#crash

The X Games RallyCross is going through its practice runs today, and Finnish driver Toomas “Topi” Heikkinen suffered a violent crash into a metal jump ramp.

There’s a fighting chance you’re guilty of it and so is your neighbor because according to a new Harris Poll, 80 percent of drivers participate in distracting behavior behind the wheel.

Results for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) crash tests on the Mitsubishi i MiEV were released today, leaving the little electric vehicle trailing its competition.

In its recent tests, NHTSA found that the RAM 2500 Heavy Duty crumples worse than the rest in a crash and even observed flames and smoke under the hood after its test.

A wicked crash between a Nissan GT-R and a BYD E6 electric taxi in China last Sunday is lighting concern about EV fires anew. 

Unintended acceleration is back, this time involving a Hyundai instead of a Toyota. At least that’s what it looks like in a video uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday that has already almost gathered a million views. 

It was a miracle that no one died at the Nurburgring Grand Prix of 1976. On lap two of the race, Niki Lauda, who drove for Ferrari F1 had a terrible crash that sent his car bouncing between the barriers and bursting into flames.

Here’s a question: how do millions of dollars in gold-colored coins and tons of candy end up spilled on a highway? No, nobody tried to hijack the Lucky Charms Leprechaun.

While it’s probably not the most dangerous issue to merit a recall, General Motors will fix defective parking lights in some 2012 Buick Regals. 

Usually our spy photos feature the latest secrets coming out of the auto industry, but one of our photographers happened to get some great shots of a Lamborghini Aventador crashing into a snow drift. 

When Richard Hammond test drove the Lamborghini Aventador on Top Gear, he explained, “In the old days, the order of priority for Lamborghini was top speed, acceleration, and handling– in that order. The thing is though, for this new car, the order is the other way around. Handling comes first and top speed is given a lower priority.” Unfortunately, some Aventador owners did not receive the memo.

It can’t be said enough: winter tires and careful driving are the only way to stay safe while travelling on snow and ice.

Even the best driver will ultimately fail to predict obstacles in some scenarios on the road, which is exactly what happened here. A Russian motorist, or at least a motorist who speaks Russian, catches footage of his own crash after swerving to avoid a couple of hitchhikers.

He is presumably trying to correct a skid that starts after the initial reaction, but ends up sliding right off the road. We hear him swearing in Russian just before the car rolls over and sustains significant damage including a smashed windshield. It doesn’t seem like anyone was seriously injured based on the footage.

Watch the video after the jump.

If you had twelve children every year, would you love them all the same? It might be hard to keep track, but as is true with any parent, seeing one of your babies hurt would be tragic.

Some cars handle better than others in snow and as high-performance beasts go, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII is certainly among the best.

The Evo, as it is commonly called by enthusiasts, is a lot like the Subaru WRX STi. They’re both beefed up rally versions of their manufacturer’s humdrum sedans. Stiff suspension, power-a-plenty and a rigorous all-wheel drive systems make these the go-to for off road racers.

That really doesn’t mean anything, though, if you’re caught in a snowy pile up on the highway like the driver in the video below was. Thankfully for him and his car, he understood that driving on an embankment and dinging up his ride was better than stomping on the brakes and sliding out of control. According to the West Virginia Metro News, about 30 vehicles were involved in the crash.

Unfortunately for so many others around him, winter defensive driving is an easily forgotten skill that can save you money and your life. Just remember that front- rear- or all-wheel drive cars cant do diddly without a driver’s due diligence. Stay calm, dress warm and keep a kit in your car in case you get stuck.

That said, there’s a reason our review of the 2011 Evo MR features us hooning around in the snow: it’s damn fun. You don’t buy this car for comfort, you buy it because road gripping, lane churning performance and precision are an enthusiast’s bread and butter.

You can watch the video below, and as always— drive safe. Warning: there is a lot of swearing in the video.

General Motors is targeting a safety issue with new equipment that until now has been unaddressed.