Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:45:00 EDT

Toyota, Predictably, Agrees The Runaway Prius Was A Hoax [Beige Bites Back]

Click here to read Toyota, Predictably, Agrees The Runaway Prius Was A Hoax
At a press conference today, Toyota agreed with NHTSA's earlier assessment, offering up eight reasons why Jim Sikes account of his "runaway Prius" is completely full of crap. More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EDT

NYC Cabbies Scammed Riders In Totally Unsurprising Crimes [Car Crime]

Click here to read NYC Cabbies Scammed Riders In Totally Unsurprising Crimes
When New York City compared cab GPS data against fares, they discovered some cabbies had been charging double the going rate, bilking passengers out of $8.3M. The City's now concocting a refund scheme for riders who paid in plastic. [IndependentMail] More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EDT

America, You Brought The Toyota Hoax On Yourself [Beige Bites Back]

Click here to read America, You Brought The Toyota Hoax On Yourself
No matter how the Great Toyota Recall and Jim Sikes saga end, two things are certain: One, American drivers are sheep, and two, yes, this will happen again. More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:15:00 EDT

Best Barn Find Ever: Two Brand-New BMW E30 M3s And A Fast Ford [Barn Finds]

Click here to read Best Barn Find Ever: Two Brand-New BMW E30 M3s And A Fast Ford
The RS Owners Club story begins with an amazing find: an E30 M3 with just 37 miles, yet concludes with something even more amazing: a second E30 M3 with 57 miles and, wait for it, a Ford RS200. More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EDT

Beige Bites Buff Book: Motor Trend Picks Camry As Top Mid-Size Sedan [Beige Bites Back]

MotorTrend not only picked a Camry as top mid-size sedan, they picked a beige Camry. More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EDT

How To Turn Your Toyota Into a Fauxrarri For Just $2000 [Found On EBay]

Click here to read How To Turn Your Toyota Into a Fauxrarri For Just $2000
Have a Toyota MR2 but really wish you had a Ferrari? The wrong way to make your dreams reality is to eBay for this $2,000 kit that'll help you re-badge your 'yota as an Italian supercar. More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EDT

The 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix [Formula One]

Click here to read The 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
With a rash of new teams, an unretired Michael Schumacher, and a very balanced field, the 61st season of Formula One has kicked off in the sands of Arabia. Spoilers below. More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:30:00 EDT

Nicholas Cage In Trouble Over Unpaid Rolls Royces [Celebrity Cars]

Click here to read Nicholas Cage In Trouble Over Unpaid Rolls Royces
In 2007, actor Nicolas Cage leased a 1964 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III worth a cool $550K and a not-as-cool 2002 Corniche. When he lost his shirt in the stock market, he returned 'em. Now he's got a $240K bill. More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EDT

Nissan GT-R Owner Charged With Insurance Fraud After Crash Vid Hits YouTube [Car Crime]

Click here to read Nissan GT-R Owner Charged With Insurance Fraud After Crash Vid Hits YouTube
Remember when a Nissan GT-R crashed trying to keep up with a Mitsubishi Evo? Turns out the driver in that video tried to scam his insurance company for repairs and now him and his sister have been arrested. More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:30:00 EDT

What's History's Greatest Automotive Hoax? [Question Of The Day]

Click here to read What's History's Greatest Automotive Hoax?
Automotive history is rife with those who have taken advantage of society's collective gullibility. If Jim Sikes is in fact a four-wheeled balloon boy, he's pretty high on the list. What's history's greatest automotive hoax? More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EDT

Anyone Else See A Pattern Here? [Beige Bites Back]

Click here to read Anyone Else See A Pattern Here?
Some have noticed a pattern between Toyota sudden acceleration cases and the age of drivers. We did too, so we updated their numbers and turned them into a pretty chart. We like pretty charts. Updated! More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:30:00 EDT

2011 Kia Optima: The G8 Wants Its Side Vents Back [New York Auto Show]

Click here to read 2011 Kia Optima: The G8 Wants Its Side Vents Back
The 2011 Kia Optima will adopt the old American mantra of longer-lower-wider at its New York Auto Show debut. Also present? Some respectable, if derivative, styling; Pay no attention to the nicked Pontiac G8 fender vents. More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EDT

How To Greenwash A Ferrari [Concept Cars]

Click here to read How To Greenwash A Ferrari
Here's how the Ferrari 599 HY-KERS incorporates a 100 HP electric motor and lithium ion batteries into a plain Jane Ferrari 599 without sacrificing performance. More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EDT

Nissan Planning Full-Sized Passenger Vans [New Cars]

In addition to blunt-nosed commercial vans, Nissan now plans blunt-nosed passenger vans too. [PickupTrucks.com] More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EDT

My God, It's Full Of... Cars [Car Porn]

Click here to read My God, It's Full Of... Cars
Photo of a sea of Volvos in formation awaiting transport in Malmö, Sweden: topherous/Flickr via Wired: Autopia More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EDT

Ranchestivo Carts Clowns, Costs $3,800! [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]

Click here to read Ranchestivo Carts Clowns, Costs $3,800!
Some people drive inordinately large vehicles in order to compensate for shortcomings below the waist. Today, Nice Price or Crack Pipe has a customized Ford that will let everybody know that your name could easily be Hugh Johnson. More »

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:00:00 EDT

NHTSA Can't Explain Runaway Prius Either [Toyota Recall]

Click here to read NHTSA Can't Explain Runaway Prius Either
Confirming the congressional memo we shared yesterday questioning the story of runaway Prius driver Jim Sikes, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officials say "we have not been able to find anything to explain the incident that Mr. Sikes reported." More »

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:30:00 EDT

Project Car Hell, Big Sporty Germans Edition: 560SEC or Audi V8? [Project Car Hell]

Click here to read Project Car Hell, Big Sporty Germans Edition: 560SEC or Audi V8?
Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most hellish! You want a great big Teutonic luxury car, but you also want pizzazz? And you want it cheap? More »

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EDT

NASA’s Western Endurance Racing Championship [Racing]

Click here to read NASA’s Western Endurance Racing Championship
You've raced in a few 24 Hours of LeMons and ChumpCar events which means you've already got a roll-cage installed in Mom's Oldsmobile. Where do you go from there? NASA's Western Endurance Racing Championship series. More »

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EDT

When Was the Last Time You Saw One of These in California? [Down On The Street Bonus Edition]

Click here to read When Was the Last Time You Saw One of These in California?
This is Down On The Street Bonus Edition, where we check out interesting street-parked cars located in places other than the Island That Rust Forgot. You don't see a lot of Renault 5 Turbos down on the American street! More »

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EDT

Shopping For a New Hindustan Motors Ambassador? [Brochure]

Click here to read Shopping For a New Hindustan Motors Ambassador?
The Morris Oxford/Hindustan Ambassador has been in production for 56 years, which means it has 9 more to go in order to beat the Beetle. How do you market such a classic? More »

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:20:00 EDT

This Memo Proves The Runaway Prius Was A Hoax [Exclusive]

Click here to read This Memo Proves The Runaway Prius Was A Hoax
We first raised doubts about the financial motivations and character of Jim Sikes, the runaway Prius driver, last week. Now there's evidence, in a draft memorandum obtained by Jalopnik from sources familiar with the investigation, that Sikes perpetrated a hoax. More »

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EDT

Forget About Imports and Put On Your Dacron Bell-Bottoms: 1978 Olds Cutlass Salon! [Classic Ad Watch]

Click here to read Forget About Imports and Put On Your Dacron Bell-Bottoms: 1978 Olds Cutlass Salon!
More headroom than the Volvo 242! A longer wheelbase than the VW Dasher! Crypto-fastback styling! More »

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EDT

Inspired or Insane? Taking On a 1967 Mitsubishi 360 Van Restoration [Restoration]

Click here to read Inspired or Insane? Taking On a 1967 Mitsubishi 360 Van Restoration
I had never heard of this tiny pre-Minica kei van prior to reading about it on the Japanese Nostalgic Car forums, but now I must have one! More »

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EDT

You Decide: Who's To Blame For This Scary LeMons Race Crash? [Question Of The Day]

Click here to read You Decide: Who's To Blame For This Scary LeMons Race Crash?
Who's to blame? There's been a lot of debate on the LeMons forums about who bears most of the responsibility for the wreck. You decide, below. More »

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EDT

Everyone Says They're Impossible To Find: Junked Datsun 810 Wagon [Down On The Junkyard]

Click here to read Everyone Says They're Impossible To Find: Junked Datsun 810 Wagon
Fans of Malaise Era Japanese iron often tell me they'd love to do an 810 wagon project, but claim they can't be found these days. Here's one that made it past the auction process and into The Crusher's waiting room. More »

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EDT

1948 Plymouth Deluxe Six [Down On The Street]

Click here to read 1948 Plymouth Deluxe Six
Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. You say Alameda is running out of good cars for this series? That will never happen! More »

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:02:00 EST

The Anti-Toyota Commercial Ford Wishes It Had The Balls To Run [Beige Bites Back]

Click here to read The Anti-Toyota Commercial Ford Wishes It Had The Balls To Run
The U.S. automakers have been licking their chops to take a hard swipe at Toyota over unintended acceleration. None had the balls to actually do it. SNL, however, does — with this anti-Toyota commercial Ford wishes they could really run. More »

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:45:00 EST

2011 BMW 5 Series Touring: Baby Got Back That We'll Never Get [New Cars]

Click here to read 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring: Baby Got Back That We'll Never Get
The new BMW 5 Series is built on the same platform as the 7 Series, which explains the variety of ever-larger backsides. The latest? The BMW 5 Series Touring. Attractive, right? Don't worry, we're probably not getting it here. More »

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST

What Do You Do With a Free Ford Tempo? [24 Hours Of Lemons]

Click here to read What Do You Do With a Free Ford Tempo?
We got a really great judicial bribe at last weekend's Sears Pointless 24 Hours of LeMons race: a beat-to-hell, unregisterable, not-legal-for-public-streets Ford Tempo. After honoring Ford_Tempo_Fanatic with a Tempo DOTS recently, we found ourselves in something of a dilemma. More »

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST

What About Emission Control Laws? [Question Of The Day]

Click here to read What About Emission Control Laws?
Once that bleeding-heart liberal Richard Nixon signed the Clean Air Act in 1970, the writing was on the wall for 11:1 compression hydrocarbon-spewing chrome chariots. Malaise Era, coming up! Still, it's now possible to breathe the air in Los Angeles. More »

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST

Citroën DS Develops Huge Panel Gaps Due To Excessive Phrog Slammin' [Music]

Click here to read Citroën DS Develops Huge Panel Gaps Due To Excessive Phrog Slammin'
You'll need to suspend your disbelief while watching this 2000 music video by Da Slammin Phrogz, because nodding-dog dolls wouldn't get enough bounce action to function while perched in a suspension hydropneumatique-equipped Citroën. Ditto for the gill-style door panel gaps. More »

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST

The Top 147 Lemons of the Sears Pointless 24 Hours of LeMons [24 Hours Of Lemons]

Click here to read The Top 147 Lemons of the Sears Pointless 24 Hours of LeMons
Race Numero Quatro of the 2010 LeMons season left a trail of connecting rods, oil, and bumpers all over Infineon Raceway's once-pristine surface, and we saw our first-ever LeMons Citroën. Want to see the other 146 entries? More »

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST

Mrs. Adams Abducts Ford Salesman In '74 Country Squire [Classic Ad Watch]

Click here to read Mrs. Adams Abducts Ford Salesman In '74 Country Squire
Salesman of big gas-sucking dreadnaughts were really feeling the pain in 1974, what with the Arab oil embargo and runaway inflation. That's why it was easy for "Mrs. Adams" to lure the unsuspecting Ford salesman to his doom. More »

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST

Largest Assortment of Patinas Ever Found On One Lincoln! [Down On The Junkyard]

Click here to read Largest Assortment of Patinas Ever Found On One Lincoln!
I wish I'd had shots of this glorious '70 Mark III when I made the Junkyard Desktop Wallpaper Gallery, because it's a beauty from any angle! More »

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST

1970 Chevrolet El Camino [Down On The Street]

Click here to read 1970 Chevrolet El Camino
Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. I've been neglecting this very clean El Camino in my neighborhood for long enough! More »

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST

Follow Jalopnik, Staff On Twitter [Car Tweets]

Follow us on Twitter: @Jalopnik, @raywert, @madmatter33, @ThatSamSmith, @HellForLeather, @benwojdyla More »

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST

Commenter Of The Day: Boldly Going Edition [Commenter Of The Day]

Click here to read Commenter Of The Day: Boldly Going Edition
Jalopnik recently got an #offtopic forum, then, today we asked a Gawker intern to cull some gems from it for us. Both represent bold steps into a realm where no man has gone before. Optixtruf somehow saw a connection between this and the greatest television show ever made, saying: More »

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:45:00 EST

EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Business Partner Claims Runaway Prius Driver A "Scammer" [Exclusive]

Click here to read EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Business Partner Claims Runaway Prius Driver A "Scammer"
Since reporting the questionable past of runaway Toyota Prius driver James Sikes there's been a deluge of tips coming in about his character, including the following from a former business partner who alleges Sikes stole from their company. More »

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST

Scottish Police Roll Gangster-Style In Seized Q7 TDI [Police Cars]

Click here to read Scottish Police Roll Gangster-Style In Seized Q7 TDI
When police in Strathclyde, Scotland seized a gang-owned Audi Q7 TDI they realized it was too cool to auction off (and return the money to citizens coffers) so they've applied police livery and roll like bad-boy yardies. Mad respect. [BBC] More »