This Is Not A Flying Car, But It’s Awfully Close [Planelopnik]

This is a Vought VE-7 biplane being started by a modified Ford Model T in 1926. The mechanism is known as a Hucks Starter. Flying car, no; cool merging of cars and airplanes, yes. Until the chain snaps. [NASA] More »

"America’s Worst Driver" set to air on Travel Channel

Filed under: ,

We know some habitually bad drivers, and we’re guessing you do too. Problem is, there isn’t much we can do to keep them off the road until their license is taken away. Thanks to a new show on Travel Channel, we at least have an opportunity to humiliate them, or perhaps more.

The new program, called “America’s Worst Driver,” airs Sunday night at 10 PM Eastern and Pacific Time and is hosted by Last Comic Standing Season 3 winner Alonzo Bodden. It looks for the four worst drivers from a city, as nominated by their friends and family, to compete for the dubious title. But there is more than a mean moniker at stake here, folks. The loser from each city, or the worst of the chronically bad lot, will have his or her car crushed (by Carasaurus no less) and replaced with a bicycle and a bus pass. Ouch. The “loser” from each city visited by the show will also be flown to Los Angeles to compete for the title of “America’s Worst Driver.” The finalists will then compete against one another for the chance to win a new car. Hopefully that vehicle will have plenty of air bags.

The new show has reportedly already shot episodes in New York, Miami, Dallas, Chicago and San Francisco, and the competition reportedly includes a closed course driving test graded by a real live police officer. We don’t know about you, but we wouldn’t go on any show where there is a one in four chance of having our vehicle crushed. But if we were so bad at driving that we failed a worst driver competition, maybe it would be for the best.

[Source: Travel Channel via Kicking Tires]

“America’s Worst Driver” set to air on Travel Channel originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Report: Aston Martin considering custom vehicle program for customers

Filed under: , ,

Aston Martin Rapide Silver Blonde – click above image for high-res image gallery

To many of us here gathered around Autoblog’s virtual water cooler, the star of the Geneva Motor Show wasn’t the electrified Porsche 918 Spyder, but rather the Touring Superleggera Flying Star, better known as the Bentley Continental Shooting Brake. Disagree? We say to each their own.

And according to the UK’s AutoExpress, that’s what Austin Martin’s saying, too. The legendary British car maker will be offering a custom vehicle program to those with the right mixture of imagination and American Express Black Card. According to the article, Aston Martin has gained so much experience building the One-77 as a stationary object (as opposed to on an assembly line) that building whatever it is on earth a customer wants is no problem. Says design director Marek Reichman, “This means that if we need to, we can swap shapes, interiors, engines or wheels without destroying the production process. It offers us infinite possibilities.”

To that we say, “Yes!” We also say, to steal a line, “Mommy, why were we born good looking instead of just rich?” Because we could certainly come up with a hot Aston or two. Like how about a 1978 V8 Vantage Oscar India body riding atop the DBS chassis and internals? That would work rather well, we think. Alternatively, a Lagonda wagon body atop the Rapide would work, too. Oooh! What about a Hayabusa-engined Cygnet? That last one might just be the way to save face go. Unless they build us a fully-operational DB5 from Goldfinger. Sigh…

[Source: AutoExpress]

Report: Aston Martin considering custom vehicle program for customers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

NOTE: Motorsport is Dangerous [LOLCars]

The oh-so-obvious welcome sign hanging outside the entrance to the AT&T Williams F1 Garage. More »

I Only Have a Corona – $3,400 Deposit! [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]

Someday people will look back upon the Camry with fondness and desire, and when that day arrives, I hope to be long-dead. Until then, Nice Price or Crack Pipe has its predecessor for you to get all nostalgic about. More »

Ex-VW exec named head of Fiat North America

Filed under: , , ,

Ex-Volkswagen and Ford executive Laura Soave has gone from creating the events that help sell cars to being the one in charge of selling them. Yes, Fiat has named Soave, the woman who helped put together the 50th Anniversary Barbie New Beetle in charge of reintroducing the Fiat brand to the United States after retreating from North America’s shores more than 25 years ago. Of course, Soave, 37, has also done more substantive things, including being VW’s head of advertising and communications for the company’s large(ish) passenger cars and SUVs. At Ford, Soave held down various positions, including “Brand DNA Manager.”

Soaves’ official title as Head of the Fiat Brand for North America not only installs her at the top of the pyramid, it puts her name on the profit-and-loss bottom line and has her answering directly to Sergio Marchionne. You can read Fiat’s press release after the jump.

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Ex-VW exec named head of Fiat North America

Ex-VW exec named head of Fiat North America originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Going Platinum: The $80,000 Tomica Nissan Fairlady Z432

Filed under: , , , , ,

In honor of Tomica’s 40th anniversary, jeweler Ginza Tanaka has produced a one-of-a-kind replica of the toymaker’s die-cast 1970 Nissan Fairlady Z432 (the Z432 was a Japan-only model powered by the same S20 inline-6 used in the C10 Skyline GT-R). Unlike anything Tomica sells to the public, “toy” is made of platinum – including its exquisitely-detailed box. If it were to be made available for purchase (it isn’t), it’s estimated worth is around $80,000. Japanese Nostalgic Car jokes in its headline that even at that price, it’s still less than what one would pay for a real Z432, given their rarity and desirability (a total of 420 cars were produced between 1969 and 1973). As for this platinum bauble? It’s being publicly shown at the Hong Kong International Jewelery Show this month, after which it heads back to Japan for next month’s Osaka Tomica Fair.

[Source: Japanese Nostalgic Car]

Going Platinum: The $80,000 Tomica Nissan Fairlady Z432 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

AutoblogGreen for 03.11.10

Report: Porsche intent on building 918, if it’s profitable
Don’t rush to your dealer, as it could still take five years.
Fisker says 100,000 plug-in hybrids a year could be built at Delaware plant
Export hopes are high.
Work Truck 2010: Nissan working to bring NV200 to U.S., electric version possible, too
Should Ford be worried?
Other news:

AutoblogGreen for 03.11.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Spy Shots: Best look yet at forthcoming Mercedes-Benz C-Class update

Filed under: , , ,

Mercedes-Benz C-Class spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Our spy photographers have just snapped these shots of the next Mercedes-Benz C-Class undergoing winter testing, and these latest shots give us the clearest look yet at the entry-level luxury sedan’s updated front and rear. The baby Benz should make its official debut later this year, and these photos clearly show that we can expect some mild yet substantive alterations to their appearance.

So, what’s new? Up front, a new front fascia integrates LED daytime running lamps – something that’s becoming standard fare on the entire Mercedes-Benz lineup. From there, we see slightly revised headlamps, what appears to be a more upright grille and a new hood. Out back, there’s a modified rear bumper and revised LED taillights.

Our spies also suggest that minor interior and mechanical updates could be present in the new C-Class. We aren’t expecting giant leaps from the already very good current car, but squeezing a few more miles-per-gallon out of the Merc’s mill probably isn’t out of the question.

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Best look yet at forthcoming Mercedes-Benz C-Class update originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Video: Europeans find humor in loathable roadside flashers

Filed under: , , ,

Roadside flashers – Click above to watch the video after the break

Ever wonder what would happen if Robbie the Robot had an addled tryst with a photo-radar box? Neither have we. Some possibly addled Europeans, though, have inadvertently created that union’s possible love child with their own nocturnal hijinks.

Mocking the roadside photo radar ‘Gatso’ units, one giggle-prone youth donned a box and fired a strobe at passing automobiles in a taunting fashion. At least they didn’t do their impression of a high-pressure car wash, right? Make the jump to see the video.

Continue reading Video: Europeans find humor in loathable roadside flashers

Video: Europeans find humor in loathable roadside flashers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments