Categories
Fashion

I was the Guest in a Fashion Blog

Yesterday was a milestone for me. Don’t think that I invented a new type of engine or a new technology to use the lovely vegetable salary as a fuel. Actually what I have done is not that exciting but for me it was the first time.
Couple of months ago my blogger friend Sıla asked me to contribute to her fashion blog called Fashion By Siu. Actually I had some articles about fashion and cars but I was looking for something more exciting for a fashion blog. Hopefully VW and Lagerfeld helped me to solve this problem. VW’s new advertisement turns into our mutual blog topic :) So, there is no problem of finding a topic for her blog.
The only thing is to translate my English written article to Turkish. It sounds a bit weird, my mother tongue is Turkish and I am writing in English and translate it to Turkish :) Reality of internet world!
So, I did translate the article and she immediately posted on her blog. Actually the way she used the photos are much better than I do :) I think I am a bit lazy on this thing or my low energy consuming processor is too slow these kinds of party tricks ;) Anyway, it was a good experience for me to write in a well-respected Turkish fashion blog.
Now I am asking my friend Sıla to contribute my blog :)
Here is the original:
The most stylish car by Karl Lagerfeld
Here is the Turkish one:
Karl Lagerfeld ile Volkswagen Reklamı

Pictures’ Copyrights
VW

Categories
Fashion

The most stylish car by Karl Lagerfeld

New Year’s Eve made a bit lazy. I was relaxed and I did not post anything in my blog. I think I need to give this kind of breaks time to time :)
Before I start on my post today, I need to give some brief information. Many of you may not know anything about Karl Lagerfeld. And some of you may say exactly this “Karl who?” This is a very common thing, especially in car blogs. So who is Karl? Karl Lagerfeld is a German fashion designer living in Paris. He is well known as creative director of fashion brand Chanel. Also he owns his own brand Lagerfeld and also worked for Fendi. That’s enough for a car blog. Please Google him for more information, I am not a fashion expert.
Recently, Volkswagen introduced a new package called Style for Polo and Golf. Usual this “style” named packages are totally mess and dull! In addition, Polo and Golf are quite boring cars. So, combination of dull package with boring cars, ends up with a total boredom instead of freedom. However this time, everything has totally changed! Style package is introduced by Karl Lagerfeld. I know it does not sound interesting but in terms of fashion, these two cars are the most stylish cars currently on sale :) Nothing else on market is being introduced by Lagerfeld so, they are not stylish enough. Many people buy car for their “style”.
After this campaign, Audi A1 and A3 look like really boring :) Sorry but Audi A1 and A3 do not offer something special and stylish. Just four circles!
If you want to drive something stylish buy Polo and Golf with Style package.
Style package offers light alloy wheels, fog lamps, tinted side and rear windows and STYLE logo (this is really nice.) Style Plus package offers a sunroof or panorama roof and new alloy wheels.
In commercial he is being suprised by VW brand as it is made in Germany. He also adds, these cars should be in Paris!

Categories
Cars

Volkswagen’s approach to Black Cab: Let’s make it left hand drive!

I have just recently found a concept vehicle from Volkswagen and I decided to share with you. No, I didn’t hit my head to wall and decided to change the concept of my blog. This concept is London Taxi concept. I really don’t know whether it will be production or not but even this possibility made me happy.
If you ever visited UK, you might have noticed the lovely Black Cab. They look very nostalgic from outside and they do their best to make you feel the nostology inside your internal organs. Because, their rear suspension is still leaf spring. The same suspension system which can be seen in Gladiator movie (Movie took place in BC times)! Each terrain alteration is directly sent your spinal cord with no point. I have no idea why they still use this meaningless technology in 2010! Probably the answer is; it is cheap.
It looks amazing from each angle. I really like the current Black Cab but there is no need to accommodate something which deserve place in British Museum. Actually I was expecting to see rear hinged doors for better comfort. Black Cab’s main advantage is spacious interior and Rolls Royce style rear doors! VW just missed that point. And it should be right hand drive!

Pictures’ Copyrights
VW
Categories
Cars

Key, just a Key!

For quite long time, car keys became so boring. Most of the look very similar to VW and the rest of them are quite boring. Despite the improvement in design the car keys did not change that much. You buy a Ferrari and you end up with a stupid looking key. The Mercedes has the change key, commercial to Maybach! BMW offers a very nicely designed key. The most interesting and the post came was introduced by Mercedes as usual! This is matching their brand identity. Swarovski crystal covered key for Japanese market. It is not offering anything more just more crystals and bigger price tag!
The most cleaver key I have ever seen is from Land Rover. I know you won’t be that excited for a car but in daily basis, the stupidly designed key can turn your life into hell. Especially in case of emergency! Unless they don’t cause, they look terrible. I didn’t see a key which is offering the both. I am sure no one will ever change own car for a key but they supposed to look good and function seamlessly. And Land Rover made it, just watch the video and you will the cleaver design. Especially replacing the battery looks very easy! That’s one of the most annoying thing in a car key.


Pictures’, Videos’ Copyrights
Land Rover, Bentley, Mercedes

Categories
Cars

Hard VW vs. Soft VW

VW EOS, this car has never been a big sensation in automotive industry. I don’t know why it could not manage to receive enough attention. Most of the people never heard of it either. VW’s metal roof, coupe / cabrio model! Well, that’s a SLK for normal people :) But normal people did not like it that much. I didn’t like it either, Murat Günak designed the EOS but it was not a car like Peugeot 206 or Mercedes SLK. Those cars were also designed by Günak too! But they look much better. EOS was a very boring car and sales proofed that either.
Eventually VW revealed the face-lifted version which looks much better the current model. I am more optimistic for EOS this time. Interior is much better designed also. Interestingly VW was not happy enough with EOS and they announced cabrio Golf! I am sure you will be asking what’s wrong with this. Honestly I tried to find a matching example for this weird decision but I couldn’t make it.
EOS is a cabrio car which is positioned in Golf’s segment (C Segment) and the whole marketing strategy is based on offering a coupe / cabrio Golf alternative. Now VW will offer cabrio Golf, that would be a better alternative for Golf cabrio, instead of EOS. I think they will use soft top and probably a bit cheaper (I never seen a cheap Golf) and they will solve the problem.
EOS will be expensive and hard top cabrio, Golf cabrio will be cheaper soft top cabrio. VW will say this is a very good way of differentiating the products. However the reality will be, EOS and Golf cabrio will eat their market share as a result of overlapping with each other. In some market, VW will not import EOS or Golf cabrio. Dealers will have problem to differentiate the cars, consumers will be confused and this chain reaction will go forever.
I have nothing to say! Just produce it and we all have something to write :)
Pictures’ Copyrights
VW, World Car Fans
Categories
Cars

A detailed explanation for the problem of German Cars

For very long time I was trying understand what is wrong with German cars. I didn’t make mistake while writing, German cars. There is always something missing with them, I could not understand but German cars never have the same taste with Italian cars. Of course, I am not licking cars to identify their differences. I am pretty sure that all German cars would taste the same :)
And recently I found the problem with German cars. The huge problem which irritates me for very long and irritates many other people, I am using sales figures of Italian cars as a proof! German cars are offering everything; perfection, design (not all of them), efficient, luxury, perfect, gray, very gray, light gray, very dark gray and this goes forever. Germans cars are doing what you told them to do! Actually if a German car goes wrong, it terribly goes wrong. This happened in 2003-2004 with Mercedes E Class, electronic brake system and electronic control modules of C Class. Anyway, they don’t cause trouble anymore. The main thing is German cars are doing what they are supposed to do and they do not questionize. They just are doing it!
A German car always handles well, the automatic screen wipers always works with the same amount of rain, engine always makes the same sound, all the parts inside the car have the same millimetric distance within each other. This combination of perfection obsession is not matching with human being because we are not perfect and we want things different. I think the best explanation for German cars is they are like trains. They are doing what they are supposed to do, trains cannot change travel anywhere else than railway and they always follow a route.
The Italian cars are like pizza, each pizza is a unique dish. It is nearly impossible to have the same pizza, even if you manage to have the same one you cannot eat in the same way. All the mozzarella cheese will try to go somewhere else, you will try to make some weird moves to eat the slice and some vegetables will fell on your trousers while you are trying to clean your trousers, your elbow will hit to pizza. Basically each time you try to eat an Italian food, you will have a new adventure like in Italian cars. Each Italian car is totally unique, I don’t know how they manage to do it but they are excellent at producing each car unique. There is no identical twin of a Ferrari 458 or Alfa Romeo MiTo or Fiat 500. Even if the factory is robotized, their supplier may not be robotized and their production technique might be influence the employees emotional conditions.
Therefore each Italian car is like a sculpture, you cannot find the same one. And Italian cars do not react as you wished, try to control a Ferrari 599 GTO. Jeremy Clarkson tried to do it in “Italian Job” and he failed, try to control an Alfa MiTo diesel. The electronic systems will help you but the car will control you. You will do what the car is ordering you!
And lastly British cars; very basic definition, there is always something is missing. In order to proof this, just look at British taps! They have separate taps for hot and cold water. You cannot find this in other part of the world. British engineers never connect hot and cold water together, you either burn your hands or freeze your hand. There is no balance and you can face with this ugly truth even in the most prestigious hotels or in houses. Everything looks excellent, suddenly you want wash your hand, and you burn your hands!
You can find this in British cars also, everything is excellent. Design, materials, engines but you cannot have a door closing aid in a Bentley Azure. This is a very basic technology from Germans, when your door is not fully closed the hydraulic system closes for you. But you cannot have this in a Bentley Azure! This car costs more than a country and you have to close your door properly by yourself. But still I like British cars they are combination of Mr. Bean and Paul Smith shirt!
Pictures’ Copyrights
Mercedes, Pizza Express, Aston Martin, Deutsche Bahn, Maserati, Paul Smith

Categories
Cars

Bullet-Proof Volkwagen Bora :O

I just read something unbelievable, bullet proof Volkwagen Bora! Bora is the old name of Jetta but it is still used in some markets like Mexico. In Mexico, VW is selling bullet proof Boras for nearly €60 000. The level of security is B4, I understood this despite it was written in Spanish! So it is official that Bora has a bullet proof version. This very unique car is using the 2 litre turbo engine with 200 horse powers and six speed double clutch automatic transmission. The web site is here, you can see it with your own eyes!

Pictures’ Copyrights
VW
Categories
Cars

A pre-histroic car in New York

Flash news from Volkswagen for US market! Actually the news release is for Europe but the content should be explained to Americans. Volkswagen’s boring family sedan Jetta is quite common in US like in Europe. If you have two children, a wife and most probably you are young and you could not afford to buy a larger car. Anyway, family cars suppose to offer more comfort than coupes! This means suspension should be “a bit” more comfortable without compromising the handling.
Unfortunately, two generations ago Jetta (Bora) and Golf models were offering a catastrophic rear suspension system called torsion bar. Actually some Toyota models and French cars still have this. What’s wrong with that? Very simply; torsion bar is not a suspension, it is just a cheaper replacement for a proper suspension. Many of you will think, so what! When you have a car with a torsion bar, your handling will be worse and people in the back seat will feel the every single pothole inside their spine! It is offering neither better handling nor comfort but it is cheaper!
VW was using this with Bora (Old Jetta) and Golf, later on understood what they done wrong and replace the rear suspension with multi-link independent rear suspension. Multi-link independent rear suspension is a proper suspension, you don’t need to worry about anything but it is expensive for car companies. For that reason, Ford Focus always had worse interior and great handling. Ford Focus has the best rear suspension on its segment.
The current Jetta sold in US market is offered with torsion bar. This means, Americans have a pre-historic suspension system in a European car, hopefully in Europe VW did not risk its reputation and offers the Jetta with proper multi-link independent suspension. Anyway, Jetta is available with micro size engine 1,2lt TSi with 105 horses inside :)
European Jetta 

Pictures’ Copyrights
Ford, VW
Categories
Cars

New VW EOS (Finally!)

Finally ugly looking VW EOS is being facelifted! Murat Günak’s design EOS was the first coupe/cabrio VW model unlike Günak’s iconic design Peugeot 206, EOS was not looking that good! I tried many times to like it but it was nearly impossible! Hopefully VW realized this problem and they face lifted the EOS.
Now it is looking much better and completing the VW Group design concept. And also includes the reflexive leather which is also available in BMW 3 Series Cabrio, this leather reflect the sun light and prevents your body parts to have “cabrio car sun burn”. And it also features regenerative braking technology which is charging your battery while you are braking and reduces CO2! The rest is same with other VW cars, 1,4lt turbo engine from 122 horses to 210 horses and diesel is 2,0lt with 140 horses.
Actually it is very well packed car for its price and for a coupe/cabrio! Unlike first generation, it will receive more attention.

Pictures’ Copyrights
VW
Categories
Cars

New family living space VW Passat

As Paris Motor Show 2010 is getting sooner, we start to see new models. VW released the new Passat’s pictures. Honestly I have never liked Passat, it is always have the boring family car feeling. It had too much family for a car. Thanks to its previous designs, Passat became a part of fertility. When you have more kids, you shift to Passat.
Hopefully this time VW designed much better looking car. Like previous model, it has some design bits from Audi, especially A8 but this time it looks really nice. Actually I don’t see any reason to buy Audi A4 with small engines, just buy Passat they are the same thing! Also Passat will feature crash prevention system until 20 kph, system breaks the car to stationary. Speeds above 20 kph, you will hit to the car in front, so money is makes the difference. Pay more and let car stop by itself without any speed limitation. The other interesting fact is the sleep presentation system. Don’t worry there is no cold water spray for your face to wake up, like in Mercedes it will be beeping to wake you up.
Petrol engines starts from 1,4lt 120 horsepower and diesel starts from 1,6lt 105 horsepower. I think we should wait a bit to see better engines. However VW Passat worth a chance to replace your Ford Mondeo.
 
Pictures’ Copyright
VW