With all this talk about Diamonds and 390hp Supercharged Range Rovers, I thought I better post about something more practical. Well, here it is... The Greasecar Vegetable Oil Conversion System from GreaseCar.com. Say goodbye to that black gold and hello to frier gold. This fuel modification system turns your diesel vehicle into a vegetable oil running machine in any climate. I hear it makes your car exhaust smell like a McDonalds during the lunch rush... It will set you back about $795 clams, uh, french fries...

- Greasecar Conversion Kit

[ Thanks Stephen “Lode Fizzle Televissle” Lodefink ]

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I should be posting about some new gadget or the new Mac Mini (announced at MacWorld today), but instead I'm going to comment about the newly announced Range Rover Sport. I was speechless when I first saw it... WOW! To be honest, I wasn't too keen on the LR3 (Discovery 3)... there's something about the rear-end design I don't care about. So far there isn't one design element that I don't like on the Range Rover Sport. I think Land Rover is going to have a huge success with this one. The Range Rover Sport is not only going to be the most sexy looking SUV on the road and trails, but it's going to be jam packed with technology and power.


I talked to my local dealer and they are hoping to see the vehicle as early as April. I don't have pricing yet, but I expect the RRS to be priced around $55k, for the normal powered V8, and probably $65k for the supercharged 390hp 4.2-liter V8 engine -- IMHO, that's much power for a SUV, buy a Porsche 911 if you want speed... not a SUV!


If you look closely at the photos, you will notice that this Rover has all the best design elements from both the LR3 and Range Rover. The interior will wrap more than we are used to with Land Rovers, but I think it's something we all can get used to. Over the next few weeks/months we should be finding out more details... I think this may be my next truck!




- More Photos
- AutoBlog.com -- Range Rover Sport just nice to look at

I'm a Land Rover enthusiast, I've owned a couple of the last 8 years... so when the new LR3 came out I had to be the first to test drive one. It's a very technologically advanced vehicle. From the moment you sit in the newly designed seats you know they took cues from the Range Rover rather than the Discovery. The one I test drove had the built in navigation system which has a very crisp LCD 7" widescreen display. The display also is used for advanced 4x4 information. It displays two main views: Four-corner Air Suspension and Compass Navigation. I was very impressed when it could also show me the wheel's maximum extension, steering angle, main gearbox status, air suspension status, and wheel height information. The LR3 handles like a dream... it's has more power and feels more tight. It's priced higher than the Discovery models it replaced but it comes with more standard features. I did find the voice command a bit frustrating... maybe it learns your voice... since it took a few tries for it to turn the radio off by voice.

I'm still getting used to the new look, I'm not a big fan of the rear end because I think it looks a bit odd... but, I do like the way it looks when it's nicely trimmed (pictured above)...

I'm not sure if I'm going to upgrade to an LR3 yet... the dealer had a couple Bentley's and Rolls Royce Phantoms in the show room, which kept grabbing my attention... not that I could afford them, but they were like rare Bling-Bling I was used to seeing only on episode of MTV Cribs. I'll probably wait a few months or a year to see how the new LR3's perform. Like everything, it takes a few cycles to work out all the quirks of a new design.

Named after the Greek mythology, Centaur, a half-man half-horse creature... this concept vehicle by Segway actual fits the name.

Excerpt:
"The concept Centaur combines proprietary dynamic stabilization technology with advanced propulsion and suspension systems, and an intuitive user interface to create a unique four-wheel device that is easily controllable on two or four wheels. Its full suspension and aggressive rider positioning provide an exhilarating ride for one or two people while maintaining control over a variety of terrain. Its rugged performance, zero emissions, and quiet operation make it a good low-impact way to explore the world. Its power and versatility make it suitable for a variety of indoor and outdoor recreational and commercial applications."

Wow! You really need to watch the video... it sounds like an electric R/C car, looks like a slimmed down ATV, but performs like nothing else I've seen before!! That is probably due to its weight of only 150 pounds. The Centaur can move at just over 20 miles per hour an runs on batteries that use regenerative braking, which means the batteries are recharged during deceleration and hill descents.

Segway doesn't have any plans to manufacture the Centaur... but if they did... I bet it would be serious hit. I can see ESPN XGAMES events create especially for the Centaur.

- Centaur Video (Windows Media)
- Centaur Website
- Popular Science Photos

Lincoln Motors licensed THX sound systems in their LS model back in 2003. It's surprising that Dolby Labs didn't license their Dolby Pro Logic II decoding technology sooner. Heck, it's almost every day now that I am driving behind a pimp'd out Escalade with video screens everywhere (I can tell by the glow thru the tinted windows). The first Dolby Pro Logic II decoding will be be featured in four of Volvo's 2005 model vehicles including the Volvo S60, Volvo S80, Volvo V70, and the Volvo XC70 Cross Country.

- Full Press Release