Penn State: 38 Illinois: 33

Juice Williams attempted a Hail Mary pass with no time remaining but it was batted down inside the Penn State 5...
I'm sure this game had to bolster Darryl Clark's Heisman hopes.

OH WAIT, this is basketball. Dear God @ that score. You mean to tell me PSU's bball team only scored as much as their football team did against Illinois back in September. You GOT to be kidding me.

I guess though if you love defence this was your game.

Interesting statistics from the game:
Both teams shot less than 19% from 3 point range.
The leading scorer in the game had 11 points.
Both teams combined for 16 assists (6 for PSU, 10 for Illinois)
The players on PSU without at least one steal were the minority.
Illinois didn't shoot a FT the whole game.
Illinois scored about twice as many points as their AP rank coming into this game (33, 16)
As expected, both teams shot horribly (less than 30% collectively)
The assist/TO difference for the each team-- PSU: -7 Illinois: -5

On Tuesday the 17th of February, 2008, the Phoenix Suns scored more against the LA Clippers in the first quarter (41 pts) than either the Illini or the Nittany Lions did in this whole game...dear god.

You're going to need new pants after this? Probably.

:30 seconds, and 2:30, are the two best parts. But everything is best.

GM to Cancel all Future Performance Model's!?! And Pontiac?!

The boys over at Jalopnik report that GM is planning on canceling all future performance models as part of their viability plan. I for one don't think this is the right idea, performance models get people in the door, they get people to buy the cars they are based on.



It also seems GM will be killing its 'Performance Division' Pontiac. Although, the name plate will carry on, it won't be its own brand, and it will definitely not be a full line brand.


It seems like these are two dark horses of the carpocalypse, thanks Congress for being lame-o's and not liking fun cars.

Fmylife.com

Fmylife.com is so legitly my life. I need a huge ego-boost sometime soon.

And I think I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Fuck all this shit. That includes you, womens studies, fuck you.


photo cred to Jalopnik.com

Multilateral Polyangular Rolling Sheet Metal Sculpture

This is an epic search for the 10 best Automotive Designs of all time, the most influential, the most radical, everything will be taken into consideration. An exploration of the automotive aesthetic.

"Design is intelligence made visible."-Le Corbusier

Since at least the agricultural revolution and the division of labor that came with it, humans have designed, ever since we started having free time, time to think about things more profound than when the next meal may come our way, ever since we were able to strive for more than mere practicality and function we have designed. We have attempted to implant a beauty in our daily lives, we have designed to solve problems we didn’t know existed, and to create new ones, we have designed for more than function, we designed for pleasure, beauty, enjoyment, design was our chance, to take over from that great designer, mother nature and do our part in beautifying and improving the world we lived in. It was our chance to show off, our intelligence, our creativity, our innovative sense, and our perception of beauty. It was us following Voltaire’s missive, that, “It is the purpose of art to improve on Nature”, that was what the great designers all tried to do. Design came into full bloom with the Industrial Revolution and the mass consumption of goods, it became a tool to differentiate, a selling point. Design is one part practical and functional, one part innovation, one part aesthetics, and one part mystical. Great design will unite the first three in a holy-design-trinity invoking the fourth intangible element in the observer, stirring up an indescribable feeling in the consumer invoking the holy capitalistic ritual of want and consumption.

Design has evolved, it has become an artistic science and a scientific art, a methodical manufacturing creativity, constrained by production factors, serving marketing, slave to the consumer base, as well as a free-spirited test bed of conceptual innovation bounded only by the limits of the human imagination, unconstrained, creating product, creating needs, wants, beauty. Design in spirit is difficult to define, or convey the grand sense of importance, creativity, and soul it contains, a meshing of physical and emotional constraints, needs, wants and desires. Design as a process can be roughly described as,

“an ability to conceptualise an idea, express it in materials and prove it by demonstration” (Bayley). Design is a practical art and a foolish science, a melting pot of intellectual purpose and creative expression. Simply put, “Design is an art that works” (Bayley).

“It is the purpose of Design to improve on industry.” (Bayley, Conran). Automotive design improves the breed, it challenges the market, it culls the inferior, it innovates the field driving it forward to constant aesthetic, mechanical, and practical improvement in hot pursuit of the elusive holy-trinity of design, a perfect balance of aesthetic, practicality and innovation. Sir Terence Orby Conran does an excellent job in attempting to explain the abstract concept of what good design is.

“The answer is that it is immediately visible: something that has not been intelligently designed will not work properly. It will be uncomfortable to use. It will be badly made, look depressing and be poor value for money. And what’s more, if it doesn’t give you pleasure, it is bad design” (Conran).

Sir Conran agree’s with Le Corbusier’s sentiment, stating, “Good design really is intelligence made visible”. Design is a reflection of its creator,

“Everything that is made betrays the beliefs and convictions of the person who made it. Everything has been designed. Conscious or unconscious decisions have always been made which affect the way a product is manufactured, how it will be used and what it looks like…good design or thoughtful design…comprises 98 per cent commonsense and 2 per cent of a mysterious component which we might as well call art or aesthetics. A good design has to work well, be made at a price the consumer finds acceptable and it must give the consumer practical and aesthetic pleasure. It must also be of a quality that justifies the price paid. If the design has some innovatory qualities then, at least in my opinion, it becomes an even better design. In addition, well designed products tend to have a long lifespan and usually acquire an attractive patina of usage….The designer’s job is not to repeat history” (Conran).

So what makes the best automotive design? Is it utility, is it novelty, is it pure aesthetic pleasure, is it the best compromise? Is it how revolutionary the design is? Is it the effectiveness? Sound off in the comments, and give me some suggestions, I aim to create a list of 25 or so and from there narrow it down to the top 10.

700 Horse S2000

Sick yeah, I can appreciate a well done car, even if it is Japanese...
However, I can't imagine them reliably running 700horse on a stock engine, its definitely going to be needing some beefed up internals, and even then I don't know how reliable it is.
I'd rather have a 700 horse SBC, probably lighter too.

I feel bad posting country, but I love Detroit.

Its worth a listen I guess, there was another video I saw paired with it that was way better and not country and about Detroit, but I can't find it again, sadness, so far now you get to listen to this.

and this I guess, (and oh, I know its three years old I just found it whilst I was looking for the other Detroit song).



I still can't really figure out how to get you tube videos to work but its a learning process.

Vintage Ad: Goodyear Polyglass Tyres: Women Need Them!!!

Car Porn of the day

Enjoy, Folks.(click for fullsize version).

Sniff Petrol: Not Advertisements

SniffPetrol (www.sniffpetrol.com) is absolutely hillarious and I encourage you to check it out if you haven't already. One of my favourite features is The Not Advertisements feature. I've posted some of my favorites, everyone should definitely check it out, you just have to love that dry british humour.

F-150 Harley Davidson to Get 6.2 Litre Boss Engine, Hot Damn.

The Boy's over at Auto-Blog snagged this picture of the Engine Bay of the Harley Davidson F-150, instead of the 5.4litre Mod Motor that it was originally thought the Harley Davidson Edition was going to get, it looks like its getting a massive performance up grade with the 400+ horse, 6.2 litre Mod-Motor. Maybe this will be like an on-road Lightning-lite, even though it does not look like the F-150 will be getting a Lightning this generation either.

Engine pRon

Check out the super car tear down series over at the ol'Jalopnik for some fantastic Engine Porn. Ten bucks (not really ) to whoever can identify the lead in image. No cheating by checking Jalop. This one's easy.

Copy and Paste $96k Hyundai

Based on a stretch version of the Hyundai Genesis platform with a 420 horse 5.0litre version of the Tau V8, the Hyundai Equus (naked Daniel Radcliffe not included) comes with the derivative styling we've come to expect from the folks at Hyundai, and a shocking $96,000 dollar price tag. Don't expect to see this state-side soon, more details to come.

I'm so glad I'm from the D

Mitch Albom's article the 'Courage of Detroit' from Sports Illustrated is definitely a great read if there is anyone who hasn't read it yet. And, its inspiring, but not for all the right reasons. The adopted Detroiter's article does leave some things out. Jim Boyle over at Model-D has written an excellent rebuttal to Albom's column, which some might say portrays us as a down-out city thats fighting back. Boyle's column uncovers some of the gems right here in Detroit.

Albom's Column.

Boyle's Column.

The Messiah Has No Clothes?

Interesting Column from Gerald Warner over at the Daily Telegraph, definitely a good read, and definitely a good viewpoint to consider

The burnt child, contrary to conventional wisdom, does not fear the fire. After the Blair experience there is no excuse for anybody in Britain falling for Obama. Yet today, in this country, even some of those who remained sane during the emotional spasm of the Diana aberration are pumping the air for Princess Barack. At a time of gross economic and geopolitical instability throughout the Western world, this is beyond irresponsibility.

I definitely think all the Obama Mania is really going to far, at this point it has definitely jumped the shark. Obama Commemorative Plates in Illinois? The man hasn't even been president for a full month yet, commemorative coins etc. All the mania about him being the first 'black president' is really un-necessary as well, I think it really would've said more about America f there had been no mania about him being "Black", it would have said more if it hadn't been mentioned at all. I mean really, the news-worthyness of a story about a president, or even a candidates ethnicity should be about the same as the news-worthyness of a candidates Necktie.

Check it out, and feel free to rant and rave in the comments.

The Classy Manifesto

The Classy Manifesto:

An overview of the basic principles of classiness:

Classiness is more than a philosophy, it is more than a state of mind, it is a way of life, and more; it is the ultimate goal, the motivating force in life to heighten one’s own level of classiness and to spread the way and knowledge of class to those unfortunate enough to not be classy.

Classiness, then is the penultimate manner of living, the following manifesto outlines the rules, laws and principles of classiness. It should serve as a guidebook for living one’s life and a tool to spread class to those unfortunate classless heathens.

Classiness shall always be an exclusive club; if everyone is classy nobody is classy. Classiness is on surface relative, but at its most basic and fundamental core Classiness has certain undilutible, undeniable qualities and principles that are not relative. These principles include poise, matching attire, and other indescribable but innate qualities. When spreading the knowledge of class keep an eye out for these qualities, there are those who deserve to be shown the ways of classiness, who possess these innate qualities, and there are those who do not possess these innate qualities, those who do not deserve to be shown classiness. A classy person will know when they meet someone whether they are classy or not; and whether they deserve to be shown the ways of classiness or not. A few basic rules one should keep in mind; communists, socialists, trade unionists and Frenchmen (they’re all the same thing) are not classy, or deserving of being taught the ways of class.

The following are rules to abide by:
-Martini’s are made with Gin not Vodka. Vodka Martinis are not classy. Unless you are James Bond, in which case you can drink whatever you please. For the rest of you, do not question this precept.
-Class is not trendy, it is timeless, everlasting trends may come about and try to overwhelm class but class will always prevail, always.
-Clothing must always match, and must always be worn properly; this is essential to being classy.
-Obvious pretension for pretension’s sake is not classy. However, pretension is classy when it is natural, fitting and necessary, pretension is part of classiness but it must never appear to be forced, it should always flow naturally or at least appear as if it is your natural state. Forced class is not classy; it makes you appear a fool.

Those who are classy will already know what classy is, they won’t even need this manifesto, those who are intrinsically classy are the classy, if one reads this manifesto in the hopes of achieving classiness, abandon hope now. You will only achieve a faux classiness an imitation of the ideal classiness, a state achieved b those who are truly classy, intrinsically, inherently classy. Those who achieve a level of faux class will only full those on the same level of class or below, those who are inherently classy will immediately notice that you are not truly classy.

Ode to the Small Block Chevy

A throbbing rumble. Meshing Gears. Whirring belts. Spinning shafts. Reciprocating hunks of metal. Explosions in a closed chamber. Compress, explode, expand, turn. Chemical energy into Mechanical. A big bang in a little chamber creates a mechanical piece de resistance, the invention that shaped the 20th century. And this, this is its finest, most pure masculine iteration. 427 cubes of unbridled pushrod power. No nancy boy over head cams here, no siree. No limp wristed flat-plane engines here, not enough torque to pull a twig, none of that, not here. This is 427 cubes of pure masculinity, tree stump pulling, world shifting torque. That’s what matters, horsepower is only a function of torque over time, none of this high revs no torque bullshit, not here. This is the small block Chevrolet V8, the engine that built America, 50 years plus and still going strong. This isn’t a pansy Symphony Orchestra, none of that finesse, none of that subtlety. This is a rock band, thing Queen at Wembley stadium, not the New York Philarmonic at Carnegie Hall. Now what would you rather hear? Be honest. Queen wins, every time. This engine is brown beer, It’s football and greasy food. This is engine is manly, this engine is America. This is the quiet Blue-Collar bloke in the corner of the bar with a beer who finally gets tired of all the nancy boy ruckus so he takes them out back and gives them a damn good thrashing. This is the engine that can give the best Germany and Italy have to offer a bloody good hiding. An all aluminium old school tour de force. A definite case of “Meet the new boss same as the old boss”. This is the grand daddy of engines. An all American thoroughbred, bordering on the edge of insanity.
An eight cylinder rock band, a pure explosion of power. A deep barrelled grunty exhaust note that’d make the baby Jesus cry. This is God’s engine, a symbol of all that is beautiful and righ tin this world. This is 427 cubes of baseball and apple pie.

New v. Old

Depending on response, I'm planning on making this a recurring feature.
New or Old? Would you rather have the original, or the current "modern" version of the same car, I'm going to stick with the same manufacturer, and the same segment for now.
Lets start with Lamborghini, I for one absolutely detest new Lamborghini's, Lamborghini's have always been too flash, too ostentatious, and buying a new one to me shows you really have no discerning taste, Lamborghini has never had any pedigree, and that's its problem. They've always had to try too hard, they're all shouty. The nouvau riche buy Lambos, Old Money buys Ferarris, and everyone knows Old Money is so much classier. A perfect example is the Lamborghini Countach, Marcello Gandini's original design was excellent, pure of line, simple in form, then they had to go ruin it with giant wheel arches and big vents and massive spoilers, none of which it really needed. That is the essence of Lamborghini and the current ones are even worse, Audi has engineered all the Italian soul out of Lamborghini, it isn't supposed to work properly all the time, and you'r enot supposed to see out of the back, thats the point, and the ever sensible Germans just don't seem to get it. Its a real pity. James May sums it up best when he says that Lamborghini's are like a "fart at a wedding"
Now whilst new Lamborghini's are bought by trust fund baby's, movie stars, and rappers who put 22" colour matched dubs on their cars (proving their tackyness). However, purchasing a classic Lamborghini, I feel demonstrates discerning taste.

The Lamborghini Miura was launched in 1967, penned by Gandini at Bertone, it is one of the most beautiful cars of all time. As well as being one of the most influential designs and lay outs in super-car history, the Ferrari 250 LM and the Ford GT40 had used a mid-engine lay out in competition, but before the Miura super-cars were front engine, the Miura made the mid-engine lay out the standard for super cars to come. The Miura's sensational design still looks modern today. The five speed manual, coupled to the transverse mounted 3.9litre Lamborghini V12 (another innovation), was good for 345 hp, the gearbox and engine shared the same casting and the same lubrication until the P400SV's.

The Lamborghini we're looking at here though, is the Miura SV/J. Octane Magazine, has driven Chassis 18 (the Shah of Iran's ex-car), and they can give you alot better impression of it than I can.

I figure most of you will be familiar with the Murcielago LP-640, if not the internets await you.
The Muricelago comes with a 632bhp V-12, AWD, and a six speed manual.



So what will it be? The Poll's at the bottom of the page. Vote wisely, I'll judge you.


You know what? I'd rather have a Ford GT instead.

Feel free to duke it out in the comments.

The Pursuit of Awesome

So I thought I'd give this Blog deal a shot, I'm opinionated enough, my interests are varied enough, and I spend enough time on the interwebs anyways. Neal Shah, 19, I bleed Maize and Blue and Ford Blue Oval Blue (Pantone 294C to be exact), I like to think of myself as Detroit Born and Raised, just a simple Midwestern Motor City boy, but in all honesty, my background, is 2.5 Generation Indian-American (although I don't realize I'm Indian till I look in the mirror, (identity crisis much? maybe, or maybe I just identify with being "American" the great thing about this country, identification isn't limited by ethnicity). Born in Ann Arbor, spending various amounts of time growing up in middle-class suburban Ann Arbor/Detroit, whatever you prefer to call it, I grew up closer to Ann Arbor than Detroit, spending various stints of time in Bloomington, Indiana, and Hiroshima, Japan, moving every two to four years growing up. I consider myself fairly well travelled, fairly well cultured, and I like to class it up. However, when it comes down to it, I enjoy the down to earth Blue-Collar sensibility that Detroit has, its definitely what I think I'm going to end up calling home.
I like music, all sorts of it, old school hip hop, underground hip hop, trance,house, jazz, classic rock, rock,punk, post-punk, classical, I like to think I have a refined taste for these sorts of things.
I like beverages.
I like muscle cars, good books, I hate ricers, I like Music, stuff, stick shifts, el caminos, rancheros, ford, the blue oval, the american auto indsutry, the global auto industry, carburetors, clutches, big blocks, small blocks, crank shafts, cross-plane v8's, flat plane v8s, rotaries, con-rods, push rods, overhead cams, internal combustion engines, tech, girls who dig cars, girls who drive stick, international politics, global affairs, being educated, being aware, being non-PC, knowing shit, diversity, flat sixes, straight sixes, turbo chargers, superchargers, direct injection, trans-ams, Calvinball, things that are beautifully engineered, things that are over engineered, things that well engineered, clever solutions, things that are BAMF, things that are beautifully complicated, complication for complications sake, things that are bat shit insane.
I like good beer, Ford's, Alfa's, Lancia's, Rover's, Morgan's, TVR's, Vette's, Chevy's, Mustang's, Pony Cars, Shelby's, GT Cars, Sports Cars, Real SUV's, Jaguar's, Old-School Bentley's, Land Rovers, Citroen SM's, Citroen DS's. I like Talbot-Lago's, I like Group B Rally Cars, I like Audi's, I like proper Merc's, and proper BMW's, I'm a bit of an anglophile, I like Top Gear, I think James May is brilliant, I like Old Pick-ups, I like proper off roaders, I like Jeeps. I like Old cars, new cars, super cars, British Cars, French Cars, American Cars, Old-School German cars, crazy off the wall Japanese cars, Italian cars, Swedish cars. I like rally, F1, LeMans, auto-cross, etc etc etc... I like SVT, CDW-27, and thinking about cars, thinking about my cars. I like burning time on craigslist looking at projects and thinking about how I'd do them out. My school books are full of car doodles still, and that should explain alot about me. I prefer my cars with three pedals.

This blog is going to be about whatever I damn please, but mostly, its probably going to end up being about cars, secondly, its going to be me ranting. It'll be enjoyable, I promise, I'm good at ranting.

I'd like to leave you with one of my favourite pieces of writing, something I read often.
Davey G's first Fast As A Shark column over at Jalopnik, its what I stole the title of this Blog from, and it is truly and inspiring piece of writing.

http://jalopnik.com/247572/fast-as-a-shark-cannibalism-in-pursuit-of-the-elusive-awesome