Senin, 25 Juli 2011

Video: The Mother of All Car Jump Fails


Take a good look at the opening picture above: what you see are the backs of two men in racing costumes, what they see is the road from several feet above the ground in a 90-degree angle…

But let's rewind. What you're about to watch is two stuntmen trying an ambitious jump in what appears to be a Dacia of the 1300 series. According to the person that took the video, the time is 1995 and the place is the Romanian city of Alba Iulia.

For whatever reasons, the jump didn't go as planned and as a result, the Dacia flew into the air only to drop down like a brick well before reaching the ramp on the other side. Amazingly, at the end of the clip we can see the driver and the front passenger walking out of the car alive!

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2012 Honda Ridgeline gains New Sport Trim


As you probably expected after the introduction of the 2012 Pilot, Honda also announced the first details on its updated for the new model year Ridgeline pickup truck.

The big news is the addition of a new member to the Ridgeline family called Sport that supposedly targets customers looking for more personalized and slightly sinister looks.

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Cadillac Introduces 2012 SRX with New 308HP 3.6-Liter V6 LFX Engine


The latest Cadillac SRX has been on the market for just two model years, but for 2012, General Motors is making some important tweaks to improve the crossover model's performance.

While GM had made the announcement on the 2012 SRX back in April, the company came out today with additional information and revised performance figures, just before the SUV goes on sale.

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Shocker! Chrysler Bringing Home More Bacon than Fiat...


Two years ago, Chrysler was saved from oblivion when the federal government provided a $15 billion bailout and orchestrated a rescue plan that gave the Fiat Group the management control of the company.

Last week, the Italian automaker raised its share in Chrysler beyond 50% for the first time, to 53.5%.So Fiat saved Chrysler in 2009, right? Well, yes, but 2011 is another story altogether.

You see, Chrysler’s US sales increased by 21% in the first six months of the year, whereas Fiat’s European deliveries dropped 12.7% in the same period. But that's only half the story. With the exception of the Maserati and Ferrari brands, the Chrysler Group will contribute to the alliance €155 million for June alone, while Fiat €175 million for the past three months.

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Bulgarian Styling House Vilner Refines Toyota iQ


While American buyers will have to wait until October to see the iQ in Scion's showrooms, over in Europe, the Japanese carmaker's 3+1 seat mini has been on sale since the beginning of 2009.

But despite being in the market for more than two years, the iQ hasn't really caught the attention of the aftermarket tuners. One of the few companies to warm up to the iQ is Bulgarian customizer Vilner, which has introduced a more luxurious take on the Toyota's interior.

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Fisker Claims Multi-Speed Gearbox Would Give Karma “Veyron Speed”


Fisker’s environment-friendly hybrid sports sedan, the Karma, can hardly be called a slouch but if someone were to tell you that it could reach “Bugatti Veyron levels of performance” you'd probably look at them a little askance. But that's exactly what Henrik Fisker recently supported during an interview with British weekly magazine Autocar.

More specifically, the founder of the company said that the development of a reliable multi-speed gearbox could offer electric-powered vehicles a huge boost in performance.

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Life After Death: Automakers Find New Uses for Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Batteries


Hybrids and electric vehicles are more environment-friendly than conventionally powered models. However, one question many eco-conscious consumers bring up is what happens to the batteries at the end of their life cycle in the vehicles.

GM and Nissan estimate that batteries in their Volt and LEAF models respectively will have approximately 70% of their “life” remaining after a decade on the road. So, far from being useless, they can be utilized as back-up power sources for home use.

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