Volkswagen Advert Misses the Mark

What you see here is a new semi-brilliant advert from Volkswagen…

It’s for the new R32 performance Golf and I think the concept is fantastic – a politically correct gang of young gents (and their dog) are terrified to get their soccer ball out of the street in case a Golf R32 comes roaring past and knocks them over.

Problem for me is that the boys don’t really look that terrified. Actually they look like they’ve been staring at their ball for the better half of the day as if Michael Jackson was about to suddenly pop out?!

I think the advert would have been far more effective if one of the boys were leaning forward looking down the stretch of road contemplating taking the chance!

Mix Glue and Coins to Make Floor Fortune

The Girlfriend and I generally throw all our coins into an awesome bubblegum machine we have at home. I’m hoping that someday I’ll crack it open and have enough to cruise to Cuba!

After seeing the picture below, I’m wondering if I shouldn’t rather take all the little copper coins and re-tile my balcony with the bling effect?

The image was taken in a New York restaurant and I think it looks great! For the real money shot, you could substitute 5c coins for R5 coins. Cha-ching!

New Valentino Balboni from Lamborghini

It’s impossible for me to pass up any new Lamborghini, especially a rare rear wheel drive version! This upcoming Lambo supplies all of its 550 horses directly to the rear wheels, and should be a tad lighter thanks to the lack of a complicated all-wheel-drive system. And it’s gorgeous…

It has a beautiful gated shifter and typical Lamborghini dash-work is supplied, with alcantara throughout the interior. This special edition baby bull is officially named the Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni; for those unaware, Balboni is the fabled automaker’s greatest and most tenured testdriver and longtime confidant of Furruccio Lamborghini himself. A limited run of 250 will be produced.

I’m pretty sure Chris would upgrade his choice if this baby was available at the time of the SA Blog Boys and Their Dream Toys article.

Smoke and a Meatball

When I think of meatballs, I remember the classic scene in Lady & the Tramp when the one dog rolls the last meatball over to the other. Cute.

I also think about how I’ve never really loved meatballs, until now. I mean how does a smoked meatball sub sound right about now? Enticing and appetizing right? Well, now you can have tasty flavors on those meatballs by using this Meatball Grill Basket…

It’s from Williams-Sonoma and it holds up to 12 meatballs! Tt has perforated walls to retain the flavors and drain the fat off of beef, chicken, or whatever other meatballs you’re making. With polypropylene handle for easy turning and even cooking it’s a steal at just $50 (about R390)! Get it here and smoke a meatball

Take Aim With YSL Bullet Cuff Links

Want a great subtle way to let people know that you’re classy and stylish, but at the same time know if they cross you, what to expect? These cuff links from YSL are made from a brass metal and have a raw silver finish.

At $250 (about R1900) don’t let em go to your head! Get them at www.ysl.com.

And ff these aren’t your vibe, check out the Guitar Hero Cuff Links!

Aston Martin “Cygnet” Inspired by Toyota’s iQ

Now isn’t this cute, an Aston Martin we can all afford:

From Aston Martin:

Toyota’s revolutionary iQ platform is about to reset traditional thinking, with plans that the world’s smallest four-seater will serve as the basis for a new luxury commuter car to be exclusively built for and sold to Aston Martin owners. Toyota Motor Europe (TME) today announced that the new “Cygnet” would pair Aston Martin’s trademark design flair with the Toyota iQ’s highly compact and low-CO2 city driving package. The commuter car will be tailored specifically to customer requirements at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, the United Kingdom.

‘It’s a great compliment that the Toyota iQ has been hand-picked by one of the world’s most prestigious sports car brands, a company with whom we also share a strong friendship. This collaboration represents a natural pairing of strategies: a small yet spacious package, perfect for the city driver, finished off with Aston Martin’s iconic design language,’ said Tadashi Arashima, CEO and President of TME. ‘The Cygnet is a good choice for the Aston Martin owner looking for that second or third car, which is luxurious and eco-conscious,’ he added.

Although radically different in size and customer base, Aston Martin and Toyota are united in their corporate philosophies of delivering superior quality, engineering excellence and innovative technology. The collaboration is also fortunate to benefit from a strong relationship underlined by a passion for cars.

The Toyota iQ is considered a breakthrough in intelligent design. Less than three metres in length, its flexible package can accommodate up to four people, providing owners with a new dimension of versatility. Featuring a range of design innovations – such as its flat under-floor fuel tank and asymmetric dashboard – the iQ is positioned as the “no compromise choice” with CO2 emissions starting as low as 99 g/km. It also offers outstanding levels of passive and active safety equipment resulting in a Euro NCAP 5-star rating.

Despite tough market conditions for the automotive industry, the Toyota iQ has proved appealing to a wide variety of city drivers with a taste for style, driving performance and low CO2. The Toyota iQ made its European sales debut in January 2009. It continues to perform in line with expectation, with over 25,000 units sold to-date.

The planned collaboration with Aston Martin is a timely endorsement of the iQ’s superior packaging. The announcement marks a critical step in Toyota’s longer-term planning to expand the ‘iQ world’ – that is, to bring new versions of the Toyota iQ to market globally and expand the company’s eco-friendly line-up.

Did You Know: Homer Simpson Talks Tom Tom

That’s great, you can now take directions from this donut-eating slob! Awesome!

Meet the Grillslinger Sport Boet!

It holds everything you’ll need on a convenient tool belt for easy reach. It comes with a pair of speed tongs, a spatula, two lock-and-load washable inserts, and more importantly, a holder for your beer.

It’s the Grillslinger Sport! No more laying down of your grilling tools. And he who holds the tools is The Braai Master.

Get it here for $49 (about R400). Remember, You Can’t Blog (or do anything for that matter) on an Empty Stomach.

Charlie and Marvin Ooze Condiments

Although most food toys are aimed at kids, I believe it’s the adults who genuinely appreciate them…

Come on, that’s just spectacular!

And that? As fantastic as the last!

Pick up Ketchup Charlie or Mustard Marvin for just $3.99 (about R30).

Revealed: Lean Forward at 45 Degrees Like Michael Jackson Did

Patent number 5255452, filed in 1992, shows how Michael Jackson and his dancers could lean at 45-degree angles during live performances of the song “Smooth Criminal”.

1. A system for engaging shoes with a hitch mans to permit a person standing on a stage surface to lean forwardly beyond his or her center of gravity, comprising:

at least one shoe having a heel with a first engagement means, said first engagement means comprising a recess formed in a heel of said shoe covered with a heel slot plane located at a bottom region of said heel, said heel slot plate having a slot formed therein with a relatively wide opening at a leading edge of said heel and a narrower terminal end rearward of said leading edge, said recess being larger in size above said terminal end of said slot than is said terminal end of said slot; and a second engagement means, detachably engageable with said first engagement means, comprising a hitch member having an enlarged head portion connected by a narrower shank portion to a means for raising and lowering said head of said hitch member above and substantially level with or below said stage surface, said head portion being larger in size than said terminal end of said slot and said shank portion being narrower than said terminal end of said slot, wherein said hitch member can be moved through apertures in said stage surface between a projecting position raised above said stage surface and a retracted position at or below the stage surface, and when said head portion of said hitch member is raised above said stage surface, said first engagement means can be detachably engaged with said projecting hitch member, thereby allowing a person wearing the shoes to lean forwardly with his or her normal center of gravity beyond a front region of said shoes, and maintain said forward lean.

You can see them perform the move in the below video; watch the guy on the right, as he has trouble disengaging his loafers after the move: