Crazy Idea of the Day: LP Record Playing Bicycle…

Ask any young person about LP records these days and most will probably look at you as if you just crawled out of a cave. But not these Dutch youngsters that came up with a cool idea – albeit a completely useless one in the age of electronics.

What they did is combine a bicycle with a record player. And how did they manage that, we hear you ask? By adapting the rear wheel of the bicycle in order to play LP records.

Easier said than done because the team had to overcome certain technical problems such as to be able to change the record without having to remove the rear wheel, which they solved by cutting one side of the rear fork and reinforcing it to withstand the weight of the rider.

The makers of the "Feats Per Minute" bike, which also sports a gramophone like speaker, say that they've also made sure the needle will stay in place and won't jump. Sounds good – just as long as you keep pedaling at the right speed, that is…

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Toyota Launches New FT-86 App for Apple iPhone and iPod Users

It seems that there's an APP for just about everything these days – even for a car that hasn't been introduced in its final form yet. We're talking about the very, very long-awaited Toyota FT-86 rear-wheel drive sports coupe.

We should see the FT-86 making its grand debut alongside its sister Subaru model, the BRZ, at the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan this December, but until then, Toyota has introduced a new dedicated app for users of the Apple iPhone and iPod devices.

From what we understand, users will be able to place a digital rendering of the FT-86 on videos and photos they have shot on the streets – or something along those lines.

Here’s what Toyota says:

Let’s shoot the images of FT-86 driving around the world and post them to “FT-86 World Report” with this APP! FT-86 is now driving around you! Please shoot cool images and keep on posting! Your image will be introduced as a “report” in the program on the interactive movie web site, “FT-86 World Report”. "

The "FT-86 World Report" app is available for free through the Apple iTunes store

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NBA Star Blake Griffin Returns for New Kia Optima Slam Dunk TV Spot

Los Angeles Clippers forward and 2010-11 NBA Rookie of the Year Blake Griffin made headlines at February's NBA Slam Dunk Contest when he leaped over a parked Kia Optima and performed an impressive slam-dunk after an alley-oop pass through the car's open sunroof from Baron Davis.

Apparently, Kia was equally impressed as the South Korean automaker signed up the 22-year old player for a new commercial staring – what else- the latest Optima sedan.

The 30-second TV spot named "Time to Shine" shows the 6 ft 10 in tall player wearing a daredevil-like suit and roller skates while he performs a fictional stunt using the Optima to tow him over a ramp that catapults him in the air to a 45-foot-high basketball hoop, where he dunks the ball.

According to Kia, Griffin is the only current professional basketball player with a global marketing relationship with an automaker.

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Time Waster of the Day: Lumma Design's Crazy Detailed Porsche Cayenne Configurator

Do you lose sleep at night because you cannot decide if the Porsche Cayenne CLR 558 GT of your dreams will look better with three central or four quad tail pipes?

We feel your pain and so does Germany's Lumma Design that has released one of the most comprehensive online configurators we've seen of late.
And we're not only talking about a palette of colors for the body and alloy wheel designs but also about miniscule details such as changing the hue for the window surrounds and the door handles –separately, mind you.
And for those of you wondering, the CLR 558 GT is primarily a styling package that comprises of a raft of aero parts along with larger alloy wheels, and a selection of interior upgrades such as aluminum pedals with rubber detailing for grip, illuminated door sills and leather floor mats for passengers and the cargo compartment.
The only mechanical improvements included in the package are a sports exhaust system and an electric lowering module for Cayennes equipped with an air suspension system.
You can fool around with Lumma Design's Porsche CLR 558 GT configurator by following the link below.
At the time this article was written, the configurator was available only in das German language (nothing Google's translation can't solve) with an English option to follow soon.
Story Links: Lumma Design Configurator

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Holden Goes Back to the Future to Restore its First Concept Model, the 1969 Hurricane

Most people around the world know Holden for building the 2000s Monaro coupe and Commodore sedans but the Australian company that became a GM subsidiary in 1931 has a rich history that goes well beyond those two models.
In 1969, the Melbourne-headquartered automaker presented its first ever concept model, the Hurricane, codenamed RD 001. It was a futuristic research vehicle described by the company at the time as an experiment “to study design trend, propulsion systems and other long-range developments”.
Some four decades years after it captured the headlines at the 1969 Melbourne Motor Show, and Holden decided it was time to restore the historic concept back to its original condition and showcase it to the public once again.
The meticulous restoring process began in 2006 with the help of some very dedicated Holden designers and engineers who volunteered thousands of hours of their time to bring back the Hurricane to its former glory.
Paul Clarke, Holden’s manager for Creative Hard Modelling who led the restoration project, said the company made sure to use as many of the original parts as possible or rebuild them using modern techniques to 1969 specification.
“The entire team has done a fantastic job in bringing this beautiful concept back to life,” Clarke said. “The Hurricane plays a crucial role in Holden’s story and the company has such a great sense of history and heritage that it was very important to bring RD 001 back to life. It’s been a challenging but incredibly rewarding process.”
The wedge-shaped Hurricane features a fiberglass body comprising of three parts: the canopy, the engine hood and body shell. The mid-engined sports car was finished in an experimental aluminium flake-based metallic orange paint.
The Hurricane features a bespoke, hydraulically operated canopy opens upwards and forward over the front wheels to allow passengers to enter the car. At the same time, the power-elevating seats rise up and pivot forward, along with the steering column. Once inside, the occupants are lowered to a semi-reclining position before the canopy closes over them.
Motivation is provided by a mid-mounted experimental 4.2-liter (253-cubic-inch) V8 engine with a four-barrel carburetor delivering 262-horses (193kW). Holden estimated that the lightweight Hurricane could complete the 0-60mph (96km/h) sprint in 5.3 seconds and the quarter mile in 13.0 seconds.
The RD 001 was equipped with many futuristic technologies for the time such as electronic digital instrument displays, station-seeking radio, automatic temperature control air conditioning and a rear-vision camera.
Perhaps one of the most standout features was an automated route finder that worked a bit like a primitive GPS navigation system. The "Pathfinder" made use of a system of magnets embedded at intersections along the road network to guide the driver along the desired route, with a dash-mounted panel informing the driver of which turn to take by illuminating different arrows, as well as sounding a warning buzzer.
Other innovations include an array of safety features including a foam-lined fuel tank, integrated roll-over bar, ignition safety locks, interior padding and a fire warning system.
“There are some genuinely remarkable ideas and technology in the Hurricane,” said former Holden Chief Studio Engineer Rick Martin, who guided the restoring team in researching the vehicle’s components, systems and history.
“From the automatic air-conditioning and magnet-based guidance system, to the inertia-reel seat belts and metallic paint, this was a car that was genuinely ahead of its time," Martin added.
If you'd like to see the restored Holden Hurricane in person, the concept will go on display to the public at the Motorclassica, car show at the Melbourne Royal Exhibition Building from October 21-23.

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