Harry Winston Opus Watch Series

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 For the last eleven years, Harry Winston has partnered with a master horologist to create an exclusive and groundbreaking timepiece that reflects an unprecedented journey of collaboration and innovation. It is known simply as The Opus.
2011 heralds the latest addition to the vaunted Opus series, the Opus 11, in partnership with legendary watchmaker Denis Giguet. I can confidently state that the Opus 11 boasts the most complex and intricate time display I’ve ever seen.
Be sure to check out the video below along with a full gallery of the previous ten timepieces in the Opus Series. Many thanks to my brother for telling me about these watches!
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Iconic Cars Built In Communist Russia

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Post-World War II Russia’s struggle to prove the supremacy of their Communist political system went far beyond the boundaries of an ideological fight, and reached astonishing levels. Communist engineers were forced to deliver the absolute best automobiles imaginable, in order to back up Stalin’s vision.
Below are the best 10 cars built by the Russian Communists, in their self-imposed competition with the Western world.

10. GAZ M21

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The GAZ M21 was a Soviet automobile produced between 1956 and 1970, developed as an answer to the best-selling American car, the Ford Mainline. The car was fitted with a 2.4 liter, 75 bhp (break horse power) engine, which was capable of delivering a 0-60 mph acceleration of 20.1 seconds, and a top speed of 83 mph.
GAZ’s large size, and tough construction, made it popular in the police and taxi trades. There was even a high performance V8 engine version (named GAZ M 23) produced for the KGB, fitted with an automatic transmission.
Even though this car never reached the fame of the Ford Mainline, it is still considered an iconic vehicle with fans all over the world, including in the USA.

9. Skoda 110 R

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This rear-engined Czechoslovakian car was produced between 1970 and 1980, aiming for the more famous Saab Sonett. Although its 1.1 liter engine produced only 52 bhp, Skoda marketed the 110 R as a sports car. To this end, the gear lever was cross-drilled. Whether this was in the interests of weight-saving, or just for looks, was up to the driver to decide.
Due to its unquestionable and perennial good looks, a famous Czech car designer has recently imagined a modern version of the car, which would fit wonderful in any modern garage. But, in an ironic twist of fate, the revival of the 110 R depends on the decision of the “capitalist” Volkswagen Group, which is now the main shareholder of Skoda.

8. LuAZ 969 M

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The “Ukrainian Land Rover,” as the 969M has been often called, embodies the quintessence of the Cold War, being a Soviet off-road vehicle designed especially for military purposes. However, due to its off road capabilities, practicality and low cost maintenance, the LuAZ 969M also became a bestseller among farmers, hunters and countryside fans.
The standard engine is a 900 cc water cooled V4, capable of producing 39 bhp and the “astonishing” speed of 53 mph (not very useful when you are trying to flee from the Imperialist Army.)
Despite being a very rare and exotic vehicle, today a used 969 is quite a bargain, as it can be bought for under 2,500 USD over the internet.

7. Wartburg 353

Wartburg-353
Produced between 1966 and 1988, the Wartburg 353 was an East German medium-sized family car, powered by a very agile (for its time) 1 liter engine capable of delivering 50 bhp, and a top speed of 81 mph.
As soon as it came off the assembly line, the 353 became a remarkable success throughout the Eastern block. The reason was simple: for the same amount of money, it outperformed all the other Soviet vehicles in its class, in every aspect: engine performances, safety, ergonomics, handling, and maintenance costs.
Throughout its 22 years of production, the Wartburg 353 has been sold to over 1 million customers around the world, and a lot of them are still driving them today.

6. GAZ 69

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Due to its undisputed qualities in the off-road, as well as its simple and rugged looks, the Jeep Willys qualified as the iconic vehicle of the American Army during the Second World War. After the war, the Soviets could not remain indifferent to this new type of vehicle, so they developed the GAZ 69, which was produced between 1953 and 1975 under different names (GAZ, UAZ and ARO).
Like the LuAZ 969 M, the GAZ 69 was a 4WD vehicle initially created for the Red Army. It had a 2.1 liter engine capable of producing 54 bhp, and a maximum speed of 56 mph with a 11 mpg fuel consumption rate.
Not exactly a high tech piece of machinery, even for those days, but it was a great success nonetheless, being supplied to all Eastern European armies, exported to 56 countries, and also built in North Korea.

5. Trabant 601

Trabant-601
This 0.6 liter-engined, low-cost vehicle was produced in East Germany for a period of 27 years (between 1963 and 1990,) with virtually no modification.
The production started when when the Soviet Union realized they had a large amount of cotton and plastic waste that they didn’t know what to do with. So they sent it to their East German comrades, so they could build themselves a car. The Germans combined the cotton/wool waste with recycled plastic and resin, calling their new solid-ish (and extremely flammable) material “Duroplast”. Some say it was the first ever eco-friendly car, being the first to use recycled materials in its construction.
Despite the fact that the Trabant was a common target for malicious jokes of the time like “What does 601 stand for? Space for 6 people, comfort for zero, and one needed to push it,” it remains an iconic Communist car, with millions of fans all over the world.

4. Dacia 1300

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The Dacia 1300 was a Romanian car manufactured between 1969 and 2004, acquiring the tooling and basic designs from its Western counterpart – the Renault 12.
The two cars were basically the same, minus the different badges and trim lines, making the Dacia 1300 one of the most modern mainstream automobiles in Europe at the end of the ’70s.
The engine was a classic 4-cylinder 1.3 liter, capable of delivering 54 bhp and a maximum speed of 86 mph.
Although the Dacia 1300 was never a high-comfort or high-performance car, its low fuel consumption and reliability made it a very popular model among the commies.

3. Lada Riva

Lada-Riva
The Lada Riva is the most prolific Communist car on our list, being assembled in four countries between 1980 and 2012. The Riva was equipped with a variety of petrol engines, from 1.2 (67 bhp)  to 1.7 (84 bhp), which made it a competitive family car for its time. Although the car has been mocked on numerous occasions by the capitalist press, this did not alter its success on Western markets. The Riva sold very well in the UK in places like New Zealand, where it was distributed by the New Zealand Dairy Board, which had previously received it in lieu of cash payments for deliveries of mutton and butter to the Soviet Union.

2. ZIL 114

ZIL-114
By the end of the 1960′s, the Communist leaders became really annoyed that their own production limo, the ZIL 111, was becoming outdated, thus forcing them to drive around in US-made limousines. In fact, they were so disturbed by this, that they immediately ordered the production of a Soviet limo. The ZIL 114 was born.
Equipped with a monstrous V8 7-liter engine, capable of delivering 296 bhp, the car was able to reach top speeds of 118 mph, and could go from 0-60 in 12.8 sec. Admittedly, that’s quite the performance for a 7,000-pound car built over 40 years ago.
The ZIL has become such a symbol of Soviet nomenclature that President Vladimir Putin has his own custom-made ZIL to drive around in.

1. Tatra 603

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This 1958 Czechoslovakian model was not a very common car in the Eastern block, nor it was a Communist answer to any best-selling Western vehicle. The Tatra 603 was such a rarity on the streets, that ordinary people were considered lucky to even see one.
So why is it number one? Well … just look at it! The 603 looked a lot like a domesticated UFO mixed with a Salvador Dali painting, proving that the Commies were not entirely cold-blooded robots looking for trouble. We must admit that the creator of this car was a pure artist and, try as you might, you will not find a Western car (past or present) that compares to the Tatra in any way.
Besides its looks, the 603 was also a high performance vehicle of the time, being pushed by a V8 2.5 liter engine (99 bhp,) capable of reaching speeds of 106 mph.
Today, this car is a very rare and appreciated vehicle among US car collectors.


Read more: http://www.toptenz.net
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Harley Earl – GMs Ultra Prolific Designer

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Harley Earl was born in a different era and at a different time.  The date was 1893 and the location was Los Angeles, in an area to become known as Hollywood.  It was a time of much promise for anyone young.  Harley was born into a family of horse-drawn carriage makers whose business eventually evolved into building automobile bodies.  Back then there were few car stylists who worked at the major automobile firms and custom bodies were primarily manufactured by independent firms such as Briggs, Fleetwood and others.  Among these were dozens of small custom shops, such as the Earl Automotive Works in Los Angeles, Ca.

Earl grew up designing custom automobile bodies in the family firm and he was especially good when it came to esthetic details.  So good that his designs eventually made their way to none other than Alfred Sloan who was then the president of General Motors.  It wasn’t long before Earl was hired and he was in put in charge of GM’s new department of “Art and Color”. (John at Lynch Chevy Kenosha relates that this was actually the title of the GMs full Styling Department.)


In his new role, he flourished and pioneered many new automotive design techniques. One of the most famous is the full-size clay model technique of designing new cars.  This technique was adopted immediately by virtually all the automotive manufacturing firms of the day.
Earl was the primarily design influence behind many of the most defining artistic automotive details of the time.  For example, the elimination of running boards in the late 1930s is attributed to Harley Earl.  As well as automatic power convertible tops, the adoption of headlights fitted into front fenders, piller-less doors and, this one is big: the rear tail fin.


Earl also introduced the automobile business to another very successful new idea: the concept car.  Starting with his Buick Y-Job in 1938, concept cars became driving forces at car shows and were quite popular because they generated great enthusiasm and press for all involved.  Later concept cars attributed to Earl were the 1951 Buick Lasabre, 1956 Pontaic Club De Mer, 1956 Oldsmobile Golden Rocket, and the original 1954 Chevrolet Corvette.  As most automotive enthusiasts know, the Corvette has gone on to become the biggest selling sports car in history.
Photos courtesy of: http://www.oobject.com
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VRE Full Size Stock Car Simulator - Video

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http://www.virtualr.net/wp-content/gallery/3911_1/8693398413_e16b79e678_b.jpg



We have already seen plenty of impressive simulators over the years but the following definitely is noteworthy. The guys at Virtual Racing Experience have build a full-size stock car simulator, allowing sim racers to experience virtual stock car racing in a very authentic atmosphere.
The simulator is built into an authentic stock car, featuring a triple-screen setup fit into the car along with a button box and authentic steering wheel + seat. The simulator runs ARCA Sim Racing, you can check it out on photos and in a short video below.


More info on VRE can be found on their website.
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Saleen shows off 351 Mustang prototype

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http://www.instablogsimages.com/1/2013/04/25/saleen_shows_off_351_mustang_prototype_quzlt.jpg

Saleen wants to take back the crown of being the premium Ford tuner in the world to prove its supremacy in the segment, company founder Steve Saleen is all set to revive one of the brand’s most iconic productions from the years gone by. Trying to wipe the memory off the recent bad years from its fans’ minds, the tuner is now bringing back the iconic Saleen 351 Mustang albeit the modern day
iteration is still in a prototype form for the time being.

However, Saleen has promised that the model would be released in a production variant by the end of the year and tool to the Southern California based Knott’s Berry Farm where the prototype was shown off at the Fabulous Fords event. The model of course is more than just a simple revival of a classic model. In fact, the new vehicle would be an entirely new generation of model itself.

The original Saleen 351 Mustang was created and sold in ’99 where it used a 495 horsepower engine. However, to give the model currency, Saleen has given it a whole new powertrain built around the 296 setup. The powertrain thus features a supercharged 5.75-liter V-8 engine displacing 351 cubic inches. This new engine allows the model to displace 655 pound-feet of torque and a peak power output of 700 horsepower.

http://www.instablogsimages.com/1/2013/04/25/saleen_shows_off_351_mustang_prototype_tvk4d.jpg

The prototype version of the model was shown off with an automatic transmission though Saleen claims that the production variant would be offered with both an automatic as well as a six-speed manual transmission. The prototype of the Saleen 351 Mustang featured an Orange County Orange finish as well as upgraded interior appointments wheels and body kit. Pricing, availability and trim options would be announced by Saleen at a later date.
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