Green car DIY-ers of the world, unite! In these week’s episode of Green Overdrive we meet up with three green car fanatics that have pimped out their gas-guzzlers into gems of sustainability. The Blackbird plug-in, the biofuel burnin’ Eco-Benz (hemp and solar panel included), and the all-electric eeVee Motors. Just don’t ask ‘em how much these conversions cost (it ain’t cheap!).
Hot Rap Tracks for the 6/12/2010 issue
June 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Now Last Weeks Peak
1 2 13 1 Over – Drake (/Universal Motown)
2 1 19 1 Nothin’ On You – B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars (/Atlantic)
3 3 15 2 My Chick Bad – Ludacris Featuring Nicki Minaj (/IDJMG)
4 4 10 4 Lose My Mind – Young Jeezy Featuring Plies (/IDJMG)
5 5 5 5 Airplanes – B.o.B Featuring Hayley Williams (/Atlantic)
6 6 13 6 All I Do Is Win – DJ Khaled Featuring T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg & Rick Ross
(/E1)
7 7 24 1 Say Something – Timbaland Featuring Drake (/Interscope)
8 9 14 5 Beamer, Benz, Or Bentley – Lloyd Banks Featuring Juelz Santana ()
9 8 12 7 I’m Back – T.I. (/Atlantic)
10 11 7 10 Hello Good Morning – Diddy – Dirty Money Featuring T.I. (/Interscope)
Beijing has largest number of rich people in China: Hurun Report
August 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment
New Delhi, Aug 24 (ANI): A new report has revealed that Beijing has the maximum number of rich people in China.
The latest Hurun Report on China’s wealthiest people said that there are 143,000 multimillionaires and 8,800 billionaires in Beijing.
In Shanghai, there are 116,000 multimillionaires and 7,000 billionaires, reports the China Daily.
The report also sheds light on how the super-rich in Beijing want to live their lives.
In Beijing, wealthy people need to spend at least 87 million yuan on property, cars and other luxury goods in order to be regarded as one of the city’s ‘new aristocrats’, or upper class, the report said.
They have at least three dwellings of their own, including a villa, like the 400-sq-m Ziyu Shanzhuang villa costing 24 million yuan, a luxury apartment in the downtown area for work purposes, and a Siheyuan courtyard house probably in Houhai.
The report said that most of them prefer investing in arts and they are willing to spend as much as 50,000 yuan for a year on piano classes.
In their luxury homes, they also have rare porcelain and jade ware collections interspersed with works of ancient or contemporary painters.
The rich in Beijing consider Cartier as the favourite luxury brand. They keep themselves updated on the world of finance with China Business News rather than the 21st Century Business Herald.
The bulk of their expenditures are on property, furnishings and fabrics, according to the report.
“During the past several years, the complexion of the rich in China has changed in many aspects. Many of them say they want to be a sort of upper class, rather than only being rich,” said Rupert Hoogewerf, founder and publisher of the Hurun Report.
The report described the capital’s richest as people who wear haute couture and who carefully choose gifts for parents, spouses and children on special days.
They probably drive a 1 million yuan Mercedes Benz R500 limousine and are also members of Yongfoo Lite, the most popular club for Beijing’s wealthiest.
Their wives usually frequent the Lan Club with friends, wear Bulgari platinum and diamond watches and drive BMW sports cars.
Japan’s Osaka and Tokyo are the top travel destinations for spouses, and they attend musicals and the opera several times a year.
The report said that annual spending of the rich in Beijing is estimated at about 5.7 million yuan, mainly for new cars, collections and about 1 million yuan for donations.
The report also defined the upper class in five other cities including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Shenyang. (ANI)
Rooney test drives a 64K pound BMW
May 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment
London, Apr. 29 (ANI): Manchester United football star Wayne Rooney was spotted test-driving a 64,000 pound BMW after reportedly losing a million pound deal with rival motor giant Mercedes-Benz.
Rooney, 23, showed off the 153mph 7 Series model to teammates at their Carrington training ground, reports The Sun.ooney had a customised CL63 coupe worth 121,200 pounds as part of his Mercedes-Benz sponsorship deal. But the German firm has reportedly dropped him due to the credit crunch.he star is said to have his eye on a luxury family car for when he and wife Coleen, 23, become parents later this year.
An onlooker said: “The BMW would be perfect for all those trips out with the baby.” (ANI)
Hero Group pulls out of DHMC; Daimler to go ahead with truck venture in India!
April 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Citing the rather poor performance of the Indian heavy truck segment, the Hero Group has decided to pull out of its joint venture with Daimler! With the Hero Group quitting the collaboration for making commercial vehicles in India, Daimler will buy back Hero’s 40 percent stake – worth 16 million euros – in Daimler Hero Motor Corporation (DHMC).
While Daimler says the Hero Group back-out was due to financial constraints, the Chairman of Hero Corporate Services, Sunil Kant Munjal, cited plunging commercial vehicle sales in India – which dropped 22 percent in FY 2009 – as the reason.
Munjal said: “We will not like to invest in such an uncertain economic situation and have decided to venture out.”
Though let down by its local partner, Daimler is not daunted – it intends going ahead alone with the venture! The determined German auto giant – the maker of Mercedes Benz cars – said on Wednesday that, over a period of four years, it would make over 700-million-euros investment to establish itself in the subcontinent and, in due course, use it as a “bridgehead to other emerging markets.”
In reaction to the Hero Group pull out and the company’s single-mindedness of purpose, Daimler Trucks’ chief, Andreas Renschler, said in a statement: “I really regret the Hero Group’s decision, but Daimler Trucks will nonetheless enter the truck volume market in India.”
Back-up dancer Chase Benz’s mum livid over link-up with Britney
April 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment
London, Apr 17 (ANI): Pop star Britney Spears, who has been in the news for her growing fondness for her back-up dancer Chase Benz, has left the latter’s mother fuming.
Chase Benz’s mother Diane insists that he is already engaged.
According to reports, Benz girlfriend Tessa Campbell is also infuriated over the alleged linkup between him and Britney.
“Chase has already got a girlfriend. Her name is Tessa Campbell and she is a fantastic girl. Chase comes back to Tennessee whenever he can to see her,” the Mirror quoted Diane as saying.
“They’ve been going out for three years – she’s the same age and they are great together. She’s so sweet,” she added.
Britney, who has a history of dating her back-up dancers, is said to have been dating Benz for three weeks.
“Britney was all over Chase from the word go. He was determined to keep things professional but Britney has been making it difficult by being extremely suggestive. Chase has been dating Tessa, his childhood sweetheart, for over three years and she is livid about the reports… as is Chase’s mum. Diane has ordered him to stay away from Britney and made it clear she’s not welcome in the family home,” a source said.
Britney’s former husband and father of her two kids, Kevin Federline, was also once her backup dancer. (ANI)
India’s Hero abandons joint venture with Daimler
April 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Stuttgart – Hero Group, the Indian industrial conglomerate controlled by the Munjal family, has abandoned a project to jointly assemble Mercedes-Benz trucks with Daimler of Germany in Chennai, Daimler said Wednesday.
Left with 100 per cent of the project, Daimler said it would press ahead anyway.
A joint announcement by Hero and Daimler blamed the end of the joint venture on “the economic situation and the continuing weakness in demand in India” and said Hero Group would return the 40-per-cent stake it had earlier acquired from Daimler Trucks.
The statement quoted Hero Corporate Service chairman Said Sunil Kant Munjal saying, “Hero Group has decided to … continue to grow its core business and not to pursue the commercial-vehicles business at this time.”
Sources at Daimler said the German company was likely to seek another Indian partner.
Daimler Trucks said it plans investment in India or more than 700 million euros (925 million dollars) over the next four years. Sources said Daimler had been counting on Hero to supply nearly 500 million euros of that sum, but Hero was apparently short of free cash.
After the acquisition of the Hero shares, the company, currently known as Daimler Hero Commercial Vehicles Ltd, will be renamed.
The new company will initially produce light, medium, and heavy- duty commercial vehicles for the Indian volume market.
The top trucks executive at Daimler, Andreas Renschler, said the setback “gives us more time” since the vehicles would not come to market in an economic downturn, but Daimler’s intentions in India had not changed.
Production of trucks for export from India to other emerging regions would also be delayed. About 280 people have already been employed at the Chennai plant, which is projected to turn out up to 70,000 trucks yearly for India’s roads.
Hero Group’s most recent turnover was more than 4 billion dollars annually. A joint venture between Hero and Honda is believed to be the world’s biggest manufacturer of motorcycles. (dpa)
Britney canoodles with toyboy backup dancer
April 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
London, Apr 15 (ANI): Pop star Britney Spears, who is reportedly smitten by her fine-looking back-up dancer Chase Benz, is said to have been spotted canoodling with him.
The ‘Hit Me Baby One more Time’ hitmaker has grown closer to Benz, and tends to follow him around on the sets of her Circus tour, reports British tabloid The Sun.
According to the Daily Mail, Britney was seen frolicking around half naked with Benz and getting pretty close to him.
What’s more is that recent information suggests that Britney has begun a relationship with Benz after meeting him on her Circus tour.
Benz has managed to bowl Britney over, as she loves his chiseled looks and ultra funny nature, which doesn’t fail to bring a smile on her face. (ANI)
Rooney loses one million pound Mercedes deal
April 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment
London, Apr 13 (ANI): Auto giant Mercedes-Benz in a cost-cutting measure has axed Wayne Rooney, leaving the millionaire English striker in a credit crunch.
The dad-to-be, 23, signed a one million pound two-year deal with the luxury car brand last summer, but was reportedly axed by the company last week in a cost-cutting measure.
As well as the cash, Wayne was also handed several top-of-the-range Mercedes to keep, along with a chauffeur-driven car to ferry him to engagements.
But now the Manchester United player may be forced to buy his own transport after losing the megabucks deal, it is claimed, the Daily Star reported.
A source at Mercedes said last night: “Wayne has been quietly dropped from Mercedes. We are not making a big deal about it. The company is making cutbacks and could not be seen to be paying 500,000 pounds a year for Wayne Rooney to endorse it.”
“Like everyone else, Mercedes is feeling the pinch, and cutting back on celebrity brand endorsement,” the source added.
When the Mercedes deal was announced last year many critics were surprised at the brand’s choice of ambassador.
Brand analyst Peter York said at the time: “Ordinarily you’d expect Mercedes to choose someone aspirational and classy to advertise its cars, and it’s fair to say that Wayne Rooney doesn’t fit into that category.”
Mercedes-Benz said on Sunday: “We never disclose details of arrangements made with individuals.” (ANI)
BMW CEO says used car values steadying -paper
April 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment
FRANKFURT, April 10 (Reuters) – German carmaker BMW’s (BMWG.DE) chief executive said residual values of used cars have been steadying since the beginning of this year, according to a newspaper interview.
“Prices for used cars in the United States and in Great Britain have stabilised. But I would not want to deduce a turnaround from that yet,” Norbert Reithofer told Sueddeutsche Zeitung in an interview to be published on Saturday.
Carmakers including Chrysler and General Motors (GM.N) have halted or cut back their leasing business because falling residual values of cars coming off leases can mean big losses.
BMW absorbed a 1.6 billion euros ($2.13 billion) hit last year after hiking provisions for risky leasing deals, substantially more than peer Daimler’s (DAIGn.DE) 465 million euros impairment charge.
In the global auto industry as a whole, Reithofer said he saw a recovery from 2010 that would strengthen in 2011.
“We are currently seeing a slight improvement, but we do not expect a significant market recovery this year.”
He said he expected that unit sales declines seen across the industry could remain in a double-digit percentage range throughout 2009.
He said BMW could weather the storm of the global economic crisis for a while longer thanks to more than 20 billion euros in equity capital.
“Hypothetically, we could manage one or two years with relatively high losses,” he said.
He also reiterated that he could imagine expanding BMW’s cooperation with Daimler to further parts of the business.
BMW has been pooling component purchases with Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz, but this encompassed less than 100 parts that are not relevant to the brand image.
Reithofer previously said he wanted to expand this cooperation wherever possible without diluting the strong differentiation in brands. ($1=.7530 euros) (Reporting by Maria Sheahan; editing by Mike Nesbit)
Japan’s imported vehicle sales down 24.8 per cent for fiscal year
April 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Tokyo – Imported vehicle sales in the past fiscal year plunged 24.8 per cent from the year before to 199,115 units, the Japan Automobile Importers Association said Monday.
Sales of vehicles made by foreign manufacturers dropped 22.2 per cent in the year that ended March 31 to 176,723 units while those produced abroad by Japanese makers nosedived 40.3 per cent to 22,392 units.
Volkswagen sold 40,661 units for the year, ranking at the top with a market share of 20.42 per cent, but its sales fell
21.2 per cent year-on-year.
Mercedes-Benz ranked second with a market share of 16.92 per cent, selling 33,686 units. Its sales were down 25.8 per cent from a year before.
BMW placed third with sales of 31,928 units, down 30.3 per cent, and with a market share of 16.03 per cent.
In March alone, imported vehicle sales fell 26.8 per cent to 23,218 units for the 11th-straight month of declines, the association said.
Sales of vehicles made by foreign firms dropped 26.7 per cent to 20,820 units while sales of vehicles made abroad by Japanese makers were down 27.6 per cent at 2,398 units.
Britney ‘dating’ her back-up dancer
April 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Washington, Apr 1 (ANI): Rumours are abuzz that Britney Spears is dating her 21-year-old back-up dancer named Chase Benz.
Benz serves as one of the ‘Toxic’ hitmaker’s back-up dancers on her ‘Circus’ tour, according to Star Magazine.
And while not much is known about Benz, his grandmother Elsie Mann has been quoted as telling the mag that he is ‘a true gentleman and has a big heart.” On Chase’s feeling toward Britney, he reportedly ‘just adores her,’ reports Fox News.
Speculation on Britney romancing Benz emerges after sources close to the singer denied that she is dating her talent agent Jason Trawick.
Rumours of the romance started making rounds after Britney was spotted enjoying a romantic meal with Trawick in between the singer’s Circus tour dates.
Reports suggested that the pair had recently begun dating, after four years of working together.
However, insiders dismissed the rumours, insisting the two share a purely professional and platonic relationship. (ANI)
Spears’ ex Adnan Ghalib faces 7yrs jail in hit-and-run case
February 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment
London, Feb 27 (ANI): Pop princess Britney Spears’ ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib may be jailed for up to seven years if he is convicted of trying to run over a court official, who was attempting to serve a restraining order obtained by the singer’s father.
Ghalib, 36, a Birmingham-born photographer, is alleged to have driven his car at the man while he was trying to serve a restraining order to keep him away from Spears, reports the Daily Star.
The court official jumped onto the bonnet of the Mercedes-Benz to avoid being pinned against a rubbish truck, and fell off and broke his wrist when the car was turned.
Los Angeles District Attorney’s spokeswoman Jane Robison alleged that Ghalib drove off without stopping, and left the official to his injuries.
The photographer was being served with the papers after he allegedly breached an order that prevents him from being within 500 yards of the Toxic singer.
Ghalib has now been charged with assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run and battery. (ANI)
Mercedes Benz inaugurates its first Indian assembly plant in Pune
February 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Chakan (Maharashtra), Feb 25 (ANI): It is ‘Curtains Up’ for Mercedes-Benz India’s assembly plant at Chakan near Pune to roll out the famed classic cars on Indian soil.
This manufacturing facility was formally inaugurated at a well attended function on Tuesday (February 24).
The new plant was completed in just over a year from the date its construction commenced.
According to the officials of the Mercedes-Benz India, a hall mark of this plant, spread over an area of 100 acres, is that it has been one of the fastest green-field projects executed in India.
Right from land acquisition to independent assembly facilities for passenger cars and commercial vehicles, the infrastructure was created to address future expansion needs, underscoring the long-term growth plans of the company in India.
The company will manufacture 5000 cars and 1200 commercial vehicle and will employ 500 technicians and allied workers.
Dr. (Ing) Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-Benz India said that this plant will mark the beginning of a new era for the company in India to see new products roll off the assembly line.
“It has been pretty fast construction. We started 13 months back. It is state-of-the-art assembly facility. It has standard processes and sets a bench mark both on the passenger car side in the commercial vehicle side. In terms of technology, it has the latest technology, latest measurement technology for example CMM machines, roller tester, high pressure, shower tester to make sure we can build the kind of cars, we have built in the past, even faster and even with higher quality,” said Dr. (Ing) Wilfried Aulbur.
He also mentioned that the company implemented shared services with its Bangalore operations and in the process of installing the first engineering team at the Chakan plant.
Mercedes-Benz had its first association with India in 1954 when it collaborated with Tata Engineering Locomotive Company (TELCO) for the production of trucks under the name Tata Mercedes-Benz (TMB) which ruled the Indian roads ferrying tonnes of freight. (ANI)
Mercedes Benz inaugurates its first Indian assembly plant in Pune
February 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Chakan (Maharashtra), Feb 25 (ANI): It is ‘Curtains Up’ for Mercedes-Benz India’s assembly plant at Chakan near Pune to roll out the famed classic cars on Indian soil.
This manufacturing facility was formally inaugurated at a well attended function on Tuesday (February 24).
The new plant was completed in just over a year from the date its construction commenced.
According to the officials of the Mercedes-Benz India, a hall mark of this plant, spread over an area of 100 acres, is that it has been one of the fastest green-field projects executed in India.
Right from land acquisition to independent assembly facilities for passenger cars and commercial vehicles, the infrastructure was created to address future expansion needs, underscoring the long-term growth plans of the company in India.
The company will manufacture 5000 cars and 1200 commercial vehicle and will employ 500 technicians and allied workers.
Dr. (Ing) Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-Benz India said that this plant will mark the beginning of a new era for the company in India to see new products roll off the assembly line.
“It has been pretty fast construction. We started 13 months back. It is state-of-the-art assembly facility. It has standard processes and sets a bench mark both on the passenger car side in the commercial vehicle side. In terms of technology, it has the latest technology, latest measurement technology for example CMM machines, roller tester, high pressure, shower tester to make sure we can build the kind of cars, we have built in the past, even faster and even with higher quality,” said Dr. (Ing) Wilfried Aulbur.
He also mentioned that the company implemented shared services with its Bangalore operations and in the process of installing the first engineering team at the Chakan plant.
Mercedes-Benz had its first association with India in 1954 when it collaborated with Tata Engineering Locomotive Company (TELCO) for the production of trucks under the name Tata Mercedes-Benz (TMB) which ruled the Indian roads ferrying tonnes of freight. (ANI)
Mercedes Benz inaugurates its first Indian assembly plant in Pune
February 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Chakan (Maharashtra), Feb 25 (ANI): It is ‘Curtains Up’ for Mercedes-Benz India’s assembly plant at Chakan near Pune to roll out the famed classic cars on Indian soil.
This manufacturing facility was formally inaugurated at a well attended function on Tuesday (February 24).
The new plant was completed in just over a year from the date its construction commenced.
According to the officials of the Mercedes-Benz India, a hall mark of this plant, spread over an area of 100 acres, is that it has been one of the fastest green-field projects executed in India.
Right from land acquisition to independent assembly facilities for passenger cars and commercial vehicles, the infrastructure was created to address future expansion needs, underscoring the long-term growth plans of the company in India.
The company will manufacture 5000 cars and 1200 commercial vehicle and will employ 500 technicians and allied workers.
Dr. (Ing) Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-Benz India said that this plant will mark the beginning of a new era for the company in India to see new products roll off the assembly line.
“It has been pretty fast construction. We started 13 months back. It is state-of-the-art assembly facility. It has standard processes and sets a bench mark both on the passenger car side in the commercial vehicle side. In terms of technology, it has the latest technology, latest measurement technology for example CMM machines, roller tester, high pressure, shower tester to make sure we can build the kind of cars, we have built in the past, even faster and even with higher quality,” said Dr. (Ing) Wilfried Aulbur.
He also mentioned that the company implemented shared services with its Bangalore operations and in the process of installing the first engineering team at the Chakan plant.
Mercedes-Benz had its first association with India in 1954 when it collaborated with Tata Engineering Locomotive Company (TELCO) for the production of trucks under the name Tata Mercedes-Benz (TMB) which ruled the Indian roads ferrying tonnes of freight. (ANI)
Mercedes Benz inaugurates its first Indian assembly plant in Pune
February 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Chakan (Maharashtra), Feb 25 (ANI): It is ‘Curtains Up’ for Mercedes-Benz India’s assembly plant at Chakan near Pune to roll out the famed classic cars on Indian soil.
This manufacturing facility was formally inaugurated at a well attended function on Tuesday (February 24).
The new plant was completed in just over a year from the date its construction commenced.
According to the officials of the Mercedes-Benz India, a hall mark of this plant, spread over an area of 100 acres, is that it has been one of the fastest green-field projects executed in India.
Right from land acquisition to independent assembly facilities for passenger cars and commercial vehicles, the infrastructure was created to address future expansion needs, underscoring the long-term growth plans of the company in India.
The company will manufacture 5000 cars and 1200 commercial vehicle and will employ 500 technicians and allied workers.
Dr. (Ing) Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-Benz India said that this plant will mark the beginning of a new era for the company in India to see new products roll off the assembly line.
“It has been pretty fast construction. We started 13 months back. It is state-of-the-art assembly facility. It has standard processes and sets a bench mark both on the passenger car side in the commercial vehicle side. In terms of technology, it has the latest technology, latest measurement technology for example CMM machines, roller tester, high pressure, shower tester to make sure we can build the kind of cars, we have built in the past, even faster and even with higher quality,” said Dr. (Ing) Wilfried Aulbur.
He also mentioned that the company implemented shared services with its Bangalore operations and in the process of installing the first engineering team at the Chakan plant.
Mercedes-Benz had its first association with India in 1954 when it collaborated with Tata Engineering Locomotive Company (TELCO) for the production of trucks under the name Tata Mercedes-Benz (TMB) which ruled the Indian roads ferrying tonnes of freight. (ANI)