Alright, I admit it, the Lamborghini Gallardo is growing on me. But very slowly!

Due to the recent release of the Gallardo LP560-4, I’m starting to get over my general dislike of the Lamborghini Gallardo. Long-term readers of Automoblog will be familiar with my having always thought the Gallardo was just a trendy, over-priced Audi. Mass-produced in high numbers, no signature scissor doors, V10 engine, and the whole “tuner” feel bothers me.

Lamborghinis to me have always been for the mega-rich. They’re exclusive pieces of machinery only seen in the driveways of mansions, and in the form of a poster on 12 year-old boy’s walls. The Gallardo pretty much crushed that image, allowing any old “Six-figure-making Joe” to own a Lamborghini. That put a major sour taste in my mouth, and really diluted the Lambo image.

But over the years since the Gallardo has been released, my dislike for them has gone down little-by-little. Now here’s a variation that would make me look like a fool to turn up my nose: Continue Reading…

Sponsored by Honda

Honda launched a new ad campaign for the Accord based on Skydiving. Check out the video above. The video itself doesn’t have any indication of it being from Honda, but only points us to DifficultIsWorthDoing.com, which at first just appears to be a basic blog about skydiving. Take a deeper look though (or notice the Honda logo in the header,) and you’ll see that it’s a build-up for the new Accord.

Recent posts have been showing the making of the commercial, which just aired in the UK. They pulled off a cool stunt with the skydivers spelling out “HONDA” one letter at a time: Continue Reading…

So, for some reason, Daniel McDermon, a reporter for the New York Times decided to take the new Vespa S for a spin down the length of the island of Manhattan.

At first I thought, ‘That’s crazy! A scooter out there with New York city cabbies and what-not?”

And then I remember that I watched “Roman Holiday” last night (my wife has an Audrey Hepburn fixation), and I thought again. Sure, NYC has this rep for bad streets and even worse drivers, but are they really, in the grand scheme of things, that bad? I’ve driven there on more than one occasion, and it can be ape crazy, but it’s better than Boston (for one thing).

And neither of those cities is as bad as Rome, and there’s Vespas all over the place there. Weaving in and out of traffic, blowing through lights, dodging through roundabouts etc. etc. etc.

I went to school in Rome for a while, and when I was there, I didn’t see one accident. Not one.

The closest thing I saw to an accident was when a guy riding a Vespa pulled up to an intersection next to a girl and I (we were waiting to cross the street, coming home from seeing Aida performed in an ancient Roman amphitheater).

He came screeching up to a halt, slamming on the breaks at the last instant, the way every Roman does.

Then he casually reached over and grabbed my companions thigh, the light turned, he took off, and she said, “That guy just grabbed my thigh!”

I could understand it. She was cute (blond hair, blue eyes, stacked; and Italians are just crazy about that type of woman … which always puzzled me when 54% of the women in Italy look like Gina Lolobridgida) and he was Roman.

Simply stunning.

Those two words pretty much sum it up for the new 2008 Maserati GranTurismo S. This car is simple but gorgeous, and aggressive but elegant— which is a look that only the Italians can magically make happen. American cars are either really cool or really aggressive, but we can’t hit elegant. The Germans give it a shot, but they can’t get it either. The British are the closest (Aston Martin anyone?), but only the Italians can get that perfect balance. The Japanese don’t even try, saving themselves the humiliation of a pathetically failed attempt.

Yep, it’s just the Italians.

And there is no better car to display their magic on than on a Maserati. For some reason, Maseratis have always carried a certain air about them, one that classes them above any Benz or BMW, regardless of price. And this one is the best of them all.

The Maserati GranTurismo S is a true and classical example of a “grand tourer”, or GT. This was a term bestowed on luxurious, but sporty and expensive cars like, for example, a Bentley. The first ever GT was a Maserati as well. Nowadays the term “GT” is horrifically misused, and badged on cars that simply do not live up to the prestige. The GranTurismo S, however, fits the description perfectly: Continue Reading…

I know, this is a blog about cars, but this is just too good.

There’s a bunch of things that makes this great/terrifying.

First off, it’s that they mounted the engine on a bicycle. Not a car, or a truck, or even a motorcycle, but something that looks like a re-done Schwinn.

Next, that’s not your run of the mill jet engine, oh no. That’s a Peenemünde-grade pulse jet attached to to that bike … Sweet Jesus, I can’t believe I just typed that sentence. Seriously, what sort of lunatic would do something like that.

And finally, the claimed top speed: 75 miles per hour.

Rockets on bikes are nothing new (they were playing around with them in the 20s, actually), but a pulse jet?

For starters, those things make an enormous amount of noise. I know from first hand experience (on more than one occasion) that one of this size is going to crank out sound pressure levels way, WAY in excess of 120 dB a good distance away (in the 30 meter range). Whoever is riding that bike better used double earplugs and gun-muffs, or their ear drums will be toast.

Also, they shoot out flame for 3 or 4 times the barrel length, so there’s thermal concerns here … as in, you’ll light the garage on fire if you’re within 50 feet of it.

And, that thing is seriously off the the centerline of vehicle … the rider will be crabbing like crazy trying to make it go straight.

But that’s OK, he won’t have to worry about that for very long. It’ll be a very low altitude, short duration flight.

I’m surprised, and very pleasantly so.

China is the world’s largest country in terms of population, with around 1.3 billion people, yet they have not produced a single, solitary, good looking car. All those minds, and not one good car.

Which is why I’m so happy to hear about the Geely Tiger GT.

This is, without doubt, the first sexy and cool car to ever come from a Chinese car manufacturer. Its debut at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show caused quite a stir, and it was undoubtedly the star, outshining several entries from Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche.

As for performance, it is rumored to be powered by a 3.5 liter V-6 engine that produces 225 horsepower and 340 pound-feet torque. Again, no concrete details but it’s supposed to have a 0-60 mph time in about 5.5 seconds, and a final top speed of around 155. Not too impressive performance-wise, but it’s the styling that blows crowds away.

With an aggressive cool front— it even has the chrome fangs— the Tiger is a great looking car, with its curvy, sexy lines, and it is proof that Geely is willing to take a risk with an unconventional and radical design. Geely’s most recent car, the Panda, was a laughable little thing that was the subject of much Internet hilarity.

The Tiger, however, is a car I would be proud to own, and if its styling is any indication, then I think that China could make its mark on the auto industry yet.

More images and specs after the jump: Continue Reading…