Published December 30th, 2007
in Etc., Gadgets, Nissan and design.
Japanese fans of Nissan’s GT-R have been able to buy these cool GT-R themed carbon fiber and leather trinkets for a few weeks now. The kit ranges from key chains to briefcases and hits all the important spots in between.
Sadly, the GT-R series of accessories isn’t designated for sale outside of Japan. That might not be a big deal since a basic T-shirt appears to run in the $100 range. I can’t imagine many U.S. fans being so enamored with the GT-R that they fork out the equivalent of a down payment to get dressed in GT-R garb or carry around the briefcase. Would you drop $100+ for a GT-R T-shirt? Let us know in comments.
+ Autoblog: The next best thing to a GT-R: luxury GT-R accessories
Published December 30th, 2007
in Etc., Gadgets and Videos.
It’s not uncommon for someone to build a car out of Legos, but it’s quite unusual for someone to build a working car assembly line from the plastic blocks. Someone in Germany has built quite a large contraption entirely of Legos that autonomously builds little cars.
Sure, the car itself is highly simplified, but it’s amazing that apart from three button pushes (choosing what colors are used), the entire process is automated - and in some cases, quite true to life (e.g. body drop, end-of-line roll-off). In the end, it’s a mix of industrial engineering and Rube Goldberg that is utterly fascinating to watch.
+YouTube: Lego Mindstorms Autofabrik
Published December 30th, 2007
in Etc. and Gadgets.
Though there isn’t a great deal of information available to go along with these images, we can’t help but want this suitcase-bound go-kart, badly.
Already one of the world’s greatest pastimes, we can only imagine that karting on a whim is even more fun than having to plan it out. We’d be a little worried that this “suitcase†might weigh in at a little more than is comfortable to carry around for very long, or that there might be an issue with splashing gasoline, but those are really minor concerns.
Check out the gallery below for the ultimate in portable fun.
+ Gizmodo: It’s a Go-Kart That Folds Into a Suitcase. Any Questions?
Published December 30th, 2007
in Alfa Romeo, Etc. and Gadgets.
Just because your kids have been bugging you for a Power Wheels or pedal car doesn’t mean you have to have a plastic replica of a Jeep or Hummer sitting around your house. Thanks to the British Turbo Toys firm, the young’uns can now mosey around the yard in an Alfa Romeo 8C.
The kid-sized version of Alfa’s sensuous flagship is (sadly) crafted only in mere styrene, but is available in either foot- or electric-powered versions. Pricing is a bit steep; with pedal versions starting at £149 ($300) and motorized variants at £249 ($500), these are more likely to be found at an FAO Schwartz, not a local Toys R Us.
We’ll give Turbo Toys some credit - the car retains its good looks in spite of its plastic construction, and, true to life, there’s already a waiting list to get behind the wheel of either version. May we recommend a Maserati Spyder or a Mercedes-Benz SL500, instead?
+ TurboToys: Alfa Romeo 8C Pedal Car (via AutoBlog)
