Maintaining a regular schedule for rotating your tires helps to ensure even tire wear and helps your tires last longer. Rotating your tires involves changing their position on the vehicle from one wheel location to another. All tire manufacturers recommend rotating your tires regularly. In fact, failing to do so could void the manufacturer’s warranty. Rotate tires at the vehicle manufacturers’ recommended intervals or at 5,000 to 7,000 miles if not specified.

There are two different schools of thought on how often you should rotate your tires on front wheel drive vehicles. The front tires on these vehicles tend to wear quicker than those on the rear of the vehicle. By rotating the tires front to rear and side to side the wear patterns between the wheel locations spread the wear out more evenly, allowing you to extend the life of all four of your tires.

Others argue it makes more sense to replace the front tires on a front wheel vehicle as they wear out, but to leave the back tires alone. This plan is especially effective if you do a lot of driving or plan to keep the vehicle a long time. It is estimated that the back tires will last as long as two sets of front tires.

To find out what rotation pattern would be best for your vehicle and tires, consult one of our highly trained Service Advisors in the Capital Eurocars Service Department.

BMW has announced that information credited to Robinson is incorrect regarding size of the automaker’s U.S.-bound ActiveE fleet in the U.S. The fleet will be at least as large as the current 450-vehicle Mini E fleet.

BMW will lease more than 600 electric 1 Series in metropolis areas in Europe and the U.S., Automotive News reports, citing automaker board member Ian Robertson.

According to Robertson, “The fleet will be between 600 to 700 units, about 200 units for the United States and about 300 to 400 in Europe in large metropolitan areas such as Berlin, Paris, and London.” Rollout will begin next year.

Expect the electric 1 Series to mimic the Concept Active E that has been making the rounds at recent auto shows. That concept uses a battery that produces 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, and sends it the rear wheels. The Active E boasts a 50/50 weight distribution, and BMW claims it’ll reach 60 mph in 8.5 seconds.

The lease program is the second of its ilk. BMW currently has 450 all-electric Mini Es roaming about Los Angeles, New York, and the U.K.

Both lease programs will serve BMW’s development of the upcoming electric Megacity vehicle, providing untold amounts of data from real-world use from actual customers. “This lays the groundwork for our fully-electric Megacity vehicle,” BMW chief Norbert Reithofer said earlier this week. He added that the automaker will mass-produce and sell a full-electric vehicle in the next few years.
Source: [Motor Trend]

Mercedes-Benz Financial is enhancing its already revamped lease vehicle turn-in process; called First Class Finish, to further benefit dealers and customers alike.

Mercedes-Benz Financial is providing brand new software to all Mercedes-Benz dealerships on their hand-held Dynamic PDA (personal data assistant).

Mercedes-Benz USA provided the Dynamic PDAs to all dealers in 2009. They have been using the device for various services, such as a pre-delivery inspection of each vehicle before it is ready for sale. Each dealer has received one to four PDAs, depending on the size of the dealership.

The new software for the PDAs is the first step in several technological enhancements for First Class Finish since the customer and dealer-friendly initiative was launched last year.

Now, when a customer brings a leased vehicle to the dealership at the end of its term, a dealership representative can use the PDA to scan the vehicle identification number (VIN) and start final inspection, the first step in the new lease vehicle turn-in process which takes about 15 minutes, compared to 30 minutes in the prior process.

“This technology is beneficial to both the customers and the dealers because it eliminates paper forms for the dealer and is a much faster and efficient process for busy customers,” said Jeff Gartland, Director of Remarketing for Mercedes-Benz Financial. “We see a great opportunity to end the paper process and replace it with a green process that benefits everybody.”

First Class Finish was rolled out to Mercedes-Benz dealers in the second quarter of 2009. The new process eliminates the vehicle’s final inspection by an independent third party and brings clarity to the customer through increased communication with the dealer.

The new process:

• adds a brief pre-inspection at the originating dealership around 90 days before the end of the lease term
• allows final inspection at any Mercedes-Benz dealership at the end of the term
• provides final documentation and billing to the customer on the spot, not several weeks after turning in the vehicle
• gives the customer an explanation of all applicable charges
• gives the dealer the opportunity to pre-inspect the vehicle, discuss the condition with the customer and determine the customer’s future intentions
• gives customers a preview of brand new product at the dealership
• informs customers if they qualify for loyalty pull-ahead programs which may waive the remaining obligation on their current lease.

“The best case scenario that benefits the customer, dealer and Mercedes-Benz Financial is if the customer comes in for the pre-inspection, discovers that they qualify for a pull-ahead loyalty program and they drive home in a brand new vehicle,” Gartland said.

Source: [Yahoo]

The all-new 2011 Porsche Cayenne has been officially revealed ahead of its world debut next week at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The second-generation Porsche SUV will come onto the market with more room, improved technology, and stronger performance but most importantly significantly less weight and fuel consumption.

In line with Porsche’s new “Intelligent Performance” mantra, every model in the Cayenne lineup–from the entry-level V-6 to the range-topping Turbo–boasts improved performance while using less fuel and producing fewer emissions than the previous generation.

The highlight of the new lineup is undoubtedly the Cayenne S Hybrid, which we can confirm will be offered to the U.S. market this fall. It features a sophisticated parallel hybrid drive system that combines a supercharged 333 horsepower 3.0-liter gasoline V-6 with a 47 horsepower electric motor running on lithium-ion batteries. The end result is a V-8 like 380 horsepower and 427 pound-feet of torque, the latter of which is available from a low 1,000 rpm.

Depending on driving conditions, either the supercharged V-6 or electric motor can operate independently or together. The two drive units are connected by a decoupling clutch. A hybrid controller constantly coordinates their interaction and electronic management of the clutch makes the transition among various driving modes seamless. Like many hybrids, the Cayenne S Hybrid can cover short distances on electric power alone, free of emissions and noise up to speeds of almost 40 mph.

One standout feature of the Cayenne S Hybrid is its unique ability to cruise at high speeds on electric power alone. Its gasoline engine can be completely switched off and disengaged from the drivetrain at speeds of up to 97 mph, eliminating drag forces exerted by the engine.

Porsche claims its gasoline-powered Cayennes will be on average 23% more fuel-efficient than the current Cayenne range, with the most frugal model being the Cayenne S Hybrid. No EPA-certified fuel economy figures have been released but initial testing of the Cayenne S Hybrid has seen a fuel economy of 28.7 mpg for the European combined cycle.

As for the rest of the range, the base Cayenne with a 3.6-liter V-6 engine gets 300 horsepower, while the Cayenne S gets 400 horsepower from its 4.8-liter V-8 mill. The range-topping Cayenne Turbo sticks with a twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V-8 engine and 500 horsepower output.

Each Cayenne will be offered with a highly efficient eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission as standard but a low-speed transfer case will no longer be offered, thus making the 2011 Porsche Cayenne much more of an on-road vehicle than before. A new engine stop-start system and thermal management of the engine and transmission also help to improve fuel economy.

Overseas markets will benefit from a new version of the Cayenne Diesel, which will once again pack a 240 horsepower 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel engine.

While the power levels for the latest Cayenne are not significantly higher than those of the current model, the new Cayenne weighs almost 400 pounds less than its predecessor. The 2011 Porsche Cayenne S, for example, will tip the scales at 4,553 pounds–shedding 396 pounds compared with the previous model. The weight saving has come from new construction processes, which includes increased use of aluminum and the aforementioned removal of the two-speed transfer case.

In terms of size, the new Cayenne is 1.9 inches longer than its predecessor, and an added 1.6 inches in wheelbase ensures more space.

The 2011 Porsche Cayenne will be making its U.S. debut this April at the 2010 New York Auto Show before going on sale in July. The U.S. market will initially receive the V-8 powered Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo models, with the base Cayenne V-6 and new Cayenne S Hybrid arriving in the fall.

Source: [Motor Authority]

As a longtime diesel promoter, Volkswagen’s interest in hybrids has been strictly competitive, its corporate line an assertion that diesel is the better fuel-saving alternative. With the 2011 Touareg, though, Vee-Dub has not only acquiesced to hybrid demands but has also built one of the best gas/electric vehicles on the market.

V-6, V-6, or V-6?

Aside from the hybrid option, there are two other engines available in the newly redesigned Touareg. But the 3.6-liter gasoline V-6-280 hp, 265 lb-ft of torque-and the 3.0-liter diesel V-6-225 hp, 406 lb-ft-are fully carry-over designs; both are competent and have been enlivened this year by a new eight-speed automatic transmission. That transmission, paired with a weight reduction of roughly 400 pounds over the outgoing vehicle, results in claimed fuel-economy gains of up to 20 percent. But aren’t you more interested in VW’s first hybrid? So were we.

The hybrid pairs the 333-hp, 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 from Audi’s excellent S4 sedan and S5 convertible with a 47-hp electric motor, for a combined output of 380 hp. The hybrid replaces the V-8 at the top of the Touareg range, and although pricing has yet to be announced, we expect the V-8’s roughly $10,000 premium over a base V-6 to apply to the hybrid, too. A 1.7-kWh battery pack is tucked into the spare-tire well, and the eight-speed transmission is used here, too. In this application, though, the hybrid module wedges between the engine and transmission and allows for their decoupling with a clutch. This enables the most impressive aspect of the hybrid’s operation.

Everybody who has ever driven a hybrid or read about one knows there are two types: mild (series) and full (parallel). Full hybrids are the serious ones, the cars that can whoosh through the neighborhood on electrons alone, the only sound being the leaves dancing in their wake. But there’s always a limit to how fast a hybrid can go before the gas engine has to turn on, and at cruising speeds, most never turn off. The Touareg’s great trick, thanks to the clutch between the engine and transmission, is that it can shut down the V-6 at speeds up to 99 mph.

Come Sail Away with Me

Referred to by VW spokespeople as “sailing,” this shutdown stretches the engine-off operation of the Touareg into a range other hybrids only dream of. Lift off the gas coasting down an exit ramp, and the engine shuts down. Remove your foot from the throttle as you approach a pair of semis blocking the freeway, and the V-6 goes silent. Driving the 2011 Touareg around Florence, we enjoyed absolute silence at 80 mph for more than a mile, and our serenity was interrupted only once when we had to slow down and accelerate for traffic. Silently shushing down mountain passes for miles at a time requires nothing but a clear road.

Indeed, at highway velocity, the merest touch of the accelerator will refire the V-6. (The Touareg can accelerate to and maintain around-town speeds on battery power alone, but it won’t do so quickly enough to keep other motorists from hating you.) The startup, however, is amazing in its seamlessness. Riding in the passenger seat and keeping our eyes off the instrument panel, we had to be told by the driver when the engine had fired, otherwise it was utterly undetectable. If speed is in sudden demand, the driver might notice a slight lag between pegging the throttle and getting full power, but the delay is no longer than it would regularly take for a transmission to kick down.

Like all hybrids, regenerative brakes charge the battery pack. And like we do with all hybrids, we will now complain about the regenerative brakes. In their regenerative function, they are extremely touchy, requiring the utmost care to avoid a violent lurch on application. Unlike most other hybrids, though, once past the first couple inches of travel, the Touareg’s offer decent feedback, and smooth application is possible with a light toe touch.

Other aspects of the hybrid’s driving behavior are identical to those of the rest of the Touareg lineup. All have the same light electric steering-too light for us, but likely to be well received by customers-and three-mode suspension system, the latter offering comfort, normal, and sport settings. We’d suggest trimming that number to two settings. Sport does a fine job of meeting dynamic demands, and normal is plenty comfortable, but comfort is unsettlingly squishy and allows alarming amounts of body lean-think 1970s Lincoln interpreted by modern-day VW. In the firmest setting, though, the Touareg is surprisingly nimble for its heft, a fitting XL-size ambassador for the GTI brand.

In Europe, the Touareg still will be available with a two-range transfer case and height-adjustable suspension as part of the uplevel 4XMOTION all-wheel-drive system. Our drive included a very brief (less than half a mile) off-road loop complete with slick ruts, side slopes, some pretty severe climbs, and deep mud pots-it was a busy half-mile. Not surprisingly, VW set up the course, and the Touareg aced it. It’s a laughable degree of capability for a vehicle that will prowl urban settings almost exclusively, but the tech may stay strictly on the Continent. Volkswagen’s product people aren’t confirming anything yet, but we strongly suspect our only driveline choice here will be the base 4MOTION-no X-with a Torsen center diff, no low range, and a fixed-height suspension. Also, we strongly suspect that nobody will notice. Ditching the off-road gear, however, contributes greatly to the reduced weight of the 2011 model.

A Bit of the Newly Old-School VW

VW’s mission statement is changing, modified in pursuit of tremendous sales-growth goals. Products across the range are more directly aligning with their segment leaders-the Jetta and the Passat are due to be replaced in 2010 and 2011, respectively, with cars more directly targeted at Honda’s Civic and Accord in cost and size. But the Touareg is a lingering taste of VW’s semiprecious recent past, a little bit upmarket in both content and pricing. Its small sales volumes are not the sort that will greatly help VW achieve its goal of selling a million cars in the U.S. by 2018, but this SUV does maintain the image of the people’s car as an upmarket alternative. And when you consider the hybrid army Vee-Dub plans to deploy in the near future, the 2011 Touareg hybrid sets the bar very high, indeed.

Source: [Car and Driver]

Volvo has announced that they’ll be debuting a touchscreen-based entertainment system in their cars as well. But it might not receive as much criticism regarding safety given that the screens will be for passengers in the backseat.

The RSEi-500 entertainment system was unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show, and it should have enough features to keep kids or annoying grown-up passengers occupied during a long trip.

Unfortunately, Volvo hasn’t published any photos or even mock-ups of this system yet. For now, we know it will include:

• Windows XP
• 500 GB hard drive
• Music library
• DVD player
• USB and A/V inputs
• Wi-Fi

Along with the Wi-Fi option, the RSEi-500 system can be paired with either a Sprint OverDrive or other mobile hotspot (such as a home computer) for extra connectivity options and data transfers.

We should see some more official stuff soon, given that the system should be ready for the Volvo XC60 and XC70 by this summer

Source: [zdnet.com]

New research from Hong Kong suggests that green tea may protect against eye diseases such as glaucoma because the researchers found green tea antioxidants called catechins present in various tissue structures in the eyes of laboratory rats after they had ingested green tea.

The researchers, based at Hong Kong Eye Hospital, Kowloon, and the Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, in the New Territories, Hong Kong, have written about their findings in a paper that appeared in the February 10th print issue of the American Chemical Society’s bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Green tea contains catechins which belong to the family of antioxidants that includes vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, and zeaxanthin and is well-known for its disease-fighting properties.

Until this study, however, nobody knew if green tea catechins actually passed from the stomach and gastrointestinal tract into the tissues of the eye.

For their investigation Dr Chi Pui Pang, of the Hong Kong Eye Hospital, and colleagues examined the eyes of dead rats that had been fed green tea extract for varying amounts of time.

When they examined the cornea, lens, retina, choroid-sclera, vitreous humor, and aqueous humor, they found evidence that these various eye structures had absorbed significant amounts of individual catechins.

For example, the retina absorbed the highest levels of gallocatechin and the aqueous humor absorbed epigallocatechin.

They also found that the time of maximum concentration of the catechins varied from 0.5 to 12.2 hours and their effects in reducing harmful oxidative stress in the eye lasted for up to 20 hours after consumption.

Chi Pui Pang and colleagues concluded that:

“Our results indicate that green tea consumption could benefit the eye against oxidative stress.”

However, more studies are needed to verify the same effects occur in humans.

Source: [Medical News Today]

No time, zero motivation, your dog ate your gym shoes. There are a zillion excuses for not exercising — but no excuse for making your health such a low priority. Exercise can reduce the risk of a wide range of ailments, everything from arthritis and diabetes to cancer and heart disease. It can also help you lose extra pounds, maintain a healthy weight and relieve stress, all of which are key if you’re prone to heartburn. So if you want to start the New Year right, put an end to common exercise excuses with these tips from Dr. JoAnn Dahlkoetter, a California-based sports psychologist and the author of Your Performing Edge.

Excuse No. 1: I don’t have time.
If something’s important to you, chances are you’ll make time for it. So rather than taking your health for granted and sweeping your well-being under the rug, “think about the benefits of exercise and how they’ll help change your life,” says Dahlkoetter. Then make working out a priority. Schedule exercise into your week, preferably in the morning, as morning exercisers stick to their plans better. And on those days when you’re really strapped for time, 10 minutes is better than nothing.

Excuse No. 2: It hurts and then I’m sore afterward.
Start slowly and do half of what you were planning to do until your body adjusts to the demands of exercise. If breathing becomes difficult, slow down. If exercise triggers heartburn, do low-impact activities like cycling and swimming; avoid activities that require bending over or lying down; and lift light, not heavy, weights.  

Excuse No. 3: I’m too tired.
If you think you’re too tired to exercise, tell yourself you’ll work out for just 10 minutes. Exercise has an energizing effect, notes Dahlkoetter. “Chances are, you’ll feel so good after 10 minutes that you’ll want to continue,” she says.

Excuse No. 4: I can’t afford a gym or personal trainer.
You don’t need either. Walking or running are inexpensive workouts, and they can be done anywhere. If the weather’s bad, you can even walk at an indoor mall. Exercise DVDs run about $15 each (or borrow them from the library for free!). And who says strength-training equipment has to be expensive? Resistance bands, hand weights and stability balls cost less than $25 each.

Excuse No. 5: I don’t know how to get started.
Put on a pair of walking shoes and take a walk. Find a workout show on TV. Get an exercise DVD. Sign up at the nearest gym. See? You have everything you need to get started. Now get going!

Source: [Live Right, Live Well]

Tips to avoid being driven to distraction gives you some good ideas of how to stay safe while on the road. With texting and all the other distractions you are up against while driving you need to stay alert and pay attention.

Texting while driving has received a great deal of attention lately, and with good reason: Keeping your eyes on a tiny keyboard rather than the roadway ahead is a disaster waiting to happen. However, texting is just the latest in a long list of distractions that could have deadly consequences on America’s roadways.

“Safe driving is about focus,” said Bill Moore, president of MetLife Auto & Home. “Many accidents could be avoided if the basic principles of defensive driving and driver attentiveness were observed.”

To stay focused on safety, drivers may want to ask themselves the following questions:

• Are you keeping your eyes on the prize? With cars more than ever resembling mobile offices and entertainment centers, it can be easy to forget you’re behind the wheel. Most accidents occur in seconds and distractions delay your reaction time.  
• Are you awake enough to drive? Driver fatigue leads to inattentiveness, and according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 100,000 crashes are caused each year by drivers literally being asleep at the wheel. Recognize the signs of drowsy driving, which include difficulty focusing, frequent blinking, irritability and frequent yawning–and then, take action.  
• Are you more interested in your cell phone conversation than the road ahead? Even in states where it’s permissible, talking on a cell phone increases the likelihood of getting involved in a motor vehicle accident. If you need to call, pull off the road.  
• Do you have a designated deejay? Simple things like changing the radio dial or finding that “perfect song” on your MP3 player may seem harmless, but they can be a big distraction.
• Are you being lazy about changing lanes? It’s critical to look briefly over both shoulders before changing lanes. Even if you have onboard technology installed in the car, such as blind-spot and rearview indicators, the basics you learned in driver’s education will always apply: signal your intention, check your mirrors and then glance back both ways to be certain that no one - or nothing - is in your blind spot.
• Are you day driving or daydreaming? Even without external distractions, it’s easy to get caught up thinking about personal problems or work assignments. If you feel yourself losing focus, give yourself a wake-up call and set aside your problems. They can wait until the ride is over.

Source: [Car Junky]

 Source: [Visit Tallahassee]

Wiper blades are one of the most neglected components on vehicles today. Many blades are cracked, split, torn, brittle, worn or otherwise in obvious need of replacement. Others may look okay, but do lousy jobs of wiping when put to the test.

Most experts say wiper blades should be replaced every six to twelve months for optimum performance and driving visibility. That’s because wiper blades don’t last forever. Exposure to sunlight and ozone causes the rubber to age, even if the wipers aren’t used much.

As a set of blades age, they lose much of their flip-over flexibility and they’re less able to wipe cleanly. They may develop a permanent set (called “parked” rubber) or curvature which prevents full contact with the windshield. The sun bakes and hardens the rubber. Then when the wipers are needed, they streak and chatter because they’ve taken a set and won’t follow the curvature of the windshield.

Cold weather can affect blade life, too. Freezing temperatures makes rubber hard and brittle, which increases the tendency to crack and split. The holders can also become clogged with ice and snow, preventing the holder from distributing spring tension evenly over the blade. The blade “freezes up” and leaves streaks as it skips across the glass.

Heavy use can be hard on wiper blades, because dust, abrasives, road grime and even bug juice wear away the edge that the blades need to wipe cleanly.

How well the wiper blades perform also depends on the condition of the wiper arms and holders. A blade’s wiping ability is affected by the amount of spring tension on the wiper arm, the number of pressure points or claws that hold the blade, and the design of the blade itself. If the springs in the arms are weak (which is more apt to be a problem in older vehicles), the wipers may not be pressed against the glass firmly enough to wipe cleanly. Replacing the blades won’t make any difference because the problem is weak arms not bad blades.

Ultimately, any blade that’s chattering, streaking or doing a lousy job of wiping is a blade that’s overdue for replacement. The same goes for any blade that is cracked, torn, nicked or otherwise damaged.

If you have replaced your wiper blades and chattering or streaking persists, visit the Capital Eurocars Service Department in Tallahassee to have one of our technicians inspect your wiper blades and wiper arms to ensure your continued safety on the road.

Source: [Yahoo Autos]

The unusually shaped BMW 550i Gran Turismo provides incredible long-distance touring comfort for four passengers. It’s like being in a private jet, especially if you order the business class seating in back, then pile on the entertainment and driver assistance options.  Costs like a private jet, too.

Between BMW’s two hatchback-like recent offerings, the 550i GT is the better vehicle than the two-year-old BMW X6. The GT will be even more desirable once BMW in the spring adds versions with a 300-hp six-cylinder engine and with all-wheel-drive. Only two things require acclimatization: the view from the outside looking at the side and rear, and the view from inside looking out the rear window.

I put nearly 1,000 effortless miles on the 550i GT in a long, single-day trip down the Eastern seaboard during a gloomy, damp winter day and night, the kind of day that inspired Edward George Bulwer-Lytton to take pen in hand and proclaim, “It was a dark and stormy night.” With a price starting at $65,275 and topping $90,000, the 550i GT represents excess, just not Bulwer-Lytton’s wretched excess. Virtually every one of the $1,000-here, $2,500-there options has a reason for being in the car. As with other high end BMWs, there are more than a dozen entertainment, performance, driver assistance, and pampering options. For the comfortably affluent car fanatic, I cannot imagine a better vehicle for hauling four adults and their luggage long distances. An Acura ZDX, Audi Q7, BMW X5 / X6, Porsche Cayenne or Panamera, Lexus LX 570, Cadillac Escalade, or Infiniti QX56 all lack that ultimate luxury of rear seat comfort equal to the front seat.

Great for the Driver

Slide behind the wheel and you’re in the best seat in the house. Vision systems help you in front (night vision, parking sonar, swiveling xenon headlamps), in back (backup camera, parking sonar), and to the side (side cameras, lane departure warning, blind spot detection). A $1,300 head-up display (photo left) puts only the most important information in a virtual window at the base of the windshield, reducing driver distraction. The $4,200 sport package helps the car bank through turns and the suspension and drivetrain can be set for comfort, normal, or sport-calibrated ride. So you order the sport package if you want the best ride, not just sportiest, ride.

Navigation comes standard, on a 10.2-inch 1280 x 480 display that can be split to show, say, navigation and entertainment details. The current iDrive cockpit controller is much easier to master. Order the $1,950 premium seats and you get a massage feature that raises and lowers the left and right seat bottom halves just enough to keep your butt from falling asleep. The $1,750 active steering package changes the steering ratio at low speed for easier parking lot maneuvers and the rear wheels also steer slightly, opposite the front wheels at low speed for sharper turns, same direction as the front wheels at high speed for smoother lane changes.

The engine is a 400-hp twin-turbo V8 with an eight-speed automatic transmission (BMW’s first). It gets to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and passes most everything on the highway except gas stations. On my mostly highway trip I got 21 mpg and saw 23 mpg level-ground cruising at 70 mph; the EPA rating is 15 mpg city, 21 mph highway, using premium fuel. That’s not bad, but the coming 300-hp six will still be cat quick and probably manage 25 mpg loping along the interstate, and you won’t get the feeling, “Maybe we should top off the tank,” at every bathroom break.

While it’s not a hybrid, there is a brake energy regeneration system. The oversize battery is charged primarily by power generated when you apply the brakes. This is part of what BMW calls Efficient Dynamics.

• Great for the Passengers Front and Rear
• Once you’ve tired of watching the scenery float by, you’ve got six ways to be entertained:
• AM/FM radio
• HD Radio (standard)
• CD player
• iPod adapter ($400 or $1,400 in premium audio package)
• Satellite radio ($350 with one-year subscription)
• Rear seat entertainment (photo right, $2,200) with a DVD player, two seat-back LCD screens, and separate left and right input jacks so you could play video from an iPod.

Reclining Rear Seats with Hot and Cold

For the best rear seat experience, step up from the standard bench seat for the $3,650 rear seat package. The seats move fore and aft, recline, and have heating elements and cooling fans. And there’s plenty of legroom as well as headroom (unlike the BMW X6 where the sloping roofline affects taller passengers). The package includes side sunshades, which run $500 separately if you stick with the stock bench seat, and zoned rear climate controls.

Better View of the Sky Above Than the Road Behind

The BMW 550i GT comes standard with an enormous two-section panoramic sunroof that stretches back to cover the rear seats. The sunshade is solid unlike Audi’s translucent screen, which in Audi’s case makes for an airier cabin if that’s what you want. What’s less than enormous on the Bimmer is the rear window, or rather the view out the back window. Combine that with smallish side mirrors and you really should get the blind spot warning system that’s part of the $1,350 driver assistance package (blind spot detection, lane departure warning, automatic high beams).

The constricted rear view is not uncommon to hatchback-looking crossover vehicles. The Honda Accord Crosstour - essentially the BMW 550i GT for half the price without all that back seat room, over-the-top luxuries, or BMW logo on the hood - also doesn’t have much of a rearward view. It’s part of the price you pay for the design.

What Is It: Hatchback? Crossover? Coupe?

BMW now offers two hatchback-looking crossover vehicles: the BMW 550i GT and the BMW X6. Despite the 5 in the name, which designates a midsize BMW, the V8-powered 550i GT and pending six-cylinder 535i GT draw their dimensions less from a BMW 5 Series and more from the BMW 7 Series that is our reigning Digital Drive Car of the Year, and that explains why it’s so roomy in back, as well as why it’s tough to park in your garage. It’s big outside: 197 inches long, half a foot longer than the BMW X5 and X6, only half a foot shorter than a Cadillac Escalade.

In comparison, the BMW X6 sports activity coupe with its sloping rear roofline and slightly restricted headroom is based on the BMW X5 sports activity vehicle (BMWspeak for SUV), which in turn is based on the BMW 5 Series sedan and station wagon. The X6 (photo left), like the X5, has a cargo bay (not very big) you can access from the back seat. The 550i GT in comparison has a separate trunk with dividers between the reclining rear seat backs and the trunk. The trunk starts out big, gets bigger if you slide the rear seats forward and the dividers move forward too, and becomes positively huge if you drop down the dividers and rear seatbacks. You can also remove the stiff top partition of the trunk and turn it into a true hatchback.

To my eye, the 550i GT is better looking from the side than the X6, although it still takes some getting used to. From the side, there are some 550i GT hatchback styling cues that might make you think of a Toyota Prius where with the BMW X6 one might think - forgive me, BMW, for this slander - a low-riding Pontiac Aztek. The rear view of the 550i GT is the least pleasing but it’s still a taste you can acquire. From the front, it’s pure BMW.

Why You Can Pay Almost $94,000: Twofer Bundles Hike the Price

One reason a BMW 550i GT can cost $93,525 and my test car ran $89,875 is BMW’s habit of bundling a must-have option with a nice-to-have option. The worst offender is the camera package: In a car with such a restricted rear view, a backup camera ought to be standard the way parking sonar is. Instead, a sub-$50 (likely wholesale price) rear camera is paired with two more cameras mounted in the fenders just ahead of the front wheels (photo left); they look ahead and to the side and help you see when you’re pulling out of an alley. Total price: $1,200. Ka-ching.

Women especially like the keyless access system that lets you leave the physical key in your purse, yet the door unlocks as you reach the car and pull the handle and the car starts at the press of a button. Free or a couple hundred dollars on some non-BMWs, comfort access has cost as much as $1,000 as a BMW option and here it’s $1,900 in a convenience package with soft-close doors (get them near the doorframe and the pull themselves shut) and a power liftgate.

BMW’s closest competitors, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, charge similar prices for similar options and Porsche charges more. One reason the Hyundai Genesisi s so desirable - $43,000 max with a V8 engine — is that so many options are included or relatively affordable. For now, the Genesis’ softer ride makes it more of a Lexus competitor. But Hyundai and Ford are pushing down the cost of technology.

To be fair, the BMW 550i GT’s base price of $65,725 ($63,900 plus $825 freight and $1,000 gas guzzler tax) includes navigation, a brake energy regeneration system, xenon headlamps, HD Radio, front and rear parking sonar, BMW Assist (telematics) with four years of service, Bluetooth, and a slew of safety features with three-letter-acronym names: DBC, SC, DTC SRS, HPS, etcetera. That’s about $5,000 of options.

Night Vision: Can I See You Now?

My car came equipped with Night Vision, now priced at $2,600. A thermal imaging camera detects heat from pedestrians, bicyclists, animals, occupied cars, car exhausts, and big rocks that were in the sun all day, and projects an X-ray-like image onto the center display. It even detects pedestrians and flashes a warning if they’re on the roadway but not off to the side.

Flir Systems, the maker of the second generation thermal imager at the heart of Night Vision, says it has effectively halved component costs from the first generation system. But BMW has actually hiked the price of Night Vision since its debut two years ago. My findings are mixed: At lower speeds on dark roads, Night Vision is great for noticing pedestrians and cyclists before you see them with your headlamps. Driving on a foggy interstate at night, Night Vision doesn’t do much to spot slow-vehicles in your lane although a) BMW and Flir don’t claim Night Vision is a safety tool for high-speed overtaking so b) you have to fall back to the old standard of driving cautiously when visibility is reduced.

What Makes a 550i GT Worth the Extra Money

If you understand the component costs of electronics technology, you can’t help but shake your head at what BMW charges for satellite radio ($350) or why it charges anything for a USB / iPod adapter. Drive one for a year and you’ll begin to understand some (not all) of the costs.

BMW iDrive (photo left) finally works well and lets you manage all the features in the car without needed an extra 50 dashboard knobs and buttons. (It still helps if you spend an hour or two practicing after your take delivery.) The 10-inch transflective display is the biggest and brightest currently offered on any car. The backup camera display displays your path, turning lines, wraps color blocks around obstacles and as you get closer, the blocks change from green to yellow to red. BMW foots the bill for four years of telematics and emergency calling (worth $300 a year) and for four years of maintenance (which, since the cars are well maintained, props up their resale value when dealers take them in trade). BMW’s crash sensors don’t just report an accident, they predict the severity of possible injuries and BMW’s call center can report that to the police. BMW’s implementation of Bluetooth tends to work with more phones and pass on to the car more calling features.

The seats, even if you don’t pop for the premium leather or the comfort seats, are a delight to sit in for long periods and they don’t start to fade or crack in five years. In other words, with a car such as the 550i GT, you pay a lot and get a lot.

Should You Buy?

The traditional description of a GT, Gran Turismo, or Grand Touring car is low, fast, sexy, and comfortable for two (with seats for four) and luggage for two if they pack light. BMW makes it comfortable for four and leaves it to you to decide if it’s sexy. Fast, there’s no question. The only high-end vehicles with more back seat room are the stretch-body versions of the biggest Audis (A8), BMWs (7 Series) and Mercedes-Benzes (S-Class).

If you can live with the reduced cachet of driving a Ford product - what would the neighbors say if you imported one into Marin County or Palm Beach and it wasn’t for the maid? — the Ford Flex and cousin Lincoln MKT match the 550i GT on comfort-for-four. Perhaps the closest buyer-demographics competitor, the Porsche Panamera, has classic GT seating in back, meaning it’s not very appealing for two couples other than for short trips.

If you opt for a BMW 550i GT, here’s how to equip it and still keep the price reasonable, meaning barely over $80,000:

• Base car, gas guzzler tax, freight, $65,775
• Camera package, $1,200 (must-have option)
• Driver assistance package, $1,350 (must-have option)
• Sport package, $4,200
• Head-up display, $1,300
• Premium sound and iPod adapter, $1,400
• Power rear sunshade, $500
• Rear entertainment system, $2,200
• Satellite radio, $350
• Total MSRP, $80,025

I left off my mythical and near-perfect 550i GT configuration the luxury rear seating package because it’s a bunch of money unless you really do a lot of long-distance driving with four not two people aboard. Want to save a few bucks? You could find a third-party DVD player with two seatback screens for half what BMW charges, but it’s one thing to mess around with a $35,000 SUV that overcharges for rear seat entertainment, and another to splice into the wiring harness of a $75,000 car.

The only waste-of-money option on the 550i GT is ceramic controls: You pay $650 for knobs that are slippery to the touch, in order to get knobs that feel cool to the touch and have more apparent heft.

Actually, were I buying, I’d wait for the six-cylinder version and the all-wheel-drive version. Then you’d have the ultimate car for trips from your house in the city to your ski house in the mountains. I’d also wait in hopes BMW added adaptive cruise control, a must-have feature for long distance touring.

Other reviewers have noted how much more costly this is than a BMW 5 Series station wagon or the 550i V8 sedan. True, but so what? Neither has the rear passenger room of the 550i GT. (The next 5 Series, arriving this year, will have improved rear seat room but probably not like the 550i GT.) If you want comfortable grand touring with performance, safety, and cachet - the cachet that has bystanders saying, “I bet this thing costs almost a hundred grand” - then the BMW 550i GT has no competition.

Source: [Gear Log]

The redesigned 2010 E350 Coupe is not only priced lower than the ‘09 version, it’s also one of the best cars Mercedes has ever made.

Up Front

I’m a big fan of Mercedes’ newly redesigned rear-wheel-drive E-Class sedans and coupes, and I’m not the only one. The E is the only class of Mercedes that has shown a sales increase in the U.S. market this year. Total sales soared 113.1% in November, to 4,828.

A major reason for the E’s success is obvious: It’s reasonably priced, at least by German standards. The new E-Class sedan is actually cheaper than the outgoing model, and the coupe is cheaper than the CLK coupe it’s replacing. The E350 coupe starts at $48,925 and the E350 sedan at $49,475. The higher-end E550 coupe starts at $55,525, the E550 sedan at $57,175. Add an extra $2,500 for all-wheel drive in either sedan. (AWD isn’t offered in the coupe.)

In redesigning the E-Class, Daimler did what it does best. The V6-powered E350 and V8 powered E550 sedans are classic luxury cars that fall in the middle of the product range in terms of price and size but have traditional styling, solidity, and high-tech options reminiscent of the top-of-the-line Mercedes S Class. The sedan gives Mercedes a clearer alternative to the BMW 5 Series and Volkswagen’s Audi A6, one that’s more comfort-oriented without making big compromises on performance.

The new E-Class coupe (the version of the car I test drove) is smaller and sportier than the sedan-nearly seven inches shorter, six inches narrower, three inches lower, and 200 lbs. lighter. About the size of the Mercedes C-Class, the E coupe competes more directly with the BMW 3 Series than with the 5 Series. It’s a marvelous vehicle if you can get past the fact that it isn’t available with a stick shift. A seven-speed automatic with manual shifting function is the only transmission in both the E sedan and coupe.

As with other German cars, one appeal of the E-Class is the wide variety of niche models it comes in. For speed-lovers, there’s the E63 AMG (powered by a 518-hp V8) that competes with BMW’s M5, VW’s Audi S6, and General Motors’ Cadillac CTS-V. A four-seater E350 Cabriolet with a new sound-dampening soft top is due out next May. The following month, a diesel-powered E350 Bluetec is due out. A new E-Class station wagon, designed to compete with models such as the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, will also hit showrooms next June.

The available engines provide plenty of power. The E350 coupe has a 3.5-liter, 268-horsepower V6 under its hood while the E550 is powered by a 5.5-liter, 382-horsepower V8. The E350 Bluetec sedan comes with a 3.0-liter, 210-horsepower diesel V6 that generates an incredible 400 lb.-ft of torque.

As with other sport luxury models, fuel economy isn’t great. The E350 coupe is rated to get 17 miles-per-gallon in the city and 26 on the highway for an average of 20; the E350 sedan does slightly better, at 18 mpg city and 26 highway, for an average of 21. The E550 Coupe and Sedan are both rated at 16 city and 24 highway, for an average of 18. (The Bluetec isn’t yet rated.)

Behind the Wheel

Tooling around in a Mercedes coupe is an experience everyone should have at least once. The E-Class coupe isn’t the sportiest or fastest car in its group, but it’s fun and just so damned classy and comfortable. The cabin has the quietness and solidity of a more expensive Mercedes and the suspension eats up bumps like no other. There’s a library-quiet, dead-air feel to the cabin when you’re cruising on the highway.

Yet the driver still feels a direct connection to the road and the new Es are very quick. Mercedes says the E350 Coupe accelerates from 0 to 60 in about six seconds (about the same as a BMW 328i) while the E550 does it in about five seconds (about the same as a BMW 335i). However, I consistently found my loaner E350 a bit slower than its rated time while the BMWs were faster.

Choosing a coupe over a sedan is a triumph of the heart over the head. The sedan accounts for about 85% of sales, Mercedes says, I suspect that most buyers figure it offers better value because it is roomier inside and has four doors instead of two. But the coupe has definite appeal. Fewer doors, lower weight, and smaller size make it nimbler and tighter than the sedan. The E350 coupe also comes standard with sport seats, leather upholstery, and a panoramic sunroof, while the E550 coupe has sport suspension, paddle shifters, and 18-inch wheels.

Surprisingly, the coupe actually has more headroom and legroom in its front seat than the E-Class sedan does, although hip and shoulder space are tighter. The front seats are narrower and more bolstered than the sedan’s, but I found them very comfortable. Trunk space is equal to the sedan’s-15.9 cu. ft., which is adequate for most purposes. In contrast to the fixed rear seats in many coupes, the E350’s rear seats fold down in a 60/40 pattern, creating extra hauling space.

The painful aspect of owning just about any coupe is how bad you feel when adult passengers have to use the rear seat. The E350’s front seats slide well forward, so getting into the back seat is fairly easy, but knee and head space in back are very tight. With the driver’s seat set for my height (5 ft. 10 in.), I barely had enough leg space in the rear seat. Sitting back there and watching the front seat automatically move back into place was a little like being in one of those horror movies where a room’s walls start to close in. A taller person would have been scrunched.

Like other Mercedes, the E-Class is heavy on standard safety gear. The new E350 hasn’t yet been crash-tested in the U.S., but it comes standard with traction and stability control, an optional night vision system, and a full array of air bags, including both side and pelvis-protecting bags.

There are also “seat belt presenters,” little arms that poke out from behind the driver’s and front passenger’s shoulder, bearing the seat belt and reminding them to buckle up. And there’s an innovative monitor that sounds an alarm if the driver seems to be growing drowsy. The thing didn’t seem to work very well. During more than an hour of evening driving, I repeatedly struggled with dozing off but the system never made a peep.

Buy it or Bag It?

Once you factor in options, the E350 sedan sells for an average of around $53,000, according to the Power Information Network, roughly the same range as the BMW 528i, Audi A6, and Jaguar XF. For me, it’s a toss-up between the BMW and the Mercedes, with the BMW getting the nod for handling and the Mercedes for looks, interior quality, and comfort.

Less expensive alternatives include Honda’s new Acura TL (average price: $38,055), and Toyota’s Lexus ES 350 ($37,397).

PIN doesn’t have average price data for the E350 coupe, but it probably averages slightly less than the sedan. The main competitors include the BMW 328i and Audi A5 coupes, both of which are cheaper. The Bimmer, for instance, goes for an average of $41,275. I love the E350 coupe, but I’d have a hard time paying more for it than for a 328i, one of the all-time great models on the market.

The budget alterative is the Hyundai Genesis coupe, which sells for an average of just $26,722. Yup, a Hyundai, priced like a Hyundai-and it’s a great little car. That’s Mercedes’ challenge. The E-Class is much improved and cheaper than before, but the competition just keeps getting tougher.

Source: [Business Week]

The German sports car manufacturer has released a new video presenting the 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo technology in detail. The clip was shot on the company’s tracks at Experience Center at Silverstone. The 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo is powered by a 3.8 liter engine that outputs 500 hp that can catapult it from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds and to a maximum speed of 312 km/h. The new model it’s priced from 122,400 Euros and comes with the company’s seven-speed PDK gearbox.

Source: [ZER Customs]

Volkswagen is a good study on how to take a common compact sedan and make it into something inventive and imaginative. Take the Jetta SportWagen and the CC. The sport wagon is inspired from the Jetta sedan and turned into a functional yet fun-to-drive sporty vehicle. The four-passenger CC sedan has four doors yet appears more coupe-like.

Volkswagen stays interesting in the 2010 market by producing models that raise expectations in the compact-car segment.

Introduced as an all-new vehicle to the brand for the 2009 model year, the CC carries over into the 2010 model year unchanged. Two major unusual characteristics regarding the CC: It is a sedan that seats only four people, yet it’s a four-door, which as a vehicle category typically seats five passengers; and it’s a sedan that is designed to look like a coupe.

Breaking away from the bland compact sedan segment makes sense. There’s a whole market of buyers who want the functionality of a four-door but whose self-image is more grounded in the coupe market.

The CC starts at $27,100 and comes equipped with a six-speed manual transmission that is hooked to a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine with direct injection.

A six-speed automatic with manual Tiptronic is optional. The engine generates 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. My tester had EPA fuel economy ratings of 21 miles per gallon city and 31 mpg highway. The CC also is available with a 3.6-liter V-6 that produces 280 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy is listed as 18/27 mpg.

The four-passenger interior has seating that is ergonomically formed to hold passengers snuggly for lateral support. The exterior design is probably one of the best for Volkswagen. Designers have managed to give VW a model that tilts toward luxurious looks. The sweeping lines from front to rear make the sheet metal look like a jewel, and the rear-swept roofline is the signature element that imaginatively redefines this sedan into a seemingly virtual coupe.

The famed Jetta easily captures the sports wagon market with a stable reputation of easy-to-handle, nimble compact fun. The 2010 Jetta SportWagen starts at $19,265 for the 170-horsepower, five-cylinder base level S model.

Volkswagen reports that the TDI wagon model is eligible for a $1,300 federal tax credit through its qualification as an Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle. I drove the SportWagen TDI that achieves fuel ratings of 40 mpg highway.

The 50-state compliant turbo-diesel wagon features a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder that delivers 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. The tester was optionally equipped with the $1,100 six-speed automatic transmission. The $1,300 power panoramic sunroof was a breath of luxury. Loading gear and packages through the rear gate is effortless, of course, as this front-wheel drive vehicle is a small wagon - not at all in the same class with midsize crossovers or even compact SUVs.

New for 2010, the Jetta SportWagen has an all-new front end with a narrow double-bar grille that sits above the bumper, giving it a more aggressive, sporty look.

Volkswagen demonstrates with the Jetta SportWagen and the CC that it’s an inventive brand and quick to listen to customers. In the Strategic Vision 2009 Total Value Index, the CC and the Jetta SportWagen received high ratings from buyers who were satisfied with the value and price.

Source: [New York Daily News]

Volvo has released a new promotional video for the upcoming 2011 Volvo S60, showing the stylish sedan bolting from the factory and heading to the hills and beyond.

Aside from the usual advertising guff, the new video offers the first look inside the cabin of the new S60.

Volvo has yet to offer any technical details for the S60, although the Swedish marque’s new turbo-charged 2.0 litre GTDi engine - announced last week - is likely to figure among the S60’s powertrain options.

In the S80, the GTDi engine offers a 0-100km/h time of 8.5 seconds with the new PowerShift automatic transmission. In the S60, an eight second run should be achievable.

The 2011 Volvo S60 will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, while production is slated to begin mid-2010.

Source: [The Motor Report]

Florida has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country. The state is last in what it pays for children’s health care - with as many as 800,000 children going without health insurance. Infant mortality rates in some counties are as high as a Third World country. A national study has shown the Sunshine State’s prekindergarten program to be one of the nation’s worst in terms of quality.

And Florida ranks third in the number of child deaths linked to abuse and neglect.

The Children’s Campaign, focused on bringing children’s issues to the forefront, is working to turn those numbers around. But with Florida legislators ready once again to slash state spending because of declining tax collections, children’s advocates are worried that they are fighting a losing battle. The state needs $2.7 billion it doesn’t have just to keep government operating at its already scaled-down level. The public school budget alone could face a $1 billion deficit.

“The broad consensus is that people care about kids, but that falls apart when it’s time to pay for it,” says Roy Miller, longtime president of the Children’s Campaign.

This is where you, the residents of Tallahassee, come in.

Miller’s challenge is simple: Are you ready to step up for children?

Miller wants to “get beyond the existing choir” and be able to call on local residents to speak out on behalf of children when the Florida Legislature convenes in March and begins its budget work in earnest. The idea is that state lawmakers might pay more attention to children’s programs - and be less likely to cut funding - if members of the public come to personally testify in support of them.

While others in the state may be willing to help, it takes time and money to travel to Tallahassee - and sometimes legislative committee meetings are scheduled on short notice. That’s where Tallahasseeans can help fill the gap, Miller said, adding that testifying before a legislative committee isn’t as tough as it sounds.

“People get scared off because they think they don’t know enough about the issues,” Miller says. “But all they have to do is rely on their personal experiences, to do a little reality therapy with these legislators.

“I’m not optimistic about the upcoming session … that’s why we want people in the community to watch,” he says. “This is a special opportunity that Tallahassee has. My challenge is, are you ready to step up for children?”

You can find out more about the Children’s Campaign at iamforkids.org or by calling (850) 425-2600.

Source: [Tallahassee Magazine]

There is just one day each year - Valentine’s Day - dedicated to celebrating couples. We all know the well-worn rituals: Snag a good dinner reservation, order flowers, buy a box of chocolate and hope that you’ve done enough.

But what if your plans fall through or, in the aftermath of an exuberant Christmas, you’re looking to save a little money without sacrificing romance?

You don’t have to look any further than your own home.

A house can be more of a romantic retreat than a fancy restaurant or resort spa, say interior decorators. And it’s not just the obvious places, such as the bedroom, that can help set the stage for romance. Unlikely spots such as the living room, dining room, outdoor patio and even bathrooms can easily, and inexpensively, become love nests.

“Overwhelmingly yet subtly indulging all of the senses and setting a mood - that’s the essence behind creating the enhancing experience of a romantic space or retreat,” says Tamera Massey, an architect and interior decorator with offices in Seaside and Tallahassee. These spaces must be crafted with intimate attention to detail, Massey says, mixing the mystery and excitement of romance with a warm and tranquil atmosphere.

Rose petals on the bed are for amateurs, these decorators say. To really transform a room into the ultimate romantic retreat, you must indulge all five of your senses: taste, smell, sight, hearing and sound.

“It’s really pretty simple,” says Tallahassee-based interior designer Julian Mathis. “Stop and think about your senses, and go with that.”

First, think about what puts you at ease, says interior designer Jackie McHaffie of Tallahassee-based Designs Unlimited.

“For some people, romantic is a very clean look because it’s uncluttered,” McHaffie says. “For other people, it’s a very fussy look.”

When McHaffie was hired to help Jim and Maureen Daughton transform their 3,000-square-foot Tallahassee home from a traditional red brick residence into a glamorous sanctuary, she says the busy couple, who have two children, wanted a spot where they could focus on each other. The master bedroom, with its double doors, crystal teardrop-studded chandeliers, expansive marble-floored bathroom and walk-in closet with custom cabinetry became the romantic haven they were looking for.

“We want somewhere we can come and relax at the end of the day,” says Maureen Daughton, an attorney. The Daughtons point to the muted blue color of the wall, the thick white crown molding along the ceiling and doorframes, and the doorknob’s silver back plate as small details that helped contribute to an overall atmosphere of luxury and warmth.

“It’s very inviting,” Daughton says. “It’s a place where we can unwind.” Their bedroom is a no-television, cell phone and computer zone.

“It’s a soothing room,” agrees Jim Daughton, a lobbyist.

Stella and Raymond Cottrell also aimed for a romantic master bedroom when they built a custom home in SouthWood in 2008. The walls are painted “roasted red pepper-red,” Stella says, and there is a coffee bar and crackling fireplace steps away from the bed.

Their home, and especially their master bedroom has the warmth of a cozy ski lodge, with wood furniture used throughout the home and framed photos of winter landscapes.

French doors from their master bedroom open to a patio with views of the SouthWood golf course’s green rolling hills. Stella says there’s “nothing better than coming out here and watching the sunset,” though she also finds the occasional golf ball in her backyard.

At Florence and James Brainerd’s 2,600-square-foot custom-built home in Tallahassee, special care was given to the master bedroom. Florence Brainerd decided the best way to make it a romantic retreat was to not have a wall separating the bathroom from the bedroom.

“I was going for something Romanesque,” Florence Brainerd said. Her dark wood bed is draped in white lace and a fireplace offers flickers of light. Her bathtub is mere steps away from her bed, only separated by a wrought-iron screen with a another bit of white lace dangling off its edge.

“My wife is very romantic,” James Brainerd said with a chuckle. The couple built the home in 1987 and have been married for 30 years.

But if you don’t want have the time or money for a take-it-down-to-the studs renovation or custom-built home there are simple, inexpensive tricks that homeowners can use to achieve a romantic atmosphere.

Adjusting the lighting, adding a few decorative touches, and focusing on sentimental themes are some of the recommendations decorators have for heightening romance.

The Right Light
Just as Realtors preach “location, location, location,” interior decorators tout “lighting, lighting, lighting.” When designing a room for couples, decorators say using soft lighting is important.

“If you have a dimmer, use it,” says Susette Crosby of Affinity Design. “If you don’t have one, then there are other options, one of which is throwing a scarf over a lampshade. You can pull one out of your closet, and it romanticizes the light in the room.”

Then there is the obvious choice: candles. If it’s for a special day, drape the room with candles, using different sizes and shapes in order to achieve a staggered look.

“If you have a mirror in the room, sitting candles in front of the mirror doubles the effect,” Crosby says. Chandeliers are ideal, and if one isn’t available, string candles from a ceiling fan. “It creates the effect of a chandelier even if you don’t have one,” Crosby said.

McHaffie calls it “mood lighting.” Lighting the corners of a room, or putting accent lights on art, is a less expensive way to set the mood. A more expensive option for homeowners is installing dimmers so the mood can be instantly changed with a single button. Make sure any lighting changes also add convenience, she says. For instance, don’t install lighting that requires crawling out of bed to flick off a switch; instead, use remote controls or have a switch near the bed.

Harsh overhead lighting should be avoided, Mathis says.

“You really don’t want to see the light source if possible,” he says. He suggests putting a light on the floor behind a plant, allowing the leaves to cast soft shadows.

A Walk Down Memory Lane
Arranging a room around a theme helps, Mathis says. For couples, celebrate your love by taking a walk down memory lane, with photos, mementos, music and art that evokes a favorite vacation or honeymoon locale.

“It could be a trip to Italy,” he says. It will invoke “those wonderful feelings you had by doing a room around that.”

On the wall could be art or a photo of Venice and its abundant gondolas gliding down a canal. On a table could be photos from the trip of you and a loved one kissing at a piazza, posing in front of the Coliseum in Rome, or twirling spaghetti in Florence.

“You want to capitalize on all of your senses,” Mathis says. Scented candles, soft music, candies or chocolates on a nearby table - all can add a splash of romance to a room. Depending on how far the theme is taken, wine could be offered from an Italian vineyard, the music could be Pavarotti, and the candles could be hand-dipped from Florence.

If you’re after a more permanent transformation, go for the glamour by hanging a Venetian chandelier, which is more conventionally seen in dining rooms but can be placed in a bedroom for a romantic effect. To invoke the luxurious lifestyle of European royalty, shop for an ornate four-poster bed draped in Italian silk, with matching dressers with solid bronze or gold handles.

“That is where I’m coming from with taking a room and making the design that more from that location in the world where you brought back fond memories,” Mathis says. With the workday pressure gone, it puts you in the mood for romance because you’re in vacation mode, relaxed and comfortable.

Try translating what made a good hotel or resort experience into your own home, decorators say. Hotels are excellent resources for romantic settings because they don’t contain the typical clutter one finds in a bedroom. There are no books, no messy nightstand and no misplaced furniture. Hotels offer simplicity, and many are designed to emphasize romance over other practical needs, with bigger beds, whirlpool baths and hammocks on balconies.

Soft Touch
Don’t forget about one of the most important senses - touch. Decorators say soft, inviting fabrics are key to setting the stage for romance. This extends from the window treatments down to the type of rug or carpeting, sofa, bedding, and tables and chairs.

While modern furniture might appeal to you aesthetically, designers say to watch out for sharp corners and stiff furniture that may look great but not feel so good.

If a homeowner has wood floors, McHaffie suggests placing a soft rug on top of it to add warmth. Or choose carpeting such as a long-haired California Berber.

“It’s the old version of a shag carpet but with longer fibers,” she says. “It has movement to it, versus something tightly woven. It can be a nice romantic touch.”

In the bedroom, go with sheets or comforters that are soft to the touch.

“In the bedroom, you can be more sensuous,” Mathis says. “In the summertime, use linen, and in the winter, throw in silks and satin.” In the dining room, just using linen napkins, or having chairs with a smooth texture such as suede, can help soften the room. Use a table centerpiece that is inviting to the eyes, nose and fingers, such as roses, an orchid or lilies.

Beyond the Bedroom
Bedrooms aren’t the only place in a home that can be transformed into a romantic retreat. With the right decorative touch, practically any room can have a seductive appeal.

Backyards are sometimes overlooked but can be the perfect spot for a romantic evening. If you have a pool or whirlpool, use floating candles with waterproof candleholders. Tiki torches along the perimeter of your backyard provide a gentle glow. The Daughtons, for instance, installed a covered back patio with ceiling fans and chaise lounges that overlook the pool and can be used for a romantic evening or a backyard barbecue. And if your backyard offers some privacy, try setting up massage tables with aromatic oils.

“Front porches are another great spot,” Crosby says. “Treat it as an indoor space with portable items, such as throw pillows and candles.” She also says garden tubs, which are becoming a common amenity in most master bathrooms, offer opportunities for romance, with scented candles lining the tub. “To me, that is very romantic,” Crosby says.

Living rooms or family rooms can also be transformed into a romantic hideaway. Many of these rooms have televisions, which offer the opportunity to settle into a cozy couch and watch a romantic movie.

Mathis encourages homeowners to program lighting and sound systems through a remote control.

“You can lower the lights, turn on the soft music and be close to the dining room where you’ve had a romantic meal,” he says.

These transformations need not be temporary, decorators say. The best part about turning your home into a romantic retreat is that you don’t need the excuse of Feb. 14 or the pressure of the right dinner reservation to achieve the spirit of Valentine’s Day any day of the year.

Source: [Tallahassee Magazine]

While a student at Florida State University in the early 1980s, Andrew Bachmann would accompany a friend to a shop in Tampa’s Ybor City, where he would buy old postcards. At the time, “I thought that my friend was insane spending 10, 20, 30 dollars for a postcard,” Bachmann recalls.

A quarter-century and well more than 10,000 postcards later, Bachmann, a Jacksonville mortgage banker who has worked on Wall Street and as an investment adviser, is singing a very different tune.

“He was collecting in the ’80s and the cards were much cheaper, so the cards he was paying five and 10 and 15 dollars for are now worth one and two and three hundred dollars,” Bachmann says of his college friend.

“Unlike stocks, I think collectibles, as an investment, are a fantastic way to go. I’ve never lost money on a postcard.”

But the joys of postcard collecting aren’t limited to making money, Bachmann says. The hobby also offers pleasures that make the hobby part history lesson, part detective work and part treasure hunt.

Bachmann says his postcard epiphany started about 10 years after his initial introduction, when he and his wife moved to Jacksonville.

“As a way to learn the city, we just started looking at vintage postcards that we found at an old bookstore,” he says. “The images intrigued us, and then our goal soon became ‘Let’s collect every postcard that was ever made from Jacksonville.’”

Once they had made inroads into gathering Jacksonville images, Bachmann decided to branch out and start collecting cards from his alma mater. He currently owns about 180 images from FSU, the oldest a shot of the front entrance dated 1906, from the earliest of the postcard eras. (See the description of postcard eras on the next page.)

The FSU postcards run from the iconic (the Westcott Building, aerial views of Doak Campbell Stadium) to the odd (the Geology Building), and Bachmann has scanned them all to a photo CD that he sells on eBay and at flajax.com. (He has similar CD compendiums featuring Florida, Jacksonville and University of Florida postcards from his collection.)

Several FSU postcards show the same buildings at different points in their history.

“I may have four shots of the same building over four different decades,” Bachmann says. “(Other) buildings pop up around the one center point that was a constant in all the images. And then (some show) a building that’s totally knocked down, and then there’s another (card showing a) building right on top of the same spot.”

For example, Bryan Hall is shown in black and white and in hand coloring, with ivy-clad walls and silhouetted in the moonlight.

“I have a preference for the hand-colored cards,” he says. “To me, they look like a miniature painting.”

Bachmann enjoys sleuthing for clues that can date the images. The easiest is a postmark. As long as the postcard isn’t bent and creased, a postcard that was mailed won’t lose its value, he says. However, “if they do have writing on the front, a lot of people don’t like that.”

Don’t count on the stamps being valuable when you buy a used postcard, though.

“The stamps were at 1 and 2 cents for 30 or 40 years, and there’s billions of them out there,” he explains. It is interesting to read the messages - on the FSU cards there are several reports back home to relatives - and many got to their destinations with an address that only included a person’s name, town and state; no street address or ZIP code was required.

However, the postmark can be valuable to certain collectors.

“Some collect just the postmarks,” Bachmann says. “Sometimes the postcards that were mailed from trains or ships … make the card worth a lot more because they don’t have that type of postmark anymore.”

The look of the postcard also offers a hint as to when it was created. For example, the divided-back card - with space for a message on the left and an address on the right - didn’t exist before 1907. Cards with a white border were made between 1915 and 1930, and those that had a linen-like texture were made over the next 15 years.

The appearance of cars and people in the picture are another way Bachmann zeroes in on a date; his postcard of Strozier Library is obviously from the 1960s based on the buzz cuts and khaki paints of the three young men who are walking in front of it. Another of his notable cards is a street scene in Jacksonville that had to be from about 1911, because it showed strings of light bulbs, which one wouldn’t see in the days before electricity.

Bachmann paid more than $50 for a card showing the landmark Sweet Shop restaurant adjacent to FSU’s campus, but it is far from being the most expensive acquisition in his collection. That would be a rare “Alligator Border” postcard featuring a scene from Palatka that cost him $250. A German company produced a series of the distinctive embossed cards in 1908, with scenes from Florida’s major cities (there were about a dozen at the time, and Tallahassee wasn’t one of them) surrounded by a border of three alligators. Bachmann now has all 165 cards in the series, and he says complete sets have been sold at Sotheby’s for $30,000.

One of his favorite places to find cards is at the Orlando International Postcard Show Auction, held in early January each year.

“There’ll be 100 dealers with millions of postcards … all with dividers and everything labeled and categories that would make a librarian jealous,” he says. “The postcard show is like Christmas Day for a kid … you get an adrenaline rush because you just don’t know what good card you’re going to find.”

Bachmann also frequents garage sales and antique shops, but his habit has taken on a new dimension with the advent of eBay for both buying and selling.

“You’ve got the whole world brought to your fingertips by just typing in your particular city or topic, and then it’s great to sell the card because all it takes is two people who want it to bid up the price,” he says.

Bachmann says it can actually be thrilling to participate in the online auctions.

“I’ve gotten some cards for a dollar or two that I would have easily paid $100 or $150 for,” he says.

To novice collectors, “I would say to pick something that means something to you,” Bachmann advises. “Most people, I find, like to collect what they consider their hometown.”

But beware: “Postcard collecting is very addictive, so you may start collecting one category and then you find another category that you like,” he says. “My wife’s from Huntington, Long Island, so we’ve started collecting Long Island postcards. I used to work on Wall Street, so I have a collection of Wall Street and financial-related postcards from New York City. My twins and I love to go bowling, so I have a collection of bowling alleys across America.”

While the bulk of Bachmann’s collection stops in the 1960s, he has discovered a use for modern postcards.

“When we go on vacation, my wife and I will address a postcard to ourselves,” with the date and the highlights of their trip, he says. “The kids love picking out something that represented what they did in that town. In our old age, we could look back at all the trips we took in our lifetime. A hundred years from now, our great-grandkids could be going through a shoebox filled with our travels. And maybe they’ll mimic some of our road trips and see some of the same sights.”

Vintage postcards can be a thoughtful, and often inexpensive, gift, according to Bachmann.

His collecting friend sent Bachmann a card from his hometown of Hoboken, N.J. A $3 card of his mother’s Waterbury, Conn., high school is now “hanging in her kitchen, and she loves it.” The subjects that can inspire a fond memory - a college, a city, a restaurant, a sport, an alma mater - offer possibilities for a sentimental postcard present, he says.

While Bachmann has parlayed his postcards into commercial enterprises - selling cards; the archive CDs; a picture book he coauthored with his wife, Maria Mediavilla, about historic Jacksonville; and selling enlargements - all of the profits he makes are plowed back into the quest for more cards. He slips his latest acquisitions into plastic sleeves and sorts them into storage boxes, to be riffled through with pleasure.

“I would say I buy nine cards for every one I sell,” Bachmann admits. “I have people who have found my Web site and contacted me to see if I was interested in buying their old postcards. I’m always game to make a drive over and visit and make an offer of what they think is outrageously high, but what I think is an incredibly low price, so everyone’s happy.”

Where else, he asks, “Can you get an antique for 10 bucks?”

Source: [Tallahassee Magazine]

Event Spotlight: ‘Voices of Florida Women’

Florida Clark, born in Gadsden County, worked in the early 1930s at McCrory’s Five and Dime on Monroe Street and the Singer Sewing Center on College Avenue. She taught girls how to sew and made clothes for prominent women in town, including Gov. Reubin Askew’s wife, Donna Lou Harper Askew. Clark is just one of the women whose story is told in “Voices of Florida Women,” a historical exhibit now featured at the Museum of Florida History. The exhibition, which runs through March 23, includes exclusive permanent collections from the museum, telling the stories of how women changed the economic, social and cultural fabric of Florida. Florida natives from throughout the state who have made Florida history include Florida State University benefactor Ruby Diamond, actress Frances Langford, Seminole tribal representative and craftswoman Ethel Santiago, auto test driver and adventurer Betty Skelton, and Florida’s first black woman legislator, Gwen Cherry. Brown-bag lectures, guest speakers, live performances and book signings will be held throughout the exhibition’s five-month run. All events are free and open to the public during regular museum hours. For more information, visit museumoffloridahistory.com/mfh/calendar. The museum is located downtown in the R.A. Gray Building, 500 S. Bronough St. The exhibit coincides with Women’s History Month in Florida, which is held throughout March. - Corbin Robinson

Best Bets: February

Feb. 19-20
Annika Experience at WaterSound
Be prepared to break a sweat at this celebration of active lifestyles and wellness education. The weekend’s events - taking place at WaterSound’s Origins Golf Club, Camp Creek Golf Club and the WaterColor Inn and Resort - will include a celebrity golf match with golf superstar Annika Sorenstam, a children’s fitness clinic, a meet-and-greet luncheon, a charity golf tournament, and a food and wine reception. All proceeds will be donated to local charities. “The Annika Experience at WaterSound is a special opportunity to promote St. Joe’s innovative, active-lifestyle communities while raising awareness and funds for local charities and health organizations,” says Britt Greene, president and CEO of the St. Joe Company. Accommodations packages will be available at WaterColor Inn and Resort and at WaterSound Beach, and will include admission to all ticketed events. Visit joe.com/watersound-community for more information. - Aniko Gomory

Feb. 28
Children’s Home Society’s 25th Annual Chef’s Sampler
Mark your calendars and plan to have a good time while supporting a great cause. The Chef’s Sampler is a local tradition that demonstrates all that’s wonderful about our community, as well as giving participants the one and only “True Taste of Tallahassee.” This year will mark its 25th anniversary, with more than 50 of the area’s finest restaurants and caterers generously preparing their culinary creations. All proceeds benefit the North Central Division of Children’s Home Society of Florida, which in 2008 alone provided services for 4,500 children and families in the Big Bend area. The Chef’s Sampler runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Tallahassee Mall. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased either in advance or at the event. To purchase tickets in advance or for sponsorship opportunities, call Children’s Home Society at (850) 921-0772 or visit chstallychefs.com.

Calendar of Events

Through February 26
‘Space Relations: Joelle Dietrich, Owen Mundy, Chad Erpelding’
A look into how individuals react to their own environment within the context of the global community, this exhibition encourages audience participation. Art from the Florida State University Art Students League will be showcased in the Nan Boynton Memorial Gallery. No charge. Opening night 6 p.m.-9 p.m. After that, regular gallery times: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 621 Gallery (Railroad Square), 621 Industrial Drive. (850) 224-6163, 621gallery.org

Through March 14
Figure Drawing Exhibition
Artists Bill Thompson, Ron Yrabedra, John H. Woodworth, B. Harper Frost and Barbara Harrison focus on the artistic tradition of the visual exploration of the human form. Admission: $1 (no charge for members and children). Opening-night times: 6-9 p.m., with a talk at 6:30 p.m. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Gadsden Arts Center, 13 N. Madison St., Quincy. (850) 875-4866, gadsdenarts.org

Through March 21
‘The Kinsey Collection’
Florida A&M University alumni Bernard and Shirley Kinsey share art and artifacts from their personal collection. (See story, page 47). Admission is $5 for children, students, seniors, and military, and $10 for adults. Museum hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Mary Brogan Museum of Art, 350 S. Duval St. (850) 513-0700, Ext. 229; thekinseycollection.com

Through March 28
FAMU Annual Faculty Art Exhibition
Present and retired faculty of Florida A&M University’s School of Architecture and its Visual Arts Department share their work in all mediums, including printmaking, photography, quilting, ceramics and oil painting. $1 (free for members and children). 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Gadsden Arts Center, 13 N. Madison St., Quincy. (850) 875-4866, gadsdenarts.org

Feb. 18
Carla Connors and Timothy Hoekman
Enjoy love songs presented by Carla Connors, proclaimed one of the best sopranos of the decade by the Detroit Free Press. She is accompanied by Timothy Hoekman, who has performed as a soloist and accompanist in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe. $35 ($45 nonmembers). 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Gadsden Arts Center, 13 N. Madison St., Quincy. (850) 875-4866, gadsdenarts.org

Feb. 19-21
‘Exploring with Dora & Diego’
Your favorite search-and-find duo, Dora and Diego, will take youngsters on a fun-filled adventure during this performance Call (850) 386-6602 for show times and ticket information. Young Actors Theatre and School for the Performing Arts, 609 Glenview Drive. youngactorstheatre.com

Feb. 26-28 and March 3-7
‘Hamlet’
One of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays, “Hamlet” tells the story of a prince’s struggle to avenge his father’s death in the new state of Denmark. $20. Wednesday through Saturday performances, 8 p.m.; Sunday performances, 2 p.m. Lab Theatre, Florida State University, 502 S. Copeland St. (850) 644-6500, tickets.fsu.edu

Feb. 26-March 7
‘The Light in the Piazza’
Theatre A La Carte presents this award-winning musical by Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas. $16 for adults; $14 for students and senior citizens. Friday and Saturday performances, 8 p.m.; Sunday performances, 2 p.m. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St. (850) 224-8474, theatrealacarte.org

Feb. 27
8th Annual Winter Garden Symposium
“Infusing the Garden with Your Personality” is the topic of this presentation featuring Tovah Martin and Carleton Woods. $45 per person, which includes lunch. 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Goodwood Museum & Gardens. Carriage House Conference Center, 1600 Miccosukee Road. (850) 877-7592, goodwoodmuseum.org

Feb. 27
Tallahassee Local Authors Day Program
This annual event celebrates local authors and their accomplishments. A poetry contest will be held as a part of the celebration. The event is free to the public; contestants must pre-register. Noon-3 p.m. Amen-Ra’s Bookshop, 812 S. Macomb St. (850) 264-3341, tallahasseelocalauthors.ning.com

Feb. 26-Feb. 28
Thomasville Antiques Show
View antiques and crafts while supporting children’s programs. $15. Call for event times at (229) 225-9354. Tallahassee Antique Show Foundation, 135 N. Broad St., Thomasville, Ga. thomasvilleantiquesshow.com

Source: [Tallahassee Magazine]