Pirelli wanted to do something special for its newest flagship store in Milan, Italy. So the tire manufacturer commissioned renowned tattoo artist Scott Campbell to work his artistic magic to create a cool tattooed tire.

Instead of using a needle and ink, Campbell used a gouge to engrave an eye, a heart and a skull into the tread of a Diablo Rosso II tire. The tire was then mounted on a special-edition Ducati Diavel at the new store. This design is also adorned on the inside of a special edition Dainese jacket, along with  St. Christopher, the patron saint of motorcyclists.

This marks the first time Campbell has worked with rubber as a canvas, and he said it was a challenge he was up for. After putting in a considerable amount of research into the project, he was able to transfer his tattoo talent to a new medium.

Watch a video of the tire and the Diavel after the jump.

[Source: Autoblog]
Continue Reading…

Has Nissan already cracked the range sweet spot of electric vehicles? According to Mark Perry, director of product planning and strategy for Nissan North America, Nissan Leaf drivers average a distance of 37 miles in a single day. Moreover, the average length of a single trip is a short seven miles. According to these findings, Nissan Leaf’s current 70-plus mile range is already more than necessary for day to day use and a long range EV isn’t necessary says Perry.

The findings are derived from daily use cycles of approximately 7,500 Leafs in the United States as well as data from the Department of Energy’s EV project. They also prove consistent with data from conventional gasoline powered cars, which shows that 72 percent of Americans drive less than 40 miles per day and 95 percent drive less than 100 miles per day.

GALLERY: Nissan Leaf

[Source: Edmunds]

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2011 Nissan Leaf review

Winter is coming – is your car ready? If you need a new set of windshield wipers to keep the snow from obscuring your view, now’s the time to pick some up, as Teflon has just announced a contest that could win you a trip to see a NASCAR race.

The contest, which is on now until November 30, gives you the chance to win an all-expenses-paid NASCAR 2012 weekend. It also includes VIP pit passes and the chance to meet Jeff Gordon.

In addition to the sweepstakes, Teflon is also running a special promotion on its windshield wipers. You can purchase Teflon SHIELD wiper blades at Advance Auto Parts stores for a special discounted price (buy one, get 50 percent off the second one), and a portion of the sale will be donated to the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation. You save money and you get to help a good cause – it’s a win-win situation.

To enter the contest, just fill out the form found on the Teflon NASCAR sweepstakes page.

At least four different companies will be bringing their vision of the ultimate custom Ford Mustang to this year’s SEMA Show. Ford released some info and images of four Mustang projects that will be showcased in the Blue Oval booth this year, but our sources say that these won’t be the only ones. Nonetheless, the four that Ford deemed worthy of revealing to the public are from Forgiato Wheels, Creations n’ Chrome, MRT Performance and H&R Springs.

Starting with Forgiato’s creation, the wheel manufacturer looked to build a Mustang that clearly focused on their manufacturing of custom rollers for various vehicles. They chose to show off a three-piece staggered 21- and 22-inch setup on their Mustang while a TS Designs wide body matched to a 3dCarbon Boy Racer body kit is sure to set it apart from the crowd. Finished off with a matte pearl silver paint job courtesy of PPG and this Mustang looks to be a clear winner. Oh, and the obligatory Vortech supercharger can be seen under the hood.

Next up is a Spectra Chrome Boy Racer Red Mustang courtesy of Creations n’ Chrome. Accented by a carbon fiber hood, roof and trunk from Autosport Dynamics, this Mustang will clearly be the flashiest of the bunch. A custom chromoly roll cage was also fabricated by the folks at Creations n’ Chrome while a set of 18-inch HRE Wheels will further set off the car. Again, another Vortech supercharger can be seen under the hood while some race-inspired interior modifications will have to be seen at the show.

Third on the list is a ProCharger supercharger-equipped Mustang from MRT Performance. Further performance modifications include an MRT stainless steel MaxFlow h-pipe and half-back exhaust system while a set of H&R coilovers gives this Mustang enhanced handling capabilities. MRT then looked to the outside by giving it a custom hood and paint accents while the interior received a pair of Sparco race seats.

Last but not least, the folks over at H&R will be bringing an Edelbrock E-Force supercharged Mustang to the show, fully equipped with H&R Springs’ Coil RSS sport suspension. In addition, H&R also threw on their sway bars (front and rear) and Triple C adjustment bolts. This Mustang will have an unmistakable rumble thanks to a Flowmaster stainless steel exhaust while the exterior will feature a full body kit from Street Scene Equipment and custom paint by Tri-Star Enterprise.

Along with these four Mustangs, Ford will also display a selection of Fiesta and Focus models, along with several Explorer and F-Series trucks.

GALLERY: Ford SEMA 2011 Mustangs

See AutoGuide’s complete 2011 SEMA Show preview here and look for full coverage starting Tuesday, November 1st.

We already enjoy the benefits of drive-thru restaurants, bank machines, even funeral homes. For people who hate getting out of their cars, you’ll be happy to hear about the drive-thru lobby at the Interalpen Hotel in Austria.

To check into your room for the night, you just drive right into the lobby. The Interalpen Hotel, which is located in the Austrian Tyrol (about two hours from Munich), is all about the luxe lifestyle and making sure your stay is a stress-free one… from the moment you arrive. This hotel gives you the five-star treatment all the way and takes valet parking to the next level. To drive into the lobby, you pull into what looks like underground parking, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised when instead of a parking space, you’re greeted by a sumptuous lobby.

We’re not sure how much more this amenity costs hotel guests or what kind of a mess the floor is in the winter, but it certainly is an unusual perk. We’d take this over a mint on the pillow any day.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]

As part of a $1.1 billion cost-cutting effort, PSA, the parent company of both Peugeot and Citroen, will shed 6,000 jobs in Europe, with 2,500 white collar jobs, 2,500 contract worker jobs and 1,000 blue collar jobs expected to be cut in 2012.

PSA claimed that their car-making operations would barely turn a profit in the coming year and that the company’s cash flow would be negative. ”The competitive environment has become more challenging due to pricing pressure, which has intensified in Europe since September, and the unfavorable impact on the country mix of the falloff in demand in southern Europe,” the company said in a statement released to Automotive News.

One bright spot for PSA was that sales outside of Europe have risen 41 percent, with China in particular acting as a bright spot for the company.

[Source: Automotive News]

Just a day after the first leaked photos of the Toyota FT-86, numerous other pictures of the highly-anticipated sports car have hit the net. Even juicier than the last time, these pics appear to be of the official production car, and not of the Modellista version.

Staying true to the design of the original concept, there are some more dramatic styling cues, particularly on the front of the car. The rear, however, is somewhat the opposite, losing some of the hard lines in favor of a more rounded end.

When it is officially unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show in late November, look for a 2.0-liter direct-injection 4-cylinder under the hood with a healthy 7500 rpm redline. Weighing close to 2500 lbs, expect a 0-60 mph time of 7.0 seconds. All models are expected to come from the factory with a push-button ignition and a limited slip differential.

Curious what it’s like to drive? Then read some of the first impressions here.

GALLERY: Toyota FT-86 Leaked

[Source: CarScoop]

Discuss this story at FR-SForum.com

According to Inside Line, Saab may be ready to re-start production at its factories in as little as 8 weeks, after being sold to two Chinese automakers for $142 million.

While Saab was valued at $660 million this summer, both Pang Da and Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co. managed to purchase the company at a rock bottom price after a number of other deals failed to materialize. Chinese companies now own both Saab and Swedish automaker Volvo.

Saab’s Swedish factories have been idled since March, but could be up and running in as little as 2 months. The company claims to have 11,000 vehicle orders on the books, and may even bring the 2012 9-5 SportCombi station wagon to this April’s New York Auto Show if all goes smoothly in the upcoming months.

[Source: Inside Line]

Porsche‘s profits rose by 25 percent in the first 9 months of the year, as overall revenue and vehicle deliveries rose by 20 and 31 percent respectively.

Cayenne sales were up 74 percent, as the SUV became the brand’s best selling model, with 43,924 units sold. The Panamera was second with 18,750 sold. Sales of the 911 sports car were down by 13 percent to 13,777, although a new model will be launching in December. Sales of the Cayenne outrank Porsche’s sports cars by an astonishing 2:1 ratio, an unthinkable statistic as little as a decade ago.

Europe remained Porsche’s strong market, followed by the United States. Chinese sales were up 82 percent and show no signs of slowing down. Porsche’s upcoming Cajun small crossover should help push sales to even greater volumes when it launches in 2013.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

One of the reasons you hate driving in the city will no longer be an issue, thanks to the Parker iPhone app. This handy tool will scope out available parking spots in a variety of different cities, alleviating one of the annoyances that comes with the urban commute.

To ensure you get the most out of this app, Parker will take you through its helpful features and show you how it works its magic (Parker uses real-time sensors found at parking spaces and garages to get its data).  You’ll get a rundown of the app’s icons as well as features that let you filter parking searches, show payment methods available and the regions Parker covers.

On the home page of the app, you’re met with two options – Find or Park – that are color-coded to show parking-spot availability (green=best, blue=OK and red=keep looking), as well as the price and time limit of the spot.

The Parker app also comes with options to pay with your mobile phone (only at select locations) and allows you to rate, comment and share info and pictures of the parking spot – that’s for when you snag a really sweet spot and want to brag about it.

The iPhone Parker app covers quite a few cities, including Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and New York, with more to be added soon. You can download it for free at the iTunes store.

[Source: Edmunds]