Why We’re Going to Germany
So, a few people have been asking why Ponzi and I are heading to Germany for the next week or so – and the answer, while perfectly sound, may surprise you.
GM (yes, General Motors) is hosting us for the International Automotive Ausstellung (IAA) – the Frankfurt Motor Show 2007. They saw how much fun we were having with live video and YouTube and thought it’d be nice to share the expo and a few semi-exclusive interviews with the rest of the galaxy.
Even though my car has Bluetooth, XM, OnStar, etc. – I’m not a true car geek. That said, I’m quite interested in learning about efforts in “green tech” for international and domestic markets. GM gave me a running list of top initiatives for their company:
- New HydroGen4 fuel cell vehicle, Volt electric car
- More than 700 million euros for new engines and transmissions until 2012
- Opel / Vauxhall: Electric car concept, ecoFLEX initiative, new Agila
- Chevrolet: New Aveo generation, distinctively designed HHR
- Saab: New 9-3 generation with top-of-the-line Turbo X model
- Cadillac: BLS Wagon, new generation of Cadillac CTS luxury sedan
- Corvette: More power for Coupé and Cabrio
- HUMMER: H2 is film star in “Transformers”
So, looks like they’re not killing the electric car after all…? :)
As noted before, I’ll have my camera, laptop, microphone, etc. We hope to stream whatever we can stream live to everyone (thanks to a Vodaphone modem with my MacBook Pro). There will be plenty of stills and videos to share with you as well. I’m quite excited, as you can imagine.
This will be my first time in Europe altogether. I don’t speak a lick of German – beyond hallo, bitte, danke, and sprechen zie English. We’ll have free time from the 13th through the 16th, I believe – so if any informal blogger meetup was to happen, it would likely be within that space (in Frankfurt or not, so long as Ponzi and I could get to the destination with relative ease and minimal frustration).
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16 Comments
Greg Birch
September 7th, 2007
at 6:36pm
Awesome, maybe they’ll let you drive a vette on an autobahn!
Have fun Chris, rock and roll
Greg
Mamacita
September 7th, 2007
at 8:01pm
German? Don’t forget “scheisse.” It’s close to my heart.
Have a great time!
sleepinglion
September 8th, 2007
at 12:00am
shame you arnt coming 2 england chris
Mareks
September 8th, 2007
at 12:24am
”and sprechen zie English.” lol chris zie-sie
but great blog.
Leo
September 8th, 2007
at 12:25am
Cool!!! Good luck to you guys!!! Enjoy your time in Germany…
It’s good to know there are smart businessmen who appreciate your work as much as we do…
Best wishes!
-Leo
P.S. I just recently started following your podcasts… but I was a fan since the TECH… before COMCAST… You know what I mean…
greg
September 8th, 2007
at 4:28pm
cool !
for some reason I now have to go to your site to see whats up with you guys.
I used to get automatic updates by email but it disapeared a week or so ago .
your fan-g
Dennis
September 8th, 2007
at 5:21pm
OMG.
Are you serious, mamacita? “Don’t forget ’scheisse” ???!!???
Chris, do NOT utter that word anywhere. It’s German for sh*t.
But then, you’ve always liked the shock value.
Also, don’t ask anyone “bist du heisse”. That’s a sexual come on. ;-)
raincoaster
September 8th, 2007
at 10:05pm
You definitely have to hit the autobahn. See if they’ll loan you the Opel concept car for it! Izz reel purty.
In unrelated news, apparently I’m your evil twin. You’re an answer in the Technosailor Self-Importance test.
http://technosailor.com/the-technosailor-self-importance-test/
peykan
September 9th, 2007
at 8:14am
Have fun in Germany and Chris if Iran is also in that auto exhibition definately check theire booth. They will surprise U. Take care U guys.
Comic Strip Blog » Blog Archive » Comic Strip 374 : welcome to Europe, Chris Pirillo ! by Comic Strip Blogger
September 9th, 2007
at 11:52am
[...] Related link: Pirillo comes to Germany. [...]
luca
September 10th, 2007
at 1:25am
Don’t worry, Germans and people from northern europe usually speak a very good english. Enjoy.
Luca
Tobias
September 10th, 2007
at 1:36am
Chris,
you definitely have to know these German words:
2 Bier bitte (2 beers please)
Wo ist die Toilette? (Where is the toilet?)
and last:
Ich bin Kanadier, kein Amerikaner! (I am from Canada, not American!!) ;-)
No, we Germans also like Americans, so don’t worry about the last one!
If there will be a blogger meeting in Germany, please post about it on your blog so I might come as well!
Tobias
Ben Winzenz
September 10th, 2007
at 10:24am
You shouldn’t have to worry much about people not speaking English in Frankfurt – it’s too large of a city, and there are too many businesses not to speak English.
DO make sure that you get out to some good restaurants though. German cuisine is the best! Also, I would recommend trying to visit some German bakeries – there is nothing here in the US that can compare with their pastries and breads.
I spent 2 years in Germany in the early 90’s. Hope you enjoy it!
blognation Germany » Blog Archive » Chris Pirillo, An American In Frankfurt: Cars, Autobahn But No Oktoberfest
September 14th, 2007
at 3:29am
[...] Chris Pirillo is in Frankfurt to report about news from the IAA: GM (yes, General Motors) is hosting us for the International Automotive Ausstellung (IAA) – the Frankfurt Motor Show 2007. They saw how much fun we were having with live video and YouTube and thought it’d be nice to share the expo and a few semi-exclusive interviews with the rest of the galaxy. (Why We’re Going to Germany.) [...]
Tom Downard
April 16th, 2008
at 11:48am
I am setting up my laptop that has Ubuntu OS and Blue Tooth. I have a 1987 BMW 325iC and want to get the best mpg that I can. Will your system help with this and is this old of a BMW capable? I am told that all the later BMW’s are set up with computer interface for their engines etc.
This would be a great car to start with. I have more than one car, but this one is a gas hog.
Goes fast though.
Can your car run on water alone
May 31st, 2008
at 9:45pm
[...] Why We’re Going to Germany ~ Chris Pirillo [...]