His Point of View

If you didn’t know Lamborghini (Lambo) will stop production of the Murcielago soon ( if this has not already been done).  You may ask what car (or cars) will replace this super car, and if you did I would say I wish I knew.  There are a few rumored new Lamborghinis and what I consider to be the front runners are the Estoque and the Jota.  I am excited to see that Lamborghini is considering a 4 door super car (the Estoque) but the mystery behind the Jota is also exciting on its own.  The Estoque has been shown as a concept at car shows since 2008 and there are rumors that production has begun on this model already.   I do like the Estoque, but I am a bit disappointed that it does not appear to be as eye catching as I think a Lambo should be, perhaps they will jazz it up a bit since this car has been shown since 2008.  Although no one has any credible shots of the Jota, there are some shots of the test vehicle, and it appears that the Jota will be a bit wider than the Murcielago and have a more powerful engine (of course).  I won’t post the photos of this test vehicle, as it is just a modified Lambo Murcielago body.

(Lambo Estoque) photo from http://www.lambocars.com

( Lambo Estoque) photo from http://autoworld.wordpress.com

While you are at it take a  look at these prototypes from the 2010-2011 car show circuit.

Today I am happy to report another technological advance in consumer electronics.  I have just learned of the new Nikon Coolpix S1000pj digital camera.  What’s so great about this camera you may ask???  If you did ask I would say that it is a pocket sized 12.1 Mega-Pixel camera with a  5X magnification optical glass lens, image stabilization, up to 6400 ISO, and best of all…. a built in projector.  That’s right this pocket sized camera($429.95) has a built in video projector which can display images and video captured by the camera onto a wall or screen up to 40 inches wide.  This means no more huddling around a 2 inch LCD screen to show your friends the photos you just took of them being silly, or to show family the photos of your recent trip to Paris.  And to the creative bunch, this opens the door to instant art not only can you instantly display images you just created, but you can incorporate those you just snapped into new works on the spot.  I think this (or the next few generations of this technology) will be a must have for the graphic artists on a budget, who draw or paint things they observe in the world.

For more details go to the Nikon site here  Or to the Nikon Rumors site here.

This is not breaking news to the car enthusiasts out there, and I have known about it for months, but I am just getting around to saying goodbye to the Ferrari F430.  I had set a personal goal of walking into a dealership and purchasing a spanking new F430 but they are going to stop production well before I can realize that goal ( unless I win this $350+ million Mega-millions jackpot tonight).  Well now I will haveto adjust and set a goal to walk in and pick up an 458 Italia.  Like I said the other day people set a goal which appears far out of reach for today and work towards it daily.

stats:

approx. 3,200 lbs

4.5 Litre V-8

562 horsepower

zero to 60 in 3.4 seconds

Retail Price $???,???

images courtesy of www.Ferrari.com

I hate aluminum engine blocks…Yeah they are lighter, but how often do you have to take one out without using an engine lift??? Can you say never…  Why do I hate aluminum engine blocks?   If you were to ask me I would say because you have to use a torque wrench on everything, unless you want to risk stripping out the threads in the block.  And that means you need 2 or 3 different torque wrenches (you need 2 different sized wrences  that measures in foot/pounds  & another that measures in inch/pounds)  to do simple repairs or engine mods, and that’s in addition to all the other regular wrenches and sockets that you will use…and that is a pain.  On top of that you have to be careful to not use the wrong type of engine coolant, or you are in for a not so fun future.  Did I also mention how harmful the process of refining aluminum is to the environment??? 

On another note… what happened to the time when men worked on cars in the driveway/in the garage?  I had to replace my water pump yesterday and I was distrubed on 3 ocassions by grown men stopping by to ask what I was doing.  Two of the three went on to say how they have no idea of what’s under their car’s hood, and they would never attempt to do any work on their cars.  What is the world coming to???

Oh yeah and to any Chevrolet designers/engineers… since when did ya’ll start using metric nuts and bolts?  In the past I have had a 1962 Bel-Aire, and a 1969 Impala, now I have a 2004 model and for the first time I have had to break out the metric tool set, what is really going on????  Pick a side either go all metric or all standard please… If I wanted to use metric and standard tools in the same day I would have stuck with Chrysler vehicles.

Updated 07/22/2009:  

Let me clarify, as I have gotten a lot of response regarding the use of torque wrenches… first this post was made half jokingly. Secondly I am aware that you should use a torque wrench on all engines, but the fact is that unless you are working with an aluminum block you can get away with tightening a lot of nuts and bolts that are not connecting sensitive components without a torque wrench without worry about damaging the block.  That’s all I meant.   So, to all the folks who are determined to use a torque wrench on every single nut and bolt… I apologize for offending you… LoL

Ya’ll are going to get tired of me and watches… for real. But do I care??? Obviously not. Well this one is not going to be a lesson on anything but style. 2009 is going to be a good year for the watch world. There are a few old reliable brands that are breaking new ground. Breitling is manufacturing its first in house movement.  Zenith has figured out how to combine a chronograph and a minute repeater into one movement for the first time ever in a wristwatch. Patek Phillepe has broken ranks from the COSC and the Geneva Seal Bureau to create its own standard of quality craftsmanship(instead of only testing the movements Patek Phillipe has developed a method of testing the entire completed watch). 2009 is an exciting year in the watchmaking world… many of these decisions to break from these companies’ standard method of doing business will go down in history as genius ideas, or mega-flops… either way they will become collector’s items.

Below are more great timepieces to go pick up if you can… or to dream about if your pockets are a little light.

This is the Zenith “Defy Classic Zero-G”.  Zenith has been making fine watch movements since 1865, and you definitely pay for all those decades of experience when you purchase one of their fine time pieces.  This particular model costs approximately $260,000-$300,000 in the US.  Note the lack of diamonds or “bling” even though this item costs more than most people’s houses.  Its all about quality materials, detailed workmanship, and the engineering behind the brand.

(photo from http://media.modernluxury.com)

If you like Zenith but you want to own a piece of horological history that is a bit more affordable  you can pick up other models such as these for under $20,000.

(photo from http://media.modernluxury.com)

Next up is the Bulgari “Diagono Calibro 303″ This piece of work is in the $10,000-12,000 US price range.  At 5.5 mm thickness this is considered to be a very thin mechanical self winding watch.

(photo from http://home.watchprosite.com)

So that we don’t leave the ladies out here is the Boucheron “Ellipse Anniversarie”.  This watch features blue & pink sapphires, and white diamonds for a retail price of $35,000 US.

(photo from https://www.boucheron.com)

Since I saw this car at the Atlanta International Car Show back in 2002 or 2003 I have been in love with Spyker cars. Below is the Spyker “C8″ the car’s interior is probably even more slick than the exterior. I mean look at that interior. It’s aircraft style stitching on leather!!! And the whole interior is leather and chrome… who else in the auto industry produces an interior with anywhere near this level of detail? Look them up at http://www.spykercars.nl and all photos are from the company’s website. This gem starts at about $250,000. Check out the Video: Spyker on youtube

Next on my list of objects I dream of is the Gumpert “Apollo”. Starting at about $420,000 some claim that this could be the next World’s fastest car, but officially the SSC Ultimate Aero still holds the title, and I know you have probably never heard of the SSC either, but frankly it does not look all that impressive, it reminds me too much of the old school Lambo (“Diablo” body style) so the SSC did not make this list. Photos from www.gumpert.de Check out the Gumpert on Youtube

The next car is not much of a looker, but if you google it you will sure be impressed by its performance. The Ariel “Atom” (starting near $70,000) is a tiny dynamo. This car’s performance numbers are impressive, no matter who you are. (photos from http://www.arielatom.com/) What car do you know of that can beat these numbers off the showroom floor? 0-60mph under 3 seconds, 0-100mph under 11 seconds… Check out this video Youtube