The new Chrysler.... Hate it or Love it.



Original Chrysler 200C Concept!

 It looks as if Jeep and Dodge are having fun with their lineup of 2011 vehicles. However, I'm not to sure about Chrysler. What do you think of Chrysler's new design direction? Please feel free to comment in the comment box.
        Chrysler is trying to get back on track with a new a lineup of vehicles, such as the 300 and 200 models. I cannot lie though, the new 2011 Chrysler 300 is phenomenal, I believe. I think it has the right essence to represent Chrysler as it moves forward into this new century. As far as the 200 goes I'm not too impressed. I'm really disappointed, my hopes were thrown! :( Remember the the Chrysler 200c concept? Wasn't that a beauty? That was a gorgeous concept that was to steer Chrysler in the right direction. But then Bamm!!! All of of sudden, we got hit with the look-alike of the awful 2010 Chrysler Sebring - which proved fatal for the brand. With the 2011 Chrysler 200C though, we will have to wait and see if Chrysler can erase the bad taste thatwas left by the previuous model.





2011 Chrysler 200C



2010 Chrysler Sebring



DO YOU SEE A RESEMBLANCE?

-Jamal Mcclean

The Chevrolet Volt

For a while General Motors had bragged about releasing a hot new single. It was all over the media. It was stated that it would be hot, market-changing and a resuscitator of the lagging label. It was entitled the “Chevrolet Volt”  and was intended to be a competitor to Toyota’s Prius, a hot Japanese single that was flying off the charts. Can you say GM was jealous? Hell yeah! I think they were jealous as s**t. I would be too, I would be like, “man, f**k this Toyota Prius dominating-the market-s**t. Lets do something about this motherf**k*r!”

            So, yeah, General Motors decided to do something about it. I was rooting for them too – from the get go. I was like, “Yay, go yall!” And they did, they went into the studio with some top engineers and began to work! The fruit of their efforts was the Chevy Volt. It was well engineered, and of superb production-quality. However, though the music production was hot, the vocals could be a lot better. The Chevy Volt is a vehicle more powerful in engineering than in design. I will speak about this important aspect first and discuss the design characteristics later.

            “Ok, let’s go!” The Chevrolet Volt is a hybrid/electric car designed with an operating strategy unusual from that of other hybrids. Its primary driving force is derived from energy stored in a battery. The gasoline engine’s contribution to powering the car is for the most part an indirect one. It turns a generator that powers the electric motors once the battery has been depleted. All together, with this propulsion system, the Chevrolet Volt readily achieves the top end of GM’s estimate for all-electric range – fifty miles on a single charge. Once the electricity in the battery has been depleted, the Volt automatically switches into extended mode “divvying up motive chores” among its gas engine (upfront), its dual electric motors, and a 435 pound Lithium-ion battery

            In purely battery mode, the energy use of the Chevrolet volt is equivalent, in gas terms, to 112 miles per gallon. Wow! That’s a lot right? It sure is! The Volt continues to have pleasing economy with the gas-driven driven generator supplying the electricity – 44 miles per gallon. This mileage beats the E.PA.’s estimate of 35 miles per gallon in the city and 40 miles per gallon on the highway. Now, with the Volt’s 9.3 gallon tank, the car gets 300 miles per tank, in addition to its E.V. (Electric Vehicle) miles. This here is the high point of how the Volt maintains affords its owners everyday practicality as well as all-electric motoring on short trips.

            In one test drive, the Chevrolet Volt logged 120 miles (60 miles in electric vehicle mode and 60 miles in gas-electric mode) and  returned a no-elusion 64 miles per gallon. To aid in your understanding, 64 miles per gallon is an average that accounts for the 18-kilowatt-hours of plug-in electricity that the Volt consumed. This is equivalent to a little more than a half-gallon’s worth of gasoline (using the conversion factor of 33 kilowatt-hours of energy per gallon). The EPA estimates the Volt’s combined gas-electric economy at about 60 miles per gallon and its all-electric operation at the energy equivalent of 93 miles per gallon. Now these are some nice figures indeed! And some very comforting fuel economy in these times of high gas prices. Over here, where I live, Chicago, IL, gas prices are $3.49 a gallon. First it was $3.29, then $3.39, and now it’s $3.49, and I’m quite sure it is on its devious way to $4.00 per gallon! So the Chevrolet Volt’s mileage of 64 miles per gallon is splendid words to the ear. That means I can buy only one gallon of gas per day. For a week I only need to spend about $20! The Chevrolet Volt’s 64 mile per gallon average is nearly 30 percent greater than that of the Toyota Prius – the nation’s highest-mileage hybrid. However, as fuel-efficient as the Volt is, it is pricey L.Uhmm, yeah, I’m really not digging that $41,000 window sticker. In order to justify this sticker price, the Chevrolet Volt would have to be far more attractive in its design - think Tesla. If only the company had put an equal emphasis on design as much as it did with the engineering, then GM would have a hit car! (Drifts off into a day dream while looking at picture of the Volt…murmurs to himself, “Yep, if it was just more splashy, and sexy, and hipL)! Consumers then would be more willing to shell out some cash for this car, like seriously, because it would be green and sexy! Electric cars, hybrid- electrics, etc. must have sex appeal, it is a must. Hereby, I debut the new KISS rule: Keep It Sexy Stupid! “Yeah, because, “that’s the way uh huh uh huh / I like it, I like it!”

            I really believe Chevy missed an opportunity to brand the Volt with a truly eye-catching design. But, however, at least it does look better than the Nissan Leaf, and still it looks more appealing than the boring Toyota Prius. I will admit that the Volt does have a little smidgen of sexiness, chiefly at the front. But that front end could do with sexier styling in greater dosages. It needs to be more fierce, and bold…you know, like a “Now what? Huh? Huh? Now what?” type of look – talking to the competition (hahaha).

            As a result of my displeasure with most of the Chevrolet Volt’s design, I depart by leaving you with some of my sketches of how I envision a remix of the Chevrolet Volt – with an employment of the new KISS ruleJ.

This is the remix! (Gebre Mesquitta)

This is the story behind the remix (Please Chevrolet, listen and learn)

All in all, while lacking in design, the Chevrolet Volt is car of superb, immaculate, and ingenious engineering. We at the SeraniTafari Street Team congratulate Chevrolet for its Volt  model being nominated as Car of the Year by Motor Trend magazine. (For the engineering put into this vehicle, it is well worth it!

 To those at the big automanufacturers who are reading this blog, we love yall; we want to make yall make more money with more innovative and knockout design style...don't hesitate to contact the SeraniTafari Street Team..because we are out here in the streetz!

- Gebre Mesquitta

"Out in the Streets..." (Jamal's Dodge Charger)!!

Ladies and Gentlemen this is my very own Dodge Charger with the 20" deep dish rims soaked  in the candy apple red...Delicious!!!!                  

- Jamal Mcclean

"Out in the streets..." Ford Taurus SHO sighting



Front End

       Check this out people!, I was walking down the street on a dull and rainy evening when I came across this menacing prowling machine, staring at me with its transformer autobot eyes. This is the all new Ford Taurus SHO, the high end production version of the regular Taurus. As you can see it is coated in a beautiful pearl white, which is starting to become a very popular color for cars, due to the fact that you are able to see the contours and shapes that flow and form the front to the rear end of the car.

side view

        As you can see this side profile represents motion at a standstill. The low slung body coupled with the aggressive muscular stance presents a new breed of American Muscle for the 22nd century. If you notice, you can see the character actually starts at the front of the vehicle and dramatically extends through the side body, and even to the small indentation in the rear quarter. In addition, the wheels are very "sharp" and add an agressive accent to the styling.                                                                                         


         Now as we move to the rear of the SHO we can see that this car is different from the original model with the addition of the rear spoiler; we also see those dramtic lines converge and meet to complete the full cirlce. Do notice the muscular influences from the Ford Interceptor concept woth light cluster, as well as the chrome strip that runs across the rear and the badge with the prominent Blue Oval, along with SHO badging. This car is bound to turn heads, and Ford's new design philosphy is truly the hallmark and lives up to Henry Ford's dream of building mass production car not only to serve the people to take them to their destination in modern uncomparible style.

- Jamal Mcclean



2011 Volvo XC90 SUV Crossover

        I have never really been a big fan of the Volvo automobile brand. Reminiscing through the eyes of my childhood, and up until recently, they’ve always appeared, stiff, hard wood-en (think Al Gore ), stoic and conservative. However, still though, there have been a few Volvo’s that I have liked…just a few..at least I will admit that.

        But now, Volvo has left me with the potential of really being interested in more of their vehicles. They have left me stunned with my eyes and mouth wide open with the astonishing styling of the new X-C60 R-design. I came upon the X-C60 by accident, as I was loading my web browser. I have my web browser settings set to Autoblog as the default homepage, and the X-C60 was in their daily blog. (Yeah man, Autoblog is my darling blog!)

        Well ok, lets get to critiquing this beautiful new SUV from Volvo. First of all, the vibrant, pulsating red is eye-snatching! This is a lovers red, wait, no this is a lover-with-a-passion red! This is a blinding Valentine red! I’m in love with it! Now, beginning at the front of the vehicle, the aesthetic is similar to that of many in Volvo’s vehicle line up. However, it does take a little turn from the generic. It has the lower grille in a chrome outline as well as new chrome accents uniquely arranged between the headlamps and the grille. The effect is nice, and decent, easy flowing and beautiful. It’s smooth, sleek and non-messy – a simple prettiness.

        Moving on to the side of the vehicle is additional attractiveness, and boldness. Instantly recognizable are the large rims. These offer a striking confident appearance, a plus for Volvo! “It’s almost as if the vehicle is saying, “Look at me! Hell yeah, I’m Volvo, but I can be cool and hip too!” What I also admire about the side view is the incline. The XC-90 appears to rise upward giving way to a nice, high rear end. The overall effect of this is a visual movement. This movement almost resembles the transition from a car to an SUV, as the front end is a bit low - close to a car’s height - while, the rest of the vehicle climbs into SUV terrain. However, after getting lost in the visual design story, you realize it is a trick, as there is a horizontal chrome piece that runs below the doors, which asserts true time and place! This chrome piece also ties up the design nicely; it makes for a nice conclusion on the side. Oh and did I forget? I also like the side view of the rear lights as it reaches high up on the body, almost into the rear spoiler.

        Ok, lets move on to the rear. Over here is splendid! And that chiefly rests with the high-arched-back profile and the beautiful shape of the rear lights. It’s absolutely gorgeous! I love the way the body contours to the shape of the rear lights, it’s cute and sympathetic, and with the addition of a look of chiseled-ness. Also this big rump of a backside of the XC-690 is another ode to what seems to be a ubiquitous feminine-ization of vehicle design. Its pure loveliness! Good job Volvo. I’m now very interested in what new vehicle designs you have up your sleeve. My interest in Volvo has now been launched and I look forward to blog on more exciting Volvo vehicles in the future.

Just look at this beauty-mobile! The blinding sexy-lovers-in-a-passion red!!

and the sexy high-hips backside :))..ooooh lalalalala.....

- Gebre Mesquitta

"Out in the Streets..." Chevrolet Impala Sighting (custom paint job)

        I was taking a nice Sunday bike ride one day, when I spotted this uniquely painted Chevrolet Impala. I admired how the top and bottom half of the car was painted in two different colors. It's an inspiration for me because there are different ways this paint scheme can be turned into a possible non-paint design style. And there is a multitude of probabilities of how this color scheme can be mutated into this visioned non-color scheme style - the combinations and permutations of derivitives of what the first inspiration is! I cant explain any further, because then I will give away the idea. So I will have to leave it at that (hahaha). In the meantime, though, other auto designers, and aspiring auto designers reading this blog, can intepret it as they may. Time will tell if they can near my imagination of what design possibility I vision emnating from this. :)

- Gebre Mesquitta

"Out in the streets.." Chevrolet Monte Carlo Sighting (trick'd out)

        I had to snap a picture of this Chevy Monte Carlo. It had a unique lil remix thingy going on.What was distinctive about it, was that it had a unique graphic design on the side, in addition to matching red-tinted windows. The red-tinted windows were amazing. I had never seen any other color-tinted windows besides black! This immediately began to give me ideas, and so I jumped out of my vehicle and began capturing this inspiration.


 

Checkout the graphics and the red window tint!

- Gebre Mesquitta

"Out in the Streets..." Ford Fusion Sighting

        I was sitting in my vehicle in the parking lot of a Target shopping mall, when I decided to look behind me. I saw a nice rear end of a car, but I couldn’t really tell what model it was. After looking for a while to try and make it out, I realized it was the Ford Fusion. The rear end was just sexy! I jumped out of the van with my cell phone and tried to get as close up as I could, and as fast as I could, to snap a picture, as best as I could – before the owner could arrive.

        Furthermore, what I have noticed, is that I am beginning to see these gorgeous automobile derrieres in increasing numbers. It seems to be the new trend. However, I know this is more than a trend; this is going to be here to stay! Because it’s hot!

Beautiful shapely rear

- Gebre Mesquitta