Lego Camaro Photo

This is a photo of the latest Camaro… built to scale using just Lego!  Someone named “Crowkillers” built it.  Wow.

And somehow, the car looks even more aggressive in lego form.

Moving this blog to Blogspot (new website below)

WordPress doesn’t allow adding Google Analytics, so I am moving this blog over to Blogspot. 

The new address for this blog is: 

http://passionforcars-vikram-singh.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you there.

Cheers

-Vikram

Spy Shots – Porsche Panamera

Captured by Herschel Brown.

Well, what can one think of the Porsche Panamera?  The front is unmistakably Porshe.  So is the rear…. after our hearts and minds adjusted to the Cayenne.  And the minor camouflaging isn’t enough to confuse impressions of what the spoiler would look like….. unless they ended up without a spoiler.   But still, Porshe, you’ve just diluted your brand for me.  I can never see Lamborghini doing this!

Random thought – if there’s a spoiler, and some machinery to control it (assuming that its not fixed in place, which hopefully it isn’t), then how far does that cut into trunk space? 

This blog has moved

WordPress doesn’t allow adding Google Analytics, so I am moving this blog over to Blogspot. 

The new address for this blog is: 

http://passionforcars-vikram-singh.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you there.

Cheers

-Vikram

Car Review – 2008 Chevy Malibu

I drove with a bunch of friends to Yosemite this weekend.  The original plan was to rent a Mazda 6, but we got a free upgrade to the new 2008 Chevy Malibu, with less than 2,000 miles on it.  The best part was that there was plenty of trunk space, so the upgrade was worth it in that regard – we completely filled the trunk, and even had stuff left over for the back seats!

It had an inline 4-cylinder engine with 169 horsepower.  Now I drive a 300+hp monster of a BMW 335i, so I was expecting a disappointing drive.  However, given my lower expectations, the Malibu did well.  It had decent pick-up, nice and comfortable at top speed.  The only hitch came when the accelerator was floored while driving on the freeway;  the engine screamed loudly, the car shuddered a bit, but it took perceptible seconds before it started accelerating.  I would be cautious about overtaking in tight situations.

The car’s exterior looks have changed a bit.  I like the new aggressive front grill.  But Chevy had better know what its doing – the grill looks like it would appeal more to younger folks; but I can’t imagine the 20 – 30 year old set buying a Malibu over a Honda Accord, a Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, or even the Ford Fusion.  So they might completely miss their current older market segment, who might prefer a more relaxed look.

The interior is nice and relaxed, though, and very spacious, specially in terms of leg room.  I do also like that there is a single “info” button on the steering wheel, which gives you major car data, including tire pressure.  Thing to note, though – seemed our tire pressure readings were off, way off.  The interior has no major bells or whistles, but that’s ok in this price range.  

Ok, on to the one major flaw – you can’t drive it aggressively on turns.  The car can’t maintain its grip, and skids if you aren’t driving carefully.  Again, that means the Malibu is really for the 40+ age group, or at the least for the cautious and conservative type…. who like a dash of danger, delivered by the grill.

Finally, a close-up of the aggressive grill

Spy Shots – Ferrari F149 (Dino)

The Ferrari F149 is now not called the Dino, eh.  But who knows, we might find something else out in October at the Paris Motor Show. 

 

 

Off to Yosemite today

Off to Yosemite today with a bunch of folks.  We’ll be back on Sunday afternoon.  Yosemite temperatures should consistently be north of 80-90 degrees.

I’m also going to drive a rental Mazda 6 on the way.  My co-driver, Adit, is also an avid car enthusiast.  He owns a Mazda 3s Touring Sedan with a 5-speed manual transmission, so already loves Mazdas.  His has a 2.3 liter four-cylinder engine putting out 156 bhp.

Yippee.

Car Review – BMW 335i Convertible (1)

Part (1) of my review of the BMW 335i hard-top convertible:

Disclosure – I liked this car so much, that after test-driving over 50 cars from December – March, I bought one myself. I wanted a build that wasn’t commonly available, so had to order one from Germany… which gave me the chance to drive a lot more cars before mine arrived.

So this part of the review is the summary. And the summary is…. its AWESOME!! No ifs, ands or buts. This car is the bomb! To misappropriate a quote from Jeremy Clarkson – its like a sharp Armani suit, but one you can put on all day every day.

Want to spend a very pleasant 10 – 20 minutes? Try building your own 335i Convertible!

Car buying tip – 1 (BMWs)

Are you looking to buy, or thinking of buying a BMW in a year or so? If so, there’s a small secret; join the BMW Car Club of America; members with over a year’s standing get a nice discount that can range between $200 – $1,500 per forums, depending on the car you bought, of course.

But definitely try negotiating for a discount yourself first, before pulling out this card.

Auto Review – Porsche Panamera!!

I love spy shots, spy videos, spy anything for new upcoming cars.  The Porsche Panamera has been a badly kept secret for a while; this uber German car, coming out in 2009, has been photographed and video taped quite a bit.

After the jump, we have 2-minute video footage of the Porsche Panamera, that shows off all the car’s lines, as well as some really nice photos.  I have to say, I’m still reserving my opinion on the car – I can’t quite figure out what to make of its shape, and the fact that Porsche is now making…. gasp… sedans!  But if I had the chance.. yes, I would indeed want to drive it on the autobahn.

Hope its worth it, to have Aston Martin and Porsche diving into the 4-door sedan market.

Porsche Panamera spy video