LA Auto Show Kicks-off the Shopping Season!

Here, just in time for the holiday shopping season is the LA Auto Show. Now that the LA show moved from January to early December, we all have a chance to promise that special person in our lives something special in the driveway. Although LA has become somewhat of a US Auto design center (regardless of Lincoln/Mercury's retreat a few years ago), we expect that Detroit in January will still be the dominant auto show player with more debuts and more concepts. Afterall, LA may have Santa Monica Boulevard but only Detroit has Woodward Avenue!

I was just beginning to do my Christmas shopping and so the LA Show seemed like the ideal time to check off a few names on the list...For my wife, Karen, who is a big Acura enthusiast and loves her latest TL, I picked up an Acura Advanced Sedan Concept. Acura thinks that the Advanced Sedan Concept will be the ultimate luxury car in 2020. Since Karen's TL is only "near luxury" I think she'll like this addition to the garage.




Gee, its the same silver color as her current Acura but seems much happier with that big smile. That is something that the Japanese learned a few years ago and the Americans still have not figured out (Except Cadillac). Give the car a smile and it will make car buyer happy. I hope Karen likes the Advanced Sedan Concept.

For my brother, Jeff, who already has a small collection started (53 Buick Skylark, 56 T-bird, 63 Buick Riviera and 91 Buick Reatta) I picked out a nice BMW Hydrogen 7 sedan. This bi-fuel V-12 beast won't save the environment but once you get past the fear of exploding like a hydrogen bomb (there, I said what a lot of people are thinking) it could be a very nice addition to his barn.



Finally, for my daughter, Caryn, who is opening a pizza shop in Boston's Back Bay, I picked out a nice little Hyundai HCD-10 Hellion concept. This three door SUV is small enough to navigate Boston's crowded streets (and sidewalks if necessary) and get those pizzas to hungry college kids while they are still hot! (the pizzas, that is.)

That is all the shopping that I did and the good news is that I spent not a dime. The concept cars are just for show and BMW will only be shipping 100 Hydrogen 7's to the US and I'm down at the bottom of the waiting list!

Thanks for your interest and please drive safely!
Jim

Giving Thanks

Folks,

Thanksgiving comes just once a year but I have to tell you that there is not a day that goes by that I don't feel grateful for the opportunity to do what I love for folks like you and to do it with people I love. At my family's Thanksgiving table we have a tradition in which we go around the table with each person indicating something for which they are thankful. We might go around two or three times, which barely scratches the surface of the many things for which each of us can feel grateful.

Here is a short list of some of the things relating to WheelsTV for which I am most thankful...

1. I am thankful for having the opportunity to work with a great bunch of guys and gals...Lehel, Albert, Michael B, Michael I, John, Theresa, Lukas, Collin, Ben, Bill and Steve. Without them, WheelsTV would not exist!

2. I am thankful for the enthusiastic support of our growing WheelsTV community with folks from all over the world visiting the network and enjoying our programming...Australia, Korea, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, India, Mexico...just about wherever there is an internet connection someone is enjoying automotive programming presented by WheelsTV.net!

3. I am thankful for the professional help of Dan L., Mike A., Bill S., Bob G., Greg G., Tony B., Kathy W. and Joan M.; all of whom have lent their skills to the growth of WheelsTV.

4. I am thankful for our many clients who license and air our Top 200 test drives: AOL, Vehix, Google, Comcast, Akimbo, ROO and many more.

5. But most of all I am thankful for my family who have believed in what we are doing and tolerated the long hours and sleepless nights as WheelsTV was born and grew: My wife, Karen; my brothers Jerry and Jeff; my children: Caryn, Eric, Vanessa, Jay and Nicole; and my dad, Jim, who always encouraged me to stick with it.

I know that this sounds a little sentimental but, as I said, we only get one Thanksgiving a year! Thanks to each of you for coming to WheelsTV.net and enjoying and supporting what we do! We have lots more to do so watch us grow and enjoy the ride!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jim

Two Great New Channels!

Gather round folks. WheelsTV has two new motorsports channels for you. If you've ever thought about trying your hand at competitive motorsports and if you've ever bent the speed laws just a bit, you'll appreciate the US Touring Car Championship. This is racing like it used to be. Real street machines and real people racing for the fun of it. No big crowds...no big purses. Just pure adrenaline pumping action! Here is a description right out of the NASA, National Auto Sport Association website: http://www.nasaproracing.com/proracing/ustcc.html "USTCC is a series for sport compact sedans such as the Honda Civic, Acura integral, BMW 3-series, audio A4, Subaru Impreza WRX, Mazda 626, Dodge Neon and Volkswagen Jetta using nearly stock four- and six-cylinder engines...This series is extremely popular with racers, fans and sponsors alike. For more information visit www.ustcc.com."

You'll find just one race on the USTCC Channel right now but many of their thirteen race season will be up shortly.

The other new channel is F1 Pitstop covering the international Formula One phenomenon that has its roots in Grand Prix motor racing of the 20's and 30's and saw the inaugural race on May 13th, 1950 when The Formula One World Championship took to Silverstone in England. F1 Pitstop covers those early years of Alfa Romeo dominance, and profiles the greats of Formula One: Jim Clark, Jack Brabham, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda...all the way up to the present with Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa battling for world champion honors.

There are 100 short stories on the F1 Pitstop Channel and you won't want to miss one of them!

Lots more to come here at WheelsTV. If you like our programming, send a sample to a friend...And if you want to participate in the network, upload a video of your favorite ride or favorite car story to the My Wheels Channel and show it to the entire world.

That's it for now. Thanks for watching and please drive safely!

Jim Barisano

We Didn't Get Fooled Again!

Well, an earth-shattering election just took place, the republic is saved and we motorists may finally get to the bottom of what goes on behind the big oil curtain. While the first step in restoring government of the people, by the people and FOR the people has been accomplished, it remains to be seen if the Halliburtons, Exxons and Enrons of the world will be brought to justice. As I drove to the office today I could not help but notice that gasoline went up four cents per gallon since yesterday at two separate gas stations here in Acton, MA. Was big oil trying to lull us into complacency and "staying the course" prior to the election? I think so. Will the sheiks and barons now try to get back their investment in 1984 style brainwashing? Probably. Will the Democrats have the stomach to issue subpoenas, put the CEO's of the oil companies under oath, find the truth and throw a few of these thieves and war-profiteers in jail? We'll see. If nothing else, we threw out a bunch of yes men and righted the ship of state!...and...We did NOT get fooled again!

Gas Prices...Is Someone Yanking our Chains?

Like any SUV driver, I watch gas prices rise and I cringe. My big Tahoe is pretty good, comparatively, getting 17.2 mpg overall. I use it to carry TV equipment, to shoot video of vehicles that we test, to carry wood for my dock, (I live on a lake) and to go to the dump every Saturday with our dog, Koto, who, for some reason, loves to go to the dump. Back to gas prices. Is it me or has anyone else noticed that the closer we get to the election on November 7th, the lower the price of gas goes. I am convinced that we are getting ripped off by the oil companies who make major contributions to politicians in Washington, write energy policy with the current administration and then get back their contributions by sticking it to all of us at the pumps. If you look at the price of gas over the past few years and few months, some startling realities appear:

In 2002, when Bush/Cheney took over, we were paying $1.31 a gallon. Oil was about $30 a barrel. Today, a barrel of oil is about $58. A few months ago it topped $70 a barrel and $3.15 a gallon. On the face of it, the consumer would assume that higher oil prices automatically yield proportionately higher gasoline prices. Not so. Here's proof: The price of oil accounts for just 59% of the cost of a gallon a gas. (Please see chart) The balance is taken up with taxes, 20%, (18.4 cents federal and about 24 cents on average for state) distribution, 11% and refining, 10%.

So, when the price of oil rises from $57 to $70, the cost of a gallon of gas should only rise by 23% or just under 30 cents per gallon.($70 minus $57 = $13 divided by $57 = 23%) multiplied by 59% X $2.20 (the cost of a gallon of gasoline when oil was $57 a barrel) So, all of us who have been paying between $3.00 and $3.50 per gallon should have been paying no more than $2.50 per gallon for regular! ($2.20 + $.30) What's worse, if we used the same ratios as existed in 2002, we'd pay even less: Just $2.09 a gallon! Our do-nothing congress had a few hearings and did nothing. No-one did the math, nor did they want to!

Now, along come the mid-term elections and the big oil companies who are supporting the current politicians in power are very worried. If their guys and gals get voted out, all of the money they spent helping them get elected will have been wasted and their gravy train might come to a halt. The answer: Lower the price of gasoline to make the public happy...in spite of record deficits, a needless war and a culture of corruption. So, with oil wells being capped in the Gulf of Mexico until prices rise again, the oil giants and politicians briefly stop picking our pockets to affect the election figuring that they can get it all back later...and then some!

Here's some more math: At $3.00 a gallon, we pay $1.80 for the crude oil priced at $70 a barrel. With oil at $57 a barrel, the cost of oil for a gallon of gas drops by 33 cents: $1.80 X $57 divided by $70 = $1.47 or $2.67 a gallon. Instead, regular gas has dropped to $2.15, a 250 percent difference!!!! Is someone yanking our chains in hopes that we'll be so happy to not get mugged by these jerks for a few weeks that we'll vote their puppets back into office and not hold the current administration accountable?

Now you may think that I am one of those conspiracy nuts but I am just a consumer who is "mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!!" If you are smart enough to see through the latest hoax from Washington and their friends in big oil, throw the bums out on November 7th! Maybe we'll get our country back and stop getting ripped off and manipulated by people who will do and say anything to stay in power. Ironically, like George Bush tried to say, "Fool me once, shame on you...full twice...um.....wawa won't get fooled again!"

More New Programming

We continue to add some great automotive television programming to our various channels. If you're interested in Formula 1, go to Motorsports Park. You'll find 100 terrific stories covering every aspect of Formula 1 racing: History, recent events, personality profiles, races. Ascari, Farina, Monaco. These exciting internationally acclaimed television shows offer hours of viewing pleasure for anyone interested in the world's premier racing body. It's all here at WheelsTV's Motorsports Park.

Automotive Rhythms Channel has added some very hot programs including "King of Bling" competitions, "Dub Lincoln" and "Ford Expedition". For a look at the urban automotive lifestyle you've got to check out Automotive Rhythms!

We are adding more videos almost daily and will soon be launching the user-submitted channels. If you've got a hot car, truck or SUV, want to show it off and perhaps take home a trophy, you'll be able to star in your own automotive video...right here on WheelsTV.

That's all for now. Thanks for watching WheelsTV and please drive safely.

Jim

AltWheels Festival

The AltWheels festival returned to Boston this past weekend for its fourth annual event. WheelsTV is a sponsor of the four day event that ran from Thursday to Sunday. On Thursday Lehel Reeves, our president of programming, and I took part in the AltWheels Caravan from the Larz Anderson Auto Museum, through Boston, and over to Cambridge where we gathered at MIT's Stata Center. There were over 35 vehicles in the caravan including busses, trucks, cabs, motorcycles and vans powered by ethanol, biodiesel, vegetable oil, hydrogen fuel-cells, hybrid battery/gasoline (our 2004 Toyota Prius on loan from my friend and dentist Joel Ross) and even an antique Stanley Steamer powered by whatever will burn!

The caravan was pretty impressive, complete with a Mass State Police escort that blocked traffic along the five mile route that took us through some of the busiest parts of Boston during rush hour...even past Fenway Park prior to a Red Sox game! I'm not sure of how badly our tieing up traffic set the alternative vehicle cause back but it was certainly fun and pedestrians seemed to enjoy it!

By the way, the Prius that we drove was surprisingly peppy and fun to drive. It gets 50 miles to the gallon of regular and once I got used to the odd layout of the dash and gear shift lever, was no different than driving a traditional "gas guzzler."

We've all probably noticed that gas prices are dropping. It always seems to happen just before an election. Hmmmm. Well, when they go back up, you might want to consider one of the growing list of high-mileage hybrids now available. I am told that GM may have a hybrid Tahoe available in 2008, about the time when I'll be retiring mine.

Back to the AltWheels festival: It ended up raining on Saturday but Sunday was pretty nice and the festival was deemed another big success. We'll have a story on this year's event on WheelsTV soon. If you want to learn more about Altwheels go to www.AltWheels.org.

Thanks and please drive safely,
Jim