You can forget Old Faithful. There’s not a more reliable natural phenomenon than the internet. These days, videos mature from the pubescent stages of viral amusement to full-fledged autotuned maturity within hours. Take George Lindell’s account of his Michael-Bay-worthy , for example. If you’ve spent even a passing moment in the halls of YouTube, you likely realized that his exaggerated style was ripe for the autotune treatment. Now that itch has been scratched.
to check out the hilarity for yourself, as presented by the Songify people.
It was only a matter of time before someone bent the full brunt of their mechanical might toward creating a full-scale, operational version of the light cycle from Tron: Legacy. That someone just happened to be the crew from Parker Brothers Choppers. Using lithium-ion batteries and a 96-volt electric motor, the guys built a real-life version of the bikes made famous by the first Tron. If that’s not enough to pique your interest, they’re also giving one of the bikes away to one very lucky fan.
If you want to claim a light cycle as your very own, all you have to do is craft a brief, three-minute video describing why you deserve to take the cycle home as your very own, don’t do anything illegal or dangerous while filming it and get chosen out of the hordes of other sci-fi fans itching to get their paws on the machine. It’s that simple. to check out a video of the light cycle whirring around a mall parking lot, and head over to the for more information on the giveaway.
With each passing day, our lives become more intertwined with the . Previously contained only through still photography, the has now been captured by a video camera: The 641-horsepower sport sedan was seen in its native habitat, which is stalking the twists and turns of Germany’s Nürburgring.
We are still waiting to learn more about this oddly enticing product born from the Cologne garage of Toyota Motorsport GmbH. So far, all we’ve got to go on is . That slip of conveniently laid-out paper has us eager to get quite a bit closer to the LS TMG.
The roles of the automaker and the car magazine are well delineated: The former makes the cars, and the latter reports on them. Once in a while, though, we see the two changing hats, as automakers produce their own brand magazines and magazines build their own kit cars and whatnot. But this collaboration, for better or worse, brings the two that much closer. And if any publication was going to break the mold, we suppose it would have to be Intersection.
For those not familiar, Intersection is a different kind of car magazine from what you typically pick up at the news stand – more for fashion-forward hipsters than for grease-monkeys and gearheads. The publication typically features spreads featuring skinny models in skinny jeans next to and vintage – or an – but for their latest project, the French edition of the magazine teamed up with for the special-edition you see here.
The unique hybrid coupe is distinguished by a matte beige paint job with orange steel wheels riding on matching orange tires for the summer, and black wheels with black tires for the winter. Eley Kishimoto outfitted the interior. It was unveiled just the other day at the Galerie Nikki Diana Marquardt in Paris, and while it looks to be a one-off for the time being, Honda France is reportedly considering a limited run for public consumption. for a video (in French) on the paint selection process and check out the images in the gallery for a closer look.
promised its customers that their car was perfect for both the street and the track, and that the dual nature of the sports coupe could be personified with the TracKey. Pop that lovely little device into your ignition and your Boss 302 takes on a different attitude. Hundreds of parameters are changed to work in concert as the car takes on a more track-focused mindset. The TracKey has Boss 302 owners salivating at the prospect of owning sporty daily driver and track star, which occupies a singular spot in their garage.
There’s a bit of a problem, however, and it seem that Mustang owners have California to blame.
Ford is butting heads with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the stalemate has left Boss 302 owners without their TracKeys. The folks at CARB know that the TracKey alters the emissions leaving the tailpipes of the Boss 302, and they have a problem with that. Until these issues are sorted out, Ford won’t be able to deliver any TracKeys to Boss 302 owners.
As you can imagine, that has the car owners a bit peeved. One owner in particular has decided to vent his frustrations in a manner befitting our Internet-adled brains. Turning to the surprisingly popular Hitler video meme, he has applied his thoughts to the video antics of Adolf.
to watch the clip (note: NSFW language). Also, be sure to click through our gallery of the Ford Mustang Boss 302, while you pretend what it would be like if CARB turned a blind eye to the TracKey issues.
General Motors has a reason to preen over the results of the Michigan State Police vehicle evaluations. The Chevrolet Caprice PPV managed to eclipse its competition in top speed and braking tests. The Caprice PPV managed to scoot down from 60 miles per hour in just 125.8 feet, which is a full four feet shorter than the equivalent Ford Interceptor Sedan. Likewise, with a top speed of 154 mph, the protect-and-serve Bowtie boasts a top speed that’s 6 mph faster than the 148-mph Interceptor. While that’s impressive, we’re more terrified by the fact that the Chevrolet Tahoe PPV managed to ratchet up an astonishing 139 mph. That’s what we call a flying brick.
The Chevrolet PPV Sedan gets its power from the company’s 3.6-liter V6 engine and lays it to the pavement by the miracle of good, old-fashioned rear-wheel drive. While claims that the company’s forced-induction V6 garners better fuel economy with equivalent performance, it will be hard for most law enforcement agencies to brush past the PPV’s taller top end and shorter stopping distance. for the press release.
boasts about Caprice PPV performance in Michigan State Police test
What We Like: Audi believes its latest A8 is a truly great automobile, and it’s running with this idea because it seems both Car and Driver and Road & Track agree. Rather than simply spouting off a list of why it may have earned recognition, Audi is tackling its perceived greatness in a humorous manner. The spots are short, funny and to the point. The message is that you’d have to be clueless not to see the greatness put forth by Audi in its A8.
What We Don’t Like: While the greatness is certainly inherent in the brand new A8, it almost seems like Audi is screaming at you to notice it. Still, if that is our one minor quibble, these ads are in pretty good shape.
Strategy: The all-new Audi A8 is a great car, and it recently received Best Large Luxury Sedan accolades from both Car and Driver and Road & Track. The automaker’s ad agency is taking those awards and running with them. True greatness, as is shown in the new A8, is something that should be instantly recognizable, and it seems those who fail to see it are simply clueless.
Grade: A- (the minus is because of the perceived shouting, but the overall humor wins out).
Watch the videos and give it your own grade below.
has reportedly confirmed plans to build an crossover, according to AutoWeek. As its nomenclature suggests, the X4 will slot in between the (pictured) and within the automaker’s lineup, so essentially, the X4 will be to the X3 what the is to the X5.
Aside from the confirmation, details are slim about what we can expect from the X4. If the X5/X6 relationship is anything to go on, we can bet that the X4 will share its powertrain offerings with the X3, meaning that both four- and six-cylinder engines will be available, all with turbochargers. AutoWeek states that a high-output X4 M is likely to be produced, as well.
Automotive News is reporting that and the United Auto Workers have extended contract negotiations for an additional four weeks. The talks are bent toward a new wage and benefit pack that will impact around 23,000 workers. Previously, Chrysler and the UAW were operating under a one-week extension that expired on Wednesday, September 21, and the new extension allows the union to focus its effort on talks with .
Automotive News reports that those negotiations may be a bit more complicated than those with General Motors and Chrysler for several reasons.
To begin with, the UAW expects Ford to give back many of the concessions that union workers made in 2007 and 2009 as Ford tightened its belts during the economic slump. Those concessions included a wage freeze and a stop on any cost of living increases. Ford, meanwhile, wants to increase profit sharing and bolster its bonus structure in place of increasing its fixed labor costs.
The is on its way to a dealership near you, and you can pick one up starting in November. Should you prefer to go with something wearing a , you don’t have to wait, but you’ll just have to be happy with , as Subaru is reportedly holding off on bringing revised examples of the hi-po Impreza sedans and wagons to market.
According to Car and Driver, plans to continue building the same well-liked Impreza WRX and STI until the new cars are ready, likely in a couple of years. The idea is to allow the revised Impreza to gain some traction before launching the furiously fast versions. Hopefully, the lag time between models will give Subaru boffins time to produce models worthy of wearing those special badges.
recently commandeered California’s Willow Springs raceway to hold a unique racing event that combined driving with cycling. Teaming up with Bike Magazine, Porsche created a duathlon that pitted a few top pedal-powered two wheelers against Flying Lizard wheelman Patrick Long.
All competitors started out on bikes, and then proceeded to pedal through a lap of the track. After that, it was time to hop into a variety of Porsche vehicles and set gasoline-backed lap times. Since Long is a ringer behind the wheel, he was saddled with a loaded down with the rest of the competitors.
The amusing event was captured on film, and we’ll be good car guys here and tell you that the best motoring action happens towards the end of the clip. Click to check it out.
is selling its company-owned , according to Automotive News. Motor Village of Los Angeles is reportedly set to be sold to New Century Automotive Group in an effort for Chrysler to avoid . The CDMV recently filed administrative charges against the automaker for improperly operating a factory-owned store. New Century Automotive Group, based in North Hollywood, currently owns a total of six franchise, including three stores as well as , and outlets. The deal is slated to close sometime next month.
While Chrysler opened its Motor Village location as a way to evaluate new retail techniques, other local dealers cried foul, saying that the move violated franchise laws. In California, no factory-owned store can occupy a space within 10 square miles of a privately owned dealership.
Proving it’s more than just a haven for flat-billed tattoo enthusiasts and Disney-branded tourists, Orange County is hosting the global debut of the concept. The slick-looking crossover gets a serious style upgrade, and judging by recent concepts, it’s all but certain to be a very thinly disguised version of the production CR-V.
Before it goes on sale later this year, the fourth-generation CR-V that you can buy in stores will be shown to crowds at the . Behind the updated lines, the automaker promises that we’ll be getting improved fuel economy and new innovative features, but it isn’t talking specifics.
Stay tuned as more news of the updated 2012 Honda CR-V rolls out. For now, if you can’t run over to the Orange County Auto Show, check out our high-res gallery of the concept, then to watch a new video discussing the concept.
The has long been a big volume model for . But while it has grown in size and standards of accommodation over the years, Canadian buyers are the only ones in the world who can get their hands on an version.
Called the CSX, it’s essentially a rebadged Civic with some extra luxury touches. It was preceded by the EL, also based on the Civic, which in turn took the place in Acura Canada’s lineup left vacant by the departure of the Integra sedan in 1996. Rumors, however, have been circulating for the past year that Acura was developing a new Civic-based model earmarked towards a broader market – including the United States.
We’ve , but it’s been a while, and this is the first time we’ve heard talk of it reviving the RSX badge. The RSX, as you may recall, succeeded the Integra, albeit in coupe form only, and it was a favorite among front-wheel drive performance guys and gals. Whether a new RSX sedan might prove a worthy successor – or for that matter, whether a two- or three-door version might be offered as well – remain to be seen, but word on the street is that we can expect it to arrive in 2013 as a 2014 model.
owners and car enthusiasts may recall a model called the Diamante. It was the Japanese automaker’s flagship luxury sedan until it was discontinued in 2004. But now the time appears ripe to bring it back – in the Japanese domestic market, at least.
Rather than develop its own model, however, reports confirm indicating that Mitsubishi will rebadge a version of the Fuga produced by – a model better known to North American buyers as the . Nissan offers the Fuga/M with V6, V8, hybrid and diesel powertrains. It remains to be seen, however, which engines will find their way under the hood of the Mitsubishi version.
The arrangement is only the latest development in an ongoing partnership between Mitsubishi and Nissan that also includes a rebadged version of the , along with other models. However these exercises in badge engineering aren’t expected, for the time being at least, to make it to the North American market.
We have to admit that we tend to lean toward the when it comes time to pick our favorite pony car, but the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 may change all that. The track-bred beast packs supercharged power, one very advanced magnetic suspension setup and a whole heap of attitude. Now, General Motors is out to build some anticipation for the newest member of the clan with a set of behind the scenes ads designed to get us all licking our chops before the vehicle arrives in showrooms.
The first two clips have already hit the interwebs, and they focus on the fact that the ZL1 will pack a customizable launch control mode that’s accessible merely by mashing the traction control button twice. That kind of kit is good for setting fire to the quarter mile and generally embarrassing one and all from stoplight to stoplight. The second ad focuses a little more heavily on the advanced suspension at work in the ZL1, and includes a few shots of the mighty Bowtie carving up a track. Hit the jump to enjoy.
Lose Two Cylinders, Gain Two Turbos, Take No Prisoners
The first , the humble E28 of 1984, had little idea of the performance bloodline it would sire. Its equally humble sales figures proved it: just 2,241 were built. Previous to the 2004 arrival of the E60 M5, the ‘84 original and the much better-selling E34 that succeeded it in 1988 both carried excellent inline sixes that offered between 256 SAE horsepower in the first-generation’s North American trim and 340 European DIN horses by the end of its run in 1995. Good for their time. The E39 M5, however, was the first model in the franchise that really set loose, running an almost 5.0-liter V8 from 1998 until 2003 that offered up 400 hp in European trim. This generation did very well, finding its way into more than 20,000 driveways.
Beginning in July of 2004, BMW Motorsport went nuts, tying the entire M5 project to its famously costly Formula 1 involvement. Many racing fans would note that BMW’s F1 program was not only costly, it achieved dismal results. At least their misadventure gifted us the E60 and its “holy crap!” all-aluminum 5.0-liter V10 engine. Compared to the three preceding M5s dressed in civilian clothing, the flared Chris Bangle-era M5 and its free-revving 500-horsepower S85 engine was a sequined Miss Universe contestant belting out power ballads. Again, over 20,000 were sold, almost all sedans, and, man, have we ever done a lot of impressively useless burn outs and hammering Launch Control starts ever since. By far, the United States has been the Number One market for E60s, with over 8,000 sold here before the building stopped in March of last year.
Then BMW left the F1 circus, F1 abandoned V10s, and Munich focused hard on a greener Efficient Dynamics gospel. The tear-jerking S85 was retired without fanfare.
['Scuse the long preamble, but with a new M5, it's crucial to remember from whence we've come.]
The Group had a whole lot and then more to show off at the this year. There were about a dozen vehicles rolled out at the pre-show VW Group evening, and then more once the show opened the following morning. For the Volkswagen brand itself, the was the main focus, sharing the stage with the , the showcar and the . But there was, according to the UK’s CAR magazine, to be one more major debut.
That additional concept car would have been a preview of the next-generation Phaeton, but apparently VW’s corporate strategists opted to hold it back so as not to detract from the Up! runabout. Instead, it will likely show off the concept second-generation luxury sedan at another show in the near future, but the production model isn’t expected to come until 2015.
When it does, we’ll find out what strategy the Phaeton will have switched to. Insiders suggest it will be downsized to slot in between the and (rather than compete directly with the latter) and could include one or several less traditional (and more practical) bodystyles in addition to a traditional four-door sedan.
We’re also likely to be looking at smaller engines than the eight, ten and twelve-cylinder mills currently on offer, all in an effort to sell the new Phaeton to more customers than the current model, one in two of which reportedly stay in Volkswagen’s hands as VIP shuttles.
is reportedly facing a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey for alleged defects in the company’s M156 V8. According to the plaintiffs, premature internal wear occurs because the engine uses cast nodular iron camshafts and 9310-grade steel valves. Something about that combination causes early failure, either due to improper offset of the components or inadequate heat treating. The plaintiffs also allege that Mercedes-Benz and AMG have known about the issue since 2007, when Daimler released a service bulletin on the problem. At this point, it’s unclear how many engines this alleged defect covers, or exactly when or if the lawsuit will go to trial.
The M156 V8 – one of the snarliest and best-sounding engines we’ve ever driven – has served as the powerhouse for a wide range of AMG vehicles. The 6.3-liter lump actually displaces 6.2 liters, but churns out 525 horsepower in its newest iteration. The engine has found its way into vehicles like the , E63 AMG, ML63 AMG and SL63 AMG, among others. Head over to for a look at the full lawsuit.
Can’t an automaker hide three crossovers in the wilderness in an effort to give them away without any problems? Apparently not, as Chrysler’s contest to give away three models randomly placed around the U.S. has been met with controversy. The winner of the , found in Oklahoma, is one Brad Neidy, who happens to be a Troop Leader for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The controversy sprung up after followers of the contest pointed out that, as a highway patrolman, Neidy may have had an unfair advantage in finding the crossover prize. Automotive reports that the reason given was that the OHP may have coordinated road closures for filming purposes.
Neither or the OHP are going into details at this point, but Neidy has reportedly decided that receiving the new Journey isn’t worth the hassle. The officer has evidently informed Chrysler that he will not accept the free vehicle in spite of the fact that he found it.
Chrysler did release a statement about the matter, stating that the second Journey winner declined the prize, adding “Dodge is reviewing program rules and will provide updates soon.”
