Archive for July 2011

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Buying (9)

  • Ten Future $1,000,000 Collector Cars

    Trying to predict which cars will be million-dollar collectibles is a roll of the dice. It's hard to know what combination of looks, racing pedigree, rarity and hyper-inflation will combine to make a big winner. Yesterday, we asked you to take a shot at it, and here your top ten guesses.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More
  • Riley Mark XXII Track Day Car: First Drive

    Riley Technologies is best known for building Daytona prototype race cars. But what if they built a version that any idiot could drive? That's the Mark XXII, a Corvette V8-powered, decontented Daytona prototype. Why? Because racecar. With training wheels.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8: First Drive

    Ok, so here's the thing. The new Grand Cherokee SRT8 kicks ass. It eats racetrack tarmac in Joey Chestnutt-sized bites, then spits chunks in your face while it's giving you the drill sergeant treatment for not trusting it to carry more speed in the corners than you did. You're as useful as a football bat, you maggot. It's that much of an improvement over the previous model.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392: First Drive

    An interesting thing about driving all the SRT behemoths together is that you can tell which one's the least, er, behemothy. The 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392's wheelbase is four inches shorter than the Charger's and 300C's, which translates — using the butt-o-meter — into quicker rotations. Indeed, the Challenger feels far more nimble than its predecessor, by big leaps. Yes, we're surprised too.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8: First Drive

    Arguably, it's the 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 that benefited the most from SRT's latest makeover. Last time we drove it, back in 2008, we loved it for its brute force, but thought the running gear was "unsettled, jittery, and unpolished." That's all done with. A new adaptive damping system, incorporating Bilstein coilovers, does a tremendous job soaking up the heavy car's former slop.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • 2012 Volkswagen Beetle: First Drive

    In a little over a decade Volkswagen saw its Beetle transform from Adolf Hitler's dream of the "people's car" to the foulest of all marketing slurs — a "chick car." Does the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle finally provide a more manly solution? We drove it today to find out.

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • The Best Deal Of The Day

    VROOOM VROOOOOOOOOM. That's the sound I make when I pick up heavy objects or when I sneak up behind a group of unsuspecting squirrels and/or children or when I've just had my first sip of a really good bloody mary. It's a versatile sound! In fact, the only time I would never, ever use it is when I'm driving, because contrary to popular belief that is not what cars sound like, any more than a cow actually says MOOO. Just being real with you. And actually, there's one other instance when I'd never

    By Kyle Wagner Read More
  • Covini Six-Wheeled Supercar: Exclusive First Drive

    The Covini six-wheel supercar follows the model of other Italian supercars (big V8, sleek body, custom style) with one key difference captivating car and gadget geeks alike: it's got six wheels. And I'm the first person to drive it.

    By Bill Caswell Read More
  • The Ten Most Versatile Cars

    What's the Swiss Army Knife of cars? What car can be used in the most situations?Here are the ten most versatile cars according to Jalopnik readers at every price point.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More

Culture (30)

  • Miniature Nissan Modified To Look Like Vintage Jaguar On Ebay

    If you've always wanted the look of a vintage Jaguar but they were too big, left hand drive, unreliable or easy to get parts for in America, one Japanese company created a not so perfect solution. Behold the Mitsuoka Viewt. Built on the body of a Nissan March by a Japanese company that specializes in unique automotive design interpretations, this strange vehicle is currently for sale on Ebay.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • What's The Most Collectible Japanese Econobox?

    What makes a collectible car? Desire and scarcity. We've seen how such a combination applies to luxury, sports and muscle cars. What about the cars that made US automakers confront their mortality? What's the most collectible Japanese econobox?

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • Ten Wonderfully Bad Car Movies

    There are some car movies out there that are so bad, they circle around the globe like Superman and somehow become good. Or at least become so bad they're fun to watch. Here are the movies our readers thought were awful but we secretly enjoy.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More
  • Ayrton Senna's Singular, Relentless Magic

    What made Ayrton Senna such an epochal sensation that 217 living F1 drivers voted him Formula One’s greatest driver ever was neither his deranged rivalry with Alain Prost nor the freak accident that claimed his life in Tamburello corner. It’s how he drove whatever car came his way. Like in this clip from 1993—incidentally, against Alain Prost in Tamburello corner.

    By Peter Orosz Read More
  • Ten Cars Asshats Love To Drive

    Sometimes, you have to let your inner asshat out. But if you do, make sure you're behind the wheel of one of these commenter-chosen cars for the full effect. Backwards baseball cap and shiny t-shirt not optional.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More
  • The Jeepvette Is What Happens When Jeep And Corvette Combine

    We aren't exactly sure what inspires someone to put a Jeep CJ-7 body and the chassis of a 1984 Corvette, but this is what the mostly finished result looks like. This odd combination is currently on Ebay waiting for someone else who wants a Corvette that looks like a Jeep badly enough to finish up this bizarre project.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • The 1958 El Nomado Is The Car-Truck Hybrid Chevrolet Never Made

    Although Chevrolet didn't introduce the El Camino until 1959, what if they had decided to unleash their unique utility vehicle on the world one year earlier? Behold the El Nomado, a well executed custom vehicle currently listed on Ebay that answers that exact question. Even with a lot of modern custom touches, this one of a kind vehicle does a pretty good job illustrating what a 1958 El Camino might have looked like.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • The Ten Most Awesome Wheelies Ever

    Four wheels good, two wheels bad. Unless two of the four wheels are in the air. Wheelies are awesome, and here are the ten best, as suggested by Jalopnik readers.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More
  • The Giugiaro Lamborghini That Never Was

    At a recent visit to Giugiaro, this 50-year-old unnamed Lamborghini, never before seen, suddenly appeared like an undiscovered Shakespeare manuscript, discreetly displayed in a library with no one paying attention.

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • The Ten Coolest Ambulances

    Whether they're regular Dodge vans or repurposed Cadillacs, ambulances are cool. Yesterday, we asked you for your favorites, land or sea, real or animated. Here are the ten coolest.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More
  • This Is Why You Don't Take Your Lamborghini To Best Buy

    Last week we showed you a photo of Lamborghini Murcielago being serviced at Best Buy and opined about why it was a bad idea. Now we’ve found the Facebook page from one of the techs who worked on the Lambo — and it makes an even better argument.[jump]

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
  • What's The Coolest Ambulance Of All Time?

    They've transformed from converted bread trucks to luxurious Cadillac station wagons to utilitarian box vans. But you don't care, as long as they get there quickly. But some ambulances transcend emergencies. What's the coolest ambulance of all time?

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • The Top Ten Viral Car Videos

    Some Youtube videos are too cool to keep to yourself. When they get sent to all corners of the globe, they're viral, and when they're car related, they're even better. Yesterday we asked for your favorite viral car videos, and here are the top ten.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More
  • Top Ten Horror Movie Cars

    Some horror movies put their bad guys in cars. Sometimes, the car is the bad guy. And occasionally, the car's just there to help out. Here are the top tencommenter-chosen horror movie cars.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More
  • The Story Behind Carmageddon's Most Iconic Photo

    Screw planking. The photo of this trio on the 405 highway during this weekend's shutdown raised the bar for Carmageddon stunts — along with their glasses. We tracked down the photographer, Jesse Glucksman, the fourth of the merry band of misfits, and he exclusively told us who they are and how they did it.

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • The Ten Best Post-Apocalyptic Survival Vehicles

    We're pulling out the lead-lined suits and Zombie Survival Guide once again to update our classic list. In the event of any number of world-ending disasters, these ten commenter-chosen vehicles should be able to keep you alive after the apocalypse goes down.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More
  • How To Beg Your Way Into A Group B Rally Car

    At the top of Goodwood is the rally paddock and a 2 minute, 20-second forest stage that I raced down in Ken Block's Ford Fiesta. It was awesome, but the moment I got out of Ken's car I ran straight to the Group B paddock and started begging for rides. I'm riding in a Group B if it's the last thing I do.

    By Bill Caswell Read More
  • Ten Cars That Look Like Fish

    It's not really surprising that cars have evolved to resemble the efficient shapes of water-dwelling finned creatures. They make them move faster and get air better — it's a win-win. Here are the 10 most fishy cars as selected by Jalopnik readers.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More
  • Renting A Car Sucks

    On a recent trip to the airport rental counter I marveled at the ability of the Avis/Budget representative to make me feel like a criminal, a moron, and an irresponsible lout gambling with my life all in the space of about eight minutes. Welcome to modern car rental.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
  • Custom 1975 Ford Econoline Has Plenty Of Space For Your Special Friends

    Meet Mertin Grundy, formerly known for having a weird name and being small change at the bank where he was employed. That all changed when Mertin made the questionable decision to purchase a custom van. Now Mertin has a customized 1975 Ford Econoline featuring plenty of space to do his own thing with his special friends.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • The Ten Dumbest Automotive World Records

    World records were meant to be broken, but some are just so pointless and arbitrary it's a surprise anyone would attempt them. Here are the ten dumbest automotive world records as chosen by Jalopnik readers.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More
  • The Ten Most Rebellious Cars

    Some cars go against the grain and make a statement. They're driven by people who don't care what you think and do what they want. In honor of the 4th of July we asked Jalopnik readers what a rebel would drive. Here's their top ten.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More

Car Types (1)

  • Are Ford Raptor Frames Too Weak For Off-Roading?

    When a group of 14 Ford Raptor owners took to the desert for an off-road run in the spirit of what has become the quintessential hot-rod pickup, ten came back with bent frames. Is the Raptor too weak to play in the desert?

    By Justin Hyde Read More

Crashes and Safety (6)

Entertainment (4)

  • How The Stig Tried To Kill Me

    It turns out The Stig doesn't like it when you tell him halfway through a hot lap of Top Gear's UK test track, "I think Schumi was faster through here." How do I know? Because I told him just that. The result? He tried to scare me to death. Watch and see for yourself.

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • Top Gear And Forza 4: From "Car Soccer" To "Car Bowling"

    As part of the tie-up between Microsoft's Turn 10 Studios and the BBC's smash-hit motoring show, Top Gear, Forza Motorsports 4 will include a number of single-player and multiplayer modes ripped right from the TV show. Yes, it will include "Car Soccer."

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • The Ten Best Top Gear Episodes

    Yesterday we asked you to help us come up with the best episode to bring a member of the uninitiated, unwashed and unknowing masses into the cult behind UK motoring show Top Gear. Here's your ten best choices.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More

Found For Sale (2)

  • Your Opportunity For Weird Three Wheeled Fun With The Messerschmitt KR175

    Although Messerschmitt remains best known for their World War II fighter aircraft, facing a ban on airplane production after the war the company expanded into other sectors. The three wheeled Messerschmitt KR175 seen here is the strange result of the company’s entrance to the auto industry. Currently for sale on Ebay, this particular example could be your entry to the weird world of German bubble cars.

    By Tom Joslin Read More

News (121)

  • See-Through 1939 Pontiac Sells For $308,000

    This unusual transparent 1939 Pontiac sold at yesterday's RM St. John's auction in Michigan for an impressive $308,000 (including 10% buyers fee). Originally constructed by GM as one of two or three transparent display cars for the 1939 and 1940 World Fairs, the car cost an unbelievable at the time $25,000 to build when new. The Plexiglas bodied Pontiac is more of a display piece than a functional automobile, but what a display piece it is.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • This Is The New Batmobile

    Three camouflaged copies of the latest version of the "Tumbler" — the Batmobile from the past two Batman movies — were being driven this weekend around Pittsburgh for filming of the third installment, "The Dark Knight Rises." The best part? There's video. Lots of it.

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • What Is The Barn Find Of Your Dreams?

    Opening the doors on a forgotten barn or garage to reveal a dusty vehicle that needs little more than some elbow grease and a weekend spent in the garage to reverse the effects of sitting is the stuff of gearhead dreams. After reading about the trio of Italian barn finds this week, we started wondering what vehicle we dream of finding covered in dust more than any other. What is the barn find of your dreams?

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • A Tale Of Two Volkswagens

    Josh Clason's most recent Depth of Speed episode profiles Craig Johnson and his well restored vintage Volkswagens. It seems especially appropriate to examine vintage Volkswagen culture today, exactly 8 years after the last classic Beetle rolled off the assembly line.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • The Best Videos Of The Week

    Maybe you were out enjoying the cooler temperatures all week and couldn't check your favorite Gawker Media sites. Or maybe you're about to leave for the weekend and need one last visual fix. Well, whatever the case, we've got you covered. Here are some of the most amusing and entertaining videos we watched during the week that was.

    By Matt Cherette Read More
  • Budapest's Secret Grand Prix Street Circuit

    This Sunday will mark the 75th anniversary of the Hungarian Grand Prix, an event held since…1986. Fifty years before Formula One came to the Hungaroring, there was a Grand Prix race in downtown Budapest with 100,000 people in attendance. The Silver Arrows came. Scuderia Ferrari came. Three-quarters of a century later, we took a walk around Népliget Circuit’s beautiful, abandoned curves.

    By Peter Orosz Read More
  • Why Chinese Men Keep Proposing To Auto Show Models

    In a country obsessed with status and burdened with an unbalanced ratio of young men to women, it's not surprising that Chinese men would publicly propose marriage to attractive women who can't walk away — like auto show models.

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • Top 10 Lovable Car Quirks

    Sometimes your car comes to you with a personality all its own. Other times, it's the things that happen to it in your care that make it individual. Yesterday, we asked you what special quirks your car has, and here are the top ten.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More
  • Vote Batman For City Council

    Exhausted after years of attempting to fight crime and corruption through extralegal means, Batman's running for City Council in Tulsa, Okla. It's an unlikely journey for Mike Batman, who went from Syrian immigrant to dishwasher to car salesman to, hopefully, elected official.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
  • What Quirk Gives Your Car Its Personality?

    In a world of increasingly homogeneous motoring experiences, quirky car traits are harder to find. (Remember Saab's console-mounted ignition key?) But all car lovers have at least one thing that makes them love their cars all the more. What quirk gives your car its personality?

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • Cheap Bugatti Owner Takes Veyron To Coin-Operated Car Wash

    Even nearly seven years after its introduction, the multimillion-dollar Bugatti Veyron is still the pinnacle of automotive engineering — enough so that seeing one of the fewer than 300 built taken to a California coin-operated car wash nearly sparked an intervention.

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • COTD: Taking Tests (Like A Champ) Edition

    While some of us see any visit to our nearest department of motor vehicles as a waste of precious life only to get secondhand cancer from real-life Pattys and Selmas, Mr. Bill Caswell's adventures at the Illinois state license office provided Crossdrilled with all the material he needed:

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • You Can Own Dennis Rodman's Barfpowder-Colored Lamborghini

    A certain era of children educated in American public schools will remember Sanitare powder as that material janitors used to sprinkle on their vomit. Imagine mixing that with $15,000 in gold paint and you have this, the barfpowder rainbow Lamborghini — once owned by none other than Dennis Rodman.

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • We Interrupt The Summer To Bring You This Audi Snow Plow

    New Hampshire-based Bavarian Turbo Tecnics of New Hampshire found a novel way to employ an Audi 90's Quattro drive in its anti-snow efforts. They call it "The Plaudi," and it's surprisingly effective. Now back to your regularly scheduled hammock nap.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • Subaru Claims Title Of Official Zombie Apocalypse Vehicle

    As much as we talk about the pending zombie apocalypse, (what, you think the debt ceiling debate has a happy ending?) we've focused more on vehicles with enough size to survive encounters with the undead. Subaru posits a different strategy: Floor it in a WRX.

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • COTD: Exceptions Proving Rules Edition

    Why is it that while dozens of hardworking Americans put their mental toil into filming enjoyable shows for automotive enthusiasts, the effort that won the weekend came from a bunch of British dorks who had a vertically challenged host kick a dancing model in her NACA duct? It's just the rules of the game, like our prohibition against giving Spiegel the comment of the day, which I'm ignoring today:

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • Hyundai Struggles To Fix Wandering Sonata Syndrome

    The Hyundai Sonata is one of the best-selling cars in the United States and a touchstone for the Korean automaker's rise among consumers. Yet possibly thousands of the cars want to turn left, constantly — a problem Hyundai can't seem to fix.

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • COTD: Rubbin' Is Racing Edition

    If we take the Ferrari racing program for billionaires at one end of the spectrum, the other end might be this: drifting at Ebisu circuit in Fukushima, Japan, where the goals include getting your car as close to the wall as possible. As formuladave contends, you can't argue about who spends more money in racing, but you can contest who has more fun:

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • Texas-Tuned Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Will Get 1,000-Hp

    Imagine a lighter-weight Cadillac CTS-V Coupe with nearly double the horsepower, a wider stance and panhandle-sized contact patches.That's the Hennessey V1000, a model the company plans to build only 12 copies of for well-to-do speed freaks.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • The 2011 German Grand Prix In Crayola

    The homecoming for Germany’s new world champion, joined by five other Germans in the splendid freezing German summer at the Nürburgring, against a depressed and disillusioned McLaren. What could possibly have gone wrong for Red Bull at the season’s halfway point? Then again, motor racing has a way of being about as capricious as the weather in the Eifel Mountains. Warning: spoilers.

    By Peter Orosz Read More
  • Inside Ferrari's Private Stable For The Super Wealthy

    If you weren't aware, Ferrari offers the filthy rich several ways to trade said riches for the privilege of flogging Ferrari racecars on tracks around the world. Check out the scene inside the company's il Reparto Corse Clienti, where private clients' cars get the prancing horse treatment.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • What Car Would Your Inner Asshat Drive?

    Say what you want, but inside each of us, no matter how kind, thoughtful and generous to others we are, there's a real freaking asshat waiting to escape. What car would your inner asshat drive?

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • What Car Should Have Been Made With A Manual Transmission?

    It's not exactly a secret that around here the manual is the transmission of choice. Even though they are harder and harder to find with each passing year, if we had our choice every vehicle made would forever have an optional manual transmission. With this in mind we started thinking about all of the cars that should have come from the factory with the option to row your own gears but didn't. What car should have been made with a manual transmission?

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • COTD: Overheated Edition

    That old rule about it not being the heat but the humidity doesn't apply when its above 100 degrees Fahrenheit along a swampy coastal area. Mole, Guacamole, come take a bow for your post on FIA rules made to be broken before my Slurpee melts:

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • 85 Years Of Dallas Police Squad Cars

    The Dallas Police Department knows how to get cop-car nerds clicking all over their Facebook page. They've compiled pics of 85 years of the city's police cruisers, starting with the 1928 Model A shown above, which undoubtedly chased down some oil playboys in its day.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • Houston's Secret Suburban Fighter Jet

    "You know there's a Phantom like a block away, right?" my friend Kevin exclaimed as I drained my last sip of beer. "Oh, a Rolls?" I asked, uninterested in the prospect of seeing another luxo-cruiser. "No, an F-4 Phantom fighter jet." This I had to see.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
  • COTD: BMW Explains How To Surf Your Motorcycle Edition

    If BMW could, it wouldn't allow this video to play before tattoing the inside of your retinas with "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME." Which begs the question of why they asked stuntbike champion Chris Pfeiffer how to surf a motorcycle in the first place. It ain't easy, as Irishman noted in our story about the skill of certain bikecops:

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • Cop Threatens To Execute Driver Over Concealed Weapon Permit

    Among the pressures facing police officiers working the streets of America is the rising number of people legally carrying concealed guns. But when one such licensee was pulled over in Canton, Ohio, an officer threatened to shoot him on the spot. Here's the chilling video.

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • Ford Marketing Head: "Fuck GM"

    Ford's chief marketer Jim Farley has overseen some of the company's most important successes of the past few years, ones that have made it the most profitable automaker in America. How does he get motivated? By vowing to "fuck GM." UPDATED

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • The Ford GT40's Dirty Little Chevy Secret

    When the Ford GT40 cruised to victory at Le Mans in 1967 it was the first all-American car with all-American drivers to win. But the car was more American than people realized — thanks to a few lightweight Chevy parts.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
  • Manhattan's Secret Rooftop Warplane

    A helicopter landing on a New York rooftop is a common enough site, but why is there a WWI-era warplane perched on a tiny rooftop runway in Lower Manhattan? Is it poised to take off and attack New Jersey? Sadly, no.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
  • How A Car Company Built The World's First Mechanical Heart

    In 1952, Dr. Forest Dodrill captured national attention when he became the first surgeon to use a mechanical heart pump on a patient at Wayne State University's Harper Hospital in Detroit. There's a reason that heart pump looks like a 12-cylinder engine. It was made by General Motors.

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • COTD: The V-16 Rat Rod Edition

    Yannick Sire of Sire Custom Performance in Los Angeles builds hotrods from scratch that edge out of the traditional custom into something closer to art, or in this case, twin V8-powered death rod — one that blends 1,000 hp, two Karmann Ghia roofs and some simple exhaust work into what Sire calls an adult toy. Boost in, apex seals out shared a similar level of craftsmanship in a comment on the flipped-out Porsche's parking job:

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • A Parallel Parking Job You Have To See To Believe

    This accidental parking job has to be seen to be believed. Watch as the driver manages to flip and roll his Porsche into a series of open spots to create his very own parallel spot. It's just a shame he was actually trying to keep it on the road.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
  • This Is The World's Fastest Motorcycle

    For the first time, a driver of an open-cockpit motorcycle has gone faster than 300 mph, thanks to a turbocharged Hayabusa engine and titanium guts. Bill Warner passed the mark Sunday, beating his own best of 278.6 mph like it was a broken Vespa.

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • 2012 Porsche 911 Gets Hot And Dirty In South Africa

    How iconic is the 2012 Porsche 911's shape? Poor South African slum children immediately recognize it as a Porsche 911 while the vehicle undergoes a mixture of hot weather testing and glamour shots. So far, it seems to be doing better in the sand than in the snow.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
  • Why Is This Early Auto Pioneer's Body Being Exhumed?

    Samuel Pandolfo had dreams of competing with Henry Ford. His dream nearly came true. Now, 51 years after his death, his body's being exhumed from its grave in Alaska and shipped to St. Cloud, Minnesota — home of the largest automobile factory you've never heard of.

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • What's Your Favorite Horror Movie Car?

    Some suggestions for horror movie characters: always run into the woods for help when there's a house 20 feet away, say goodbye to your obnoxious "friend" early, and always drive a cool car. What's your favorite horror movie car?

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • Another Kind Of Senna Movie

    We all know where we were when Ayrton Senna died. But do we really? Asif Kapadia’s documentary is only the latest chapter in the 17 years of collective remembrance which has turned Senna’s death into the epochal event it now is. A new piece of amateur footage from the grandstands of Imola shows a very different reality on the ground. On the afternoon of May 1, 1994, all one saw was a confusing but rather mundane motor race in the Italian spring.

    By Peter Orosz Read More
  • 'Carmaggedon' Not Really That Big A Deal, Actually

    Los Angeles has been, collectively, freaking out for weeks now about the two-day closure of a long stretch of the 405 (one of the city's major highways) and now, finally, that day is upon us. And it's not really that big of a deal.

    By Max Read Read More
  • 1972 Starcraft RV Handles Like "A Wells Fargo Stagecoach"

    Even though these days you see a lot less proof of the popularity of Motorhomes on the highway, in 1972 recreational vehicles were big business. Car and Track responded to the boom in popularity by testing out what the early 70s RV market had to offer, starting out with the Starcraft Motorhomes featured in this vintage road test.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • Mazda Miata With The Face Of A Z3 On Ebay

    People usually build replicas of cars because the originals are so rare or so expensive they are out of reach for the average person. Taking this into consideration makes giving your Miata the face of a Z3 seem like an even worse decision. Even though this creation is currently on Ebay, we are afraid the decision to sell the Miata and buy something else (a Z3 perhaps?) came a little too late.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • Why Buy A Car When You Can Buy An International Scout?

    Not only was it small on the outside and roomy on the inside, the 1974 International Scout still had a lot of space for a lot of things. For this reason, it seemed only sensible to replace your compact car, luxury car, or station wagon with an International Scout as demonstrated in this piece of vintage advertising genius from IH.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • This Is How LA Looks Without Cars

    How does the biggest traffic hell on Earth this side of Sao Paulo look without any cars? This video shows how. It's quite eerie. Did everyone die from a flesh eating virus plague? We can only hope so.

    By Jesus Diaz Read More
  • What's The Best Post-Apocalyptic Vehicle?

    Back in 2008 we put together the best post-apocalyptic vehicles list based on your responses. Three years later and there are both better options and a greater likelihood of imminent zombie attack. What's the best post-apocalyptic vehicle now?

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
  • This Is Probably The Ugliest Ferrari Ever

    McLaren may know how to build the occasional ugly race car, but it takes a Scuderia Ferrari in the doldrums to turn the WTF-meter to 11. This is Mauro Forghieri’s Ferrari 312 B3 from late 1972, better known as the Spazzaneve (snowplow). It was so ugly it never raced.

    By Peter Orosz Read More
  • COTD: Caution, Bull Crossing Edition

    People often confuse speed with fear; you don't need to be going fast to get worried about the road ahead, as this ride on a Tata Nano in its native roads suggest. Which might help explain how jip1080 managed to strike fear much as a mother-chauffering Corvette driver did:

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • Hitler's Secret Bunker Is Under This Parking Lot

    Protected by 13 feet of concrete, the Führerbunker was a multi-story underground complex in Berlin that became the central nervous system for the last five months of Hitler's murderous Nazi regime. Now it's a parking lot. And until recently, you'd never even know it was once there. Here's how to find it.

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • COTD: Did You Get Healed Edition

    The literary-minded upstate New York Audi dealership is far from the first to attempt a humor transplant into the sometimes ugly world of selling cars. Some, like this ad from a Charlotte, N.C., lot, are not so successful. Maybe Desu-San-Desu can provide some pointers:

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • How I Tricked Real Racers Into Believing I Was Ken Block

    I've wanted to be a World Rally Championship driver ever since I saw Prodrive running BMW E30 M3's in the late 1980s. And for a brief moment I was one of those beloved athletes, cheered by fans and professional racers alike. Sadly, it was just a trick.

    By Bill Caswell Read More
  • Naked Woman Thrashes $170,000 Drift Car

    When Playboy asked model Kitty Lee to take a few spins in a drift car as a promotion for its pay TV service, it probably didn't budget for the mechanical issues that might result from handing a $170,000 race car to someone who doesn't know how to drive a stick. (WARNING: Semi NSFW)

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • What Car Looks Most Like A Fish?

    It's a common charge on fan forums: "Car X looks like a wide-mouth bass" (often followed by "had sex with a Car Y"). Aerodynamically speaking, it's no surprise some cars would resemble water-dwellers' efficient body shape. What car looks most like a fish?

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • Camper Owner Doesn't Think Much Of Obama

    "People this pathetically insane should not be allowed to drive," writes the Reddit user who took this photo (outside a DMV in Salem, Ore.), but that's just another big-government liberal trying to tell us all what to do. Because, first of all, what's pathetic about covering your ancient camper with extended political screeds? And second of all, what's insane about thinking that Obama is Satan, and also gay? Now, there is a lot to digest here, so take your time, but it's probably best to check o

    By Max Read Read More
  • COTD: Life's Rich Pageant Edition

    Twenty-five years ago today the four men from Georgia known in every college campus as R.E.M. released "Life's Rich Pageant," an anniversary that can now be marked by purchasing the kind of corporate special-edition tokens that used to define the word "sellout," back when rock bands had a choice of whether to make money. The stunting of a similar special edition — Ferrari's choking of the New Stratos — led to several great comments, including Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged's inside the boa

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • How To Parallel Park A 1968 Alfa Romeo Racing Prototype

    Connoisseurs of vintage Top Gear clips will know that parallel parking a big, mid-engined Italian supercar—say, a Lamborghini Countach—is a chore. The same cannot be said of big, mid-engined Italian race cars, like this Alfa Romeo 33/2. And when its owner was kind enough to accept a hand, Jalopnik was there to help.

    By Peter Orosz Read More
  • Ferrari Blocks Production Of New Lancia Stratos

    The revived Lancia Stratos engineered into reality by a German millionaire was expected to spawn 40 copies for wealthy fans of the resurrected rally champion. That plan has now been blocked by a key player — Ferrari.

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • COTD: The Sex Lives Of Slugs Edition

    True fans know information doesn't become knowledge until it arrives in the voice of Sir David Attenborough, a man who could make one think they were receiving a doctoral degree by reading the specials at Bob Evans. Whether it's the balletic mating of the leopard slug or Jackie's approximation of how engineers court one another, Sir David's voice gives the proceedings an unsurpassed air of propriety:

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • The 2011 British Grand Prix In Crayola

    Under rule changes as capricious as the British weather, Formula One returned to its first-ever venue. Silverstone may be new in layout, but it is also very old, and you still need only three words to describe it: fast, fast, fast. Warning: spoilers.

    By Peter Orosz Read More
  • 1971 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Is A "Better Than Average Hauler"

    Oldsmobile's Delta 88 was redesigned for 1971 and according to Car and Track host Bud Lindemann, it was the best one yet, for many reasons. Equipped with a 455 cubic inch V8 for go-power, this redesigned Oldsmobile held its own flying around the Car and Track test course in this vintage road test.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • What Boring New Car Do You Recommend To Your Friends?

    Like many car lovers, when my non automotive obsessed friends are in search of car purchasing advice, I am usually the first one to get a call. After they listen to my standard automotive advice (Don't buy a '57 Plymouth) my friends usually ask me to point them in the right direction towards a new and what I would consider boring car.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • Nine Reasons To Purchase This Awesome Armored Vehicle Currently On Ebay

    Why would anyone ever want to buy a government surplus armored vehicle? We know it's a stupid question, but for those in the world who aren't blinded by weird automotive obsession, it's one you are likely to hear. In an effort to simultaneously convince one of our readers to purchase this awesome vehicle and aid said armored vehicle purchaser in defending their choice to the rest of the world, here are our favorite nine reasons to purchase this armored vehicle currently on Ebay.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • This Porsche May Be The Most Detailed Lego Car Ever

    Remember Zach the Legomaniac? He was a rank Lego slacker compared to the guy who built this unreal Lego Porsche 911 Turbo Cabrio. The details are OCDifying: The steering even turns 2.6 rotations lock-to-lock, just like a real 911. Amazing.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • Hitler's Giga-Railway From Paris To The Caspian Sea

    With their 800 mm guns, 270 mph race cars and dreams of an empire from the Atlantic to the Caspian, those Third Reich people sure had a thing for big. The Breitspurbahn (broad-gauge railway) was bigger than big: a brand new cross-continental railway with a gauge of 9 feet and 10 ? inches, it was to run the length and breadth of Grossdeutschland.

    By Peter Orosz Read More
  • The Sound Of 62 Years Of F1 Cars Launching

    The sound of an F1 engine has changed so much over the years. While I like the high pitch whine of the current cars, it sounds more like a missile being fired than a race car. But I shouldn't complain as I'm sure one day they will be electric or something that doesn't make any noise. That'll really suck. Because I like the noise.

    By Bill Caswell Read More
  • COTD: Sexual Engineering Edition

    It's been nearly two days since an erotically charged (read: dirty) comment took the COTD crown. Enough's enough. We're returning to the "adult" humor with a little something about certain principles of mechanical engineering. Please tell the kids to go watch TV. Preferably something with Sinbad in it.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • The Car Show Ditches Desk After Jalopnik Readers Complain [UPDATE: The Desk Is Still There, Sometimes]

    The first promo video of The Car Show revealed a set clearly borrowed from Merv Griffin. Jalopnik readers made fun of it and now, as this exclusive photo shows, they've dropped the desk and replaced it with a bowling alley and, wait, wait, is that a sponsor's logo on the wall? I can't quite make it out. Something-something-dot-com. Wait, I know... Enhance. Enhance. Enhance.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
  • Summer Gas Prices Will Continue To Drop

    Just as we've said previously, gas prices may have been higher this spring than they were in 2008, but as we can already see, thanks to this great chart from Kelley Blue Book, prices retreating earlier in the summer than they did three years ago. Here's why it's happening and why the rest of the summer those prices will continue to drop.

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • Buy It Now: This Guy's Ex-Wife Or His Camaro?

    Cars and ex-wives often go together like Easter candy and a punch in the kidneys. (How many examples of this do we need?) The owner of this Camaro SS has to part with both, but only one gladly. The other one's failed to meet reserve on eBay.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • How Does The Differential Work?

    Did you know that America's best educational videos actually came from automakers? Like this Chevrolet film from 1937 that provides the best explanation ever for the basic principles behind a car's differential.

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • What's The Best Episode For Getting Someone Hooked On Top Gear?

    The BBC's Top Gear didn't become a worldwide TV institution by appealing only to extreme gearheads and fans of prog-rock power trios. Let's say you want your girlfriend or roommate to watch, but only get one chance to hook them. What's the best episode for getting someone hooked on Top Gear?

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • Watch A Viagra-Raging State Rep Fail A Sobriety Test

    Attention public figures, like Ohio Rep. Robert Mecklenborg. Please make sure both your headlights are working before driving drunk and jacked up on Viagra with a possible 26-year-old stripper in the car, likely unbeknownst to your wife and three children.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • The Ten Weirdest Ground Vehicles

    Four wheels may be the best way to get around, but it's far from the only way. Here are the ten weirdest alternative forms of ground transportation as selected by Jalopnik readers.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More
  • America Is Not Falling In Love With Roundabouts

    The BBC's recent profile of Carmel, Indiana, the "roundabout capital" of America, suggests those of us here in the colonies have "started to embrace the free-flowing British circular." Nick Greene at the Village Voice viscerally believes — despite the mountains of evidence otherwise — that's just bullshit.

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • COTD: Norwegian Would Edition

    It's not easy to live in a country everyone knows mainly from a pop song, especially when it's a Beatles' song. It was hard enough to grow up with everyone singing, "my name is Michael, I have a nickel," every goddamn minute. So I know from whence I speak.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • How NBC And Comcast Are Killing IndyCar

    A bad TV deal and a struggling network could doom America's most historic racing series. The Daly Planet explains how far IndyCar's fallen and why, thanks to NBC/Comcast negligence, they may never get back up. — Ed.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
  • This Diminutive DAF Is The Granddaddy Of All Wedge Supercars

    Before the Lamborghini Countach, before the Lancia Stratos Zero, before the Pininfarina Modulo, there was this, the DAF 55 Siluro, a silver wedge with a 1.1-liter Renault engine and a stepless, fully automatic transmission. After it was shown at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show, the world of supercars would never be the same.

    By Peter Orosz Read More
  • How This 60-Year-Old Became The Fastest Man Up The Mountain

    Pikes Peak is one of the most treacherous venues in all of racing — maybe in all of sports — hell, maybe in all of anything. Each year, dozens of hardened teams of racers attempt the seemingly impossible task of assaulting this 14,115-foot mountain and being crowned the fastest man to the top.

    By Bill Caswell Read More
  • Virgin America Passengers Getting Free Loaner Chromebooks

    This sure beats SkyMall. Google's offering free (for the duration of the flight) Chromebooks and WiFi to Virgin America passengers who will put their 'tops through the wringer, starting tomorrow. A credit card deposit's required, so don't spill your soda.

    By Sam Biddle Read More
  • Forgotten Stash Of Project Cars Goes Up For Auction

    For some reason Nebraska is the place to be this July if you are in the market for a project car. We told you last month about the 200 car junkyard being auctioned July 17 in Maxwell, Nebraska. While browsing Hemmings this past week we came across another 150 car auction of one man's project cars that will be sold July 30 in Bennington, Nebraska.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • Days May Be Numbered For Old American Cars In Cuba

    Authorities in Cuba have proposed laws that could mean an end for many of the classic American cars that are still in use in the country. Under current Cuban law, cars registered after the 1959 revolution cannot be bought or sold. As a result Cubans have used a mixture of ingenuity and backyard engineering to keep the fleet of pre-1959 American cars on the island running.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • What Is The Most American Car Ever Made?

    In the midst of the Fireworks, Barbequing and other assorted Americana of this Fourth of July weekend it seems only appropriate to try and pick the perfect automobile to go along with the celebration. This weekend we want to know what vehicle screams "America, F%$k Yeah" louder than any other. What is the most American car ever made?

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • Flame Shooting Custom Boat-Car Is As Weird As It Sounds

    If you've been concerned about what kind of mutant art car you would take to this year's Burning Man or have just always really wanted a Hyundai that looked like a boat, today is your lucky day. This custom Boat-undai is currently on Ebay looking for a new captain/driver.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • 1975 Triumph Spitfire Is Ideal For Escaping Disgruntled Boyfriends

    To show the acceleration and braking abilities of their 1975 Spitfire, Triumph decided to put the car in a scenario they thought potential customers could relate to—screeching to a halt at the sight of an attractive female and then quickly accelerating away from said female's disgruntled boyfriend.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
  • How To Save Money On Gas

    Despite news gas prices are slipping for the weekend, your wallet's still probably feeling the hurt of your last fill-up. Don't panic! Use this comprehensive guide to help cut the cash you're sending to big oil.

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • Chatting About Ayrton Senna's Greatest Qualifying Lap

    Yeah, it’s that lap. Laps, in fact. His third race for McLaren, the 1988 Monaco Grand Prix, when Ayrton Senna got himself into the mother of all flow experiences and out-qualified Alain Prost by a second and a half, then out-qualified himself lap after lap in the McLaren MP4/4:

    By Peter Orosz Read More
  • Google Maps Street View Car Breaks Down In Brooklyn

    A Google Maps Street View car taking photos of roving artisanal grilled cheese-making wagons in Williamsburg made an unscheduled break in Crown Heights after their Subaru Impreza broke down on Kingston and East New York. Did you hear that — they're making grilled cheese. In the streets! Someone should do a story on that. Hat tip to my mishpacha, Doren!

    By Ray Wert Read More

Nice Price or No Dice (20)

  • For $7,500, It's Willys Time

    You have surely heard someone say they don't build ‘em like they used to? Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Jeep Pickup is a perfect example of how they used to build ‘em, but will its modern-day price give you the willies?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $23,500, Caveat Elise-Tor

    In the Six-Million Dollar Man, Lee Majors' character Steve Austin was rebuilt with amazing capabilities following the crash of his experimental aircraft. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Lotus Elise isn't that expensive, but seeing its also been rebuilt, would buying it at any price be a mistake of bionic proportions?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $6,500, Let Slip A Spanish Fly

    The Spanish city of Granada is located within the autonomous community of Andalusia, an area for which the Andalusian, or Pura Raza Española, Horse is also named. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Ford Granada looks like it might pack some horses, but is its price too much to pony up?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $8,500, If It's Not Baroque, Don't Fix It

    The Lincoln Versailles was Ford's reaction to the success of Cadillac's Seville. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe custom Grandeur Coupe Royal will get a reaction — likely regurgitative — but will its price as well?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $105,000, Never Put Bros Before Hoes Again

    The Quattroporte is at present Maserati's biggest offering, but for some it may still not be large enough. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe 2005 Maser is about as grande as you can get, but is its price too venti?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $4,990, Grab Yourself Some Thunder Thighs

    Scientists say fossil evidence indicates that over time, birds evolved from the dinosaurs. While unique and desirable, today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Thunderbird does demonstrate that the evolutionary process also works in reverse, but will its price be a bone of contention?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $3,988, Is This Samurai Kurosawa Worthy?

    In Kurosawa's masterpiece, The Seven Samurai a small town is besieged by bandits and hires a septet of sword-wielding protectorates in its defense. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Suzuki might itself need protecting from flipping over, but is its price masterful?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $14,900, Make A Powerful Skate-Ment

    As the old adage goes, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. The creator of today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Maxton Rollerskate did it himself, but will the price of this über rare and basic sports car prove to have been done right?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $15,795, Is This Delta A Faded Rose From Days Gone By?

    Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. It's also the name of a four-door, four-cylinder car from Lancia, some of which came with four-wheel drive. Wanting today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe 1989 Integrale 16v may be as easy as ABC, but will its price make it too much of an alpha-bet?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $2,275, Volare... Whoa-O-O-O

    In Italian, volare means to fly, ironically however the only flying Plymouth's Volares ever did involved parts dissociating themselves from them. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Volare wagon has managed to keep its best parts, but is its price pretty fly?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $1,000, Have A Ménage à Toyota

    When you were a kid you probably rode a bike, and while mastering that you rode with training wheels. Before even that, you likely rode a trike. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe MR2 custom appeals to your inner child, but will its price have you asking, are you kidding?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $17,000, This Is A Pep Boys-Able Porsche

    Blaspheming in Abrahamic religions is cause for condemnation or far worse. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe 928 may surely be viewed as an affront to the alter of Porsche, but is its price a sin as well?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $16,900, Sheikh, Rattle And Roll

    Had Lawrence traipsed the Arabian peninsula during the Gulf War rather than the First World War, he may have been able to trade his camel for one of 113 specially made GMC Saudi Syclones like today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe candidate. You could drive one too, but will this truck's price make you say hump that!?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $5,995, Get An SVX-Education

    In Greek mythology, Alcyone turned into a kingfisher due to the grief over the loss of her husband. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Subaru SVX was called the Alcyone in its home market, and its seller has turned it into a five-speed. Its price, however may turn you off.

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $15,000, Blame It On REO

    If it weren't for the ‘80s troll-hair band, REO Speedwagon, Ransom E. Olds other car company could presently be as unfamiliar a name as Pope Hartfield or Dan Quayle. Instead, cars like today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe 1934 Flying Cloud come with some name recognition, but will its price also register?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $22,500, This T2 Stars Régie Not Arnold

    French industrialist, Louis Renault died in prison after being convicted of collaborating with the Germans during the occupation. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe R5 Turbo 2 could occupy a lot of your time, but does its price make it collaboration worthy?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $35,000, Incur Some Grand National Debt

    Yesterday was America's Independence Day, and in honor of the 4th, today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Buick is red; it's fast enough to make your knuckles white; but has a price that might make you mighty blue.

    By Rob Emslie Read More
  • For $42,000, Go Westie, Young Man

    Elton John released the album Rock of the Westies all the way back in 1975, featuring the duet with Kiki Dee — Don't Go Breaking My Heart. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe VW Westie rocks a 1.8T, but will its price have you singing don't go breaking my bank?

    By Rob Emslie Read More

QOTD (1)

  • COTD: If Its Got A Motor I'll Race It Edition

    When Travis Pastrana takes to the Nascar Nationwide series next week, he'll do so with this decal, a small bit of tribute to pal and soon competitor Jimmie Johnson. Meanwhile, the monster truck of recent top comments, one Desu-San-Desu, rolled again today on the story of a Porsche 911 topping 199 mph:

    By Justin Hyde Read More

Racing (5)

  • Inside The Race Cars Of Future Past

    Chaparral's ingenious but strange race cars, with their six-foot tall wings and vacuum suction motors, were first mocked, then feared, then finally banned for being too advanced. Four decades later I got a ride in one.

    By Bill Caswell Read More
  • Rally Is The Toughest Racing In The World

    Many of us are already fans of rally racing, but driver Jeff Zurschmeide says if you're interested in motorsports at all, rallying should be at the top of your must-see list. Here's why. — Ed.

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • The Dawn Of Formula One's Most Dominant Car

    When the 1988 Formula One season began in Rio de Janeiro, nobody knew that the record book on dominance was about to be rewritten. But that’s just what happened. When the bottom half of this car, the McLaren MP4/4, was attached to the carbon fiber shell photographed at dusk before the race, all mayhem was let loose. The 900–1,200 676 hp Honda V6 in that bottom half didn’t hurt either.

    By Peter Orosz Read More

Reviews (1)

  • This Is Probably The Ugliest McLaren Ever

    The silly theory that the beauty of a race car correlates with its performance on track is sometimes true—witness the McLaren MP4/4—but is also often not true. Mercedes’s rather pretty 2011 F1 car, the MGP W02, has not reached the podium in nine races, and even a lone race win for them this season would require 1996 Monaco levels of chaos.

    By Peter Orosz Read More

Spacelopnik (2)

The Morning Shift (20)

  • BMW Plugs In, Automakers Shake With Obama And The Explorer Gets Boosted

    1st Gear: Most of the world's largest automakers will join President Barack Obama at a ceremony this morning to endorse new U.S. fuel economy standards that will set an eventual average of 54.5 mpg by 2025. Execs from Detroit's Big Three, Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai, along with UAW President Bob King and California Gov. Jerry Brown — whose state regulators' agreement with the plan was still not cinched late Thursday — are all scheduled to embrace the proposal. There are two big exceptions

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • Obama Passes Gas, Chevy Shows The 2013 Malibu From The Inside, And Ariel Builds A Bomb Of A Bike

    1st Gear: President Barack Obama will unveil the 2017-2025 fuel economy standards Friday, doubling current fleetwide requirements to 54.5 mpg, but giving Detroit's Big Three leeway to keep building profitable SUVs and pickup trucks. After weeks of talks with automakers, the Obama administration softened its proposal from its initial 56.2 mpg by 2025, agreeing to only require 3.5% annual increases in light trucks through 2021. But the government will require 5% annual increases for passenger cars

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • Automakers Rake In Cash, Fisker Makes A Car And Range Rover Loses Its Top

    1st Gear:Sure, the U.S. economy may collapse in a matter of days and pull the global economy into a recession, but at least the auto industry's making it rain. After Ford and Chrysler's fairly upbeat earnings yesterday, Nissan said today it earned $1.09 billion in the quarter, beating estimates following Japan's earthquake. Meanwhile, Daimler AG, makers of Mercedes, Smart and Hyundai-like Maybachs said its profits jumped 23% to $3.7 billion — and it still got spanked by a few investors for not b

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • Ford, Chrysler Make Less Money, And Pelosi Spends A Lot Of Money In Detroit

    1st Gear: Ford reported a profit that beat Wall Street expectations. Excluding one-time items, Ford's quarterly profit fell to 65 cents per share from 68 cents a year ago. Analysts, on average, had expected earnings of 60 cents per share excluding one-time items, according to Thomson Reuters. Revenue rose 13% to $35.5 billion. Net income of $2.4 billion in the quarter, or 59 cents per share, was down $201 million from a year ago when per-share net income was 61 cents per share. Ford has now post

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • Red Bull Goes Off The Track, Mercedes Gets Back In Black And Ken Block Goes Hybrid

    1st Gear: Talks between the UAW and Detroit's automakers begin today, and despite the industry's good times there's a high amount of antagonism on each side. UAW President Bob King told Reuters that the union will not accept cuts in wages and benefits, given how much it sacrificed during GM and Chrysler's bankruptcy and since all three companies are now profitable and giving their top executives pay increases. Meanwhile, the automakers themselves maintain their costs are still a few dollars per

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • Ford's F-Bomb, Fiat Finalizes Chrysler Buy, And CDs Are The New 8-Track

    1st Gear: Yesterday we ran an exclusive quote by Ford marketing chief Jim Farley plucked from Bill Vlasic's new book. The quote garnered some attention and mudslinging back-and-forth for the very — ahem — foul language he used when talking about cross-town rival General Motors. Because, you know, he, umm... well... he... how do I put this delicately? Oh, right, he fucking swore at GM. The best part of the story wasn't the actual F-bomb drop itself. No. It was the predictably bored reaction colum

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • Ford Ranger Danger, Mercedes-AMG's New 5.5-Liter V8, And Fisker Wants To Beat Bugatti

    1st Gear: Ford Motor Co. is recalling more than 20,000 Ranger pickup trucks -because a defective switch could cause the turn signal, tail lights and brake lights to fail. Ford said the recall affects about 20,000 2011 Ford Ranger pickups built between January and April at its Twin Cities Assembly Plant. It also includes about 6,000 vehicles that were serviced with a defective switch including some 2004-2011 Ranger, 2002-2005 Excursion SUVs, and 2002-2007 F-250, 350, 450 and 550 trucks. The defec

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • Ferrari's Public Option, The McLaren MP4-12C Super Car Gets Emotional, And Scion's iQ Shows Up

    1st Gear: CBS Marketwatch is reporting that Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo Tuesday denied persistent local reports that its Italian parent company, Fiat, is considering a market listing of the luxury sports car brand. His comment, reported by the local press, was confirmed by a Ferrari spokesman. Last week, Italian business tabloid MF said a number of investment banks—both domestic and foreign—had visited Fiat head offices to propose a listing. Fiat Chief Executive Sergio Marchionn

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • GM Dumps Cash On Flint, Automakers Battle Fuel Economy Plans And Volvo Pumps Your Brakes

    1st Gear: General Motors confirmed it will spend $328 million to upgrade its Flint, Mich., factory to build the next generation of its full-size pickups expected to launch no sooner than 2013. The move will "add or save" 150 jobs at the 2,100-worker plant, says The Detroit News. The plant is already running two shifts, and GM plans a third shift next month that could add an additional 750 jobs.

    By Justin Hyde Read More
  • Shelby SuperCars Tuatara, Brabus Blows On Two AMG Sedans, And Ford Recalls Some Five Hundreds

    1st Gear: Shelby SuperCars (SSC), the American supercar manufacturer and creator of the world record breaking Ultimate Aero, has introduced the name of its latest supercar — and a couple of exclusive photos. Following several years of design and development of its revolutionary new supercar, SSC has named its new car Tuatara (pronounced twu?tar?ah). It's a name designed to mix the sound of the word "auto" with the sound of the word "Twitter." We kid. We actually don't know what the hell it means

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • Chrysler Prices New SRT8s, A New Volkswagen Golf, And Porsche's New Evoque-Fighter

    1st Gear: Chrysler has set prices on its four new SRT vehicles: the Chrysler 300 SRT8 ($47,995), Dodge Charger SRT8 ($46,660), Dodge Challenger SRT8 ($44,077 — plus a $1,300 gas guzzler tax on the auto transmission version and $1,000 on the six-speed manny-tranny) and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 ($55,295). Prices include the $825 destination charges. Each is equipped with the 470 HP 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine.

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • New BMW 1-Series Arrives, VW Screws With GM And Ways To Cope With Carmegeddon

    1st Gear: BMW has finally let loose with the full details of the refreshed 1-Series sedans going into production now. Slightly bigger in every dimension, with a reworked interior, the new 1-Series in Europe can be delivered with a choice from five different engines — two four-cylinder gas units and three diesels topping out at 184 hp, all backed by an eight-speed automatic. So far, the new 1-Series hasn't been given a U.S. visa; the U.S. will have to soldier on with its older, more powerful six-

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • 2011 Audi A5, Groupon Sells A Car, And A Two-Door Front-Engined Porsche GT

    1st Gear: Chicago-based Groupon — testing America's appetite for bigger online deals — offered its first deal on a new car or truck today at a Michigan dealership. The company, already known for popular restaurant, hotel, and other random store vouchers, launched its first auto dealership deal at LaFontaine Buick GMC Cadillac in Highland Township, Mich. Robert Milner, general sales manager at the dealership, said he was a little reluctant to be the first dealer in the country to try the Groupon

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • Ford Sync Plays Catch-Up With OnStar, Hatches Are Hot, And A Smaller Lux-Pug

    1st Gear: Ford is taking a page from General Motors' OnStar system by testing live phone operators to help customers looking for directions to a business using Sync. Starting last week and running through the summer, Ford is testing an "Operator Assist" feature that will connect drivers with an operator if they have trouble getting directions electronically, after three attempts, said Ford spokesman Alan Hall. You know what's really funny? How Alan used to tell me that OnStar's system was a "lia

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • Porsche To Build A Sub-918 Supercar, Pickups Lose Magic Tow Ratings, And Subie Wants More Sales

    1st Gear: Porsche AG may develop a supercar positioned higher than the 911 GT2 RS to broaden its line-up and sustain growth as orders cool from record deliveries last year. The car could be combined with additional variants of the Cayman and Boxster as well as extended-wheelbase and convertible versions of the Panamera four-door coupe, Bernhard Maier, Porsche's sales chief, said in an interview. It would aim to fill the gap between the 237,600-euro ($338,500) GT2 RS, the top end of the 911 line,

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • 2014 BMW M3 To Go Triple-Turbo, GM And Nissan Go Toot-Toot, And Kia's New Hotness

    1st Gear: The boss of BMW's M Division, Dr Friedrich Nitschke, has confirmed to AutoExpress that a raft of new models wearing the famous badge is on the way — with the M2 to be joined by a powerful M3 and a successor to the M1 supercar. The new flagship 3 Series is due in 2014, and will feature a fresh 3.3-liter six-cylinder engine. This is set to get three turbos — one powered by electricity, rather than the exhaust gases — and is rumoured to offer 450bhp. A mix of steel and ultra-light carbon

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • 2012 Range Rover Sport, Chinese Passenger Car Sales Go Up, And Lincoln Succeeds Despite Its Best Efforts

    1st Gear: Range Rover has revised the Range Rover Sport for 2012 – and refinement is the name of the game. It has a new eight-speed auto ‘box and a host of toys including a new 17-speaker audio system and voice command. Land Rover may talk of a focus on reducing emissions, but ironically the supercharged 510bhp 5.0 petrol V8 remains unchanged. Also, the Discovery 4 (LR4 over here) has gotten an upgrade as well — with an eight-speed auto tranny.

    By Ray Wert Read More
  • Jaguar XF Wagon Is Go, Saab Dreams On, And Volvo Gets High On PCP

    1st Gear: Jaguar has confirmed plans to build a wagon version of the shapely XF. As the British marques adds a four-cylinder turbodiesel as a new entry-level XF , the British marque has confirmed that it intends to take on the likes of Audi with a new wagon variant. The last wagon Jaguar built was the X-Type (pictured) and though it wasn't a massive seller for the brand, Jaguar is confident a reborn XF estate could add valuable sales to the model line and challenge the likes of BMW's 5 Series To

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  • July 4th Driving Sucks, Chrysler May Return To Le Mans, And Once Holden Goes Black, We'll Never Go Back

    1st Gear: AAA is estimating 39 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this Fourth of July holiday weekend, a 2.5 percent decline from the 40 million who traveled in 2010. This small decrease is being attributed to sustained higher gas prices. However, the Independence Day long weekend continues to be the busiest travel holiday of the year as children are out of school and families head to favorite vacation spots. "Travelers are being smart with their travel budgets by finding the best de

    By Ray Wert Read More

Toyota (1)

  • Is This The Nicest First Generation Toyota 4runner In The World?

    We aren't positive if this unbelievably pristine example currently listed on Ebay is the nicest first generation 4runner in the world, but we imagine it's definitely in the running. This 38,708 mile example is about as close as you can get to buying a brand new example of a classic 26 year old SUV, but be forewarned, it doesn't come without an equally hard to believe price tag.

    By Tom Joslin Read More

Trucks (1)

Wrenching (1)

  • Ten Automotive Repair Projects Anyone Can Do

    Repairing something as large and complex as an automobile can seem daunting, but some jobs are simple enough for novices. Here are the ten automotive repair projects anyone can do, as identified by Jalopnik readers.

    By Martin Grossinger Read More