Do you know what perfectly complements an Aston Martin? Exquisite diamond jewelery that’s inspired by the luxury automobile.
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The AutoGuide News Blog is your source for breaking stories from the auto industry. Delivering news immediately, the AutoGuide Blog is constantly updated with the latest information, photos and video from manufacturers, auto shows, the aftermarket and professional racing.
You might not get enough speed to go “Back to the Future” on the new DeLorean Bicycle, but it is a pretty hip way to get around town, especially if you can’t afford the iconic car.
Call them Traffic Cones 2.0. The next generation of traffic cones, the DisposaCone proves that you can reinvent pretty much anything – even bright orange pylons.
Get off your lazy butt and drive everywhere. We know that most people would tell you that you can’t stay in shape if you drive all the time, but we beg to differ, now that SUVs come equipped with stationary bikes.
In the latest chapter of non-necessary, must-have auto add-ons, Becker Automotive Design put an exercise bike in a Cadillac Escalade ESV. The company knows you’re much too busy to hit the gym, and that’s why this ride lets you sweat in style. Sit down and pedal hard – grip the hand grips and work those legs using foot pedals that ensure you’ll feel the burn. The next best thing to this custom ride would be actually riding a bike to work.
There’s no word if this SUV is a hybrid, but we would love to see it run on gas and foot power.
Tease up those bangs, put on your neon legwarmers, throw in a couple extra shoulder pads and get ready for the ‘80s-inspired MINI Ray.
Before you get too excited, the new MINI is only available in Italy. Targeted at the young and hip, the RAY makes a bold statement with vibrant neon colors. We find it funny that the demographic targeted was too young to appreciate the tackiness this decade was famous for the first time around. But hey, who can resist day-glo shades of Alien Green, Lemon Yellow, Flash White, Energy Pink, Vitamin Orange and Shocking Blue? It’s not like the whole car is painted florescent – you’ll find accents on the mirrors, hubcaps, hood and even the MINI badge on the front grill.
The MINI Ray will be hitting dealerships at the beginning of May when Italian hipsters can look forward to a Summer spent cruising the Italian countryside blaring your old Duran Duran cassette tapes, through an iPod of course.
GALLERY: MINI Ray
It’s one thing to love your cars; it’s quite another when you design your home to accommodate your collection.
When someone loves their cars (not in a really strange, obsessive way), they will go to extraordinary lengths to be with their car collection as much as they can – but is this too much? In one of Takuya Tsuchida’s contemporary designs for a client in Tokyo, the KRE House was built to revolve around nine automobiles.
Ok, so an underground garage that stores your prized possessions doesn’t sound like such a big deal. But how about an elevator that lifts these cars right into the living room of your house – now that’s impressive! There’s nothing like a Ferrari or Lamborghini sitting in your living room to get people talking at a party – it’s a real ice breaker.
[Source: Inthralled]
GALLERY: Tokyo Living Room Car Elevator
A new study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds that most car accidents that occur because a driver mistakenly hits the gas pedal instead of the brakes involve older female drivers in parking lots.
Apparently, almost two-thirds of drivers involved in this type of accident were female, and occurred more frequently with drivers over the age of 76 and under the age of 20. But guys, you aren’t off the hook – when looking at all types of crashes, 60 percent of drivers involved are male.
Subaru just released a series of “Dynamic Brochure” iPad apps for the 2012 Subaru Impreza, Impreza WRX/STi, Outback, Legacy and Forester.
These fun and interactive apps feature new, fully photographic exterior and interior 360-degree views that let you experiment with paint colors and interior trims. They also include interactive feature demos, videos and comprehensive specifications. You’ll get the full experience with these apps, as you can see, hear and explore the Subaru models and the technology right on your iPad.
“Subaru is excited to roll out the next generation of our leading-edge, environmentally-friendly Subaru model iPad apps for 2012. These model app launches will be followed closely by the all-new Subaru ‘Life Book’ featuring our full line of vehicles in a single app,” said Sondra Shiffer, brochures manager, Subaru of America, Inc.
It’s been a decade since the federal government required that all passenger vehicles have the LATCH system for car seats – and most parents still can’t figure out how it works.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), parents who want to keep their kids safe are finding it difficult to properly install child restraints in vehicles using the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH for short). If you’ve cursed under your breath trying to figure out how it works, you can thank the automakers for your frustration. A report released by the IIHS and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute states that automakers design seats in ways that make LATCH difficult to use.
Graduation season is almost upon us. We know that safe driving is probably one of the last things on a kid’s mind as summer approaches. But it’s also a time when teens are faced with the risks associated with impaired, reckless and distracted driving.
Just like Mercedes-Benz’s Driving Academy, Ford offers its Driving Skills for Life programs that address the life-endangering risks that teen drivers face on the road. “This a time of year when many teens request, and parents provide, expanded driving privileges,” said Jim Graham, manager of Ford Driving Skills for Life. “Unfortunately, safety can take a back seat to the excitement associated with the many celebrations around prom and graduation.”
They sure don’t make cars like they used to – and Rachel Veitch can attest to that. This 93 year old is still driving the 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente she bought brand new. But it’s the end of an era, as Rachel prepares to hang up her car keys for good.
After amassing 575,000 miles on a car she’s named Chariot, Rachel has decided to give up driving after running a stoplight. As well, she’s having difficulty reading large print in newspaper headlines.
They’ve spent so much time together, she knows her Mercury inside and out. The car comes with its factory-installed air conditioner and she’s kept meticulous records – from the day she bought the car (brand new for $3289) to every oil change and extended warranty. Chariot even became part of the family – Rachel threw birthday parties for her beloved car. She’s the original owner, so she can honestly say that a little old woman drove it around… although not just to church on Sundays.
“She’s better than three husbands, she’s never lied to me, she’s never cheated on me and I can always depend on her,” says Rachel. As to Chariot’s future, Rachel doesn’t know what she’s going to do with her car. It’s now valued at $12,000 and it doesn’t look like she’ll be passing it down to her grandchildren or great-grandchildren – they just wouldn’t give it the attention it deserves. Apparently, Rachel made an appearance on the Jay Leno show in 2010 and hinted that she’d let it go to the right late night talk show host.
You can see the fiesty senior taking one last joyride below.
Taking the top off your Jeep just got easier. Rugged Ridge has just introduced its first-ever PowerTop for the 2007-2012 JK Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.
The hydraulic PowerTop lowers or raises the convertible soft-top in as little as five seconds with just push of a button. That means if it starts to rain while you’re out for a drive, you don’t have to get out to put the top up.
The Rugged Ridge PowerTop kit fits all four-door Jeep Wranglers built from 2007 to 2012 and comes with everything needed to make the JK Jeep a convertible without losing storage space and cargo areas. Each kit comes with a heavy-duty, high-quality Haartz Stayfast top with a tinted 30mil rear window, mounting frame, hydraulic system, wiring harness and step-by-step installation packet, and is backed by a three-year warranty.
The Rugged Ridge PowerTop is available online and through select Jeep retailers for $4,999.99. For more information, you can visit the Omix-Ada website.
We love when artists repurpose old cars and turn them into super cool sculptures you’d love to display on your lawn (take that, garden gnomes). We came across this pre-historic relic and just had to share.
Using an old Volkswagen beetle (that looks as though it was unearthed by archeologists), Mutoid Waste Co. created this metal stegosaurus for the Beautiful Days Festival in Devon. Although it’s not Jurassic Park, it would be worth the price of admission to the festival to get a closer look at this rusty dino.
Would you be proud to display this sculpture on your lawn? Let us know in the comments section below.
[Source: Neatorama]
Want to make your friends green with envy over your shiny ride, yet stay true to your eco-friendly values? You can have it both ways, with Eagle One’s new Enviroshine line of environmentally safe car care products.
“Research shows that nearly 80 percent of auto enthusiasts want eco-friendly car-care products, but they won’t sacrifice performance to get them,” said Rob McCarter, Eagle One brand manager. “We saw that as an opportunity to develop a product line that delivers the same great Eagle One performance that consumers know and trust, while also helping the environment.”
Eagle One claims to be the first line of “green” automotive appearance products launched nationally by a major automotive brand. The four products include the a wheel and tire cleaner, a tire shine, a car wash soap and a glass cleaner, all bearing the EnviroShine name.
To create this line, Eagle One got rid of commonly used petroleum-based chemicals and replaced them with ingredients that are safer for the environment. Free of harsh acids, solvents, phosphates and petroleum distillates, the EnviroShine line products are biodegradable and will not produce run-off that could harm aquatic life, or fumes that may impact air quality.
You may also be wondering how much more expensive these products are, but they actually cost about the same as other products, which are actually more expensive in some cases.
Making an appearance at the 2012 Spring Festival of LXs in Irvine, CA, the “Ready To Party” Dodge Challenger SRT limousine looked like it was going to rock and roll all night (and of course, party every day).
We love us some crazy limos, and this one is no exception. Philip Eiselin, president of LA Custom Coach, said he started with a picture of the Dodge Challenger, stretched it on a computer and liked what he saw. Eiselin bought one and went to work, taking the interior out, cutting it in half, and four and a half months later, the Challenger SRT limo was born.
In the video below, you’re treated to a tour of the Challenger limo’s interior, which is decked out in black and red leather, adorned with red SRT stripes, and complete with 24” and 10”LED TVs, a color-changing light show and a full bar.
Eiselin says it’s the first of its kind, but not the last. He took the partymobile down to Vegas where it received a considerable amount of attention… which is no surprise.
What does Batman drive when the batmobile is in the shop? It turns out the caped crusader makes due with a Lamborghini to fight the forces of evil and pick up his dry cleaning.
An alert and amused driver caught Batman in action on video, as he took his black Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder for a spin in Maryland. Later, another person took a picture of Batman having a tête-à-tête with some other crime fighters (no, it wasn’t with his fellow Super Friends, it was with the police). The officers stopped superhero because his license plate was missing.
You can watch the video of Batman cruising after the jump. Just be warned, there’s some rude language.
[Source: GT Spirit]
General Motors is going to some pretty extreme lengths to capture a younger audience. The automaker’s latest tactic was to hire MTV Scratch to head its latest marketing campaign.
So you might ask yourself: “What’s so newsworthy about that?” General Motors – one of the largest, well-known and well-established car brands is handing over its marketing to the same marketing company behind quality programming like Jersey Shore and Teen Mom. Yeah, you can say that GM is definitely going in a different direction.
Apparently, GM is having a problem getting the younger generation to care about cars – and that’s where MTV Scratch comes in. “They think of a car as a giant bummer,” said Ross Martin, executive vice president of MTV Scratch. “Think about your dashboard. It’s filled with nothing but bad news.”
Based on some of the marketing research, GM has made a few changes to its cars to appeal to this younger audience. For example, new Chevrolet colors, like “techno pink,” “lemonade” and “denim” will be seen on the Spark this summer.
We wonder what these new MTV Scratch-produced campaigns will look like. Uber-tanned twenty-somethings sporting skin-tight clothes and big hair fist-pumping to tunes cranked out of a Sonic? You stay classy, General Motors.
[Source: New York Times]
Does Chrysler own the “Imported From Detroit” slogan or can it be used by a Michigan clothing company? The companies are putting the matter into the hands of a mediator to decide.
The matter, which will go to mediation on March 27, stems from a dispute between Chrysler and clothing maker Pure Detroit. The two sides have until April 3 to work it out – if not, it’s back to the courts to battle it out.
The “Imported From Detroit” slogan gained popularity after Chrysler’s 2011 Super Bowl commercial, and was followed with a line of merchandise put out by the automaker. In March 2011, Chrysler sued Pure Detroit for sales made when the clothing company put out a line of T-shirts of its own adorned with the “Imported From Detroit” slogan. Pure Detroit hit Chrysler back with a countersuit, stating that Chrysler doesn’t have a valid trademark because the phrase is geographical, descriptive and misleading.
Which company do you think is right? Should Chrysler get sole ownership of the slogan or does Pure Detroit have a valid argument? Leave us your thoughts in the comments section below.
[Source: Detroit News]
The American version of BBC’s Top Gear has released a video taken from the debut episode of the first season. This footage features a dramatic chase between a Dodge Viper SRT and a Cobra attack helicopter.
The challenge was for hosts Tanner Foust and Rutledge Wood to take the Viper on a 10 mile round trip through Griffin, Georgia, all while being hunted by the Cobra. Just like a video game, the Viper had three lives to make it to the finish line. If the Cobra got close enough for the kill three times, game over. The Viper tries to outrun, outwit and out maneuver the Cobra – it even tries to hide out in a car wash and a cemetery in an effort to shake the Cobra off its tail.
We won’t give away anymore spoilers, you can watch it for yourself below.
You don’t want to leave watermarks on the coffee table, but you don’t want to lose your street cred by putting down a coaster. We’ve got a solution – use Race Track Coasters and preserve your furniture (and cool status).
The Race Track Coasters are machined from layered HDPE and are adorned with six of the most well-known racing tracks from around the world: Laguna Seca, Monaco, Nürburgring, Road America, Spa, and Watkins Glen. And these coasters will perfectly match your décor, as they come in black and silver.
The set of six costs $40 and can be purchased at Groit’s Garage.
[Source: Uncrate]
Thinking outside the branding box, Ferrari has collaborated on the most unexpected product – hair clippers.
The BaByliss Pro Volare X1 Clipper was designed in conjunction with the Ferrari Design Team. These clippers are powered by an ultra-efficient high-torque engine that helps cut two times faster on the first pass. To give you that ultra-suave cut, the BaByliss Pro Volare X1 Clipper is equipped with titanium-coated steel cutting blades, ensuring you look your best when you hit the clubs.
If you’re serious about your ‘do, you’ll want to get the BaByliss Pro Volare dryer. Designed for maximum airflow and minimum weight, the dryer offers low vibration and outputs 2,000 watts of power. There’s also a “turbo boost” button that gives you 15 percent more air velocity – how’s that for some serious hot air?
You really have to watch the promo after the jump. You wouldn’t know they were hawking a hair care product because they don’t mention the clippers until about 1:30 into it. We don’t think they meant it to be funny (come on, the video is titled “The Grand Prix of Grooming”), but we’re sure it’ll make you LOL.
Good news Android users and Mazda owners – you can now download Mazda’s MyMazda app.
The MyMazda app had previously only been available for iPhone users, but now Android smartphone users can use this app to get real-time information about their vehicle. This free app updates you as to service offers personalized to your car, scheduled maintenance reminders, factory maintenance schedules and other information.
Using the MyMazda app, you’ll be able to scan vehicle identification numbers (VINs) when you want to add new vehicles to the application. You can also update your contact information and upload personal vehicle photos for each vehicle you register.
If you’ve forgotten where you’ve parked your car in a busy parking lot, use the vehicle locator feature – it uses GPS to find out when you left your vehicle. As well, the “MyMazda” app is linked with the “Mazda Assist” app, so you can get hooked up with immediate roadside assistance should you need it using only the app on your smartphone, no 911 call necessary.
The MyMazda app for Android is available for free download at the Google Play Store.
FENDI and Maserati have partnered to bring you the new leather and accessories Travel Kit Capsule Collection.
Designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi, the Travel Kit Capsule Collection is made using black Cuoio Romano leather that is adorned with Selleria stitching. Each item in the collection comes with numbered oval sterling silver plaque that is engraved with Maserati Trident logo. The line features a compact trolley case, a soft Boston bag, two vanity cases, a document folder, a keyholder, two bomber jackets, an oversized cashmere scarf, a baseball cap and aviator sunglasses.
This Travel Kit will be accompanying the Maserati GranCabrio Fendi on “The Whispered Grand Tour” journey, which celebrates the two companies’ like minded vision regarding tradition, innovation and craftsmanship.
GALLERY: Fendi Maserati Travel Kit Collection
When it comes to which gender is the better driver, the battle continues to wage on. And with new data released by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), both sides have new ammunition, but it looks like men might have won this round.
The DSA looked at driving tests taken between 2010 and 2011. It shows that about half of all male candidates failed their driving test while 57 percent of women failed. Driving examiners recorded 1,660,206 errors that led to a failed test – again men out on top with 718,244 mistakes, compared to 941,962 by women.
Women really lost ground when it came to parking. During the reverse-park manoeuvre of the test, 40,863 failed due to loss of control – compare that number to the 18,798 men who failed. Women also didn’t fare well when it came to adequately observing road conditions: 15,945 women failed this section of the test, compared to 12,280 men that made the same error.
Don’t fret ladies – there were some areas that didn’t bode well for the men. Guys were less likely to check their mirrors, with 6,899 men making the error, compared to 6,223 women.
What do you think of these results? Do you agree or disagree with the findings? Let us know in the comments section below.