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889speedshop Offering First Tuned Lexus LFA
The Lexus LFA debuted approximately 12 hours ago and already German tuner 889speedshop is offering renderings detailing their plans for the first tuned version of the new LFA.
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Buying (5)
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Skip Barber Teaches Us How To Beat Bob Lutz
If I beat Bob Lutz Thursday, most of the credit goes to Skip Barber and its Advanced Two Day Mazdaspeed Racing School. It transformed me from a safe-but-rusty track driver into one that's competitive and confident. Watch your ass, Bob.
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2011 Lexus LFA: First Drive
The 2011 Lexus LFA isn't the fastest car ever made, nor the most powerful or even the quickest to 60 MPH. It can't even match the ZR1 around the Nürburgring. So why will this Toyota cost nearly $400,000?
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Driving The Suzuki Kizashi V6 Test Mule
Alongside the 2010 Suzuki Kizashi we tested at Virginia International Raceway was a V6-powered "chassis verification prototype" test mule, providing more power and an aggressive body-kit. Is this the car Suzuki should have built instead?
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2010 Suzuki Kizashi: First Drive
Mid-size sedans are the toasters of the automotive world — appliances automakers make for cow-like consumers to buy. The 2010 Suzuki Kizashi is the newest toaster on the market, trying to be both better and cheaper than the rest.
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2010 VW Golf TDI: First Drive
For years, enthusiasts have asked VW to bring the fast, frugal turbo diesel Golf to the states. The 2010 VW Golf TDI doesn't give us exactly what we want, it gives us that and a whole lot more.
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Culture (17)
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Eight Most Sexually Suggestive Car Names
When automakers choose car names they often try to evoke strength, performance and desirability — sometimes that last one goes a bit too far. Below, our list of the eight most sexually suggestive car names.
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What Would You Drive In Mad Max 4?
Mad Max 4: Fury Road is still in the early stages of production, but the commentariat already has strong opinions about the cars. Okay, Road Warrior, what would you drive in Mad Max 4?
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Commenter Of The Day: The Adventures Of Kool-Aid Man Edition
Kool-Aid is so called because, according to U.S. law, you can't call something "-ade" if it has no fruit juice in it. This doesn't stop Kool-Aid Man from aiding thirsty kids and providing thousands of dollars in repair jobs to local masons. In order to raise the awareness of the brand in the 1980s, the creators of Kool-Aid made a deal with Marvel Comics to produce six Kool-Aid Man comic books. His main nemesis was "Scorch" who was basically a midget engulfed in flames. Also, they surf. A lot. Th
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A Tale Of Two Fiat 128 Hatchbacks: One Goes To Loving Home, One Gets Crushed
A couple months back, I found a 1974 Fiat 128 Sport Coupe while searching for likely Project Car Hell candidates. Only 500 bucks, and the listing included those three magical words: Ran when parked!
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Testosterone Makes Men Buy Fast Cars
A Concordia University John Molson School of Business study has found men's testosterone levels spike when driving ostentatious cars, effectively making them "sexual signaling" devices. The John Molson School of Business will be rechristened the "School of Obviousness" next week.
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What's The Best Car Art?
Because there's a practical limit to the amount of cars you can park in your living room, and also because vehicles make great canvases, there's an abundance of car art and art cars out there. But what's the best?
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What's The Greatest Automotive Duel Of All Time?
The Jalopnik vs. GM showdown is going to be awesome and it carries on a great tradition of racers, automakers, and journalists squaring-off. Looking back, what's the greatest automotive duel of all time?
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Engine Of The Day: Buick V6
If we ever get around to doing an Ultimate Engine Survivors list (to accompany the Survivor Cars list), this engine will surely be near the top. 47 years and counting!
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Automakers Need To Stop Making Leaning Car Concepts
The Nissan Land Glider Concept will debut at the Tokyo Motor Show and will be as pointless as every leaning concept car before it. Nobody's ever mass-produced one, and we doubt anyone ever will.
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What Would You Drive If You Were Famous?
We've dished out a lot of criticism of celebrity cars lately, including dueling matte black convertibles and creepy fire engines. But walk a mile in another man's Bertuli shoes and answer this: what would you drive if you were famous?
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All 400+ Cars Of Forza Motorsport 3
Following the release of all 830 cars from Gran Turismo PSP, Turn 10 has released their list of all 400+ cars from Forza 3. Below, the entire garage.
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Will Convertibles Make You Deaf?
Speeds of 50–70 MPH in a convertible car generate noise levels above the threshold of hearing damage, according to a study published in the medical journal Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.
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VIDEO: Toyota FT-86 Concept Goes Sideways In Gran Turismo
Almost as cool as this morning's first look at the anxiously-awaited and so-pre-production-we-can-almost-taste-it Toyota FT-86 Concept is this video of the "Subieyota" going sideways around corners in the digital world of GT5 with a little AE86 following. Adorable!
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The History Of Chevrolet Police Cars
With the launch of the new Chevy Caprice, GM continues their long history of producing cars for law enforcement. Grow out your mustache and put on ridiculously dark shades as we PIT-maneuver through the half-century history of Chevy police cars.
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Ten Best Chevy Caprice Movie Cop Cars
In honor of the return of the Chevy Caprice police car, and because it's one of the most ubiquitous film cop cars of the 1980s and 1990s, we've put together the ten best criminal-chasing, car-smashing Caprice police movie cars below.
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All 830 Cars From Gran Turismo For PSP
Gran Turismo for PSP was just released yesterday and after a quick e-mail exchange with Sony PR, they've provided us with the full list of all 830 cars from the new game. Below, the whole garage.
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Crashes and Safety (3)
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Mustang Cover Boy Tries To Corner, Flips Over Tire Wall
The Hallett/CarFX project Mustang — featured on the December '09 cover of 5.0 Mustang — dramatically flipped over a tire wall at Hallet Circuit in Oklahoma this weekend, ending up on its roof. Actiongasmic crash gallery below.
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Dealer Wrecks Customer's Koenigsegg CCX
A New York dealer decided to take his customer's Koenigsegg CCX out for a spin... into a wall and an innocent Porsche 911. Around here, that's what we call a very bad day. [Wrecked Exotics]
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Ford CEO Approves Of F-150's Ability To Slaughter Cows
Ford's Alan Mulally was delighted to hear the pictured F-150 saved it's driver after plowing through a herd of cattle that wandered onto the 65 MPH-plus highway. The reason why trucks are so popular in Texas below the jump.
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Entertainment (1)
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Gran Turismo For PSP Vs. Forza Motorsport 3: The Cars
The biggest automotive showdown this year: Forza versus Gran Turismo. Since GT5 will, like, never come out, we've decided to pit the car list from Forza Motorsport 3 against the only other suitable alternative — Gran Turismo for PSP.
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Entertainment (1)
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$50,000 Ultima GTR Shatters $1.6 Million Ferrari FXX Top Gear Track Record
Frustrated that Top Gear refused to run its GTR around the show's track, Ultima took matters into its own hands, acquiring private access, then breaking the Michael Schumacher-piloted Ferrari FXX's time by nearly a second.
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News (187)
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There's Nothing Wrong With A 1965 Ford Cortina That A Honda S2000 Engine Can't Fix!
Well, you need a few things in addition to that Honda F20C to get that Cortina set up properly. A full roll cage helps, as does a completely hot-rodded suspension. Welcome to Jeff's Garage!
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Pace Bus On The Race Track: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
When we showed up at the race track for the Yeehaw It's Texas 24 Hours Of LeMons last weekend, the LeMons Supreme Court spotted an Orion II with TARC markings in the paddock. We knew right away: Pace Bus!
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The Top 123 Lemons Of The 24 Hours Of LeMons Texas Fall 2009
LeMons race #20 took place last weekend, and we saw a BMW win for the third time. That brings BMW closer to Mazda's and Toyota's five LeMons wins apiece. Let's go check out the other 122 cars now!
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Commenter Of The Day: True Romance Edition
The film True Romance is immediately recognizable as a Quentin Tarantino film even if it is directed by Tony Scott, who clearly gets the Hawkes-like dove-tailing dialogue and mostly understand the genre-splitting attitude. Some complain it's a little off-pitch, but the acting is fantastic and includes a great cast of extras, including Christopher Walken as Vincent Coccotti. Clearly, it's a shame Carlos Ghosn didn't get the job because rligeti would have cast him in a second.
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700 HP Saab 99 Is The Best Sleeper Ever
By all outward appearances, this Saab 99 is a nicely maintained Grandma car. Underneath, it's an all-wheel-drive, turbocharged, 700 HP terror machine capable of 9.8 second quarter miles. This Swede-built creation is likely the most ridiculous sleeper ever created.
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Circular Loom Weaves Lexus LFA Carbon A-Pillar
One of only two circular looms in the world is used to weave dual-tube carbon fiber components, like the A-pillar, on the Lexus LFA. It's obsessive attention to detail like this that explains the near $400,000 price.
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Kurt Vonnegut: "A Saab Could Drag A VW At A Stoplight"
Of course you all know that Kurt Vonnegut used to manage a Saab dealership in Massachusetts before he became a famous writer. But any day is a good day to relive his fun tale.
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What Automotive Trend Will Be Passé In A Decade?
Remember a decade ago when every car had to have European-style, Altezza'd amber-less turn signals? Though vestiges remain, we've thankfully moved on. But what current automotive trend will be passé in another decade?
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Fun In The Sun At Yas Marina Circuit
Formula One returns to Arabia this weekend to perform an encore act to the 2009 season on a brand new circuit. World champion Jenson Button and company are set to pop Yas Marina Circuit’s cherry this Sunday.
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Commenter Of The Day: The Candidate Edition
The great thing about the film The Candidate is the realistic propsition that by winning you're almost always forced into a situation where you slowly start losing. Whether you have to abandon your principles, as in the Robert Redford film, or abandon the causes you were to fight for, as with Tommy Carcetti in The Wire, political success doesn't always correspond to a personal triumph. In a polarized climate it's always a battle to find a middle ground even if most people don't actually occupy i
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Warren Mosler To Run For President
Yes, that Waren Mosler is running for president in 2012. After selling a quixotic mix of supercars and customs (Twinstar anyone?) Mosler is now engaging in an even more quixotic campaign for president.
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Top Car Lipsticks Panamera Pig
The Top Car Porsche Panamera Stingray is a tooner version of everybody's favorite four door Porsche. As a body kit only customization, at least they're not boogering with Porsche's carefully engineered mechanical bits. They'll rely on 9ff for that later.
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Quartet Of Tarted-Up Suzukis Aimed At SEMA
Since Suzuki now has the legitimately competitive Suzuki Kizashi, they're bringing a few to SEMA slathered in paint and aftermarket parts. They're also trotting out the same rehashed Equator concept they've been showing for years. Details below.
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400 HP Ecoboosted '34 Ford Retromod Hitting SEMA
Ford's bringing a lot of cars to SEMA and one of the coolest will be this all-steel reproduction '34 Ford sporting a 400HP Ecoboost V6. The car's being built by Detroit Street Rods and represents the first RWD Ecoboost application.
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Mitsubishi Releases Sketch Of "Game Changer" Crossover
We're guessing this sketch of the next Mitsubishi crossover, based on the ferocious little Concept cX, will not actually be called "game changer" when it goes into production next year. Seriously, it's not the game it's the player.
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Help The Environment And Ditch The Prius, Get A 911
Enjoyable cars are neither expensive nor bad for the environment when you use them as replacements for boring cars that spend all their life stuck in traffic.
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Commenter Of The Day: The Failed Campaigns Of Abraham Lincoln Edition
Something history tends to forget is Lincoln's overall election record was pretty low. He lost six times. His first unsuccessful election was an attempt to make it to the Illinois General Assembly. At an early speech in the campaign a man from another campaign caused trouble, which led to Lincoln picking up the agitator by the seat of his pants and literally throwing him out of the gathering. He eventually placed eighth out of thirteen candidates. But this didn't discourage him from running agai
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EXCLUSIVE: 800HP Lingenfelter Twin Turbo-Powered Specter Werks Corvette GTR
Take the radically restyled Specter Werks Corvette GTR, chuck an 800 HP Lingenfelter twin-turbo 7.0-liter LS7 under the hood and 22lb carbon fiber HRE wheels underneath and you've got one badass 'Vette set for debut at SEMA.
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Monticello Motor Club: A Turn-By-Turn Analysis
Think Monticello Motor Club and you think of the long back straight. But the rest of the track is tight and very technical, giving the Mitsubishi Evo X MR good odds against the CTS-V tomorrow. Here's how I can win.
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GM's Lutz Responds To "Not Ready For Racing" Jaguar
GM's "Maximum" Bob Lutz opened up his maximum mouth this evening to tweak the rest of the luxury performance sedan universe in response to Jaguar dropping out of the Jalopnik Vs. GM "CTS-V Challenge" race set for Thursday.
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Commenter Of The Day: Fool For Love Edition
Everyone loves A Lie Of The Mind because it's so screwed up it's sexy and any actor would kill to play the parts Sam Shepherd wrote. But if we're being honest, we think we're more interested in the play version of Fool For Love, which premiered with no less than Ed Harris as one of the battling, doomed lovers. The script is mostly plotless, with the arc being defined by the rise and fall of emotions and not actions, which is fairly stock for him. It's a feeling TR3-A can relate to in today's QOT
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Jaguar Pusses Out Of Jalopnik Vs. GM Race
Jaguar PR just called saying they've withdrawn their pledge to let Wes race the XFR Thursday against GM's Bob Lutz in a Cadillac CTS-V. Apparently, not because they're afraid to lose, they're afraid the XFR just can't take it. Pussies.
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DeLorean Solstice In Doubt After Fisker Buys Old GM Plant
News of Fisker buying GM's shuttered Wilmington Assembly plant is good news for Fisker, but bad news for the DeLorean Solstice, which the new DeLorean Motor Company hoped to build at the plant.
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Fisker Buys GM Plant To Develop Chevy Volt-Killing Mid-Size
Alongside Vice President Joe Biden, Fisker Automotive executives announced today they'll buy GM's now shuttered Wilmington, Delaware assembly plant to develop "Project NINA," an "affordable, family-oriented plug-in hybrid sedan." So, basically, GM's selling Fisker a factory to develop a Volt-killer.
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Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec: Tuner-Ready, Budget-Priced
The Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec is, at its core, a Genesis Coupe 2.0T Track model sans non-essential convenience equipment for cost and weight reduction. And with a starting price of $23,750, this manual-tranny-only model's built for budget tuners.
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The Other Ford SEMA Show Cars
Just because there'll be a slew of custom 2010 Ford Mustangs at SEMA doesn't mean the rest of Ford's lineup won't be represented. Some custom Taurus SHOs, Transit Connects, Fusions and Foci will also get the tuner-car treatment.
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Commenter Of The Day: In Defense Of Hillary Duff Edition
Unless you live in Alameda, people are probably not always taking pictures of your car. It's because you're not famous and, most likely, don't have the money and questionable taste necessary to produce, say, a bright orange hearse (which is awesome in its own way). We follow celebrity cars not because we love/hate particular famous people, but because they typically select interesting rides. So we didn't reproduce a photo of Hillary Duff getting ticketed because we feel any way about Hillary Duf
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Banks Power To Debut iQ Dash Computer At SEMA
Banks Power, the company behind some of the fastest diesel trucks, has turned its tuning prowess to a fully-featured dashboard computer. Called the iQ, it's the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone curious about their exhaust gas temperature.
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People To Watch: Kamui Kobayashi
Substituting for an injured Timo Glock at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Toyota’s GP2-racing test driver displayed balls of titanium and mad, scorching speed.
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Ford Bringing Slew Of Tarted-Up 'Stangs To SEMA
Ford's the marquee sponsor of this year's SEMA show in Vegas and a whole stable full of custom 2010 Ford Mustang is coming along. The full rendered gallery and descriptions of the cars below.
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Amazon Users Hack Steering Wheel Laptop Desk Page, Show Outcome Of Use
We were all set to rip on this steering wheel-mounted laptop desk when we discovered that Amazon's own users had already done it for us. The reasons why driving and blogging don't mix below.
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REPORT: Mad Max 4: Fury Road Go For 2011 Walkabout
George Miller's announced Mad Max 4: Fury Road's been officially green-lit. The rumored cast includes Charlize Theron and Terminator: Salvation's Sam Worthington. Regardless of plot, casting and expected awesome vehicles, we're nervous about the necessity of this movie.
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Engine Of The Day: Toyota JZ
After we had Engine Of The Day Overload last weekend, I got the usual flurry of emails pointing out the really important stuff I'd overlooked. One engine kept coming up, though: the mighty Toyota JZ!
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1969 Mercury Marauder X-100, 1968 Chrysler 300 Go To Crusher Side By Side
Have you ever seen a Marauder X-100 on the street? You'd think that having one of the all-time coolest car names of all time would have spared this monster, but you'd be wrong!
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1963 Porsche 356 S Coupe
Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Look, I've found another 356!
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Best Pit Cuisine In LeMons History, Or Why We're All Moving To Chauvin, Louisiana
Working a 24 Hours Of LeMons race is exhausting, to put it mildly, so the LeMons HQ crew always seeks out the best pit party after a day's race session. The choice was easy last night!
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One Of The Last AMC-Built Grand Wagoneers Heads To The Last Roundup
Chrysler bought what was left of AMC in 1987, it's a little sad to see this woodgrain-bedecked Pre Cupholder Era SUV from 1986- back when SUVs were honest about their truckness- about to be crushed.
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Armadillo VWs And Bikini Racers: The BS Inspections Of The Yeehaw It's Texas 24 Hours Of LeMons
With 130 or so cars on the track, we can expect a busy day for the LeMons Supreme Court. Here's a gallery from yesterday's BS Inspection to tide you over until I can do updates.
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1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS Convertible
Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Until today, we've only had one first-gen Camaro in this series.
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Commenter Of The Day: Idiocracy Edition
Most people don't know this, but I actually appear in the Mike Judge film Idiocracy. I play an idiot. It's typecasting. It all started when a friend of mine asked if I'd like to earn $50 and some free pizza by appearing in a new film. Little did I know I'd be asked to don shiny shorts, mess up my hair and act like a complete moron in the cold Austin Convention Center where the film was shot. If you watch the movie, and I encourage you to do so though I get no royalties from it, you'll see Luke W
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Sending A Clear Message To Bicyclists
"This cycle lane lets you smack both your handlebars and your knuckles into a lamppost at 50 metre intervals. It definitely gives a rhythm to the journey." [The Guardian]
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30 Rock Rips On Aztek, Auto Industry
Last night's episode of 30 Rock included this hilarious C-plot about Jack and the writers trying to hastily develop a product based on a faulty consumer research data and the perceptions of out-of-touch executives. Sound familiar?
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What Else Needs To Be Motorized?
Someone looked at a push-style grass clipper and said "To hell with this, I'm going to put a big motor on it." It was a great day. Followed later by this motorized La-Z-Boy. So what else needs to be motorized?
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How To Swap A Ford Escort Engine In 32 Seconds
Changing a VW Bug's generator belt in five seconds was darn impressive, but this team of British Royal Marines swapped an Escort's four-cylinder in an impossible 32 seconds. Amusingly, it took ten seconds to drive 33ft and finish the challenge.
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Daimler Investing 600M In Center Of Excellence For Compact Vehicles; To Begin Limited Series Production Of A-Class E-CELL EV In 2010
Powertrain of the Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO E-CELL, introduced in January 2009 in Detroit. Click to enlarge.
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Commenter Of The Day: Trepanation Edition
The act of trepanation is a quasi-medical procedure involving drilling a whole inside a head to cure seizures and other mental disorders. Obviously, this does not typically end well though some strange modern people do it because they think it'll give them some form of enlightenment. Despite the craziness of this procedure, there is a modern version wherein people drill a hole for access or, even, to reduce the pressure in the brain during epidural and subdural hematoma. Because of the negative
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Nissan Planning To Resell Used Leaf Batteries
One of the big questions surrounding full-electric vehicles is what to do with the batteries after they've exceeded their in-vehicle life. Well, Nissan's partnered with Sumitomo in a plan to resell the Nissan Leaf's batteries for residential and commercial uses.
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Ford Partnering With University Of Michigan To Speed Development Of Control Systems For Next Generation Of Hybrids
Ford Motor Company and the University of Michigan are working together on a project to accelerate the development of future hybrid vehicles. Researchers are analyzing data from 2,500 road trips to determine how internal electronic vehicle controls could be tweaked to further improve fuel efficiency and fun-to-drive attributes.
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Lexus LFA All-Digital Tach, Speedo: First Look
While trolling about for more engine porn on the floor of the Tokyo Motor Show we came across the customizable digital speedometer and tachometer for the Lexus LFA. It looks pretty trick to us and very techie-cool. Gallery below.
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Commenter Of The Day: News Budget Edition
The news doesn't just happen. Senior editors meet with lower-level editors, producers, and reporters to decide what gets covered when and how much time to put aside for the coverage and where to place it in the paper or broadcast. This is a "budget" meeting that has less to do with dollars than it does to do with the way resources and attention is diverted to a particular story on a particular day. As much work as you do ahead of the time to deal with the flow of information in a given period, y
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Formula One Has A New Posse
Have you all watched your tivoed instances of the Brazilian Grand Prix? Excellent! Then you know full well that Formula One’s new champion is here and his name is…
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Nissan Leaf EV: The Electric Model T
The Nissan Leaf EV graced the stage at the Tokyo Motor Show today. And while it didn't feature Carlos Ghosn's decapitated head, the mass-production electric vehicle is clearly more important.
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New Honda CR-Z Concept Steps Closer To Production, Gets Manual Transmission
At the Tokyo Motor Show the latest Honda CR-Z Hybrid concept has debuted along with news of a production debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. Yes, the compact pocket-rocket will return, complete with a manual transmission.
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Toyota FT-86 Concept: The AE86 Is Back In The Red, Metallic Flesh
We've seen the Toyota FT-86 for a couple of weeks, carefully dissected the delicious, metallic red sports car in any way we can, but now we've actually seen it in the flesh and Toyota's got some serious hotness here.
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Lexus LFA Official Images And Specs: Hold Onto Your Butts
Mark your calendars, today Toyota has birthed its first supercar, the specs and complete images of the production Lexus LFA have been released and by all measure it's going to make the Italians and Germans break into a cold sweat.
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Lotus Exige Scura Dons Badass Little Black Dress
The Lotus Exige Scura has debuted at that Tokyo Motor Show and she's more than just a snazzy black paint job. It's sporting launch control, tunable traction control and fully adjustable Ohlins dampers. Track day meets the dark side.
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Commenter Of The Day: Phi Slama Jama Edition
The University of Houston Cougars men's basketball team, though not officially a greek fraternal organization, went by the name Phi Slama Jama because of their aggressive style of play which included more dunking and fastbreaks. The most famous members were Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, who would later play together as Houston Rockets. The team never won a National Championship, though they did advance to the Final Four each year from 1982 to 1984. Their athletic form of play would become t
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Nissan 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition Celebrates Z-Car History
The Z-Car line has lived, with limited interruption, since Datsun times and Nissan is celebrating with the Silver 40th Anniversary Nissan 370Z. It's no Black Gold, but it's quite comely.
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The Five Best Custom Green Cars
The greenies over at design blog Inhabitat have picked out their their favorite "pimped-out" eco rides. Among them a VW Bug, Chevy S-10, a '65 Impala supersport and a stretched Hummer H1 limo. How unexpected.
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2010 Toyota Mark X Is The Aggressive GS We Don't Get
The 2010 Toyota Mark X will sell in Japan and other Asian nations and shares the rear-wheel-drive Crown/GS platform, but when it debuts at the Tokyo Motor Show everyone will know exactly where to find it, buried beneath the X.
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Aston Martin LMP1 Set For Halloween Asian Le Mans Debut
The young Aston Martin Le Mans racing team will be making its Japanese debut on Halloween with its hot Gulf Oil liveried LMP1. Given the October 31st running of the event, we were hoping for something a bit spookier.
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"XXXXXXX" License Plate Leads To $19,000 In Tickets
Scottie Roberson's nickname is "Racer X" so he secured the license plate "XXXXXXX" for his truck. Unfortunately, the plate and a glitch in a parking ticket system led to him receiving $19,000 in erroneous tickets (H/T to Tempesjo!) [Blog.Al.Com]
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Oshkosh M-ATV: The US Military's Badass New Off-Roader
Back in June, the Department of Defense awarded Oshkosh the $1.05 billion contract for mine resistant ambush protected all terrain vehicles (MRAP-ATV), the first seven have been delivered to Afghanistan, so let's take a closer look at this thing.
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Switzer GT-R Hits Record 191 MPH In Standing Mile
A Switzer Nissan GT-R made a 191 MPH "official" standing mile pass at the Milemarker-1, setting a speed record for an R35 for that distance. The same month, another Switzer GT-R achieved a record quarter-mile speed.
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FAIL: When A 400 Ton-Haul Truck Tries To Carry 600 Tons
A Caterpillar 797 Mining Truck costs $3.4 million, weighs 1.38 million lbs., has a 3,370 HP engine and can carry 363 tons. What happens when one tries to carry 600 tons? An amazing fail documented in the gallery below.
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Lotus Exige Scura: Lord Vader, Your Track Day Car Has Arrived
Just in time for this week's Tokyo Motor Show, Lotus has pulled the cloth off a limited-to-just-35-units Lotus called the Exige Scura. Scura means "dark" in Italian. In Japanese, however, it must mean something naughty. They'll call it "Stealth" here.
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Kia Cadenza Like The Amanti But Attractive
Hyundai and Kia continue to snag more market share than any other U.S. automaker, and vehicles like this new Kia Amanti are the reason why. Based on the Kia VG Concept, this new Kia Cadenza will replace the forgettable Amanti.
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PCH, LeMons Cars For The Street Edition: Cadillac Fleetwood Or Volvo Wagon?
Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most hellish! Wearing a helmet in your daily driver is cool. Really!
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Winning: The Racing Life Of Paul Newman, By Matt Stone
This first words in this book come from the pen of Mario Andretti: "Paul Newman was one of us."
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LeMons Virus Spreads Like Swine Flu: 21 Races In 2010, Plenty Of New Tracks!
You whiners who couldn't put a Renault Fuego LeMons team together because you can't tow a car a measly 1,500 miles no longer have any excuses- LeMons is infesting your region next year!
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Adios, Amigos: Pick Your Part's Octopus Shuts NorCal Wrecking Yards
The rumors were swirling last week, as the two Bay Area locations of self-service wrecking-yard chain Pick Your Part stopped charging the customary $2 admission.
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Pretty Emblems And Engines From The Island That Rust Forgot
While most of you know my city for its street-parked old cars, Alameda also boasts plenty of high-buck-type show cars. Once a year, they take over the island's main drag.
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Brava, Gremlin, Trio Of Air-Cooled VWs Gird For Next Weekend's Battle: Yeehaw It's Texas LeMons!
Remember the Fiat Brava? Those lucky enough to be at the Yeehaw It's Texas 24 Hours Of LeMons will get to see a Brava take on a Karmann-Ghia, an AMC Gremlin, and a VW Fastback!
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1968 Pontiac Tempest
Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Here's a car that will get the Pontiac experts all excited.
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Commenter Of The Day: Tsar Alexander II's Folly
The sale of Alaska to The United States Of America is one of those events seemingly so obvious now given the immense value it has and the relatively low purchase price. At the time, some American's believed it was foolhardy and wondered why we'd spend a whopping $0.019 per acre for land when the population density of the U.S. was already so low. Obviously, almost no one feels this way anymore. In Russia, though, it's a sort of opposite feeling with many rumors existing over the purchase, includi
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Rally Gods Take To Monte Carlo Course In Convertible Mini
Paddy Hopkirk and Rauno Aaltonen—winners, respectively, of the 1964 and 1967 Monte Carlo Rallies in Mini Cooper S’s—revisit the rally course 40+ years later in a convertible John Cooper Works Mini.
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Atlas Of Right-Hand Drive Vs. Left-Hand Drive Countries
Here's a map of the world showing driving directions for all countries and any changes occurring since Finland changed in 1858. Map color key below.
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Mopar Brings Jeep With 40" Tires To SEMA
Mopar is bringing four up-accessorized concepts to SEMA next month. First up is this Jeep Lower Forty Concept. Far more realistic is the Overland concept with a roof-mounted tent or even the 556 HP Challenger. Full gallery below.
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Ford Introduces 1.6L Duratec Race Engine, Restarts Kent Production
Ford Racing has announced plans to produce a new race version of the 1.6L Duratec for use in Formula Ford series as well as their plan to reproduce the legendary Kent engine; a 50-year-old design much-loved in racing circles.
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US Military Pays $400 A Gallon For Fuel In Afghanistan
Think last summer's $4 a gallon prices at the pump were painful? Imagine being the US Military, which pays around $400 a gallon in Afghanistan according to the Pentagon comptroller's office in a report to the House Appropriations Defense panel.
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Commenter Of The Day: Being Burt Reynolds Edition
There's a certain point where our collective understanding of manliness coincides with our hard-earned stripes as true car enthusiasts. We may not all wear unbuttoned shirts to proudly expose our medallion-adorned chest wigs, loafers without socks, mirrored aviators, string back gloves and trucker caps, but our subconscious selfs do. That's why, when someone manages to violate the unwritten laws of both manhood and enthusiasm in a single blow we feel it so deeply and so personally. It's a burden
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Corvette Shows Why Germany's Rechtsfahren Law Exists
"Rechtsfahren" means "driving on the right," and it's a critical law on Germany's autobahn. For good reason, as it prevents this Corvette rocketing down the fast lane from blasting into a driver going a leisurely 100 MPH. (H/T to Clay!)
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Jalopnik Introduces Open Forums
Car-obsessive commenters — since we opened up Jalopnik four years ago — have influenced our site more than is acknowledged and sometimes more than is comfortable.
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Hyper-Maintained Ferrari 308 Boggles Minds With Perfection
This 1979 Ferrari 308 GTB is for sale on eBay. It's probably in better condition now than when Maranello birthed it. The obsessively maintained car has not only been meticulously maintained, it's been updated to provide better performance and reliability.
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Commenter Of The Day: Cotomer Sevis Edition
The customer is always right. Customers First. There are no traffic jams along the extra mile. If we don't take care of our customers, someone else will.If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell 6 friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends. Customers don't expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong. The goal as a company is to have customer service that is not just the best, but legen
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Take A Virtual Video Drive Down Any City Street
Microsoft engineers and researchers are attempting to one-up Google Maps by creating route animations with the abundance of panoramic street-view photography so you can experience your trip before you drive it. It's called Videomap and it's quite clever.
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Cruise Control Fire Recall Expanded To Ford's Largest Ever
The Ford cruise control recall now includes 14 million vehicles, making it the company's largest recall ever. The cruise switch in affected vehicles can fail, potentially causing a fire and other problems. List of possibly affected vehicles below.
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New Peugeot Bipper Tepee Has World's Dumbest Name
The Frenchmen at Peugeot must have been quite drunk when they decided on "Bipper Tepee," and that's too bad, the weirdo name betrays what looks like a fairly useful little vehicle.
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Tatra V855: Ass-Engined Nazi-Occupied Snowmobile
Tatras are generally infused with an innovative streak bordering on lunacy. Case in point: a V8-powered combat snowmobile designed to fight in the Russian winter.
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BREAKING: The Buick Regal Is Back
We've known since August, but now It's official. At a meeting today, GM announced to their network of Buick dealers the new mid-size sport sedan from Buick will be none other than the Regal.
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Fancy A Compact BMW Wagon With A V10 Engine?
BMW has no competitor for the RS4 Avant as yet. I know there are customers out there that would definitely like an M3 Touring but I guess it’s just not enough for BMW. If you pick up copies of BMW Magazine or Performance BMW from the newstands you can sometimes see E46 Tourings turned into makeshift M3s. Each of the other 3-Series bodies have already received its M3 – the E90, E92, and the E93, but at least the E91 has a 335i, which can be chipped into an M3 contender.
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Commenter Of The Day: Chicken Wing Price Escalation Edition
If you enjoy a good chicken wing special on game day, as all good Americans do, then you might be disappointed to find out the price of chicken wings has dramatically increased as the price of chicken breasts, the gold standard in chicken, has dropped. According to the New York Times, the reasons relate to the economic downturn and orders for expensive chicken dishes going down (lowering demand) and cheap wings increasing. Because of this, restaurants are trying to sell the "boneless chicken" wi
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NASCAR Ford Mustang Revealed
Here it is folks, the NASCAR Ford Mustang. The number 16 Con-way Freight car of Roush Fenway Racing will be piloted by Colin Braun in the NASCAR Nastionwide series.
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$1.5M Russian SUV Features Diamonds, Whale Penis Leather
Whale penis leather interior. That's all you really need to know about the $1.5 million Dartz Prombron Monaco Red Diamond Edition. Yes, the diamond-encrusted white gold gauges and gold-plated bulletproof windows are impressive, but seriously, whale penis leather interior.
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Jalopnik Vs. GM: It's On!
It's official. Jalopnik's Wes Siler will race GM's former vice-chairman Bob "Maximum Marketing" Lutz on October 29th at New York's Monticello Motor Club. Better news? You may be able to race Bob and Wes. May the best car win, bitches.
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2011 Ford Explorer Showing Off Next-Gen Body
After months of Freestyle-bodied 2011 Ford Explorer mules, we're finally getting a closer look at the shape of the next Explorer. Looks about 90% the size of the current model. It should, considering it shares underpinnings with the Flex. [Autoweek]
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NASCAR Mustang Teased Ahead Of Unveil
Today's the first day the muscle car wars collide with the NASCAR world. The NASCAR Ford Mustang race car will be unveiled at 1PM EST but until then, here's the first sneak peek at things to come. [Ford via MustangEvolution]
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It's A Nice Day For A Skyline Wedding
Love for Nissan's Skyline sports car is well known, but one couple took it further than any other, getting married in the midst of several generations of Nissan Skylines. We won't hesitate to say this one's a keeper.
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World's Fastest Cadillac Hits 330.7 MPH, Sets Land Speed Record
Setting the record for world's fastest gasoline-powered land vehicle, the 1,900 HP Spectre Performance Infidel is powered by a twin-turbo 1970s Cadillac punched out to 529 CI.
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VW Plans World Domination, US-Built Mid-Size Sedan
VW wants to "dominate" the US market, using its against-the-odds current strong sales and profits (relatively) to go counter-cyclical and triple US sales. An American-made mid-size sedan is at the center of those plans.
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Urban Networked Electric Cars Coming To Tokyo Show
The theme of the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show 2009 is “Fun Driving for Us, Eco Driving for Earth.” So, it’s no surprise that Japan’s biggest automakers—Toyota, Nissan and Honda—will be rolling out their funky futuristic networked electric cars. The show opens to the public on Oct. 24.
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GM Engineer Takes Buyout, Creates Sexual Penetration Machine
A newly-unemployed GM engineer found a creative way to spend his government-funded buyout check and new-found free time, investing both into a whole new kind of horsepower. Meet the "Pleasuring Pony" and yes, it's a ready-for-Hung sex toy.
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Naked Streets: Why Traffic Signs Don't Make Us Safer
According to some traffic experts, "Nanny State" traffic lights and road signs don't make us safer. Instead, making our streets deliberately "naked" of speed bumps, chicanes and signs will make drivers more cautious.
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Lucky Hungarian Drives $370,000 Viper-Engined Bristol Fighter
One of motoring journalism’s enduring myths is the inability to test drive Bristol cars, enforced by the experiences of Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May. A Hungarian road test editor has beaten the odds.
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2011 Dodge Challenger Probably Getting 6.4-Liter V8
Ontariostreetcar.com's claiming the 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 will get the bigger 6.4-liter HEMI V8 already rumored destined for Dodge HD trucks. Chrysler's offered us no comment on the 475-525 HP mill which supposedly gets better fuel economy. We'll see. [OntarioStreetCar]
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The Land Vehicles Of Antarctica
Antarctica is one of the most extreme climates in the world, inhabited by approximately 1,000 to 5,000 researchers and support staff. Surviving in this barren penguin-inhabited wasteland requires some of the most extreme land vehicles in the world.
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Classy Aussie Waitress Claims "Not Sucking D***" In Ute Crash
Following a ute crash in Humpty Doo, NT, Australia, and reports indicating the female passenger may have been engaging in amorous activities with the driver, the 34-year-old waitress would just like everyone to know "I was not sucking his d***."
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Help Us ID The Mystery Roadster Of Suzuka
During the drivers’ parade that preceded the Japanese Grand Prix on October 4, Williams’s Kazuki Nakajima rode in this vintage Japanese roadster. Can you help us figure out what it is?
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Lamborghini LP640 JB-R: Blood Diamond In The Rough?
JB Design has "upgraded" the Lamborghini LP640 with a mess of carbon fiber, a body kit, custom "Blood to Black Diamond" paint job, dark red ultrasuede interior and oh yes, a power upgrade to either 710 or 750 HP.
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Truppi-Kling Chevelle Drag Racer Depreciates $1 Million In 3 Years, New Owner Gets Screamin' Deal
You need nerves like bridge cables to play the muscle car auction game, as exemplified by the crazy ups and downs of the famous Truppi-King Chevelle SS 454 convertible.
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Clunkerized Mercedes-Benzes Clog Up Junkyards, Ghost Of Karl Benz To Haunt White House
You'd think that a car that cost as much as a new Mercedes-Benz W126- for example, $61,000 for a 1989 420SEL ($106K in 2009 bucks)- would be safe from the Clunkpocalypse. Think again!
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The Top 122 Lemons Of The Lamest Day 24 Hours Of LeMons
The 19th race in 24 Hours Of LeMons history took place last weekend, and we finally had our first-ever Nissan winner! Right behind it- well, in some cases way behind it- were 121 other vehicles.
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1974 Ford Capri
Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Is this a Mercury or a Ford?
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Top Ten Tech-Heavy Car Dashboards
Car dashboards are beginning to mimic the latest in consumer electronics as automakers try to suck in the iPod-generation as new car buyers. Here's the ten most high-tech dashboards on production cars you can buy this year or next.
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Commenter Of The Day: One Small Step Edition
The inclusion or omission of a single word can drastically change the meaning of a statement. When the world listened to Neil Armstrong land on the moon he declared it was "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." And while this is more profound than "holy shit, I'm on the moon!" it's still a mistake. He was supposed to say "One small step for a man," which has great significance. However, "man" and "mankind" are roughly synonymous meaning he said it's a great big step for all us hum
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VW Golf TwinDrive Is German For "Chevy Volt"
Motor Trend's Frank Markus got time with the VW Golf TwinDrive, a plug-in diesel-electric hybrid prototype operating much like the Chevy Volt. The difference? The engine can run the wheels as well as the generator. Don't expect production soon. [MotorTrend]
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Ford Developing System To Tell Future, Predict Crashes Before They Happen
Ford and Auburn University are working together on a next-generation crash avoidance system combining a car's traction control system with GPS satellite tracking to predict accidents before they happen and take action to completely avoid them.
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ENCO Gladiator 700GT Biturbo: An "Exklusive" Cayenne With A Mean-Looking Mouth
The Porsche Cayenne Turbo's twin turbo V8 makes 500HP. Lame. The ENCO Gladiator 700GT Biturbo makes 690HP, has a full roll cage, carbon fiber racing seats and enough custom bodywork to make Jenna Jameson seem natural. Also, they can't spell.
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Giant NASA Wind Tunnel Blows One Last Time For Concept Plane
NASA pressed a once-decommissioned wind tunnel at its Langley Research Center back into service for one last time in August to help test the prototype of the X-48C — Boeing's new, turbojet-powered, advanced blended wing body (BWB) aircraft.
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NASCAR Founder's Grandson Popped For DUI, Cocaine And Street Racing
A blasted-looking J.C. France, grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France and Grand-Am racer, was arrested in Daytona Beach with his "housemate" for an illegal trifecta: drug possession, street racing and DUI. Yup, Cocaine is a hell of a drug.
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Air Force Shooting Freaking Lasers At Cars
The Air Force has successfully fired a plane-based laser at the hood of a test car, successfully melting it. It's like the plot of Real Genius come to life!
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Your New Lexus Floor Mats Will Look Like Crap
We told you about Toyota's zip tie quick-fix they're forcing upon dealers to solve that pesky little deadly killer floor mat problem. Now here's exactly how crappy your brand new Lexus or Toyota will look. Below, how it's done.
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Huge Cache Of Mustangs Can Be Yours For $700,000
Reader Brian B was on vacation when he accidentally stumbled upon a massive collection of vintage Mustangs ranging in condition from crusty shells to pristine runners. The collector's widow's looking to sell you the whole lot for just $700,000.
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Nelson Piquet Jr. Going To NASCAR?
Renault’s crash-happy dismissed Formula One driver is set to do something very different after his brief, unhappy career in single-seaters: drive a Toyota Tundra in circles.
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ZIL–131: When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going
It has neither corkscrews for wheels nor chubby wings to fly it above the Caspian. Still, the ZIL–131 is one badass Russian military truck.
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Toyota Fixing Deadly Killer Floor Mats With... Zip Ties!
Toyota's told dealers to attach recalled floor mats to seat frames on the driver's side of affected vehicles with self-locking zip ties to prevent them from snagging on gas pedals, causing unintended acceleration and then, fiery death. Yes, zip ties.
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Commenter Of The Day: The Truth Interferes Edition
The saying "never let the truth interfere with a good story" is practically the state motto of Texas, the land of the tall tale. For instance, there's a tale of a woman going to the original Neiman Marcus store in Dallas and requesting the recipe for the delicious cookies. When she was told she would have to buy it the woman said it would be "two-fifty." The woman said fine and told them to add it to her bill. When she received her bill she was shocked to see the recipe was actually $250. This,
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Corvette-Powered Python: Fastest Amphibious Vehicle Ever
With the front-end of a truck and the rear-end from a Corvette, the Python amphibious vehicle can go 60 MPH on the water, making it the fastest amphibious vehicle ever. Photos and details below.
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Airbags Help Airlines Meet New Safety Standards
Contrary to popular belief, most airliner accidents are survivable. Many crashes are relatively slow impacts where the forces on the passenger can be similar to those involved in a car accident. So it makes sense the airlines are borrowing technology from the automotive world that has been protecting drivers for years.
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Corvette ZR1 Race Car Crashes At Watkins Glen
According to reader Cody Ace, (that name totally sounds like a movie name) this race-built Corvette ZR1 met the wall with furious vengeance at Watkins Glen last weekend. For a privateer car, that's a helluva bump. Damage mega-gallery below.
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Commenter Of The Day: Abraham Lincoln Neiman Edition
Albert Lincoln Neiman, along with his wife Carrie and her brother Herbert Marcus, started a successful business promotion operation around the turn of the century. They would create a stir with music and banners around special sales at stores, which sounds unimpressive now but netted them a great deal of money and helped establish the practice. They were able to spinoff the company and were offered $25,000 for their store or the statewide franchise rights to a new product called Coca-Cola. They
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EXCLUSIVE: DeLorean Motor Company Contemplating Building Pontiac Solstice
The DeLorean Motor Company is a brand without a car and the Pontiac Solstice is a car without a brand. That leaves the company wondering: if John DeLorean were still alive, would he try to save Pontiac? Or one Pontiac?
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GReddy Preps Go-Faster Genesis Coupe For SEMA With Goal Of 500 HP
GReddy's developed a showcase 2.0T Hyundai Genesis Coupe for the upcoming SEMA show chock full of goodies including custom bodywork and paint, suspension bits, but most importantly, a bigger intercooler, cat-back exhaust. It'll need it to hit its 500HP goal.
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Ford Uses World's Crappiest Driving Game For World Class Sound Tuning
Ford's "Virtual Vehicle Sound Simulator" looks like every video game racer's wet dream; three wide-screen monitors, force-feedback controls and Sennheiser headphones shame most setups, but this is actually a heavy duty in-vehicle sound simulator — an acoustic engineer's wet dream.
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Thales Hawkei: New IED-Resistant Face Of Aussie Military
Named for the Acanthophis hawkei, a deadly Australian adder, the Thales Hawkei is a compact, light-armored, 7-ton vehicle with quick-change customizable armor and an IED blast-resistant hull. It may replace the Aussie Defense Force's aging fleet of Land Rovers.
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Aston Martin's Product Plan To 2012 Revealed
Aston Martin plans to counter the recession by launching new products like the Toyota IQ-sized Cygnet. Product plans spanning the next three years have been revealed.
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2010 Jaguar XJL Supercharges Into Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog
The 2010 Jaguar XJL Supercharged Neiman Marcus Edition will be the retailer's Christmas Book car-of-choice for this holiday season. Each of the 50 special cats come with a five-piece set of matching Jaguar luggage for $105,000. More below.
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BMW To Build MINI-Platformed "0-Class"
BMW's always said they'd never build a front-wheel-drive car or platform prostitute a BMW off the MINI platform. Now, according to Car Magazine, BMW's apparently reversed themselves on both, greenlighting a MINI-derived "0-Series" lineup that'll go on sale in 2013.
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GM To Keep HQ In Detroit But Move Employees Somewhere Cheaper
The General plans to move even more employees out of the Rennaisance Center in Downtown Detroit to somewhere cheaper, leveling another blow at the city's dwindling tax base. But don't worry, they'll still call it their headquarters. [Detroit News]
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Ten Best Vehicles For Urban Warfare
Society is crumbling and most of us live in cities, which means we're going to be fighting in urban jungles for scarce resources. With the help of our readers we've identified these ten best vehicles for urban warfare.
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Did This UK Mercedes Ad Cross The Line?
The new Mercedes E-Class was launched in Britain with a tree-hugging ad stating "It's a pleasure, but not a guilty one." The UK's national Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) disagreed and told them to pull the print advertisement. Who is right?
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EXCLUSIVE: Video Of Scuderi Split-Cycle Prototype Engine Running
We first told you about the Scuderi Split-Cycle engine's astonishing 140 HP per liter potential back in April when it was just a bench prototype. Now it's running and we've got the exclusive video to prove it. Engine pr0n below.
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Commenter Of The Day: Cryptid Edition
A cryptid is a creature believed to exist, at least by some, but with a lack of evidence supporting its existence. The most famous examples of these are the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot, though not all cryptids are necessarily the figments of certain overactive imaginations. The Okapi, which is similar to a giraffe but looks like a zebra, was considered a crpytid for a long period of time by much of the western world until they were "discovered" by European researchers in the early 20th century
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Meet Fernando Alonso, The Human Nutcracker
Think you’ve got what it takes to handle a Formula 1 car? Before you rush headfirst into that carbon fiber tub, take the Nut Test—as demonstrated by Ferrari’s new driver Fernando Alonso.
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One-Off Modernized Pininfarina Ferrari 410 Superamerica Hiding In Italy?
A member at FerrariChat was at his Torino, Italy shop and spotted what he described as a one-off modern interpretation of a Ferrari 410 Superamerica wearing Pininfarina-crossed flags on the rump. We've got no pictures, but we're told it's real.
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Wisconsin Racer Honored With Final Run Down Drag Strip In Hearse
Jerome Miller loved drag racing, running an AMC Concord until he was 56 and attending races religiously until his death. His family arranged to have his hearse make one final run down his home track — his casket on board.
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2009 Japanese Grand Prix: A Jolly Good Race
With the wacky 2009 championship down to its antepenultimate race at Suzuka Circuit, Jenson Button’s eroding cushion of points was looking increasingly fragile. Rubens Barrichello and Sebastian Vettel smelled blood. Spoilers, shmoilers!
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Expert Explains Toyota's Hybrid Patent Problems
Paice LLC, a small Florida hybrid car technology company that won a patent infringement case against Toyota in 2005, has now brought the case to the International Trade Commission, which has the power to ban all Toyota hybrids banned from the United States. What's at stake for Toyota if its hybrids were banned from the US?
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Massa: Renault Cheated Me Out Of F1 Title
In an interesting addendum to Flaviogate, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa has accused Renault of robbing him of the 2008 championship.
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Audi Combines Start-Stop Function With Dual-Clutch Transmission On A3
Audi is now offering the its start-stop system in conjunction with an automatic transmission. The A3 1.6 TDI with 77 kW (105 hp) and the 1.4 TFSI with 92 kW (125 hp) combine, for the first time, the start-stop function with the S tronic dual-clutch transmission. In September, Audi introduced new models of the A3 1.6 TDI featuring start-stop with a manual transmission. (Earlier post.)
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Hakimullah Mehsud, Taliban Hoon
As if Pakistan and the United States in their war against the Taliban didn’t have enough to worry about, it has emerged that the Pakistani Taliban’s new leader is a bit of a hoon.
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New Chevy Caprice Most High-Tech Cop Car Ever
Today's return of the Chevy Caprice to the police car ranks means more than just serious hoonage potential. With a new optional technology package, we're told it'll be the most high-tech production police car ever.
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Chevy Caprice Police Car: Once You Go Black...
We revealed the new Chevy Caprice police car late last night to bravos for the car, but lukewarm reaction to styling. GM's responded with shots of the Corvette-powered, RWD Aussie-built law enforcement-only Chevy Caprice police car wearing its dress blacks.
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Chrysler: Ram Gets Own Brand, Gilles To Run Dodge Cars
The rumor Chrysler would spin off the Ram from the rest of their Dodge-y offerings as a new brand is now official. Also, star car designer Ralph Gilles, the pen-man behind the 300C, will run the ram-headed brand's car side.
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EXCLUSIVE: The Chevy Caprice Police Car Is Back!
After a 15-year absence patrolling U.S. streets, an all-new law-enforcement-only Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV) joins GM's fleet in 2011. Although it's built on the same rear-wheel-drive Camaro and dearly-departed Pontiac G8-spawning Zeta platform, it's not a G8 sedan.
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For The First Time In 24 Hours Of LeMons History... Nissan Victory!
OK, Nissan fans, you can stop agonizing over the so-called Curse Of Nissan at the 24 Hours Of LeMons, because one of your cars has finally taken the overall win!
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Ferdinand Porsche - Genesis Of Genius By Karl Ludvigsen
You know how a lot of marque-specific car books tend to be a bit on the lightweight side? A couple of anecdotes about the designers and then a lot of pretty pictures? Not this monster!
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Serious Race Track Takes Serious Toll On This New Yorker
We were pretty excited to see this early-90s Chrysler New Yorker in a LeMons race; talk about pure class on the race track! Sadly, it couldn't quite stay on its wheels.
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1961 Cadillac Fleetwood Bashes Tire Wall At High Speed, Driver OK
I'm back at the motel for some internet access and maybe a few Zs while tireless Judge Lieberman works the radios at Penalty HQ, so here's your LeMons Fleetwood Update.
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Beetleball 2009 Long Beach To Las Vegas Is In The Farfegnugen History Books.
After over 450 miles of oil was sprayed all over America's freeways, the Beetleballers (well most of them) arrived on the Las Vegas strip to complete the endurance rally.
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Beetleball Checkpoint #1 Amboy, California
The Beetleballers are revving the life out of their Volkswagen motors as they head through California, Arizona and Nevada on the way to Vegas with a quick stop in Amboy (if they can find it).
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Can A Capri Beat A Big Ol' Squealin' Benz At The 24 Hours Of Spa 1971?
Short answer, yes. But still, AMG's böred-und-schtroked "Red Pig" 280SEL came in second place… and first in our hearts!
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1981 Volkswagen Rabbit LS Diesel
Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. How much power does a car really need?
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BeetleBall Long Beach To Las Vegas!
The concept is simple, bring a Type 1, air cooled, VW, leave the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California and be the first one to the strip in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Cheaters Tremble! BS Inspections Of The Lamest Day 24 Hours Of LeMons
After inspecting 130 cars today- including a Lada, an Omni GLHS, a Chevy Vanamino, and an Eagle Premiere- I can't think coherently enough to write anything. So, here, have some photographs!
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Victoria Police Divisional Van Kicks Dirt In Our Camino-Less Faces
The Victoria Police in Australia are getting Holden VE Omega Utes with a new feature, a custom-designed bed-pod bridging the gap between cars and vans. We can't even get one El Camino and they're putting toppers on theirs. Not fair.
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CarandDriver Photoshops Fake Drag Race, Blames Suicidal Fan-Boy Writer
CarandDriver included the above shot of a BMW X6M beating out a hopped-up Chevy Nova II at Michigan's Milan Dragway for their review of the Bimmer. The only problem is it never happened. C&D's response below.
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2010 Lotus Exige S240 Upgraded With Revised Aerodynamics, Adjustable Suspension
Lotus has made some minor changes to the 2010 Exige S240. Namely, a new front splitter, larger intakes and a higher, more rearward wing. It's the adjustable Ohlins dampers that get us excited though.
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The Dork, The Fop And The Stud
Remarkably, this photograph is not a blogpost from Nerd Boyfriend. It is Scuderia Ferrari in 1974: drivers Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni flank their manager, a very young Luca di Montezemolo.
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US-Bound 2010 VW Golf TDI To Get 31/42 MPG
For years we've bemoaned the lack of a diesel option in the Golf range. No more. Not only is the 2010 VW Golf TDI coming to America, it'll be available with a manual, lowered sport suspension and 42 MPG highway!
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Ad Agency Sued Over Toyota Matrix Prank Marketing
Remember the prank-based Toyota Matrix marketing from last year? Amber Duik sure does. She's suing Saatchi, Toyota's out-going ad agency, after their "pranks" made her believe a criminal and his pit bull were heading for her house.
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Camaro Beats Crap Out Of Mustang, Challenger For Fourth Straight Month
The new Chevy Camaro beat the newly-redesigned Ford Mustang and now-already-a-year-old Dodge Challenger in sales for September. It's the fourth straight month it's done so. Our phallic graph showing the bowtie-branded Muscle Car War dominance below.
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Time-Lapse Video Of How To Build An ALMS Race Car In Under 22 Hours
After their original car was destroyed during Petit Le Mans practice, the Patrón Highcroft ALMS team was forced to rebuild their Acura LMP1 racer overnight. Below, the time-lapse build video, Scott Sharp's Porsche-tagging crash causing the all-nighter and the time-line.
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Citroën SM: The Unlikeliest Ride In The Motor City
Go to Detroit and you will expect to see muscle cars, American classics, hot rods, the odd Lamborghini, but you will not expect to see Robert Opron’s rolling spaceship from 1970.
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Commenter Of The Day: Time Cube Edition
One of the best websites of all time (OF ALL TIME!) has to be the Time Cube website by Dr. Gene Ray — a self-proclaimed doctor of cubicism. The Time Cube idea is that time is somehow cubic, though it's hard to say exactly what this means. What makes his website interesting is not his theory, which is clearly crackpot, but of the way he defends his ideas. He has these huge, angry, Pynchon-esque rants which are borderline racist and treats anyone who disagrees with him as evil. It's entertained us
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And Here's Your 2010 North American Car, Truck Of The Year Finalists!
Last year's NACTOY awards made news selecting the Hyundai Genesis. Will they be as bold this year? The short list of car and truck finalists below. Tell us who you think the winner should be.
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So This Is Why The Nissan GT-R Is Called Godzilla
Speaking of Ayrton Senna, look how Japan’s elite sports cars have grown over the years, with Nissan's modern GT-R towering over the Honda NSX which Senna helped develop.
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What's The Best Urban Warfare Vehicle?
There's no longer speed limit enforcement in Detroit, the Carpocalypse is ongoing and the police are destroying their own buildings. The streets will soon be the new battle zone and we need to know: what's the best urban warfare vehicle?
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Travis Parman: Farewell To GM's Chief Gay Officer
Tear the lapel of your best pink blazer and say Kaddish, bitches. Travis Parman - GM's East Coast Publicity Director and self-anointed C.G.O. (Chief Gay Officer) - has taken a buyout. The automotive journalism world will never be the same.
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Feds Seize Illegal Nissan Skyline GT-Rs In Cali
After warning letters were sent to owners 60 days ago (below), teams of Kevlar-armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are seizing grey market Nissan Skyline GT-Rs imported by Kaizo according to GTR USA Blog. Below, why it happened.
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Swede Builds His Own Batmobile For $1 Million
A Swedish man wanted to be Batman so badly, he spent three-and-a-half years and $1 million turning a 1973 Lincoln Continental into a 700 HP fully-functional Tim Burton Batmobile. Why'd he start with a '73 Lincoln in Sweden?
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Ayrton Senna's High-Speed Exploits At Suzuka
After a two year detour to Fuji Speedway, the Japanese Grand Prix returns this Sunday to Suzuka Circuit, Honda’s scintillating test track where Ayrton Senna ran a pulverizing qualifier to take pole position twenty years ago.
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Nice Price or No Dice (22)
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R5 Turbo 2 For Le $27,000!
Thanksgiving is getting close and you may need to be prepared if asked to carve the turkey. Nice Price or Crack Pipe thinks you should practice on some canyons, and has a Renault that's pretty sharp for the task.
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Four-Seater Baby Pram For $18,500!
The 1980s Mini replacement was called the Metro. Nice Price or Crack Pipe thinks that's kind of ironic as today's Mini convertible is kind of metro- sexual that is.
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1985 Baur 318i For A Top-Dropping $3,995
E30s are a dime a dozen, and you probably wouldn't give an early 318i a second glance. But today, Nice Price or Crack Pipe has one with a sassy top that's ready to give you a peek.
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1985 Toyota For $6,500 In Levin Bread!
Typically, Corolla and "fun" don't go hand in hand. But there was a time when that wasn't the case. Today Nice Price or Crack Pipe has one from that era and it goes to Levin, if you get my drift.
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Holy Replicar, Your Own Batmobile For Just $19,660!
Grab your cape and tights, and stop telling Robin you want to see the inside of his bat cave. Today, Nice Price or Crack Pipe has a homage to the Dynamic Duo's car, and that's no joke.
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1967 Volvo Laplander Lets You Bork, Bork, Bork For $9,000!
If your sport of choice is reindeer games, and you are uncomfortable thinking outside the box, then Nice Price or Crack Pipe has a four by four for you. And it's one that'll have you saying how Swede it is.
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1953 Willys Military Jeep For A Troop-Rallying $5,700!
According to the old adage, an army travels on its stomach. As it's starting to get a little nippy outside, Nice Price or Crack Pipe thinks it might be a better idea to take this arctic Jeep instead.
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1980 Quattroporte For Sessanta Sette Cinquanta!
When he sang Wango Tango, Ted Nugent wanted the object of his affections to pretend your face is a Maserati. Nice Price or Crack Pipe likes the Motor City Madman, but doesn't think this is what he had in mind.
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What The Truck? For $5,500!
Nice Price or Crack Pipe likes planes, trains and automobiles, and today has a pickup truck candidate that proves two out of three ain't bad. Or is it?
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Civic Where The Sun Don't Shine For $2,500!
When Honda introduced the CRX, they got an A for effort, but a D- for wind in your hair. Today, Nice Price or Crack Pipe is giving a make-up exam, and thinks this time Honda might get a passing grade.
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2002 Dinan M5 For Camry Coin!
The city of angels has suffered from earthquakes, fires, riots and mudslides. But when you can pick up a 470-bhp Dinan M5 there for under twenty grand, Nice Price or Crack Pipe says viva la ciudad de Los Angeles!
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1964 Ford Capri For A Life-Changing $10,000!
In The Lotus Eater by Somerset Maugham, a banker chooses bohemian existence on the Isle of Capri over his job. Today, Nice Price or Crack Pipe has a Capri that may bewitch you too — if you’ve got the bank.
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Tasty 5.0-Powered TVR For $25,000!
What's a recipe for success? Take one helping of traditional British sports car, and add five liters of American V8 — shake well while serving. Today, Nice Price or Crack Pipe is trading in Iron Chef for Fiberglass TVR. Hungry?
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1975 Chrysler Cordoba For A Khan-Endorsed $4,995!
Do you like to get personal with your coupes? Well, today Nice Price or Crack Pipe has a Canadian Chrysler trying to pass for a hot Latin, and you can totally get up in its grill.
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1970 Subaru 360 For A Diminutive $6,000!
If you'd loved the classic VW Type 1, but always considered them too big, too lacking in suicide doors and too over-powered, then Nice Price or Crack Pipe has a Subie that'll have you doing 360s.
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Blown-Chevy Powered '97 Z3 For $20,000!
Great creative expression frequently derives from the exposé of contradiction- dogs playing poker, William Shatner, Shaq movies, etc. Nice Price or Crack Pipe appreciates a creative clash of opposites, and today's blown Bimmer is about as contradictory as they come.
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1999 Vector M12 For A Myth-Busting $139,900!
In technology they call it vaporware. In cryptozoology it's called a cryptid. But Nice Price or Crack Pipe is all about the cars, and that's why we call it... the Vector.
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Rock The Red Carpet In An '87 Jeep For $24,900!
Being predominantly utilitarian conveyances, limousines rarely are the cause of ardor, even for those rolling in them. But today, Nice Price or Crack Pipe has a 40-foot 4x4 that will get you to the show, and will give you wood.
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1964 Citroën For A Friendly $12,400!
They say you should keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Today, Nice Price or Crack Pipe has a Citroën that's small enough for you to do both!
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1987 Porsche 944S For A Traditionalist-Offending $12,000!
For many, real Porsches are defined by air-cooled, rear-mounted engines, and a lot will turn up their noses at anything with a radiator. Well, when it comes to Porsches, Nice Price or Crack Pipe likes them wet or dry.
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Wiener Dog VW Camper Longs For Your $5,800!
Frequently, those of diminished mental faculties are derisively referred to as riding the short bus. Nice Price or Crack Pipe isn't that mean, but if that aphorism is true, we've got a VW that'll make you a Mensa member.
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2006 Saleen S7 For An Investment-Grade $375,000!
If you want a 200 MPH+ car, your options are limited. If you want one that also waves the Made in America flag, they're even more limited. But don't worry, Nice Price or Crack Pipe has got your back.
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QOTD (5)
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What's Your Most Ambitious Automotive Undertaking?
Murilee's Animatronic Screaming Skull Brake Lights were impressive, even by her high standards. It made us wonder about attempts at automotive greatness made by you, our readers. What's your most ambitious automotive project?
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What Would You Race In La Carrera Panamerica?
The original La Carrera Panamerica was one of the most dangerous and exciting races in the world and they still race pre-1965 cars across Mexico. The next rally kicks off tomorrow so what would you race in La Carrera Panamerica?
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What's The Highest Mileage Car You've Ever Owned?
Most Tokyo Motor Show concepts are held together with tape and spit, unable to drive more than a few miles. Our real cars may not have LED lights, but they're dependable. What's the highest mileage car you've ever owned?
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What's The Worst Car From Your Birth Year?
Demographically speaking, a good number of you were born during the Malaise Era, which made answering yesterday's question about the best car from your birth year challenging. Let's flip it: what's the worst car from your birth year?
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What Car From Your Birth Year Do You Want?
Reader Zacarious has a brother-in-law incapable of finding just one car he likes so he suggested picking a car from his birth year. Now he's eying a 1969 Mustang Mach 1. What car from your birth year do you want?
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Racing (2)
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Eight Great Mustangs From Racing History
Like it or loathe it, the NASCAR Ford Mustang is part of a long history of Mustang racing. Here's a look at the most noteworthy examples of Mustang racing below.
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Reviews (1)
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How We Built A 638 HP LS9 Engine For A Corvette ZR1
It's not every day you get to hand-build a 638 HP LS9 engine that'll slip under the hood of a Corvette ZR1. Yesterday was one of those days. Here's how the magic is made.
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Technology (2)
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Engine Of The Day Overload!
We've been doing the Engine Of The Day series for a couple of years, so it's time we put all 74 EOTD honorees together!
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Honda Brings Carbon Nanotubes Closer To Production
Honda claims these new carbon nanotubes are 100,000 times thinner than human hair, stronger than steel, conduct electricity better than copper, conduct heat better than a diamond and are "as light as cotton."
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Toyota (3)
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Toyota FT-86: Now With High-Res Mega-Gallery!
There was a time when Toyota knew how to make exciting, sexy cars. The Toyota FT-86 concept heralds a return to those principles. Here's a mega-gallery of 51 never-before-seen studio shots of Toyota's new hotness.
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Toyota FT-86 Concept: Design, Dissected
The Toyota FT-86 Concept is an exciting step forward for the vanilla automaker, blending cues from the past (the Toyota AE86) with hints of ToMoCo future. We dissect the design below to see how they've accomplished this delicate feat.
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Toyota FT-86 Concept: Behold, The New AE86
A joint Toyota/Subaru sports car project has been in the works for what feels like forever. Now, finally, here's the first look, a heavily production-based concept called the Toyota FT-86 set to debut this month at the Tokyo Motor Show.
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Wrenching (1)
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How To Build An All-Billet Aluminum Cobra
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison commissioned the fabricators at Kirkham Motorsports to build the ultimate, cost-is-no-object roadster. After years of labor, they've completed the all-billet aluminum Cobra. Click "more" to see them build one of the most spectacular custom cars ever.
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