(crisp angles)

Pass Masters 2010

2010-07-10T09:16:00.001-07:00

The inaugural annual tradition- this year's epic event took us from Munich through the Swiss and Austrian Alps down into Lake Garda, Italy over The Stelvio Pass.

'68 312 F1

2009-08-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

FDeez..

2009-04-03T13:38:00.001-07:00

the ///Madness continues..

2009-03-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

2009-03-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

more //M

2008-11-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

best video ever.

2008-11-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

old track pictures...

2008-11-09T15:21:00.001-08:00

Revenge of the Smart.

2008-11-02T15:03:00.001-08:00

You'll never look at Smartcars the same ever again.

Vintage rally footage

2008-11-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

Vintage Lancia and Quattro. Insane how close the spectators are to the cars...

M5 rims photoshop

2008-10-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

testing..

T36 pre-vis..

2008-10-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

quick shopped bunk-alias...

moving day

2008-09-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

to LA before Berlin.

M Thizzle.

2008-08-22T17:22:00.000-07:00

Yay-yeah. My 20 year life goal was realized last week, when I finally picked up my 6MT M3 Coupe. Words are futile in expressing the degree of infinite awesomeness that is this car. The experience of pushing this car in the mountains is near divinity- an indescribable ecstacy that seriously rivals mediocre sex. I've put 1000 miles on the clock in the past 7 days. My name is Jon, and I am addicted to ///M.

turntable.

2008-06-24T20:44:00.000-07:00

Low quality evaluation shot- rotates a bit too quickly, but here it is anyways.

test..

2008-06-23T05:10:00.000-07:00

An interesting article I stumbled across on burntpickle.com- I'm reposting it in its entirety. I scored a 40.

This little personality test only takes a couple minutes to complete and is dead-on accurate.

I first saw this thing posted on a webmaster message board. Several people took it and we all agreed that it was damn accurate. The test was created by Dr. Phil and is used by the HR departments of some major corporations. At least that’s what a search on Google told me.

Don’t be overly sensitive! Be honest and answer the questions for who you are now. Not who you were in the past or who you want to become in the future.

This personality test consists of ten simple questions. Grab a pen and paper to keep track of your answers to each question.

Ready?

Begin…

1. When do you feel your best?
a) in the morning
b) during the afternoon &and early evening
c) late at night

2. You usually walk…
a) fairly fast, with long steps
b) fairly fast, with little steps
c) less fast head up, looking the world in the face
d) less fast, head down
e) very slowly

3. When talking to people you…
a) stand with your arms folded
b) have your hands clasped
c) have one or both your hands on your hips
d) touch or push the person to whom you are talking
e) play with your ear, touch your chin, or smooth your hair

4. When relaxing, you sit with…
a) your knees bent with your legs neatly side by side
b) your legs crossed
c) your legs stretched out or straight
d) one leg curled under you

5. When something really amuses you, you react with…
a) big appreciated laugh
b) a laugh, but not a loud one
c) a quiet chuckle
d) a sheepish smile

6. When you go to a party or social gathering you…
a) make a loud entrance so everyone notices you
b) make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know
c) make the quietest entrance, trying to stay unnoticed

7. You’re working very hard, concentrating hard, and you’re interrupted…
a) welcome the break
b) feel extremely irritated
c) vary between these two extremes

8. Which of the following colors do you like most?
a) Red or orange
b) black
c) yellow or light blue
d) green
e) dark blue or purple
f) white
g) brown or gray

9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to sleep you are…
a) stretched out on your back
b) stretched out face down on your stomach
c) on your side, slightly curled
d) with your head on one arm
e) with your head under the covers

10. You often dream that you are…
a) falling
b) fighting or struggling
c) searching for something or somebody
d) flying or floating
e) you usually have dreamless sleep
f) your dreams are always pleasant

POINTS:
1. (a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 6
2. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 7 (d) 2 (e) 1
3. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 5 (d) 7 (e) 6
4. (a) 4 (b) 6 (c) 2 (d) 1
5. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 2
6. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 2
7. (a) 6 (b) 2 (c) 4
8. (a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 5 (d) 4 (e) 3 (f) 2 (g) 1
9. (a) 7 (b) 6 (c) 4 (d) 2 (e) 1
10. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 6 (f) 1

Now add up the total number of points.

OVER 60 POINTS: Others see you as someone they should “handle with care.” You’re seen as vain, self-centered, and who is extremely dominant. Others may admire you, wishing they could be more like you, but don’t always trust you, hesitating to become too deeply involved with you.

51 TO 60 POINTS: Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality; a natural leader, who’s quick to make decisions, though not always the right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome, someone who will try anything once; someone who takes chances and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you radiate.

41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting; someone who’s constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to their head. They
also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding; someone who’ll always cheer them up and help them out.

31 TO 40 POINTS: Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who’s extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expect the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over if that trust is ever broken.

21 TO 30 POINTS: Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It would really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment, expecting you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then, usually decide against it. They think this reaction is caused partly by your careful nature.

UNDER 21 POINTS: People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive, someone who needs looking after, who always wants someone else to make the decisions & who doesn’t want to get involved with anyone or anything! They see you as a worrier who always sees problems that don’t exist. Some people think you’re boring. Only those who know you well know that you aren’t.

Oprah scored a 38.
Dr. Phil scored a 55.

PETA BS

2008-06-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

This is awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9ijLulwUTY

Hλιος

2008-06-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

Hλιος.

Also known as Titan or Hyperian, Helios Panoptes is the Greek mythological character, the Sun God. Known to the Romans as Sol Invictus, we know Helios as the offspring of the new American Car designer, Krisp Angles.

Taken inspiration from the sunny locale of Miami's South Beach, Helios personifies not only the sun drenched lifestyle, but also a new American Muscle attitude; infused with sophistication normally reserved for British ultra-luxury marques.

Update on the muscle car..

2008-06-15T17:23:00.001-07:00

Now, before the comments about how "this is too finicky" or "that is too aftermarket," or "this is too kitsch" start flowing in, I must admit that this is a bit of a step backwards for me.

I'm a bit surprised myself, actually.

Comaston 'Mero

2008-06-09T21:48:00.001-07:00

Here's a sneak peek.

Somehow, my creativity has been completely replaced by this strange need to replicate muscle car attitude...

Bomb It.

2008-05-06T02:16:00.000-07:00

"The greatest public art movement of all time."

A good friend of mine (and great trans designer from ACCD) posted this short promo for a graffiti documentary on her blog- and being inspired by graffiti as a youngin' myself- I had to share it on mine as well... Funny how all my friends from the Academy- all super-competent professionals in their respective fields now- have been inspired or influenced by this movement. I know I have.

http://sitela.org/?author=10

Design Democracy

2008-05-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

I suppose my last blog ruffled some feathers with the nice people over at Local Motors, and reading it now, I think it came off the wrong way, and probably misinterpreted a bit..

Advancement in any design field is the introduction of new, fresh ideas.

When an optimistically minded architect known as Frank Lloyd Wright started to challenge conventional building technique with his controversial designs, creative engineers overcame the obstacles by creating new solutions. When the revolutionary Bangle-Hooydonk era arrived, the design world was turned upside down. Consumers actually went out of their way to recruit as many signatures as possible to oust the daring design chief. Now, we see every car company taking cues from those "bangled 7's." Even Mercedes Benz- the company that invented the automobile- is following in their wake. New designs that push us out of our comfort zone- usually at first glance will make us uncomfortable- but in the long run, will ultimately be incorporated into the design vocabulary by future designers. However, people in general are sheep- they are comfortable with what they know, and will generally follow the herd.

I do believe that there is a chance for Local Motors to accomplish something- the degree of revolution has yet to be determined.

Design Democracy?

Design democracy is an interesting concept that I've been pondering for years now. One one hand, public opinion results are always skewed -the accurate representation of public opinion is compromised by a number of factors, ie.. anyone willing to register 50 different email addresses, and subsequently, votes in their favor. At worst- it becomes a popularity contest. There needs to be a final say- such as in the judicial system, where the jury votes, then the Judge makes the final decision. On the other hand, the idea that "by letting everyone voice their opinion, fresh ideas may come about as a result" can not be refuted.

Design vs Art

What's the difference between design and art? Those two words seem to be inextricably combined when it comes to the design field. To answer this, I studied under Tom Matano for six years- and when I finally found the answer, it shocked me.

Design is a pragmatic solution to a problem that either does or doesn't exist yet. This is often misconstrued with the passionate regurgitation of existing designs- artistic, self-expression- the antithesis of a pragmatic solution. The majority of transportation design students will eventually make the transition from the the latter to the first- and once the concept is understood, their self-expression will be marketable.

In the end, is this democratic car company stagnating or advancing design? I feel it has the capacity to do both. In my earlier blogging, I mentioned that "by aiming for design democracy, I feel that Local Motors is not actually advancing design, but rather stagnating it a bit by giving power to the people." By this statement, I do not mean they're killing design, I simply mean the advancement may not be as advanced as many hope, IF the power to decide is given to the everyman...

Frog SUV?

2008-04-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

Stupid Useless Vehicle.

So after receiving an email from Jay at Local Motors (an ambitious new car company) regarding his hope that I will regurgitate my Frog into an SUV for their current competition, I've sidetracked from my recent lethargic state and given it some thought. Two weeks worth, actually- and 3 days for the crap model. Being lazy- and by lazy I mean "professionally efficient"- I went from two dirty sketches right into alias- no flashy/ colorful/ warm-cool/ art center-style renderings here. Eff that- no time for that crap...

I have to apologize for my lack of proficiency in AliasStudio- the model is admittedly crap in terms of surface quality.

Speaking of Local Motors.. Pretty interesting concept, actually- "bring democracy to car design." Though by aiming for design democracy, I feel they're not actually advancing design, but rather stagnating it a bit by giving power to the people. I am excited by their enthusiasm, though. All correspondence has been extremely friendly and enthusiastic. I wish them luck...

local-motors.com

ps. vote for mine please.

The Fix Daily

2008-04-29T21:59:00.000-07:00

My ongoing love-hate relationship with the twin turbo 13B rotary. How genius is Tom? (matano)

A quick Sunday jaunt through Paradise Road loop in Tiburon.

Fairfax-Bolinas Drive!

2008-04-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Time to dust off the Z and explore unknown twisties.

Thanks to google, I was able to find this excluded road not far from my parent's house. Though it was the twistiest piece of road I could find on google, it proved to be less challenging than the map otherwise suggested. Oh well. At least the elevation changes made it worthwhile, though it was bumpier than I would have liked. Not a great coilover road, but excellent for it's scenic views.

T36 progress...

2008-03-18T18:48:00.001-07:00

aero what?

2008-03-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

No, it's not a magazine, and yes, I am literate. (like an elementary school book report, haha)

Competition Car Aerodynamics, by Simon McBeath.

Read it.

DO IT. Do it.

This literary masterpiece is an eye opener if you have any interest in the factors that dictate those complex shapes in F1 or Le Mans. Despite the dry reading at times- it basically is a physics book afterall- I consumed most of the book like a fat chick on cake. Terminology is explained in plain english to schmoes like you or me, and the concepts are all extremely easy to understand. Always wanted to know more about Bernoulli's Theorem, Anhedrals, Dynamic Pressure, Pressure gradients and Reynolds numbers? Yes, yes, and yes please.

Surprisingly, a lot of the aero devices in use in competitive motorsports are actually NOT engineered to be the most aerodynamically efficient- a ton of it is to satisfy FIA regulatory requirements intended on DECREASING downforce, not to mention increase advertisement space. Who woulda thought? Further coolness points for the brief introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). (damn those 8th term Art Center kids.. getting to work with BMW on CFD studies this term. *grumble grumble*)

And if you still can't get enough, or just want to look at pretty pictures and aren't literate- go to Mulsanne's Corner. (warning- you'll waste away your entire work day...) What a frickin Jenius. (with a capital "j")

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/

F1, Le Mans, and Super GT!!! yay-yeah.

2008-03-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

Yes.

908 HDi vs R10 TDI.

ALMS- Peugeot beats out Audi for pole, then loses it due to a technicality because of Madza. I know, it's crap.

starting grid for tomorrow..

1 Capello/Kristensen/McNish (Audi R10 TDI), 1m 43.195s
2 Minassian/Sarrazin/Lamy (Peugeot), 1m 44.271s
3 Luhr/Rockenfeller/Werner (Audi R10 TDI), 1m 45.090s
4 Dumas/Bernhard/Collard (Porsche), 1m 45.220s
5 Maassen/Long/Briscoe (Porsche), 1m 45.999s
6 Fernandez/Diaz (Acura/Honda), 1m 46.029s
7 Franchitti/Leitzinger/Lally (Porsche), 1m 46.348s
8 Herta/Fittipaldi/Andretti (Acura/Honda), 1m 46.632s
9 Field/Field/Berry (Lola), 1m 47.358s
10 Smith/Dyson (Porsche), 1m 47.567s

also-

51: percentage of ALMS fans between 25 and 49
48.3:percentage of ALMS fans with an income of $90,000 or higher

http://americanlemans.com/assets/pdfs/TheAmericanLeMansSeries.pdf

What else is going on this weekend? F1! And Super GT! (!!)

...stupid Speedvision and their coverage of mostly middle-america-moonshinerunning- i mean Nascar.. rumor has it that they are no longer covering WRC either.. (after the demise of DTM coverage I didn't think my angst would be any worse..) Their sellout status is only second to Ferrari.. (which aids my slow conversion to Lambo fan instead.. but that's another blog alltogether)

Million in cash.

2008-03-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

Here's what it looks like.

Rotary

2008-03-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

Since I have this ongoing love/hate rotary affair going on since 2000.. (Second motor, third set of turbos- now going on fourth..)

2008-03-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

..old crap, and some newer old crap.

le frog.

2008-03-12T21:47:00.000-07:00

A quick preview.

old crap.

2008-03-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

From Audi DCC..

Too conservative, too boring.

My attempt at making a student project different from all the rest. I figure everyone does a "student-y" crazy, non-logical, pie-in-the-sky, abstract brain hemorrhage that they consider to be innovative car design. Mine is the opposite. Now that I look at it, maybe I should jump on the aforementioned bandwagon too... (stay tuned for the frog)

Yay-yeah.

2008-03-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

New year, new job, new blog..

So this is my half-assed attempt at keeping motivated- no doubt inspired by everyone else's blogging.

After interning for almost two years with V-dub at DCC and DCP, I've taken a job with Vdub at their HQ in Wolfsburg. This blog should bore you with what I'm currently up to- hopefully in areas other than car design...