Car Blogs

RPM Chicago: After the Sun Sets

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:55:38 +0000

Rich Goodwin’s industry changing car show is back with a new fresh face as RPM Event Series, and he’s bringing back his signature night time festival. There’s something about a car show after hours that completely changes the atmosphere of your typical “fry under the sun” shows that take place traditionally. No longer do people suffer from crankiness due to the sizzling sun located above their heads, and a more tranquil and peaceful wind blows as the sun sets below the horizon. That is until the lights come on, the music blasts and suddenly it’s one big party.

Miss RPM Misa Campo

Jenny Chu

Whitey Tighties oh my

And then the sun sets..

Love the cityscape background, Chicago style

The event was more than parked cars in an empty lot, it had a life of it’s own both day and night. Once those lights came on everything we knew about car shows changed, everyone who gathered there that night shared a common passion for cars and party it up like there’s no tomorrow.

Chicago’s in the books now, so it’s time to turn the attention on SoCal on Aug. 7. Time to put our stamp on history. Let’s do it big.

The Cars of RPM Chicago

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 23:18:29 +0000

RPM threw their first event of the year recently and Chicago was the lucky town that got to host the event. I gotta give props to our friends at RPM for doing an amazing job of putting everything together. It isn’t easy to get all those cars, the girls, the music and entertainment in one place for one hectic day, then pack it all up and get ready for the next event less than 30 days away.

The same thing applies with all car shows, there are those that are simply breath taking inspiration on wheels, the mind boggling modifications that you did not think any sane person would put on their car, and then there are those that are almost all stock minus a few simple perks that they’ve added to their car for that unique taste. The lineup of cars at RPM ranged from beautiful to bizarre in all types of car classes. There was something for everyone, lowriders, audiophiles, street tuned, track cars, and the prolific show queen.

Can’t get enough? Check out the slideshow with over 200 photos! Be sure to check back as we’ll have even more coverage of the girls and nightlife of RPM Chicago.

RPM Event Series

CarZ and RPM Media Partnership

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:29:56 +0000

CarZ and RPM event series have officially become media partners. We have been collaborating on previous events and are currently planning future projects. We’ve been a long time admirer of RPM events and their mission of becoming the next generation of automotive lifestyle festivals. Thank you again to all of our supporters and we look forward to strengthening this partnership for years to come.

CarZ will be @ RPM Irvine on August 7, 2010 so be sure to come join us.

Check out — > rpmeventseries.com for upcoming events and event coverage!

Mitsubishi Owner’s Day (MOD) 7-10-10

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 23:10:41 +0000

Nothing like a sunny summer day dedicated to all things Mitsubishi. MOD or Mitsubishi Owner’s Day is a great way for the owners, followers, and fans to gather from all over. People drove down from the bay area, Las Vegas, San Diego, and more just to come out for the event.

It was a great day for an event, not too hot but definitely enough sunshine and short shorts. There were tons of vendors and sponsors on hand along with cars from Socalevo.net and Evolutionm.net representing both forums.

The balloons really make it feel like a celebration

Function and purpose 100%

Those Evo X fronts are so damn mean looking

Clean look, nice drop and wingless. Picture perfect

CF Trunk, Blue wheel, titanium tip exhaust is a combination that works

South Coast Mitsubishi came out to support

Look familiar? One of a kind

Love this shot of the rear and that Evo X in the background

MOD 2010 was a blast and we’re definitelly looking forward to next year. Hope everyone enjoyed the coverage.

**Photo Credits to Henson Santiago**

Pump It Up Giveaway

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:36:45 +0000

Summer is in full effect and regardless of if your going on vacation, making a roadtrip with some buddies, or just cruising along the beach, it’s all gonna require gas. We’ve got the perfect solution to your summer getaway. CarZ is looking to make your summer plans a little bit easier on your wallet by giving away tons of gas gift cards to get you started on your journey.

$6000 in gas gift cards given away

All members with a ride in the garage will be instantly entered into the random drawing
Winners will be announced the 1st Monday of each month.
First drawing: August 2nd 2010,
Last drawing: January 3rd, 2011
10 winners a month will win a $100 gas gift card
Winners will be announced on the blog each month
Winners must PM John within 2 weeks of the announcement
with the following info to get the prize:

- Name
- Address, City, State, Zip code
- Email

*Winner’s information will not be disclosed*

So simply show off your ride and at the same time you could win a $100 gas card and be on your way to Vegas. This giveaway is open to everyone and anyone, coast to coast with a their ride in the garage.

Socal Euro Carnival 6-26-10

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:23:53 +0000

CarZ was on the scene at Socal Euro Carnival along with tons of people in the streets who came out to see their favorite Euro and exotics. A good amount of luxurious (expensive) cars showed up and you can hear them coming up and down the block. I forgot how colorful European cars are, but then again any color on a car that looks and sounds like it’s worth more than my whole neighborhood, would stand out. Check out all of the shots from our photographer Henson Santiago.

RPM Events debut show in Chicago 7-10-10

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 22:53:10 +0000

You may have heard of RPM events as the next best thing since Hot Import Nights, which is an extremely possible task to achieve with Rich Goodwin, one of the founders on Hot Import nights, on your side. This show has seen an exponential explosion of popularity and excitement for the upcoming shows in which their Facebook fanbase has seen over 8,500 fans in a span of two months. Now I’m no math wiz, but 8,500 fans in two months is a REAL good implication that RPM is gonna do it big in Chicago. With the sudden support, they’ve even had to add two new shows in Dallas SEPT. 4 and San Mateo OCT 9.

Just a simple peek at their website RPM Event Series will give you a taste of what’s in store from some of Chicago’s finest rides to DJs, entertainment, and Babes. I got a chance to talk to some of the guys from RPM events and they share the same longing for a car show devoted to the cars, that myself and many fellow car enthusiasts have. Car shows nowadays have gotten too corporate and stiff and have gotten away from what a true car show is all about, the cars. By bringing together the cream of the crop and providing an exciting atmosphere for the audience, that alone is a winning combination. Do it big Chi-town, we’ll be waiting for you in Irvine.

Red Bull’s Vettel Wins European Grand Prix

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:52:58 +0000

Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull won the European Grand Prix on Sunday, dominating from the pole as he comfortably drove through the streets of Valencia, Spain. His performance was quick enough to hold off Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton. Jenson Button was third for McLaren. It was Vettel’s second victory of the season and he climbs two places to third in the Formula One drivers’ standings.

Vettel rose to the occasion on a day when his teammate Mark Webber survived a spectacular crash. Webber walked away unscathed after his car went airborne on lap nine following a collision with Heikki Kovalainen’s Lotus. The collision led to the appearance of the safety car and a controversy involving Hamilton. He had a drive-through penalty for overtaking the safety car, but managed to finish second in Valencia for the third time. The incident drew Fernando Alonso’s ire who later claimed that the results of the race had been manipulated.

Alonso started fourth on the grid but only finished ninth overall. He moved up to eighth place after ten drivers were given five-second time penalties following a stewards’ inquiry about exceeding the safety car-in lap time. However, he remained infuriated over the handling of the safety car issue. It was a disappointing race for Ferrari as both its drivers lost places from the grid. Felipe Massa finished 14th.

“This race was to finish second,” the Ferrari driver said. “Then with the safety car I would have finished where I finished in ninth, and Hamilton in eighth. But here, when you do the normal thing, which is respecting the rules, you finish ninth, and the one who doesn’t respect them finishes second,” said Alonso. “It’s a shame, not for us because this is racing, but for all the fans who came here to watch a manipulated race.”

Rubens Barrichello of Williams was fourth, followed by Renault’s Robert Kubica and Adrian Sutil of Force India. Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher had his worst race of the season as he finished 16th while his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg was 12th.

Hamilton leads the standings on 127 points, ahead of world champion Button on 121. Webber is third on 103 followed by Alonso with 98. The result solidifies McLaren’s lead at the top of the constructors’ event with 248 points, ahead of Red Bull on 218. Ferrari is third on 165

The F1 teams will return on July 11 for the British Grand Prix on the Silverstone circuit.

Lamborghini Cnossus Student Design Concept 2010

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:48:42 +0000

What you’re looking at is the brainchild of Victor Filipchenko in collaboration with Portuguese Simoyshem Nelson. Dubbed as the Lamborghini Cnossus, this remarkable rendering is actually Filipchenko’s project which forms part of his thesis work at the Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan to earn a Master’s Degree in automotive design. His work rightfully won him a 50% discount on a one-year Masters Course in automotive design.

As for me, these guys have to be compensated for their work and Filipchenko should have been given full scholarship! How many kids out there get a shot at being given by an auto maker – especially Lamborghini – the authority to come up with a rendering of a concept car? Filipchenko and Simoes were given just that by the famed Italian auto maker and they absolutely took full advantage of it with their creation.

The name Cnossus was coined from the Greek island Knossus, which is where bullfighting was supposedly born. For the design, Filipchenko said he took some styling cues from Lamborghini’s legendary Countach (1974-1990) and combined it with a modern stylistic touch. However, if you are familiar with the limited production Reventon, you’ll notice a bit of semblance to its edgy styling, particularly the front spoiler. In all, the designers have come up with some interesting touches such as the thin, horizontal line of the taillights.

Great job. Pretty impressive. What do you think?

Jaguar XKR 75 Makes Debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:44:55 +0000

Jaguar finally released more specs and details on its high-performance XKR 75, which is scheduled to make its much heralded debut at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 2. The special edition XKR 75 super coupe celebrates Jaguar’s 75 years in the auto industry.

As the name suggests, only 75 units of the car will be produced. The new special edition XKR 75 is powered by a 5.0 liter supercharged V8 which received a power boost as it is now capable of generating 523-hp and a maximum torque of 483 lb-ft. (655Nm compared to 625Nm on the XKR). With these figures, the car can go from 0 to 62 mph in 4.4 seconds (compared to 4.6 seconds for the XKR). The car’s top speed is electronically limited to 174mph.

As for the exterior styling, the new car features the Stratus Grey finish. The revised aero kit adds a front splitter, side sills extensions, a rear diffuser and larger rear spoiler in order to increase balance and reduce lift. Other new features include red brake calipers that provide contrast to the eye-catching 20-inch gloss Vortex forged lightweight alloy wheels with a dark technical finish and diamond turn. An optional body graphic that runs from the front bumper to the rear haunches completes the new package.

The XKR 75 also gets a revised suspension as well as handling for enhanced agility and precision. Inside, the exclusive add-ons include charcoal leather dressed up with ivory stitching, gloss piano black finish to facia and center console and a Jet suede-cloth headlining.