Tag: burns

Video: Abarth 500 Motore Centrale R230 burns through its shoes

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Videos, Hatchback, Fiat

Lucarelli Monza Motore Centrale R230

Lucarelli Monza Motore Centrale R230 – Click above to watch the video after the jump

What’s the point in moving an engine to the back to drive the rear wheels if you can’t light up those rear tires? That’s what the folks behind the Motore Centrale R230 have evidently figured, taking the mid-engined Fiat Abarth 500 for a spin or two around the back lot at a racing circuit.

The R230, for a quick refresher, is the first product of Lucarelli Monza, with an interior done up by Aznom. The comprehensive re-engineering of the car involved moving the engine – with some serious modifications – to the back of the car for entirely different dynamics from the Cinquecento on which it’s based.

We brought you initial details of the car’s development last month, followed by its unveiling at Top Marques Monaco. Now the same snap-happy videographers at Marchettino have given us footage of the R230 pulling donuts in a parking lot. And while the driver may not exactly be Tanner Foust, it’s worth a watch, so check it out after the jump.

Abarth 500 Motore Centrale R230 burns through its shoes originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Simona De Silvestro goes airborne at Indy, suffers second-degree burns

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Racing

Simona De Silvestro crash Indy 500

Simona De Silvestro crashes while practicing for Indy 500 – Click above to watch the video after the break

Simona De Silvestro, a 22-year-old female Swiss racer, went airborne, flipped a few times, slid hundreds of feet upside-down and was engulfed in a massive fireball when the right rear wheel of her Dallara chassis separated itself in the middle of a turn during a practice run for the Indy 500.

Thankfully, Silvestro wasn’t seriously injured in the accident, though she did suffer second-degree burns to both hands. Track crews and safety personnel rushed to her assistance and put out the blaze. She had reportedly been clocked at speeds well over 200 miles per hour just prior to the accident.

Yes, there is video, and you can find it after the break. Here’s hoping Silvestro gets medical clearance to take part in the actual race on May 29.

Continue reading Simona De Silvestro goes airborne at Indy, suffers second-degree burns

Simona De Silvestro goes airborne at Indy, suffers second-degree burns originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hot Cross Buns: NHTSA reportedly set to investigate seat heater burns

Filed under: Etc., Safety

Seat Heaters

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now looking into whether or not seat heaters pose an “unreasonable risk to safety,” according to USA Today. The government agency is currently shuffling through dozens of reports of burns associated with overactive heaters, and Johnson Clifton Larson & Schaler, an Oregon law firm, says that it knows of at least 150 people injured by the convenience feature.

According to the report, those with lower-body sensory defects are in danger of being burnt by the seat heaters without their knowledge, and doctors have petitioned the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers to disconnect the feature on vehicles owned by those with the sensory issues.

In one case, a paraplegic man was severely burnt after sitting in a Chevrolet Silverado with the seat warmers on high for two and a half hours. He accidentally turned on the heaters while attempting to roll down the window.

General Motors, meanwhile, says that it began printing warnings on seat-heater operation in its owners manuals in 2010, and all 2011 vehicle manuals now have the warning.

[Source: USA Today | Image: Damon Lavrinc/AOL]

Hot Cross Buns: NHTSA reportedly set to investigate seat heater burns originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympic figure skater uses leaf blower to dry Porsche Boxster, burns down mansion instead?

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Safety, Porsche, Celebrities, Canada, Luxury

Having unintentionally set at least one vehicle aflame inside of a garage ourselves, we know it takes cat-like reflexes and a certain presence of mind to keep from reducing all of your worldly possessions to cinders in that type of situation. It also helps to not try to dry out the interior of your Porsche Boxster with a leaf blower. That’s exactly what Olympic figure skater Kurt Browning was allegedly trying to do when his droptop went all toasty. According to The Toronto Star, the city’s fire department says that Browning left said leaf blower unattended, the car caught fire and his house went up shortly thereafter.

Browning had attempted to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, but the damage was already done. A total of 80 firefighters and 10 trucks were on hand to attempt to reduce the damage and protect surrounding homes from potential fire. No one was injured in the blaze, but the house is said to have suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. We’re guessing the Porsche is a lost cause, too.

[Source: The Toronto Star | Image: George Pimentel/WireImage.com]

Olympic figure skater uses leaf blower to dry Porsche Boxster, burns down mansion instead? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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