Here’s a campervan that has a lot more junk in its trunk.

Overland Motorhomes Ltd. in South Wales, UK, has doubled the size of a Volkswagen T5 Transporter by adding on an electrically extendable rear pod. The T5 DoubleBack gives you the drivability of a van with the space of a motorhome. Drive your compact van to your destination, and once there, make camp with the electrically extending pod that self-levels on two legs, giving you almost 2 meters of additional usable space.

The T5 Doubleback is great for families and couples, and it can seat two or three passengers in either captain’s chairs or benchseat layouts. You’ll have everything you need for a stress-free campout, including an elevating roof with fold-out bed and a kitchenette.

“The DoubleBack has been inspired by a desire to see a truly spacious, comfortable camper with all the practical advantages of a smaller vehicle,” says Craig McCormack, Founder.

If you’re interested, the T5 Doubleback will be available at the end of March for £54,995 (US$87,019). You can find out more about it at the T5 Doubleback website. Watch the promo video of the van in action after the jump.

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How would you like to help design Nissan‘s next Z car? You can do just that – using Facebook – as Nissan announces Project 370Z.

Putting Z enthusiasts in the driver’s seat of design, Nissan launched this initiative as a chance to showcase how many options are available in this car. Using a 2013 370Z as a base, this car will be built in several different stages – power, handling/brakes and interior and exterior. To put in your two cents about each section, post your thoughts on Nissan’s Performance Facebook fan page with wall posts, likes and comments. These responses will be reviewed each voting session, and the upgrades and accessories with the most fan support will be picked for that particular phase.

“Car companies build project vehicles all the time, but we thought it’d be interesting to harness the power of social media to reach out to Z enthusiasts – the people who are doing this to their own cars everyday,” said Jon Brancheau, vice president, Nissan Marketing, NNA. “Together we’ll create a vehicle that expands on the already outstanding performance and style of the Nissan 370Z with a balance of street and track ready modifications.”

The final result will be making its grand debut in a grand setting this May during ZDayZ – in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. If you can’t make it to that momentous day, not to worry – the Project 370Z will be making an appearance at other Nissan events, such as ZCON 2012 and SEMA.

Check out a short video about Project 370Z after the jump.

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The job of a lifetime is waiting for you at Rolls-Royce. The automaker has just announced that its apprenticeship program is now accepting new candidates.

Open to people aged 16 to 24, the apprenticeships last for up to four years at Rolls-Royce’s Goodwood plant in England. These lucky apprentices will get the chance to work with skilled craftspeople in leather, wood, paint, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, assembly and finesse roles.

The program, which has been running since 2006, has already employed 30 people after the completion of the apprenticeship. In 2011, Rolls-Royce added a business component to the program, so who knows what other fields will open up (up next: social media?).

“We are delighted to announce that Rolls-Royce is seeking candidates for its Apprenticeship Programme. This demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the development and training of young people at the very highest levels of UK manufacturing,” said Andrew Ball, Corporate Communications Manager, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

If you’re interested in applying to the program, you can submit you application online at www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/careers.

Oh no – what does that flashing light on your dashboard mean? Now there’s an app that will tell you exactly what’s wrong.

The new Actron InfoMobile Lite app for iPhone and Android smart phones lets you easily reference data from an Actron diagnostic scan tool. The On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) trouble code definitions (they are collected by the engine when a check engine light is lit up) are delivered right to your cell phone. The OBD II code definitions are relevant for vehicles built in 1996 and newer when used with an OBD II code reader.

“Our Actron InfoMobile Lite app is a very convenient option for auto enthusiasts because it eliminates the need for a computer – simply access trouble codes from your Actron PocketScan Code Reader or other diagnostic code reader, download the app to your iPhone or Android, and discover the trouble code definitions,” said Jennifer Grabowski, product manager for Actron Diagnostic Scan Tools. “We are providing accurate and reliable information that automotive DIYers can use to understand why their check engine light is on, and we’re offering it for an electronic product that nearly everyone carries.”

The Actron InfoMobile Lite app is free… and you can’t beat that price. Download the app now from the iTunes or Android Marketplace stores. There is one downside, though. The app doesn’t function by itself, you need a code reader. Guess what, Actron makes those and they aren’t exactly cheap. Even at Amazon’s significant discount, it costs $59.95.

There’s one other thing to keep in mind before placing an order, trouble codes are good, but they aren’t perfect. A single blown fuse can cause dozens of error codes capable of puzzling the best mechanics. On the upside, arming yourself with more knowledge before visiting your local grease monkey puts a lot of leverage in your corner when he tries to tell you the transmission is shot.

If your significant other is a Maserati fan, we’re making it easy to pick out a Valentine’s Day gift for them.

Maserati has teamed up with Italian jeweler Damiani to offer three collections that combine style and technology. Each collection includes a key ring, a pair of cufflinks and a necklace that are adorned with the Maserati Trident.

The first collection is called ICON, and its oval pieces are made with silver and blue enamel that boast chic, minimalistic design. The second collection, ELEGANCE, features oval pieces made of silver that combine a neat design with attention to detail. Finally, the third collection, PURE, is also made of silver and features sleek design that’s combined with a round shape.

Prices range from £170.15 to £294.65 (US$270 to $468). If you’re interested in buying something for your Valentine, visit the Maserati Store.

The band OK Go is known for its funky music videos. This time around, OK Go has teamed up with Chevrolet for its newest viral video. But instead of using choreographed moves on a treadmill, the band is using a Chevy Sonic to play instruments.

In order for the Chevy Sonic to play instruments on the bands latest single, “Needing/Getting,” a few modifications had to be added. This included installing retractable pneumatic arms that would hit instruments as the Sonic drove by them. To make this video happen, it took four months of prep work, four days of filming, stunt driving lessons, two miles of track and 1000 instruments set up along the course.

It already looks like this video is a hit – over four million hits on YouTube and counting. Watch the video after the jump and let us know what you think.

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Who knew that women had so much influence when it comes to buying the family car? In fact, women have almost 80 percent of the purchase decision power – that’s a pretty impressive number.

The Heels & Wheels website (the site focuses on real world testing specifically by women) has some interesting numbers regarding women and their automotive purchasing influence. In addition to the figure stated above, women also make 62 percent of new car purchases and have over $5 trillion in purchasing power. And when the car breaks down, women make 65 to 80 percent of the service and maintenance decisions.

What do you think about these numbers? Do they translate in your household? Leave us your thoughts in the comments section below.

[Source: Polk]

Toyota‘s display at this year’s Chicago Auto Show is going to fun. That’s because the automaker is teaming up with Hasbro to bring the Toyota Hybrid MONOPOLY Ride Experience to show visitors.

A mini road course based on the Monopoly board game will be set up, which will take up 30,000 square feet of space. Professional drivers will take auto show visitors on a ride through an eco-friendly course inspired by the Monopoly game board. And don’t worry about being stuck with the lame shoe game piece – you’ll be driven along the course in either a Prius V wagon, a Camry Hybrid or a Highlander Hybrid. Along the way, players will learn about the features of Toyota hybrid vehicles, as well as take in iconic Monopoly landmarks and meet the Mr. Monopoly character.

“By incorporating design elements from the game into the Toyota Hybrid MONOPOLY Ride Experience, we are able to present the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive experience in a fun and unexpected way,” said Keith Dahl, Toyota’s National Engagement Marketing Manager. “This exhibit really gives fans of the game an innovative way to interact with our hybrid models.”

The 2012 Chicago Auto Show takes place February 8 to 19, and if you get a chance to go, it sounds like it’ll be worth your time to drop by Toyota’s game display.

See AutoGuide’s complete Chicago Auto Show preview here.

The U.S. government is taking some interesting steps in an effort to help out the environment. Both state and federal levels of government are getting behind the movement to ban copper from brake pads.

According to environmentalists, the copper in brake pads produces metal dust that makes its way into the water system, negatively affecting aquatic life. In 2010, California and Washington banned using copper in brake pads, and now Rhode Island, New York and Oregon are following suit with their own bills.

So you may be asking yourself, “How does the copper from my brake pads end up in the water?” Every time you use your brakes, small bits of copper and other metals are worn off and settle on the road. These metals then wash into streams and rivers, and when you think about all the cars on the road, the amount of metal making its way into the water system begins to add up quickly. In fact, brake pads make up to half of the copper that’s found in water in urban areas.

Already manufacturers have started to back this environmental concern. The Brake Pad Partnership joins together the Brake Manufacturers Council, the Environmental Protection Agency, Ford Motor Company, General Motors and various state water agencies in order to combat the problem.

Did you know that  this was a problem? Would you be willing to spend a little extra to have brake pads that weren’t made of copper installed in your car? Leave us you thoughts in the comments section below.

[Source: New York Times]

Peer pressure has a huge affect on teens. Smoking, drinking… even getting into a car accident.

According to two studies by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm, peer pressure from passengers can result in a car accident when a teen is behind the wheel. We know, it seems like a “duh, of course” kind of conclusion… did we really need a study to tell us that? But what researchers can now prove with studies like these is how peer pressures increases a teen driver’s crash risk.

“These studies help us understand the factors that may predispose teens to drive with multiple friends and how those passengers may contribute to crashes by distracting the driver and promoting risky driving behaviors, such as speeding, tailgating or weaving,” said Allison Curry, a study author. “Knowing this, we can develop programs that work in tandem with current graduated driver licensing laws that limit the number of passengers for teens during their first year of driving.”

In the first study, researchers found that the teens drivers that were most likely to drive with multiple passengers considered themselves thrill seekers and shared similar characteristics that would increase the likelihood of a car accident. The second study looked at teens involved in serious crashes, and drivers that had peer passengers were more likely to be distracted just before a crash.

In terms of male and female peer pressure driving habits, males that drove with passengers were about six times more likely to impress their friends by pulling illegal driving stunts and were twice as likely to drive aggressively just before a crash. Females, on the other hand, hardly ever drive aggressively prior to a crash – and that’s with or without passengers.

[Source: Autos.ca]