This 1951 Tempo Matador is dolefully resigned to haul cargo through the streets of Berlin with nothing more than 25 horsepower. The melancholy little utility truck is built around an air-cooled VW flat four that powers the front wheels. It’s ultra-rare, one of about 10 surviving examples in the world. This one was painstakingly restored to concours-level shine and done up in Weizenbierbrauerei (a defunct German brewery) livery. Its bed was filled with vintage beer bottles from the same brewery. Today it enjoys a lax life, turning heads wherever it trundles. I can’t think of a more fitting retirement for this little gem. Hop on over to Oldbug.com to see more pics and read the story of its restoration.
The guys over at Edmunds Inside Line always put out some great stuff. Take this quick video they did on the differences between conventional motor oil vs. synthetic. Sure it’s not that long, but it doesn’t have to be to answer a few simple questions that the general public has been asking for years. Obviously at the end of the day you want to read your cars owners manual for the straight truth as it pertains to your specific vehicle. At least now though you’ll have a better understanding of what makes your car tick.
Conventional wisdom would say that 200 to 300 units of worldwide sales is far from sufficient to keep a car marque alive, and rumors of Maybach’s demise have been circulating for months. If Automobile is correct, the brand will not only soldier on, but will see a focus on growth through new models, thanks to Daimler’s Joachim Schmidt. Schmidt sees opportunity for the high end brand in China, North America, Russia, and the Middle East, but only if the product line is revised and updated.
Now this isn’t good. If you’ve been following posts around the internet then you’ll know that Ferrari’s newest toy, the 458 Italia has been having a few problems by way of spontaneous combustion thus causing the makers of the prancing horse to issue a recall. Apparently a heat shield located underneath the rear fender uses an adhesive that is prone to going up in flames when exposed to the high temperatures generated from the engine compartment. According to Autoblog.com, Ferrari says that they have now developed a newly designed heat shield that does away with the adhesive and now utilizes rivets as the fastening mechanism. They are also urging 458 Italia owners to contact their dealers immediately to schedule their recall appointment.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much computer animation, or CG of this quality, in a one minute advertisement. Mini is trying to demonstrate the versatility of the new Countryman, which doesn’t really reproduce like a single celled organism. Personally, though, I’d pay extra for an “Evade Pursuit” option which generated a holographic image of my car. Think of the uses!
Well here it is, the new 2011 Dodge Durango. First thought to be called the Magnum, it’s apparent that Dodge went back to a name that was tried and true, as well as one that customers could identify with. I have to say that this thing is pretty beefy looking as compared to the previous generation Durango. Gone are the harsh squared-off lines and in their place a very well thought out and stylish new SUV that has a muscular and aggressive look that honestly, I’m really diggin’. The Durango now rides on a new unibody platform which makes it more of a crossover than a traditional body-on-frame truck based SUV. Engine choices come in the way of Chrysler’s new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine or an available 5.7-liter HEMI V8. Both mills feature Chrysler’s variable-valve timing (VVT) system as well as available all-wheel-drive.
If you were to design the ultimate motorsport, you’d want it to incorporate asphalt racing, dirt racing, jumps and some difficult transitions between surfaces. You’d want it to be on a spectator-friendly short course, which also makes for good TV coverage. Finally, you’d make sure that the cars involved came from a variety of manufacturers and were as evenly matched as possible. You’d probably include seperate events for 2wd and AWD cars as well.
Police departments around the United States have been utilizing Ford Explorers for years as part of their fleets. They’ve always been a great compromise between say the Ford Crown Victoria and the Chevrolet Tahoe, another highly utilized police force SUV. We’re now rapidly coming up on 2011 and with that brings a newly redesigned Ford Explorer that promises not only better performance, but increased usability as well. The new Explorer still provides such features as off-road capability thanks to Ford’s AdvanceTrac all-wheel drive system (two wheel drive is also available), but the biggest change comes from under the hood. Producing at least 280 hp (according to Ford), Ford’s 3.5-liter Ti-VCT V6 will power the all new Explorer Interceptor and put power to the ground by way of a 6-speed automatic transmission.
You’ve got to love the Swiss. First, they make some damn fine chocolate and they live in a stunningly beautiful part of the world. They understand the importance of an armed population, and virtually every Swiss male has a military-issued assault rifle at home. Better yet, they’re actually trained in how to use them, proving once again that an armed society is a polite society.
