"Out in The Streetz..." 1st Annual SeraniTafari Street Team Local Car Show

Summer in the city....Sweltering heat, crazy high humidity, and then the occasional thunderstorms. One thing is for sure, cars and bikes will be on display, shorts are coming out, and somewhere there is a barbeque going on. Luckily for me, I had the opportunity to host a local car show here in the city of brotherly love..Philadelphia. The show hosted by SeraniTafari Street Team featured a well stocked inventory of various vehicles. From the old to the new the cars were the stars here. Check out the photos below of this fun event.

Lets start off with the Aggressive Cadillac CTS-V Sedan

Until Next Time.....Flashing Flashing Lights Lights!!

                                                                                                          - Jamal McClean

The Red Tails "Automotive Sequel" has been released!

Ford Motor Company is on point!!!



http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1077931_2013-ford-mustang-gt-red-tails-edition-revealed-gallery-video

Refer to our previous blog at http://seranitafaristreetteam.blogspot.com/2012/06/red-tails-automotive-sequel-by-ford.html for an indepth design analysis on the splendid paint job on the Red Tails Ford Mustang!

Now have a look at te pictures in all their glory!

- Gebre Mesquitta

RAM (Random Access Memory) No! RAM as in RAM Trucks!

http://www.allpar.com/news/index.php/2012/07/2014-ram-heavy-duty-spy-shot  

It was in 1994 when the first hot design for a RAM Truck made its debut - well at least I thought so. It was a design change from the previous models, and I was highly impressed. Back then, I was a little kid and dealing with an ever-increasing love for cars.
       Now how I came across the then new '94 Dodge Ram, was that I was reading a National Geographic magazine. My Dad was a big fan of  National Geographic and always read their magazines. Infact, I think he had a subscription to them. I remember how I'd loved seeing them when they arrived in the mail - nice, neat, crisp, and glossy, and with the bright  kids-lovable  yellow border. (Damn I'm going into it about National Geographic magazines lol). But anyway, moving along, there was a large fold-out in the center of the magazine, and there it was: this large beautiful Ram Truck. I can just picture myself back in time on that day, pouring over the images; I was in love with that truck! What I enjoyed about the design was how the front fascia was "truck-anized" it bore a strong resemblance to the front end of big trucks (think Mack Trucks) and school buses. You know, that aesthetic where the headlamps are on a much lower level than the hood. This new appearance implanted on the Dodge Ram pickup was interesting to me. I saw aggression and a grown man-type of expression. You see, little bloys always dream of being grown-a$$ hardworking men like their Dads(hahaha)


Ok, now enjoy the design analysis below

- Gebre Mesquitta

Arguably the best looking spyder ever!! Mclaren 12C Spyder!

OMG!!!! The Mclaren MP4-12C! What a stunning combination of beauty and technology. 

I love this side view of the Mclaren.What makes this picture pop are the huge air intakes! As I look at it I picture masses of air rushing into them. Do you hear "Swoosh?" This look achieves the appearance of a great sense of speed! Furthermore its the double air intake that makes the effect extreme. Masses of air piling into two air intakes. The car appears ready to rip out of its still position at terrifying speed! The beautiful roofline is also aiding in this picturesque definition of a powerful road beast. It's low, sleek, and slick-ingly aerodynamic. It looks soo wind-tunnel perfected.

Hear the screeching? Smell the burning rubber? Feel the excitement? The 12-C spider is well .................. Exactly!! Just speechless.

What I admire most about the Mclaren Spider is the way it takes me back in time. A time where I use to draw sports cars in this manner. The sweeping lines, low angular front end, and the tail sweep off the spoiler lip. Ummm ummm delicious!! 

Parting shot: Oh yes the Mclaren is indeed beautiful and powerful! But ahh it's no Lamborghini (lol) ahh or Ferrari for that matter (hahaha). But it's more than a Porsche! Right? Agree?

   

- Jamal Mcclean

"Red Tails": The Automotive Sequel by Ford!

I was scrolling through my Facebook news feed when I saw some red-color-schemed Mustang show up. The first thing I thought was, “Oh what oh what oh what oh what now. What sameness is Ford doing with the Mustang again?” Oh God, please tell me (lol)!”. But then I realized that they’re doing a Red Tails Mustang edition. I then picked up my phone and pushed my fingertips outward, you know, the iphone-popularized gesture of zooming in on a picture (hahaha). I saw a broad red stripe on the rear of the Mustang and I’m like, “Hmm, I like that! The red stripe is slanted at the exact angle of the spoiler on the trunk lid. In my book, that is perfection! Furthermore, the spoiler is red also, so it lends the appearance of a red tail indeed. Now even further, the spoiler with its shape adds supplementary cred to a red tail, as in my mind I’m visualizing an aircraft tail or rudder.
Moving forward, to the front of the car, the grille and hood area in particular, I totally enjoy how the grille is encased by a red painted surround, in addition to a red and yellow checkered gradient painted into it on the right and left sides. The red paint that is closest to the top of the grille streams up onto the hood and parts around a gray-painted section of the hood - which is nearly all associated with a slight bulge in the hood. The effect of the streaming red paint is like the air that would be ripping over the hood of the aircraft while in its flight! Likewise, the area of the hood that is painted gray is akin to the gray-black exhaust that would be burgeoning out of the aircraft’s propeller engine. Completing this dynamic imagery are the fake exhaust pipes positioned below the front quarter panel and to the rear of the front tires. Whole-istically, this is automotive customization as art work! No wait, say it this way, this is automotive artistic customization. It is almost equivalent to a great painting. Infact, I believe this car customization is indeed worthy of a painting - think oil painting. I can really see myself doing one. Also, what would really be great is if Ford could put this "Red Tail" Mustang in a limited production run. I think there'll definitely be buyers! 
       Kudos to Ford Motor Company for their effort to honor the Tuskegee Airmen! It is a fantastic tribute to a great American combat group. I would love to have a large toy model version of this Mustang car on my desk, not even with remote control, just a big toy model!

Now observe the comparison below!

This is the fifth year running that the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture celebration will auction a customized Ford Mustang. This year, however, the auction which will be on Thursday, July 26, will feature a car dubbed the Red Tails edition that pays homage to the infamous Tuskegee Airmen. 

       
For those who are unfamiliar, the Tuskagee airmen were the U.S. Army's first group of African American pilots; they fought segregated from white forces. Formally, the Tuskegee Airmen formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Corps after June 20, 1941. They are credited with significant enemy losses while suffering very few themselves. The accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen according to combat records is as follows:

• 112 aircraft destroyed in air
• 150 aircraft destroyed on land
• 148 aircraft damaged
• 15,533 sorties
• 311 missions for the Fifteenth Air Force
• 179 bomber escort missions
• 66 KIA
• 32 men captured
• 84 killed in training and non-combat missions
• 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses awarded
• 450 pilots sent overseas

What even makes Ford specially worthy of creating a tribute car to the Tuskegee Airmen, is the fact that one of the combat aircraft flown by the Tuskegee Airmen was carried the name Mustang, the North American P-51 Mustang. Out of the all the aircraft models that they were equipped with (the Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, Bell P-39 Airacobras, and Republic P-47 Thunderbolts) the Tuskegee Airmen became most commonly associated with the North American P-51 Mustang. Now the Tuskegee Airmen’s P-51 Mustang fighter planes had unique red paint on the tails, which inspired not only the name of the movie, but also the paint scheme on this special Ford Mustang. The red paint was applied to the aircraft by the pilots themselves as a way oft distinguishing themselves from their white counterparts. The Allies nicknamed these airmen "Red Tails" or "Red-Tail Angels," because of the distinctive red paint predominantly applied on the tail section of the unit's aircraft.

- Gebre Mesquitta

"Out in the Streetz..." (But She Caught me!) Customized 1994 Chevrolet Suburban!

Checkout that grille! Chrome flames!

Last week while at work, I was leaving a location where I just completed a marketing promotion and happened to pass a nicely customized Chevrolet Suburban parked outside. I kept looking at it and wondering if I might snap a picture. There were some houses and apartments nearby and couldn't be sure if the owner would suddenly show up or pop his or her head out the window and inquire about my merry picture taking. While continuing to walk forward I had a change of heart, and walked backwards to get in position to snap some pictures. I didn't think I could let this one slip me, I might never seen it again! And I liked the black-on-chrome design theme as well as the unique chrome-flame type grille.

       Now, a confirmation of my previous thoughts was about to enter reality. Just as I was snapping my last picture of the truck and was ready to leave, here comes the owner! I was like, "Aww shit! It was a heavy set  African American woman and she was on her phone approaching the vehicle.  I heard a pause in the phone conversation and and an utterance that sounded something like "Ah!" as if she meant, "What you doing?" I couldn't tell if she wanted to curse at me or what. As she got to the vehicle I was like, "I'm an automotive writer, I write about cars", and then I handed her my business card. She looked at it and gave it back to me and was like "I don't know what you will do with this" - referring to the pictures of her vehicle. I was like, "It will be on the website." Then she was like, I'm I gonna get any money for it?" I laughed to myself (lol). I had thought about that before though - the idea of paying people to take pictures of their cars. It's something that I might do in the future. But in the meantime I will be snappin' pictures as discreetly and as fast as possible and paying out nothing!

View the pictures below

Checkout the "all chrome everything" (my terminology) over the main black body. There's chrome over the wheel fenders along the bottom of the door combined with thick solid chrome wheels and the chrome front bumper and headlamp surround.I dig it!

I like the look of the wheels. It has a really solid cast-out-of-chrome appearance.

Checkout this grille! Aint this unique? I've never seen one like this before!

- Gebre Mesquitta