Archive for May 2012

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BMW (1)

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    BMW Unveils Handbuilt Zagato Coupé

    Keeping a longstanding tradition of unveiling stunning, hand-built one-off cars, the 2012 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este was the showcase for BMW and coachbuider Zagato to show off the new BMW Zagato Coupé. Uninspired name aside, the new coupé looks amazing, incorporating Zagato trademarks like a subtle double-bubble roof and a long-front/truncated rear profile. The rear has an ample window, divided into an upper and lower section, not unlike the sexiest CRX you could possibly imagine.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More

Brands (1)

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    Turbo Slant-Six Equipped 1960 Dodge Dart Is Our Kind Of Cool

    While to some making a 1960 Dodge Dart Seneca Coupe cooler than when it left the factory might seem fairly easy, in the eyes of Exner-era Mopar devotees like ourselves it's no simple task. Even so, we think whoever built this unique car complete with a turbocharged slant six engine and a floor shift four speed managed the near-impossible.

    By Tom Joslin Read More

Buying (3)

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    First Drive: 2013 Porsche Boxster S

    The new 2013 Porsche Boxster is an absolutely terrific car to drive. This sort of pains me to say, as even with a starting price of $49,500 ($60,900 for the S, which is the one I drove) I'm likely going to have to wait until some long lost uncle's helper monkey dies from a diarrheasplosion inside one before I can afford a used Boxster. But that doesn't matter— for one magical day at the Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama I got to drive the crap out of one.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    First Drive: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500

    662 HP! The 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is, let's face it, an absolutely insane vehicle. An absurd amount of power, a ludicrous amount of engineering, and a horsepower-to-money ratio that can only be measured on the metric batshit scale. Weirdly, my biggest complaint is how utterly sane it feels.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More

Culture (37)

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    The Ten Best Non-Car TV Shows For Gearheads

    Top Gear UK is off the air until 2013 and you can't survive on Rutledge, Tanner, and Adam alone. Luckily, Jalopnik readers picked out ten TV shows that have nothing to do with cars, but are so packed with automotive eye candy you won't even miss your TGUK friends.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Carroll Shelby, Beetle Owner?

    While at the New York Auto Show earlier this year covering the release of the Shelby 1000, I was talking to Shelby American VP Gary Patterson about the Big Man. He told me a great anecdote about Carroll Shelby that started with this simple hook: Carroll Shelby owned a 1973 VW Beetle Convertible.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    The Ten Worst License Plates Ever Approved

    See that? That's an example of a good vanity license plate. Not everyone has figured out this whole "humor" thing, as Jalopnik readers demonstrate with these ten cringe-worthy custom plates.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    How I Turned A Passion For Cars Into This Gauge-Inspired Watch

    My buddy Bradley Price owns an old '83 Alfa Romeo GTV6 and lets me ride in it occasionally. Also he makes these incredible watches for people like him who love vintage style but can't afford to drop thousands of dollars on a car-inspired watch. I can't give you a ride in his Alfa but I did ask him to explain how he started a brand and how his watches ended up looking so unbelievably glorious.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    The Coupéspace Is The Car Which Became The Renault Avantime

    It was 13 years ago, at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show, that Renault unveiled its Coupéspace concept, the didactic branding hinting at its origins: an Espace minivan turned into a coupé. This is the car which became the Renault Avantime, which was so avant of its time that the market demanded a total of 8,557 cars before production was killed off in 2003.

    By Peter Orosz Read More
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    How Carroll Shelby And A Gang Of Nerds Beat Enzo Ferrari

    If you only know the late Carroll Shelby for his tuner cars, you're missing an amazing story of how, during the mid-1960s, his little, nerd-filled race shop in Los Angeles helped Henry Ford II exercise his famous vendetta against Enzo Ferrari. Playboy editor A.J. Baime tells that story in his book, Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
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    What's The Worst License Plate Ever Approved?

    Ever since we, as a society, decided to allow custom license plates, we've been subjected to bad jokes, sad brags, and unsuccessful attempts at puns while staring at the back bumpers of others' cars. So what's the worst one ever?

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Yes, It's Ethical To Drive A Stick Shift

    I really shouldn't have to even be answering this question. This week in Salon David Sirota wrote an article asking "Is it ethical to drive stick?" It's great to see a mainstream, intelligent publication like Salon talking about manual transmissions, except for one thing: the article is inane, and the fundamental question its asking is insipid. And, some of the facts are wrong. And it's whiny and stupid. Okay, five things. Other than that, it's great.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    What Goes Through A Biker's Head When You Try And Kill Him

    As car drivers, you've been there before. Distracted by that game of Angry Birds, the burger you're shoving into your fat face or just asleep at the wheel, you've nearly killed a motorcyclist. You might even have tried to do so on purpose. But underneath that helmet is an actual human being. Here's what happens when you try and kill one of us.

    By Wes Siler Read More
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    The Ten Fastest Comic Book Cars

    When it comes to boasting about the fastest cars in the world, why restrict yourself to cars that actually exist? These ten rocket-powered, flying, impossible vehicle-things are what Jalopnik readers call the ten fastest comic book cars ever.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    The Oldest Cars Still In Production

    The announcement last month that Lada will finally stop building the 2107 (also called the Riva) was sad news. At least sad to those of us perverse enough to love the idea that the 1966 Fiat 124 was still in production somewhere. That Lada was part of an ever-shrinking club of true automotive survivors. Let's see who's left.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    What's The Fastest Comic Book Car?

    To initiate my two-week reign of terror, I'm going to make things a little harder for you schmucks. Rather than just solicit an opinion, let's call on your brainpower. Specifically, the facts you memorized during a youth misspent in printed fantasy. What, according to the material itself, is the fastest comic book car?

    By Wes Siler Read More
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    The Ten Worst Small Cars For Big People

    Tall people historically make more money and enjoy more success than shorter individuals, but these advantages are wiped out when it comes to cars. The smaller you are, the more cars you can drive. Here are the cars Jalopnik readers think are the worst for big people.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    How GM Designers Pranked Their Boss For Owning A Ferrari

    Chuck Jordan is one of the most famous car designers of all time and, like all enthusiasts, he loved his Ferraris. The only problem was he was the lead designer for General Motors, not Ferrari, so one day his employees at the GM Design Center decided to have a little fun with his prized Daytona.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    COTD: Forgotten Fiberglass Edition

    One of the most disturbing websites on the internet is forgottenfiberglass.com. There's no weird porn, just the stories of hundreds of nearly successful-to-completely failed automotive projects built after WWII.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    This Man's Quest To Build His Dream Car Is Driving Him Insane

    Koji — no separate first or last name, just "Koji" — is a man of remarkable skill, talent, and determination who is attempting to build his dream car in a garage somewhere in Washington. He's also a man with a pretty dim view of how most of us spend our time. Mostly because he's simplified his life to one focus — completing his ambitious dream.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    The Ten Slowest Sports Cars Of All Time

    Take one look at these purpose-built sports cars and you'd expect them to be fast. You would be wrong. Even before we got used to powerful V6 Camrys, these ten rides chosen by Jalopnik readers were the slowest sports cars the world had ever seen.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    What's The Slowest Sports Car Of All Time?

    There have been plenty of perilously slow automobiles passed onto the public as pure driving machines. Taking into account how slow regular cars were when it was on sale, what was the slowest purpose-built sports car ever made?

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    The Ten Scariest DMV Horror Stories

    There is a dark side to driving in the US, and it is known as the DMV. Listen to these ten tales of woe from Jalopnik readers and you'll get a taste of American bureaucracy at its worst.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Ten Ways To Inspire Women Gearheads

    Car culture is dominated by men, largely because society (and car culture itself) unreasonably equates being a gearhead with being a man. Here are ten ways chosen by Jalopnik readers to help break down the barriers and encourage more women to become enthusiasts.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Meet The Doctor-Engineer Who Basically Invented The Modern Racing Game

    Chances are good that if you read yesterday's post about that racing simulator, you're a fan of racing games. And, chances are also good that the racing games you play and love so damn much are first-person — basically, where you're looking out of — or over — the windshield. Let's meet the unsung German engineer who, way back in 1976, first developed the technology that's spawned everything from Forza Motorsport to Gran Turismo — Dr-Ing. Reiner Foerst.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    The Real Story Behind The Chevrolet Bow Tie

    You may have heard the legend of how Chevrolet’s co-founder Billy Durant came up with its famous bow-tie logo when he saw the design on wallpaper in a Paris hotel. Except the legend isn’t true. Here’s the real story.

    By Ray Wert Read More
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    Why Did No One Buy Kenny Powers' Lifted Truck?

    If you want it, Kenny Powers' custom 2005 Dodge Ram from the third season of Eastbound and Down is up for grabs for the low, low price of $15,000. Strangely, it didn't sell on eBay last week, so it could still be yours.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More

Crashes and Safety (17)

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    This Graphic Crash Is What Happens When Arab Drifting Goes Wrong

    By now, you're familiar with Hagwalah, the Saudi street drifting phenomenon. Young men gather on congested highways to perform idiotic feats of driving dumbassery. But, are you familiar with the potential fallout? After watching this incredibly graphic, NSFW video, you and hopefully anyone thinking about doing this kind of thing on the street will be.

    By Wes Siler Read More
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    Buy This Wrecked 2012 ZL1 Camaro For $50,000

    Brand new ZL1 Camaros don't usually sell at a discount, but when a Virginia Chevrolet salesman crashed a red 2012 model that had already been sold, his colleague got down to brass tacks with a Camaro fan who wasn't too concerned about fixing a $10,000-plus repair bill.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    What Really Caused The Deadly French Rally Crash

    This morning, we reported on a crash at France's Pays des Maures that killed two people and injured 15. Information from the scene implicated the driver, but Jalopnik reader Thomas Belhacene, who's brother was one of the first responders, challenges those claims.

    By Wes Siler Read More
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    House Hit By Cars Three Times In Six Months

    On Tuesday, a car crashed into a Pennsylvania couple's home, but the residents weren't surprised. It was the third crash in six months. Now they want to protect themselves, but they're afraid to do so.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Watch A Lamborghini Driver Crash In A Stereotypical Lamborghini Manner

    Why on earth would you buy a "P&**& Magnet Yellow" Lamborghini Gallardo? Why, to show off of course! Something accomplished with esteem by this, sadly stereotypical "P&**& Magnet Yellow" Lamborghini Gallardo owner. We won't spoil the ending for you, but whether that's luck or skill, we're actually impressed.

    By Wes Siler Read More
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    This Is What Happens When You Roll A Cadillac Over A Wall

    The cross-country street legal One Lap of America rolled into Road America for their latest stage today, leading the drivers of the CTS-V Sport Wagon to roll their wagon so hard it flipped over a retaining wall. The car spared itself with an explosion of airbags so that the driver could walk away uninjured. UPDATE

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    It Has Never Been Safer To Drive A Car In America

    There were only 1.09 traffic fatalities per 100 million miles driven in America last year, the lowest number since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started keeping records in 1949. The reason? Despite government fear-mongering, we now have safer cars and fewer drunk and high drivers.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    Brand New Ferrari Crashes Into Bay On Test Drive

    A man hoping to buy a $200,000 Ferrari California launched it into the bay just north of San Francisco during a too spirited test drive Saturday afternoon. The car reportedly went airborne before landing in the drink.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    University Of Texas Foam Sword Battle Interrupted By A Bus

    It's the end of the year. No more classes. No more parking hassles. You're feeling great. You've got a foam sword in your hand. You're ready to cross The Drag and do fake battle with your friends. You've waited all year and now all you have to do is wait for the light to change. Dude, you should really wait for the light to change.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    Famous 'Falling Bear' Killed On Highway

    The life of a meme comes to a close as the famous falling bear was struck by two cars and killed on a highway just two miles from the University of Colorado campus where it was tranquilized.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    An Exploding Airbag Branded An Audi Logo On This Man's Arm

    Although car owners have been customizing their vehicles since the dawn of the automotive age, rarely has a car been known to customize its owner. Until now — when an Audi driver allegedly found his arm branded with the steering wheel's four-ring logo when the airbag deployed.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More

Entertainment (6)

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    Your Top Gear Infoporn Is Here

    Are you a Top Gear fan? Probably. Have you been spending the last few weekends making a huge chart of Stig-driven lap times of cars around the Top Gear track? If so, then wad up that glitter-covered, elbow macaroni-encrusted, crayon-smeared piece of crap. The nice folks at Boost Labs have made you the definitive Top Gear track infographic.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Top Gear Builds A DeltaWing And It's Kind Of Brilliant

    There is a massive amount of engineering involved in creating a groundbreaking car like the Nissan DeltaWing, set to either revolutionize auto racing, or fail spectacularly at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. There is remarkably less investment in Top Gear's homegrown DeltaWing, but we love it anyway.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    The World's Smallest Cars Are Back On Sale, For Insane Money

    Like an adorable, tiny zombie popping out of its tiny, adorable window-box grave, the Peel P50 and Peel Trident are back from the dead. Neither of the tiny, tiny cars has been built since 1966, but a new company, with funding from the BBC's show Dragon's Den, is starting production up once again, as announced earlier this year. They're street legal in the UK and US, and you can buy them for an absurd price £10,000 ($16,000).

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Jeremy Clarkson: No More Top Gear Until 2013

    Hide the children. Darken the windows. Get out your all-black clothing. Jeremy Clarkson told a South African radio program that British motoring revue Top Gear will not return until 2013. We think this might be because of the London Olympics. Remember that this summer when you're watching Synchronized Swimming.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More

Ford (1)

News (193)

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    COTD: A Ferrari In New York Edition

    There's a 1979 Dino 308 GT4 that lives in New York City. It was off the streets for a while because the owner hit a massive pothole on Park Avenue and careened into the back of a truck. Moral of the story: driving here is terrible.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Is New York Becoming The New Bonneville For Motorcyclists?

    The Hudson Valley, not far north of New York City, is becoming a popular location to test the limits of high-performance bikes. Just this past week, Police busted two riders on I-87 — one was going 166 mph, and the other was clocked at 193. Next stop, 200.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Toyota iQ Goes Where The Google Car Can't Fit

    Google Street View is great, but some streets — especially European ones — are simply too tiny for the Google car to capture. iQ Street View has gotten around that problem by using a smaller car.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    20,000 People Want 877 Jobs At Hyundai's Alabama Factory

    Have you ever wanted to work in a automobile factory? A lot of people do, apparently, and as car manufacturers ramp up production to meeting a steadily improving economy, the number of people vying for limited job slots is a telltale sign that we aren't out of the woods yet.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Bentley Wants To Know What China Thinks Of Its New SUV

    If you didn't already know it, China has arrived. Bentley is tailoring its new SUV to meet Chinese buyers' tastes, because China is the company's largest market. But no one liked Bentley's new beast at the Geneva auto show, so the luxury carmaker is trying to find out why.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    The Beauty Of Car Pelts

    A few years back, a friend of mine visiting San Francisco texted me a picture. The image was the side of a nondescript white building, with what looked like a red, flattened Fiat 850 Spider. I did some research, and that's exactly what it was. The buidling was the Moscone Center, the car was once a Fiat 850 Spider, and the automotive flayer was Dustin Shuler.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    The Ten Coolest Public Works Projects Of Recent Years

    The WPA isn't around anymore, but there are still crazy public works projects going up all over the world. Jalopnik readers picked out the ten coolest transportation-related engineering feats of recent years, just to prove that mankind isn't over the hill.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    What's Your Excuse For Not Riding A Motorcycle?

    "Since it's the last day of my reign of terror as guest editor at ye olde Jalop (Matt's back tomorrow), I figured I'd ask you guys a question that constantly baffles me. Given their fuel economy, ability to personally reduce your travel times while reducing overall congestion, free parking, stunning performance, involving nature and general unabashed awesomeness, why do you guys sit around all day locked in metal cages? Why don't you ride bikes?

    By Wes Siler Read More
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    COTD: Hardcore Edition

    I don't listen to much hardcore anymore, mainly because I've grown tired of hearing the same complaints over the same rhythms and the same chords for too long. At a certain point, hardcore was beating a dead horse, music-wise.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Jeep Dealership Caves, Gives Protester New Wrangler

    Abdulah Alsayegh doesn't do subtle. After waiting for weeks for parts from his Jeep dealership to no avail, he spraypainted complaints about their poor service all over his Wrangler and parked it right in front of their door. The dealership scrambled like mad to hide the eyesore, parking cars around it on all sides, covering it in a wrap and holding it hostage. Now his stunt has paid off. The Kuwait dealership's GM has apologized and let Abdulah exchange his car for a brand new one. That's him,

    By Ben Popken Read More
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    Ferrari FF Catches Fire On Polish Freeway

    Ferrari has produced fiery sports cars throughout its long history, but the flames have been more literal than figurative as of late. The latest in a spate of ferrar-b-ques burned on a Polish highway this week, destroying a $430,000 FF coupe.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Big Bird Skyline Going To The Crusher

    Once again, Uncle Sam is showing his hatred of Nissan Skylines, this time in a physical rather than a regulatory way. Two Nissan Skylines — one featured in The Fast and the Furious — have been condemned by a Wisconsin court to be sent to the crusher.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Use A Porsche To Tow A Boat

    Since its 1963 debut, the Porsche 911 has proven to be a versatile sports car. Whether on paved roads or dirt lanes, you're guaranteed to have fun throwing it around corners and listening to its boxer growl as you speed into straightaways.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Steven Tyler's $1.1 Million, 1,244 HP Convertible

    Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler just took delivery of the world's fastest convertible. The Hennessey Venom GT Spyder will accelerate to 200mph in 15.9 seconds, eight seconds faster than a Bugatti Veyron. Tyler was the first person to ask if he could have his without a top.

    By Wes Siler Read More
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    What's The Worst Interior Modification You've Ever Seen?

    Automotive interior design is stuck in a rut. Featureless panels of cheap plastic interspersed with silvery pieces of cheap plastic and, in a good car, slightly squishy pieces of cheap plastic. Sometimes, that's better than what your friends think up.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    The Ten Most Affordable Tracks In The Northwest

    You've caught yourself driving too fast on the road before, and you'd like to take it to the track, but where can you go that's affordable? According to Jalopnik readers, these are the ten most affordable circuits in the American Northwest.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    The California Highway Patrol Wants To Switch To SUVs

    Faced with the eventual phasing out of Ford's legendary Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, the California Highway Patrol is interested in replacing the aging cruisers with an interceptor version of the Ford Explorer. Officials said that newer sedans like the Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Caprice are too small.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    COTD: Our Friend, The Car Edition

    Much as we can love our cars, so much so that they themselves begin to feel like one of the family, it is the memories we share through automobiles that are the deepest of all.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    In Memory Of Two Dogs And A Car

    I spent this past Saturday night burying a dog. Well, 3 am Sunday morning, but still. The dog was this charmingly dumb but very sweet little Pomeranian named Beezus. Around two weeks before that, one of my other dogs, a shaggy terrier named Dirty Girl, died when I was en route to go drive the GT500. In short, it's been a bad month for good dogs.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Canadian Cayenne Copiously Covered In Crap

    In the art-car world, the entry-level project is to simply glue a bunch of crap to your car. It doesn't take too much skill or effort, and can really inject some personality in your rusty '93 Corolla. If you actually have a vision and some talent, it can even turn out pretty cool. The one hard and fast rule, though, is that the car upon which crap is adhered is usually a $900 shitbox you just don't care about otherwise. That's what makes these photos from a Toronto parking lot so incredible.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Did VW's British Ad Agency Rip Off This Song?

    Volkswagen's television ads have long been known for their very effective use of music. Their 1999 ad for the Cabrio, "Milky Way", famously used Nick Drake's moody song Pink Moon, and gave the late singer/songwriter one of the largest bumps in popularity his career had seen. It's clear that VW's ad agency DDB, places great value on finding just the right song for their ads. Even if that means making a knockoff of the song they want, like they did for a new Polo commercial.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Polish Supercar Boss Responds To Kit-Car Scam Allegations

    Recently, an automotive journalist alleged the builder of the Polish Arrinera supercar appeared to passing off a Lamborghini replicar as its own product, possibly to work a stock-market angle for VENO S.A., an investor in the company. Today, Arrinera CEO Lukasz Tomkiewicz disputes the claim in an extensive statement.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
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    Genuine Diamond Coating Is A New Level Of Automotive Excess

    German Porsche Tuner Gemballa welcomed the next innovation in ridiculously expensive and hardly necessary automotive modifications this past week with the announcement they have engineered a process which will allow customers to coat the interior or exterior of their cars with genuine diamonds.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
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    What Model Of Car Would You Drive For The Rest Of Your Life?

    For most people who are passionate about cars and driving them, variety is the spice of automotive life. With this in mind, driving only one model of a car for the rest of your life would seem like a miserable sentence to all but the most dedicated automotive fanboys.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
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    First ZL1 Camaro Ever Built Sells For $400,000

    The first 1969 ZL1 Camaro ever built crossed the auction block at last weekend's massive Mecum Spring Classic auction event in Indiana. When the bidding ended the successful buyer had agreed to pay $400,000 for this important piece of muscle car history.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
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    When Cadillac Helped Revolutionize Screwing

    There's certain things that are so common that they become almost invisible. Like screws. We see screws probably hundreds or thousands of times a day, and there's many, many more hidden from view. They're literally one of the key things that hold our world together, so I think they're due some respect. A great many (possibly most) of the screws you encounter daily show you their heads with a familiar cruciform + or x shape. These are Phillips-head screws, and we can thank Cadillac for making the

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Got A Spare Car? Jump It To Death

    Charging through a field in your tired-ass beater trying to catch air is not a good idea. These noble Neon-jumping hoons could care less about broken components. They're out for glory!

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    We Are In The Golden Age Of Rally Footage

    Rallying is largely the same sport as it has been for the past three decades, but with cheap Go-Pros and affordable high-def cameras, we are now entering a golden age of rally footage. Reminisce about Group B all you want; as of today, rallying has never looked better.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Let's Start A New Car Meme

    Who wants a starring role in today's biggest, smashiest hit, the INTERNET? You do! And how can you do it? By helping Jalopnik start a good car-based meme! Why not? You've got an internet-set, right? May as well use it!

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    What's The Best Recipe For Cooking With Your Car?

    All the necessary equipment is there: you've got a nice heat source from the engine and the exhaust, and you've got plenty of time while you're sitting in your commute, or driving to grandma's house. Why not cook with your car?

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    The Ten Most Affordable Tracks In The Northeast

    In an effort to get street racers off of our roads and onto closed tracks, Jalopnik readers picked out the ten cheapest road courses, parking lots and drag strips in the Northeast. Price of equipment and wounded pride not included.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    More Leaked Images Of The Renault Alpine Concept

    It happened behind the scenes over here, but on Monday, after we published the first image of this new Renault Alpine A110-50 concept, the entire nation of France actually tendered formal surrender. Now, with 11 new images, we're actually going to put them on suicide watch. It'll be OK guys, you still have truffles.

    By Wes Siler Read More
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    This New Jersey Dad Was Ticketed For Saving His Son

    If your kid ran toward a cliff, would you think to put your car in park and set the hand brake, or would you bolt and snatch the tyke from the jaws of death? Frank Roder chose to grab his son, and got two tickets when his SUV rolled into a river.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    V8 Ford Stands For Victory Over Nazis

    This picture, taken in 1945 by Norwegian resistance fighter Trygve Grabow, shows Norwegian, British, and German officers meeting seven days after the Nazis surrendered Norway. A Ford V8 with an American star on the door signifies victory more than anything else in the photograph.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Maryland Is Cracking Down On Vanity Plate Humor

    At this point in our near daily coverage of witty vanity plates, our attention turns to the often overlooked Old Line State. Maryland Vehicle Administration officials managed to get several offensive or potentially offensive words stricken from the list of acceptable vocabulary from which MVA derives its yea or nay over vanity plate slogans.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Ten American Cars To Drive Across Europe

    Europeans today are still stuck driving cramped little Pandas and Peugeots. It's time to show them what a real automobile looks like, so Jalopnik readers picked out ten big, bold American cars to take on a tour of the continent.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    The Next Mazda MX-5 Roadster Will Spawn An Alfa Romeo

    How can an independent Mazda survive to zoom-zoom another day? Alliances. Like, say, loaning its robust roadster tech to the Italian brand that once defined the genre as "fun but flimsy"? Yes, Mazda's inked a deal that could see the next MX-5 become an Alfa Romeo spider, and we couldn't be happier.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
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    A Mercedes 300SL Roadster In The Swiss Alps

    I'm pretty sure Julie Andrews would have to change her underwear after seeing these pictures. I know for a fact that my pants are alive with the sound of this alpine 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster. Sploosh.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    COTD: Ariel Atom Edition

    One of the great things about hard-edged track cars like an Ariel Atom is that if you handed the keys to your grandma, there is just no way that she could drive it (unless your grannie is a grade-A badass).

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    My Dinner With Ford SVT Engineers

    I found the Ford SVT engineers to be a great group of guys. They all seem to genuinely love their jobs, and each of them seems to have a real passion for their products. So that's great. Still, it doesn't mean I couldn't annoy them to the verge of tears and with my inane suggestions, which is what I did. Because that's what I do. Here's my ideas, and what they had to say.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Is The Polish Supercar Just A Stock Market Scam?

    We first mused about mused about the Polish-developed Arrinera vaporcar last year. Now, reports say the car's just a bad Lamborghini replica (wait, what?) — and perhaps the basis for a pump-and-dump scam. [UPDATE]

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
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    The Virginia DMV Revoked Anti-Arab Vanity Tags

    It took the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles four years, but they finally revoked an Iraq veteran's specialty license plate, which read "ICUHAJI." Haji is an often derogatory term used by some American military personnel to describe Iraqis and other Arabs.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Delphi Built A Gas Engine That's More Efficient Than Hybrids

    Delphi Automotive is trying to develop a gasoline engine that runs like a diesel. That raises the question, why not just use diesel? According to engineers, gasoline burns cleaner, requiring less expensive emissions devices than those currently required on diesel engines.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    COTD: Ghetto Boys Edition

    There's a difference between a guilt society and a shame society. There's a difference between self-policing and snitching. This can be hard to grasp, so the Ghetto Boys and Jalopnik readers are here to explain.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    You Can Drive A Street Sweeper In This Game

    If you've always dreamed of being a municipal street sweeper driver but can't pass the drug test, you're in luck. Street Cleaning Simulator (for PC) has, uh, hit the streets. Gamespot reviewers compared the game's level of detail to classics such as Grand Tourismo.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    The Return Of The Renault Alpine

    This leaked photo is the first of the new Renault Alpine concept, due for official unveiling in Monaco on Friday. Under the skin is purportedly a tube-framed Megane Trophy complete with a mid-mounted VQ V6 tuned to 400 HP and 310 Lb-Ft. Dubbed the A110-50, the concept marks the 50th anniversary of the first A110.

    By Wes Siler Read More
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    Prius Driver Beat Up After Taking Out Two Bikers

    A San Francisco area Prius driver couldn't get enough of a pack of motorcycles cruising the freeway, and decided to record video of them. Unfortunately, driving and shooting video proved to be too much for the 19-year-old hybrid pilot, and he veered into the pack of two wheelers, taking two of them out.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    The Driver Of This Car Killed A Church Leader

    Harry M. Stone, a 60-year-old member of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Raytown, Mo. wasn't expecting any trouble when he went for his morning jog Sunday. But his exercise regimen, and his life, were cut short when someone fired shots from the window of a passing car.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    RIP Big Willie Robinson, Sought End To Gang Violence Through Drag Racing

    At 6'6", William "Big Willie" Andrew Robinson III — a bowler hat perched atop his head, his voice booming — cut an imposing figure among the youth of South Central Los Angeles during the 1970s. That figure both belied and contributed to his mission, which was to end gang violence and racial unrest through drag racing. Robinson died this past Saturday after a short illness. He was 70.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
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    The Ten Unluckiest Car Accidents Caught On Video

    Try as you might to drive safely, sometimes you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time. There wasn't anything that the people in these ten non-lethal crashes, picked by Jalopnik readers, could do to save themselves.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Is This Lewis Hamilton's New Zonda?

    Even though Pagani is building the Huayra now, they'll still make you a Zonda if you ask for one. That's what F1 star Lewis Hamilton did, comissioning a one-off version with 760 HP and manual gearbox. These are the first ever pics.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    What Is The Worst Automotive Decision You've Ever Made?

    While it would seem more automotive knowledge would lead to better automotive decisions, from our own experience far too often the opposite is true. Misery loves company, so this weekend we want to know about the worst of your inevitable automotive blunders.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
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    COTD: Know Your Meme Edition Edition

    The auto industry is full of progress. Most of the time we know that new cars are just going to weigh more, be less engaging to drive, and basically be less good than the models they replace. Sometimes, though, innovations turn out better than expected.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    This Man Shot Two People On A Mississippi Highway

    When police arrested James D. Willie, 28, for allegedly trying to rape a woman, they found that the gun he fired during that altercation was linked to two highway murders in northwest Mississippi. Investigators initially thought they were looking for someone who had been posing as a police officer, but that turned out not to be the case.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Why We Aren't Driving Natural Gas Powered Cars

    America is in the midst of the biggest energy boom since Texas' 20th Century Gusher Age. All over the country, new drilling techniques have created an abundance of cheap natural gas. With domestic production at more than 25 billion cubic feet per day, prices are as low as they've ever been.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    How A Mechanical Horse Is Like An HDTV Converter Box

    Times of technological transition make interesting things. Because of the transitional nature of the things, they're usually not destined to be around long, but they're absolutely necessary for a certain magical moment. Think 8-track to cassette adapters or those USB 3.5" floppy drives they had for the first iMacs.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    This New Jersey Driver Got Five DUIs In Five Weeks

    It's not unusual to hear of someone getting multiple DUIs, but five in as many weeks? Come on! Vineland, N.J. police arrested Anderson Sotomayor Wednesday when they caught him weaving down the road, sipping on an open can of beer as he drove. He had also taken Oxycontin for which he had no prescription.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Could Being Mean To Your Kids Make Them Love Cars?

    When I was talking with those Scion folks a while back, they mentioned something which caught my attention like a Pomeranian on an unattended hot dog. They said interest in cars is waning among young people, and teens are waiting longer to get their licenses. And one of the reasons is that kids are getting along with their parents better than ever.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Chevy SS Sedan Is The New Road-Going Rear Wheel Drive NASCAR Hotness

    America has been without a GM rear wheel drive performance sedan since the General tomahawked the Pontiac G8 in 2009. If you've been waiting for another to come along, your prayers have been answered: GM will bring a Chevrolet version of the Australia-built Zeta platform to North America next year, reviving the vaunted SS nameplate.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    How To Trade In Your Used Car And Not Get Burned

    Falling in love can be dangerous, especially when it's at a used car dealership. Bethany Porter's heart went all a-flutter once she laid eyes on a black '99 Saab 9-3 convertible with 98,000 miles on it sitting at the Geoff Rogers Autoplex in St. Peters, Missouri, home of the "price smash." She was ready to dump her 2001 Nissan Pathfinder for it. They had gone 175,000 miles together, good miles, but she was ready for a little more thrill in the driver's seat. Her human lover, her husband, caution

    By Ben Popken Read More
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    This Is NASCAR's New Art Truck

    Nelson Piquet Jr. will be running this new livery in the NASCAR Truck race in Charlotte, NC this weekend. Created by UK-based artist Death Spray Custom, the unique livery is a shocking foray into credible design for the popular race series.

    By Wes Siler Read More
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    GM Will Remove $10 Million Worth Of Ads From Facebook

    Mere days before Facebook goes public, General Motors announced that it will pull $10 million in advertising from the social media site. GM execs told the Wall Street Journal they're not getting appropriate bang for their buck from Facebook's paid ad content.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Grand-Am In New Jersey: The Guido-Free Gallery

    While the World Endurance Championship rests up from its last race, the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in the Belgian forest, Grand-Am road racers hit the track in beautiful New Jersey. Our friends at MotorSportMedia were there to catch all the scenic racing.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Thieves Are Stealing Wheels From Denver's Subarus

    My friend Dave was pretty surprised when he walked outside to jump in his car yesterday morning. There it was, sitting on four small bricks, lug nuts clustered in little piles around each hub, missing its wheels. It's not like the car was in a crappy neighborhood; it was a couple of blocks away from the Denver Country Club.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    This Man Drove Out Into The Desert To Die

    Last July, a Grand Junction, Colo. man left for work in his Ford F250 just like he did every day. But Jonathan Keith Kelly, 54, wasn't going to work. He was driving to a remote corner of the state to end his life.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Ten Essential Pieces Of Automotive Survival Gear

    No short list of ten items is going to adequately prepare you, the complete novice, for self-sufficient driving in the absolute wilderness. But, here are ten essential items of survival equipment, picked by Jalopnik readers, that might just keep you alive.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    770 HP, 74 MPG, Looks That Can Kill

    Releasing these new photos of the Porsche 918 Spyder, the company has announced some exciting development news: with the aid of its electric motors, the plug-in hybrid prototype is currently developing 770 HP and returning up to 74 MPG. Also, ummm...I messed my pants.

    By Wes Siler Read More
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    American Le Mans Monterey: Über Gallery

    The six hours of racing at Laguna Seca this weekend didn't make for any surprise wins in the prototype classes, but we got some classically close GT competition. Laguna Seca veteran Brad Fox caught the unmitigated grandeur of modern racing cars flooding through the corkscrew.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    More Than 10% Of Corvettes Have Been Stolen At Least Once

    Americans love Corvettes and, unfortunately, so do a few unsavory characters. The National Insurance Crime Bureau found that, since the fiberglass two seat debuted in 1953, more than 90,000 have been stolen. That’s 6 percent of the 1,526,747 ‘vettes ever built, or one in 10 over the past 30 years.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Take A Peek Inside Porsche's Time Machine

    Porsche doesn't need a flux capacitor to turn back time. It's got a shop where the most haggard, wrung-out and beaten-down members of the vast Stuttgart diaspora can be rebuilt and rejuvenated. Welcome to Porsche Classic. Don't step on any 959s, please.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
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    Group B Is Back! Sort Of

    Start signing life insurance papers because the manic, unrestricted, deadly Group B is back. Only the Quattros, Lancias, Fords, and Peugeots from rallying's golden age never really left.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    The Greatest Car Review Detail Ever

    A few years ago I was in a used bookstore in the Tenderloin section of San Francisco. Getting to this place meant running a gauntlet of agressive tranny hookers, but it was all worth it, as I found a pristine copy of one of the greatest auto review magazines ever published: a February 1967 copy of Road Test.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Fiat Photo Bombs Volkswagen With Elaborate Street View Prank

    Well played, Fiat. By paying attention to when Google's fleet of camera cars were snooping around Södertälje, where Volkswagen's Swedish operations are headquartered, Fiat zinged their rival good. How? By parking a Fiat 500 right in front of the front door when Google's Street View cars were out.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Electric M3 Scorches Pikes Peak

    All you hear is the squealing of the tires. There's no straight six in EV West's 1995 M3, set to run at this year's Pikes Peak, just a 420 horsepower all-electric drivetrain.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Did You Know Volkswagen Sells Ketchup And Sausage?

    Volkswagen was doing a surprising amount of R&D in the 1970s. They developed one of the first computerized driving simulators, they introduced their first unibody cars, and they were preparing the complex migration of their product line from rear-engine, air-cooled cars to modern FWD water-cooled ones. Oh, and they developed their own currywurst and special ketchup.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    The 3-Series Wagon Returns To The U.S.

    Now that America has the fifth-generation 3-series, BMW announced that the sport wagon version will be available next year. No word yet on what powertrain options will be available in the wagon — most likely the same ones offered in the sedan: a 240 hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder or a 300 hp turbocharged 3.0 liter inline six.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    How To Murder Your Mail Order Bride In Death Valley

    "Oh hey, do you guys know how far the nearest gas station is?" The guy was sunburned, clearly dehydrated and living in a fantasy world as he staggered into our hidden campsite, 25 miles or more from the nearest road. With a flat tire and no ability to read a map, gas was the least of his worries. His...companion, sassily sipping on a PBR in the background, seemed to agree.

    By Wes Siler Read More
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    The World's 'Fastest Amphibious Car' Is For Sale

    You know what sucks? You're tearing down the road at a fun but safe 150 mph, when all of a sudden there's an estuary or a river or a pier or swimming pool or an ocean or some other sort of watery annoyance that seems like all it wants to do is make you stop having fun. I mean, come on! I know the Earth is 75% of that drippy crap, but, frankly, I'm sick of it.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    What Is The Best Luxury Coupe Ever Made?

    Watching Lincoln's mid-eighties offering to the luxury coupe market earlier today got us thinking about the world of posh two doors. This weekend we want to know what you believe is the best luxury coupe.

    By Tom Joslin Read More
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    Carroll Shelby, Automotive Legend, Dead At 89

    Before reality TV, and even still to a very large degree now, the best known name associated with performance cars to the average person is Carroll Shelby, and with good reason. Shelby has been considered a legend in the field for decades, and his influence is still strong to this day. He died today at the age of 89, as a result of complications from an illness.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    What People Are Saying About Carroll Shelby

    From the time he was a child, Carroll Shelby was into cars. After a brief but understandable diversion into airplanes during World War II, Shelby eventually made his way back to his passion, racing and later building some of the world's fastest cars.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Bill Cosby Tells A Great Carroll Shelby Story

    I don't know what's funnier, that Bill Cosby bumped into Carroll Shelby in a grocery store back in 1966 or so, or that he wrote one of the greatest comedy bits (about cars) of all time about what happened next.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
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    Is This The World's Most Insane Sleeper?

    You've seen sleepers before. Cars that look like something grandma might drive, but perform like something Grandma "Grumpy" Jenkins might drive. This 1972 Nova looks like a 40-something economy coupe, and a crap one at that. But look closer. In particular, under the hood.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
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    What's The Worst Car For Big People?

    I'm barely 6' 1" but there are some cars I simply have a hard time getting into. My friends who are taller or wider than I am have it even worse. Some sports car, in particular, are designed to be small and sleek and otherwise torture anyone who doesn't have the physique of a 13-year-old jockey. What's the worst car for large people?

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    The Ten Stupidest Ways To Get A Ticket

    There are few smart ways to get in trouble with the cops, but there are definitely a few unintelligent ways to find yourself on the wrong end of the law. Here are the infractions Jalopnik readers think are the stupidest ways to get a ticket.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    Why Is The Right Using A Car Mag Puff Piece To Defend Mitt Romney From Bullying Charges?

    Since yesterday's Washington Post profile of a prep school-aged Mitt Romney showing the presumed Republican presidential nominee terrifying a kid everyone thought was gay, conservative outlets have been scrambling for another perspective on young Romney. They've found it in a softball piece on Romney from Automobile Magazine, that other great source of American political news.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    The Post In Which I Tell You I'm Leaving

    As many of you may already know, my six-and-a-half year reign of terror at Jalopnik ends this month. That's right, I'm movin' on up the management ladder, ending my streak as the Gawker editor with the highest longevity. That means we will soon have a new driver here at Jalopnik — Matt Hardigree, the hardest working writer and editor I know.

    By Ray Wert Read More
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    COTD: Same As It Ever Was Edition

    What counted as "modern warfare" in the 19th century would have astounded warriors of the 17th century. To those 19th century militants, the sometimes cruel precision of 20th century war would probably be pretty freaky. As the pace of death-tech quickens what will war look like in 20 years? Probably drones everywhere. This guy knows a lot about it. As does airsix73 who makes a great point in today's COTD.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    Atlanta Wants To Ban Drifting

    Drifting enthusiasts love Atlanta. They can legally race their cars in Turner Field's parking lot six times per year. But if one Atlanta city council member has her way, that will all end soon.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    A Guide To Car Ownership For Slate Readers

    Slate recently ran this article, explaining to people what the little arrow on the gas gauge means. I was pretty surprised to find that the author only found one out of ten people he asked knew what it was for. Maybe I'm jaded by the Jalopnik readership. And maybe I'm surprised the answer, "it shows what side the gas filler is on", which normally could be comfortably printed on a fortune cookie slip, took the writer ten paragraphs to adequately explain. Maybe I'm the jerk here.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Why You Could Soon See A Lot More Drones In American Skies

    Drones aren't just for the military anymore. Department of Homeland Security grants gave hundreds of law enforcement and fire agencies across the country access to them. But DHS may have jumped the gun, as the Federal Aviation Administration hasn't yet okayed populating America's already busy skies with unmanned aerial vehicles.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    What's The Stupidest Way To Get A Ticket?

    Today's tale of a man getting fined $500 for eating chicken in his car reminded me that, while we constantly tell people how to get out of tickets, we don't often advise them on how to not get into them in the first place. What's the stupidest way to get a ticket?

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    This Jeep Owner Vandalized His Own Car In A Dealership Protest

    They do things a little differently in the Middle East. After waiting since April 16th for parts for his Jeep from the dealer, a man in the State of Kuwait spraypainted complaints about the dealership all over his Jeep and parked it right in front of their door. It's a "I will blind my eye if it mars your sight" kind of thing.

    By Ben Popken Read More
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    Man Fined $500 For Driving While Eating A Rotisserie Chicken

    I have a rule about rotisserie chicken. I will eat it in a restaurant. I will walk to go pick it up. But I will not drive with it in a car. The smells are too intoxicating. The glistening brown skin is too much to resist. I wouldn't want to end up like the Ottawa, Canada man ticketed $500 for giving in to the irresistible scent and driving while simultaneously eating an entire rotisserie chicken in a bowl.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    Long Commutes Are Sucking The Life Out Of You

    Long drives to and from work don't just suck up your time; these long commutes may also be hazardous to your health. Besides draining you mentally and forcing you to sit for extended periods through traffic jams, long commutes are linked to less sleep, high cholesterol, and obesity.

    By Melanie Pinola Read More
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    Watch Ferrari Desecrate An Ancient Chinese Monument

    Ferrari celebrated the 20th anniversary of its entry into China with bravado seemingly more American than Italian — by laying rubber on top of an ancient Chinese wall using a dragon-adorned Ferrari 458 Italia. The Chinese officials (who weren't paid off) for this event were understandably displeased by the ostentatious display of capitalist power.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Heather Peters Loses Small Claims Court Appeal, Owes Honda $75

    Sometimes when David takes down Goliath, Goliath gets right back up and smooshes him. So it is with a country judge who has ruled today in favor of Honda in their appeal of a $9,867 small claims case won against them by a Civic Hybrid owner who had claimed she couldn't get anywhere near the advertised 50 MPG.

    By Ben Popken Read More
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    COTD: Corporate Car Porn Edition

    There's something really wonderful about even the grainiest, lowest-quality video of someone hooning their old car that you just can't find in even the most well-shot car ad.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Dubai Woman Gets $35,000 In Traffic Tickets In Six Months

    Long stretches of desert highway seem perfect for speedy driving. Or they must have for one Emirati woman, who racked up 80 speeding tickets totaling 127,000 dirhams ($35,000) commuting back and forth between the United Arab Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Brand New Fisker Karma Blamed For House Fire

    Fisker's hybrid-electric Karma is being blamed for a house fire in Sugar Land, Texas that occurred last week. Three minutes after the owner pulled into his garage, his electric luxury sedan burst into flames, torching his two other cars and a sizable chunk of his house.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Why Are Saudis Stoning Their Cars?

    In a refreshing change, there are stoning victims in Saudi Arabi that aren't accused adulteresses or even people at all: they're cars. And, even better, it's not the scary kind of stoning, or the drug kind of stoning, either. It's a recent and weird Saudi car culture trend of cramming stones under cars to raise them up and build them into funny little stone walls.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Ten Sports That Would Be Better With Cars

    Boring sports are praised for their "tradition" and "heritage." It's time to bring these sad excuses for competition into the modern age. Here are ten sports, chosen by Jalopnik readers, that would be better with a bit more horsepower.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    COTD: Adolf Hitlers Stra?en Edition

    In his book Driving Germany: The Landscape of the German Autobahn, Thomas Zeller describes the conflict of interests that developed the earliest plans for Germany's world-renowned highway system into what were named Adolf Hitlers Stra?en. The merits of this fundamental change are still debated today.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Study Proves Drivers Are Out To Kill Motorcyclists

    According to a survey conducted by the California Office of Traffic Safety, the majority of car drivers are unaware that lane splitting is a legal practice. A small minority, seven percent, admitted to researchers that they'd actively tried to prevent lane splitting. Despite that, the vast majority, 84.4 percent of riders, have never had an incident while splitting.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    This Ferrari Is Actually A Bike

    The geniuses behind the aluminum foil Porsche 911 have reemerged with a Ferrari FXX clone that's actually a bicycle. It's called the Fahrradi Farfalla FXX and it's the coolest bike I've ever seen.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    Which Sport Would Be Better With Cars?

    Human athletic competition has been going on for the last few thousand years, but we're overdue for some modernization. It's time to start using cars in sports, but which ones most need motorization?

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Vigil Tonight For Man Beaten Into Coma After Complimenting Wheels

    The parents of 21-year-old Washington man James Foster, who is in a coma after being savagely beaten for allegedly complimenting another man's wheels, will hold a vigil for their son at Tacoma General Hospital this Saturday at 8 p.m. local time. Foster is still unconscious and possibly paralyzed.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    The Nuclear Bomb We Lost Off Georgia's Coast In 1958 Is Still Missing

    The United States did not have a good year in 1958, especially when it came to transporting nuclear weapons. There was the incident where a nuclear bomb was dropped on a little girl's playhouse. There was the plane carrying a nuclear warhead that caught fire and burned for seven hours, in Morocco.

    By Keith Veronese Read More
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    COTD: Hell Hath No Fury Like An Audi Quattro Scorned Edition

    I don't mean to go on endlessly about gender and cars, but I will bring up two last stories. The first is of Michèle Mouton, rally driver for Audi in the early Group B era and one of the most successful women in motorsports. Her near-win in 1982 was remarkable.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Why This Iconic Auto Designer Bisected His Baby

    Right before the launch of one of Britian's most famous cars, the car's designer had one of the first production models cut in half. He did this because the car just didn't feel right. This didn't happen in some prototype stage– the production line was up and running, and the car that was bisected (longwise) was one of the first production models off the line. Today, this sort of scenario seems impossible, but not in 1948, and not for Alec Issigonis.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    How One Australian Town Helped A Doomed Plane Win History's Greatest Air Race

    Lost in a thunderstorm over southeastern Australia, Captain R.D. Parmentier and his crew were desperately trying to find a place to land the big DC2 airliner. They were just a few hundred miles from the finish of an epic 11,300-mile race from London to Melbourne and the storm had rendered their communications equipment useless.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    COTD: Raising A Hoon Edition

    Today's discussion of how more women can be inspired to become gearheads was fantastic, so let's take a look at how our readership answered the question and discussed gender in car culture as a whole.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    This Armored Porsche Fires Bullets And Mines

    Do you find the Porsche Cayenne to be sadly limited in its ability to kill people? Sure, you can run them over or toss them out of the back —but that's pretty much it. Yawn. Luckily, the dangerous loons over at International Armoring Corporation and Red Jacket Firearms (of the Discovery Channel Show, Sons of Guns) did something about this glaring design oversight. They armored and armed the hell out of one.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    The Nissan Juke R Will Cost $600,000

    Nissan initially said they wouldn't divulge the price of the Nissan Juke R set to go into limited production this year, but a source tells us around $600,000 is the sweet spot for most markets. That's roughly the equivalent of 30 base Juke Rs.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    The Million-Dollar Story Of The First V8 Corvette

    Corvette-o-philes know the first-generation Corvette wasn't a muscle car — it was a European-style roadster with Jaguar in its sights. Under the fiberglass hood was an inline six, dubbed "Blue Flame." But in 1955, sales were off. The Corvette needed a transfusion — and it got one.

    By Mike Spinelli Read More
  • 0

    The Ten Best Ways To Kill Your Car

    When it's clear your car is on its last legs you could send it off for crushing. Or you could have some fun. Here are ten techniques chosen by Jalopnik readers for disposing of your vehicle with a bit more flair than your junkyard can provide.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Nissan To Build Insane 545 HP Juke R Thanks To Crazy-Rich Dubai Residents

    We've driven the Nissan Juke R in Dubai, so it's with authority that we can say the 545-horsepower GT-R-powered crossover is as wild as it looks. We can also say with authority that we're not surprised Nissan found enough people willing to fork over the serious cash necessary to make the company produce this mental project car.

    By Matt Hardigree Read More
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    I'm Lisa Schoder, Head Of Marketing For The Ford Focus ST, Ask Me Anything

    This week, Ford released final pricing for the Ford Focus ST — the car bringing performance back to the Focus range here in the United States. Since Jalopnik readers seemed so geeked by the announcement — and the car itself — we've invited Lisa Schoder, the marketing manager for the car, to come in here at 9:00 AM EST to answer any question you've got on the car that might help show America small cars can be sexy again.

    By Ray Wert Read More
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    COTD: Touching History Edition

    Here is Formula One world champion Niki Lauda returning to the scene of his 1976 crash on the Nürburgring, where he was nearly consumed by flames. To watch the clip is to see one piece of history visit another.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
  • 0

    You Can Buy Neil Armstrong's 1967 Corvette

    A couple of years before Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, a Florida Chevrolet dealer paid its patriotic dues by giving Corvettes to him and other astronauts. Armstrong apparently returned his'67 Corvette a year later and it was sold to a NASA employee.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    Jenson Button Rocks Heat Wave Budapest With Aural Candy

    McLaren driver Jenson Button came to Budapest on Tuesday to show what it’s like to do 150 MPH on a downtown avenue. What must be a PR burden for a modern F1 driver is an aural delight for an entire city, sweltering in the early spring heat. The McLaren was loud in a rather cosmic way.

    By Peter Orosz Read More
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    How A Ford Concept Vehicle Became A Real-Life Tornado Rescue Truck

    After unveiling its tough looking rescue themed show truck at the Chicago Auto Show in February, NewScope Marketing was ready to continue parading it around the country, looking tough. But then a tornado ripped through Arlington, Texas, and a local fire department needed all the help it could get cleaning up the mess.

    By Benjamin Preston Read More
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    What's The Best Way To Kill A Car?

    Cars deserve valiant deaths. Hacked to pieces, blown up with dynamite, driven backwards until exhaustion. What's the best way to send a car to the great highway in the sky?

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    The Ten Best Places To Own A Car In America

    Not everywhere in the U.S. is a congested commuter hellhole. According to Jalopnik readers, there are at least ten places in the country where owning and driving a car is a pleasure, not a daily torture.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Grand Am Grand Prix Of Miami: Über Gallery

    America's sports car racing series that isn't ALMS visited the Homestead Speedway in Miami over the weekend, only to get rained out with an hour left in the race. Our friends at MotorSportMedia bring us the hot, wet action in still shots and video.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    COTD: The Birth Of A Hoon Edition

    There's something that fundamentally changes - physically changes - in growing hoons. It happens before they even get behind the wheel. Their eyesight actually changes, and I'll explain how.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    No, The Engine Is Not Supposed To Explode

    Chris Rado has been busy for the past few years building the fastest, wildest front-wheel drive time attack car the world has seen. He can rest assured he was testing the boundaries of what's possible when his 1,200 horsepower Scion TC simply exploded.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Who Crashed A $3.4 Million Ferrari On The Set Of Rush?

    Racing cars are meant to race, not sit in garages and rot away. But racing means crashing, and this picture of a broken Ferrari 312T2 — a Formula One car from the late 70s — on the set of Ron Howard's Rush is one sad reminder of the fact.

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    First 180-Degree Spherical HD Gaming Simulator Costs $18,000

    If you have that magic combination of wealth, lots of open space in your home, a non-existent or very understanding partner, and maybe a touch of agoraphobia, today's a great day. Ariel, makers of the skeletal Ariel Atom and simulator maker Motion Simulation have joined forces to produce what is likely the finest consumer-purchasable driving/flying/running-and-killing simulator available.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Where's The Best Place To Own A Car In America?

    In spite of our perpetually-clogged highways, some of this country is a actually quite accommodating to car owners, even entertaining us with some of the finest roads in the world. What place is best in America for owning a car?

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    Greatest Craigslist Ad Car Gets New Home In High School Shop Class

    Last week we showed you the Best Craigslist Car Ad Ever — a posting for a 1995 Pontiac Grand Am GT that needed a head gasket with some manner of beard-growing, life-bettering unicorn power. Then we brought you the story of the two guys behind it. Now a high school shop teacher's taken the car off their hands. Here's the next chapter in the already-hilarious story.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More

Nice Price or No Dice (22)

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    For $2,800, Be Forever Plaid

    With the new FR-S and BRZ twins it's obvious Toyota has been secretly Single White Femaling Subaru. In fact, as pointed out by today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Tercel with 4WD, they have been for a long time. Will this one's price however sting like a stiletto in the head?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $24,000, Have A Hethel-A Good Time

    Maybe if Dustin Hoffman's character in The Graduate had driven a Lotus Elan instead of an Alfa Romeo Duetto, he might not have ended up looking for love in all the wrong places. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Series 3 would make a great graduation present, but will its price have you shouting Elan! Elan! Elan!?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $1,800, Be A Happy Roman

    Jeep ditched the Gladiator name for their full-sized pickup trucks the year today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe J2000 was built, but that doesn't mean you can't be Roman round in it. That is of course, if it doesn't cost an empire.

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $50,000, Too Much Is Never Enough

    Usually driving an extraordinarily extra-extrovert-ant truck is indicative of shortcomings in the pants department. In the case of today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Dodge Ram SRT-10, that could only be due to the need to make room for the massive stones it would take to get behind the wheel. Will its price however prove to be a kick in the nuts?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $4,000, Does This Pick Up Give You Wood?

    Mini pickups and Polar Bears have something in common, and it's not that their effluence smells like old seals. Instead it's that, for whatever reason, they're both getting increasingly rarer to find. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Datsun is a find, but will you find its price bearable?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $900, Home Is Where You Park It

    When you think Mini Winnie, do you envision Danica McKellar during the first season of The Wonder Years? Or, does that phrase elicit visons of fuel efficient RVs like today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Winnebago Centauri, from all those years ago? Either way, will this one's price leave you wondering?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $4,200, Get A Coked Up Rabbit

    They used to say that Coke is the pause that refreshes. You might pause over today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe VW Cabrio due to its odd Coca Cola themed appearance, but will its price make you keep on going?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $7,800, You Could Be So Neat

    Quick, list the cars named after exclamations, and including your own because you routinely call it a stupid POS doesn't count. There's the Countach, and today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Saab, named after the Swedish phrase Så nätt den är. This Sonett III may come with a turbo, but will its price have you exclaiming so what?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $3,000, Is This Bunny A Honey?

    Volkswagen may not have invented the hot hatch, but with the introduction of the Rabbit-based GTI they certainly refined its execution. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe '83 edition has seen further refinement with the addition of a 16V mill. Its price however, may not be so fine.

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $6,950, Have You Considered Every Benz But SECs?

    The Grey Market isn't someplace your grandma picks up her Schnapps-Flavored Ensure and Active Sex Life Depends, it's a mechanism for bringing non-federalized cars into the U.S.. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Mercedes 500 SEC was just such a grey, but will its current price have you seeing red?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $1,500, You're In The Army Now

    In his seminal work on what humans find attractive about babies and juvenile animals - A Biological Homage to Mickey Mouse (pdf) - Stephen Jay Gould implies that it's the proportion of head to body size that is key. At the other end of the spectrum, today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe custom combat caprice has cartoon-sized tires, but will its presentation and price prove to be just too mickey mouse?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $18,000, Is This A 280ZX-15?

    Lockheed's SR-71 was conceived at the company's Burbank California Skunkworks. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe 1983 280ZX is similarly turbine-powered, but does its price simply stink?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $12,500, Misery Loves Company

    It may be hard to fathom, but during its 6-year dalliance here Yugo sold over one hundred and forty thousand cars in the U.S.. For today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe contest we have eight Yugos - one for each side of an octagon. But will their package price prove a similarly shaped stop sign?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $1,400, This Is Why The Eagle Is Our National Bird

    There's a trope going around politics these days regarding American Exceptionalism, the expected given that we are in some way better than everybody else on the planet. While that may be the ultimate in hubris, today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe AMC Eagle Rock Hopper is evidence in its favor. The question is, will you find its price equally exceptional? Well, will you, you pinko commie hippie?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $4,500, Go Far From Fargo

    Perhaps the most notorious offspring of the failed Renault-AMC marriage was the paper mache-like Alliance/Encore cars. Less well known, but also infinitely less frangible were cars like today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Renault diesel-powered Jeep Cherokee. This one has apparently stood the test of time, but will its price also pass muster?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $700, Screw You OPEC!

    As gas prices continue to climb, one might be compelled to switch to a mode of transportation that's both more basic and more frugal. You can't get much more basic and frugal than today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe GoPed Scooter. But will its price make this a No-ped?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $12,500, VW Squareback Limo, That Is All

    If the VW Vortex was a high school, and they had a prom, what would be the coolest way to get there? The answer may be today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Squareback limo, that is of course unless its price imeans the party's over.

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $5,900, Get Your Stari-On!

    When it comes to small sport coupes today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Mitsubishi Starion is a whole lot closer to Porsche's 944 Turbo in form than it is to its country-mates the Nissan 280ZX and Toyota Supra. That being said, is this one's price also in Porsche's league?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $135,000, That'll Leave A Mark III

    When you think of James bond and Aston Martins, no doubt the iconic and gadget-laden DB5 comes to mind. Truth be told, when Ian Fleming wrote the novel Goldfinger, he drove a DB Mark III, just like today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe contender. But the question is, will this one's price make it easy to bond with?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $5,000, Get My Drift?

    With all due respect to Alanis Morissette, being ironic does not include a traffic jam when you're already late, nor a no-smoking sign on your cigarette break. No, ironic - by definition - is today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe W123 Diesel Drifter Wagon. The only question is — whether in a theater or not — should its price go down?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $1,200, Is This Scorpio Rising?

    In the Simpsons episode You Only Move Twice Hank Scorpio is an evil genius who is hell bent on world domination, and equally obsessed with his employee's work-life balance. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Merkur Scorpio may never dominate anything, but will its price at least prove worth plotting its take over?

    By Rob Emslie Read More
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    For $14,000, Manet, Monet, Mazda

    With the introduction of the 3 sedan and hatch, Mazda really brought back the art of fun driving to their small cars. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Mazda3 takes that one step further, bringing actual art to the car. The question will be however, does its price paint a pretty picture?

    By Rob Emslie Read More

Porsche (1)

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    1955 Porsche 356 Bent Window Continental Is Simply Beautiful

    While some car design is a bit of an acquired taste, it doesn't take more than a glance at the classic lines of an early Porsche 356 to understand why they are such a popular collectible vehicle. One of 1212 356 coupes built in 1955, this bent window Porsche 356 is currently for sale on Ebay.

    By Tom Joslin Read More

QOTD (2)

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    COTD: Smokey And The Bandit Edition

    The extended cops-and-robbers chase that is Smokey and the Bandit was a work of fiction, but do we want even the basic idea of a police chase to be consigned to history?

    By Raphael Orlove Read More
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    What Is Your Favorite One Year Only Car Design?

    Although with each passing year automakers are finding new ways to stretch a maximum amount of life from each automotive redesign, there was once a time when a new model year likely meant a new car—at least for the companies that could afford it.

    By Tom Joslin Read More

Racing (5)

Reviews (2)

Spacelopnik (3)

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    SpaceX Was Not The First Private Rocket Company

    Tesla Motors founder Elon Musk must be pretty happy right now. His other major venture, SpaceX, has just succeeded in a monumental first: the first docking of a private spacecraft, the Dragon, to the International Space Station. Up to now, docking a craft, even an unmanned one, has only been accomplished by some big names in the global government business: USA, Russia, Japan, and the European Union.

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    You Can Own This Space Shuttle Food Truck

    Calling this thing a "food truck" isn't really accurate. It's really an actual WWII veteran DC-3 that was built onto a GMC chassis for street use in 1976, then had a full commercial kitchen built into it in 2001. Then it was painted to look like the Space Shuttle, since just being a drivable airplane with a kitchen inside it really isn't enough for anyone, right?

    By Jason Torchinsky Read More
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    Test Inches Mach 5.5 UK Spaceplane Closer To Reality

    Skylon, in development by the British company Reaction Engines, would be the Holy-Grail-meets-cold-fusion of space travel, a single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane powered by the Sabre engine, which is both a jet and a rocket. While typical Skylon spaceports still belong to a hazy future, a recent test of the Sabre engine has put us a fraction closer to cheap hypersonic travel.

    By Peter Orosz Read More

The Morning Shift (7)