| A Porsche for 2,039kr - but don’t call it luck
Controversial reverse auction site Bidster has done it again. Back in December young Stockholmer acquired a very nice apartment for 5,383 kronor. Now, a 34 year old man from Smland (whose residents are known for their love of a bargain) has just picked up a brand new Porsche Cayman for 2,039 kronor. Ordinarily such a motor would set you back 595,000 kronor. But Bidster's business model is under investigation by the Swedish Gaming Board, which reckons that it is breaking laws against running lotteries in Sweden. Unlike most auctions, at Bidster it's the lowest unique bid that counts. That makes it nothing but a lottery, says the Board. Nonsense, says Bidster, it's not luck - tactics are required to pick an amount that nobody else will pick.
B-N's first 'smart fortwo' car hits streets
McDaniel is smiling, too.After a nearly yearlong wait, he has the Twin Cities' first “smart fortwo" car. He picked it up in St. Louis on Monday and spent most of the day Tuesday showing it off to friends and co-workers.“I think it's great," said John Rediger, heating and air conditioning supervisor at Country Insurance. “I think it's absolutely fantastic. It's got plenty of room."You wouldn't guess it from the outside. The car, which only measures 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet tall and 5.1 feet wide, takes up only half a parking space.“It only looks small from the outside," McDaniel said. “It's half of car. It has three cylinders instead of six and weighs 1,700 pounds instead of 3,400."That leads to decent gas mileage — 41 miles per gallon on the highway and 33 miles per gallon in town. (It uses premium gasoline.)“It has an 8-gallon tank, and I had 200 miles on it and still had half of tank of gas," McDaniel said.It's also ecologically friendly.The smart fortwo, produced in France by smart, a subsidiary of Daimler-Benz AG, is painted with water-soluble paints.
Small is big at Phila. auto show
The concept cars, the hybrids, the Hummers, the ultra-luxury vehicles, the ubiquitous SUVs and minivans all got their due. But the car that seemed to truly capture the imagination yesterday at the Philadelphia International Auto Show was the itty-bitty Smart Fortwo, which has been available in the United States for less than a month. "Is this the line to sit in it?" asked Robin Emrick of Bensalem. There was no line, just a steady throng of people three deep milling around the two-seater, photographing it, marveling at it, lifting its hatchback, and sitting in it, in some cases, rather snugly. "It's a little shocking to me," said Raymond James, a brand specialist at the Smart Center in Cherry Hill. "I knew it would be popular, but I didn't think we'd be the hit of the show." Curiosity, not car lust, seemed to be the prevailing mood.
Amidst the rubble, Union's women push for national title
JACKSON, Tenn. -- On Tuesday, Feb. 5, the Union University women's basketball team -- the No. 1-ranked National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics team in the nation, with a spotless record of 22-0 -- was scheduled to have a day off from practice. The Lady Bulldogs had played at Lyon College in Batesville, Ark., the night before and didn't arrive back at campus until 2:30 a.m. The day turned out to be far from restful, though. .
Flexcar is curbing a majority of its fleet
The company is pulling its signature white-and-blue cars from urban markets in favor of concentrating business on college campuses. In San Diego County, that means only the University of California San Diego in La Jolla and the UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest. Following a recent merger with competitor Zipcar, it appears the move was based on finances. "There's no doubt it was a tough decision," said company spokesman John Williams. "You have to be responsive to where the demand is, and they were seeing the strongest demand and the strongest prospects for growth in the university markets." .
Is Anyone Telling The Truth?
So Heikki Kovalainen reckons he can beat Lewis Hamilton? And Ron says there'll be equal treatment at McLaren? Do PF1ers believe either statement... Got something to say? letters@planet-f1.com It Takes More Than Titles To Be Great
Let's see. Lewis Hamilton is a great driver based on his wins and overall performance in his first season. Kimi Raikkonen won the Drivers' Championship after what, seven years? Michael Schumacher has won the Drivers' Championship seven times. So, if all that counts is Championships, Mssr. Hamilton hasn't won anything. Remember Sterling Moss? Arguably the greatest driver never to win the championship. Moss was a great driver in all categories of racing. Recall one of the few times he hopped in a Ferrari.
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