Carbon Fiber B Pillars by oCarbon for my Audi A4

My friends over at oCarbon have done it again – my B Pillars are now wrapped in the same 5HS carbon fiber that my interior & front filler plate are done in, and they came out awesome. I’m really stoked with how these came out – while I didn’t think it’d be a very noticeable part at first, it turns out the very opposite is true – I see these every time I open the door, which means I’m greeted with carbon fiber awesomeness before I even get inside. The funny part is I just had a guy at a gas station ask me where I got these done as he liked it so much! Of all the mods done to my car, these stuck out at him the most!

I took this picture to show how nicely it ties together with the interior trim:

Another really cool part about these is that they’re relatively subtle from far away. From a distance, they look pretty similar to the OEM gloss black finish – they blend right in for a very clean look. It’s only when you’re up close do you really see how slick these are, which is what I love about them.

Thanks again to oCarbon for the great work – I love that they let me choose the fabric & weave pattern of choice. Right now, I’m the only Audi running 5HS fabric (each strand of fabric goes over 5 other strands, then under one, versus the 1×1 or 2×2 twill pattern that is more common). They have also done some really cool projects in colored kevlar/carbon fiber (silver, blue, yellow, etc) as well as unique parts and styles, and they really tailor each piece to look exactly how you want, which is awesome.

How to Dry Your Car through the Sheeting Method

As I continue on my recent kick for learning & appreciating car detailing, I’ve found a new method for drying my car that not only takes a lot less time, but is much friendlier on the paint and minimizes the amount of drying you need to do with an actual towel. It’s called “the sheeting method” and basically you dry your car using water, which sounds very counter-intuitive, but it works!

The process is pretty very simple – it does require that you have a good coat of wax or polish down on your car, so that the water beads off. I had my car professionally waxed & polished then sealed with paint protection called Opti-Coat, which has kept my paint looking great so far, even with monsoon season here in Arizona.

Once you’ve got a good coat of polish down, you can let the polish & the water do all of the work.

Take the nozzle off of your hose so that its just free flowing water, and then you essentially flood the car with water, one panel at a time. Start with your roof then work slowly over the entire car to flood each panel and watch the water beads disappear, leaving a nice, spot-free finish. When you’re finished, use your micro fiber towel of choice (like this one) to dry off any remaining water, and voila! You now have a spot free car with minimal towel drying needed.

A huge bonus for this is that since you let the water do the work, you miminize the use of your towel and also minimize the chance you’ll scratch or mar your paint, keeping your car’s paint beautiful for years to come.

Check out this video to show how it works – it’s really quite simple, and as you can see, really quite effective, too.

Audi releases sketches of urban concept car

German car manufacturer, Audi, has released the official sketches of their brand new electric concept car that will make its debut appearance at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show.

The new electric concept car is called the Urban Concept, which is a two-seater unit intended for city driving. Inside Audi’s headquarters in Ingolstadt, they’re calling this car the “future mobility project.”

The new Urban Concept car is being geared towards a new range of models that are intended for city driving. This new range will go into head-to-head competition with the BMW’s i models and Mercedes-Benz’s Smart models. According to official word from Germany, the Urban Concept Car is really not intended for production.

In the center of the new range models is the Audi A2. Insider reports suggest that the redesigned A2 will be released with a plug-in electric drivelines as well as a range-extender features.

Insiders suggest that the Urban Concept car took inspiration from other German cars like the famed three-seater Messerschmitt Kabinenroller, which is commonly known as the Bubble Car.

Other German models like the Isetta 250 and Goggomobil T250 are also seen influential in the Urban Concept car by Audi that combines traditional design details from old favorites. There’s the angular headlights, loud shoulder, aeronautical-based designed cues, and big single-frame grille look. You won’t find doors in the Urban Concept, rather there’s the roof section features a canopy where entry is made through a narrow cabin.

According to the Audi press release, the Urban Concept car is a plug-in electric car that is powered by two electric motors.

Audi A4 Brake Light Replacement

The brake lights on my B7 (2005.5-2008) Audi A4 went out several weeks ago – I delayed and delayed replacing them, figuring it was a difficult process. I’m happy to say it is simple as pie, takes only about 5 minutes, and all you need is a flat head screwdriver! This is a super easy replacement that nearly anyone can handle

• Skill level: Beginner
• Tools needed: flat headed screw driver (a smaller one)
• Also applies to: 2005.5-2008 B7 Audi S4, 2005.5-2008 B7 Audi RS4
• Time needed: 5 minutes
• Parts needed: two 7506 bulbs. I used these Sylvania Silverstar bulbs which are 20% brighter, but any 21 watt 7506 ST bulbs will work.

Audi R4 Spy Shots

We received a tip that an Audi R4 has been spotted. Is it an e-tron convertible or a coupe? Well, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. Check out more photos at