Funny Audi R8 commercial - 'The Hostage'

A bad driver, a villain, a cop, and an Audi R8 cross paths

We open on a black Audi R8 moving at a slow crawl through a parking garage. Meanwhile, an armed security guard is stalking a well-groomed criminal-type with a gun. An attractive woman comes out of the car after parking it - badly, across three parking spots.

The ruffian approaches, presumably to tell her about unwritten parking garage rules, even in an empty lot. The guard pulls his weapon and orders the thug to drop it. A standoff ensues, with the criminal alternating between holding his gun on the guard, then the woman, then finally the car. You'll have to watch the video to find out what happens next.

Not a bad one-minute spot for Audi. The only disappointing element is the criminal's choice of indescript getaway vehicle. We would have chosen something that at least matches the 518 hp capabilities of the Audi R8 V10.

Then again, maybe we watch too many movies.

Source: Audi

Electric Car Drag Race!

Electric Car Drag Race! | Wheels | SPIKE.com

The Luckiest Motorcyclist Alive

When a driver runs a red light, things turn bad. What happens next can...

The Luckiest Motorcyclist Alive | Wheels | SPIKE.com

The V8 Blender: World’s most powerful fruit blender

Some of you simply love Jeremy Clarkson, while others…hate him. Okay, hate maybe was a strong word, but let’s just say that not everyone is his fan. But regardless, Jeremy is quite a character and he does not cease to amaze me.
So, you might be asking yourself already: what did he do this time? What car did he crash this time? Well, fortunately for him, he stayed away from the track this time but decided to take a V8 engine on the TV set.

Why the V8 engine? Well, he decided to build the world’s most powerful fruit blender by using the powerful 430HP 6.2L V8 found in a Corvette.
The result? Watch the video.

P.S I wonder how a V8 twin-turbo would work in this case. ;))

[Source: Youtube via JohnChow ]

MonoTracer Blurs the Line Between Motorcycle And Car

The Peraves MonoTracer blurs the line between motorcycle and car, providing the excitement of two wheels with the comfort of four in a vehicle that looks like something out of Star Wars.

The super-exclusive MonoTracer -- just 100 will be built next year, at about $70,000 a pop -- is a fully-enclosed motorcycle with training wheels. The carbon-fiber two-seater combines Porsche-like performance with scooter-like fuel economy, accelerating from zero to 62 mph in a claimed (.pdf) 4.8 seconds while still returning 65 mpg. With the perfect blend of performance and luxury, the MonoTracer just might be the sports car of the future. 

And it was just named one of Time magazine's best inventions of the year.
Former SwissAir pilot Arnold Wagner has been playing with enclosed motorcycles since 1982, when he built a prototype of the Ecomobile. It looked a bit like a Tylenol capsule with wheels and used a BMW motorcycle engine for power. Wagner and his sons built more than 90 Ecos -- most were sold in Europe and Japan, although a few made it to America -- before a fire destroyed the molds a few years ago. Rather than give up or simply recreate the Ecomobile, Wagner and his two sons went back to the drawing board.

The MonoTracer sports a carbon fiber and Kevlar body reinforced with aluminum crash and roll bars. The engine cradle, retractable outriggers  -- they keep the bike from falling over at stoplights -- and steering head are aircraft-quality steel. Power comes from the same 1200-cc four-cylinder engine BMW uses in its K-bikes. The engine produces 113 horsepower, which may not seem like much until you realize the Monotracer weighs just over 1,000 pounds. Amenities include air conditioning and a full-on stereo.

Driving the MonoTracer is a lot like riding a motorcycle - twist the throttle and go - but it's got a clutch pedal instead of a lever. The MonoTracer will lean into corners at a superbike-like 52 degrees, while ABS and traction control will keep you from getting in over your head.

Dream car drag race pits GM's best Corvette ZR-1 against world class competition

Everyone's bashing GM these days. But the company has a few bright spots. Case in point: see what happens when you pit the company's fastest car, the 638-hp Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 against three of the fastest fancy-schmancy chariots from foreign countries. In a straight-line drag race, see who's your daddy, you Ferrari 599 GTB, Nissan GT-R and the Porsche 911 GT2. Ha.

When we hear talk of GM going away, we think of some faceless corporation cranking out bulky, gas-guzzling SUVs to fewer and fewer buyers. But then we see GM's Corvette ZR-1, a marvel of engineering achievement, leaving the likes of Ferrari in its dust, and we think, isn't there some way to save U.S. car companies from their own idiot bosses?

Via Autoblog

World's fastest donuts

By world's fastest donuts, we don't mean delicious pastries moving at a high rate of speed. We're referring to this video of Russ Swift's Guiness World Record for spinning his Lancer Evolution through ten 360 degree turns in just over 16 seconds.
If the name Russ Swift sounds familiar, it should. He's also got records for the tightest/fastest parallel park and quickest J-turn, which are also shown in the the clip below.

Eric Bana’s “Love the Beast” trailer

A little while ago, we brought you news of Eric Bana’s directorial debut - a documentary entitled, “Love the Beast”.

Well now, here’s the trailer. The film is due in March 2009.

World's fastest electric dragster

This dragster at the time was the fastest of its kind in the world. By "its kind" I mean that this is an all-electric dragster. Watch as it rockets down the quarter-mile with only the sound of rubber gripping road, but make sure your speakers are turned up.



World's Quickest Electric Dragster

Police Officer vs. Porsche-----Porsche wins

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Oolala! ..lalalalalala…

oolala from Axis of Oversteer.com Video on Vimeo.

Toyota Corolla packed with a lil’ action?

Although for most of us the Toyota Corolla has always been viewed as a car without soul, a car which defines the idea of “A->B”, Toyota has begun a new battle to change our perception.


To do this, the Big T has started online, indirectly informing blogs (such as CarAdvice) to promote a series of new car ads that show the Corolla in a different light.

The ad in question is below:

Ninja Kittens, as it’s called, is one of the more interesting car ads we’ve seen in some time. Whilst there has never been a doubt about the marketing genius behind Toyota, the problems have never been in the marketing department!

For us, Toyota can start by releasing a TRD variant, giving the Corolla some more sportiness in the form of a more powerful engine and more agressive styling, then of course there is the need for standard ESC etc. The list goes on.

What we like to know is whether or not this type of marketing will actually change your perception? And if not your perception, do you think it can change the way in which others view the Corolla?

Video: The Easy to Park Toyota iQ

Pretty much everybody knows that Toyota’s upcoming iQ is a really small car—that’s kind of its whole thing. But the automaker is going to great pains to demonstrate the utility of the car’s size, and perhaps attempting to show that it’s also dynamically well-endowed, with marketing hits like this YouTube video. Finding a parking spot may be pretty easy for iQ owners, though it probably won’t be this exciting for most.

Video: Ford F-150 Raptor Claws Through the Desert

The new Ford F-150 will be making its way to dealerships in the very near future, and this latest video (uploaded by the folks at Ford SVT) shows the modified F-150 Raptor being put through its paces in an undisclosed desert.

While the video says that "Yes, it's 'stock,'" we'd sure like to know what sort of modifications Ford has put into this special F-150. Does the F-150 Raptor mean that SVT is making a comeback into Ford's product line? We're not sure as of now. In the meantime, we're awaiting the chance to take a production Raptor to an undisclosed desert of our own.

+ The Car Connection: 2009 Ford F-150 Raptor: SVT Lives!

Coming Soon: New Season of Top Gear UK Starts Sunday

Jezza, Hamster, and Capt. Slow are soon to be upon us once again with yet another season of the ever popular show, Top Gear (UK). Appealing primarily to (although not limited), gearheads and car junkies alike, the award winning British motoring show has been on BBC since the 1970s. The modern format as we know today however, with hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, is actually fairly recent and has only been airing since 2002.

The first episode of the new season (Season 12) airing this coming Sunday on BBC Two UK, will feature the three quirky presenters, having almost no knowledge about the world of trucks, purchase a freight truck each and then begin to discover how easy it is to be a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) driver. Also on the show, will be Clarkson with a rather terrifying Porsche 911, a Lamborghini Gallardo, and a surprisingly talented Labrador. We expect this guy to be pretty pumped.

Check out the trailer above.

+ BBC (UK): Top Gear

Video: GM Corvette’s LS9 engine being built

You’ll soon be able to buy this insane donk without owning a Corvette, too. As it does 3.3-seconds 0-100km/h, and a low 11-second quarter mile (in the ‘Vette), we’re sure it won’t be long before a few of these beasts will be shoehorned into various project cars.

Protect Your Rights: How To Deal With The Police If You Get Pulled Over

The above video is the correct way to handle a traffic stop. After the jump, I’ve posted several very informative videos about dealing with police, including the complete video that this excerpt was taken from, called “BUSTED: The Citizen’s Guide to Surviving Police Encounters“.

If you get pulled over, just remain calm and remember your rights. Keep your hands on the wheel where the officer can see them. Police officers in some states have the legal right to search your car if they say they “smell” drug smoke. This is a very obvious loophole, but one you have to deal with since it is the law. The best way to deal with it is to only lower your window enough to talk to the officer and pass him your license and registration. You are under no obligation to lower your window completely.

When he requests them, show the officer your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance. Try to remember the officers’ badge number and patrol car numbers, and write them down as soon as you have the chance. Police WILL try to intimidate you, and they WILL make you wait. Maintain your composure, don’t show fear, and be polite. The police officer will most likely ask you if you know why he pulled you over. Say no, never admit to speeding or try to guess why you were pulled over; just say no.

Don’t get into an argument with the police. You cannot win an argument with a police officer. Also remember that anything you say or do can be used against you, so say as little as possible. In some cases, police can search your car without a warrant based on “probable cause”. Make it clear that you do not consent to a search so you’re protected later on. It’s not lawful for police to arrest you simply for refusing to consent to a search. Remember that, NEVER consent to search.

Refusing a search DOESN’T mean you’re guilty. The age old argument: “Well sonny, honest people don’t have anything to hide” is nonsense. That argument has been debunked many times over. Don’t let that old line influence you.

At the bottom of this post, I’ve posted several very informative videos. The first two are from a talk given by James Duane, a lawyer and law professor, and the third is the complete Flex Your Rights video on how to handle a police stop.

Unfortunately, police enjoy a monopoly on protection. They’re the only game in town, so they aren’t pressured by the forces of the free market to make their customers happy. Police can generally act however they want and do whatever they please and we have to keep paying them to protect us. It’s an unfortunate situation, but until we live in a world with competing police services, where we can choose protection companies like we choose our cell phone provider, then we have to deal with it. So remember your rights, and don’t give in to police intimidation.

Don’t talk to cops, part 1:



Don’t talk to cops, part 2:



BUSTED: The Citizen’s Guide to Surviving Police Encounters:

How Not To Unload A Car

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2010 Ford hybrids to include sexy SmartGauge video instrument panels

If the Ford Motor Company still exists by 2010, its Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids will roll out with some pretty snazzy instrument panels. In the middle, you see the conventional speedometer, but on either side, there are video screens that use elegant animations to show you EcoGuide, clearly showing you how that lead foot of yours is destroying the planet.

The system lets you decide how much information you want to see, reading out such data as battery-charge status, tachometer, engine output power, accessory power consumption, and amount of power applied to the wheels. It even shows charts and graphs, interesting enough to endanger your safety. Then when you're on a long cruise, you can simplify the display to show you basic info such as how many miles until your tank is empty.

By the time the 2010 model year rolls around, hopefully other hybrid car makers will follow suit with even swankier displays of their own. Take a look at a video of the graceful animations and forward-thinking readouts Ford has created, with a little help from industrial design gurus IDEO and Smart Design:

Take THAT, Tesla fans!

We’re probably showing our age when we remember Fernwood 2 Night, the 1977 mock talk-show spinoff of classic 1970s comedy series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. But it wasn’t until we found one of the old clips that we realized: Good lord, the show’s writers anticipated the Tesla Roadster battery by at least 30 years!

The clip (which runs 3:40) has host Barth Gimble (Martin Mull) and his fractious sidekick Jerry Hubbard (Fred Willard) welcoming Fernwood’s local gas station owner Virgil Simms (played by a very young Jim Varney, of the “Ernest” movies). Virgil has invented an electric car, which seems to be based on an orange Volkswagen Fastback from 1971-73.

Once the battery is revealed—actually “about 4,000” of them, seemingly D-cells—we couldn’t help but think of the Tesla battery pack, with its 6,871 lithium ion cells. Guess those battery engineers must have been watching late-night reruns again…