Jumpin On Board

I wanted to announce who the man is in charge behind the camera lense at any future auto event and/or review we will be covering. 

Meet Leo Bor:

Leo is one of my good friends and he is also pretty good behind the camera.  He is new to the photography scene, but catching on quickly.  Photography is something he would like to persue as an everyday gig, but experience is needed for perfection.  So one of the reasons why he is on here to give him just that.  Leo is also a fellow team mate of mine in Alpha SQUAD.

Leo's DA (due to financial issues his project had to be sold).  We'll miss that exhaust spark on the street.

Leo's personal photography website is already in the works and will be up asap.  He has already done several projects to build up his portfolio and as soon as its done, his personal website will be advertised on here.  Welcome aboard Leo and lets do work man.

Scion iQ Release October 2011

Recently I was invited by Scion to attend the Scion iQ Media Press Week in San Francisco. The location of San Francisco was perfect! Lots of traffic, urban environment, and tight areas to test the iQ. I'll get to the goods later, but for now here's the photos:

Representing Scionlife & Alpha SQUAD

Scion's finest briefing the media prior to the test drive

Test drive location @ Golden Gate Park (Perfect setting)

5 Axis demos (All items shown will be available through Scion Optimize)

Driving scenery was amazing that week! My ride parter for the event was Jeff Maldonado of 742 Marketing and we had a blast. Took the iQ all over SF. San Marin, Golden Gate Bridge, Japantown, Wharf, etc...

Overall, the iQ is amazing. I loved it and spoke w/ other media guests and responses were the same. The iQ brought a smile in my face like the same face I made when I bought my 1st gen Scion xB which was ear to ear. Basics are the car is a 1.3 with under 100 hp that gets you 36 mpg. Its not made for speed. Its for personalization and/or built for the everyday hustle to and from where ever you go. The Scion iQ is uncomparable to the Smart because well you have room for 4 YES 4. You have room and you don't look like a rolling coffin. Added safety features have been added to the iQ as well. The headroom and shoulder to shoulder space is there. For the price starting at under 16k to start, the iQ is really something to think about if you want to stay in the Scion family or add another vehicle in your garage. Look for the iQ to start popping up at your local dealership around October of this year.  Contact your local Toyota/Scion dealership to reserve your iQ.

Thank you Jack Hollis and the Scion staff for the invitation to this unforgettable event.

Getting Started

Hey everyone.  I just wanted to formally introduce myself.  My name's Kirby Quinto from the car club Alpha SQUAD. 

Here's an updated image of myself, my wife, and my daughter:

I have been in the import auto scene since 1997.  I became heavily involved in 1998 and just grew on me and got involved in pretty much everything associated with that.  I have been networking since then.  One thing I've been wanting to do for quite sometime now is writing about stuff that has been on my mind not just in today's scene, but also reflect on the past and how everything has evolved.  I comment on a lot of issues in about 35+ forums boards I'm a part of, but never really had the balls to start writing on my own.  I will also try to expand away from the automotive scene like: restaurant reviews, fashion, photography, and vacation hot spots to travel to.  With the help of a few partners in the Alpha SQUAD Review, I hope you enjoy our blog. 

Kirby