vLane Blog

Upcoming: #carchat 6

From Banovsky, Featured Contributor
Posted on April 15, 2009

Filed under Event, journalism, Future, News, Feature, Discussion, Social Media, carchat, twitter, finance

Tonight we talk about the future of automotive journalism with MPGomatic.com, MotherProof.com, Jalopnik.com, MotorMouths.com, DrivingGuy.com, and a few others. We'll also talk to a financial expert about actually affording that shiny new car you've had your eyes on. #carchat How-To, or click through for a #carchat widget. As always, anyone can join us at 8PM EST tonight, on Twitter.

This week:

• Ask the experts: Daniel Grey, editor-in-chief at MPGomatic.com, Kristin Varela, "Chief Mom" and founder of MotherProof.com, Ray Wert, editor-in-chief of Jalopnik.com, John Tayman, founder and CEO of MotorMouths.com, Tino Rossini, consultant / blogger at StradaAutoStore.com, and Mark Atkinson, auto journalist at DrivingGuy.com.
• Ask (another) expert: Dan Egan, account manager and banking, investment, credit and cash flow specialist with a major Canadian bank is here to chat about how to afford a car and everything that comes with it.

So click through and read the always-interesting questions we ask our guests.

Featured guests:

Ask the experts: Daniel Gray

• Full name: Daniel Gray
• Job description: Editor-in-Chief, MPGomatic.com
• Number of years in current job: 10+ years of gainful unemployment
• Location: swamps of jersey
• Social media sites you belong to: Twitter, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, Digg
• Twitter handle (if applicable): @MPGomatic
• Number of years driving: 30+ (scary thought, that)
• Best thing about driving: the cinematic experience of getting there
• Favourite car: can't name just one
• Item of tech you can't live without: the Internet
• Thing you can't live without: I'd say sleep, but my family would kill me (in my sleep)
• Best way to spend a weekend: barefoot
• Link(s) we should care about: mpgomatic.com

Ask the experts: Kristin Varela

• Full name: Kristin Varela
• Job description: Chief Mom (founder/senior editor) MotherProof.com
• Number of years in current job: 5
• Location: Denver, Colorado
• Social media sites you belong to: Facebook, MomLogic, CafeMom
• Twitter handle (if applicable): @MotherProof
• Number of years driving: 17
• Best thing about driving: New car smell
• Favourite car: Buick Enclave (carpooling), Volvo C30 (commuter car), Audi R8 (date night)
• Item of tech you can't live without: iPhone
• Thing you can't live without: Chocolate, bubble baths, my daughters
• Best way to spend a weekend: Without a plan (my work week is so hectic; work, travel, writing, cars, and juggling that with being a single mom so when a free weekend comes along I like to go where the wind blows).
• Link(s) we should care about: MotherProof.com of course!

Ask the experts: Ray Wert

• Full name: Ray Wert
• Job description: Editor-in-Chief, Jalopnik.com
• Number of years in current job: 3
• Location: New York, NY and Detroit, MI
• Twitter handle (if applicable): @raywert
• Number of years driving: 15
• Best thing about driving: speed and freedom
• Favourite car: 1978 Chevy Corvette
• Item of tech you can't live without: my MacBook Pro
• Thing you can't live without: good tires
• Best way to spend a weekend: sleep, drive, repeat
• Link(s) we should care about: Jalopnik.com and raywert.tumblr.com



Ask the experts: John Tayman

• Full name: John Tayman
• Job description: Founder/CEO
• Number of years in current job: Forever
• Location: San Francisco
• Social media sites you belong to: LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Ning
• Twitter handle (if applicable): @motormouths
• Number of years driving: 20
• Best thing about driving: Arriving
• Favourite car: Aston Martin DB9
• Item of tech you can't live without: Pencil
• Thing you can't live without: Books
• Best way to spend a weekend: Outside
• Link(s) we should care about: MotorMouths.com



Ask the experts: Tino Rossini

• Full name: The Colonel (Tino Rossini)
• Job description: Consultant / Blogger
• Number of years in current job: 2.5
• Location: GTA
• Social media sites you belong to: Twitter, Facebook, Linked In
• Twitter handle (if applicable): @stradablog
• Number of years driving: too long
• Best thing about driving: relax when possible
• Favourite car: Ferrari
• Item of tech you can't live without: computer
• Thing you can't live without: Family, friends, good food, good wine
• Best way to spend a weekend: wonderful lunch, riding motorcycle, blogging
• Link(s) we should care about: The Weather Network, Strada Auto Store



Ask the experts: Mark Atkinson

• Full name: Mark Atkinson
• Job description: Automobile Journalist
• Number of years in current job: 9
• Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Social media sites you belong to: As few as possible (Twitter, Facebook)
• Twitter handle (if applicable): @mark_atkinson
• Number of years driving: 16
• Best thing about driving: The g-forces, and the feeling of freedom.
• Favourite car: Audi R8 / Porsche 911 Carrera S
• Item of tech you can't live without: Automotive technology? Nothing. Well, maybe a starter motor. No hand-cranks for me, thanks.
• Thing you can't live without: Good magazines. Despite the advance of the Internet for information delivery, I respect the process too much to give them up.
• Best way to spend a weekend: Stuck in a snowbank, freezing my feet off, away from the rest of the world but with plenty of friends, spectating at a rally. Preferably Tall Pines in Bancroft, ON.
• Link(s) we should care about: www.drivingguy.com, Metronews.ca, www.autoguide.com, www.carenvy.ca

Ask (another) expert: Dan Egan

• Full name: Daniel Robert Egan
• Job description: Account Manager: Everyday banking, investment, credit and cash flow specialist.
• Number of years in current job: 1
• Location: London, Ontario
• Social media sites you belong to: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr
• Twitter handle (if applicable): danegan
• Number of years driving: 10
• Best thing about driving: Torque and the whizz of a turbo.
• Favourite car: 1988 Monte Carlo SS
• Item of tech you can't live without: MacBook
• Thing you can't live without: I couldn't live without music.
• Best way to spend a weekend: Hanging with my dog, catching a UFC fight or getting together with friends
• Link(s) we should care about: tipd.com, reddit.com, tv.winelibrary.com

How to follow a discussion on Twitter

Three easy steps:

• Sign up for Twitter
• Load up #carchat in a new tab in your web browser.
• On your Twitter homepage, use the box (and 140 characters) to say something pertinent to the discussion. Reply directly to someone by putting an "@" in front of their Twitter name. Be sure to add "#carchat" to whatever you say during the discussion, so that others following along can read what you've written — or questions you may have asked.

Or, just have this window open and watch this widget…be warned, though, it won't update in realtime.

Banovsky is a featured contributor for vLane.