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Video: Seinfeld takes Seth Meyers out in the perfect Porsche

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche, Celebrities, Humor

The latest episode of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee features Seth Meyers of Saturday Night Live fame riding shotgun in what is a very special Porsche from host Jerry Seinfeld’s collection: a 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7. Seinfeld chose the “no-nonsense” sports car because he thought it fit his guest’s personality (Meyers thinks motorcycles “are like the cigarette of transportation”), but we enjoy the chance to see one of these rare, über-valuable Porsches being driven on city streets – and in the rain, no less! What we don’t like seeing is the Carrera RS being parallel parked behind a pick-up truck, though, fortunately, it seems that Seinfeld was able to avoid any front-end damage to the comparatively fragile Porsche.

Once at the coffee shop, the two comedians have a candid conversation about Meyers’ time with SNL, from his early days on the show when he didn’t think he was good enough to be a cast member to some of the high points in his career, such as SNL‘s “Really!?” segment that he performed in and how he became a writer for the show.

After coffee, when they’re back in the car and Seinfeld opens up the throttle of the lightweight RS 2.7, he manages to eke out a big grin from Meyers – or maybe it was a grimace at the thought of driving in the rain on old tires. Whatever the case, be sure to watch the video below (and stay tuned until the end for a surprise).

Continue reading Seinfeld takes Seth Meyers out in the perfect Porsche

Seinfeld takes Seth Meyers out in the perfect Porsche originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Jul 2013 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: BMW Classic presents A Perfect Match

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Videos, BMW

BMW 1602

“A Perfect Match” – Click above to view full movie after the jump

“A Perfect Match” follows the story of Jack, a Los Angeles resident with a passion for his BMW 1602 and a desperate need for air conditioning. Though the oppressive heat of the L.A. summer has Jack sweating, he can’t trade his beloved ’02 on anything as stale as a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic.

The resolution to Jack’s burning dilemma would warm the cockles of even the coolest car nut’s heart, but we won’t spoil the show for you. “A Perfect Match” debuted at the Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards at the end of 2010, where it earned BMW Classic a Golden Dolphin award in the Corporate Films category. Check out the story of Jack and his 1602 after the jump.

[Source: BMW Classic via YouTube]

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Video: BMW Classic presents A Perfect Match originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kid-sized Mini Seven is perfect for minimalist children

Filed under: Etc., Toys/Games

Mini Seven go-kart

Mini Seven – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’re a little torn on this one. You’re looking at what could possibly be the most awesome go kart ever crafted by human hands: the Mini Seven. Mini is a company that specializes in high-end electric golf carts that vary from a proportionally-correct Hummer resort vehicle to a Bentley Continental GT lookalike. This, however, is different. The Seven was built specifically with children in mind, and Mini says that the pint-sized interpretation of Colin Chapman’s wonder is safe for operation on tarmac or in fields. Powered by a Honda gasoline engine, the car has a top speed of around 19 mph.

Four disc brakes with a fully-adjustable proportioning valve are standard, as are a set of four-point harnesses to keep your budding speed demon firmly planted in the optional leather seats. Even the pedals are adjustable to keep up with a kid’s growth.

Unfortunately, all of this unbelievable kit comes with a similarly eye-widening price tag. Expect to fork over £6,995, or roughly $11,305. Awesome? Sure. That awesome? Probably not.

Gallery: Mini Seven

[Sources: Born Rich, Gizmag, Mini Electric Vehicles]

Kid-sized Mini Seven is perfect for minimalist children originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kit Cat: Mercury Cougar makes perfect Bugatti Veyron substitute

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., Bugatti, Mercury, Humor, Specialty

Bugatti Veyron kit car – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you’ve got a pulse in your wrist and a snapping brain cell in your head, chances are you wouldn’t mind parking a Bugatti Veyron in your garage. But for most mere mortals, scrounging up the cash for a physics-bending piece of 16-cylinder glory would require all sorts of unpalatable tasks. Fortunately for those who want to look the part without having to participate in human trafficking, the kit car universe has stepped in to save the day. All you need is a 1999-2002 Mercury Cougar, a boat load of fiberglass and a little patience.

Oh, and $89,000.

Is that cheaper than an actual Veyron? Sure. Is it $73,000 more than we’d pay for this car? Absolutely. For that low price you’ll get all the looks of the Bug with a fraction of the actual performance. Buyers can look forward to a blistering 170 horsepower from a 2.5-liter V6 kicking at the front wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission. Don’t expect much else.

This particular machine is up for bid via eBay Motors, with four days left on the auction. Act now.

Gallery: Bugatti Veyron kit car

[Sources: PistonHeads, eBayMotors]

Kit Cat: Mercury Cougar makes perfect Bugatti Veyron substitute originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Galatea thinks Hyundai Tiburon is perfect platform for coachbuilt styling

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Hyundai, Design/Style

Galatea Revision – Click above for high-res image gallery

Examples of high-end coachwork usually draw long, wistful stares and high levels of admiration, with skilled craftsmen taking something beautiful and creating something stunning. An Aston Martin DB4 is a wonderful machine, but a 1960 DB4 GT Zagato looks so good it’ll melt your face clean off. Same with the James Glickenhaus-owned Ferrari Enzo that evolved into the P4/5. The examples of high style and peerless engineering are as numerous as they are arresting. And then this showed up in our inbox.

This is the Galatea (pronounced: Gal-ah-tay-ah) Revision, a custom coupe built upon none other than the – you guessed it – Hyundai Tiburon. Says Galatea:

“Unlike many kit cars that are based on a fairly old donor car, the Galatea is a comparatively modern car with modern features…The kit is available for $5,180 in fiberglass and includes all lights, hardware, emblems, and a detailed instruction book to make installation easier. The parts included are a new hood, fenders, front bumper, headlights, rear bumper, and taillights.”

While it’s certainly not the worst custom Tiburon we’ve ever seen (you’ll see far, far worse at any HIN show), it doesn’t quite evoke the spirit of true coachbuilt styling. It’s a body kit. An elaborate, ambitious and oddly proportioned body kit, but a body kit nonetheless. It seems strangely appropriate that Galatea has chosen this particular Hyundai coupe as a basis for the project, as the Tiburon itself was both widely criticised and lauded for deriving its styling from a much more exotic automobile – the Ferrari 456 GT.

If you own a last-gen Tibby or just want to see it in person for yourself, the Revision will be making its debut at the Alpine Invitational Car Show and Concorso d’Eleganza on October 10 in Palisades, NY.

Gallery: Galatea Revision

Galatea Revision

[Source: Galatea Automobiles]

Continue reading Galatea thinks Hyundai Tiburon is perfect platform for coachbuilt styling

Galatea thinks Hyundai Tiburon is perfect platform for coachbuilt styling originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: ’76 Mazda pickup is the perfect base for a Radio Flyer wagon. Who knew?

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Mazda, Toys/Games, Humor, Specialty

Radio Flyer pickup

Radio Flyer truck – Click above to watch the video after the jump

If you’ve ever thought about picking up a yellow Hummer and painting the word “Tonka” across the side or building a working replica of your favorite Hot Wheels fantasy car, have we got a story for you. An elderly couple in Alaska has built a jumbo Radio Flyer wagon out of an old truck, and what’s more, they drive it around Anchorage on a regular basis.

The underpinnings were borrowed from a 1976 Mazda pickup which Judy Foster (not to be confused with the Silence of the Lambs star, Jodie) inherited from her father. After they took possession, her husband Fred Keller started an eleven-month project to turn it into an overgrown childhood dream. The result is reportedly fully street legal and gets nothing but smiles wherever it goes. Fred and Judy will just have to watch that eight-foot tall handle clearing any low ceilings in parking garages. Follow the jump to watch the KTUU video segment for yourself.

[Source: KTUU]

Continue reading Video: ’76 Mazda pickup is the perfect base for a Radio Flyer wagon. Who knew?

Video: ’76 Mazda pickup is the perfect base for a Radio Flyer wagon. Who knew? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota quality chief: “I still think our electronic throttle system is perfect.”

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota

Toyota

For years, Toyota was seen as an infallible, safe choice for consumers seeking high-quality, reliable and safe vehicles. That may still be the case, but recent events have made it abundantly clear that Toyota is as capable of making major mistakes as any other giant automaker.

Perhaps some of that lost image will be restored after a series of independent investigations into Toyota safety are concluded, assuming of course that the findings are favorable for the automaker. Steve St. Angelo, Toyota’s North American quality chief, believes they will be. At the Council for Automotive Research’s annual Management Briefing Seminars, St. Angelo said, “I can’t find a technician who has found a sticking pedal… I am 100-percent confident that there is nothing wrong with our electronic throttle control system.”

St. Angelo continued, saying that 80 percent of all owners of vehicles recalled for sticky accelerator pedals and bad floor mats have had their vehicles repaired. Interestingly, the quality chief added, “Recall is not a four-letter word,” suggesting that it’s best to admit to issues up front and repair them in a timely fashion – a practice Toyota hopes will keep customers returning to its showrooms.

[Source: Detroit News | Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]

Toyota quality chief: “I still think our electronic throttle system is perfect.” originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get A Grip: Chevy UK sponsors research to find perfect handshake

Filed under: Etc., Chevrolet, UK

Homer-Barney butt handshake

Just like Toyota Australia does things differently than “our” Toyota, Chevrolet Europe does things that make us go, “That’s not the Chevy we know…” The latest example is a handshake study, headed by a professor of psychological sciences at the University of Manchester, that seeks the formula for the perfect handshake. And what is the driving force behind such obscure academia? Creation of a “handshake training guide for [Chevy] staff to prepare them ahead of the launch of the new 5 Year Promise offer, which aims to offer peace of mind and reassurance to its customers.”

Alrighty then. This is the formula:

PH = (e² + ve²)(d²) + (cg + dr)² + π{(4<s>2)(4<p>2)}² + (vi + t + te)² + {(4<c>2 )(4<du>2)}²

If you need more help figuring out how to apply it – hint: pay close attention to the ‘dr’ part – follow the jump for the press release, which explains the formula’s gobbledygook in detail, lists ~~useless~~ related facts like the Top 10 Handshake Turn-Offs, and somehow manages to work in a Frankie Valli reference.

Note that the Top 10 Handshake Turn-Offs rundown doesn’t include, “Absurd and contrived scientific formulas on how to correctly shake hands.” Maybe it ought to be a Top 11.

[Source: Chevrolet UK]

Continue reading Get A Grip: Chevy UK sponsors research to find perfect handshake

Get A Grip: Chevy UK sponsors research to find perfect handshake originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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