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Video: Gun-rigged car used in assassination attempt in South Africa

Filed under: Government/Legal, Videos, Mercedes-Benz

Burned VW Cross Polo with shotgun barrels

As car people, there’s a certain degree of delight that comes with watching an old James Bond movie and seeing Desmond Llewelyn describe the accoutrements of an MI6-modded Aston Martin or Lotus, all while saying, “Oh grow up, 007.” But in reality, a car with concealed firearms, a hallmark of Bond’s rides, is actually a terrifying prospect, as one Czech citizen found out.

The incident occurred in Johannesburg, South Africa, when Radovan Krejcir emerged from his Mercedes-Benz and started hearing popping sounds as he was walking into his pawn shop. A Volkswagen Cross Polo, parked directly across from where Krejcir regularly parks, opened fire with a dozen shotguns concealed behind the license plate, according to The Mirror. Ten rounds hit the driver’s side window, but the Czech national was clear of his vehicle by that point. After, the VW caught fire. Whether this was intentional in order to destroy evidence, or merely a result of placing 12 hot gun barrels in the back bumper of a car, remains to be seen.

This was not a random act of violence, though. The Associated Press reports that Krejcir is linked to the Johannesburg underground, and that he fled his home country after escaping a police raid in 2005. He popped up in South Africa in 2007 and has been the subject of extradition efforts by the Czech government ever since, who want him to serve an 11-year sentence for tax evasion.

Since arriving in SA, Krejcir has been charged with both robbery and insurance fraud, although charges were eventually dropped. It’s also been insinuated that he was involved in the murder of a strip club owner in 2010. Further proof that this isn’t you average sleezy pawn shop owner? He drives a matte black Mercedes-Benz CL-Class AMG that’s been bulletproofed. Head below for the full news report from South Africa’s Eyewitness News.

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Gun-rigged car used in assassination attempt in South Africa originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Jul 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: McLaren crashes MP4 12C on the ‘Ring… is a record attempt in the cards?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Europe, Luxury

McLaren MP4-12C on track

McLaren MP4-12C – Click above for high-res image gallery

Word on the web is that McLaren binned a new MP4-12C at the Nürburgring recently. According to Pistonheads, one of the early prototypes of the vehicle got up close and personal with some barriers at the legendary circuit, though the damage apparently wasn’t severe enough to put the model out of commission for good. The driver, who remains anonymous, wasn’t injured in the kerfuffle. McLaren hasn’t come out and said whether the incident was a result of driver error, mechanical failure or some other factor.

Officially, he MP4-12C was only out for durability testing, but since the accident occurred at the very end of a scheduled test session, some minds have begun to wonder whether or not McLaren was attempting to set a ‘Ring record time with their new lightweight. According to Pistonheads, the company says that while it may pursue such an adventure at some point down the line, that’s not what was going on when the vehicle left the tarmac. Of course, that would seem to contradict reports from the scene where witnesses were said they saw the MP4-12C traveling flat-out just before the impact.

McLaren crashes MP4 12C on the ‘Ring… is a record attempt in the cards? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 May 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hot Wheels to attempt World’s Longest Jump at Indy 500 [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Toys/Games

We all did it as kids – grabbing one end of an impossibly long stretch of plastic track, heaving it up and attaching one end to the highest object we could find (usually a door) and creating a ramp at the other end with a carefully planned trajectory to score the longest possible airborne distance, then finally setting our favorite Hot Wheels car on a journey of no return.

Team Hot Wheels, a newly created group of stuntmen and extreme sports addicts, are setting out to recreate those childhood memories in the real world. To get there, the group is assembling a 100-foot-tall starting ramp in the shape of a door that leads to – you guessed it – a giant jump. The resulting flight has a goal of reaching 302 feet, which would be a new world record distance.

We don’t know who’s piloting the machine just yet (we suspect we’ll find out for sure if it’s an official record). In any case, it’s the actual off-road truck, which features rear fins reminiscent of a ’59 Cadillac, and the giant Hot Wheels V-Drop replica track that are the real stars here.

Are you asking yourself why Hot Wheels is going to all this trouble to promote kids toys? Well, therein lies the issue. These don’t have to be just toys for kids – Hot Wheels is hoping to attract the attention of adults (males mostly, as you’d imagine) that grew up with these little cars and have fond memories of them. Collectors, take note.

Click past the break for a little teaser video of the event that’s scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 29th. You’ll also find the complete press release for your reading pleasure, if you’re so inclined.

[Source: Hot Wheels]

Continue reading Hot Wheels to attempt World’s Longest Jump at Indy 500 [w/video]

Hot Wheels to attempt World’s Longest Jump at Indy 500 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: How not to judge your speed in a car jump attempt

Filed under: Etc., Videos

dacia 1310 overshoots landing on jump attempt

The incorrect way to gauge your speed for a ramp jump – Click above to watch video after the, ahem, jump

Planning on attempting a ramp jump in an automobile? We have a tip for you: Don’t use a Dacia 1310. Why? Apparently it can build up too much speed, causing you and your co-driver to overshoot your landing area. Either that, or you need to reconsider your high school math skills…

Check out this clip from a stunt performed in 1995. We believe it takes place in Romania, and we’ve also found reports that say both driver and co-driver were okay, which seems to be the case if you watch all the way through the end. That last bit is miraculous because the duo manage to soar quite a bit further than they anticipated. Strap in and come fly with us past the jump to view the clip.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: How not to judge your speed in a car jump attempt

Video: How not to judge your speed in a car jump attempt originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Wince-inducing Chevy Silverado jump attempt

Filed under: Truck, Safety, Videos, Chevrolet

Chevy Silverado takes a leap of faith – Click above to watch the video after the jump

We’d bet that most Dukes of Hazzard fans figured out by age 10 that no 1969 Dodge Charger could take the abuse dished out by the Duke boys. And even if you thought the General Lee could really nail all those jumps, you probably didn’t feel so confident about “Crazy” Cooter Davenport’s ability to do the same in his 1968 Chevrolet pickup.

If only everyone had this much common sense. Beyond the jump is video proof that all would-be stunt drivers should befriend a mathematician and a physicist before attempting any stupid jumps. The beginning of the video looks promising enough, as the beat-up old Silverado approaches the dirt ramp, but it doesn’t take long for the epic fail to unfold. Good thing the driver was wearing a helmet, because this does not look like a minor collision. Hit the jump to watch and cringe for yourself.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Wince-inducing Chevy Silverado jump attempt

Video: Wince-inducing Chevy Silverado jump attempt originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Ford will attempt to stop Ferrari from using F150 name [UPDATE]

Filed under: Government/Legal, Ford, Ferrari

F150 logos PickupTrucks.com isn’t naming names, but according to “sources familiar with the matter,” Ford is planning to ask a court for an injunction against Ferrari over the use of the F150 name for its latest F1 car. And the Blue Oval’s legal team could be submitting the appropriate paperwork as early as this week. UPDATE: Ford has released a statement confirming the report. Make the jump for the blast. [Source: Pickuptrucks.com]

Continue reading Report: Ford will attempt to stop Ferrari from using F150 name [UPDATE]

Report: Ford will attempt to stop Ferrari from using F150 name [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Easy Rider Captain America chopper survives arson attempt?

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Videos, Motorcycle

Easy Rider chopper survives fire – Click above to watch video after the jump

Fear not, friends. One of the original Captain America Harley-Davidson Pan Head choppers from Easy Rider has survived a Texas warehouse fire. The raked-out Hollywood icon reportedly managed to escape the calamity with little more than a heavy dusting of soot and ash. The bike was one of 30 vehicles housed in an Austin, Texas building that went up in flames yesterday, and while all of the cars, trucks and bikes were collectables, the Easy Rider chopper was the most famous of the bunch. The former hardware store was packed wall-to-wall with antique Jaguar, Ford and Rolls-Royce models. At this point, it’s unclear exactly which vehicles survived the blaze and which are headed for the scrapyard, but we do know that Peter Fonda’s Harley will live to ride another day (in fact, there’s actually some debate about the provenance of the bike either way).

Investigators say that the fire appears to have started in the rear of the building, and that as of right now, it looks like arson is to blame. Setting fire to another man’s property is never acceptable, but trying to torch the Easy Rider Panhead is a sin of a different caliber. Hit the jump to see the video for yourself. Hat tip to Nathan!

[Sources: KXAN Austin, Jalopnik, About.com]

Continue reading Video: Easy Rider Captain America chopper survives arson attempt?

Video: Easy Rider Captain America chopper survives arson attempt? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mahindra brushes back Global Vehicles, “rejects any attempt to order” pickups

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Etc., India

Mahindra Pik-Up

Mahindra Pik-Up – Click above for high-res image gallery

The automotive soap opera that is Mahindra keeps on turning. Today, the Indian automaker issued a statement regarding the claims put forth by Global Vehicles. Mahindra accuses GV of “engaging in PR theatrics while pursuing an unnecessary lawsuit.” It states that the contract with Global Vehicles expired and Mahindra is free to pursue other means of bringing its Pik-Up to its network of waiting U.S. dealers. It has effectively rejected Global Vehicles’ $35 million order. Mahindra further claims that Global Vehicles is working hard to damage its reputation while disrupting its attempts to bring the vehicle stateside.

Honestly, we would love to see this little truck land in dealer lots here, but we don’t know how this drama will play out. Both sides are pointing fingers and we expect name calling to soon follow. Either way, this doesn’t appear to a very productive way of expediting vehicles to showrooms, now does it?

Read the full statement after the jump.

Gallery: Mahindra Pik-Up

mahindra-pickup-large_21 mahindra-pickup-large_11 mahindra-pickup-large_22 mahindra-pickup-large_12 mahindra-pickup-large_13

[Source: Mahindra]

Continue reading Mahindra brushes back Global Vehicles, “rejects any attempt to order” pickups

Mahindra brushes back Global Vehicles, “rejects any attempt to order” pickups originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Travis Pastrana spotted on Mt. Washington, record attempt in the works?

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Subaru, Celebrities

Travis Pastrana at Mt. Washington

As if his success in motocross and rally racing weren’t enough, Travis Pastrana may be looking for still bigger mountains to climb. Mainly, Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, the tallest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 ft.

Autoblog reader Andrew Stowell caught up with Pastrana at the famed Mt. Washington Auto Road where the multi-medal X Games winner was reportedly scouting turns, making pace notes and filming some interviews for what should be a new YouTube sensation if he accomplishes this mission.

Travis Pastrana's Subaru WRX at Mt. Washington According to Stowell, Pastrana’s plan is to break the Mt. Washington Auto Road record of six minutes and 42 seconds set in 1998 by Frank Sprongl driving an Audi Quattro (see Sprogl’s run in full after the jump). Pastrana will supposedly be driving his X Games rally WRX STI, though when Stowell caught him he was behind the wheel of a stock WRX for practice.

Astute readers will remember my own tale of tackling the Auto Road this summer in Autoblog’s long-term 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT, which I accomplished in around 25 minutes amidst heavy tourist traffic. The eight-mile road is not for the faint of heart with over 100 turns. True, Pikes Peak is longer at 12.4 miles and turnier with 156 curves, but that famous stretch of Colorado road rises at an average incline of just 7 degrees. The Mt. Washington Auto Road reaches for the skies at a 12-degree angle, and the road is narrower too. So let’s just say it’s no drive in the park.

We’re not exactly sure when Pastrana will possibly attempt a record run, or if in fact that’s what he’s doing there. Subaru of America told us that it’s a Red Bull-sponsored stunt and they’re not involved, and Red Bull Motorsports has yet to respond to our inquiries. Nevertheless, our man on the ground claims the attempt will happen on Thursday. We’ll keep you updated when we find out how he did.

Continue reading Travis Pastrana spotted on Mt. Washington, record attempt in the works?

Travis Pastrana spotted on Mt. Washington, record attempt in the works? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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