Oh no! Did this Bentley Continental have to suffer?

I don't like body kits. I'm a very aesthetic person and a firm believer that not everything is made for everything. Which brings me back to my issue with body kits. On the right vehicle, it'll look great.... on the RIGHT vehicle.

While on Forgiato's site, I came across a once beautiful Bentley Continental GT, with some bad modifications. Body kits and luxury cars do not mix well together. I feel it cheapens the vehicle, and who wants to cheapen a $200,000 car? The only thing I like happens to be the wheels- Forgiato 22″ Ottos.

Have I mentioned lately how much I despise body kits? This was almost as heartbreaking as Robinson Cano putting a body kit on a Range Rover...

Meguiar's® Produces All-New Gold Class™ Premium Quik Detailer

As part of its 2012 new product lineup, Meguiar’s®, the worldwide leader in car care, introduced its all-new Gold Class™ Premium Quik Detailer®, designed to deliver that glossy, slick, just-detailed look in minutes.

As part of Meguiar’s® premium Gold Class™ line, this new detailer is formulated to work especially well on dark colors, excelling with black cars and is perfect for removing dust and fingerprints. Gold Class™ Premium Quik Detailer® leaves an ultra-slick, ultra-dark appearance and is safe to use on all paint finishes.

For those who want convenient, fast-touch ups while boosting their paint’s gloss, Meguiar’s® Gold Class™ Premium Quik Detailer® is the perfect way to maintain shine between washes and waxes. Simply mist on and wipe off with a premium microfiber towel like Meguiar’s® Supreme Shine™.

Available now at major retailers and auto enthusiast/specialty retailers nationwide in 22-oz. spray bottles, Meguiar’s® Gold Class™ Premium Quik Detailer® is available at major retailers and auto specialty stores nationwide.

Bernie's Favorite: All About Audi: Jadakiss

Photo spotted on kuhvet.com

And it's listed as my favorite not because of the All About Audi webseries, but because of the one who was driving the vehicle all over New York, Jadakiss.

The final installment of All About Audi was released on my birthday (January 26) starring one of my favorite, favorite industry guys, Jadakiss. If you had the pleasure of meeting him or spending time with him like I have, you'll understand why he is one of the most respected in the game. Watch the video below, and I'll give my usual criticism of the whole shebang.



To be perfectly honest with you, I only enjoyed this because of Jadakiss. Is it me or did they repeat the features of this car from previous episodes? If you're going to sell a car, there's more than just the options. Yeah the navigation where you use your finger to spell things out is interesting, but so is the horsepower, torque, top speed, 0-60, sound system, comfort of the seats, leg room, I could go on. It's like the slow-reading narrator is selling the options so you'll get the top of the line as opposed to the base model, but he's not selling Audi as a whole. Why should fans of hip-hop care about a car manufacturer that isn't popular within the hip-hop industry? That's what All About Audi was lacking. After watching all four episodes, I'm still not convinced that I would want an Audi, and I'm being real.

Jadakiss didn't play with the options, but he did say that he loves to drive and how amazing the steering wheel is (as he groped it) as well as the driving experience was so amazing that he forgot that it was raining.

I bet the narrator is cousins with the Audi salesman, that's the only reason they were able to get the clearence to do something like this.

P.S. The sound quality sucked.

Dresden Auto Designs presents New Berlin Edition Luxury Grille for Mercedes Benz Sprinter Vans

Now in production is Dresden Auto Design's New Berlin Edition Luxury Grille for the 2009-2012 Mercedes Benz Sprinter Vans. Grilles are designed to accept an OEM logo, (Not Included) and are engineered to simply Bolt in place of the factory grille.

Finishes Include:
Standard Finish – All Chrome or All Black: List Price $ 995.00
Optional Finish - Chrome w/ Black Mesh: List Price $ 1,095.00

Matching Hood cowls will be available by February 10th.

For more information, check out the official website of Dresden Auto Designs

Uh oh! Toyo Tires Recalled Certain Toyo Extensa A/S Tires!!!

Toyo Tire is recalling certain Toyo Extensa A/S tires, size P225/60R16 97T, produced from September 20, 2009, through November 6, 2010. Some of these tires may have been produced with a kink in the bead area. Under certain circumstances, the kink may eventually lead to a crack in the bead area, which is near the rim. If a crack develops and is left undetected, the tire may fail, potentially causing loss of vehicle control and a crash, which could result in injury or death.

The following model tire is included in this safety recall campaign:

Type: Toyo® Extensa® A/S
Size: P225/60R16 97T
TIN (Tire Identification Number): 73A6H2N3809 through 73A6H2N4410

The recall tires were manufactured at the Toyo Tires plant in Georgia, U.S.A., and can be identified by examining the sidewall stamping for the above information, and the "Made in U.S.A." mark. If the tire was manufactured before or after this period, or has the "Made in Japan" or "Made in China" mark on the sidewall, they are NOT being recalled.

There are approximately 68,763 tires covered by this campaign.

Toyo Tire will notify owners and replace the tires free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about February 2, 2012. Owners may contact Toyo Tire at 1-800-442-8696 (6:30am to 5pm Pacific time) (9:30am to 8pm Eastern time). For more information, A dedicated page at www.toyotires.com/recall-campaign provides information on this safety recall campaign including photos to assist in identifying recalled tires and instructions on how to return recalled tires.

New BM Series by Savini Forged Wheels

Savini Forged Wheels released a promo piece about their new BM Series Wheels.

For more information about the new BM Series, check out their official website at SaviniForged.com

Bernie's Favorite: Wald Porsche Panamera Black Bison Edition

Wald International has come out with another Black Bison kit and this time for the Porsche Panamera.

The modifications include the normal front & rear bumper, rear wheel arch extensions, side skirts, and rear boot spoiler, with Carbon fibre detailing to the front splitter and the Rear Diffuser, Finishing off the car it sits on their 22” wheels, sports suspension and the all important Signature Wald exhaust tips.

The overall package is very sleek and typical Wald high end quality, can’t help thinking with a better choice of wheel this would be one amazing looking Panamera.

And by now, you should know I love a stealth, blacked out vehicle.

2005 Chrysler 300C once owned by President Obama on sale for $1 million...

One of my favorite sites, autoblog.com, stumbled across this little gem. Apparently one ebay user decided to part ways with a Chrysler 300C... that once belonged to the President of the US, Barack Obama back when he was Senator of Illnois. According to the seller- "We have the original paperwork and the title showing this vehicle was actually used by Barack. 19,000 miles driven by the Obama - many highway miles back & forth to Springfield while he was an Illinois State Senator.

Obama received a lot of negative media attention regarding his gas guzzling V8 Hemi. He drove this Chrysler 300C from July 2004 through the summer of 2007. He put over 19,000 miles on it before trading it for a 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid."

There's no aftermarket wheels, tires, audio system, nothing. The only thing you're paying for is President Obama's butt print on the seat.

What a ripoff... but you have to give President Obama credit. At least he drove an American car. Check out the ebay listing here...

ADV.1 Wheels Shows off a Lexus IS-F

The guys at ADV.1 Wheels released shots of a Lexus IS-F. According to ADV.1, the owner ordered up a set of 20″ TRAKfunction’s. This gorgeous set of matte gunmetal ADV5.0TF’s offsets the black IS-F perfectly.

I have to admit, it does look adorable. I always had a thing for the Lexus IS, GS, and RX....

David Beckham Unloads Fully Customized Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe

After years of driving around LA, David Beckham made the ultimate decision to sell his fully customized Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe. According to Celebrity Cars Blog.com, he bought it in June 2008, customized it, and is now selling it with a little under 6,000 miles.

How customized is it? Well, I'm glad you asked. According to the seller- Towbin Motorcars in Las Vegas, Becks had EVERYTHING on the Exterior of this PHANTOM has been Blacked-Out, from the R/R 'Spirit of Ecstasy' hood ornament, the Grilles, all the trim pieces, as well as the Custom 24-inch Wheels. The interior is covered in luxurious and classy CREME LIGHT Leather. There is even a custom installed Multi-Media TV/DVD Entertainment unit built into the front seatback.

And they're only asking a mere $389,888. For more details, check out Towbin's listing, and further instructions are listed. However, if your house costs less than this vehicle or 50% more than this vehicle, then do not entertain the thought of contact Towbin Motorsports. I'm only saving you from getting your feelings hurt.

This Rolls Royce is gorgeous, even if it's a Phantom.

Update: Bernie's Top 5 Picks from the 2012 Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction

As we speak, the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction is still going on in Scottsdale, Arizona. Money's being spent and cars are being purchased. Through their site, I was able to see what's on the chopping block, and offer my opinion of what's being sold.

Recently I was just turned onto the magic of the Barrett-Jackson auction, and they offer some great cars for you to purchase. Most importantly, it gives you that opportunity to own your dream old school car, those vintage, hard to find vehicles can literally be found under one roof. There were many vehicles and one old school John Deere tractor for sale, but I was able to pick my personal favorite from the bunch...

I'm not going to lie, I would gladly take Bret Michael's Bentley Continental off of his hands... after a full detail. (After all, he did have three seasons of Rock of Love.) The car has been sold for $128,700.00- well above the Blue Book value for an 8 year old car. Also his 2004 Lincoln Navigator went for $29,000- again- well above the Blue Book value for an 8 year old SUV.

A 1955 Chevy Bel-Air Hardtop. One of many Bel-Airs for sale, however, there's something about powder blue cars from the 1950's that just stand out. This beautiful car- whitewalls and all sold for $44,000.00. I would look so cute driving around Compton-- I mean-- Los Angeles in this.

1966 Ford Mustang GT Fastback... but the color has to GO!!!! Lime Green??? This car sold for $34,100.00. (**Note: Certain colors irk me when I see them on cars. Just because it's available as a Crayola Crayon, it wouldn't look good on a 3,000+ piece of metal on four wheels). An adorable car that had to suffer, I really hope this was the original color...

1951 Ford Crestline 2 Door Sedan. My god, this is beautiful. Get this, the color isn't a typical one, but it fits. It compliments the car, and it's called Hawaiian Bronze and Mahogany. 1951 was a very good year- it was the year my mother was born AND in that same year, I Love Lucy debuted. Sadly, this car was sold for only $22,000, and that was a bargain.

1955 Ford Crown Victoria 2 Door Hardtop. First and foremost, I'm probably one of the few chicks who can say that pink is not my number one color. I like black, white, and silver. But like I've said earlier in this post, certain colors work on 1950's cars that wouldn't really work on a modern vehicle. I've fallen in love, but I'm not abandoning my dream of having a Star Chief. Unfortunately, this car was snatched up for $18,700. That means I won't be cruising on the 405 in this, listening to Jadakiss.

After seeing these vehicles, I wouldn't mind attending a Barrett-Jackson auction and they give out media passes. But I'm well aware that I'll stick out like a sore thumb. I need to plan a trip to the auction to take photos...

Update: Butler Tire Shows off a Fully Customized BMW 535i...

The guys at Butler Tire continue doing what they do best: customizing great cars. Before, I brought to you one of their previous work of art: a Dodge Challenger, but this time, they're showing off a fully customized 2011 BMW 535i M-Sport. Let's check the specs, shall we?

Make: 2011 BMW 535i M-Sport
Wheels: Dub.1One Seven
Finish: Brushed/Polished w/Chrome Lip
Wheel Size Front: 21x9
Wheel Size Rear: 21x10.5
Tire Size Front: 255.30.21
Tire Size Rear: 295.25.21
Suspension: AC Schnitzer Lowering Springs
Exhaust: Remus Performance Exhaust
Software: PP Performance Software
Accessories: BMW Performance Black Grilles
Body: AC Schnitzer Decklid Spoiler
Body: AC Schnitzer Roof Wing
Body: Smoked Rear Tail Lights
Body: Smoked Rear Bumper Reflectors
Body: Painted Front Reflectors

Had to update this post since I thought the car was for sale. Sorry...

ADV.1 Wheels shows off a Lamborghini Gallardo

The guys at ADV.1 Wheels released shots of a Lamborghini Gallardo, painted in a gorgeous blue, wearing their 20″ ADV5.2.1 SuperLight wheels. Check this out...

You know I love great automotive photography.

New York Auto Show will have a new home... In Queens.

(Photo found on NYPI.net and this is the nicest I've ever seen the Javits Center)

According to the New York Times, the beloved Jacob Javits Convention Center has hit the end of the road. Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced that New York's Main convention center is on the chopping block. Well, what does this have to do with automotives? The Jacob Javits Convention Center has been the home of the New York International Auto Show since 1988.

The Javits Convention Center has been problematic for over a decade. First New York wanted to expand it, then they wanted to remodel it, now they're giving up on it. The best quote to describe the Convention Center is: “It’s just such an awful building that the only reason to keep it would be as a monument to stupidity,” by Mark Wigley, the dean of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.

(Photo from gobbidesign.com)

I'm going to be honest, it's an ugly building. However, you can't beat the location, especially for all of the conventions that New York hosts. It's up the street from Bentley of Manhattan, Chelsea Piers, Meatpacking District, a few blocks over from Whino Central (Port Authority), not far from Penn Station, and a hop, skip, and a jump away from Times Square. It's ideal for tourists/those in NY for business because if you stay in midtown or in Times Square, you're literally RIGHT THERE. You could walk (Midtown Manhattan is very safe, and I'm not being sarcastic.) or take a short cab ride.

So the question is: Where will NYIAS be held? Get this: Governor Cuomo also announced the arrival of a new convention center along with commercial and residental property... at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens. I've lived in New York for many years. The only reason why New York City has money is because of the tourists, and NYIAS and other conventions do bring out of state traffic into the city. Why build Javits Center replacement in a part of Queens that's not easily accessible? Granted Ozone Park isn't far from JFK airport, but trust me when I say that staying in Queens or Brooklyn isn't ideal for a tourist- unless if you have $500 a week for taxi fare.

New York needs to take a page from Los Angeles and carefully plan the events that take place in Madison Square Garden. The Staples Center houses every single sports team in Los Angeles as well as Car Shows, Auto Shows, Conventions, AND Concerts. The Staples Center is practically open 365 days, and MSG doesn't hold nearly as many events.

The last part of this post is very opinionated, and feel free to send this to Andrew Cuomo. The only perk to going to Ozone Park is that it's a Mafia-influenced area, if you're into that sort of thing.

2Crave Presents Black Diamond No. 9 Wheel

Luckily I'm a pretty resourceful person, so that's why I was able to add 2Crave onto my radar (since they won't send me information about new wheels). 2Crave released some info about one of their popular line of wheels- Black Diamond, design number 9.

Black Diamond No 9 are available in 20 x 8.0 and 22 x 8.0.

For more information about these wheels, contact 2Crave at their official site (2Crave.com).

New Dust V2.0 Deep Concave Wheel by Blaque Diamond

Blaque Diamond released shots of their new Dust V2.0 Deep Concave Wheel. Check it out...