thanks to my brother Dan the super sleuth, i now know about the mystery badge i posted yesterday. it’s the emblem of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (founded, strangely enough, by two white men in Manhattan) or, as they are more commonly known, the Shriners.
shouldn’t this have been found on a much smaller car then?
i spotted this strange emblem on the back of a Hyundai the other day but it’s from no country that i know of. anyone know what it is?
i spotted this beautiful Aston Martin DBS Volante outside the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai last year and yes, it’s parked in between a Porsche Panamera and a Maserati GranTurismo; did i mention that i took these photos in Dubai?
right. the DBS is Aston Martin’s current flagship model which basically means it’s a piece of art with an engine big enough for a small child to hide inside. it’s dripping with goodies, from an intelligent suspension system to numerous carbon fiber components; even the carpets are made of the stuff.
the only thing that bothers me about this car (and i suppose all current Aston Martin models) is the “Emotion Control Unit.” “Emotion Control Unit,” let that shameless marketing term stew in your mind for a moment before i tell you what it is. ready? it’s a key, a fancy, unconventionally shaped, sapphire and stainless steel key. it’s what you use to bring this beast of a car to life, the keymaster to Aston’s gatekepeer of automotive bliss.
so why does it sound like something from a dystopian film?
i had to pay nearly two whole dollars for parking the other night. i hope my replacement disabled parking placard comes in the mail soon.
oh man. my heart goes out to Mikko Hirvonen who uncharacteristically binned his Fiesta on day one of Wales Rally GB. what a shame. better luck next year!
there’s a part of Indiana that refuses to observe daylight savings time and even though i only really think of our eastern neighbor when i’m stuck behind one of its many infuriatingly clueless drivers in traffic here in Chicago, i admire the audacity of that Hoosier slice. i applaud their ability to display their grubby, corn-husking middle fingers in defiance and stand up to the clock Nazis in Washington.
at least that’s what i did until today when i discovered that the entire state of Indiana has been observing daylight savings time since April 2, 2006.
no, your eyes do not deceive you; what you see is indeed an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. this is the first 8C i’ve seen, having spied it on the upper floor of an exotic/luxury car dealership downtown while taking a walk the other night and considering that only 500 of these gorgeous machines were produced, it will probably be the last one i see as well.
the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is powered by a 4.7 liter V8 which produces 444 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque which means it can do 0-60 mph in about four seconds and a standing quarter mile in 12.4. but all of those seemingly impressive stats mean nothing compared to its beauty, a beauty i can’t show you because this was the best photo i could get of it.
these last couple of days have been slow going as Beka and i are still coming to grips with the tragic loss of Marco Simoncelli yesterday. unfortunately, October 23rd also happens to be our anniversary and even though neither of us were really in the mood to celebrate, we decided to go out to dinner anyway.
i wore my San Carlo Honda Gresini shirt, of course.
shock. i was shocked when i turned on the computer to watch today’s MotoGP race in Sepang, Malaysia and found out that rising star Marco Simoncelli had died at 16:56 local time from injuries sustained during a collision with Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi on lap two.
it seems so outrageous that elite MotoGP riders can still die racing in this day and age but Simoncelli’s passing has made it a staggering two in two years with Moto2 star Shoya Tomizawa having lost his life at the San Marino Grand Prix last September. to give you some context, the last on-track fatality before Tomizawa was his fellow countryman Daijiro Kato during the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
as Beka and i remember one of our favorite riders, our thoughts and prayers go out to Marco’s family and friends. Rest in peace, Super Sic.
