Wednesday, January 23, 2013

The Spy Who Loved His Car


The Awesomer

More for Bond fans:
http://exhaustpipedreams.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/bond-cars-evans-halshaw.html
http://exhaustpipedreams.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/007-james-bonds-stunt-driver.html
http://exhaustpipedreams.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/007-james-bond-car-chase.html
http://exhaustpipedreams.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/dream-garage-continued.html

DeLorean Hovercraft


F1 Driving Simulator

Would you like a £144,000 one-player video game? Click here to buy.



Painting Coconuts- The Audi Quattro Experience.


Volvo V40 with Pedestrian Airbag

This is Volvo's amazing new bonnet-mounted pedestrian airbag. I would rather not get hit by a call at all, but if I did, I'd like it to be a new V40. Thanks Volvo. Read on here.




Toyota Sequoia SUV by Lexani Motorcars

This is Lexani's custom-made Toyota Sequoia 4WD; a new bomb-resistant beast for the fashionable dictator in a warzone, a Russian oligarch or a mafia don. Read on here.




Geely ready for a makeover

Geely is the Chinese brand which owns Volvo and is synonymous with making fake Rolls Royce Phantoms. The good news for Geely is Peter Horbury the design chief who turned the Volvo brand around will be heading to overhaul the look of Geely's new offerings. I look forward to seeing what he can do when he has limitless money, no unions and a desperate and brainwashed workforce at his disposal. Time will tell. Read on here. Below: Peter Horbury as Volvo design chief.


Below: the looky-likey Roller the Geeley GE.



More: If you think the Geely GE is funny, check out the Hongqi.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

The US rental car dilemma...

Susannah and I are heading over for a driving holiday of California next week and I am furiously researching rental cars which is made all the more difficult because there's just so much choice! Naturally it has to have the Americana vibe, be a Yank-tank or a classic. There's a 'but' though, and it's a big one. Some of these cars cost a fortune to rent and surprisingly (or unsurprisingly) it's the classics that cost the most. There are some relatively good value choices though, in the modern muscle car:

1959 Cadillac DeVille: From $809 per day. 


1966 Cadillac DeVille: From $489 per day.



1964 Corvette Stingray: From $489 per day.


1960s Lincoln Continental: Awaiting quote. UPDATE: This is rented by the day with a driver so that's a no for us. It would be amazing for a day-trip though! It would be like Entourage, or a parade with President Kennedy.


Then there's the option of typical Stateside Rides...

Cadillac Escalade SUV: Weekly US$2000






But how can you look past some mighty American muscle?

Ford Mustang GT Premium: $858 for Monday-Friday inclusive.


Dodge Challenger: $791 for Monday-Friday inclusive.


So, what should we rent to cruise the Pacific Highway in? On cost alone I'm leaning toward the standard Mustang convertible but it seems so, well...standard. Maybe the first week we could get a tiny hatchback and then the second week splurge on a muscle car. I think I can already rule out a classic Caddy at $US800 a day! Ouch.

Leave your comments below or write into exhaustpipedreams@gmail.com

Jaguar Land Rover sales are up!

Car sales in the EU are down, but in happier news, sales of Jaguar and Land Rovers are up thanks to the insatiable demand from China and the addition of the Evoque to Land Rover's Range Rover line-up. Read on here.



Below: The Range Rover Evoque whose celebrity 'interior design partner' was Posh Spice AKA Victoria Beckham. Don't get me wrong, I'd have one if you gave it to me but I think it's a bit of a pretend Range Rover tailor-made for hairdressers. Not that there's anything wrong with that. 

As the news article states- 80% of Evoque buyers are new to the marque. Land Rover really struck gold with this one.



European Car Sales Plunge

There must be a few cold-sweats going around in the car makerrs' headquarters. EU car sales fell 16.3% in December - with non-Eurozone members Britain and Sweden the exceptions. Read on here.


2013 Detroit Motor Show

Upon first glance, can you spot the Hyundai and what could be the next Corolla?

Pictured: 2014 Maserati Quattroporte


2014 Corvette Stingray


Hyundai HCD-14 Concept (complete with suicide doors)


Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Black


Nissan Resonance concept




Porsche-a-plenty: Porsche 911 Carrera, 911 Carrera 4S and 911 Carrera 4


Toyota Corolla Furia concept


Click here for the full gallery.


Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Impressive road-safety painting


And below: friendly motorists.


Want some more road rage footage? Click here.

Greatest car quotes of all time

My friend Tom Cameron sent me this great list of the Greatest Ever Car quotes, including George Best's "If I could get back all the money I'd spent on cars, I'd spend it on cars." Read the list here featuring quotes from Enzo Ferrari, Henry Ford, Ettore Bugatti amongst others.

Below: George Best


Below: Henry Ford


Below: Enzo Ferrari



Majestic Mercs Down Under

We seem to be having a bit of a Mercedes day again here at Exhaust Pipe Dreams but these two motors up for sale in Australia simply must be shared. After all, both models are in my Dream Garage.

The first is a short wheelbase Grosser! A Mercedes Benz 600, favoured by dictators the World over. Yes the interior looks a bit dull but that's because the car is 100% original with only 83,000kms on the clock and a price-tag of AUD$145,000/ US$152,7000. Someone please buy it for me. I'll arrange transport- it's the least I can do. Check out the Mercedes 600 here.




Want to see a Grosser in action against a Corniche? Watch Top Gear put one through its paces.


The next vehicle is an SE because we all know I'm a little obsessed with them. But this one is being posted today because of the eye-watering price. It's on the market for AUD$588,000/ US$619,300. This looks brand new showroom condition but even my concours SE owning friend in Sydney baulked when I sent him this one! Get all the details here.




And as always there's lots more to read on Exhaust Pipe Dreams about these beautiful Mercedes SE cabriolets:

http://exhaustpipedreams.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/cars-from-my-travels-pt3.html
http://exhaustpipedreams.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/sydney-mercedes-se-cabriolet.html
http://exhaustpipedreams.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/amelia-lily-you-bring-me-mercedes-joy.html
http://exhaustpipedreams.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/dream-garage-continued.html

The Queen is amused, actually.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's ride wouldn't start after the Queen attended Church at Sandringham recently. But good old Lilibet found the whole thing rather amusing and eventually her head chauffeur got the £10million state limousine to ignite into life once more. Did you know her Majesty has two of them? The first was a gift from Bentley and she bought the second one. Read on here.

Just remember that a Bentley doesn't break down. It "fails to proceed".




For more on the Queen's cars click here.

2014 Mercedes-Benz AMG E63 4Matic

This is the new 5.5litre V8 bi-turbo 577 horsepower top of the range E-class from Merc's tuning arm-AMG. So it's not exactly your average accountant's daily driver. Click here for all the details.

Have you ever wondered about the dark art that is AMG? Click here to read more on this sub-brand.


Wanted: Director for Top Gear

This isn't the first time Exhaust Pipe Dreams has advertised some interesting new jobs for car nuts. And now I bring you two ads for the very talented, highly-skilled, well-trained and well-connected out there. Yes, that counts me out too.

The BBC's small and lesser-known show Top Gear is looking for a new director.



Check out the job specs here.

Also, the magazine Land Rover Monthly is looking for a new Staff Writer! If going scrub-bashing in new and old Landies while jotting down the odd funny line is your dream career, read the job ad here.


Gangster Squad Cars

The shoot-em up new blockbuster Gangster Squad has just been released and these are some of the real-life American classics borrowed by the production to give the film some rev-head authenticity!

Below: some of the 100 classics borrowed for the film.






Below: the trailer for the new film Gangster Squad starring Sean Penn, Giovanni Ribisi, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and Nick Nolte.