2004 Chrysler ME Four-Twelve Supercar

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The world of supercars is dominated by the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, McLaren, and so many others – but these are not the only players in the game. You might be surprised to learn that Chrysler also tested the waters of the supercar market not long ago.

In 2004, Chrysler unveiled the ME Four-Twelve supercar, which was not a concept car but a prototype of a car that was slated to be put into production. The car debuted at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, and I caught up with it at the Arizona International Auto Show that same year. Continue reading →

Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

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The Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon is a rare bird. This CTS-V Sport Wagon is more like a Bald Eagle. As powerful and dangerous an animal it may be – with it’s 556hp ZR-1-derived LSA drivetrain – it’s on the brink of becoming extinct. Wagons themselves have unfortunately found themselves almost phased out in favor of their wimpy cousins, the CUV. The utilitarian nature and appearance of them draws people towards more “stylish” vehicles (Compact Utility Vehicles) or before that, vehicles with a less traditional image (Minivans).

I think the shame is that this is the last rear-wheel-drive, American-branded wagon for sale here. Before this we also had the Charger/300-based Magnum wagon. Unfortunately Chrysler’s post-K-car management left this car more Mercedes and Renault than Chrysler. Big wagons were apart of the suburban landscape until the 1980’s when minivans (coincidentally popularized by Chrysler’s K-car based “Magic-vans”) became hugely popular. We should be glad that for now, we have this ostentatious, outrageous, and over-powered American vehicle tearing up the asphalt and providing 1.0g of grocery bag-spilling lateral acceleration.

Quest for Fire Extinguisher

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On my way to the west side I spotted this plume of smoke. As I got closer, I noticed it was a truck on fire in front of the north campus of Glendale Community College. As you can see the gentleman operating the vehicle was rather unsuccessful in extinguishing it.

I’m sure you’re asking yourself why I didn’t stop to help him, but it was very clear that he had gotten out of the vehicle safely and I had my daughter and step-son riding with me, and I didn’t want to leave them unattended. When I came back towards my home, perhaps 15 minutes later, Police and Fire Departments had arrived and put out the fire. Which isn’t surprising considering it happened practically in front of the local firehouse.

Automotive Recyclers

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Something looks familiar here, right?

Let’s take a closer look…

Weird.

This is a Coachmen Aurora. I can’t find any information regarding what years they used Camry taillights, but I did learn that certain Winnebagos also used the same lights.

Apparently, more than one person on the forum I was reading has had their lights stolen from their RVs. I think this lends credence to the theory that every single Camry in the whole world has had one of it’s corners smashed. The owners are desperate for replacement parts because all of the Camrys in the junkyards have broken taillights too, so  they have resorted to stealing parts off people’s motorhomes. I’m really not sure how you would take one of those lights off from the outside though, so I really don’t know what to think exactly.

I’d like to know what other RVs use existing car’s tail lights. It’s definitely something I’m always going to be looking out for now.

Cadillac Eldorado Art Car: The Pirate Surf Mobile

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The formula for creating an art car is pretty straightforward: take a vehicle of any year, make, model, or style and modify it to express your own creativity and artistic ability. The result is that anything you can dream up and build is considered art.

For example, this car began its life as a Cadillac Eldorado hearse. It was then transformed into the Pirate Surf Mobile by art car builder Richard Fletcher. From the double front axle to the two-tone blue and gold paint, this 28-foot long vehicle really stands out from the crowd. Continue reading →

Ford F-350 Centaurus III

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Apparently, this truck has nothing to do with the similarly named Bronco Centurion (one of which I keep seeing but never when I have my camera). The company that does the “Centaurus” conversions is called LCM and I can’t find much information about them at all. It appears that they mostly converted Chevy and Ford vans and Explorers though, and the F-350 conversions are said to be very rare, which I believe, since I haven’t been able to find a picture of a truck on the internet yet that looks similar to this one at all.

The actual conversion itself is pretty much what you’d expect from a typical conversion van, from what I’ve read. They are supposed to be really plush and luxurious inside, but I wasn’t able to get close enough to take a look. Looking at the outside of the truck, it isn’t hard to imagine how tasteless customized these vehicles are inside.

That fact that all the accessories on the truck were designed by the same company and professionally installed does make it look much better than most of the other hyper-accessorized trucks out there (why are there so many of them anyways?) I guess you could say it’s tasteless, done tastefully.