This Hummer has Balls
The artwork is called Sugar-Coated, and it's a fullsize Humvee-shaped steel sculpture-that just happens to be stuffed with gumballs. It was created by artist Heidi Hesse as part of her Exporting Liberty exhibit. She says inspiration came from noticing all the candy-colored SUVs on U.S. suburban streets on the day the war began, specifically ones with military heritage (Hummer H2, anyone?). She was basically troubled by the commercialization of military vehicles as luxury/soccer-mom rides. Images and news footage of kids in war-torn areas collecting candy from U.S. soldiers also came into play.
To build it, wire mesh was tied to the frame in 3-inch intervals to prevent bulging, then from inside the Humvee, Heidi and crew inserted cupfuls of the gumballs through holes cut in the wire mesh. Completion of the project took six weeks, three welders, and around 20 museum staff and volunteers.
Sugar-Coated is for sale, by the way (heidihesse.com), but she encourages that it be for indoor display only. Don't get rid of your lawn troll just yet.
New Phrase
Commute Helper
An expression that came after a guy in San Francisco quit his job and started earning money by offering solo commuters his services as a passenger so drivers could use the carpool lane. He reportedly has been making $100-$300 per day. Hitchhiker stories that end with dismembered body parts in bushes don't come to mind for us either.
Are These the Halo Cars?
Business Week has compiled a list of what it thinks are automakers' halo vehicles. Halos tend to be more of a statement of what an automaker can do when designers and engineers have free reign. Some halos are wild concept vehicles (Challenger, Camaro), and sometimes they can be limited-edition, overpriced performance models. And every so often, they are the ones that save a flailing manufacturer's hide. But which production vehicles are/were deemed halos?
*Pontiac Solstice
*Saturn Sky
*Ford Thunderbird
*Ford GT
*Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
*Dodge Viper
*Mazda Miata
*Lincoln Navigator
*Chrysler 300
*Volkswagen Phaeton
*Toyota Prius
*Chevrolet Corvette
'Glad's Rambler!
Gooooo AMC!
Ask Dr. Z
Copycating former Chrysler TV-champ Lee Iacocca, DaimlerChrysler has now shoved its Chair into the spotlight for his 15 minutes. Dr. Dieter Zetsche has become pitchman for the automaker, appearing on the boob tube, in magazines, and pretty much anywhere your eyes land. At askdrz.com, there are questions and answers about vehicles and other company info; DCX spokesman Jason Vines told Detroit News that "Chrysler will assign a team of employees to answer questions." Hmmm, so much for asking Dr. Z. We found the answers pretty devoid of personality-maybe the team members need to first grow wacky mustaches.
Indy Limo
"I, just as Preston Tucker have believed in a brighter future .I believe that we are suppose to be driving hover cars and living on the moon by now (Blade Runner, 2001 Space Odyssey). Just thought you might have some readers that once believed in that too." [sic]
That's part of the letter we got from Mike Pettipas about "my company and my dream." He's an automotive designer and builder who has patented the street-legal Indy Limo. Check out the Indy-style car for yourself at indylimos.com.