Category: On Location (Page 22 of 31)

Infiniti Etherea Concept at Pebble Beach Concours

August 20, 2011 / Gerardo Orlando

Infiniti Etherea Concept at Pebble Beach Concours

I’ve seen tons of beautiful cars, old and new, this weekend at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It’s an amazing celebration of the automobile, and this morning we found ourselves on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach as Infiniti introduced its Etherea Concept for the first time in North America. It was a little cloudy and chilly as you can see from the photos, but the view was spectacular. Tomorrow morning we’ll be back for the Concours as some amazing classic automobiles will be on display on the same spot.

The Etherea Concept is very impressive and is worthy of such a prestigious location for its introduction. I love the lines on this car, and the suicide doors punctuate the bold design. It’s clear from this vehicle and the JX Concept introduced yesterday that Infiniti will continue to be aggressive in its styling. The Etherea is an “exploration” of a future model so it will be interesting to see the final product, but they’re definitely headed in the right direction.

You can learn more about the Etherea Concept and the JX Concept at the Infiniti Facebook page.

Cars, On Location

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Woodward Dream Cruise: Day 3

August 20, 2011 / Joe Gustafson

classic yellow Camaro

These past two days, we’ve looked into Chevy and the Chevy small block’s past and present, and between these time periods and products is a singular emotion. What joins the creation of the small block, the history of General Motors, and events like the Woodward Dream cruise is passion.

Passion is not merely performance numbers, fuel economy, or just design alone. It’s the melding of the three parts by groups of people to create great products that they are proud of. On top of that, it then appears with the customer and how they interact and love the product. You can’t engineer or design a passionate car on purpose, just like you can’t create a perfect spouse. It’s all about the process. A car that elicits response from owners and passerbys is one that was created with a genuine care for the result. It is the result of this continual effort that creates the story of these cars and makes them more than just pieces of metal.

You see this passion in the creation process when you visit GM’s Heritage Center. Surrounded by the significant cars of the past, you see the thoughts and dreams of car designers that ended up in the final process. From a design and engineering standpoint, you can feel what their creators and teams were thinking when they created these pieces. You see a visionary mindset that is not stuck in the past, but it always pushing through to the future.

These designers and engineers were not only looking for performance, but also at fuel economy and evocative design as well. For instance, the 1953 Firebird concept used turbines in an attempt to get both performance and fuel economy. Plus, it was stylized like a jet. It was not a dowdy economical box to suffer in while you squeezed out every drop of gas. Fuel economy, to the designers and engineers, was just another boundary to push the envelope like performance, and it was another tool to capture the buyer’s attention.

Cars, On Location

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Infiniti JX Concept introduced at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

August 19, 2011 / Gerardo Orlando

Infiniti invited Bullz-Eye out to Pebble Beach for the annual Concours d’Elegance and the introduction of the new Infiniti JX Concept crossover. The new vehicle was unveiled last night at an elegant reception at the famed Lodge at Pebble Beach.

The Infiniti JX Concept is a preview of a new 7-passenger/3-row luxury crossover that joins the Infiniti lineup in spring 2012. The JX Concept was unveiled by Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura: “The JX Concept advances the Infiniti design language, sharing design cues of the Infiniti Essence concept, yet interprets those elements in ways suitable to the needs of a family luxury crossover. From the dramatic front grille and headlight design to the crescent-cut D-pillar and greenhouse shape, the JX Concept shines as a fresh, bold alternative to the many flavors of vanilla currently dominating the three-row luxury crossover segment.”

As you can see from the photos above, the JX Concept stands out with aggressive styling. The accessibility and comfort of the third-row seating will also be a major selling point. “With the JX, you will even be able to leave a child seat latched to the 2nd row while getting in or out of the 3rd row – just one example of the vehicle’s inspired flexibility and versatility,” explained Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore. “The 3rd row isn’t the typical penalty box either, with adult-sized room for all occupants and five-and-a-half inches of 2nd row forward-back adjustability.” Learn more about this and other Infiniti vehicles at the Infiniti Facebook page.

Check back as we will be posting more updates from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This event is one of the premier celebrations of the automobile as only the most beautiful and rare automobiles are invited to appear on the famed eighteenth fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links each year.

Cars, Lifestyle, News, On Location, Stuff to Buy

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Woodward Dream Cruise: Day 2

August 19, 2011 / Joe Gustafson

Chevy Camaros

The first day was all about the history and pedigree of the Chevy small block. Today, we experienced how the small block is being used nowadays and a firsthand account of cruising on Woodward. We started the day at the birthplace of ZO6, ZR1, and Grandsport Corvette motors. Then, we cruised Woodward in the Chevy parade and ended the day by sampling applications of the small block in both Chevy cars and others.

The GM Performance Center is where traditional craftsmanship and modern attention to detail meet to create some of the highest performing motors on the planet. Here, every 430hp Grand Sport motor, 505hp Z06 motor and 638hp ZR1 motor take shape. Each motor is built completely by hand and signed by the technician that builds it.

To ensure correct specifications, advanced torque wrenches are used to give the builder a guide when each individual fastener is bolted to the motor. In fact, each bolt’s torque is registered in a massive database for each engine to ensure quality even after the engine leaves the factory. No other facilities offer this level of attention to detail, not even many of Mercedes’ AMG engines.

Not only is every motor built by hand, but if you partake in the Build Your Own program, the hands that build your Z06, ZRI or Grandsport motor could be your own. For $5800, you can visit the performance center, and with the help of a qualified GM engine builder, build your own motor. At the end of the process, your own name will appear on your engine’s build plate.

Cars, On Location

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Woodward Dream Cruise: Day 1

August 18, 2011 / Joe Gustafson

classic chevy - Woodward Dream Cruise Day 1

If there’s one automotive pilgrimage that must be made by gearheads everywhere, it’s the Woodward Dream Cruise. Located in the automotive Mecca of Detroit, MI, the Woodward Dream Cruise is a weeklong event that celebrates the religion of cars. The Dream Cruise specifically worships the sect of classic American muscle cars with big V8’s, aggressive lines and bad attitudes. All cars are welcome, but these vintage American hulks from a bygone era reign supreme. Today was the calm before these cars are awaken from their slumber and marched towards Woodward Ave. Every year brings something unique, and this year is no exception.

This year’s Dream Cruise marks not only the year of Chevrolet’s centennial anniversary, but also the 100 millionth small block Chevy V8 to be produced. If there were one spokesman for the entire muscle car movement, one defining piece, it would be the Chevy small block. There is no better place to pay homage to this piece of engineering than the Woodward Dream Cruise.

The mission of the Chevy small block was simple: create an affordable engine to bring the power that the marketplace demanded. In 1955, chief engineer Ed Cole completed that task. The result was the Chevy small block.

Cars, On Location

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