Triple Tri Blog

Another super car for your viewing enjoyment:

God bless Gran Turismo, for giving us a chance to "drive" cars that we could only afford if we hit a Hurley-sized jackpot. The Koenigsegg Agera ($TBA) would qualify as one of those cars. This Swedish-built supercar sports the same 4.7-liter V8 as the company's prior CCX, but ups the ante with 910 hp, good for a 0-62 time of 3.1 seconds and a top speed of over 242 mph. As if that weren't enough to entice you to spend your virtual dollars, the Agera also sports LED headlamps, new front and rear fascias, and a carbon fiber and aluminum chassis that helps bring the beast's weight down below 2,900 lbs. Oh, and having lottery-winning money isn't the only requirement for ownership: only 16-20 will be built each year, meaning that you'll have to win the lottery all over again in order to get your hands on one.

I've been a huge fan of Koenigsegg since I first heard about the CCX. Great to see a new model out and the car-maker, once again, drawing attention to themselves with a model that is unlike any other car currently made.

Our first Triple Tri birthday of 2010 is upon us and it's time to wish Vickie a very happy birthday. Hope you have a great day, VAH, and rest up for our annual TT Birthday Extravaganza / St. Patty's Day celebration in a few weeks.

Happy Birthday Vickie

This one if for MDH -- I knew this would brighten his day. Some fine work from the guys at Porsche:

The result of a mad scientist's experiment involving a 911, a Prius, and the front end of a Ferrari F430, the Porsche 918 Spyder ($TBA) is a new plug-in hybrid concept borrowing bits of all three. A 500hp V8 mid-mounted motor is paired with two electric motors — one for each axle — giving the open two-seat 918 a total of 718hp, good for a 0-62 time of 3.2 seconds, a top-end speed of 198 mph, and yet, amazingly, the possibility for 78 mpg fuel economy. A seven-speed PDK transmission, a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body, powerful brakes, a bevy of driving modes, and that prancing horse-inspired front end round out this eco-enthusiast's dream ride.

Just looking at that beast, there's no doubt that it's fast and can smash you against the seat.

The science supporting this is solid - but the fact that our earth-days may be shortened as a result of the earthquake in Chile really messes with your mind if you think about it. Granted, 1.26 microseconds is imperceptible but the idea that we're actually spinning faster is mind-boggling.

The massive earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday may have shifted the Earth's axis and created shorter days, scientists at NASA say.

The change is negligible, but permanent: Each day should be 1.26 microseconds shorter, according to preliminary calculations. A microsecond is one-millionth of a second.

A large quake shifts massive amounts of rock and alters the distribution of mass on the planet.

When that distribution changes, it changes the rate at which the planet rotates. And the rotation rate determines the length of a day.

NASA's newest (and best) picture of the Earth, via Flickr

Read the rest of the article (for a thorough explanation) here.

Check out this amazing video by Sam O'Hare. It is shot in tilt-shift and contains 35,000 still shots! I like the helicopter part the best.

Check it out here. Best viewed in HD and full-screen.

First, it was blue turf at Boise. Now it's red turf at Eastern Washington.

Athletic director Bill Chaves was seeking attention last month and sure got it when he announced that the turf would be red.

"The uniqueness of the red field was able to generate an amazing amount of publicity," Chaves said.

It also has generated donations. Michael Roos, an Eastern Washington alumnus who is a lineman for the NFL's Tennessee Titans, kicked the drive off with a $500,000 donation. ESPN broadcaster Colin Cowherd, also an EWU graduate, threw in $50,000.

I understand what they're trying for, and I applaud them going in their own direction, but I'm not sure I like it. As mentioned in the article, it'll be interesting to see how the jerseys look against the red (especially on tv) and how well the football shows up. Looks like we just have to wait till the fall to get a glimpse of the new turf.

I've always been a Peugeot fan (spawned from watching rally - just ask MDH) but this is a whole new reason to love the brand. Though it's only a concept, and we don't exactly see dozens of Peugeot zipping around the streets of Ohio - it's still an awesome machine:

It's just a concept at this point, but the Peugeot 5 ($TBA) is likely to share more than a few features with the company's next 508 sedan — and that's a good thing. It's powered by Peugeot's Hybrid4 technology, which combines a 2.0L HDi FAP diesel engine, mounted at the front of the vehicle and good for 163hp, with a 37 bhp electric motor at the rear for a total of 200hp. Other features include automatic four-wheel drive, 19-inch wheels, LED lighting, and a concept-worthy windshield that seems to disappear into the roof.

A beautiful car with some great technology and engineering under the hood. Good stuff from Peugeot.

I had no idea there was a National Margarita Day, let alone, that it was today --- but Happy Margarita Day to everyone --- a little history on the margarita and then some quick facts:

The original Margarita was invented in 1948 by socialite Margarita Sames. According to the legend it was during a party at her cliffside hacienda in Acapulco that Margarita began experimenting with “the drink”. Looking for something to cut the dust of a hot afternoon, she mixed Tequila Herradura, Cointreau and fresh lime juice. Her cocktail kept the party going for two weeks and today the Margarita is the #1 most popular cocktail in the U.S.

The Margarita was the most popularly ordered drink in 2008, representing 18 percent of all mixed drink sales in the U.S., followed by the Martini, Rum and Coke, Vodka and Tonic, and the Cosmopolitan (Cheers On-Premise Handbook 2008)

On average, Americans consume 185,000 Margaritas per hour (Brown-Forman, 2008)

Atlanta, Miami, St. Louis and Nashville are among the best major metro cities for the Margarita (Cheers On-Premise Handbook 2008)

The U.S. is the number one tequila market – larger and more important than Mexico Cheers On-Premise Handbook 2008)

Update: L8N just pointed out to me that I did know about National Margarita Day (though I had forgotten) because I posted about it last year... check out last year's post too

An orange-and-black spotted lynx sauntered across the downhill course during the men's opening training session Wednesday. Two days earlier, one of his - her? - brethren was spotted outside the perimeter of the luge track during afternoon training.

The lynx is a large cat - weighing up to 30 pounds and reaching 26 inches in height - that roams forests of the northern United States and Canada. And take it from a Canadian - downhiller Manuel Osborne-Paradis - the lynx is no cuddly outdoor friend when you're speeding down an icy slope at 70 mph.

The downhill session was already on hold because of fog, and no skiers linked with lynx. Still, officials issued a warning over the race radio in case someone was on the course. The lynx had its own agenda and hopped over the barriers lining the perimeter to retreat to the forest.

Lynx spottings are becoming more frequent in and around Vancouver, and it's good to see that despite the spectators, tv production crews, the hustle and bustle, and fanfare of the Olympics, the native wildlife is not being disturbed and scared away.

If it's snowing as much this winter where you live, as it is where we live --- this next utility vehicle could really come in handy:

Part 4-wheeler, part rail buggy, the new Polaris Ranger RZR 4 ($15,000) is the world's first four-seat sport side-by-side. Co-developed with racer Robby Gordon — or "Reckless Robby," as we like to call him — the RZR 4 boasts an 800cc High Output Twin EFI engine mounted behind the back seat for a lower center of gravity, a new suspension that includes Fox Podium X 2.0 Piggyback Reservoir Shocks and Chrome Moly front upper A-Arms, a rolled independent rear suspension, a true all-wheel-drive system, a 12-volt plug in and two cup holders for rear-seat passengers, cut-and-sew seats, and Maxxis Big Horn tires with Black Bruiser rims.

Seems this guy could handle just about anything you throw at it. Plenty of power and space for three friends... sign me up.

Found this little chunk of info over about the medals being awarded in Vancouver.

They are made of recycled circuit boards. A Canadian mining company reduced the gold, silver, and bronze from the circuit boards of old computers and has melted them down and re-cast them into the Olympic medals. That was part of the brief of the competition. The designs are by a First Nations artist from the Raven Gwa'waina clan, of the Kwakwaka'wakw village on Vancouver Island.

This isn't a solution to the e-waste problem that we currently face, but it's a great way to recycle those junk parts into something great. This is a trend, I would hope, the Olympic commit will adopt (read: mandate, if necessary) for all future Olympics games. I see no reason not to do this.

A beautiful little car from Audi, to start your week off on the right foot:

What would it look like if Audi made a Mini Cooper? Probably a lot like the 2011 Audi A1 (€16,000 and up). This small compact Audi offers go-kart-like handling thanks to its sort overhangs, wide stance, and short height, and comes powered by one of four either TFSI gasoline or TDI diesel engines, ranging in power from 86hp to 122hp. Five-speed or six-speed manuals are available as well as a seven-speed dual-clutch S-tronic automatic, and niceties like the MMI navigation system, a 100 percent LED-lit interior, 18-inch wheels, LED rear lights and Xenon headlamps, four colors of roof arches, and ten exterior colors.

Looks like just the car you'd need to zip around the city or make your daily commute from the suburbs. All the quality and styling that we've come to expect from Audi, in a small frame - awesome.