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8th Annual Barrett-Jackson, World’s Greatest Collector Car Auction

September 10, 2015 By Joanna Laznicka Leave a Comment

Barrett-Jackson, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions®, will light up the Las Vegas strip with custom, muscle and classic vehicles during its 8th Annual Las Vegas Auction from Sept. 24-26, at the world-renowned Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Among the star attractions on this year’s auction docket is a 1965 Chevrolet Nova SS “Dobbertin’s” Custom, a 1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 455 Super Duty and a 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo.

“We’re going full-throttle as we prepare for our 8th annual Las Vegas auction at Mandalay Bay,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “Our docket is filling up with many spectacular vehicles and we’re excited to showcase our event with 24 hours of live coverage on Discovery and Velocity across the three days.”

1979 Porsche 930 Turbo

1979 Porsche 930 Turbo

1979 Porsche 930 Turbo

1979 Porsche 930 Turbo

Highlighting the exciting docket of vehicles set to cross the block in Las Vegas is a 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo. One of only 806 sold in the U.S during the 1979 model year, this Metallic Silver over optional black sport interior has zero rust and only 38,465 miles.

Guests will also a get a chance to bid on 1959 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL.

1959 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL

1959 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL

The classic luxury convertible is powered by a 1.9-liter inline 4-cylinder engine with upgraded Weber carburetors attached to a 4-speed manual transmission.

1959 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL

1959 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL

The last of the great American muscle cars will also be well represented with a 1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 455 Super Duty.

1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 455 Super Duty

1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 455 Super Duty

Only 212 of the 943 that were produced for the 1974 model year were equipped with the Pontiac 455 Super Duty engine and 4-speed transmission, and this is one of them. With less than 9,500 actual miles, this three-owner car features a copy of the Pontiac Division Build Sheet, original owner’s manual, warranty booklet, copy of the Window Sticker from Pontiac Historical Services and a copy of the original title from the owner dated August 1974.

1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 455 Super Duty

1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 455 Super Duty

“We’ve ramped up our Las Vegas auction with a fantastic group of vehicles,” said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “The breadth of our docket this year includes something for first-time bidders, as well as seasoned collectors. I’m confident this year’s Las Vegas auction will be a highlight in the collector car hobby.”

1965 Chevrolet Nova SS “Dobbertin’s” Custom

1965 Chevrolet Nova SS “Dobbertin’s” Custom

A 1965 Chevrolet Nova SS “Dobbertin’s” Custom is, without question, one of the most significant and important custom cars ever built. To this day it remains a benchmark for innovation and excellence among hot rod enthusiasts. Builder Rick Dobbertin devoted more than 3,000 hours over the course of 3 years to create this legendary performance vehicle.

1965 Chevrolet Nova SS “Dobbertin’s” Custom

1965 Chevrolet Nova SS “Dobbertin’s” Custom

This famous custom Nova features a BDS 6-71 supercharger, an 8-port nitrous oxide system, a 454cid LS7 V8, Holley 750cfm carbs, twin radiators, B&M Comp Turbo 400, DANA 60 rear end, JFZ rear brakes, full roll cage and a Deist Flame Out fire suppression system.

Kicking off the week will be the 8th Annual Las Vegas Cruise-In at Gaudin Ford (6625 Roy Horn Way – Las Vegas, NV 89118) onSaturday, Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. For spectators, the event is free and open to the public. To participate, registration is $20 per vehicle with all proceeds benefiting Grant a Gift Autism Foundation. All registrants will be considered for one of three Barrett-Jackson Choice Awards, one People’s Choice Award and one of three Gaudin Ford awards, including Best Resto Mod, Best Hot Rod and Best Street Rod. The first 100 registrants will also receive two free tickets to the 8th Annual Las Vegas Auction. To register a vehicle for the Cruise-In, click here.

In addition to the exciting action on the auction block, the 8th Annual Las Vegas Auction encompasses an eclectic collection of vendors and displays as well as the much-anticipated Ride ’N Drives and Thrill Rides presented by Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge. The Bidder Preview Day will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. and the automobilia auction will kick off Thursday, Friday and Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. A full event schedule, including Discovery and Velocity broadcast times, is available here. Barrett-Jackson will also be hosting a free livestream on www.barrett-jackson.com showcasing all the cars, all the time.

Consignments for the 8th Annual Las Vegas Auction are still being accepted. To consign a vehicle to the Las Vegas auction, click here. For more information on becoming a bidder, follow the link to www.barrett-jackson.com/bid.

Experience the 8th Annual Las Vegas Auction in style with a Barrett-Jackson VIP Experience Package. Information on available packages and how to be a part of this world-class lifestyle event is available here.

About The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company
Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Barrett-Jackson, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions®, is the leader in collector car auctions and automotive lifestyle events. The company produces auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona; Palm Beach, Florida; and Las Vegas, Nevada. With broadcast partners Velocity and Discovery Channel, Barrett-Jackson will feature 100 hours of live television coverage, including broadcasts in over 100 countries internationally. Barrett-Jackson also endorses a one-of-a-kind collector car insurance for collector vehicles and other valued belongings. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.Barrett-Jackson.com, or call 480-421-6694.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Chevrolet, Mercedes, Pontiac, Porsche

A Hoverboard for the Mechanically Inclined

September 1, 2015 By Joanna Laznicka Leave a Comment

Hoverboard MechanicsDesigned by Silicon Valley robotics innovator Robert Bigler the Hoverboard is as much a “board sport” as it is a tech gadget .  The inventors dream was to design personal electric vehicle that would produce the sensation of surfing on land.

The Hoverboard has a single, electrically motorized, 10” diameter wheel in the center of its deck.  The narrow wheel is computer-controlled and driven by as much as 5,000 watts of power to keep the rider balanced while also producing acceleration on-demand. Leaning forward causes the Hoverboard to accelerate, and leaning back causes it to decelerate, or go the other direction.  There are no controls to hold in your hand.  While the computer and power electronics automatically keep the Hoverboard under the rider front-to-back, the riders themselves develop the skill to balance side to side, maneuver and ultimately “carve”.  The experience evolves from hovering, to fully surfing on land.

Specifications:

  • Range: 12 Miles with the Standard Battery, over 20 Miles with Extended Battery
  • Weight: 25 Pounds
  • Charging Time: 16 Minutes with Supercharger or 1 hour with standard charger
  • Top Speed: 20 mph

The Hoverboard is equipped with onboard lighting, speakers to play music, ground-detecting sonar to keep the Hoverboard parallel to the changing ground, and LCD displays for active parameter monitoring while riding.

Programmable Hoverboard

For the Mechanically Inclined

Modular and Serviceable

When designing the Hoverboard, Mr. Bigler remembered simpler times, when people were empowered with the ability to work on their own cars, not just to maintain them, but also to customize and improve them.  He wanted to bring this empowerment back and so made the Hoverboard OPEN.  Tool-handy owners are not only allowed to open their Hoverboards – they are encouraged to do so.  The majority of service and even repair tasks can be conducted by the owners themselves.  This also means that the Hoverboard can be User-Upgraded.  Most often, the first to purchase tech-products have to then watch a rapid succession of improvements to the design quickly render their investment obsolete.  With the Hoverboard, such improved modules can be purchased and installed to keep the original investment always fully current.

User Programmable

To absolutely maximize an owner’s personal connection to the Hoverboard, it has also been made User-Programmable by way of a simple programming language called Hoverscript.  An extension of BASIC, Hoverscript is easily learned by people with no previous programming experience.  This programmability eliminates all boundaries to the owner’s ability to completely personalize their own Hoverboard.

Now, with working prototypes and production-ready designs, Mr. Bigler is going to Kickstarter to find out how many people share his passion. The launch on Kickstarter September 17, 2015 and culminating October 21, 2015, the day Marty McFly, in Back to the Future II, traveled into the future to discover the Hoverboard.

The Kickstarter campaign will reward the first to order with the lowest prices and the earliest delivery times – FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED, starting Sept. 17th.

 

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Hoverboard Technologies

Real World Feedback from a Real Tesla S Owner

February 27, 2015 By Joanna Laznicka Leave a Comment

Tesla Reviews from OwnersI recently asked my friends about their Tesla S’s.  My goal was to hear Tesla S owners’ real world experiences to help us make a purchasing decision.  My husband was all ready to purchase the Tesla S with the 60 kWh battery but I, being happy with our Volt and Prius, was reluctant about the purchase.  After reading the below email from an old boss (Robert B.) from Silicon Valley, I not only said “let’s purchase a Tesla S”, but also insisted it be with an 85 kWh battery.  I greatly respect Robert on the this matter.  Not only is he a car enthusiast, but he also has a very strong mechanical and electrical engineering background.  If you or your spouse are on the fence about buying one, I suggest that you read his email below.

—-His Letter—-

Hi Joanna!  It’s been sooo long…  P….. told me you guys are considering a Tesla and asked that I write to you about our experience.

We got one of the earliest “S” cars, the same as the ones they are shipping now, although the ones available now are even more advanced.  I have to tell you that a Tesla S is not a car, it is a portal to another dimension.  What sets it apart are two basically transformed experiences, both the Driving Experience as well as the Ownership Experience.

Driving it is like owning a Star Trek Space Shuttle.  Instant and yet silent torque just sweeping you away at rates you cannot fathom.  Instead of having an “Accelerator” pedal, you have a “Velocitator” pedal.  What ever angle you have the pedal, you are going that speed, instantaneously.  It is crazy-fun.

The Ownership experience is just as groundbreaking.  Owning a Tesla is like belonging to a country-club.  The dealership falls all over themselves to take care of you.  I had a couple of major things go wrong and this is what happened:

  1.  I was backing out of our driveway and didn’t see that the adjacent car had its front wheels turned-out.  Going pretty fast, I caught the inside edge of the front bumper assembly on the tire of P…..’s car and stripped off, basically, the whole front-end.  I stuck it back on the best I could and brought it in expecting them to tell me how many thousands of dollars in damage I did.  They took a quick look at it and said “All you did is bust a bunch of penny-fasteners.  We will have it put back together in 10 minutes – no charge”.  They just want to delight.
  2. I spilled battery acid on the back carpet.  I have wrecked car carpet before and it costs thousands to repair.  They quoted me something like $600.  I said “fine” and when I went to pick it up, the bill was $125.  I asked them why and they said they figured out a cheaper way to do it!

Now compare that to the dealership experience of any of our other gas cars.  We never leave the dealership without feeling totally raped.  I believe the difference is that the Tesla dealer is not independent.  They are just an office of the factory and want most to make their customers so happy they tell all their friends (…as you can see – it is working)

I know you have a family now so it also has to be pointed out that the Tesla got the highest safety-rating of any car, basically perfect scores in all categories.  Then there is the unprecedented roominess.  The back seats fold down and reveal a space plenty big enough to put a mountain-bike, without even taking off the wheels.  Then there is a compartment below that, and a full “Fronk” – a front trunk with a ton more space – amazing.

Finally, one has to consider what would make an “S” lose value?  It has no engine to count the miles on.  It will never lose compression.  The interior with its 17″ monitor and exterior design are basically 10 years ahead of everybody else, so what is going to age?  Even the body can’t rust out from under you because it is all Aluminum!  The battery can be replaced in 2 minutes and they will probably have an even more amazing one you’d want to buy before the original one wears out.  Ilon Musk is creating a market for used Tesla batteries also.  Remember, a “warn-out” Lithium Ion battery is still extremely valuable for stationary power applications.  I expect we will get some trade-in value when that day finally comes.  So what is the true cost of a car that doesn’t age?

If you decide to get one, be absolutely sure to get the “big” battery, the 85kW.  That opens you up to cross-country driving and the use of Tesla’s free network of SuperChargers.  It is a blast to use the SuperChargers as they are located in great places with lots of stuff to do/eat/shop, and it only takes 20 minutes to finish and drive another couple hundred miles.

There are three models with the 85kW battery, the low-end, with just weak 2-wheel drive, the middle, with two more wheels of (weak) drive, together making it super-fast, and then the crazy-fast one where the rear wheels have the upgraded motor.  This one has a button called “Insane Mode”.  I hope to trade up to that some day.

I recommend you get the smaller wheels, less wheel-more tire.  The big wheels with the super low-profile tires are just expensive and I believe may be a harder ride.

A Tesla S transforms every trip into enjoying the journey as much or more than the destination.  I sincerely hope you make the leap and can absolutely guarantee NO buyer’s remorse.  You will shutter to think you almost didn’t get it.

The other end of the spectrum is a used Leaf for ~$14k if you just want to commute to work electric.  I wouldn’t pay a penny more for any other electric car because the true value is strangled by the severely limited range and absence of a super-charger network.  A used Leaf or an 85kW Tesla are the only rational EV choices.

I believe there are rebates on a new EV, but don’t have current status of those.

Sorry for the Novel.  I just get so excited!  I sincerely hope you take the plunge.

Take Care!  -Robert B

 
Tesla Reviews from Owners
Tesla Reviews from Owners
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Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Tesla

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