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Jaguar XF Sportbreak

Jaguar XF Sportbreak Revealed at The Geneva Motor Show
Jaguar's First Estate Car in 90 Years

Jaguar revealed the company's first estate car in 90 years, the Jaguar XF Sportbreak. Promised to be the most versatile Jaguar ever created, the Sportbreak is an estate version of the highly acclaimed XF and is set to rival the BMW 5-series Touring and the Audi A6 Avant.

The XF Sportbreak has been created for a practical yet sporty ride, with a larger docking space and additional 48mm of headroom for passengers in the back seat. Remote-fold levers allow the rear seats to be folded down with just one touch to provide an uninterrupted load surface that is 1970mm in length.
The XF Sportbreak firmly emphasizes both the sustainable and sporting sides of its character through its powertrain choices. Exclusively fitted with Jaguar's range of four-cylinder 2.2-liter and V6 3.0-liter diesel engines, the XF Sportbreak offers an exemplary combination of fuel economy, low emissions, plentiful power and refinement.
Basics of the new Jaguar XF Sportbreak include:
  • New rear air suspension allows for self-leveling while load carrying with no dynamic penalty
  • Remote-fold levers drop the 60:40 split rear seats (with integral ski-hatch) to create up to 1675 liters of load space.
  • Fitted with Jaguar's Intelligent Stop--Start system, making it the company's most efficient powertrain to date
  • Eight-speed automatic gearbox


DIGGLER ELECTRIC SCOOTER TOURS ANGEL ISLAND

One of those "Only in California" inventions, the Diggler Electric Scooter, will
begin taking groups on guided tours around Angel Island on March 24.

Invented in Marin County in 1996, the Diggler Electric Scooter, fulfilled Bob
Freuchtenicht's boyhood dream of patenting a vehicle that would combine elements
of mountain biking, snowboarding, surfing, BMX riding and skiing in a new way to
ride.  Diggler Scooters, now based in Petaluma, manufactures mountain,
dog-pulled, kids’, and electric scooters.

On Angel Island, groups of up to four riders, accompanied by a guide, will ride
along the Perimeter Road, stopping at scenic viewpoints and historic sites as
they circuit the island.  Riders stand upright on the scooter's large
skateboard-like platform, while holding a bicycle handle to steer, accelerate
and brake.  The scooters are outfitted with large, BMX-styled bicycle wheels and
an electric motor for quiet operation.

“Very little skill is needed to operate them.  Most people can step on them and
begin riding, soon after brief instruction,” says Dee Wagner, general manager of
the Angel Island Company which operates the tours.  Two-hour tours cost $68 and
one-hour tours (available on a walk-up basis only) are offered for $35.  Riders
must be 16 years old.

More information is available at angelisland.com and digglerstore.com.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Element Hotels Brand to Launch Bike Charging Stations, Enabling Guests to Power Personal Electronic Devices as They Pedal

 

Pilot Debuts at Element Miami International Airport Opening Ceremony, March 15

Starwood  President and  CEO Frits van Paasschen, an avid biker, attended the opening ceremony at Element Miami and joined Starwood and Element Hotels associates in demonstrating the potential for bicycle power.  Ten “Element Green” bicycles were placed in bike generator stands adjacent to the hotel entrance, as van Paasschen and invited guests took to the bikes.  Their efforts generated enough electricity to power laptops and flat-screen plasma monitors to create a “virtual ribbon cutting” on screen.  Guests enjoyed tours of the striking new Element Miami hotel following the ceremony.

Brian McGuinness, Senior Vice President of Specialty Select Brands for Starwood, commented, “At Element, we’re committed to helping guests stay active, healthy and productive on the road.  Since its inception, the brand has also served as Starwood’s green innovation lab.  This initiative perfectly blends these objectives, and we’re happy to see this pilot make its debut at Element Miami International Airport.”

Element Miami embodies Element Hotels’ commitment to balanced living with a series of design features and amenities that enhance guests’ wellbeing while offering them tools to be productive and active on the road. 

 ·         Guest rooms and public spaces are designed to be bathed in natural daylight, as guests’ mood and productivity are improved in a well-lit environment. 

·         A complimentary healthy breakfast, RISE, offers options including egg white wraps and fruit smoothies. 

·         Seamless connectivity is offered via free WiFi in public spaces and in guest rooms, which also include ergonomic chairs at workstations.

·         Element offers well-equipped 24-hour fitness centers, saline pools and Bikes to Borrow.

·         Guests can work, relax and fuel up on their own schedules, with kitchens in every room and a fully stocked lobby pantry, with items available 24/7. 

Photography of Starwood CEO Frits van Paasschen and Element executives powering up a digital ribbon cutting for Element Miami International Airport can be downloaded via: https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1416930392/0fb44cc01c945abf04263ad543062be6

About Element Hotels

Accessible, affordable and active, Element Hotels is made to order for guests in the know and on the go.  Its bright design defies convention, bathing guest rooms and public spaces in natural light.  Stylish and sustainable throughout, Element offers comfort with a conscience and lots of complimentary signature amenities from its RISE healthy breakfast to its RELAX evening reception, saline swimming pools and spacious fitness centers, bikes-to-borrow and electric vehicle charging stations.

COLLECTOR CAR ARCHEOLOGIST WAYNE CARINI RETURNS TO VELOCITY WITH A BRAND NEW SEASON OF CHASING CLASSIC CARS

--An All-New Season of CHASING CLASSIC CARS Premieres on Velocity with Two New Episodes, Tuesday, April 3 at 10PM & 10:30 PM ET--

 This April, Velocity unveils an all-new season of the car connoisseur’s signature series,CHASING CLASSIC CARS.  Hosted by renowned collector car archeologist, Wayne Carini, CHASING CLASSIC CARS welcomes viewers into the elite world of high-end car collection, as Wayne finds, buys, restores and sells some of the finest and most unique vehicles ever manufactured. The new season of CHASING CLASSIC CARS premieres on Velocity on Tuesday, April 3 at 10PM ET/PT, followed up with a special bonus new episode at 10:30PM ET/PT.

In this season of CHASING CLASSIC CARS, Wayne chases down original one-off cars in secret stashes around the country and meets with some of the hobby’s most respected collectors, restorers, and artisans, giving viewers insight into the classic car expert’s elite inner circle. Whether he is restoring a vintage ride, or searching for a hidden gem in garages around the world, Wayne’s straight-shooting sensibility and passion for everything on wheels makes CHASING CLASSIC CARS a must-see for car lovers everywhere.

“Wayne is the quintessential classic car expert,” said Bob Scanlon, senior vice president of Velocity. “It’s his personal mission to uncover the world’s most exotic cars, and we’re thrilled to share his rare finds with our viewers in CHASING CLASSIC CARS.”

From an iconic Mercedes Gullwing valued just shy of a cool million, to a duo of silky customs from legendary hot rodder Boyd Codington, to an affair with a collection of vintage motorcycles, this all new season of CHASING CLASSIC CARS has something for everyone. The sales are red hot and the buys are riveting, especially when Wayne ignores his own advice and catches auction fever, refusing to lower paddle until the hammer falls.


Off the auction block, Wayne explores the fine line between collecting and hoarding when he wades knee deep into the vast and varied collection of the late Lee Roy Hartung. On the West Coast, Wayne dives deep into the work of Steve Moal, one of America’s most renowned coachbuilders, and goes cruising in Sonoma with car lover Bruce Cohn – manager of the Doobie Brothers and owner of the B.R. Cohn winery, makers of a whimsical line of classic cars wines.


CHASING CLASSIC CARS is produced for Velocity by Essex Television Group.  Jim Astrausky is series creator and executive producer and Hannah B Lintner is series producer. David Lee and Shaan Akbar are executive producers for Velocity.


2008
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© 2008 Bonnie Carroll, All Rights Reserved