NIssan Murano Cabriolet Walk Around Video

Nissan Murano: Nissan Altima meets the 350Z!!

Welcome to another great edition of SeraniTafari StreetTeam!!! Today we'll critique the 2010-2011 Nissan Murano, Nissan's first crossover for the US market. I'm sure some of you have seen the Murano around town. What's unique about this vehicle is that it can be drivien by anybody: young, old, soccer mom, or college student. Anyone who's looking for a sports car feel with the height and ergonomics of an SUV and to save a few bucks in your pocket, the Nissan Murano is it!!!


2002-2007 Nissan Murano



 The latest Murano now is more muscular and solid compared to the older model.



2009-2011 Murano



Due to the sales success of this CUV, for the 2011-2013 model, Nissan will be introducing the cabriolet version of the Nissan Murano. This will be interesting to see because does anyone remember the Chrysler PT Crusier convertible? The Nissan Murano Cabriolet is certainly destined to take all crossover vehicles to new heights!



This looks like the dawn of a new era: the Convertible SUV!!



Nissan Murano Cabriolet : uniquely beautiful

                                                                                            - Jamal McClean

The 2011 Ford Explorer

My first love of SUVs began when I was, I think, eight years old. It was a 1993 Ford Explorer, advertised in a National Geographic magazine that honestly just spoke to me. I really just loved the appearance of that truck. My admiration stemmed from, simply, its design. It had a boyish, and gently boxy aesthetic. I loved the design and look of the head lamps the most, however. I don’t know why, but I know that I just had an appreciation of the pattern in which the amber lights were laid out within the broader headlamp design.. It had a polite demeanor. I also liked the wheels too, they were sporty and dynamic-looking. In addition, I also loved the trim level that this 1993 Ford Explorer was styled in. I particularly remember the model in the National Geographic magazine advertisement being of a light-ish type dark green, with tan trim. This color combination on the Ford Explorer was my favorite ever! I swear I wouldn’t drive any other model!

       The Ford Explorer was updated in 1995. Its design was made more curvier, and the headlamps were styled sympathetically to this appearance as well. It was a beautiful redesign. I absolutely loved it. In addition, the new wheels were quite hot too. Looking back through my mind at the new model, I would describe it as hip (it was was hip before “hip” became an aspiration in car design). Using words of the present to describe the past, I would say that the wheels were blingy too!

       Well, now, for 2011, Ford has reinvented the Ford Explorer again. It is another progression of a succession of hotness. I am really impressed with Ford’s new Explorer. The new Explorer is beautiful with a unique out-of-the-box design language. It also looks urban and is nearly “hip-hoppish” in appearance - predominantly in the bold look of the front fascia and other styling cues. The 2011 Ford Explorer is so hot in its basic design that once you slap on some aftermarket customization items on it, it appears immediately fit for a rap video - yeah you know that stuff that will make a car real popular! Some hip-hop musician needs to get this truck in a music video ASAP! Yeah! Because this 2011 Ford Explorer is hot!! Good work Ford! Keep it up!

One thing about the blacked-out A and B-pillars on the new Explorer, is that it lends the eye to pay less attention to the "excluded" (window area) and  more attention to the remaining body of the vehicle. And the remaining body of the Ford Explorer is comprised of new and innovative body language, such as the chiseled-like indentations into the body panels as noted in the first descriptive picture (above).

Okay now enjoy these hot pictures of the new 2011 Ford Explorer below....ummmm yummy! Pure deliciousness!

Customized Version

Customized Version

- Gebre Mesquitta

Lamborghini Aventador fully EXPOSED!!!!

Lamborghini is supreme king and ever-reigning royalty of sports car design! You always expect withering, shocking greatness from them! They never let you down. Well, hmm, they say never say never, but Lamborghini will never let us down. I repeat, NEVER! (LOL)
Here is the new replacement for the Lamborghini Murcielago, the Lamborghini Aventador. Here it is, right before it debuts for the Geneva Auto Show.

As we can see, the rear has very dramatic serious lines...we see the runway-style tailights from the Reventon as well as those unmistakable Lamborghini scissor style doors.

Lets get a little bit more into what makes this Aventador shark pop! Lets get it in! Well muse the descriptions below..This is how we break it down at the SeraniTafari Street Team!



ooohhhh! Havin' an OMG! Moment....the impecable, withering, emotive design techniques....dribbles (LOL)



As we look at the powerplant: a custom 6.5L V12  which produces a HAIR RAISING 700BHP!!!! at about 8,250RPM,  and 510 ft lbs of torque... INSANE POWER!!!

- Jamal Mc clean & Gebre Mesquitta

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

        From since I was a little boy, I've always admired Jeep SUVs. The primary reason maybe derived from the fact that my neighbor used to drive one. My memory goes back as far as to say that I first remember him driving a Volvo sedan. It was a nice, decent, hardy cream brown sedan. He then bought a new vehicle - a Jeep Cherokee. It was boxy-chunky, manly-looking, cute SUVand could tackle any significant almost any depth of snowfall. Man did I love that little truck. I would listen out for when my neighbor was leaving for work, and when he'd arrive after work, just to see him drive his Jeep Cherokee!  What I liked best about that Jeep was the front fascia (including the litte headlights mounted in front), the overall shape, and the wheel design.

        Later on, about three years later, I believe, my neighbor bought another vehicle and it was a Jeep again. However, this time it was a step up - a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and it was hot! This Jeep model was what officially cemented me as a fan of the Jeep brand. It was a beautiful SUV, smooth-drivin', assertive, more curvy (a sexy too). And I didn't even know what sexy meant back in those days (lol)

        Over the years, Jeep has made many modifications to its Jeep Grand Cherokee model, culminating with a final awesome model for 2011. Yes! The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is here. And it is hot!!

I will begin by mentioning that the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee was first brought to my attention by my brother. He had seen it on some site on the internet. Next, he saw it on the road. We were both in the car, and there was some SUV in front of us at the red light. I never really saw the vehicle ahead of us, but my brother recognized it first. When my brother had told me about it, it was too late. But when he tried to jiggle my mind by roughly describing it, all I could fathom out of my memory was a rear end of an utmost vivacious curvature, with the rear lights high up on its surface  (...ummm like a high waistline hahaha).

I decided to google "2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee" to find out if this was the one that I had seen. It happened to be the exact same model and it was stunning! The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is a great achievement for Jeep. Luckily, the SeraniTafari Street Team got an invite to the Chicago International Show from the Chrysler Group through Jeep Midwest, and was able to get to see up close and personal, the new Jeep Grand Cherokee. What I found out at the Chicago Autoshow, was that Jeep was also offering rides in its vehicles! I was exhilarated!

The grille is a different caliber of chrome! It looks soo bright! Also, the headlamps are inset, lending attention to the area



Checkout the chrome horizontal piece between the rear lights! 2010 Ford Taurus-esque! Genius! (lol)



Checkout how the rearlights are inset, rather than flush with the surface...attention catcher!



        The ride offered by Jeep was through a mini, and brutal off-road course. Among the obstacles it consisted of were big rocks, and an 18 foot high 35 degree inclined plane. The drive over the rocks was jolting to the body, but felt easy for the SUV. The suspension was tremendously adaptive, and totally independent in the fullest sense of the word! What was also remarkable about the off-road experience was how there was not even a squeaky sound in the suspension as it traveled. It was just silence and the to-and-fro body movement of another passenger in the vehicle.

Below are pictures of the Jeep Grand Cherokee as it took on the "offroad trail' at the Chicago Autoshow.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee tackled this 18ft 35 degree incline with ease! It was a cakewalk!!

- Gebre Mesquitta

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