Car Culture
Nissan to Porsche: Need Driving Lessons, Chumps?
Posted: Oct. 09, 2008 10:10:37 a.m.
There's a fight brewing in the rarefied world of exotic supercar performance measures. Last week, Porsche accused Nissan of cheating. Now Nissan is smacking back.
After Nissan claimed that its GT-R set a record-breaking time on the famous Nurburgring test track in Germany, Porsche engineers bought one - and said they couldn't duplicate the feat. They alleged that Nissan must have used non-stock racing tires in order to achieve its jaw-dropping 7:29 lap time.
Australia's CarsGuide reports ...
Classic Muscle Car Values Crashing With Everything Else
Posted: Oct. 09, 2008 10:10:00 a.m.
You took a serious hit on that Wachovia stock, and your shares of Ford aren't looking too good, either...but at least the Plymouth Barracuda under wraps in the garage is still worth a fortune. Isn't it?
Well...
The Truth About Cars thinks not. Old muscle cars have seen a huge increase in sales, and prices, over the last ten years. But, "By and large, the boom in muscle car prices was the result of nostalgic shoppers, laying ...
Study: People Like Their Cars Angry
Posted: Oct. 08, 2008 10:10:59 a.m.
Is the VW Bug's stubby nose just too cute for you? Does the snarling mouth of an Audi R8 turn your head? And why are we using parts of the face to describe cars?
Because, apparently, everyone does. And we like our cars mean.
MSNBC reports, "People readily see faces and traits in cars, and a new study suggests that they prefer cars to appear dominant, masculine and angry." The research, conducted by EFS Consulting of Vienna, "asked 20 ...
Study: Car Accidents Spike on Election Day
Posted: Oct. 03, 2008 10:10:58 a.m.
Voting on November 4 could be hazardous to your health. No, we're not commenting on McCain's tax proposals or even Obama's health care plan. According to a new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Wednesday, your risk of being involved in a car accident goes up on the day we choose the next President.
The AP reports, "The study found that on average, 24 more people died in car crashes during voting ...
Super Wealthy Stop Buying Super-Luxury Cars
Posted: Oct. 03, 2008 10:10:19 a.m.
Perhaps Aston Martin should consider building an econobox...
AdAge reports, "The rich may be different, but maybe not all that different in the current economic climate. Sales of new vehicles in the $100,000 range are skidding."
Susan Jacobs, president of auto consultant Jacobs & Associates, told AdAge the slip is occurring "for reasons more psychological than practical." Wealthy Americans, she explains, are "losing that splurge mentality" in the current market.
Autoblog notes, "Sales of luxury marques such as Bentley, Maybach ...
VW Touts Fuel Economy Record Set in Jetta TDI
Posted: Oct. 01, 2008 10:10:44 a.m.
It's still not clear whether Americans will embrace diesel, but Volkswagen's marketing arm is doing its best to talk us into it. Center stage in the effort is the new Jetta TDI, with its 2-liter four-cylinder common-rail turbodiesel engine, which has just recently hit U.S. showrooms.
First, the car bested a Toyota Prius in a highway mileage test. Now, it's set a long-term mileage record with a round-the-U.S. trip that will be chronicled in next ...
Survey: McCain Voters Drive Domestic; Obama Voters Drive…Domestic
Posted: Oct. 01, 2008 10:10:22 a.m.
Have you driven a Ford lately? Then chances are you'll be pulling the lever for John McCain in November, according to a new survey. Your neighbor will drive his Subaru to the polls to vote the other way.
The Kansas City Star reports, "Bumper stickers supporting John McCain are more likely to be on a domestic automobile, while Barack Obama decals are more likely to pop up on imports, a survey finds."
Actually, the Star adds, the survey of ...
Supercar Smackdown Begins as Automakers Hurl Cheating Accusations
Posted: Sep. 30, 2008 10:09:07 a.m.
In the world of high-powered, high-dollar supercars, the ultimate battleground is a 13-mile long circuit outside the German city of Nürburg featuring 73 corners and elevation changes of hundreds of feet. The Nürburgring, known in the auto industry simply as "The Ring," is where automakers bring their most monstrous creations for testing. Professional drivers -- some of whom drive almost exclusively on The Ring -- take the cars through the course. Automakers publish lap times to win bragging rights. But ...
California Bans Texting While Driving, Allows Lapdogs Behind Wheel
Posted: Sep. 30, 2008 10:09:00 a.m.
Typing out a text message on your cell phone's tiny keyboard while driving is dangerous. Driving with a pack of bouncy, jittery, fifteen-pound carnivores in your lap, however, is apparently safe. At least in California.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has signed a bill banning texting while driving, but vetoed a bill banning driving with a dog or other animal on your lap. The AP explains, "Republican Assemblyman Bill Maze says the practice is distracting. He introduced the bill ...
Paul Newman, Automotive Enthusiast
Posted: Sep. 29, 2008 10:09:13 a.m.
The automotive world lost a beloved figure on Saturday with the passing of actor Paul Newman from cancer at age 83. Newman was best known for his film roles, but gearheads knew him for his love of automobiles.
Jalopnik remembers, "It was 1972 when 47-year-old Paul Newman -- adopting the shorthand P. L. Newman -- strapped into a Lotus Elan at Connecticut's Thompson International Speedway." It was the first of many races he would run. Jalopnik remembers him as "ruthless behind ...
