Spy Shots? Official 1 Series.

Thanks to 1addicts.com and Autoblog.com. They have provided the car community with real photos of the new 1 series. Pictured is the 135i, the 6 Cylinder Twin Turbo car. Said to go 0-62 in 5.3 seconds, this car really isn't the best looking out there. The lines are a bit odd, the front end is really not too beautiful. But the interior looks quite good, and the car as a package will be hard to compete with.

Where else can you get 300 hp and 300 ft lbs. of torque in a car like this? Not to mention the potential already seen in the 335i in basically the same package.

With BMW re-entering this small car segment, other automakers will soon follow. I hope the 1 series does well because it will only spark Cadillac to follow the same market, and create a true competitor under the CTS. It's just too bad we can't get those diesels.

The 1 Series, 2009 CTS-V

If you Build it, people in Socal will buy it to remain socially acceptable.

The beloved 1 series is back, this time without that pesky camo. The rear end looks like it has some work left, but everything else looks production ready. I really can't envision a way this car will not sell. I mean I have probably said it before probably, but with this supposedly starting at around $25k, the price, the look, and the prestige is there. See it here at World Car Fans.

Expect this to be what the 3 series of old was, a capable class leading car, that is light and tossable on a track, but also smooth and quiet on the road. And step for a second and imagine the 3.0 liter Twin-Turbo engine from the its bigger sibling the 3 series, in this smaller lighter package. An underrated engine with loads of potential and torque in this small frame would be, excuse me while I wipe the drool from my chin. Instead of seeing the vaunted e46 3 series everywhere you go, expect to see this little Bimmer that can.

The "V" of Envy

Motor Trend has a story in their recent issue about the next CTS-v, claiming 600+hp, from a supercharged LS7. Now, many have been predicting for a while now that the rumored "Blue Devil" Corvette, which WILL have 600+hp, from a 6.2L V8. Why Motor Trend originally ran in print they would put a 7.0L hand built expensive to manufacture engine in this car with concerns about price being to high already is beyond me.

But Motor Trend has backtracked on their website, saying their "sources" are now telling them 6.2L..... Perhaps their sources are bloggers such as myself, or anyone with half a brain who can read any car enthusiast site. But maybe I am being to harsh on Motor Trend, they have been right a couple of times.

Not Even a Smart Car Can Save Us Now

No disrespect to this man above, but he is obviously a midget to actually be able to fit into one of these.

The DaimlerChrysler owned Smart car is coming to America, but we already know this.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/05/08/beefed-up-cafe-standards-35-mpg-by-2020-approved-by-senate-p/

With the recently announced dramatic increase in Average Fuel Economy across your vehicle lineup, automakers the world over are in trouble. Maybe a car like the Prius makes no money for Toyota(loses money is more like it) but it will definately balance out their plethora of SUV's, not to mention their all new full size Tacoma.

Chrysler, having just been sold to Cerberus, is in the worst shape of the Big 3. I wonder how the release and sale of the smart car, which is said to cost around $10-15k and get around 40-50 mpg, will be affected? They have Plenty of the trucks and SUV's, and even their Sedans like the 300 and the Chargers are not the best on fuel economy, even in V6 trim. The only saving grace for them, along with GM and BMW, is the two-mode hybrid.

The Escalade has been spotted apparently using the in development system. It needs to get into the SUV's fast, along with cars. GM and the other American automakers need to get their 6 speed automatic transmissions out too. It is going to be an uphill battle for all the automakers, but it is do or die.

The way cars are built and released could change dramatically, and alot of the performance cars we take for granted now may really change forever. Hybrid systems could be implemented on cars just to get a higher fuel economy to better the CAFE. But not only will it cost more for the automakers, it will cost more for the consumer. Grim days right now, but hopefully their is light at the end of the tunnel.

Saab 9-3 Facelift

First there was spy shots, then photos showed up without camo on the car in the wild, and now Saab has officially released pictures of the redesign. Well, as everyone else has said, it takes styling cues from the Aero-X concept. It is nice to see some love finally given to SOMETHING at Saab, and no interior pictures yet means that there should be a pretty nice interior update hiding.

Hopefully they did something very big inside, because this car and this brand needs all the help it can get. The powertrain and engine options have always been pretty good from Saab, here's hoping they can make this one a "hit."

Meanwhile, Barrack Obama thinks we build too many gas guzzling SUV's, but drives a Chrysler 300C... An evil american gas powered V8 non-hybrid ruining the earth Chrysler. I for one am shocked, SHOCKED, a politician would not practice what he preached.

Audi R8 Video

If you have read anything MB or I have written about cars, you most certainly have seen us(mostly me) gush over the Audi R8.

Please take a moment to enjoy this video, and see this car get tossed around a track. It is a touch over 6minutes 30 seconds, but well worth it.

http://jalopnik.com/cars/video/audi+o+phile-tiff-needell-hangs-the-r8s-ass-out-256831.php

Sounds incredible, looks awesome, is awesome.

Thanks to Jalopnik for letting my unknowningly link their video.

XBOX 360 Elite

Well I am 3 days late, but here is my Elite. Let me preface this post by saying, I would never have bought it if my Premium hadn't gotten the "red ring of death" at the beginning of April.

It was a long month, filled with very little Guitar Hero, and that is sad. But a black XBOX, to go along with my black PS3, and black Samsung LCD, is a nice proposition. And the black controller looks nice, matte plastic all around.

Now again, my TV is sadly only 720p/1080i, but from my seating position and the size of it, it really makes no difference. Graphics difference between the component cables and the HDMI out are little, if any to my eyes. I would assume someone who really had a good eye could find something, but for the casual observer, there is no way to tell.

The main draw for some is the 120 GB hard drive, upgraded from the 20 GB, topping the PS3's 60 GB. If you download alot of Arcade games, Movies, Demo's, etc... Then you can use it. For the run of the mill consumer they will not need this.
Overall, for the price of $479.99, unless you really like the color black, have another HDMI input to use(like myself), or have to have the best and newest, then I don't recommend it.

Say what you will about the price of the PS3, when the 20GB was still around, it included a Blu Ray drive, HDMI out, and was $499, the Elite does not have an integrated HD-DVD drive, it is nothing more than an HDMI add-on, that doesn't improve graphics, and a bigger hard drive.

But I sure am enjoying Guitar Hero II again, with the 10 new songs for the 360... Possum Kingdom by the Toadies is an oldie but a goodie.. and here was my first try with it on Expert.

Not bad, time to practice.

Right now the Spurs are up 5 on the Nuggets, trying to finish them out. Spurs are trying to keep atleast one really boring team in the playoffs. Don't miss the Suns finish out their series with the Lakers in the late game either.

NBA Playoffs-Part 2

Well, the Pistons Bulls and Cavs have closed their respective series with Sweeps, we sit patiently(or not) on the edge of our seats waiting for the rest of the first round to unfold.

It looks like the Spurs have control of the Nuggets and will close this series, The Rockets and Jazz series is looking to fall Houston's way with them heading home for game six where they will most certainly close the Jazz hopes of going to the 2nd round, and Phoenix is not going to lose to the Lakers, no they will squash Kobe's hopes of closing this series.

Right now I am listening to the crowd chant Let's Go Raptors VC SUCKS!, and it is pretty annoying. The game is down the wire, and the Nets are still in it. They (nets) have a 3-1 series lead, and if they do not finish Toronto up on the roa(which they didn't), they most certainly will go back home to New Jersey, or New York, or wherever the hell they want to be from, and close the series. They were in it until the end, but couldn't close.

The next game is the big one. Warriors go to Dallas, up 3 games to 1. Dirk already said its over, so lets hope what he has said will come to be. So far in the game Dallas has alot of energy and are up 8, but can this close this game out with time? It will be tough to close the Mavs if they are playing with this much energy and the fans are into it. Perhaps it will take a trip back to the Heartland for the Warriors to close the Mavs.

This post was brought to you by TNT original series' The Closer, and Heartland.

NBA Playoffs

Well, I rarely talk about the NBA. There is too many games, and I would go nuts trying to write about it often.

I can't even write about the Warriors, which to be honest, we didn't do a whole hell of a lot for seeing as how they are listed as one of our teams over there to the right.

But now that the Playoffs have begun, I can reflect on something I said back on October 22nd of last year. Back in this "Weekend Sports Roundup" I mentioned that the Warriors and the Raptors were the only undefeated teams in the preseason. And obviously I called this as a sure sign the Warriors would win it all.

I know alot of you scoffed at this notion, the Warriors hadn't been in the playoffs since the Simpsons were actually good, and the Raptors couldn't do anything in the postseason since Vince Carter was gone.

The Raptors, behind stud all star Chris Bosh, dropped the first game of the series at home, but came back strong last night to even the Series at 1 game a piece. The Warriors stole game 1 from the Mavericks on the road, surprising many, but not me. Ok I was a little surprised, but when I look across the scoreboard for the layoffs, every series is going the way I want.

The boring Spurs are down a game on the Nuggets, The Cavs are handling the Wizards(minus Agent Zero), Andrei Kirilenko is crying and the Jazz are down 2 games on the Rockets(minus Tracy McGradys youth), the young are up on the old(bulls/heat), the Suns are decimating the Lakers... Pistons are being the playoff team we know they are, but the most interesting series is still the Warriors Mavericks. Can't wait for their matchup tonight, 6:30 pm Pacific on TNT.

Two new faces on Clevelands staff

-Cleve rounds out the coaching staff-

What was needed in the replacements:

Since the loss of Associate Head coach Heath Schroyer who took the Wyoming head job and Fred Langley the FSU assistant whom Schroyer took to be an associate head coach, Bulldogs head coach Steve Cleveland has had the task of replacing those two key assistants.

Thankfully, Senque Carey is staying and is taking on a bigger role, but after Carey there were questions left about the caliber of coaches Cleveland could bring in. This is a difficult and arduous task because of the amount of applicants and the pressure to come up with two replacements in a timely manner coupled with trying to get recruiting done.

Cleveland stated he had over 100 people inquire, apply, or speak on behalf of someone for his open positions. What he needed was an associate head coach who could relieve him of certain duties and that could also help with the defense, post players, and have recruiting connections. The other coach would preferably be young, hard working, and have experience with game film and scouting.


New Associate Head coach Jeff Reinert:

Reinert comes in to become Clevelands associate head coach after a five year stint as an assistant at Oregon State under Jay John. Based on the recent success level of the Beavers both on the court and on the recruiting trail this may appear as a rather weak hire but Im optomistic about what Reinert will be able to add to the staff and team.

Cleveland has a relationship with Reinert dating back to when Cleveland was brought in as a candidate for the Utah Valley State job. Reiner won the job as Cleveland felt as though he was not ready for that position for a few reasons. Reinert even inquired about joining Clevelands BYU staff but the time wasnt right for the two to coach together at that time.

Reinert will be in charge of scheduling, which is to be finished up in three weeks or so. He will be integral in working with the defense and fill that slot that Schroyer left vacant. Reinert will also help with the post players (the few that the Bulldogs have) and my hope is that he can strike a bond with Center Sean Taylor and help him make huge strides. With no impact post players coming in from this recruiting class, it is up to Taylor to show marked improvement in the off season. Im extremely hopeful, but not optomistic.

Lastly, Reiner is a graduate of Gonzaga and played with John Stockton during Reinerts junior season, lets hope he can bring some of the Zags upward mobility to Fresno.

Jeff Reinert Bio


New assistant coach Lee Moon, Jr:

The second assistant brought in by Steve Cleveland is someone that has a familiarity with the Fresno area as Lee Moon Jr returns for a second stint as a member of the Bulldog staff.

He was the video Coordinator for the Bulldogs in 05-06 and also assisted with strength and conditioning and scouting.

Moon got his start as a graduate assistant under Florida coach Billy Donovan. He was involved in film preparation and breakdown, recruiting mailings, and player instruction.

Lets hope that coach Donovans magic touch extended to Moon in his short stint in Gainesville. Donovan has become quite the factory for solid assistants and assistants turned head coaches.

Moon graduated in 2002 from UNC Wilmington but played to years at TCU prior to transferring to UNCW.

Cleveland makes a good hire here in my opinion, getting a solid young coach who is a hard worker and has a lot of experience in game film, preparation, and scouting. I hope he injects an energy into the staff and helps with player development, he could become a great asset to Cleveland and the team.

Lee Moon, Jr. Bio


Recruiting thoughts:

Coach Cleveland had a solid radio interview today and part of it touched on the recruiting efforts. He stated there are two scholarships available. Everyones hope that he could land any sort of impact post player to play immediately were all but shot down. Sadly, it is not happening. He also stated that any recruits that have ended up at Wyoming were not "taken" away by former assistant Heath Schroyer.

3 D1 transfers have expressed interest which is good, but none of them can help next season. I have been calling for at least one or possibly two transfers to hopefully make their way to Fresno to lessen the recruiting burden that will come after the 07-08 season with so many players graduating.

Transfers have played a large role in getting the program back on its feet, but they bring issues with them. First, they have less eligibility because they will be sitting one season out. Second, they left another program for some reason but thankfully it hasnt caused any problems for Cleveland thus far. Lastly, they may leave early like McGuire which not only hurts the team but also the APR.

The advantage to the transfers is that they are generally a higher quality player then the Bulldogs could have attained either from the high school or JC ranks. These players were high level D1 recruits for a reason and would not have considered FSU out of high school, but the Bulldogs become attractive only when they decide to transfer.

I along with many other express some concern with a lack of high school players that are being recruited and committing to FSU. A high school point guard or post player would be a great addition to the program. Four seasons to help a player become a much better physical and mental player. Now the issue becomes would you rather have a marginal high school player or a stellar transfer?

As the program hopefully contintues to grow, one can only assume the program will become more attractive to high school players and especially local talent. Being able to choose from above average talent that would like to attent the university is the ultimate situation everyone is hoping for. At that point, when there are position needs, Cleveland and the staff can choose who they would like to fit the position and program and not scramble for below average to marginal high school talent.


Dom update:

Interesting that during the interview Cleveland told the host that he and the staff were caught off guard when junior forward Dominic McGuire decided to test the NBA waters. He said it may have hurt in early recruiting because they werent looking at a McGuire vacancy and a need to fill his spot.

He also spoke of Doms sensitivity to the program and the university and how much he wants success to be had. He would like to be part of it but obviously has to take care of himself and his family first. When Cleveland spoke of McGuire with respect to academic commitments and the programs APR it raised a red flag in my eyes and I hope that the topic isnt leaning towards someone not keeping up with classes.

The tone towards McGuire when Cleveland spoke leads me to believe what I have since he first decided to pursue the NBA dream-he is about 80% gone at this point.

I wish Dom nothing but the best and ultimately hope that whatever decision he makes he succeeds. He was such a pleasure to watch this past season and in one year became one of my top 5 all-time favorite Bulldogs. He was an extremely hard worker on and off the court and he was an unselfish teammate who played where he was needed not where he wanted to.

Lastly, does Clevelands inability to land a true impact post player help McGuire decide to stay in the draft? McGuire needs to be playing the 3 spot to take advantage of his slashing abilties, ball handling, and to showcase his perimeter skills for the next level. If he is stuck in the post next season, how does that prepare him for the NBA or show the scouts what they say he is lacking now?

NY Auto Show

There have been many unveils. I don't feel like talking about all of them. I will see them all later this year at the next LA Auto Show, so I don't want to analyze too much before seeing in person.

The Ford Flex minivan was shown. Who cares about vans?

My personal favorite, the Mercedes CL63 AMG Black Series. Huge wheel flares, huge brake rotors, sweet stance... Nice looking car.

Hyundai showed its sweet looking new RWD concept, the Genesis, that has other car companies shaking.. This car has the look, and if they build it, it will be a competitor. Hyundai is slowly growing, gaining a better reputation, and if you doubt me, think about those little junk cars from Japan called Toyota's... not so much junk anymore?

Lexus showed its new LX570, that was in large need of a redesign. I am sure it will sell. It will still be overpriced. It will still not be as good as competition, but it will be fine.

Chevrolet showed 3 mini-car concepts, the Trax Beat and Groove. My personal favorite is the Groove, a "5 door" concept that makes good use of space. It is a Scion XB like vehicle, and if it can be brought here, marketed correctly and have that low chevy price tag, it could do very well. But that is the problem. These cars are WORLD cars, not US cars. So we may never see them here.

Check out Autoblog and Jalopnik for more coverage.

GTA IV Trailer - Controversy

http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/trailer_splash.html

The Trailer is there. Looks like the next chapter in the saga that is Grand Theft Auto, returns to the place where its 3-d roots began, Liberty City. And it looks like they got a new physics engine, which was a long time coming (the engine used on GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas, Liberty City Stories, and Vice City Stories was all the same, and it originally was used on a game called Body Harvest for the Nintendo 64, so it pretty much had overstayed its welcome).

But, wherever GTA goes, controversy follows. In the 1 minute trailer there are images of the Statue of Liberty, Empire St. building, and many other things. Of course, this is a fictional New York, but it didn't stop New York Mayor Bloomberg or many other people from getting upset about it.

"Setting Grand Theft Auto in the safest big city in America would be like setting Halo in Disneyland" - City Councilman Peter Vallone

"The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers" - Jason Post, spokesman for Mayor Bloomberg.

Let's not mention that if you do kill a police officer on the game, your heat level goes up, and police begin to persue you. No instead lets tell people you are REWARDED for killing cops, and the article even mentions selling porn to children! Where are they getting this?

This is becoming more common today. The game Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas, based in the city of Las Vegas, you infiltrate Casinos and other Vegas locations to stop terrorists. The City of Las Vegas was very upset about this game.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 is the sequel to the game where you save the Mexican president. These games are set around the year 2013, and in this time there is a wall between the border of Mexico and the US. You infiltrate the border and do missions trying to stop Mexican Rebels. The Mexican Government went as far as removing all copies of the game from circulation.

So as graphics progress and storylines go beyond the norm, and extend to issues that may be controversial, the video game industry gets a bad name for itself. And this is at a time when more people play games worldwide than ever before. Will people accept video games in the mainstream? I guess the Wii, even though it is nothing but two gamecube's taped together, can help bring it back to the forefront. (Hecker said what most people were thinking, in my opinion.)

Schroyer to Wyoming-Langley following

Prepare for the "screamer" Cowboy fans

What we know:

As most everyone knows by now, Fresno State assistant Coach Heath Schroyer has taken the head job at Wyoming and will take over the program that was previously headed by Steve McClain.


Questions following Schroyers departure:

As soon as it was known that Schroyer was headed to Laramie there were three immediate thoughts that came to mind.

1. Which assistants would Schroyer be taking with him?

2. Which players that Schroyer and the assistants had been recruiting possibly end up at Wyoming?

3. Who will Cleveland bring in as his new assistants?

We have an answer to number 1 and that was the more obvious. Schroyer's best friend is Fresno State assistant Fred Langley so his departure was no surprise as he will be Schroyers associate Head Coach at Wyoming.

Cleveland assistant Senque Carey will be staying with the program thankfully and be promoted to associate head coach it would seem. Losing half of a staff is understandable given their opportunities, but losing the whole staff would have been detrimental in my eyes.


Quick Schroyer bio:

This had been Schroyers 3rd stint as an assistant with Coach Steve Cleveland. He was an assistant at Fresno City College in 96-97 and BYU 97-01. Ironically, Schroyer then went on to be an assistant for Wyoming Coach Steve McClain for one season, the same McClain he is now replacing.

He left Wyoming be the Head Coach at Portland State for 3 seasons, leading them to the Big Sky Championship in 04-05. After Portland State he returned to Fresno to coach with Cleveland. Another odd twist is the fact that the Athletic Director who fired Schroyer at Portland State is the same one that hired him at Wyoming.


Recruiting Effects:

How will the departures affect recruiting I dont know, but it will have an impact for sure. The Bulldogs #1 off season recruiting need is a post presence, if Schroyer and Langley were the ones on those players trail, expect one of them to either end up in Laramie or another school altogether. Langley is a solid recruiter, he was credited with bringing in Quinton Hosley who was a two time all-WAC 2nd team selection.


Hole to fill defensively or not?:

Schroyers intensity on the defensive side of the floor will be missed. He was the coach that kept players up and demanded that they get the little things done on the defensive end. The Bulldogs were a much improved defensive squad in 06-07 and led the WAC in multiple defensive categories. He was also the one coach that showed great enthusiasm and tried to raise players intensity levels.


Possible replacements for the departed:

As for possible replacements I have no clue and will not even attempt to put a list together or throw any names out. There have been some rumors and names thrown around but most I dont see as any real option. The main thing is for Cleveland to get one really solid defensive teacher in one assistant and some who obsesses over little things because the head coach cannot micromanage all aspects of coaching. The other assistant needs to have good connections to help in recruiting, hopefully one with Southern California ties.


Well wishes:

Lastly, Id like to say that I hope Schroyer and Langley are able to build a solid program at Wyoming. They were great assistants for Steve Cleveland and the only time I will be rooting against these two is in recruiting and in head to head matchups with the Bulldogs. Best of luck to both Schroyer and Langley, and im really going to miss the "screamer" at the Save Mart Center next season.

Wyoming Guard Ewing "not worried"
Cowboys New Era

G37 leak - Caddy V12 back? - M3 Powerplant

G37

The G37 I mentioned a few posts down has broken embargo, And when it rains, it pours. Road and Track put their issue for next month online a little early, and with New York Auto Show 2 weeks away, showed everyone what the car looks like. And pretty much every other outlet released their pictures as well.

The G37 will have upgrade the old 3.5L V6 and use a 3.7L, increasing horsepower and torque to an estimated 330 and 270 ft lbs. respectively. Brakes are also said to be upgraded, decreasing stopping distance. The car is now weighing in at nearly 3,700 lbs, which is not light by any stretch given its proportions.

The problem I have with this car, and most of Nissan/Infinity really, is the uninspired styling. Look at the 350Z, look at the G35. The Murano, and the FX 45. The Pathfinder Armada, and the QX56. Take a look at the new Altima Coupe even. I have no problem with platform sharing, and Nissan has hardly any platforms, but the cheaper Nissans look every bit the same as their more expensive Infiniti counterparts. Perhaps with time they will grow apart in styling, but for now, not happening. Maybe the Twin Turbo G37 I mentioned will look alot different from Skyline. And I am sure they will both be really cheap. Now that's sarcasm!

V12

According to Automotive News, the on-again off-again V12 in development for Cadillac is back on-again. The very nice 3.6L V6 GM uses in the CTS, the Outlook/Acadia/Enclave, and other vehicles, is said to be fused together with another 3.6, making a 7.2L V-12. Said to produce somewhere around 600hp and 540 ft lbs. It is also currently said to be testing in the land down under at Holden, where GM is sending alot of its products and vehicles to test.

What might we see a V12 in from Cadillac? Let me recall 2 concepts for you.

2001 Cadillac Cien Concept. Mid-Engine, RWD.

2003 Cadillac Sixteen Concept. Front-Engine, RWD.

The first, the Cien, is an absolute beauty. I love that car to death. The Sixteen is a great example of what Cadillac was and what it hopes to become. Cadillac had a V16 decades ago, but because of technologica deficiencies it never came to fruition. But now that technology is no longer a hurdle, it was a car to showcase Cadillac's climb back to the forefront.

This new V12 will likely end up not in a Cien type car(like the Audi R8 we here love so much) but in a large front-engine car, something like the Sixteen concept, a huge Sedan most likely, something that can compete with the Mercedes S-class. A car like this will cost a huge amount, but GM is still the King of performance for the price. I can't imagine this Cadillac costing more than its Mercedes counterpart, and it should match it in every aspect from ride quality, acceleration, quality of materials, and overall presence.

M3 V8
What's that M3 concept? You want me inside?

The last item for today is the new V8 going into the new M3. With the Twin-turbo V6 in the 335i making 300hp(rated) and the previous M3 making around 340, this new M3 is going to be a big step upward in the power department. Taken from the M5/M6's 5.0L V10, the new V8 is 4.0L. Said to produce 420hp and 295ft lbs. of torque, this engine apparently loves to rev, having a redline somewhere above 8,000RPM.

We all love high horsepower engines, but a sub 300 torque rating is somewhat disappointing. I guess that's what you get when you go high feature.