Now if that isn’t a title that makes you want to read the article, we don’t know what is. Amazingly enough, it’s true. A German student caused a major traffic jam in Bavaria, when, in protest (of what, we’ll never know), he ran into the Hells Angels clubhouse, dropped his pants, threw a puppy into the group, then tried to escape by stealing a bulldozer, which he planned to take to Munich. Just stop and process that for a second….

The Bulldozer, which has a maximum speed of about 10 mph, clearly wasn’t fast enough, and the man caused a 3-mile traffic jam near the southern town of Allershausen. He was later arrested at his home, and is being questioned by German officials.

The puppy is fine.

[Source: UK Telegraph]

Pimpin’ ain’t easy, even in the U.S. But what about in Kazakhstan? Unless you’re a mobster, a chauffeur, or a car thief, odds are, you’ll never get to drive a Rolls-Royce Phantom. Most people outside of major cities have never even seen one. That fact may work to mechanic Ruslan Mukanov’s advantage, as he’s simply built himself one on a late model Mercedes 300D chassis.

Using only $3,000 worth of plaster and fiberglass, and many weekends of elbow grease, Mukanov has created his own Rolls Royce Phantom. Sure, it’s got a 3.0-liter diesel engine, not a BMW V12, and the leather is standard 80′s Benz “perforated,” but the suicide doors are functional, the Rolls Royce emblems are real, and Kazakhstani girls are dropping their штанишки left and right.

I gotta say, we’ve seen worse.

Video of Mukanov trying in vain to pull into a snowy driveway after the jump.

[Source: JamesList]

Continue Reading…

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]

Continue Reading…

Ladies and gentlemen, your Veyron-killer is here. Today marks the delivery date of the first production Lotus Elise-based, ZR-1 powered supercar known as the Hennessey Venom GT. While several engine configurations are available, including 725-hp and 1000-hp versions, chassis #01 packs the full 1200-hp punch. All that twin turbocharged madness has only 2,800 pounds to move around, which results in a power to weight ratio about 70% better than a Bugatti Veyron. The Ricardo 6-speed transmission, the same unit used in the Ford GT, is geared to 260 mph.  It’s also cheaper and rarer than the Veyron.  And it actually looks good.

Any guesses as to where Venom # 01 is going? If you said the middle east, you win obvious points. Hopefully some crazy shiekh wants to go mess around in public and put it on YouTube. We’re going to go take our Veyron posters down now. Venom GT mega-gallery after the jump.

[Source: Hennessey]

Continue Reading…

Cadillac has an image problem. Despite amazing high performance machines like the CTS-V, their customers are getting older and poorer, especially relative to their German competitors. The average Cadillac buyer is 10 years older, and $42,000/year poorer than the average Mercedes or BMW buyer. Should this be surprising? Not at all, considering General Motors’ philosophy for the last decade of offering cheaper alternatives to the German cars, as opposed to building the best cars money can buy. Since 1998, Cadillac has placed no higher than third in the U.S. luxury car market, after a sixty-year run at the number one spot.

General Motors is beginning to realize that Cadillac’s problems start at the dealership level. Customers aren’t as happy with the dealership experience as with other brands, and they have brought in some experts to help. GM has enlisted Ritz-Carlton Hotel management trainers to teach dealership owners and managers about what real good customer service means, and how to keep that level of customer service consistent from one dealership to the next. This includes a version of Ritz’s “credo” cards, small cards that explain good customer service in detail. All Ritz employees are required to carry and produce these cards on demand.

Will better customer service help save Cadillac? It couldn’t hurt, although we’d argue that non-competitive product is what put them at the bottom in the first place. Only time will tell, and with the announcement of a rear-wheel drive STS/DTS replacement in the works, at least Cadillac is moving in the right direction.

[Source: BusinessWeek]

If you’re a fan of Lamborghini‘s, chances are, you’ve heard the name Valentino Balboni. Between 1968 and 2008, Valentino Balboni was Lamborghini’s most famous factory test driver, who once stated that he has been behind the wheel of 85 percent of all Lamborghinis built during this period. Some people think we, as automotive journalists, have the best job in the world. No way, not even close. Valentino does. He was so good at his job, Lamborghini even named a car after him: The Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni edition. True to purist form, that car was the first Lamborghini since 1996 offered in RWD only, with a 6-speed manual gearbox standard. Yeah, that’s a driver.

Last week, the Ultimate Lamborghini Experience came to California Speedway, offering customers the chance to drive a selection of Lambo’s on the track. This time, they brought out a special guest, Balboni himself, to demonstrate the LP550-2. Hit the jump for some in-car video of the man flogging his machine around California Speedway:

Continue Reading…

The deadly Ohio tornado that killed seven people last week claimed two more victims, a late-model Dodge Viper RT-10 and a Dodge Ram SRT-10. If we do the math, that’s a total of 950 horsepower put out of commission. Ironically, both of these vehicles would have no problem outrunning a tornado, with the Viper topping out at 187 mph and the Ram, the world’s fastest production truck, topping out at 154. We’ll have to assume the drivers were cowering in fear in a basement at the time. Let’s hope they have full coverage.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Toyota‘s had a rough year, with recalls, fines, and a brand image that has taken a Tito Ortiz-style punch to the jugular, and the latest jab comes from Minneapolis, MO’s Brave New Workshop, former stomping ground of Senator and political satirist Al Franken. “Toyota: The Runaway Musical Hit” has become quite the hot ticket in Minneapolis, a musical review chock full of double-entendre and puns set against a backdrop of a runaway Toyota and the developing relationships of its passengers.

To publicize the show, producers placed an ad on CraigsList seeking a Prius owner who was looking to sell their car, and the company would have an informal auction at the end of the performance. Although the chosen Prius owner was seeking about $16,000 for his used hybrid, after 90 minutes of anti-Toyota satire, it’s not surprising that the auction failed to clear $2,000.

“Toyota: The Runaway Musical Hit” is playing now, so for all you Twin Cities folks, you can buy tickets here.

[Source: NY Times Autos]

We’ve all thought about it: Women who can really hustle a car around a race track are hotter than women who can’t. In fact, on the 1-10 scale, we’d give a full 2-point bonus to any girl with a fast car who knows how to drive it. If she can earn points in a professional racing series, it goes up to 3 bonus points.

Scottish bombshell Susie Stoddart finished seventh this past weekend at the Lausitzring, earning her first points in the German Touring Car (DTM) series and turning up her own personal hotness scale to 11. It seems she can also drive the more “pedestrian” AMG cars just as well. Hit the jump for a video of Susie in 5-inch stilettos and tight pants hooning a Mercedes E63 AMG Estate around a track. If we don’t post another article for a while, you’ll know why.

Continue Reading…

There’s a reason they call Formula 1 “The Circus.” Not only are race days a dramatic spectacle that draw thousands of fans from thousands of miles away, but also they can pretty much demand anything they want from cities for the right to host races. These “sanctioning fees” are anywhere from $25 million to $50 million per year, just for the right to have a race.

Although New York had been gunning for the world’s most glamorous racing series to return to the state after a 30-year absence, it seems as though Austin, Texas won (ahem, *bought*) that race, and the right. Now about those sanctioning fees…..

We’ve learned that the $25 million in taxpayer fees that were supposed to go to local governments to help support the race is actually going directly into Formula 1′s pockets for the sanctioning fees. A state law that was changed last year indicates that the state’s “Major Event Trust Fund” can use its funds for whatever it sees fit, including “attracting and securing eligible events.”

What that money isn’t going towards is the roughly $250 million needed to actually construct the facility and surrounding infrastructure, or actually supporting those local businesses. Where that money will come from, as of now, is a mystery.

[Source: The Statesman]

This is pretty amazing. In this video, a car appears to come through the corner too hot and slide out of its lane into the cab of a semi truck carrying Pepsi. The truck loses control, jumps the median, and rolls over spilling America’s second-favorite beverage all over the freeway.

Amazingly, a the driver of a Porsche Cayenne manages to swerve and avoid the impending head-on collision. He does end up in the wall on the right side, but we think his day at the Porsche driving school still paid off.

Continue Reading…

Ford launched a website last Fall to help future Fiesta owners customize their rides a bit, with vinyl decals that can be dealer installed. Designs include flowery patterns, random, linear patterns, something that looks like the chicane on a race track, and other abstract, and somewhat cheesy options.

Now, Ford is extending the custom Vinyl campaign to the other cars in its lineup, including new Mustangs, and F-150s. It’s quite easy to do, just go to FordCustomGraphics.com and choose your patterns. Of course, it’s not a perfect system, and while the idea seems innocent enough, we’re just going to come out and say it: the patterns are heinous. Pretty much all of them. Hopefully, by the time these are available to buy, there will be more options, which will look better than the original Fiesta artwork, but we’re not holding our breath.

Eight Afghanis, four Iraquis, and four Vietnamese nationals were arrested at the UK border after a border patrol agent noticed the side door to Aston Martin Racing’s trailer appeared to have been forced open. The illegal immigrants had stashed away on the top shelf of the trailer, hiding behind the $1,000,000 LMP1 Race Car.

This news comes just a few days after several other illegal immigrants were arrested while trying to sneak into the UK on one of Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula 1 Management Trucks, carrying F1 Broadcasting equipment. When the driver arrived home, he discovered the immigrants and called authorities, who arrested them all.

What is it about racing rigs that they have become such popular methods of transport for illegals? It’s possible that at many checkpoints, especially before and after a well-known race, the folks in charge will simply wave race teams through, since it costs so much money to race they wouldn’t even bother smuggling drugs, but on the other hand…..

[Source: UK Telegraph]

Bad news for BMW fans: BMW has stopped making European parts available to U.S. customers. It used to be that, if you had the European part number, you could walk into any BMW dealer’s parts counter and order it, no problem. But now, BMW enthusiasts will have to look to third parties and the aftermarket for upgrades to their Bimmers.

Why the change in policy? According to Bimmerfile, another automaker was having problems with European parts failing when installed on U.S. cars, and BMW is trying to avoid a similar litigious situation.

Damn lawyers, always ruining the fun.

[Source: E90Post.com]

The Porsche 918 Spyder is hot. Really hot. With looks that will stop anyone, gearhead or not, dead in their tracks, and huge numbers like 718 horsepower and 90 miles per gallon, what’s not to love? TeamSpeed.com forum member “PorscheCarreraGTMay6″ is 13 years old, and decided that Porsche could use some renderings, some inspiration, for turning the 918 Spyder into a GTI racing car for the LeMans series. After all, it’s one number higher than the world’s most famous racing Porsche, the 917, and Porsche has already confirmed they will be entering a 918 in the 2011 24 Hours of Nurburgring, where their 911 GT3R Hybrid competed successfully this year.

“PorscheCarreraGTMay6″ provides us with a naked look at the 918 RSR in classic Porsche silver, but also provides concepts for several well known Porsche racing liveries. Check them all out at TeamSpeed.com, and remember, this kid is 13.

[Source: TeamSpeed]

The Lamborghini Diablo GT is quite a rare bull indeed. Only 80 examples were built in 1999, all of them for Europe-only consumption. Seeing one stateside is a virtual impossibility (although this author knows of two such examples in the US), and hearing one rev its 6.0L V12 to redline is even less likely.

One lucky Lambo fanatic found himself standing directly behind Diablo GT #16 at a Lamborghini club meeting in Italy, and gets a face full of exhaust and flames as the driver unleashes all 575 of the bull’s ponies. Hit the jump and crank your speakers, because this is why we love cars.

Source: [Luxury4Play]

Photo: [GermanExotics]

Continue Reading…

The Dodge Nitro and Caliber have been quietly dropped from Chrysler’s UK lineup.

Chrysler’s decision to drop the two crossovers comes on the heels of “extremely modest” sales of both models. This isn’t surprising to any of us, since Europeans haven’t been as quick to adopt crossovers as Americans, and the Nitro and Caliber aren’t exactly what we’d call “good cars.”

The only Dodge left on sale in the UK is now the Journey, and while slightly revamped from last year’s model, Dodge’s UK website illustrates the sad reality better than words…

We’re sure all six people looking to get on the waiting list for the 2011 Nitro will be extremely disappointed.

You really don’t want to crash at the Nürburgring. Seems like a pretty obvious statement, right? Well it is, but not necessarily for the reasons you may be thinking. The ‘Ring may be one of the most feared racetracks in the world, with its 13+ miles of twists, turns and elevation changes, but the most frightening part of lapping the most famous course on Earth is the potential damage bill if you hit the wall. Forget fixing your car, that comes second to repairing the Armco barriers you’ve just dented. How big can that bill get? Hit the jump to find out.

Continue Reading…

In the last year, police in Australia’s Yarra Range have had to deal with a 10% increase in car theft. The Australian government has decided to place partial responsibility for this with its citizens, by imposing fines for unattended vehicles left unlocked. Starting today, motorists who do not lock their cars can face a fine of $358 AU.

According to Yarra Range Traffic Enforcement officer Sergeant John Morgan, ‘‘It puts our crime stats up, it wastes police man hours in investigating the crimes in the first instance and ultimately it will put up insurance premiums.”

The new laws affect all drivers, and include the provisions that if someone under 16 is left in a parked car, the keys must be removed from the ignition. Windows may be lowered up to 2 cm for ventilation, but if left down any more than that, the car will be considered “unsecured,” and subject to the fine.

Included in the bill is a $234 AU fine for littering cigarette butts on the streets of Melbourne. Local government officials cite cigarettes as the number one cause of litter in the city; over 11,000 butts are picked up off Melbourne streets every day.

[Source: TheAge]

The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is one of the most beautiful, and certainly one of the rarest exotics on the road. The classic GT shape looks great at any angle, and the 4.7 liter Ferrari/Maserati sourced V8 can make grown men can make grown men weep at a full clip. But sometimes exclusive isn’t exclusive enough, and it seems that Alfa intends to release a GTA (Gran Turismo Allegerito, it means faster) version of the super-coupe sometime in the next year, just in time for the Italian manufacturer’s hundred-year anniversary.

The new 8C Competizione GTA will lose 150 kg of weight, (bringing curb weight very near 3,000 lbs), and gain 50 horsepower, for a total of 500 ponies. No word yet on whether the GTA will feature any suspension tweaks, as the suspension seems to be the only thing anyone ever criticizes.

A single spy photo, above, shows what is reportedly the 8C GTA out testing.

Only 100 copies will be produced, making the GTA 5 times rarer than the “base” 8C, and we’d expect fewer than 20 make it stateside.

[Source: TopSpeed]

Well, we probably could have called this one. German super-tuner Gemballa finally closed up shop this week, ending a 30-year reign as one of Europe’s top tuners. Gemballa was known as one of the most outrageous tuners of Porsches and Ferrari’s, and with cars like the Mirage GT and Avalanche GTR800, have proven themselves absolutely bonkers when it comes to making fast cars faster. Their most recent project, the questionably-styled, Enzo-based Mig-U1, sought to show that the fastest of Ferrari’s was actually built in Germany.

Things went south for Gemballa quickly, the down economy in 2008 hurt Gemballa’s bottom line, and may have led to the strange disappearance of company founder Uwe Gemballa in Africa. The last known communication from Gemballa, he requested a transfer of a large sum of money, which pretty much says it all.

Hot on the sales figures of the fastest production off-road vehicle ever, the SVT Raptor, Ford has announced it will be offering the Baja-ready truck in SuperCrew configuration for 2011. Other than the length of the cab, not much else is changed from the current production model, but the 6.2L “Boss” engine will be the only engine available on the heavier Super Crew. No word yet on pricing, but expect the roomier Raptor to sell for just a bit more than the $41,995 base price of the current 6.2L version.

Rally driving requires serious concentration on both the part of the driver and co-driver. If the co-driver reads stage notes wrong, or a driver doesn’t react quickly, a crash and possible rollover is almost a given. Many seasoned rally drivers have trained themselves to ignore the spectators along the sides of the stage, but one man distracts Mark Tapper in his prepared Mitsubishi Lancer in a most interesting way, by showing him his ass. The distraction is enough for Tapper to overshoot the next corner during the Rally New Zealand race and end up on his roof. Amazing video after the jump.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Continue Reading…

Here is a “driving guide” for drivers in Pakistan’s Northwest Province of Khyber Pakhtunkwa, who clearly have a “confidence” problem. The solution is the most unintentionally funny safety PSA possibly in the history of all motoring. Anyone who’s seen videos of Pakistani traffic jams will understand why this PSA is designed to keep the flow of traffic moving, but gems like this really make us wonder if this isn’t some government intern’s idea of a joke:

Please try driving AT LEAST the speed limit. We have places to be; people to see.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Full Pakistani PSA after the jump.

Continue Reading…