The other morning at 8:45AM, after my wife had left for work, as I was getting ready to leave, I get a text from her saying "oh, by the way, the car needs to be moved" today. I had a brief "arghhh" moment as I had to be in Soho by 10AM and finding parking in my neighborhood at 8:45AM is a one hour ordeal. I simply did not have the time to go find parking, then hop on the A train for 45 minutes and still make my 10AM in time.

So, I had no choice but to take the car with me. Fortunately, I wasn't in the mood to get taken advantage to the tune of the forty bucks it was going to cost, as I had to be down there from 10AM-7PM. So in the midst of that brief "arghhh" moment, I hopped on my computer and googled "nyc parking rates" and lo and behold, second from the top in my search was  nyc.bestparking.com where I found a $16.00 rate for all day parking in Soho, guranteed!

This site is a great resource for those of you that live in Boston, New York, DC and Philly!

Founded in March 2006, BestParking.com (formerly NYCGarages.com) is a free tool that enables drivers to find parking garages and lots, compare daily and monthly rates, and book "Reservations" and/or "Rate Guarantees" at participating facilities. By using the site, it is possible to quickly narrow a search to a particular New York City (Manhattan), Boston, Philadelphia, or Washington DC neighborhood or address and then view the best parking deals on both a map and sortable list.

For more info visit: www.nyc.bestparking.com

Falling under the category of "2008's Sickest Design Concept", BMW's GINA Light Visionary Model project (note to Chris: you need a better name for this, talk to Jobs) which stands for "Geometry and Functions in 'N' Adaptations" basically means that Bimmer designers we're given free reign to go buck wild and really think outside the box when it comes to the form and function of BMW car design as it relates to the future. Chris Bangle, the Director Of Design for BMW Group really breaks it down in the video below as to why they undertook this design driven endeavor. Now don't go and get all excited on us...the images and video that you are about to see are purely conceptual and this is definitely one whip that you will not be seeing at a dealership near you anytime soon! Enjoy!

Smart, a member of the Mercedes Car Group has officially announced the introduction of its smart fortwo car which will make its debut in January of 2008 here in the U.S. Reaching a top speed of 90 mph, this fuel efficient (40 mpg), 3 Cylinder/1 Liter, 4-star crash rated whip has already sold over 750,000 vehicles in 36 countries since its introduction.

The smart fortwo has already made it's debut in the DaVinci Code, Pink Panther, Garfield 2, Scoop, A Good Year, Legally Blonde 2, Just Married, Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London and is the only car in production currently displayed at Museum Of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City.

For more info, or to reserve yours for $99 bones visit: www.smartusa.com

After fourteen years of research and development, Guy Negre has developed an engine that could become one of the biggest technological advances of this century, and boy does our enviornment need it!

Negre’s MDI has recently struck a deal with Tata Motors, India's largest automobile manufacturer, who will use his CAT (compressed air technology) motor for usage in a line of cars. Tata has already struck distribution deals for the air car with Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Panama.

These cars will use compressed air to drive its pistons. Re-fueling, if it can be called that will be as simple as stopping at an compressed air station where you can refuel for as little as $2.

According to Tata, the car will be able to reach a maximum speed of 68 miles per hour and will be able to travel roughly 125 miles per air refill. Check out this video on this amazing technology:

For more info visit:
www.besttractor.blogspot.com | www.hamann-motorsport.de | www.ferrari.com 

Attention E-Z Pass users at all Port Authority Bridges and Tunnels, including the George Washington Bridge, Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing save $5 per toll.

If you have three people in your car and you use E-Z Pass, the toll is only $1 at all times. To be eligible, you must call E-Z Pass and enroll in the PACP plan. Drive into a staffed lane, roll down the window, and say “Carpool” to the attendant. He or she will count heads and push a button that will charge you just $1 for the crossing. And yes, babies count too!

Call the telephone number listed on your E-Z Pass statement to enroll.

For more info visit: www.e-zpassny.com

By Led Black

Be on the lookout for a lost set of car keys; better yet - 20,000 sets of lost car keys.  To be honest, the keys are not lost but are part of Nissan’s latest marketing ploy to promote the Altima’s keyless ignition system.  The tag attached to the keys reads: “If found, please do not return. My Next Generation Nissan Altima has Intelligent Key with push-button ignition, and I no longer need these.”  The car key sets will be strategically “lost” in bars, sports arenas and other high-traffic places in the following seven markets; Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Washington.  The lucky folks who find the keys can log on to AltimaKeys.com and enter the tag number in order to win a gas card or a subscription to Vibe magazine.  The buzz-generating stunt was created by the True Agency and cost a paltry $100,000 to actualize.  I think the concept is truly innovative but I am not too keen on finding a set of fake keys, I am trying to get my hands on some real keys.  The 2007 Nissan Altima is a slick sedan and the Altima Coupe that comes out this summer is sicker than the bird flu. 

Source & Images: www.leftlanenews.com

At the Paris Motor Show Ford will showcase the 2007 Ford Mondeo Concept. The vehicle is a concept in name, but will closely resemble the production version. Only a wagon version has been shown, but a sedan will also be offered. Typically, the Mondeo has been limited to Europe. The car will star alongside the Aston Martin DBS in the forthcoming "Casino Royale" James Bond film. For the full story and high resolution images visit: www.leftlanenews.com

P.S. Why the Mondeo's been limited solely to Europe is beyond us. Maybe this is what Ford should be doing more of in order to avoid from going bankrupt!

The future is bonkers! Check out this clip. Volkswagen has produced a unique new car (the Golf Gti 53 plus 1") that can drive itself at speeds of up to 80 mph. The vehicle uses laser sensors and computer technology to navigate obstacles and regulate its speed. Tom Symonds reports.

Source:www.bbc.com via www.freshcreation.nl

For 'hybrid hackers' selling plug-in kits for the Prius, high gas prices add up to a big opportunity. By David Kushner, Business 2.0 Magazine

Rising gas prices and booming sales of the Toyota Prius mean a big opportunity for Pete Nortman. A year and a half ago, the Monrovia, Calif., engineer hacked his Prius by replacing the battery with a lithium-ion version and adding a system that plugs into an ordinary 110-volt socket.

After charging in the garage overnight, the souped-up Prius gets about 100 miles per gallon--roughly twice what a regular Prius gets at best. "This is just the beginning," Nortman says.

Now EDrive, the startup Nortman co-founded, and Hymotion, a competitor based outside Toronto, are set to turn such tinkering into cash. They're the first two companies to market PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) kits for Prius drivers.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT: www.money.cnn.com

Tags: Auto | Toyota | Prius | Hybrid | EDrive | Hymotion | PHEV | Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles | Cars |