As we head out to our various holiday destinations (H Barry Boo included), I just wanted to send a small reminder to please drive safely and wear your seat belts -- every occupant, even pets!
In case of a crash, your seat belt will help:
Keep you from getting banged around the car's interior
Keep you from getting ejected
Keep you from colliding with another passenger
Keep your body in optimum position if the airbag deploys
Also, take off your coats (and baby's too, obviously) and position the belts correctly: across the hips (not the belly), and across the middle of the shoulder (NEVER behind the back).
Thanks to everyone for their holiday greetings and treats! Take care out there and enjoy. 'See you in a few...!
Some people just do not believe that a puffy coat could really matter that much. I think I have a way to illustrate the point: Space Bags.
You know the commercial. You know you really want one. Put sweaters, blankets, or coats in the special zip loc bag. Suck the air out of it with a vacuum hose. Watch it shrink down and resemble a crumpled leaf. Slide it under the bed and voila, no more puff. Here's a thirty-second demonstration.
After the holidays I swear I'm going to get some at Bed Bath & Beyond and record my own demonstration. If anyone else gets to it first, please let me know and link it to my Facebook or to the comments section!
A candid snapshot of the Audi A1, with pop-chart topper Justin Timberlake in the foreground, recently leaked out from a video and photo shoot. As the recently announced Audi A1 ambassador, Timberlake will be featured in a series of advertisements for the new supermini.
Our thanks to WorldCarFans reader "G" for raising the flag on this story.
Following official teaser renderings released a few days ago, the car appears to have headlights that bulge a bit as they extend outwards. The grille has a slight hexagonal shape, instead of a trapezoidal one. Air intakes appear to be larger, with foglights ringed in either chrome or white. It appears as though the A-pillar and roofline are still in a second color tone, as expected.
Do not read too much into the American pop star's involvement in the A1 campaign; this is not a sign that the car is coming to US soil. Despite the Mini Cooper's level of profitability in North America, Audi executives have long maintained that the volume of sales are not enough to justify bringing in another competitor. Audi boldly reiterated this line of thinking recently with a statement saying, "no sales are planned for the U.S."
Audi plans to introduce the urban commuter on the internet next February, with a full-reveal coming in March at the Geneva Motor Show.
For three years I have been staring at a map of the continental US and chanting, "Idaho, South Dakota, Montana..." because these were the only three states in the union where I had NOT YET sold a Car Seat Poncho. People from Alaska and Maine have bought Car Seat Ponchos, as well as people in California, Louisiana and Florida (which surprised me, but what the heck). But year after year, nary a peep from that upper swath of the mountain region.
After today, my chant will be a shorter chant because the lovely Diana from Brandon SD called and ordered a Small Denim Camo Reversible, a matching hat and a blanket for her grandson. And tonight as I pack and ship her order, I whisper, "Forty eight down... two to go. Take heed, Idahoans and Montanans, take heed!"
For me, its' definitely "All I Want For Christmas," by Mariah Carey. I love the melody, backing vocals, arrangement and, of course, her charismatic performance. I hope this song is making her a rich woman (or "an even richer woman"), because every time I hear it, I just get joy. What's your fave?
After much encouragement from CPS techs and instructors around the country, I attended the NHTSA Child Passenger Safety Training Program this week. Today, I was officially certified as a technician!
The program consisted of three days of classroom work, hands-on training activities and tests, then one day of installs. We were given different "dummy" children and asked to choose and install the appropriate seat for their height, weight and age. We were given different child/restraint scenarios and asked to identify installation errors and misuse. Finally, we conducted installations for the general public while being observed and evaluated by CPS instructors.
During one of my installs, I advised a mom against using the Bundle Me in her infant's car seat. In another, I advised a mom to take off her son's puffy jacket. When she looked at it, she was aghast at the puffiness in the back AND the front, and how much slack that would generate under a harness. Both of these things I knew before going into certification, but now, since we had discussed it in class, I had relevant authority in my advice.
Whew! It was a grueling week -- but totally, absolutely worth it. Along the way, I met some really great people -- police officers and emergency responders from all over the state. We got to know each other pretty well, had some good laughs over lunch, during breaks. And now we're certified!
Found this story via Google Alerts. The child was not seriously injured (miraculously):
Tsk, tsk, though: The mom interviewed in the story (not the crash mom) says she does everything she can to keep her 5 month old safe and secure in his car seat, but when they show him, the harness straps seem absolutely un-tightened. Am I seeing this right?
Jim Peralta, aka "Grandpa Jim" is a fan of the Car Seat Poncho. He purchased several for his grandchildren, and posted a link to our store on his website.
Jim is also a vocal advocate of extended rear-facing, because his grandson, Joel, was critically injured in a car crash. The impact of the collision threw his body forward, and his car seat did its job of restraining him. But at 18 months, his skeleton was not mature or strong enough to keep his head from being thrown toward the front of the car. Joel's neck was broken.
With much anticipation, Audi has unveiled the all-new fourth generation A8 full-size luxury sedan this evening in Miami. At a glance the A8 and its aluminum body structure features an updated MMI operating system with hand writing recognition touch pad, new driver assistance systems, full LED headlights and new technologies such as night vision assist with marking of detected pedestrians and Audi pre sense safety system.
The A8's core competitors include the Mercedes-Benz S Class and BMW 7 Series with the Lexus LS and Jaguar XJ described as secondary competitors. The 2011 A8 weighs about the same as the outgoing model despite being 3 inches longer, 2 inches wider and has more standard equipment (8-speed auto transmission, pre sense basic, keyless go, power trunk, etc.) versus competitors: ~50lbs less than S Class RWD, and more than 200lbs (90.7kg) less than S Class AWD; more than 200lbs less than 7 Series RWD and more than 400lbs (181.4kg) less than 7 Series AWD.
“The new Audi A8 is the sportiest sedan in its segment,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “It combines numerous functions in a new and intelligent way. And it’s unmatched in the stylistic elements and impression of the interior.”
Set to arrive at U.S. dealerships in late 2010, the initial engine offering is the well known 4.2 FSI V8 with 273 kW (372 hp). The standard transmission is an all-new eight speed tiptronic coupled to the latest generation quattro all wheel drive as standard. 0-100km/h (62 mph) arrives in 5.7 seconds while Audi is claiming an estimated 15 percent improvement in fuel consumption versus the current A8 (EPA figures TBD).
A long wheel base variant will be revealed in 2010 in addition to the confirmation of a hybrid model on the way.
For complete details please see the press release below.
This BMW mule was caught on video while parked on a street in Munich. Covered in the usual black and white psychedelic camouflage, the body is curiously that of the old 1978 M1. The interior is also covered up.
In 2008 BMW revealed an M1 Homage car, a move that sparked speculation of a future BMW supercar or at least a revival of the M1 name. Its design was a clear hark to the original M1 inspired by the 1972 BMW Turbo show car and designed by Giugiaro. It was essentially a racer that customers could also be able to drive on public roads.
Lamborghini had initially been tasked with developing the chassis and for manufacturing but its financial position at the time hampered the project such that BMW ended up retaking control. Ultimately only 456 units of the M1 were ever produced, making it one of the rarest BMWs ever built. The car did not completely disappear when the last one rolled off the production line in 1981 because the first-generation M5 featured a modified version of its 3.5-litre engine.
Perhaps the mule is another Homage model or just simply a public showcase of the older car.
