WomanOnWheels.ca

My new favorite word ...

Courtesy of UrbanDictionary.com: Intexticated.

Used to describe someone stupid enough to text while they're driving a car.

Bloody brilliant, say I.

Why I really love my job ...

This is Alex Xydias, and I met him tonight, thanks to an event at Cadillac's design studio courtesy of General Motors. I'm not much of a car racing fan, but you better believe I know this particular vehicle .. and I certainly know of Mr. Xydias. What an honor to meet him.

And while waiting for my food to be served, I stood and talked a while with Jay Leno ... who also waited in line, no star ego here, for his. But I let him go first. "You go," he said. "No," said I, "you drive a Duesenberg to work, and I only own a Studebaker." So he said that that sounded good, and he went up and ordered his burger. A very classy gentleman, and certainly a night I'll always remember.

Leave the phone alone!

There's a new Canadian campaign underway, Leave the Phone Alone, which targets drivers of all ages who still think it's a good idea to talk on a cell phone or text while moving two tons of machinery through traffic.

We have a toothless law in Ontario that only results in a fine, without demerit points, and while it initially made a slight difference, it seems that many drivers are back to dialling and texting while they're behind the wheel. That's just plain dumb.

I'd like to see all calls banned, hand-held or hands-free, but at least we're moving in the right direction with a campaign like this.

You can check it out, sign up for the pledge and get a window sticker by clicking here.

 

SEMA 2010: The final wrap-up

 

 The SEMA show - the Specialty Equipment Market Association's giant trade event in Las Vegas - is over for another year, and I have the sore feet to prove it. So it's time for a final wrap-up, of course.

Coolest new product: A Chevrolet Camaro model that turned out to be a computer tower. The DVDs go in the grille, the mouse and keyboard plug into the bumper, the headlights light up, and it's certainly a lot more fun than the humming metal box I have sitting beside me here.

Oddest "professional" moment: Waiting five minutes at Kenda Tire's booth to talk to a "product specialist" who didn't know the tire sizes available, and worse, didn't know that the M+S designation on a tire stands for mud-and-snow. "That's not a mud tire," I was told when I explained what M+S means. "Our mud tire doesn't come out until next year."

Proudest vicarious moment: Seeing John Denich's 1951 Chevrolet displayed as a feature vehicle in the lobby. This car, now based in California, has been in numerous magazines, and earlier this year won an award at the prestigious Grand National Roadster Show. I've known John since he was pretty much a teenager, and he did some of the original work on it in my garage. I still remember driving behind him on the way home from a car show in Michigan and the suspension was so firm back then that his head almost hit the roof every time he went over a bump. I had to love a car that made my rough-and-tuff Studebaker seem like it had a Cadillac's ride.

Strangest new product: There's always at least one. This is, after all, where the world first saw wheels that flash electronic messages when they turn (which I don't think ever actually made it to market), and rubber testicles meant for hanging off the bumper (which, unfortunately, did). This year's head-scratcher is Pole Girls. These little plastic beauties are meant to be stuck on your dash and whenever your car moves, the rocking motion sends them twirling stripper-style on their little plastic poles. The package warns that you should not mount them "on or near airbags." Hey, anybody dumb enough to stick one of these on the dash probably deserves a plastic stick travelling 300 km/h toward the forehead in a crash, I say.

Things I did want: A kitchen made out of mechanic's roller cabinets and tool chests, with a stainless steel countertop and garage-style floor, although at $15,200 it'll probably still remain a dream. I would love to drive the Dub-styled Mercedes-Benz Sprinter that had been customized by the "urban ride" magazine. I want the pnuematic jack made out of tractor-trailer airbags for quickly lifting up a car, and paint that lights up. Yes, really. The company rep wouldn't reveal the secret, because he's trying to license the system to body shops, but you can paint a logo on your fascia and it's completely invisible until you turn on your lights.

Best marketing idea: SEMA isn't open to the public, just to vendors, buyers and media. But this year, the show came up with the "opinion leader" program. Friday is the last day, and it's always the slowest because many people go home that day. So SEMA let Internet-savvy car fans pre-register and pay $35 for entry, in return for publicizing what they saw. It's a win-win: SEMA makes a bit of extra cash on a quiet day, and car fans get to enjoy the show and tell the world about it.  There's no word yet on whether it will be an available option for 2011, but just in case, you can check it out here.

 

Pimp my PC!

 I'm in Las Vegas at SEMA, the world's largest auto aftermarket show, and this has to be the coolest item so far. It's a computer.

Yes, really. The motherboard's inside, you put your Blue Ray discs in through the grille, and you plug your USB, keyboard and mouse into the back end. The company will be coming out with a Corvette shortly, and then a whole list of new vehicles. I think this just might pick up the innovation award for the show. Check 'em out at PC Rides.