autoMedia Auto News Blog : Gift guide

autoMedia.com CARnival June 19, 2009: Father's Day Gifts for the Ultimate Car Guy

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:54:00 GMT

Father's Day is this weekend, so we've collected an assortment of gadgets and gizmos meant specifically for that Car Guy you love so much: It doesn't matter if he's your Dad or Husband, Brother or Uncle, Son or special friend, if he loves cars, we know you'll find something here that's perfect for him.

I personally LOVE the products at Busted Knuckle Garage: Their gear is perfectly suited (as they say) "for the guy with the hands of a lobster and a workbench that looks like an environmental disaster." Their unique line of herbal skin care products helps ease skin exposed to gasoline, oil and solvents, and is great at healing abrasions and cuts! They've got a great assortment of value-priced gift packs that include tee-shirts and cool memorabilia for father's day, but my absolute favorite items in their line are the Mechanic's lip balm/hand salve, and Mechanic's Muscle Easing Salve. Each 1.75-ounce tin is just $6.95, so you can get Dad one of each and a tee-shirt too!

He doesn't have to be behind the wheel of a Porsche to appreciate the exciting world of Porsche racing: Instead you can give Racer Guy some extraordinary accessories from the Porsche Design Driver's Selection. Whether it's as simple as a car-themed silk tie, Porsche-badged cap, or durable polycarbonate travel cases, the entire product line features meticulous craftsmanship, high-quality materials, and beautiful designs exclusive to Porsche. These high-quality gifts can be ordered at your dealership, online, or by calling 800-PORSCHE. Online purchases placed during the month of June receive free standard shipping!

Die-Cast Models: No matter which car dad already drives -- or longs to have in his driveway -- he can keep an amazingly detailed 1:18 die-cast model on his desk. Dad can desk-race his choice of practically anything in the vehicle lineup, including the 911 Turbo Cabriolet, Carrera GT, or Cayman S all the way up to the real racecars like the RS Spyder from the 2008 American LeMans series or the Porsche 917L "Hippie" model seen at the 1970 LeMans. ($77 to $142 MSRP).

RC Racers: If true Remote Control racing is more Dad's style, consider stepping up to one of their pistol-grip-controlled RC cars. These genuine 1:14-scale reproductions of the 911 Carrera S, 911 GT3 Cup VIP, or Cayenne Turbo (1:28 scale) are capable of traveling of speeds up to 25 mph! ($129 to $324 MSRP)

Porsche Driving School: If desk and RC racing aren't enough, enroll him in the high-performance driver education courses at the Porsche Sport Driving School. Under the guidance of famed Porsche drivers from all types of racing backgrounds, Dad can learn about the true capabilities and performance Porsche cars offer while increasing his own confidence and skill behind the wheel. A one-day driving course on the essentials of high-performance driving starts at $1795; multi-day courses with personal instruction reach up to $5,295. This intensive and comprehensive experience is something Dad will never forget! Click here to ride in the passenger seat for one lap around the course!

From the makers of The Ultimate Driving Machine come the Ultimate Dad's Day gifts: accessories, apparel, and other items that capture the true spirit of BMW. Regardless of whether your Dad has a BMW parked in the driveway, or just wishes he did, this assortment products from BMW Lifestyle easily win the race for the best Father's Day gift. You can browse the BMW Lifestyle collection at your local authorized BMW center or online at www.bmw-online.com. Here are a few BMW-themed Father's Day gift ideas to help you get started:

Wheeled Cargo Duffel: For the gentleman who spends more time in the air than on the road: elegant and innovative, this roomy carry-on duffel has wheels and telescoping handle for easy transport, finished with discreet BMW logo. ($110 MSRP)

BMW Chronograph: For the dad who makes every minute count: Tourneau timepiece with brushed stainless case and anthracite dial boasts a host of high-tech features, along with BMW logo on face next to 30-minute, 1-second and 1/10-second timers. Available with black nylon strap or stainless bracelet. ($285 to $320 MSRP).

Your father has provided guidance your entire life, so now is the time to return the favor. A portable GPS navigation device can provide guidance on road trips, drives to new places, and route around traffic on the daily commute. If he's one of those who hates to ask for directions, you can spare his honor with one of these great gadgets. (Prices and products vary so check the links to help you choose an item that best fits your price range.)

Garmin nuvi 2x5 GPS: Industry sales-leader Garmin provides a wide range of models. Smart money is on the nuvi 2x5 line, with the affordable basic nuvi 205 navigator being a good choice for occasional use and the nuvi 265WT for daily use. These are easy to use and provide good basic navigation, with the 265WT adding a wide screen and free ad-supported traffic service. (The ads are not intrusive, nor frequent.) New 1200 and 1300 series units have just hit the market, meaning the nuvi 2x5 should be great values right now.

TomTom GPS: TomTom has a broad range of products, from entry-level to high-tech, connected devices. On a budget, the One 130 is a solid choice, though the newer One 140 adds the helpful IQ Routes feature that allows the device to provide guidance based on historical traffic data - very helpful around metropolitan areas. The "S" models add text to speech, allowing the device to announce street names, rather than give simple "left" or "right" directions. The XL models are wide screen, making them easier to read and enter addresses. The XL 340 S is tops for this group, and it is just $200 from the manufacturer right now. TomTom has a wide variety of character and celebrity voices that can be installed. If Dad is a Simpsons fan, the Homer Simpson voice is a hilarious download for $12.95.

Finally, you know Dad loves his car, and what better way to show him you love him than to do something nice for his personal chariot? Don't just buy him a collection of car care products, why not give his ride a quality hand detailing that will make his paint shine all summer long? Excellent tips on how to wash it yourself and quick-detail it yourself, along with this excellent guide to Spring Cleaning and Car Care can be found right here at autoMedia.com.

Happy Father's Day, from Brandy Schaffels, autoMedia.com Contributing Editor

Navigon, TomTom Offer Car Navigation for iPhone

admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:02:00 GMT

The next big thing in portable car navigation is the iPhone. At Apple’s recent Worldwide Developers Conference, two respected navigation companies introduced full-featured navigation applications for the iPhone 3G and new iPhone 3G S. These programs effectively replicate the appearance and function of stand-alone, dashtop devices, yet are available on the increasingly ubiquitous iPhone.

Previously, Apple had limited GPS functionality on its phone, restricting navigation functions to identifying the phone’s location, thereby preventing true turn-by-turn guidance. These latest devices with OS 3.0 eliminate that barrier, enabling the iPhone to fulfill more of its potential as the leading convergence device.

Navigon will be first to market, with its MobileNavigator expected to be in the iTunes store later this month. Like its portable devices, the Navigon software will provide such niceties as reality view, lane assistance, day/night mode, and points of interest displayed along the travel route. As shown here, it effectively apes the laudable Navigon devices—which the company will no longer offer in the United States. MobileNavigator will be offered as a Lite version for free with limited ability and the full-function app, whose price has not been released. (See the Navigon 7300T with 3D.)

TomTom will introduce its iPhone navigation app late summer. Details are thin, but it is expected to be similar to the company’s latest entry-level devices, such as the One 140. It will include IQ Routing, a handy feature that plans routes and estimates travel time based on historical data, reflecting common differences say between rush-hour traffic and a Sunday drive. TomTom will offer an exclusive windshield mount with a built-in microphone and speaker.

Given the massive iPhone audience, and the likelihood it will rapidly expand with iPhone base price dropping to $99, these navigation apps are poised to be runaway successes. For many users, they can provide added convenience of enhancing a device that the user always has with them. While it may be hard to share your iPhone with family and friends, unlike a regular navigation device, it may prove to have few other compromises.

In the market for a good, affordable navigator, possibly as a Father's Day gift? Be sure to read:

TomTom One 140, XL 340 GPS – High Tech, Low Price

Garmin nuvi 1200 and 1300 Series navigators

Learn how to select the right portable GPS navigator for you needs and budget in our “GPS Buying Guide.”

autoMedia CARnival: What's happening this week in the auto blogs?

Brandy Schaffels — Fri, 08 May 2009 22:54:00 GMT

autoMedia.com is starting something new this week! Lots of events have been in the news, and we've browsed our favorite automotive blogs all week long to gather a collection of what we feel are the highlights we found at each. Consider this your carnival of cribnotes to items of interest in the automotive arena.

AutoBlog: Now's Your Chance: Repo'd Nissan GT-R up for auction
It's barely got 3000 miles on the odometer and already the owner has defaulted on his Nissan GT-R car loan, so the bank is putting it on the auction block at Matley's Richmond Auto Auction today in Virginia. Blogger Dan Roth says he'd "be hiding this thing in a garage more secret and secure than *** Cheney's undisclosed location while we sold an organ or two on the black market to pay its bills." After all, "You've got a spare kidney, but it's not like the GTR comes along every day."

Los Angeles Alternative Transportation Examiner: 145 mph on chocolate?
Matt Kelly, the Los Angeles Alternative Transportation Examiner asks "is that milk or dark chocolate?" Apparently, he says, "London scientists have unveiled what they hope will be one of the world's fastest biofuel vehicles, powered by waste from chocolate factories and made partly from plant fibers. The car "fuel" is vegetable oils and chocolate waste that has been turned into biofuel." The car, named the "WorldFirst Formula 3 racing car," will go on display at several races including the European Grand Prix and Britain's Goodwood Festival of Speed. Bring your own sweet tooth.

iMotor Friday Fun: Motoring Look-a-likes
The folks over at iMotor got chatting the other day about how some people just look like other, more famous, people. So they created this photo gallery of ten auto industry celebrity look-alikes. You've got to review the selection of photos in this gallery to truly appreciate how well they did their homework! And I promise you, some of them are going to make you laugh out loud! (For instance, what auto industry mogul do you think of when I say "Monopoly Man"? or How about "Emperor Palatine"?) Plus, if you let them know what you think, they might just make another batch. ... I'm picturing Betty Boop and Danica Patrick...

Left Lane News Review: 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet
"The cougar - the female variety, not the Merc' - in the late-model Porsche Boxster slowed as she drove past. As our eyes caught, my heart fluttered a little and I grinned in her direction. But she didn't see me. No, she saw the Cab - the Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet." In his review at Left Lane News, Mark Elias asks, "Could this be one of the most impressive two-seat sports cars ever made?" A direct descendant of the shape that made the brand famous upon its introduction at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, it's still able to turn heads 40 years after its debut (as demonstrated by the aforementioned platinum blonde in West Palm Beach).

The Detroit Bureau: Smile For the (Speed) Camera! Radar camera maker nabbed by his own gear
Some folks wind up being hoisted on their own petard. In Tom Riall's case, he's been nailed by his own camera. According to Paul Eisenstein, "The 49-year-old Riall is chief executive of the home affairs division for the British company Serco, and one of their best-known, if most-reviled, products is the radar-triggered camera that's been used to catch countless U.K. traffic offenders as they push past the local speed limits." Even more ironically, Eisenstein says, "it was the third time the balding executive was captured playing fast and loose with the speed laws, which are being more and more heavily monitored in the U.K. after years of lax enforcement. You know that old adage that says "turnabout is fair play?" Looks like this speeder got his just rewards!

AskPatty: Mother's Day Gift Guide
Yes, Mother's Day is just a few days away. Jody DeVere knows choosing the right gift can be a challenge, so she's gathered up some gift ideas that should be perfect for your car-loving Mom. Some are practical, some are elegant, but all of them will please a Mom-on-the-go -- regardless of whether she's cruising a beatup old minivan, or tearing up the tarmac in a Porsche Cayenne. If you still need a mother's day gift idea, be sure to check out this gift guide full of things perfect for your first and most important chauffeur.

Motor Trend: Toyota's January-March Global Loss Beats GM
Todd Lassa highlights an important fact that may have been overlooked by folks who might be too focused on our domestic automotive concerns: "If you're one of the holdouts who believe the depression in the automotive market has only hit the weak, Toyota's results released Friday ought to put that to rest. The World's Number One automaker posted a January-March loss of the equivalent of $6.9-billion, beating GM's first-quarter loss of $6 billion. To make it clear; these numbers are for all global operations. While GM counts January to March as the first quarter of fiscal year 2009, Toyota works on a March-to-March basis, so it has just closed the books on a fiscal year. For March '08 to March '09, Toyota posted an annual loss of 560.4 billion yen, or $5.9 billion."

The Car Connection Spy Shots: 2011 BMW 6-Series
There it is: the tightly cropped front bumper shot of a heavily disguised 2011 BMW 6-Series. According to Marti Padgett, the next-gen 6-Series will be getting an evolutionary new shape; though from the crazy, swirling wrapper on the test mule in the photo, he says it's tough to tell how much exactly will change with the new version of BMW's hefty supercoupe and convertible. But like the new 2009 BMW 7-Series, Padgett says it's likely the same styling themes will get a little more mature and will turn back the clock on the company's controversial "flame surfacing" that's been a point of contention for most of the decade. I just want the awesome paint job for my own car!

Thanks for joining us for this week's auto blog carnival. Check back next week for another installment. Have you got something of interest you want us to include in a future carnival? We'll have information soon that will help you submit ideas to us. Until then, have a great weekend!

Brandy Schaffels, Contributing Editor