Warning: Your car may be hazardous to your health. And we’re not talking about the usual dangers that being on the road entail. Your windshield-washer water may be making your car contagious.

A new report from the U.K.’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) suggests that your windscreen-washer tank might be harboring some unwanted guests – namely, the bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease. According to the HPA’s pilot study, scientists found traces of the bacteria in one of five windscreen-washer reservoirs that were filled with plain, stagnant water. Reservoirs that carried an additive-based windshield-washer fluid didn’t show any sign of the fatal bacteria.

The study also showed that people who spent more time behind the wheel, like taxi drivers, were 20 percent more likely of catching the disease. If you want to avoid this problem like the plague (pun intended), fill your windshield-washer reservoir with a reputable, brand-name windshield washer fluid.

[Source: Times Live]

Racing is never cheap, but the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship provides a compelling mix of tight racing at a number of high profile venues (including the Honda Indy Toronto and Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres) without the big sticker price of pro series in the United States.

This winning combination has attracted a number of top quality pro drivers including Lombardi Racing‘s Nick Wittmer, CCTCC defending champ and experienced Grand Am driver, and Durabond/Compass360′s Karl Thomson, who led his C360R team to a Grand Am ST class championship last year in the highly competitive Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (formerly Koni Challenge).

What’s even more impressive is that the Canadian Touring Car fields have continued to grow despite hard economic times, a true indication of what a good value this series represents. With over 50 drivers split between Super Touring (similar to World Challenge GTS class) and Touring (similar to Grand Am’s ST class) groups in a variety of today’s most popular platforms including Honda Civics, BMW 3-series, Hyundai Genesis coupes, and MINI Cooper Ss, as you’ll see from the video after the jump, the on-track action is both fast and furious (and contains a few bleeped out f-bombs).

[Source: CCTCC]

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Haven’t got Dad a gift for Father’s Day yet? Forgo the last-minute dash to 7-11 for usual card and Oh Henry! gift combo and order him a Bugatti Veyron Diamond Edition model car.

The Bugatti Veyron – the most expensive new production car in the world – is the inspiration for this ridiculous expensive dinky car. You can’t even go for a spin and show this bad boy off, as it’s a 1:18 scale model. And even if you could, you’d need a 24/7 security detail to guard it, as it’s made of solid 24ct gold and features 7.2ct single cup flawless diamonds. The work of Robert Gulpen of Munich and Stuart Hughes of Liverpool, this beauty comes with functional steering and operational hoods, certification of authenticity, glass house, aluminum case and photo documentation of the manufacturing process.

Okay, so chances are you won’t be able to afford this little trinket – it runs about £2 million (roughly $3 million), and even if you could, only three will be made (it takes about 2 months to finish, thanks to the intricate work required). Oh well, it’s the thought that counts.

[Source: Born Rich]

Rapper-chick Nicki Minaj rented a 2006 Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster as a prop for her “Massive Attack” video. As you can see in the screen shot above, she didn’t really take care of it. Minaj rented the Lambo from Hollywood Exotic Car Rental for $1,750/day (a very reasonable rate in California), and used it for filming in the Southern California desert. Hollywood Exotic Car Rental is suing Minaj for $11,589 after the car came back damaged from its off-road excursions, as well as $5,250 for keeping the car three days longer than agreed.

If you know anything about cars, the damage bill actually isn’t all that bad, it sounds about right for a replacement carbon fiber bumper and paintwork. Minaj could have avoided this problem entirely simply by raising the Lambo’s hydraulic-activated front suspension. As you can clearly see in the video, she didn’t.

TMZ incorrectly reported the car as a 2008 Pink Lamborghini Murciélago, but a quick glance at the video itself will tell you that the car is actually a 2006 (non-LP640) model, and that it’s actually white with a pink vinyl wrap.

Niki Minaj’s absolutely dreadful “Massive Attack” video after the jump.

[Source: TMZ]

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Porsche Works driver Timo Bernhard has just earned his place in the history books, becoming the first driver to ever win all four major endurance races. Bernhard completed the “motorsports grand slam” this past weekend, racing not for Porsche, but for Audi in one of the new R15 race cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In 2008 Bernhard won the 12 Hours of Sebring and back in 2003 he topped the podium at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Possibly even more impressive is that Bernhard has won the final race, the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, a four consecutive times from 2006-09.

“Even as a child I dreamt of one day admiring the overall winner trophies of all four long-distance classics in my display cabinet at home,” said Bernhard. “Now, bringing home overall victory in Le Mans, I have made this dream come true.”

Check out the gallery of Bernhards cars and victory celebrations below.

GALLERY: Timo Bernhard’s Motorsports Grand Slam

Official release

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Today Volkswagen announced the debut of its important and all-new 2011 Jetta model, lifting the covers at a special event in Times Square. With a goal to sell 800,000 units a year in North America by 2018, VW has high hopes for the new Jetta, which now boasts best-in-class rear legroom, a new chassis, more stylish design and a lower base price with models starting at, “around $16,000.” (According to the European press release, the price is $15,995).

In total, four engines will be offered on U.S. and Canadian models including the new 138-hp TDI engine currently offered by VW. As for gasoline options, the base engine will be a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder making 113-hp and getting 28-mpg combined with the standard six-speed manual and 26 mpg combined with the six-speed DSG automatic. The 2.5-liter five-cylinder will deliver 168-hp, while top-level 2.0 TSI engine will deliver 197-hp.

As of for the rest of the car, it gets a stylish if understated look, but keeps VW’s excellently finished interior. The car itself is larger than the current Jetta, measuring 3.54-inches longer, with 2.76-inches of that between the wheels to deliver much improve interior space.

GALLERY: 2011 VW Jetta

Official release:

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With the SC430 set for elimination this summer, Lexus has announced a new Eternal Jewel special edition for sale in Japan. Just 200 versions of the car will be built with exclusively features like a contrasting roof color and a new and more elaborate selection of interior finishes.

Each model will also come with special Eternal Jewel badging and a numbered plaque next to the gear selector.

We have to question the decision not to offer a special “final edition” version here in the U.S., which was easily the SC’s best market.

After almost a decade on the road, there’s no word from Lexus on a replacement for the SC, but here’s hoping its more in line with what its main competitor (the Mercedes SL) has become over the years.

[Source: LexusEnthusiast]

See more pics after the jump:

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Ferrari has announced that it will run a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) in its Formula 1 cars next season. The team had tested a KERS system in 2009 but scrapped the plans for 2010 when all the competing manufacturers collectively agreed to avoid the system in a bid to cut costs.

Ferrari has been pushing for a return to using KERS, asking for rule changes to make the systems more effective. The reason behind the resumed interest is that Ferrari is pushing to bring to market a street car using the KERS system in the next few years and, as always, Ferrari sees the race track as the best place to test its upcoming road car technology. At the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year, Ferrari unveiled the HY-KERS concept, a bright green Ferrari 599 which uses the hybrid system to deliver extra bursts of power, while also improving fuel economy iduring low speed driving.

As for the F1 system, Ferari had been pushing for regulations that would permit a more powerful electric boost but that has been scrapped in favor of a higher minimum weight for all vehicles, allowing Ferrari to make use of that extra weight allowance for the KERS system.

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali has said the current plan is to run the KERS system in every race next season. Mercedes is expected to announce if it will use a similar setup in the coming weeks.

[Source: ESPN]

Like here in North American, Mugen parts have long been available to hard-core Honda fans through tuner shops and online resources. But Honda fanboys in the United Kingdom can now get those same parts right from their local Honda dealer. That’s right, eight Honda dealers have just signed on to officially sell Mugen parts for both the Civic and the new CR-Z.

And the best part is, the parts are factory backed, meaning they won’t void the factory warranty.

Included int he list of parts at items like body kits, spoilers, springs, shocks, wheels and brake upgrades. See more of the parts available for the CR-Z here, and the Civic here.

[Source: AutoCar]

After yesterday’s leaked info and photos of the all-new 2011 Jetta, we have still more info to bring you on the newest Volkswagen model ahead of its scheduled debut later today. The new Jetta is slated to receive a base price that sits around the $16,000 mark – notifeably less than the almost $18,000 base price of the current model.

With more dramatic styling, the new Jetta is no longer based on the Golf platform but gets its own underpinnings with the same width as the current model at 70.1-inches and the same height at 57-inches. What does change, however, is the car’s length at 182.7-inches (3.5-inches longer) with a longer wheelbase and 2.6-inches of additional rear seat legroom.

In total four engines will be offered on the 2011 Jetta, including a 2.0-liter GLI making around 200-hp and a 138-hp  2.0-liter TDI engine.

The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta is set to go on sale in October, with production beginning at VW’s Puebla, Mexico factory soon

[Source: AutoNews]