This is how we roll in India
This is how we slide in Saudi
This is how we fly in Sweden
Some people are a little bit casual about road safety.
posted on Jul 14, 2008 - View this thread

Ferris wheel parking versus automated stacking.
posted on Jul 13, 2008 - View this thread

US Traffic & Road Sign Test. Five part, 30 questions each, multiple choice test on US road, highway and traffic signs. Results include inline scoring and explanation of each sign.
posted on Jun 20, 2008 - View this thread

The Weirdest Stories in Car Collecting, Part 1 and Part 2. From Sports Car Market
posted on May 6, 2008 - View this thread

sQuba Submersible Sports Car --Rinspeed calls the sQuba the first real submersible car. Unlike military amphibious vehicles, which can only drive slowly on a lakebed, the sQuba travels like a submarine - either on the surface or submerged. The interior is resistant to salt water, allowing the skipper to drive into a lake or the sea. The only downside? It's a convertible.
posted on Feb 18, 2008 - View this thread

The Tata Nano (pic) is a car that costs less new than the amount I've spent on gas during single car trips, recently announced to the auto market in India. The Chery QQ ^, successful , widely exported, and recognized as the Hostage Taker's Vehicle of Choice by China Car Times, is the runner-up for the world's cheapest car but is still approximately twice as expensive. Yes indeed, the price of gas is not going to come back down. So much for my coast-to-coast road trips.
posted on Feb 3, 2008 - View this thread

"The Toyota Prius is much too powerful and luxurious a road car," thought Walter Mitty. "What I desire is a Zest Roadster. Pocketa-pocketa-pocketa."
posted on Nov 27, 2007 - View this thread

A two-ton 21-mpg 8-passenger V8 Chevy Tahoe? America, meet your 2008 Green Car of the Year!
posted on Nov 27, 2007 - View this thread

"The grand finale was something out of a Matrix-style movie. A two-by-six piece of wood was placed on edge and the Bose car drove toward it at moderate speed and then leapt over the board as elegantly as a cat, touching down softly." Edmunds reviews the new Bose electromagnetic automobile suspension.
posted on Sep 20, 2007 - View this thread

"She was the first and only girl I kissed in the car. It's priceless because of that, as far as I'm concerned." Clarence Cleveland Curtis, 84 years young, is still driving his first car, a 1929 Ford Model A he bought used (for $10!) as a teenager in 1938. It's the car in which he kissed his future wife 67 years ago, when he was 17 and she was 14... Related: "My First Car" at HotRodder, "My First Car" at Motortrend, and "My First Car" at "AutoWeek.
posted on Aug 22, 2007 - View this thread

SUV sales are up. In spite of higher gas prices and concern about global warming, Americans still want bigger cars. It might not be enough to save the Hummer H2, though.
posted on May 24, 2007 - View this thread

A study released by CERA has some interesting tidbits: the average motorist in 2005 used 703 gallons of gas, and drove 40 percent more than 25 years ago; the US has 1,148 registered personal vehicles for every 1,000 licensed drivers; the percentage of vehicles that are SUVs (including minivans and light trucks) is slowly going down from 55% in 2005 to 53% in 2006; the average fuel consumption for all vehicles is 19.8 mpg in 2005, a drop from when it peaked at 20.2 in 2001; and the share of U.S. household budgets going to gasoline and oil has has been relatively stable for decades, at about 3.8 percent in 2006.
posted on Dec 1, 2006 - View this thread

The Transportation Research Board released their 3rd edition of Commuting in America. Among their findings, a 50% increase in "extreme commuters", those with a one way commute of more than 60 minutes; 8% of Americans are now in this category. 25 years ago, 1 in 5 commeters carpooled. Today, only 1 in 10. And the dominant commuting pattern is now suburb to suburb or city to suburb. [via NPR]
posted on Oct 16, 2006 - View this thread

Have you ever wanted to see an exploded view of a Formula One car? How about live and in person? via SpoFi
posted on Aug 2, 2006 - View this thread

Collective global wireless network mapping via high-traffic automobile networks
posted on Jun 27, 2006 - View this thread

"Q: Is that another car on top?
 A: Yes, it's a VW bug." -- Carthedral. A few more (clearer, daylight) photos here.
posted on Feb 19, 2006 - View this thread

The Nissan Terranaut. Quite the vehicle.
posted on Feb 15, 2006 - View this thread

The Bugatti Veyron, according to Jeremy Clarkson on last night's Top Gear, may well be the Concorde of cars. So Clarkson is a man prone to hyperbole, but this time the facts might just back him up. A throw-away remark from VW boss Ferdinand Piëch became the informal design brief. A 1000 horsepower car capable of the north side of 400kph/250mph. It looks futuristic, but has the stats to match. 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds. In an acceleration race with a McLaren F1 (the previous fastest supercar), the Veyron can give the F1 a head-start to 120mph, but will still beat it to 200mph. At 250mph, the 100 litre fuel tank will empty in 12 minutes, and you can brake to stand-still in just ten seconds (albeit covering the length of four football pitches in the process). The car will set you back most of UK £1,000,000 but that's barely an indicator: the few that exist are being sold at loss because they "just wanted to see if they could". With an industry facing shifting priorities, there may never be another super-car quite like this.
posted on Dec 12, 2005 - View this thread

Calm down. A new, humorous, attempt at "traffic calming". I know, I know, a lot of it was previously discussed. Some think it's a good idea (hey, we've even got some in my neighborhood!). But there are others who disagree. I never thought it would be such a heated topic! (or noteworthy by Wired, even.) Aaaah... the hell with it. Maybe the way to go is NO RULES.
posted on Nov 30, 2005 - View this thread

"The Car Music Project was conceived in late 1991 by composer Bill Milbrodt, when his personal car, battered and road-weary, was nearing the end of its useful life. It had endured close to 200,000 miles of road life with little mechanical maintenance and even less cosmetic attention. It would cost more to repair than it was worth and the poor thing had virtually no value as a trade-in. The paint was faded, pesky springs poked through the upholstery, knobs and handles were missing, and the electrical system was iffy. It dripped oil, blew smoke, and made more noise than a cement mixer. It was time to turn the car into music."
posted on Nov 11, 2005 - View this thread

Smaller than a DVD player - small enough to sit comfortably under the hood of any truck or car - it could be big enough to solve the world's greenhouse gas emission problems, at least for the near future. In fact, it could make the Kyoto protocol obsolete.
posted on Sep 17, 2005 - View this thread

The Honda Civic GX NGV is a car that you can fuel up at home by using a unit that taps into your home's natural gas line. There are two major benefits of owning a natural gas powered car: (1) they can use HOV lanes in California; and (2) using residential natural gas as fuel can save a heavy commuter up to $1,000 per year in fuel costs. Ultimately, though, the Honda Civic GX NGV is only for penny-pinching clean-air fanatics who have arduous daily commutes, don't like music or driving and are too anti-social to carpool.
posted on Jul 13, 2005 - View this thread

The Aurora   (mostly pictures, slightly more info here). One car, two men, three decades of rust. Guy buys truly hideous 1957 prototype car from junkyard, restores it to gleaming unsightliness. Conne_ticut?
posted on Mar 30, 2005 - View this thread

Roadside Memorials on the American Highway
posted on Mar 16, 2004 - View this thread

"...Red 5 standing by..." Kate Horn documents her love and creation of the X-Wing Toyota Tercel. Note the license plate people, she's out on the road, armed with blasters and quiet possibly, the Force.
posted on Jan 19, 2004 - View this thread

Hack your car. AutoXRAY scans internal vehicle computers and gives detailed diagnostics and real-time graphing output.
posted on Jan 12, 2004 - View this thread

1.26 million people killed every year on the road or from subsequent injuries... ..Four Qld road deaths in 5 hours. 42,815 people died in 2002 in automobile crashes in the United States. Shouldn't these facts give us the resolve to explore a better solution to our transportation needs? I do not see the national debate that these deaths would evoke if the cause was different. Why are we numb to this?
posted on Nov 24, 2003 - View this thread

Last Saturday afternoon, Rep. Bill Janklow (SD) ran a stop sign and hit and killed a motorcyclist. Janklow has a history of driving poorly. In fact, his speedy habits have been the subject of jokes in the past. Will Janklow receive special treatment because of his fame? What kind of penalty does a crime such as this deserve?
posted on Aug 19, 2003 - View this thread

Breastfeeding while driving seemed like a good idea to Catherine Donkers, but now she is (thankfully) on trial for it. Since she's a member of a weird cult that believes the Bible should be the law of land, this should be entertaining. Presumably, they can just keep appealing for a few years until the crazies run the country.
posted on Aug 6, 2003 - View this thread

The RAPTOR Mark III - "The RAPTOR Mark III is the fastest and most versatile security vehicle in the world. It mounts a devastating choice of firepower as well as a comprehensive assortment of non-lethal weapons, all interchangeable and deployed through a retractable top."

You in the Hummer 2! Hold on a second... via William Gibson's blog
posted on Jun 13, 2003 - View this thread

In a dispute over a car worth less than $20,000, General Motors sank more than $82,000 in its own legal fees and ... lost. The judge said that average citizens need to feel free to take on automakers with deep pockets and awarded the plaintiff $108,000 in attorney fees in a warranty case.
posted on May 12, 2003 - View this thread

Sure, we all know the story about how Detroit developed, and then kept under wraps, a 100mpg carburetor is false. However, affordable 80mpg family sedans are real: behold the Supercar! They are the results of a nearly decade-long partnership between The Big Three and the Clinton administration. However the program was quietly shelved last June, the victim of the Bush administration, and corporate backpedaling. Read the whole sordid tale here. [use username/password for login] In the meantime, you'll have to settle for one of these.
posted on Dec 13, 2002 - View this thread

Drive on air. A new engine design that not only runs on air, but cleans it too.
posted on Sep 20, 2002 - View this thread

Irv Gordon has driven his 1966 Volvo P1800 2,000,000 miles. My current car has gone about 140,000 miles and is just now "broken in". Our last one had was retired at 266,000 miles. How many miles do you expect to put on your vehicle before you get a new one?
posted on Apr 5, 2002 - View this thread

The pinacle of automobile racing now provides technology for your feet. Pininfarina designed Scuderia Ferrari replica shoe based on their Formula One cars, made by Fila is here. "The 3 Action system provides superior cushioning and the Speed Tech shank offers maximum responsiveness, stability and torsion control. And, so that you may choose your path, the racing tire-inspired outsole provides maximum traction on every surface."
posted on Mar 31, 2002 - View this thread

Study: Mobile Phone Users Worse Than Drunk Drivers
It took mobile users half-a-second longer to react than normal, and one-third of a second longer than when they had been drinking.
They were also less able to maintain a constant speed and found it harder to keep a safe distance from the car in front. Participants in the study stated that they found it easier to drive drunk than when using a cell phone.
Here's the fun quote:
"Eventually," said Dominic Burch, road safety campaign manager at Direct Line, "we would like to see the use of mobile phones when driving, both hand-held and hands-free, become as socially unacceptable as drink driving."
Nice graphic Here that explains the time/distance it takes to stop. That fraction of a second = +46 feet stopping time over normal, and +33 over being drunk. More Here and The Full Report[PDF].
posted on Mar 24, 2002 - View this thread

Goliath lost. This and other pro-small billboards are popping up in downtown Atlanta. No doubt they have cousins (little ones, I'm sure) springing up in your cities. I couldn't believe my eyes, because the billboards seemed to be promoting the ever-so-British Mini Cooper.

The Mini is... well... just like it says, the veritable opposite of the stereotypical American SUV. Yes, it is the type of car Mr Bean would drive. But when you see them in their natural Anglo habitat, you can't help but notice they're just perfectly suited to zipping to and from wherever. The site lets you find a dealer, build your own Mini and save it for future reference. The catch is that you have to fill out an opt-in form, but with lines like this as part of your agreement, how could you resist?

"- I agree to chase squirrels around the park now and then and giggle like a madman while doing it."

Yeah. I want one. But will the American public?
posted on Mar 14, 2002 - View this thread

"Cadillac's brand manager says, "Cadillac research showed that there was a real need for the EXT." A real need for a Cadillac pickup? Really? If so, then here are a few things that I really need: An air-conditioned front yard. Iguana-skin patio furniture. Stigmata. Mint-flavored Drano. Gold-plated roof gutters. A 190-hp MerCruiser SaladShooter. A dog with a collapsible tail. An office desk that converts into a Hovercraft. Chrome slacks. A lifetime subscription to Extreme Fidgeting. A third arm. A fourth wife. A smokeless Cuban Robusto. Reusable Kleenex." Is this Car and Driver review SUV-bashing? Sure. Is it funny? Definitely.
posted on Mar 5, 2002 - View this thread

It looks like a Radio Shack exploded inside... possibly one of the most astonishing cars I've ever seen. Just wait until you find out what it started its life as.
posted on Jan 23, 2002 - View this thread

Have a favorite vehicle? Looking for a late night, post-office party romp, well keep an eye out for the Spanish or Italian gent in his Porsche Boxter, or the Chesire lady in her Volkswagen Beetle. Be sure to stay clear of stick shifts and men from Southeast England.
posted on Dec 18, 2001 - View this thread

Calling All Pod People: there's a car for you! "This concept car explores the potential for communication between people and their vehicle," Toyota said in preview information released on Thursday. I don't want to communicate with machines (using machines to communicate with other people is more my style). What is it about Japanese culture that produces all these machine-human "relationships"? Tamagotchi, Aibo, NeCoRo, ad nauseam.
posted on Oct 18, 2001 - View this thread

Hmmm...I wish I had some sort of funky, unique accessory for my new car. Y'know, something different....Wait, I've got it! AUTOMOTIVE TESTICLES! (Via FilePile.)
posted on Jun 4, 2001 - View this thread

Certain things like this irk me just as much as the next guy, but it always makes me wonder how it can bother someone so much to create an organization against it.
posted on Mar 28, 2001 - View this thread