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Video: Impala crashes into Land Cruiser… to hide from a cheetah

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Videos, Toyota

What would you do if a wild animal jumped into your vehicle through an open window during an African safari? What if said animal was an impala being chased by cheetahs? Though the scenario seems unbelievable, that’s just what happened to a group of tourists in Kruger National Park in South Africa, and it was all caught on video.

With the tour groups stopped, a motorist with a video camera handy happens to catch the unlikely sight of a herd of impalas (not that kind of Impala) jumping over the tarmac while being followed, quickly of course, by two cheetahs. The feline predators thought they had cornered one impala and were closing in for the kill when it jumped through the open window of a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado – South Africa’s version of the Lexus GX. Fortunately for the occupants of said vehicle, the cheetahs did not follow.

A short while later, one of the occupants in the Toyota fearlessly opens a door to let the poor animal out. It must have been its lucky day, because the cheetahs didn’t take pursuit. Check out the circle life get interrupted by this traffic jam in the video below.

Continue reading Impala crashes into Land Cruiser… to hide from a cheetah

Impala crashes into Land Cruiser… to hide from a cheetah originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 14:29:00 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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Video: Lamborghini Gallardo Twin-turbo crashes at Texas Mile

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Safety, Videos, Lamborghini, Racing

Underground Racing Lamborghini Gallardo crash

Underground Racing Lamborghini Gallardo crashes at the Texas Mile – Click above to watch video after the jump

The Texas Mile had scary moment last weekend when a twin-turbocharged Lamborghini Gallardo built by Underground Racing left the track at well over 100 mph. Driver Richard Holt was attempting to pilot the machine to a new standing mile world record, though once his parachute opened to slow the car, the Lamborghini veered off of the course, clipped a small wall and catapulted end over end. Miraculously, Holt walked away from the incident after being cut free from the wreckage by rescue workers. He was later observed at a local hospital before being released.

Reports peg the modified Gallardo as packing somewhere between 1,500 and 1,900 horsepower. Holt actually passed the mile marker at 235 mph and it’s suggested that a crosswind is to blame for the sudden change of direction upon the chute’s deployment. Accidents like this one underscore the value of conducting high-speed runs in authorized locations with plenty of rescue workers on hand. Hit the jump to watch a video of the entire run.

[Sources: Dragtimes, Small World News Service]

Continue reading Video: Lamborghini Gallardo Twin-turbo crashes at Texas Mile

Video: Lamborghini Gallardo Twin-turbo crashes at Texas Mile originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Helicopter crashes on Pikes Peak while filming Audi commercial *UPDATE

Filed under: Etc., Audi, Volkswagen, Specialty

Audi Autonomous TTS Pikes Peak – Click above for high-res image gallery

A helicopter carrying four crew members filming a commercial for Volkswagen/Audi has crashed near the summit of the famed Pikes Peak Highway just west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County. The pilot is reportedly in critical condition, and three passengers are listed as stable.

Due to the location of the crash, a medical helicopter is unable to reach the victims, so crews are attempting to transfer the injured to nearby Crystal Creek Reservoir, which is the closest the medics were able to get. Hazmat crews have reportedly been dispatched to clean up a 150-gallon fuel spill from the crash.

According to KKTV in Southern Colorado, the crew was filming Audi’s driverless car as it navigated to the summit of Pikes Peak. Click past the break for a couple videos of Shelley, Audi’s autonomous TTS, in action. Thanks for the tip, Mason!

*Update: Audi’s official statement on the incident is pasted after the break.

Gallery: Audi Autonomous TTS Pikes Peak

[Source: KKTV Colorado | Photos by jurvetson | CC2.0]

Continue reading Report: Helicopter crashes on Pikes Peak while filming Audi commercial *UPDATE

Report: Helicopter crashes on Pikes Peak while filming Audi commercial *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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