Author: Serkadis

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Mercedes-Benz

There have been a lot of non-auto vehicles that have graced the pages of Autoblog. We regularly cover bikes, and occasionally other modes of transportation as well. We even cover the occasional boat, especially if it has ties to the automotive industry. We’ve seen amphibious cars, catamarans, yachts, sailboats, and even wooden boats that look like cars. None of those, however, capture our attention as much as speed boats. Whether inspired by Chevrolet, Jaguar, Ferrari, Spyker, Porsche, Audi or Lancia, they set our hearts aflutter just as much as their landbound dopplegangers. Now we can add Mercedes-Benz to the mix.

Set to launch at the 2010 Miami International Boat Show in February is this sleek Cigarette Racing boat. The new craft is said to be inspired by the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, although the concept sketch they’ve provided us doesn’t show any gullwing hatches. We’re not sure if it will be powered by AMG engines, but the 42-plus-foot boat is expected to be good for 120 mph with its twin staggered powerplants. Cigarette says their newest offshore racer “will feature more than 100 innovations included in the design, development and rigging of the boat.”

We can’t wait to see the real thing in the water early next year. Until then, you can read the full press release after the jump and click above for a larger image.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Ship Shape: Mercedes-Benz AMG and Cigarette Racing to launch SLS-inspired boat

Ship Shape: Mercedes-Benz AMG and Cigarette Racing to launch SLS-inspired boat originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Goldman, as usual, has some good insights about why the job creation picture is so ugly:

My disagreement with Deutsche Bank chief economist Joe Lavorgna over future job creation–which we debated last week on Larry Kudlow’s CNBC show–lies in the crucial role of small business in job creation. The process of job destruction (from big companies) and job creation (from small companies) are two sides of entrepreneurial “creative destruction.” The problem today is that we have the destruction without the creation.

Companies with less than 50 employees predominated in job creation during the great economic expansion that ended in 2007.

In the chart below drawn from a recent study by the Census Bureau and the University of Maryland, the really tall bars (reflecting net creation of new jobs) come from new and small companies.

Read the whole story >>

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See Also:

• David Goldman: 10 Reasons To Doubt The Government’s Rosy Employment Data
• David Goldman: Roubini’s Carry-Trade Theory Is Total Nonsense
• David Rosenberg: Goldman Conspiracy Theorist

Filed under: Aftermarket, SUV, Land Rover, Luxury

Since we’re getting close to the time frame seen in the movie Demolition Man, you might want to start shopping for a car that can prepare you for Stallone and Snipes blasting it out in the streets. Irish tuning house Onyx could have what you seek with its new 2010 Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Vogue conversions. Inside are buffalo hides and carbon fiber, and outside are a ring of bluff skirting, along with LEDs on the Vogue and, naturally, 22-inch TPM wheels.

Some under-the-hood work has also been done, adding an impressive 80 horsepower to the already very quick Supercharged model’s 517 horsepower. You can read about the Onyx Rovers in the press release after the jump and check them out in the gallery of high-res photos below. And feel free to also enjoy the musical riff on this post’s title – it’s most likely the kind of soundtrack you’ll hear coming from one of these, anyway…

[Source: Onyx]

Continue reading Onyx slams 2010 Range Rover, lets the boys be boys

Onyx slams 2010 Range Rover, lets the boys be boys originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been pushing himself as a defender of copyrights, and even helped create the original three strikes plan in France. And yet, he and his political party keep getting caught infringing on copyrights. First there was the use of a song in some online videos without proper licensing. Then there was the issue with mass pirating DVDs. So you would think that his party would be extra careful when putting together yet another online video involving music. Apparently not.

In a move that is being widely mocked even by those within Sarkozy’s party, it has released a lipdub video using some UMP politicians singing along. The only problem? You guessed it… the party did not properly clear the rights and now need to pay up for infringing on the copyright (Google translation from the original French).

Apparently, they had licensed the rights to the original version of the song, from 1976, but then decided they didn’t like that recording, and instead used a modern version of the song. According to another report, the UMP had asked the copyright holder if it could use this version, and they were turned down, because the label did not want the song used for political purposes. So Sarkozy’s party just used it anyway.

I wonder if Sarkozy can blame Vimeo for inventing “lip dubs” and encouraging the UMP to violate copyright laws in this manner. But, the real question remains: given that France has moved forward with Sarkozy’s plan to kick infringers off the internet on a three strikes basis, and this appears to be at least Sarkozy’s third strike, does the UMP have to give up their internet access? Or do Sarkozy’s favored laws not apply to Sarkozy?

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A bit of bad news for Shin Megami Tensei fans. It seems Atlus has bumped Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey to a later March release than the one mentioned in the DS relaese schedule Nintendo released

Filed under: Videos, Humor

We’re a couple months past Halloween, but this video was just too good to pass up. A gentleman with an old XBox steering wheel, a fake skeleton and a couple black lights managed to scare the holy hell out of some folks by making it look like a glowing blue skeleton was driving his car. How did he do it? The key is to have a right-hand drive vehicle and a little bit of creativity.

The Halloween prankster rigged the steering wheel to his Toyota Sera by propping it up on a 2×4 stand and holding it in place with a heavy bag of pennies. He painted the skeleton white and added a couple black lights in the door jam and attached to the sun visor. He then dressed himself in all black and waited for night fall. The end result is a scary-looking blue skeleton that’s ready to send a chill down the spine of the living. Hit the jump to for the full rundown on how it was done – it’s worth it to hear the screams emanating from onlookers.

[Source: StreetFire]

Continue reading VIDEO: Nevermind that it’s not Halloween, behold the best use for a RHD car ever

VIDEO: Nevermind that it’s not Halloween, behold the best use for a RHD car ever originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Politicians would love to see the rebirth of manufacturing in this country — new factories filled with unionized workers, taking home a salary that can support a family.

But it’s not going to happen, at least according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In a recent study, the bureau estimated employment change between 2008 and 2018. The public sector will grow. Healthcare will grow.

But manufacturing? Not so much.

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Gullco PIPE KAT® Automated Pipe Welding System with integrated wire feeder unit incorporates 40 IPM welding carriage design with quick action mounting for ease of installation. The carriage is equipped with a high speed return feature for faster repositioning of the carriage. The PIPE KAT® also comes equipped with a linear oscillator with adjustable weave width and weld joint centerline adjustment and all electronic motorized functions incorporate jog settings. The system comes with a main control box with 25 ft (7620 mm) umbilical, wire feed spool capacity of 10 lbs (4.5 kgs), with a maximum wire speed of 35-633 IPM (89-226 cm/min) and a wire size range of 0.8 to 2 mm. The welding torch uses standard consumables.

www.gullco.com

Customers throughout the world know that the company TBT Tiefbohrtechnik stands for dependable quality, precision and close relationship to customers. All this since more than 35 years.

The company was founded in 1966 in Dettingen on the river Ems and has specialised right from the beginning in deep hole drilling production technology. Always with the goal of offering machines, tools and services competently from a single source. The rise of the company to market leader status confirms that our customers acknowledge this corporate policy. The company TBT combines flexibility, dedication and customer-orientation as a slim middle class enterprise with global presence. There is hardly any important country in the world without a subsidiary company or experienced representatives of our group. Your deep hole drilling task is in the best hands with our highly qualified and dedicated employees.

Machine design: BW200

for cubic parts (max. drilling diameter: 25 mm)
Strokes:
X-axis 800 mm
Y-axis 600 mm
W-axis 400 mm
Z-axis 1100 mm

Machining:
Deep hole drilling ELB
Diameter min. / max. 4 / 25 mm
Drilling depth max. 800 mm mit 1 Lünette
Milling 130 ccm/min
Twist drilling ø 25 mm
Boring ø 30 mm
Tapping M 24 x 3

Clamping table:
Rotary table:
Clamping table with W axis
Loading
800 x 600 mm
1500 daN

Drilling unit:
Number of spindles 1
Spindle drive infinitely
(C axis)
0 – 10000 1/min
Drive output 16 kW
Feed force 10 kN
Tool carrier deep hole drilling 25VDI 3208
Tool carrier conv. HSK 50 (others upon inquiry)

Coolant system:
Tank volume 800
High-pressure pump infinitely variable
Max. flow rate 90 l/min
Drive output 7,5 kW

Filed under: Buick, Chevrolet, Ford, Subaru, Volkswagen

The finalists for the coveted 2010 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards have just been released ahead of next month’s ceremony in Detroit.

Slated to be unveiled on the floor of the Detroit Auto Show on January 11, the nominees have been whittled down from 25 contenders to the following vehicles: In the car category, the Buick LaCrosse, Ford Fusion Hybrid and Volkswagen Golf will be waiting nervously in the wings, and in the truck category, the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Transit Connect, and Subaru Outback will vie for the title.

The awards are the result of the deliberations of 49 North American automotive journalists and the winners will succeed last year’s winners, the Hyundai Genesis sedan and Ford F-150 pickup. Check out a high-res gallery of this year’s finalists below, peruse the official press release after the jump, and then let us know which vehicles you think deserve to take home the hardware in Comments.

[Source: North American Car & Truck of the Year]

Continue reading North American Car and Truck of the Year awards get shortlisted – Who are your winners?

North American Car and Truck of the Year awards get shortlisted – Who are your winners? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video games that accompany movies have long had an invisible “Don’t buy” category for gamers. That didn’t happen by accident, reviews and past experiences would tell you that coming near that shelf is a bad idea. Still,

During a December 15 interview with Fox Business Network, Peter Gray discusses what has been happening in Copenhagen and how the talks there could change the way companies do business in the US.

To watch the interview, please visit: http://video.mww.com/ftpupload/FTPinbox/15/FoxBiz-Gray-12-15-09.wmv.

SAN FRANCISCO – Phil Angelides, chairman of the Apollo Alliance, today released the following statement praising President Obama’s decision to expand the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit by $5 billion, a move the administration expects will support an additional $15 billion in total capital investment in domestic clean energy manufacturing:

“The president’s decision to boost domestic job growth by expanding tax incentives for clean energy manufacturing facilities is another welcome sign that this administration is committed to making America a leader in the global clean energy economy.

“The Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit program, which supports the building and equipping of factories to make the products of the green economy, has been wildly successful since its inception. This much-needed influx of funds will help maximize private sector investment in clean energy production facilities while generating tens of thousands of new jobs in construction and manufacturing.

“Given that 70 percent of America’s clean energy components and systems are currently manufactured abroad – which means valuable, well-paying jobs that should be filled by American workers are instead going overseas – we need to seize every opportunity to enhance our ability to make the products of the clean energy economy in America and bring those jobs back home.

“We also encourage the president and Congress to make a long-term commitment to the country’s clean energy manufacturing sector by including the provisions of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown’s Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology Act in any jobs creation package. By doing so, we can ensure that America’s manufacturers have the funds they need to become more energy efficient and expand into the global clean energy marketplace.”

In early December, the Apollo Alliance released a clean energy investment plan that, if enacted, would create up to 1.2 million domestic jobs while increasing U.S. energy security and climate stability. The 5-point plan, meant for inclusion in a larger Congressional and administration strategy to spur economic recovery and create jobs, focused on several areas the president has identified as key to short-term job creation, including transportation infrastructure, energy efficiency and renewables, and domestic clean energy manufacturing.

For more information, visit ApolloAlliance.org.

###

The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of labor, business, environmental and community leaders working to catalyze a clean energy revolution that will put millions of Americans to work in a new generation of high-quality, green-collar jobs.

Despite AT&T’s low key approach to the LG eXpo LG is pushing out the boat on its launch, recruiting television personality Kristin Adams to promote the smartphone.

Above is her short review, and apparently she will be wandering around with the pico-projector permanently in place.

Hopefully we will see a lot more of Kristin and the LG eXpo over the next few weeks.

Howard Dean said on CNBC this morning that it would be a good move for investors to buy health insurance stocks if the so-called “reform” passes, implying the whole thing was becoming a gigantic giveaway to entrenches business.

Well, too late.

Investors picked up on that awhile ago.

Bespoke points out that several healthcare-related ETFs have been on fire. Here’s just one, the Health Care Providers (IHF) ETF.

 

Just think, there were some people who sold their shares, say, in late September and early October, because they actually thought that our government would turn the screws to huge, private companies. Ha!

See more charts at Bespoke >>

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See Also:

• Lieberman Threatens To Go GOP In 2012, Torpedoing All Hopes Of Getting To 60 On Healthcare
• Senators Forced To Fly Blind To Beat The Christmas Healthcare Deadline
• Howard Dean: You May Want To Buy Health Insurance Stocks If This Thing Passes

A bunch of folks have sent in this story of former South Dakota state Rep. Ted Alvin Klaudt, who was convicted of raping his two foster daughters a couple years ago, and who is now claiming that his name is covered by copyright, so no one can report on it. More specifically, he’s trying to claim a “common law copyright.” Unfortunately for Mr. Klaudt, except in extremely limited circumstances, the US does not recognize “common law copyright.” He’s demanding written permission to use his name in a news report, and has apparently demanded anywhere from $500,000 to $2 million for each “unauthorized” use. Apparently Klaudt, despite having been a former lawmaker, is unfamiliar with the basics of the law. Perhaps he can use his time in prison — where he will most likely be for quite some time — to study up.

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Ever wonder how much the PS3 and Wii have sold so far in Japan? Enterbrain, the publisher behind the weekly Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, has the answers.

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Sedan, BMW, Luxury

When the latest generation of BMW‘s big 7 Series went on sale in the U.S. early this year, buyers had a choice of either the marvelous twin-turbocharged and direct-injected 400-hp 4.4-liter V8 or the supremely impressive twin-turbo, 535-hp V12. A hybrid version of the 7 also goes on sale here in a few months, still mated to the V8. Since day one, European drivers have also had a pair of six-cylinder options fueled by either gasoline or diesel. BMW still hasn’t committed to a 7 Series diesel for the U.S., but today has confirmed will be getting the sweet gas-powered I-6.

The 740i and 740LI both come to the U.S. market in spring 2010 powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter six. In 740 trim, the six cranks out 315 hp and 330 pound-feet, up a bit from the 300/300 ratings in the smaller 335i. The 740 engine does retain the direct injection and variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust. This new model also marks the U.S. debut of brake energy regeneration on a non-hybrid BMW. Interestingly, BMW has opted to retain the 7’s 6-speed automatic transmission rather than upgrading to the new 8-speed found in the hybrid and the new 5 Series.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Detroit Preview: 2011 BMW 740 brings six-cylinder power back to the 7

Detroit Preview: 2011 BMW 740 brings six-cylinder power back to the 7 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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