Just because one of our friends and fellow watch-crazed bloggers just picked up this gorgeous Sub, we thought we’d share it with you. Now, the friend in question runs his own very successful watch blog and we’ve no doubt he’ll want to post about it soon so we won’t steal his thunder by telling you any more. But, honestly, who needs words when you’ve got a photo like this to lap up? Gorgeous isn’t it?
Congratulations on a fantastic purchase, you know who you are!
It takes balls and
brilliance to find the comedy behind Toyota’s recall of several million vehicles for a faulty accelerator pedal. Indeed, the fault has led to a few people wishing they had understood how to put an automatic in neutral, or even turn the car off, but we’ll comment no further on this morbid side of things.
Someone, however, has managed to take a desperate scene from Der Untergang (The Fall), in which Hitler realises he is defeated, into a brilliant backdrop for subtitled splendour as he seeks to defend Toyota.
All after the break… read more…
Just because today Guy Kawasaki tweeted a link to this video of Porsche at Daytona, we couldn’t resist bringing it to you.
Porsche has come under critcism of late for their poor styling jobs – not least and most recently yesterday from us – but you can’t argue with its enviable pedigree and heritage. This video illustrates both with aplomb.
The video also reminded us of a juicy little fact: winners of the Rolex 24 hour race are each given their very own Daytona to commemorate the victory. Not bad. If any of those ever came up for sale, we can’t help wondering what they would fetch. More details – hell, all the details as far as we can tell – about Rolex and its involvement with Daytona are over on Jake’s Rolex Watch Blog.
The Porsche video is after the break. read more…
So, this is the next-generation Porsche 911,
or the 998, due for release in 2011.
Snap! Crackle! Pop!
And, uh, yeah, let’s drop all pretense that these photos do anything except have one reaching for the snooze button. There is something deeply troubling going on here and I’m going to be frank with you as to what I believe it to be: Porsche has no real design talent. There, I’ve said it.
From the abominable Cayenne through the bloated Panamera, not forgetting the Cayman – which the Brits affectionately call the Gayman – the 911 survives as a classic only because such a timeless shape was penned all those decades ago. The only exception to this rule is the Boxster which is elegant, though not riveting, and arguably the greatest mid-engined roadster you can buy. read more…
Folks, 
you may know Belgians for their gray demeanour and weather, fabulous fries and superlative beers. You almost certainly know that their driving skills leave a great deal to be desired, being a cocktail of Italian insouciance for road rules and a British inability to handle the bad weather that plagues the country, well, all the time.
So, we let out a whoop of pleasure and admiration for old Eugene, featured in the video which follows, who is able to park his Fiat Panda in his garage…with ust 3 cm to spare on either side! read more…
Hey, look, no one was more sceptical than us when word first reached Prodigal Towers that one of the corniest – yet well-loved – TV series of the 80s was being made into a film.
But when you’ve got Tony and Ridley Scott producing and Joe Carnahan, the man behind the gritty Narc, in the director’s chair, well maybe it’s worth a second thought right?
We’ve embedded the trailer (or The Tank vs Plane Movie as we like to call it) after the break and we have to say we can’t help but be looking forward to this. read more…
An open letter to Nokia CEO, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo: The 10 things you need to do today to be a contender in the high-end smartphone market again
Dear Olli-Pekka
You’re keen on telling people how Nokia is the world leader in smartphones by market share. That’s true. At the moment. But since you don’t get to be the head honcho of one of the world’s biggest companies without having your wits about you, we’re pretty sure that you know that’s simply not going to last. The fact is that your market share is flat at the moment and, unless you act today, you’re going to start losing it. We’d like to suggest 10 things you need to do, right now, to avoid that happening. read more…
I have long battled with The Prodigal Fool about the merits and appeal of Omega’s vintage Speedmaster. The historical significance and pedigree of the only watch to have ever gone to the moon and back (before being lost in the US mail, if you can believe it…) is beyond question, as is its functionality and very impressive build quality.
But when the Fool laid out a very modest sum for a no-crown guards, straight lugged pre-moon Speedmaster several years ago, I appreciated, rather than enthused over, his purchase. It was in immaculate condition, the price was right and the stars were in alignment over this being a terrific investment. He has since put a delightful strap on it and I’ve occasionally glimpsed it on his wrist.
But, we all know that looks often override other concerns when it comes to the finer things in life. And the Omega Speedmaster is no exception – particularly the vintage models. Simply put, I found the dial to be insipid and without the depth and brilliance I so crave in a timepiece. Forget the Man on the Moon; I wanted more celestial sparkle from the Speedmaster’s face.
And so I left behind the Omega Speedmaster myth. Until now. read more…
Before we write another word, we owe you an apology. Well, an explanation at least. You see, we’re as tired as you are of every new phone being compared to the iPhone. It’s dull, predictable and, most of the time, inappropriate. One of the things we love about the world of gadgets is diversity. Hell, it’s what this site is all about.
There’s no reason for every new phone to be compared to the iPhone. Most have been designed with a different target audience in mind, with a different set of objectives. Take Nokia’s 5800. Routinely compared to Cupertino’s finest but, in fact, it’s not supposed to compete with the iPhone; it’s a budget device. The N86? Nope, it’s an old-school camera phone and all the better for it. The N900? No again, it’s a phone-capable internet tablet designed for techies and very early adopters (even The Guide can’t be tempted yet). And yet all of these devices routinely get put up against the iPhone in comparison reviews. It’s silly and ultimately unhelpful.
When it comes to the Nokia N97 mini however, we really can’t avoid the iPhone. You see, if ever Nokia has produced a device designed to compete with the iPhone, then this – surely – is it: sexy form factor, media-focused touch screen, decent camera. This is a ‘digital lifestyle’ phone designed to appeal to the well-heeled: premium materials, social media widgets, high-quality optics. No doubt about it, this is a device that is squarely aimed at the iPhone market. So, how does it fare? read more…
By our own admission we know very little about how good photography gets made. Aperture? Depth of field? Shutter speed? Yes, we’re sure these things play crucial roles, but hey – fire us – we can’t tell you what they are.
On the other hand, we do know beautiful photography when we see it and so we care – very much – about using the best equipment we can. At the moment we use a Nikon N80 and are delighted – if mystified – by the results. read more…
Gorgeous. Now there’s a word you don’t often hear in the same sentence as Peugeot. Oh sure, the plucky French carmaker has had its moments – 1997’s Pininfarina-styled 406 coupe springs to mind – but on the whole we tend to associate Peugeot with accomplished hot hatches not inspired design.
Well, just because we stumbled across it on Autocar today, we thought we’d bring you some photos of their latest concept car: the SR1.
Now, we’re not ones to throw superlatives around willy nilly. But this gorgeous – yes, gorgeous – hybrid three-seat roadster concept points to a very appealing new direction for Peugeot and we’re not going to be shy about saying so! read more…
In case you 
were wondering, we’re still deep in the throes of our unhinged adoration of vintage watches. And beyond the serial numbers, specific dial and hand configurations and rare bezels that mark out the market and its obsessive collectors lies yet another, more accessible, aspect of vintage watch collecting: NATO straps.
It turns out that your vintage timepiece – Rolex being the predominant brand here – can be infinitely customisable thanks to a nylon strap that collectors call the NATO. It is based upon the standard watch strap issued by the British Ministry of Defense and acquired its NATO moniker due to the NATO Stock Number which identifies this type of strap.
So, what’s so interesting about a piece of nylon strap, you ask? Everything, it turns out.
read more…
Just because we were surfing over on Jake’s Rolex Watch Blog today and stumbled upon this great shot of the Rolex LV Submariner, we thought we’d doff our caps to this very special watch.
The Submariner 16610 LV, or Lunette Verde was issued in 2004 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Rolex Submariner. The regular Submariner, as you know, is probably the most famous diver’s watch ever created.
It’s certainly the most popular and most ubiquitous. And perhaps for that reason, we tend to prefer the Sea-Dweller. It’s just that little bit more interesting. But the LV Submariner, with its striking green bezel, fatter hands and Maxi Dial has just enough visual interest to raise it above the rank and file Submariners and promote itself to officer status. read more…
Given it’s Friday, we thought we’d treat you to something Prodigal.
You will have no doubt already seen the intense and self-righteous bickering The Guide has resorted to over which car deserves to be crowned evo’s Car of the Decade.
Where Straight-Six salutes the ground-breaking nature of the Nissan GT-R in terms of design, performance and price – while remaining a scintillating drive – The Prodigal Fool cites heritage, timelessness and impeccable gravitas as the reasons for standing by the 911 GT3.
Truth is, most of us would buy either of these cars with our eyes first and foremost, with only the hard-core enthusiasts giving priority to the manner in which these monsters kick and claw at the power envelope.
We’ve scoured the Net to find you the very best pics of both rides so that you can make your own mind up and tell us which does it for you. Devour them both after the break. read more…
Yeah yeah, we know, you already have a hundred different ways of reading your favourite blog while on the go: the mobile site, our RSS feed, Twitter. Well, as of today, if you’re sensible enough to own an iPhone or iPod touch, you have another one: a dedicated Prodigal Guide app for iPhone.
That’s right folks, we couldn’t let our poor little blog be without the latest craze in tech: its very own app. So, we availed ourselves of the services of AppMakr and we have to say, we’re rather pleased with the results.
Prestigious app built, we set about doing some market research and figuring out how much we could charge for it. How valuable is our Prodigal content when wrapped in its very own glossy new app? After literally seconds of analysis we reached our conclusion. Yeah, that’s right, it’s free. So what are you waiting for? Head on over to the Apple App Store and download yourself a copy.
If you like it, please be so kind as to leave a review in the App Store.
We couldn’t resist drawing your attention to evo’s Car of the Decade poll just once more. You see, the results are now in and, interestingly, they mirror the debate we had here at Prodigal Towers after our initial post.
We declared that we were backing the Porsche GT3 but one Prodigal Guide contributor, Straight-Six, was having none of it. read more…
Much as we’ve taken a shine to Jay Leno for his love of cars and his incredible collection, it did perturb us to hear him reference Claude Lelouch’s ground-breaking “C’etait un Rendezvous”.
Why? It’s clear that Leno’s SLS drive is nothing more than a gentle nod toward Lelouch’s truly magnificent exploit – which was done flat out through the streets of an unsuspecting Paris with the driver taking his life (and that of the old lady they almost run over!) in his own hands. No bullshit and no effects beyond the Ferrari overdub.
The thing about Lelouch’s film is that it created a genre that had never been seen before: filmed illegal street racing. Where Lelouch was at the limit all the time, Leno was merely swanning around yapping about this and that. These are the two extremes of the street driving/racing spectrum. And we know at which end The Prodigal Guide should be situated… read more…
Oh yes dear readers, welcome to the first few days of 2010 and, guess what? The jolly interwebs are awash with annual reviews, summaries and predictions. Most of them – including our own it must be said – our pretty samey. But we think evo Magazine has gone out of its way to produce a really good interactive retrospective.
Over the past two weeks they’ve been narrowing down the 50 best cars of the last decade down to ten, via polls on the evo Community. They now have a top ten – the car their readers have voted as the best from each year’s evo Car of the Year competition – ready to compete for the title of evo Car of the Decade. The shortlist? Vauxhall VX220, Pagani Zonda C12 S, Honda NSX-R, Ferrari 360 CS, Lotus Exige S2, Renault Clio Trophy, Porsche 997 GT3, Porsche 997 GT3 RS, Nissan GT-R, and Lamborghini Murcielago SV.
May we suggest that you head on over to their site and let your voice be heard?
For our money? It would have to be the read more…
We’ve been blogging for a couple of years now but we like to think of 2009 as The Prodigal Guide’s first real year in business.
It’s really only in the last 12 months that we’ve made a concerted effort to keep it regularly updated and relevant. And we’re delighted to report that the effort seems to have paid off. You’re reading The Guide in ever-increasing numbers: hits have increased tenfold since January. For that, we thank you.
We hope you’ll continue to stay with us in the future – we’ll be doing more, writing more and involving you more than ever before (not least, with a renewed focus on The List.) In the meantime, here’s our review of 2009’s highlights. See you soon. read more…
Jay Leno in a Mercedes SLS AMG revives memories of Lelouch’s classic C’etait Un Rendezvous
In the very early hours one day in 1976, French film-maker Claude Lelouch strapped a camera to the front of a Mercedes 450 SEL (the sound you hear in the film was dubbed; it’s Lelouch’s own Ferrari 275 GTB) and raced across Paris filming. The resultant 9 minutes of footage are the stuff of legend to any petrol-head and we’ve no doubt that if you’re reading The Prodigal Guide, you’ll be very familiar with them already.
Why are we bothering to mention it? Because renowned car-nut – and occasional TV presenter – Jay Leno has just had a stab at reviving memories of the original with a cruise around the Hollywood hills in a Mercedes SLS AMG. It’s not a patch on the original of course (and, honestly, some of the footage looks as if it may have been sped up) but we salute Leno for his tribute nonetheless. The world needs more of this sort of Prodigal nonesense.
Leno’s new video and the original are both after the break, together with some footage of Lelouch himself talking about how he made his film. read more…
Straight-Six
Patito
saffygirl
