State of Disrepair

State of Disrepair, a photo by jomak14 on Flickr.

1994 Eastern State Penitentiary opens for historic tours on a daily basis. Visitors were required to wear hard hats and sign liability waivers. More than 10,000 visitors attend in the first year. ~ www.easternstate.org/learn/timeline#2000 Leica Summilux 25mm f/1.4 on a G2 [ 0.025 sec (1/40) | f/1.6 | FLength 25 mm | ISO 400 ] More images can be found in my FB album. FaceBook | Blogger | Twitter | Tumblr | Pinterest

Lexus LFA at the 2012 Philadelphia Auto Show

Only 500 total LFA models will be made worldwide, with only 20 produced each month. Each car will be custom ordered to the customer's specifications, and will cost an estimatedUS$375,000, depending on options and customization. In the North American market 150 LFAs will be initially sold through a two year lease program much like the Ferrari F50.

During LFA production, each vehicle will receive a plaque which is individually numbered, indicating the unit's place in the production run. Each LFA V10 engine will also bear the signature of the specialist who assembled it. With 20 units produced monthly, production of the entire LFA run lasted for 25 months, from December 2010 to December 2012. ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexus_LFA

Subaru WRX STI at the 2012 Philadelphia Auto show

This latest version of Subaru's venerable Impreza WRX STI features a striking exterior that understates this cars very real performance credentials.


With it's flared fenders, spoilers and wider stance, the all-wheel drive STI has a more aggressive look than the other, more sedate, Impreza's. Featuring a turbocharged 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed manual transmission, this little rocket produces a whopping 305-hp. To plant all that power, Subaru utilizes a Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) system, which claims to be the world's only hybrid mechanical/electronic limited-slip differential. Standard front seat mount, and front and rear curtain airbags offer occupant protection. Standard anti-lock brakes with traction-control and stability-control help reign the chassis in while driving at the limit of this cars potential.

Hyundai Veloster at the 2012 Philadelphia Auto Show

The Hyundai Veloster is a compact 3-door sports car first produced in 2011 by the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales beginning in South Korea in March 10, 2011 and in the United States since the fall of 2011. It is the first of Hyundai's new Premium Youth Lab sub-brand, which is targeted for the young generation of drivers. It was unveiled on January 10, 2011, at the Detroit auto show, and fills the void left when Hyundai discontinued the Tiburon after the 2008 model year.


The car is different from many competitors as it has one door on the driver side and two on the passenger side. The Veloster uses Hyundai's new BlueLink system, which is similar to OnStar used in GM vehicles, to provide customers with automatic crash notification, vehicle diagnostics, etc. ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Veloster


It's shape and lines remind me the BMW M Coupe.  More car images from the 2012 Philadelphia Auto Show are up on my FB page. Click here if you're so inclined.

1950 Dal Porto Lakester at the 2012 Philadelphia Auto Show

In 1951 and 1952, the car won its class at the dry lakes and recorded an impressive 155.64 mph at the May 1952 SCTA meet. Beyond this performance, a 118 mph run at the Kingdom Airstrip quarter-mile drag races in Lodi helped cement an intimidating reputation. Eager to show off his new thoroughbred, Mr. Dal Porto entered his Roadster in the 1952 Grand National Roadster Show in Oakland where, not surprisingly, the handsome race car received First Place for Beauty and Construction in the lakester class. After being pictured in the pages of Hot Rod magazine, the Dal Porto Roadster made the cover of Hop Up magazine's July 1952 issue and was the subject of a feature article, complete with a full cutaway drawing by Jim Richards. Hop Up praised the sleek hot rod, describing it as one of, if not the, sharpest looking and best constructed roadsters in existence and remarked upon its stylish appearance saying, "It's among the top cars for looks in spite of the lack of chrome 'goodies'." Sadly, just as its career was taking off, the Dal Porto Roadster met a tragic end when, in 1952, it crashed during a high-speed run at the dry lakes. The wrecked car remained in storage with John Errecalde until the mid-1970s, at which time it was given to his friend and well-known Stockton parts dealer Carl Schmid. In 1993, the project was sold to Don Orosco, who was eventually persuaded to sell it to the current owner. ~ rodcustom.automotive.com article

More car images from the 2012 Philadelphia Auto Show are up on my FB page. Click here if you're so inclined.

Audi R8 at the 2012 Philadelphia Auto Show

The R8's new 5.2-liter V-10 descends from the collaborative design effort between Audi and Lamborghini, which yielded a 493-hp, 5.0-liter V-10 for the 2004 Gallardo. The 90-degree V-angle, selected to facilitate the sharing of block machining tools with Audi V-8 engines, results in uneven firing intervals. Boosting the displacement to 5.2 liters, installing direct fuel injection, and raising the compression ratio to 12.5:1 in the R8 yields 391 lb-ft of torque at 6500 rpm and 525 hp at 8000 rpm. A similar 5.2-liter V-10 in the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 boasts slightly higher peak power and torque ratings.

- Don Sherman, Technical Editor Automobilemag.com

Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/driven/0902_2010_audi_r8_v10/viewall.html#ixzz1lQp92Xvn

Engine Specifications

Arrangement Mid mounted, longitudinal
Bore 3.33 in. [84.5 mm]
Stroke 3.65 in. [92.8 mm]
Displacement 5.2 liter [317.6 cu. in., 5204 cc]
Type 5.2 liter DOHC V10, four valves per cylinder, with FSI® direct injection, dry sump lubrication system, aluminum cylinder block and crank case
Fuel Requirement Premium unleaded
Compression Ratio 12.5:1
Horsepower 525 hp @ 8000 rpm
Torque 391 lb-ft. @ 6500 RPM
Performance
0-60 MPH 3.7 sec.
Top Speed 196 mph


Fuel Economy
Manual R tronic®
City 12 MPG 13 MPG
Highway 19 MPG 19 MPG
Combined 14 MPG 15 MPG
Capacities
Engine Oil 8.8 qt. [8.3 liter]
Fuel Tank 23.8 gal. [90 liter]

More car images from the 2012 Philadelphia Auto Show are up on my FB page. Click here if you're so inclined.

1938 Delage D8-120S Aerosport Coupe by Letourneur & Marchand

It's elegant styling and design is unsurpassed even by today's standard.  It's high-gloss paint finish and gleaming chrome accents mesmerize and dazzle the eyes.  This 1938 Delage D8-120S Aerosport Coupe could be "The Best In Show" car in my mind.  And definitely deserved a more conspicuous spot on the floor for all to admire.

It is part of the John W. Rich automobile collection of Pennsylvania.

More car images from the 2012 Philadelphia Auto Show are up on my FB page. Click here if you're so inclined.

Teaser

Teaser, a photo by jomak14 on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
I was able to request a Press Pass to Media Day at the 2012 Philadelphia Auto Show. That meant no crowds to contend with and shoot to my heart's content. It was physically impossible to shoot each and every car on display. So I picked a handful that caught my fancy. A long day of shooting it was indeed. And enjoyed every minute of it!

Most of the shots will end up on my FB page. Click here in the days to come if you're so inclined.

Photex 80mm f/2.8 S&T Lens on a 1Ds
[ 0.002 sec (1/640) | f/2.8 | FLength 80 mm | ISO 400 | Manual exposure ]

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Organized Chaos

Organized Chaos
Originally uploaded by jomak14

Exiting multi-level parking garages during events like the recently concluded Philadelphia Auto Show require patience and a cool disposition. It took me over an hour just to get to street-level!

Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 on a 30D
[ 0.002 sec (1/500) | f/1.2 | FLength 58 mm | ISO 800 | +1/3 EV ]

Double-decker Parking

Double-decker Parking
Originally uploaded by jomak14

Valet service had difficulty maneuvering the cars into the 'double-decker' parking facility at the recently concluded auto show. The place was packed to the brim as you can see here!

Make your own fake tiltshift image at tiltshiftmaker.com.

Tokina 27-70mm f/2.8 ATX-PRO SV
[ 0.003 sec (1/400) | f/2.8 | FLength 70 mm | ISO 800 | -2/3 EV ]

1966 Ford GT40 MKIIA - Alan Mann Racing Ltd.

The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969 (1966 being the Mk II, 1967 the Mk IV, and 1968-1969 the oldest chassis design, the Mk I). It is so far the only American car to win overall at this race (Although the Mk I and the Mk II were actually designed and built in the United Kingdom). (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_GT40)

Ford's entry at the 1966 Le Mans 24-hours is the strongest works entry ever seen: no less than 8 factory Fords MkIIA are sent to La Sarthe.  The #1, #2 and #3 are entries by Shelby American Inc., aligning 3 American and 3 New Zealand drivers. (It's not clear why Lloyd Ruby, winner at Daytona and Sebring was not selected by Carroll Shelby). The #4, #5 and #6 are entries by Holman & Moody using four American racers (among them NASCAR specialist Dick Hutcherson), one Australian and one Belgian. Finally Alan Mann Racing Ltd., located in England, shows with two cars (#7 and #8) with its traditional racers: F1-world champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Graham Hill, Sir John Whitmore, dr. Dick Thompson and Australian Frank Gardner. (Source: LE MANS 1966 FORD DRIVERS by Ken Miles) 

Car #8 clocked the second fastest grid qualifying time behind eventual winner car#1 but DNF'd due to clutch problems.

Pos Car # Drivers Car Entrant Laps DNF Reason Grid Qual.Time 1 2 Bruce McLaren/Chris Amon/Bob Grossman*/Dan Gurney* Ford Mk II [1046] Shelby American Inc. 360 4 3m32.6 2 1 Ken Miles/Denny Hulme/Lucien Bianchi*/Richard Thompson*/Lloyd Ruby*/Mark Donohue* Ford Mk II [1015] Shelby American Inc. 360 2 3m31.7 3 5 Ronnie Bucknum/Dick Hutcherson/A.J.Foyt*/Bruce McLaren*/Peter Arundell* Ford Mk II [1016] Holman & Moody 348 9 3m34.6 DNF 8 John Whitmore/Frank Gardner/Mike Salmon^/Jack Sears* Ford Mk II [XGT-1] Alan Mann Racing Ltd. 31 Clutch 3 3m32.2 (Source: http://www.teamdan.com/archive/wsc/1966/66lemans.html)