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Colin the Drifter // Comment Picked For TV
Thanks to bulespider12 for commenting on the pod "Colin the Drifter" and the drift racing community. After watching this webcam, check out the pod and leave your own response at http://current.com/items/88842386_colin_the_drifter Thanks to bulespider12 for commenting on the pod "Colin the Drifter" and the drift racing community. After watching this web... more
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Sheikh sends luxury 'Batman' car 6,500 miles for oil change
A wealthy Arab sent his 'Batman' Lamborghini on a 6,500 mile round-trip to London for an oil change - at a cost of more than £23,000, the Telegraph reports.
The £190,000 vehicle travelled on a scheduled flight from Qatar to Heathrow, and was flown back to the Middle East after the service.
The Murcielago LP640, a two-seater coupe, features in the latest Batman film The Dark Knight.
According to reports, the black and gold car cost £3,552 to service at an approved dealer, plus around £20,000 to freight to Britain and back.
What do you think? The height of cool, or a grotesque and irresponsible display of more money than sense? And what precisely could you do with £23,000? A wealthy Arab sent his 'Batman' Lamborghini on a 6,500 mile round-trip to London for an oil change - at a cost of more than... more -
Travis Pastrana // Comment Picked for TV
Thanks to hynese for uploading her thoughts on the pod, "Travis Pastrana." After you check out what hynese has to say, click on the link below and watch the pod yourself. Then, upload your very own comments on the pod to current.com.
http://current.com/items/76354982_travis_pastrana Thanks to hynese for uploading her thoughts on the pod, "Travis Pastrana." After you check out what hynese has to say, click... more -
La Mini Elettrica è quasi pronta a partire
Auto ecologiche e mobilità sostenibile. Mini elettrica in fase di prova in California. 500 sono pronte a partire!
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I met Andris Biedrins at the SF DMV today
I got a letter from the DMV the the other day. I opened and read it, it said they were....
HOLY $#!^ IS THAT ANDRIS BIEDRINS??!
Sure enough, there I was, patiently awaiting my number to be called at the SF DMV to renew my license when lo and behold who strolls by but newly resigned Warriors center Andris Biedrins with fully spiked hair, a Latvia track jacket and a well fed eastern bloc bodyguard. After completing my paperwork, I went over, expressed my congrats and excitement about the what the future holds.
He shook my hand and said “Thanks. I appreciate.”
His bodyguard nodded and said “OK. No problem.”
Then I got his autograph on some available stationery.
A nice reminder that even the giants among us still need to go through the humbling process of having a horrible photo taken of themselves before getting behind the wheel.
In my case, a Honda.
In his case, a Maserati .
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3507385 I got a letter from the DMV the the other day. I opened and read it, it said they were.... HOLY $#!^ IS THAT ANDRIS BIEDRINS??! ... more -
Bus ridership explodes in the Hinterlands
More and more people are bussing it, and in places you wouldn't expect.
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Cars working together to prevent thievery
Assistant Professor Sencun Zhu, of Penn State University, is working on technology called Sensor Vehicle Anti-Theft System. It prevents car theft by connect cars togehter via a sensor that wirelessly discovers cars within its range. If one of these cars doesn't respond correctly, the other cars contact a home base, informing it that a car has been stolen. Assistant Professor Sencun Zhu, of Penn State University, is working on technology called Sensor Vehicle Anti-Theft System. It prevent... more
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Solar-powered sports car really is dope
Lotus rolled out a solar-powered and environmentally friendly concept car which is made up ganja, called Eco Elise, during the British International Motor Show.
Sports cars aren't supposed to be green. They're supposed to snort petrol, belch fire and cause innocent passers by to develop nasty chest infections. So when Lotus rolled up to the British International Motor Show in an a solar-powered Eco Elise made out of plants, it raised more than a few eyebrows.
See those brown bits on the car? That's foliage, that is. And not just any foliage--it's pressed hemp. Yes, hemp--what you make cannabis from. We've no idea if this car's designers had ingested some kind of "hemp" when they came up with the concept of a car made of ganja, but on closer inspection it's actually not a bad idea.
Hemp is a renewable, lightweight material that absorbs CO2 through photosynthesis, which is good for the planet. The particular brand of hemp used is ethically farmed and grown locally to Lotus, so the amount of CO2 needed to transport the raw materials is kept to a minimum. It's good news for the car itself, too. Hemp is very light compared to metal, which improves performance and promotes greener, more fuel-efficient driving. It doesn't compromise on safety, either--all the parts that are important for structural integrity are metal.
The solar panels in the roof are an interesting addition. They can't power the car itself, but they can drive the Eco Elise's electrical subsystems, including the iPod/MP3-compatible stereo. When it's in use, it can also take the strain off the car's alternator so it uses less petrol, and emits fewer harmful particles.
Aside from that, it's a normal Lotus Elise--which is a good thing. If you don't mind sitting in a cockpit surrounded by what could just as easily have been marijuana, and don't mind being constantly pulled over by police with sniffer dogs, we'd recommend it. Unfortunately, you won't be able to buy it anytime soon. It's a concept car, but Lotus promises that "certain features might find their way into future models".
Check the pics over the following pages.
Credit: Rory Reid/CNET UK Lotus rolled out a solar-powered and environmentally friendly concept car which is made up ganja, called Eco Elise, during the British... more -
Electric cars! What is the hold up?
For someone who is a non-techie this article makes a lot of sense in regard to what is the hold up with electric cars already.
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Ford introduces 63.6 MPG ECOnetic Diesel Fiesta... only in Europe
Nice to see an American car manufacturer get with the high-mileage program. But, it's only being released in Europe for now.
Also, on a personal note, why does that ugly hatch back design of the Prius have to be the best for mileage? First Toyota, then Honda, and now Ford?! It's hideous! Nice to see an American car manufacturer get with the high-mileage program. But, it's only being released in Europe for now. ... more -
Beijing may ban 90% of cars to clear skies for Olympics
Beijing is considering banning 90 percent of private cars from its roads and closing more factories in a last-ditch bid to clear smoggy skies for the Olympics, state media reported Monday.
With just 11 days to go before the start of the world's biggest multi-sports event, Beijing was blanketed in a dense white haze on Monday that cut visibility in the city of 17 million down to just a few hundred meters.
Acknowledging the failure of the initial car ban introduced on July 20, Beijing authorities are expected to announce more stringent emergency measures soon, the China Daily quoted the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau as saying.One plan under consideration was to ban 90 percent of all private vehicles from the streets of the capital during the Games, the paper said.
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[personal comment]
I left China on July 2 and the air was extremely bad because car ban had not taken effect, factories had not yet shut down, and construction was still happening at breakneck speed. Three weeks later, all measures have taken effect and still mixed results (supposedly there were some "blue sky days" but mostly smog). Beijing is considering banning 90 percent of private cars from its roads and closing more factories in a last-ditch bid to clear smogg... more -
Uno studente costruisce un sistema per comandare l'auto vocalmente dal telefo...
“Hey KITT vienimi a prendere”, chi ricorda questa celebre frase nel telefilm Supercar? Al protagonista, interpretato da David Hasselhoff, bastava chiamare l’auto da una radio posta nell’orologio per farla andare dove voleva. Con lo stesso principio in futuro potremo governare l’auto direttamente dal cellulare.
Lo dimostra uno studente del Kenya che ha sviluppato un sistema per governare l’auto in remoto. Tramite il telefono è possibile chiamare la macchina, dirle di spegnersi, di accendersi, di non permettere l’accensione a chi non è abilitato o di ascoltare le conversazioni che avvengono all’interno. Dopo il salto segue un video del sistema in funzione. “Hey KITT vienimi a prendere”, chi ricorda questa celebre frase nel telefilm Supercar? Al protagonista, interpretato da David Hasselho... more -
Chasing the Light
In June 2008, Marcelo da Luz began a 10,000 mile journey in his homemade solar car, the Xof1. Over the next 2 weeks, da Luz and his small crew faced down floods, police, and fatigue in their quest to break the world distance record. They may have inspired a couple people, too. In June 2008, Marcelo da Luz began a 10,000 mile journey in his homemade solar car, the Xof1. Over the next 2 weeks, da Luz and his s... more
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'New car smell' becoming less toxic, report says
Car interiors and car seats are becoming less toxic, although "new car smell" continues to carry poisons linked to allergies and cancer, according to a report last week by the Ecology Center.
The Ann Arbor, Mich., group found that General Motors made the most progress in reducing potentially harmful materials, followed by Mazda and Nissan, since the nonprofit's initial Healthy Car report last year.
The Acura RDX appears to smell sweeter than other SUVs in a report by the Ecology Center.
The ingredients in question include lead, chlorine, and phthalates from plastics, as well as brominated flame retardants from cushions and padding.
The car with the best marks was the Acura RDX SH sport-utility vehicle. Three Smart cars made the list of 10 best picks, as did two Chevy models and two Toyotas. Also among the lauded models were the Chevy HHR SUV, as well as the BMW MS and Honda Accord EXL sedans.
Among the worst vehicles, according to the rankings, were the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spider convertible and Suzuki Reno hatchback, as well as the BMW 120i and Volkswagen Beetle convertibles. Car interiors and car seats are becoming less toxic, although "new car smell" continues to carry poisons linked to allergies... more -
Jack Nicholson's Hydrogen Car
Nicholson gets rid of gas. (1978)
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Hydrogen Cars are perhaps not the near term answer.
Everyone is looking for cheaper fuel. Who is looking at things from other points of view? Such as emission standards. In the near term it seems that hydrogen powered cars may be worse from that point of view than the gas guzzlers we drive today. Everyone is looking for cheaper fuel. Who is looking at things from other points of view? Such as emission standards. In the near t... more
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Ford "AV8R" Mustang Truly One-of-a-Kind
Ford Motor Company has built the ultimate aviation-based automobile especially for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2008 - the Mustang AV8R - and one lucky bidder at the annual Gathering of Eagles fund-raiser will get to drive it home. With the support of Ford Racing, Ford designed and engineered this "one-off" design to commemorate AirVenture 2008. In fact, its name was derived from the event itself AirVenture 2008.
The very special machine has never been seen before …until now. Ford Motor Company has built the ultimate aviation-based automobile especially for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2008 - the Mustang AV8R - an... more -
British International Motor Show
Visitors inspect a Lotus Eco Elise concept made of hemp and on display at the British International Motor Show on July 23, 2008 in London, England.
Photograph by : Cate Gillon, Getty Images Visitors inspect a Lotus Eco Elise concept made of hemp and on display at the British International Motor Show on July 23, 2008 in Lon... more -
Demise of American gas guzzler forces Ford to focus on European models
Ford is hoping to persuade its American customers of the charms of modestly sized European vehicles such as the Fiesta, the Focus and the Transit van as it struggles to find a way to reverse plummeting sales of its gas-guzzling range of larger US vehicles.
Faced with a collapse in demand for trucks and sports utility vehicles, Ford yesterday took a one-off charge of $8bn (£4bn) to write down the value of its US assets and leasing agreements. This pushed the size of its second-quarter loss to $8.7bn.
In an attempt to find a way out of a crisis gripping all of Detroit's big motor manufacturers, Ford is looking to the success of its European operations, which delivered a profit of $582m (£292m).
Ford announced that it was re-tooling three North American truck plants to make compact European cars of a type once mocked by Americans for their paltry size and puny engine power. "We're uniquely positioned to bring the North American market smaller vehicles," said Ford's chief executive, Alan Mulally. "We're taking decisive action in response to a rapidly changing business environment."
Ford is introducing six European models by 2010, including the Fiesta and the Focus, which although household names in Britain are barely known in the US. The company is bringing to the US a version of the Transit van, beloved by small business owners throughout Europe.
Under a programme called "one Ford", the company is unifying its range of vehicles, which have traditionally varied widely around the world. Senior executives believe changes in American car-buying tastes are "permanent in nature".
Detroit's three carmakers have shed more than 100,000 jobs over the past three years. Ford has slimmed its workforce by 4,000 over the past three months alone. Ford is hoping to persuade its American customers of the charms of modestly sized European vehicles such as the Fiesta, the Focus and ... more -
Wooden VW Beetle
A couple have covered their cherished VW Beetle in oak. Amazing to look at, and it evens drives ok.
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