Cars That Rocked Movie Sets In Hollywood in 2014

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Tuesday, March 03, 2015

I've been getting mails lately from this Car sales site called Carmudi. I guess what must have attracted them to The Kush Chronicles is the post I wrote some time back about the different nicknames Nigerians give cars in Naija. I've received mails of articles to feature on the blog but I've been ruminating over whether to post it or not.

But didn't I say I'm welcoming the contributors?

And don't I love stuff about cars?

Abeg...lemme post this one jor! I should have posted this way earlier but hey, its still kinda fresh enough.

Read on ....

.................................................

2014 was a fantastic year for movie producers and lovers. It was a year for speed, drama, romance, action, suspense, folk tales, super heroes and villains. Hollywood in 2014 had top actors and actresses on screen as well as designers clothes, exotic locations and very hot cars on display. Carmudi, Nigeria’s number 1 car site decided to put together a list of top action movies in 2014 and their really hot cars. 

Need For Speed

The story line of this movie centers on a street racer, fresh from prison, who was framed by a wealthy business associate and joins a cross country race with revenge in mind. There were a lot of fast cars on parade. Lamborghini Sesto Elemento which is a concept car designed for racing added not only class but super speed to this movie. For as low as 2.2 million US Dollars, this fast car could be yours.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Most Captain America movies feature space ships, aircrafts and definitely cars. The producers of  captain America 2014 decided to put on display and in action a car fit for such a super solider; The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. This car costs 55,000 US dollars in the american market. This car is hot, mean and very fast.

The Interview

James Franco and Seth Rogen were at their best in this movie. For an action movie, this was a really entertaining watch. Paraded in this movie was the Porsche Panamera which costs about 78,000 US dollars. We believe there is no better combination of slick and fast.

John wick

If you are trying to track down a group of gangsters who took everything away from you then a 1969 Ford Mustang is a car you would definitely like to drive on your mission. In the movie John Wick, Keanu Reeves displayed action, style and his love for fast cars as the battles the villains. Been a classic fast machine, the 1969 Ford Mustang costs a whooping 47,000 US Dollars.

Need a fast hot car? Take advantage of the cars listed in Carmudi.com.ng and find that car of your dream.

About Carmudi

Carmudi was founded in 2013 and is currently available in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Zambia. The vehicle marketplace offers buyers, sellers and car dealers the ideal platform to find cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles online.

Driving in Lagos 101

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Every Nigerian who's ever lived in Lagos knows the streets and motorists are CRAZY. So I got this hilarious list some time back which I never remembered to post. Well...the holiday season seems like a good time for this to be put up! Get educated...and LOL your head off.

 

 
1. When in doubt, accelerate!


2. Be prepared to ram anything stoping you wearing uniform in Lagos (police, traffic warden,FRSC, Kai brigade, fire brigade, VIO, lastma, lamata, laswa, even lawma sef)


3. If you get caught by any chance, DO NOT allow them to enter your car, if they happen to get in DO NOT drive from that spot (vere off traffic & settle 5hun), and if they don’t agree, form calling your uncle who is in the army (believe me it always works), never follow them to ANY sort of office except you wanna pay X10


4. Never give police or VIO your original particulars (whether expired or up to date)

5. Danfo drivers believe they are immortal. NEVER yield to the temptation to teach them otherwise.


6. Okada riders have a pact with suicide, avoid them like a plaque


7. Avoid BRT buses in all ramifications, they have NO brakes


8. Taxi cabs (oko asewo) should always have the right of way, all of them have been driving in Lagos for 25yrs.


9. Never, ever, stop for a pedestrian unless he flings himself under the wheels of your car.


10. The first parking space you see will be the last parking space you see. Grab it. Survival of the fittest you may say!


11. Learn to swerve abruptly. In Lagos, potholes (and sometimes car-holes) are put in key locations to test drivers’ reflexes and shock absorbers,( I saw one man fishing in one of the potholes last week).

12. There is no such thing as “one-way”in Lagos. Expect traffic from any direction at all times. The okada riders are the experts in this area.


13. Never get in the way of a car that needs extensive bodywork, except you want to spend ur whole saturday @ the panel beater’s place.


14. Morning rush-hours are equivalent to Lagos grand prix (who gets to the junction first)

15. There is no such thing as a short-cut during rush-hour traffic in Lagos. Everybody might be inclined to take that ’short-cut’.


16. When asking for directions, always ask at least 3 people. Lagosians ALWAYS claim to know every inch of the city – even areas they’ve never been to.


17. Use extreme caution when pulling into service lanes. Service lanes are not for breaking down the traffic, but for speeding, especially during rush hour.


18. Never use directional signals, since they only confound and distract other Lagos drivers, who are not used to them.

19. Similarly, never attempt to give hand signals. Lagos drivers, unused to such courtesies, will think you are making obscene gestures to them. This could be very bad for you in Lagos.


20. Hazard lights (popularly called “double pointer”) is not, (as commonly supposed) used to indicate a hazard. It is a warning to you that he is a bona fide Lagos driver, he’s headed ’straight’ and as such, will not stop under any circumstance. Take him extremely seriously especially if he backs it up with a continuous blast from his “horn”.


21. At any given time, do not stand on the zebra crossing expecting traffic to yield to you, or else you will have to explain to the on coming traffic whether you look like a zebra.


22. Speed limits are arbitrary figures posted only to make you feel guilty.

23. Remember that the goal of every driver is to get there first by whatever means necessary.


24. In Las Gidi every spot is a potential bus stop. FRSC and LASTMA know that too. It is in their constitution.


25. Above all, keep moving. Even with a flat tire!!!


26. HORNING IN LAGOS

- ‘Horn’ when someone executes a dangerous manoeuvre.

- ‘Horn’ when you’re about to move off.

- ‘Horn’ when you’re about to overtake.

- ‘Horn’ when someone is about to overtake you.

- ‘Horn’ when turning into a road.

- ‘Horn’ when emerging from a road.

- ‘Horn’ back when someone horns at you. It’s considered good etiquette.

- ‘Horn’ when you hear a chorus of horns. Don’t worry if you don’t know what all the ‘horning’ is about.

- ‘Horn’ when you’re happy.

- ‘Horn’ to the beat when you’re playing music in your car.


27. Don't take everything on this list too seriously!






Images Sources
Toonpool.com
Jamaicanpolice.com
Davegranlund.com
nigeriaplus.com
cartoonaday.com



Out with the former...In with the Next

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Friday, April 01, 2011

Say bye bye to Red, my faithful Nissan Primera.
She has served me well. I'll never forget those times we shared; the travelling trips we made, the small safaris we embarked, my little girl playing ruff on her seats and soiling them with food.
I'll never forget the days she broke down and I got her fixed and running at some times. She was rugged. I hope the new owner enjoys her.
Wifey nearly shed a tear when she was driven away...amazing how emotions get attached to a car.

 

 
Say hello to Ruffler, my freshly acquired Mercury Villager.
I look forward to new adventures with her. Driving her is a whole new experience for me; controlling a bigger vehicle shows a lot of difference. I'm getting along fine with her and discovering more everyday. It's a miracle how I got her - that's a testimony I've never stopped sharing.
 

I still refuse to keep with joneses. I just get the ride suitable for me for the moment. Right now, its for my family that's getting bigger - me, wifey, little Timi and the little fella we're expecting.

The Funny names Nigerians give cars

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Cars are amazing technological feats that litter our roads round the world today. Every passing year witnesses the debut of a new model or some incredible modification on an existing model. But I’m not here to examine car models or talk about which is the newest innovation.


I’m here to talk about the funny names Nigerians give these cars!
It’s amazing how some cars that have become popular end up getting nicknames which are usually as a result of situations surrounding them or their looks.


I took some time to gather as much as I could on the famous car models that were notorious for one thing or the other way back then and presently today.

The Honda series are usually very notorious for getting names.

‘Pure Water’
Honda Accord 1986
This dude became the people’s favorite among regular sedans in Nigeria. Each time someone thought of buying a car, this Honda was not far off from the consideration list. It became so common that Nigerians nicknamed it ‘Pure Water’ because sachet water was the most accessible commodity anywhere

‘Alla’
Honda Accord 1990
This was another favorite that continued where the 86’ model had left off. It was a heavy amongst the Hausas of northern Nigeria who were obsessed with it. This is how it came to be nicknamed ‘Alla’ because its supposedly said that when a Hausa man boasted about his Honda, he would go; ‘Na my Honda, Allah!’

‘Bulldog’

Honda Accord 1995
This ride gained its nickname because of the way its back was shaped and the way it sat on the ground – like a bulldog.

‘Baby boy’

Honda Accord 1998
The circumstances surrounding this car’s nickname is quite funny. The car sort of became popular after it was spotted in John Singleton’s film titled ‘Baby boy’ which starred Tyrese Gibson in the lead role. Tyrese is seen cruising this Honda with cute alloys in many scenes in the movie.

‘End of Discussion’
Honda Accord 2003

It was the tagline of its Ad that made this car popular as well as its Iv-Tec engine. The Ad simply said – ‘The New Honda Accord. End of Discussion.’ People loved this ride and it caught on like wildfire. However, the nickname ‘Iv-Tech’ later took over the former.

'Anaconda/Evil Spirit'
Honda Accord 2009
When this Honda came out last year, people were alarmed because it had one heck of a scary look when you first came across it, and it was BIG compared to its past models. It got its nickname from the look of its healamps which look as menacing as the notorious Anaconda snake of the amazon jungle. The evil look of the headlamps also gained it a second nickname of ‘Evil Spirit’.

'Orobo'
Toyota Camry 1992
This Toyota Camry probably marked the beginning of the ‘fattening up’ of the Camry range. Its longness and rotundness earned it the nickname ‘Orobo’ which is a Yoruba/pidgin lingo for ‘Fatso’.

'Millenium'

Toyota Camry 1998
Suddenly Toyota must have thought it was time to slim down and introduced a slimmer model that became popular in Nigeria till today. The problem is, it didn’t have any distinctive nickname. The only name I ever gathered it was called was ‘Millenium’ because it came out in the year 2000; when we entered the millennium.

'Big for nothing'

Toyota Camry 2004
The name probably came as a disdain registered by Nigerians at Toyota’s sudden decision to ‘fatten’ up the Camry again. This time it was so big and bogus that it was nobody seemed to see any use for its bigness.

'Muscle'
Toyota Camry 2007
This car turned out to be a correction over the ‘Big for nothing’ because now all the bigness was put to good use; the car had curves that accentuated its beauty and gave it a distinct look; curves people referred to as ‘muscles’. Nigerians couldn’t resist calling this beauty the ‘Toyota Muscle’.

'Beast'

Mercedes Benz 600 1995
This car was a huge monster that came out before most asian cars got into the bigness parade. It was never regarded as a regular car and was seen to eat up space. It was so massive and ugly it became rare and Nigerians just called it ‘the beast’.

'V Boot/ V Nyansh'
Mercedes Benz 300 1990
This ride caught Naija by storm. Nigerians fell head over heels in love with it. It was majestic and a beaut in its time. The design at that time was unique and its nickname, ‘V boot’, was derived from the unique shape of its boot which was later made sexy with the pidgin term ‘V Nyansh’.

COJA

BMW 325i 2001
Not all Beamers got nicknamed in their time, and not all their nicknames stayed as long as other cars. But for this model of BMW, the story is different. It was nicknamed ‘COJA’ after it was purchased for ministers and delegates at the COJA games in Abuja in 2003. The car was the official car of the event and became popular as a result back them. Today, the name has however faded.


Images courtesy:

www.wikimedia.org

www.static.cargurus.com
www.automotive.com
www.instylecars.com
www.miami.oxl.com
www.carconnection.com
www.extremesportscar.blogspot.com
www.manual-book.com

Car Wars - Attack of the Clones

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Thursday, July 16, 2009

'Is this original or Taiwan?’

The above statement is a regular parlance in market places in Nigeria. The name Taiwan’ in question actually refers most times to the fact that the product being inquired is an Asian version of an original. In the past Taiwan products were so plenty in contrast to originals in Nigeria, that the name stuck, even when other Asian products that impersonated products began to enter the market.

Today, Asian technology has become notorious for ‘cloning’ original products and no matter how hard they try to hide it, it’s downright obvious. Initially, it was electronics that were being cloned, but they’ve gone way further – they now clone cars! Though this is not a new development, but here in Nigeria, the Asian car makers seem to being enjoying patronage as their vehicles are flooding the Nigerian auto market, and we are beginning to see all manner of attempts to copy originally existing cars.

Recently, I came across an article online about cars that attempt to clone well established brands. A Chinese automobile company, Zhejiang Jonway, some time ago introduced a car called ‘UFO’ which was nothing but a copycat of Toyota’s ‘Rav 4’.

Toyota Rav4 - The Original

Zhejiang Jonway UFO - The Clone

Shuanghuan Automobile, another Chinese auto manufacturer also introduced the ‘CEO’ a vehicle that bore a striking resemblance to BMW’s X5.

BMW X5 - The Original

Shuanghuan CEO - The Clone

You’d think cloning high – range vehicles known for crafted performance was where it stopped but what would you say about the new Geely GE luxury sedan that was unveiled recently at a Shanghai Motor Show? This was a serious copycat of the famous Rolls Royce phantom! 

Rolls Royce Phantom - The Original

Geely GE - The Clone

I  rummaged the internet more and got more shockers. Apparently, original brands have more than one clone culprits. I discovered that the GE wasn't the only one that 'copycat-ed' the rolls royce. The clones are almost countless!

Hongqi HQD (Another Clone) and Rolls-Royce Phantom (The Original)

Chevrolet Spark (The Original) and Chery QQ (The Clone)

Now this was way too much alike. They're almost like the same thing! CMEC City Smart (Clone) and DaimlerChrysler Smart Car (Original)

Are these clones an attempt to create cars that look very much like originals but happen to be cheaper? If I know the Asian market well, they’ve been known for that in all their inventions. Anything that is cloned has always been a cheaper version of an original – and cars are not left out. That’s seems to be the benefit of buying a clone; owning something close to the expensive real thing. 

But while that may be a benefit to some, it’s an obstacle to makers of the original models.

The development hasn’t been sitting well with them. The Germans automobile manufacturer of BMW is pursuing legal action against the Chinese manufacturer. Rolls-Royce officials promptly got on the horn to their lawyers after clapping their eyes on the GE. 
Why won’t they? Imagine the price difference of similar looking cars - an estimated £30,000 – around $44k USD – for the Geely GE versus £250,000/$365k for the Phantom! And the likeness is so strong that few are likely to confuse the two vehicles. Also a brand like the GE may negatively affect the perception of the Phantom brand.

For me, I don’t think I’d like to own a cloned car. I prefer to own an original. If I can’t get a brand new original (without a car loan, ‘cause I hate loans!), I’ll go for a fairly used one.

To see more shocking lookalikes, click here.

Sources:

www.automotoportal.com

www.autospies.com

www.carbodydesign.com

Refusing to keep up with the joneses

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Have you ever been in the postion of watching other people cruise cars that are higher in terms of luxury, performance and model than yours and still felt good that you at least have a set of wheels to be proud despite not keeping with the joneses?

Well, thats how I've been feeling. I don't drive a high end BMW or a Super benz. I don't cruise a luxury lexus or a powerful VW toureg. Nope. I don't.

I move about in a humble 1995 Nissan Primera

But it wasn't until I came across this funny Ad that I further got to appreciate the kind of ride I cruise.

Just take a look at this Ad and you'll know what I mean...

LOL...Will somebody who's proud of the wheels he could readily afford (as of now) holla at whatamsayin'?

I just love my primera...