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Being stuck in traffic anywhere sucks. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, feelings of urgency and anger sneak in quickly. Now, imagine being stuck in traffic multiple hours a day, five days a week. For some people, it’s a way of life. To figure out who has the worst commute in the nation, the Daily Beast studied and quantified the Top 20 Worst Commutes in America.

Factors that went into the list included length of the traffic corridor, longest rush hour travel time along that stretch of road and the time it takes to drive a mile along that stretch during the highest-volume rush hour. They also calculated how much worse a stretch of road is during its worst rush-hour period versus normal driving. California’s Delta Highway/CA-4 took that honor handily, taking 318 percent longer to travel during rush times.

The data was gathered from GPS and smartphone tracking of four million vehicles by a company called INRIX, which the Daily Beast compiled into the top 20 list. Now, without further ado, the top 20 worst commutes in the nation:

1. Riverside Freeway/Calif. Highway 91 eastbound, Los Angeles
2. Lunalilo Freeway/I-1 eastbound, Honolulu
3. California Delta Highway/Calif. Highway 4 westbound, San Francisco
4. I-95 southbound, Washington, D.C.
5. Bruckner/Cross Bronx Expressways (I-95 southbound), New York
6. I-35 southbound, Austin-Round Rock
7. Connecticut Turnpike (I-95 northbound), Bridgeport8. I-405 southbound, Seattle
9. Bayshore Freeway (U.S. 101 southbound), San Jose, Calif.
10. Kennedy/Dan Ryan Expressways (I-90/I-94 eastbound), Chicago
11. I-5 northbound, Portland, Ore.
12. Calif. Highway 78 eastbound, San Diego
13. I-494 eastbound, Minneapolis
14. Southwest/Eastex Freeways (U.S. 59 northbound), Houston
15. Southeast Expressway (I-93 northbound), Boston
16. Hampton Roads Beltway (I-64 westbound), Virginia Beach, Va.
17. Baltimore Beltway Inner Loop (I-695 eastbound), Baltimore
18. Schuylkill Expressway (I-76 westbound), Philadelphia
19. North Freeway (I-35W northbound), Dallas
20. Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101 northbound), Oxnard, Calif

[Source: The Daily Beast via Kicking Tires Image: gohsuket - CC 2.0]

GPS data gives us the Top 20 Worst Commutes

Infiniti has big plans to expand beyond North America, and Drive reports that the Japanese luxury automaker intends to include Australia in its expansion. The site says that officials at Nissan have officially announced that Infiniti would head Down Under by September 2012, adding that the brand would start off with three stand-alone dealerships in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

When those dealerships launch, there will only be three Infiniti products from which to choose. The G37 coupe and convertible, the M sedan and the FX crossover were chosen in part because of their freshness in the market. Infiniti has reportedly decided against exporting the high volume G37 sedan to Australia, opting instead to wait until the next generation model goes prime-time. The Australians will be able to choose from the same 3.7-liter V6 and 5.0-liter V8 options we have here in the States, and they’ll also be able to pick a 3.0-liter diesel that we aren’t afforded.

The folks at Infiniti also hinted at their strategy for the brand. Infiniti brand GM Kevin Snell reportedly told the press at a launch event that the brand wouldn’t try to be the “cheapest” make Down Under, adding that Infiniti models are often better-equipped than the competition from Europe.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Michael Harley / AOL
[Source: Drive]

Infiniti confirms plans to launch in Australia

Prius production resumes, Honda further delays restarting plants

Japanese automaker news resulting from the March 11 earthquake is coming in fast and furious right now, so we’ve packaged the latest information in one convenient spot.

Toyota announced some good and bad news this week on the production front. The good news is that the company will resume limited production of the Prius, Lexus HS250h and CT 200h hybrids with all-new parts coming in. Eighteen other Toyota plants remain closed, however, through at least March 28, and the automaker has warned its assembly plants in North America that they could soon face parts shortages that interrupt production.

Honda has moved the restart date of its Japanese plants again from March 27 to April 3 or later. Among the vehicles affected are the Fit and CR-V. The company also says its research and development center will be closed for months due to extensive damage. Some of the work being done at the R&D facility has been moved to other Honda facilities in Japan.

Nissan restarted production in Japan on March 24, though the plants are using only existing parts stock with no new parts coming in. The company is studying whether its Tennessee engine plant could supply VQ V6 engines to Japan due to damages sustained at an engine plant in the quake zone. The automaker also lost 1,300 Infiniti models that were damaged at a Japanese port during the quake. CEO Carlos Ghosn claims 40 Japanese suppliers are still in trouble.

Mazda has been running some plants in Japan, though parts are starting to become scarce. The CX-7 and CX-9 are among the vehicles affected.

Subaru has postponed any production in Japan until at least March 28. In the U.S., the automaker has suspended overtime at its Indiana plant.

[Source: Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Automotive News - sub. req. Image: AP Photo/Koji Sasahara]

Update on Japanese automakers recovering from earthquake

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is perfect for shuttling a half-dozen people to the airport, but what if you prefer a ride that’s a bit more upscale, yet still want enough room to stand up and mill about? Brilliant Transportation has the answer, and its Brilliant Van doesn’t just add a touch of luxury, it makes a Maybach seem downright plebeian.

The Brilliant Van is essentially a top-shelf limousine with way more head room. Rather than rows of seats, this luxury Sprinter comes equipped with four leather thrones that wouldn’t look out of placing in a mansion’s drawing room. Inside, passengers can watch TV on one of two 32-inch flat screens and listen to music through an eight-speaker audio setup. The TV screens grab a DirecTV signal and occupants can block out the rest of the passengers through wireless headphones. If you want to get on the Internet, the Brilliant Van is equipped with WiFi, and also features a color-printer and hands-free phone system.

Brilliant Transportation currently operates fleets in New York and Los Angeles. That’s perfect for us, because we’ve been looking for a proper vehicle to shuttle us to Las Vegas. This way we don’t have to plunk down $190,000 for the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Grand Edition.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Mercedes brings the Maybach touch to the Sprinter

Mercedes brings the Maybach touch to the Sprinter

BMW hinted that a 3 Series GT was in the works. Like its larger BMW 5 Series GT sibling, the 3 Series GT would feature a two-tier rear hatch, raised seating position and a boosted ride height. And rumor has it that a non-swirly-camo version will be heading to the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The BMW 3 Series GT will slot in the lineup to combat Audi’s upcoming Q3 crossover. It’s also enough of segment jumper that the A4 Avant could wind up in its crosshairs. Take a gander at the gallery below, and try to look past the swirls to decipher the hunchback body hiding underneath.

[Source: Brenda Priddy & Company]

Spy Shots: BMW 3 Series GT caught taking a break from bell-tower duty

A trial fleet of around 400 Volvo C30 Electrics is coming, and anyone who wants one had better have an awful big piggy bank. Speaking at a media launch near Indianapolis, IN today, the president of Volvo Car Special Vehicles, Lennart Stegland, said that, while the final price for the car hasn’t been set, Volvo will not sell the EV, but instead offer the car through a three-year lease for around 1,500 Euros. Per month.

1,500 Euros comes out to about $2,129.85 at today’s exchange rates, so if you stick it out for the full 36 months, you get to spend $76,674 to not buy a car. Even worse, Stegland said that Volvo will lose money on the deal. Ouch. Developing electric vehicles for mass production (which, on Volvo’s schedule, will happen sometime around 2013 or so) is more than mildly expensive.

Sure, for the three years you drive the C30 Electric, you’ll probably be quite happy with the car. We certainly were when we drove it last fall and fell for it again in Indiana today (our full write up is coming soon). To convince EV skeptics, Volvo is pushing its traditional safety message pretty hard with the C30 Electric, and we’re sure the car is as safe as can be. We’ll see how powerful this argument is when a hundred C30 Electrics come to the U.S. in the first quarter of 2012. An official lease price hasn’t been set but, as much as we like it, it’ll be hard to justify two-large a month for four-seat hatch.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc.

Volvo considering insanely high $2,100/month lease for C30 Electric

Our compatriots over at Edmunds’ Inside Line said it best: The new Lamborghini Aventador looked pretty striking sitting still upon its debut at the Geneva Motor Show this year, but a Raging Bull like this one shouldn’t be sitting still. It needs to be run, and run hard.

Fortunately, our friends had the opportunity to accompany the new Lambo on a video shoot in the Californian desert to let it stretch its legs and get it good and covered in silt. Follow the jump to watch the video footage.

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Inside Line]

Continue reading Video: Inside Line takes us behind the scenes with the Lamborghini Aventador

Video: Inside Line takes us behind the scenes with the Lamborghini Aventador

Due to the extensive damage in Japan caused by the massive earthquake and resultant tsunami on March 11, many have questioned if the island nation can recover in a year, much less a few months. If the swiftness with which the Japanese can repair roads is any indication, we wouldn’t bet against the country cleaning up this catastrophe in short order.

As a result of the quake, a 150-meter section of the Great Kanto Highway in Naka was absolutely obliterated, with massive chasms running right through the middle of the road. Work crews at the NEXCO road repair company sprang into action on March 17, working at a fevered pitch to help get their country on the road to recovery, literally. Amazingly, after only six days of labor, the road is silky smooth and ready for travel. Look at the the before and after photos above to see just how amazing this feat is.

Given the fact that road crews in the U.S. can spend three or more months repairing a single lane of concrete, only to leave the orange barrels on the road for another two weeks, we’re blown away by this feat of engineering. Simply amazing.

[Source: Daily Mail via Jalopnik Images: AP Photo/NEXCO East]

Japanese repair quake-ravaged road in just six days

A Larger Lancer For These Crossover-Obsessed Times

Mitsubishi has a problem with its current lineup. Unless you’re looking for a Lancer, your options are limited to the Galant mid-size sedan and the Endeavor and Outlander crossovers. Right now, the Galant is contemplating seppuku and the Endeavor hasn’t been fully redesigned since it first went on sale back in 2003. The Outlander, however, has something positive to offer. It seats up to seven passengers (in a pinch), has been named an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick, and tops out at 28 miles per gallon on the highway.

Mitsubishi knows having just two competitive vehicles to choose from isn’t enough to compete in an industry eager to fill every niche, and the company appears focused on evolving the two lone bright spots in its lineup. The Lancer has spawned many variants, the latest being the Lancer Sportback, a fun-to-drive wagon that doesn’t step on the toes of the top-trim Lancer Evolution. The Outlander, meanwhile, recently gave its name to the smaller 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, a five-passenger crossover looking to make its mark in a currently crowded segment.

Continue reading Review: 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE AWC…

Photos copyright (C)2011 Jeff Glucker / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE AWC

Review: 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE AWC

Remember taking your SATs? They were filled with reasoning questions like this one: Cajun is to Cayenne as ___ is to Panamera. Give up? The answer, according to the latest reports from Germany, is “Pajun.”

That’s the tentative name rounding the rumormill in connection to a potential baby brother to the Porsche Panamera. Just as the automaker is developing a Cayenne Junior dubbed Cajun, so too could a Panamera Junior be in the cards.

There doesn’t appear to be much detail in the reports beyond speculation, but the reasoning strikes us as sound enough. If the Boxster and Cayman have proven successful underneath the 911, and the business model for the Cajun has been approved to slot in below the Cayenne, why not follow the same path with a smaller Panamera?

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: AutoBild]

Porsche working on “Pajun” baby Panamera?

There’s a grand old tradition of Italian coachbuilders rebodying Corvettes that stretches back for decades. And thankfully that tradition has been revived of late, giving us such radical creations as the Bertone Mantide and the Spada Codatronca. And now we can add one more to the mix.

Just shy of two years ago we brought you news of Ugur Sahin’s Corvette Z03 design being put into production with input from a Corvette tuning house called Mallett Cars. Now it appears the final version, with some substantial tweaks to the styling, will be unveiled next month at the exclusive Top Marques show in Monaco.

Now carrying the nameplate Anadi and built under the Soleil Motors banner, the shape has apparently undergone some adjustments but is still recognizable as the same design. The see-through hood window, for example, is gone, as is the kink in the grille’s lower lip, while the rear end features a more contemporary shape than the Daytona-like surface of the original design.

Overall, the Anadi still looks distinctly Sahin, and arguably more Corvette-like. But we’ll have to wait another few weeks to see all the angles. In the meantime you can scroll through the few images available in the gallery below, the earlier design renderings in the one below that, and an earlier interpretation in the gallery after the break.

[Source: Top Marques Monaco]

Continue reading Soleil Anadi coachbuilt Corvette headed for Top Marques Monaco

Soleil Anadi coachbuilt Corvette headed for Top Marques Monaco

We’ve seen the silver-colored Hennessey Venom GT chassis number 01 out running about, and now, the tuning company has decided to show off its bright red chassis number 03. The 1,200-horsepower supercar can ran from 0-60 miles per hour in 2.5 seconds and has an estimated top speed of 267 mph.

We’ve stared at it, heard it, seen it belch fire on the dyno, Jay Leno’s had his time with it and now we say enough is enough. We’re more than ready for our test drive, and while the red paint job of this latest build is indeed sexy, we’d gladly drive one in beige if it meant some seat time was in order.

Click through the gallery below to see the 2011 Hennessey Venom GT looking resplendent in its shiny new red coat of paint.

[Source: Hennessey Performance]

Pics Aplenty: Hennessey Venom GT Chassis #03 dressed up in red

We’re in Washington D.C. this week attending the embargoed long-lead event for the 2011 Saab 9-4X, but that hasn’t stopped us from inquiring about other key new products from the House of Griffin.

We’ve already seen mules of the next-generation 9-3 range undergoing testing, but thus far, we haven’t seen any production bodywork or learned much in the way of specifics. A purist’s return-to-form hatchback model has been rumored for some time now, and thanks to Magnus Hillerborn, Saab’s Vehicle Validation Engineer, Autoblog can now confirm that a five-door is indeed headed into production along with the expected convertible variant. Interestingly enough, what isn’t yet confirmed for the 2012 9-3 is a sedan bodystyle.

The next 9-3 was nearly finalized when Spyker purchased Saab last year from General Motors, but Victor Muller and Co. felt that there was so much work to be done that new chief designer Jason Castriota set immediately to work on making the new car more ‘Saabish.’ The changes are so significant that Hillerborn says he imagines GM executives will be “very surprised” when they see the production car, which is tipped to take design cues from the PhoeniX concept car that debuted earlier this month at the Geneva Motor Show. Hillerborn says that the hatchback will likely be five-door only (presumably a SportCombi wagon variant will follow), though we imagine there are some three-door renderings knocking about in Trollhattan. Hillerborn promises a very sleek and unique hatchback, one that should appeal to traditional sedan buyers as well (read: not bulbous and overtly hatch-like, but more streamlined).

A modestly retouched 2011 9-3 range debuted in Geneva alongside the PhoeniX showcar, but it will only have to hang on for about a year before the all-new generation appears. A traditional 9-3 sedan is under consideration and would likely help move some units in the U.S., but it apparently has not yet been signed off on, meaning that the five-door will form the heart of the range. With Saab’s sales in a slump in nearly all of its world markets, one thing is for sure: the new 9-3 can’t arrive soon enough.

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Steven J. Ewing / AOL

2012 Saab 9-3 hatchback confirmed – but is a sedan?

We’ve seen plenty of luxury sports cars that are later tuned for the 12 Hours of Sebring. Porsche, Ferrari and BMW all do it, and so does General Motors with its Corvette Racing team. So why do the advertising types at GM feel it necessary to talk up their car at the expense of the aforementioned makes by way of this 30-second commercial? GM has earned bragging rights because, unlike the other cars, the stock ZR1 actually had to be de-tuned by 168 horsepower in order to qualify.

Unfortunately for Chevrolet and its racing team, the race cars could have used a few of those ponies, as BMW took first and second, while The General had to settle for third place. Still, the spot serves as a reminder of just how ridiculous it is that the ZR1 comes fresh from the factory with 638 horsepower and a whole world of whoop-ass. Hit the jump to watch the commercial for yourself.

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Corvette Blogger]

Continue reading Video: Chevrolet takes it easy on the competition with Corvette ZR1 ad

Video: Chevrolet takes it easy on the competition with Corvette ZR1 ad

Yes, you read that right. General Motors has indeed taken scrap battery covers that would otherwise have been discarded and, with the help of a team of youngsters from the Lasky Recreation Center in Detroit, turned them into duck houses.

Seems odd, no doubt, but we’d certainly rather see creative recycling such as this instead of sending off the scrap bits and pieces to rot for hundreds of years in a landfill or some other ignominious end-of-life scenario.

According to The General, these homes “will provide a safe place for wood ducks and even screech owls to lay their eggs.” For what it’s worth, this is the second such creative recycling project we’ve heard about from the team behind the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the first being the reuse of oil-soaked boom material from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico made into underhood plastic Volt parts. Nice work, GM.

[Source: General Motors]

Chevrolet Volt battery covers transformed into… duck houses?

Lift the hood of a 2011 Dodge Charger R/T and you’ll find a powerful 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine bursting at the seams. It’s a joyous site that gets better when armed with the knowledge of the Hemi’s prodigious power – 370 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque, to be exact.

But just how accurate are those numbers? The folks over at Inside Line put the Charger R/T to the test on their dyno, and it appears Chrysler may be underplaying its hand. Tests by Inside Line show that the Charger R/T sends 360 hp to the rear wheels at 5,300 RPM, with torque peaking at 393 lb-ft at 4,260 RPM. When you consider that the average drivetrain accounts for a 10 to 15 percent power reduction before its all sent to the wheels, you’re looking at a powertrain with a lot more bite than the company brochure cares to admit. Head over to Inside Line to see the official horsepower and torque map.

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Inside Line]

2011 Dodge Charger R/T hits the dyno

At the age of five, this writer received the gift of gifts: a police-issue Bigwheel with a megaphone and a working siren. After a week or two of patrolling the sidewalk for a week like I owned the block, my best friend busted out of the garage with the one thing that could trump my three-wheeled interceptor; the Green Machine. Sure, my Bigwheel may have been faster in a straight line, but he could drift, spin out and even parallel park at five miles per hour.

Oh, the jealousy.

I’m guessing I’m not the only one who has been green with Green Machine envy, and luckily we can get even as adults.

The geniuses at Parker Brothers Choppers decided to make a Green Machine for really big kids, complete with an 80-cubic inch Harley Davidson Evo engine. What, you wouldn’t expect us to actually pedal a Bigwheel with a 45-inch front wheel, would you? Even better, it’s still steered by a pair of levers that control the rear wheels, so all the tricks your evil nemesis friend did as a kid can now be done by you at 30 miles per hour. Heck, Jeff Halverson at Parker Brothers claims to have done 50 mph on the beast, so someone without a lot of fear can really do some damage on this thing.

Unfortunately, the whole steering-via-the-rear-wheels thing would make it really difficult for this trike to gain approval from the Department of Transportation, so don’t expect to put an order in for one of these any time soon. Hit the gallery below to dream a little dream.

[Source: Wired Images: Parker Brothers Choppers]

Parker Brothers Choppers builds World’s Largest Bigwheel

Anyone who was holding their breath waiting for General Motors to announce an SS version of the Cruze can officially breathe. However, what you can’t do is get excited; the Cruze will not be wearing the double-S badge. What GM is reportedly considering instead is to offer a more luxurious Cruze. That version would feature a more powerful optional engine, but it’s certainly not the version SS fans were hoping for.

However, rumor has it that our Aussie friends could still get a sporty Cruze. Motor Trend has heard rumblings of a sportier Cruze powered by either the 177-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four or 268-horsepower twin-turbo four-cylinder found on the Opel Astra OPC.

This just proves… well, nothing really. We’ll just have to wait and see what GM actually has in store.

Photos copyright (C)2011 Steven J. Ewing / AOL

[Source: Car and Driver, Motor Trend]

Report: There will be no Chevy Cruze SS… or will there?

We haven’t heard much about the 2012 Ford Focus ST lately, but never fear, it’s still destined for our shores. After all, it would be downright cruel for Ford to not offer the hottest variant of its new global Focus here in the States, especially when we’ve been denied all of the Euro-spec hot hatch fun for so long.

To recap, the Focus ST uses FoMoCo’s 2.0-liter EcoBoost inline-four, good for 247 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. There’s a six-speed manual gearbox to send that power to the ground, and though the car is fitted with front-wheel drive, the automaker’s torque-vectoring power control system is on hand to keep things from getting too squirrely. Inside, there are Recaro sport seats, orange trim and a thick steering wheel that we can’t wait to get our hands on.

Until the Focus ST officially hits the road, we’ll have to satisfy our craving for Blue Oval hot hatchery with this video, which you can view after the break. It’s certainly not the most exciting piece of film ever published on the Interwebs, but it’s enough to make us fall in love with the ST all over again.

[Source: YouTube via Carscoop]

Continue reading Video: 2012 Ford Focus ST is still our orange crush

Video: 2012 Ford Focus ST is still our orange crush

When Mercedes-Benz unveiled the updated 2012 C63 AMG Estate at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month, we saw a super-hot revision of Merc’s power wagon – complete with the 6.2-liter V8 and all the trimmings of the old model, but with a new front fascia and Speedshift MCT transmission. The version that will debut in Australia this weekend, however, adds emergency lights, four individual bucket seats with six-point harnesses, two integrated dashboard monitors, a communications radio and a boot full of emergency medical equipment. That’s because this isn’t an ordinary C63 – this is F1’s new medic car.

Joining the SLS AMG that acts as safety car and replacing the old C63 wagon that served in this capacity previously, the new C63 AMG Estate Medical Car will debut at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix to kick off the 2011 Formula 1 World Championship (after the Bahrain round was canceled due to civil unrest).

The specially prepared wagon is otherwise stock, comes with the optional performance package for increased output and will sit on standby in case of a severe crash. We love seeing the C63 wagon speeding around the track, but in this case, we hope it stays put. See the medical hotness for yourself in the high-res image gallery below, and follow the jump for Mercedes-Benz’s official press release.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Estate called into service as F1 medical car

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Estate called into service as F1 medical car