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Sacré bleu! French torch 1000+ cars on New Year'sThroughout France on New Year's Eve, 1,147 cars met crispy deaths at the hands of arsonists. That's almost 300 cars more than the previous year. Lighting cars on fire as a form of protest has been a habit among youth in France since the 70s, but ever since the protests of 2005, after two boys were killed in an electrical station while hiding from police, burning cars has become a go-to political statement. But if you think 1,147 cars in one night is bad -- and as car lovers, we're not saying it isn't -- in 2007, 43,000 cars were burned, and through November of 2008, 36,700 cars were burned. That's more than 100 cars getting flambeed every single day. French president Nicolas Sarkozy has told police to show the youth no mercy, but they apparently only make up 80% of the offenders. The other 20% of arsonists is suspected to be owners committing insurance fraud on a night that provides a great alibi.
posted : 1/5/2009 @10:12:45 PM
Oklahoma Dreamin': Mustang-lovin' corn-grower chases record with ethanol

Brent Hajek loves racing cars and corn. The Oklahoma corn farmer is also the proprietor of a race car museum, and has managed to combine his two passions in an effort to set a new land speed record. The idea came out of the record Ford set with a Mustang Mach 1 some 40 years ago. Hajek wanted to commemorate the event by returning to Bonneville, and even got the original record driver's son to pilot his modified S197 Mustang. The idea really gained steam – and support from FoMoCo – when Hajek and co. decided to go for the record using E85 bio-ethanol. They set a top speed of 252.78 mph, which will be a new record if and when they manage to replicate it so it can be etched into the books. In the meantime, Hajek is convinced the initiative will pave the way for Ford to produce an E85-powered Mustang straight from the factory, which may be the corniest Mustang dream we've heard yet.
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posted : 1/5/2009 @10:12:02 PM
From the archives: Students build their own parallel parking system

Ford's recent announcement of a new, automated parallel-parking system has prompted us to drive down Memory Lane and revisit an oldie-but-goodie. A couple years back, a handful of highly-motivated, up-and-coming mechanical engineers from the University of Toledo designed and built their own parallel parking system that seems to work as well as (maybe better than?) anything available to consumers. Though it might seem ridiculous at first, it's absolutely ingenious. The project takes a donated Toyota Corolla, some hydraulics, a motor, plus extra guide wheels and turns them into a brutally simple-yet-effective parallel parking device that could rival the latest techno-wizardry from Lincoln or Lexus. Okay, okay - it's not perfect. You do have to give up your trunk space, and it sounds like the exhaust no longer benefits from a muffler, but still... Parallel parking takes just 21 seconds with little (if any) help from the driver, and without fancy computers and sensors to monitor all the action. Now as then, this still looks like a winner. Check the two video clips after the jump to see the system in action, and check out the build blog by clicking here. Kudos on the project guys.
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posted : 1/5/2009 @10:07:44 PM
Race Around the Clock: Alpina times the 12 Hours of SebringAmong the most iconic racing events held around the world, few American races have the clout to rival the 12 Hours of Sebring. Names like Andretti, Fangio and Moss have made it famous, and the annual "once around the clock" event continues as a mainstay of the American Le Mans Series calendar. But if you're going to count down the hours until the finish line, you're going to need the right equipment. At least, that's what the event's promoters figured when they teamed up with Swiss watchmaker Alpina Genève to offer an official timepiece of the race: the Alpina Extreme 12 Hours of Sebring. The watch's case is made of black steel, with a matte black dial said to be reminiscent of the track surface with the requisite bit of carbon fiber at the center. The branding for a 12-hour race and a 12-hour watch practically creates itself, but we're impressed that the folks at Alpina resisted the urge to go all chrome and lacquer, opting for a decidedly subdued look instead. Only 257 examples will be offered, to commemorate the 57th running of the race this coming March 18-21, 2009.
posted : 1/5/2009 @9:56:23 PM
Video: Robbie Maddison jumps a motorcycle 120 feet to top of Arc de Triomphe in Vegas

Ever since Evel Knievel made jumping a motorcycle into a national phenomenon, there seems to be an endless supply of insane (and inane) stunts with which to occupy our imaginations. The latest feat was performed in Las Vegas on New Year's Eve and involved launching Robbie Maddison -- the man who performed a different jump in Sin City last New Year's Eve -- over 100 feet and landing at the top of the Arc de Triomphe at the Paris hotel. Of course, what goes up, must come down, and so did Robbie. Fortunately, he managed to stick the landing but he reportedly injured his hand in the process. Watch the whole bit go down on the video -- complete with the obligatory cut-shots to his rightfully concerned significant other -- after the break. In related news, Robbie Knievel also made a (less impressive) Vegas jump that night, and that video can also be seen after the break.
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posted : 1/5/2009 @9:49:28 PM
Look out Fisker and Tesla! Lotus to jump into EV game!Lotus is looking to challenge one of clients by building an electric sports car of its own. CEO Michael Kimberly told the Financial Times that the sports car maker and engineering powerhouse will soon launch extended-range battery-powered vehicle. The high performance model could appear as a concept as soon as the Geneva Motor Show in March, and like the Chevy Volt and Fisker Karma, Lotus will use an internal combustion engine to supplement the range of a battery which will provide primary propulsion. Kimberly hasn't indicated what kind of vehicle layout would be used, but the new Evora sports car would seem a likely candidate with a battery taking the space of the small +2 rear seats. Another possibility could be a revival of the APX crossover concept from a couple of years back. California's Zap had hoped to use that platform for the basis of its own Zap-X, but nothing has been heard about that project for some time. The other unknown is what, if any impact, this might have on Lotus' relationship with Tesla Motors. Lotus helped Tesla develop its Roadster and builds the rolling chassis for it. It's possible that Tesla could end up supplying motors or other powertrain bits to Lotus to help offset some of the cost of paying Lotus for its work.
posted : 1/5/2009 @9:33:32 PM
2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD

Infiniti's FX first arrived on the scene in 2003. At the time, it looked like something transported into the showroom directly from the auto show concept car turntable. While other manufacturers were delivering boxy SUVs, Infiniti presented the world a futuristic four-door crossover that was available in vibrant "Liquid Copper" paint. Even in bland white, the FX turned every head on the road – and rightfully so. Now in its second-generation, the all-new 2009 FX arrives with a more powerful 5.0-liter V8, a new 7-speed automatic and a mouthful of electronic driving aids that are sure to stump even the team at Engadget. Is the all-new FX a worthy replacement to its predecessor? Has it turned soft to please the luxury crowd? What's up with all of that gadgetry?
posted : 1/5/2009 @9:32:45 PM
Autogas Chevrolet Matiz Concept = LPG for the masses

Thanks to a company called fahrmitgas ("go with gas", get it?), our European readers will soon be able to cut their fuel costs to the low, low price of €3 (about $4.20 USD) for every 100 km of driving. Of course, they'll need need to be driving a converted Chevrolet (nee, Daewoo) Matiz converted to LPG, but on the other hand... that's just €3 to go 100 kilometers. The fahrmitgas Matiz LPG Concept has been put through a suite of bench-tested enhancements in order to be so frugal. Since fahrmitgas is a supplier to Chevrolet, it has intimate knowledge of the Matiz's systems. After installation of the LPG unit and some engine tuning for mid-range power, the company added stop/start, lowered the car a whopping 30 mm, and fitted it with ultra low rolling resistance Hankook Optima 4S tires. A shift light on the center console helps the driver get the most of from his or her LPG. A liter of gas in Germany is about €1 (@ $1.40 USD), meaning 3 liters/100 km for the LPG Matiz, instead of 5.2 liters/100 km for the petrol Matiz. fahmitgas is looking at a production run, but no timetable or prices have been announced. In the meantime.
posted : 1/5/2009 @9:26:01 PM
Knight Rider: The Liveblog - Season 1, Episode 9

And... after a lengthy hiatus, we're back. New Year's Eve marks the return of Knight Rider. It's the 9th episode, there are nine episodes left, and in a few hours we all ring in 2009. Huzzah. Knight Rider's New Year's resolution is to not suck as much, so starting with next week's episode, they're going to try and make the show better. As if. My New Year's resolution is to watch less Knight Rider, which NBC should make easy for me when it throws dirt on KITT after the February 25th episode.
posted : 1/1/2009 @9:56:56 PM
9ff hits the dusty trail with Cayenne Vantage GTR

9ff has established itself as a serious player in the pursuit of toppiling OEM's top-speed records, but the German tuner's range of modifications for Porsches spans the spectrum from mild to wild. Wild, in this case, includes the 9ff Vantage GTR. It's based on the Cayenne SUV and has nothing to do with the 911-rivalling Aston Martin, but the 9ff sport-ute packs a mighty punch. With a whopping 725hp on tap, the Vantage GTR leaves other modified Cayennes in its dust – make that a big cloud of dust – and straight into Gemballa territory, which is an insane place to spend any amount of time. To match the power output, 9ff has decked out this Cayenne in Tumbler-worthy bodywork and sinister matte black finish, and is apparently even offering a revised front end to replace the stock model's angular headlights with round 911 units.
posted : 1/1/2009 @9:55:44 PM
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