Just the briefest of cameos during the opening credits, but still 🙂
Full “Can I Kick It” (1991):
Great, great group, Tribe.
Cinematic Animated cars: BMW E30 M3 in “Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest” (2011)
•November 20, 2011 • 8 Comments Instruments for motoring
•November 18, 2011 • 8 Comments
Now here’s a plug for MCB guest contributor and friend Bradley Price. An industrial designer by day, Price has launched a new watch company called Autodromo. Inspired by dashboard gauges from vintage Italian sports cars, the watches are nothing short of impressive, simultaneously drawing inspiration from the past while also very much looking forward— a nice touch. Having seen them up close, we can also attest to their solid build quality – the watches have a nice, substantive heft to them – and loving attention to detail. They certainly get our stamp of approval, and are well worth checking out for those of you into wristwear. Those of you who aren’t? Who knows.. these beautiful motoring-inspired timepieces might just make converts out of you yet 🙂
Highly recommended.
Ugh, so nice
•November 17, 2011 • Comments Off on Ugh, so nice
The Audi A6: wheels de choix of Chinese bureaucrats everywhere
•November 17, 2011 • 3 Comments
Buick being big in China we’ve heard about, but the Audi A6? Whodathunk? At least these bureaucrats can’t be faulted for poor taste— the latest A6 is a fine-looking mid-size sedan.
Some fascinating nuggets from a recent NYT article:
- No vehicle in China has developed as ironclad a reputation as the Audi A6, the semiofficial choice of Chinese bureaucrats. From the country’s southern reaches to its northern capital, the A6’s slick frame and invariably tinted windows exude an aura of state privilege, authority and, to many ordinary citizens, a whiff of corruption
- Audi’s party technocrat associations are a result partly of the car’s early market entry and its longstanding place on the government’s coveted purchasing list. Audi, the German automaker, gained access to the Chinese market in 1988 when its owner, Volkswagen, struck a joint venture with Yiqi, a Chinese carmaker. By contrast, BMW’s first domestic factory opened in 2003, giving Audi 15 years to establish itself as the premier vehicle for China’s elite
- This early advantage has helped Audi to dominate China’s lucrative government-car market, with 20 percent of its China revenue in 2009 drawn directly from government sales. Each year, the Procurement Center of the Central People’s Government releases a list of the cars and models acceptable for government purchase
- The Munich-based automaker BMW, on the other hand, has found itself in a contrary position. Since entering the Chinese market, BMW has acquired a reputation as a vehicle for the arrogant and the rash, making it largely off-limits to wealthy officials who prefer a low-key public image
- On Sina Weibo, the country’s most popular microblogging service, a recent posting tried to sum up the car clichés. “A gathering of Mercedes indicates a get-together for old folks,” the writer said. “A group of BMWs means young nouveaux riches are about to run someone over and have a party; several Audis, and you know it’s a government meeting” (source)
Track you might not have heard of: Cadwell Park (Lincolnshire, England)
•November 16, 2011 • 4 Comments
Well if we ever find ourselves in this part of England, we know where we’re headed 🙂 Some quality British B roads can’t be far from here, either.
It is sited across a steep-sided valley, giving rise to dips and crests. The circuit features sharp changes in gradient, including one section called The Mountain where bikes can become airborne by up to several feet. Its mix of challenging corners has led to its nickname as the Mini-NĂĽrburgring (source).
Tim Schrick of D Motor (a sort of German Fifth Gear) does his thing:
Racing driver Martyn Bell walks us through how to drive the track:
But as fun as it sounds in a car, it looks absolutely bonkers on a bike! Observe:
Driven or ridden this track before? Have your say in the comments!
Sign the petition..
•November 15, 2011 • 16 Comments
..to lower the NHTSA’s minimum requirement of importing a grey market vehicle into the United States from 25 years to 15! Yes you will need to create a login to whitehouse.gov in order to sign, but the process is quick and you are given the option of opting out of email. And besides, if you are a regular to this site, you will agree that it’s for a meaningful cause. How nice would it be, after all, to be able to bring this lovely 2004 Autodelta 156 GTA AM over to the States in 2019 (as opposed to in 2029), a relatively brief seven years away 🙂
Sign now. And spread the word.
Hat tip to FPH for this one!
Assorted grab bag of stuff we like
•November 14, 2011 • 7 Comments
Second generation Falcon
•November 10, 2011 • 4 CommentsPreviously, we revealed our unlikely thing for hot rodded Ford Falcons. Here’s another nice example— this one a second gen. Looks farkin’ sweet!
Hat tip again to reader Alexandre for the images.
Motoring Con Brio 