Automotive brands go where they shouldn't

Jalopnik's list of the 10 Worst Non-Automotive Tie-ins With Automotive Brands actually has a couple of good ideas on it, like the Jeep stroller and the Ducati flash drive (which is the best Sandisk flash drive on the market). Nascar meats are a real downer, though, as we've mentioned before; the Ferrari Segway scooter (seen here) is just weird; and wearing Bugatti cologne sends an unmistakable chemical signal that you're an asshole. But I still say the crystal goblets my dad got with his Lincoln were the worst, because they have no tangible connection to cars, and nothing assumes the buyer wears a top hat and monocle every day like freaking goblets.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

Published on August 29, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Automotive, Kiefaber, Segway

Cops hoping to look fearsome on Segways

The Segway brand has long needed a boost, and it’s getting one from the NYPD, which will start using 10 of the company’s scooters to patrol pathways and boardwalks in New York parks, beaches and stadiums. Top cop Ray Kelly likes the vehicles in part because of “the imposing stature [they] tend to give officers, who are eight inches off the ground and ride standing up.” Which makes it sound like the Segway is as intimidating as a horse. The truth, of course, is that Segway riders look sort of ridiculous, which surely accounts for some of the brand’s dismal sales. Segway will be pleased, though. And the cops in the three-wheel buggies aren’t complaining.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on May 17, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)
Filed under Segway

Where were the Segways last week?

Last week’s NYC transit strike seemed like the perfect time for the Segway scooter to make a comeback. We had visions of hundreds of commuters following Mayor Bloomberg in a parade of Segways over the Brooklyn Bridge as part of a truly forward-thinking contingency plan. Of course, it didn’t happen. It’s been four years since the Segway’s introduction, and its market failure has always seemed a bit of a mystery (although not to BusinessWeek, apparently). In any case, Segway inventor Dean Kamen has unveiled his latest toy, this one with perhaps even greater promise—an energy-efficient filtration system that can transform any water and convert it into drinkable H2O. Here’s a headline that sums up Kamen’s demonstration of the device: “Segway Inventor Drinks His Own Pee.” Ew.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on December 26, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Filed under Segway