let's take a look at it, shall we.Now this once again shows something admire form the Imagineers in that they start the theming even before you get on the ride. As you can see, they made it look like a car repair shop and I think that really helps immerses the guests into the experience of the ride. The cars that you ride use an on-board computer system to keep them going. Now there is even screen on-board and at points the the test people come up on screen and say what is going to happen next. Now this doesn't happen to often but it was still pretty cool. Now let's take a look at the cars.These cars probably have the simplest design but this is the most realistic out of all the rides that I have looked at while most of the other rides have had some sort of cartoony element to them but this doesn't and it shouldn't because this ride is meant to be taken seriously. Well, more seriously than the other rides that I have talken about. Now the final thing I wish to talk about isn't one single attraction but rather a land that is being built as I type this. Coming soon to Disney's California Adventure will beCars Land
Cars Land is a new upcoming land that is based on the Pixar film, Cars and it is made to look like Radiator Springs. The three big attractions will be Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, this will be a ride in the same vein as the Mad Tea Party but themed to Mater's Junkyard. The next ride is Luigi's Flying Tires. This ride will be an updated version of the classic Disneyland Flying Saucers but instead themed to Luigi's Casa Della Tires Shop, which will serve as the waiting area for this ride. This ride is also reported to be safer than the Flying Saucers ever were.Finally, the main attraction will be Radiator Springs Racers. This ride will use the same system as Test Track but it will be toned down a little bit to be more family friendly and it will actually take you through areas in Radiator Springs and I think you'll go around Ornament Valley. I wouldn't be too surprised if they included Doc and McQueen's racing scene on this ride.Now some of the shops and eateries from the film will also be brought to life as Flo's V8 Cafe will be an actual restaurant here as will Fillmore's Taste-In along with the Cozy Cone Motel serving as an eatery. Ramone's House of Body Art, Sarge's Surplus Hut and the Radiator Spring Curios will serve as gift shops here as well. I also believe that guests will be able to visit the courthouse here as well but I don't if it is a shop or not. Either I'm a bit excited about this as it seems like a neat idea.I hope you have enjoyed these past two articles looking at all the different automobile themed attractions at the Disney Parks. Join me next time for the final review of Automobile Month when I take on The Love Bug.
Cadillac was founded by Henry Leland in 1902. One of the earliest Cadillacs is the Model E, first introduced in January 1905. This car uses a chain drive and a single cylinder engine. The Model E was only available as a runabout, a two-seater with no roof. Most Cadillacs in 1905 had a detachable second row of seats, or tonneau, but it was not available with the Model E. Two optional packages were available for the Model E. For $30.00, you could get a rubber top with sides and a storm apron. For $50.00, you could get a bulb horn, a leather top with sides and a storm apron.
On this episode, the guys look back at their first cars, Adam and Tanner drive two modern supercars, and Pawn Stars ride the Suzuki.
On this episode, does sex sell cars, does styling sell cars, are all old people horrible drivers, is there a car that can go around the track faster than the Pagani Zonda, and Ross Kemp takes his turn in the Suzuki.
Well folks, we have one last day here in Radiator Springs. Today I'll be taking a look Mater Private Eye. This is one of the shorts from the series, Mater's Tall Tales. The basic premise of each of these shorts is that someone bring up something and that reminds Mater of something that he supposedly did and the story seems far fetched but in the end, it turns out to be true. First, the trailer. Yes, there is a trailer for this short.
You know when I did my review of Cars, I did touch on Radiator Springs but I came to the realization that there is so much more to cover because just as with any good road trip, your going to make a stop and the small town of Radiator Springs has many a great places to visit and today, I'll be counting down what I consider the Top 6 Places To Visit In or Around Radiator Springs.
First a history lesson, the town of Radiator Spring was founded by Stanley, a steam car back in 1909. Stanley would go to marry Lizzie and after he passed away, the population of the town grew. Though when Interstate 40 was built in the '60s, visitors to Radiator Springs decreased and it wasn't until Lighting McQueen set up his racing headquarters there that the town was put back on the map. There you have it a brief history lesson of the town. Now let's start this countdown.
6. Radiator Springs Drive-In
If you have time stop by the Drive-In theater to take in some classic film such as Monster Trucks Inc. or Toy Car Story.. They show many great films and there is just something a drive-in that adds to the aura of a small town but why did I only place it a number 6, well because as great as it is to take in a movie there are so many other things that you could do here but taking in a film is a great way to top off the day.5. The Cozy Cone Motel
Now your going to need a place to stay and while The Wheel Well is nice, I prefer The Cozy Cone. It is just so quirky and the idea of the little rooms looking like safety cones is a cute idea. They may not exactly be the most spacious places to stay at but it comes cheap and sure there isn't a restaurant but there are many other places that take care of that.4. Flo's V8 Cafe
Your going to need to fill up eventually and Flo's V8 Cafe is a great place to go to take care of that. It is quaint and simple and Flo is one of the sweetest ladies that you'll ever come across. While here you can catch up on all of the going-on's of the town and they can let you know where to go and let to do. Everyone comes here to have a good time and you'll find some friendly folks here.3. The Racing Museum 
Now if your a racing fan, you should head here and you'll be able to learn some great stuff about some of the world's greatest racing legends and there is even a wing dedicated to Doc Hudson, who has sadly passed on but in his day he was one of the greatest race-cars and he was known as The Fabulous Hudson Hornet. In this wing, you'll be able to follow his career from his early days to his big crash in '54 that caused him to quit. This is must for any visitor that comes to Radiator Springs.2. Radiator Springs Curios
Now all small towns have a little shop where you can go and pick up some little trinkets and Radiator Springs is no exception. If you wish to take part of Radiator Springs home with you, just head on over to Radiator Springs Curios, where you can get a little bumper sticker or snow globe and while there, you'll be able to meet Lizzy, the wife of Stanley, the founder of this town. Though her age is starting to show but she is part of the history of this town and why not pay her a visit?1. Ornament Valley
My number one choice is Ornament Valley. I mean sure while all the other places are nice, there is just something about the beauty of this place. It is gorgeous and it is a great place to just and go for a drive and have time to think. Here you'll be able to clear the air and have nothing to worry about. You can just come here and relax and be at peace with the world. That is why I have chosen it as my number 1 for this list.There you have it, these are the Top 6 Places To Visit In or Around Radiator Springs. Join me tomorrow as we spend our final day in Radiator Springs when I take a look at Mater Private Eye. Just keep in mind this message from our friends here.
On this episode, Jeremy drives a Ford Focus RS in Wales, Jeremy drives a plastic British supercar, Jason gives some money-saving tips, Jay Kay rocks Top Gear, Top Gear features some RS Fords, and the guys find out how many bikes a bus can jump over.
Segment 1: Ford Focus RS and its Competition
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Top Gear is my favorite show. It combines people doing the most outrageous things with cars, while talking about cars, with great humor. Top Gear goes back to 1977, where it was a motor magazine show, similar to Motorweek. It lasted until 2002, with 45 seasons and 515 episodes. In 2002, Top gear had an overhaul, with a new format this is still used today, featuring three presenters and a tamed racing driver. The first series of Top Gear featured Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and Jason Dawe.
On Series 1, Episode 1, Jeremy reviews the Citroen Berlingo,, Richard talks about a prototype Ford supercar, Jeremy reviews two Italian supercars, Jeremy demonstrates using vegetable oil for fuel, Jason Dawe gives some money saving tips, Richard Hammond tries to beat a speed camera, Richard reviews the Mazda 6, and Harry Enfield is a star in a reasonably priced car.
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Let's keep this ride going as we turn up the speed and take a look at what many people consider the black sheep of Pixar yet it is one of my favorite films from them. Join me as I take look at Cars.
Aston Martin is known for style, performance, and luxury. In 2004, Aston Martin released the DB9, a 2+2 seat, two door grand tourer. The DB9 succeeded the DB7. The DB9 was one of the last Aston Martin cars built when Ford owned Aston Martin. The DB9 Volante is the convertible version.
The DB9 is a frequent guest of Houston Cars and Coffee. This is one of the best looking cars on the road. Not many cars can match the style of Aston Martins. The DB9 is a gentleman's car.
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Welcome to a very special Can We Talk about kicking off Automobile Month. That's right over the next month, I will be taking a look at some classic Disney automobile material. Including my very first review of a Disney film that isn't an animated film. Now this will not affect Music Fridays what so ever, they will remain the same and so will Classic Shorts Showcase but I do have some Autombile Month themed Music Fridays and Classic Shorts Showcase planned. Anyways, let's begin.
Now Cars is one of my favorite Pixar films, I'd rank it as my second favorite right behind Toy Story 2. Yet people seem to hate this movie and while I can understand that it is the weakest, I don't think it's a bad movie. But the insults really came in when the reviews of Cars 2 came out. For the most part, Cars 2 has been getting bad reviews. There have only been so few good reviews of the film. One such person that gave it a good review though was Roger Ebert saying that the film took him back to the days of his youth playing with his toy cars. That's wonderful and had me excited to see the film.While one reviewer who clearly had a disdain for the film called Mater, Pixar's Jar Jar Binks. I'm sorry but I think that is going a little too far. Now maybe this is just my opinion but I in no way agree with that because while Jar Jar ruined the Star Wars prequels, I do not feel that Mater has ruined Pixar.
Although this does bring me to something I have noticed with Cars and it something I refer to as "Franchise Overload". Franchise Overload is when you see so much merchandise based around a character or film and it feels as though it is everywhere and in the case of Cars, there is a butt load of Cars merchandise that has been released since the first film came out. I mean it is as though you can't go anywhere without seeing some type of Cars merchandise these days. Be it a video game, a Lego set, a book, a Lighting McQueen Halloween costume. There is so much Cars merch that it is a little crazy but this was most likely done to keep the characters of Cars in the public consiocus and not have them fade out.Perhaps I'm wrong in thinking this but my thinking is that with all of these Cars items, people may have gotten sick of seeing these characters. Which is a shame because is a good film and the sequel is decent. It's a wonderful film about overcoming one's ego and if you liked the first film and you like Mater, I think you'll like the second film.Now I think another thing that is hurting this film is that people keep on wanting to call it a spy parody and from the outside, I could agree with that but after reading an interview with John Lasster, the man in charge of Pixar, he has stated that Cars 2 is not a spy parody but a spy film. I can see where he is coming from but I do have to admit that it is kind of hard to take this film seriously as a spy film especially with Mater being one of the spies. Look, I love Mater but he isn't the type of character that you would expect to see in a spy film.In the end, I think people are being too hard on Cars 2 and if the merchandise had been toned down a little bit maybe people would not have been so annoyed by the film and if John Lasster hadn't said it was supposed to be a spy film not a parody, I don't think I would feel as akward watching it because it comes across as a parody. Anyways, these ate just my thoughts and the start to Automobile Month. Before I end this I want to share with you this really cool picture as Pixar chief John Lasster as a Cars character as he apparently had a cameo in Cars 2.Join me next time, when I go in deeper and actually review Cars.
Cadillac had a reputation for making cars that old people drive. GM wanted to attract a younger crowd to Cadillac. Cadillac came out with the SUV Escalade, the sport sedan CTS/CTS-V, and a roadster XLR. Cadillac made the XLR from 2003 to 2009, a total of 15548 XLRs were produced. The XLR was intended to be the flagship for the Cadillac brand and was based on the Chevrolet Corvette's Y-platform. The XLR featured a retractable aluminum rooftop. Cadillac made a high performance version called the XLR-V.
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On Episode 9, the guys travel through Alaska to find America's toughest truck.
Warning: Spoilers are in the review
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On Episode 8, Rutledge reviews a four-door Porsche, Tanner and Rutledge try to find the quickest mode of transportation from Hollywood to Las Vegas, Bret Michaels rocks the Suzuki, and Tanner reviews the BWM X6M.
Warning: Spoilers are in the review
On Episode 7, Adam and Rutledge race two BMX bikers through San Francisco in a Honda CR-Z, the guys try to buy and resell cars as used car salesmen, and Tim Allen tries his skills in a Suzuki.
Warning: Spoilers are in the review.
On Episode 6, Tanner reviews the Morgan Aero Supersports, Michelle Rodriguez is fast and furious in a Suzuki, and the guys find out what is the best way to travel from Miami to Key West.
Warning: Spoilers are in the review.
On Episode 5, the guys try to find the one classic GM model that should go back into production to save GM and Tony Hawk test his skills in a Suzuki.
Warning: Spoilers are in the review. If you have seen the Top Gear UK episode where Jeremy, Richard, and James try to prove that Birtish Leyland built decent cars, Top Gear US uses the same tests on GM cars.
On Episode 4, Tanner races a Ford Raptor against a HALO jumper in a desert, Adam tests the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Kid Rock test his driving skills, and Adam and Rutledge try to find a replacement for the Humvee.
Warning: Spoilers are in the Review
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On Episode 3 of Top Gear US, the guys try to find the best moonshine carrying car for under $1000, guys go camping in their cars and spit moonshine, the guys talk about a German hybrid supercar, a modern family father drives a Suzuki SX4,
Warning: Spoilers are in the review.
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Episode 2 of Top Gear US involves Tanner Faust racing in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X down a icy mountain against two snow skiers, Rutledge Wood testing the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and V12 Vantage, Dominic Monaghan tests his driving skills, and Rutledge Wood and Adam Ferrara try to best a blind man in three drifting challanges.
Warning: Spoilers are in the review
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Top Gear is my favorite show. It is about three guys testing, racing, and joking about cars. It is a very popular show worldwide. There is a US version of Top Gear that can be seen on the History Channel. The hosts are Adam Ferrara, a comic and actor, Tanner Faust, a racing driver and stunt driver, Rutledge Wood, an auto racing analyst, and the Stig, an anonymous race car driver that does the power laps for the cars. On November 21, 2010, the first episode of Top Gear US aired. Each episode starts with a preview of the episode while a remix of the Allman Brothers Band "Jessica."
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I do not know how Motor Trend picks its car of the year awards. I have questioned several of its picks. I do not think that the Chevrolet Volt deserved the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year Award. Yet, this is not the worst car to be named Motor Trend Car of the Year. In 1971, Motor Trend named the Chevorlet Vega its Car of the Year. Motor Trend also awarded the Vega the 1973 Car of the Year in the Economic Class. Car and Driver readers voted the Vega the best economic van in 1971, 1972, and 1973. In 1971, American Iron and Steel gave the Vega an award for excellence in design in transportation equipment. My question is WHY? The Vega is one of the worst cars ever made. It was a rust bucket. This car suffered from several recalls and just was an overall terrible car. The cost for this miserable excuse for a car was $2,093. There is reason why this car is so cheap.
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Porsche has been making 911s since 1964. The 911 is known for having a flat-6 engine located in the rear of the car, just above the rear wheels. The current range of the 911 is called the 997. One of the variants of the 997 is the Porsche 997 GT3.
The Ford GT40 was one of the most successful American race cars. It won the 24 Hours of LeMans four times in a row, with victories in 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969, beating out Ford's main rival Ferrari. The 40 in its name refers to the car's height, 40.5 inches. In 2005, Ford released the Ford GT, a supercar based on the legendary GT40. The Ford GT was 44.5 inches high, four inches taller than the GT40. The last Ford GT was sold in 2007, and 4,038 Ford GTs were produced.
Lamborghini has been making supercars since 1963. In 1998, Volkswagen's luxury car division Audi acquired Lamborghini. The first car built by Lamborghini under Audi was the Lamborghini Murcielago. The Murcielago was built from 2002 to 2010 with 4,099 Murcielagos built. The second generation of the Murcielago called the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640. The Murcielago comes in two-door coupe or two-door roadster versions.
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The Transformers franchise has featured some of the best cars ever to hit the road as disguises for the robots. This is a list of the top 15 cars used in the Transformers franchise.
(Disclaimers: One car per brand. Earth cars only. No service or military vehicles.)
The Aston Martin is one of the best cars to ever be seen in a movie. With its incredible styling and high performance, it is easy to see why it earns that distinction. The Vanquish is another one of a long line of stylish, high performing grand tourers wearing the Aston Martin badge. Production for the Vanquish started in 2001 and ended in 2007, when it was replaced by the DBS. The Vanquish was upgraded to the Vanquish S in 2004 when Aston Martin released the DB9.
I recently saw an Aston Martin Vanquish at the June 2011 edition of Houston Cars and Coffee. It is a shame that the Vanquish did not get much attention because it is a beautiful grand tourer. The Vanquish S has improved suspension and aerodynamics.
Both the Vanquish and Vanquish S are powered by a 6.0L V12 paired with a six-speed electrohydraulic manual transmission. The Vanquish V12 generates 450 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. The 0-60 mph time is 4.3 seconds and the top speed is 189.5 mph for the Vanquish. The Vanquish S V12 generates 514 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque. The 0-60 mph time is 4.0 mph and the top speed is 204 mph. Prices for new Vanquish started around $234,000. Prices for the Vanquish S started at $255,000. These are fair prices for cars that are highly stylish and have great performance.
The Aston Martin Vanquish was the car driven by James Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan, in Die Another Day. It was also the car used for Hot Shot's vehicle mode in Transformers: Energon. Top Gear featured the Vanquish during Series 1, Episode 4, when Jeremy Clarkson and Steve Coogan were comparing the car to a Ferrari 575M Maranello. The Vanquish S was featured on Top Gear Series 5, Episode 4, when again Clarkson and Coogan compared the car to a Ferrari 575M. The Aston Martin Vanquish is playable in Project Gotham Racing 1, 2, 3, and 4; Taxi 3: Extreme Rush; Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2; Midnight Club 2; Crashed; London Racer II; Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights; Test Drive Unlimited; Split/Second; Asphalt: Urban GT; Taxi Raser; Gran Turismo 3 A-spec; Forza Motorsport 2 and 3; The Italian Job; Gran Turismo 4 and 5; and many other games.
Final Thought: It is a shame that this car did not have a crowd around it at Cars and Coffee. It is a beautiful car. It should have been the main car in other movies besides Die Another Day. Normally when a car is being replaced, the replacement should outperform its predecessor. However, the Aston Martin Vanquish S was quicker and faster than its replacement. the Aston Martin DBS. There was one problem with the Vanquish. It used paddle shifters to change gears. The car did upshift properly. But it did not downshift properly. This flaw was stated by Jeremy Clarkson when he reviewed the car. Other than the gear changing problem, the Vanquish and Vanquish S were great cars.
CarJunkie
Photo taken from a camera phone
Jaron, Robert and Louie review Fast Five and Thor.
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I see several fifth-generation Camaros at Houston Cars and Coffee events and on the roads. This is a very popular car. I love the styling of the new Camaro. The angle of the windshield could hinder the visibility of Camaro drivers and has been a major criticism of the Camaro. I sat in one at the 2011 Houston Auto Show and had no problem looking through the windshield. It is comfortable to sit in the front, but there is not much leg room for passengers sitting in the back.
The fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro is powered by 2 different 3.6L V6 engines and 6.2L V8 engines. The Camaro uses either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. The V6 engines produce either 312 hp or 323 hp. The V8 engines produce between 400 hp and 550 hp. 0-60 times for the Camaro range from 4.6 seconds to 6.1 seconds. The top speed for the Camaro ranges from 150 mph to over 180 mph. Prices for the Camaro start between $22,000 and $40,000, depending on the trim level. The price is very low for a high performing muscle car.
The fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro can be seen in all three Transformers films. It is the vehicle form of the Autobot Bumblebee. It has been reviewed on Motorweek and has been featured on Jay Leno's Garage. Richard Hammond reviewed the Camaro SS during Series 15, Episode 3, where Hammond compared the Camaro to a Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG. The fifth-generation Camaro is playable in almost every major racing game. It is playable in the Burnout games, Need For Speed Games, Test Drive Unlimited 2, Gran Turismo 5, Blur, Split/Second, Dirt 3, Transformers movie games, Project Gotham Racing 4, ModNation Racers, Forza Motorsport 3, and many other video games.
Final Thought: The fifth-generation Camaro is a very stylish muscle car with good performance. It continues the Camaro tradition of offering several options so there is a Camaro for all types of drivers. I did not like that the first Transformers movie was just a 2-hour commercial for the new Camaro. I already know that the Camaro is a good car. I don't need to waste money on a film that is just a long car commercial.
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| Hennessey Camaro Convertible |
Hennessey is also offering different tuning packages for the new Camaro. Prices start at $4,950 for 475 hp package and go to $69,950 of the 1000 hp package. John Hennessey stop by Jay Leno's Garage to show off one of his tuned version of the Camaro, called the Hennessey Camaro HPE600. I saw the Hennessey Camaro at the April 2011 edition of Houston Cars and Coffee. The Hennessey Camaro is for those who want a little bit more performance out of their stock Camaros.
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