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Research by the American Automobile Association’s Foundation for Traffic Safety has revealed teenage girls are twice as likely as their male counterparts to use devices like cell phones while driving. The study used video taken of young drivers while they were behind the wheel to determine how teenagers engage in distracted driving. While talking on the phone and texting ranked among the highest sources of distraction, personal grooming and reaching for objects in the vehicle also played significant roles. Outside of using electronic devices, AAA found teens were distracted around 15 percent of the time while behind the wheel.

Girls were also found to be 10 percent more likely than their male counterparts to be engaged in other distracted driving activities. AAA found the young ladies to be 50 percent more likely to attempt to reach for something in the vehicle and 25 percent more like to eat while operating a vehicle.

Of course, driving with passengers in the vehicle also contributed to distraction, while having a parent or adult in the vehicle caused rates of distracting behavior to fall off. Shocking stuff we know. Hit the jump for the full AAA press release.

Continue reading Teen girls twice as likely to use cell phones while driving as teen boys

Teen girls twice as likely to use cell phones while driving as teen boys

Ferrari is an automaker the operates in two spheres: racing and road cars. The company builds the latter to fund the former, but while the two have long operated as fairly separate units, there is plenty of room for overlap. Like its Corse Clienti department.

Established to facilitate privateer racing teams running Ferrari GT cars in various series, the Corse Clienti division also runs the firm’s elite XX development program that allows some of its best customers the opportunity to act as “client test drivers.” In other words, people pay big money – and by big, we mean millions – to test out new equipment developed by Maranello’s skunkworks before it’s implemented on future road cars.

The program started with the Enzo-based FXX back in 2005, which was succeeded by the 599XX in 2009. But like the FXX led to the even more extreme FXX Evoluzione, so has the 599XX. More an upgrade package than a new car, the $250,000 evolution kit includes a bigger front splitter, giant rear wing with moving foils, a 30-horsepower upgrade to 740 and another two years of factory-supported track days.

The most recent was held at Japan’s Suzuka circuit, where the 599XX Evoluzione hit the track for the first time since delivery to its eager new owners. It was also the first time the upgraded track car was run in public, following its debut at the Bologna Motor Show back in December. Of course, now that the 599 range is being phased out, we can’t help but wonder what Ferrari will base its next developmental track car on: the new F12 Berlinetta? The 458 Italia? The upcoming Enzo successor? It’s early to tell, but you can check out the 599XX doing its thing in the video clip and press release after the jump, along with the fresh crop of high-resolution images we’ve added to the gallery.

Continue reading Ferrari 599XX Evoluzione makes its track debut at Suzuka [w/video]

Ferrari 599XX Evoluzione makes its track debut at Suzuka [w/video]

Back in the summer of 2010, Eric Clapton stopped by the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy, with one request: could they build him a 458 Italia with a V12? Nearly two years later, this is what resulted.

Reportedly called the SP12 EPC (bearing the initials of the famous rock guitarist), the one-off product of the Ferrari Special Projects division first surfaced with a few photos the other day, but now we’ve got video footage of the car moving under its own power away from a London dealership – presumably en route for delivery at the multiple Grammy Award winner’s home.

With styling cues borrowed from the 512 BB – an early mid-engined Ferrari that was never officially homologated for sale in the United States – the SP12 EPC is said to be based on the 458 Italia. Which isn’t a bad place to start. The big question on everyone’s mind, however, is what resides under the hood? Did Ferrari manage to shoehorn in the twelve-pot as hoped, or did it stick with the 4.5-liter V8 in the donor car? Hard to say, but sources point towards the latter.

Follow the jump to watch the blurry, shaky footage and listen to the custom creation rumbling, and share your thoughts – eight cylinders or twelve – in the Comments section below.

Continue reading Footage shows Eric Clapton’s bespoke Ferrari leaving London dealership

Footage shows Eric Clapton’s bespoke Ferrari leaving London dealership

CBS’ 60 Minutes sat down with Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne last night to discuss the automaker’s resurrection and the touch-and-go period in 2009 when the Fiat executive began talks with the federal government over a controlled Chrysler bankruptcy. Marchionne said that when he arrived at Chrysler, the company’s employees were all afraid the company wouldn’t survive. Now, he says, that fear is gone. The segment explains how Marchionne saw early on how well Chrysler strengths, specifically in minivans and light trucks, could dovetail with Fiat experience in small-car technology. The executive calls Chrysler the “other half” of the Fiat coin from a product perspective.

The segment also spends some time looking at the upcoming Dodge Dart, with Marchionne saying the car is “mechanically outstanding.” The executive played a strong hand in improving both Fiat and Chrysler quality, at least according to Consumer Reports. The besweatered Marchionne also spends a bit of time talking about American workers and the labyrinth of bureaucracy within Chrysler when he arrived. Hit the jump to watch – it’s well worth the 13 minutes of your day.

Continue reading Watch Sergio Marchionne on last night’s 60 Minutes

Watch Sergio Marchionne on last night’s 60 Minutes

Subaru Gives Us Their Sports Car On Real Roads. Does It Deliver?

Last December, our wandering man of intrigue Jonathan Ramsey drove a Subaru BRZ prototype at Japan’s Tochigi circuit under somewhat controlled conditions and was nonetheless very impressed. Then, in that same month, SoCal lad Michael Harley – he who knows a thing or two about hot-footing it on closed circuits – took the practically identical Scion FR-S for many unfettered laps on the island’s short and sweet Sodegaura Forest Raceway. He, too, was left extremely enthused by the experience.

My turn now. We needed a real road test of the Subaru BRZ just to see if this car really does merit the “zenith” part of its name represented by its final letter. Can the stellar handling and light weight we’ve already raved about translate into something you could happily drive every day?

The roads on which Subaru sent me with their new star pupil could not be more appropriate: the ominous Route Napoleon in southern France. This is perfect, because the number of new car drives following the Geneva Motor Show has been mind numbing, and I frankly needed a spectacular car-and-road pairing to recharge my enthusiasm. I can think of no better combo for this than a promising sports car and this insanely technical French two-lane. I am here to find out if, in the real sporting car world, 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque are enough to keep the fire burning in me.

Continue reading 2013 Subaru BRZ [w/video]

2013 Subaru BRZ [w/video]

It was a big weekend for Sean Kennedy, Mark Heidaker and the team at Hennessey. The trio managed to walk straight past the previous world record for the standing mile with a top speed of 257.7 mph. Kennedy took the wheel of Heidaker’s Hennessey-prepped Ford GT for the feat. The vehicle used to be both twin-turbocharged and supercharged before Heidaker decided he needed a little more thrust. Hennessey then ditched the supercharger for a more efficient twin-turbo setup. The work seems to have paid off. Putting down that sort of speed in the span of a standing mile is nothing short of amazing, and the engineering behind the machine deserves all sorts of respect.

Of course, commanding the roided-out GT to do your bidding is also plenty impressive.

Tucked beneath that wild wrap is a white GT with a blue stripe, one of our favorite color combinations on this iconic shape. Hit the jump to see the run from inside the cockpit.

Continue reading Watch a Hennessey Ford GT set a new standing mile world record

Watch a Hennessey Ford GT set a new standing mile world record

When Mini first put the 211-horsepower, JCW-equipped Countryman on video, we were told to “expect the unexpected” while watching the taller, all-wheel-drive MINI make donuts and roostertails in snow and sand with a man on the roof.

Now the next round of “unexpected” fun has arrived, and as you can see above, it involves a human kite. Follow the jump to watch.

Continue reading Mini JCW Countryman gives new meaning to the term “power kite”

Mini JCW Countryman gives new meaning to the term “power kite”

Motorsports history buffs take note: an important piece of racing nostalgia has come up for auction. The Toleman TG184-2 Formula One Car Ayrton Senna drove in his rookie season is available for bid in the Silverstone Auctions Spring Sale.

This is the car that carried Senna to his second-place “victory” in the rain-drenched 1984 Monaco GP, as well as third and seventh-place finishes in the British and Canadian GPs, respectively.

Silverstone Auctions hasn’t announced what the vehicle is expected to fetch. The Toleman has been completely restored, and the 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine behind the cockpit is in top running order.

The auction will take place at the Silverstone circuit in The Wing building on May 16th. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

Continue reading Ayrton Senna’s rookie-season F1 racer heads to auction

Ayrton Senna’s rookie-season F1 racer heads to auction

When you run a zoo, we imagine there’s a large quantity of animal excrement to dispose of. Fertilizer is the first thing that comes to mind. But there are only so many zoo gardens in need of nutrients. Sooner or later, you’re faced with surplus of tiger turds, camel crap and snake, um, shizzle.

The Denver Zoo has decided the best use of its panda poop is to power a 20-year-old tuk tuk, or motorized rickshaw. Actually, the zoo takes all its animal waste and most human-produced trash and makes “gasified pellets” that are then subjected to very high heat in a no-oxygen environment. The pellets then give off syngas, which is burned in a generator to produce electricity used to charge the batteries for the tuk tuk’s electric motor. Got all that?

The zoo says the tuk tuk is its second prototype to test the technology. The first was a syngas-powered blender used to make margaritas for zoo events. Mmmm. Tasty.

When its new elephant exhibit opens June 1, the zoo hopes to have it powered by syngas. Eventually they hope to take 100% of the zoo’s animal waste and most of the human garbage from the zoo to produce at least 20% of their power needs. Check out the video after the jump.

Continue reading Denver Zoo shows off tuk tuk powered by animal poo

Denver Zoo shows off tuk tuk powered by animal poo

There is little question that Ford, under the leadership of CEO Alan Mulally, has perhaps never looked better in terms of product and financial stability.

But it’s been less than four years since the company’s stock was hovering near $1.00 a share. The Ford family was making noise about selling out. And Mulally was actually lampooned on Saturday Night Live.

Bryce G. Hoffman, a reporter for The Detroit News, has penned a new book, American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company, on the fall and rise of the Blue Oval. The book really begins with the 2000-2001 Firestone tire recall, continues through the 2008 financial meltdown and eventually finishes with the comeback and reformation of the company under Mulally.

David Kiley, Editor-in-Chief of our sister site, AOL Autos, reviews the book here for HuffingtonPost Detroit, bu you can check out a video interview with Hoffman talking all things Ford after the jump.

Continue reading Book Review: Bryce G. Hoffman’s new American Icon book on Ford [w/video]

Book Review: Bryce G. Hoffman’s new American Icon book on Ford [w/video]

The Saab brand may be meeting its demise, but that doesn’t mean that its cars won’t live on for years to come. And we aren’t just talking about its passenger cars, either. Take, for instance, the Saab 9-3 TTA touring car we showed you last week. The racer, constructed by Flash Engineering and Team Tidö, is currently preparing to do battle in the Swedish Racing Elite League, with entries from Volvo, BMW and Citroën clearly in its sights.

Recently, the widebody 9-3 TTA completed its first round of testing in France, with Swiss driver Fabian Thuner piloting the car around the country’s Alés track. After a few more tweaks, the car will then be sent to Sweden where it will undergo official testing in Karlskoga and Anderstorp, driven by the actual TTA drivers who will pilot the car during the Swedish Racing Elite League competition.

For now, click past the jump to see (and hear!) this seriously awesome 9-3 racecar for yourself. We’ll definitely be keeping our eyes on this one.

Continue reading Watch and hear Flash Engineering’s awesome new Saab 9-3 touring car

Watch and hear Flash Engineering’s awesome new Saab 9-3 touring car

The 2013 Subaru BRZ is “one of the most rewarding cars we’ve ever driven” says Edmunds after subjecting the new coupe to some track time. This, despite having a 0-60 time that rivals that of some minivans – 7.3 seconds. Inside Line says those numbers are mostly due to an overactive rev limiter that forces a third-gear shift at 59.2 mph. We bet that’s an early tuner fix. Also likely to be improved with an aftermarket reflash is the 15.3-second quarter-mile time.

So you won’t be winning many stoplight drag races in box-stock form, but as we all know, there’s far more to a fun car than just straight-line numbers. According to IL, “the BRZ offers a level of engagement that, until now, has been either too costly or too impractical for the average enthusiast.” They even go so far as to compare the BRZ’s overall character to a Lotus Exige and the beastly Porsche 911 GT3(!).

No, the BRZ can’t hang with either of those hardcore Europeans, but Inside Line says its balanced mixture of handling, cost, every day usability, and practicality make for “a perfect balance between date nights and track days.” Check out the video after the jump.

Continue reading 2013 Subaru BRZ tested at 0-60 in 7.3 seconds, 1/4 mile in 15.3

2013 Subaru BRZ tested at 0-60 in 7.3 seconds, 1/4 mile in 15.3

The BMW i8 plug-in-hybrid sports car is just the sort of crazy project that could help redefine the BMW brand – and perhaps even the notion of what makes a car enthusiast – for the 21st Century. It’s the sort of out-of-the-box thinking we’ve been waiting for some automaker to deploy, so these new details are exciting.

To start with, according to Britain’s Car, the i8 will only be available as a plug-in hybrid – no conventional, internal-combustion-only version will be offered. That means no M version will be in the cards, at least not an M product in the way we currently define the BMW performance moniker. But the report says the i8 will have a more powerful gas engine than we’ve previously reported, with its 1.5-liter three-cylinder cranking out 223 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque through the rear wheels. The front-drive electric motor is said to be rated at 170 horsepower, giving the i8 a combined 393 hp and 406 lb-ft.

The report claims that the i8 will have a 20-mile all-electric range, a top speed of 156 miles per hour, and sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds. Curb weight is said to be just 3,125 pounds, which is less than most models of the new 2012 3 Series, thanks to the i8’s carbon fiber body and aluminum chassis. Recharge time is said to be six hours, presumably on a 220-volt system. In all, a pretty amazing package.

But here’s the kicker: Car says the i8 will be priced above €100,000, which is $132,600 based on today’s exchange rates. We expect the i8 to hit the market as a 2014 model, and while that price is spendy by plebeian standards, the queue for the car will most certainly be long, at least initially.

Click past the jump if you’ve missed any of BMW’s i8 videos.

Continue reading BMW nixes plan for M version of i8, but production car to have more power? [w/video]

BMW nixes plan for M version of i8, but production car to have more power? [w/video]

Ah, donuts – one of the automotive world’s purest forms of hooliganism. We’ve all done ‘em, simply because every once in a while, it’s just plain fun to light up a car’s back end and fling it around in a circle.

Fun as they may be, donuts aren’t necessarily all that fun to watch. After all, one car spinning in circles certainly loses its charm after a while. But what about seventy cars spinning in smoke-filled circles? Now that’s something.

Earlier this week, over 70 vehicles showed up at Infineon Raceway in order to break the Guinness World Record for the largest number of cars performing donuts successfully. Check out what ensued in the video after the break, complete with epic battle background music.

Continue reading Guinness Book of World Records spin-off shows it’s time to make the donuts

Guinness Book of World Records spin-off shows it’s time to make the donuts

Freightliner is stealing the spotlight at this week’s Mid-America Trucking Show in Kentucky with a new truck concept. The Revolution Innovation is aimed squarely at reimagining the face commercial trucking. With innovations like a more aerodynamic body, cold-rolled aluminum frame that’s 200 pounds lighter than its steel equivalent, low-slung engine placement and an intelligent rear axle that can automatically switch between four and six-wheel drive as needed, the concept is more fuel efficient while retaining plenty of functionality.

Designers looked at how most drivers use their rigs, and determined that most of the time, there’s only one occupant in the cab. To that end, they scrapped the passenger door in favor of a more efficient work station and a rest area. There’s even an innovative rear door between the cab and trailer. A new gauge cluster and cell-connected center console both add extra layers of functionality as well.

Outside, clever use of LED lighting and low-drag cameras replace traditional design elements. Despite its concept looks, the Revolution Innovation is a fully operational truck. Hit the jump to check out the full video for yourself and peruse the gallery for more.

Continue reading Freightliner’s awesome new Revolution Innovation is a future rig done right [w/video]

Freightliner’s awesome new Revolution Innovation is a future rig done right [w/video]

It’s funny how a couple of letters can change the meaning of a word entirely. Take “racy” and “racing,” for example. One implies a certain charge of sexuality, while the other refers to the competition of getting from Point A to Point B the quickest. Pamela Anderson, for example, would be one we’d categorize under the former, but now the Canadian model/actress/bombshell is breaking into the latter by launching her own racing team.

Downforce1 by Pamela Anderson is the name of the new team that will be fielding an Aston Martin Vantage GTE in both the (European) Le Mans Series and the International GT Open, wearing white and blue livery with the glamour model’s signature and bearing the logos of PETA (the animal rights group for which Anderson is a spokesperson) and ICM (the talent agency that manages her career). The team is apparently being managed by a Swiss outfit with ten years of experience in GT racing.

This is not the first time we’ve seen a model lending her image to a racing team: Paris Hilton was connected to a MotoGP squad a couple of years back, and now Pam appears to be following in her high-heeled footsteps. And apparently she’s not stopping at GT racing, either, as the effort could spawn a NASCAR team as well. In the meantime, Anderson hopes to be present at as many of the races as her schedule will allow. Which ought to be plenty distracting for the racers.

So what is it about models like Pam headlining racing teams? Beyond the usual barrage of innuendos – the airbags have, after all, been removed – maybe the former Baywatch starlet herself put it best in a recent interview with British tabloid The Sun: “Fast cars and fast women go together.” Who are we to argue?

Pamela Anderson goes from racy to racing with her new Downforce1 team

The slow drip of official information for Nissan’s 2013 Altima continues to spread across the internet. Today, the Japanese automaker has unveiled a (very) short video clip and a shady single image that hints at the expressive profile sheetmetal on its new family sedan. The video is very brief, but together with the other images we’ve seen depicting the new boomerang-shaped taillamps, headlamps and overhead view, we’re starting to mentally stitch together a composite view of the new car.

We couldn’t resist helping Nissan accelerate its reveal process by tinkering with Photoshop’s brightness and contrast controls a bit. You can see the result in our gallery which reveals a nicely rounded three-window greenhouse and a set of split five-spoke alloys. In addition, check out the short video after the jump while you’re waiting for live shots and impressions to drop from New York.

Continue reading Latest 2013 Nissan Altima teaser shows strong profile [w/video]

Latest 2013 Nissan Altima teaser shows strong profile [w/video]

If there’s one thing nerds love more than obscure factoids, it’s the thrill of a good argument. MSN has set out to settle one of comic bookdom’s quintessential questions by attempting to discern whether the 1989 Batmobile is quicker than its 1966 predecessor. While we’d love nothing better to see the atomic-powered sire do battle with its jet-powered offspring, we’ll just have to make due with a couple of replicas. In this case, the ‘89 gets its power from a carbureted Chevrolet small block with an aluminum intake manifold and not much else.

Meanwhile, the 1966 uses a C4 Chevrolet Corvette for its underpinnings, complete with a fuel-injected small block of its own. The ‘66 boasts an estimated 300-325 horsepower while the ‘89 serves up a more modest 285 ponies. Bets are made, flags are dropped an one vehicle stands above the other. We won’t spoil it for you.

We will say there seems to be some on-screen trickery afoot, however. Watch closely, and it’s clear the ‘89 holds onto left lane at the beginning of the race, only to swap places in the slow-motion replay. Something tells us this game was rigged from the start. Hit the jump to see the full episode for yourself, but be warned. Fair warning: the finale sequence may be Not Safe For Work for some of you. Maybe there’s something else nerds love more than arguing and flexing their trivia muscle.

Continue reading Which Batmobile wins this drag race, 1966 or 1989?

Which Batmobile wins this drag race, 1966 or 1989?

Swedish Model Goes To The Polestar Gym, Comes Back Stronger

BMW has its M Division. Mercedes-Benz has AMG and Audi has a range of S- and RS-badged models. Volvo has… well, what does Volvo have, anyway? Yes, we’re all familiar with the brand’s sterling reputation for safety, and in recent times, for attractive Swedish design. Not long ago, with the introduction of the latest S60 sedan, Volvo even took a stab at injecting some so-called naughtiness into its machinery. And while all those adjectives are welcome, Volvo’s reputation in the United States has never really included performance, despite some credible offerings like the 240 Turbo, 850R and S60R.

Interestingly enough, that’s not necessarily the case in its home market of Sweden, where Volvo has been racing and winning in competition for years, oftentimes with the assistance of a tuning company known as Polestar. Since 1996, Volvo has been working with Polestar in an official capacity, and for 2012, the automaker is introducing its United States customers to a slew of Polestar-infused models.

Volvo’s entire range of five- and six-cylinder models have been bolstered with performance updates from Polestar, and for the purposes of this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at the XC60 crossover. As it turns out, this Swedish ‘ute offers up plenty of reasons for consideration, even in the face of stiff opposition from Volvo’s formidable competition in the entry-level luxury segment.

Continue reading 2012 Volvo XC60 R-Design

2012 Volvo XC60 R-Design

The highly anticipated 2013 Scion FR-S – the sister car of the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GT 86 – goes on sale this spring, and the automaker’s website now shows that the cost of entry will be $24,930 including destination. That base price gets you an FR-S equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, though Scion’s site doesn’t yet say what the cost will be for cars equipped with the six-speed automatic.

As we already know, the FR-S is equipped with a 2.0-liter boxer four that sends 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque exclusively to the rear wheels. And just yesterday, we learned that the FR-S is good for 22/30 miles per gallon (city/highway) with the manual transmission, or 25/34 mpg with the automatic ‘box. We’ve already had a chance to drive Scion’s new sport coupe, and while it’s certainly not the most powerful vehicle in the class, we found it to have excellent balance and declared it a more engaging steer than vehicles like the Honda Civic Si and Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

Head over to Scion’s website for more information.

2013 Scion FR-S priced from $24,930