Tag: car

Report: Chrysler replaces Dodge Charger police car after ‘suspicious’ fire

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Chrysler, Dodge, Police/Emergency

Dodge Charger Patrol on Fire

Chrysler has agreed to replace a Dodge Charger Pursuit and all of the police gear inside for free after the vehicle mysteriously burnt to the ground. As you may recall, a Curry County, Oregon sheriff’s deputy saw his new cruiser (which had 6,000 miles on it) go crispy after stopping to assist in a search and rescue operation.

Patrick Combs, the rescuee, was found and taken to a local hospital by ambulance, but deputy Jared Gray’s new Charger Patrol didn’t survive the scene. The fire seemed to take hold in the passenger-side front wheel well and continued to reignite after fire crews extinguished the blaze.

There was one small caveat to the vehicle’s generous replacement, however. In exchange for the new set of wheels, the sheriff’s department had to agree to sign a non-disclosure, which means we may never know exactly what set the car ablaze.

As our friends at The J point out, no reports of toasty civilian Chargers have been made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Chrysler replaces Dodge Charger police car after ‘suspicious’ fire originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 May 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: How not to flip a car carrier back over

Filed under: Videos

car hauler tips the wrong way

How not to flip a car carrier back over – Click above to watch the video after the jump

We’ve seen a lot of how-not-to videos over the years. How not to load your Porsche Carrera, tow your Chevrolet Corvette, rescue your truck from a frozen lake, and many more. It’s also become clear that tow trucks frequently play a big part in these matters. Today’s example is no different.

Hit the jump to see what happens when a tow truck attempts to return a tipped auto transporter to the upright position. Hint: It probably wouldn’t have been posted to YouTube if it ended well.

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How not to flip a car carrier back over originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 28 May 2011 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Subaru’s RWD sports car caught wearing same outfit as Toyota sibling

Filed under: Spy Photos, Scion, Subaru, Toyota

spy shots subaru coupe

Spy Shots: Subaru Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery

Judging by the recent influx of spy shots, Toyota is working hard, fine-tuning its upcoming Scion FR-S sports car. Now, we’re finally getting a look at the Subaru version. Spy photogs snapped the two-door Subie undergoing some road testing. The style is similar to the Scion we’ve been seeing, but the Subaru appears to get a different front-end treatment.

Though most of the important bits and pieces are well-covered by all the swirly graphics, the spy photographers did manage to grab a shot of the interior of the coupe. A paddle shifter is clearly visible, and we hope to eventually spy a version with a manual transmission as well. Check out all of the spy shots of the Subaru coupe by clicking through the gallery below.

Subaru’s RWD sports car caught wearing same outfit as Toyota sibling originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 May 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: New kit enables you to rent your car out with an iPhone like Zipcar

Filed under: Etc., Technology

getaround car rental

Getaround Car Rental System – Click above for high-res image gallery

A new startup called Getaround is looking to jump into the car rental business by following a similar path laid out by Zipcar. Getaround is a bit different, however, because the fleet of rentals are comprised of customer-supplied personal vehicles. This is peer-to-peer car rental, and we’re intrigued.

Getaround co-founder Sam Zaid states that vehicles in the United States sit idle for an average of 22 hours every day. By signing your car up for use as a rental vehicle, you (and Getaround) can turn an idle situation into one that makes money.

The car sharing system works by creating a network of users that are connected via iPhone app and the Getaround website. Those wishing to rent their vehicles will receive a car kit that sits on the dash. When a customer has selected a car they wish to rent, you locate the car on a map and use your iPhone to unlock the vehicle. That gets you inside the car, where you can have access to a key hidden somewhere on the inside.

Rates vary by car, but the prices we’ve seen listed on the Getaround website seem quite reasonable. A Mini Cooper will cost you $5.50 per hour, a BMW Z4 can be had for $15 and you can tool around San Francisco in a Tesla Roadster for $50 per hour. The rate structure is a good incentive to keep people from putting serious mileage on your vehicle, but it also provides a fair deal at an hourly rate. Insurance is covered by Getaround thanks to backing from an unnamed provider, and it’s full coverage.

Rental fees are broken down so that Getaround takes in 60 percent of the profit while the car owner receives the other 40. If you’re interested in joining beta testing of the program, Getaround is currently offering the program to residents of San Francisco and San Diego.

If you don’t mind the having to re-adjust your seat every time you get in your own car and you’ve got faith in your fellow motorists, this seems like a potential win-win situation for those looking to earn a few extra bucks.

New kit enables you to rent your car out with an iPhone like Zipcar originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 May 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Used car prices highest in 16 years, but might not stay that way

Filed under: Car Buying, Earnings/Financials

Car buyers

If you’re looking to purchase a used car or truck, you may have noticed that the prices have been a bit higher than you may have expected. Maybe the salesman in the used car lot isn’t willing to dicker as much as you may have expected. According to USA Today, the reason for this phenomenon is that pre-owned vehicle prices are at a 16-year high.

The national paper claims that the average transaction price for a used vehicle is $11,660; up 30 percent since 2008. If that total still seems palatable, consider that four-year-old Honda Accord sedans are selling for $16,175, or about $373 per month with the typical four-year loan and five percent interest. While it’s not the same as buying, USA Today notes that a brand-new Accord can lease for about $250 plus taxes, title and plates.

And while we’re on the subject of leasing, the U.S. recession and the sharp decrease in leasing has helped cut down on the used vehicles available, further depleting stock while demand remains strong. The price hikes are also being felt at the auction houses, where prices have soared to levels not seen in over a decade. Owners are keeping their vehicles longer as well, as the typical vehicle is now 10.6 year old, up from 9.8 years in 2007.

But while the used vehicle market is strong, many feel that the trend can’t last forever. Car buyers are leasing more now. 21 percent of all vehicles moved off of new car lots are being leased – up from 11 percent in 2009. That means more vehicles will become available once those leases run their course. Credit has loosened a bit as well, so potential new car buyers with less-than-perfect credit are now more likely to find themselves in a new vehicle.

Used car prices highest in 16 years, but might not stay that way originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 May 2011 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Consumer Reports: Car buyers will pay for higher fuel economy, won’t compromise safety

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Safety

Toyota Prius models at a dealership

According to a survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, new car buyers are factoring fuel economy as a larger concern in their purchases. That’s no real surprise given that prices at the pump remain high, but the study also revealed that those same consumers are unwilling to sacrifice safety just to net a few additional miles per gallon.

The research revealed that 62 percent of buyers say they are planning to buy a vehicle with much better or significantly better fuel economy than their current ride. On average, that translates to fuel economy of 29 mpg or better. Surprisingly enough, 10 percent of those questioned said that they expected 40 mpg or better from their next purchase. That means that buyers will need to be willing to make all sorts of concessions, including making compromises on purchase price, vehicle size and the number of options.

One factor those surveyed evidently won’t give up on, however, is safety. Only 11 percent of the total respondents said they would be willing to compromise safety for greater fuel economy. Read the complete summary over at Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports: Car buyers will pay for higher fuel economy, won’t compromise safety originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: 21-year-old Filipino carves amazing wooden car sculptures

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Toys/Games, Design/Style

Franco Cagayat and his auotmotive sculpture

Franco Cagayat and his automotive sculpture – Click above to watch video after the jump

We’ve seen some pretty amazing things happen when talent mixes with the proper medium, but this takes the cake. Top Gear Philippines magazine is featuring a story on Franco Cagayat, an autistic 21-year-old sculptor who specializes in carving detailed vehicle models from a single block of wood. Complete with doors that open and close, full interiors and complete engine bays, the vehicles are unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Cagayat says he got started by drawing every vehicle he saw and eventually learned to translate that talent into sculpting.

The artist first became a fan of Top Gear when a classmate offered to trade him a copy of the magazine for a wooden Ferrari Testarossa. We think Cagayat probably got the short end of the stick on that one, but he now uses the photos in the publication for reference when it comes time to carve the newest supercars of the world. Hit the jump to take a look at a video interview with Cagayat.

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21-year-old Filipino carves amazing wooden car sculptures originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 May 2011 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive: Amazing Scion FR-S Soapbox car ready to roll in Red Bull race this weekend

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Scion

Scion FR-S Soapbox Derby Car

Scion FR-S Soapbox Derby Car – Click above for image gallery

Remember the good old days when you and your dad spent countless hours in a dimly-lit garage to piece together an old ramshackle Soapbox Derby car for an upcoming downhill race? It probably was constructed out of ancient materials, rocked wagon wheels and had a cable brake that may or may not have stopped you before kissing something solid. Well, my friends, just like the rapture of tomorrow, those days are over.

Scion FR-S Soapbox Derby CarRenowned concept car builder Five:Axis is ready to throw down with a truly outstanding build for an upcoming Soapbox Derby. Being put together by Red Bull, this ain’t your regular Soapbox Derby, and this certainly ain’t your average backyard special. This is a custom one-off fiberglass micro-body based on the super stylish Scion FR-S Concept unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April. Since Five:Axis is well intertwined with Toyota, Lexus and Scion, it looks like they got some design studio CAD files to design the shell and the same slinky red metallic paint that the FR-S was wearing for its first stage appearance.

Think the underpinnings are still ’50s Soapbox technology? You couldn’t be further off because the custom aluminum space frame features a TEIN coilover suspension and Wilwood disc brakes. But all that technology isn’t going to be worth jack if there isn’t a ringer behind the wheel. The Five:Axis Scion FR-S will be piloted by none other than Dai Yoshihara, the Formula D drifter who slides the Falken Tire Nissan 240SX. Dai knows a thing or two about grip as well since he also competes in the Redline Time Attack Tuner Car Championship in an imported Civic Type R.

However, at this point we’re not sure what part of Dai’s expertise is really applicable for the upcoming Redbull Soapbox derby race. The only race on the calendar in the U.S. this year, it’s slated to be held tomorrow, May 21 at 5th & Grand in downtown LA and promises to be nothing like what you might envision a traditional Soapbox derby to be. There are sharp 90-degree turns, NASCAR-style banks and myriad of sweet jumps. Although it appears the Five:Axis build will hold together during the abuse, we are not sure that Dai’s run will be crash or injury free.

Amazing Scion FR-S Soapbox car ready to roll in Red Bull race this weekend originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Coolest Pinewood Derby Car To Never Race

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Toys/Games

Pinewood Derby Audi R18

Pinewood Derby Audi R18 – Click above for high-res image gallery

As kids, there were only so many outlets available to satiate our automotive obsession. While we always had grand visions of things like building the ultimate model A/C Cobra or hewing the sleekest Pinewood Derby racer that the sport had ever seen, our projects typically turned out looking more like Revell nightmares and shop class castoffs. We simply lacked the granular motor skills to turn our hopes and dreams into plastic and pine realities. We’re guessing that Sam Francis never had that problem.

As a local Cub Scouts leader, Francis has made a reputation for himself by crafting unbelievably intricate Pinewood Derby cars. Last year he worked up a Keaton-era Batmobile to show the kids in his troop exactly what could be done with a little patience and a lot of skill, but this year, he wanted to do something even more special. It just so happened that while Francis was racking his brain for a little inspiration, Audi yanked back the veil on its new R18 Le Mans machine. Suddenly, Francis had his shape.

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The Coolest Pinewood Derby Car To Never Race originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Bullitt car chase being recreated in San Fran for commercial

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Marketing/Advertising

The car chase from Bullitt – Follow the jump to watch the video

Hot on the tail of the music video for Sharam’s “Fun” comes word that an advertising agency will attempt to recreate the chase scene from Bullitt in downtown San Francisco once again. According to SF Appeal, Duroo Productions, Inc. is set to film a spot for a Korean-based movie theater chain hoping to strut its new 4D movie experience. From the sound of things, the city’s financial district will see its fair share of car chases and gun play with actors firing blanks at each other. San Francisco’s film commission is warning individuals in the area not to be alarmed or call the police if they hear a commotion.

The action is taking place today on Montgomery, Bush, Sansome, Sutter, Pine, Washington and Clay streets between 6:00 AM and 8:00 PM, and while residents will have access to their domiciles, they may have to wait a few moments until the crew is finished shooting a particular scene. For fun, the original Bullitt chase sequence is embedded after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Schirmer!

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Bullitt car chase being recreated in San Fran for commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 May 2011 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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