CarPuchino - Car Powered by Coffee Grinds

For those of us who plan their trips from coffee shop to coffee shop finally a better solution. A car that is powered entirely by roasted coffee grinds is now a reality, I can feel my hear raising as I write this.

The car is called the Car-Puchino and was created using a 1988 Volkswagen Scirocco that sorta looks like a time traveling DeLorean from back to the future. It was created by a team from BBC1 science program Bang Goes The Theory and driven 210 miles between Manchester and London.

It does about 60mph and uses about 2.2 lbs of coffee for every three miles or 56 espressos per mile (56epm). Its going to take 154 lbs so price depends on the type of coffee you use:

1. Premium = Kona Coffee = $30/lb = $4,620
2. Plus = Starbucks Breakfast Blend = $10/lb = $1,154
3. Regular = Folgers = $5/lb = $770

A trip like this is a bit of grind since you have to stop every 40 miles to add coffee grinds, every 60 to clean out the coffee filters. Even with a top speed of maybe 60 mph a relatively short trip could take all day to complete. On the plus side, there will be plenty of coffee and bathroom breaks.

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Easter Bunny Furball Art Car Madness - And More!!

With Easter on its way this weekend, I though it appropriate to explore the world of cute furry bunny art cars from around the world. There are a variety of the Easter Art Car wonders making the rounds this year, hiding eggs and scaring small children. From art cars to motorcycles with men in bunny suites, we have it all, enjoy, and Happy Easter!!!

Furry VW Bunny Art Car


Rex Rabbit Art Car


Pink VW Art Car


Burning Man Bunny Party Float


Burning Man Bunny Slippers

And we digress with a few more bunny's on wheels. This is the more part.

Oliver von Feistmantl on Art Cars

Le Baron Convetible Art Car

Racebus Art Car


Oliver von Feistmantl is a comic PoP artist from Vienna Austria that paints on pretty much everything, like houses, ships, snowboards, skateboards and even cars.
He started out as a graffiti artist in the 90´s but got arrested, so he decided to concentrate on legal ways to exhibit throughout Europe, Asia, the Caribbeans and NYC.

He makes acrylic paintings and sculptures in all sizes and in 2008 started to paint on a fishing boat in Thailand and in 2009 started to paint on cars.

The 1974 VW-Bus is called the racebus, because he got an engine from a Porsche 911 and was finished in October 2009. The 93 Chrysler Le Baron convertible was finished in 2010 and is the one he currently drives.

He hopes one day to come across a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow because its his personal dream to one day paint that car as well.

7 ways to save big with half a car in 2010

2010 might turn out to be another financially difficult year so I came up with seven ways to save on you car bill in 2010. By getting half a car this year you will be saving a ton of money and doing your part in the fight against global warming. You will also enjoy other benefits that you might never have though of before like more ventilation, access to carpool lanes and the ability to plow a corn field. It will difficult at first to drive with only two front wheels but over time this too will become a problem of the past. To start things off here is a great video of a half car expert demonstrating its capabilities, in case you still have doubts.


Here are 7 ways to save big with half a car in 2010

1) Half car saves on drive through costs by cooking in your car


2) Half car saves a ton on see's candies and flowers after the divorce papers go through


3) Half car saves on moving costs with plenty of trunk space


4) Half car saves on the price of a full size car


5) Half car saves on gas with smaller a engine


6) Half car saves on speeding tickets


7) Half car gets more horse power with reduced emissions





Here is more half car videos just in case you cant get enough!!!

"Aqua Mobile" by Don Ehlen - Art Car Fest

photo by Bagel!

The AQUA MOBILE is the creation of Don Ehlen, a Seattle-based entomologist and educator. The car is a great example of a simple concept art car, basically just a great paint job, although 3-D features have begun to creep in: a fully inflated plastic blowfish atop the radio antenna, a crab creeping out over the rear license plate, and a red plastic lobster at the front. Also at this years Art Car Fest.via

Top 10 McGyver Wannabe Car Modifications

These Top 10 McGyver Wannabe Car Modifications were brought to you by a great website I just found called "There, I fixed it". This post is dedicated to all the McGyver wannabes out there who got the job DONE, but didn't quite manage to get the job done RIGHT.The creativity and good intentions were there but the delivery and execution was anything but.

1) Armor Plated Soccer Mom Van Mod

2) Skate or Die Mod

3) CSI Car Mod

4) Smaller Carbon Foot Print Car Mod

5) Trailer Park Car Mod

6) Global Warming Car Mod

7) Bi-Polar Car/Bike Mod

8) Ambient Air Car Mod

9) Night Rider Car Mod

10) Bank Job Getaway Car Mod

The Fahrvernpüssy Lounge by Tré Taylor

The Fahrvernpüssy Lounge VW Art Van is the creation of Tré Taylor who is also the amazing vocalist for The Dangerous Martini Quartet. Her VW Art Car is a 1973 type 2 camper van and has a 911 Porsche engine. The Interior, Custom Glass Mosaic Art done by Sherry Tobin and is basically a mobile Cocktail Lounge, with it's own little wet bar.

The Fahrvernpüssy Lounge with Tré Taylor at the Wheel


The Fahrvernpüssy Lounge Interior


The Fahrvernpüssy Lounge in Full Lounge Mode

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Wrought Iron VW - Heavy Metal Bugs Hit the Road

via kodac
Joe Gomez of San Antonio, Texas, relates that "One day when I was in bed, I dreamt that I was building a wrought iron car. I woke up, ran to the kitchen and got some paper, and started sketching. My wife thought I was crazy.Everything on this car is handmade, nothing is factory. It took me a little bit better than nine months. The reason I chose the Volkswagen is because the motor's in back -otherwise I'd have all the fumes in front." The car brought more customers to Gomez's wrought-iron company than he could handle, and he soon retired. He later found out that two other people have made wrought-iron Volkswagen's! And here are some more of them


Photo and links below by iamthemaintrain

1. Metal Beetle, 2. ROT IRON, 3. vw iron work, 4. wedding car, 5. RotIron1, 6. Joe Gomez - wrought iron VW bug, 7. Air Conditioned Bug, 8. CIMG0027, 9. Rod Iron VW, 10. IMG_3719, 11. ROT IRON, 12. Wrot Iron VW Bug, 13. IMG_3717, 14. www.flickr.com/photos/udpride/2294504563/, 15. Day 203: No blind spots on this car...., 16. IMG_3764

A Very CanDid VW Art Car

Candid Art Car is a 1971 VW Super Beetle created by Jennifer Larsen. Formerly of Seattle - Candid and Jennifer have been turning heads since 2001 at the Fremont Solstice Festival & Art Car Parade and other various events. Now in Newport, Oregon, and being one of the handful of art cars on the coast, heads turn I think even more!

The paintings on Candid are of the comic strip of the same name by Jennifer. "Candid is my alter ego, Mack Duck is Candid's roommate & voice of reason, and Christof is...well...Christof. I started drawing my comic strip in 1992, and it's developed into this rolling display. Every year something new has to be added...a little glitter, a little more paint, some rust treatments, etc. I moved to the Oregon Coast in 2006, and I've been doing more rust treatments than I like."

"Since 2007, I've tried to organize with other art cartists to visit the coast and drive in the local parade. My reasoning for asking people to drive so far is that I want to expose the coast to the wonderful uniqueness that exists in the world. Thankfully, with my connections I'd made in Seattle and online, I've been joined by some pretty awesome people (we're all pretty awesome)....and I want to thank them. This is a new year, and big things are happening, so hopefully we'll have even MORE art cars to drive in the parade!"

The thing that I get asked most often: "That's YOUR car?!"

Jennifer Larsen

CanDid VW Art Car Side

5 reasons to love edible cars

The reason I love photoshop so much is because in that world anything is possible including these incredible even hideous photoshop edible art cars brought to you by Worth1000.com  Photoshop contest. The people that created these art cars did a fantastic job and are worth mentioning here. Here are my top 5 reasons to love art car meals on wheels.

1. VW Chicken Car.  

You can use all the extra chicken grease down in the pan to power your car for year.

2. VW Watermelon Car

Refreshing and keeps you cool in the summer time.

3. Burger Cat 

You never go hungry on a long day on the job.

4. Pizza Bike

Because regular bike rims are way to boring.

5. Lemon Car

If life handed you a lemon, make lemonade.

Alien Ship Invades Bondi Beach Australia

This Alien Ship art car was spotted on Bondi Beach Australia. We know very little about whether or not this a "Real" alien invasion down under. By the looks of it there should be alien abduction stories coming any day now. Cheers.

Amethyst The Magic Bus by Samonberry

Samonberry is the creator of the Amethyst the Magic Bus who learned his craft at the Old-world school of Gypsy Painters. His art is very true to the original psychedelic art of the 60's and has managed to do a great job of capturing that era. His art includes posters, stickers, fine art, clothing along with this amazing 72 VW bus called Amethyst. I saw Samonberry at my first Art Car Fest in 2005 and was also featured in a video in which he describes how his art car came about.

Amethyst The Magic Bus by Samonberry