p&g designs launches new website

I launched a new site for P&G Designs, a company specializing in personalized stationery.

More about P&G Designs:

Who doesn’t like getting a letter from someone special in the mail? A handwritten thank you note or nice card “just because” is so much more meaningful than another email in a crowded inbox. That is why I started p&g designs.

If you are interested in beautiful, custom and personalized stationery, visit www.pandgdesigns.net and see what Shelbi Sturges can make for you.

just installed ScribeFire - cool!

Firefox is such a great browser. There are some add-ons I just use constantly.I just loaded ScribeFire and now I can post to my blog directly within the Firefox UI. It just gets better and better. Anyway, enough about me, how is your day going?

btx window automation launches new website

I launched a new site this week for BTX Window Automation, who are located in Dallas, TX.

More about BTX Window Automation:

Based on 20 years of experience and backed by extensive research and development, BTX offers the largest program of automated window coverings in the industry. In its modern Window Automation manufacturing facilities, BTX produces precision custom built systems for leading hotels, public buildings and upper-end residences worldwide.

If you are an architect, designer or fabriciator and you are looking for the greatest solution for window coverings or audio video setups, these guys are seriously high-end. Be sure to stop by their site at www.btxinc.com and find a dealer near you.

blush salons launches new website

I launched a new site this week for Blush Salon & Spa, who are located in Crystal Lake, Illinois. I have been getting my hair cut by Cindy for some years now. She does a great job with my hair and the environment is totally relaxed and comfortable. I highly recommend Cindy or Chrissy, they are both fantastic at what they do.

More about Blush Salon & Spa:

At Blush Salon & Spa we are dedicated to providing a professional and comfortable environment for each and every one of our clients. You will feel at home when you’re here and rejuvenated when you leave. Our experienced staff will help make you look good, so you can feel great. We promise to exceed your expectations each and every time you visit.

Thanks you to the girls for letting me work on this site with them. I really enjoyed it. Be sure to stop by www.blushsalons.com and make an appointment for your hair, facial or massage. See you there!

over at facebook

I have started doing most of my daily info over at Facebook. Take a look if you are curious.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=760244630

abbott associates launches new website

Abbott Associates Inc. launched a new version of their website a few months ago, and significant additional updates yesterday. View their site by visiting www.goabbott.com.

Who is Abbott Associates?

Abbott Associates Inc. is a quick turnaround service responsive converter of flexible Medical Packaging specializing in Tyvek® lidding and peelable pouches printed and converted to specification. Stock and custom sizes of lids and pouches are available.

Working closely with them, I created a new design which was an evolution of their previous site and a similar industrial look and feel which is appropriate to their business. It is a small site, but I feel it is very effective. Congrats to them on the launch!

Thanks to them for letting me work on this project with them.

the 2007 auto show season is almost upon us

I just recently got my media passes for the 2007 Chicago Auto Show. I am really looking forward to this show. So far the only introduction that I am aware of is the Saturn Astra (the Opel’s cousin). After the introduction, this means Saturn will have one of the youngest lineups (if not the youngest) in the industry. The Sky, Aura, Outlook, Vue and Astra leave Saturn poised to do very well over the next few years.

As usual, Detroit is scheduled to have most of the good launches. GM has some great things coming! The next Cadillac CTS shots that have been released look amazing. The Chevrolet Malibu looks to be a significant improvement over the last generation and I would bet that impala sales are going to suffer due to that fact. We are rumored to see a Camaro convertible and a G8 (Grand Prix) concept that leverages much of the work that Holden has done for the GM rear wheel drive car platform. The Commodore looks very impressive indeed.

Chevy has had some major work done to their product line in the last few years. GMC has updated their whole line as well and has added Acadia for 2007. Cadillac released the new Escalade last year and the CTS in Detroit. Hummer and Saab continue to be niche brands with a slim but effective product line-up. That leaves me wondering what the plans are for Pontiac.

If the G8 concept will be on display then maybe they are next? The Solstice is a nice car with decent capability. The G6 was a great replacement to the Grand Am, but is now lagging behind a bit in consumer’s eyes I bet. (Have you seen the next generation of the Altima?!) The G5 is a blatant rebadge and doesn’t even have the availability of the power that the Cobalt does. Now that the Camaro is on the way, what about Pontiac? Will it be a GTO (likely) or maybe a Firebird (less likely)?

I am looking forward to this year’s round of shows. 2007 should be a lot of fun. If you are going too… see you there!

elero usa launches new website

Elero USA launched the newest version of their website yesterday evening and Digital Coffee played a large part in the development. It is a dramatic change from the last site, which I developed in 1998 (or somewhere around there).

Who is Elero USA?

Elero's product line is very versatile and offers a wide range of motors and controls as well as an extensive variety of electrical and mechanical accessories. The application possibilities comprise of rolling shutters, venetian blinds, awnings and folder shutters as well as rolling and sectional doors.

Working closely with them, I created a content managed system with templates that allow Elero to build their own content. Although not a 100% CSS layout, it is very close (there are still tables for structure). Essentially all elements of design have been done via CSS so hopefully this should last them for some time (of course I am happy to rework it whenever they are ready ;).

Thanks to them for letting me work on this project with them.

that sweet blue devil hoax

I guess it is easier than I thought to prey on a Corvette lover. Some guys over at Winding Road decided to generate buzz by creating a "fake" Blue Devil (named after Rick Wagoner's alma mater DePaul) Corvette mule and then staging some spy shots. The car has been rumored to have 600+ hp and priced around $100k. (Read the story?)

Needless to say everyone in the community went nuts (did you see the air intake on the hood?) and was let down and a little frustrated to find out the pics were bogus. Sure, you can tape cardboard to a car and cover it in camo, but it almost seems unethical?! I have to admit I laughed when I found out. Good prank guys. (Notice that you are getting no traffic from me.)

Does the Blue Devil still live? I think so. New pics are surfacing it seems like every day. I can't wait to see this car. Of course, until then, the Z06 is pretty sweet.

a new age for corvette and vette-net

Hi Vette-net Readers and Subscribers,

Let me introduce myself. I am the Editor and Creator of Vette-net, a website which is dedicated to the American Sports Car icon that is Corvette. I want to thank all of you who have been following along since we launched in 2001. There has been a lot going on in the Corvette world since then.

The Z06 debuted in 2001 as the 385 HP rebirth of the 1963 Corvette option and has since become synonymous with power and performance. Z06 brought a new level of performance to the brand for the new millenium. Who would have thought that a car could have made the "base" Corvette feel like a touring car. It figures it took another Corvette to do it.

In 2002 we watched the Z06 power increase to 405 HP with the LS6. I remember how excited I was to see the 405 HP badging. (I was secretly hoping to score a good deal on a 2001 Z06...) Incidentally, this was the first year I started designing the spec pages for the Corvette Museum website.

2003 brought us the 50th Anniversary of the Corvette, a momentous milestone. How many cars have been in production for 50 years? (OK, no one bring up 1983 please.) There was a ton of well deserved fanfare. It was a very good time to love Corvettes.

2004 arrived and the C5 really came of age. The Commemorative Edition Z06 was really a beautiful car. Did anyone else get a change to stop by the Corvette Museum and lift the Carbon Fiber hood? Very cool indeed.

In January of 2004 I was lucky enough to be at the Opera House in Detroit covering the launch of the C6. What an event! The car is spectacular and the event was a lot of fun. It was great to be a part of such history in the automotive world.

In January of 2005 I again went to Detroit to see the C6-R and the 2006 Z06. 505 HP. Wow. The car is powerful in performance and capability as well as in design. I have always felt that the Corvette was a world class sports car, but there were those who did not agree with me.

We have survived now to a day when that is now unarguably true. There is no reason to defend the Corvette in the face of it's competitors. It now speaks for itself. Just look at the racing victories. Congratulations to the whole team involved with the concept, design, fabrication, testing and completion of such a beautiful peice of machinery. Each one coming out of Bowling Green is truly a work of art.

As far as Vette-net is concerned, we have done a good job (not always a great job), I think of capturing the Corvette news and events and bringing them to you. We are going to keep trying to imrove this and have plans in place to do so.

We have recently brought in real time news feeds which scour the web to bring you Corvette News. We have put this blog into place which gives us a chance to communicate directly with you as well. We have some other ideas in the works as well. Stay tuned as we work to make this site better for you.

I know that you have been reading the coverage in the automotive magazines this month about the new 2006 Corvettes. In the newest Car and Driver magazine, the author states that we are "in the Golden Age of Corvette". There is no way to argue this. The last few years have been incredible for America's Sports Car. Hopefully the coming ones will be too. Special thanks goes out to the National Corvette Museum, who have made it possible for me to be such an active part of the Corvette world. We'll continue to bring you the details as they unfold. Thanks for your loyalty and for visiting Vette-net. We appreciate you coming by.

(P.S. This blog is not just a one way dialog. Please feel free to respond with your comments and let me know what you think.)

a little bit of corvette in the rest of the GM products?

One of the things that I heard from Dave Hill when I was speaking with him at the launch of the C6 in Detroit was how the Corvette brand was going to be working it's way into the rest of GM. Many of the other offerings from GM would have a “little bit of Corvette” in them moving forward. This is turning out to be, quite literally, the case.

The 2005 Corvette introduced the LS2 small block V8. This is now the fourth generation of GM’s small-block engines. The LS2 raises the bar for standard performance in the Corvette, delivering 400 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 400 lb.-ft. of torque at 4400 rpm – an increase of 50 horses and 40 lb.-ft. of torque over the previous Corvette’s LS1 engine. Impressive indeed.

GM has shown a lot of faith in this power plant in the last year. It has been “injected” into numerous vehicles across GM’s lineup. GM has always been known for “badge engineering” or sharing of platforms and design cues across their brands, but this has been a truly successful exercise I think.

The 2005 Pontiac GTO is a good example. It has been criticized for a bland design, but no one who has driven one would complain that the power and capability of the car is bland. In my personal experience driving the car, it provides a thrill very close to that of the Corvette. This has been a very successful deployment of the Corvette spirit. It has infused passion back into the Pontiac lineup. The LS2 makes this car a thrill, and for approximately $15K less than a Corvette, it is truly a performance bargain.

Recently, the 2006 Trailblazer SS has started to ship to dealers. For those of us who loved the 1994-96 GMC Typhoon and Syclone, this is another great thrill. In this recent iteration of performance truck, instead of strapping a turbo onto a V6, the GM team has again inserted a rip-roaring LS2. I have yet to drive one of these vehicles, but I am sure it is going to be impressive. Again, at a mid $30K MSRP, this is sure to be another hit.

The Cadillac CTS-V uses a Corvette engine, although not the LS2, instead it is the LS6 from the C5 Z06. While this is a very impressive performance machine, I think it would sell better with an automatic transmission, something not offered in the LS6 application, but absolutely achievable with the LS2. With a redesign due soon, this is a very real possibility and I think the sales numbers would reflect another success after integrating the LS2.

Corvette has also bled into the designs of GMs cars and trucks. The taillights of the Cobalt coupe are obviously a clear call out to the Corvette. More subtly though, the improved build quality, new designs, and performance gains that we are seeing across the entire GM lineup also seem reminiscent of the feeling of Corvette and the values that the Corvette has always had as a brand within GM. It is a welcome change.

So, it appears that Dave Hill was right. We are seeing Corvette across the GM lineup. I think that is a very good thing. As I am sure many of you are, I am looking forward to what comes next.

Oh, and on a side note, thanks Dave Hill for everything you did for our beloved Corvette. I hope you have a great retirement and you certainly are going out on top. The 2006 Z06 is an incredible car, but that is another topic. Here’s hoping you are going to spend the rest of your years driving in your creations and their descendents.

holiday madness

I just got this account upgraded - cool. Now I can write blogs. Now I have to go because I have too much to do today. I hope you are able to enjoy your holidays!