Whiskey Cafe is a large but nondescript bar tucked in an office park in Lyndhurst, NJ. It’s not the kind of place I’d normally visit… they don’t even put that little accent over the “e” for pete’s sake! But what they do very right is use of their huge parking lot to host a car show for customers with classic and rare vehicles every Saturday from spring to late fall.

I own a PT Cruiser, but not this one.

Here’s some pics from yesterday’s event. I skipped over all the late-model Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers in favor of more vintage rides (horrifically customized PT Cruiser exempted).

Whiskey Cafe’s cruise-in is the biggest in my area, but you can find these shows just about everywhere in the lower 48. They’re fun whether you want to show off your own car or just gawk.

This late-70s Chevy van rocks a V8, a bed, and a working sink and refrigerator within a tiny space.

A 1954 Hudson Super Wasp and its proud owner.

Matt Serino in his 1958 Chevy Impala convertible.

The Sport version of Fiat's 850 Spider was sold here from 1968 to 1973, but never in large numbers.

Chevy sold both 2- and 4-door Yeoman wagons, but only in 1958.

Interior detail on a 1927 Nash - notice the levers on the steering wheel hub.

A rat-rodded 38 Chevy.

The new Brammo Empulse

Brammo, an Oregon company which introduced a small commuting electric motorcycle last year, has stepped up its game with a battery powered sportbike that promises up to a 100-plus mile range and a triple-digit top speed. The Empulse also looks awesome – you can see a little of Ducati’s trellis frame at the Brammo’s front end.

There are other electric bikes with sporting pretensions, Roehr sells some pricey models from a handful of dealers in California and Wisconsin and I’ve written about Rhode Island scooter manufacturer Vectrix before. But the Empulse seems more fully realized and its dealer network is vast (the company sells through Best Buy).

As a single-speed design, the Empulse resembles a scooter in that it doesn’t require shifting. However, its riding position – you straddle the bike with legs splayed, rather than perch on it with your legs in front of you – is decidedly motorcycle-like.

The Empulse is not yet on the market, but I’m interested to see how it performs. With a modest 50 horsepower and 59 pound feet of torque, it’s not likely to set the world on fire… but then that’s sort of the point with zero-emissions vehicles. Pricing will run from $10,000 to $14,000, though federal and state tax incentives are likely to lessen the hit.

Andy Seuberth has a cool job. He gets paid to take pictures of cars. The 30-year-old entrepreneur is the co-founder of Auto Imaging Solutions, an Internet marketing company he runs out of his home in New Jersey. Used car dealers hire Andy to come to their lots once or twice a week and take photos of new inventory. He’ll then host the images online, until the dealer makes a sale.

Once on a lot, Andy will pull each new vehicle out, position it facing the sun for dramatic effect, then take 20 to 25 shots of the interior and exterior. “The biggest mistake people make when they post photos of their cars is that they’re not thorough enough,” he said. “They either won’t take enough pics, the pics will all be on one side of the car, or there won’t be any shots of the interior. Dealers are as guilty of this as anyone.”

He recommends photographing all four sides of a car’s exterior, its engine and trunk, shooting the interior through open doors and then going inside the car to shoot the center console. Andy will also take a shot of any special features, such as a sun roof or special rims. He’ll shoot the odometer so buyers know mileage, the VIN number so they can research the vehicle’s history, and will also get a shot of the front driver’s wheel while they’re turned, to show thread condition.

Andy demonstrates how to shoot a car's front seats.

The condition of used vehicles can vary widely, so Andy’s goal is to use images to provide full disclosure. “Everyone has seen cars where the driver’s seat is shot to hell, but the back looks brand new, or a car that’s pristine on one side, and messed up on the other,” he explained. “Shoppers feel more confident when they see the whole car.”

Andy doesn’t use any special equipment, just a point-and-shoot digital camera. “You’re trying to sell a car, not get in a museum,” he joked. “Just make sure the vehicle is clean inside and out. Position it in good light (he recommends taking shots in mid-day, so long as it isn’t too bright) and make sure there’s nothing distracting in the background.”

I caught a few minutes of the Red Bull Air Race this afternoon. The 12-plane exhibition took place in the Hudson River off Liberty State Park in Jersey City – about a 10 minute bike ride on my trusty Giant, so I had no excuse not to go, despite ambient temperatures rivaling what you’d find on the surface of the sun.

The planes are extremely small – maybe 25 feet across the wings – and fly at a relatively genteel 210-230 mph while maneuvering like mad though a series of tightly placed inflatable cones. The entire “track” measures 5.5 km (less than 3.5 miles), which would be decent for auto racing, but seemed a bit scrunched for planes. I imagine promoters needed to keep things close in to allow spectators, who paid concert-ticket prices, to be able to see what was going on.

Knowing the general park terrain, and having a decent telephoto lens, I was able to get some shots from outside the venue, and save my money for beer. The Statue of Liberty was obscured by bleachers, but the lower Manhattan skyline made an awesome backdrop for these screaming machines.

Someone named Paul Bonhomme from Great Britain won, by the way. A fellow countryman awesomely named Nigel Lamb came in second, and American Kirby Chambliss was third. This was the only American race in the series, it now goes to Europe.

Dodge’s new ad  features a grimly determined General Washington routing a group of British soldiers with his Challenger. While it’s a timely bit of chest-thumping for both Flag Day and the pending World Cup match between the U.S. and England, this is not a very historically accurate ad.

Seriously.

The Challenger is pretty retro, but I’m certain muscle cars were a LOT more primitive in the 17th century. I’ll bet you couldn’t even get power windows or air conditioning, which comes standard on the Dodge. Besides, concentrated Brown Bess fire should be able to split the block of even the mightiest Hemi.

Here’s the commercial. You should save it, because who knows when you’ll find another misleading ad?