How to Make Casa Sanchez Salsa

I'm addicted to Casa Sanchez chips and salsa. Here is how they make the salsa. Check out how much salt they use. No wonder I'm thirsty after I eat the stuff.

CKY

Fiat Shellette Beach Car

I have never been a big fan of beach cars. The most popular was the Fiat Jolly. Coachbuilder Ghia lopped off the tops of Fiat 500s, added some wicker chairs, and sold them to millionaires who used them on their yachts or Mediterranean estates.

But yesterday, while skimming through the NYT Sunday magazine, I saw an odd, and yet strangely beautiful, beach car. It was a lime green Fiat Shellette. The current owner, designer Philippe Starck, is seen behind the driver's wicker chair with his girlfriend/wife, a Frida Kahlo lookalike, standing in the foreground. The car used to belong to soprano Maria Callas.

The Fiat Shellette is a masterpiece. The wheels are the only giveaway that the car is a Fiat. Everything else is unique, understated, and elegant. The rigid but flowing lines of the non-existent door opening. The grill-less amphi-car front end. The subtle crease that bisects the car from the front fender to the rear bumper. It's just pure awesome.



CKY

Bad News: Oprah Giving Away VW Routan Minivan

As a part of Oprah's Summer Giveaway, Oprah is giving away one (1) VW Routan minivan, which is essentially a leather-clad Chrysler. This is not a good sign for VW. The last cars Oprah gave away were Pontiac G6s. That model ended up being a commercial flop and Pontiac is now officially dead.

The Grand Prize is a trip for four to see Oprah's show. Apparently, that is more valuable than the minivan. Speaks volumes about the vehicle, and Oprah's ego.

CKY

Kazakhstan ChevWrong Poster

More (Burma, Canada, Iraq, USA, Ecuador, Philippines, and Nigeria) here.

CKY

South Carolina And Georgia BMW Police Cars

Speaking of BMW police cars, here are a couple that got some regular use by real cops in the States.

A few 5 series BMWs were donated to the South Carolina highway patrol as a goodwill gesture by BMW when its factory opened there.


A few of these tiny 3 series were donated by BMW North America to the Georgia state police during the Atlanta Olympic games.


CKY

South Carolina BMW Factory / Zentrum Closed!

BMW Fire Department

I am taking a week off for an East Coast road trip. I had planned on visiting the BMW factory and museum in South Carolina. The museum (called Zentrum for some reason) contains old motorbikes, stock cars, antiques, and a BMW Williams F1 racer. I was also going to go on a guided factory tour. The large campus has its own police and fire departments. The highlight, I had hoped, was seeing perhaps a BMW police car from its own police department.

But alas, I just checked the website to book the tour. It is closed for the entire week of June 22, the week of my roadtrip. Maybe next time. But when (and why) am I ever going to be in South Carolina?

CKY

Porsche 911 Nurburgring Times By Walter Rohrl

In the July 2009 issue of Automobile, there is a sidebar which contains the Nurburgring lap times of the various Porsche models, as driven by uber-driver Walter Rohrl.

• 911 Carrera, 345hp (8:05)
• 911 Carrera S with Sport package, 385hp (7:56)
• 911 Turbo, 480hp (7:50)
• 911 GT3, 435hp (7:40)
• 911 GT2, 530hp (7:32)
• Carrera GT, 605hp (7:31)

Here is a tribute to Walter Rohrl. His footwork, car control, and accomplishments are unparalleled.

CKY

Taxis From Around the World (Part 10)

153. Mauritius (Toyota)

154. Vanuatu (Daewoo)

155. Trinidad and Tobago (Mercedes)

156. Slovenia (Seat)

157. Rwanda (Toyota)

158. North Korea (Volvo)

159. Montenegro (Lada)

160. Moldova (Skoda)

161. Maldives (Toyota)

162. Kazakhstan (Volga)

163. Guinea (Renault)

164. Grenada (Toyota)

Tally:
Buick: 1
Chevy: 3
BYD: 1
Dacia: 1
Daewoo: 1
Fiat: 4
Ford: 2
GAZ: 1
Hindustan: 1
Honda: 3
Hyundai: 4
IZH: 2
Lada: 6
London cab: 2
Mazda: 1
Mercedes: 31
Mitsubishi: 1
Nissan: 4
Opel: 2
Paykan: 1
Peugeot: 14
Proton: 1
Renault: 5
Seat: 1
Skoda: 2
Suzuki: 1
Toyota: 46
Volga: 6
VW: 11
Volvo: 2
ZAZ: 1

CKY

Random Monaco GP & Indy 500 Thoughts

Monaco GP
1. Did the F1 drivers really petition to take that Martini billboard with Jessica Pace down because it was a distraction?
2. Jenson Button sure sounded like Austin Powers after he won the race when he roared: "Monaco, baby, yeah!"
3. I've never seen Kimi so happy at a post-race interview session.

Indy 500
1. Kind of funny that the driver of the car sponsored by the United States Air Force is Brazilian.
2. How is having women in racing setting a good example for girls when they all seem to be in advertisements involving bikinis or suggestive innuendo?
3. They sure do crash into the wall a lot.

CKY

Adam Carolla's Car Collection

Adam Carolla and his Datsun 510 and Porsche 911 RS replica

Funny man Adam Carolla just posted some pictures of his garage remodel. His fans are well aware of this car nut's growing collection.

Miura with the hood up and an Aston DB9 in the foreground.

Not quite sure, but that might be his Lamborghini 350GT or Islero in the foreground.

Now this is quite a find. Carolla keeps most of his cars in a warehouse in Burbank. Here is a tour of it with (ahem) Carson Daly.

A quick glimpse reveals: a Mini Cooper S, a Cobra (probably a replica), the 350GT, a Jaguar XJR, a first generation M3, an Islero, and a yellow Ferrari 308GT4 (like the one Hammond drove in the 1970s cheap Italian supercar challenge).

CKY