IEDEI

automotive, business, cars, design, iedei, men, racing

Audi buying Ducati! (?…!…?)

As an Audiphile, i’m super excited this morning after reading this. It’s not April 1st….wow. Piech on the attack! You’re next Alfa Romeo!

from Fourtitude:

“Apparently Ferdinand Piech has been interested in Ducati for some time and is on the record for stating his regret for not snapping up the motorcycle marque when it went up on the market years ago. Apparently Piech also looked into revival of the Horex brand, but it was determined that there wasn’t enough brand recognition to make it worthwhile. Ducati, on the other hand, sells 40,000 motorcycles a year and has great brand recognition worldwide.”

and

“Out of nowhere CAR Magazine today has broken a story this morning that Audi entered an exclusive deal to buy motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. After re-checking our calendar to make sure it wasn’t April 1, we took a closer look at the story. Penned by Georg Kacher, we don’t question its accuracy in any way and as such it’s worth considering the details.

Apparently Ducati is on the market and it’s being suited by no less than Audi, Daimler (with whom there’s a marketing deal with AMG), Mahindra and even Audi’s parent company Volkswagen. All are interested in the Italian motorcycle manufacturer but Kacher is revealing via CAR that Audi has an exclusivity deal that gives it first refusal – one that could very well see Ducati under Audi ownership by April.”

Original article at Car Magazine

Tagged audi, audi buying ducati, motorcycles, vw, who is buying ducati

March122012

8 Comments

gadgets, Health, iedei, men, men's accessories, vintage

shaving like a man.

Like most of you, i’ve been shaving for years using the same ‘super technology’ Gilette Mach 3s and Sensors and Schick Quattros and whatever other new gimmick comes into town! However quite frankly I have just had a shave of a lifetime in my own bathroom. I’ve had a shaving experience which will change my beard hygiene for life! I just shaved for the first time using a proper double-edged razor, proper shaving cream, a proper brush—-and honest to god my face feels like it has never felt before.

My beautiful wife bought me all of the components to shave properly last week for my birthday. I have to say I was hugely excited when I opened the package, and after today I am not dissappointed. I took some time to read up about shaving with classic double edged razors, as well as tactics for pre-shave preparation as well as minimizing risks for slitting my skin open!

The tools i used:

Merkur Heavy Duty Double Edged Razor (Germany)

Proraso Eucalypus Shaving Cream (Italy)

Edwin Jagger Shaving Brush (England)

Pinaud Clubman After Shave Lotion (France)

I think my face woke up today after the feeling of putting the fresh smelling Eucalyptus shaving cream on with the brilliantly firm bristled Edwin Jagger brush—–I don’t think my face has felt such pleasure before! I honestly could apply shaving cream with this brush for HOURS! it’s like a full service massage……amazing.

Admittedly, the double edged razor made me nervous; (A) while handling, because I kept thinking I was gonna cut myself just installing the blade, and (B) because after installing it, I realised that it is damn sharp and any wrong angle or crooked swipe I take is going to likely cut me—-especially as this was my first time. Ultimately though, the blade was installed after a beautifully mechanic installation of unscrewing the shaft to lift up the metal plate, putting the blade in, and then rescrewing the shaft again to lower the metal plate. Just wonderful.

I took a very long time to shave today; out of precaution and out of savouring the experience. Surely I will become quicker as I become more experienced with a double edged razor—–but honestly I don’t think I am going to willingly be able to use a standard razor again.

Afterwards I applied some Pinaud’s Clubman; which if evaluated on a amount-of-greatness: amount-of-money ratio may be the best after shave in the world (it costs about $6 and has been around for 200 years).

I highly recommend that some of you try this way of shaving; I’ve been turned into a believer. It has made me think of shaving as an artform. I am also amazed how much more superior this system of shaving is as compared to the run-of-the-mill mass marketed shave that people use these days. We are losing the attention to detail, and our A.D.D. has corrupted our desire to spend time on little things. This way of shaving is from a time when people had more time…and made more time to do basic things.

I also recommend you read this article from the wonderful Art of Manliness website, a site I religiously read these days for all sorts of fantastic insight into, well, the art of manliness!

Tagged beard, best razor, best shaving razor, blade, double edged razor, face, how to shave, learn how to shave, men, merkur heavy duty double edge razor, old school shaving, pinaud clubman, proraso, shaving, shaving cream, shaving like a man, strategy shaving, traditional shaving

March112012

6 Comments

art, automotive, cars, design, iedei, racing, vintage

centerfold: 1965 Alfa Romeo GTA.

gutted. lusty. restored. wow. all it needs is a little bit of dirt…

src: alfaholics via coolerthanbefore

Tagged 1960s, 1965, 1965 alfa romeo gta, amazing alfa romeo, autodelta, beautiful, coupe, gta, gtam, gtv, italian race car, old alfa romeo, race spec, restored, silver, stepnose, track ready, vintage alfa romeo

March112012

automotive, cars, iedei, racing, vintage

flames.

flames from an Audi 200 Trans-am quattro!

src: the excellent unofficial Audi Sport page

Tagged audi 200 trans-am quattro, audi flames, exhaust, fire, flames

March112012

1 Comment

automotive, cars, iedei, men, racing, vintage

foto of the day. Bentley Boys.

One of these fine days, i’m going to get around to reading more about the hardcore rock and roll stories of the original Bentley Boys.

“In 1923, three dedicated automobile enthusiasts decided to create a competition based not only on speed, but also on endurance. This was the start of the Le Mans 24 Hours, destined to become one of the world’s most prestigious races. For Walter Owen Bentley and other manufacturers, the idea seemed pretty crazy, but that did not prevent him from rising to the challenge by sending one of his cars to take part in the first edition. 1924 witnessed a glorious triumph: the British firm won the Le Mans 24 Hours with a Bentley 3 Litres – a feat that it accomplished four more times, in 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930, the two latter victories being earned in a Speed 6. This was the era of the legendary Bentley Boys: Benjafield, Birkin, Davis, Rubin, Kidston and above all Barnato, the most famous of them all, a multi-millionaire South African diamond merchant. Gifted sportsmen, authentic connoisseurs of life’s many pleasures and mostly fabulously wealthy, the Bentley Boys raced first and foremost for honour, fired by a taste for challenges.”

src: breitling

Tagged 1920s, bentley boys, gentlemen, le mans, original, racing, stories, vintage racing

art, automotive, cars, iedei, men, racing, vintage

Porsches vs. Laguna Seca.

My friend Xander from Strassenversion does great artwork and always sells fascinating motoring related goods…..and here are some of his latest; beautiful and colourful paintings made from photographs he took at Laguna Seca at the 2011 Rennsport Reunion.

The original paintings are sold. However, prints will be available!

for more info go here: Strassenversion

Tagged laguna seca, oil paintings, paintings, photographs, porsche, strassenversion, xander walker

art, automotive, cars, iedei, men, racing, vintage

art of the day. maserati.

beautiful oil painting by Andrea Del Pesco of Maseratis getting ready in the pits, 1956.

Tagged andrea del pesco, art, artwork, maserati, painting

8 Comments

automotive, business, cars, design, iedei, men, racing

this is how the unintelligent roll: Carbusters.

I am laughing at you, Carbusters—-a dim witted organization with pented up anger who have decided to take things out on the automobile!

It’s hilarious to me that organizations like this are born out of a very minimal and archaic understanding of human movement, progress, and ability to advance. So you want to eliminate the automobile…..interesting, i’d LOVE to watch a family of 4 who live in Farmland, North Dakota go to the airport to see their family living in NYC. Is this family of 4 supposed to surgically attach wheels to their elbows? Are they going to chain 4 slow bicycles together so 40 hours later they reach the airport in a puddle of sweat and tears? Will this family become poverty-stricken due to their vegetables rotting as trucks are not present to deliver them to the market so they can make their money? IS THERE ANY LOGIC IN YOUR ABSURD LOGIC of a “car free” world? If we had it your way—-we would be proceeding backwards as a civilisation. Why not ban airplanes and trains too—-as I hope you realise one airplane creates more pollution than thousands of automobiles.

Bicycles as transport for everybody? LOL….welcome to China and India in the 1920s…..an ‘ideal society’ for everybody!

(below photo from carbodydesign)

You know what Carbusters….i’m proud to own 2 cars in NYC. Just because of you, i’m gonna take a gas guzzling, petrol snorting, exhaust screaming drive up and down the streets of Brooklyn. You’re gonna love it too.

I look forward to more and more cars on the streets with nice big wide roads and beautiful race tracks being constructed everywhere! I hate to break it to you, but worldwide car sales are flourishing with record sales and great enthusiasm. Motoring forever! I’ll see you on the Nurburgring on your bicycle, suckas!

Tagged carbusters can kiss my ass, carbusters sucks ass, cars rule, world of automobiles

automotive, cars, design, iedei, men, vintage

Artz Ur quattro wagon.

Shooting brake? Avant? C(k)ombi? Wagon? Who knows! All i know is that i would totally rock a Ur quattro with a bigger backside! I’m pretty sure this was a one-off, but i’d love to be proven wrong and shown that there was more than one produced! I wonder where it is now…

Artz is of course the same company who did the funky Porsche 924 Artz Kombi.

srcs: audistory & audiquattrofan

Tagged artz 924, artz ur quattro, audi ur quattro wagon, combi, kombi, shooting brake, weird audi concept, weird audis

3 Comments

art, automotive, cars, design, iedei, men, vintage

lost concept of the day. Cutlass.

Cutlass? yes Cutlass! What you’re seeing here is the 1954 Oldsmobile Cutlass Concept, presented at the 1954 Motorama by General Motors. Surely this car is part of the F88 Concept lineage which was also presented at Motorama 54 in some form or another, because there is clearly a link to this design and the F88; in fact this may in fact be a part of the spectrum/series of the F88 concepts. I don’t know a lot about the car, but as with many concepts from that era (although the F88 survived!)—-the car is long gone.

Pretty damn beautiful though…..look at that roofline and louvre’d rear window! All of the old promotional photos i’ve found are showing the car from the rear end, obviously because it is clearly the most striking view of the car!

I also find it quite interesting that in all these photos; i believe the model is the same person….in different clothing! The old days….they were so funky.

srcs: carstyling, car&driver

Tagged 1954 oldsmobile cutlass concept, general motors, motorama 1954, old GM concepts

automotive, cars, design, iedei, men, racing, vintage

fotos of the day. M1

from the 2011 Sebring Vintage races, a beautifully liveried BMW M1.

src: wolfsburg RS

Tagged 2011, bmw m1, historic races, sebring, wolfsburg rs

automotive, business, cars, design, iedei, men

Maserati Granturismo: a grower.

when the Maserati Granturismo came out a couple of years ago—-i thought it was too big, too soft, and pretty much overshadowed by its Alfa brother–the 8c.

Fast forward a few years—-and the other day i was bumbling along on the freeway on my way home from work and a Granturismo went absolutely pounding past me with exhausts screaming in full force. A) i was impressed, B) i realised just how good it looked in speed and being driven with enthusiasm. I think the Granturismo is a pretty classically designed coupe; which will likely age quite nicely.

The Granturismo S is the latest variation of this car….and i absolutely love it with the black wheels and the spec’d out interior. Those blue gauges REALLY do it for me on the gauge cluster! wow.

src: newspress

Tagged 2013, alfa romeo 8c, granturismo s, maserati granturismo, styling

automotive, business, cars, design, iedei, men

the rise of IEDEI. and thanks.

Yes I am addicted to looking at statistics….not because I am trying to make money or trying to get famous—-but because to me statistics is progress! It also means that there are more people into cool motor cars and ideas who share common passions…and that is a great feeling!

IEDEI’s weekly statistics from August 2011 to March 2012. Readership has tripled.

I felt I should share how quickly this place is expanding, because in the 3+ years I have been publishing stuff here, i have never seen such a dramatic rise in readership as I’m seeing now—–for which I just want to say THANKS to all of you for checking out the occasional articles and for sharing them with your friends/forums/facebook communities. Also thanks to all the great blogs, many of which are great friends of mine for creating a very cool underground ‘gang’ of interesting car blogs. Many of which you can find on my ‘other blogs’ section at the bottom of this page.

In celebration, i have also started a Twitter account, to get instant updates with new posts and articles:

IEDEI Twitter

Furthermore, if anyone would like to write an article for IEDEI, feel free to shoot me an email with your ideas—-as i really dig contributions here, and would love to see other people’s mad ideas come to fruition!

Tagged blog growth, cool underground blogs, growing a blog, iedei blog, underground car blogs

March92012

automotive, cars, iedei, men, racing, travel, vintage, world

video(s) of the day. racing in el salvador

Alex Roy, as part of his trip to El Salvador adventures some more, this time even finding a track ready Alfa!

Here are parts 2 and 3. Both highly entertaining.

Tagged alex roy, alfa romeo, drive, drive channel, el salvador, part 3

March82012

13 Comments

automotive, business, cars, design, iedei

Ferrari F12 is inspired by the Uterus.

Ever since I was confronted by the ungainly sight of the new Ferrari F12, i’ve been trying to remember just what that rear end reminds me of…and then all of a sudden, i remembered. It looks like a Uterus with bilateral fallopian tubes and ovaries!!

The Ferrari version has very wide fallopian tubes, and unnaturally round ovaries; however the general architecture is simply uncanny. Did you think nobody would notice, Pininfarina?

Exhibit A: Uterus

Exhibit B: Ferrari F12

Tagged 2012, 2013, berlinette, Ferrari, ferrari f12 coupe, ferrari f12 looks like a uterus, geneva auto show, new ferrari, uterus

March82012

automotive, business, cars, design, iedei, vintage

Holden GTR-X

At its announcement in August 1970, a month after the launch of the redoubtable Torana GTR XU-1, GMH said it was “breaking with tradition by giving the public an opportunity to see in advance a car which could be the basis of a limited production vehicle in the future…the GTR-X has been built specifically to test design concepts and help assess the Australian market for a locally designed and manufactured two-seater sports car.”

OH really, GM? Sounds like you were been sipping too much Pontiac Banshee!

src: cartype

Tagged 1969, 1970, concept, general motors, holden gtr-x, holden gtrx, holden supercar, pontiac banshee, prototype, turano gtr-x, whatever happened to

March62012

1 Comment

art, automotive, business, cars, design, iedei, men, racing, vintage

foto of the day. Disco Volante like it’s 2012!

Touring Superleggera have sprung a ‘redux’ of the famous 1952 Alfa Romeo Carozzeria touring ‘Disco Volante” by introducing a modified, spec’d out, balanced (49/51 weight balanced) rebody on the Alfa 8C chassis. The 2012 Alfa Romeo Disco Volante Superleggera is slated to be a limited edition production car!

A friend of mine just checked in from the Geneva Auto Show where it is being premiered…..and said it looks fantastic in the flesh! I don’t doubt it—-as it looks fantastic in this photo!

src: pic via autochannel

Tagged 2012 alfa romeo disco volante, geneva auto show, superleggera

March12012

3 Comments

automotive, cars, design, iedei, men, vintage

foto of the day. 914.

This is a funky photo—–what is that Porsche 914 doing off-roading through mountains !? I think that couple is so fried on hallucinogens they have no idea where they are!!

Tagged couple, mountains, off-roading porsche, porsche 914, red clothes, wallpaper, weird photo

March12012

3 Comments

automotive, cars, design, iedei

MK3 Audi TT…could this be the 1st official hint?

I believe so! From everything I minimally know about the MK3 development process, this is by far the closest thing i’ve seen consistent with the descriptions i’ve heard. Same kinda roofline, but very progressive design. I really think this photo, which accompanied a technology press release….is the first official hint at the MK3 TT’s design!

src: autoblog

Tagged 2012, 2013, 2014, audi tt, concept, geneva auto show, mk3 audi tt, new audi tt, next generation audi tt, revealed, spy pics, spy shots

March12012

automotive, cars, design, iedei, men, racing, sports

quattro returns to racing! Audi R18 e-Tron quattro.

I’m so excited about this; the next Le Mans is going to be absolutely wicked! Audi today introduced the latest variation of last year’s Le Mans winning R18, the R18 e-Tron quattro, marking the first AWD race car entry by Audi in a looooooong time. This is a complicated drivetrain, with electric motors driving the front wheels, and the diesel motor driving the rear wheels—-with variation between them, so the front wheels serve as stabilizers depending on when the electric motor is on and what direction the car is turning in. Surely this has added weight as well, but it will be fascinating to watch the TDI R18s running simultaneously with the e-tron R18 quattros! As with most street and prior race-spec’d Audis….the grip gained by quattro will likely make up for any weight difference.

src: Audi

Tagged 2012, audi r18 e-tron quattro, endurance racing, le mans, racing

February292012