Archive for June 2008

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Buying (12)

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2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, Part Three

Why you should buy the 2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V: You think hatchbacks are for Euro sissies, the Civic SI is too refined and the Caliber SRT-4 is too domestic. You need to be able to comfortably move four adults yet somehow it doesn't bother you that you're driving a car whose interior looks as though it was designed by a 16-year-old. You watch mixed martial arts. You are a 16-year-old. Why you shouldn't buy this car: You have no need for four doors, yet yearn for that third door in back.
By Matt Hardigree Read More
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2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, Part Two

Exterior Design: ** If someone ran over your mother with a 2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V right in front of you, you'd be unable to explain to the police what it was. It's a battle to the death between blandness (from the front it looks like a smaller and blander Altima) and gimmickry (the Sebring called, even they don't want their hood strakes back), with blandness taking the day. Interior Design: ** Gimmick gets its revenge in the interior, which looks as though it was designed by a 16-year-o
By Matt Hardigree Read More
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2009 Chevy Traverse, First Drive

So this crossover thing? Yeah, it's starting to get a little out-of-hand. What we have here is the 2009 Chevy Traverse. If you want to use the promotional literature, it's an 8-passenger crossover vehicle. If you use your eyes, it's a minivan with big wheels and no sliding side doors. Thus the stage is set for that epic automotive battle: Marketing vs. reality.
By Andrew Stoy Read More
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2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, Part One

Visitors to Chicago may never realize that an entire world exists below their feet as they explore the city. But it's there. And it's paved. Word came to me that at the lowest point, Lower Lower Randolph Street, there's a mystical market trading in far out wares. In order to find said market I decided to employ the 2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, a car that's inconspicuous despite the abundance of letters in its name and the bright red paint.
By Matt Hardigree Read More
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2009 Ford Flex, First Drive

Ford PR Flack:"We wanted to give the Flex what we call a 'wow' factor." Random Auto Journalist: "Wow, can I quote you on that?"
By Wes Siler Read More
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2009 Dodge Journey SXT, Part Three

Why you should buy the 2009 Dodge Journey SXT: You need a mid-level, V6-powered SUV/crossover that looks better than a Toyota Highlander and gets better gas mileage than a Honda Pilot, and it has to have more cargo area than a Nissan Murano but it also needs to cost less than a Ford Edge, and you’re okay with having less power than a Saturn Outlook Why you shouldn’t buy this car: You need a mid-level, V6-powered SUV/crossover that looks worse than a Nissan Murano and gets worse gas mileage than
By Matt Hardigree Read More
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2009 Dodge Journey SXT, Part Two

Exterior Design: *** The 2009 Dodge Journey is without a doubt one of the better looking cars in the Dodge lineup. But, that's not saying much. The sharp profile and muscular fender flares manage to hide the crossover's stubby dimensions while the cheaters on the B- and C-pillars also keep the shorter greenhouse from looking cartoonish (ahem, Nitro). You can't even tell there's an Avenger under there. Interior Design: ** Ignore the nooks and crannies and the Journey's interior looks as though i
By Matt Hardigree Read More
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2009 Dodge Journey, Part One

With marriage looming, fatherhood has become an ever-increasing possibility, albeit one that is still far enough away that I can justify spending money on myself. When that day does come though, I'd like to think that I'd be the cool dad with the awesome wagon. However, increasingly competent crossovers are starting to look more and more appealing. In that vein, a 2009 Dodge Journey was ordered up for a little bit of testing. I'll skip to the end for those in a hurry: It wouldn't suit me as a ca
By Matt Hardigree Read More
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2008 Mazdaspeed3, Part Three

Why you should buy the 2008 Mazdaspeed3: You want a fast car, but have to pick up your children from school. You want a WRX STI, but can't quite afford the running costs and you don't need the AWD anyways. You got a bunch of tickets a few years ago; you still like driving fast, but want to preserve what little credibility is left of your driving record. You've seen the light, and understand that hot hatches are the most practical, best value all-round vehicles for an enthusiast, but you think th
By Mark Arnold Read More
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2008 Mazdaspeed3, Part Two

Exterior Design: *** The 2008 Mazdaspeed3 doesn't visually distinguish itself much from the standard Mazda 3 hatchback, but it doesn't need to. The basic design's thick D-pillars, subtle shoulder bulges over the wheels, and angular lines are a good starting point. More important is how the car doesn't look. There are no scoops, fins, stripes, or stickers exclaiming the car's performance. The slightly larger rear spoiler, which we suppose is theoretically functional, looks just like the spoiler o
By Mark Arnold Read More
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2009 Lincoln MKS, First Drive

When the powers-that-be over here at Jalopnik asked me to test drive a car for you boys, I was pretty excited. Finally, I thought, Jalopnik is learning to respect a woman's automotive point of view. And then Ray told me it was going to be the 2009 Lincoln MKS. Hmm. I'll admit, I have a bias against big cars that dates back to the need to parallel park my mom's minivan for my driving test. On the other hand, it's not like I get to drive a ton of "luxury cars" either, so I figured even if it wasn'
By Megan Carpentier Read More
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2008 Mazdaspeed3, Part One

Cruising the affluent suburban streets of the Chicago area in the 2008 Mazdaspeed3, I'm looking for trouble. The dimming evening light and warm weather has brought out all the usual suspects: everyone from boy-racers in tuned Hondas to middle-aged men in Ford GTs. Chirping the tires as I dart from stoplight to stoplight, I feel like a 17-year-old taking a joyride in his dad's sports car. But I'm not racing anyone — yet. I'm just trying to get the attention of someone else who wants to run me. It
By Mark Arnold Read More

Entertainment (5)

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Adam Carolla: Top Gear For "Real Gearheads"

Adam Carolla, car guy, comedian and now, the new host of the US-Spec version of Top Gear, took a break from show-prep to talk to Popular Mechanics about the new NBC show. PopMech manages to get Carolla to reveal a lot about the show, including answers on why the ZR1 isn't top on his list of cars to review, his issues with Transformers (Shh, don't tell Wert!) and a denial of the assertion they can't diss the cars. Basically Carolla says it'll be exactly like the British version. Pop Mech also nam
By Matt Hardigree Read More
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Who Is Eric Stromer?

As part of our coverage of the announcement of the Top Gear USA pilot, we've put together a special feature on each of the three co-hosts. First was Adam Carolla, then Tanner Foust and lastly, Eric Stromer. Meet Eric Stromer, recently announced member of our Top Gear USA host trio and lover of the Toyota Camry hybrid. He's certainly got a pretty face — looks made for TV, but who is this guy? Does he have the chops to make it as a host on the American imported version of our beloved Top Gear fran
By Ben Wojdyla Read More
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Who Is Tanner Foust?

As part of our coverage of the announcement of the Top Gear USA pilot, we've put together a special feature on each of the three co-hosts. First was Adam Carolla. Next up is Tanner Foust. Nobody is questioning whether Tanner Foust can drive or not; he's already proven himself a pro hot-shoe having won a gold medal at the 2007 X-Games Rally and a championship in the 2007 Formula Drift series. He's also had experience in front of the lens, which is a good start, but will he be able to deliver wit
By Mark Arnold Read More
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Who Is Adam Carolla?

As part of our coverage of the announcement of the Top Gear USA pilot, we've put together a special feature on each of the three co-hosts. Believe it or not, Adam Carolla might actually know something about cars. Good thing, especially since he's going to be one of a trio of Top Gear USA hosts. Will his unenthusiastic enthusiasm help carry Top Gear to new and more 'merican heights, like Steve Carrell did with The Office? To better answer that question we look to his curriculum vitae below the ju
By Matt Hardigree Read More
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Top Gear Officially Coming To NBC!

It's official — Adam Carolla, Tanner Foust and Eric Stromer will be the threesome of hosts for NBC's US version of the greatest driving show ever — Top Gear. We've got the full press release with all the details on Top Gear USA below the jump. UPDATE #1: Looks like Strommer will be the US version's James May — he "prefers his Camry hybrid?" Gag. UPDATE #2: Sorry, we're still digesting the press release. We're liking the fact they're looking at "mirroring the UK show's irreverent humor and cam
By Ray Wert Read More

News (243)

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PCH, 3-Way Superpower Showdown: Renault R17 Gordini, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Or Bond Equipe?

In the God Save The Queen Edition challenge on Friday, the Lotus Elan used the head-shaped hole in its windshield to secure the win over the super-rare Jensen GT. A UK-versus-UK matchup is a fine thing, but we mustn't forget the other two Project Car Hell Superpowers: Italy and France! In our last PCH Superpower Showdown, Britain claimed the PCH Intergalactic Superchampion trophy (which is the only award in the world that comes with a spun rod bearing); today, we're going to have our first-ever
By Murilee Martin Read More
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Top Ten Best Car Commercials Of The 1960s

We've been running the Classic Ad Watch series for years now, and we've seen some pretty entertaining car commercials along the way. Since the Fourth of July week is all about the frenzy of consumption that is the American Dream, we'll be taking a look back at some of our most beloved ads from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Best of all, we're letting you vote on which is your favorite from each decade! First up is that most beloved decade of the Baby Boomers, who will ensure that the rest o
By Murilee Martin Read More
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Tesla Announces Model S All-Electric Sedan With 225-Mile Range, $60K Price Tag

UPDATE In addition to announcing the Model S, Telsa boss Elon Musk has stated they hope to develop their technology to the point where future cars may be priced at $30,000 and below, but that won't be the case when the first models roll out in four years. So, no car, no price, no launch date. Nothing to see here, folks. Tesla, makers of the Tesla Roadster that hasn't yet seemed able to make it to market, have just announced plans for the Model S, a five passenger, all-electric "sports" sedan cap
By Ben Wojdyla Read More
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Buy Your Civic Hybrid Today: Tax Credit Halves Tomorrow

The Honda Civic hybrid is the latest victim of the hybrid tax break exemption. Beginning on July 1, the tax credit for owning a Honda Civic hybrid will be sliced in half, from $1,050 to $525, on its way down to zero. If you recall, owners of hybrid vehicles are only eligible for the full tax credit until the manufacturer sells 60,000 units of that particular hybrid vehicle. Then a phase-out process begins, eventually reducing the credit to nothing except that warm glow you get from the batteries
By Travis Hudson Read More
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GMI: GMC Acadia, Lambda SUT Cut Like Bad Fraternity Pledges

We'd heard earlier this month GM was considering the possibility of cutting a brand — and Pontiac and GMC were the two we were told had the greatest possibility of seeing their head hit the chopping block. While apparently that's still being debated, the GM forum fan-boys over at GMInsideNews have come across news that two planned products in the GMC portfolio of platform prostitutes — the next GMC Acadia and a possible Acadia SUT — may be asked to leave the bunny ranch. What GMI's heard, after
By Ray Wert Read More
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2010 Saab 9-3: We Speculate, You Decide

Opel's release of the Vectra-replacing 2009 Opel Insignia is bringing with it speculation on other GM products built atop the Vectra's Epsilon platform, including the Saab 9-3. Which is where we think the impetus for the above potential p-shop, appearing on the Vince Burlapp Car Page just below those Mazda3 renders from earlier, may have come from. The 9-3's been built on the same Epsilon platform as the Vectra since 2003 and is getting seriously long in the tooth, even in the admittedly capable
By Wes Siler Read More
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Merrill Lynch "Car Wars" Report Claims Cerberus Readying Chrysler For Chop Shop

The new Dodge Challenger is hitting showrooms. The 2009 Dodge Ram launch is scheduled for fall. But it's the sounds of silence after that when it comes to product. What's going on? One influential industry study, the Merrill Lynch "Car Wars" report (yes, that's it's real name), states Chrysler's lack of new product may be a deliberate effort on the part of owners Cerberus Capital Management to thin the herd in advance of a breakup and subsequent sale. In an excerpt that again proves financial an
By Andrew Stoy Read More
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1968 GMC 2500, With Bonus GM Pickup Poll

While Alameda has a pretty nice beach on its Bay side (though with waves best measured in inches rather than feet), I haven't really been checking for interesting cars parked along the shoreline. That's because the section of the island near the San Francisco Bay is mostly landfill dating from the 1950s, which means the residents in the area tend to have garages for their collectible rides. However, you still see the occasional work truck parked in front of one of the big Polynesian-themed apart
By Murilee Martin Read More
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Kia To Get First-Ever Coupe In 2009, May Replace "Spectra" Name

Kia plans to introduce the brand's first ever coupe next summer, a couple of months after the new Spectra sedan goes on sale by mid-2009. The new coupe will reportedly be based on the Koup concept, first shown at the New York Auto Show just a few short months ago. But fans of the Spectra name may be disappointed. According to Lee Hyun-soon, president of Hyundai-Kia Motors' R&D division, the Spectra family may not retain the name. Our assumption is the Korean company plans to globalize their nami
By Andrew Stoy Read More
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Commenter Of The Day: USA #1 Edition

All you haters need to realize. America is the best country on earth. Not only do we make awesome beer, but we win the World Series every year. What have you got to say about that? Nuthin. Occasionally, you dirty foreigners forget this, makin' fancy cars and consumer electronics that challenge our rightful place as #1 at everything. So when that happens, what do we do? We smack all you little people down. Such is the case with the Corvette ZR1 doing the Nurburgring in 7:26.4. In case that wasn't
By Wes Siler Read More
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Project Car Hell, God Save The Queen Edition: Jensen GT Or Lotus Elan?

After the total blowout in the Lambo-versus-Maser poll, we had a much closer race in yesterday's Choose Your Eternity poll, with the 1JZGTE-powered Volvo wagon just barely eking out a victory over the LS1-powered BMW 3 Series. Today we need to return to a theme we haven't seen since last year: two British sports cars striving for a place in your Garage Of Everlasting Punishment!
By Murilee Martin Read More
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The Fastest Laps Of The Nurburgring: How The ZR1 Stacks Up

Now that the 2009 Corvette ZR1 has set a lap time of 7:26.4, we've been trying to wrap our heads around just how fast that really is. Sure, it's faster than the GT-R, but we're wondering if there's anything that can make the ZR1 look slow. With the caveat that lap times vary depending on track conditions and driver skill, let's take a look at some of the fastest lap times around the the Nürburgring Nordschleife, and see what's what.
By Mark Arnold Read More
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2009 Nissan GT-R Priced At $69,850, On Sale July 7

It's official, the 2009 Nissan GT-R will start at $69,850 with deliveries beginning July 7. The GT-R Premium will cost $71,900 while destination will add $1,000 to those prices. 70% are already spoken for.
By Wes Siler Read More
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Opel Blitz Fire Truck Woke Up One Morning In... San Francisco?

Denver has the Mercedes-Benz Feuerwagen, but San Francisco can hold its head up high when it comes to German Emergency Vehicle bragging rights, with this 60s Opel Blitz that Akier photographed in the Sunset District. Make the jump to see the entire gallery and read Akier's description.
By Murilee Martin Read More
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Vintage Trailers Brought Back To Life At Former Air Force Base

Having lived in the notorious Irvine Meadows West trailer park, which was all about Project Trailer Hell vintage tin, I can state that Airstreams pretty much suck for any sort of extended habitation. The cylindrical shape means that the interiors are cramped and storage areas are unusable. However, they sure look cool, and they're great for road trips. UDMan has discovered an operation in New York that restores old Airstreams- and other vintage trailers- on a former Air Force base. Make the jump
By Murilee Martin Read More
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Details Leak Out On New Racecraft Brand From Saleen

We've resisted the urge to report on the rumors of a new brand coming from Saleen (original style, not the new SMS brand run by Steve Saleen himself). But today The Chrome Pony offered up some dish that was just too good to pass on. According to them, a memo to Saleen dealers has been leaked which details the release of an upcoming "Racecraft" brand. While the Racecraft name has been on Saleen suspensions from the beginning, this would signal a change in the direction of the brand.
By Ben Wojdyla Read More
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Corvette ZR1 Laps Nurburgring In 7:26.4

Today, the 2009 Corvette ZR1 officially stepped up the global war for Nürburgring supremacy, as General Motors development engineer Jim Mero drove a stock ZR1 around the Nürburgring in a time of 7:26.4. That's significantly faster than the 7:29 lap set by the Nissan GT-R. We can't wait to see what the rest of the world's supercar competitors are gonna do now to step up their game.
By Mark Arnold Read More
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Muscle Car Wars Of 1978: Hood Decals Strike Back

It's a Friday, and it's the week before our most patriotic of U.S. holidays. What better time to take a look back at the best of American muscle machinery? Aha, but there's a catch: We're only going to go back 30 years. That's right, 1978. The Malaise era was striking back with a new breed of muscle cars. While not as legendary as some of the "true" muscle iron of the '60s, these creations traded raw power for cocaine-fueled, taped-on vinyl style. In the middle of an infamous era, we give you th
By Mark Arnold Read More
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Mosley Warned By Ecclestone Two Months Before Orgy

According to The Times, Bernie Ecclestone warned Max Mosley, "that people had been hired to discredit him and that they had been given an unlimited budget to do so." The paper's information comes from a corporate spy who now feels remorse for trying to help the former Fascist Party member avoid the plot against him.
By Wes Siler Read More
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Iacocca Arrives At Chrysler As Bankruptcy Rumors Swirl; Time Travel Perfected

Former chairman Lee Iacocca gave a closed pep rally to Chrysler employees yesterday in Auburn Hills, once again sharing the stage with a K-car, a minivan...and rumors of Chrysler's imminent bankruptcy. While current CEO Bob Nardelli was praising Iacocca as "Chrysler's most dynamic leader" and "a great American," Chrysler spokesman David Elshoff was telling reporters that rumblings about a forthcoming bankruptcy filing by the automaker were "without merit." Presumably addressing the present state
By Andrew Stoy Read More
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1969 Volkswagen Beetle

The old air-cooled Beetles have rusted to nothingness in much of the world, but they're still quite common in Alameda. So common, in fact, that I tend to think of them as normal "background cars" and have to remind myself to shoot one for this series when too many Beetle-free weeks go by. Since it's been almost three months since the last Beetle down on the Alameda street, we're due.
By Murilee Martin Read More
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Algae Diesel Passes Final Exam, Plans For Weekend Bender

When we covered the magical algae-powered VW Westfalia, we didn't imagine there would be a commercially viable version of the faux dino-juice available anywhere in the near term. Little did we know about the happenings over at Solazyme, which has just completed the rigorous ASTM D-975 (nerd speak for standard test) certification for diesel fuels. This new green diesel is made with a combination of algae and enzymes in a big enclosed vessel with all kinds of industrial leftovers as the feedstock.
By Ben Wojdyla Read More
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2010 BMW X5 Shows Off Its New Nose

Someone must have gotten lazy at the Nordschleife and didn't remember to cover up the new nose on the twin-turbocharged V8-powered 2010 BMW X5. In this latest round of spy shots from the folks at KGP, we can clearly see the dramatic, M3-inspired front air dam and big new wheels to match the upgraded styling. This marks the second application for the twin-turbo eight cylinder which debuted in the BMW X6, and in the X5 it will be making 408 HP and providing a 0-60 time of just 5.5 seconds. The one
By Ben Wojdyla Read More
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PCH, Engines Not Found In Nature Edition: LS1 BMW Or 1JZGTE Volvo?

The Lamborghini Jarama sprinkled a little olive oil on the Maserati Quattroporte and ate it like a little gnocchi (in spite of the Maser's vast bulk) in yesterday's Choose Your Eternity poll, triumphing in a near-unprecedented 80-20 ass-whupping. Apparently the Maserati was just too easy for our voters, and we totally understand. That's the reason we're going with a couple of projects featuring crazy international engine swaps today, because there's nothing as cool as a car that will be a tire-r
By Murilee Martin Read More
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VW Golf Twin Drive Plug-In Hybrid Diesel Makes Prius Look Thirsty

The combination of a fuel-sipping diesel engine with plug-in hybrid technology is something that hasn't really been utilized — until now. This is the Volkswagen Golf Twin Drive Concept, and it looks even more promising than VW's late Golf TDI Hybrid from Geneva. Evidently, the Twin Drive can be run in electric-only mode for a range of up to 30 miles using an 82 HP electric motor. But, there's also a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel that makes 122 HP which can take over once the batteries have been drained
By Mark Arnold Read More
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Passenger Desk Setup Redefines Telecommuting

Don't tell your boss, but now there's a way to be even more efficient, without being at the office. The CarGo Desk Mobile Laptop Desk mounts on the passenger side of your vehicle and includes a laptop stand, a miniature file cabinet, 400-watt power inverter, GPS mount, PDA mount, cell phone mount, printer mount and enough security devices to keep it all locked down, supposedly.
By Travis Hudson Read More
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AMC Concord Crusher-Bound, In Spite Of Landau Roof

With the optional VW/Audi four-cylinder (same engine as the one in the Porsche 924) under the hood and its snazzy faux-convertible landau roof, you'd think this '78 Concord would be worth keeping on the road. Apparently not, as I spotted this very solid-looking AMC being prepared for a stint on the stands at a local self-service wrecking yard. After that, it'll be Crusher time.
By Murilee Martin Read More
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Car Insurance Companies Have Always Been At War With High Prices

A few of the big insurance companies (Progressive, we're looking at you) have been experimenting with high-tech on-board devices to monitor their customer's driving habits for a few years now. But telematics have finally entered the picture, allowing on-the-fly uploading of driver information, vs the previous systems which required drivers to manually upload their data. A majority of drivers who opt-in will save money; about $270 annually per car, according to one think tank. The downside for us
By Mark Arnold Read More
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2010 Cadillac CTC, Cadillac CTS Coupe, Spotted From Behind

Check out the rear end on this 2010 Cadillac CTC, the 2010 Cadillac CTS Coupe but with a 'C' for Coupe instead of an 'S' for Sedan (get it?). Of note is the smooth glasshouse created by the hidden B-pillar and the center-mounted square exhaust pipes contained within the bumper. Also apparent is some sort of hidden door handle, further smoothing out the CTC's lines. Full spy report from KGP after the jump.
By Wes Siler Read More
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Behind Audi's Biodiesel Victory At The 24 Hours Of Le Mans

One of the more interesting but overlooked facts from the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans was that the Audi R10 TDI cars not only ran, but won, on a mixture of Shell V-Power Gas-To-Liquid (GTL) racing diesel and a newly designed Biomass-to-Diesel (BTL) fuel. We've been fascinated with prospects of biomass diesel since taking a trip to the Sears Tower in the algae van, as BTL offers cleaner output, has no fossil-fuel base and doesn't interfere with the food chain. The version used in the race cars was a
By Matt Hardigree Read More
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1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

It seems impossible, but we're on the 286th street-parked Alameda vehicle in this series and only now are we seeing a Chevrolet Monte Carlo. How could that be? The first generation of Monte Carlo sold like crazy, yet you rarely see them (in any condition) these days- gone without leaving much trace. While I do have some photos of Alameda's Malaise Montes, I figured this example of the Monte Carlo's very first year should go first.
By Murilee Martin Read More
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PCH, Dante Alighieri Thinks You Deserve It Edition: Lamborghini Jarama Or Maserati Quattroporte?

We love to pit one high-end Italian car against another in this series; we've had Ferrari 250 versus Lamborghini Diablo, Espada versus Espada, Ferrari Mondial versus Maserati Coupe, among others. Up until now, however, a Lamborghini has never vied with a Maserati for a place in your Garage Of Eternal Suffering. We've managed to find a couple of quite affordable classics from those two manufacturers, so it's time to triple the size of your tool collection and buy some asbestos coveralls!
By Murilee Martin Read More
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Saab 9-X BioHybrid Wins Specialty Concept Of The Year

The Saab 9-X BioHybrid has been crowned as the coolest car to never actually exist by 25 professional auto journalists at the Automotive Hall of Fame. The award, better known as the "Specialty Concept Car of the Year," was bestowed upon the 9-X BioHybrid due to its ultra-efficient 200 HP 1.4-liter BioPower turbo hybrid engine. Not only were the underhood goods touted, but the panel of journalists also loved how purty the 9-X BioHybrid looks, with its electronic power-sliding floor, ambient light
By Travis Hudson Read More
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GM Invents Electric Deathmobile In 1973

There's an awful lot of hubbub surrounding the 2010 Chevy Volt, and rightfully so: GM is whipping us over the head with PR talking up a mostly electric car that may actually be useful in the real world. This, of course, doesn't mean they haven't built EV's before. Everyone remembers the GM EV1, an experiment which was eventually pried from public hands and shredded to avoid the crushing liabilities of used cars. But few remember its predecessor, the 1973 GM Urban Electric.
By Ben Wojdyla Read More
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2009 Porsche 911 Carrera 4: AWD Bruce

For 2009, the entire Porsche 911 Carrera lineup has been given a refresh, and now we've got the details and first shots of the all-wheel-drive 911 Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S models. Thanks to direct-injection, the 3.6-liter flat-six in the Carrera 4 now makes 345 HP, and the 3.8-liter unit in the Carrera 4S makes a Bruce-tastic 385 HP. But the first thing you likely noticed was the new reflecto' bar bridging the LED rear lights that brings to mind the old air-cooled 911. All the other visual chang
By Mark Arnold Read More
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Americans Want Hybrids As Long As They Don't Cost Nuthin'

It turns out that a majority of Americans surveyed in a recent J.D. Power & Associates study are very enthusiastic about hybrid technology...until they find out that they have to pay for it. Continuing a long history of having cake and eating it too, 72% of consumers said they were interested in hybrid technology independent of cost. When a $5,000 cost was included in the equation, the number of respondents who were interested dropped to 46%. When consumers discovered that hybrids weren't availa
By Andrew Stoy Read More
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1987 BMW M6

We love the BMW 6 series cars around here, and so far we've seen an '83 633CSi and an '87 L6 parked on the Alameda street. You fans of the early 5 and 7 series BMWs will have your day, as I'm going to shoot at least one example of each for this series... but that's going to have to wait, because we've got a "stop the presses" sort of a find for today.
By Murilee Martin Read More
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Jim Cramer: GM Screwed, Is The Citigroup Of Automakers

Detroit's big players may be better off using Chapter 11 to come back from the brink says Jim Cramer, he of the Maddest Money, on BloggingStocks.com. His rationale? If gas prices stay where they are, there simply aren't enough GM products that people want, and there are way too many GM products that no one wants. He also feels a little less than bullish on Ford. Cramer is also wondering why, with automaker stock prices so low (as of this writing Ford is at a pathetic, though slightly improved, $
By Matt Hardigree Read More
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Ashley Van Dyke Is NOT Driving A Corvette ZR1 In The Bullrun

A quick glance at the very graphical press release from Ashley Van Dyke, the motor-loving mistress of the Bullrun TV show, and you'll think perhaps she'll be driving the new $413,000 ($105,000 minus dealer markup) and 638 HP 2009 Chevy ZR1 in this week's Bullrun road rally. It's hard not to. It's right there at the top of the press release. For a moment there we thought maybe Chevy was throwing down the ZR1 for some road rallying hype — like the Z06 before it for the Frankl twins. A quick e-mail
By Ray Wert Read More
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Porsche Carrera GT Drifts Right 'Round Dubai Roundabout

Dubai is no longer just a quaint desert outpost where car thieves merely steal police BMWs. Nope, the lack of proper law enforcement oversight is now showing up in more edge-of-the-seat ways. Because although taking a Porsche Carrera GT out for donuts and making sideways laps around a roundabout seems like a pretty good way to thrash a V10-powered Stuttgart supercar, it probably doesn't help so much with the law and order. [via autogespot]
By Mark Arnold Read More
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RENNtech SLR McLaren 722 PKG2 More Powerful, More Confusing

The RENNtech SLR McLaren 722 PKG2 is yet another RENNtech-tuned version of the Mercedes-Benz SLR, following in the large-horsepower footsteps of the Mercedes-Benz SLR 722 and the original RENNtech 722. The original upped power from the SLR's base 650 horses to 722 HP, thus reducing the confusion over the name (7:22 am was Stirling Moss's and Dennis Jenkinson's starting time for the 1955 Mille Miglia in the first SLR). This new version, however, now has 740 HP thanks to the addition of a new exha
By Matt Hardigree Read More
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Mercedes Zetros: When You Need A Bigger Unimog

If you took the Mercedes Unimog, one of the world's most capable off-road military-type vehicles, and scaled it up — a lot — you'd get the Mercedes Zetros. Revealed this week at the International Defence Exhibition Eurosatory 2008 in Paris, it's supposedly the final word in Mercedes military hauling applications. Seems reasonable, especially as we're told the Zetros will be able to go just about anywhere while simultaneously towing or hauling just about anything. Combine that with the ability to
By Ben Wojdyla Read More
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Fast And Furious First Production Stills, Movie Both Grand And National

That's right, the fourth installment of The Fast And The Furious is to be called, merely, Fast And Furious, and here are the first pics. We wonder if calling it Fast and Furious means it isn't too fast, nor too furious, but just right. Among the cars featured you'll notice Vin Diesel's Chevelle SS, which we've seen before, and a Buick Grand National (non GNX), which is new to us. If you'd expect those to be the only cars in the film, you'd probably be wrong.
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Now You Know It's Bad: Toyota May Miss U.S. Sales Targets

The Super-Best Automaker from the Land of the Rising Sun is backing away from forecasts that show an annual increase in U.S. sales over last year. Despite massive demand for the smug-forming Prius, Toyota's plans for world domination are getting bogged down in the Tundra, since the same market forces decimating demand for domestic trucks are affecting the full-size Toyota offerings. The company now says it will likely be unable to improve upon the 2.62 million vehicles it sold in the U.S. during
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1964 Dodge Dart Wagon

We saw another Dart in this series just last week, but we haven't yet seen a Dart wagon in this series. I shot these photographs during a rainstorm over the winter; I'd planned on reshooting the car in brighter light, but I think the car looks more like a tough Detroit survivor- which it most certainly is- in the gloomy lighting and raindrop-blurring of these photos.
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Accept Our Sacrifice, O Racing Gods!

Sometimes you can bash away on your low-budget race car for a full dawn-to-dusk weekend, yet it's still not ready. That's when you need to take drastic measures...
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Project Car Hell, 60s Police Car Edition: Ford Or Dodge?

The Mazda 1500 wagon combined parts-obtainment impossibility with nobody's-ever-seen-one obscurity to beat the right-hand-drive '75 Nissan Fairlady in Friday's Choose Your Eternity poll. We weren't sure how well a non-rotary Mazda would fare in such a matchup, but the win was by a decisive 60/40 split. Today we're heading to Detroit, which always presents certain challenges for this series; how do you find a Detroit Big Three machine that's hell enough? So much standardization of components and
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2009 Maserati Quattroporte And Quattroporte S Revealed

If you love the Maserati Quattroporte, these photos of the 2009 Maserati Quattroporte S should warm your heart. If you don't love the QP, we're sure with enough therapy you can turn things around. The Quattroporte S model gets a version the 4.7-Liter V8 out of the Gran Turismo S, detuned slightly to produce 425 HP. Obvious exterior changes include a slatted grille, revised front and rear lights and new mirrors. Because this car isn't for the mass affluent, the QP has been given two new shades of
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A 900 HP Ferrari "Millechili" Will Make The Enzo Look Like Chopped Liver

With the Enzo now out of production, and no mega-super-car in the Ferrari stable, the prancing stallion brand believes the Millechili concept, first revealed at the automaker's 60th anniversary extravaganza, to move from the realm of conceptual toilet paper tubes to production. Fuel to that fire comes today by way of Car und Driver. The buff book's sources report Ferrari is looking to see the Ferrari Millechili hit the streets as a 2010 model. The only thing is — what the hell would the numbers
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Mohammad Bin Sulayem Saves Mosley's Ass From Final Spanking, Compares Scandal To "Terrorist Attack"

Those curious how Max Mosley was able to pull an upset vote and keep his job as head of the FIA after a serious Nazi sex scandal need look no further than Mohammed Bin Sulayem, head of motorsports in the United Arab Emirates. Oh Max, did you really think it would look better to have your ass saved in a scandal involving the Jewish community by a guy named Mohammed? It's actually not that bad, we think... though Bin Sulayem did bring up terrorist attacks in his defense of Mosley. Seriously.
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Volt To Get Twice The Batteries, GM Wants Twice The Tax Credit

General Motors is lobbying for a $7,000 tax credit for buyers of the $30,000 $40,000 2011 Chevy Volt — more than double that originally offered for Prius buyers. The automaker's arguing the credit should be based on battery capacity. "What we favor is actually a sliding scale depending on how much battery you have on board," said Jon Lauckner, GM VP for global program management. "When I talk about $6,000 to $7,000, we're talking about a battery that's at least two times the size of a typical co
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Dealer Gouging Reportedly Sends 2009 Corvette ZR1 To Amazingly Insane Price Of $413,000

The 2009 Corvette ZR1, GM's new mega-powered super car, will reportedly only be offered to the top 338 Chevy dealers nationwide. That effectively shuts out the other 3,594 from the chance of offering one to enthusiastic fans of the bowtied brand. We guess that explains the four-times-the-price gouging we're hearing about from potential customers. That's right, although the 638 HP 2009 ZR1 gets a price tag of $103,300 ($105,000 with the $1,700 gas guzzler tax) and Corvette engineers asking dealer
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Used Truck Dealers Reporting Pickup Prices Plunging 25% Over Past Three Months

Not surprisingly, the implosion of the new pickup/SUV market now means that your '06 Silverado doubles in value every time you fill the tank. Large retail groups such as CarMax are reporting wholesale prices for big pickups have plunged 25% in the last three months alone. With trade-in values making up a significant factor in many new car transactions, dealers are finding themselves squeezed by more truck owners "upside-down" in their loans. With dealers unable to finance new purchases, they've
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1988 Mitsubishi L300

You still see a few of the mid-engined 80s Toyota vans around, but when was the last time you saw a Mitsubishi van of that era? Very few of these things were sold in North America back in the day; in fact, I can't even figure out what Mitsubishi called this vehicle here; was it marketed as the plain ol' Mitsubishi Van? Van Wagon? In any case, the 1988 Mitsubishi van is one seriously rare machine, and so it has earned its place in DOTS Truck Monday.
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Who's The Boss: Ford To Axe Boss Engine In Mustang, Limit Use To Super-Duty?

Buried beneath pickup truck news — by way of PickupTrucks.com and Automotive News — we're told Ford may be axing (or at least severely limiting) their program for the large displacement Boss V8 engine. These "Boss" engines, sources claim, were planned for the 2010 Ford Mustang and F-150's, and expected to go head-to-head with big-liter engines from Chrysler, GM and Toyota. According to the two outlets' internal Ford whisperers, the bigger engines may be being scrapped altogether. That means, pot
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Vintage Racer Killed In High-Speed Crash At Mosport Raceway

This weekend weekend of bad motorsports keeps getting worse. Yesterday, Scott Kalitta. Today, Dino Crescentini, a ten-year veteran of vintage racing, died at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, when the Wolf Dallara Can-Am car he was driving — a car once owned by Canadian industrialist and Formula One team owner Walter Wolf and driven in the 1977 Can-Am Series by the legendary Canadian Gilles Villeneuve — apparently went sideways at very high speed. Crescentini was participati
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The Horrifying Scott Kalitta Funny Car Crash Video, As Shown By ESPN2

We initially hesitated from showing you video of the 300 MPH crash and death of NHRA champ Scott Kalitta after we received a tip that a video from the stands had made its way to YouTube. We decided the death of a drag racer was a rather gruesome thing to show you. Although we knew the race was being broadcast by ESPN2, we figured they'd cover it with the dignity and respect it deserved. We hadn't realized it'd been replayed by "the deuce" immediately after it happened and then again, and again
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DOTS-O-Rama Sunday: Pair-O-Windsor Jeeps

We're going to wrap up the Canada-themed DOTS-O-Rama Sunday now, with this pair of Jeeps that Schweppes found on the mean streets of Windsor, Ontario. He's also included some bonus shots of an Acura NSX he spied during his travels. Jump to read his description and see the entire gallery.
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DOTS-O-Rama Sunday: 1959 DeSoto Fireflite

We all miss the inimitable POLA?, but at least we've got some DOTSBE photos that he shot on the streets of his native Toronto before running off to become Maximum Warlord of the Trilateral Commission. First up is this remarkably unrusty '59 DeSoto; make the jump to see the entire gallery and read some classic POLA?isms
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DOTS-O-Rama Sunday: 1954 International Harvester Pickup

Time to go west again, as we check out this 1953-55 International Harvester pickup captures by General Dearthair MacArthur. Since he could only get two shots (read the explanation post-jump), he included a Bonus Saab for us.
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Scott Kalitta, NHRA Champion, Killed In Qualifying Incident

UPDATE: We've now posted the Scott Kalitta crash video. Funny Car driver and two-time Top Fuel champion Scott Kalitta died after injuries sustained in a fiery crash during the final round of qualifying of the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway park saturday. According to reports, his Toyota Solara Funny Car experienced an engine explosion at around 300 mph, causing his car to hit a sand trap and eventually crash. Kalitta, age 46, had a long and successful career, includ
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Transformers "Corvette Concept," "Z28" Bumblebee Get A Close-Up

Last time we saw it from afar, but now we've got the first close-up shot of what we're now told is a Corvette concept shot on the set of the new Transformers 2 movie, Revenge of the Fallen. The latest shot, posted to the Motown Muscle forum, comes with some degree of reliability given it comes with two new shots of the "Bumblebee" version of the 2010 Chevy Camaro Z28. That's right, our e-mail tipster, who also posted the shots on the forum, claims not only that this is a 2010 (or 2012) Corvett
By Ray Wert Read More
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Announcing SLR Guy Contest Winners

And just like that, the fun-filled SLR Guy contest is all over. We didn't know we'd see so many entries and have so many laughs over this. But it's been one of the more entertaining photoshop contests we've run. You can peruse the top 15 entries for old times sake, but if we see any more SLR Guys in our inbox, we might toss the computer out the window. After all that work it turns out the esteemed commenters Dr. Danger, Molotov and Mike walked away the winners. Winning entries and the loot they'
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Project Car Hell, Co-Prosperity Sphere Edition: Nissan Fairlady Or Mazda Luce?

The low-miles AMC beat the NASA-built Fairmont in the Electrocutioner Edition Choose Your Eternity poll, though the Fairmont did make a respectable showing. Today we're jumping back into a pool of flaming gasoline, because there's no telling how much longer the smell of incompletely burned hydrocarbons will hover around our garages. After seeing a Datsun 610 in the junkyard and then the '78 Toyota brochures over at Japanese Nostalgic Car (thanks, SOS10), we decided to find a couple of Japanese c
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Vauxhall Tigra Makes Some Kind Of Statement In New England

Say you really, really want to bring a weird European car over to North America, really blow the squares' minds with something they've never seen before, and you're willing to go through the nightmarish bureaucratic hassles. Do you get all Kafkaesque with a Škoda Superb, or maybe pick up a what-the-hell-is-that Citroën C6? No! You spend endless months in Paperwork Hell so you can register a Vauxhall Tigra in Connecticut! We can totally see that, and we can thank MaxForrest32 for having his secre
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Murilee Shows You How To Steal Gas, 1985 Style!

Some guys might be ashamed of a blurry Super 8 film showing them at age 18, siphoning gas whilst sporting dirtbag-style long hair (no, it's not a goddamn mullet), a Dark Angel T-shirt, and a '68 Mercury Cyclone with cheap mags in the back and factory hubcaps on the front... but this is Jalopnik! Here's some footage I shot for a film class; let's just say I gave up on the project because it's really hard to capture a good burnout at night on ASA 64 Super 8 movie film (it does show off some cinema
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Doomed Datsun 610 Remembers When People Drove Small Japanese Wagons

It was Half Price Day at the local self-service yard last weekend, and I had my eye on a Porsche 928 that had been there the week before, thinking I could buy that purty Porsche intake manifold to hang on my wall. Sadly, the 928 had already gone to The Crusher, so I decided I might as well check for other interesting stuff... and, sure enough, here was a super-rare '74 Datsun 610 wagon. The L20B is still there, and so is the factory 8-track player. Well, the 8-track was there, since I felt compe
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Ford Looks To The Amerigasmic Power Of Toby Keith To Save The F-150

We've already noted the propensity of Ford PR to drop happy releases right after their sad releases, as if somehow the good news will cover for the bad news. Today we got news that Ford is stalling F-150 production and then, minutes later, Ford released this note about Toby Keith's big, bad jingoistic tour:
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2009 Ford F-150 Release Postponed Two Months, Truck Production Cut

Ford announced today that it was delaying the release of their 2009 Ford F-150 on the heels of GM's announcement that they would likely delay the development of the replacement for their GMT900 platform. Obviously, the merger of high gas prices and the F-150 getting thumped by the Civic has convinced Ford it also needs to cut the production of its older models. Resources are also shifting toward the Edge, Flex and smaller cars like the Focus. In a frank statement, CEO Alan Mullaly said "We view
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2009 VW Scirocco Available For Order, Hotter Version On The Way?

V-Dub has announced they are taking orders for their Euro-only 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco. While the latest iteration of the two-door sport hatch won't be getting the 325 HP engine seen in the 24-hour Nürburgring race-prepped Scirocco GT24, it will still be getting some respectable scoot. The Scirocco will officially be running a 197 HP, 2-liter TFSI powerplant, but the presser hints at more. Initial volume is slated at 3,350 cars for the UK and "around 9,000 in 2009 when a full line-up is availab
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Mazda Hydrogen Van Approved For Testing Despite Lack Of Wings And Fluorescent Dragons

After successfully building a Hydrogen RX-8, Mazda has moved on to converting their Premacy van to run on the futuristic fuel. Powered by a newer version of their hydrogen rotary engine, the new vehicle gets a 40% increase in power, an increased range and now approval to test on public streets in Japan. Though we like the idea of hydrogen-fueled, rotary-powered van, we're a little disappointed that it didn't get the full dekotora treatment. A lip spoiler extending eight feet out in front of the
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1976 Buick Regal

You know what we haven't had in this series? Donks! Oakland, just across a narrow estuary from Alameda, has a fair number of donkified GM cars, but the trend seems to be dying out. In any case, donkmania never got very big in Alameda, where old-school musclecars and lowriders seem to be the customization themes of choice. Here's a rare Alameda donk, which I shot next to Alameda High over the winter (no, it doesn't rain here in June). The car parked on that block every school day, so is it a teac
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Bloomberg Creates "No-Car Zone" In Manhattan, Reveals Anti-Auto War Of Aggression

New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has announced a plan to create a car-free zone along a 6.9-mile stretch of Manhattan streets on three Saturdays during the month of August. The experimental initiative, which the Mayor has dubbed "Summer Streets," stretches from 72nd street, taking a jog over to Fourth Avenue at 14th St., crossing over to Lafayette and stopping just shy of the Brooklyn Bridge. This anti-American anti-auto experiment is like a grenade signifying Mike's true intentions — an all-o
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Hot Rods, Fire Trucks And More: Seven Crazy Golf Cart Mods

Those complaining about high gas prices and the lack of electric cars need look no further than the putting green, where electric golf carts are being converted to look like Hummers, hot rods and even fire trucks. Some carts are even capable of speeds in excess of 45 mph and will travel 25 miles on a single charge. Even Saleen has a Modded GEM Neighborhood Vehicle (NEV), which can legally drive on city streets. Which is where, if gas prices go up any higher, we'll be thinking about taking them.
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Mercedes-Benz Adds Factory iPhone Integration

Mercedes-Benz is getting hip with the youngsters by announcing that it will support the Apple iPhone by way of a center-console mounted cradle. The good news about this is that the switching between audio and telephone functions seems to be pretty seamless using the center display and steering-wheel controls. The bad news is that the iPhone's dock is in the center console, between the seats. Even if all of the interface controls can be operated using the vehicle's controls, having the phone in t
By Travis Hudson Read More
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Six Ways To Protect Your Tank From Gas Thieves

As fuel prices rise, gas is rapidly becoming an extremely valuable commodity. And after sharing the five best ways to steal gas last week, we figure it's prudent to do the right thing by providing six of the best ways to protect your gas investment from the shady characters out there wishing to make it their own.
By Wes Siler Read More
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More Evidence Points To Hummer Sale; Russians, Chinese Interested?

More evidence is emerging that GM is moving quickly to solve its Hummer problem. The Detroit Free Press reports today on John Voss, a Dayton-area dealer who purchased a Hummer franchise in April, who says that GM offered to refund his money. "They have three choices and they said they want to make this decision very quickly," Voss said. "They are either going to make a smaller Hummer hybrid and change the H2, close the brand or sell it." Given the lead time needed to create a Hummer hybrid or im
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2010 Ford Mustang GT Convertible Shows Off Why We Want A GT Spoiler Delete Option

The rear end of the 2010 Ford Mustang GT has just been spotted (both literally and well, literally) by the intrepid spy photographers of KGP. This time, the shots reveal the pony car's badging, the new rear lights and and a revised lip spoiler. While we know Ford thinks the new 2010 Ford Mustang GT will have a lot of giddy up and go, we're thinking it probably won't be so fast it'll need that spoiler. We're just glad the 2009 model gives us the spoiler delete option, and we're hoping Ford provid
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1974 BMW 3.0 CS, With Bonus BMW Poll

We saw a somewhat rough E9 BMW last fall, and now we're going to look at one that's a bit nicer. I've seen this '74 3.0 CS moving around under its own power pretty regularly, while the '73 3.0 CSi seems to be more a work in progress. The 2002s seem to get a lot more love than the big 6-cylinder cars of this era, but we'll see who fares best in the poll after the jump.
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Keep Your Premium Car, Ditch The Premium Gas

According to an article in the New York Times, some drivers of cars that are supposed to be fueled with premium-grade gasoline are switching to regular gas in an attempt to soothe their wallets. It's all about appearances, after all. Those big illuminated numbers that stare you down every time you fill up at the pump are getting bigger and scarier. But who wants to give up their premium car? Why not just give up the premium gas?
By Mark Arnold Read More
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IBM Steering Wheel Takes In-Car Entertainment To A New Level

The normally stuffy suits at IBM must've raided the ex-Xerox PARC labs for their latest project, as it's a bit out of left field. IBM is working on a steering wheel that has the ability to read a driver's lips and also serve as a drum machine. It does have some practical uses, as well — as if anything could be more practical than a lip-reading in-car drum machine.
By Travis Hudson Read More
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The End Of The Douchiness Is At Hand, Now Vote For The Best "SLR Guy" Entry!

Well, this crazy mixed up SLR Guy photo chopping game has been a laugh riot, but all good things must come to an end. After a marathon gallery and a follow up with all the late entries, we've finally cut off submissions and it's time for you to make the final choice. Today we pitch our fifteen favorites and we'll let you vote on who takes home the fabulous prizes. That's right we said fifteen, hey, you try narrowing it down to only ten when you get well over three hundred entries — some of them
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Genuine Driveshaft Through The Skull Shirts Now Available!

There's been plenty of excitement about the Driveshaft Through The Skull symbol done by our friend Walker Canada. Everyone, it seems, wants to sport their own DTTS gear, and understandably so! You can download the vector graphic here and make your own stuff, you can get stickers from an obliging Jalopnik reader... and now you can buy Driveshaft Through The Skull T-shirts printed by Walker himself! Make the jump to get the details.
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Project Car Hell, Ten Buck Gas Edition: Electric Hornet Or Electric Fairmont?

Looks like the Ferrari-versus-Lamborghini Hell Project score is now Enzo 1, Ferrucio 1, according to the results of Monday's Choose Your Eternity Poll. We'll see about reprising the epic battle of the kings of finicky and costly Italian machinery soon enough, but today we're going to tell the oil companies we've had enough of their crazy prices and look at Electric Car Hell. And we don't mean glorified golf carts or even plug-in hybrids- we mean rear-wheel-drive American cars with great big elec
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2009 Jetta TDI And Sportwagen TDI Pricing Announced, Just $23,590 To Move Your Goethe Statues

Volkswagen has finally announced the price for their pair of Diesel Jettas, with the regular TDI sedan and the Jetta SportWagen starting out at $21,990 and $23,590, respectively. When we reviewed the SportWagen we thought it was a fairly good value, especially the base SportWagen, which starts at $18,999. With a non-EPA estimate of 38/44 mpg, the TDI seems like an affordable way to transport your statues. Press release below the jump.
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Chryslerberus: Durango Hybrid Is Cheaper Than Tahoe Hybrid!

Have you been greenwashed convinced into thinking you can drive a big SUV and still do your part for the environment? Chrysler says you'll be saving big bucks driving an Aspen or Durango Hybrid over a "competitive vehicle" from GM. "$8,000 below the competition," they crow. But wait, GM doesn't make a 7-seat hybrid Trailblazer or Envoy. So what Chrysler is really referring to as the competition are the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrid twins. Ok, so technically the Durango/Aspen and Tahoe/Yukon a
By Mark Arnold Read More
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911-Powered VW Vans Are Everywhere!

The 911-powered '74 VW Transporter was the big winner in yesterday's Favorite PCH poll, but when was the last time you saw a Vanagon with a 911 engine? Outside of Germany, that is. Chris Hull over at Autofiends shot what we hope is such a Vanagon in SoCal; if it's for real, we approve strongly. [Autofiends]
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How Much Is Too Much For GPS? How About A G?

Garmin's ever-expanding line of GPS navigation units is getting an expensive new addition. The Garmin Nuvi 880 is now available for pre-order at Amazon for a ridiculous, ball-busting $1,000. You're probably telling yourself that a GPS system had better be able to read your mind and make coffee to be worth $1,000, right? Well, it can't quite do either, but it does have an extensive list of features and abilities. Full list after the jump.
By Travis Hudson Read More
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Oregon Suzuki LJ80, Plus Bonus '66 Ford F-100

PaulN continues to send in photos of interesting machinery he's found in Eugene, Oregon, and today we're going to look at a "Suzuki Jeep," otherwise known as a Suzuki LJ. I've never seen one of these in my life, but apparently some were sold in North America back in the day. Make the jump to read Paul's description and check out his indestructible '66 Ford truck.
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What's The True Cost Of Power?

The term "horsepower" was coined by James Watt almost purely as a marketing scheme for his steam engine. Horsepower is actually based on another standard, but foot-pounds-per-minute doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. It's now the benchmark for power, though it isn't always indicative of a car's performance. Weight, torque and other factors play just as big a role. Nevertheless, a car's horsepower is still one of the first facts we want to know; it's something touted by every carmaker and, inev
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Jalopnik How-To: Drag Racing

We know the thought of heading out to a drag strip for the first time can be both daunting and intimidating. This past weekend we did just that when we were invited to the second annual Ford Racing Invitational to try our hand at the straight-line game of drag racing. Having always focused more on the curves and less on the straights, this was your author's first time in front of a Christmas tree. As such, we figured it might be the perfect time to show you the ins and outs of running a car down
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Will America Buy The Cars That Jalopnik Wants?

Earlier this week we lauded Nissan's decision to offer only manual transmissions in the diesel-powered 2010 Nissan Maxima (ED NOTE: only to find out that this may not be true), because we heart the clutch for fun and fuel economy. Then Freeman pointed out this will likely lead to a glut of used diesel Maximas on the market in a matter of months. This brings up a frequently mentioned concern around the Jalop-o-sphere, what we like to call the inverse demand factor: the cars we want the most are t
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Audi TT-RS Spotted Lapping The Ring, But What's Going On Underneath?

Audi must've rented the 'Ring for the day, since we first got a glimpse of the R8 V10 and now we see a unique TT. With so many variations of Audi's sprightly TT coupe running around, sometimes the differences can appear minor at first. Take these pictures gathered by the folks at Bridge To Gantry of what appears to be an Audi TT-S. But look a little closer and you'll notice the 12-spoke RS-style wheels and ovular exhausts instead of the two dual-pipes on the TT-S. If this is the Audi TT-RS, what
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GM Not Breaking Up With Big Oil, Just Needed Time To Think

GM just can't quit Big Oil. One week after we reported that the General planned a very public breakup with petroleum, GM is backing away from its new ad campaign. In a statement, GM spokeswoman Kelly Cusinato said, "It's one spot, and it's not in its final creative treatment yet. We don't know if we're going to run it." Reportedly, Big Oil actually has a really big heart and isn't that bad, it's just been under a lot of stress at work, and besides, it promised GM it would only drink beer or wine
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1969 Dodge Dart GT Convertible

For those of you who thought the last '69 Dart GT convertible we saw in this series was just too nice, here's one that's taken a much rougher route during its nearly 40 years. Looks like it already had quite a bit of Bondo-centric rear bodywork when it took some sort of impact above the left rear wheel and went from "slightly rough" to "beater" just like that.
By Murilee Martin Read More
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Gumball 3000 Rally Still Heading To North Korea, Bringing Tony Hawk, "Jackass" Cast And David Hasselhoff

Despite last year's deadly early ending, Gumball 3000 founder "Mad" Maximillion Cooper's dropped yet another press release announcing his intentions to include North Korea as a one-night stopover on this year's "10th Anniversary" Gumball 3000 rally. But now he's also providing a list of attendees he plans to bring on his little merry-go-round-the-world adventure. Expect to see such luminaries as the entire crew of MTV's "Jackass," Tony Hawk and David Hasselhoff brought on for the ride. Good god,
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Daimler Buying Back Shares, Still Won't Buy Back That Sportcoupé

Daimler has opted to purchase back 10% of its own stock at a total price of around $9 billion. They were actually in the process of buying back said stock when the markets went all funky, but have decided it's a good time to restart the process. This is another sign that Daimler's at least trying to get a more firm fiscal footing, with this move ultimately allowing the company to use cheaper debt capital instead of money raised from shares for expansion. That, in turn, will allow them to reduce
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2009 Infiniti G37 Coupe To Get AWD This Fall, Cheapskates X-Static

Confirming what we all expected, the Infiniti G37 is going to get AWD this fall, making it a super-bargain version of the Nissan GT-R inasmuch as they're both AWD sports coupes from Nissan. It's still not a bad deal for those lacking in the funds for Godzilla but maintaining enough stomach to pull off this bodykit. Details below the jump.
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Five Cool Things We Learned About NASCAR This Weekend

Ford Racing invited Los Jalops on a NASCAR immersion trip this past Friday. At first we were skeptical, considering the big oval hasn't traditionally been our beat, but we've never been ones to shy away from bringing you the gift of knowledge, particularly when the odor of burning Sunoco 260 is involved. Since Wert's mouth was deemed "too purdy," yours truly popped a pinch 'twixt cheek and gum and headed over to Michigan International Speedway during practice laps for the LifeLock 400 to see wha
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Seven Reasons The Segway Still Sucks

With gas prices on the up, apparently the Segway is becoming a hot commodity. Well if you listen to the Wall Street Journal. Heck, Popular Mechanics even ran a list yesterday called "4 Practical Reasons the Segway Isn't Actually That Lame Anymore." We read it and you know what? It really irked our auto-loving nature. Because frankly, the Segway sucks. Yeah, sure, Dean Kamen's probably seen more of his inventions move from patent to reality than Tesla and Bell combined. But he also believed the
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Ford Racing Invitational: Who Smoked Whom?

We took a run down to Milan Dragway for the Ford Racing Invitational — a Ford-sponsored event this past weekend pitting the automotive media against each other in a little bit of drag racing action. We had the chance to take some runs against the likes of Road & Track,5.0 Mustangs & Super Fords and Autoblog just to name a few. Although we had little in the way of expectations about our chances given our first-time status when it comes to straight-line racing, our chances seemed diminished even m
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Aerocar To Be Displayed At 2008 Meadow Brook Concours, Land In Our Dreams

What would a car show be without a flying car? Frankly, we don't want to know, which is why we're glad the Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance, taking place Sunday, August 3, is playing host to the Taylor Aerocar. Built in 1956, this is perhaps the most successful flying car of all time. That's right, despite our fascination with flying cars, the best one was probably built more than 50 years ago. If you're on hand at the Meadow Brook event on August 3rd you can see one up close.
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2009 Corvette ZR1 Pricing Released: 638 HP For $103,300!

It's official, the 2009 Corvette ZR1 starts at $103,300. That's $161 per horsepower or $502 per mph; the ZR1 will hit 205mph. Other numbers include 0-60 in 3.4 seconds and a 1/4 mile time of 11.3 seconds at 131mph. Click through for the full numbers.
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2010 Acura NSX Is Real After All

Even though we thought the Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept from the 2007 Detroit Auto Show was a bit of a stinker when it came to telegraphing the 2010 Acura NSX, it looks like the shape has finally evolved into the real deal. That's right, here is the first look we've gotten at the front-engined successor to the mid-engined supercar. Clad in heavy camo, the scion of the NSX is rumored to be sporting a V10 under that long bonnet, and we wouldn't be surprised to hear of some magical transmissio
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Government-Issue 1986 Dodge Aries LE

There was some grumbling about the first Chrysler K Car we saw in this series, but there's no way I can run across a Government K sedan and not share it with the world. The Taurus and Lumina elbowed aside just about all the "official vehicle" K cars way back in the early 90s (and, to be fair, the K wasn't the most reliable car ever made, especially when operated by lead-footed public servants), but this plain-gray-wrapper Aries managed to beat the odds and stay on the road. It appears to be owne
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LeMons Winners Beaten By Le Mans Team

Before they headed off to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, California-based Flying Lizard Motorsports dared to take on 24 Hours of LeMons-winning Krider Racing team at the All American Soap Box Derby in Vallejo. The winner would then head off to the national championships in Ohio. The Le Mans team beat the LeMons team (which spent more on its gravity-powered car than it did on the Honda-powered one), then headed to France and placed sixth in the GT2 class with their Porsche. Make the jump to read Team K
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200 Days In Project Car Hell!

Hard to believe, but today's Choose Your Eternity matchup was the 200th Project Car Hell post since it all began in the summer of '07. It's a lot of work, it generates more hate mail than everything else I write put together (every so often, the seller of a PCH vehicle will discover the post with his or her car and try to set me straight about how it's really a great deal), and my constant searching for sufficiently cool/hellish candidates has made it virtually impossible for me to choose out a
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Project Car Hell, Ferrari Versus Lamborghini: The Rematch

Taking care of recent Hell Project business first, the Bentley roared- or, rather, was towed- right past the Rolls in our most recent Choose Your Eternity poll, winning in a 75/25 landslide. Those cars were all right, but where's the eternal torment when you can simply walk away from your hopeless project after shelling out less than ten Gs for it? No guts, no glory! That's why you need to forget all about ordinary cars, hock all your possessions, and dive headlong into the Inferno. That's right
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The Legend Of SLR Guy Continues

When we tossed the idea of a little photoshopping to celebrate the greatest achievement of SLR Guy's life — smashing up a $600,000 Mercedes McLaren SLR — we expected some pretty amusing responses. We did not expect 127 responses and counting. What we also learned was that although we don't think it's possible to actually die from laughing, it is possible to partially lose consciousness from lack of oxygen. We've collected all of the current entries into one mega-gallery after the jump and we're
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2009 Mercedes Benz CLK Has The Snake Eyes

The lens jockeys at KGP have managed to snag us a darn good look at the upcoming 2009 Mercedes Benz CLK. While we've seen the shape of the car before we haven't seen the new split-design headlights and the very bizarre trunk lid design. According to our spies, that headlight styling will be migrating across the Benzie lineup and acting as the new snake eyes for the E-class next. What we're not so sure about is the butt-end of this thing. The Germans may be having a tail war.
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Read Our Post About The 24 Hours Of Le Mans, Save 23 Hours And 58 Minutes (Spoilers)

For those who didn't watch the entire 24 Hours Of Le Mans by subsisting on a diet of Bawls and Pop Rocks this weekend, we've got a short wrap-up for you. We'll leave the salient details for below the jump, just in case there are some of you out there that TiVo'd the festivities and are planning to dole out the oil-burning goodness four hours at a time for the next week. Needless to say, some cars won. Others didn't. There was weather. If you want to know more you're going to have to click the bu
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American Automakers To Continue Limiting Fleet Sales, Koreans To Take Over?

Through the end of April, Chrysler had dropped fleet sales by 45,000 vehicles, a 17% decline from a year earlier, GM reduced its fleet sales by approximately 40,000 vehicles, a 14% drop and Ford posted a 9% decline in fleet sales, translating to 25,000 vehicles. Yes friends, Detroit automakers are avoiding the temptation to suckle at the teat of fleet sales, even in the face of significant sales drops. While the sales reductions will appear as another negative on an already battered sales report
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1979 Ford Ranchero

The Ford Ranchero cartruck went through numerous platform changes over the years, with the full-size sedan-based '57-59s, the compact Falcon-based '60-66s, the mid-sized Fairlane/Torino-based '68-76s, and the bloato-mid-sized LTD-based '77-79s. We saw a beige-and-brown two-tone '79 last summer, and now I've found another two-tone '79 on the island.
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Mazda To Reveal Anonymous Concept Crossover In Moscow

Mazda is showing off their latest Nagare design ("flow" in Japanese) to the Russians today, unveiling an unnamed concept crossover vehicle and describing it as a "sporty, compact crossover SUV designed especially for the Russian market." We're not sure exactly what that means, but a smoky two-stroke under a hood made entirely of iron would be appropriate. Mazda's Nagare designs are said to represent natural flow and first appeared at the 2006 LA Auto Show. Full release and gallery after the jump
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You Don't Mess With The Zibar-M

When you're dealing with a military budget of a country surrounded on three sides by those wishing to drive you into the sea on your other side, you're not going to be so much worried about the high cost of gas. That explains the Zibar-M, one of the baddest-looking off-roader recon vehicles we've seen in a very long time. The Zibar-M (we're told the M stands for "M"ilitary) is the newest light reconnaissance vehicle from Israel's IDO off-road industries with an impressive array of sensors and el
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DOTS-O-Rama Sunday: Vauxhall VX220

When was the last time you saw a Vauxhall VX220 in North America? ß®@ƒƒ managed to find one in California, Newport Beach to be exact (we're starting and ending the Down On The California Street DOTS-O-Rama Sunday in Orange County). The VX220 is a Lotus Elise chassis with an L61 engine from The General, and we're wondering what sort of crazy hoops the owner had jump through to get it registered here... oh, wait- is that a temporary tag in the rear window?
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DOTS-O-Rama Sunday: 1967 Plymouth Sport Fury III

We're still in lovely Costa Mesa, California, where Tomsk photographed this '67 Plymouth Fury for us. The hood ornament and "Commando V8" badging indicate that the car shipped with a 270- or 325-horsepower 383 under the hood (although there's no telling what sort of powerplant lives there now, what with the ready availability of so many flavors of Mopar engines over the decades). Jump like the cost of filling this thing up with high-octane to read Tomsk's observations.
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DOTS-O-Rama Sunday: B&Z Electric Car Electra King

Two-thirds of California's population lives in the southern part of the state, so it stands to reason that the Down On The California Street series would have to return to SoCal after a few Bay Area machines. Makeopalpyse, of Team Make:Way fame, shot this car in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles. Yes, folks, you're looking at a hyper-rare Electra King here, with a blistering top speed of 18 MPH. Hmmm... wonder if it would be possible to stuff enough electrons in it to beat Plasma Boy's ele
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DOTS-O-Rama Sunday: Studebaker Avanti

There's no escape from Orange County (yet), because we're heading down the 405 a ways and getting off in Laguna Hills. Laguna Hills is the relentlessly stucco-and-cul-de-sacs home of the Leisure World retirement community, where all manner of original-owner old cars may be seen... gathering dust. OC-based Vance shot this Avanti- which may or may not deserve to be called a Studebaker, depending on how much of a purist one may be- for us; to read his description, jump!
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DOTS-O-Rama Sunday: Holden Ute

We've been receiving DOTS Bonus Edition photos at a rate faster than we can post them at the current pace, so today we're going to have a special Bonus DOTS-O-Rama Sunday, with a series of vehicles captured in the wild by our readers. Today's theme will be Down On The California Street, and the first machine is this Holden ute that Froggmann found in Anaheim. How many California cities can you name that started out as a German utopian colony, had an all-KKK city government, and then became the h
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Cadillac Fleetwood: Choice Of Seattle Portland Junkies

Gus Van Sant's Drugstore Cowboy isn't a car movie per se, but you'll see some great old Detroit iron in this 1989 film (which is set in early-70s Seattle Portland). Somehow this choice of vehicle just seems right. Thanks to this YouTuber, we can watch Matt Dillon shoot some smack in a smooth-ridin' 1965 Cadillac Fleetwood. Enjoy.
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Austin-Healey 100 With Blown Jaguar V12 Has Almost Enough Engine Now

The Austin-Healey 100 is a true British sports car, all right, but there's something missing. What could it be? Yes, of course- a Vortec-supercharged 5.3 liter Jaguar V12, which is what Canadian lunatic Martin Jansen has installed in this '54. We don't get any horsepower figures for the engine (which seems odd, considering the engine builder goes by the moniker of "Dyno Dave"), but it's a safe assumption that it's much, much, much more than the 90 horsepower of the original A-H four-cylinder. Th
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Could Ford Retool Truck Plants To Produce Euro Fords?

We hear many car-related rumors on a daily basis, but there's one that came across our desk today that's quite the whopper. Website Autosavant is claiming their sources within Ford are saying that three of the four plants shuttered after Ford's dramatic reorganization will be retooled to produce popular European models like the Ford Kuga and C-Max. From the Autosavant piece:
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Street-Legal Bumper Cars Are A Carnival Nightmare Come True

Gasoline-powered street-legal bumper cars are the perfect convergence of any car guy's adult and childhood fantasies. Now one San Diego mechanic is custom building a collection of gasoline-powered and completely street-legal (and registered) bumper car cars. He outfits the vintage shells with 750cc Kawasaki bike engines capable of doing more than simply bumping other real cars in real traffic. [Flickr via BB]
By Travis Hudson Read More
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Three Photographers, Seven Fords, One Mile-High City

So the DOTS Bonus Edition photos keep rolling in from every direction- and I'm doing my best to post them all- but the stockpile of car photos from Denver has reached absurd proportions. First there was Kitt on the south side, then EJacobs started shooting interesting old cars in the northwestern part of town; by this time I have a backlog of a dozen vehicles from each of them. To add to the fun, I get shipped to Denver for work every few months, so I can add my own photos to the list! Today, we
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The Five Best Ways To Steal Gas...And One Really Bad Way

Come on, admit it. The last time you put $65 of gas into your Camry, the idea crossed your mind for at least a split second. Like any other commodity, it's easier to steal gas than it is to pay for it. So if you're looking for a way — totally for informational purposes, of course — here's five of the best — and one really bad way — to do it:
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Wooden Tires Bring New Meaning To Term "Burnout"

Rations. Practically a dirty word in times of plenty, but when the U.S. of A. was gripped in a battle against the Axis powers, it was your patriotic duty to do without, or to innovate. Donald Gilmore, CEO of Upjohn Pharma, decided to do the latter. Facing the inconvenience of rubber rations for his 1940 Cadillac, Gilmore decided to experiment with wooden tires. While we can't imagine how much fun wooden tires would be from a traction perspective, you gotta think the actual fiery burnouts would b
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Insert British Leyland Joke Here: 1976 Triumph TR7

There's really not much we can add to the Legend Of The British Leyland Wedge here. American car buyers looking for a little car that weaves maniacally among mid-60s Galaxies and gets air cresting hills knew exactly where to go: follow the wedge-shaped British Leyland truck to the nearest dealer!
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Gas Prices Up 8.2%, Hybrid Sales Down 11.0% In May... Wait, What?

There may be no better indicator that many carmakers have been unable to adjust to the sudden increase in gas prices and the resulting shift in consumer demand than hybrid sales. Although there was an obvious run to more fuel-efficient cars — witness the Civic besting the Ford F-150 in overall sales for the first time ever — hybrid sales overall were down 11% from April to May, down 24.3% month-to-month from 2007 and even the market-leading Toyota Prius experienced a 31% drop in sales for the mo
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Do Not Drive A Suburban Near Utah's Dugway Proving Ground

Apparently a couple of GI's were out minding their own business, driving a shiny maroon Chevrolet Suburban about five klicks out from the live fire range at Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah. Unfortunately at 10,000 feet, it's a bit more difficult to discern distance-from-target, and an F-16 pilot in the area thought the Suburban sure looked like fair game, opening up with 70 20mm rounds and totally decimated the SUV all about the 'merican revolution. Fortunately, the only injuries sustained by the
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1975 Mercury Cougar XR-7

The Mercury Cougar has been reinvented many times, but we've only seen a couple of incarnations in this series. We've seen the lean and mean '68 Cougar and the Bloated Final Year Of The Rebadged Mustang Cougar, but what about the Farrah Fawcett-Approved Cougar? I found this appealingly rough '75 parked across the street from the '82 280ZX Turbo and quite close to one of Alameda's non-Buick Skyhawks.
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PCH, Fuel Prices Don't Mean A Damn Thing Edition: Rolls-Royce Or Bentley?

The Smokey & The Bandit II cachet, coupled with the challenges inherent in a compu-Q-Jet-ized turbocharged Pontiac 301, handed the Indy 500 Pace Car Turbo Trans Am a solid 60/40 win over the Saab 99 Turbo in yesterday's Choose Your Eternity poll, giving Detroit bragging rights- if that's the right term- over Järfälla for the day. Today, we're going to look at the price on the gas pump and laugh! You see, if you want to flaunt your success to the world, you need to light your Cuban cigars with $1
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Douche Wrecks Mercedes McLaren SLR, Thus Is Born "SLR Guy"

Let's say you're out in the Italian countryside with your bestest, wealthy car collector buddy and he lets you behind the wheel of a $600,000 Mercedes McLaren SLR. Of course, being a douche, you'll find it necessary to take a shot of yourself in front of said SLR posing in your most douche-like stance after you've just wrecked it into a pile of bricks. Yes, you are that guy. Seeing as this bright young chap's "after" picture is readily photoshoppable, we believe it's time to create a legend out
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SwiftFuel Is Just Like Fuel, Except Probably Full Of Crap

Today brought us news of a purported new solution to high gas prices: SwiftFuel. Currently intended as a replacement for leaded 100-octane aviation fuel, SwiftFuel claims to be ethanol-based, but somehow free from ethanol's negatives such as its lower energy density, incompatibility with gasoline, and propensity to destroy rubber components. How do we know all this? The company's MySpace page told us so. But since we realize social networking sites sometimes contain minor misrepresentations, we
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2010 Shelby GT500 Mustang Is A MESHY Mustang

We've got some updated photos of that 2010 Shelby GT500 that's been roaming around in the open — only this time with more grille showing through the camouflage. All we need now is for the GT500 to join the 2010 Ford Mustang and 2010 Ford Mustang GT out for a prowl in Dearborn. They could do a dance routine! OK, we digress. There's some new details you'll want to take note of in these new shots and they include the aggressive mesh treatment on the grille, the rounded foglights and of course, is t
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Ten Fuel-Efficient Used Cars You Can Buy Today!

With everyone worried about gas prices and thieves drilling into gas tanks, we started thinking about the most fuel-efficient used cars on the market (after we determined that building a Nukchero meant risking ball cancer). After all, who wants to spend their hard-earned dollars on a new car when a quality used one can be yours with little to no effort and very little cash from your pocket. Because mileage estimates differ, we used FuelEconomy.org for cars built after 1985 and MPGomatic for ol
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Chrome Ferrari 599 Lays Bling Smackdown On Chrome Audi

We all know the car, the polished-to-perfection Saudi Arabian Audi A8 you get in your email every four to six months, usually from the uncle who doesn't understand the internet telling you those durn furiners got too much money. Well, that car has now been tossed into the waste bin of internet history. We have a new champion of bling, a fully polished Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. While not doused in platinum (as the email always claims), this over-the-top wonder takes advantage of the 599GTB's alumi
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Ford Slashing Mondeo Price In China, But What Does This Have To Do With The Price Of Tea?

There were 5 million domestically produced cars sold in China in the first half of the year, meaning that if you can't sell cars in China, you should get out of the car-selling business. And to that end, Ford is cutting the price of its 2008 Mondeo by approximately $3,000 to around $25,000, which is a huge drop in a hot market. Why the sudden change?
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Not-Available-Here Econobox Shootout: 500 Vs. Hornet Vs. Cube

We're all now apparently destined to give up our delightful gas-guzzling luxury boats (again) and dump our super-sized SUVs in favor of wearably small fuel sippers. It seems, thanks to news yesterday that the Dodge Hornet's still in the mix and planning to head stateside, that at least a few automakers are trying to make them interesting, or are at least making them look interesting. Unfortunately none of them are yet here. But of these unbuyable-here (and in a couple of cases, anywhere) econobo
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Toyota Tries To Lower Expectations On Plug-In Hybrids, Mark Fields Asks For Handout To Build Them

Toyota appears to be starting the expectations-management game for its upcoming plug-in hybrid vehicles after being stung in the past by complaints from Prius owners of lower-than-advertised mileage. Bill Reinert, national manager of Toyota U.S.A's advanced technology group, yesterday told a Brookings Institution/Google conference panel, "when we see the (claims of) 100 mile-per-gallon stuff, not everybody's going to get 100 miles per gallon." Mark "The Mullet" Fields, Ford Motor Co. president f
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Citroen GS 1220 Club

After looking at that poor sad Peugeot in the junkyard yesterday, I decided that the '91 Peugeot 405 parked a few blocks from my house now qualifies for DOTS, 17 years old or not. I grabbed my camera and headed out on foot, taking my usual roundabout route in order to maximize discovery of new DOTSworthy machinery. Down a side street, I caught sight of some extremely French-looking taillights on a car parked in the distance. Could it possibly be... a Citroën? The DOTS Holy Grail? Yes!
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Ford Reveals Focus RS Details, Photos Ahead Of London Debut

Ford's ripped a page from the Opel playbook, releasing some spy-like photos and early details today on the a new Ford Focus RS. The shots are of a lightly camo'ed prototype undergoing performance and durability testing at Germany's famed Nürburgring. The RS is set for its European market launch in early 2009, Ford confirms the Focus RS will be getting front-wheel-drive with a limited slip diff and feature the same turbocharged Duratec 2.5-liter, five-cylinder engine found in the Focus ST, howeve
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Random-Ass GM...Something...Spotted On Set Of Transformers 2

Is it a concept car? Is it a concept car for the future? Is it a bird? A plane? What the hell are those huge-ass tires? We know not. But maybe you know. If so, tell us. [via Transformers Live]
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Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Coming To Paris Motor Show

We've been excited about the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback ever since we got confirmation that it would go into production. Now, we've got official shots and details to even further whet our appetites. This is the Ralliart trim model, which will have a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four pumping out a WRX-battling 240 HP. No word yet on an Evo Sportback, but we'd be plenty happy with this Ralliart if it comes to the US. The car will debut at the Paris Motor Show this fall, where we'll be able to ge
By Mark Arnold Read More
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Commenter Of The Day: Mvemjsunp Edition

There are many ways to remember the order of the planets, depending on whether or not you include wee little Pluto. There's the ever-popular mnemonic device "My Very Excited Mother Just Shot Uncle Nathan" or "Men Visiting Earth Might Just Stay Until November, Probably." Not like the information is that important in the grand scheme of things. Inverting Saturn and Uranus isn't going to cause any lasting damage... or is it? We prefer the simple, straight-forward acronym: MVEMJSUNP. How can you for
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PCH, Turbo Malaise Edition: Saab 99 Turbo Or Turbo Trans Am Indy Pace Car?

It's pretty tough to beat the most menacing assemblage of Lucas Electrics ever put in one $150,000 package when it comes to Hell Projects, and even a horrifically hooned Skyline GT-R couldn't come close to the Lagonda in yesterday's Choose Your Eternity poll. In hindsight, probably nothing short of a Citroën SM could have made a stand against the Aston Martin; lesson learned for next time! Today we're going to put on our W.I.N. buttons and our boogie shoes and check out some classic Turbo Malais
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Transformers 2 Call Sheet Leaked, Confirms Even More Autobots To Roll Out

EXT SHANGHAI STEEL YARD Strike force in hummers & Trikes pull off HazMat suits EXT SHANGHAI SIDE STREET Kids run up to get ice cream. DOLLY FRONT SHOT Chinese kids. Headlight flare. THIN TRACK RIG BETWEEN KIDS TRUCK DIGITAL PASS THRU in front of Chinese kids. Wind kicks up. Two halves of Ice Cream Truck. One spins. Join together. Ice Cream Truck splits around Chinese kids. Leaves treats. DOLLY BACK OR CAMERA CAR REVERSE for POV shot of Ice Cream. POV kids. EXT SHANGHAI STEEL YARD GO CART & PORSC
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Every Peugeot 504 In California Now Crusher Bound

I owned a 504 of this vintage in the early 90s, and they were a not uncommon sight back then. However, I haven't seen one on the street here for at least ten years... so why have I found two of them in East Bay self-service junkyards in the last few months? Where are they coming from? Hopeless Hell Projects finally ousted by enraged spouses and/or landlords? This one has plenty of good parts left, from trim pieces to the Problematique transmission, but it seems unlikely that anyone around these
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2010 Ford Fusion Interior, Bow Down To The Mega Screen

Looks like we've finally got interior photos of the 2010 Ford Fusion to go with the happy, smiley exterior. When the KGP photographers snuck up on the Fusion they noticed that, other than the general dash layout, the new Fusion is getting a gigantic LCD screen in the center stack with new air vents. Not surprisingly, the old-fashioned time-piece from the previous generation was ditched in order to maintain Ford's new SYNC-fueled tech frenzy. If you want to switch on the A/C you're going to have
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Hornet Is Go! Dodge To Build Micro-Car, Because Duh, Gas Prices Might Rise

The ever-progressive Chrysler Corporation wowed the auto industry today amid heavy rumors that it may build a small economy car based on the Dodge Hornet. While not breaking up with Big Oil, Chrysler is hedging bets that, in the future, fuel prices will soar due to a combination of flawed American foreign policy combined with skyrocketing demand from China and India. Thus, management is positively rushing to bring the Hornet to market. Thanks to its streamlined and efficient management hierarchy
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Top Seven Fuel-Efficient Summer Road Trip Cars You Can't Buy Here...But Wish You Could

We here at Jalopnik know you want to get out on the open road this summer to make some memories, so we've chosen our favorite fuel-sipping road trip vehicles for those of us who may be hit by a little thing called "the skyrocketing price of gas." Yes, unlike the other "road trip lists" we've seen lately, these are for you, the cost-conscious consumer. And, since we're living in an increasingly globalized economy, we decided to go the extra mile and take a look at what the entire world has to o
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Volvo XC90 Wins Russian "SUV Of The Year," We Offer Alternatives

Nobody will argue that the Volvo XC90 is a pretty decent SUV. It's stylish, comfortable, and even comes with a V8 now. But all that doesn't explain why it won "Russian SUV of The Year"...for the third time. Considering the soft nature of the big Volvo, we would have thought the hardened fist of Russian nationalism would have pushed for a more domestic entry. But if they won't, we will: Thus, Jalopnik's "No Bolshevik" nominations for Russian SUV of the Year.
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John McCain Thinks We'll Have 100-Mile-Per-Charge Batteries By Election?

So we had the Today Show on in the background this morning while getting ready to run over to NPR when we heard some story about gas prices. We glanced up and noticed a guy who looked exactly like John McCain talking to Matt Lauer. We mean, it looked like McCain, it sounded like McCain — he even moved his cheeks like McCain! But the words coming from his mouth were like those from a crazy man. This nutty doppelgänger told Lauer he thought the possibility existed that we could have a car battery
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Caterham Releases CDX Limited Edition Seven, Could Glass Roof Version Be Next?

It looks as though Caterham is starting to go the Mustang route with special editions of the Seven, though most of these actually improve the performance and don't have strange movie tie-ins (Caterham R500 FTW!). This newest Seven commemorates 15 years of the Caterham Driving Experience (CDX) and includes more than just a paint job. Similar to the Caterhams they use on track days, the new CDX Seven gets push-button engine start, Momo leather steering wheel, a 135 horsepower version of the K-Seri
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GM "Breaks Up" With Big Oil; Booty Calls, Beatings Likely To Continue

McCann-Erickson, the agency that brought you such Buick tag lines as "Dream Up" and "Beyond Precision," has decided GM needs to put its foot down and end its self-abusive, codependent-yet-carnally-thrilling relationship with Big Oil. A new campaign will debut on June 22, when the General will present a "Dear Oil" letter, accentuating the magic the two industries once had together but acknowledging things haven't been the same since Oil got drunk and hooked up with China. Reports hint GM Chairman
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1956 Imperial

Cadillacs aplenty in this series, and a few Lincolns, but how about Chrysler's top-of-the-line marque? I'd been seeing this '56 Imperial around town for years, but only recently was I able to capture it holding still for the camera in a downtown parking space. I'm pretty sure it lives on the island, but it's either hiding on a side street I haven't checked or sleeps in a garage. This 52-year-old is in incredible original condition- not a flawless show car, but as close as you're going to see in
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1967 Mercury Cougar With OM617 Turbodiesel Should Run On Lard!

You want to drive a car powered by the most reliable automobile engine ever produced, you want to burn non-petroleum fuel, yet you don't want to drive a boring ol' Mercedes sedan like every other anti-dinosaur-juice diesel demon in town? Loyal reader Vance has pulled our coat about this '67 Cougar with a freshly rebuilt turbo-equipped Mercedes-Benz OM617 installed; this setup looks like it was done right, though the price seems on the painful side and the performance is likely more tortoise than
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This American's Rambling Days Are Over

Remember that Rambler engine block that was so much fun to identify last week? That wasn't the only shot I got of the Crusher-bound '64 Rambler American; in fact, that wrecking yard currently has two Ramblers (in the Ford section). This one still has plenty of good pieces (well, it had them last week, when I took these photos), so let's hope that more than just the cylinder head gets rescued for use in surviving cars.
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Why Do Cars Have Crumple Zones?

A lot of times when people see a modern car accident or push on a plastic bumper, they wonder why cars aren't built the way they used to be. Well, a lot of it has to do with human survivability. If you've ever had high school level physics you'll understand the following formula: F = ((m2 - m1) x (V1-V2)/(t2 - t1)) Where the masses of the first and second vehicles are m1 and m2 and the start of the collision and end of the collision are t1 and t2, respectively. V1 and V2 are the relative speeds
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Commenter Of The Day: Bohemian Rhapsody Edition

There's a lot of debate about the true meaning behind "Bohemian Rhapsody," a mock-opera by the band Queen. But here's what we do know. When released as a single, the song was paired with "I'm In Love With My Car" as a b-side, thereby making Queen that much more awesome. The general structure of the song points to someone who has accidentally murdered a person and then sold his soul to the devil. In prison, he seeks guidance from God and finds, with the help of the angels, his soul. Hmm... someth
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Project Car Hell: R33 Skyline GT-R Or Aston Martin Lagonda?

Perhaps it was the terrifying rust coupled with warrior heritage, but somehow an American Hell Project managed to beat an obscure Warsaw Pact convertible in yesterday's Choose Your Eternity poll. Actually, it was a near-tie, but still a triumph for the red-white-and-blue over the, uh, blue-white-and-red. Today we're going to up the price of admission to the Gates Of Project Car Hell, though we've found a couple of high-buck cars available at (what ought to be) reasonable prices. Will you go with
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The Ten Craziest Concept Cars Of All Time

BMW's GINA concept car today got us to thinking about concept cars in general. They exist at the inflection point where our dreams and technology meet. Whether we yearn for nuclear power, extreme performance or phallic shapes, we have the concept car to thank for pointing us toward the uncertain future. And while not all concept cars see the light of day, the automotive wishes of yesterday often influence the driving realities of today. With the help of some of our readers, we've put together
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2010 Chevy Cobalt, Mostly Revealed

It looks like the engineers working on the 2010 Chevy Cobalt have decided to ditch most of the non-paint camouflage and by doing so are now showing off most of the grille, headlights, tail-lights and greenhouse. This is it. This is very likely the new Cobalt. From the angles snapped by the swift photogs at KGP it looks like the new Cobalt is going to borrow some lines from the larger Chevy Malibu, which is a good place to start. This is abundantly clear in the all-but-revealed two-tier grille. T
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Vote For Your Favorite Transmission Name!

We got waaaay more entries than we expected in yesterday's Create The Jalopnik Transmission Name contest, so after slogging through all the suggestions (and discarding those with Astroglide references, you pervs- this is serious business here!) we've come up with thirteen finalists instead of the planned "few." The winner gets 25 Little Tree air fresheners and the glory of seeing his or her creation proudly emblazoned on each and every transmission to come off the planned Jalopnik-operated Wall
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It's Easy Being Greedy: Kerkorian Tender Offer To "Easily" Net 5.5% Ford Stake

We'll tell you this much — Kirk Kerkorian knows how to play the auto industry like a fiddle. The man can turn a quick buck out here in Detroit like a street corner vendor selling Red Wings championship gear. Long-term success? Ha! Who needs it? Not when you can parlay a stock price up high enough to pull in double-digit returns in a few days. True, it'll make mince meat of the company by potentially sending it into a navel-gazing tailspin. But what does that matter when you've dropped some extra
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GM Offers Mind-Boggling $4,000 Incentive On Hybrid SUVs

After a massive 39.5% drop in full-size truck sales last month, the General has decided to follow Ford by upping the incentives on the off-roadin' people-haulers. But not only are they dropping more dollars on the hood of the basic one-powertrain models, they're dropping the same levels of cash on the new two-mode hybrid versions of GM's GMT-900 SUV twins — the GMC Yukon and Chevy Tahoe. While we're not surprised at seeing up to $6,000 thrown on the hood of the non-hybrid Tahoe and Yukon, a $4,0
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Toyota To Build Camry Hybrid In Thailand, Become King Of Siam

It's interesting to see where automakers are placing their chips these days. Toyota is expanding production of its popular Toyota Camry Hybrid to Thailand. Toyota wants to break the million mark for annual hybrid sales in the next decade and a way to do that is to start building hybrids in markets with significant demand, including 9,000 hybrid Camrys in Thailand. Let's contrast Toyota's response with GM. The automaker just announced the power numbers on the new Cadillac CTS-V and they just let
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1980 Datsun 210 SL Station Wagon, With Bonus Datsun Poll

The Malaise Era Japanese cars are just about all gone by now, and it's especially obvious with Datsuns. The Datsun-Nissan changeover happened during the early 80s, just as digital engine controls and less restrictive catalytic converters signaled the end of the Malaise Era and the beginning of the Turbo Mullet Era (feel free to start throwing that name around). Today we're going to look at one of the last of the rear-wheel-drive econo-Datsuns, sold during the crazy gasoline price spikes of the 1
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Mercury Brand To Die In Blaze Of Ignominious Neglect By 2012

The dirty little secret at Ford is that Mercury's already dead, it's just that nobody can actually say it. Ford's in a tough enough fight on the eastern front without having to deal with a rear-attack in the west from legions of Lincoln-Mercury dealers pissed off they'll be losing half their sales channel. We understand that of course, but it doesn't mean we haven't done our damnedest to try to suss out the reality from every executive we've been able to get in front of. Whether it was at the 20
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G-Power Rocks Us With 635 HP M6 Hurricane Convertible

Gas prices? Pshaw! Who cares? It's Deutschland tuning day today on Jalopnik apparently as G-Power's just revealed the successor to their G-Power M5 Hurricane with the G-Power M6 Hurricane Convertible. While the M5 got the big 730 HP BI-Kompressor, G-Power's used some kind of radical German-Power technique they're calling "softcharging" to provide 635 HP for the drop-top. That's still up from the 507 HP in the "standard" 5.0-liter V10 under the hood of the "base" model M6. Full power details in t
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Brabus Bullit Black Arrow Finally Goes On Sale, Takes Mercedes C-Class To The Extreme

No, that's not Darth Vader. Nope, it's the Brabus Bullit Black Arrow and trust us, it's got more in common with Vader than the Mustang variant with the same name. We showed you the new Brabus-built C-Class first back at the Frankfurt Auto Show a couple months ago, but now the Deutsch tuners of all things Daimler have just revealed that their newest Übermensch-motored Mercedes is now available for purchase in an orgasm of Bruce (don't believe us? Check the press release out yourself). If you reme
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BMW GINA Light Visionary Model, Revealed... Creepy

When we shared the first teaser video of the 2008 BMW GINA Light Visionary Model we thought it would be another insane Bangle-influenced BMW Concept with a funny name. Little did we know it would be the promise of a revolution wherein the metallic skin is replaced with with a fabric that morphs and bends into different shapes. Though merely a concept (standing for Geometry and Functions in "N" (i.e. Infinite) Adaptations), it is certainly a unique one that could allow designers like Chris Bangle
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Commenter Of The Day: Different Kinds Of Hybrids Edition

When we think of hybrids we tend to think of a small gas engine and an even smaller electric motor, a la the 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid. There's also the inverse, like the Aptera, which uses a small gas engine to power a strong electric motor. But "hybrid" can mean so many different things. It's just two concepts combined to make one. Jon Stewart, for instance, drives a truck-robotic dinosaur hybrid that helps him maneuver through the streets of NYC.
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Corvette ZHZ: Hertz Adds A 'Vette To The Rent-A-Racer Fleet

Chevy's decided they need a Hertz Rent-A-Racer of their very own, except rather than something fun for draggin', they've decided to go anti-Ford and work with Hertz on something to go around corners as well. What they've come up with is this — the Corvette ZHZ. It's a special limited-edition, equipped with a 436 HP 6.2-liter V8 under the hood tied to a flappy paddle gearbox for the true Rent-a-Racer feel. The ZHZ gets 18-inch front and 19-inch rear chrome seven-spoke "performance" wheels and tha
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PCH, 500 Bucks Worth Of Rust Edition: Skoda Felicia Or Burma Jeep?

We were shocked, shocked to learn that the Peugeot 404 Baja racer annihilated the Oval Window Baja Bug in last Friday's Choose Your Eternity poll. It's a new week, however, and we've got new challenges ahead. Let's head on up to Seattle, where the constant rain creates sort of a year-round meat-market singles bar for lonely iron atoms looking to hook up with promiscuous oxygen atoms... and nobody goes home alone! When you've got a vehicle that's been sitting outside in coastal Washington for dec
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Challenger Pricing Announced, Hemi Under $30k Before Dealer Markup

Chrysler's finally telling us just how much it's going to cost to cruise Woodward in their latest retro muscle coupe. Or at least what they suggest the retail price should be; no telling what dealers will decide the buying public ought to fork over for the privilege of piloting a Challenger. The 2009 version of a Slant-Six/A904 will run you $21,995, a loaded SRT8 sits right at $40k, and the R/T slots right between at $29,995. Full release after the jump.
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Toyota iQ Spotted, Gary Sinise Hiding In Back Seat?

With gas prices the way they are, everyone's thinking about getting a car that's smart. But not everyone likes the Smart. So, for those seeking a Japanese alternative to Europe's favorite sub-subcompact, the super number one best awesome automaker from the Land of the Rising Sun has got just the car for you. These latest shots of the upcoming Toyota iQ show several passengers riding in the 3+1 seating configuration, and they actually look fairly comfortable.
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AutoNation CEO Says High Gas Prices Are Good For You, Automakers

Mike Jackson, Chairman and CEO of AutoNation (and thus America's number one car salesman), finally breaks taboo and utters the unthinkable: High gas prices are a good thing. "You have to tell the American people the truth," he says. "Energy costs are going to be higher." Oh Mike, Mike, Mike. Don't you know that the first rule of Car Club is that gas will always be cheap? And if it isn't, then you make it cheap, a-la Chrysler's "Let's Refuel America?" Mr. Jackson's poignant, thoughtful wacky rati
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2009 Cadillac CTS-V Specs Made Official, Gets 556 HP

We knew the new super-spec 2009 Cadillac CTS-V would be getting some impressive output numbers, and today the official figures are out — 556 HP at 6,100 RPM and 551 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 RPM. With those bitchin' numbers, the CTS-V will be doing 0-60 MPH in a lightning fast 3.9 seconds, with a standing quarter mile coming in at 12 seconds flat. Sure, but how fast will she go? What about 175 MPH with the six-speed auto and 191 MPH with the manual transmission? Okay, we're a little light-headed
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Create The Best Transmission Name, Get Fabulous Prizes!

We love contests, so what better way to brighten the gloom of that ol' Monday salt mine than by thinking up the ultimate cool transmission name? Those of you who have been following the Cool Transmission Name Of The Day series have no doubt looked at names such as Toyoglide and Dynaflow and said to yourselves, "Hey, I could do that!" Well, now you can, because we're going to work 24/7 to get the Gawker Overlords to fund the creation of the Wall Of Death Transmission Factory, where the Official J
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2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Gets Facelift, "Speed" And Presumably E! Special

We're guessing a lot of people forked over the extra change for the tweaked Bentley Continental GT Speed, convincing the product planners at the super-luxo marque to drop the same massaged 6.0-Liter W12 into the company's Continental Flying Spur sedan. Called the Continental Flying Spur Speed, the newly found 48 horsepower means the Bentley can pull all of that chrome and chestnut inlay to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. Additional tweaks to the Speed version include a lowered ride-height, new 20-in
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2010 Shelby GT500

We've shown you every other version of the 2010 Ford Mustang, from the base model to the 2010 Mustang GT, in spy photos and in sketches — even the interior's gotten a good look. But until today we haven't seen the highest-of-high-powered new Mustangs in camo-covered glory. Until today. The spy shooters at KGP have gotten us the first spy photos of the 2010 Shelby GT500 hitting the streets of Dearborn and sporting the slithering snake signifying the shaking hand of Shelby. Although the outside's
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1969 Chevrolet C10 Pickup Truck

A few months have gone by since we had a Truck Monday featuring a Chevy truck of this era (by the way, Alameda native Belvedere Adrian is old friends with the owner of the '71 Chevy pickup, and he reports that a 454 lurks under its battered hood). For some reason, Alameda has many more mid-60s Chevy trucks than it has late-60s/early-70s examples, but I found this '69 still earning its keep, just down the block from the '63 Ford Falcon.
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Commenter Of The Day: A Very Special Edition

Like a drifter that wanders into town or a magical alien, POLAR arrived unannounced to the friendly confines of the Jalopnik commenting system in order to teach us all a little about the world of cars and, by doing so, a little about ourselves. We're not sure exactly what Polar does that allows him to write 6,000 brilliant comments a month, and maybe we don't want to know, but we found out in yesterday's Commenter Of The Day that he was retiring. Why? Something to do with a promotion that takes
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PCH, Vintage Baja Racer Edition: Peugeot 404 Or 1957 Baja Bug?

The recently-exhumed Lancia Scorpion takes the win over the electrical-system-challenged Merkur XR4Ti by a 60/40 ratio in yesterday's Choose Your Eternity poll, preserving Italy's status- for now- as a PCH Superpower. And, speaking of PCH Superpowers, we have some unfinished business from Wednesday; it seems that a German car managed to beat a French one (albeit by a margin thinner than a typical Hell Project owner's wallet), which casts some doubt on France's status as the world's lone PCH Omni
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Going Out In Style: Malaise Packard Hearse

Leaving the 2008 Orphan Car Show last weekend, we assumed we had already seen all the cars there were to see. But then, just as we walked out through the front gate, we saw this. Our first thought? Stutz hearse! Err, no, wait a second...
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Fresh Prince Of Belle Isle?

ABC has reportedly ordered up a new hour-long drama pilot, based upon the auto industry and set in our very own Motor City. The Prince of Motor City is said to contain "Hamlet overtones" and is set to begin filming at the end of June, airing this winter as a mid-season replacement. According to the casting call on the Michigan Film Office Web site, they're seeking actors for a variety of roles, including at least one apparent Dr. Z lookalike. More details and full release after the jump...
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Cumberford Martinique Is A Mongrel We Can Love

Yesterday's post on the Concours D'Ignorance generated a comment from mr.chöppèrs regarding what he'd rock when rolling into the show:
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Afghanistan Veteran, Dog, Head Cross-Country In Beater Suburban, Need Some Help

A lot can happen when you serve as an Air Force Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan. For Daniel McConnell, things were going great until a crash that cost him his arm, caused a traumatic brain injury, and ended his career with an honorable discharge. After recovering and spending some time in med school, Daniel took a summer off (this summer) and decided to hop into a thousand-dollar Suburban and tour the country for which he served. Heck, we'll let him tell you all about it:
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2009 Porsche 911 Adds XM, NavTraffic

One tidbit we missed during our first read of today's announcement of the 2009 Porsche 911: Not to be outdone by the likes of the Nissan Altima and Toyota Corolla, Porsche has decided to bite the bullet and include XM Radio and NavTraffic (with complimentary three-month subscription, no less). The 2009 911 will be the second vehicle from Porsche to include XM Radio; the Cayenne minivan SUV has been offering the satellite radio service for the past few years. Follow the jump for the full release.
By Travis Hudson Read More
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Aussie Ford FG Falcon Supercar Debuts, Kangaroos Unimpressed

Despite claims that the car wouldn't be ready to race this year, Ford Australia's new FG Falcon "FG01" race car is scheduled to make its initial public appearance during the Sandown V8 Supercar Championship in Melbourne. The Falcon XR8-based race car will be making several appearance laps at Sandown, but won't be doing any actual racing. Ford claims the car may see its race debut at the Bathurst 1000 later this year which, if nothing else, is one of the best race names we hear all year. Watch ou
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Why We Love The Community Of Drivers

If you read both the 2008 Mazdaspeed3 and 2008 BMW 128i review, you may have noticed that a couple of pictures looked similar. There's a reason, Mark and I were out driving together. When doing a review it helps to have someone to go with you for assistance in setting up photos and, you know, it's a chance to drive twice the cars. It just so happens that we were near a particularly twisty stretch of road taking pictures when a gentleman in a black Z3 pulled up. Maybe he knew some other great pla
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Top Seven Reasons We Miss The Drive-In

It was on this day, 75 years ago, that Richard Hollingshead Jr. opened his first drive-in theater in Camden, New Jersey. At its peak, there were nearly 5,000 drive-in movie theaters across the country. In the post-WWII period, the drive-in represented both the emergence of the teenage leisure class and our country's strong identification with the automobile. Also, petting. Though there are a few drive-ins left, they represent a novelty more than a primary destination for cinematic appreciation.
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Leaked Fields E-Mail: Ford To Reduce Salaried Costs By 15%, Two-Ply Going To One

We've spent the morning checking out the leaked e-mail from Mark "Mullet" Fields to white-collar staff at Ford calling for another 15% reduction in costs associated with salaried work force. Yes, you heard that right — "costs associated with salaried work force." That doesn't mean a 15% cut in the salaried work force, but rather they'll seek some form of cost savings first. You know, the unimportant stuff like going from two-ply toilet paper to one-ply, air conditioning limited from two hours a
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2009 Mercedes G55 AMG, For When Restraint Is Just Buying One

We love the Geländewagen for its anachronistic look, completely unnecessary performance and for managing to be the car of choice for both Britney Spears and the freaking Pope. Need we say more? And while a B-lister may be able to roll in a G500, the true celeb wants the 507 HP G55 version because 0-to-60 in 5.5 seconds is better. Than what? Who cares. It's just better. "I'll pay for it. In cash. Oh, it's $190,000 (w/tax)? Can you throw in some accessories to put it above $200K? I never pay less
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1985 Alfa Romeo Graduate, With Bonus Italian DOTS Poll

Italian cars have been mighty rare in this series, so I was pleased to run across this '85 Alfa Romeo Graduate parked in the island's East End. I see this car moving under its own power on a regular basis, so it's a genuine driver (not just someone's hopeless Hell Project).
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2009 Cadillac XLR Roadster, Revealed!

There's a lot of metal getting the official reveal this morning, isn't there? After showing off the new 2009 Porsche 911 just a few minutes ago, we're now seeing the upgraded 2009 Cadillac XLR taking its first baby steps into the morning sun. The General's luxe brand's taking the Art & Science design to new, more powerful heights with this brand new Caddy-vette with an all-new front fascia, rear tail treatment and side venting. The 2009 XLR will get two different editions to choose — the "base m
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2009 Porsche 911 Revealed With Direct Injection, Dual-Clutch

Not only do we get news this morning of a whole host of upgrades for the 2009 Porsche 911 lineup, we now finally get a look at the facelift that goes along with 'em. Just as we saw in the leaked information from last month, the newly refreshed Porsches get power bumps across the range, thanks to a direct injection system it'll get 20 HP more in the regular old 911 (345 HP) and 30 HP in the Carrera S (385 HP). To go along with that added grunt, the cars get the new seven-speed dual-clutch transmi
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Commenter Of The Day: Weekend Update Edition

In our opinion, Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" was never better than in the early 1990's. In particular, there were three comedians that we were particularly fond of when they appeared late on saturday nights. The first was A. Whitney Brown, who almost no one has heard of in the last 10 years. He had a bit called "The Big Picture" and he made jokes like "Bombs are now smarter than the average high school student, at least they can find Kuwait." The second is Chris Rock, who made a name f
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Project Car Hell: Lancia Scorpion Or Merkur XR4Ti?

The blowout Choose Your Eternity polls are fun, but we really enjoy the nail-bitingly close races... which is what we got yesterday, with the Roots-blown Old Beetle just barely beating the Pro Street Peugeot in a 175-165 vote split. Does that mean a German car just upset Project Car Hell GigaTeraPower France, or does the Detroit engine water down the 200-proof Frenchness of the Peugeot? We'll leave that question open for now, because today we're going to see how an Italian basket case fares agai
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A Little TLC Will Get This Honda 600 Back On The Road. Well, No.

You don't see any Honda 600s on the street these days, although they didn't sell too badly back in the early 70s. You see them at car shows, and that's about it. That leads me to wonder where this example I spotted at an East Bay self-service wrecking yard has been hiding all these years. It looks like the interior is packed with engine parts from several other Honda 600s (or maybe Honda motorcycles), so maybe this was a "last resort" parts car that was finally used up by a 600 freak and discard
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2009 Ford Mustang Limited To Only 45,000 Units, Why Not Just 2009?

If you're crazy enough about Ford's muscle car that you actually want a 2009 Mustang, as opposed to waiting for the brand new 2010 Ford Mustang, you'll have to fight over just 45,000 of them. If that seems like a lot, we'd remind you that they sold more than 130,000 Stangs last year. Why is this happening? It could be the obvious numerological significance of the number 45 since it is the 45th anniversary of the Mustang, but we doubt it.
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BMW Partially Reveals The GINA Light Visionary Model Concept In Web Video

Though it isn't set to be revealed to the motoring press until tomorrow, we have this exclusive video of a new concept car from Bayerische Motoren Werke AG. It's called the GINA Light Visionary Model, and it's being transported to the BMW Museum in Munich. You can just see the edges of the new concept in the footage, as well as a Knight Rider-esque lightbar in the tail. We're gathering details on what it actually is, other than a two-seater roadster (or maybe even a one-seater, who can tell with
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Autobild Speculates On Upcoming BMW X3, X1

Autobild, our favorite German tabloid of a car rag, has gone on another speculation spree, and this time it's related to the new 2009 BMW X3 and first 2010 BMW X1. The pending refresh of the compact SUV will come just in time to duke it out with new offerings in the form of the Mercedes Benz GLK and Audi Q5. But what kind of new goodies can we expect for this duo? Well, for starters, the X3 will be growing slightly, up 8 cm in wheelbase and with a corresponding slight bump in width. But also exp
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1971 MGB-GT

Many, many cars have passed through my hands since I first picked up a '69 Toyota Corona for 50 bucks, but only a few really make me feel a twinge of regret when I think about letting them go. One such car is the British Racing Green '73 MGB-GT I owned for a few years in my early 20s; it was slow, handled like a garbage truck, went through $40 carburetor floats like other cars go through oil changes, and proved that all those Joe Lucas jokes are based on painful reality... but I still loved it.
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Commenter Of The Day: Better Late Than Never Edition

Yeah, COTD is a little late today. Sue us. Better late than never, right? In this case that term actually works because we still get to enjoy the brilliance from the day together. If we were carrying a kidney transplant and you were dead... well... you'd be dead. Not better. Our favorite use of that phrase is in Ghostbusters II, when the Titanic arrives in New York and ghost passengers start unloading. Cheech Marin, playing a harbormaster for some reason, turns to another guy and says "Better la
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Concours D'Ignorance May Be Greatest Idea In Auto Show History

Does the world really need an anti-Concours D'Elegance, something to celebrate everything horribly spectacular in the automobile world? Yes, yes, and yes! The genius behind the Billetproof car show (which will be happening in Davisburg, Michigan this weekend), Alan Galbraith, is at it again and proposing a new show to celebrate all that we Jalops hold dear — terrible, awful, laughably malaise-tastic and yet completely lovable cars from the past. Have a Gremlin, a Lebaron, or perhaps a Mustang II
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PCH, Power-To-Weight Edition: V8 Peugeot 403 Or Blown Beetle?

The Dirtbag XJ-S pounded the Sepia 1940 Mopars like a Canadian carny pounding a case of Moosehead in yesterday's Choose Your Eternity poll, which was about what we expected. After all, a V12 Jaguar can beat most any PCH contender, up to (and perhaps including) a Citröen. We'll test that hypothesis later, but today we're going to try our hand at Hell Projects featuring lightweight vehicles with hoon-centric engine power. You see, you need to consider the possibility- however remote- that you migh
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Auto-Inspiration: The Real-Life Cars Behind Grand Theft Auto IV

It may not have the racing chops of say Gran Turismo 5 Prologue or Midnight Club: Los Angeles, Grand Theft Auto IV is still a big-title game for 2008 (probably the biggest wethinks) with some big-time automotive tie-ins. There are more than 100 different vehicles to play with, most of which are inspired in one way or another by real-life automotive counterparts. Click through to take a look at the purpose of driving in GTA4, and learn how some of the more notable in-game cars compare to their
By Travis Hudson Read More
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Hardtop Or No, This Galaxie Is Crusher Bound

Hyperocky's DOTS '67 Ford XL 2-door hardtop looks great, but we must remember that not all big Fords of its era are quite so nice these days. Plenty of beat-to-hell examples manage to clank along for decades before their date with The Crusher's jaws, as was the case with this extremely rough '66 I spotted at an East Bay wrecking yard last weekend. It appears that the dashboard and quite a few interior bits have been salvaged, so at least some of this Ford will live on in other cars.
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3M, Visteon BMW X-Wave Concept Demonstrates Future Of In-Car Tech

Featuring a host of Human Machine Interface, lighting, surface and display innovations, 3M and Visteon have created the X-Wave to showcase technology they'd like to bring to the automotive market. The two companies have combined expertises—Visteon with in-car tech and 3M for transmissive optical film and other materials—to find new ways to display information, provide lighting and interact with drivers and passengers. The first thing you'll notice looking at the interior of this adapted X5 is th
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2010 Ford Mustang GT Interior

If you've been enjoying the never-ending strip tease that is the 2010 Ford Mustang we've now got interior pictures of a black-on-black 2010 Ford Mustang GT prototype. Finally, thanks to the friendly neighborhood spy shooters at KGP who were quick enough to catch one parked, as opposed to driving full speed in the opposite direction. A quick comparison shows a revised steering wheel with new controls and white-faced gauges. And will wonders never cease — are those actually new air vents? Also, th
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2009 Audi S4 Details Begin To Emerge

Though we'll have to wait for the 2008 Paris Motor Show for a full reveal, bit-by-bit the specs are filtering out on the 2009 Audi S4 — or is it 2010 Audi S4 — we're still confused by Audi's lack-of-model-year naming scheme for product. We already knew it would get a supercharged (which could mean turbosupercharged, depending upon which report you read) 3.0-liter V6 backed by a 6-speed twin-clutch lovingly referred to as "S-Tronic." What's news is that traction control/AWD will be provided by th
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2011 Buick Lucerne With Rear-Wheel Drive Is Not Dead Yet

Automakers are gnashing their teeth over how to deal with the second malaise era looming over us like an 800 lb gorilla with a stolen banana. The General's combatting the murky fog by playing switcheroo with some of its product plans — specifically plans for rear-wheel drive. Originally, the 2011 Buick Lucerne was to shift to rear-wheel drive, in an attempt to move Buick slightly out of stodgy territory and into crotchety. Speculation's been that the plan was nixed due to all the doom and gloom
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2009 Jetta SportWagen Pricing, Specs Announced

While we've been waiting for an official announcement of prices and specs for the 2009 Jetta SportWagen, someone noticed that the prices are actually now up on the VeeDub website. Works for us. The base price, sans destination, is $18,999 for the S mode with the 2.5-Liter I5 and a five-speed manual (which we reviewed). That's a reasonable price for a fairly refined, fun wagon without too many obnoxious features. Add $2K to that price if you want a 6-speed tiptronic tranny. Drop another $1,350 an
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2009 Opel Insignia Interior Revealed, Officially, Sort Of

We haven't gotten official photos of the 2009 Opel Insignia, yet, but we're going to guess that the 2009 Vauxhall Insignia, its British counterpart, is going to have the same interior and we have those official pictures. Following the Opel DNA, there's the long center console leading up to a center-mounted display screen. Hopefully, you like this design as it could influence one or two future cars that could be built off this platform. Nothing important, just the 2011 Saturn Aura, 2011 Pontiac G
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The Second Malaise Era IS Upon Us!

Yesterday's question of the day may have asked it, but what was initially an academic question has now been conclusively answered for us. We're not sure which it was — maybe it was the Civic catapulting over the Ford F-150 to the top of the sales food chain. Maybe it was the industry reports we've been reading this morning in response to last month's dire sales numbers. We mean, Lehman's hailing the moves:
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1967 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser

I've been scouring the island for a Skyroof-equipped Olds Vista Cruiser (or its Buick Sportwagon sibling) for many months now. I saw a very nice blue '67 at the Park Street Car Show last year, but I couldn't find the owner to ask about the car... and there's no way such an original '67 could possibly live on the street, right? Wrong! Alameda is laid out with a tight Victorian maze of tiny side streets and a car on such a street can hide right under my nose, as was the case with this wagon. For y
By Murilee Martin Read More
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The Fabulous Hudson Hornet

Yes, it's the one and only Fabulous Hudson Hornet. While many of the classic automobiles on display at the 2008 Orphan Car Show came from far and wide, the journey for this piece of racing history was merely across town. That's because it now resides in the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum, a facility that was formerly home to Miller Motors, the last Hudson dealership in the world. But what made this Hornet so Fabulous?
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Commenter Of The Day: Urban Cowboy Edition

Those who didn't grow up in the greater Houston area may not know that Gilley's Club, featured prominently in Urban Cowboy, is a real place. Or it was a real place. The club featured in the movie was the original Gilley's Club in Pasadena, Texas (which is, by the way, "urban" in the same way that New York is "cozy"). The burnt down under mysterious circumstances after the original founders of the club had a falling out. The club is now located in an actual urban area in Dallas, Texas where rich
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PCH, Canadian Ne'er-Do-Well Edition: Jaguar XJ-S Or 1940 Mopar Package Deal?

Of course we all knew there was about as much chance of the Citröen CX2500 Prestige beating the '60 Mercedes-Benz 190 wagon as there'd be of Günter Grass hiding his SS service forever. We should know by now that the Citröen always wins a Choose Your Eternity poll, but it was worth a try! Today we're going with a different sort of theme, one suggested by Feds, who was shopping for projects in the St. Catharines area: Labatt's-fueled Canadian projects. Feds gets himself a PCH Tipster T-shirt for h
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Interview WIth The Teacher Behind The Algae-Powered VW Van

Since everyone has been so enthusiastic about the Algae-Veggie Van I thought I'd follow up with some bits that didn't make it into the original feature article, specifically a Q&A I did with teacher David Levine, who originally came up with the idea to do this with project his students. He's one of the incredibly committed and intelligent teachers that I've met in the Chicago area who decided to postpone going out into the corporate world (where they'd clearly be successful) and instead make a m
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Want To Buy A New Fiat 128? Head To Egypt!

Maybe you didn't head straight to Nigeria when you learned that you can still buy a new Peugeot 504 there, preferring instead to save your money for a brand-new Italian 1960s car. Well, no need to head to Serbia for a 128-based Zastava Skala 55, not when you can go to Egypt and get yourself a gleaming new Nasr 128! You get the 65-horse 1300 engine with your Nasr 128, but we can't figure out the price; looks like you need to go ahead and order one online to get that info. Thanks to Franzouse for
By Murilee Martin Read More
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2009 Jaguar XK Spotted, Looks Surprised

We've sort of been torn with regards to the look of the latest generation Jaguar XK. On the one hand, those big eyes make it look like a surprised child ("We got bought by Tata, WHAT?). On the other hand, there are some fine lines that pop better in person (for more on that check out our review of the 2009 Jaguar XKR). Though not a massive change, this mid-cycle refresh caught by the KGP crew shows some obvious changes including a new front bumper with air-inlets just below the headlights and re
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Nissan To Build New A-Segment Compact Utility From Brush Strokes

Nissan has announced that an all-new A-segment crossover micro-thingamajig car will be built at its U.K. Sunderland plant, alongside an updated Micra. While the specifics are murky at best, they did release a single teaser "image" in a style we've come to expect from Nissan — expressive brush strokes indicating the design direction of the car. Since they didn't give us anything remotely approaching tangible, we decided to play with the sketches and give you a couple variations on the theme. Prin
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Max Mosley Wins FIA Vote, Keeps Job

In a stunning victory aided by the smaller organizations, Max Mosley won a vote of confidence from an assembly of FIA representatives. The vote was 103 for the motion and 55 against with seven abstentions and four invalid votes. The response has been overwhelming with German organization ADAC, the largest automobile club in Europe, vowing to leave the FIA until Mosley steps down. American organization AAA is considering similar action according to a representative who spoke to reporters after th
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1987 Porsche 944S

This series has included quite a few Porsches so far, with a 356, some 912s, a couple of 928s, a pair of 914s, and- of course- a bunch of 911s. But what about the 944? Porsche sold quite a few of them, and not all have been turned into $500 race cars. For whatever reason, I just haven't found any 944s in Alameda... until now.
By Murilee Martin Read More
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The Cars Of Death Race

UPDATE:We've now got the first Death Race trailer! Almost a year ago, I had the opportunity to head out to Montreal and go behind the scenes of the new re-visioned movie "Death Race" starring Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane and yes, Joan Allen. Whereas the names of the characters they play may be the same, the storyline's anything but — this time the "Death Race" is set in what we'd been told was an "economic" prison sometime in the not-so-distant dystopian future. But we'll throw down
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Commenter Of The Day: The Ted McGinley Syndrome Edition

It can't be easy to be Ted McGinley. He's done nothing wrong, as far as we know, and yet he's the perpetual "new Becky." It all started with his first big break as Roger Phillips, a replacement for Ron Howard's Richie Cunningham on Happy Days. Despite holding the role for four years people still associated him with the show's downfall. He also appeared as a character in both Dynasty and Love Boat before those shows disappeared forever. Notably, McGinley was also a replacement on the television s
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Project Car Hell: Citroen CX Prestige Or Mercedes-Benz 190 Wagon?

The jaw-droppingly steep price tag, automatic transmission, and ARBOUR GREEN paint of the '56 Jag made it an unassailable Hell Project fortress, giving the XK140 an easy win over the '58 Mercedes-Benz 190 in our last Choose Your Eternity poll. Was it fair to force a Benz to go toe-to-toe with the product of a PCH Superpower? Maybe not... so today we're going to give Germany another shot at unseating a Superpower. And not just any PCH Superpower- we're having another Franco-Prussian rematch!
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Nash Statesman Coupe And Ambassador Sedan

With perfect Michigan weather yesterday, there was no excuse for us not to make the drive over to Ypsilanti for the annual Orphan Car Show. Yes, it's a show dedicated to the fantastic classic cars left out in the cold by their dead brands. This year, the show's featured marques were Plymouth and DeSoto, but there were plenty of other cars there too, including this pair of sleek Nash classics.
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New Chevy Compact To Re-Rediscover Platform Prostitution... Again

Conflicting reports are surfacing on a new Chevy small car coming to the show scene this fall, with production tentatively starting at Lordstown, Ohio early in 2009. The conflict comes in the form of what Automotive News is saying — that GM will be building this new car off of the Delta platform which carries the Cobalt and the Saturn Astra. However, the local Lordstown paper is telling us to expect a new and improved Chevy Aveo to be produced locally. Where be damned: All of this news sent us i
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Caddymino Longs For Escape From NorCal Junkyard

Since I haven't needed to buy any race car parts for a few weeks, I've fallen behind on Junkyard Find photos. Fortunately for us, car-graveyard aficionados such as Maymar, Yurikaze, and now Armand, Star-Spangled Pedant have stepped up with their own junkyard finds. Here's a one-of-a-kind Caddymino that Armand found in a Willows junkyard; make the jump to get his story.
By Murilee Martin Read More
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New Jalopnik Senior Editor Comes To Starbucks-Like Detroit HQ

So, this is where a decade of automotive journalism / copywriting / site editing leads, eh? The back corner of a Starbucks in the Detroit suburbs sitting next to some guy named Ray who, really, is dressed far too well for this gig. And to the Senior Editor slot at Jalopnik. My name is Andrew Stoy. How did I get here? Well, I've been typing on a greasy keyboard for more than a decade now, managing to consistently combine my two loves: cars and writing. Strangely enough, I started the same place
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The Miller High Life Cruiser

As man cannot survive by racing alone, we found ourselves setting out to discover other aspects of Milwaukee. To our eyes, this mid-sized city is sort of a mash-up of Detroit and Chicago with most of the crime and blight and uppity-ness strained out. You can't help but enjoy a stroll down by the lake or along the river, the shockingly huge number of bars (including the Safehouse — if you know the password) and the constant rotation of downtown festivals. But that would leave out one very key ing
By Ben Wojdyla Read More
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Cerberus Denies Chrysler Sell Off Claim

Cerberus has just issued, via Automotive News, a denial of the Financial Times' claims that it's just sold over half its stake in Chrysler.
By Wes Siler Read More
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Sears Tower Or Bust: My Algae-Powered Car Adventure

It was when the oil light came on that I started to run through the appropriate next steps in my head...and realized that there aren't any appropriate next steps when warning lights start going off in a 1982 VW Vanagon camper. Particularly one converted to run on a mixture of vegetable oil and algae biodiesel grown and refined by a group of Chicago high school students. As the Sears Tower, our goal, loomed in the distance, a question loomed in my mind: Was our shared belief in the future of petr
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Aston Martin Preps For Repeat Le Mans Victory, We Gawk At Familiar Colors

As if the pair of victorious Aston Martin DBR9 race cars aren't delicious enough, this year they're rocking Gulf Oil livery. With the 24 Hours Of Le Mans just two weeks away, teams have been testing their cars on La Sarthe in advance of the big day and we've got a batch of photos of cars 009 and, appropriately, 007. In addition to these beauties, Aston Martin is also powering an LMP1 Prototype being entered by Charouz Racing. Photos and press release below.
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Ryan Briscoe Wins ABC Supply A.J. Foyt Milwaukee 225

This weekend saw us warming the seats at the famed Milwaukee Mile for some small track race action after the madness that is the Indy 500. We will admit to allowing our focus to stray (which you'll see in a bit), the qualifying and race was action packed, though not as crashy as you'd expect on a one mile oval. With Marco Andretti pulling down his first pole spot at the tender age of 21, the field was set for a 225 lap run for post-Indy glory.
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Toyota Land Cruiser Troop Carrier

Let's say you're an Alameda resident who drives to work in your Unimog every day, and the price of diesel is inflicting some serious pain on the ol' pocketbook (not to mention the challenge of parallel-parking the 'mog when you go shopping downtown). You could bite the bullet and make an offer on the CRX HF that lives a few blocks away... or you could add a nimble, economical RHD Land Cruiser Troop Carrier to your fleet! Guess which choice Mr. Coast Guard Unimog took?
By Murilee Martin Read More
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Civic Selling Like Flapjacks, Could Outsell Accord For First Time

Holy gas prices, Batman! Automotive News is reporting this morning strong sales of the Honda's gas-sipping Civic were up 14.8% to 111,695 units through the first four months of the year, and appeared to be looking good for May. Although we'll find out what the fifth month had to say when sales numbers are released later today, for the moment, AN's Kathy Jackson is reporting that Dick Colliver, Honda America's sales chief claims he's expecting sales of 40,000 to 45,000 units during the month. Tha
By Ray Wert Read More
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2009 Honda City Spotted Testing In India

Consumers in the United States are lucky in that their version of the Honda small car platform is the Honda Fit as opposed to the Honda City, which doesn't offer quite the style of the Fit/Jazz or the space of the Honda Freed. The little Honda sedan is only available in Southeast Asian markets such as Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. A member of the Team-BHP forum, which loves Indian cars almost as much as they love unnecessary watermarks, managed to capture a few pictures of one testing
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NYT Automobiles Gives Chrysler Minivans A Seemingly Unnecessary Smack-Down

We don't know if New York Times Automobiles writer Christopher Jensen's got kids, but if he had them, he'd know that handling is not really the most important requirement for a minivan. More important is the need — which he admits in his smack-down this weekend on the new minivans from Chryslerberus almost reluctantly — to pacify children to the point of "superstupor" (Yes C.J., we do like that one and may use it as often as is possible). But to levy charges of inadequacy against the new 2008 Do
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