Off Roading Your Bentley: The Next Hip Thing

Some people have Far too much money…

Jay Leno Talks about his Corvette ZR1

Even though the man has a huge car collection, he made sure Chevrolet knew he wanted a ZR1.  But not just any ZR1, he wanted the first one to ever roll off the production line; serial 001.

I won’t spoil the rest of the video for you, but it seems like he really likes it.

What if Steve Jobs Ran Detroit’s Big Three?

Thomas Friedman, the Pulizer Prize winning author, wrote an opinion piece in his NY Times column about how Steve Jobs should be the person to take over Detroit.  Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, has revitalized the music industry, teamed up with media mogals and revolutionized the way we intereact with music, video and the internet.  So it makes sense that in a crippled industry that a man of such vision and innovation would be the ideal person to take hold of the reins in Detroit.  Or would he?  The Digg community thinks otherwise…

Read more

SNL Spoofs Detroit

Detroit is in bad shape.  How is it that all three American auto manufacturers are in financial holes so deep that they all need a loan from the federal government just to pay their monthly bills?  Detroit does need help, there’s no doubt about that, but how did all three American auto manufacturers dig themselves in such a deep hole at the same time?

Here is some much needed comedy from Saturday Night Live to lighten up the issue a bit.

How Not to Get Out of a Speeding Ticket

Ninja Cat’s Battle for Fish, Getaway in Toyota Yaris

I get ninja cats, but I don’t fully understand what Toyota was thinking when they made this commercial for the Australian public. This is just episode 1, so maybe a sub-plot will develop. Maybe they Aussie’s just really like cats…

Maybe in the next couple of episodes, Toyota will pitch some high performance Yaris air filters to help improve the high-speed getaway from the other kitties.  Or maybe they’ll mention how Toyota Yaris cargo liners would have stopped the kitty’s fish from sliding around in the trunk when he did that reverse-180 degree turn.  Who knows where they’ll go from here, but stick around, I’ll post up the next commercial in the series when its uploaded to the net.

Who Will Make the Next Fastest Car in the World?

There are lots of fast cars in this world. McLaren set the world speed record for a production car back in the ’90s with the F1 model, topping out at 240MPH. It wasn’t until the early 2000′s that another manufacturer was able to step up and beat it. That was Bugatti with they’re EB Veyron 16/4, the quad-turbo 16 cylinder 1001 horsepower monster that could reach 253MPH. Saleen reworked the S7 in 2006 to include a twin turbo kit, boosting the sleek exotic up to 248MPH. It was close, but not fast enough. Koenigsegg claims that their CCX can top 254MPH, but this remains to be proven and verified at official speed record sessions.

On September 13, 2007, the Shelby Super Car Ultimate Aero Twin-Turbo averaged 255.83MPH on two separate top speed runs, beating the Veyron by 3.11MPH on its fastest recorded run of 257.11MPH. This was a big triumph for SSC and they’ve enjoyed the top spot for over a year now, but the real question is how much longer can they hold that podium position?

It’s only a matter of time before Koenigsegg puts up their bio-fuel powered CCXR which is even faster and more powerful than their CCX. It’s also been rumored that Bugatti will release a Super Veyron that will be 25% more powerful and able to hit 264MPH. Then there’s the Porsche 9ff GT9-R. It’s hardly a production car, more of a mad-tuner’s creation of a highly modified Porsche GT3. Pushing out 1,120 horsepower, there’s no doubt that the GT9-R will be able to top the (unofficial) 254MPH limit that the standard GT9 was able to achieve.

Who will be next to make the claim that they have the worlds fastest car? My money is on Bugatti, but there are a lot of wild cards out there. In the mean time, enjoy this gallery of super cars images.

California: No to Cell Phones While Driving, but Dog’s on Laps are Ok?

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently vetoed a bill that would have outlawed people driving motor vehicles with a dog on their lap. This veto comes hot on the heels after the governor’s approval of two new laws that ban texting and talking on a cellphone while driving.

The ban on cell phones while driving makes sense as it is a real safety issue in state that is congested with traffic problems. So why veto the lapdog bill? Is it also not a safety issue? People should be able to have their dogs with them in their car, but a dog being on a person’s lap while driving can be just as distracting as talking on a cell phone. And if a person gets in an accident with a dog on their lap and an airbag deploy’s… I don’t even want to think about it.

In light of recent legislation this veto doesn’t make much sense to me, what do you think?

Source: Dogblog

Not a Rumor: Free Chipotle Burrito Saturday October 11! ASEC’s R.A.D.

I swear, this one is not a rumor, you can call your local Chipotle and ask. This is a “Green Friendly” promotion that Chipotle is offering in union with the Action Sports Environmental Association (ASEC). RAD stands for Roll Anything Day, so you can load up on the guac!  Some big names are backing this, professional surfers and skateboarders like Bob Burnquist, Danny Way, Geoff Rowley, Rob Machado, and more.

Their goal is to give away 100,000 burritos, but two conditions apply. You can’t go to Chipotle in a motorized vehicle, you have to be on a bicycle, skateboard, roller skates, etc. And you have to be in California, sorry 49 other states and Puerto Rico. You can read the whole email after the jump!

Thanks again Andrew, I owe you a free burrito!

Read more

Pollution Reducing Statues Erected in Minnesota

With the grand opening of the new St. Anthony Falls Bridge on Minnesota’s I-35 comes two new pollution reducing statues. The statues are made of a specially formulated photo-catalytic concrete which helps convert gases like carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides & sulfur dioxide to higher oxidized states by using ultraviolet sunlight to accelerate oxidation at the surface of the structure. This is similar to the operation of a catalytic converter as the byproducts of this oxidation are less harmful for the environment then the unchanged gases.

These new statues are 30-foot tall and resemble the international cartographic symbol for water. This is a pretty cool idea, it’s more thinking like this that we need to help reduce our overall impact on the environment.

Source: AutoBlog

Rumor: In-N-Out to Have Crazy Specials on their 60th Anniversary

After a hard day of bloggin, nothing hits the spot like an In-N-Out burger. I got an email today from a friend that said In-N-Out will be celebrating their 60th Anniversary on Wednesday, October 22nd and that “all hamburgers will be sold for 25 cents, Cheeseburgers 30 cents, Fries 15 cents, and drinks are 10 cents!!!” I hunted around the net to see if there was any truth to this and I’m apparently I’m not the only one who got this email.

While I was able to verify that In-N-Out’s 60th Anniversary is on the 22nd, there were mixed opinions about whether there would be discounted food. Some people even called In-N-Out’s customer service number and were told that no such discounts would be offered. Personally, I think they would want to keep something like this under wraps until the day before or the day of to maintain sales, so denying it would make sense. If you feel like contacting them directly, go to In-n-Out.com or call 1(800) 786-1000.

For now I’m classifying this as a rumor, but I’ll be there on the 22nd to do some first-hand investigative reporting. If you have an In-N-Out near you, I’d suggest you do the same.

Thanks for sending in the tip Andrew, I owe you a double-double!

Update: Check out the comments, this rumor is false.  While their anniversary is on the 22nd, there won’t be any specials on burgers, fries or drinks.  Either way I’m still gonna be there to celebrate their 60th Anniversary, but I expect to pay full price for my meal.

Ford’s MyKey Technology to Limit’s Teens Freedom with Cars

You know that little chip that’s inside your car key, which is the reason replacement key’s can cost $100+. Well now that chip can do a lot more than drain your bank account. MyKey is based on technology that Ford has developed over the last decade, which allows the car to see what key is in the ignition and apply different driving rules for different keys. Here’s a quick breakdown of MyKey’s primary features:

• Programmable speed limiter
• Speed alert chimes at 45, 55, or 65mph
• Traction control cannot be turned off
• The seat belt warning chime sounds and the radio is muted until the seat belt is buckled
• Maximum radio volume can be limited to 44%
• Low fuel warning comes on when range is limited to 75 miles. This normally happens with a range of 50 miles.

MyKey will come standard on the 2010 Ford Focus and will be an option on many other vehicles made by the big Blue Oval.

Source: AutoWeek

Godzilla + Anime + Transformers = ?

The answer is Decotora, which is Japanese for “Art Trucks”. These highly decorated rigs are elaborately painted, adorned with chrome accessories from wheel to roof and the only thing that can compete with their neon hues is the 1980′s. Why do this? Well, why not… enjoy the photos!

Source: Dark Roasted Blend and Swindle Mag

If You’re Driving in California, Put Down that Cell Phone!

Since the California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had outlawed talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device earlier this year, law makers have been pushing him hard to sign another bill that outlaws “sending, writing, or reading on electronic devices” while driving. Well the Governor gave in earlier this morning as he put the proposed prohibition into action.

Effective January 1, 2009, drivers in California will have to keep their eyes, ears and minds on the road… probably not a bad idea considering how much traffic California has. If you do get busted using your cell phone in ’09, the first offense fine is $20 and the second offense is $50. The odd part about this whole legislation is that its still legal to type in a phone number on a mobile phone while driving, which means enforcing this law is going to prove to be a headache for the PD’s.

Source: LA Times

Smart Car Body Kits Have Arrived

Let’s face it: gas prices suck. Lots of people have been buying up hybrids and Smart Cars to reduce their monthly fuel costs, but cars have always been about style and expression, not frugality. Every time I see a Smart Car on the road, I’m reminded of Steve Urkel from Family Matters, which is why I haven’t made the leap to a more environmentally friendly ride.

Well if someone started making body kits like these, I’d reconsider.

*Thanks for sending in the photos Trevor!

If you’re looking for body kits or auto parts, we just talked to the guys at NorCal Cars and they just built out their site to include automotive parts and accessories. NorCal Cars is run by some great people, so check it out at their California Auto Parts page.

« Previous Page — Next Page »