Mercedes Benz CL500

This is the car for the snob!

HK Snob

Porsche 911 Targa

This is a Porsche with engine was like new, maintained in tip top condition. It belongs to a good friend of mine.
This is rear position air cool flat 4 in line engine, final assembly was done in April 1985.
The Motronics is the ignition timing and injection control box. All sensors input and ignition and ingection timing and control output! It is kept everything in the original and has original software for maximum performance.Same  911 Targa for US will have different EPROM for catalytic control and therefore the power will drop to 210 hp from 231 hp of original German settings.

I wish that One day I could afford to own a Car like this in Hong Kong .

HK Snob

Countach EV concept Car

This tribute to Marcello Gandini who made the everlasting beautiful design of the Countach. The new impressive Contach EV had been created by Flavio Adriani, a freelance designer that mostly works in the architectural market.

However Flavia introduced a very nice twist into the Countach Concept Pure EV design. It as three small electric engines, one for each wheel at the front and a large one for the rear wheels, coupled to a set of batteries these propel the car to very high speeds.

Also note that the front houses wind turbine generators that actually charge the batteries while driving, and additionally the engine cover contains solar energy panels to power the batteries while driving and while being parked.

HK Snob

Lamborghini

These are line of Lamborghini Murcielago (one with exhaust pipe at the centre) and Lamborghini  Gallardo  LP-560-4 with two exhaust pipes at both side.

I think the outlook is superb, sleek and looks aweful, steel wheel ring and exhaust pipe, mirror stand, Back brake lamp arrow design, front low beam light are all LED, but the head lamp is still HID lamp!
They do not come with with latest technological proven LED!
Dashboard design is a bit too simple and lack of design refinment. The switches are cheap, and I still prefer to have a gear stick... as I am an old fashion man.

Colur, I like Yellow, orange and Green!

Well, My annual income can afford to buy the 18:1 metallic models...

HK Snob

CL600 Concept Car

This is again a Mercedes concept car, though there seems to have nothing outstanding in design on outlook, but look at the dashboard and where is the steering wheel? where is the pedals?
Well, I am sure this car will not be in production mode as I am sure most of the people would not dare to drive or been approve by the transportation authority. This is impossible to have a good handling... Similar deisgn had been made by Citreon but never seen it on the road....
Probably this is a car design for Rich man of HK who can afford, as there is no way to tell this is a Left or Right steering. We can move it to China, all we have to do is to sit at the left side aftr moving across the Chinese border.

HK Snob

My Second Car is Aston Martin

Luxury sport car maker Aston Martin has forged an alliance with Toyota to develop what could be the world's first luxury city car that you and me can afford.

Aston Martin today released a photo of the Cygnet concept, which is a Toyota iQ with restyled front sheet metal.
Reports in Britain say Aston Martin will put the Cygnet on sale next year. It will be made available initially to current Aston owners, or those who have a car on order, before being offered to the public. So if you want to buy one of these car, you have to be fast or you have to buy a Aston Martin.

About US$32,357. Aston says a key part of the Cygnet is a new grille design for the automaker. There also are slight changes to the shape of the headlamps, and the addition of Aston's signature vents on the hood and front quarter panels. These worth probably 80% of the value of the car!

Aston won't make mechanical changes to the iQ. Toyota will build the cars and ship them to Aston's assembly plant in Gaydon, England. There, Aston will trim out the interiors with leather.
I am sure that there will be hit on this car as only 2,000 is made a year!
The addition of the Cygnet to Aston's vehicle fleet will improve its emissions ratings. Toyota launched the iQ in Europe in January.

HK Snob

Audi Avatar EV Car

Avatar is an EV car, a futuristic design, each wheel is a hidden supercharge-ion battery power motor with power of 100KW, four wheels add up with have a total power of 544 HP. That is even more powerful than Porsche 911 Turbo and GT-R Spec V!

It’s got a light, or even ultra-light aerodynamic body, and the ability to accelerate 0 to 100km/h in 2.9 seconds. It reaches speeds of 360km/h! It’s a fast car if you didn’t know such a thing. And it looks oh-so-wild. I wonder if it can fold up those wings and fly? Is it Aladin’s flying magic carpet!?

The three seat design was stolen concept form McLaren F1… LED brake lamp and I am sure by time this car is launched, the whole car is light up by LED… Head lamp, brake lamp and interior lamps as this is an Audi…The First one to use LED for their Hi Beam Head Lamp in the world.

Nissan Leaf

On August 2, 2009 Nissan took the covers off the pre-production version of the electric car, called the Leaf, that will go on sale in 2010. The car is a 5 door hatchback with searing for five and while looking a little like the Versa at the rear is longer and more aerodynamic.

The Nissan Leaf's 80KW motor is powered by a 24KwHr Lithium battery pack that offers a range of about 100 miles (160 Kilometers) and a top speed of around 90mph (145kph).

The car will come with two charging ports, one will allow the car to be fully charged in about 8 hours from a 220V plug, the other will be for a fast charger connection which will allow the car to charge to 80% in about 30 minutes.

The car will also include electronics that allow the car to communicate with a cell phone so the driver can check the state of charge or turn on the AC to precondition the car remotely. Preconditioning the car while charging can help with range since the required energy is taken from the grid instead of from the batteries.

Nissan is expected to begin shipping the car to fleets in the latter part of 2010 with sales to customers starting in 2011. Nissan will initially market the car in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Tennessee and North Carolina then expand to other states later. Hong Kong will have some of the shipment from Nissan in 2010.

Price has not been set yet but Nissan has a target price for the car of between $25,000 and $30,000. Nissan plans to start taking reservations for the car starting in spring 2010 so hopefully the price will be fixed by then. They are also considering various options such as selling the car, selling the car without batteries and leasing the batteries, and just leasing the car.

The Car of Tomorrow Today

With the post-war economy booming during the summer of 1948, American consumers were in a buying mood, especially for cars. But the people crowding dealers' showrooms were yearning for something more exciting than the offerings of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, whose designs seemed old-fashioned and unimaginative.

Into this void stepped Preston Tucker(1903-1956), a brash entrepreneur and master of promotion who insisted that he had just what Americans wanted-"The Car of Tomorrow Today." His namesake automobile boasted a radical new aerodynamic look and a number of innovative safety features. At first, it seemed that Tucker had indeed tapped into the public's growing desire for a sleeker, safer car; his company was flooded with orders in a matter of just a few months. Ultimately, however, his inability to deliver on his promises cost him his business as well as his reputation.

Preston Thomas Tucker was born September 21, 1903, on a peppermint farm in rural Capac, Michigan. He grew up in the suburban Detroit community of Lincoln Park where, even as a child, he was fascinated by anything having to do with automobiles. He learned to drive at the age of 11 and quit school two years later to become an office boy for Cadillac. Tucker subsequently worked at a number of other automobile companies, including Chrysler, Ford, Studebaker and Pierce-Arrow. Although he began his career as a mechanic and test driver, he eventually moved into sales after attending Detroit's Cass Technical High School.

During the 1930s, Tucker dabbled in a number of unsuccessful business ventures, most of them automotive-related. In 1935, for example, he teamed up with famed engine designer Harry A. Miller to build Indianapolis 500 race cars for Ford Motor Company. But none of the ten cars they completed managed to make it across the finish line, prompting Ford to withdraw from the project. Then, came World War II, during which time the major automobile manufacturers dedicated their assembly lines to the war effort. From 1942 until 1946, no new models were introduced. Thus, by the mid-1940s, American consumers were desperate for cars. Spying an opportunity to challenge General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler for a share of this eager, fast-growing market, Tucker formed his own automobile manufacturing company, which he named the Tucker Corporation.

Revealed Plans for the "Tucker Torpedo"
As envisioned by Tucker himself, the "Tucker Torpedo" (as the concept vehicle was known) represented quite a departure from the standard fare offered by the Big Three automakers. Long, low, and substantially wider than other large cars then available, with sleek lines reminiscent of a rocket, it had doors that slid up into the roof and six chrome-plated exhaust pipes. Its unique safety features included headlights mounted in fenders that moved with the front wheels to illuminate the road as the car made a turn, a windshield made of shatterproof glass, seat belts, disc brakes, and a heavily padded dashboard to protect front-seat passengers in the event of a collision. In another unusual twist, the driver's seat was positioned in the middle rather than on the left, with separate passenger seats on either side.

Engineering-wise, too, the Tucker was different. It boasted a gigantic, fuel-injected, six-cylinder engine mounted in the rear that its creator claimed could hit a top speed of 130 mph, maintain a cruising speed of 100 mph, and deliver an astonishing 35 mpg gas mileage. In addition, it sported a revolutionary power delivery system of "hydraulic torque converters" that Tucker said would eliminate the need for a clutch, transmission, drive shaft, and differential.

The American public responded with great enthusiasm to Tucker's "car of tomorrow" and buried him in an avalanche of letters and inquiries. But first he had to secure some factory space in which to make his fantasy a reality. Under the auspices of the War Assets Administration (WAA), the federal government leased him a former B-29 engine plant outside Chicago, Illinois. Because the deal was contingent upon his ability to raise $15 million in capital by March 1, 1947, Tucker then set about lining up potential investors. However, he soon found out that in return for their financial support they expected him to surrender control of his company, a notion he found intolerable.

Struggled to Finance His Dream
Tucker then came up with a rather creative way to finance his dream. Although he had produced nothing more than an idea, he began selling dealer franchises and quickly amassed some $6 million that was to be held in escrow until he delivered the first Tucker. But the scheme prompted an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the first of many such probes. Tucker then devised a new strategy that involved issuing $20 million in stock. Before the SEC could rule on his plan, though, the head of the National Housing Agency demanded that the WAA cancel its deal with the Tucker Corporation so that the Lustron Corporation could use the factory to make prefabricated metal houses.

By January 1947, Tucker had won the right to remain in the plant he had leased. In addition, his March 1 capital-raising deadline was extended to July 1. (The SEC's decision on selling stock in the Tucker Corporation was still pending.) But all of the setbacks and squabbles had greatly undermined the public's confidence in the would-be entrepreneur, and the struggle to underwrite the cost of his venture continued.

Meanwhile, efforts to come up with a prototype were under way. Tucker hired noted designer Alex Tremulis to head the project in late 1946, and he and his colleagues managed to fashion a sheet-metal version of the car by hand in less than 100 days, a truly astounding feat! Affectionately known as "The Tin Goose, " it went on display in June 1947 as a 1948 model. Many of the revolutionary features Tucker had touted in his original concept vehicle proved unworkable and were revamped or scrapped. Yet it was still an eye catching car, especially with its distinctive, Cyclops-like third headlight mounted in the center of the grill that moved with the front wheels. The public's response was overwhelming, and the company was flooded with orders. On July 15, the SEC finally cleared the way for Tucker Corporation stock to go on sale.

Targeted for Investigation
By the spring of 1948, Tucker was ready to go into production with his car despite some lingering financial difficulties resulting from insufficient stock sales. In need of some quick cash, he came up with a new fundraising tactic that offered Tucker buyers the opportunity to pre-purchase certain accessories such as seat covers, radios, and custom luggage. But SEC officials took a dim view of his plan given the fact that not a single vehicle had yet rolled off the assembly line. In May 1948, working in conjunction with the Justice Department, they launched a major investigation into Tucker's business practices and the viability of his car. The bad publicity and lawsuits that ensued effectively disrupted production, spooked creditors, and sent the company's stock price plummeting. Finally, in January 1949, the Tucker factory was forced to close and Tucker was ousted from his own organization and replaced by two court-appointed trustees.
In June 1949, Tucker and seven of his associates were indicted on charges of mail fraud, stock irregularities, and conspiracy to defraud. The trial began that October, with government prosecutors using "The Tin Goose" rather than one of the actual production vehicles to try to prove that the Tucker could not be built or perform as promised. But many of the 70-plus witnesses called to testify against the company actually hurt rather than helped the government's case.

Tucker himself hinted darkly that the Big Three auto-makers and their supporters were behind the attempt to destroy him because of the threat he represented to their domination of the market. Indeed, some evidence suggests that officials of both General Motors and Chrysler actively sought to make it more difficult for Tucker to succeed. Whether they also tried to influence the government to pursue him is less certain. There is no question, however, that Tucker had made some powerful enemies in Washington who repeatedly denounced him as a con artist.

Acquitted on Fraud Charges
The trial dragged on until January 1950. In the end, the jury found Tucker and his associates innocent of all the charges against them. However, Tucker was left bankrupt and with his reputation in tatters; as a result, he was forced to sell his remaining assets, including the 51 vehicles that had been completed before the plant was shuttered. They would be the only Tuckers ever manufactured.

During the early 1950s, a more subdued but still optimistic Tucker tried one more time to develop and market a new kind of car. Before he could pull together all of the necessary financing, however, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He succumbed to the disease in 1956 on the day after Christmas.

Tuckers are now prized by car collectors (around 47 are still known to exist), most of whom are active members of the Tucker Automobile Club of America. Meanwhile, the debate continues over Tucker's place in automotive history. His detractors still consider him a fraud who tried to pass off what was basically a lemon as "the car of tomorrow." His fans regard him as a visionary who was brought down by sinister forces with money and power. Others believe the truth lies somewhere in between those two extremes. Even if his ultimate goal was to strike it rich, they argue, he was sincere about his desire to build an exciting, innovative new vehicle that offered a level of comfort, safety, and affordability not available in any other car at the time. What they do fault is his naivete and lack of business sense, which left the Tucker Corporation woefully undercapitalized and in a constant state of financial crisis that doomed it to failure.

Yet as Tucker himself once observed, as quoted in American History Illustrated, no matter what the obstacles, it was unthinkable not to try to make his fantasy come true. "A man who has once gotten automobiles into his blood can never give them up, " he said. "A man with a dream can't stop trying to realize that dream…. It's no disgrace to fail against tough odds if you don't admit you're beaten. And if you don't give up. "Tucker”

Summary,
Though you had a good idea, but how to make it commercialized is a challenge, swimming against the current of the Detroit giants, plus the embedded political resistance. Tucker , the great can was ultimately could not roll out from the production floor.
There are innovations:
Seat belt,
Rear engine,
The Head lamp that is geared with the steering wheel to turn accordingly.
Good mileage with an efficient engine Centre driving seat
Hydraulic torque converter without using any clutch, early design of Automatic gear box.

Pearson, Charles T., Preston Tucker: A Biography - The Indomitable Tin Goose (originally published in hardcover as The Indomitable Tin Goose: The True Story of Preston Tucker and His Car), Pocket Books, 1988.
American Film, June 1988, p. 27.
American History Illustrated, July 1980, pp. 18-21; January 1989, pp. 36-41.
Car and Driver, October 1986, pp. 89-93; June 1988, pp. 81-89.
Forbes, September 19, 1988, p. 34.
Harvard Business Review, November-December 1988, pp. 176-177.
People, September 19, 1988, p. 85.
"The 1948 Tucker, " Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village,http://www.hfmgv.org/showroom/1948/tucker.html (March 6, 1998).
"The Tucker Automobile Web Site: 'Keeping the Legend Online, "' The Tucker Automobile Club of America,http://www.tuckerclub.org/ (April 2, 1998).


Source: Answers.com “ Preston Tucker”

Story Of Harley-Davidson

The Harley-Davidson Facts:
The inventor of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle, Arthur Davidson , died and went to heaven.

At the gates, St. Peter told Arthur. 'Since you've been such a good man and your motorcycles have changed the world, your reward is, you can hang out with anyone you want to in heaven.'

Arthur thought about it for a minute and then said, ' I want to hang out with God.'
St. Peter took Arthur to the Throne Room, and introduced him to God.

God recognized Arthur and commented, 'Okay, so you were the one who invented the Harley-Davidson motorcycle?

' Arthur said, 'Yeah, that's me...'

God commented: 'Well, what's the big deal in inventing something that's pretty unstable, makes noise and a lot of pollution and can't run without a road?'

Arthur was a bit embarrassed, but finally spoke, 'Excuse me, but aren't you the inventor of woman?'

God said, 'Ah, yes.'

'Well,' said Arthur, 'professional to professional, you have some major design flaws in your invention!

1. There's too much inconsistency in the front-end suspension
2. It chatters constantly at high speeds
3. Most rear ends are too soft and wobble about too much
4. The intake is placed way too close to the exhaust
5. The maintenance costs are outrageous!!!!

'Hmmmmm, you may have some good points there,' replied God, 'hold on.'

God went to his Celestial supercomputer, typed in a few words and waited for the results.

The computer printed out a slip of paper and God read it.

'Well, it may be true that my invention is flawed, God said to Arthur, 'but according to these numbers, more men are riding my invention than yours'.