These are hilarious and painful reminders on what older Italian supercars are all about... enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JalEKpOiS3g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3Y6hzQjVcU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8uN8uVOkx8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGkDfFyl4Dw
Friday, November 9, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Pagani Zonda Video
Here's a high quality video on the design to the making of a Zonda...
http://www.supercarmovies.com/html/interface.html
http://www.supercarmovies.com/html/interface.html
Reason To Wear Seatbelts
Driver Hit, Killed By His Car
By Stephen Thompson of The Tampa Tribune
Published: October 29, 2007
ST. PETERSBURG - In a bizarre one-car wreck early Sunday, the driver was thrown from his own car as it spun out of control – then the car ricocheted off a building and struck the driver, killing him, St. Petersburg police said.
The driver was identified as Jonneth Correa, 20, of St. Petersburg.
At 1:12 a.m. Sunday, Correa was driving down 38th Avenue North at a high rate of speed when he decided to try to beat a changing stoplight, St. Petersburg Traffic Homicide Investigator Mike Jockers says in a written statement.
The Honda he was driving flew into the air, struck the center median, slid sideways and then hit an above-ground city water meter, Jockers said. It then struck a tree, causing it to spin violently counterclockwise. In the process, Correa, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the Honda, and the young man struck a building at 4957 38th Ave. N.
The Honda then struck the same building and then struck Correa, Jockers said.
A 21-year-old passenger in the Honda was wearing a seat belt and was treated at an area hospital for minor injuries.
Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.
By Stephen Thompson of The Tampa Tribune
Published: October 29, 2007
ST. PETERSBURG - In a bizarre one-car wreck early Sunday, the driver was thrown from his own car as it spun out of control – then the car ricocheted off a building and struck the driver, killing him, St. Petersburg police said.
The driver was identified as Jonneth Correa, 20, of St. Petersburg.
At 1:12 a.m. Sunday, Correa was driving down 38th Avenue North at a high rate of speed when he decided to try to beat a changing stoplight, St. Petersburg Traffic Homicide Investigator Mike Jockers says in a written statement.
The Honda he was driving flew into the air, struck the center median, slid sideways and then hit an above-ground city water meter, Jockers said. It then struck a tree, causing it to spin violently counterclockwise. In the process, Correa, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the Honda, and the young man struck a building at 4957 38th Ave. N.
The Honda then struck the same building and then struck Correa, Jockers said.
A 21-year-old passenger in the Honda was wearing a seat belt and was treated at an area hospital for minor injuries.
Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.
Street Fire Films Experiences Major Theft of Equipment After SEMA
My friends at Street Fire Films www.streetfire.com got home from a successful SEMA. Unfortunately after they returned, all of the film equipment and film footage was stolen from their facilities in Culver City.
Spread the word to everyone that this happened and to keep their eyes open for their equipment if it pops up.
Thanks everyone for spreading the word for me.
Brad
Spread the word to everyone that this happened and to keep their eyes open for their equipment if it pops up.
Thanks everyone for spreading the word for me.
Brad
J Mays Overhauling Ford's Design
He is finally figuring out that the world hates most of his designs (like his Art Center alumnus Chris Bangle at BMW). The key is whether this move comes too late for him or Ford. The Mustang is about the only silver lining at Ford that is keeping this hulk alive by artifical means... this is what you get when you are believing your own press J!
Personally, I think that they should kick him (and Thomas) out like the folks at Pinanfarina did to Okuyama san.
Brad
J Mays set to overhaul Ford's global design
Posted Nov 6th 2007 8:56AM by Dan RothFiled under: Trends, Etc., Ford
Rather than have disparate design wings flung across the globe, all speaking in a different tongue, Ford's tasking J Mays with teaching everyone the design equivalent of Esperanto. The new, unified, global design language will replace the "Kinetic Design" that Ford of Europe employs, as well as superseding the "Bold American" motif we get here in the United States. We're not likely to see the Edge pick up any Mondeo themes any time soon, but Mays is looking forward about six years to see the convergence come to fruition on a new generation of vehicles.
Ford is looking inward, trying to divest some of the PAG largesse while simultaneously reinvigorating the core Ford brand. New, cohesive, and most of all exciting design is key to transforming Ford, and Mays will serve as overlord from his London base of operations. While you'd think that something as important as global design for such a huge automaker would be cloistered in the bowels Dearborn, Mays says that Alan Mulally is comfortable with him working remote. We think it will be good to have the design chief living abroad, able to take in a wider sampling of automotive fashion than what we can find here in the US.
Besides, we're sure there's an XK in the Mays garage, ready to rip on down to Carnaby Street to study fashionistas in their natural habitat.
Personally, I think that they should kick him (and Thomas) out like the folks at Pinanfarina did to Okuyama san.
Brad
J Mays set to overhaul Ford's global design
Posted Nov 6th 2007 8:56AM by Dan RothFiled under: Trends, Etc., Ford
Rather than have disparate design wings flung across the globe, all speaking in a different tongue, Ford's tasking J Mays with teaching everyone the design equivalent of Esperanto. The new, unified, global design language will replace the "Kinetic Design" that Ford of Europe employs, as well as superseding the "Bold American" motif we get here in the United States. We're not likely to see the Edge pick up any Mondeo themes any time soon, but Mays is looking forward about six years to see the convergence come to fruition on a new generation of vehicles.
Ford is looking inward, trying to divest some of the PAG largesse while simultaneously reinvigorating the core Ford brand. New, cohesive, and most of all exciting design is key to transforming Ford, and Mays will serve as overlord from his London base of operations. While you'd think that something as important as global design for such a huge automaker would be cloistered in the bowels Dearborn, Mays says that Alan Mulally is comfortable with him working remote. We think it will be good to have the design chief living abroad, able to take in a wider sampling of automotive fashion than what we can find here in the US.
Besides, we're sure there's an XK in the Mays garage, ready to rip on down to Carnaby Street to study fashionistas in their natural habitat.
Unique Performance Raided By Police
Exotic Car Company Raided In Farmers Branch
Stephanie LuceroReporting
(CBS 11 News) DALLAS Imagine spending six figures on an exotic car and never receiving the vehicle.That's what Farmers Branch police said happened to customers who bought from a company called Unique Performance. The company restored Shelby Mustangs, a limited-edition muscle car, for a price of $200,000 per car. Monday, police confiscated all 61 vintage cars from the company. Many of the cars could be worthless because the vehicle identification number has been removed. Steel plates with illegitimate numbers covered up the scratched areas. Police believe the company was involved in title-washing.
Check out the video at the link...
http://cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_309192500.html
Stephanie LuceroReporting
(CBS 11 News) DALLAS Imagine spending six figures on an exotic car and never receiving the vehicle.That's what Farmers Branch police said happened to customers who bought from a company called Unique Performance. The company restored Shelby Mustangs, a limited-edition muscle car, for a price of $200,000 per car. Monday, police confiscated all 61 vintage cars from the company. Many of the cars could be worthless because the vehicle identification number has been removed. Steel plates with illegitimate numbers covered up the scratched areas. Police believe the company was involved in title-washing.
Check out the video at the link...
http://cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_309192500.html
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Small Block Chevy Quadracycle
SEMA 2007: Small Block Chevy Quadracycle
Featuring such luxury amenities as power rack and pinion steering and a 425 horsepower 383 cubic-inch Chevrolet small block is the Bourget's Shredder F-80 Quadracycle. This beast is designed to attract that group of the motorgoing public that wants to ride a motorcycle, but can't be bothered screwing around with just two wheels. A quick change rear differential puts the power to the ground through a pair of Porsche 930 constant velocity joints and what will certainly be a short-lived set of Avon tires. A mere 90K will put you in on the driver's seat. Press release and specifications after the jump.
Bourget's Bike Works Introduces New Small Block Powered Quadracycle for 2008
Phoenix, AZ - Bourget's Bike Works, manufacturers of highly sought after custom motorcycles and accessories, announced the newest addition to the 2008 model lineup crossing the boundaries into the personal transportation marketplace. On display at SEMA is the 2008 Bourget's Shredder F-80. The Shredder F-80 is the industry's first limited production V8 powered quadra-cycle being offered from Bourget's Bike Works beginning January 2008.
With the look and feel of an open riding position similar to a motorcycle, but the ride,performance, and handling of a high-end sports car, the Shredder bridges the gap of these two types of vehicles appealing to many buyers wanting to ride a bike without the risk and worries of balancing on two wheels. Using many parts from the automotive industry including a small block Chevrolet V8, suspension, and steering components, this vehicle appeals to many consumers in the Hot Rod industry looking for a unique vehicle to customize and enhance. Future options will include a number of engine and transmission choices that allow the end user to achieve gas mileage as high as 50MPG.
"As the personal transportation market continues to grow, I wanted to build a new breed of vehicle that customers can get excited about, feel comfortable about riding, and customize it like the hot rods of the past with relative ease" said Roger Bourget, President of Bourget's Bike Works, "These machines will appeal to a new breed of open-air rider, and change the future landscape of the performance market."
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Limited Production of 25 Per Year - MSRP - Starting at $90,000.00 USD - 425 Horsepower, 383 Fast Burn Chevrolet Crate Motor- Turbo 350 Automatic Transmission - Winters "Quick Change" Rear End- Porsche 930 CV Joints - 4-Wheel Independent Suspension - Power Rack and Pinion Steering- All Aluminum Body- Custom 17 x 12 Aluminum Wheels with AVON 330 Tires
Featuring such luxury amenities as power rack and pinion steering and a 425 horsepower 383 cubic-inch Chevrolet small block is the Bourget's Shredder F-80 Quadracycle. This beast is designed to attract that group of the motorgoing public that wants to ride a motorcycle, but can't be bothered screwing around with just two wheels. A quick change rear differential puts the power to the ground through a pair of Porsche 930 constant velocity joints and what will certainly be a short-lived set of Avon tires. A mere 90K will put you in on the driver's seat. Press release and specifications after the jump.
Bourget's Bike Works Introduces New Small Block Powered Quadracycle for 2008
Phoenix, AZ - Bourget's Bike Works, manufacturers of highly sought after custom motorcycles and accessories, announced the newest addition to the 2008 model lineup crossing the boundaries into the personal transportation marketplace. On display at SEMA is the 2008 Bourget's Shredder F-80. The Shredder F-80 is the industry's first limited production V8 powered quadra-cycle being offered from Bourget's Bike Works beginning January 2008.
With the look and feel of an open riding position similar to a motorcycle, but the ride,performance, and handling of a high-end sports car, the Shredder bridges the gap of these two types of vehicles appealing to many buyers wanting to ride a bike without the risk and worries of balancing on two wheels. Using many parts from the automotive industry including a small block Chevrolet V8, suspension, and steering components, this vehicle appeals to many consumers in the Hot Rod industry looking for a unique vehicle to customize and enhance. Future options will include a number of engine and transmission choices that allow the end user to achieve gas mileage as high as 50MPG.
"As the personal transportation market continues to grow, I wanted to build a new breed of vehicle that customers can get excited about, feel comfortable about riding, and customize it like the hot rods of the past with relative ease" said Roger Bourget, President of Bourget's Bike Works, "These machines will appeal to a new breed of open-air rider, and change the future landscape of the performance market."
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Limited Production of 25 Per Year - MSRP - Starting at $90,000.00 USD - 425 Horsepower, 383 Fast Burn Chevrolet Crate Motor- Turbo 350 Automatic Transmission - Winters "Quick Change" Rear End- Porsche 930 CV Joints - 4-Wheel Independent Suspension - Power Rack and Pinion Steering- All Aluminum Body- Custom 17 x 12 Aluminum Wheels with AVON 330 Tires
John Force Released From Hospital After 27 Days
NHRA's Force set for hospital release
Posted: Friday October 19, 2007 10:23PM; Updated: Friday October 19, 2007 10:23PM
DALLAS (AP) -- Through thousands of runs at 300-plus mph, drag-racing star John Force never spent more than a few hours laid up with injuries in the first 30 years of his career.
On Saturday, he's supposed to get out of the hospital 27 days after a horrific, replayed-around-the-world crash that broke an ankle, foot, hand and several fingers and badly damaged a knee and wrist. Among other things.
"I'm a pretty proud guy," Force told The Associated Press on Friday. "The hospital has humbled me in ways you can't imagine."
Like the day doctors who put the 14-time Funny Car champion back together brought him a steering wheel, but he couldn't grip it. Or the preschool toy with blocks that have matching holes, something therapists have used to help Force feel comfortable using his hands again.
The recovery from last month's crash at Texas Motorplex will be far from over when the 58-year-old Force gets home to Yorba Linda, Calif. The rehab sessions will continue, and he'll return to Dallas in about five weeks to have pins removed from his legs.
"Getting home will be a big step," said Force, the subject of a reality TV show on A&E called "Driving Force."
Force was injured in the Funny Car semifinals of the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals in a race against longtime rival Kenny Bernstein. The cars were traveling at more than 300 mph just after the finish line when Force's car broke in two, and the back half, including the cockpit with Force strapped in, skidded across the track.
The owner of John Force Racing plans to be back at the track for the last two NHRA events of the season, starting in Las Vegas in two weeks. His bus will have a special bed, and several devices will help him get around. He can't use crutches because of a badly dislocated left wrist.
Force said he was lucky to be alive in a crash that came six months after one of his drivers, Eric Medlen, was killed during a testing session in Gainesville, Fla. Still, Force has been working overtime in therapy to get ready for testing in January. The 2008 NHRA season starts in February.
"I can't quit now. To quit now would mean my whole life meant nothing," said Force, whose daughter, Ashley Force, and son-in-law, Robert Hight, are drivers on his team. "We're the Force family. We race. It's what we do."
Some of the biggest names in racing -- like NASCAR veterans Dale Jarrett and Rusty Wallace -- have called Force to wish him well. He talks enthusiastically about building faster and safer cars, the latter a commitment he made after Medlen's death.
"I never realized how much I missed the racing," Force said. "I watch NASCAR, I watch anything I can watch, football. I've just got to get back. I can't be an owner, let me just say that. I've got to be a driver."
Dr. Amy Wilson, medical director for the Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation, and Force's therapist, Melissa Simon, said the driver has a lot of work ahead. He can't put any weight on his left ankle for another month, and most of his time out of bed will be spent in a wheelchair or walker.
Since he's a race car driver, he'll have perhaps his biggest problem in Las Vegas. He said he won't be able to sign autographs.
"I don't want to go there and be an embarrassment," he said. "I'd love to be able to sign autographs. I will come out for pictures."
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: Friday October 19, 2007 10:23PM; Updated: Friday October 19, 2007 10:23PM
DALLAS (AP) -- Through thousands of runs at 300-plus mph, drag-racing star John Force never spent more than a few hours laid up with injuries in the first 30 years of his career.
On Saturday, he's supposed to get out of the hospital 27 days after a horrific, replayed-around-the-world crash that broke an ankle, foot, hand and several fingers and badly damaged a knee and wrist. Among other things.
"I'm a pretty proud guy," Force told The Associated Press on Friday. "The hospital has humbled me in ways you can't imagine."
Like the day doctors who put the 14-time Funny Car champion back together brought him a steering wheel, but he couldn't grip it. Or the preschool toy with blocks that have matching holes, something therapists have used to help Force feel comfortable using his hands again.
The recovery from last month's crash at Texas Motorplex will be far from over when the 58-year-old Force gets home to Yorba Linda, Calif. The rehab sessions will continue, and he'll return to Dallas in about five weeks to have pins removed from his legs.
"Getting home will be a big step," said Force, the subject of a reality TV show on A&E called "Driving Force."
Force was injured in the Funny Car semifinals of the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals in a race against longtime rival Kenny Bernstein. The cars were traveling at more than 300 mph just after the finish line when Force's car broke in two, and the back half, including the cockpit with Force strapped in, skidded across the track.
The owner of John Force Racing plans to be back at the track for the last two NHRA events of the season, starting in Las Vegas in two weeks. His bus will have a special bed, and several devices will help him get around. He can't use crutches because of a badly dislocated left wrist.
Force said he was lucky to be alive in a crash that came six months after one of his drivers, Eric Medlen, was killed during a testing session in Gainesville, Fla. Still, Force has been working overtime in therapy to get ready for testing in January. The 2008 NHRA season starts in February.
"I can't quit now. To quit now would mean my whole life meant nothing," said Force, whose daughter, Ashley Force, and son-in-law, Robert Hight, are drivers on his team. "We're the Force family. We race. It's what we do."
Some of the biggest names in racing -- like NASCAR veterans Dale Jarrett and Rusty Wallace -- have called Force to wish him well. He talks enthusiastically about building faster and safer cars, the latter a commitment he made after Medlen's death.
"I never realized how much I missed the racing," Force said. "I watch NASCAR, I watch anything I can watch, football. I've just got to get back. I can't be an owner, let me just say that. I've got to be a driver."
Dr. Amy Wilson, medical director for the Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation, and Force's therapist, Melissa Simon, said the driver has a lot of work ahead. He can't put any weight on his left ankle for another month, and most of his time out of bed will be spent in a wheelchair or walker.
Since he's a race car driver, he'll have perhaps his biggest problem in Las Vegas. He said he won't be able to sign autographs.
"I don't want to go there and be an embarrassment," he said. "I'd love to be able to sign autographs. I will come out for pictures."
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Tesla Suspends Battery Pack Business
Tesla Suspends Battery-Pack Business
Electric sports-car startup says it is 'all hands on deck' to focus on shipping cars. Think Global, which had expected to buy battery packs from Tesla, says it is turning to partnerships with Enerdel, Groupe Dassault and A123Systems.
by: Jennifer Kho
October 31, 2007
Tesla Motors is putting its battery business on hold for now to focus on producing its Roadsters, company officials said.
"Tesla Motors is doing a lot of different kinds of businesses, including the battery business, but today it's all hands on deck shipping cars," Martin Eberhard, president of technology and former CEO of Tesla Motors, told Greentech Media.
While the company is best known for its speedy sports car, the Roadster, it also had planned to sell battery packs to Think Global, a Norwegian electric-car company, for additional revenue.
Some analysts had said they liked the business model of selling batteries in addition to cars, anticipating that the car business might be farther away from mainstream-market volumes.
Now the deal seems to be off.
"Tesla said they would be happy to provide the battery, but in six months, perhaps, and we said we can't wait," said Think CEO Jan-Olaf Willums.
Willums said he first heard there might be delays in delivering the battery packs a few months ago. The news has affected Think "badly, obviously, so we are instead finding deals with other people," he said.
Think already has signed agreements with Indianapolis-based Enerdel and France-based Groupe Dassault to develop battery systems for Think's cars. The company also is in the process of signing a development deal with A123Systems, a battery startup in Watertown, Mass., he said.
All three suppliers are working on iron-phosphate versions of lithium-ion batteries for this deal, said Willums, who added that the technology that performs the best will be selected for a final contract.
With the three contracts, Think will have as many batteries as it expected to get from Tesla, he said, adding that, with the iron phosphate, "we think they will be safer than what Think has."
But Tesla is still a possible partner, he said. "We haven't decided whether we want to drop the Tesla [battery pack] or if we want to keep going and do it when they have time."
Think began producing cars in February and expects to make 500 cars this year, which it will sell to partners to get feedback. The company plans to ramp up to several thousand cars next year and 20,000 cars annually by 2009.
Willums said it isn't behind schedule yet, but that the timeline to expand production might change, depending on how the new battery packs perform in tests.
Think's new battery partners are scheduled to deliver batteries for testing in spring, and the length of the tests will depend on how the batteries perform, he said.
While he said he wishes Tesla had told Think earlier that it wouldn't be able to deliver the batteries on time, Willums said the move makes sense for Tesla.
Bringing the battery prototypes to the production phase would have cost the company a good bit of money, he said, and after announcing mass production of its Roadster would be delayed until 2008, it made sense for them to focus on the car.
"From their [business-strategy] point of view, I have a full understanding," he said. "From a contractual point of view, it's not so good, but we're all in the same boat and we were flexible enough to find some other partners."
Elon Musk, a Tesla investor and board member, said the company has not abandoned Think or the powertrain business at all.
"It is simply a question of focus being on the Roadster right now and, to a lesser extent, model 2 (codenamed White Star)," he said, referring to the four-door sedan expected to cost half of the $89,000 price tag of the Roadster when it comes out in 2008.
"The technical aspects of the battery are solved, but there is still a lot of work remaining to make battery production cost-efficient," he said. "There is no point in providing Think with an overly expensive battery."
Thilo Koslowski, a vice president and lead automotive analyst with Gartner, said Tesla is doing the right thing by focusing on getting the car right and out in a meaningful way.
"Tesla is a car manufacturer first of all, and that's the reason it achieved so much attention and interest," he said. "It's cool, it's seen as robust and it's got a good design."
It makes sense for the company to focus on the parts of its business that most differentiate the brand, he said.
"The battery is not something that will be a huge differentiation or that the company needs to focus on in-house," he said. "As in consumer products, the battery is not seen as something that makes the product distinct."
In the future, the company might decide to turn its attention back to batteries or partner with another company for the batteries, Koslowski said.
He pointed to Better Place, which raised $200 million for its plan to lease easily removable batteries for electric cars and set up battery-charging and replacing stations around the United States (See In Brief: New Choices At the Pump).
VantagePoint Venture Partners, which invested in Tesla, also invested in Better Place.
Mark Huang, a former senior vice president at GE Energy Financial Services, also said Tesla's core competency is car manufacturing.
"It's hard to do it all, the battery pack and the car," he said. "There is some significant engineering work that needs to be done for both."
Electric sports-car startup says it is 'all hands on deck' to focus on shipping cars. Think Global, which had expected to buy battery packs from Tesla, says it is turning to partnerships with Enerdel, Groupe Dassault and A123Systems.
by: Jennifer Kho
October 31, 2007
Tesla Motors is putting its battery business on hold for now to focus on producing its Roadsters, company officials said.
"Tesla Motors is doing a lot of different kinds of businesses, including the battery business, but today it's all hands on deck shipping cars," Martin Eberhard, president of technology and former CEO of Tesla Motors, told Greentech Media.
While the company is best known for its speedy sports car, the Roadster, it also had planned to sell battery packs to Think Global, a Norwegian electric-car company, for additional revenue.
Some analysts had said they liked the business model of selling batteries in addition to cars, anticipating that the car business might be farther away from mainstream-market volumes.
Now the deal seems to be off.
"Tesla said they would be happy to provide the battery, but in six months, perhaps, and we said we can't wait," said Think CEO Jan-Olaf Willums.
Willums said he first heard there might be delays in delivering the battery packs a few months ago. The news has affected Think "badly, obviously, so we are instead finding deals with other people," he said.
Think already has signed agreements with Indianapolis-based Enerdel and France-based Groupe Dassault to develop battery systems for Think's cars. The company also is in the process of signing a development deal with A123Systems, a battery startup in Watertown, Mass., he said.
All three suppliers are working on iron-phosphate versions of lithium-ion batteries for this deal, said Willums, who added that the technology that performs the best will be selected for a final contract.
With the three contracts, Think will have as many batteries as it expected to get from Tesla, he said, adding that, with the iron phosphate, "we think they will be safer than what Think has."
But Tesla is still a possible partner, he said. "We haven't decided whether we want to drop the Tesla [battery pack] or if we want to keep going and do it when they have time."
Think began producing cars in February and expects to make 500 cars this year, which it will sell to partners to get feedback. The company plans to ramp up to several thousand cars next year and 20,000 cars annually by 2009.
Willums said it isn't behind schedule yet, but that the timeline to expand production might change, depending on how the new battery packs perform in tests.
Think's new battery partners are scheduled to deliver batteries for testing in spring, and the length of the tests will depend on how the batteries perform, he said.
While he said he wishes Tesla had told Think earlier that it wouldn't be able to deliver the batteries on time, Willums said the move makes sense for Tesla.
Bringing the battery prototypes to the production phase would have cost the company a good bit of money, he said, and after announcing mass production of its Roadster would be delayed until 2008, it made sense for them to focus on the car.
"From their [business-strategy] point of view, I have a full understanding," he said. "From a contractual point of view, it's not so good, but we're all in the same boat and we were flexible enough to find some other partners."
Elon Musk, a Tesla investor and board member, said the company has not abandoned Think or the powertrain business at all.
"It is simply a question of focus being on the Roadster right now and, to a lesser extent, model 2 (codenamed White Star)," he said, referring to the four-door sedan expected to cost half of the $89,000 price tag of the Roadster when it comes out in 2008.
"The technical aspects of the battery are solved, but there is still a lot of work remaining to make battery production cost-efficient," he said. "There is no point in providing Think with an overly expensive battery."
Thilo Koslowski, a vice president and lead automotive analyst with Gartner, said Tesla is doing the right thing by focusing on getting the car right and out in a meaningful way.
"Tesla is a car manufacturer first of all, and that's the reason it achieved so much attention and interest," he said. "It's cool, it's seen as robust and it's got a good design."
It makes sense for the company to focus on the parts of its business that most differentiate the brand, he said.
"The battery is not something that will be a huge differentiation or that the company needs to focus on in-house," he said. "As in consumer products, the battery is not seen as something that makes the product distinct."
In the future, the company might decide to turn its attention back to batteries or partner with another company for the batteries, Koslowski said.
He pointed to Better Place, which raised $200 million for its plan to lease easily removable batteries for electric cars and set up battery-charging and replacing stations around the United States (See In Brief: New Choices At the Pump).
VantagePoint Venture Partners, which invested in Tesla, also invested in Better Place.
Mark Huang, a former senior vice president at GE Energy Financial Services, also said Tesla's core competency is car manufacturing.
"It's hard to do it all, the battery pack and the car," he said. "There is some significant engineering work that needs to be done for both."
Alex Zanardi to compete in NYC Marathon
Amputee race car driver Alex Zanardi to compete in NYC Marathon in handcycle category
Posted: Thursday Nov 1, 2007 2:21 PM
NEW YORK (AP) - It started as a joke.
Race car driver Alex Zanardi was chatting with a manager at a pasta manufacturer he endorses about getting involved with the New York City Marathon, for which the company, Barilla, sponsors a prerace dinner. Zanardi, who lost both legs in a horrific crash during a 2001 race, quipped that he could compete in the marathon.
Silence. Then the manager said, "You're crazy.''
To a man who returned to racing in a modified car after his accident, that was enticement, not discouragement.
"Up to that point, I was just joking. When he told me I couldn't do something,'' Zanardi said, "in my head, it's 'You've got to prove it now.'''
Next thing he knew, Zanardi, who had never used a handcycle, found himself with less than a month to prepare to race one 26.2 miles.
He will pedal a bike with his hands along the course Sunday, and not only does he intend to finish, but he hopes to post a fast time.
The 41-year-old Italian won CART championships in 1997 and '98. During a September 2001 race in Germany, Zanardi lost control of his car coming out of the pits and swerved into the path of Alex Tagliani, who hit him at about 200 mph. The impact sliced Zanardi's car in half and left him in a coma for a week.
Two years later, Zanardi returned to complete the final 12 laps he never finished. He now competes in the World Touring Car Championship.
Despite Zanardi's vow to the Barilla manager in early September, he faced some obstacles. First he had to enter - Barilla was able to get him in at the last minute. The next obstacle was finding a handcycle.
A chance meeting four years earlier provided the solution. Zanardi and another driver had been angling for the same handicapped parking space. When Zanardi got out of his car, the other man recognized him and Zanardi wound up with the business card of Vittorio Podesta, a paraplegic who went on to finish second in the handcycle category at last year's NYC Marathon.
So when Zanardi needed a handcycle, he called Podesta, who put him in touch with a man in Milan looking to sell one. Zanardi picked up his new bike while competing nearby Oct. 6.
The next day, he took it for a spin. Ever the optimist, he decided to pedal 18 miles along the Po River then turn around and head back.
Three miles into the return trip, he'd had enough.
"But I still had to do the other 15 to get back to the car,'' he said with a chuckle in a phone interview Monday. "I had no choice. I felt very stupid.''
By the end of his third workout, though, he felt fresh enough to do even more. His arms had grown strong through the necessities of life with prosthetic legs. He must rely on his upper body to sit down and stand up and to walk with the help of a cane.
Zanardi joked that "I've become like the Incredible Hulk a little bit - the only thing is I'm not green.
"The muscles were already in place. They had to be educated to move in a slightly different way.''
Citing superstition, Zanardi didn't reveal the times he has clocked in training. He did say he wants to finish somewhere in the range of 1 hour, 45 minutes to 1 hour, 50 minutes. In 2006, 17 entrants in the handcycle category went faster than 1:50. The winning time was 1:25.
Always competitive, he speculated that maybe he'll keep training and try to win next year. At the very least, he plans to keep using his handcycle.
That first time he went for a ride, under a dazzling blue sky, Zanardi relished a sensation he had so missed: his heart pounding faster and faster as only an aerobic workout can make it. After his accident, aerobic exercise was one activity difficult to recapture.
Once an avid runner, Zanardi will enter his first marathon sitting down and on three wheels. He accepted the challenge to make a statement to himself, not the world, but he knows how others have been touched by his story.
"If along the way, by things I do, people at home say, 'Look at this guy with no legs enjoying this, smiling, completing 42 kilometers with a funny bicycle; at least I could go down to the grocery store and buy a couple apples,''' Zanardi said. "I'm proud to be an inspiration, but I'd be completely wrong to do it to send a message.''
Posted: Thursday Nov 1, 2007 2:21 PM
NEW YORK (AP) - It started as a joke.
Race car driver Alex Zanardi was chatting with a manager at a pasta manufacturer he endorses about getting involved with the New York City Marathon, for which the company, Barilla, sponsors a prerace dinner. Zanardi, who lost both legs in a horrific crash during a 2001 race, quipped that he could compete in the marathon.
Silence. Then the manager said, "You're crazy.''
To a man who returned to racing in a modified car after his accident, that was enticement, not discouragement.
"Up to that point, I was just joking. When he told me I couldn't do something,'' Zanardi said, "in my head, it's 'You've got to prove it now.'''
Next thing he knew, Zanardi, who had never used a handcycle, found himself with less than a month to prepare to race one 26.2 miles.
He will pedal a bike with his hands along the course Sunday, and not only does he intend to finish, but he hopes to post a fast time.
The 41-year-old Italian won CART championships in 1997 and '98. During a September 2001 race in Germany, Zanardi lost control of his car coming out of the pits and swerved into the path of Alex Tagliani, who hit him at about 200 mph. The impact sliced Zanardi's car in half and left him in a coma for a week.
Two years later, Zanardi returned to complete the final 12 laps he never finished. He now competes in the World Touring Car Championship.
Despite Zanardi's vow to the Barilla manager in early September, he faced some obstacles. First he had to enter - Barilla was able to get him in at the last minute. The next obstacle was finding a handcycle.
A chance meeting four years earlier provided the solution. Zanardi and another driver had been angling for the same handicapped parking space. When Zanardi got out of his car, the other man recognized him and Zanardi wound up with the business card of Vittorio Podesta, a paraplegic who went on to finish second in the handcycle category at last year's NYC Marathon.
So when Zanardi needed a handcycle, he called Podesta, who put him in touch with a man in Milan looking to sell one. Zanardi picked up his new bike while competing nearby Oct. 6.
The next day, he took it for a spin. Ever the optimist, he decided to pedal 18 miles along the Po River then turn around and head back.
Three miles into the return trip, he'd had enough.
"But I still had to do the other 15 to get back to the car,'' he said with a chuckle in a phone interview Monday. "I had no choice. I felt very stupid.''
By the end of his third workout, though, he felt fresh enough to do even more. His arms had grown strong through the necessities of life with prosthetic legs. He must rely on his upper body to sit down and stand up and to walk with the help of a cane.
Zanardi joked that "I've become like the Incredible Hulk a little bit - the only thing is I'm not green.
"The muscles were already in place. They had to be educated to move in a slightly different way.''
Citing superstition, Zanardi didn't reveal the times he has clocked in training. He did say he wants to finish somewhere in the range of 1 hour, 45 minutes to 1 hour, 50 minutes. In 2006, 17 entrants in the handcycle category went faster than 1:50. The winning time was 1:25.
Always competitive, he speculated that maybe he'll keep training and try to win next year. At the very least, he plans to keep using his handcycle.
That first time he went for a ride, under a dazzling blue sky, Zanardi relished a sensation he had so missed: his heart pounding faster and faster as only an aerobic workout can make it. After his accident, aerobic exercise was one activity difficult to recapture.
Once an avid runner, Zanardi will enter his first marathon sitting down and on three wheels. He accepted the challenge to make a statement to himself, not the world, but he knows how others have been touched by his story.
"If along the way, by things I do, people at home say, 'Look at this guy with no legs enjoying this, smiling, completing 42 kilometers with a funny bicycle; at least I could go down to the grocery store and buy a couple apples,''' Zanardi said. "I'm proud to be an inspiration, but I'd be completely wrong to do it to send a message.''
Driving the Lambo Reventon
Here's a video of a drive in the Lambo carbon composite marquee car... the Reventon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDAHs1zXdjU&eurl=http://jalopnik.com/index.php?refId=318332
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDAHs1zXdjU&eurl=http://jalopnik.com/index.php?refId=318332
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