CASA MARBELLA

Ms Sandiford to be executed for drug trafficking.

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 02:26:00 -0800

Lindsay Sandiford was arrested in May last year after she tried to enter the Indonesian holiday island with illegal drugs worth £1.6 million hidden in her suitcase.

Local prosecutors had called for the 56-year-old housewife to be jailed for 15 years. But today there were gasps in the Bali courtroom when a panel of judges announced Ms Sandiford would be executed for drug trafficking.

As the shock verdict was announced, Ms Sandiford, from Gloucestershire, slumped back in her chair in tears before hiding her face with a brown sarong as she was led out of the courtroom.

yellow jacket stun gun case for iphone

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Sat, 4 Aug 2012 03:56:00 -0700

yellow jacket is a case that transforms the iPhone 4 & 4S into that 650,000-volt stun gun you've always needed.

scheduled to hit the US market in fall 2012 the case is advertised as being able to
easily stop an aggressive male attacker, and ready for use in less than two seconds.
its designer seth froom, a former military policeman came up with the product after
being robbed in his home at gunpoint.

what is the demand for such a hostile product you might ask? well, yellow jacket
has managed to receive over 100,000 USD worth of backing on the crowd-funding
website indiegogo which means that there must be quite a few people out there
who feel the need to transform their phone into a weapon.

detail of the stun gun nodes

the iPhone's designers could never have conceived half of the the weird and wonderful accessories
that have been designed for use with the iPhone since its launch, but even in the name of self defense
a stun gun seems a bit much, doesn't it?

Now You Can Buy a $250,000 Nail Polish

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Thu, 2 Aug 2012 17:39:00 -0700

Remember that time when everyone got all freaked out about thatsnakeskin pedicure that cost $300? Well, get ready to completely lose it, because we just got a press release for the “most expensive nail polish in the world.”

That title was previously held by Models Own, which produced a $130,000 bottle (featuring a 24-carat gold, diamond-encrusted lid) back in 2010. However, the self-professed “king of black diamonds,” Azature, has doubled that figure. A bottle of black nail polish containing a whopping 267 carats of black diamonds in the actual polish will go for $250,000. Yikes. You won’t be able to just walk into Duane Reade and buy this sucker, however–only one bottle of the stuff will be produced.

For those of us who can’t afford a quarter of a million dollars for a manicure, Azature is offering a $25 version (see, now doesn’t $25 nail polish sound downright cheap in comparison?) containing one measly black diamond. You’ll be able to pick it up in LA at Fred Segal starting this month.

Estepona Town Hall sacks 176 municipal workers

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Thu, 2 Aug 2012 16:50:00 -0700

The news was given on Wednesday by the Councillor for Personnel, Pilar Fernández-Figares Estepona Town Hall has sacked 176 municipal workers. The PP Councillor for Personnel, Pilar Fernández-Figares, announced on Wednesday that the 176 workers are victims of the ERE Employment Regulation which the Town Hall put forward in June. The workers will be compensated with 2.5 million € and they will be given their ‘finiquito payments of 408,000 € between them. Pilar Fernández-Figares said one they were sacked the Town Hall will start to work on a new ‘training program for the reinsertion of the sacked workers’.

BMW to sell luxury cars for less online

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 11:23:00 -0700

The BMW i3 concept car at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January. (John T. Greilick / Detroit News)

BMW will sell cars over the Web for the first time as the world's largest maker of luxury vehicles seeks an inexpensive way to reach more buyers to recoup spending on its electric models.

A direct online sales platform for BMW's new I sub-brand will be unique in an industry where, outside of small-scale experiments, competitors leave Internet orders for cars to dealers. BMW's range of strategies for the models, including a roaming sales force backing a limited showroom network, reflects the challenge carmakers face as low-emission vehicles trickle into dealerships to sluggish demand after years of development.

"There is considerable risk in BMW's approach of promoting the I brand so prominently," said Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management at the University of Applied Science in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. "There is the image risk, if they don't succeed as quickly as expected, and then there's the main risk of costs, which can only be countered with high deliveries."

BMW opened the I models' first showroom Tuesday in London, although only prototype cars and informational materials will be displayed at first because the vehicles themselves won't go on sale before next year. BMW is spending about $3 billion developing the i3 battery-powered city car and i8 plug-in hybrid supercar, according to an estimate by Frost & Sullivan. Industry sales of electric cars last year, at 43,000 vehicles, were only 57 percent of the 75,000 deliveries predicted by Sarwant Singh, a London-based automotive partner at the consulting company.

Starting prices posted

The four-seat i3, scheduled to reach the market in late 2013, will be priced at about 40,000 euros ($48,500), Bratzel estimated. That compares with a 23,850-euro starting price ($29,388) in Germany for the 1-Series, the cheapest BMW-brand car. The i8, targeted for sale in 2014, will cost more than 100,000 euros ($123,221), according to Ian Robertson, BMW's sales chief.

Details of how I-model buyers, the website and dealerships will interact are "still in the planning process" and will be communicated later, Linda Croissant, a spokeswoman at Munich- based BMW, said last week. Sales will be focused on the world's major urban areas, she said.

The online sales option is aimed at a generation of drivers used to making daily purchases over the Internet, and will be an extension of the car configuration that most automakers offer customers to view models with desired options such as interior colors, seat materials and roof styles.

Test drives not an option

The Internet platform may take a while to catch on because "many customers will still want to go somewhere to look at and drive the vehicle before buying," said Ian Fletcher, an auto analyst in London at research company IHS Global Insight.

"With new technologies, there may be even greater skepticism about buying a car over the Internet, as in many cases you'll have to win the confidence of customers that it works and there is support for them," Fletcher said in an email.

The setup may help BMW reduce expenses: Internet sales require less than half the cost of distributing through a dealership, according to Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer of the Center Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. That allows online car prices to be 5 percent to 7 percent less than showroom tags.

Still, BMW sees standard dealerships as "the backbone of what we are doing in the interface with the customer" for the I models, Robertson said in June at a press presentation at the sub-brand's Park Lane showroom in London.

Dealer selection criteria

Outlets will be restricted to dealers with high BMW-brand sales volume who have floor space as well as capacity to work with I models' powering technology and carbon-fiber body material, Robertson said. The carmaker has chosen 45 of its approximately 200 dealers in Germany to sell the i3 and i8, a ratio that will probably be similar elsewhere, he said.

Dealers will be designated as agents for the I models, which provides an "advantage" by keeping the vehicles on the carmaker's books, the association of BMW distributors in Germany said in an email.

Electric vehicles' disadvantages versus conventional cars include costly battery packs, limited ranges and the time needed to recharge. Consumer reception to models like the Nissan Motor Co.'s Leaf and General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet Volt has been tepid.

"Currently available electric cars have a limited market success because they are a big compromise," said Arndt Ellinghorst, a London-based analyst at Credit Suisse AG. "Customers are not willing to compromise and spend a lot of money."

Carbon fiber bodies lighter

BMW Chief Executive Officer Norbert Reithofer started Project I at the end of 2007 as tighter emissions regulations threatened the viability of sporty sedans. BMW chose to create all-new vehicles that use expensive carbon fiber for a lighter body to make up for the weight of the battery system.

The approach contrasts with a decision by Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz Cars division to convert existing models, such as the van-like B-Class or two-seat Smart, to electric power.

To make its electric vehicles more attractive, Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler's Smart brand offers to lease the battery separately from the car. The automaker has a target of selling more than 10,000 of the models next year, with a starting price of 18,910 euros plus monthly battery rental at 65 euros.

The I models' new technology poses risks for BMW, "but they have no choice if they want to keep their premium and image as an innovation leader," Ellinghorst said.

The i3 and i8 will probably be among BMW's lowest-selling models through 2024, alongside the existing Z4 roadster, according to IHS estimates. In 2014, the first full year of production, BMW will probably deliver 31,380 i3s, compared with 564,760 of the best-selling 3-Series model and 18,101 Z4s, a study by the research company shows.

BMW's stance is that the models should produce earnings from the start, sales chief Robertson said.

"We clearly, as a company, go into any product launch with the view of making profit, which is no different with the I brand," Robertson said. "This is a car line just as every other car line, and we intend to make profit from Day 1."

Latvian company creates leather bound Ferrari

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 04:22:00 -0700

We're familiar with seeing tight leather on smoking hot women, and weird old men, but it's a first for us seeing a leather bound Ferrari F430.

There seems to be a lot of fuss over this leather bound Ferrari F430 in the UK with both The Sun and The Daily Mail reporting about it recently.

However, this isn’t a new car by any means as US motoring blog Jalopnikreported on the F430 way back in August last year. It’s a pretty cool, albeit manky, car so we thought we’d show you anyway.

It’s the work of a Latvian custom car company called Dartz who hit the headlines in 2009 when they created a $1.5 million ruby red SUV with whale foreskin-covered seats. Yes, foreskin…

Anyway, some high roller with more cash then sense decided it would be a great idea to cover his €170,000 Ferrari in dark leather.

The owner of Dartz, Leonard Yankelovich, said: "One of our very rich customers from the Cote d'Azur wanted a leather exterior and knew we could deliver.

"It took three of my staff 16 working days to apply the leather and finish. He was more than happy when he picked it up."

He won’t be too happy when he scratches it though.

Is this the most expensive way to ruin a Ferrari?

Diabetes drug makes brain cells grow

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Thu, 5 Jul 2012 21:53:00 -0700

The widely used diabetes drug metformin comes with a rather unexpected and alluring side effect: it encourages the growth of new neurons in the brain. The study reported in the July 6th issue of Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press publication, also finds that those neural effects of the drug also make mice smarter. See Also: Health & Medicine Brain Tumor Stem Cells Nervous System Mind & Brain Brain Injury Intelligence Neuroscience Strange Science Reference Neural development Stem cell treatments Diabetes mellitus type 2 Embryonic stem cell The discovery is an important step toward therapies that aim to repair the brain not by introducing new stem cells but rather by spurring those that are already present into action, says the study's lead author Freda Miller of the University of Toronto-affiliated Hospital for Sick Children. The fact that it's a drug that is so widely used and so safe makes the news all that much better. Earlier work by Miller's team highlighted a pathway known as aPKC-CBP for its essential role in telling neural stem cells where and when to differentiate into mature neurons. As it happened, others had found before them that the same pathway is important for the metabolic effects of the drug metformin, but in liver cells. "We put two and two together," Miller says. If metformin activates the CBP pathway in the liver, they thought, maybe it could also do that in neural stem cells of the brain to encourage brain repair. The new evidence lends support to that promising idea in both mouse brains and human cells. Mice taking metformin not only showed an increase in the birth of new neurons, but they were also better able to learn the location of a hidden platform in a standard maze test of spatial learning. While it remains to be seen whether the very popular diabetes drug might already be serving as a brain booster for those who are now taking it, there are already some early hints that it may have cognitive benefits for people with Alzheimer's disease. It had been thought those improvements were the result of better diabetes control, Miller says, but it now appears that metformin may improve Alzheimer's symptoms by enhancing brain repair. Miller says they now hope to test whether metformin might help repair the brains of those who have suffered brain injury due to trauma or radiation therapies for cancer.

Spanish Tourism Industry Prepares for Difficult Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Thu, 5 Jul 2012 13:13:00 -0700

Spain's tourism industry is bracing itself for a painful slowdown in bookings this summer, driven by a steep decline in local tourism, according to the country's leading hotel association. Reservations by Spanish vacationers for the month of July are 30% lower than last year, amid persistently high unemployment and a protracted economic recession, said Juan Molas, president of the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations. An influx of visitors from Russia and other countries in Eastern Europe has compensated somewhat for the decline in local tourism, but weak local demand is expected to weigh on an industry that accounts for about 11% of Spain's annual economic output. Hotel owners are concerned that the government may raise the industry's value-added tax to 18% from the current 8%, in a bid to reduce its yawning budget deficit, making Spain less attractive to foreign tourists compared with other less expensive destinations "If the VAT rises to 18%, it will be absolutely catastrophic for the sector," Mr. Molas said at an event Thursday in Madrid. Spain's government is working to secure €100 billion ($126 billion) in aid for its struggling banking sector from the European Union and plans to meet with EU officials next week to discuss new measures to improve its public finances. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has already implemented €45 billion in austerity measures, but weak tax revenue threatens to undermine his administration's goal of trimming its shortfall this year to 5.3% of gross domestic product from 8.9% last year. Sentiment in the hospitality industry is at its lowest level since 2009, according to an index developed by the hotel association and consulting firm PwC. Based on a survey of hotel firms, 57% of operators expect international tourism will hold steady this year, while 76% expect domestic tourism to decline. "The parts of the country that will suffer the most are those that cater to national tourists," Mr. Molas said.

Holidaymakers in Spain this summer are facing a surprise new airport tax imposed by the Spanish government

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Thu, 5 Jul 2012 09:20:00 -0700

Holidaymakers in Spain this summer are facing a surprise new airport tax imposed by the Spanish government as it tries to balance its books. Some airlines are passing the new departure tax on to passengers, even if they booked their flights months ago. Some passengers have received emails telling them either to pay an extra charge of up to seven euros (£6) per person - or to cancel their flights. Other airlines are deciding whether to absorb the cost themselves. The budget airline Ryanair said Spain's 2012 budget, passed into law at the end of June, obliged airlines to pay increased taxes. Spain is implementing drastic measures to try to slash its budget deficit to 5.3% from 8.5% in 2011. It has been promised bailout funds of up to 100bn euros for its banks, but wants to avoid a full state bailout. Retrospective The European travel agents' association ECTAA said the amount of the extra levy varied depending on which airport people used. It said the average rise in the tax was 18.9%, but at some of the larger airports it would almost double. For instance, at Madrid-Barajas the tax would rise from 6.95 euros to 14.44, while at Barcelona's El Prat airport it would rise from 6.12 euros to 13.44. Ryanair said it would pass the cost on to passengers, even those who had already paid in full for their flights, because the tax applied "retrospectively to customers who booked flights before 2 July 2012 and are travelling from 1 July onwards". It said for bookings made on or after 2 July, the increased tax would have been included in the price. The Spanish low-cost airline Vueling is also passing on the cost. It sent emails to passengers giving them seven days to cancel their flight, or the extra payment would be debited automatically from the card they used to book. British Airways and Iberia told the BBC they had not yet decided whether to pass on the cost or absorb it. ECTAA said in a statement it was "dismayed" by the rise, which was imposed "without proper consultation of airport users nor appropriate implementation time". It said travel agents faced a "technical and financial nightmare to recover the extra charge".

Freeze Fresh Herbs in Oil to Preserve Them

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Thu, 5 Jul 2012 05:09:00 -0700

Have a few fresh herbs sitting around that you won't get to using before they turn? Sure, you can freeze them in water or dry them out, but if you know you'll use them relatively quickly, you can add a few weeks to their life without damaging their potency by freezing them in oil instead. We've shown you how to make simply syrups with them, and how to use sea salt to dry them, but if you have some lovely herbs you want to use, but won't get to before they turn brown, consider dropping them in an ice cube tray, filling up the cubes with olive oil (or any other oil of your choice, as long as it freezes nicely), and popping them in the freezer. When you're ready to fry some potatoes, for example, pop out a couple of rosemary oil cubes—you'll need the oil for the pan anyway, and the rosemary will be right at home. Need some oil in a baking dish or crock pot for a few chicken breasts? Grab a frozen sage oil cube. The sky's the limit. The only thing to note is that with some herbs have a shorter shelf life when frozen in oil than in water (like garlic, for example), so this won't beat drying if you're looking to keep your herbs fresh for months and months. It will, however, work for weeks on end, and if you freeze them, pop them out of the ice cube trays and put them into zippered baggies, they'll keep even longer. Then, the next time you need oil for a recipe, you can add a little fresh flavor at the same time. Hit the link below for even more oil-freezing tips, and some tips on which herbs take well to freezing and which don't.

mclaren 12C spider convertible

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Tue, 3 Jul 2012 11:48:00 -0700

'MP4-12C spider' by mclaren

mclaren automotive has produced its second 'MP4-12C' model, the '12C spider'. bred through the essence of a race car, the '12C spider' incorporates a

convertible roof explicitly designed to let users experience the sounds of the vehicle's V8 twin turbo engine. unlike many other convertible models,
the hard top roof can be operated whilst moving at speeds of up to 30 kph (20mph) taking less than 17 seconds to raise or lower. with the '12C' originally
designed as a convertible, its 75kg carbon fibre monocle frame required no additional strengthening for it to feature in the 'spider'.

closing the hard-top

the raising of the roof frees 52 liters of space for storage. in 2013, vehicle lift will be available as an option, allowing for the '12C spider' to be raised
in the front and rear for improved ground clearance, up to 40mm (1.5") at the front and 25mm (1") at the rear.

the MP4-12C will be launched in 'volcano red', one of 17 exterior paint finishes currently available for the '12C' and '12C spider'.
first deliveries to customers are planned for november 2012.

closed top

3/4 top view

3/4 rear view

top view

interior view

specifications:

0-62 mph (0-100 kph) : 3.1 sec
0-100 mph (0-161 kph) : 6.1 sec
0-124 mph (0-200 kph) : 9.0 sec
¼ mile (400m) : 10.8 sec at 134 mph (216 kph)

engine configuration: V8 twin turbo, 7 speed automatic

ASTON MARTIN ONE-77

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 02:51:00 -0700

performance@holmesandco-london.com

ASTON MARTIN ONE-77

Car No.40 of 77 Made.

The Client is seeking 1.2 Million Sterling for the Car.

The Cars were originally sold by Aston Martin for 1Million, plus costs.

Equivalent cars are available for 2 Million Sterling – 2.7 Million Dollars.

We are Offering the Car at 1.4 Million, but it should be considerably more.

Our Client wishes for the Sale to be Confidential, and approaching clients will need to provide documents

Jaguar will be showing its new sports car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next weekend.

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 08:09:00 -0700

Castle Bromwich will build the new Jaguar F-Type sports car, the successor to the historic E-type Photo: AFP

A development prototype example of Jaguar's F-type, which is expected to go on sale next summer, makes its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The two-seater convertible will be driven up the Goodwood hillclimb by Mike Cross, Jaguar's acclaimed head of vehicle integrity.

A coupé version is expected to follow the soft-top. All-aluminium construction keeps weight down, while supercharged V6 or V8 engines drive the rear wheels.

Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar Cars, said: "The Goodwood Festival of Speed is focused around the dynamic hill runs where the public can see, hear and smell the cars – this is why we have chosen it as the place to showcase an F-type prototype. The development programme is progressing with vigour and we look forward to showing the world the F-type in production form later this year."

The F-type is currently undergoing development, including extremes of heat and cold and handling assessments, ahead of the launch.

California "dominates" list of cities with most stolen cars

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 23:24:00 -0700

The city where your car is most likely to be stolen is in California. In fact, the top three cities are in California, and of the top 10, six are in that state. So says a report by Forbes that compares the number of stolen cars per 100,000 population. Using that ratio, Fresno, California, with 808 stolen cars per 100,000 people and a total of 7,621 stolen cars in 2011, ranks number one in the nation. In second place is Modesto; third is occupied by Bakersfield. For fourth and fifth, we have to travel north to Spokane and Yakima Washington. The remaining cities are all in the Golden State except for Anderson, S.C. at number eight. With a population of about 27,000, Anderson (nickname: The Friendliest City in South Carolina) had 911 cars stolen in 2011, giving it a score of 483.32. See the full list of cities below. 2011 thefts and rate per 100,000 Fresno - 7,621 808.25 Modesto - 3,315 639.32 Bakersfield - 5,240 615.23 Spokane, WA - 2,614 551.75 Yakima, WA - 1,308 529.25 San Francisco - 23,223 528.87 Stockton, CA - 3,532 507.32 Anderson, SC - 911 483.32 Vallejo, CA - 2,002 480.71 Visalia, CA - 2,125 472.78

Horsepower is highly addictive. As automotive enthusiasts, we crave it insatiably.

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 23:20:00 -0700

Each time we place ourselves behind the wheel of a vehicle, a brief moment arrives when we wish for just a little more potency. Whether driving a 138-horsepower Kia Rio or a 638-horsepowerChevrolet Corvette ZR1, there is always an instant when the initial rush begins to slow and we ache for just a little bit more.

But what if it were possible to have too much power? What if there were a vehicle that satisfied our desire so completely, to the point where we were overwhelmed (think along the lines of sweet-tooth Augustus Gloop swimming in Willy Wonka's river of chocolate)? Would we finally stop thirsting for more?

To solve the riddle, we tracked down the fiendish Alpha 12 GT-R by AMS Performance. It is not just the quickest accelerating street-legal car that Autoblog has ever driven. With a quarter-mile time of 8.975 seconds at 169.49 miles per hour, it is likely the quickest street-legal production vehicle on the planet.

Founded in early 2001, AMS Performance is no stranger to horsepower. One of the company's first projects was tweaking Ford's turbocharged 2.3-liter under the hood of the (under-appreciated) Merkur XR4Ti. It wasn't long before the team, led by Martin Musial, began tooling on more capable cars like the Mitsubishi EvolutionVIII and Nissan 240SX. By 2007, the company had moved to a facility in West Chicago and its competition-only AMS drag car had captured the title as the "World's Quickest Evo VIII." In 2009, AMS expanded its portfolio and began to focus on a wider variety of sports cars from Porsche, BMW, Hyundai and Nissan.

Then the Alpha 12 was developed – it is, in three simple words, Godzilla on crack.

But it was the Nissan GT-R (aka "Godzilla") that really captured the company's attention. Despite being blazingly fast right off the showroom floor, AMS developed and refined the car to deliver even quicker acceleration. World records fell as its Alpha 6, Alpha 9 and Alpha 10 models devoured the competition at drag strips and on racing circuits. But then the Alpha 12 was developed – it is, in three simple words, Godzilla on crack.

Transforming a GT-R into an Alpha 12 is involved. After customers supply AMS with a donor R35 GT-R (new or used), the stock powertrain is surgically pulled and the metamorphosis begins. The OEM 3.8-liter VR38DETT V6 block is bored out to 4.0-liters of displacement, reinforced, and then fitted with an AMS Alpha CNC race ported cylinder head with AMS custom camshafts, AMS injectors, AMS MAP sensors and more. The stock turbochargers are ditched and replaced with an AMS Alpha 12 Turbo Kit, and an AMS intercooler and pipes are installed to reduce the charge temperature. The entire exhaust, from downpipes to the muffler, is then replaced with high-flow componentry. Lastly, the stock gearbox is upgraded with PPG and Dodson components and the differential is fitted with a high capacity oil cooler. What finally emerges is a balanced and blueprinted AMS Alpha 4.0L Race Engine.

Locate a dynamometer that can handle it and the Alpha 12 will show you 1,100 horsepower and 900 pound-feet of torque on 93 octane unleaded. Pump in some racing fuel, and those numbers rise to 1,500 horsepower and 1,050 pound-feet of torque. The figures are dizzying, but they speak for themselves. The 0-60 sprint takes 2.4 seconds. More spectacular is the acceleration from 60-130 mph. The Alpha 12 does it in just 3.31 seconds. In the aforementioned quarter mile, a range-topping Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport (almost a second slower in the benchmark) would be left choking on its dust.

Locate a dynamometer that can handle it and the Alpha 12 will show you 1,100 hp and 900 lb-ft of torque on 93 octane unleaded.

Understandably, a car like this needs some serious real estate to run. Wide open asphalt in places like Texas, Nevada or the deserts of California come to mind. But sadly, we are sitting behind the wheel of the record-breaking jet black Alpha 12 in congested Santa Monica, California. To make lemonade out of our rather sour situation, our goal is to drive the modified GT-R north, up famed Pacific Coast Highway, to escape the bulk of the stop-and-go beach traffic. While we won't be cracking triple-digits, we should be able to get a good sense of what this thing is all about.

We met the Alpha 12 in a dimly lit concrete parking structure under a Santa Monica hotel. To its credit, and despite all of the carbon-fiber add-ons, the black Nissan GT-R appears both tasteful and clean. Even compared to the other tame passenger vehicles in the garage, it didn't appear ostentatious. After a splash of (racing?) fuel from a handy five-gallon container, I climbed into the driver's seat.

Sitting to my right was Ivan Phipps, Special Projects Technician at AMS. Seriously multitalented, Ivan is as skilled with a wrench as he is behind the steering wheel, which made him the ideal co-pilot (Ivan was in the driver's seat of the Alpha 12 for its record-setting quarter-mile run, and in another video losing control – and recovering – at over 200 mph).

Everything, including the automatic climate control, still works as it did from the factory.

Following the tone set by the exterior, the cabin of the Alpha 12 will appear virtually stock unless the customer orders extras such as race bucket seats, harnesses or a roll cage. In fact, with the exception of some of the non-working telemetry on the center stack computer (some of the sensors are confused by the modified fuel injection and new engine mapping), everything, including the automatic climate control, still works as it did from the factory. Furthermore, and serving as a testament to its streetability, all functional controls work exactly as they do on a stock GT-R.

With a press of the 'start' button, the freely breathing 4.0-liter V6 barked to life and sent a concussion wave bouncing off the walls of the parking garage. Idle was smooth, but the raspy and aggressive exhaust note coming out of the enlarged tailpipes was delivering clues that everything wasn't normal. The Alpha 12 will operate in full automatic mode just like any stock GT-R, but Ivan explained up front that he preferred to shift the dual-clutch gearbox manually with the steering wheel-mounted paddles. Ignoring his suggestion, I left everything in automatic mode and pulled out of the parking garage.

I had covered no more than a quarter mile when Ivan's comment immediately made sense. The heavily modified gearbox, designed to handle upwards of 1,000 pounds-feet of torque, was brutally deliberate in its fully automatic engagement – uncomfortably so. After a few minutes of taking the abuse, I heeded my passenger's advice and began to shift manually with the column-mounted paddles. There was more too it, though, as the manual-mode shifts still felt as if we were being rear-ended by a 40-ton anvil with each gear change. After some experimentation, I discovered the trick to driving the Alpha 12 smoothly. By lifting off the accelerator slightly between shifts (just like you would do when clutching with a manual gearbox), engagement of the next gear was smooth.

Don't get the impression that an Alpha 12 is a docile pussycat. Its mannerisms are much harsher than a stock GT-R.

Don't get the impression that an Alpha 12 is a docile pussycat. In fact, its mannerisms are much harsher than a stock GT-R. To handle its outrageous output, AMS has fitted some seriously heavy-duty components. Most are buried within, but some (like the high-volume free-flow exhaust and the differential oil pump with straight-cut gears) operate much louder than stock mechanicals. To a true gearhead, one who can identify the din, the sound is oddly reassuring.

As AMS has left the stock Brembo brakes and multi-mode electrically adjustable damping suspension in place (no need to add unnecessary complexity), the ride remains every bit as compliant and comfortable as a stock GT-R. For street use and occasional drag racing this is probably just fine, but I would upgrade the brake pads at minimum if road-racing track duty is on the agenda.

Finally, many miles up the road, the lane opened wide. It was time to stretch the Alpha 12's legs with some... er... throttle experimentation. After checking my mirrors for the millionth time, I floored the accelerator.

Ivan, being a true gentleman in the passenger seat, laughed and shook his head. "That wasn't floored," he quipped.

By the time my foot had traveled three quarters to the floor the two turbochargers had spooled up like twin GE90s at full take-off power. Responding much like those huge turbines, which need a bit of time to get their significant mass moving, there was a slight delay. Then the thrust hit like being rear-ended by a freight train. In a split second, all four wheels broke free on the loose pavement and the chassis twitched alarmingly to one side as it was launched forward on the bow wave of the angry roar bellowing from the tailpipes.

My camera car, which had been running parallel to us for the past couple miles, appeared in the rearview mirror for a brief moment and then became a blur. Caught off guard by the power, and more than a bit terrorized, I missed the manual shift and the engine hit redline. The unburned fuel quickly exploded like twin howitzers out the back end of the muffler – the accompanying flames and black smoke were the embarrassing icing on the cake.

Ivan, being a true gentleman in the passenger seat, laughed and shook his head. "That wasn't floored," he quipped.

Determined not to make the same mistake twice, I rested my right fingertips on the paddle and pushed the accelerator to the floor. Again, the turbochargers took a deep breath... and then all hell broke loose. The acceleration from a rolling highway speed was mind-boggling – I have never felt anything like it – and I blasted off a crisp shift or two. Stupid fast? No, it was much faster than that.

After a few more similar runs, I pulled over to let Ivan show me "his interpretation" of Alpha 12 acceleration and a demonstration of launch control. He was more than willing to oblige, and we did a couple 0-60 blasts back-to-back, shredding both tires and asphalt simultaneously. Grip was the limiting factor in each event, damn the aged asphalt, as horsepower and power delivery remained consistent (where is some friction-increasing rosin when you need it?).

I climbed back into the driver's seat for the drive back to Santa Monica. As expected, the traffic thickened as did our frustration with the reduced pace as we neared the city. Within minutes of slowing, the Alpha 12 had blended itself in with the traffic like nearly all of the other four-wheeled vehicles tooling south on Pacific Coast Highway.

I sought to find the answers to two questions: How much does it cost, and what is the motivation to buy one over some other well-known exotic?

After the astonishment wore off, I sought to find the answers to two questions: How much does it cost, and what is the motivation to buy one over some other well-known exotic?

Measured on performance alone, the Alpha 12 is a serious bargain – but don't let that word confuse you into thinking this kind of automotive absurdity doesn't come at a price. AMS Performance requires a donor car, plus $99,000 in cash, to build a turn-key Alpha 12. A quick search on eBay reveals that a lightly used 2009 GT-R will set you back about $60,000 (a bargain compared to a spanking-new 2013 model at just over $100,000), so budget between $160,000 and $200,000 to set your own blistering sub-nine-second quarter mile. (The vehicle in our pictures, a 2010 model, was fitted with another $20,000 worth of upgrades including carbon fiber body panels and custom wheels that looked cool, but didn't really affect overall performance.)

Dominating a race from right here to over there is its competency, and the turbocharged coupe simply annihilates everything in the process.

The cost is tangible, but the answer to "why" is much more abstract. The explanation requires a basic understanding of the male caveman psyche – the testosterone-induced quest to stalk, hunt and then destroy – as the Alpha 12 is built solely to conquer. Dominating a race from right here to over there is its competency, and the turbocharged coupe simply annihilates everything in the process. Impromptu traffic light drag races? Win. Quarter mile contests? Win. Abandoned aircraft runways in Russia? Win, win and win. It is difficult to come up with another street-legal passenger vehicle, with airbags, leather seats and automatic air conditioning, capable of challenging the Alpha 12 in a flat-out sprint.

It should be obvious that few vehicles have rattled my equilibrium as much as this devilishly twisted Nissan GT-R. It was faster than expected, but at the same time much more refined than nearly all of the other tuner vehicles that I have driven. It is inexplicably powerful, yet remains street legal (I kept thinking someone has to be a bit deranged to own such an unusual creature – likely the same people who have a capybara at home as a pet). Regardless, AMS Performance must be convinced that the world is full of wealthy madmen, as the tuner has sold more than 75 copies of its Alpha 12 to date – that number is impressive. Add in the other available turn-key Alpha packages (6, 9 and 10), and the number of AMS-modified GT-R models roaming the planet in search of easy prey jumps to over 300. When you look at the big picture, AMS has enough vehicles on the road to make you ponder before you race that unassuming Nissan GT-R for pinks in your Ferrari 458 Italia or Lamborghini Aventador.

And while I have concluded that it is never possible to have too much power, one is very likely to become extremely frustrated with too little grip.

Bugatti Grand sport Supercars@holmesandco-london.com

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 07:15:00 -0700

Supercars@holmesandco-london.com

Bugatti Grand sport

Spirit perl blue met,

with black int,

sport comfor seats quilted,

2009, 15600km.

1.300.000euros

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Supercars@holmesandco-london.com

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 07:11:00 -0700

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Price 1.2 Million.

Starting Price 1.2 Million.

Supercars@holmesandco-london.com

One-77 Specification

Engine

Front mid-mounted, all-alloy quad overhead camshaft, 48 valve, 7.3 litrenaturally aspirated

V12 engine incorporating dry sump lubrication system

Max Power - 750 bhp (760 PS)

Max Torque - 750 Nm (553 lb ft)

Maximum Speed - 354 km/h (220mph)

Transmission

Rear mid-mounted, 6 speed Automated Manual Transmission with AutoShift Manual/Select

Shift Manual (ASM/SSM) electro-hydraulic control system

Body

Left Hand DriveTwo door sports coupe with two seats

Carbon fibre monocoque body structure

Hand crafted aluminium exterior body panels

Active aerodynamics with deployable rear spoiler

Weight 1630kg

Suspension and brakes

Front and rear, pushrod actuated, adaptive ride height suspension

Carbon Ceramic Matrix braking system

Dynamic stability control and traction control system

Number 40 of 77

Exterior colour - Black Pearl

Exterior metal fittings - Polished Aluminium

Wheels - 1O spoke polished and bead-blasted

Caliper colour - Red with silver AM logo

Interior

Upper leather colour - Obsidian Black with Red stitch

Lower leather colour - Obsidian Black with Red stitch

Seat outer leather colour - Obsidian Black with Red stitch and Welt

Seat inner leather colour - Quilted Spicy Red with Black stitch

Door arm rest trim - Black Saddle leather with Red stitch

Headlining colour - Obsidian Black outer and Cirrus Grey Alcantara inner

Facia finish - Carbon fibre

Centre console and air vents - Brushed Anodised Silver Aluminium

Rotary dial finish - Brushed Anodised Silver Aluminium

Dash painted parts finish - Black

Bespoke One-77 infotainment system

Bang & Oulfsen Beo-Sound 13 speaker 1OOOw audio system

Yours Sincerely,

David Holmes Smith

Co-Founder and Co-Owner

...

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One-77 Specification

Engine

Front mid-mounted, all-alloy quad overhead camshaft, 48 valve, 7.3 litrenaturally aspirated

V12 engine incorporating dry sump lubrication system

Max Power - 750 bhp (760 PS)

Max Torque - 750 Nm (553 lb ft)

Maximum Speed - 354 km/h (220mph)

Transmission

Rear mid-mounted, 6 speed Automated Manual Transmission with AutoShift Manual/Select

Shift Manual (ASM/SSM) electro-hydraulic control system

Body

Left Hand DriveTwo door sports coupe with two seats

Carbon fibre monocoque body structure

Hand crafted aluminium exterior body panels

Active aerodynamics with deployable rear spoiler

Weight 1630kg

Suspension and brakes

Front and rear, pushrod actuated, adaptive ride height suspension

Carbon Ceramic Matrix braking system

Dynamic stability control and traction control system

Number 40 of 77

Exterior colour - Black Pearl

Exterior metal fittings - Polished Aluminium

Wheels - 1O spoke polished and bead-blasted

Caliper colour - Red with silver AM logo

Interior

Upper leather colour - Obsidian Black with Red stitch

Lower leather colour - Obsidian Black with Red stitch

Seat outer leather colour - Obsidian Black with Red stitch and Welt

Seat inner leather colour - Quilted Spicy Red with Black stitch

Door arm rest trim - Black Saddle leather with Red stitch

Headlining colour - Obsidian Black outer and Cirrus Grey Alcantara inner

Facia finish - Carbon fibre

Centre console and air vents - Brushed Anodised Silver Aluminium

Rotary dial finish - Brushed Anodised Silver Aluminium

Dash painted parts finish - Black

Bespoke One-77 infotainment system

Bang & Oulfsen Beo-Sound 13 speaker 1OOOw audio system

Ferrari Aperta F 599 Spider ( limitiert mit 80 Stück)

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 07:04:00 -0700

6.6..2011 Erstzul.

2467 km-Stand

1.Hand, Unfallfrei, neuwertiger Zustand

Rosso Fuco PNTe 094083991

Water-repellent leather

Carbon racing seats black

carpet alcantara

Rockfall protection

CISK carbon sill

extinguisher

HAW1 windshield

Tachometer red

I Pod

luggage set,

anti Teft

red stitching

SofTop black

Parktronic front and rear

SU11

NDSP

SPEC

Preis: € 475.000,-- netto EUR

Supercars@holmesandco-london.com

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Aston Martin has revealed its latest supercar, the £189,995 AM 310 Vanquish.

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:40:00 -0700

Aston Martin's new Vanquish

Image 1 of 3

The Vanquish uses Aston Martin's 6.0-litre V12 petrol engine

Aston Martin has released the first images of its new £189,995 supercar, the AM 310 Vanquish.

The new model, which replaces the DBS, features the "next generation" of Aston's VH architecture, which uses a bonded-aluminium structure with body panels constructed from carbon-fibre (for its high strength-to-weight ratio), plus a "significantly upgraded" version of the company's 6.0-litre V12 petrol engine, now with dual variable valve timing.

The styling takes cues from the recent One-77 limited edition supercar, particularly at the rear of the car, where the LED "light-blades" differentiate the Vanquish from other models in the company's line-up. There's also a new carbon-fibre "Aero Duct" rear spoiler to counteract high-speed lift.

The rear-wheel-drive Vanquish produces its peak power of 565bhp at 6,750rpm (a 55bhp increase on the DBS), as well as 457lb ft of torque at 5,500rpm (up 37lb ft), which equates to a 0-62mph time of 4.1sec and a top speed of 183mph. The Vanquish, which weighs 1,739kg, uses a six-speed Touch-Tronic 2 paddle-shift gearbox and is the first Aston to feature a launch control system.

Torsional rigidity of the new car is said to be 25 per cent better than the DBS, and it has taken on a more practical side too, with a boot that is 60 per cent larger than that of the DBS (at 368 litres it's also 52 litres bigger than the boot of a Ford Focus). Elsewhere inside, the Vanquish features a new layout for the heating, satnav and audi controls, which Aston boasts is both more elegant and easier to use, with some of the glass buttons featuring "haptic feedback" technology, as found on touchscreen mobile phones.

Only 5 Super Exclusive McLaren MP4-12C ‘HS’ Supercars to be made – 1 to be sold in Marbella.

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:21:00 -0700

McLaren will manufacture an even higher performance version of Top Gear´s car of the year – the MP4-12C. It will be ultra exclusive with only 5 being made globally, 1 of these exotic machines will be sold right here in Marbella. For any potential buyers out there be careful of the speed camera on the A7!!

Ferrari restoring Steve McQueen's 275 GTB/4 to factory condition

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 15:45:00 -0700

32 years since his death, Steve McQueen captures the imagination of driving enthusiasts. The actor's cars continue to fetch big bucks at auction. Last summer at Pebble Beach, McQueen's personal 1970 Porsche 911S, driven in the opening scene of Le Mans, sold for $1,375,000 - a figure nearly matched by theracing suit he donned for the same movie. His metallic brown 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso sold at Christies a few years back for $2.3 million, and now another Ferrari from McQueen's past has returned home to Maranello.

The car in question is a 275 GTB/4 that the King of Cool acquired in San Francisco while filming Bullitt. Sometime after McQueen sold the car, its subsequent owner had its roof chopped off, transforming it into a de facto Spyder (there are only 10 real 275 GTB/4 NART Spyders). The car's new owner, however, has sent it back to Ferrari to have its roof rebuilt and the car returned to original factory specification.

The conversion is being undertaken by the Ferrari Classiche division, which will certify its authenticity once the process is completed. The unit was established in 2006 specifically for that purpose, and has since then dealt with some 3,300 classic Ferraris.

British Driver Anthony Davidson Goes Airborne At Le Mans

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 15:43:00 -0700

British Driver Anthony Davidson Goes Airborne At Le Mans

After his car was clipped by the Ferrari driven by Piergiuseppe Perazzini, Anthony Davidson's Toyota went airborne in a sickening twisting flip before crashing into a safety wall of tires. He was taken to the medical center but appears to be in good condition.

[T]he good news is that he is walking and talking and seems okay,' Toyota team's director of business operations Rob Leupen told AUTOSPORT.

The accident occurred in the fifth hour of the famed 24-hour race. Piergiuseppe Perazzini emerged under his own power.

Take a virtual lap of Austin's Circuit of the Americas

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 15:39:00 -0700

By Jonathon RamseyRSS feed

Posted Jun 16th 2012 4:03PM

Comments7

Hermann Tilke designed the Austin F1 circuit, and no one is quite sure if he's recreated the magic of Turkey or the borefest of Valencia. With 133 feet of elevation change, though, the 3.4 mile Circuit of the Americasand its 20 turns should be closer to the former. The track will feature in Codemasters' "F1 2012" video game, and Motorworld Hype was given a virtual tour by Codemasters designer Paul Jeal at E3.

Aside from the overexposure, the track and the game both look worthy of further investigation. Scroll down to check it out, as well as a longer video of chief designer Stephen Hood doing three laps in Lewis Hamilton's McLaren Mercedes.

Anthony Davidson in hospital after Le Mans 24 Hour race accident

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 15:37:00 -0700

Anthony Davidson in hospital after Le Mans 24 Hour race accident Britain's Anthony Davidson is in hospital following a huge accident five hours into the Le Mans 24 hour race. His Toyota flipped into the air and crashed heavily into a barrier after being clipped by Italy's Piergiuseppe Perazzini's LMPGTE Ferrari. A Toyota statement said: "Doctors at the circuit have confirmed that Anthony is suffering from shock and back pain. "However, there are no signs of any injuries and he is walking and talking with no problems." Perazzini walked away from the accident but Davidson, 33, was treated by medical staff at the scene. The race continued behind the safety car for more than 30 minutes as marshals reconstructed the tyre wall which had been badly damaged by Davidson's car. The Hertfordshire-born driver was taken to a local hospital for precautionary checks.

2013 Ford Shelby GT500 certified at 662 hp

noreply@blogger.com (Land Bike) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:37:00 -0700

In the high-stakes world of performance cars, horsepower is king. It's the first stat bragged about by owners trying to explain why their Camaro, Challenger or Mustang is better than their foes', and it's the headline figure promoted by the automakers themselves year after year.

When Ford announced that the 2013 Shelby GT500 would be punishing the pavement with 650 horses, the world stood up and took notice. Remember, though, these were just estimated figures, as the car had not yet been SAE certified. If reports from the Team Shelby message board prove accurate, the 2013 GT500 has finally gotten its official figures.

How's about 662 horsepower and 630 631 pound-feet of torque?

Yep, that'll do. It's notable that these figures represent increases of 12 horsepower and 30 21 lb-ft over the earlier estimates, and they also put even more distance between Ford's top-performing Mustang and Chevy's 580-horsepower Camaro ZL1. It also means the Shelby lays down considerably more ponies that the Corvette ZR1 and its 638 horsepower and 604 lb-ft.

Now, will we see a corresponding horsepower-addled response from Chrysler or General Motors? Only time will tell.

*UPDATE: We've received an official press release from Ford quoting power figures of 662 horsepower and 631 pound-feet of torque, making the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500's engine the most powerful production V8 in the world. Ford is also keen to point out that the 2013 GT500 is one mpg more fuel efficient, both city and highway, than the 2012 model and five mpg better than the Camaro ZL1. Scroll down for the complete press release.