Don’t street race. We’re begging you. And not just for all of the obvious reasons, but also because we might have to watch another video like this.

Some doubts have been cast as to the legitimacy of the claims about this video, but regardless of the reason, you’re about to watch a rather shiny Lexus get crushed. This is no “regular” Lexus either, but an IS-F, with a 416-hp 5.0-liter V8 under the hood. What a waste.

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2011 Lexus IS-F review

Watch the video after the jump:

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If you’re driving along Interstate 70 near Zanesville, Ohio authorities are warning you to stay in your car. If not, you could stumble upon a black bear, or lion, or even a giraffe.

Electronic signs along the highway are flashing with the warning “Caution: exotic animals” and “Stay in vehicle” after as many as 48 animals have escaped from an illegal zoo. The property owner, Terry Thompson, was found dead with many of the animal cages left open. It is not yet known how Thompson died.

Sheriff Matt Lutz described the animals as, “mature, very large and aggressive,” and said that the biggest danger comes from the grizzly and black bears, as well as the cheetahs, lions and tigers.

Several wolves have already been killed by local law enforcement, and animal experts from the Columbus Zoo are assisting with tranquilizers as authorities attempt to round up all the animals. It is not yet known how many exotic animals remain on the loose.

[Source: MercuryNews and ZanesvilleTimesRecorder]

Fisker Automotive has finally been given EPA certification and as a result can start officially selling cars. The U.S.-based builder of luxurious yet green vehicles has received a 52 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) rating for its Karma sedan.

With a 32 mile electric-only range, the Karma’s gasoline only rating is a less impressive 20-mpg. To put this into perspective, the Chevy Volt gets a 93 MPGe rating with a 37-mpg rating on gas only, whereas the Prius Plug-in Hybrid is 87-MPGe rating with a high 49-mpg on gas only.

It’s important to point out, however, that the Karma is also a stunning looking luxury sedan that’s capable of accelerating to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds.

“We are delighted to have EPA certification and fuel economy ratings that verify the Karma’s remarkable green credentials.” said Henrik Fisker, CEO and co-founder of Fisker Automotive.

“As with all electric vehicles, range varies greatly on the conditions of the road and how you drive the car.  We firmly believe that most owners will get up to 50 miles of driving range on a single charge and will use our electric-only mode most of the time they drive the car, thereby running on zero emissions.  Overall, we are very pleased with the results of EPA’s tests. The Karma is a groundbreaking product with a unique powertrain.”

GALLERY: Fisker Karma

After first announcing plans to build the car, Nissan has released a series of videos documenting the build process of what it calls “the world’s fastest crossover.”

The Juke-R as it’s been labeled is an entirely custom creation, powered by a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 engine from the Nissan GT-R. Plus, it gets a roll cage and a wider track. Built by RML in the UK, which currently runs cars in the LMS, WTCC and BTCC series in Europe, this latest video details the build of the roll cage and chassis.

At this rate, it will be many more videos before we get to see the finished project.

GALLERY: Nissan Juke-R Build

Watch the video after the jump:

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Toyota is preparing to launch its much-hyped FT-86 sports car at the Tokyo Auto Show in just over a month’s time and new details may, or may not, be trickling out.

While big horsepower numbers sell sports cars, the FT-86 has continuously been billed as a machine for purists, offering performance through the Colin Chapmin motto of “adding lightness”. And while much of the discussion around the car has surrounded it’s powerplant, the vehicle’s curb weight will ultimately determine just how fast it accelerates, how well it handles and stops. That said, AutoCar is reporting a targeted curb weight of just 1,100 kg for the vehicle, which translates to roughly 2,425 lbs.

To add perspective, one of the car’s main competitors, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, is a solid 800 lbs heavier in its most basic trim. It this news proves true, even with just 200-hp the FT-86 could easily deliver a sub-6.0 second 0-60 time.

Full details will be revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show, where Subaru will also unveil it’s version of the shared-platform sports car, the BRZ.

GALLERY: Toyota FT-86 II Concept

[Source: AutoCar]

Discuss this story at FR-SForum.com

Porsche broke ground on an expansion of its Leipzig, Germany factory, that will produce its upcoming Cajun crossover, a smaller model expected to slot below the popular Cayenne SUV.

The $500 million investment will add 1,000 new jobs at the plant, which already produces the Panamera sedan and the Cayenne. The Cajun will ride on the same platform as the Audi Q5 and debut in 2013.

[Source: Left Lane News]

The only Japanese manufacturer to ever win the prestigious 24-Hours of Le Mans so far has been Mazda with its 787B. Toyota has been wanting to change that for nearly two decades now. Their last effort in the LMP1 class failed, but next year they’ll be back with a vengeance, using a hybrid racer.

Not that the French will make it any easier on the Japanese, as Peugeot has just put some testing miles on their new race car, the 908 HYbrid4. First shown at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March, this new race car just completed its first test at the Estoril circuit in Portugal on October 11th. The car went through 300 km of testing in the hands of Nicolas Minassian, Stephane Sarrazin and former Formula 1 driver Alex Wurz.

Peugeot Sports technical director Bruno Famin said, “Our aim wasn’t to put a lot of kilometres on the clock, but to verify that all the chief functions performed.” He added, “It was important to analyse the data of each run to be sure we understood the results before moving on to the next step. The system functioned well and responded as predicted, which was very satisfying. At the same time, we started to make a few adjustments to the car’s basic set-up. It worked well, so that’s very positive.”

Peugeot has been working on the 908 HYbrid since 2008 and the car is only now coming close to becoming a reality. However, Peugeot is not the only European car company trying to compete with a hybrid racer, as Porsche is also aiming to enter with not only their 911 GT3 R Hybrid, but also the 918 Hybrid race car.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has named the 2012 Fiat 500 a Top Safety Pick, joining eight Chrysler Group models that are Top Safety Picks by the IIHS for 2011.

Top Safety Picks are recognized by the IIHS as vehicles with “good” performance in front, side, rollover and rear crash test evaluations done at their Vehicle Research Center. In order to qualify as a Top Safety Pick, the vehicle must also be equipped with electronic stability control, which is a standard feature on all Fiat 500 models.

GALLERY: 2012 Fiat 500

Discuss this story at Fiat500Owners and read AutoGuide’s Fiat 500 Review here

It created a lot of buzz when it was unveiled at Frankfurt back in September, yet the F-125! concept, besides showcasing possible future technologies such as a hydrogen-fuel cell powertrain, exotic construction materials and onboard telemetry, might also point to the direction large, executive cars may actually go if increasingly stringent fuel economy and emissions standards remain on the cards.

Further emphasizing the fact that the F-125! might actually hint at future Mercedes S-Class models, Dr. Thomas Weber, head of R&D at Daimler AG (pictured with it above), said, in reference to the F-125! “this research car was built with the perspective of what does a car in 2025 look like?”

That’s far beyond the projection of most modern concept cars, which tend to either be trial balloons for upcoming production models, or hint at vehicles five to 10 years down the road.

However, given that the European Union, in it’s infinite wisdom, seems almost hell bent on outlawing large, gasoline engined cars (proposed smog standards for 2020 include a limit of 95 grams per km (5.4 ounces per mile – contrasting with around 154 g/km today) the F-125! could represent what you might get when walking into a Mercedes showroom and purchasing a S-Class, some two decades from now.

There’s no question, that in order to meet these ultra tough smog standards, electric drive and fuel cells will be part of the equation, though to meet the demands of future S-Class customers, particularly those of range and performance, Mercedes understands that new, unproven technologies will have to be employed.

One of them includes using a new Kevlar like material to store hydrogen in the vehicle’s body cavities instead of a conventional cylindrical tank, improving onboard capacity and help boosting the car’s range.

Yet another is using a lithium-sulphur battery to increase energy density and also boost performance and range. However, at present such technologies are very much in the infant stage, though Weber says that lithium-sulphur batteries might become more prevalent toward the end of the decade, even thought at that point, they’ll probably be relegated for use in small items, like power tools.

However, Tim Urquhart, a London based analyst with the firm IHS Global Insight, says that the F-125! doesn’t as much showcase the future of big cars, but rather how uncertain automakers are about them.

“Sometimes when an OEM is talking about these things, you take it with a pinch of salt,” he said. “In this car [the F-125!], I think they are trying to imagine what a vehicle of this type would be like in the long-term future.”

He also went on to state  that for performance models and long legged GT cars, current  thinking regarding EV technology simply isn’t the solution. “You’re not going to get a lithium-ion powered EV with internal combustion engine power and range. The chemistry won’t allow it.”

[Source: Automotive News]

Watch for Nissan to be adding more safety features to its lower-price models starting in the near future. The automaker just announced it will introduce a host of new safety technologies leading up to 2016.

One of the key safety technologies Nissan is developing low-cost sensor-based safety systems. These will be found in  inexpensive mass-market models, and offer safety perks such as lane departure, blind spot intervention,  collisions prevention systems at the front and rear of the vehicle.

The less-expensive system will only use one camera (the pricey one uses a millimeter-wave radar sensors and multiple cameras). And to keep the price down, it will cut out the frills. For example, the expensive system’s automatic braking feature triggers a control function, while the less-expensive model will just warn the driver.

You’ll start to see these low-cost rear camera sensor systems in the US soon, as recent regulations mandate rear cameras in new cars made after 2015.In about a year or two, Nissan will add forward-sensing camera systems to its models. Each of the sensor systems cost about $260 to make – compare that with the $3,511 price tag for the high-end radar-based system.

Also in the works at Nissan are two other sensing technologies, which should take shape in the next two years. The first is a predictive forward-sensing system that monitors two cars ahead. This means that it keeps an eye out for not only the car in front of you, but the car in front of that one as well. The second is an accelerator-suppression system that would curb pedal misapplication (stepping on the gas instead of the brake).

[Source: Cnet]