My 2010 F1 Team: Renault

Okay, guys, don't let me down.

Kazakh Ilyushin Il-76 Transporting Weapons From North Korea to Iran

Today, Thai authorities announced that the Il-76 transport plane carrying 35 tons of North Korean weapons that they grounded last year was headed for Iran. The secret delivery route went something like this: Azerbaijan to United Arab Emirates to Bangkok to North Korea (pick up weapons) to Bangkok to Sri Lanka to United Arab Emirates to Ukraine to Iran (drop off weapons) to Montenegro. Wow! That's a lot of frequent flyer miles. U.S. intelligence tipped off the Thais just before the plane landed in Bangkok the second time.

What is truly amazing is the plane itself, the Il-76. This cargo plane was the American C-17's nemesis. It's capable of carrying 40 tons of hardware 5,000 km in less than six hours and land in short and rough runways.

Approximately 860 of these were made in Uzbekistan for military and civilian use.

Most of the troops and freight the Soviets brought into Afghanistan were carried in Il-76s. The video below says it all. They were terrifying. And what about those parachuting APCs with retro-rockets?!

Cheetos Art Conan O'Brien

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Lamborghini Countach

It's Always Sunny's Xmas special features a yellow Countach that Frank Reynolds (Danny DeVito) buys for himself. The special is funnier than last season's episodes and is much raunchier.

Anatomy of the Start (Formula One Film from 1985ish)

This short film captures the morning of race day. Amazing footage. I approve of everything, except the short shorts.

Uzbek Cotton PSA

Spoiler alert: There's a scary ending.

For more info, click here.

Tajikistan Voting PSA

I'm intrigued by the background music, and the protagonist's suit/tie combo.

Turkmenistan Flu Prevention PSAs

The videos speak for themselves.

Verdict On the Qvale Mangusta: Fugly, Italian

Last week's post about the Qvale Mangusta prompted me to conduct a survey of people who are not into cars. I showed them pictures of the Qvale. Question 1: What is it? Question 2: What do you think about it? I asked three people. Here are their responses:

What is it? An Alfa Romeo. A Maserati. A Ferrari. Well, at least they all thought it was Italian.

What do you think about it? I don't like the grill. It's really ugly. It's fugly and reminds me of a mole.

Update 1: This ain't Florida, but I'm counting a late ballot. This straggler thinks the car is a BMW or Porsche and thinks it's cute!

Here is an old Motorweek review of the Mangusta. Sorry about the quality. Skip to 3:20 to see the cool top.

Hoping for Ho-Pin (Tung)

I'm closer to picking a new favorite driver and team. And the reason is oh-so-arbitrary. Word has it that Renault, which no longer has ING as a sponsor, is re-introducing their old school yellow and black livery. That is enough for me to lean towards them.

Now as to the driver, I have forgiven Kubica for taking away Heidfeld's only real chance of winning a race. For now, the Pole is my provisional favorite driver. But if Ho-Pin Tung gets the 2nd seat, the Chinese-Dutchman will become my favorite. Though the media thinks he is more likely to be offered the test/reserve driver spot, his ability to reach the Chinese market may mean more advertising backers-- that would certainly help the cash-strapped team.

Saab Hair Clip

Makes a great Valentine's Day gift.

Source.

Russo Steele Auction Weather Damage Gallery

By now, you've already heard about the damage done to the cars at the Russo Steele auction in Arizona. Here are some more horrific photos, courtesy of Fred. There's already talk of a class action lawsuit against Mother Nature. Tip courtesy Stipistop.

Economists F.A. Hayek v. John Maynard Keynes Rap Song Video

This is for all you econ majors out there. Brought to you by a producer from Spike TV.

Fear the Boom And Bust:

1956 Cadillac Maharani: The Kitchen Sink Cadillac for Homer Simpson

Fridge. Check.

Hot plate. Check.

Toaster. Check.

Sink. Check.

Article here.

Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie's Car Is A VW Phaeton?!

While 2 million other blogs this coming week will talk about how Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie may be splitting, this blog will ask the boldest and most relevant question for weird car fanatics (I meant fans of weird cars, not weird fans who like cars)-- Do they own a VW Phaeton? Of course, this may just be a photo of the family walking down a parking lot. But could it be that they just got out of that black Phaeton with privacy-ensuring tinted windows? Enquiring minds want to know. I want to know.

Update 1: Yes, it's true, according to random posts on the net. How did I miss this when I was researching the Phaeton?

What's On My Reading List

I read books in spurts. Sometimes it takes me two days to read a book. Other times, it takes me a month. You may have noticed that I keep a running tally of recent books I've read on the column to your right.

Here are books that I plan to read. Incidentally, I usually get my recommendations from the Sunday New York Times book review, The Economist book review, and Fresh Air interviews.

On my nightstand right now waiting to be read:

• Sven Hedin's Silk Road (Epic 10,000 mile journey in the 1930s)
• Ted Conover's Coyotes (How illegal migrants cross into America)
• Steinbeck's The Moon Is Down (Novel set in WWII Europe)

Books in my Amazon queue:

Central Asia

• Out of Steppe: The Lost Peoples of Central Asia
• Eurasian Crossroads: A History of Xinjiang
• Kashgar: Oasis City on China's Silk Road
• Dragon Fighter: One Woman's Epic Struggle for Peace with China (Biography of Rebiya Kadeer, Uyghur leader)
• Adventure on the Old Silk Road: From Venice to the Yellow Sea
• Afghanistan: A Companion and Guide
• The Great Gamble: The Soviet War In Afghanistan
• Inside Central Asia: A Political and Cultural History of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan

History

• The Dutch Seaborne Empire: 1600-1800
• The Bloody White Baron: The Extraordinary Story of the Russian Nobleman Who Became the Last Khan of Mongolia
• The Siberian Curse: How Communist Planners Left Russia Out in the Cold
• The Last Resort: A Memoir of Zimbabwe

Cars

• Cars for Comrades: The Life of the Soviet Automobile
• The Routes of Man: How Roads Are Changing the World and the Way We Live Today

Food

• The Food of a Younger Land: A Portrait of American Food-- Before the National Highway System, Before Chain Restaurants, and Before Frozen Food, When the Nation's Food Was Seasonal

Social Science

• Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture
• Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys: Professionals Writing on Life, Love, Money, and Sex
• Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan
• Strange Maps: An Atlas of Cartographic Curiosities
• Revolution!: South America and the Rise of the New Left
• Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime

Miscellaneous

• American on Purpose: The Improbably Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot (Craig Ferguson's memoir)

Retromobile 2010 Mazda RX-7 With Rotary Wheels Rims

Retromobile 2010 is here! Aside from a Citroen SM prototype with a Maserati V8 (which I can't find any details on), there's this 1st gen RX-7. I've never seen these nifty rotary-engine inspired rims before. They're lovely.

Photos source.

Qvale Mangusta On KTVU 10 O'Clock News

I never see anything exciting on the news, until last night. There was a piece about a huge pothole on Highway 92 that caused many flat tires. Video footage showed a bunch of cars on the shoulder, having their tires changed. One of them was a black Qvale Mangusta!

I wonder if the camera person knew what s/he was filming.

Heidfeld Confirmed As Mercedes Test Reserve Driver

Bastards.

Schumacher's return has officially derailed Heidfeld's career. It has been reported today that Heidfeld has accepted the test/reserve driver's spot at Mercedes GP. He will race this season only if Nico or Michael can't for some reason. As one poster predicted in another F1 forum, Heidfeld will be dropping banana peels in front of Schumacher at every turn.

I still have not settled on a favorite driver this season. Maybe I will just root AGAINST Schumacher instead. Let's hope he finishes no better than 4th in every race. I dislike this guy for ruining Heidi more than I dislike Leno for ruining Conan. That's saying a lot.

If Heidfeld's racing career is indeed over, here are his records:

• Most points without a win (219). I think this will be a hard record to beat. Amongst the current drivers, Nico has 70 points and Timo has 37. Nico will almost certainly win at least once this season. Timo may never win, but will never rack up 219 points in his career.
• Most podium finishes without a win (12, tied with Stefan Johansson). This is the most painful for Heidfeld and his fans. I mean, you finish on the podium a dozen times, and not once are you on top? That is devastating for your psyche.
• Most consecutive classified finishes (90% of winner's distance) (41): This, in my opinion, is akin to Cal Ripken's Ironman-esque record streak. Unbreakable.
• Most consecutive race finishes (33).
• Most finishes in a season (18, tied with Tiago Monteiro).

Why was Nick my favorite driver? He is not pompous. He is above average, but not the best. He is consistent and has a cool head. I rooted for him to get out of Q1 and Q2 during qualifying. I rooted for him to beat Kubica, finish on the podium, or win his first race ever. Alas, he never won a race.

You will be missed Nick. I really hope you return, in a competitive car. You deserve it.

How to Choose A Favorite F1 Driver

Please indulge me.

It seems less and less likely that Nick Heidfeld is going to race in 2010. I am now burdened with the sad task of picking a new favorite driver. Right now, I'm thinking Adrian Sutil of Force India or Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber. But what I will do right now is a process of elimination.* I don't know what the result will be. Of course, my criteria are subjective and non-sensical.

I start with 21 confirmed drivers.

1. It would be too easy to just root for a past champion. So Hamilton, Button, Alonso, and Schumacher would be out. (17 drivers left.)

2. I can't pick Kubica because he took away Heidfeld's only real chance of winning a race in Montreal in 2008. (16 left.)

3. No rookie drivers. (13 left.)

4. No old guys that are about to retire either, which means Jarno, Reubens, and de la Rosa are eliminated. (10 left.)

5. I refuse to root for the Yankees, and Ferrari. Ergo, tchau to Massa. (9 left-- Rosberg, Vettel, Webber, Sutil, Liuzzi, Buemi, Kovaleinen, Timo Glock, Kamui.)

6. I am an equal opportunity fan. Since Heidi was German, my next favorite driver has to be a non-German. (5 left-- Webber, Liuzzi, Buemi, Kovaleinen, Kamui.) I like where this is going.

7. No scrubs. (4 left-- Webber, Liuzzi, Kovaleinen, Kamui.)

8. No rookie teams. (3 left-- Webber, Liuzzi, Kamui.)

9. No square jawed Australians. (2 left-- Liuzzi and Kamui.)

10. Must have a decent shot of getting out of Q1. (1 left-- Kamui.)

Let's see how well this works out. I'm really not happy with the "winner". Gosh, I hope Renault hires Heidfeld.

*If this experiment works, it can be used for NASCAR as well.

Picture source.

Nyck DeVries, the Next Lewis Hamilton?

McLaren just signed 14 year old Nyck DeVries of the Netherlands to their young driver development program. Will he become the 2020 world champion? Here is a brief blurb about young Nyck, along with quotes from Nyck that could only be written by a controlling/overbearing father-manager.

Volvo White Zinfandel

In high school, if I wasn't driving around in my car, then I was most likely riding in my friend E's yellow Volvo 240 wagon. It was the slowest, and safest, car I've ever had the pleasure of riding in.

But the best part of the car has to be what it came with. It came with a free bottle of wine! E was kind enough to go down to his vast wine cellar this evening and dig this puppy up. That's got to command a pretty penny on ebay.

In exchange for the time and effort E took to take and send me these pictures, I promised him a future post about how Moon Bloodgood (of Terminator Salvation fame) became the most famous passenger in his BMW E28. Stay tuned.

2010 Census PSA Ad Starring Ed Begley (Christopher Guest Production)

If you watched the Golden Globes last night, you saw the weird census PSA made by Christopher Guest and his friends. Ed Begley, Jr. stars as Payton Schlewitt, an obnoxious, clueless visionary of a director. I like the creativity but question whether this is a good way to spend part of the $340 million publicity campaign for the census. Seriously, don't you think the people who enjoy Waiting for Guffman and Best In Show are the people most likely to meticulously and religiously fill out census forms?

Anyways, the Schlewitt campaign is supposed to comprise of five parts over the coming months. Here is Part One. Again, Stiffler's mom steals the show.

Michael Schumacher Drinking And Driving PSA (With Bacardi And Maserati)

Will Chile Turn Right?

Over the last decade or so, virtually every Latin American country has democratically elected left wing presidents. It's not just extremists like Venezuela's Chavez or Bolivia's Evo Morales. "Liberals" of varying shades control the entire Southern Cone and much of Central America. It sometimes feels like Colombia is the pariah now, much like Cuba was during the Cold War.

Despite Bachelet's popularity (this pediatrician was once a political prisoner during Pinochet's reign), center-left candidate Eduardo Frei may not win the runoff election today against billionaire Sebastian Pinera. The last poll shows the tycoon in the lead, 51-49. If he wins, let's hope he does better at ruling than the other two billionaires-turned-leaders: Thailand's Thaksin Shinawatra and Italy's Silvio Berlusconi.

Here is a piece by Al Jazeera English's Lucia Newman. Remember her reporting from Cuba and other parts of Latin America for CNN? AJE has poached some extraordinarily talented, experienced, and respected journos.

What Does China Censor Online?

Censored words and websites.

Volkswagen NCC Hybrid Coupe Concept

Photo: Michael Graham Richard

New Compact Coupe (What an Original Name)
Volkswagen had a pretty nice-looking hybrid coupe to unveil in Detroit. It's just a concept for now, though unlike many other concept cars, this one actually looks like it could be turned into a production model with only small modifications. VW's approach to squeeze the most miles from every gallon of fuel is to combine its already-existing fuel-saving technologies. Read on for the technical details.

Photo: Michael Graham Richard

VW NCC Technical Specs
The NCC gets a 1.4-liter TSI gas engine combined with a 20-kilowatt electric motor powered by a 1.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack and a 7-speed DSG (dual clutch) transmission.

The gas engine alone produces 150 horsepower and 110 pound-feet of torque, but when combined with the electric motor, the combined total climbs to 177 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque.

0 to 60 mph time is 8.1 seconds, and top speed is 141 mph.

Photo: Michael Graham Richard

Photo: Michael Graham Richard

What About Fuel Economy?
In VW's words: "Combined fuel consumption: 4.2 l/100 km* (45 mpg)! CO2 emissions: 98 g/km!" (the exclamation points are VW's)

Not to beat a dead horse, but this is a bigger and more powerful car than the just unveiled Honda CR-Z hybrid, yet it gets (on paper, anyway) significantly better fuel economy.

Photo: Michael Graham Richard

Coasting Trick
One interesting feature that should probably be used on more cars:

Frequently coasting: As soon as the driver releases the gas pedal, the TSI is disengaged from the transmission. This so-called "coast-down" is even possible at higher speeds, as in freeway driving. Since drag losses are eliminated here too, the NCC coasts for a very long time. And this promotes an anticipatory style of driving that leads directly to reduced fuel consumption.

Photo: Michael Graham Richard

No word yet on availability, but I wouldn't be surprised if the next generation VW Jetta kind of looked like this (and maybe they'll bring back the Jetta Coupe).

Volkswagen Unveils New Concept Coupe (NCC) Hybrid

Volkswagen kick-started 2010 on a positive note with the world premiere of the snappy New Concept Coupe (NCC) at the 2010 Detroit auto show. Not withstanding the expected mint-fresh and pleasant look pre-production, this four-seater car has much to offer in terms of futuristic imagery that we see with most concept cars. As expected the car achieves a decent fuel economy at around 45 mpg (combined).

This parallel-hybrid vehicle runs on either a combination of gas-engine and electric or electric power only. It employs a 147 horsepower 1.4 L TSI engine and a 20-kilowatt (equivalent of 27 horsepower) electric motor, a 7 speed DSG gearbox and 177 lb-feet of torque besides CO2 emissions of 98 g/km. With a top speed of 141 mph and a performance figure of 60 mph in 8.6 secs in a combination engine state, it employs regenerative braking to charge the 1.1 kWh lithium battery.

The NCC comes in Tungsten Silver Metallic with sharp edges and clean lines, large wheels and a wide but aerodynamically efficient grille which gives it a more aggressive look with exceptional features of sculpted bucket seats in Berry White and Grigio Quartz leather, bi-xenon headlights and 19-inches Lugano allow wheels. There is an 8-inch touch screen on the dash that is angled towards the driver to give him access to the new navigation system. It comes with a multi-purpose steering wheel that is brand new in terms of design and other state-of-the-art features like analog speed and taco displays with additional navigation information.

There has been no official confirmation of production by the personnel at Volkswagen, however we’re guessing we wont have to wait long, and could see it as early as 2012.

Old American Cars In Cuba Movie: Yank Tanks

I just watched a 70 minute documentary called Yank Tanks. It features the creative mechanics who keep old American jalopies running in Cuba. With no spare parts, everything is hand made. A man kneads asbestos like dough with his HANDS and bakes it to make brake pads. Common household glass is heated and placed on top of a metal mold to make windshields. A chain link fence is disassembled so it can be used as a welding rod. Holy crap. MacGyver would fit right in.

Tatra 603 Rally Car Vintage Photo

Check this out. No, not the two Eastern Bloc lads horseplaying. That's a Tatra 603 in a 1960s Polish rally!

Source.

Carspotting (27): RHD Nissan Skyline R33

I got lost today on my way to an appointment. I saw a strange car with a GTR badge on the grill. It looked to me like a modified 240SX/Silvia. I did a double take.

After my appointment, I went back to check out the car. Sure enough, it's a RHD Skyline R33.

Judging by the cobwebs, this car has not moved in a while.

Steering wheel is on the right side. Honest!

Rear wiper blade. Check.

Where's the ironing board spoiler?

Donate Money, Not Stuff, to Haiti

Well meaning people are doing a disservice to the people of Haiti by donating goods, which are difficult to distribute, and ultimately have to be destroyed before reaching their intended recipients.