Zehensandalen birkenstock

Quick Stats: Bob Weir, founding member of the Grateful DeadDaily Driver: 2007 Lexus GS 450h (Bob’s rating: 8 on a scale of 1 to 10)Other car: 1963 Corvette Stingray roadster (rating: wants to be buried in it)Favorite road trip: San Francisco streets with Beat legend Neal CassadyCar he learned to drive in: A tractorBMW 2002 Bob Weir may be the folksy vegetarian-Birkenstock-wearing founding member of the Grateful Dead, but he is all about new technology when it comes to transportation choices. It seems a paradox for someone who is indelibly part of the ultimate jam band that helped define the Hippie movement. But it makes sense for Weir, whose concern for the environment has made him go hybrid with a 2007 Lexus GS 450h. Because the hybrid doesn’t come with a manual tranny, this is Weir’s first automatic. It’s somewhat surprising, since Weir lives on the slopes of Marin County’s Mt. Tamalpais, where even a small errand involves a trek up and down the … [Read more...] about Celebrity Drive: Legendary Grateful Dead front-man Bob Weir jams in a hybrid Lexus, but saves the love for his 1963 Stingray

Quick Stats: Oliver “Ali” Nejad, commentator NBC’s “Poker After Dark” and ESPN’s “Pro-Am Poker Equalizer”Daily Driver: 2006 BMW M5 (Ali’s rating: 9 on a scale of 1 to 10)Other Car: 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Nera (rating: 10)Favorite Road Trip: Highway 1 down the coast of California Car He Learned To Drive in: 1988 Mercedes-Benz 300EFirst Car Bought: 1996 Acura Integra GS-R Oliver “Ali” Nejad, commentator on NBC’s “Poker After Dark” and ESPN’s “Pro-Am Poker Equalizer,” moved to Beverly Hills a few months ago, and already he’s living the life people think Hollywood types lead. He acquired a supercar, has a publicist, parties in Malibu, and has hobnobbed with the likes of Ashton and Demi, who’ve mistaken Nejad for their friend Wilmer Valderrama — thanks to Nejad’s limited-edition 2007 Lambo. Turns out, Nejad and Valderrama both drive around town in a rare … [Read more...] about Celebrity Drive: Oliver “Ali” Nejad

What? Don’t I know that cars can get nearly equal fuel mileage with five- or six-speed automatic transmissions? That the automatic transmission take-rate is nearly 100 percent on most sedans and small cars offered with manuals? That the slushbox take rate is substantial for Porsches, Miatas, and Mini Coopers? That it’s not accurate to call them slushboxes anymore? That Western Europeans now buy more automatics than manual gearbox cars? That it’s a pain to drive with that left foot in rush hour traffic in places like Greater Los Angeles (rush hour being from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.)? Here’s the way to save the manual gearbox from going the way of the manual window crank: market it as a fuel-saving (and thus also a less-CO2 emissions-spewing) device. Last Tuesday, GM CEO and chairman Rick Wagoner revealed that the 2011 model year Chevy compact, equipped with a new 1.4-liter turbo engine, "when mated with a manual transmission, offers a nine-mpg fuel economy improvement" … [Read more...] about Save gas, be green, drive a stick shift

Warren Buffett, CEO of investment firm Berkshire Hathway and recently ranked by Forbes magazine as the richest man in the world (net worth: around $62 billion), owns a private jet he calls “The Indefensible.” It’s an extravagance (though one Buffett can easily afford), and he admits it. No apologies, no politically correct posturing about also owning a Prius and a solar-powered pool, no shopping at the carbon-credits store. A private jet is simply one of the world’s great indulgences, and Buffett is man enough to admit he enjoys his. Well, last night I drove home in a shiny new 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser, a 6.2-foot-tall, 5920-pound, eight-passenger SUV with a price tag of $72,030. There’s almost no way to justify owning a rig as huge and lavish and expensive as this newly revised Toyota — particularly to your Birkenstock-wearing friends — but I must say this: If I could afford to purchase (and fuel) this gentle giant, I’d snap one right up … [Read more...] about Delicious Decadence: 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser

“What's the range?” is the wrong question. Little Deuce Coupe doesn't have a line about hypermiling. Nobody ever walked up to an LS-swapped 240SX and asked how much fuel it could hold in the gas tank. Is it fast? Does it corner hard? Can you rip off an epic burnout? These are much better questions, and at a shop in California that swaps Tesla power into lightweight classics, the answer is a joyful, “Hell, yes.” Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Electric conversions have been around for decades, ever since the first Birkenstock-wearing grumps loaded up the bed of their Chevy S10 with lead-acid batteries, and flipped the bird to OPEC. Perhaps this image is your first assumption, that the idea of changing a car's powertrain from gasoline to electric is all about saving the environment at the expense of originality, character, practicality, and fun. “F*** the environment,” said Mike Bream, president of EV West, “Save the cars! Oh wait, we … [Read more...] about Electric Conversions Can Save Classic Cars and Make Them Quicker