SSC Ultimate Aero II: First Photos Of America's Bugatti Fighter [Exclusive]
These exclusive first photos show the SSC Ultimate Aero II, the second generation of America's fastest supercar. It's gotta new look and a new mission: reclaim the title of world's fastest production car from the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.
There once was a time where the American-built SSC Ultimate Aero TT was the world's fastest production car, hitting 256 mph with its 1,183-hp 6.2-liter V8. In fact, it was just a few weeks ago. But then ze Germans stepped in to steal the record with their fancy Veyron Super Sport and its 268 mph top speed. As soon as it happened the folks at Shelby SuperCars suddenly started talking about their plans for an even more ultimate Aero.
According to a tipster, these are the first two photos of the new SSC Ultimate Aero II. Its a major leap forward compared to the purposeful-yet-derivative styling of the original, taking the angular look now Saab designer Jason Castriota used on the Stile Bertone Mantide and combining it with the wind tunnel-formed sexy-slipperiness of the Ferrari P4/5 for a look familiar to übercar enthusiasts yet a stand-out from both previous looks.
There's also now video of the car being unveiled for a select few individuals during the Pebble Beach Concours that was just posted to YouTube. In it, you can see the silver Saab Castiota drove around in during the festivities. The video also shows company founder Jarrod Shelby saying they'll have full-scale running prototypes mid-year 2011. He also goes on to promise the design "will not get watered down." Unfortunately, the video doesn't show the car. Fortunately, we've got pictures of it.
No word yet on exactly what's planned for the inside of this land-based jet fighter, but these photos of the first full-sized mock up are apparently from a shoot for a big European car mag and thus we'll hear more when they either release the magazine or freak out and publish everything early online.
Until then, we're content to drool at the pretty pictures.
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:00:00 EDT
Lincoln Future Product, Branding Tops Ford To-Do List [Inside 8 Mile]
Ford plans to give Lincoln a "point of view." What, sitting on a phone book isn't helping? [Automotive News]
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:01:00 EDT
Did Lindsay Lohan Hit a Baby in a Stroller with Her Maserati? [VideUhOh]
We enter the scene at the moment after impact: Lindsay Lohan's shiny black Maserati drives away as a baby begins to cry. A paparazzo says this shaky video depicts Lindsay Lohan hitting a stroller, then fleeing. But does it really?
Freelance paparazzo Brayan Jaimetells Radar he was stalking Lohan with a colleague when "Lindsay took the red light and hit the stroller. It wasn't super hard, but she made impact and hit them. Lindsay pulled to the right, stopped for two seconds, and then just kept going." His video shows the aftermath: Lindsay's car drives one way and the stroller goes another.
You'd think paparazzi would have better quality video cameras. Anyway, the "not super hard" hit escalated when Brayan retold the harrowing tale to TMZ: "It was a major hit... knocking 3 of the 4 wheels in the air."
Radar's video includes a zoom-in on the Maserati's license plate, and it does appear to be LiLo's. Here's Lindsay driving and parking the car this week.
Click to enlarge.
The lady pushing the stroller said "we're fine," but Brayan Jaime suspects otherwise: "She was in shock and Hispanic so she was scared." Next thing you know, he'll be saying Lindsay Lohan lynched a family of Mexicans with her seatbelt.
Verdict: Inconclusive, but kinda funny. Lindsay Lohan is cursed. [Radar, TMZ, images L to R: Pacific Coast News, INF]
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:15:00 EDT
Get Some Jalopnik In Your Facebook [Cult Of Cars]
Your friends are probably already following Jalopnik on Facebook and sharing the best Jalopnik stories with their friends. So why aren't you? Get some Jalopnik in your Facebook today!
Just hit the "like" button to join your friends in following Jalopnik on Facebook. And if for some reason you're the first of your friends to join Team Jalopnik, then maybe you need some better friends!
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EDT
Commenter Of The Day: The Saleen Ford Windstar Edition [Commenter Of The Day]
Saleen rotated his wrench on a number of deserving blue ovals in his day, mostly notably a number of high performance 'Stangs. Fortunately or unfortunately it didn't stop there. He also built a Saleen version of the Ford Ranger, the Ford Explorer, and even a Ford Windstar minivan with a supercharger, upgraded brakes, suspension, and some awful trim pieces. It was just a prototype and, because Ford's minivan plans changed, it never went into production. Therefore the car ended up with Tim Allen, who was involved with building it. Seriously. It's therefore a bit of a surprise Allen ended up as the voice of Chevy. According to Optixtruf, there's someone even more surprised than Howie Long.
Happy Labor Day e'rbody.
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:30:00 EDT
Chinese Man Turns Bar Bet Into Bottle-Driving Fame [LOLCars]
Chinese army driver Li Guiwen and his buddies had a beerstorm involving driving on top of empty bottles. Li managed to trundle over 1,798, noting: "I have been training constantly." (Thanks Franzouse!) [via OrangeNews]
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EDT
Let's Hear It For New York... [LOLCars]
Either this guy just had his license plates stolen or he thinks cops are way more stupid than they are. Close up below.
Here's What Happens When You Crash Into A Telephone Pole At 100 MPH [Car Crashes]
It took 45 minutes to extricate Dustin Moholland from his modified WRX after he smacked into a telephone pole at 100 mph. He survived, amazingly, but the car is toast and his friends are surprised it didn't happen earlier. NSFW.
Looking at the damage to the WRX, and the obvious modifications, there's little question as to the type of driving that led to this unfortunate accident and the reaction Moholland's friends only reinforces this. At one point his friend Mike Erskine, who shot the video above, asks him "Dustin, I don't know if you understand how fucking lucky you are."
This is echoed in the Facebook comments below the posting of the video, with friends saying "it's only a matter of time" and "this coulda happened to us a long time ago."
The before shot of the car is below. Here's hoping, for the sake of everyone on the road, that Moholland learns his lesson.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson came to Detroit last weekend pushing green jobs for the U.S. economy. On Monday, the Cadillac Escalade carrying him around the city was stolen and stripped. Does building replacement $1000 rims count as "green jobs?"
Jackson came to Detroit as part of UAW President Bob King's "Jobs, Justice and Peace" march on Sunday, which drew about 5,000 people to a combination protest and Democratic Party spirit parade. A few days before the rally, Jackson wrote a piece for CNN.com laying out its goals:
A key component of stable job growth is our nation's energy policy. If our country gets serious about energy savings and independence from oil, we could rebuild domestically and power the U.S. economy with American jobs...Ending the subsidies that make dirty fuels artificially cheap can spark a shift in infrastructure development, create more jobs and allow America to become more self-sufficient.
A day after the rally, the 2009 Cadillac Escalade SUV that Jackson used to get around Detroit went missing from a parking lot near his hotel. According to WXYZ-TV, the SUV was later found abandoned, with the window busted and its wheels gone, similar to the jacking of a SUV used by Detroit Mayor Dave Bing's security.
Do we really need to point out the contradiction of advocating for green jobs and against "dirty fuels" while traveling in a vehicle that averages 14 miles to every gallon of gasoline? Convincing people that saving the environment requires some sacrifices such as higher cost for fuel begins at difficult; doing so while not just avoiding sacrifices, but squeezing the very resources one wants conserved can only be read as hypocrisy.
It's only Jackson's misfortune that it was his SUV taken; in Washingon, D.C., alone, scores of such vehicles are likely idling right now, keeping their interiors cool with fresh air so that their important passengers aren't the least bit inconvenienced.
One way to tackle global warming would be to raise the price of gas so that it's hidden extra costs would be recognized and dealt with. Another way is to simply burn off all the gas left until there's no choice but to consider alternatives. Americans might be more likely to think about the first option if so many of their leaders didn't live their lives through the second.
Photo Credit: Rashaun Rucker/Detroit Free Press
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EDT
Want To Look Cool In A Recession? Buy An Old Car [Rants]
If you can afford a fancy new car, go ahead and buy one. If you're tight on funds, but still want to look awesome, purchase a sweet old car and instead of thrifty you can be thriftastic.
If your idea of smart transportation for a recession is something cheap, reliable, and economical you can go ahead and skip this entire article and buy a slightly used Honda Civic. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing right with that either, but if you want to be anonymous go ahead. But you're hurting the economy.
See, one of the key measures of our economic woes is "Consumer Confidence" and, sadly, you people are about as confident as Mel Gibson at a bat mitzvah.
But how could anyone feel confident driving a new Toyota Corolla? Whenever I'm forced to commute in one I try to travel in the trunk, so when we arrive at our destination if anyone recognizes me I can pretend like I've been kidnapped and tortured. Because I was!
You know what I'd feel awesome in? This well cared for 1983 Audi GT Coupe. It costs $3,600, for which you could maybe get a poorly treated 2001 Toyota Corolla. And when someone sees you in it they'll know you're cool, they'll know you have ataste. They won't think "Hey, this person has just $4K to buy a car like the rest of us."
Of course, as the saying goes there's "nothing more expensive than a cheap [enter European brand here]," but that's just the point. Your newish Japanese econobox is full of electronics and made of plastic and if you try to fix it you'll probably just make it worse. But you can fix an old car with a screwdriver, duct tape, and zip ties. Skills for life, my friends, skills for life.
I drove a Mercedes to high school and I felt awesome every day. Who cares if the heater didn't work and I'd actually purchased it off an old lady? Who cares that most of the power windows didn't work or the sunroof sometimes would stick open in the rain, or that it once sort of blew up outside a bank? It was operational most of the time, I looked awesome, and I entertained at least one non-imagined lady in the faux-leather backseat.
Unless you already have a million dollars the chances you're going to get a million dollars in the next few years are pretty low, so isn't the better value feeling like a million dollars and only spending three grand?
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EDT
"I Need To Borrow A Bead Stretcher" [Auto Forum Troll Of The Week]
What do you do with a pile of 15" tires when you have only 18" wheels? You get a bead stretcher of course. This week's troll asks NASIOC for help finding one. We always find 'em near the blinker fluid.
Trolls are always coming up with new and nonsensical inventions to get a rise out of the enthusiast community. We've all heard of things like muffler bearings and blinker fluid, classic gag items, but what in the heck is a bead stretcher. We'll let our troll explain:
Need to borrow a bead stretcher!
As the title states, I need to borrow a bead stretcher! I'd even be willing to pay a deposit or rental fee if needed.
I have a bunch of 15" tires left over from my Honda days and I'd like to use them on the 18's that are currently on my wrx. I've been looking all over and no local stores are willing to loan one to me for anything less than $500. (I'm sure its because they just want me to buy tires from them instead of saving all that money by stretching out my old tires so they fit on the new wheels )
I'm sure I could stretch out all the tires in my garage in a day or two so I wouldn't need it for too long! I'd appreciate any leads or anyone who can loan/rent/lend me one!
This "bead stretcher" is a misinterpretation of the tuner fad of stretched tires, where a tire is forced onto a much wider wheel than it was designed for. It provides an aggressive, low profile look, like this:
What the troll is asking for is a machine which changes the inside radius of the tire, something that's an impossible feat since the bead is not flexible in that direction, being thoroughly reinforced with steel rings. Notice how the troll here doesn't make the classic novice mistake of asking if such a thing exists. No, he jumps right into assuming experience with this mythical bead stretcher and going so far as to estimate how long he'd need one. Quite clever really, but not clever enough.
The fellows at NASIOC have seen enough shenanigans with all their Subie love to know a troll when they see one and call it out pretty quickly. The real fun comes as the troll keeps up the ruse. Carefully ignoring statements of reality and taking leaps of stupidity that leave you chuckling. For instance, in a reply to Luke@Tirerack, an actual Tire Rack employee, our troll says:
Quote: Originally Posted by Luke@tirerack
aren't those on the shelf below the boost fluid ... and we know how important that stuff is. Did you know many cars even have gauges to monitor the level of boost fluid.
Luke, you seem pretty smart, and you work for a tire company, do you guys rent out bead stretchers or could I send my old tires in and have them stretched? I've looked all over and can't find anyone who will loan/rent/etc their stretcher for anything short of 500 bucks!
I know you guys heat cycle tires, do you have a stretcher?
And it goes on from there. It's the above and beyond dedication to the art of trolling which makes this entertaining. As always, keep your eyes peeled, forum fan-boys. Without proper vigilance you may fall into a troll trap, especially if it's less obvious than this one. (Thanks for the tip Dan!)
(Auto Forum Troll Of The Week is Jalopnik's public service to the auto forums, helping them rid their threads of trolls lurking about. Do you have a nominee for "Auto Forum Troll Of The Week," send an email to tips at jalopnik dot com with "Auto Forum Troll Of The Week" as the subject line!) Photo credit: InMyGarage
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:30:00 EDT
UPS Cargo Jet Crashes On Dubai Highway [Breaking]
A UPS 747-400 cargo jet crashed in Dubai earlier today, landing on a highway outside the Dubai international Airport. Cars were seen burning along the highway and early reports suggest some crew members were killed. Pictures coming shortly. [Al Arabiya]
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EDT
Suck It, Ferrari [Car Porn]
The 427-powered Ford GT40 MKII driven by Hill/Muir shows its tailpipe to a Ferrari 330 P3. We miss running starts. [via SpiritedDrive]
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EDT
Ask Me Anything: Not-Yet-Labor Day Edition [Ask Me Anything]
I'll be in the comments answering any questions for the next 30 minutes. So, go ahead, ask me anything! [Click Here]
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:15:00 EDT
Hurh-hurh? Tim Allen Is The New "Voice" Of Chevrolet [Ad Watch]
Howie Long's out. The new voice of Chevrolet is now... Tim Allen. Hurh-hurh? [GM]
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EDT
Why Danica Patrick Can't Win At Racing [Motorsports]
We've said before we're swearing off the hype machine surrounding Danica Patrick. Still, there's at least one important question — can she win? Leighton Irwin of The Garage Blog says this year may give us the answer. —Ed.
Danica Patrick is probably the best known driver in the IndyCar Series to the general public. Her PR machine, together with her various semi-risque photo shoots and Go Daddy ads, have made her face known to thousands of people. She almost certainly is the highest earner in IndyCar, with an income up there with many regular NASCAR drivers. This from a driver who has only managed one win in her entire car racing career — and that one was a result of good pit work and strategy plus Helio Castroneves almost running out of fuel. She never won on her way up through the minor leagues.
During her IndyCar career, until this year, she has been a high mid-field runner most of the time, especially on oval tracks. There have been several good results, usually due to good strategy. She has always struggled to some extent on the road courses despite coming up through road racing rather than ovals. Her attitude has earned her several less than complimentary nicknames among serious fans. The most common are "The Princess," "Stompin' Danica" and with her very poor showings in the Nationwide series "Princess Lapped a Lot." Many people who follow racing closely also joke about her constant "you know like," "uh" and during races "it's loooose!"
Even more telling is the fact that she has had a different race strategist and race engineer every year in IndyCar. She is on both her second strategist and race engineer this year, and more than one mechanic has refused to be on her team.
This year she seems to have regressed as a driver. Her performances on road courses have been terrible, and except for Texas very mediocre on the ovals. Her reputation as a deliberate blocker is well known; even blocking her own teammates on occasion. She is not and actually never has been a hard driver in the sense of racing people close for more than a lap or two. She always backs out of it. For someone who came up through road racing, her well known inability to set up her own car is puzzling. It seems that she has never made any effort to understand how to make adjustments to the handling, and relies on her engineer or a teammate to do it for her. She demands a car that is tight (or for road racing types a car that understeers.) To some extent this works on the Indy Cars, but she carries it to extremes. If a car gets the least bit loose, she slows down and starts complaining.
To get a stock car to go fast on an oval it has to be loose, but she cannot accept this despite being told that she needs to learn to handle that. She just keeps demanding a tight car. Until she learns to handle a loose car, she will never be fast in the Nationwide Series, let alone be able to run in Sprint Cup. A couple of times this year she would not have even made a race on her qualifying speed, but under NASCAR rules cars get in on owner points. The part-time drivers in her Dale Earnhardt Jr.-entered #7 have finished high enough to keep it in on points. Canadian J.R. Fitzpatrick finished 7th in Montreal this weekend, so the car is safely in for a while.
She has not even bothered to learn the most basic facts about the design of the cars, and only learned at the last race about the "truck bars," a standard feature of a stocker and one way of altering the handling. Drivers do not have to be mechanics, but they need to know what can be altered and what effect it will have. Every driver I ever worked with understood the basics of set ups, some far more than others.
She does not like to run close to other cars for more than a lap or two, and in the stockers you absolutely have to run inches apart for lap after lap. These days practically all Indy Car drivers and the vast majority of NASCAR drivers work out and have training programs. As far as I have been able to ascertain, she does not.
Despite all of the negatives she has been a fairly quick driver and obtained some good results. She is with one of the top teams in IndyCar, and a far-better funded Nationwide car that most of the cars in that series. But this year the results have not been there in IndyCar and even worse in the stockers. She actually seems to be more interested in photo-ops and getting on TV.
I expect her rides are secure as long as GoDaddy keeps writing the checks. However, her race TV exposure is getting less on the Versus Indy Car broadcasts, as they are more or less ignoring her. ABC/ESPN still fawns over her, but not quite as much. If the coverage really drops off, so will sponsor interest.
To me, the big puzzle is why she has never made the least effort to understand the whys and wherefores of car handling. Nor does she seem to be able to relate to her mechanics. If the car and/or the race does not go her way she has often publicly dumped on her team. Not a good way to make them want to work hard for you.
So why has she become a poorer driver this year? I don't have the answer, but I foresee her being out of racing in a year or two unless she regains the form she has displayed previously. I do not think she will ever be a real front runner, but she should be more competitive than she currently is.
What's The Most Suggestive Car Name? [Question Of The Day]
Look at a Jaguar D-Type's profile or an Alfa Romeo's grille and try to argue sex doesn't influence automotive design. And whether intentionally or not, this is also true of car naming. What's the most suggestive car name?
Without a doubt, the most sexually suggestive car name is the Ford Probe. I mean, it's shaped like a probe. It has the smooth surfaces of a probe. And it's called the probe. The intention may have been to evoke the exploration of outer space, but the name merely reminds us of a very treasured inner space we hope no one explores anytime soon. Just look at a Probe and try not to giggle.
What car name do you think would get Michael Scott to scream out "THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" in an inappropriate setting?
(QOTD is your chance to answer the day's most pressing automotive questions and experience the opinions of the insightful insiders, practicing pundits and gleeful gearheads that make up the Jalopnik commentariat. If you've got a suggestion for a good "Question Of the Day" send an email to tips at jalopnik dot com.)
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:15:00 EDT
Ex-GM CEO Gets New Gig, All Quiet On The Facebook Front [Inside 8 Mile]
If cars stir the soul, then car names awaken the imagination. While some automakers insist on precision of alphanumerics, these ten awesome commenter-chosen examples demonstrate the spirit, joy and emotion one can endow on a car with just a name.
This is Answers of the Day - a feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Want to see this gallery in one slow-to-load page? Click here.
Why It's Cool: If a bumbling Brad Pitt in The Mexican can make it look cool, it's cool enough for... Well, anyone. The El Camino is a real cool car, and it's only made cooler by its title. Meaning "the road" in Spanish, because it can haul your stuff and your ass down it. How many times can we say cool in one description? Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool.
Why It's Cool: What happens when you take a regular Road Runner (a car with a cool name on its own) and add a giant wing & nosecone? You get a Superbird! Able to leap tall grid positions in a single bound, able to stop a speeding vintage Nascar opponent, the Superbird does everything the Road Runner does, but better. And how can you not love the wing?
Why It's Cool: Spanish for fighting chicken, right? Wrong. Italian for good god that car is awesome or, you know, devil. The poster child for 1990's Lamborghini craziness, the Diablo singlehandedly shaped the way millions of adolescent gearheads thought about the cars from Saint'Agata. How could it not have? With a name like Diablo, there's no way anyone was going to ignore that car.
Why It's Cool: Named for the British World War II fighter plane of the same name, the ground-based Triumph won't be breaking any altitude records, but it will have one of the coolest names to come on a car from England. It's a little misleading though. Owners of Spitfires should expect the cars to spit oil, not fire.
Why It's Cool: Is any underwater creature cooler than a stingray? Yes, if you're Steve Irwin, (too soon?) no if you're a member of the Corvette marketing team tasked with naming the newest member of the Vette family. Low, wide, and mean, the Stingray is a perfect beast to name a menacing muscle car after. There's a reason why GM wants to keep it.
Why It's Cool: I would think twice before pulling up next to something called a Fury at a traffic light. With a name like that, any other car is asking for it. How did Plymouth lose the thread so horribly? Between this and the Superbird, they've got two of the coolest names out there, and we haven't even looked at the rest of their late 60's - early 70's lineup!
Why It's Cool:Here come The Judge! The slogan was born on the late-60's most brilliant comedy variety show, Rowan & Martin's Laugh In. It became such a cultural touchstone that Pontiac decided to grace their top of the range sports car with the honorable title. Originally meant to be a bottom-of-the-barrel el cheapo version of the GTO, Pontiac decided late in its development to change gears entirely and go all-out, making The Judge their world-beater. And judging by its reputation lo these many years later, I'd say they hit the mark.
Why It's Cool: In the 80's, AMG was not yet a part of the Mercedes Benz company. As an independent tuner, they took Mercedes' best and made them better. When they got their hands on 1986's 300E with the 5.6 liter engine, American enthusiasts dubbed it 'The Hammer.' In 1987, Mercedes dropped their 6 liter engine in the front of the car, and AMG got back to work. When they emerged with their next offering, they did the naming this time, and the Mega Hammer was born. How cool is that?
Why It's Cool: Somehow, I feel like the Every Joy Pop Turbo may be misleadingly named. Looks kind of like a regular van to me. That being said, with the name it's got, how could you not feel every joy driving down the road? Thank you Japan, for naming your cars things that translate so beautifully into the English language.
Why It's Cool: Power Hawk. Power Hawk. A car with as cool a name as Power Hawk should be something that comes along only once in a while, and that was in fact the case with this special Studebaker. Produced for only the 1956 model year, the Power Hawk came with a 259 cubic inch engine that was good for 185 horsepower with an optional four-barrel carb and dual exhaust. But really, the Power Hawk would be cool just because it's name is so ridiculously awesome. It sounds like something from a bad 90's after-school cartoon. Up next on Cartoon Network, Tundercats. Followed by Power Hawk.
Chevy Cruze Hatchback: At Least It's Got A Pretty Ass [New Cars]
Great news! Here's the first photos of the Chevy Cruze hatchback. Moving on... hey, wait a second... that back end doesn't look half-bad. Turn around and show us your face.
Eesh. OK, maybe turn back around, lie to us and say you have a more powerful engine and who knows, maybe someday folks'll learn to love that face. [GM via Carscoop]
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:41:00 EDT
Extra Has Skull "Sliced Open" On Transformers 3 Set [Car Movies]
A horrific accident on the set of Michael Bay's Transformers 3 sent a female extra to the hospital in critical condition and raises questions about the destruction-filled shooting. Update.
According to local reports, 24-year-old Gabriela Cedillo was an aspiring actress appearing as a Transformers 3 extra for some overnight shooting across the Illinois border in Hammond, Indiana. It was the first acting job for the young woman, who normally works as a bank teller.
Witnesses say Cedillo was sitting in her car as a truck towed another vehicle at high speed in the other direction for filming. The cable on the truck snapped and hit the windshield of the woman's Scion and then "sliced through her skull." She was helicoptered to Loyola hospital where she underwent brain surgery.
Accidents happen on movie sets frequently, especially involving stunt actors involved in dangerous shoots. In this incident, WLS-TV is reporting two key details related to the safety. First, according to WLS-TV extras were paid $25 to use their own cars, which they drove during a scene involving a high-speed stunt. Second, they're reporting that a similar tow-rig setup failed and broke on Tuesday.
Production of the film in the Chicago area was canceled yesterday and the studio has been unavailable to answer questions. Other extras indicate they only signed a non-disclosure form but nothing related to protecting the studio's liability in the event of an accident.
UPDATE: Garbiela Cedillo, the woman injured in the accident, is reportedly in stable condition following brain surgery.
(Hat tip to everyone who sent this in!)
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EDT
For The Next Episode Of Jalopnik's "Ask Me Anything"... [Ask Me Anything]
Since you liked last Friday's "Ask Me Anything," today we'll have Justin Hyde taking questions at 12:30 PM EST. Look for the link atop the page.
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:45:00 EDT
This Is Why I'm So Excited About A New Lancia Stratos [Car Porn]
A chatty yet anonymous Jalopnik reader caught this mini-parade of taped-up Porsches (including a facelifted Boxster) running through the streets of Beverly Hills. Is the 991 (or 998 depending on who you talk to) getting some botox?
For years, Porsche enthusiasts have rumbled that Stuttgart was working on a Carrera-based Supersport 911 with a whale tail that would carry the 998 name. Based on the booty tail cover, quad exhausts and turbo whine, you'd think that car was the caboose on this convoy.
Our sources tell us it's not. Instead, what you're seeing is the camouflage on the next 911 turbo. Porsche has to make it bigger than the actual wing because the Turbo wing moves. That makes sense.
So why was it tooling about on the streets of Beverly Hills? Likely because hot weather testing went on in Death Valley last week. These Porsches could be being driven back to the port for shipping.
What we do know is at least one of the leading cars is a Boxster with some strategically placed tape and no badges. But, although it was spotted in L.A., thanks to the recent release of the new Spyder, our best guess is we won't be seeing the latest facelift for that particular star in time for the L.A. Auto Show.
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:35:00 EDT
David Letterman: "Leno Has More Cars Than Hertz" [Late Show]
David Letterman really likes to hold a grudge, doesn't he? Tonight, Letterman went on a completely random aside about January's Late Night Wars, and once again ripped into—and impersonated—Jay Leno, calling Leno's "regular guy" act BS. Video inside.
For $4,000, It’s Hip to Be Square [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]
Volvo says they're cutting back on wagons because the cross-overs are eating their lunch. Well, today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe 1993 940 turbo looks clean enough to eat off of, but will its price make you cross-eyed?
Yesterday's T-Type proved to have a blood type that was NP-positive and it managed to grab a 73% Nice Price win before battening down its hatches (or rolling up its windows) in preparation of Earl swinging past its North Carolina home to rock it like a hurricane. A couple of states north, in the lush confines of the Garden State in fact, resides today's contender, and it's also dressed in turbocharged finery.
This 1993 Volvo 940 Turbo Wagon is 17 years old, and it looks as nice as most 17 year olds do, but it's also perfectly legal. Big, glassy and capacious - just like a wagon should be - this tropic green 940 has racked up only 85,212 miles in those 17 years, so few that you can probably still smell the original salesman's Drakkar Noir cologne in it. Volvos have a well-earned reputation for longevity of the biblical kind. And it is the goal of most Volvo owners to put that reputation to the test, by getting biblical on their cars' asses. That's why one that doesn't look as worn as a cathouse mattress can make you praise Jebus. This 940 is just such a find, Hallelujah.
Inside - and there's a lot of inside to go around - the beige leather and even beigier low-pile look to have suffered minimal fade, and hidden under one of those rubber liners in the back is the flip-up third row that lets the kids ride bass-akwards. Back up front, it looks like the intercooled 2.3-litre four-banger is backed up by the 4-speed O/D automatic, as that's what these cars had as standard fitment. Despite the torque converter, the 162-bhp would still move the 3,280-lb wagon to sixty in a reasonable 8.8-seconds, although turbo lag is rumored to spank some of the fun out of it while doing so.
Even if Volvo says they're cutting back on their wagons today, they actually haven't produced a severely boxy car since the initial version of the S60/V70 was replaced by its Kardashian-hipped successor. This wagon harkens back to an era when Volvo translated from the Swedish as bøx and their wagon's extreme rectilinear shapes made them not only hugely practical but timeless in design. The curves of today's Volvos may work to make them fit in with the cool kids, but after a couple of years they don't stand out anymore, fading into the background like any other make. This car however stands way out there and while it's not as adroit as a cross-over in handling inclement weather, why would you want to be driving in that anyway when you could be home staying dry and reading Jalopnik?
All is not rosy palms with this 940 however, and the biggest issue happens to be the price, as you see the seller wants four large for this large four, plus the wagon attached to it. Go take a gander (go ahead, they're right there, next to the geese) at other 940 turbo wagons of a similar vintage and you'll find prices that are about half what TKI Motorsport is asking for this one. It should be said that you'll be unlikely to find another - half-price or not - anywhere close to this one's condition, mileage or MILF-magnety attraction, so maybe while it is at the upper stratosphere of 940 prices, it's also at the edge of space in condition and desirability, it's hard to say.
That conundrum is where you all come in, and now it's time to determine, is $4,000 thinking waaay outside the box for this 940 turbo? Or, is that a price that could have you rolling in this Volvo like you were a swedish meatball?
Help me out with NPOCP. Click here to send a me a tip, and remember to include your commenter handle.
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:01 EDT
2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor SuperCrew: Four Doors Of Awesome [New Trucks]
Because apparently buyers asked for it, here's the 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor SuperCrew. Four swingin' doors and 12 more inches of wheelbase for full-size adult haulage, a standard 411-hp 6.2-liter V8 and all the dune-pounding goodies of the original.
When the Ford F-150 SVT Raptorfirst launched, it blew everyone away with its awesome off-road performance. But there were two things buyers asked for; more power and a SuperCrew body option.
Ford took care of the first ask by dropping the all-new 411-hp, 434 lb-ft 6.2-liter V8 into the Raptor, an upgrade from the long-in-the-tooth 5.4-liter. Now, to take care of the second ask, they've added the SuperCrew option. However it's not just the same truck dropped into a bigger package.
First and foremost, the 6.2 will be standard for the SuperCrew. There's no 5.4 available since not only will it be going out of production shortly (and therefore also not be available for the regular Raptor) but Ford needs the bigger engine to motivate this larger Raptor.
The fuel tank is also bigger — a 36-gallon fuel capacity. That'll mean more time out on the trails. It's also beefier with a bigger 8,000 pounds towing capacity and another 100 lbs of payload. The cushy-over-bumps predictable-on-the-asphalt ride and handling have been maintained by tuning the Fox Racing shocks and springs front and rear.
But the most surprising part is the weight. The SuperCrew only weighs 194 lbs heavier than the SuperCab Raptor. Judging by the ridiculously fast sales rate so far, we suspect the pent-up demand for the crew cab will make this desert bruiser a hot commodity.
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:48:43 EDT
What's the story behind everybody's handle/screenname?... [From Comments]
What's the story behind everybody's handle/screenname? Maybe we've done this before, but if we have, I don't remember.
Back in 2000, my dad decided to trade in his '89 Taurus for something a bit more bespoke. So we went to check out the then-new Jaguar S-Type. The salesperson was a rather cold, intimidating woman named Venka who spoke with a thick Russian accent. Every time she tried to say "Jaguar," it came out "Jagvar." I guess it struck a chord with me.
In the end, Dad decided he hated the S-Type and got an equally boring ES300.
Why GPS Real-Time Traffic Isn't Always Real Time [Car Tech]
A discussion about why GPS "real-time" traffic rarely occurs in real time.
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:30:00 EDT
BMW Dealer Crashes M5, Tries Screwing Owner Out Of $27K [Cotomer Sevis]
An M5Board forum member took his 2007 BMW M5 to the dealer for brakes and fresh oil. Their 20-year-old tech crashed it during a test drive. The dealership's offering him $2500 in parts. The problem? There's $30,000 in damage.
It's a topic of heated discussion over at M5Board, racking up over 108,000 page views so far and causing a bluster within the M5 community about the whole issue of service and owners rights. There are over 38 pages of commentary but we'll do you the favor of breaking it down to the key details.
The victim here goes by the handle "tjav8b" and this is how the whole thing started out:
Dealership rags my car and wrecks it on a test drive!
Took my car into dealership this morning for a oil/brake change. I get a call a few hours later (not even from the manager of the dealership) that my car had an "accident" while being test driven. They stated the driver hit a patch of sand and slid into the curb at 20mph. Damage...Wheel cracked, tire blown, front end will need repaint and the strut is cracked open. Immediately called B.S. on the story and it was obvious temp manager knew what really happened when I got there but would not admit it. I asked where it happened and he said a few streets behind the dealership. So, I go check out the area and it didn't take long to find it. Around a turn was 30ft of tire marks (no sand) and not only one but two separate curb impacts and coming to rest in a puddle of strut fluid. Total distance from first curb impact to strut puddle was about 120ft! So, it is obvious what happened, the mechanic was out ragging my car and lost control. Manager on duty actually had the balls to mention the lack of treadwear left on my rear tires as being a possible cause! We are talking a 100 degree day and dry as hell! He had nothing to say as to why the mechanic test drove in M mode (full dynamic off)! No M mode, no accident.
I have already told them to not touch anything and do not order anything until I contact them. I have already documented the crash site with video/pictures. Police told me they could not take a report because BMW had moved the car before I got there.
Anyone been in this type of situation before? Suggestions on how I should proceed?
Of course this incites the fires of hell in the commentary, and many suggestions to carefully document the incident, tell the dealer to do nothing until he gets some legal advice and then go from there.
This all took place this weekend. No doubt about it, the mechanic was driving reckless. I measured 110 feet from the point of intial impact to where the car finally stopped. This does not include the brake marks before impact. I forgot to mention this all happened on a 30 mph street.
After confronting the service manager with the evidence they dropped all pretense the damage came about as a result of bad road conditions. The previous claim of sand on the road causing a skid doesn't end with 110 feet of skid marks. The next update is a whopper:
Well...this is how the day went. They are not going to do anything other than have the car fixed. Of course they offered to fix it themselves and give me a loaner. They estimated a parts only cost without painting to be $2500. I talked to the GM (General Manager -Ed.) about depreciation, extended warranty, buying my car, selling me another car, you name it. He said if anything was damaged in the engine/drivetrain they would know it and they didn't find anything. They are not going to budge off of anything they feel like they are not required to. This is all after finally admitting they were grossly negligent and the 20 year old kid trashed my car like a rental! As soon as the owner said absolutlely no to any other option I told them not to do anything to my car, box it up and send to another dealership that another board member helped me out with (thanks again buddy). The GM then said they were going to immediately turn this over to their insurance. Get this, their deductible just happens to be $2500. They acted like this happens all the time and they already have a lot of lawsuits on them.
Contacting my lawyer in the morning for next course of action. I am willing to bet the next dealership is going to find a lot more wrong with this car.
And the next dealership did just that. After removing some body panels for inspection, they found a broken strut, borked inner brace, bent steering gear assembly, damaged rear suspension many instances of body damage, in total about $14,000 in parts and another $16,000 in labor. Currently the boned M5's owner is seeking further legal advice and negotiating with the dealer. One of the most clever parts of this story is how the actual dealer's name has never been mentioned, and that's by design. We're sure a dealership would be willing to work towards an amicable solution rather than have their name anywhere near this debacle. Our guess? It's either Autobahn Motorcars, Moritz BMW or BMW of Dallas given the M5Board member's from Fort Worth, Texas and those are the only three BMW dealers in less than 30 miles.
We'll stay tuned to find out how this all ends.
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EDT
Commenter Of The Day: Jimmy "Pony" Ryan Edition [Commenter Of The Day]
I love stories about old baseball. They all involve games with dozens of runs scored, someone getting punched, and an immigrant with a farm animal cursing a team. One such source of great stories is Jimmy "Pony" Ryan of the variously named Chicago White Sox (my favorite being the Orphans). A bit of a hot-head, he was famous for punching multiple reporters, players, and a clumsy train conductor. He's also the only player ever to hit for the cycle in a game — a 21-17 game against the Detroit Wolverines in 1888. It's possible, if Pony were alive today, he'd punch the 2011 Dodge Durango, which TroyQueef thinks is in the midst of another kind of cycle.
Can we somehow break or accelerate this life cycle / vicious circle?
1. Girls grow up, becomes woman
2. Women marry, become wifes
3. Wifes bear children, become moms
4. Moms needs big cars.
5. Moms drive wagons.
6. Wagons get image of "grocery getters", hence wagons become uncool in the general awareness (except in Jalopnik Commentariat´s awareness of course, because they don´t care about image).
7. Meanwhile, children grow into girls, women, wifes, etc (repeat 1-4)
8. New moms don´t drive wagons, because they think they are uncool, get Minivans.
9. Step 6 is repeated for minivans.
10. A new generation of mums grow up (step 1-4).
11. Wagons and Minivans are already uncool, so they switch to SUVs.
Results:
a) You can´t drive an SUV because you will look like a soccer mum.
b) SUVs have a new target buyers, OEMs take all offroad-ability away.
There...
Some questions remain:
I) What market segment will mums and marketing ruin next?
II) How long will it take before you can be seen in a real SUV again?
III) Why does family use render cars uncool?
IV) What can you drive and still not be bored to death if you have a family? I know what you all are thinking now. But except BMW M5 wagon and Merc E63 estate?
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:45:00 EDT
Jessica Alba Likes To Hit The Switches [Car Stars]
At the premiere for the movie Machete, Jessica Alba rolled up in a drop top lowrider Impala.
Jessica seemed to like riding shotgun in the clean Chevrolet. But like most girls her age she's shown here with her phone in her hand 24/7.
The lowriders in front of the Orpheum theatre were in support of Robert Rodriguez's new film Machete staring Danny Trejo.
Regardless if you are a lowrider fan or not, you have to appreciate the smooth lines, curves and craftsmanship. I'm speaking of Jessica Alba, of course.
Danny Trejo talks about his flavor for lowrider builds in this short film. The best part is when one of the lowriders bounces the front end as he is driving through a curve at an intersection, resulting in him crossing into the opposing lane of traffic. "He's just clownin'."
General Motors Trademarks "Range Anxiety" [Inside 8 Mile]
Did you miss our scoop on General Motors trademarking the term "Range Anxiety." For shame! Check it out here.
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EDT
Your Car's Headers Are Uglier [Engine Porn]
These are the exhaust headers of Ferrari’s 1966–69 Formula One car, the 312. Due to Ferrari’s focus on Le Mans, it wasn’t a particularly good car: it won 3 races out of 52. Like we care.
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EDT
Mariner Energy Oil Rig Explosion: First Photo [Oilpocalypse]
Here's one of the first photos of the Mariner Energy oil rig explosion from earlier today, showing the rig burning in the distance. No one was killed, but authorities report seeing a one-mile long oil sheen near the site. [CultureMap]
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:15:00 EDT
Top Gear's James May Claims He's The Stig [Top Gear]
Ben Collins? Who's he? James May is really The Stig. [Telegraph]
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EDT
From Canada To Mexico On One Tank of Diesel [I Feel Gassy]
Craig Henderson drove from Blaine, Washington to the Mexican border — a distance of 1,478 miles — without stopping to refuel. He burned 12.4 gallons for a record-breaking 119.1 mpg in a car he originally designed in 1984.
The Avion is a car Craig Henderson originally built with partner Bill Green way back in 1984 as a prototype for a high-mileage vehicle he hoped to sell. Commercial plans never came to fruition, but Henderson never abandoned the Avion. Over the years he's kept tinkering with it, improving its powertrain and aerodynamics along the way.
The car is built with two things in mind: weight and aerodynamics. To achieve a featherweight 1500-lb target, it uses an aluminum monocoque frame with steel front/rear crash and suspension subframes. To the frame a slippery wind tunnel-shaped body made of carbon fiber, kevlar and fiberglass is riveted and bonded in place, yielding a very stiff structure. An 800-cc diesel engine is transversely mounted behind the driver and the rear wheels are powered through a five-speed gearbox.
With such light weight and low-resistance aerodynamics, the car only requires 3-4 horsepower to keep a 55 mph pace, perfect for the tiny diesel to chug along just sipping fuel. Henderson recently got sponsorship from Goodyear and tossed on a set of their low rolling resistance "Fuel Max" tires and has been seeing 115 mpg averages. As a promotional stunt, he decided to set off from the US/Canadian border at Blaine, Washinton and drive all the way to the Mexican border without filling up. Border-to-border on one tank.
Henderson started off on August 29th and essentially drove the entire length of Interstate 5, stopping only for food, bathroom breaks and to sleep overnight. When he arrived at the Mexican border near Chula Vista, he'd burned an officially measured 12.4 gallons for an amazing 119.1 mpg fuel economy. The run actually broke the 103 mpg Guinness world record the car had set on the same border to border run in 1986.
The development on the Avion isn't over either. He's got plans to restart his dream of building the car in limited quantities. It speaks volumes that this car was built 26 years ago and with a little modification can manage such impressive fuel economy still to this day. Amazing what some added lightness and aerodynamics can accomplish.
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EDT
World-Record Monster Truck Practice Jump Foiled By Gravity [Monster Truck]
Joe Sylvester, 26, wants to break the 202-foot long jump record for monster trucks set by Bigfoot in 1999. On Tuesday, he took a practice jump of half the distance, but generated about twice the altitude he needed. Gravity sucks.
The test caught on video - including a shot from underneath Sylvester's "Bad Habits" truck - looks like a cannon shot into Pennsylvania farmland. Sylvester walks away, but not before throwing something at the wreckage.
Sylvester still plans to make his attempt this Sunday at Baker Hill Farm in Columbus, Penn., with a few modifications for launch trajectory. The bid will be aired live on Dirtvision.com.
(H/T to Shawn!)
Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EDT
Identify This Chunk of Fiberglass, Help Catch A Killer [JaloPSA]
Kyle Peters was killed riding his bike Tuesday when a vehicle struck the Canadian teenager. The driver fled, leaving behind only this 11" x 16" piece of black fiberglass. If you know what it is, leave a comment below. UPDATE!
According to police, Peters was struck while riding along County Road 34 around 9 p.m. on Tuesday in Leamington, Canada, near Windsor. Police are asking area residents to report any vehicles missing a piece of fiberglass from their front fender area, where this piece is suspected to come from. They're also asking anyone with knowledge of cars to identify the broken part.
If you've got an answer, leave it below. If you have a picture of the same piece of fender, even better. Let's help the police find this killer.
Update: If you said Audi, you're correct. Police just arrested a suspect.
Here is six minutes of glorious Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, back from the days when it was nothing but an epic battle between BMW E30 M3’s and Mercedes–Benz 190 E 2.3-16’s.
