2010 Vauxhall/Opel Meriva shows suicide doors

Spy photographers where in two different places in Germany to get you the best spy pictures yet of the new Vauxhall/Opel Meriva. The photos show the newcomers innovative rear-hinged rear doors and overall design. Previous cars had false rear door handles, extensive disguising around the 3/4 window, front & rear lights and bodywork and 5-spoke alloy wheels.

The new compact MPV is an all-new design, and these pictures, taken in Germany, show the car takes styling cues from both the Insignia and new Astra, whilst staying to true to concept, introduced in 2008 at the Geneva motorshow.

These pictures clearly show the wide-opening rear-hinged doors, without the flunky door handles previewed on earlier mules & prototypes. The car's flexibility is also reported to have been improved by a redesigned monorail system for the rear seats that allows them to be folded away entirely or slide back and forth independently for better leg room or luggage room.

Russelsheim designers have also worked hard to eliminate the Meriva’s often-criticised blind spot at the base of the windscreen pillar and have included stepped rear-side windows to allow children a better view. The new Meriva has a longer wheelbase and wider track than its predecessor, as well as a longer front overhang for better crash protection. The newcomer should measure around 4.1 metres long.

Engines will be taken from the new Astra. Two 1.4s & 1.6s will be available including the new 138bhp turbo petrol with 147lb ft of torque for the former. The latter will get a new turbocharged engine. Three diesel engines will be available – a 1.3, a 1.7 and a 2.0 litre, all featuring common-rail fuel injection. EcoFlex models will join the line-up after launch. Due to slow sales, there will be no sporty VXR/OPC variant.

Before the Vauxhall/Opel Meriva is expected to be launched at the Geneva motorshow in March 2010, engineers will take pre-production prototypes to Scandinavia for final cold-weather testing, Austria for engine testing and the UK for some chassis tuning, before going on sale in during Summer 2010.

Meriva Concept:

2000 Pontiac Trans Am Firehawk 5.7 litre MFI V8 -Muscle Car For Sale (Click Here)

Description:

A 2000 Firehawk, with only 5300 one owner miles on it? And it’s a six speed and mint? This won’t last long! That’s like getting the chance to buy one new all over again!

Black could have been the mandatory color on Firehawks and not too many would have objected. The crew at SLP Engineering did an awesome job heaping additional style and attitude on top of Pontiac’s premier muscle ride, and it looks all the better in deep black. With only 5300 miles on the odometer the finish is as close to perfect as you'll find. The original Firehawk-specific chrome wheels and Firestone tires are like new and the glass is perfect. This car was put away for nice days only, was stored winters and spared raindrops.

Put the car on a lift and you’ll find no surprises. This car is as clean as clean gets with all original components. The steering and brakes are perfect and every electrical device down to the license plate light works as it should. Many of these cars are high mile, clapped out daily drivers and it’s refreshing to find one that’s been cared for so well. The mileage is low enough to be a collector car but not so low that you’re afraid to drive it—it’s the best of both worlds!

Here's how the build sheet lays out the car:

192 - Ebony leather trim combination
NP5 - Leather wrapped steering wheel
41U - Black exterior
PA6 - 16 x 8" styled painted wheels
AG1 - 6 way power driver seat
QLC - 245/50ZR 16 tires
AQ9 - Reclining articulating seats
T43 - Upgraded rear spoiler
AU0 - Remote keyless entry
C60 - Air conditioning
U75 - Power antenna
CC1 - T-Tops
UA6 - Theft deterrent system
DE4 - Removable T-Top sun shades
UB3 - 150 MPH speedometer
DG7 - Power mirrors
UK3 - Steering wheel radio controls
G80 - Positraction rear axle
V12 - Power steering fluid cooler
GU6 - 3.42 rear axle ratio
W55 - Monsoon AM/FM stereo CD player
WU6 - Firehawk performance package
Y82 - Trans Am base coupe option
LS1 - 5.7 litre MFI V8
Z31 - Preliminary invoice
MN6 - 6 speed manual
U1S - Trunk mounted 12 disc CD changer
R7X - Remote keyless entry

RBS - Hurst shifter

R9P - Power windows, locks, mirrors, antenna
R6J - Quick order, Atlanta zone

Base Firehawk Alterations

- 335 HP, 5.7L LS1
- Firehawk exclusive, composite hood with functional cold air induction scoops
- Firehawk exclusive, hood mounted heat extractors
- Firehawk exclusive, under hood forced air induction system
- Firehawk front fascia badge
- Cat-Back, stainless steel, performance exhaust system with twin dual tips
- Upgraded suspension components
- 17" x 9" lightweight aluminum painted wheels
- Firestone Firehawk P275/40ZR17 SZ50EP tires
- Firehawk exterior graphics on doors and rear fascia
- Firehawk dash plaque and two Firehawk key fobs

That cost nearly $4000 over the base price. Add to that the following SLP Options:

- 17" x 9" Firehawk 5-Spoke chrome wheels
- Premium front floor mats with embroidered Firehawk logo
- Custom personalized rear deck mat
- Hurst shifter

Showroom perfect leather seats greet you as you ease inside, as do the Firehawk mats on the floor. The original carpeting is perfect, the door panels, center console and dash are perfect, and the Monsoon stereo with CD changer is loud. These cars are excellent performers with controls from the pedals to the steering wheel to the Hurst shifter falling directly to hand. We have both sets of keys and key fobs as well as both of the Firehawk key chains which sport the same logo as the one on the dash. That 150mph speedometer is no joke, either—LS1 cars like this get up and go in startling fashion!

Black on black, six speed, low mileage, one owner Firehawks in perfect condition don’t exactly fall out of trees. If you’ve been looking for a while you’ll know this! These late model T/A’s are arguably the best ones GM ever built and they’re certainly one of the fastest. GM almost certainly won’t build any more, either—this could be your last chance to buy a “new” Trans Am!

For PRICING click here:http://www.classiccarsglobal.com/ad.asp?ad=002529

YouTube : 100 greatest hits in 4 minutes

idea for iPhone/Android widget : iEarn : how much money youve earnt hr/day/month/yr

came to me today and idea for an app.

You set an hourly rate (contractor) or your annual leave , yr wages etc.
Then the widget displays your accumulated earnings for hr/day/month/yr , whatever you like...
which increment by the second

iEarn
iEarnt
iWage

notifications for

tax limits hit
items you could have bought with todays/weeks wages link to web
% targets to item you want "you are 20% towards a Ferrari 456" lol

YikeBike

yikes!
bit pricey , limited range but hey it looks cool.
But not for fatties (100kg limit) , gonna have to keep on those 10k runs lol

Yikebike website

Google Apps Status Dashboard

its rare but recently gmail has been offline....
heres the page to check if you suspect theres an issue.

Google Apps Status Dashboard

2001 Ford Mustang Bullitt GT Coupe - Muscle Car For Sale (Click Here)

Description:

The story follows below, but if you’re looking at this gorgeous car you know it by heart. With only 1,685 original miles, 100% ORIGINAL equipment, the original window sticker, all manuals and paperwork, PERFECT cosmetics and a five speed this is THE Bullitt to enjoy and pack away!
Steve McQueen and his Dark Highland Green ‘68 fastback made movie history in one dialogue-free 8-minute span with the car chase that all others are still measured against. The GT with its American Racing wheels was an instant hero thanks to the invasive white light of Hollywood, and its feats became 10 times life-size. That Ford hasn’t tried to capitalize on this past glory previously is somewhat surprising; the marketing department is rarely one to miss a tie-in. Waiting to make a vehicle worthy of the title shows admirable (and rare) restraint.

The bean-counters, on the other hand, must be choking: an extra $8,000 in content has been added for $3,695, putting a Bullitt Mustang at about $27,000 retail. Though linked to a decades-distant heritage, it is for insiders only—a rough-and-tumble, back-slapping, gotta-know-the-secret-handshake boy’s club. It’s every inch the boy racer, all hard and loud and tightly coiled and ready to go airborne through the streets of San Francisco at a moment’s notice. Take it from us: If you’re already thinking Mustang, spend the extra money.

To call Bullitt an appearance package is both unfair and incorrect. Under the hood, the 4.6L V8 has been treated to a new intake manifold and under drive pulleys, as well as dual 57mm throttle bodies (replacing the stock GT’s single 65mm unit and cribbed from the Lightning) for better low-end response. The exhaust has been tuned to give 20 percent better flow, as well to sound more like McQueen’s movie ride (though the original source for the sound remains apocryphal).

The results on paper are a little disappointing: It seems like a lot of work for an extra 5 hp and 3 lb-ft of torque over stock. The pulleys alone should have been able to fetch numbers like that. Still, Bullitt’s torque is far broader than regular GTs; the torque peaks 600 rpm earlier at 4,000, and low-end response has improved dramatically. We’ll have to run one on a dyno to be sure, but we suspect that Ford may be downplaying the power gain, probably to keep the insurance industry at bay, or maybe to keep hypersensitive 320hp Cobra owners from getting in a snit?

A TREMEC 3650 five-speed replaces the T45 and offers a 3.37 First gear as well as a more direct-feeling shifter; it single-handedly makes Bullitt a package that means business. The shift action on the T5s and T45s have always felt sloppy to our hands, but this one is a delight: direct, positive, and not nearly so awkward to push around. An 11-inch clutch and flywheel are part of the package, too.

The chassis has come in for a tweak as well. Six-hundred-pound springs replace the pillowy 450-pounders on standard GTs, and lower the car ¾-inch; 250-pounders replace the GT’s 210s in back. The sway bars are now tubular instead of solid, and are up to 28mm in front (up from 26.5) and down to 21mm in back (23mm on the GT) for more neutral cornering; Tokico shocks and struts with custom valving are also part of the program. Wheels and tires remain stock GT fare, though the Superior wheels have gray centers like McQueen’s Torq Thrusts; Mustang Chief Engineer Art Hyde claims that the inspiration for the Bullitt Mustang, beyond the movie, came from those wheels. Thirteen-inch Brembo rotors replace the stock 12-inchers, and PBR calipers have been painted red with a galloping steed laser-etched in for effect.

The mechanical mods sound fairly subtle in the scheme of things, but Bullitt begs you to chuck it any which way, giving you full confidence in your (and its) abilities to pull you through. Finally, a proper sporty-car ride returns to the GT after a long absence; the combination of pieces was enough to make my co-driver, Jim Smart at Mustangs & Fords, yelp for mercy as he threatened carsickness all over my lap. (I usually end up, quite unintentionally, breaking something on these little forays—I just didn’t expect it to be my riding partner.)

Outside, the stated goal was to make it look mean in your rearview mirror. To that end, the front fascia is fog lamp free, the chrome horse surround in the grille has been blacked out (though the pony remains; purists may want to remove it), no spoiler is available, and the rocker panels, side scoop, and C-pillar have all been altered with special pieces. Inside is treated to a smattering of chrome and aluminum bits, like the lock knobs, specific sill plates, an excellent aluminum shift knob, and the shift boot bezel. Of more use to drivers are the best set of factory seats we’ve felt in an SN95 Mustang, a set of aluminum pedals that have been adjusted to aid heel-and-toe driving, and a new gauge cluster that uses tall, skinny, ‘60s-style numbers around the speedo for a quasi-vintage look. The green interior, chosen to complement the exclusive Bullitt-only Dark Highland Green skin, had a tendency to look more gray than green in bright sunlight; we’re not sure if that’s a plus or not.

Attention collectors: There are two holographic serialization stickers on the Bullitt: One on the driver-side shock tower and a second in a spot that no one from Ford would reveal to us. This was done, would you believe, to prevent counterfeiting some 20 years down the line. This means that someone will now have to tear theirs apart to find the second sticker and broadcast it via the Internet, if only to spoil the surprise and let everyone know they’ve just disassembled a $27,000 car to look for a sticker.

Ford built just 6,500 units (a number more related to supplier constraints than anything else). Most (not all) are green; a few black and navy blue ones were available, presumably for those who like the idea of the extra performance but couldn’t give a hang about the legacy of the movie. We are told that there will be no more Bullitts built after this, but that other special Mustang programs are forthcoming in the years ahead. Many of the functional pieces will eventually will be available through the Ford Racing catalog, but many others will be available over-the-counter at your local dealer.

Frankly, every Mustang GT should feel like this one. Ignore, for a moment, the inevitable collectability factor. Low-down power felt significantly improved, even on the hilly San Francisco route that mirrored McQueen’s in the movie, and the shift action from the five speed is a joy in particular. Combine that with seats that welcome, rather than reject, your posterior, and you’ve got a Mustang that lives up to its legend.

Again, this car is day-one PERFECT. No scratches, chips, dings, dents, tears—nothing. The A/C blows ice cold and the car starts promptly on its original battery. Perfect! These cars were cool new and they’re one of the only modern Mustangs that have shown they’re holding their own as collectibles—grab this one!

For PRICE click here:http://www.classiccarsglobal.com/ad.asp?ad=002530