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Thailand to launch National Flying Eco-Car Project

AFG BLOG EXCLUSIVE:

Obviously Thailand wants to take over to become the leading Asian Carmaking Country while Japan struggles to restart it's damaged factories and China's car industry is clearly doomed as they are waiting for earthquake proof new nuclear reactors from Germany, which yesterday decided to shut down their nuclear power plant production industry in the wake of this months events:
Thai Automotive Industry spokesman Kanote Fleisabei announced the new Government Car project which has been jointly developed by leading Thai Automotive Suppliers at a meeting with AFG blog writer Uli Kaiser in Bangkok.
"This exciting program will put our country at the forefront of technology allowing personal airborne transit. Technologywise we go totally green combining new breakthrough hybrid palmoil-tapioca engine technology with a chassis built 100% from coconut and it's byproducts, meaning: we save the planet and also fly quickly around Thailand instead of waiting in the traffic jam."

The design team in Saraburi has finished the first prototype of the FLYBYNITE model currently tested in Londons traffic. Future developments include the flying pick up truck and a flying motorcycle for Pattaya's congested streets.

The Flybynite Prototype developed in Saraburi spotted doing test flight in London

Novo Toyota Yaris � flagrado sem disfarces

Compacto ganha espa�o interno e linhas menos comportadas

O novo Toyota Yaris foi flagrado praticamente sem camuflagens nas instal��es da marca no Jap�o. O modelo est� pronto para ser apresentado oficialmente no pr�ximo Sal�o de Frankfurt e � maior do que a gera��o atual.

O carro ganhou linhas mais agressivas e angulosas, al�m da grade dianteira caracter�sticas de carros como o Prius e o RAV4. O modelo � um dos mais vendidos da Toyota no mundo, e ir� competir diretamente como o Honda Fit. S�o esperados eficientes motores � gasolina e diesel, al�m de uma poss�vel op��o h�brida.

Acura completa 25 anos de EUA

Entrada da marca nos EUA foi fundamental para o reconhecimmento das montadoras japonesas

Utilizada pela Honda para vender autom�veis de luxo nos Estados Unidos, Canad� e M�xico, h� 25 anos, a Acura invadia o mercado norte americano. Os primeiros modelos de sucesso da marca foram o Legend e o Integra. A entrada da Acura nos EUA foi de fundamental import�ncia para as montadoras japonesas, pois foi a partir do �xito da Acura que surgiu o respeito pelas empresas nip�nicas, que posteriormente fundaram a Infiniti e a Lexus.

No ano de estreia, para alegria da Honda, a Acura conseguiu vender 100 mil unidades, desempenho respeit�vel para uma marca de luxo de segunda linha nos EUA. O principal respons�vel pelo sucesso da marca foi o Legend com motor V-6 de quatro cilindros.

1986 - Acura Integra

Em 1990, quando a toyota lan�ou a Lexus e a Nissan criou a Infiniti, a Acura perdeu parte de sua popularidade. Foi neste ano que a empresa saiu do primeiro lugar nas vendas e registrou queda. Al�m das concorrentes japonesas, a marca tamb�m teve de enfrentar a gigante Ferrari.

Em 1991, o sedan de m�dio porte Vigor chegou ao mercado, ampliando a gama de ve�culos da Acura. Impulsionado por um motor montado longitudinalmente, de cinco cilindros, o Vigor foi comercializado pela marca por cinco anos seguidos, at� ser substitu�do pelo TL, em 1995.

Na virada para os anos 2000, a empresa continuou a ter um desempenho satisfat�rio nas vendas. O sed� TSX chegou em 2004. J� em 2007 foi a vez de lan�ar o crossover esportivo RDX. Seguido pelo design ousado do crossover ZDX, de 2009. Para este ano, a principal not�cia da Acura � a atualiza��o do modelo TL.

1994 - Acura Vigor

2004 - Acura TSX

2007 - Acura RDX

2009 - ZDX Concept

2012- Acura TL

Hyundai tem novo conceito em Seul

Sed� movido a hidrog�nio � aposta para futuro da marca

A Hyundai apresentou seu projeto de sed� ecol�gico no Sal�o de Seul. O Blue2 foi concebido para utilizar a tecnologia de c�lula de combust�vel a hidrog�nio, mostrando que a marca coreana est� pronta para o desenvolvimento do modelo de propuls�o.

O motor � capaz de produzir 121 cv, e chegar aos 35 km/l de combust�vel, de acordo com a Hyundai. Para ajudar o Blue2 a conter o consumo, o carro tem pneus de baixa resist�ncia � rolagem montados em rodas feitas para reduzir o arrasto aerodin�mico.

O modelo tamb�m foi constru�do em materiais que agridem menos o ambiente, e tem um sistema de reconhecimento autom�tico do motorista, que abre as portas assim que detecta sua presen�a. Espelhos retrovisores foram totalmente substitu�dos por c�meras e monitores dentro do carro. O painel � assim�trico e os bancos s�o largos para facilitar o entra e sai dos passageiros.

Al�m disso, o Blue2 inclui itens como uma tela de LED transl�cida no centro do console para um display mais vis�vel e tamb�m � sens�vel ao toque e aos movimentos da m�o do usu�rio.

Um Citro�n 2CV do S�culo XXI

Montadora francesa vai regressar com m�tico modelo lan�ado nos anos 40

Com a aten��o das montadora cada vez mais voltada para a produ��o de carros verdes, a Citro�n j� desenvolve o projeto do novo 2CV, que resgata o m�tico modelo que vendeu mais de 5 milh�es de unidades entre o final da d�cada de 40 e o ano de 1990, quando saiu de linha.
O novo Citro�n 2CV � baseado no conceito C-Cactus, apresentado no Sal�o de Frankfurt em 2007. Na �poca as linhas do modelo n�o eram consideradas pela fabricante "prontas" ainda. Agora a Citro�n acredita que o modelo est� em sintonia com a atualidades dos carros. A marca francesa espera um novo 2CV focado em conforto e inova��es, al�m de reduzidas taxas de emiss�es de poluentes. Segundo a marca, o "remake" do lend�rio modelo deve ter n�vel de emiss�o de C02 inferior a 95 g/km.

O novo Citro�n 2CV ser� um carro inovador, confort�vel e seguro. O teto de vidro cria uma sensa��o harmoniosa para os passageiros. Em rela��o a motoriza��o, espera-se que o compacto seja equipado com o motor 1.2 litro de tr�s cilindros turbo. A pot�ncia deve ficar entre 110 e 130 cv. Al�m deste, tamb�m s�o previstos motores h�bridos e el�tricos para o modelo.

Malibu 2013 quer dominar o mundo

Para seduzir diferentes mercados, Chevrolet arquiteta projeto de marketing global

A Gm aposta todas as fichas na vers�o 2013 do Malibu. Tanto que o objetivo da montadora � comercializar o modelo em cerca de 100 pa�ses. Portanto, um projeto global est� sendo montado para seduzir mercados t�o diferentes. Para come�ar essa a��o de marketing, o carro estar� nos stands da GM no Sal�o de Xangai, a partir do dia 19 de abril, e no de Nova Iorque, que come�a um dia depois.
Antes disso, a fabricante j� come�a a mostrar fotos e v�deos do ve�culo em seu site oficial: www.gm.com, e na p�gina da marca no Facebook: www.facebook.com/chevrolet. Segundo a GM, o novo Malibu ser� mais largo que os modelos antigos e ter� um apelo mais jovial na parte exterior. O carro estar� dispon�vel com motores de quatro cilindros Ecotec de 2.4L, e na vers�o turbocharged 2.0L. Uma vers�o h�brida do modelo n�o est� descartada.

Miray leva esportividade ao Sal�o de Seul

Com visual futurista, modelo faz parte das comemora��es do centen�rio da GM

O bra�o coreano da GM escolheu o Sal�o Autom�vel de Seul para apresentar o carro conceito Chevrolet Miray. De acordo com a montadora, O modelo h�brido representa o olhar futurista da marca e comemora o centen�rio da GM. Por isso a escolha do nome. Miray em coreano significa "futuro". O design esportivo do modelo de dois lugares antecipa o futuro da marca.

O modelo � movido por dois motores el�tricos montados atr�s do eixo dianteiro, cada um capaz de fornecer 20 cv. No centro da retaguarda o ve�culo � equipado com um motor de 1,6 litros a gasolina de quatro cilindros turbo, que transmite o movimento das rodas traseiras. Al�m disso, uma bateria de 1,6 kWh � recarregada por energia cin�tica gerada pelo ve�culo durante a desacelera��o e frenagem.

Joy of Painting X

posted by roman, jarhead, kong

Tomorrow Raffa and I will travel to Oli and will have a nice and short night at theirs. Really looking forward to this but also fear comes to my heart when i think about getting up around 4 o'clock on Saturday morning for our trip to Paris. Really looking forward to this too and i've already trained my tongue: "Je m'appelle Roman! - Qu'est que ce? Je travaille pour l'ordinateur! Ca va? Bien! Bonschouuuhhrrr!!! - Nah, lets see, happy and funny days ahead with tons of people to meet - this is always the greatest part of such an event. I ain't got that much time to post at the moment so without much blabla some last impressions out of the jungle...

Work in Progress
Finished Stuff
by Raffa

Raffa is going mad on a brand new Grey Knight.
Grey Knights will be a big topic in the next months i can promise that :)
Love Raffa's colour scheme but plan my own totally different - that will be intresting, i guess. Love the subtle cold/warm contrast Raffa did put in his True Metallic Metall, sweet Halleluja i am really looking forward to collect a small army again, together with Raffa - 24 Models, 12 for each of us. That is a plan we had. Work in Progress:

Maooouuuwww!!

Raffa also finished 2 wonderful projects in my eyes. One will be seen soon as it was done for an online painting competition and is not allowed to be seen yet. The other one is the "Centaur" by Artefactory - lovely work by the italian Stallion i think...

Raffa finished sculpting a bust he did start long time ago...

Work in Progress
Finished Stuff
by Roman

Damn the paparazzi next door!!! Damn him!! :)

I do love painting but get way too less sleep the last couple of days because i am having so much fun while painting. Neverthless i finally did finish the "Ho! Ho! Ho! Pirates like to roll!". There will be bigger photos soon and also more angles, but i ain't got no time - need to finish the mad plan... one shot of the pirate... more soon:

And... the mad plan is still active. I want to finish that cow til tomorrow. Here goes a little impressions series on what has happened... meanwhile the time is running out :)

Still work in Progress - many plans to be executed til ... oO - soon and fast!!... So i am out and only have to pack one miniature for Paris - the Hombre Toro, when finished. More straight out of the jungle when we are back... see you there or miss you there, we will have a report with us when we are back in the bamboo mountains...

Keep on happy painting!
Best Regards
Roman

PS: If you look close enough you can also see some article content in this posting - srrrr! sssrrrrr! sssrrrr!!!

How a '66 Shelby GT350 was hidden in trash for 26 years

By Justin Hyde

How a '66 Shelby GT350 was hidden in trash for 26 years

In a couple of weeks, this rare 1966 Shelby GT350 will cross an auction block after spending 26 years ensconsed by junk in a shed behind a Kansas apartment complex. Here's how the state of Texas liberated it.

In the world of collectable cars, few words have become more loaded than "barn find" — the pristine ideal of a neglected classic, parked and forgotten but still protected from the elements, which emerges from a chrysalis of dust metamorphosed into a treasure. The truth behind such classics is often far messier, with enough legal tangles and family tragedies to fill a Dickens novel.

Back in 1966, Shelby American resold plain V8 Ford Mustangs with a host of upgrades and racing improvements, including a power bump to 306 hp. Of the 2,378 built, some 1,003 were sold to Hertz which rented them for racing; most came with black-and-gold paint schemes, but a few were sold in red, as this one was to a Hertz office in Georgia.

After being rented for about a year, the car was sold to Anbeth Youngquist in Miami in October 1967. Her daughter, Gail Youngquist, registered the car with the Shelby Owners of America club in 1974 while living in in Kansas, and on June 27, 1976, a Conoco station changed its oil, noting 87,370 miles on the odometer.

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Then it disappeared. And things get a little strange.

Anabeth Youngquist's husband and Gail Youngquist's father is Rex Youngquist, a Kansas landowner and developer who had a few disputes over his property and with local authorities. Seven years ago, Youngquist was sued and ordered to pay more than $110,000 after one of Youngquist's daughters who managed the Villa 26 apartment buildings he owned in Lawrence, Kan., refused to rent a unit to an interracial couple.

In 2006, Youngquist claimed a Kansas county owed him $11 million in damages for construction debris on his land based on a "perfected judgment" he drew up without going to court. And shortly after that, Rex and Gail Youngquist launched a oil drilling exploration in Texas — without any of the permits required by Texas law.

When the state of Texas sued the Youngquists in 2008, Rex Youngquist replied with a letter sent from Panama, saying he didn't know who Gail Youngquist was and didn't remember "any of the stuff" in the state's lawsuit. Other filings indicated the Youngquists were members of the "nation of Kansas" and that "outlying minion islands" did not have dominion over them; the Youngquists have sent other legal papers back signed with their thumbprints in blood.

Last year, a Texas judge ruled in favor of the state, hitting the Youngquists with $624,805 in fees and fines. The collection was turned over to Houston attorney Peter Pratt, who sought out any property the Youngquists held in Kansas — namely, the Villa 26 apartments, which were seized by the Lone Star State in January.

The new manager of the Villa 26 found three sheds behind the building filled to their rafters with what he called "the detritus of life" — old barbecue grills, water skis, old tools and other household junk. Pratt told him to empty the shed since the sheds could be rented; they also posed a fire hazard. When the manager started to remove the junk from one shed, the outlines of a car appeared.

How a '66 Shelby GT350 was hidden in trash for 26 years Much of the Shelby's fabrics were covered in mold; the odometer had just a couple thousand miles more than it did when the oil was changed in 1976. Based on the records, Pratt estimates the car had been sitting in the shed since at least 1985, untouched. Inside the Villa 26 were also the documents needed to prove the Shelby's authenticity.

To satisfy the judgement against the Youngquists, the Shelby will be sold by Leake Auctions in San Antonio in two weeks. Outside of the mold, there's little else amiss; the engine has been cleaned and runs, and even the tires hold air. Similar examples of well cared-for GT350 Hertz editions have sold for $100,000 to $200,000.

Our attempts to reach Rex or Gail Youngquist were unsuccessful, but we'd still like to know if they ever realized they didn't need to dig holes in Texas to strike it rich.