E hoje pretendo dar fim à série dos motores Cosworth na F1, falando da série  denominada CR e suas variantes.

Na terceira parte da história eu falei a respeito da série Zetec. É verdade que a história ficou pobre, no que diz respeito à evolução do motor e modificações feitas por preparadores particulares porque falta fontes na internet. Porém, a partir deste ponto ficou um pouco mais fácil, pois a história do motor é compartilhada com várias equipes.

Sauber de 1996

A partir de 1996 a Cosworth passa a fornecer motores para a equipe Sauber, única equipe a andar com os motores ingleses neste ano. Os motores fornecidos eram os novos Zetec-R 3.0 de 10 cilindros em V, montado num ângulo de 72º. Pesava 120 kg e rendia ao redor de 670 à 690 cv. A diferença de potência existe porque na época os motores de qualificação eram mais potentes e feitos somente para essa finalidade. Os motores de corrida eram mais fracos, porém confiáveis. O melhor resultado alcançado foi um pódio com Herbert em Mônaco e dois quarto lugares com Frentzen.

Já em 97, a Ford-Cosworth começa sua trajetória com a equipe formada pelo tri-campeão Jackie Stewart. Foi neste ano que Barrichello conquistou segundo lugar em Mônaco. O motor recebeu melhorias e passou a render 720 CV para corrida e 730 CV para a qualificação. Era um bom motor, mas o carro quebrava demais e o brasileiro só terminou mais duas corridas na temporada. Além de fornecer para a Stewart, a Cosworth fornecia motores para a Lola e Tyrrell, mas na versão de 8 cilindros.

Barrichello comemora o pódio em Mônaco – 1997

Em 98 eles continuaram com a parceria com a equipe Stewart e ainda forneceram os mesmos motores para a Tyrrell e Minardi. Nenhum resultado surpreendente, mas a Stewart estava evoluindo a cada dia que passa e a Ford se envolve cada vez mais com a equipe. Já os motores Zetec-R ficaram em atividade até o ano de 2001, quando eram desenvolvidos pela European e equipavam os carros da equipe Minardi.

Em 1999 a Stewart passa ser a principal equipe a receber os motores da Ford-Cosworth. Neste ano, a Cosworth passa a fornecer uma nova gama de motores, denominada CR-1, 20 kg mais leve que o último motor Zetec e com uma série de melhorias mecânicas. Foi no ano de 1999 que a Cosworth volta ao lugar mais alto do pódio, com o inglês Johnny Herbert vencendo o GP da Europa, em Nurburgring. Além disso, Herbert e Barrichello conseguiram vários resultados expressivos durante a temporada.

Vitória de Herbert  e da Stewart no ano de 99

Barrichello e sua Stewart em Spa, 1999

A temporada de 1999 havia sido muito boa para a Stewart que conquistou o quarto lugar no mundial de construtores, uma coisa inimaginável para uma equipe que havia sido criada a dois anos e que vinha de uma fraca temporada no ano anterior. Como o envolvimento com a equipe crescia cada vez mais, a Ford resolve comprar a equipe, que passa a se chamar Jaguar. Porém, a investida da Ford com uma equipe própria não foi feliz, como veremos mais adiante.

No ano 2000, a Cosworth lança o CR-2, um 3.0 V10 2OHC, 4 válvulas por cilindro. Pesava 97 kg e o número de rpm alcançado era bem maior que seu antecessor, chegando aos 18000 giros. Porém, o início de temporada foi um fiasco, com a equipe conseguindo pontuar somente na 7ª corrida da temporada, um quarto lugar conquistado por Irvine em Mônaco. Depois disso, voltaram a pontuar somente na última etapa, com um sexto lugar de Irvine no GP na Malásia. Um péssimo ano para a Ford e para a Cosworth.

Estréia da Ford na F1 foi terrível

Para o ano de 2001, a Cosworth desenvolveu melhorias ao motor, que recebeu a denominação de CR-3. Nesta versão, o novo V10 desenvolvia 840 CV à 18500 rpm. Em comparação com os outros motores da época, o CR-3 era um motor moderno, que rendia potência suficiente para fazer frente aos demais construtores, sendo somente 10 cv mais fraco que os BMW’s que equipavam a Williams em 2001. Só isso já mostra o quanto o carro da Jaguar era ruim. Mais uma fez a equipe decepciona, conquistando apenas 9 pontos durante todo o campeonato. Consegue o primeiro pódio da equipe, com um terceiro lugar de Irvine em Mônaco. E só.

Em 2002 o motor passa por algumas melhorias e passa a se chamar CR-4, enquanto os CR-3 eram entregues para a Arrows. Mas as coisas não iam bem para a Jaguar, que sofreu com muitas quebras e abandonos. Conseguiram seus primeiros pontos somente no GP da Bélgica, o 14º no ano, com um sexto lugar de Irvine. No GP seguinte a equipe consegue seu último pódio na F1, com um 3º de Irvine. O motor CR-4 já não batia mais de frente com os adversários, era hora de outra mudança.

Em 2003, a Cosworth apresenta o CR-5, um V10 compacto e mais leve que os anteriores, com uma arquitetura nova e formando um “v” de 90º. Além disso, forneceu motores para as equipes Minardi (CR-3) e Jordan (Cosworth RS1). A Jaguar foi um pouco melhor com Webber, que entrou no lugar do aposentado Irvine. Neste ano, Webber ia muito bem nos treinos e muito mal nas provas. No final das contas, o time conseguiu somar 18 pontos. Mas neste ano tem tudo foi perdido para a Cosworth. A Jordan de Giancarlo Fisichella venceu o GP do Brasil em 2003. Foi a última vitória da Ford e da Jordan na Fórmula 1.

A bagunça na entrada da reta dos boxes

*Eu estava lá, sentado na arquibancada de frente pro “S” do Senna. Foi realmente uma bagunça, Barrichello pintou e bordou na corrida, estava ganhando o GP, mas a Ferrari deixou ele sem gasolina. Uma p#@%ta sacanagem. Houve uma série de batidas durante a corrida por causa da aquaplanagem. Webber bateu na subida reta dos boxes. Depois disso, Alonso acabou acertando os restos do carro de Webber. Por causa deste incidente, a corrida foi interrompida e a vitória caiu no colo de Fisichella.

No ano de 2004 a Jaguar mantém Webber e contrata o novato austríaco Christian Klien. O motor passa por melhorias e recebe a denominação CR-6, conhecido como  TJ2004 Série 8. Já a Jordan recebeu os motores de nomenclaturas Cosworth RS2 e o TJ2004 Série 8 e a Minardi recebeu os Cosworth CR-3L V10 (CK2004). Webber tem um desempenho inferior ao da temporada passada e Klien faz apenas três pontos na temporada. Com o melhor resultado da equipe no ano sendo um sexto lugar na Alemanha, com Webber, e na Bélgica com Klien. Depois de passar tanta vergonha, no final de 2004 a Ford sai com o rabo entre as pernas e a equipe é vendida para a Red Bull, que seria a futura cliente da Cosworth.

Acho que a Minardi andou com todos os motores disponíveis na F1

Como podem perceber, as denominações que o motor recebia eram variadas a ponto de eu ter que parar por aqui para o texto não ficar maior do que já esta.

Acredito que a próxima história seja a derradeira.

Abraços

Nada ofensivo para o Jaguar, certo?

]]> http://f1sms.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/christian-klien-diz-que-nao-negociou-com-le-mans-pela-f-1/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:55:35 +0000 f1shortmessage http://f1sms.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/christian-klien-diz-que-nao-negociou-com-le-mans-pela-f-1/

Austríaco pode retornar em 2010 à categoria pela qual competiu por quatro anos

O austríaco Christian Klien revelou que tem intenções de retornar à F-1, categoria pela qual competiu por quatro anos e testou nesta temporada, pela BMW.

Ele, inclusive, disse que protelou a assinatura de seu contrato com a Peugeot para competir na 24 Horas de Le Mans por conta de seus negociações com a principal categoria do automobilismo.

“No momento, estou focado em todas as minhas opções na F-1. Então, não posso me comprometer com a Peugeot para a Le Mans em 2010 porque o dia 13 de junho coincide com o GP do Canadá”, disse Klien.

O austríaco disputou 48 provas na F-1, pelas equipes Jaguar, Red Bull e Honda. Atualmente, Klien tem mais chances de competir pela c em 2010, caso a equipe, adquirida por um grupo suíço, consiga uma vaga no grid. As novatas Lotus, Manor e USF1 também são opções, ainda que mais distantes.

[Fonte: tazio.uol.com.br]

There is something wrong with Jaguar. I can’t point out exactly what, but I can explain it by an example. See, you meet a girl when you were eighteen. She is all very pretty and perky. But thirty years later, when you meet the same girl, now an old woman, she has become the queen of gone horribly wrong aging. What will be actually going on in your mind at that point … “Ah, all those rumors of her about hard drinking and snorting the white powder were true after all!”

Scary Aging

The same is with jaguar. Jaguar used to be the epitome of British beauties. The everlasting prettiness of a Jaguar E-type sitting on your front porch for an example. But then she decided to go communist, gained some extra pounds and developed affection for quick money from retired dentists in Florida. Instead of becoming a cougar she became an ugly dying camel.

Dental Wagon - Ugly Duckling of British Motoring.

Now, Ian Callum and his professed love towards Jaguar, is trying to save her family reputation. I cannot discount Callum as just another car designer. He is a visionary, a genius, an artist. But somehow, all his hard work does not feel right. In my dream world if Callum had designed the new S class, it would have been a huge success. In the real world though, he is designing the new luxury barge from Jaguar called the XJ. It is all good looking and futuristic and a break away from the bad aging. Even then, it doesn’t help Jaguar a little bit.

Future is a bit too late!

The old pictures of an ugly Jaguar are still very vivid in people’s minds. So are the scary stories of doors coming off and engine refusing to budge to your desperate attempt at turning the keys. It all feels like, a brilliant plastic surgeon trying to hide away all those crow feet and wrinkles under a thin layer of aluminum shell. Nobody and their accounts manager will be willing to put that kind of cash into an expensive car like the XJ, especially if you look at the fact that it is from a company with the worst financial history.

Well appointed but histrionic.

Even the company is late in recognizing its potential. If you take a closer look at the XFR, you will be amazed by the difference. Though performance wise the Brit cat is a bit behind the curve as compared to an M5, it is the best car to own and use it on a daily basis as a high performance sedan. Do you know why? It is because; it is by far the most fuel efficient high performance sedan ever. It falls into a lower tax bracket, due to its lower emissions. On the road, at stop and go traffic, it feels much more comfortable than the M5 too. Also, the nosy pretentious Prius driving neighbor of yours will never get to know, you are driving an R version of the Jag. This is because there are minimal visual cues separating it from its slower siblings. The car has minimal branding of the R badge unlike the M5. If you are like me, a big fan of the badge delete program, then you will love the Jag. Take off that R lettering, and only an auto geek can spot you as a R driving enthusiast. For all other Jack, Dick and Sally it is just the run off the mill XF.

Supercharged Brit cat musical!

But, nobody, I mean nobody in this world, wants not to be ostentatious. If you have a Bentley, you will take it to the busiest street in the world. This means, you will have to suffer the bumps on that 20 inch low profile rollers, you will scrub the front bumper against the kerb, the ten year old hawker who doesn’t know what a Bentley is: draws a nice picture of your wife’s bottom on the silver chrome body work using the one rupee coin that you threw at him, you will stop the entire traffic of the city because you have to scold your brilliant and patient driver who is putting up with your stupidity of driving a huge arse Bentley on a crowded single lane.

Bavarian over engineering marvel.

Cat from Coventry.

The sad reality is, no matter how much prettier the XFR is than the M5, how much better it feels to drive on a busy street than the M5, it will never be a legend as the M5. It will be remembered in a few corners of the world as a car that also ran for the laurels of the best high performance sedan. People will remember only vaguely, like the Lancia Stratos. This Brit cat does have a few good points in its favor, but it is way too little to be rescued by them. The Jaguar also knows very well of this sad situation. The present economy is also not helping things very much for the British legend. The car is an understated performance monster. But the time that we live in, we need everything loud and bling. The recession has not taught anybody any lesson. The only lesson that the recession has taught if at all is, even if you are poor and your business is nose diving into the cesspool of brown, smelly things, your wife and your children are unwilling to compromise on the lifestyles that they are used to. They will leave you, if you give a bit of a hint about going bankrupt, allowing you to look at an even more expensive lawyer bill. And Sadly the Jag is never part of that lifestyle.

Fun in motion.

Verdict: If the XFR was a new Mercedes, people would have been ready to forgive the stupidity of Daimler. It is that good.

Forget!

Jermain Defoe is one of the Premiership’s top strikers, hitting the back on the net five times already this season to make him the second top English-born player in the goalscoring charts.

• Used Jaguar XK Car Review
• Compare Prices of Used Jaguar XK Cars For Sale

Celebrity Big Brother star’s Jaguar for sale

A retro Jaguar XJ-S previously owned by Celebrity Big Brother star Preston is for sale on Auto Trader. The Ordinary Boys frontman was the second owner of the V12-powered 1986 Jaguar XJ-S Cabriolet.

The Jaguar XJ-S had a lot to live up to when it was revealed to the world in 1976 – following in the tyre marks left by the über-cool Jaguar E Type.

It was built during a tough time for British Leyland and was never the success Jaguar anticipated – with the final one rolling off the line in 1996.

Now you can get your hands on Preston’s old Jaguar XJ-S – which he paid £12,000 for – for £7,995.

Compare prices of used jaguar xjs cars for sale

England goalkeeper’s Jaguar for sale

A supercharged Jaguar XJR owned by Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James is for sale on Auto Trader.

A Jaguar owned by Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James is for sale on Auto Trader. James was the first owner of the 2000 Jaguar XJR, which is powered by a supercharged 4-litre V8 producing 370bhp. This power launches the luxury motor from 0-60mph in 5.3 seconds before reaching an electronically limited to speed of 155mph.

Compare prices of used jaguar xjr cars for sale

TV star’s Jaguar for sale

A Jaguar owned by comedian Dawn French is for sale on Auto Trader. French was the first owner of this 1997 Jaguar XK8 coupé. Powered by a 4-litre V8, the XK8 produces 290bhp and 290lb/ft of pulling power. This can accelerate the British sports car from 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds before reaching a limited top speed of 155mph.

Inside, the car is fitted with air-conditioning, electric windows, power steering, sports seats and CD player.

Sitting on 18-inch alloys the automatic Jag – which cost £50,000 new – boasts traction control and a private plate. It has a combined fuel economy of 22mpg, and 102,000 miles on the clock.

French made her name in the Eighties forming one half of French and Saunders. She is married to fellow comic Lenny Henry.

• Used Jaguar XK Car Review
• Compare prices of Used Jaguar Cars for Sale

Premiership star’s Jaguar for sale

A convertible Jaguar once owned by Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy is for sale on Auto Trader. The 1999 XK is powered by a 4-litre V8, producing 290bhp. Sitting on 20-inch alloys, the Jag accelerates from 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds and has a limited top speed of 155mph.

Inside, the convertible boasts climate control, CD player, sports seats and a full leather interior.

• Used Jaguar XK Car Review
• Compare prices of Used Jaguar Cars for Sale

England star’s Jaguar XK8 for sale

A Jaguar formerly owned by Manchester United and England star Rio Ferdinand is for sale on Auto Trader. Powered by a 4-litre V8, the 1999 Jaguar XK8 convertible produces 290bhp. This power enables acceleration from 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 155mph.

Inside, the Jag is equipped with front and side airbags, air-conditioning, leather seats and a CD multi-changer.

Jaguar XK based on Kate’s curves

Hollywood star Kate Winslet has revealed the Jaguar XK is based on her curves.

The British actress told American chat show host Jay Leno: “Apparently, the man who designed this Jaguar car decided that I – for whatever reason – was the ideal woman. It’s kind of flattering.”

Football star Michael Owen’s old Jaguar for sale

How would you like to get your hands on a Jaguar – with Premiership appeal? England hero Michael Owen was the proud owner of this Jaguar XKR.

Saturday, it was announced that Rolls Royce would be joining Volvo in making HD radio a standard component across all its lines for 2010!  This comes quick on the heels of an announcement from Mercedes-Benz that HD will be in all its 2010 models that have “premium feature packages.” Looks like HD has locked on with the luxury car aficionados!

That is one heck of a brand association. Rolls Royce has been known for refinement and luxury since before World War II. It is a name that has stood the test of time and retained its noble bearing throughout. The Phantom, for example,  is to cars as a tuxedo-clad James Bond is to espionage (the Sean Connery Bond). To have HD radio become a standard firmly affixes the growing medium in the luxury market and the luxury mindset.

Here is the statement from iBiquity via Radio Ink:

“We are proud to confirm the availability of HD Radio technology for yet another prestigious brand — Rolls-Royce,” iBiquity COO Jeff Jury said. “The Rolls-Royce brand is revered. This commitment to HD Radio technology as standard illustrates how digital radio’s dynamic function enhances the in-car ambiance. The addition of Rolls-Royce to the HD Radio roster truly solidifies the technology’s stature in the luxury automotive class.”

Rolls Royce  joins an array of other car makers in offering HD either as a standard or an option: BMW, Hyundai, Jaguar, Mercedes, Mini, Scion, Land Rover and Volvo. In addition, Audi, Ford, Kia, Lincoln and Mercury are soon to join their ranks and have committed to offering HD as well. Now that approximately 85% of the US is covered by HD signals, it looks like it could be a great time for a road trip!

It’s really fun watching a medium grow up. There are always growing pains, but the process always seems to yield fascinating results.  As each quarter slips by, we see more maturity in the HD radio platform. Not only are the high-end auto makers adding it in as a standard, but there is now a HD listening option for the iPhone. (See my earlier post.) The times are certainly changing, and as far as HD is concerned, changing for the better!

2010 Aston Martin V8 Vantage vs 2010 Jaguar XKR

Super Cars

www.autorivals.net

2010 Jaguar XKR vs A Catfish

Super Cars

www.autorivals.net

We also saw a jaguar but he was so stressed about the whole cage thing he just kept going back and forth and back and forth behind the bars so I was never able to get a good photo of him. He didn’t look happy at all and it made us all quite sad. I didn’t get any photos of my favourite wild animal in the whole world – the  lynxes either. They were sleeping but a bit too far away and my camera don’t reach that far (that’s why I wish for a new camera ) but they looked very cute and cuddly and I think I asked boyfriend to give me one for my big 25:th coming up soon like a hundred times. He said I’d get one. He also said I’d get a tiger, a lion baby, some monkeys, a zebra, and that I could have a giraffe down on the street and it could reach up with it’s tall neck to our balcony on the fifth floor. We’ll have to keep the zebra in somebody other’s apartment of course – otherwise the tiger and the lion will eat it. I even suggested that me and Linda (my special lady friend) could have shared custody over a tiger. I think it’s very clever. That way we can repair everything he’s destroyed (chewed furniture, limbs) one week and let him come over the next.

I went to Villa Flores with Bruce Fergusson to do some filming today. On the way back we stopped at a small private zoo. They had six jaguars there; I’m not sure why a small zoo would have so many endangered jaguars. Anyway, we were able to get pretty close to them and I got this picture of a young jaguar.

Nope, not home…the local Zoo

It was such a gorgeous day out, I decided to take the kids to the Zoo while Mike was working. Yep – just me with all 3 kids! I put the Monkey leash on Logan (because I knew he wouldn’t want to stay in his stroller, and there was no way I’d be keeping up with three kids while pushing a(n empty) stroller.)

At the Wolf Exibit

The wolves got really close!

Logan at the Wolf Cave

Maggie at the Wolf Cave

At the Monkey Exibit

"Look at that one!!"

"What's that?!"

"Nice kitty"

"She rolled over!"

Seems a little close to me...

They were *really* good. We even played at the Zoo playground for a while.

Cheryl over at Twinfatuation hosts this one. Go over and have a look at what others are doing on this dreary Saturday.

Drifting

Ambitionat de Stig, care si-a aratat calitatile de pilot chiar si incaltat intr-o pereche inconfortabila de cizme de cauciuc, Jeremy Clarkson si-a pus in picioare o pereche de labe de scafandru si s-a urcat la volanul unui Jaguar  XKR Convertible.

De ce tocmai Jaguar? Pentru ca starul emisiunii Top Gear mai avea ceva…

Vezi cum face Jeremy Clarkson drifturi incaltat in labe de scafandru pe auto.ro

Es increíble ver como se lo montan.

a^4

(Photo by Junko Kimura/Getty Images)

Jakarta, 20 November 2009 - “Luar biasa”. Begitulah kalimat yang tepat untuk menggambarkan pasar mobil mewah di Indonesia. Betapa tidak, di tengah pemberitaan lesunya perekonomian dunia akibat krisis keuangan di Amerika yang kemudian menyebar ke berbagai belahan dunia, ternyata permintaan mobil mewah di Indonesia terus bertumbuh.

Pertumbuhan penjualan rata-rata mencapai 10 – 15 persen. “Permintaan di wilayah Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang dan Bekasi melalui importir umum tahun ini mencapai 200 unit. Kalau total penjualan diperkirakan mencapai 4.000 unit atau 10 persen dari total penjualan mobil nasional,” tutur Bimo Bagus Prabowo, Manajer Cabang RHYS salah satu importir umum mobil mewah, di Jakarta, Jumat (20/11).

Bahkan sejak diizinkannya importir umum untuk mendatangkan mobil mewah dalam wujud utuh (completely built up/CBU) pada 1999 lalu, jumlah yang diimpor telah mencapai 2.000 – 2.500 unit. Pada 2010 mendatang, Bimo memperkirakan permintaan mobil premium melalui importir umum itu akan mencapai 200 – 250 unit.

“Kalau melihat pertumbuhan ekonomi yang positif, kondisi politik dan keamanan yang kondusif, saya optimitis bisa sebesar itu,” aku dia.

Sebelumnya, Rudi Borgenheimer Presiden Direktur PT Mercedes Benz Indonesia, di Jakarta, Kamis (22/10) lalu, mengatakan dari data yang dihimpun PT MBI, diperkirakan peningkatan penjualan mobil mewah di Indonesia pada 2009 ini mencapai 12 persen dibanding 2008.

Ia menyebut, total penjualan diperkirakan mencapai 4.050 unit meningkat dari 2008 yang sebesar 2.931 unit. Namun, itu baru angka dari importir khusus belum termasuk importir umum.

Hingga September lalu, kata Rudi, penjualan mobil mewah mencapai 2.022 unit atau naik 3 persen dari periode yang sama 2008 yang sebesar 1.972 unit.

Dari total penjualan tersebut, Mercedes menggenggam 69 persen pangsa pasar diikuti BMW 21, 1 persen, Lexus 6,1 persen, Audi 2,1 persen, Jaguar 1 persen, Volvo 0,8 persen, dan sisanya berbagai merek.

Sedangkan Bimo menyebut, di kalangan importir umum, mobil CBU yang paling banyak diminati konsumen adalah varian Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) Toyota Alphard dan Elgrand. “Porsinya bisa mencapai 40 – 50 persen. Lainnya bervariasi mulai dari Sport Utility Vehicle, Jip, sedan, sampai city car,” tandas dia.

Namun, sebut Bimo, sejak tiga tahun terakhir, permintaan mobil jip premium Hummer H2 dan H3 terus meningkat. Meski belum sebesar Alphard dan Elgrand namun permintaan hampir merata dari seluruh kota-kota besar di Indonesia.

“Permintaan sekitar 10 persen dari total mobil yang diimpor oleh importir unit. Soal harga, bervariasi karena ada beberapa aksesoris yang sifatnya optional ditawarkan oleh importir,” ujarnya.

Untuk menggenjot penjualan mobil mewah itu, RHYS sebagai salah satu importir, Minggu (22/11) menggelar turing dengan Hummer H3 Limousin berkeliling Jakarta bersama para konsumen yang selama ini membeli mobil dari RHYS. “Selain existing customer kami, juga calon pembeli potensial,” terang Bimo.

RHYS merupakan salah satu divisi dari Aldira Group. RHYS juga tercatat sebagai salah satu dari 15 importir umum yang ada di wilayah Jakarta.

Sumber foto

@seriouswheels

Elvin Perelli walked out the front door to look at his new car. Elvin was very proud of his investment, a bright, shiny Lexus with a leather interior…with a lease that in about a year-and-a-half he wouldn’t be able to afford. But for now, he was happy with his life: new house, new car, new wife, and twins on the way. A two-car garage was his boyhood dream. And he was in the “business” — location manager for the hit Saturday morning kids’ show “Fillmore High School, U.S.A.”. Now he had it all.

Things change. People change. But 250 pounds is a lot for a 5-foot-4 Jewish schmuck from Encino to carry around. At 45, his doctor told him to lose about 100 pounds and quit smoking, or he only had about six months of quality life to look forward to.

“How about a triple bypass, emphysema, lung cancer, and an aneurysm — most likely resulting in a coma,” said Dr. Sanderson, the cardiologist.

“Sure. That’s easy for you to say. You’re making six hundred dollars an hour,” said Elvin.

“In my professional opinion, money has nothing to do with it,” the doctor replied.

“Stick the money up your ass. And your 2008 Jaguar XKR Convertible, too,” said the fat man.

“Take two aspirin, and call me in three months,” came the reply.

Back on the home front, Melissa was baking cookies and whistling “The Sound of Music”, while Jerry Springer was scolding a guest in the background. The sounds of children playing next door gave the happy housewife a sense of community. Ten years younger than her husband, she was just happy to be married. Her looks left a little to be desired, if you get the picture, and she wasn’t a hundred percent upstairs. But she got her man, Elvin Perelli, all 250 pounds of him. And she wanted to have those cookies ready when he arrived…which would be any minute.

Guess what? A brand new Lexus just pulled into the driveway, screeching to a halt. Mrs. Perelli looked out the window and saw Elvin squeeze out of the driver side. She smiled. She was living the American dream.

http://www.paulsolomon.blogspot.com

Elvin Perelli walked out the front door to look at his new car. Elvin was very proud of his investment, a bright, shiny Lexus with a leather interior…with a lease that in about a year-and-a-half he wouldn’t be able to afford. But for now, he was happy with his life: new house, new car, new wife, and twins on the way. A two-car garage was his boyhood dream. And he was in the “business” — location manager for the hit Saturday morning kids’ show “Fillmore High School, U.S.A.”. Now he had it all.

Things change. People change. But 250 pounds is a lot for a 5-foot-4 Jewish schmuck from Encino to carry around. At 45, his doctor told him to lose about 100 pounds and quit smoking, or he only had about six months of quality life to look forward to.

“How about a triple bypass, emphysema, lung cancer, and an aneurysm — most likely resulting in a coma,” said Dr. Sanderson, the cardiologist.

“Sure. That’s easy for you to say. You’re making six hundred dollars an hour,” said Elvin.

“In my professional opinion, money has nothing to do with it,” the doctor replied.

“Stick the money up your ass. And your 2008 Jaguar XKR Convertible, too,” said the fat man.

“Take two aspirin, and call me in three months,” came the reply.

Back on the home front, Melissa was baking cookies and whistling “The Sound of Music”, while Jerry Springer was scolding a guest in the background. The sounds of children playing next door gave the happy housewife a sense of community. Ten years younger than her husband, she was just happy to be married. Her looks left a little to be desired, if you get the picture, and she wasn’t a hundred percent upstairs. But she got her man, Elvin Perelli, all 250 pounds of him. And she wanted to have those cookies ready when he arrived…which would be any minute.

Guess what? A brand new Lexus just pulled into the driveway, screeching to a halt. Mrs. Perelli looked out the window and saw Elvin squeeze out of the driver side. She smiled. She was living the American dream.

http://www.paulsolomon.blogspot.com

Wie Macwelt.de gestern berichtete, gibt es erste Hinweise auf das zukünftige Mac-Betriebssystem Mac OS 10.7.

In der Raubkatzen-Reihe des beliebten Betriebssystemes gab es bisher “Cheetah” (10.0), ”Puma” (10.1), “Jaguar” (10.2), Panther® (10.3), Tiger® (10.4), Leopard® (10.5) und den aktuellen “Snow Leopard”® (10.6).

Wie wird wohl das OS X 10.7 heißen? Lion? Wenn die Markenrechte des bekannten Schokoriegel dadurch nicht verletzt werden, wäre dies eine durchaus denkbare Option. Auch “Sibirian Tiger” klingt nach Apple-Like. Lassen wir uns überraschen.

Die mit ® gekennzeichneten Namen sind eingetragene Marken von Apple. Quelle: Wikipedia.de

Since I have started working here at Rennology, I have seen some awesome cars- cars that I have only dreamed of owning.  Included in this list are a Maserati, a Ferrari, and an Aston Martin.  And then there are the numerous different Porsches, the BMW 7-series, and Mercedes that cost 6-figures.  With me liking cars as much as I do, this has become an experience that I never would have thought I would be having- being able to see these cars up close and personal.  It is very different from seeing the cars in the different auto shows that Chicago hosts (Chicago Auto Show, Hot Import Nights, DUB Show, World of Wheels, etc.)  Here, I can take pictures without worrying about dozens of people walking in front of me or bumping into me like they do at the auto shows.  I can take my time to get those shots I want, and I don’t have to worry about just holding my camera up in the air above dozens of heads while hoping that the picture came out clear.  It’s nice to be able to see these cars without tons of other people around gawking at them. 

So what makes the cars that come through our shop different from the shiny new cars that sit in the auto shows?  Well, the cars I see actually belong to somebody- they aren’t just there for show.  And because they belong to somebody, they have something that the cars in the shows are lacking- and that is personality.  These cars have personality.  These cars are driven by our customers on roads in our area.  They don’t  just sit on a large podium with big bright lights shining down.  The cars that come through our shop offer little tidbits that cannot be seen in “car-show-cars” such as a pack of gum sitting in the passenger seat or a dangly ”thing” hanging from their rearview mirror.  And sometimes, there is even a good-smelling air freshener when first getting in the car.  Not only that, but the cars in our shop have actual license plates on them!  Have you ever seen any of those on a “car-show-car?” 

These are some of the cars I mentioned earlier, so take a look and enjoy =)

The British car show Top Gear recently drove the new Jaguar XFR. While going through the test drive,  Jeremy Clarkson, a host of the show, dared to compare the XFR to the esteemed M5. In typical Top Gear fashion, the M5 showed up to defend its honor.  Who won? Have a look.