This very well maybe be the perfect cafe racer from Taimonshan Cycle Works. This is a modern cafe racer design With a custom Norton Manx hand built frame, without swingarm or subframe the frame only weighs 7kgs so it super light. The engine is a 2004 Aprilia RSV1000 Factory V-Twin pushing out 143hp. The challenge that Taimoshan had with the Super cafe racer was how to squeeze a powerful, modern V-Twin, water cooled sportbike motor into an “open” tube frame and still make it look stunning. Based in the UK Taimonshan are at the top of there game when it comes to custom motorcycles and cafe racers.

Taimonshan said “Starting with a blank piece of paper it was my intention to create a bike to represent an iconic design from the 1960’s Glory years of the Ace Cafe, Isle of Mann TT, mods, rockers, black leather jackets and the best of the modern era with smooth fuel injection power, huge brakes, fancy suspension, light controls and razor sharp handling, the result was Taimoshan the “Super Cafe Racer”.”

I love how clean this bike is, everything has been hidden away, with electronics and engine management hidden i the tank. The polished tank and the cherry leather custom seat look sweet, they weren’t wrong when they called this thing a super cafe race. With the power from that big Aprilia RSV 1000 V-Twin along with the Honda CBR1000RR Unit pro-link rear suspension system this has everything that’s good with modern motorcycles shoe horned into a style that looks as cool as it did in the 60′s as it does now.

Images: taimoshancycleworks.com

Website: taimoshancycleworks.com

What an amazing collection of retro car photography by Mirko Frank. Not only is this one of the finest collection of classic cars I’ve ever seen it may also be the finest collection of owner portraits too. This is a collection of some of the most iconic vehicles on the planet along with there owners. Photographed and retouched by Mirko Frank from Leonburg, Germany this collection was created for the Oldtimer Calender project he worked on.

My favourite image and car as you can probably guess as it’s the feature image is the beautiful Renault Alpine, beautifully retouched to bring out that stunning bright blue. All the cars have been made to really pop by Mirko, the amazing mint green of the Volvo is the one thing that stands out from the crowd with this series. Huge attention to detail has been given to every single shot with the owners of each vehicle been made to almost blend into the image. That’s the sign of the perfect photograph, everything belongs together  and isn’t over shadowed by the other.

I love all the photographs but I have a few favourites  firstly the Alpine but I adore the Mustang and the Porsche. The only car missing from this line up is maybe the Citroen DS and maybe a series one Land Rover Defender but other than that everything is spot on. I love a bit of retro car photography and I think this has finally given me the push to dust of the old camera and start shooting again. If anyone can help me identify the red car 5th from the bottom I would really appreciate it, I’m thinking its an old SAAB but im not sure at all.

Images: www.mirkofrank.com

Website: www.mirkofrank.com

If you don’t ride a motorcycle you will soon want to after watching the most amazing motorcycle video I’ve ever seen. Crack open a beer sit back and relax you will enjoy this even if your not a motorcycle fan.

Internationally known photographer Sandro has been photographing people for over thirty years. From the age of 16 he was interested in photography and seeing the work of Irving Penn and has since devoted his life to creating expressive images. This video is made by multi awarding-winning photographer with some of his clients including Allstate Insurance, American Express, Anheuser-Busch, BMW, Dove, Gatorade, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nikon, Microsoft, Miller/Coors, Nike, Adidas, Pony, Champion, and the US Army. Sandro’s editorial work has been featured in The New Yorker, GQ, Esquire, Russian Esquire, Time, Forbes, Details, Stern, Wired, Newsweek, Vibe, Communication Arts, Graphis, Eyemazing, and ESPN Magazine.

Website: www.sandrofilm.com

I’ll be honest, I don’t care much for modern Porsche but skip back 15 – 20 years and I love them. Ever since watching the brilliant Danish series The Bridge I was hooked on vintage Porsche with a sweet mid green 912 being the day to day ride of one of the leading police officers. I’m never disappointed with Laurent Nivalle and his Men’s Car Series and the Porsche 911 2.2 T is no exception.

It never fail’s to amaze me just how good his photography is, every car series makes the car look fantastic and fantastically cool. The owner of the car is watch designer by Julien Thiebaud with a few subtle shot of his fine work been included into the series. The premise of all these images is the connection between the owner and the car, I have to say all of his series seem to be a perfect match with the Porsche 911 2.2 T suiting Julian like a glove.

I have featured a lot of Laurent’s work and I really hope he doesn’t mind that I do but I think I’m fascinated by the series, each one is done to perfection and has a certain light and atmosphere only he can achieve. Maybe one day he will release a book with them all in which would be a must for all coffee tables of petrol head’s and photography lovers worldwide. The Porsche Targa is a very good looking car that has aged very well, this example is in very good condition but not sat in a showroom or in a huge bubble in a air conditioned barn it’s been used day to day like it should be.

This beauty is for sale if you want to buy yourself instant cool checkout this link bringatrailer.com for your chance to own one of the finest 911 Targa’s I’ve ever seen.

Images: laurentnivalle.fr

Website: laurentnivalle.fr

Lamborghini have finally got there mojo back with the stunning Lamborghini Veneno concept. I’ve felt over the last couple of years that they have just become a little too sensible, they make amazing cars but not like they used to do, until now. This looks like it could kill you which is just the feeling you should have before getting in to a Lamborghini, that’s what make it so exciting to drive.

The Lamborghini Veneno is a concept car at the moment, built as a racing prototype for the road. Focused on optimum aerodynamics and cornering stability, giving the Veneno the real dynamic experience of a racing prototype, yet it is fully capable for the road.  The systematic, carbon-fibre, lightweight design is not only visible, it is also evident on the scales. With a power-to-weight ratio of 1.93 kg/hp (4,25 lbs/hp) and its forceful twelve-cylinder the Lamborghini Veneno guarantees a performance that is nothing short of mind-blowing and a noise that only Thor himself could achieve.

The rear wing on this thing is huge and instantly identifies itself as a serious racing car along with those massive arch filling alloys. I love the orange pinstripe running round the black rims, gives it an almost space ship like feel. The carbon fibre monocoque is clearly visible in the interior which give you an idea of the styling. Lamborghini’s patented forged composite has been used to make the super lite seats with the rest of the interior being clad with light weight woven carbonskin® all reducing weight and giving the driver a more fun ride. Please put this into production, it’s one hell of a machine!

Website: Lamborghini

Images: Lamborghini

It’s not always the case of just building a fantastic custom motorcycle you have to photograph it perfectly if your wanting to sell it. Ryan Handt has done a fantastic job on this Moto Guzzi Le Mans custom which was built by Moto Borogotaro in New York. Yes, they have done a wonderful job on this custom and it’s one hell of a bike but without the right photography then it might as well be just a motorcycle in a shed. Selling these thing’s once you’ve built it is another thing, good photography will massively help to sell you latest project and to give your garage.

Ryan is a photographer who lives in New York City, creating work for both himself and for you. Raised on the outskirts of New York City, Ryan said  “I was exposed to a lot of culture and diversity in my upbringing. My Parents, being the first of their families to venture out of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, always found reasons to return to the city or Brooklyn for day trips or weekends. We would frequent the city and spend countless weekends on the beaches of Brooklyn, mostly Coney Island.”

I loved the work that Ryan has done with the Moto Guzzi Le Mans custom photo shoot, the falling sun has lit the sky perfect with the oranges working really well with the dark red paint of this bike. I like the fact it’s not directly in the sun light giving it a certain mood and bringing out all that sexy detailing on the Guzzi.

Photography: ryanhandt.com

Website: motoborgotaro.com

This is one sweet looking 1958 Chevrolet Apache pickup! I think I have just found the perfect place to work! Hidden in the heart of Texas in a city called Lewisville, sits the finest garage known to man. A place I would never tire of getting up early and heading to work. Hale’s Speed Shop specialise in the restoration and customisation of pickup’s and muscle cars. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a shop with so many sweet rides, please check out there facebook page and you’ll start dribbling like me.

The featured car is a 1958 Chevrolet Apache left in an unfinished bare metal state. This thing has been dropped so low that not even an ant would get under the bumper. Either way it look bloody good for the drop and the unfinished bare dirty metal on show. The Apache has had new air suspension fitted which allow’s it to drop so low but also so you can actually drive down a street without ripping he bumper off. A new big shiny engine has also been fitted, the more I look at this thing the more and more I want it!

The interior has pretty much been left alone with new seats and a sweet looking switch panel for the suspension that’s been fitted to the dash. I love this rat look on trucks, sadly it just doesn’t work in the UK how I wish it would be a crappy old Escort Pickup just wouldn’t look right! I love all the work that Hale’s Seed shop has done, even the photography is amazing with that vintage gas station in the background it just look awesome!

Images: facebook.com/pages/Hales-Speed-Shop/

Website: www.facebook.com/pages/Hales-Speed-Shop/

Additive Studio’s have created something incredibly special, everything you see here has been virtually put together and render into one amazing set. These Porsche 550 Spyder Photos are actually a 3D model and not a photograph. Epic skills from the guys at Additive Studio’s have created a truly beautiful  image set based around one of the sexiest cars ever made, the Porsche 550 Spyder. Additive said “When you spend all that time creating one really detailed 3d model, it only seemed logical to create a series. This time we wanted to explore close-ups and use depth of field and bokeh effects.”

The lighting effect on this work is simply stunning, with a soft warmth and beautifully finished detail shots. They have picked the perfect car for this and also a really nice location. Not sure where the location is but I’m guessing it’s on top of the Porsche factory somewhere, either way its fantastic what they have achieved here. The car has been photographed on it own with the entire composition been profession stitched together by the guys at Additive Studio’s.

Based in London Addictive Studios comprises of two talented CG artists / retouchers (Matt and Pete) with over 20 years’ experience between them,  you benefit from tightly costed estimates and the undivided attention of the two key people. The said “Of course we have the support of specialist friends when needed (character artists, animators, digital sculptors, etc) and are involved with all the most cutting edge medias including the latest Augmented Reality.”

Images: additivestudios.co.uk

Website: additivestudios.co.uk

The Empulse RR is a electric superbike by Brammo a US motorcycle company based in Ashland, Oregon. This version is Brammo’s  2013 entrant for the Isle of Man TT in which they have an all electric motorcycle race. Getting a podium at the 2009 event they have something to prove so this years graphics have been designed by Icon and hell fire they are good. Super bright oranges mixed with carbon fibre and a really aggressive shark teeth print look amazing. Powered by Brammo’s industry leading lithium-ion battery technology and a powerful AC synchronous motor, the Empulse provides a performance level for cost value never seen before in electric motorcycles.

Brammo said “This commitment to racing is likewise a commitment to pushing technology forward under the most extreme racing conditions in order to provide the best solutions for our customers in our for-sale electric motorcycles.” The Empulse R has carbon fibre headlight shroud, front and rear fenders, top panel (this is the panel immediately ahead of the coloured panel) and rear light housing. Empulse R also has a name badge and also features fully adjustable (gold) front suspension and fully adjustable adjustable rear-suspension.

A road version of this bike is also available with similar performance using the same electric motor set-up. This is the first electric motorcycle I’ve featured but I have to say I’m very curious to how this thing rides and performs on the road. The electric superbike has stunning looks and a real presence along with smug feeling that your running on clean green electric.

Images: brammo.com

Website: brammo.com/empulse/

I fell in love instantly with the vintage style custom gas tank painting by Mad Crow Garage. It was a joint project between Mad Crow who did all the painting and illustrator and visual story teller Brusco. Based in Barcelona – Spain, Brusco set about doing a branding project for DAMM brand. These are all based on vintage beer ads with all the design work done by Brusco and the restoration and paint done beautifully by Mad Crow Garage.

This project has combined the three things that I love, motorcycles, vintage design and beer! Brusco have been so locally to get this gig and I very jealous. The three tanks are all vintage themselves, with some sweet detailed engraving on the filler gaps, especially on the Cerveza tank. I like them all but this one has to be my favourite with amazing typography and some really nice colours. Crow Custom Motorcycle not only do Custom Gas Tank Painting but they produce some pretty sweey looking motorcycles too which are well worth a look and will be getting a feature soon.

If you know or have seen any sweet looking custom paint jobs on motorcycle tanks then please drop us an email and let us know. This section has only been going for a few weeks and already I think I have got some amazing designs on the site.

Images: behance.net/brusco_artworks

Website: madcrowgarage.com

Once again Untitled Motorcycles have created this stunning Custom Kawasaki KZ1000 and presented it beautifully. Built for Anthony van Someren from the UK website the Bike shed he said he needed a second bike. Anthony said he wanted “Something that would balance bullet-proof reliability with custom looks.”

I love the paint on this build, very sexy colours with a super luxury feel. The dark blue of the tank along with the gold stripes work really well having an almost Aston Martin feel to them. The overall plan was to make a cool looking practical bike which meant plenty of second hand parts with only the engine and running gear being 100%.

On Untitled Motorcycles website they stated that the bike was “not just sitting outside a trendy shop to look cool on summer days,” says Anthony. “It’s what I would call ‘custom-lite’. Looks cool in pics, but down-and-dirty on closer inspection.” I love the brat style seat and with that 4 into 1 pipe it’s certainly a good looking bike but not too too pretty you can’t ride it.

The Custom Kawasaki KZ1000 by Untitled Motorcycles is the perfect daily ride, comfortable with plenty poke. The front and rear fenders have been chopped down with a bespoke shift lever and linkage created from BMW and Guzzi parts. I’ve always admired the work that Untitled do and always look forward to new builds. Long may the continue to impress!

Images: untitledmotorcycles.com

Website: untitledmotorcycles.com

The Smart car is a strange and misunderstood beast. Way back in 1998 it caused quite a stir. Never before had a car been so easy to parallel-park, never before had a car caused such heated debate, never before had a car been so reminiscent of a Barbie-mobile. Indeed, love it or loathe it, the Smart car proved to be both ecologically sound and resistant to criticism.

Now, with the launch of the new “Smart for jeremy,” these dinky little vehicles of curiosity are becoming traffic-stoppingly haute couture, or so say Smart.

Given the name, it would be easy to assume that Smart for jeremy has been designed for Jeremy Clarkson (although the Top Gear host would probably treat the vehicle like a boy treats a crane fly and pull off its precious wings with industrial pincers). But no, fashion guru Jeremy Scott, who designed the car and named it after himself, says of the flying shoebox: “I wanted to design something out of the ordinary, something that expressed my dreams and fantasies and that transferred my fashion ideas to automotive design.”

Since it was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show last November, the Smart for jeremy has been “well received.” Indeed, it garnered enough attention to warrant a limited production run, although the one that’s available to buy is a “toned-down” version of the initial model – if you can believe it. Saying that, Jeremy Scott’s his signature wings still remain – albeit without the integrated brake lights.

If you fancy a couture car that will demand infinitely more attention than you, it’s available with three different engines. There’s the standard 55kW Smart ForTwo Electric Drive, a slightly more powerful 60kW Brabus Electric Drive or a range-topping 102hp petrol engine from Brabus. The standard car costs €33,000 (£28,000), the 55kW electric is €34,800 (£30,000) and the top-spec Brabus comes in at a princely €40,600 (£35,000). As yet, there’s been no word regarding insurance premiums for this high-spec modified motor. However, it is anything but inconspicuous. In fact, all that’s missing is a neon “KEY ME” sign strapped across the
dashboard.

Design details include: a tridion safety cell, door mirror caps (“being a fashion person, I like to look at myself a lot,” says Scott) and a radiator grille – all painted in alubeam silver. The body panels and 16 or 17-inch Monoblock alloy wheels are finished in polar white and the floor mats are proudly signed by Jeremy Scott himself. White is by far the dominant colour here, so this is not a car for sticky-fingered children or muddy pets.

After all the seats, door centre panels, gear knob (petrol version only) and kneepad are all finished in white embossed leather with white stitching. Basically, it looks like a clinical cupid’s get-away car or a self-sycophantic homage to Jeremy Scott and his inane need to strap wings onto everything he touches.