Pumpkins & Power Tools

What would Halloween be without power tools? A little more trick than treat, I say.

HandyMan and I got our pumpkins carved just in the nick of time before the neighbourhood kiddos came knocking on our door. Okay, so we really didn't carve them exactly. Take a little bit of Martha Stewart, add some Rambling Renovators, and pumpkins end up looking like this:



Add some glow-in-the-dark-mice:



And you get this!



Our front stoop isn't the only thing that was decorated.


(Yes, that is a farmer, his wife, and a very sleepy little chicken).

SEMA Show: Lingenfelter Supercharges 2010 Camaro SS to 750HP

Making its debut alongside the Lingenfelter 2010 Camaro-based Pontiac Trans Am Concept at next week's SEMA Show will be a supercharged Camaro SS with all kinds of mechanical and cosmetic revisions. The most significant changes on Lingenfelter's Camaro are hidden under the hood as this Chevy features a 750 horsepower supercharged 426 cubic inch (equal to 7.0-liters) LS7 V8 with an 8.8:1 compression ratio, forged JE pistons, production GM LS7 crankshaft and titanium connecting rods, just to mention a few of the upgrades.

In addition to the engine, Lingenfelter's 2010 Camaro package includes a 6-bolt LS9 twin disk flywheel and clutch assembly, a twin pump fuel system, Brembo brake calipers and rotors, a Corsa sport exhaust system, double adjustable Sachs shocks and Hotchkis suspension springs, anti-sway bars and subframe brace.

On the outside, the SEMA Show display vehicle features a new front fascia splitter, rocker extensions, carbon fiber grille, new hood with air extractors, rear deck lip and spoiler and rear fascia extension plus a set of 20-inch, 10-spoke alloy wheels shod in Pirelli 275/40ZR20 tires on the front and Pirelli 305/35ZR20 on the back.

As for the interior, Lingenfelter's tuning proposal includes a Mito rear view mirror with video display, a custom-made steering wheel, machined pedal covers, floor mats and embroidered interior.





GM Releases Official Cadillac CTS-V Challenge Race Video

Now that we all know the results of the spunky CTS-V Challenge at the Monticello Motor Club, it's time to see GM's official video take on the race with all the protagonists. If you happened to miss our previous post, former GM Performance Division Executive John Heinricy cut the ribbon first with a CTS-V, young Michael Cooper with a private BMW M3 Sedan came in fourth while Bob Lutz and his automatic CTS-V finished 7th beating Jalopnik's Wes Siler who raced a Mitsubishi EVO X after "XXXXX" withdrew its pledge to give him the "XXXX" (yes, we're trying to amuse one of our "anonymous commentators"...). Video after the break.





voulez vous coucher avec moi... ce soir?

happy halloween!!!

SEMA Show: 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STI 315HP Tuned by STP

Subaru of America's in house performance division, STP (which stands for Subaru Performance Tuning), will reveal a custom-built Impreza WRX STI at the Las Vegas SEMA Show next week. The WRX STI gets all sorts of goodies from the SPT catalog such as a sportier exhaust system that boosts the 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer engine's output from 305 HP to 315 HP at 6,000 rpm with peak torque remaining stock at 290 lb.-ft. at 4,000 rpm and a turbo heat shield.

To improve handling, SPT equipped the Impreza WS STI with a set of 19-inch Prodrive GT2 alloy wheels finished in Glitter Gold and wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 245/35R19 performance tires while the car's suspension is upgraded with STI performance springs, an SPT strut tower brace and an SPT lower chassis brace.

Cosmetically, the tuned model is said to feature SPT billet oil cap and billet battery hold down, an STI front lip spoiler and SPT exhaust finishers.

Interior appointments include an SPT boost gauge, a media hub digital music integration system and an auto-dimming mirror with transflective display and HomeLink transmitter plus an STI shift knob and all-weather floor mats.



VW Prices New 270HP Golf R and 265HP Scirocco R in the UK [With Track Video]

Volkswagen has released pricing for its UK-bound Golf R and Scirocco R that are both expected to reach British showrooms in February of 2010. Prices for front-wheel drive Scirocco R that's fitted with a 265HP 2.0-litre TSI four-cylinder engine and a six speed manual gearbox start at £26,945 on-the-road while the all-wheel drive Golf R that's powered by a 270HP 2.0-liter turbo engine linked to a six-speed manual transmission, begins from £28,930. A six-speed DSG gearbox is available as an option on both models from £1,300.

The company says that the range-topping Scirocco accelerates from a standstill to 62 mph in 6.0 seconds, falling to 5.8 seconds when equipped with the dual-clutch DSG gearbox, while achieving a combined figure of 34.9 mpg UK (35.3 for DSG) and 189 g/km of CO2 (187 for DSG).

As for the Golf R that is available in three- and five-door body styles, it is the fastest accelerating VW ever produced, with a 0 to 62mph (100km/h) sprint time of just 5.7 seconds for the manual model and 5.5 seconds for the DSG equipped version. The Golf R is said to return 33.2 mpg UK on the combined cycle (DSG 33.6 mpg) and CO2 emissions of 199 g/km (195g DSG).

Both the Scirocco R and Golf R models have a top speed of 155 mph.






Film Company TM: State, Federal or International Registration?

Dear Rich: I have a film production company, the name of which I have been using for nearly 10 years, and for which I purchased a website for in 2005. I have also registered it as a business within my state. However, my goal, of course is to one day be internationally recognized. Someone from another country has begun using the same name for their own film projects. Is there something I should be doing now to gain international proprietary rights to the name? Or is that even possible? The short answer is that you should federally register the name of your film company. Registering your name as a business in your state -- for example, as a dba or as a corporate name does not give you any trademark rights. Even registering your name with your state's trademark office will not provide the protection you seek (and is usually not worth the effort). A U.S. registration will preserve your U.S. rights and enable you to stop others from using a similar name for film production services in the U.S. (Read more about enforcing TM rights, here.)  As for pursuing international rights, that may be premature since you haven't indicated that you are currently engaged in international commerce. In any case, securing rights in other nations -- there is no such thing as an "international trademark" -- has become easier in recent years with the adoption of the Madrid System. Nolo -- my employer -- can assist with federal registration, and the Dear Rich Staff prepared a helpful guide to the process.

BMW M5 Touring E39: One-Off Station Wagon Prototype Also Revealed by BMW [High-Res Gallery]

Though definitely not as unique or attention-grabbing as the 1989 E34 M5 soft-top Convertible that we showed you in an earlier post here on julino billym, the one-off E39 M5 Touring prototype that was also revealed by BMW at a special event in Germany commemorating the 25 years of the M5 and photographed by the folks over at 'Bimmertoday', is certainly worth a second look .

The E39-based M5 Touring, which for various reasons never made it pass the prototype phase, was powered by the same naturally-aspirated 4.9-liter V8 engine with 400 ponnies as its sedan doppelganger.

The only other M5 Touring to be series produced by BMW other than today's V10-powered model (E60 sedan / E61 Touring), was the E34 M5 that was fitted with an inline-six cylinder engine.

Source: Bimmertoday , Via: BMWBlog


BMW M5 Touring E39 Prototype




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BMW M5 E39 Saloon




Mercedes-Benz Launches Special Edition C-Class Executive SE in the UK

Following in the footsteps of the E-Class Executive SE, Mercedes-Benz has introduced a similar version of its smaller C-Class sedan with an exterior styling pack and interior upgrades. Based on the C 180 KOMPRESSOR BlueEFFICIENCY with the 156 HP engine, the C-Class Executive SE is distinguished on the outside by the Sport Grille with the integrated Mercedes-Benz star, specific 16-inch alloy wheels and chrome trim finishes for the boot lid and exhaust.

On the inside, the Executive SE gets Merc's COMMAND multimedia system that includes hard disk drive navigation, Linguatronic voice control, a 6 GB music register and a PCMCIA slot, all of which can be controlled through the upgraded multi-function steering wheel, fitted as standard

It goes on sale from November with UK prices set at £23,190.64 for the sedan and £24,390.11 for the Estate. According to the German car maker, the Executive SE models cost just £574.47 (ex VAT) more than the SE, yet offer over £2,200 worth of extras.



New Ford Fiesta Sales Surpass 500,000 Units in First Year

Just a year after its European market launch in October 2008, and the Ford Fiesta has raked over half a million sales marking a significant milestone for the company which is preparing to bring the small hatch to North America and key Asian Pacific markets next year. Following its introduction in Europe, the latest generation Fiesta was launched in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and China with global sales reaching 470,000 units through September, with 430,000 units sold in Europe and 40,000 in the Asia Pacific region.

In October, Ford sold another 50,000 units worldwide, pushing the total number beyond 500,000.

"Customers around the world are recognizing the new Fiesta delivers on the global Ford DNA -- eye-catching design, innovation, outstanding driving dynamics and great value," said Jim Farley, group vice president of global marketing and Canada, Mexico and South America.

The new Fiesta will make its first public appearance at a North American show in Los Angeles in December with sales following in the U.S. next summer.