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Surely you’re hip to the Diet Coke and Mentos phenomenon of a few years ago. When an enterprising duo realized that the hard-coated candies interacted with the soda in an explosive way, an internet meme was instantly born. Over the last couple of years, though, interest in the parlor trick seemed to wane. Until now.

Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz, the two men who helped kick off the fun in the first place, are back, claiming a new record for the longest distance traveled in a car powered by Diet Coke and Mentos: 239 feet.

No, that doesn’t seem very far to us, either, though Mark II of their machine is a marked improvement over Mark I. The Mark II vehicle is more aerodynamic and seems to have less mass than its predecessor, which positioned the rider way out in front over a bicycle-like contraption. That said, we think Grobe and Voltz do even better… especially since they used just half the fuel this time ’round.

After dissecting the video, we believe there’s a lot more power in the Diet Coke and Mentos recipe to be had, and there must be a better way to stop so much of the fuel from leaking out instead of providing forward thrust. Duct tape, perhaps?

Until they try again with Mark III, feel free to check out the latest Diet Coke and Mentos-powered car in the video after the break.

Continue reading Mentos and Diet Coke-powered car sets distance record

Mentos and Diet Coke-powered car sets distance record

It was the urban legend to top them all, the one every car guy wants to be true: Dude straps a jet engine to his Impala and goes for the ride of his life, which, of course, ends with his death.

Even though it dates back to the 1960’s, according to rumor-debunking website Snopes.com, it was the first big Internet-fueled urban legend, spread across the world in 1995 by then-novel e-mails with subjects like “Darwin Award Winner.”

Of course, there’s no such thing as the Darwin Awards. But now, finally, there is a JATO-powered Impala. The genius of race car driver Paul Stender, he of jet-powered port-o-potty and 350-mph school bus fame, this ‘67 Impala was conceived with the best intentions: Make the legend come true. And yes, we know the subject was covered in the very first pilot episode of Mythbusters, but they didn’t use the right rocket, did they?

Click past the jump to see video of the rocket-powered beater Chevy.

Continue reading Paul Stender returns with cruise missile-powered Impala

Paul Stender returns with cruise missile-powered Impala

The latest BMW M5, Jaguar XFR, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and Porsche Panamera S all have lots of things in common. They all have four doors, V8 engines underhood, hail from high-end European automakers known for luxury and performance and can all be had for a wee bit under $100,000.

But which one is fastest?

Well, that depends on how you’re planning to measure speed. Do you mean top speed? The time it takes to circle a given race track? Or do you mean in a drag race, the quintessential way to compare a car’s ability to accelerate in a straight line?

If that’s the case, you’ll find your answer in the video after the break. You’ll see each of the aforementioned automobiles lined up against one another, racing flat-out over the distance of 1,000 meters.

Who wins? Hit the jump to find out.

Continue reading Four-door supercars line up, drag out their differences

Four-door supercars line up, drag out their differences

General Motors is set to auction off a special Chevrolet Camaro airbrushed by Mickey Harris as a tribute to the nation’s armed forces. The design pays homage to all five branches of the country’s military with a unique mural, and the vehicle is headed to the Barrett-Jackson classic car auction in Scottsdale, Arizona next month.

Proceeds from the auction will go toward the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans. The organization helps wounded vets overcome their disabilities by participating in mainstream athletics and has doubled in size since 2010. GM has supported the charity with various donations in the past, including the contribution of 20 hand cycles.

GM will show off the Harris Camaro during this weekend’s Army Navy game, with CBS Sports devoting some time to speak with GM CEO and U.S. Naval Academy graduate Dan Akerson as well as members of the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans. Click past the jump for the full press release as well as an excellent new spot on GM’s involvement with the charity.

Continue reading GM auctioning off Military Tribute Camaro to benefit wounded veterans [w/video]

GM auctioning off Military Tribute Camaro to benefit wounded veterans [w/video]

There’s a vehicle for you if you have reoccurring nightmares about uncertain river crossings in the classic computer game Oregon Trail. The Iguana 29 is an amphibious vehicle designed to slowly go where no boat has gone before.

At the push of a button, the craft can lower two tank treads to pull itself across land at around five miles per hour, or about a quarter of the speed of the average automotive journalist shuffling his way to an open bar. So, it’s not quick, but the machine could be incredibly useful in areas with exaggerated tides where docking your craft can be a hassle. The Iguana 29 simply allows owners to drive their boat up onto the beach, safe and sound.

With the treads stowed on open water, the Iguana 29 is good for a top speed of 35 knots, which is a far cry quicker than its land capability. How much will you have to pay for such a fine piece of engineering? Try $290,000. On second thought, we’ve never been much bothered by tides, exaggerated or not. Hit the jump to check out a video of the Iguana 29 in action.

Continue reading The Iguana 29 is a $290,000 amphibious tank

The Iguana 29 is a $290,000 amphibious tank

We’ve seen some terrifying footage from the tsunami and earthquake that struck Japan in March this year, but few manage to capture the full-on terror of the situation like the clip after the jump. The video was taken by a dash camera mounted on a man’s vehicle as the tidal waters surged onto the roadway. Individuals abandon their vehicles, desperately running from the inescapable sea swell, and in moments, debris, cars and people are all helplessly swept up together as the water pushes forward. In a situation like this, it would be impossible to know the correct course of action, but the owner of this particular dash cam wisely chose to stick with the safety of his vehicle for as long as possible.

He was eventually forced out into the rolling seawater as the car began to sink, and used a makeshift raft constructed of his belongings to float to a nearby warehouse. He waited there until the waters subsided and was able later to locate his vehicle and recover this footage. Hit the jump to view the absolutely remarkable video for yourself.

Continue reading New dashcam footage recovered of Japanese tsunami from wrecked car

New dashcam footage recovered of Japanese tsunami from wrecked car

There are all sorts of lists – grocery lists, to-do lists, bucket lists. We’re particularly interested in the latter, because a life well lived is one with an empty bucket list at the end. With that in mind, next week we’re premiering the first episode of The List: 1,001 Car Things To Do Before You Die.

This new video series from the editors of Autoblog is the ultimate automotive to-do list brought to life. We’ve carefully selected two hosts, one with car culture pedigree and the other Your Average Joe. Together they’ll dutifully check off everything we have on our list of 1,001 Car Things To Do Before You Die.

But The List isn’t complete, and we need your help to finish it. Click here to submit ideas that would be on your list, and stay tuned next week for the premier episode.

The List is coming…

Big city parking blows. You’re either fighting the vultures to get a spot on the street, or paying a king’s ransom to park off it. (Let’s not even talk about parking tickets.) And if you want to own a nice car? Fuhgeddaboudit. Because there are always guys like this, who won’t think twice about “fitting” their beater Camry into a spot sized for a Yaris.

In what must be a new numbskull world record, he manages to hit the bumper of the minivan behind him a full 10 times getting into the space. (Yep, we counted.) We won’t give away what happens in the rest of the video, but suffice it to say that the guy’s day ends much the way it started: With him being a total imbecile.

Click through the jump to watch the whole video.

Continue reading Parallel parking like a pro

Parallel parking like a pro

We can officially consider this drive of the McLaren MP4-12C our second go at it. In brief, Mother Nature conspired with UK tradition and made our second crack at this British super coupe pretty much a total wash. It didn’t matter how many times the McLaren folks reminded us just how “perfect” and “dry” the previous two days had been; we were swimming and freezing, but the proceedings forced us to switch quickly from crybaby into lemonade-from-lemons mode.

One big attraction was conducting our drive on a circuit laid out on the World War II-era Canadian Air Force field at Dunsfold Park, better known as the Top Gear test track – The Stig’s stomping grounds.

Given all of our potential excitement threatening to poop out on us, we cajoled McLaren’s crew into handing over every bit of photo and video from the day in order to mash together something for your viewing enjoyment, and we insisted on the eminently photogenic McLaren Orange car (known in Bruce’s day as Papaya Orange) with the lightweight package.

Still, it was McLaren’s 592-horsepower Great Orange Hope, it was the 1.75-mile Dunsfold Park figure-eight circuit, and we managed to get everything as loosey-goosey as was safely possible in the standing water.

Continue reading Getting wet with the McLaren MP4-12C at The Stig’s stomping grounds [w/video]

Getting wet with the McLaren MP4-12C at The Stig’s stomping grounds [w/video]

You’ve probably heard the line about modern engines being cleaner than most lawn equipment, but chances are you can’t put a source with that little tidbit. Inside Line recently took it upon itself to put that piece of common wisdom to the test by enlisting the help of an emissions lab in a little internal combustion show down.

Jason Kavanagh and Dan Edmunds pitted the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor against a Fiat 500, a two-stroke leaf blower and a four-stroke leaf blower. Who was left standing as the cleanest of them all when the smoke settled?

Believe it or not, the big-bad Ford took the honor of being the cleanest belle at this ball. Inside Line found that there were fewer hydrocarbons in the vehicle’s exhaust than were present in the ambient air in the emissions lab, meaning the truck was actually cleaning the air as it ran.

That trick actually made the Raptor cleaner than the 1.4-liter four-cylinder in the Fiat, unless you’re only measuring carbon dioxide, which is direct result of the amount of fuel burned. That left third place to the four-stroke leaf blower and dead last to the big two-stroke. Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself.

Continue reading Inside Line pits Ford F-150 SVT Raptor versus… a leaf blower?

Inside Line pits Ford F-150 SVT Raptor versus… a leaf blower?

Good things come to those who wait. Or so the saying goes, at least. And while that may not seem like something you’d associate with performance automobiles like Ferraris, maybe it should. Because while some will pay a premium to get a Ferrari – any Ferrari – right away, others are willing to wait to get theirs just the way they want it. And when we say ‘just the way they want it’, we mean just the way they want it.

To meet the demands of customers willing to shell out a little extra to specify every last detail of their new sports car, companies like Ferrari have been gradually upping their customization portfolio. Maranello’s latest is called, appropriately enough, Ferrari Tailor-Made, and encompasses a wide array of customization options.

Ferrari breaks them down into three categories: Scuderia (which encompasses motorsport-derived materials like carbon fiber and Alcantara), Classica (with pastel colors from the company’s back catalog, cashmere and velvet trim) and Inedita (with avant-garde materials like denim and matte paint jobs).

The limited-edition 599 GTB 60F1 grew out of the Tailor-Made program, and Ferrari has put together three unique one-offs to demonstrate the extent of the possibilities: a 458 Spider with NART stripes, chamois leather upholstery, quilted fabric and high-tech woven aluminum/fiberglass dashboard trim; an FF in Grigio Ingrid with pinstripe cloth, cashmere headliner and teak-trimmed cargo area; and a California decked out to Lapo Elkann’s specifications in denim with matte Blu Scozia finish.

Of course, with such an array of options, each example coming out of the studio will be completely unique, guided by a personal designer at the Ferrari Styling Centre, and assuredly fetching a hefty premium over the already considerable list price. Follow the jump for full details and check out the images in the gallery for a closer look.

Continue reading Ferrari increases customization options with new Tailor-Made program

Ferrari increases customization options with new Tailor-Made program

There’s no question that Fiat’s “Seduction” ad was a big success. Launched just a few weeks ago to coincide with the North American debut of the Fiat 500 Abarth, the minute-long commercial quickly went viral to amass over two million views. And with good reason. The spot’s got everything: cars, sexy, funny…. So what more could Fiat do with the ad? Pop-Up Video, of course!

The VH1 program was most popular in the late 90s, but was revived just a couple of months ago by the (*ahem*) music television channel. So Fiat handed its precious video over to VH1 for the full pop-up treatment, complete with random snippets of information about its production and such. Follow the jump to check it out, along with the press release and – just because we love our readers so much – a special bonus video from the Abarth PR crew.

Continue reading VH1 does the Pop-Up Video thing with Abarth’s “Seduction” ad

VH1 does the Pop-Up Video thing with Abarth’s “Seduction” ad

We’re firm believers in the fact that there are few things on this green Earth that can’t be improved with the addition of a General Motors small block. Need proof? Take a peek over Jon Sibal’s site for a look at a BMW 1 Series M Coupe powered by a good old-fashioned American lump.

The GC10-V8 is actually a silhouette race car, which means the vehicle makes use of a complete tube chassis which is then covered in whatever sheet metal (or carbon fiber) you like. This machine was built by Global Concept Automobile, and began with a 1 Series M Coupe shell.

The team then applied some seriously-aggressive composite fender arches to cover the vehicle’s meaty race rubber. Sibal says the eight-pot at work in the GC10-V8 is good for a blistering 550 horsepower, and that a three-way Ohlins adjustable suspension takes care of keeping the coupe planted on the tarmac.

The racer has already gotten its feet wet in a couple of endurance races around France this year. Awesome. Head over to Jon Sibal’s site for more information and photos, and be sure to click past the jump for a look at the GC10-V8 in the pits.

Continue reading This BMW 1M makes 550 hp thanks to American muscle [w/video]

This BMW 1M makes 550 hp thanks to American muscle [w/video]

Trident gave a few unsuspecting taxi passengers the ride of their lives in Guadalajara. In a promotion for the company’s new Twist gum, Trident swapped out one taxi company’s standard Nissan Sentra/Tsuru cabs with a Ferrari F430 Spider and a Porsche Panamera. Both vehicles were suitably decked out in yellow with a field of checkers. The cabs even came equipped with all the right lights to be legal, though seeing a cabbie wearing a full-on race helmet would give us a moment’s pause before hopping in inside.

We’re a bit surprised to see just how quickly these performance machines darted around town, though this isn’t the first time we’ve seen wild taxi rides. As you may recall, Red Bull released Scott Speed and his NASCAR racer on Chicago for a little high-octane fun not too long ago. Hit the jump to see the Ferrari and Porsche frolic through the streets of Guadalajara.

Continue reading Guadalajara taxi service ups its game with Ferrari and Porsche

Guadalajara taxi service ups its game with Ferrari and Porsche

This is the brand new Luxgen5, a “next-generation sports sedan” hailing from Taiwan that looks for all the world like the production version – conventionally powered, though – of Luxgen’s Neora EV concept it showed off at the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year.

We could tell you all about it here, but that would spoil the five videos and thorough press release you’ll find after the jump. The highlights, however, are a 150-horsepower 1.8-liter or 170-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder under the hood, an HTC-powered infotainment system in its snazzy cabin and more aerospace references than we’ve come across in quite some time.

You can find out all about it in words and pictures after the jump and in the gallery of high-res images.

Continue reading Taiwan’s Luxgen reveals new sedan [w/videos]

Taiwan’s Luxgen reveals new sedan [w/videos]

The Nissan GT-R has become something of a cult favorite for a number of types of enthusiasts: supercar slayers, import tuners, and especially track-day junkies. Particularly in the UK, where congestion (and a proliferation of speed cameras) prevents stretching out your car’s legs, where there are legendary racing circuits abound and where, subsequently, Nissan has now rolled out a new Track Pack for the recently updated GT-R.

The Track Pack doesn’t touch the engine, so the same 542-horsepower twin-turbo V6 applies. What it does provide is better cooling for the brakes with extra ducting front and rear, lighter six-spoke Rays alloys, a stiffer suspension (whose dampers can, of course, still be softened for road use), and an interior stripped of its rear seats and bolstered in the front for harder cornering.

Nissan UK is pricing the Track Pack at £10,000 ($15,000) on top of the £74,450 ($116,000) purchase price of a stock GT-R, and fortunately, the kit’s addition doesn’t preclude it from being driven on public roads. Although the package is currently only available overseas, we’re hopeful that when the revised Godzilla makes its way to these shores, we’ll have a chance to get our driving gloves on it as well. In the meantime you can check it out in the press release after the jump and the fresh batch of high-resolution images in the gallery.

Continue reading Nissan rolls out new Track Pack for GT-R

Nissan rolls out new Track Pack for GT-R

The Nissan Juke R might be one of the company’s most impressive engineering efforts in recent memory, but the skunkworks team behind it has apparently ruffled more than a few feathers with Nissan execs in Japan.

The UK team behind the Juke R apparently didn’t seek approval from Nissan’s higher-ups before beginning the build, and the unholy GT-R/Juke hybrid concept was apparently born in secret before the unending teasers – see the latest one after the jump – began making their way online.

According to sources close to the company, the release was a complete surprise to many at the automaker and several Nissan executives at the company’s headquarters were put-off by the idea that a group of rag-tag engineers in the UK would take their ultimate driving machine – the flagship for everything Nissan is capable of – and toss it into an inexpensive compact crossover.

But like you, we think it’s awesome, and we suspect when the execs get some seat time, they’ll begrudgingly agree.

Continue reading Juke R might be awesome, but Nissan HQ ain’t happy [w/video]

Juke R might be awesome, but Nissan HQ ain’t happy [w/video]

Go Big Or Go Home

I did something terrible the other day. I drove to the hardware store and bought incandescent light bulbs. I stood there in the aisle for a few extra minutes, staring at the compact fluorescents mocking me in their “be green” packaging, thinking about the several burned out incandescent bulbs in my basement and wondering how long the new ones I held in my hand might last. Better grab another box, just to be sure – government mandate has incandescents being phased out starting in January. I kept from making eye contact with the cashier while I paid and slunk out to my car.

So I’m a hypocrite, a self-professed environmentalist who can’t even do this one simple thing to save the planet. But I am just not interested in spending a weekend replacing all the dimmer switches throughout the lower level of my house, and compact fluorescents don’t work in those fixtures.

Which brings us to the 2012 Infiniti QX56. From a certain perspective, this 16-mile-per-gallon, V8-powered, body-on-frame SUV is an incandescent light bulb – a holdover from last decade, before the enactment of necessarily draconian fuel economy standards. But as my esteemed colleague Zach Bowman wrote in his First Drive of the QX, “you can’t tow 8,500 pounds with a Toyota Prius.” Neither can you fit a driver and up to seven passengers into one, not even the new Prius V.

I’d like to point to the technological marvel that solves the fuel-efficient family tow rig conundrum, but the solutions available right now are limited. We’ll get to those alternatives presently, but for now, let’s agree that new technology has a way of only solving part of the problem. So in this case, if you want to tow big stuff and you’ve got a big enough brood that you need three rows of seats – and you’re ready and willing to spend big cash – the QX is as good as it’s going to get.

Continue reading 2012 Infiniti QX56 [w/video]

2012 Infiniti QX56 [w/video]

Hitting the gas pedal instead of the brake is an altogether too common occurrence, one that often carries deadly consequences. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case here. ABC News is reporting that three victims in a crash at a San Diego, CA, restaurant suffered only minor injuries after a woman drove her car through the front door. Surveillance video captured the whole episode.

The driver was pulling into a parking spot when she apparently confused the pedals and plowed into a patron exiting the busy restaurant. After her Honda Accord entered the building, she hit two more diners before swerving to the right to narrowly avoided hitting others. “Officials said the car’s brakes and transmission were working, and the woman was not drinking or doing drugs,” according to ABC.

Watch the entire news report after the jump.

Continue reading Car plows through restaurant after driver confuses pedals

Car plows through restaurant after driver confuses pedals

We’ve grown accustomed to seeing all manner of modified machinery power through the sand in an attempt to get to the top of a hill. We’re even used to seeing vintage German machinery do the deed… that is, if you count sand rails and buggies built using air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle bits and pieces.

What we’re not generally prepared for, however, is a Porsche 911 – considered by many to be the quintessential road-going sports car – joining the motocross bikes, Jeeps and other various four-wheelers at the hill climb. Except for perhaps one place: Dakar. Porsche won the event with a 911 in 1984 and then again in 1986 with the legendary 959.

So, vintage Porsche 911s are clearly up to snuff when it comes to traversing the dunes, so long as they are properly modified to do so. We have no idea what modifications the owner of the 911 has performed other than a cool set of driving lights, but we do know that he made it to the top of a pretty gnarly looking hill.

Watch it go up and back down again the video after the break.

Continue reading Watch this vintage Porsche 911 channel its Dakar roots

Watch this vintage Porsche 911 channel its Dakar roots