Car Bull No. 1!

The first episode of Car Bull is now up on YouTube.com. The video can be viewed on the vlog list to the right or via the link below! Car news and information, updated weekly.

Car Bull 1: R10, 370 Z, V-Spec, more...

Drive fast...Please.

America is cars and music. It’s just a fact that is evidenced by the way that we live. Look at the roads that we drive on. Look at the way our stores get their inventory. Our roads are huge compared to the old ones of the United Kingdom where our forefathers came from. The majority of the products that each of us buy from Wal-Mart are shipped via an 18 wheeler trucks. Whether you have noticed it or not America has gasoline running through its veins and a thumping backbeat for a heart. Even when people see cars as just transportation they can get into their beige sedan as they leave work on a Friday, hear a good song and immediately be teleported behind the wheel of a red-hot Ferrari. Here for everyone’s consideration I present MY top 10 driving songs. These songs have specifically been chosen to elevate pulses and speedometers.

Now I must take a moment to warn those out their without open minds. Some of these songs, if not more than 50%, will be country songs. I will provide inks to all their videos so that if you make it past this paragraph you can see for yourself if I am lying or not. Oh, yeah., no particular or is meant by each song’s number.

No. 1: Jason Aldean - Johnny Cash (COUNTRY)
This hard driving country track ropes you in from the very start. Thumping drums, wailin’ guitar and cowbell will prepare your foot for the gas mashing to come. Usually I don’t think that a song is necessarily a driving song just because it has random trips and cars in the song, but this one is an exception. Aldean has a voice that sounds like it would be equally suited to 80s stadium rock as much as it fits in with modern country.

No. 2: Kenny Chesney - Young (COUNTRY)
I hesitated to include this song on the list because, at first, I thought it wasn’t fast enough. It didn’t have the deep primal grunt I was looking for. However, I came back to it. Something about the imagery and the harmonies that Chesney puts together just evoke something in the soul of someone, like myself ,who is slowly creeping toward nostalgia. I will add that this song might be more suited to highway driving rather than the quick lane changes of city driving.

No. 3: Dierks Bentley - Free and Easy (COUNTRY)
Now I know what you’re thinking. “Oh, man. Another country song.” I would then say to you, “I already told you this is MY list.” At any rate Dierks would have fallen short with this song if it didn’t have the rolling banjo as it’s base. No banjo. No list. A slick drum beat and a banjo scream speed. That’s why I had to put this song on the list. As an added bonus the song is singing about going down a road. Taken literally or metaphorically the song just revs.

No. 4: Theory of a Deadman - Bad Girlfrriend (ROCK)
If there were a perfect driving song Theory of a Deadman comes as close as you can get. Overdriven guitar and a raspy voiced singer, it doesn’t get much more appropriate than that. This song is also a perfect example of what to do right in a song over and over. When driving there is no time to remember complicated and introspective lyrics. “Bad Girlfriend” gives a Motor Head just what they need, a chorus and some guitar. Thank you very much.

No. 5: Free - All Right Now (ROCK)
Listen and you’ll know what I mean. It’s the only song that Free ever had that was a big hit. The guitar is brilliant and perfectly suited for getting where you’re going very fast. The middle part of the song is somewhat of a detraction because of the slowdown, but think of it as time to look for police and state troopers the guitar comes back around.

No. 6: Sugarland - Down In Mississippi (Up To No Good) (COUNTRY)
I’ve got wildcards coming out of my ears. Sugarland has a female lead singer. The fact that this song made it on the list is a testament to the talent of Jennifer Nettles. She has a great voice and has an innate ability to make a listener forget the content of the song, if they’re male, and just enjoy the ride. I also count this as the one pick I’ll give the ladies to show them I’m not sexist.

No. 7: Del Amitri - Roll To Me (ROCK)
Now I do this one in honor of my father. There has to be a variety in your driving mix and without that the drive becomes monotonous. I’ve tried to create a balance in this list and Del Amitri provides some of that ballast. Their hit “Roll To Me” from the 90s is an upbeat rock rhythm that puts you in a mood of relaxation while at the same time creating a need for speed.

No. 8: Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone (ROCK) (sorta)
…Speaking of a “need for speed.” Kenny Loggins played a big part in making Top Gun cool (as if freakin’ jets aren’t enough). Listening to this song in the appropriate car with appropriate horsepower will make you think that you are wearing a flight suit and a helmet that says “Maverick,” or “Goose” if you’re lame. It’s the imagery brought on by being paired with a jet movie like Top Gun that makes this song so cool.

No. 9: AC/DC - Rock ‘n’ Roll Train (ROCK)
AC/DC has many songs that are worthy of being on anyone’s driving list. I put this one on here to represent all of those even though it is the most recent. Never let it be said that AC/DC had a varied formula but, boy it sure is a formula that works. I have yet to hear a song from them that didn’t sound awesome. AC/DC has made yet another driving hit with Rock ‘n’ Roll Train.

No. 10: Brad Paisley & Keith Urban - Start A Band (COUNTRY)
Honestly, who thought I was going to end the list with songs that weren’t country. Paisley and Urban are two of the top guitarists in country music today and show off their guitar chops on this song. The chorus makes the song. The tune is simple and catchy. There isn’t much more to say than that. The song just rocks.

A list is never really finished. This is just a taste of thousands of songs that are good for driving. Whether screaming around town or laying it out on the freeway I guarantee, if you’ve got the gears to shift, these songs will send you into a world of pounding hearts and high speed where tickets run rampant.

Disclaimer: I endorse all moments of speed and driving fast.

Palm Beach Supercar Weekend 2009

The sights. The sounds. Nothing can getcha as excited as real sports cars. Now by ‘getcha’ I may not be talking about you, I may just be talking about myself. I know I’m not though. Seeing cars on YouTube.com or StreetFire.net is one thing, but seeing the real thing, hearing the real thing and smelling the real thing is what it’s all about. Palm Beach just held its 4th annual Supercar Weekend on Flagler Drive. The event caused thousands of people to flock down to the Flagler waterfront and take part in the appreciation of all these wonderful automobiles.

Having gone down to Palm Beach myself and taken part in all the festivities I am happy to report that Supercar Weekend is well worth the gas money and $30 admission. It would be advisable for those who wish to get their full money’s worth to go in the afternoon. This way, not only will you be able to see all the cars relaxing along the drive you will also be able to see them start up and leave. As is evidenced by anyone’s heart rate when a Ferrari cranks its engine, looks are 10 percent of a car and the other 90 percent is taken in when the car has its engine roaring.

As expected there were numerous Lamborghinis and Ferraris but it was the cars that weren’t so common that attracted the most attention. The Koenigsegg CCX for instance was one of the cars that had a massive crowd around it constantly. I could only take a guess as to what attracted so many to the CCX but it’s still an educated one though. It could have had something to do with the doors on the Koenigsegg that not only open, but open in one of the most unique ways ever conceived on a car. Talk to anyone who has seen these Dihedral Synchro-Helix Actuating doors in action and they are more than likely to tell you that they are one of the craziest and most awe inspiring things they have ever seen on a car. Numerous car forums throughout the internet can be found with thread upon thread devoted to the discussion and design of these doors.

There wasn’t much for activities for any non car fans that you might bring along other than yakking about fashion with the wives of the car owners that had also been dragged to the show. I can’t really think that anyone car loving or not would expect anything else than cars at an event titled Palm Beach SuperCAR Weekend.

For those of you who didn’t make it this year keep checking the PalmBeachSupercarWeekend website for next years dates and photos that the site will post later. Until then please find below a video of the many sights and sounds of the event that I have made with some of my own footage and pictures.

Ford going all Euro on us!

Ford has been making much better looking and overall quality cars in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe for a while now. So why has it taken them so long to bring that fit and finish over here to America? I mean how hard could it be to bring a Focus to America that has 296 horsepower like the 2009 Focus RS? The Ford Mondeo just by it’s looks in the James Bond movie Casino Royale would sell like hotcakes in the United States. It could be the oppressive laws in the United States or it could be that Ford Europe has just been better run. None of that matters now because Ford is rolling out the European version Focus in 2010. Along with the Focus the newly revived Taurus and the re-skinned Fusion look like they got their style cues from Europe.

When reviewing the versions of the Focus it seems that the first incarnation we got here in America was no different than the European version. However while the European version was and is a best seller the American version was discontinued for a couple years. Recently the Focus has been brought back to life in its current form. The 2009 Focus’ performance and looks still pale when compared to the 2009 European version.

The Fusion has been re-worked as well. 2010 will bring a more powerful Fusion and also a hybrid version. The regular version will have an optional V6 engine that will produce 263 horsepower while the hybrid version will be getting 41 miles per gallon in the city and 36 on the highway. The hybrid will have a new setup with a battery that will not only be smaller than other ford hybrid versions but also produce 20% more power.

Taurus has been a name that was synonymous with Ford quality for many years. Ford thought it better to capitalize on that name and change the sinking Ford 500’s name to Taurus. Without quality a name change wouldn’t matter at all. The new Taurus will have many of the engine options that go with the Duratec options list and there are rumors of a new SHO (Super High Output) version which will turn the Taurus from family sedan to performance track car. Along with pumped up quality of the 500/Taurus the facelift will look astoundingly like the Euro Ford Mondeo.

Ford will also bring the Fiesta back 2009. It has been in production in Europe for some time now but was discontinued in the U.S. This plucky little car will compete with the Honda Fit
and other similar cars for its share of the mini-car market.

Many in not only America but the American car culture will be thanking Ford for their decency in bringing these cars over the Pond. With a list of new additions like these and the F-150 backing all of them up it looks like the bailout holdout will be sitting pretty in the coming years.

Rice anyone?

With the upcoming release of the fourth installment in the Fast and Furious franchise it seems appropriate to discuss some the products that come out of the films. The car culture has exploded not only in the United States but around the world and introduced millions of people to the car hobby. The aftermarket car parts market has seen millions of dollars in profits and the byproduct that overshadows any of these plusses, according to any card carrying Car Guy, is that Ricers were born.

As comedian Mike Merryfield puts it, “Any guy between the ages of 16 and 25 who went and saw the movie The Fast and the Furious” and had an import car said, “Holy S&%*! I own a race car.”

This would be a harmless enough occurrence except for the sheer number of guys that said that. For every 1 guy, such as myself, who saw the movie and it nurtured their budding interest in cars there were 10 more that took what they saw on the screen a couple times round the block. These individuals would later become known as Ricers. As defined by Urban Dictionary the term Ricer is: A person who makes unnecessary modifications to their most often import car to make it (mostly make it look) faster. If a Ricer is mostly about looks then a car guy can be identified by their appreciation and commitment to the performance and function of their car.
There is no explanation why car guys hate Ricers so much…just kidding. There is a perfectly legitimate and rational reason why guys who appreciate cars hate these guys. Ricers are intruders to car guys. As anyone who takes a hobby or profession seriously would know, there is a feeling of usurpation when someone invades the space that is your breadth of knowledge on cars. Ricers along with ruining otherwise perfectly good cars know very little about the performance of fast ones, they are strictly looks.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not making assumptions about the intelligence of people. However, it does not bode well for someone at the street races to tell me that their piddley single cam Honda could beat, or even keep up with, the Mustang Cobra not two cars away from where I stand. It’s just illogical to be so idiotic.

Now some folks can be misinterpreted as Ricers when they are actually not. The most common form of misidentified Ricer are the kids (mostly) who just get so wrapped up in going fast and looking good while doing it. They don’t have a lot of money so they buy the cheapest parts they can find and slap them all on their car. I would implore these kids to stop before they get their Ricer card punched. Save your money. Take your time. Remember, a good, quality part is worth a hundred cheap ones. One of the great thinkers of the past like Socrates or Plato can be quoted as saying, “Tis better to dream of a better car than to look like a douche bag in the one you have.”

The car companies have played right into the hands of the Ricer crowd. Nissan, Honda, Toyota and even Chevy have produced quality cars that are properly fast. The problem arrises when these cars are bought by young guys and have a bunch of non-functional crapolla put on them. The best thing I can do for you is to give you an example. If you were at a local street race event where I live you might find a guy who has cut out the back floor of his Chevy Cobalt to "save weight." The car is a good little car. Two doors. Good looking. Pair these two things with the right engine and transmission combonation then you might have a good car. Despite cars being designed with four sides for structural rigidity and safety this guy has chosen to cut out the floor despite his face. To clarify, the saving weight phenomenon with Ricers is a bad excuse for cutting things off of a car rather than putting them on with saving weight in mind but next to nothing is saved and the car just get mangled.

To all the car guys. Be patient with the missguided. To all the Ricers. Please get help somewhere from someone.

WARNING: If the content of this post offended you. You’re a Ricer.

If you've driven, you've seen rice.

The+Real+Civic+Nation+Reality.++This+is+how+the+co

Detroit Iron in Double Jeopardy

With not on the United States reeling in the wake of the credit crisis but the world, the Detroit Auto Show went on with, well, the show. If this were a few months ago in the midst of almost $5.00 a gallon gasoline the central theme for the show would have been fuel efficiency. In par fuel efficiency still is the major player at the show but another theme has arisen as a broader all encompassing one. The auto industry is still here, even the Detroit three, and producing cars that are available for sale. How much longer they will be producing cars is anyone’s guess.
With so much focus being put on bailing out companies, the TARP fund, whether or not Washington will listen to Larry Flint and bail out the porn industry cars can get pushed to the wayside.

Families, businesses and individuals have lost and are losing money all over the place in this market and it is understandable that purchasing a new car would be at the bottom of most peoples’ list of things to spend money on right after lottery tickets and Blu-Ray DVDs. Why are the Big Three automakers in such dire straits? For too long they have produced sub-par cars that are inferior to their Japanese, German, Korean and Russian counterparts. Well, maybe not the Russian ones.

With lower gas prices people wanted more power which resulted in the rise of the aftermarket parts industry. When gas prices went back up, fuel efficiency was then at the center of everyone’s automotive mind.

Detroit was ahead of the curve on the fuel efficiency front because they had already been told by the government that they had to make more fuel efficient cars. Café standards being imposed on American auto makers have not been because of especially high gas prices, that crisis has only been a recent one. So what could be the reasoning behind making Ford, General Motors and Chrysler produce these hybrid and ultra fuel efficient cars that have had notoriously low sales numbers? The environment is the reason most often uttered by politicians that want to run Detroit. The environment angle plays to the voting public’s emotions and is an excellent way to get legislation passed that favors environmental laws for cars.

I submit that Washington should leave car design and sales up to people who know how to do it. Politicians should stop micromanaging a business that they know very little about.
There is a long list of government fiascos (Social Security, Traffic Laws) that should be reason enough for voters to want them out of Detroit. Hopefully some sort of epiphany will take place in the American mind before its too late for the Detroit Iron.

ZR1 Slings Guns

Never let it be said that the motoring press around the world hasn’t given the Chevrolet Corvette its share of scrutiny and doubt. In fact, the report from most automobile news outlets that aren’t devoted to the world of Chevy, as well as General Motors, can give the impression that compared to other sports cars the Corvette just doesn’t measure up. To paraphrase its critics, “Sure, it costs a lot less than Ferrari, Porsche and the Lamborghini, but the price ain’t the only thing that’s cheap.” I thought we were talking sports car not luxury.

The Corvette ZR1 was on e of the most highly anticipated cars of 2008. The only car with comparable water cooler scuttlebutt more than likely exceeding that of the ZR1 was the Nissan GT-R. With multiple trips to Washington just around the corner to ask for some extra cash General Motors unleashed the most powerful ‘Vette ever and hype became reality.

A recent editorial in the car magazine Motor Trend by one of their staff Arthur St. Antoine entitled ‘Corvette ZR1: What you don’t get for almost $120,000,’ spent his allotted space bemoaning the fact that the Corvette ZR1 doesn’t have the feel of the other foreign cars, calf skin leather seats, and stitching that takes hundreds of hours like that in the Bentley Brooklands. This is the same edition where the ZR1 was pitted against three of the best super cars in the world. The competition consisted of the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, Porsche GT2, and the sporadically spectacular Nissan GT-R. The ZR1 beat all three of these brilliant cars not only in the straight up drag race but in the road race test as well. The Corvette opened up a gap on the competition that just got bigger. This is the typical story when it comes to automobile tests that compare any model Corvette to other cars.

Something strange has been happening throughout the car world. It is slowly coming out that Chevrolet can and has made a world class sports car that can stand toe-to-toe with the priciest and fastest cars in the world. Even Jeremy Clarkson of the BBC television show Top Gear, who has been one of the most conspicuous critics of Corvettes named it his Car of the Year. Clarkson said in a blog on TopGear.com that, “It's hard to understand how the Americans have taken so long to make a car this good…it's the sheer surprise of the 638 hp that impresses most of all.” During a recent DVD shoot Clarkson could be seen driving back to his hotel every night in a Corvette convertible because he simply enjoyed it.

Motortrend named the ZR1 top dog in its four supercar test.

A review in the UK Telegraph admitted that “GM’s ZR-1 can rival, in sheer performance and technical sophistication, supercars three times its price.”

These sort of accolades coming from domestic and foreign press are at best odd when speaking about an American car.

So what is the conclusion to be made? Is the ZR1 the best car in the World: Well, that depends on the definition of best. Is it one of the fastest production cars on the planet? Yes. Could you drive one on any given Sunday afternoon and be the fastest guy in the state? More than likely. Is the ZR1, or any Corvette for that matter, a plush, goash statement of how big your bank account is? No, if you want snob appeal with some speed slathered around, Drop $450,000 on a Pagani Zonda. It took $100,000 worth of ‘Vette for the world to finally admit that it can run with, and beat the pack.