Basic helmet design has come a long way since… wait, no it hasn’t. Sure, Snell ratings change every few years as our understanding of head trauma increases, but the basic skull bucket remains pretty much the same as it has for decades.
Voztec is looking to add a bit of innovation into the industry, and it’s rear access system looks quite interesting. By way of a rear access door, the rider/driver puts their head into the lid and the door clamps shut behind them. In case of an emergency, the helmet can be lifted away from the person’s face without having to move the injured person and risk further injury.
Voztec is working on rear access helmets for motorsports, horseback riding, snow spots, firefighters and the military. It’s even penned a concept design for an NFL version of the rear access helmet.
This helmet is the fifth prototype that Voztec has developed, and it’s now currently undergoing testing by a third party. Also, Voztec is looking for investors to help bring its rear access helmet to market, and we hope someone ponies up the dough because we’d love to get a closer look at this unique concept. Check it out for yourself in the gallery and demonstration video .
There are many Batmobile replicas in the world, but only one of them is powered by a legitimate . Casey Putsch is the proud owner and creator of that particular beast – a Keaton-era Batmobile powered by the same Boeing turboshaft engine found in the likes of a Navy drone helicopter. Now Putsch is putting his creation up for sale, and if you’re the ultimate Batman aficionado, you’ll need this machine in your collection. You’ll also need to be fabulously wealthy, as the vehicle carries a buy-it-now price of $620,000.
Typically, this is where we rattle off the number of lust-worthy exotics you could own for the same stack of cash, but we can’t quite bring ourselves to line this machine up against the rest of the motoring world. Maybe it’s nostalgia or the fact that the Putsch’s machine pegs the awesome meter in a way few other hand-built vehicles do. Besides, what figure would you put on a one-of-a-kind, U.S. Navy-powered crime-fighting apparatus? to check out a video of the Batmobile in action and head over to to take a look at the auction.
Recently, we received word that that would slot above the 911 and below the upcoming 918 within the Porsche lineup, and now, we have confirmation that this new sports car is, in fact, on its way.
The German automaker was tired of seeing Ferrari face little competition in its class. Matthias Mueller, Porsche CEO, is pushing the automaker to produce a sports car that will cost between 250,000 and 400,000 Euros (about $363,000 to $580,000), and has its sights set squarely on taking sales away from Italy’s prancing horse.
For now, that’s about all we have in the way of details. Still, we expect good things – we certainly won’t turn away at the idea of one more Porsche sports car out on the road.
The lineup is in desperate need of a design intervention, and Automotive News reports that help is on the way. product development boss Derrick Kuzak reportedly told dealers that Lincoln will receive seven new or refreshed models by 2014, including a little love for the long-ignored .
The Navigator will reportedly receive the twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine option for the 2012 model year, giving large luxury SUV buyers a more fuel efficient option. The Navigator could also receive some design tweaks, but we’re not expecting anything close to a full redesign.
The Lincoln sedan lineup will also get some attention, with the and receiving substantial updates for the 2013 model year. The MKZ will reportedly be completely remade, with all-new sheetmetal that should look very little like its counterpart. The MKS will also distance itself from its more pedestrian platform-sharing , with a sleeker design and more premium materials.
Lincoln may also diversify their crossover offerings, including a new compact ‘ute based off the platform that should arrive during the 2013 model year. The , which was just re-penned for 2011, is also scheduled to receive an all-new platform based off Ford’s global mid-size architecture for 2014. The could receive a minor refresh for 2013, but then again Ford could wind up ditching the big crossover altogether or relegate sales of the model to livery and fleet customers.
A key component to future Lincoln redesigns will be minimizing any connection between the luxury make and any Ford siblings. Changes could include far more differentiated sheetmetal, different wheelbases and unique powertrains.
Whenever cottage industry supercars come up, Lee Noble’s name at least gets a mention. Noble is the man behind the unbelievable Noble M12 and M400; part supercars, part kit cars that Noble designed, built and marketed from a garage in England.
Now, Noble has teamed up with Polish firm Arrinera to bring its supercar to life. Featuring acres of carbon fiber and a ZR1-sourced mill, the car is should hit 60 in just 3.2 seconds, and can reportedly do the 0-124-0 sprint in 14.3 seconds. That’s fast by anyone’s measure.
No word on what kind of pricing you can expect yet, but the car should be available as a 2013 model. Though Lee Noble only owns five percent of the company, his expertise in getting boutique rockets to market certainly can’t hurt Arrinera’s chances.
We’re almost ready to record Episode #244 of the Autoblog Podcast. Check out the topics below and you can join us live via , as well. Thanks for listening!
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #245
and – no, he’s not really Russian and yes, his accent, though amusing, is fake – tends to go a little bit overboard at times. He loves guns and blowing things up, and the bigger the boom it makes, the better.
So, when it came time to take a little trip into town to pick up some lunch at McDonalds, our man decided that nothing less than an armored troop carrier would suffice. And not just any old military machine would do. FPS Russia’s armored ride has nothing less than a .50 caliber machine gun mounted up top from which to shoot unsuspecting watermelons.
We should warn you that there’s plenty of watermelon violence in the video after the break, as well as some potentially NSFW language. That said, enjoy the carnage .
It’s been 26 years since Christopher Lloyd donned a lab coat and portrayed lunatic genius Doc Brown in the Back to the Future franchise. This year, though, Lloyd jumped back into the lab coat to revisit his role in an Argentinian TV commercial.
The commercial shills for an electronics store, and proudly feature both Doc and his DeLorean DMC-12. Even cooler, the DeLorean used for close-ups in the commercial is one of the actual originals used in the filming of the movie. Look closely, though, and you’ll see that the machine used for the stunts is actually an old and heavily disguised … apparently, nobody was in the least bit interested in damaging such an iconic movie prop.
Although has released photographs showing , we’re still waiting on a clear look at the shift-yourself variety. Chas Hallet from WhatCar.com managed to get up close and personal with the newest , and he was kind enough to snap a picture of the shift pattern.
That is a much clearer image than the one . We’re patiently waiting for our turn to row, row, row, row, row, row, row the gears of the 2012 911, and we’ll report back with our findings if our arms aren’t too tired from all that shifting.
is getting ready to stick For Sale signs on the in the European market. However, it seems only the will be making the trip across the pond, where it will wear Lancia Flavia badging.
Why is the sedan stuck stateside? Fiat executives find it too costly to add a diesel option, and feel the 200 sedan won’t sell well without an oil-burning powerplant under the hood. The convertible, however, is viewed as an attractive offering (in a manner of speaking) despite the gas-only powerplant.
Good news, American business travelers – you can now rent yourself a droptop Sebring 2.0 while jet-setting in Europe, too.
If you’re shopping for a vehicle near Naperville, Illinois, you may have a chance to put your possible purchases through the gauntlet on at a new facility. The town has joined forces with local dealers to create a driving course that would reduce the number of test drives on public streets and give buyers a better sense of the type of vehicle they were purchasing before they signed on the dotted line. The course features a variety of pavement types, a small parking area and even a sprinkler system to allow for foul-weather evaluations.
While the entire facility is housed in an area roughly the size of a mall parking lot, Cars.com reports that the course gives buyers a safe way to more or less fully evaluate a vehicle. Given that most dealers simply offer up pre-planned routes that give only the faintest impression of what a vehicle will be like to live with, we wish more dealers and buyers had access to similar test track. Head over to to check it out in greater detail.
Get ready for some head scratching, movie fans. decided to mark the brand’s 100th anniversary with a custom called the Cruzer. The four-door was worked up as a tribute to the Bluesmobile from The Blues Brothers and was unveiled at a special party at the Ace Café just outside of London. The company even hired a pair of blues artists called the Cruze Brothers to be on hand to entertain the crowd. The whole shindig sounds like plenty of good fun… except we don’t know what the Cruze or Chevrolet has to do with the comedy classic.
The original Bluesmobile was crafted from a retired Monaco police cruiser, complete with all of the upgraded hardware necessary to leap drawbridges and outwit scores of frustrated law enforcement, while the Bluesbrothers 2000 remake featured a Ford LTD. Unless General Motors is planning to farm the Cruze into police service, we fail to see the connection.
Chevrolet, meanwhile, says that the move was simply designed to celebrate an icon of American culture alongside the brand’s birthday. Any excuse for a party… to check out the press blast.
We record Episode #244 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and you can drop Chris, Dan and Zach your questions via our Q&A module below. Check out our discussion topics or chime in to help determine what else the crew chats about this evening, too. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast if you haven’t already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #245
Frankfurt concepts
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James Bond and Aston Martin go together like a tuxedo and a license to kill, but everyone’s favorite international man of mystery has been behind the wheel of more than just British sports cars during his long and sordid career. The good people at CarBuzz have worked up a lengthy infographic detailing the long history of British Intelligence vehicles piloted by none other than 007. Bond has even held the keys to a Ford LTD on at least two occasions in what could only be a practical joke from Q. He’s also helmed such classy rides as a and an .
That was long before Pierce Brosnan sent a BMW Z8 to its grave or Daniel Craig skipped an Aston Martin DBS V12 off its roof. Of course, as the graphic points out, these are just the cars that 007 has driven over the years. The spy has also commanded a couple of tanks, at least one bus, six helicopters and 20 boats or submarines. to check out the full graphic for yourself.
It has been over 70 years since the first rolled off the assembly line. The legendary off-road machine was instrumental to the Allied victory in World War II, and it became such a big hit with servicemen that the CJ was built for civilians after the war.
More than 65 years after that first commercial CJ hit the streets, the Jeep name is still going strong. But how much different is the 1945 CJ than the current ? Motor Trend looked into the transformation of the Jeep, and it translated its findings into an informative video.
Hit the jump to watch the video for yourself. The latest Wrangler may be two feet longer, nearly twice as heavy and feature almost five times more power than the original CJ, but the functionality that makes the Jeep a big hit with off-road enthusiast remains intact.
Car and Driver is reporting that the Mini Paceman has been given the go-ahead for production. The news comes courtesy of company chief Kay Segler, who said that the high-riding three-door is headed to the States.
The Paceman is based off of the tall CUV, which means that buyers will probably be able to snap up the vehicle in all-wheel drive if they feel so inclined. Even so, it will be a while before the Paceman makes it to dealers. Car and Driver says it will likely land in 2013 as a 2014 model.
What can we expect in terms of styling? If are any indication, the wee beastie will stick as close as possible to the Paceman Concept, though the name may change before the production car lands. We think the long roof line and upright nose on the Paceman is plenty becoming, though we have to wonder how many consumers are looking at the Countryman and thinking, “Just like that, but can you make it less functional?”
The is nearly upon us, which means automakers will be trotting out more new or updated models in the coming weeks. Brabus, while not a major automaker, will also be there, and it’s bringing something an all-new creation to further its stable of insanely fast machines. We don’t have any details to spill regarding this latest Brabus bullet, but the tuning house has just released this photo to tease our emotions.
Judging by that headlight and side mirror, we’re going to assume that Brabus has applied its wrenches to the . Brabus has built ludicrious-speed-capable CLS sedans in the past, and it appears the German tuner will add a new version to its fleet.
Stay tuned for more information, as we’ll be certain to find this car when we touch ground in Germany.
Allow us a moment to revisit a … Sonic, boom! Our Guile moment is inspired by , which has released video of the compact undergoing crash testing. The diminutive hatchback is loaded up with a healthy heaping of safety technology that ranges from a plethora of sensors to high-strength steel.
The body of the Sonic utilizes the heavy-duty steel in the frame rails, around the door openings and roof supports. In fact, high-strength steel is used throughout 60 percent of the body structure. Couple that with ten airbags, and the interior of the Sonic is a relatively safe place to be in the event of an accident. All of those airbags are controlled by a system of sensors that also monitor the angle of travel, speed and points of impact.
to see how the Sonic handles an offset frontal impact at 40 miles per hour. Note that the videos look small, but there’s an option to view them in full screen. Enjoy!
General Motors has quietly rolled out a mild refresh for the . Buyers who lay down the cash for the new pickup will enjoy a slightly reworked nose complete with a chrome mesh grille with a chrome surround on LS and LT trims, and two-wheel drive trucks will feature an aerodynamic front bumper without tow hooks. LTZ trim level pickups will boast a body-color surround, and 20-inch wheels are now available, as well. For 2012, every Silverado with the exception of the Hybrid will come standard with trailer sway control and hill-start assist for a little more functionality and safety.
GM is also throwing in a new optional hard-drive based navigation radio with updated graphics. We’ll be interested to see how that new tech stacks up against the somewhat dated system in the 2011 model, though the new optional WiFi system will go a long way with those who use their truck as a mobile office. Unfortunately, it looks like the Silverado will continue on with its long-in-the-tooth interior for at least another year, though GM is offering a White Diamond equipment package on LT and LTZ trim trucks to class up the exterior.
The package includes tri-coat exterior paint, a smattering of chrome all over the exterior as well as Z60 high-performance suspension bits on LTZ trims. Those big 20-inch rollers are also part of the party. for the full press release.
Silverado gets slight redesign, WiFi and White Diamond Edition
Florida is facing a class-action lawsuit from drivers who have been ticketed for attempting to warn other motorists of hidden speed traps. According to WTSP 10 News, Eric Campbell was recently cited for just that, despite the fact that there is no law against using one’s headlights to communicate with other drivers. The officer who ticketed Campbell used Florida State Statute 316.2397, even though the courts ruled that the police were wrongfully applying the law to crack down on vehicle-to-vehicle communication in 2005. Now Campbell wants his $100 ticket refunded and $15,000 in damages.
Since 2005, over 10,429 drivers have been cited for flashing their high beams, and if Campbell wins his case, Florida could be facing over $1 million in ticket refunds. But that’s nothing compared to the $156.4 million the state could have to pay out if each driver is awarded $15,000 each. to take a look at news report on the lawsuit.
