At BMW, the Z4 replacement becomes the Z5. The Z5 is the first product of BMW’s sports car collaboration with Toyota. Phase II of the BMW-Toyota tie-up, dubbed Silk Road, was to produce a higher-end BMW sports car and a new Lexus model.
Instead, we will see concept versions of the new BMW Z5 and the Toyota sport coupe in the next year, with production versions to follow during the 2018 model year—the Toyota as a hardtop coupe, the BMW as a roadster. The BMW Z5 ditches its space-inefficient retractable hard top in favor of a classic soft top. The new sports car architecture that serves both models is a highly scalable matrix that revolves around a single fixed point, the front firewall.
The BMW Z5 will feature a more radical front-mid-engine bias, and light weight is a priority. Target weight for the Z5 is 3300 pounds (versus the current Z4, which ranges from 3252 to 3549 pounds). Drivetrain components are said to include a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a choice of an eight-speed automatic or a six-speed manual transmission, and an electric clutch (to enable coasting).
The BMW Z5 will debut with its 2.0-liter turbo offered in three stages of tune: 190 hp, 245 hp, and 270 hp. An even sportier Z5M would use the 425-hp turbo six from the new 2015 BMW M3 and M4. Alternative scenarios show a straight six (Z6) and a three-cylinder (Z3). The latter would bring BMW’s nomenclature full circle, back to the brand’s first modern-day roadster, which premiered in 1996.
Italian design and engineering house Zagato has released a second TZ3 model, the TZ3 Stradale following a gorgeous one-off called the TZ3 Corsa.Dubbed the Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale, it is a road-going version of the TZ3 based on the Dodge Viper ACR-X. It is powered by the Viper's 8.4 liter 640 hp (477 kW) V10. Only nine units have been made. The TZ3 Stradale was designed by Norihiko Harada. Zagato labels the new Stradale an “avante-garde design exercise.
Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 Hybrid is a super car concept by Bentley launched in 2015 at the Geneva Motor Show. The Bentley EXP 10 is two seat coupe smaller than the existing Bentley Continental GT. EXP 10 project was managed by Head of design, Luc Donckerwolke. It is fitted with a V6 but the production version of the concept is expected within three years and will be fitted with the 500 bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 from the Continental GT. The expected price of the model is £120,000.
The Audi quattro concept is a concept car produced by Audi and presented at the Paris Motor Show in 2010. It commemorates the 30th anniversary of the original Audi Quattro and the Audi quattro four wheel drive system. Based on the Audi RS5, it features a modified 2.5L five-cylinder TFSI engine and the sixth generation of quattro transmission. The car is powered by a turbocharged (TFSI) five cylinder 2.5 L engine producing 408 PS (300 kW), enabling the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. It has a six-speed manual gearbox and a new generation of the quattro permanent four wheel drive system.
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3-Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M.
M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46, E90/E92/E93, and F80 3-series, and sold with coupe, saloon and convertible body styles. Upgrades over the "standard" 3-Series automobiles include more powerful and responsive engines, improved handling/suspension/braking systems, aerodynamic body enhancements, and interior/exterior accents with the tri-colour "M" (Motorsport) emblem. The BMW M3 remains the only car ever to have earned more titles than the venerable Porsche 911 in Motorsport, and also is the most successful touring, and grand touring car ever to have participated in racing. Since the current M3 debuted, Daimler has launched its all-new Mercedes-AMG C63, and Cadillac is taking on BMW directly with the ATS-V. Both cars are incredible machines, and therefore BMW needed to refresh the M3 in addition to the changes made to the regular 3-series for 2016. The new M3 retains the structural changes, unique suspension components, lightweight seats, and the carbon-fiber pieces that set it apart from the regular 3-series.
The M3's S55 engine is loosely based on the N55 engine that is being dropped from the regular 3-series, but the S55 deserves to live on unchanged. Rated at 425 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, the twin-turbocharged straight-six is mated to either a six-speed manual or a Getrag-sourced seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, the latter of which is not available on any other 3-series.
Above are just a few examples from the the ‘Wheels of Fortune’ collection. Feel free to visit my FineArt America, RedBubble, Mobile Prints and Untapped Source galleries, where you will find variety of fine art prints showcasing various transportation and automotive themes such as rare cars, luxury cars, vintage automobiles, car badges, automotive logos and more.
Introducing 'Celebrity Etchings' collection by Serge Averbukh, available at FineArt America and InstaPrints. Here you will find meticulously crafted 'vintage' portraits of our contemporary 'the famous and the infamous'. The paintings are based on well-known antique etchings and engravings, and several unique techniques have been used to achieve the results you can see below.
Introducing ‘The Elements’ collection by SergeAverbukh available at FineArt America. It is showcasing pieces artistically representing various elements of the
periodic table. So far, it is a set of four elements - Platinum, Gold, Silver and Copper. The periodic table is
a tabular arrangement of the chemical elements, organized on the basis of their
atomic number (number of protons in the nucleus), electron configurations, and
recurring chemical properties. Elements are presented in order of increasing
atomic number, which is typically listed with the chemical symbol in each box.
The standard form of the table consists of a grid of elements laid out in 18
columns and 7 rows, with a double row of elements below that.
Introducing the “Furry Bottoms” collection, part of the “Beasts of the Wild" series by Serge Averbukh, available at FineArt America. This lighthearted collection features bottom parts of various beasts of this planet on bright and colorful backgrounds. The collection would be perfect, but not limited to kids’ bedroom or playroom decor.
From the “Inconsequential Beauty” collection by Serge Averbukh. Available at FineArt America. Showcasing digital paintings of various trivial objects, whilst highlighting true inner beauty of such things, quite often hidden from an untrained eye. Here you will find framed and wrapped/stretched canvas fine art prints, featuring a Giant Iridescent Fingerprint (Set of 4).
Introducing Alma Mater collection by C.7 Design Studio, featuring
heraldry and insignia of various prominent schools from around the world, and
hosted on FineArt America. Each piece of the collections features a university badge
created using my unique 2.5D method of digital painting, accompanied by flag or
University building backdrops. No surprises here - I decided to start with the most prominent and oldest ones - Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Yale. However, this is a work in progress, so, stay tuned for
updates.
I have chosen FineArt America to offer my digitally-signed
and dated open edition (OE) fine art giclée prints of highest archival quality.
Many of these pieces are exclusive to FAA. The hand-signed special collector's
AP editions are also available (please, contact me for details). Commissions
are welcome (as time permits). Make sure to visit FineArt America for wide
selection of Universities art, as well as extensive collections of fine art
dedicated to University Of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Harvard University
and Yale University. Please, feel free to drop me a line should you have any
questions or comments.
Introducing F.C. Badges collection by C.7 Design Studio,
celebrating the diverse and exciting world of football (or soccer, if you
wish), and its heraldry in particular, which found its home on FineArt America.
Each piece of the collections features a club badge created using my unique
2.5D method of digital painting, accompanied by vintage logo and flag backdrops.
This is a work in progress, so, stay tuned for updates.
I have
chosen FineArt America to offer my digitally-signed and dated open edition (OE)
fine art giclée prints of highest archival quality. Many of these pieces are
exclusive to FAA. The hand-signed special collector's AP editions are also
available (please, contact me for details). Commissions are welcome (as time
permits). Make sure to visit FineArt America for wide selection of sport art
and soccer or, as they would say in Europe - football art. Please, feel free to drop me a line should you
have any questions or comments.
Introducing Vintage Patents and Blueprints collection by C.7 Design Studio, showcasing meticulous digital reproductions of historical patent and blueprint documents, digitally enhanced and transformed into large format prints, stylized to preserve look and feel of various mediums, accompanied by stunning 2.5D elements. Nowadays, fine art market is flooded with patent reproductions. Most of them just simple blown up copies of patents found via Google search and slapped on colorful backgrounds. Entering this market niche, I was thinking what could be done differently. So, I took entirely new approach. I didn’t bother using Google to search for patents, but rather went straight to the source - the digitized archives of The United States Patent and Trademark Office. Although my process of sifting through thousands upon thousands of patent scans was tenfold more time-consuming, it yielded far better results, netting me some of those rear gems of huge importance, which would have been missed otherwise, should I just resorted to Google search for what comes to mind. I also use my proprietary enlargement and enhancements processes, which helped me to achieve unparalleled quality, unique vintage look and 2.5D feel of raised inks. And last, but not least - each patent was adorned by realistically-looking crest and wax seal of The United States Patent and Trademark Office. The results speak for themself. At this point I have three major collections going - the “Historical Patents”, which includes miscellaneous assembly of most significant or historically-important patents; the “Sports Patents”, which houses greatest inventions in the world of sports, and the “Weapons & Firearms” collection, following history of weapons and firearms development. There will be more collections to come, so, stay tuned. Below are a few samples from each of the collections.
I have chosen FineArt America to offer my digitally-signed and dated open edition (OE) fine art giclée prints of highest archival quality. Many of these pieces are exclusive to FAA. The hand-signed special collector's AP editions are also available (please, contact me for details). Commissions are welcome (as time permits). Make sure to visit FineArt America for wide selection of historical patents art, sports patents art such as baseball or golf, and weaponry-related patents art. Please, feel free to drop me a line should you have any questions or comments.
Introducing Treasure Trove collection by C.7 Design Studio, showcasing original digital paintings as well as reproductions inspired by modern and historical masterpieces, artifacts and other priceless treasures of human history.
Celtic Tree of Life. In Egypt the Acacia tree of Saosis was considered the "tree of life", referring to it as the "tree in which life and death are enclosed". References to The Tree of Life can be found in ancient Assyria, China, as well as in Germanic paganism and Norse mythology, Judaism, Kabbalah, Christianity, Vedic texts of India, sources from Urartu and Mesoamerica.
In Norse mythology it is also known as Yggdrasil, an immense tree that is central in Norse cosmology. It was said to be the world tree around which the nine worlds existed. Its name is generally considered to mean "Ygg's (Odin's) horse". Yggdrasil is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both sources, Yggdrasil is an immense ash tree that is central and considered very holy. The gods go to Yggdrasil daily to hold their courts. The branches of Yggdrasil extend far into the heavens, and the tree is supported by three roots that extend far away into other locations; one to the well Urðarbrunnr in the heavens, one to the spring Hvergelmir, and another to the well Mímisbrunnr. Creatures live within Yggdrasil, including the wyrm (dragon) Níðhöggr, an unnamed eagle, and the stags Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr and Duraþrór.
Tribute to Katsushika Hokusai - Shoki Riding Shishi Lion also known as Samurai Riding a Lion on Red.
Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾 北斎), October 31, 1760 (exact date questionable) – May 10, 1849) was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. He was influenced by such painters as Sesshu, and other styles of Chinese painting. Born in Edo (now Tokyo), Hokusai is best known as author of the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景 Fugaku Sanjūroku-kei, c. 1831) which includes the internationally recognized print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, created during the 1820s.
Hokusai created the "Thirty-Six Views" both as a response to a domestic travel boom and as part of a personal obsession with Mount Fuji. It was this series, specifically The Great Wave print and Fuji in Clear Weather, that secured Hokusai’s fame both in Japan and overseas. As historian Richard Lane concludes, "Indeed, if there is one work that made Hokusai's name, both in Japan and abroad, it must be this monumental print-series...". While Hokusai's work prior to this series is certainly important, it was not until this series that he gained broad recognition.
Ukiyo-e, or ukiyo-ye (浮世絵; "pictures of the floating world"), is a genre of woodblock prints and paintings that flourished in Japan from the 17th through 19th centuries. Aimed at the prosperous merchant class in the urbanizing Edo period (1603–1867), depictions of beautiful women; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes from history and folk tales; travel scenes and landscapes; flora and fauna were amongst the popular themes.
Golden Chinese Dragon Fucanglong (伏藏龙) with Magic Pearl on Rice Paper.
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that features in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern mythologies, and the Chinese dragon, with counterparts in Japan (namely the Japanese dragon), Korea and other East Asian countries. The two traditions may have evolved separately, but have influenced each other to a certain extent, particularly with the cross-cultural contact of recent centuries. The English word "dragon" derives from Greek δράκων (drákōn), "dragon, serpent of huge size, water-snake".
Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and Chinese folklore. The dragons have many animal-like forms such as turtles, fish, and imaginary creatures, but they are most commonly depicted as snake-like with four legs. In yin and yang terminology, a dragon is yang and complements a yin fenghuang ("Chinese phoenix").
Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people who are worthy of it. With this, the Emperor of China usually used the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power and strength.
In Chinese daily language, excellent and outstanding people are compared to a dragon, while incapable people with no achievements are compared with other, disesteemed creatures, such as a worm. A number of Chinese proverbs and idioms feature references to a dragon, for example: "Hoping one's son will become a dragon" (望子成龍, i.e. be as a dragon). In Chinese mythology the Fucanglong (simplified Chinese: 伏藏龙; traditional Chinese: 伏藏龍; pinyin: Fúcánglóng) or Fu-ts'ang-Lung (Wade-Giles) is the Chinese underworld dragon which guard buried treasures, both natural and man-made. Volcanoes are said to be created when they burst out of the ground to report to heaven. Futs-lung possesses a magic pearl which is his most treasured possession.
Tibetan Double Dorje Mandala - Double Vajra. Vajra (Devanagari: वज्र; Bengali: বজ্র bojro, Tibetan: རྡོ་རྗེ། dorje; Dzongkha: dorji; Indonesian wajra; Chinese: 金剛 jīngāng; Korean: 금강저 geumgangjeo; Japanese: 金剛杵 kongōsho; Mongolian: Очир ochir or Базар Bazar) is a Sanskrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond. It is also a common male name in Tibet and Bhutan. Additionally, it is a weapon which is used as a ritual object to symbolize both the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt (irresistible force). The vajra is essentially a type of club or mace with a ribbed spherical head. The ribs may meet in a ball-shaped top, or they may be separate and end in sharp points with which to stab. The ritual vajra is a much smaller hand-held object with two heads, one on each end of the handle. The vajra is used symbolically by the dharma traditions of Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, often to represent firmness of spirit and spiritual power. The use of the vajra as a symbolic and ritual tool spread from India along with Indian religion and culture to other parts of East and Southeast Asia...
Sacred Silver Griffin. The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Greek: γρύφων, grýphōn, or γρύπων, grýpōn, early form γρύψ, grýps; Latin: gryphus) is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and an eagle's talons as its front feet. Because the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. The griffin was also thought of as king of all creatures. Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions. Adrienne Mayor, a classical folklorist, proposes that the griffin was an ancient misconception derived from the fossilized remains of the Protoceratops found in gold mines in the Altai mountains of Scythia, in present day southeastern Kazakhstan, or in Mongolia. In antiquity it was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine. Some have suggested that the word griffin is cognate with Cherub.
Celtic Treasures - Three Dogs. The Celts or Kelts were an ethnolinguistic group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Medieval Europe who spoke Celtic languages and had a similar culture, although the relationship between the ethnic, linguistic and cultural elements remains uncertain and controversial.
The earliest archaeological culture that may justifiably be considered Proto-Celtic is the Late Bronze Age Urnfield culture of Central Europe, which flourished from around 1200 BC. Their fully Celtic descendants in central Europe were the people of the Iron Age Hallstatt culture (c. 800–450 BC) named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria. By the later La Tène period (c. 450 BC up to the Roman conquest), this Celtic culture had expanded by diffusion or migration to the British Isles (Insular Celts), France and The Low Countries (Gauls), Bohemia, Poland and much of Central Europe, the Iberian Peninsula (Celtiberians, Celtici and Gallaeci) and northern Italy (Golaseccans and Cisalpine Gauls) and, following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC, as far east as central Anatolia (Galatians). By the mid 1st millennium AD, with the expansion of the Roman Empire and the Great Migrations (Migration Period) of Germanic peoples, Celtic culture and Insular Celtic had become restricted to Ireland, the western and northern parts of Great Britain (Wales, Scotland, and Cornwall), the Isle of Man, and Brittany. Between the 5th and 8th centuries, the Celtic-speaking communities in these Atlantic regions emerged as a reasonably cohesive cultural entity. They had a common linguistic, religious, and artistic heritage that distinguished them from the culture of the surrounding polities. By the 6th century, however, the Continental Celtic languages were no longer in wide use.
Insular Celtic culture diversified into that of the Gaels (Irish, Scottish and Manx) and the Brythonic Celts (Welsh, Cornish, and Bretons) of the medieval and modern periods. A modern "Celtic identity" was constructed as part of the Romanticist Celtic Revival in Great Britain, Ireland, and other European territories, such as Portugal and Spanish Galicia. Today, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, and Breton are still spoken in parts of their historical territories, and Cornish and Manx are undergoing a revival.
Icelandic Dragon – one of the four great guardians who are known as the four landvættir.
The Old Norse kings' sagas, more specifically Heimskringla, tell the story of a seafarer who sailed to Iceland in ancient times. When he reached Vopnafjörður, he saw an enormous dragon who guarded the bay, and drove everybody away with fire. The dragon was followed by a great number of lizards and insects.
This dragon was one of the four mythical landvættir, guardians of Iceland. The dragon has become the icon of Vopnafjörður, and is pictured on the Coat of arms of Iceland.
I have chosen FineArt America to offer my digitally-signed and dated open edition (OE) fine art giclée prints of highest archival quality. Many of these pieces are exclusive to FAA. The hand-signed special collector's AP editions are also available (please, contact me for details). Commissions are welcome (as time permits). FineArt America has extensive selection of Celtic Art, Chinese art, Japanese art, Tibetan art, Icelandic art, and multitude of other sacred symbols art for you to choose from. Please, feel free to drop me a line should you have any questions or comments.
