Clipmarks | abramsv's 'auto' clips

Futuristic Citroen DS

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 08:10:36 GMT

clipped by: abramsv
clipper's remarks: "The Citroën DS was produced between 1955 and 1975. Citroën sold nearly 1.5 million D-series during its 20 years of production. The DS is well-known for its futuristic, aerodynamic body design, and for its innovative technology (including its hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension system)." - hence the "floating" advertisement idea.

Clip Source: thrillingwonder.blogspot.com

Mystery Photo: Futuristic Citroen DS

I knew Citroen DS was a Space Age wonder,
but this is simply amazing:

Tags: auto

Half car - half plant

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 13:06:59 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: the green solution?

Clip Source: www.newscientist.com

Half car - half plant

Is it a plant? is it a greenhouse? No, it's a breathing, green car. You heard it right, General Motors has designed a photosynthetic car called, brilliantly, the Hummer O2.

Designed, mind you. Not created. They envisage that, were it to ever see the light of day (oops - a pun), the Hummer 02 would "breathe" through algae-filled body panels that would transform carbon dioxide into oxygen and release the gas back into the environment.

It sounds to me like they're going to have algae coming out of their ears as it grows and grows. And frankly, they're kidding themselves if they think that taking algae from the sea and making it grow on in transparent cars is going to save the planet. But hey, you can't fault them for being creative. And they won the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge for their pains. There's more info and some great graphics here.

Tags: science, technology, cars, plants, environment

Extreme Car Stunts - A New Urban Sport?

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 08:15:06 GMT

clipped by: abramsv
clipper's remarks: Qashqai Car Games are the hottest urban extreme sport today. Motor punks, ex-stunt drivers, and banned Formula One pilots do mad stunts and sick tricks...

Clip Source: thrillingwonder.blogspot.com

Extreme Car Stunts - A New Urban Sport?

"Those magnificent madmen in their neat Japanese flying cars!"

oh, by the way, there was a similar car stunt in the recent Russian movie "Day Watch", where the girl launches her sports car off a ramp, and drives sideways at top speed along the parabolic side of an enormous glass hotel building:

So what is Qashqai?:

Historically Qashqai is name of a nomadic people, a tribal confederation of clans in Iran. (see Wikipedia entry). Qashqai is also a name of new Nissan mini-SUV car (see it here). Put two and two together, and you'll have to admit that the new "extreme urban sport" is nothing more than a clever (diabolically clever) marketing campaign. It says "Qashqai Car Games are the hottest urban extreme sport today. Motor punks, ex-stunt drivers, and banned Formula One pilots do mad stunts and sick tricks..." It might be only special effects for now, but it certainly has an excitement potential to spark something bigger. (at least Hollywood movie people should take notice and upgrade their car chase yawn-fests a notch)

Tags: sports, auto

Electric Light Decoration of Trucks in Japan

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 08:46:31 GMT

clipped by: abramsv
clipper's remarks: What happens if a Japanese truck "dies and goes to heaven?" It becomes one of the glorified "Decotora" trucks! Decorated trucks, vans and semis glow in the night with million lights, adding to the incredibly bright Tokyo street scene.

Clip Source: thrillingwonder.blogspot.com

Electric Light Truck Decoration in Japan

"Decotora" Trucks Shine in the Night

They might not look very refined in the daylight, but at night they shine in the most inimitable way. If you meet such an embellished apparition on a highway at midnight, it may either scare you off the road, or cause you to start to believe in alien encounters. The amount of chrome on these babies is probably equal to a monthly chrome production of a small African republic. I have to admit I'm still scratching my head after seeing this.

Tags: auto, design

Most confusing intersections?

Fri, 24 Nov 2006 04:40:13 GMT

clipped by: abramsv
clipper's remarks: most confusing intersections in the world? check out these in Russia and Israel.

Clip Source: thrillingwonder.blogspot.com

Incomprehensible Intersections

...and Spaghetti Junctions

Western drivers are understandably confounded and rightfully annoyed, when faced with such traffic-routing masterpieces as these: (see the whole list of them in Wikipedia here).

but this junction in Moscow wins the "Arrrrgh!" contest:

follow the arrows on the picture

Israel

These directions are helpfully provided on the official Highway 6 web page. But if you are an "experienced driver" and never ask for directions, you may be out of luck :)

According to the Russian auto forums, this is not a unique occasion. Perhaps one day they will discover a junction so confusing and bizarre that it will curl upon itself in the fourth dimension and come out say... in Israel.

Tags: travel, automobile