World's most expensive road accident

This is the moment a blundering blonde caused the world's most expensive five-car pile-up — when her Bentley collided with a Mercedes, a Ferrari, a Porsche and an Aston Martin.

Hundreds of tourists watched in shock as the woman ploughed her £250,000 Bentley Azure into the supercars in Monaco.

The driver of a white Mercedes S Class worth £75,000 was the first victim as the 2.7-ton convertible scraped down the side of it before crashing into a £140,000 black Ferrari F430.

An Aston Martin Rapide worth £140,000 and an £80,000 Porsche 911 also both suffered heavy damage after being shunted in the bizarre smash.

The driver and her two passengers then had the humiliation of being surrounded by scores of sightseers as they tried to open the car's jammed doors.

It is estimated the crash will cost more than £40,000 with the Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin requiring new front wings and bumpers, while the Bentley needs the same repairs PLUS a new door.

Ruud Poot, editor of European motoring website Autogespot, said: "You probably couldn't find a worse place in the world to crash your car than outside Monaco's Place du Casino in the middle of the summer." - www.thesun.co.uk

Audi TT Pickup

You see something new everyday!

This Audi TT was fabricated in Denmark, mainly to cater to their special tax discounts for trucks, and at the same time offering a small car for commute.

1939 Pontiac Transparent Car

Estimate:

$275,000-$475,000 US

AUCTION DATE:

To be auctioned on Saturday, July 30, 2011

Series 26. 85 bhp, 222.7 cu. in. L-head six-cylinder engine, three-speed manual transmission, coil spring independent front suspension, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. - Highlight of 1939-40 New York World’s Fair - First transparent car built in America - Pioneering Plexiglas collaboration between GM and Rohm & Haas - Excellent original condition - Single-family ownership since early 1980s Visitors to General Motors’ “Highways and Horizons” pavilion at the 1939-40 New York World’s Fair came away awed by a vision of the future. The work of renowned designer Norman Bel Geddes, GM’s “Futurama” exhibit foretold the communities and transportation systems of 1960, many of which came to pass. Other peeks at the future included “Previews of Progress,” inventions that seemed like magic: “Yarns made of Milk! Glass that bends! The Frig-O-Therm that cooks and freezes at the same time! The Talking Flashlight transmitting speech over a light beam!” exclaimed the exhibit’s guidebook. Sharing top billing with the Futurama and Previews of Progress, however, was the “Glass’ Car – The first full-sized transparent car ever made in America.” On the chassis of a 1939 Pontiac Deluxe Six, GM collaborated with Rohm & Haas, the chemical company that had recently developed Plexiglas. The world’s first transparent acrylic sheet product, Plexiglas was a serendipitous discovery arising from Rohm & Haas’ work with laminated safety glass. Using drawings for the Pontiac four-door Touring Sedan, Rohm & Haas constructed an exact replica body using Plexiglas in place of the outer sheet-metal. The structural metal underneath was given a copper wash, and all hardware, including the dashboard, was chrome plated. Rubber moldings were made in white, as were the car’s tires. It reportedly cost $25,000 to build – an astronomical figure in those days. Plexiglas went on to important military uses – bomber noses, canopies and gun turrets – in World War II, where its strength and transparency contributed mightily to the war effort. After the war, Rohm & Haas developed countless civilian applications, in signs, lighting fixtures, railroad cars and automobiles. With the capability of being molded into virtually any shape and new dyes that allow unlimited color selection, it remains an important commercial and military material. According to the GM Heritage Center, a second car, on a Torpedo Eight chassis, was hurriedly constructed for the 1940 Golden Gate Exposition on Treasure Island, a man-made island in San Francisco Bay. Once their respective showcases had closed, both “Plexiglas Pontiacs,” or “Ghost Cars” as they were sometimes known, toured the nation’s dealerships. The 1939-40 Deluxe Six is the only one known to survive. Following the dealership tour, it went on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and was reportedly there until 1947. It was later owned by a succession of Pennsylvania Pontiac dealers. It appeared at the first annual meet of the new Pontiac-Oakland Club International in 1973 and was purchased by Don Barlup of New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. Barlup commissioned a partial restoration from S&H Pontiac of Harrisburg and sold it to collector Leo Gephart in 1979. The current owner’s father purchased it from Gephart in the early 1980s, and it has remained in the same family ever since. The car is in a remarkable state of preservation, a testament to the longevity of Plexiglas in an era when automotive plastics tended to self-destruct within a few years. Although it has acquired a few chips and cracks, it is structurally sound and cosmetically clear, showing off the Ghost Car’s innards as it did in 1939. The car rides on its original U.S. Royal all-white tires and sports the correct white rubber running boards. From the beginning it was a running car, although extensive use would have been unduly detrimental. The odometer currently reads 86 miles. The only recent mechanical work has been replacement of the fuel lines. Not surprisingly, it has no conventional vehicle identification number; even the machined boss for the engine number is blank. The identification number traditionally used for the car is 3113436, probably a part number, found on the radiator. A collection of period photos and other memorabilia accompanies the car, which still turns heads as much as it ever did. It is not, obviously, suited for touring, but as a unique artifact from automotive and cultural history, it deserves a wider audience. It will certainly be welcome at all manner of shows and concours, as well as being suited for a singular museum display. It is no longer the only see-through automobile, but surely the first full-sized transparent car ever made in America has a unique spot in history. Source:

http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=SJ11&CarID=r102#

2nd Hand Reconditioned Mugen Twin Loop Replica

 I was browsing through the Automotive section @ lowyat.net, and I found this nice Mugen twin loop replica exhaust going for RM100 (About 30 USD). Couldn't resist, and thought of buying it for my Proton Wira 1.6 XLi, which uses a 4G92P  (Related to the old Lancer). Started off with washing it using some strong detergents, followed by sanding it down using 600 grit, 800 grit, 1200 grit. Was too lazy to sand the whole thing using 1500 grit, only the muffler tip received the special treatment.

Original Condition

Halfway there; used a combination of Turtlewax Chrome Polish + sand paper

After Polishing

Police in China changes Mercedes-Benz ML350 into Honda CR-V

Police in the good city of Fengchenggang in Guangxi Province re-badged their Mercedes-Benz ML350 into a Honda CR-V. There is a lot of criticism in China lately about local governments who waste taxpayers money. Police in Fengchanggang so made some changes to their 900.000 yuan ML350, a Honda CR-V only costs 200.000 yuan.

But the plan went wrong. Citizens of Fengchenggang were not to be fooled and posted pics of the Benz CR-V on the internet where ‘netizens’ had a field day ridiculing the local government as hard as they could. Best part: the police flatly denied they made any changes to their car.  I guess it depends on what you call a ‘change’…

Source:http://www.carnewschina.com/2011/07/08/police-in-china-changes-mercedes-benz-ml350-into-honda-cr-v/

Funny Picture: Unhappy son/daughter vents out via wordings on rear windscreen

All credit goes to soulfly @ lowyat.net

I would want to share with you guys regarding KW Suspensions.

I emailed the real KW company which is KW automotive GmbH, a company from Germany infamous for their car suspension and handling products. However, there has been a local company who seemed to be using the original KW name for its products, and they widely advertise their brand locally (you can find a lot in local car magazine). This email clarified a few things that I could sum up:- KW does not have an authorized dealer in Malaysia. The nearest authorized dealer or distributor is in Singapore- Genuine KW coilovers can be identified in yellow-purple colour, not red like the one sold by MaxAudio, or any other local accessories shop who claimed their KW is 'German technology'.- The website www.kw.com.my or its company Kim Wah Unique Trading Sdn. Bhd is no way associated with the real KW Suspensions. KW confirmed that the products distributed by Kim Wah Unique Trading Sdn. Bhd. are copycats and there is no guarantee that it will perform like the original KW suspensions. Reliability is definitely compromised.- Anything that is not listed under the official KW Suspensions website (www.kw-suspensions.eu) is not authentic.- The website www.kw.com.my is selling/marketing copycats. The ones distributed by MaxAudio are also copycats. They are definitely not KW Germany as claimed by their advertisements.www.kw.com.my <--- copycat (just like the Brothers' "Mugen High Power" brand)www.kw-suspensions.eu <--- original


Original Link:http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1826373