When automotive mad man Rhys Millen broke five vertebrae attempting to back flip the Red Bull trophy truck, it only made him want to try it again. The drift king set the stage for redemption on New Years Eve with the truck, ramp and huge crowd on national television for all to see. ESPN even had the obligatory live-cam shot of Millen's concerned wife to lend some extra drama to the daring jump. The magnificent Millen hit the ramp at speed, executed a near perfect back flip, then proceeded to roll his trophy truck. The rear passenger wheel touched down just before its parallel partner, resulting in a messy landing that left Millen's truck at its side. Luckily, this time Millen walked away from the crash without any serious injuries, but his pride was still hurt. Millen did perform a mid-air back flip, but he doesn't count that for anything because "It's nothing unless you drive away." Fair enough. You know what they say, though, if you fall off the bike, you have to get back on and try again. Something tells us this isn't the last we've seen of Rhys Millen and back-flipping trophy trunks. At least we hope not.
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We love Red Bull for giving us wings its endless stream of marketing money that supports so many forms of motorsports, although not nearly as much as we admire Rhys Millen for having the testicular fortitude to attempt a backflip in a trophy truck....again. Last year, Millen fractured five vertebrae practicing the very same stunt, although it appears he came away unfazed and is ready to have another go. Understandably, Rhys says he's a "little nervous" about the jump, but that he's ready to jump back in the saddle. The stunt will be shown live on ESPN and ESPN HD on New Year's Eve at 11:00 PM/ET and 8:00 PM/PT along with Robbie Maddison's attempt at a 96 foot vertical jump with a dirt bike.
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While rollover resistance is improving, current vehicle roof strength regulations date back nearly 35 years. With that in mind, Congress will be taking a careful look at federal regulators as they work on upgrading the standards early next month before they unveil a final regulation at the end of July. Current standards require a vehicle under 6,000 pounds to withstand a force of 1.5 times the vehicle weight without crushing and striking the head of a belted average-size adult male. In August 2005, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed toughening that standard to 2.5 times the vehicle weight (and adding it should cover all vehicles under 10,000 pounds). Safety advocates, however, have argued that the standard should be 3 to 3.5 times the vehicle weight.
According to the NHTSA, increasing the crush resistance to 3 times the vehicle weight would cost automakers at least $1.1 billion more that it would to meet the 2.5 standard. Automakers have shown resistance to the proposals too. They have asked for more time to comply with the toughened rules, and that some vehicles (such as the Jeep Wrangler) be exempt. They have also pointed out that increased roof strength means added weight -- counterproductive in their continued efforts to meet stringent fuel economy standards.
Face it. Drifting is passé and drag racing is so 1996. So what's the next big thing to hit the import scene? Flip A Bitch. You know the move. You did it with your Big Wheel when you were eight. Head straight, yank the wheel, grab the e-brake and pull a perfect 180 into a designated spot. With their tongue firmly in cheek, the GT Channel crew assembled some of the top drivers from Formula D, including Tanner Foust, Chris Forsberg and Dai Yoshihara, to see who can pull off "The Bitch" with style and accuracy. Hit the jump to watch the teaser and keep an eye out for the full video from GT Channel later this month.
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What the heck is a Fiat BTM? That was the question on everybody's lips – ours included – when the news broke of comedian Jerry Seinfeld flipping a 1967 Fiat last week. The car was reported as a Fiat BTM, but nobody had any idea what a Fiat BTM is. Which makes sense, because such a car never existed. A note from Jean Jennings, editor of Automobile magazine, clears up the confusion.
The car in question was actually an original 1967 Fiat 500 – the inspiration on which outgoing Alfa Romeo designer Frank Stephenson drew for the new 500. Reports that Seinfeld "flipped" the Fiat were also apparently exaggerated, as the incident amounted to little more than the car turning on its side. The classic little Cinquecento is a popular car among celebrities; Seinfeld is joined on the star-studded owners roster by seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and recording artist Tina Turner, to name just two.
News is just now surfacing that comedian Jerry Seinfeld flipped his 1967 Fiat BTM on Saturday in New York when the classic car's brakes failed. The funny man surely wasn't laughing when the brake pedal stopped responding, so he swerved to avoid the heavily trafficked Montauk Highway, causing the car to flip and come to stop before the intersection. Police credit Seinfeld with avoiding a very serious accident thanks to his split-second decision, and the ever joking ex-TV star said this about the accident:
"Because I know there are kids out there, I want to make sure they all know that driving without braking is not something I recommend, unless you have professional clown training or a comedy background, as I do. It is not something I plan to make a habit of."
We're not quite sure why news of Seinfeld's traffic mishap sat around on some news reporter's desk for four days until it blew up. He flipped the Fiat on Saturday and suddenly news of his near death experience is everywhere on Wednesday. Oh well, we should just be pleased that one of our country's national treasures is safe.
