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Filed under: Etc. , Government/Legal , Safety California recently banned talking on cellphones , and then followed up by making texting illegal , while driving. For a moment there, it was looking like all you were going to be able to do behind the wheel in California was, you know, drive. But thanks to the dedication of Governor Schwarzenegger, individual freedoms have not been extinguished. Promising to only sign bills that are "the highest priority for California," Arnie vetoed a bill that would ban driving with dogs in your lap. While we understand the spirit of the veto -- California does have much bigger issues to deal with than lapdogs -- we do sometimes wonder why a 40-pound kid has to be in a child seat, but a 40-pound, unpredictable animal can take a nap between you and the steering wheel. [Source: AP , | Photo CC | Credit: Katrinkles ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Etc. , Videos , Humor Click the image above to view the video A very short clip that says so much, there's really only one thing to add: be very, very careful out there. You never know who you're driving next to... Follow the jump to see the vid. [Source: Break via Geekologie ] Continue reading VIDEO: Truck driver does 70 MPH, in reverse, kind of... Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford , Mercury , Driving Click the image above for more high res pics of the 2009 Mariner Hybrid Ford took pride in being the first automaker on the planet to offer a hybrid utility vehicle when it introduced the first battery-assisted Ford Escape in mid-2004. The Escape hybrid has had mixed success over the past few years, but with gas prices hitting $4 per gallon, the Blue Oval is selling every unit it can produce. For the 2008 model year, one in eight Escape sales are hybrids, which is impressive when you consider that it averages $30,000 per vehicle. In 2006, the Escape was joined by the lower volume Mariner Hybrid, giving Ford two entries in the hybrid soft-roader market, and a green model to sell at Lincoln-Mercury dealerships. The Escape got a thorough makeover on the outside for 2008, but most of the mechanicals remain a carryover from the previous generation. For 2009, Ford finished the job on the Escape and its sheet...
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Filed under: Gadgets , Motorsports , Tech , Ferrari , Driving Ferrari has placed an order with aircraft systems supplier Moog to build the Scuderia a new high-tech driving simulator for its championship-leading F1 pilots to be installed at the company's headquarters in Maranello, Italy. The system, which you can bet costs a fair bit more than a PS3 and a new barcalounger, features a custom motion-control solution with motion mechanism, control loading system and top platform with the software and operator workstation necessary to control the installation. Moog develops and manufactures simulators and control stations for everything from aircraft and satellites to medical equipment and industrial machinery. Although the terms of the deal between Moog and Ferrari were not released, Moog's stock prices shot up last Wednesday following the announcement. Check out the press release after the jump for more information. [Sources: Moog ] Continue reading Moog tapped to produce Ferrari simulator...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Nissan , Driving Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2009 Nissan Maxima The latest Nissan out of the gate - the sixth model to wear the "Maxima" designation - gets a significant redesign for 2009. Launched in 1985, the first Maxima was a praised departure from its predecessor, the rear-wheel-drive Datsun 810. Reconfigured as front-wheel-drive, the newly-named sedan foreshadowed the arrival of Nissan's "4-Door Sports Car" or "4DSC", a name aptly-coined for the 1989 model. While each subsequent generation seemed to soften (much to the lament of enthusiasts), the automaker claims this ground-up remake once-again earns the 4DSC moniker. Follow the jump to see if Nissan succeeded. Gallery: First Drive - 2009 Nissan Maxima Photos Copyright (C)2008 Michael Harley / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading First Drive: 2009 Nissan Maxima Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Time Warp , Convertibles , Sports/GTs , Driving , Alfa Romeo Click to view the '61 Alfa Giulietta in our hi-res gallery Everyone has their own idea of heaven on earth: the first snowfall, a cold beer on a hot day, a pristine azure beach... Cruising around town on a beautiful summer day in a classic Italian roadster may just be ours. There's just something, what the French call a certain je ne sais quoi , an indefinable quality about a vintage Alfa - found somewhere in between the exhaust note and the chrome details - that has a unique capacity to make driver and passenger forget about everything else and just enjoy the drive. Don't get us wrong, we're big fans of progress. But after spending a few hours with this beautiful 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider, we're gaining a new appreciation for the phrase "they don't build 'em like they used to". Follow the jump to read why. Gallery: 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Photos Copyright (C)2008...
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Filed under: Videos , Supercars , Porsche , Driving Click above to visit SpeedAndMotion.com's gallery of the Carrera GT gathering You are one of those lucky souls who happens to own a Porsche Carrera GT. You love it: the way it looks, the way it sounds, the way it drives. So you're sitting in your garage, staring at your CGT, wondering what it would take to get a few buddies together who also happen to have one of these Porsche supercars. A phone call here, an email there and before you know it you have 20 CGTs signed up for a nice drive along PCH in Orange County, California. Sounds like some kind of automotive wet dream, but it actually happened. This was the work of our old pal, Manny K., who we last saw in Vegas during the Koenigsegg CCX launch. This guy seems to know just about everybody and pops up wherever we usually want to be. While we couldn't make it personally this time, our buddies over at SpeedAndMotion.com were there with still cameras and video equipment to capture...
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Filed under: Trends , Driving The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the national average for premium gas is now $4.48 a gallon, some 40 cents more than regular, and that drivers are just refusing to buy it. Truth be told, most people who've been buying premium probably don't need it at all, but even among those whose engines specify 91 or higher, demand is way down. The Freep says it's actually at its lowest level since 1984. The higher-octane fuel accounted for 16% of gas sales at the height of its demand in 1997. Last month it was half that at 8%. Demand for premium is so low that in some areas it takes gas stations 3 or 4 weeks to sell out a shipment of premium compared to just a couple of days for regular. Experts say that demand is dropping for a number of reasons. People are switching from luxury and performance models to more efficient cars that only require regular. Many owners of premium-only vehicles are just driving less. And some people who choose to buy premium...
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Filed under: Etc. , Driving , Lifestyle Photo by richardmasoner | CC 2.0 (click for above more) Colorado State University researchers have recently concluded a study on driver behavior revealing something that may or may not be surprising to you: drivers who personalize their cars with bumper stickers, custom plates and other such markings are likely to be more aggressive and confrontational out on the road. It's all about marking your territory, say the CSU eggheads. When people use their rear bumper to, say, advertise who they voted for in the last three presidential elections (along with every associated platform issue), brag about how smart their precious kids are, or remind us about the highly unfortunate event that took place on October 27, 2004 , it's really the adhesive-based equivalent of what that next-door-neighbor's dog does when he lifts his leg on your gardenias. Those stickers make cars an extension of their drivers' home turf, which they will defend if they...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Etc. , Driving , UK Attention all you Top Gear fans out there! While most of us will never be a big enough star to actually appear on the fabled British motor show as one of its "Stars in a reasonably priced car," the Top Gear website has added a virtual chance at fame and glory. Take a crack at the real Top Gear test track just like The Stig! Pilot your Chevy Laceti around Chicago Corner, through Hammerhead, past The Follow-Through, and blast out of Gambon for the perfect lap. Current lap record holder is Alan G. with a blistering 1:41:193. If you think that's easy to beat, know that we only managed a 2:02:011 on our first full lap. It's not as easy as it might at first appear, as the rather crude graphics belie the trickiness of the controls and course. Check out the "Time to burn?" tab on the site to see how you would match up against Simon Cowell, Hugh Grant, and the Well spoken man. Hopefully you'll be able to beat at least...
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Filed under: Motorsports , Supercars , Lotus , Driving , UK , Celebrities Last year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed we spied our first Lotus 2-Eleven hypercar in the flesh. Turned out the owner was our friend, Patrick O'Neill, who had graciously agreed to be the lone Lotus representative in the supercar category. Apparently when Patrick lined up in the paddock to take his shot at the hill on day 2, a familiar face appeared at his side. While he wasn't sure exactly who it was, he knew he knew that mug from somewhere. Turned out it was another American named Patrick - Patrick Dempsey. That's right, McDreamy himself. While O'Neill chatted with Dempsey he learned that the actor was quite a Lotus fan as well as a promising racer. Dempsey asked if he could go along for the ride and O'Neill obliged. It took a little while, but O'Neill just sent us a video clip of their encounter. What you'll see in this video clip is just a snippet of the hour or so that the two Patricks...
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Filed under: Garage , Convertibles , Porsche , Driving Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder On paper, the Boxster RS 60 Spyder might seem nothing more than a limited-edition Boxster with some interior upgrades, a slight horsepower bump over the S model and a name picked from the company's rich racing history. Let's first take a look at the car's historic name. In 1960, Porsche's mid-engined 718 RS 60 won both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Targa Florio . Historic pictures show it as a silver car with a red leather interior, much like the 2008 Boxster RS 60 Spyder I took around Barber Motorsports this week. Continue reading after the jump and visit our high res gallery . Gallery: First Drive: Porsche Boxster RS 60 Photos Copyright (C)2008 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading First Drive: 2008 Porsche RS 60 Spyder Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Minivans/MPVs , Ford , Driving Click above for high-res gallery of our first drive of the 2009 Ford Flex Those of you who follow the auto industry as obsessively as we do will immediately recognize the all-new 2009 Ford Flex as the production version of the well-received Ford Fairlane "People Mover" concept from the 2005 Chicago Auto Show. The suicide doors are gone and the front has been opened up a bit to allow the engine to breathe... but Ford's execution from concept to production is, for the most part, dead-on. Ford recently gave us the opportunity to drive the new Flex in Southern California, so follow the jump to read our first impressions of the Blue Oval's new people mover. Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Ford Flex Photos Copyright (C)2008 Michael Harley / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading First Drive: 2009 Ford Flex Limited AWD Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Supercars , Cadillac , Driving click above for a new high-res gallery of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Burning_lots_of_rubber_in_Cadillac_s_new_556_HP_CTS_V_sedan'; This week the Cadillac communications crew invited a group of media out to General Motors' Milford Proving Ground for a special preview of the new second-generation Cadillac CTS-V. We first saw the CTS-V last January at the Detroit Auto Show and more information has been dribbling in the intervening time period. A few weeks back, GM's resident speed demon engineer John Heinricy took a production spec CTS-V to an all-time lap record of 7:59.32 for a production sedan at the Nürburgring, and this week Cadillac revealed the official SAE certified power numbers for the super-Caddie at 556 horsepower and 551 pound-feet of torque. When we got to Milford our handlers took us out to a tent by the Lutz-ring test track where we found three CTS-Vs and various...
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Filed under: Etc. , Government/Legal , Driving Drivers can fly through the Nürburgring Nordshcleife at tremendous rates of speed, risking life and limb to shave a second or two off a lap time. But apparently if you let the rear wheels slip a bit while coming into a turn, you're a drifter just begging for a pink slip. Bridge to Gantry blogger Dale Lomas was banned from the 'Ring for what he says is nothing more than some oversteer, but the heavy-handed Germans didn't see it that way. Officials wrote Lomas, who prides himself as a paid racing instructor, a ban slip with an offense that translates to "Drifting while Overtaking." The Green Hell isn't just some lawless speed haven, which makes sense considering the dangers inherent in the famous circuit's myriad twists and turns. Still, while getting banned from the 'Ring is a real bummer, at least the pink slip looks good hanging on the office wall. [Source: Bridge to Gantry ] Read | Permalink | Email...
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