Spy Photos you never got to see

[Chris_Doane]

Well now that all the new cars are starting to debut, my photos from the previous season start to become worthless. Heh, oh well. Anyhow I thought Id post some that were never published. I'll have something nice to post once the Nitro debuts.

'07 Edge:

This Edge prototypes was being loading and this was the last angle I shot. The older guy sees me and says in sort of a long, drawn out, grandfatherly tone "heeeeeeey....he's takin pictures." Then his wife's head pops out of the car. Sort of 2 deer in headlights. I guess it might be a "you had to be there" moment for it to be funny. They didn't seem to care that I was shooting at all....which is always the best kind of person to run into.

Edited February 24, 2006 by CD/BP

[zoomtm]

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Ha! That guy looks funny. And seeing his wife's head popping out of the window jsut adds to it. And I can just imagine that guy's voice. "Hey, sonny. Don'cha' want me to say chheese?"

Keep 'em coming. I want to see what's going on with those Nitro pics. (A nice story there, too, I'll bet.)

[Variance]

Those are a couple of "Aw, $h!" faces if I've ever seen them.

[Chris_Doane]

Not so much funny, but while I was shooting a Caliber, I noticed some dude with a point and shoot camera walk into the corner of my frame. I think he thought he was in trouble when he saw me shooting him and the car.

[ocnblu]

The Caliber should stay undercover.

[Chris_Doane]

The Caliber should stay undercover.

Nonsense. That car is going to do very well.

----------------------------------------------------

This Solstice GXP has clearly been put through the ringer! Heh not much fit and finish going on there. The soft top looks like a mangled umbrella or something. Of course they beat the hell out of the prototypes so when you buy one it doesn't end up looking like that! Yack.

Edited January 18, 2006 by CD/BP

[Guest YellowJacket894]

[scarcastic]Oh, I see evidence of Lutz's small panel gap program at work there with the GXP![/scarcastic]

Is it just me or does it make more sense in the Solstice GXP's case not to have the camo? I mean, if some one saw a prototype they'd just think that someone pre-ordered a regular Solstice and got it a few weeks early.

And that guy in the Caliber pic makes me think of Elmer Fudd. You caught him "mid tip-toe", there. I wouldn't be surprised if he said, "Be very, very quiet..."

Edited January 18, 2006 by anorexorcist

[ToniCipriani]

Nonsense. That car is going to do very well.

----------------------------------------------------

This Solstice GXP has clearly been put through the ringer! Heh not much fit and finish going on there. The soft top looks like a mangled umbrella or something. Of course they beat the hell out of the prototypes so when you buy one it doesn't end up looking like that! Yack.

Damn, how come these rims don't make it to production? Such a welcome change from the ones right now. Imagine a full set of Brembo brakes behind it...

[Guest Josh]

That Solstice makes me want to cry, literally.

[BlkHhr104]

Did anyone notice the Pacifica with black rims, could that have been an unmasked reskined version, or just someone that just said hey lets paint the rim?

[Chris_Doane]

Did anyone notice the Pacifica with black rims, could that have been an unmasked reskined version, or just someone that just said hey lets paint the rim?

No it was camouflaged.

[Chris_Doane]

(This is a 2.2MB GIF animation and will take a minute to load...its worth it!! )

OK Im pretty sure this Hyundai engineer wanted to do me bodily harm. Perhaps eat my liver with some fava beans and nice kiante. I thought the whole thing was so funny that in the last 2 frames you can see I just started taking pics of him.

The oddest thing was, he was pulled off on the shoulder of the road....and before he came at me I'd been walking on the other side of the road in plain view shooting the car! I guess he must've been burried in his laptop and didnt see me until I was moving in my car. Heh instead of stopping to have a chat, I decided to drop the hammer and leave a nice dust cloud.

Edited January 18, 2006 by CD/BP

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Did anyone notice the Pacifica with black rims, could that have been an unmasked reskined version, or just someone that just said hey lets paint the rim?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey! Yeah, look close and you can see an Airflite Concept-like grille.

[NOS2006]

lmao CD/BP gon' get whooped!

[Chris_Doane]

lmao CD/BP gon' get whooped!

Pfft...nonsense. What that guy doesn't know if there is a monopod behind my drivers seat that extends out 4-5 feet and makes a very nice club.

[Drew Dowdell]

Pfft...nonsense. What that guy doesn't know if there is a monopod behind my drivers seat that extends out 4-5 feet and makes a very nice club.

Uh.... you're in a car, he's on foot.... what does he expect to be able to do? You coulda just rolled your window up even.

[Chris_Doane]

Uh.... you're in a car, he's on foot.... what does he expect to be able to do? You coulda just rolled your window up even.

*shrug* If he'd gone for me or my camera the first thing he would've noticed is the doorframe hitting him in the chest. He could've just given me the finger like everyone else.

[lakefire]

I mean what do these people expect? It's not illegal to take pictures on public roads.

[Guest Josh]

That's because they are not trying to stay inconspicous.

[Chris_Doane]

What is up with automakers and their crazy checkerboard and zebra patterns on the sides of their vehicles? I can see having camo on the front and the back but that just looks wierd. If they are trying to stay inconspicous that is not the way to do it.

That black and white pattern is meant to throw off your depth perception. Makes its very hard to see how the doors are stamped unless you get the angle just right.

[Cory Wolfe]

Hey Chris... I'm on dial-up. That animation is literally taking forever, you know...

[Teh Ricer Civic!]

one of these days im going to cover my car up with camo tape and tell every1 its a new concept.

[BlkHhr104]

Well I really only see Ford use that checkers pattern, well Chrysler used it on the Sebring but its really kind of annoying.

[Chris_Doane]

Hey Chris... I'm on dial-up. That animation is literally taking forever, you know...

Heh, yea I knew you would say something about that. Erm...sorry.

[Chris_Doane]

Thanks, I didn't know that. I can see the story now.

"The good folks at Brenda Priddy and Company have treated us at Edmunds to these spy pics of the new Dodge Challenger road testing around the streets of Detroit. While we can't tell from the photo due to the crazy zebra paintjob, the photographer tells us what was supposed to be a handsome coupe is really a shapeless blob of a nine door sedan. Yes, you read that right, nine doors. He informs us he has spotted doors on the roof, several on both the front and rear bumpers and even a mini-door within the regular door, supposedly so little people and children don't have to go through all the work of opening the regular door. Sources say this is to continue the proud tradition started with the Charger of adding too many doors to cars that clearly do not need them."

I dont think it throws your depth perception off THAT much. Check out the photos of the Sebring though. From most angles you can't see how the doors are stamped much like the Airflite concept.

[Chris_Doane]

This one is from 2 years ago. I could've had the cover of HHR Monthly!

The flowers even match (no that was NOT on purpose)

[NOS2006]

That's just confirmation that the HHR is ugly at ALL angles.

[sciguy_0504]

Is the zebra tape on the HHR for the same reason as the zebra camo on the sides of the car? Is its grille taped on?

[Chris_Doane]

Is the zebra tape on the HHR for the same reason as the zebra camo on the sides of the car?  Is its grille taped on?

Haha...no the grill isnt taped on. A few of us talked about it when the first prototypes hit the street and we dont know why they bothered with the tape. They were trying to hide the panel lines/creases with that tape, but really it doesnt do much as you can see. Certainly not at all like the stuff we see Ford and DCX using on their door panels.

Edited January 18, 2006 by CD/BP

[ocnblu]

The HHR is a much better looking, friendlier vehicle than the Dodge Caliber.

[Chris_Doane]

So, this time next year are we going to be seeing heavily camoflaged Camaro and RWD Grand Prix test mules for 2007's edition of "Spy Photos you never got to see?"

A year from now will, more than likely, be too soon. If there was anything you'd probably see some current model all hacked up being used a powertrain mule.

Edited January 19, 2006 by CD/BP

[Chris_Doane]

OK some of you may have actually seen this one, but I still think its funny for the OBSCENE amount of tape they put on this thing.

In case you couldn't tell, that's the Subaru Tribeca.

[Flybrian]

Why does that look better than production?

[Jamie]

That black and white pattern is meant to throw off your depth perception. Makes its very hard to see how the doors are stamped unless you get the angle just right.

It's the same concept as "Dazzle Camouflage", a system developed in 1917 by Norman Wilkinson, a British artist and naval officer. It's designed to confuse instead of hide. Primarily it was used on ships to confuse U-Boat commanders.

A more subtle variation used on ships was painting false bow waves on ship's bows so that a U-boat commander looking through a periscope, will overestimate a ship's speed, and the torpedoes will be sent on a track based on the incorrectly estimated speed. On cars, a good air-brush artist could create false details and shadows on the body work to give the impression of a different body shape.

[deanh8]

May I ask where you get to see all these cool cars?

[Robert Hall]

The Solstice with the disguise makes me think someone wanted to be Chris Bangle!

[Chris_Doane]

Well now that the Nitro pics are out, I present you, Finger Boy!

Honestly I don't know why engineers aren't used to it by now. Finger boy thought he was being cool, however a few hours later, he was even cooler when he parked it outside with the windows down. The car was supposed to be "hidden," but I found it. (Yes in a public place)

[Guest Josh]

Well now that the Nitro pics are out, I present you, Finger Boy!

  Honestly I don't know why engineers aren't used to it by now. Finger boy thought he was being cool, however a few hours later, he was even cooler when he parked it outside with the windows down. The car was supposed to be "hidden," but I found it. (Yes in a public place)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

AHHHH HAHAHA you asshole Chris!

[Chris_Doane]

I hope you left doggy doo on his drivers seat so he knows not to mess with spy photographers anymore.

Hah, um no I didn't. I figured the pics were enough.

AHHHH HAHAHA you asshole Chris!

Edited February 8, 2006 by CD/BP

[Guest Josh]

Doane hates me. It's official.

[Cadillacfan]

That guy testing the Nitro is an Asshole. What do they expect when they drive something covered up around town? At least show a little civility.

Oh wait.. he works for DCX... he can't.

[Chris_Doane]

That guy testing the Nitro is an Asshole.  What do they expect when they drive something covered up around town?  At least show a little civility.

Oh wait.. he works for DCX... he can't.

Oh...dont think for a minute giving the finger is *just* a DCX thing.

I do seem to get a lot of "peace" signs from the nice, Asian engineers, however.

Edited February 8, 2006 by CD/BP

[ocnblu]

I like to use sign language too.

[Cadillacfan]

Oh...dont think for a minute giving the finger is *just* a DCX thing.

I do seem to get a lot of "peace" signs from the nice, Asian engineers, however.

I know.. I was just being funny. It's people like that dude that give companies a bad name.

[capriceman]

Know what now when i think about it in 04 I remember seeing a small two seater roll out of the 12 mile gate at the tech center. It had balack foam tape all over the bitch. And theis guy had a M-plate and was driving this thing like it would stall if it went under 40mph. So I followed the guy. At a light I pulled beside him and the dash had wires hanging out of it. And He looked at me and laughed but he nudged his head back and there was 3 black cars with cameras out the windows and M-plate Tahoe behind him.

So I think it could of been a Solstice... but I just wanted to look at the car and he knew that since I didnt have a camera, I just had a dumbfound look on my face. I chased him around for 1/2 hour blocking this black little Impala from getting to the side of this car. And The Concept driver laughed while this Impala guy honked and whiped the bird.

I figured that the Tahoe was there in case it broke down and the 3 cars chasing it where those evil Car Spies :AH-HA_wink:. So CD/BP what kind of car do you drive and were you the one honking at me and whipping me the bird? And arent spies supposed to be some what steathly and not leaning out with a stanley cup lens taking pictures?

[Chris_Doane]

Know what now when i think about it in 04 I remember seeing a small two seater roll out of the 12 mile gate at the tech center. It had balack foam tape all over the bitch. And theis guy had a M-plate and was driving this thing like it would stall if it went under 40mph. So I followed the guy. At a light I pulled beside him and the dash had wires hanging out of it. And He looked at me and laughed but he nudged his head back and there was 3 black cars with cameras out the windows and M-plate Tahoe behind him.

So I think it could of been a Solstice... but I just wanted to look at the car and he knew that since I didnt have a camera, I just had a dumbfound look on my face. I chased him around for 1/2 hour blocking this black little Impala from getting to the side of this car. And The Concept driver laughed while this Impala guy honked and whiped the bird.

I figured that the Tahoe was there in case it broke down and the 3 cars chasing it where those evil Car Spies  :AH-HA_wink:. So CD/BP what kind of car do you drive and were you the one honking at me and whipping me the bird? And arent spies supposed to be some what steathly and not leaning out with a stanley cup lens taking pictures?

Hah, no that was not me. I am stealthy.

[2b2]

...I do seem to get a lot of "peace" signs from the nice, Asian engineers, however.

Chris, have you ever gotten a tip-off from a company that wanted their vehicle photo'ed?

[Chris_Doane]

Chris, have you ever gotten a tip-off from a company that wanted their vehicle photo'ed?

Nope, never had that happen.

[Chris_Doane]

Camino's Firehawk pics reminded me of this spy pic of the DTS from 2 years ago:

(yes I took close up pics too )

Edited February 24, 2006 by CD/BP