NY International Auto Show Returns!

After an absence of a few years due to Covid (now that's a familiar sounding phrase!) the NY International Auto Show returned to the Javits Center in NYC! Here's some of what we saw: 

The electric Toyota bZ4X. Right off the bat, this car gets my vote for worst name. 

Subaru had a great display, although half of it was rally and racing cars, and the larger half was their usual 4 wheel drive outdoorsy save the environmenty. 

A new company apparently based in Vietnam, Vinfast is bringing two electric cars to the USA. What's unique with them is that you pay for the car, but have to lease the battery for a small payment per month, based on how many miles you drive. Also, when your battery is getting low, they bring you a new one, so I guess that eliminates the need to charge the car. Will it catch on? We shall see. 

One of the 2 Vinfast SUVs. 
Also, Vinfast is planning a huge production facility in North Carolina to open in 2024. More in this article: Autoweek Story

The show had a strong electric theme, and here is a good look at the basic underpinnings of a KIA electric platform. With the batteries being very low, your average electric car should have a low center of gravity. 

The VW ID.Buzz got a lot of attention, especially from us older folks that remember the Vanagon and other VW buses of the past. 

It sure reminds me of an old VW bus!

From our Italian friends at Alfa Romeo, here is their new 2nd SUV, the Tonale, this one is also labeled Speciale. 

A FIAT 500 Red, all electric. Is the FIAT 500 coming back to the US? I'd have to guess "yes" based on their display of two 500s!

You've got to admit this face is cute!

Next up, some plain old fancy cars we can't afford, starting with the Lamborghini SUV, the URUS.

And, if you don't need an SUV right now, how about a regular old new Lamborghini?

If you've just won the lottery, perhaps you're interested in this red Rolls Royce, or the Rolls SUV next to it?

Don't want a new car, how about a classic Ferrari?

To remind us that Lincoln is an upscale company, here is Elvis Presley's 1956 Lincoln. 

Elvis' Lincoln

These logos got my attention, mostly I recognized the William Advanced Engineering name from their Formula 1 cars. So, I walked around the wall to see what these three companies were going together...

The NY International Auto Show is the world premiere of this car from Deus. It looks all modern, sporty, fast, etc. I wonder how fast it goes or how much HP it might have?

If you can't quite read the sign, the Deus has 2,200 Horsepower!!!
I believe that the 2,000Nm of torque converts to 1,475 foot-pounds of torque. 
Uh, in a word, that's ridiculous!

Deus is the company, and this model (their first) is the Vayanne. They plan to produce 99 of them in 2025 or so. The car is all electric, and will run about 248mph or so. With Williams Engineering and Italdesign (company founded by famous designer Giorgetto Giugiaro) I'd have to guess that this all electric car will eventually be built. More info at their website: DEUS AUTOMOBILES

OK, that's some of what we saw, more coming up in PART II. 

One Week To Go Lemons Racing!

April 23-24 the NMS team will be racing with the Bunch of Idiots (BOI) at the 24 Hours of Lemons Yokohama Block Party in Kershaw SC. This race is unique among a year long series of Lemons races, because on Friday night (April 22nd), the drivers and race cars will leave the track at Carolina Motorsports Park, and roll into Camden SC for the Friday Night Block Party. If you are anywhere near Camden, stop by downtown to see the wacky cars, talk to the drivers, hang out, and have a fun time. You can get the full weekend schedule at this link: YOKOHAMA BLOCK PARTY 

Luke and Kyle demonstrate the perfect refueling pit-stop

The racing part will be Saturday and Sunday out at CMP, and there is an admission charge if you want to watch, so that's why you get more bang for your buck by attending the Friday Block Party for free! Right now the weather is looking to be dry, so that's always a plus for spending the weekend outdoors, much less driving. 

All the fast drivers on the team, Brian, Kyle, and Luke

Our team will be out at CMP all day Friday for the official car inspection (1230 for us), plus driving some test sessions behind the wheel of the mighty BOI Mazda Miata. The rest of the weekend then looks like this: 

Saturday, April 23
7am: Gate registration open
9am: Mandatory drivers meeting
9:30am: Grid time--show up soon!
10am-5pm: Race session I
8pm: Gate registration close

Sunday, April 24
7am: Gate registration open
9am-11am: Race session II
11am-12pm: Mandatory Quiet Hour (no race engines)
Noon-4:30pm: Race session III
5pm: Awards ceremony

Oh No! My Car Has Rubinrotmetallic!

While doing some research on my German car, I discovered that it is afflicted with a condition known as "rubinrotmetallic." I thought it was running just fine, but that word sounds pretty bad. It'll probably cost a bazillion dollars to get that taken care of at the dealer. It kind of looks like "rubbing" and "rot" and "metallic" so those are not good things when it comes to an automobile. Oh well, easy come, easy go! 

On the other hand, German is a different language than English, and as Steve Martin said about the people in France, "They've got a different word for EVERYTHING!"

OK, seriously, rubinrotmetallic is just the German term for my car's color, Ruby Red Metallic, so it's nothing to worry about. You can learn all kinds of German words and see Porsches in every color at the Rennbow website:  RENNBOW

Dang, I should have saved this for the next April Fools Day!