Author: Daniel Annulli

“Pregame to Parties, Crawls to Pong: Does America Have A Drinking Problem?”.

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As part of the Deliberation Nation, I attended the deliberation “Pregame to Parties, Crawls to Pong: Does America Have A Drinking Problem?”.  The discussion was focused on the American drinking problem that has existed for years.  The main issue is that “drinking is ingrained in our culture”.  The primary goal was to consider the pros of a standardized drinking age, the cost of it, and its influence on American society.  However, alcohol consumption is a problem regardless of age within the U.S. and whether or not someone is 21 or not is the largest issue.  The three approaches of social drinking comparisons, the physical effects of alcohol, and alcohol-related policies were all equally important.

The first approach was on social drinking comparisons among other countries.  The drinking culture in the U.S. is considerably different from that of other countries throughout the world.  Social media and the alcohol industry create advertisements that glorify drinking and make it seem high.  They ignore all of the cons of drinking and only show the “pros”.  This is a huge issue on college campuses where this culture is optimized, and the behavioral drinking problem grows.  At many colleges, students drink to excess and blackout which is very dangerous and is an activity maintained throughout the year.  America needs to wake up to the way we view alcohol and drastically change our view.

The second approach was on the physical effects of alcohol.  Alcohol can have very damaging effects and usually will with continued excessive drinking.  Effects are slowly damaging the liver and impairing motor skills.  Drinking can also negatively impact academic and professional performance.  Which can result in failing classes all the way to losing your job.  The legal drinking age of 21 does a good job outside of colleges campuses to help mitigate the problem.  However, on many college campuses, student have very easy access to alcohol no matter the age.  Students need to be informed about how dangerous alcohol really can be.

The third approach was on alcohol-related policies that could and should be implemented.  Unfortunately, these policies typically are to late as they are in response to something.  These laws and policies need to be created before something terrible happens.  They need to be also enforced so that students and people take them seriously.  In the U.S., there is a huge problem with keeping drinking at colleges safe and to a minimum.  Penn State is beginning to crack down, but it was not preemptive.  Schools should not wait for students to die to take action.

In all, I found the deliberation  “Pregame to Parties, Crawls to Pong: Does America Have A Drinking Problem?”.  ” to be fascinating and insightful.  The three approaches all had good points but together seemed like a very solid plan to fix the drinking issue in America.

Stirring The Pot: Recipes For Inclusive Diversity

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As part of the Deliberation Nation, I attended the deliberation “Stirring The Pot: Recipes For Inclusive Diversity”.  The main focus of the event was to show the importance and benefits of diversity.  As part of the event, they defined diversity as the state of being diverse by race and gender, but also delved into the other’s areas sexual orientation and religion which they didn’t discuss in the deliberation.  The main point was that diversity on college campuses would prepare the future of America for the quickly changing workforce of society.  The deliberation was broken down into three different approaches of increased financial aid, university programs, and housing.  I felt these three topics were diverse enough, but more importantly interconnected to the larger issue of diversity.

The first approach was on increased financial aid for U.S. colleges and universities.  The large problem is that high tuition and living costs at most colleges and universities selects against low-income students.  With a significant majority being from minority backgrounds this limits socioeconomic and cultural diversity on campuses.  More financial aid programs and awareness of current programs was a key point brought up.  Most low-income minority families do not know that these programs even exist, so creating more isn’t the best solution.  In all, I found this approach to absorbing, and it showed where the diversity issue on college campuses stemmed from.

The second approach was on different university programs that existed or could be implemented.  It’s a sad fact, but most diversity on college campuses often does not exist beyond the admissions office.  This leaves many student bodies separated by ethnicity.  A great way proposed to fix this issue would be university led and mandated events and programs to promote diversity within the student body.  These programs and activities will allow students to meet other they may truly like, but would never have met without the programs.  Additionally, these programs can be fun and exciting for students where they get to interact and not just lectures and classroom activities.

The third approach was on housing and dormitory life at colleges and universities.  Dorm life at college is a significant aspect of the culture on many campuses.  Dorms are a place of socialization and community growth among the students on the floor.  As many students pointed out at the event, the majority of their dormitory floors were the same race as them.  Although this may help foreigners feel more at home, it isolated each race.  The University needs to promote several levels to promote acceptance and cultural growth.

In all, I found the deliberation  “Stirring The Pot: Recipes For Inclusive Diversity” to be fascinating and insightful.  The three approaches all had good points but together seemed like a very solid plan to fix the issue of college diversity.

Rolls-Royce: Pavle Trpinac and the Rolls-Royce Wraith

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Rolls-Royce Motor was founded in 1973 and later succeeded by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited in 1998 when Volkswagen bought them.   Rebranded with the purpose of engineering, manufacturing, and distributing luxury automobiles worldwide.  The company is based out of Goodwood, England under the management of CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos.  The company has five cars in production the Phantom, Phantom Coupe, Ghost, Wraith, and Dawn which are all the pinnacle of luxury cars.  However, we will only be focusing in on the Rolls-Royce Wraith designed by Pavle Trpinac in 2013.  Today a Rolls-Royce Wraith would go for approximately $315,700.

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Pavle Trpinac is a talented car designer who was inspired as a kid to become a car designer.  This journey led him to receive a Master of Transportation Design from Hochschule Pforzheim in 2006.  Since then he worked for BMW Group and climbed his way up to be a Senior Exterior Designer for BMW Group and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited.  His first main project was designing the Rolls-Royce Wraith which he did a masterful job designing.

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The Rolls-Royce Wraith is a 2-door coupe in a Grand Tourer model on a front-wheel drive layout.  The cars designed around the BMW F01 platform used in the Dawn, Ghost and BMW 7 Series.  The Wraith has a 6,592 cc BMW N74 twin-turbo V12 engine and a ZF 8HP transmission on an 8-speed automatic.  The car is well known for its comfortable driving that feels like nothing else.  The car has a view very limited special editions the Suhail, Inspired By Film, Inspired By Fashion, Inspired By Music, History of Rugby, Club, Porto Cervo, and the Black Badge.  My favorite would be the black badge as it takes luxury to a different level.

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The Rolls-Royce Black Badge includes a revamped Spirit of Ecstasy.  Additionally, the trims on the car were converted to darkened chrome in the front grille surround, boot lid finisher, lower air inlet finisher, and exhaust pipes.  The cars torque was increased to 642 lb·ft with tweaked air suspension and upgraded gearbox for a smoother ride.  The Black Badge edition makes an already luxurious Wraith become a work of art.

Pagani Automobili S.P.A.: Horacio Pagani and the Huayra Roadster

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In 1992 Horacio Pagani founded Pagani Automobili S.P.A. after leaving Automobili Lamborghini S.P.A. Pagani Automobili S.P.A is an Italian manufacturer of supercars and carbon fiber. Horacio Pagani’s most recent creation is the Pagani Huayra Roadster that began production in 2012. The Pagani Huayra is a 2-door coupe and roadster on an RMR layout designed by Horacio Pagani. The Pagani Huayra has a cost of approximately $1.75 million and is named after a Quechua, wing god.

The Pagani Huayra has a 5980 cc Mercedes-AMG bi-turbo M158 V-12 engine with a 7-speed sequential gearbox. This engine was specially developed for the Pagani Huayra by Mercedes-AMG it is a 6.0 L engine that produces 730 horsepower and 811 lb’s/ft of torque. It was designed to reduce turbo lag and improve response. The Mercedes-AMG engine has a top speed of roughly 231 mph, and a has a 2.8 second 0-60 mph time. Additionally, to obtain these top speeds the Pagani Huayra also relies on incorporated aerodynamics. In all the Pagani Huayra is an impressive car.

The Pagani Huayra has two special edition cars the La Monza Lisa and the Huayra BC. The La Monza Lisa feature tricolor racing stripes and side stripes that were inspired by the Zonda Revolucion. The firewall behind the occupants was finished in a mixture of matte and gloss fully exposed carbon fiber. The other is the Huayra BC that debuted at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The BC stands for Benny Cailo, a friend of Horacio Pagani and the first Pagani customer. The car has slight engine improvements, but the main improvements come with its 50% weight reduction because a new type of carbon fiber that is also 20% stronger. However, Pagani has let a few customers make their limited edition models, and my favorite Pagani Huayra by far is the Pagani Huayra 730S. The Pagani Huayra Roadster will most likely follow the same trend.

Ferrari: Pininfarina and the Ferrari California T

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The Ferrari California T is an updated California with a new sleeker design and more powerful engine.  Ferrari unveiled the car at 2014 Geneva Motor Show.  The Ferrari California T was designed by Pininfarina in collaboration with Centro Stile Ferrari; Pininfarina was the original designer of the Ferrari California.  The car began production in 2014 and is being produced today.  The California T is viewed as the entry level Ferrari with prices beginning at $200k and going up from there.  Unfortunately, this leads to the car not being taken seriously by collectors leaving many left on the lots.

Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm located in Cambiano, Italy.  In 1930 the company was founded by Battista Farina and later acquired by Mahindra Group in 2015.  Pininfarina is employed by a variety of automobile manufacturers to design vehicles; they work with Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, FIAT, GM, Lancia, Maserati, AviChina, Chery, Changfeng, Brilliance, JAC, Daewoo, and Hyundai.  Additionally, the are known for designing high-speed trains, buses, trams, rolling stocks, light rail cars, yachts, airplanes, and private jets.  The company is notable for being the lead design on the Ferrari California and Ferrari California T.

The Ferrari California is a 2-door front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive car that is available in a coupe cabriolet.  A coupe cabriolet is a car with a retractable hardtop instead of a soft top like a coupe.  The car sports a newly designed 3.9 L Ferrari F154 BB twin-turbo V8 and a 7-speed dual clutch.  The 3.9 L Ferrari F154 BB twin-turbo V8 produces 557 lbs of torque.  The car can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 196 mph.  Not only do the new turbo engines produce a lot of power they are also smaller and reduce turbo lag.  The Ferrari California T is a fun starter Ferrari that has a lot to offer; it’s luxurious and also sporty.  However, hardcore Ferrari fans and people looking for a high-performance track car would be disappointed as it is designed to be a daily driver and not a track beast.

Vanda Dendrobium: A Battery Companies Perfect Flower

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Vanda Electrics is a Singapore-based company specializing in battery technology and electric mobility. The company which was recently incorporated in 2016 has never built a car before and only plans on building a second if the Dendrobium is successful. The car is intended to be a halo project for the purpose of building interest and awareness of the Vanda brand. Vanda Electrics revealed the Vanda Dendrobium at the 2017 Geneva motor show; where they may have stolen the event with one of the most dramatic-looking cars in 2017.

The 2017 Geneva motor show will be a key time for the car because it is based on the reactions received by car enthusiasts there on whether or not the car goes into production. Vanda Electric CEO Larissa Tan said if all goes well production will begin, but it will be produced in the tens rather than the hundreds. Williams Advanced Engineering will be the construction partner for the tech company. To no one’s surprise, the only known fact is that if it does go into production, the price tag will be in the millions.

The Vanda Dendrobium is named after a flower native to Japan the Dendrobium a fitting name for an exotic car. It’s a species of orchid native to Singapore, and much of the concept design was inspired by nature. This inspiration can be seen in the recurring honeycomb patterns. In all the car is beautiful, but will the all-electric supercar perform? The Dendrobium project is boasting performance of 0 to 60 in 2.6 seconds and a top speed of roughly 200 mph.

The powertrain configuration though is still up for debate. It will feature either three or four in-board electric motors which will power all four wheels. As of now, the car is set to have a single-speed gearbox at the front and multiple gears at the rear. Most of the car is not fully designed, but the car should be something special.

Bentley: The Continental GT

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Bentley Motors Limited is a British car manufacturer that designs, develops, and produces luxury cars.  Bentley Motors was founded by W.O. Bentley in 1919 and is under the ownership of Volkswagen Group as of 1998.  A tradition still held by Bentley Motors even under its new ownership is individually building all cars by hand.  This same technique is utilized by Rolls Royce and is what most believe to be the reason for the luxurious aspects of these cars.  Today Bentley produces one of my favorite cars the Continental GT, the car is the perfect mix of luxury and sport.

The Bentley Continental GT is a luxury coupe produced by British Automaker Bentley Motors.  The Continental GT was the first car manufactured under Volkswagen AG ownership of Bentley.  The car began production in 2003 and is still being produced to this day.  

The Bentley Continental GT is a  grand tourer, personal luxury car.  The car comes in a 2-door coupe and convertible model under Volkswagen’s Group D D1 platform.  The car is on a longitudinal front-engine, torsen permanent four-wheel drive layout.  It sports a 6.0 L W12 twin-turbo engine and a 6-speed ZF 6HP26A a Tiptronic automatic transmission.  This setup produces a DIN-rated motive power output of 560 metric horsepower at 6,100 rpm and a torque of 650 newton metrics.  All this combines to give the car a 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 198 mph.  In all the Continental GT is an amazing car.

A special edition version of the Bentley Continental GT is the Supersports.  It has a multi-point injected 6.0 L W12 engine that has a top speed of 209 mph.  This makes the super fast the fastest four-seat coupe and convertible in the world.  The car has a completely revised top end, larger turbochargers, freer-breathing inter cooling and exhaust systems, a strengthened crank, new connecting rod bearings, and new main bearings.  In all the Superfast is a sportier version of the Continental GT.

Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren

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Mercedes-Benz is a global automobile manufacturer and a division of the German company Daimler AG.  The company was founded in 1926 by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in the hopes of creating luxury vehicles, buses, coaches, and trucks.  Mercedes-Benz has two sub-divisions AMG and Maybach which are their higher end models.  They partnered with McLaren Automotive in 1999 by producing the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.  McLaren Automotive is a British automaker that produces high-end sports and luxury cars.  The company was founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren and is now run by CEO Mike Flewitt.  McLaren had proven themselves for years in the sports car and hyper sports car industries.  They are most notable known for the McLaren F1 with some special editions going for $15 million and up.  Both Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive worked together to created the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren began production in 2003 but began design in 1999 with Gordon Wagener.  Gordon Wagener is a German car designer and is the Chief Design Officer for Daimler AG.  He has worked on countless other models, but the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren may be the most beautiful and most memorable.  

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a grand tourer car jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive.  The car began production in 2003 and ended in 2010.  The car is in the Grand tourer class and came in a 2-door coupe and roadster on an FMR layout.  The car runs off a 5.4 L supercharged M155 SLR V8 engine and a 5-speed automatic transmission.  All this leaves the car with a curb weight of around 3,900 lbs.  The car has a 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 209 mph.  Though the two companies haven’t made another car together they both created a new car out of this project.

Mercedes-Benz created the SLS AMG and McLaren Automotive created the 12C.  The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is a front-engine, 2-seater luxury, limited production supercar automobile.  The car is most notable known for its gullwing doors.  The McLaren 12C is a sports car designed by McLaren Automotive.  It was the first production car wholly designed and built by McLaren since the F1.  Although neither Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive have worked together on a new car both of the cars they have separately worked on are great cars.  

Koenigsegg: Christian von Koenigsegg’s Journey

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Koenigsegg Automotive AB is a Swedish manufacturer of high-performance sports cars, and is based in Angelholm, Skane County, Sweden.  Koenigsegg Automotive AB was founded in 1994 by Christian von Koenigsegg who intended on one day producing a “world class” supercar.  This dream became a reality for Christian von Koenigsegg in 2002 when the first street-legal car was produced.  Fast forward 14 years later and the Koenigsegg Regera was created; the Regera is a more practical, luxury, hypercar compared to Koenigsegg’s other models.  The Koenigsegg Regera is a limited production hybrid supercar with only 80 in production and costing approximately $1.9 million.  The Koenigsegg Regera is their newest car year-to-date and is the culmination of all their technological advancements over the years.

Christian Erland Harald von Koenigsegg is the founder of Koenigsegg Automotive AB.  He was inspired to create the perfect sports car when he was five years old, after seeing the Norwegian animated film Flaklypa Grand Prix.  In the movie, an unknown bicycle repair man creates his own racing car.  His passion for cars stayed with him all throughout his life and finally, in 1994, his dream became a reality when Koenigsegg Automotive AB was created.  Years later after working with designer David Craaford a prototype was created.  Christian von Koenigsegg is an iconic Swedish figure as he was one of the first supercar manufacturers to stand up to the well known billion-dollar automobile companies.

The Koenigsegg Regera is a limited production sports car manufactured by Koenigsegg and designed by Christian von Koenigsegg.  The car began production in 2016 and 80 units will be produced, and of those 40 have been sold.  The car is supposed to be more practical, luxury, hypercar when compared to Koenigsegg’s more lightweight hypercars.  They have stated that this will be the most powerful and fastest accelerating production car ever.  The Regera is the sports car that comes in a 2-door Targa top, with a rear mid-engine and rear-wheel-drive.  The powertrain is run off of a 5L twin-turbocharged V8 and 3 electric motors that are run off 4.5 kWh liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery.  Which gives the car 1,822 metric horsepower through hybrid powertrain.  The car oddly runs off a 1-speed fixed gear box with a 2,73 to 1 ratio.  In all the Regera has a curb weight of 3,510 lbs.  All this power gives the Regera a 0 to 60 mph of 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 255 mph.  Christian von Koenigsegg has claimed that the Regera is the first “fully-robotized” car, but only time will tell if all these claims are true.

Lamborghini: The Story of the Huracan and Filippo Perini

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Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. is an Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy.  The company was founded in 1963 by Ferruccio Lamborghini and is now run by current CEO Stefano Domenicali.  The company is owned by Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary Audi.  As of right now, they are producing the Lamborghini Huracan and Aventador.  

The Lamborghini Huracan, which is Spanish for Hurricane, is a sports car built by Lamborghini and replaced the legendary Gallardo.  The Huracan made its debut at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show and began production later that year.  It is a 2-door coupe and 2-door spyder designed by Filippo Perini.  Filippo Perini is the design director at Lamborghini and has been since 2006.  By trade, Filippo Perini is a mechanical engineer who grew his knowledge of car design by working at Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Ferrari, Castoldi Jet, MET Helmets, Aprilia, BCS, Cantieri Nautici, and Off Corse.  Filippo Perini is someone who has lived and breathed car design his entire life and evidence are in his earliest designs as a child that he sent to major car companies.  He is known for his “different” designs which he says is what makes Lamborghini special and who they are.  Their cars aren’t known as the fastest, lightest, or best track car, but they are known for their designs.  Though Filippo Perini has seemed to change this with the Lamborghini Huracan and its more racing oriented models.  To most car guys it is the perfect blend of Lamborghini and also a track beast.  

The Lamborghini Huracan was named “The Supercar of the Year 2014” by car magazine Top Gear.  Some say the Huracan is a much better buy than the more expensive Aventador because it’s a cheaper and better car is some people’s eyes.  The Huracan was designed on a Longitudinal, M4 layout which is similar to the Audi R8.  The base Huracan sports a 5.2 L v10 engine and a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.  This gives the car 573 to 602 horsepower.  All this comes in with a curb weight of 3, 417 lb’s, so it’s not the lightest car in its class.  This gives the car a 2.8 second 0-60 mph and a top speed of 202 mph.  The car is engineering beast and a beautiful piece of art also.

There is a few special edition Lamborghini Huracans.  The Huracan LP 610-4 Polizia is an Italian police car version that is used for high-speed chases.  The Huracan LP 620-4 Avio was the first special edition available to the public.  It is inspired by the Royal Air Force and comes in new colors, upholstery, exterior decals, and interior logos.  The Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder was announced and began production in 2016.  Additionally, there have been recent reports of a new special edition driving around Italy, but at this time it’s just speculation.