A Senior Moment The sign of a good specialist writer is the ability to amuse those who aren't specialists, or even enthusiasts, of their particular field. Dan Neil of LA Times is probably the most entertaining automotive writing around. Here, regarding the Montego, he asks the Mercury people, "What were you thinking?" (Registration might be necessary). He's also funny when doing positive reviews, as when drooling over the Acura. No particular car lust required.
posted by QuietDesperation on Dec 11, 2004 - 17 comments

Welcome to the International archive of pants cars. Why would anyone do this to a jag?
posted by srboisvert on Sep 20, 2003 - 17 comments

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 by peterb on Aug 6, 2003 - 45 comments

The first 50 years of Fiat advertising images. Fiat has been a pioneer in the development and management of its corporate image through advertising. Famous artists as Dudovich, Codognato, Casorati and De Chirico have created beautiful posters and designs for this Italian giant of which 100 from the 1899 to 1950 period have been selected for their online historial archive. The oldest being this fantastic “Fabbrica Italiana Di Automobili” poster from 1899.
posted by riffola on Jun 8, 2003 - 7 comments

oddies but goodies. Oddball cars from yesteryear.
posted by crunchland on May 19, 2003 - 5 comments

Area residents speak of hearing their cries late in the night, a hellish screeching and squealing. Some even have seen them personally, appearing from nowhere in the dark hours... then scattering... Police came through, but now they're gone / In other words, the sideshow's on. A peek into the infamous Oakland sideshow. (Quicktime videos 1,2,3)
posted by eddydamascene on Mar 15, 2003 - 25 comments

Admired from a distance, the almost mythical Audi A3 may come stateside Toyota and Hyundai have had great success as of late with the much maligned hatchback auto design here in the United States. Even Volkswagen's international best-selling Golf saw a double-digit sales spurt in 2002 in a country that looks down on hatchbacks. Now it appears that Audi North America is looking to bring over the wonderful next generation A3 to our side of the pond. Why has the hatch been so scorned (Chevette?) and would you be interested in one - or, why not?
posted by tgrundke on Feb 4, 2003 - 56 comments

The Worst Modified Cars in the UK. Car modification is becoming a way of life for all trendy 17-25 year olds. When you can't afford a decent off-the-shelf car, you can just turn your cheap wreck into a sporty glory! Or check out an American car with a WOODEN body kit! Alternatively, just check out the ugliest cars in Britain or LoserCars, the worst cars in the USA! (Found on uk.rec.driving)
posted by wackybrit on Dec 23, 2002 - 21 comments

"Hell Bent" - the title I've given this sculpture, is the culmination of an untold number of hours work. The sculpture depicts a modern Formula One car at speed, mid-turn, and indeed in the wet.
posted by snez on Dec 18, 2002 - 10 comments

Is That an Ethanol SUV? I recently found out that some of the most popular SUVs (Suburban, Yukon, Tahoe, Explorer) are already capable of running completely on Ethanol (E85). The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition website has lists of cars and SUVs that already run on Ethanol. A handy map of refueling locations is also available. It is surprising (and good) to see the large auto-makers tangibly supporting alternative fuels.
posted by jsonic on Dec 4, 2002 - 23 comments

Formula One tweaked! The Formula One Commission met earlier today at what was touted as the most important meeting (PDF) in the last 20 years to discuss ways to rescue Formula One. The biggest outcome was to have single qualifying laps on Fridays and Saturdays, the historic Spa circuit was dropped from the calendar due to tobacco advertising restrictions. [More inside]
posted by riffola on Oct 28, 2002 - 17 comments

Not content on resting on its laurels, BMW brings in a new season of The Hire on bmwfilms.com. w00t.
posted by hobbes on Oct 16, 2002 - 9 comments

"Your car will be watching the road even if you're not" Or so says DaimlerChrysler in their new ad campaign. Electronic eyes, infrared systems, ways to keep your eyes on the road better.... All in good time, as we all expected - but wouldn't you be worried if your car could just stop itself if it saw a squirrel in the road? (via the Wall St. Journal ad 10/9/02)
posted by djspicerack on Oct 10, 2002 - 23 comments

Another child-bakes-in-car story, but this one is especially heartbreaking: single mother trying to keep her temp job has no child care for her developmentally disabled daughter and leaves her in the car out of desperation. Every summer there's a rash of these cases, with some eliciting more hatred and disgust than others. What gives -- the general decline of parenting/morals/personal responsibility, or should we get serious about child care in the land of "family values"? (Thanks to Jim Romenesko.)
posted by serafinapekkala on Oct 3, 2002 - 41 comments

Owner takes car to dealer.
Tech takes car on joyride at 140 mph.
Tech writes up experience and posts to internet.
Owner reads tech's post.
Hilarity ensues!
posted by Wet Spot on Sep 28, 2002 - 52 comments

Mission Mini. Thieves have stolen 6 valuable paintings, and a Mini Cooper S. Read the mysterious novella by Scottish author, Val McDermid, and then fly to Barcelona to take part in this mystery. Mini has arranged plane tickets and hotel for you. Are you up for some sleuthing? Get briefed.
This could be one of the coolest interactive marketing campaigns I've seen in a long while. [some links contain flash]
posted by mad on Sep 13, 2002 - 14 comments

I'm the world champion and you're not. Don't worry though, NOVA members may seem to be high and mighty, but don’t be fooled; each of use is human and have our faults. Want to host a tournament? Better learn how to run one. Maybe you'll want to host one at Paradise Racetrack where the recent addition of split levels and spiral curves has the local racing crowd abuzz with joyful anticipation. Is this a Sports Filter post about auto racing? No, it's an eerie look into the world of a Car Wars chapter. (Ever walk into somewhere that you wish you could run out of, but you just can't stop exploring...)
posted by jonah on Aug 30, 2002 - 4 comments

"Suckers. They're all watching the wrong cards. They're watching the borax. They're watching the fuel cell and its clean tailpipe. They should be watching the hydrogen. That's the payoff card." Car and Driver takes issue with the Hydrogen on Demand system used in Chrysler's Natrium concept and billed by the media as a possible solution to the problem of producing, storing, and transporting hydrogen.
posted by tirade on Aug 1, 2002 - 7 comments

Electric cars not good for the environment after all (well, not the immediate environment surrounding them)? Thanks to a glitch in the electrical system of a charging Chrysler Gem, supermodel Veronica Webb's home burnt down, taking her dog and almost her husband with it.
posted by mathowie on Jul 31, 2002 - 24 comments

A tale of two dumb-dumbs. This car enthusiast forum story really has me wondering who the dumb one is in this situation: the guy who got his car stolen, or the guy who stole the car.

Guy befriends another guy on the forum, starts talking, gives out his VIN, information on when he drives his car to work, and his address only to have the other forum-goer steal his car. Then, the brilliant car thief posts up parts from said stolen car on the EXACT SAME forum under a new name, then makes the mistake of logging in under his old name and posting a message in his sale thread.

An amusing read to say the least.
posted by PWA_BadBoy on Jul 11, 2002 - 10 comments

Atomic blast licence plates are rejected by state.
"Any reference on a license plate to weapons of mass destruction is inappropriate and would likely offend our citizens."
posted by Mwongozi on Jun 7, 2002 - 12 comments

Outta my way, or under my wheels! According to this survey from the American Iron and Steel institute, Miami has the rudest drivers in the country. I live in Miami, and it's true. If you disagree with me, you're a slack-jawed moron.
posted by groundhog on May 23, 2002 - 21 comments

VW introduces a car that gets around 235 miles per gallon (1 liter per 100km).
When should we expect Ford to release a commercial in which the newest heir to the auto dynasty relates how his father shot bears with Einstein and was told by him, in confidence, that he thought small cars were for whiny little babies?
posted by internetgeniuses on Apr 17, 2002 - 48 comments

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 by riffola on Mar 31, 2002 - 21 comments

125 Car Pile-up on Georgia Interstate 75. This is the second time my neck of the woods (literally the neck of the woods!) has been in the news. With 125 vehicles involved, I think this might be the largest wreck in US history. Thankfully, only 4 people were killed, considering it happened during the morning rush to get everyone's kids to school.
posted by mcsweetie on Mar 15, 2002 - 23 comments

MS Windows for your car? Let me make sure I'm getting this...cell phones in cars = bad, BSOD in cars = good?
posted by kasnj on Mar 4, 2002 - 14 comments

Why Sex with Cars? I keep asking myself: Is this a well-done fake or is it as serious as it looks like? B.
posted by Baud on Feb 26, 2002 - 23 comments

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 by adrianhon on Jan 23, 2002 - 19 comments

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 by Voyageman on Dec 18, 2001 - 20 comments

Does an appearance in the 1997 Disney flop "Flubber" make a classic T-bird worth more? Or less?
posted by kcmoryan on Nov 23, 2001 - 3 comments

"Preserving the environment is a competitive advantage and a major business opportunity." So says Bill Ford, former chairman and now CEO of Ford Motor Company (replacing the ousted Jacques Nasser). An admirer of the ecology of Volvos and a "hardcore environmentalist," Bill Ford represents the hope of many with the planet's environment in mind. Can he really be for real? Whether or not, the news is good to hear.
posted by moz on Oct 31, 2001 - 17 comments

How to cook rice in 9 easy steps. Evidently it involves race cars, a dash of Japanese anime, and X games music. Or something. I must admit I'm confused, and more than a little scared.
posted by sassone on Aug 28, 2001 - 14 comments

The Day My Car Ratted Me Out.
Dear Winston Smith,
Your 1984 Corvette has informed us that over the past month, you have failed to obey the speed limit 36 times, at times reaching speeds exceeding 130 MPH. As A result, we feel that we can no longer provide you with coverage. We have also supplied this information to the proper authorities, their jackbooted thugs should be in your driveway momentarily. Thank you.
INGSOC Insurance

First it was the rental car companies, now it is GM and the Insurance companies. This is the top of a very slippery slope of privacy issues and technology, specifically GPS.

WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, and, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
posted by hotdoughnutsnow on Jul 27, 2001 - 45 comments

Turn your webwasher off for this link.

I hate banner ads, which is why I use webwasher, they're annoyingly large, wasteful, and don't work. The reason they are dying and taking the rest of the dot-com industry along with them.

I don't know much about Hondas or cars all entirely, but prius seems like a good idea, better fuel efficiency saves on money and doesn't pollute as much. The reason I like the ad though, is it's not intrusive, it doesn't have a 200k gif of a windows alert box telling you 'your connected is too slow. CLICK HERE to make it faster OK', it doesn't blink or use flash. It is tailored to a specific audience, people that look up directions and drive their cars, the product that the company sells.

I hope this is the future of advertising on the web, but then again, how exactly are you suppose to fish out people to buy your 'ultra small hidden bathroom cameras'?
posted by tiaka on Jul 27, 2001 - 21 comments

Yesterday, the Good Morning Silicon Valley webpage at the SJ Merc (which I love since it keeps me from having to see CNET's god awful ads) had an interesting blurb as an offshoot of the whole NY cell-phone safety debacle (scroll to the last item.) Columnist John Paczkowski asked if it was possible to change your pants in a moving car at 65 miles an hour. He got some pretty funny responses. What have YOU done in a moving car that you shouldn't have?
posted by machaus on Jun 29, 2001 - 23 comments

"Make obstacles obsolete".... OK, I know that SUV-bashing has been done to death on Mefi, but has anyone seen the most recent TV commercial for the Cadillac Escalade? In a long video-game like sequence, the Escalade hurtles through a blade runner-esque cityscape, defeating missiles and a computer-generated robot. The voiceover chimes in to announce the brand and drop the tagline "Make obstacles obsolete."

That really sums it up, doesn't it? Driving an SUV is all about making obstacles obsolete - people, bicyclists, other cars....i'd like to see gas prices hit about US $5 a gallon this summer so that the Escalade would become obsolete...
posted by preguicoso on Jun 21, 2001 - 49 comments

This guy really wanted a Porsche Boxster... and he got one - life can be pretty sweet sometimes.
posted by johnny novak on Jun 7, 2001 - 59 comments

HydroGen1, a fuel-cell vehicle of tomorrow The prototype's power comes from electric motor supplied with current from a fuel cell that runs on pure hydrogen. The hydrogen supply is stored in liquid form at minus 253 degrees Celsius in a special storage tank called a "Cryo tank," which is similar to a vacuum storage bottle. I'm just imagining the fun they will have at the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety while crash testing this thing.
posted by fluxcreative on Jun 5, 2001 - 19 comments

He gives a whole new meaning to the word "Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it is not a sufficient basis for a sound, comprehensive energy policy." NY Times
posted by crunchland on May 1, 2001 - 138 comments

Great little shockwave game here. Like a little slice of childhood.. I remember putting together these racetracks and racing those little electric cars along them. Great fun, and there's even a 2 player option. Sweet.
posted by PWA_BadBoy on Apr 13, 2001 - 25 comments

George Jetson, your car is here! We have miniature phones, pocket computers, and wristwatch MP3 players/cameras. Now DaimlerChrysler's working on the bubble car! In lieu of faster toasting devices, can a bubble car make driving safer?
posted by hijinx on Apr 6, 2001 - 11 comments

Now they're putting URLs on our license plates. This Internet thing has finally gone too far. (Though the thought of Dale Earnhardt license plates is itself disturbing.)
posted by aaron on Apr 3, 2001 - 42 comments

For the CEO who has everything... how about a 1985 Toyota MR2 powered by 3 turbojet engines? You start it with a leaf blower. Seller says it is "probably street legal except for this little 'excessive noise' issue". Up for grabs at eBay, currently $7,700 will take this baby home!
posted by JParker on Mar 7, 2001 - 4 comments

The Unimog, a converted German military vehicle manufactured by Daimler-Chrysler will be sold as a luxury vehicle in the US later this year. (This ten-foot-tall, six-ton beast dwarfs the Hummer.) According to Unimog marketing manager Bruce Barnes, "even in Scottsdale, Arizona, moms will want to take it to the grocery store. It's a head-turning vehicle." It seems to me this thing pretty much condemns itself, but here's a tree-hugging press release to chew on.
posted by sudama on Feb 28, 2001 - 23 comments

Joe Isuzu is Back!!! "He is not going to be this smarmy, lying, bad car salesman person. He is going to be more corporate."
posted by darren on Feb 27, 2001 - 17 comments

Oldsmobile succumbs. Another auto nameplate goes the way of the dodo... and Plymouth... ending up nowhere but in memories. While corporations seem to want brand above everything else, doesn't reducing the number of brands equal a contradiction?
posted by hijinx on Dec 12, 2000 - 20 comments

Pennsylvania's new license plates featuring the state's web address are just plain Sick and Wrong, somehow. Please tell me that other states aren't going to follow suit. I saw my first one yesterday, in Austin, TX, of all places.
posted by beth on Oct 20, 2000 - 14 comments

The next Java frontier: your car. Sun Microsystems announced Monday it would partner with General Motors' dashboard technology division, OnStar, in an effort to make Java the computing standard for the automotive industry.
posted by Zool on Oct 16, 2000 - 5 comments

Invasion of privacy may be offset by cheaper insurance If this doesn't scare the hell out of you you don't drive a car.

Sure it is an excellent idea for fleet management and for personal security.

But do we really want insurance companies to know everything about our driving habits and whereabouts? Think about it. They can dictate your rate based on your speed, and ultimately can base your claim on data collected while you were driving. Big insurance is one of the most financial powerful forces out there, next to big tobacco. They are already invasive, requiring blood samples and medicals for life policies. Imagine if they could collect the intimate details of our daily lives.
posted by daddyray on Sep 24, 2000 - 12 comments

Amazon.com to offer online car-buying service. I guess this explains why they've changed their navigation once again. A little more information for those hungry for it. I wonder if I can 1-click a car? Will it be shipped within 24 hours? And I don't want any damn bookmark!
posted by jdiaz on Aug 23, 2000 - 1 comment