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Video: What caused this parking lot accident?

Filed under: Etc., Videos

car crash caught by dashcam video

By this point, we shouldn’t be surprised by the oodles of random dashcam videos floating around the Internet, but this car crash definitely caught us off guard. As the video shows, a vehicle slowly navigating through a tight parking lot, and then we see what appears to be a Hyundai Getz pulling into the lot with a full head of steam before hitting our camera-mounted driver head-on.

Now it’s completely unknown what caused the crash, but, purely speculating, we’d have to guess either a major distraction or some sort of medical condition is the culprit. Either way, the woman obviously wasn’t wearing her seatbelt, and the many pedestrians (and the Kia driver) should feel fortunate they weren’t involved as well. On top of the crash itself, it’s also amazing how nonchalant the driver who was hit and some of the pedestrians were nearly run over reacted to the incident. Scroll down to watch the video.

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What caused this parking lot accident? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Aug 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Time-lapse parking lot problem solving

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Videos, Humor

Parking lot polo

Parking lot problem solving – Click above to watch video after the jump

We aren’t sure what country this is, but parking-lot etiquette is clearly a foreign concept. Even without the the guy who thinks it’s just peachy-keen to block everyone else in, this lot is a circus.

When faced with adversity, however, those affected by their fellow motorist’s lack of consideration respond with aplomb. While we’d have just hopped the curb and driven across the grass to avoid the melee, the drivers in the video embedded after the jump above took it upon themselves to do a little rearranging.

With some careful pushing and shoving, a little guidance, and a healthy dose of skill, these guys manage to weasel their way out of what an infuriating situation. In the end, they even returned one of the cars they moved to its rightful spot. When life gives you lemons…

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Time-lapse parking lot problem solving originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 May 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exactly what you expect to happen in a movie theater parking lot at premier of Fast Five [NSFW]

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor

Chevrolet Tahoe SS

Chevrolet Tahoe SS at the Fast Five movie premiere – Click above to watch video after the jump

Books are made for reading, boots are made for walking and tires are meticulously engineered for burnouts. As you may or may not be aware, the latest chapter in the Fast and the Furious saga was released this weekend to the rejoicing of testosterone-soaked teenage crowds everywhere. Nowhere was Fast Five more celebrated than in Detroit, as after the final credits rolled, the movie-going masses retired to the parking lot for an impromptu burnout competition.

If you listen very, very closely, you can hear the cries of a million environmentalists.

Nearly everyone got in on the fun, from full-size diesel pickups to front-wheel-drive Chevrolet Malibu models and beater Nissan 240SX projects. Some of the more impressive smoke came courtesy of a Mitsubishi Evolution that retired to a far flung corner of the cinema parking lot to wring out some all-wheel-drive pirouettes. The fun seems to have lasted a good long time before the local PD showed up to put a stop to the party. Miraculously, very little sheetmetal was wrinkled in the smoke.

Hit the jump to see all of the shaky-hand-cam action for yourself, though be warned, some foul language may lurk between tire shrieks.

Continue reading Exactly what you expect to happen in a movie theater parking lot at premier of Fast Five [NSFW]

Exactly what you expect to happen in a movie theater parking lot at premier of Fast Five [NSFW] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 May 2011 21:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Driverless John Deere tractor terrorizes Walmart parking lot

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos

John Deere Wal-Mart rampage

John Deere Walmart rampage – Click above to view video after the jump

A couple in Richmond Hill, ~~Georgia~~ Ontario were returning from the car wash when they noticed a strange late-night gathering at the local Walmart. Curious, they stopped to see what the fuss was about, and were confronted with the spectacle of a driver-less John Deere Tractor careening around the parking lot.

The tractor in question wasn’t just your regular, run-of-the-mill lawn tractor, either. No, the phantom tractor was a four-wheel-drive Deere equipped with enough snowplow to clear Vail in January. The tractor spent five minutes jogging circles around the parking lot, gouging the side of the Walmart and annihilating an unsuspecting Suzuki SX4 and Toyota Corolla while slackjawed onlookers stood by doing nothing and area police literally drove in circles.

Eventually, someone with enough cojones decided to climb aboard the wayward farm machinery and try to stop the madness… but did they succeed? Click past the jump to find out for yourself. Thanks for the tip, Marshall!

[Source: YouTube via VW Vortex]

Continue reading Video: Driverless John Deere tractor terrorizes Walmart parking lot

Video: Driverless John Deere tractor terrorizes Walmart parking lot originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Australian flood sweeps away parking lot of cars

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos, Australia

Australian parking lot flood

Australian parking lot flood – Click above to watch video after the jump

Australia is under assault by rain and undergoing one of its worst natural disasters in its history. Flood waters in the state of Queensland have ripped through numerous cities. Over 30 lives have been lost and many others are still missing. Homes are ruined and many more are at risk as the surge heads into Brisbane; Australia’s third largest city. Damage estimates are already being pegged as high as $13 billion. One person was recently able to capture just how quickly a stream of water can turn into a raging river.

Filming from the balcony of their Toowoomba office, the video recorder watched as water levels grew higher until they were high enough to begin picking up parked cars (including a hapless Subaru WRX STI) and carrying them away. Hop the jump to see the clip, which includes a bold SUV driver at around 1:10 that refuses to lose his 4×4 to the rising waters (note how he appears to take the time to lock the front hubs on his Nissan). Also, If you feel like helping out, Australia could certainly use it right now.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Australian flood sweeps away parking lot of cars

Video: Australian flood sweeps away parking lot of cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: The Parking Lot Movie

Filed under: Videos, Humor

The Parking Lot Movie

The Parking Lot Movie – Click above to watch video after the jump

The minimum-wage job is a rite of passage. If you’ve earned your stripes manning a deep fryer, selling women’s shoes or digging ditches, you likely know that level of degradation and suffering that invariably provides a boundless well of inspiration and perspective for the rest of your employed life. A creative new independent film has attempted to capture the life and times of a group of parking lot attendees in Charlottesville, Virginia muddling through their own private low-rent job hell. Sound about as thrilling as watching paint dry? You’d be surprised.

Any job that forces workers to interact with various strata of humanity on a routine basis is bound to make for good story telling, and judging by the trailer and the host of clips that have been posted to YouTube, The Parking Lot Movie looks to be about as hilarious as can be. The attendees range from grad students to indie rockers and even “middle-aged slackers,” and they all seem have their own take on the goings and comings of the world around the parking lot booth. Hit the jump to check out the trailer as well as a few clips.

[Source: The Parking Lot Movie]

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Video: The Parking Lot Movie originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler’s Francois has a lot of answers for brands, but not yet for Chrysler

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, Fiat

In-flight wireless Internet access and e-mail is both a boon and a curse to Chrysler chief marketing officer Olivier Francois, who says he already works 20 hours a day running marketing for both Chrysler, as well as five of Fiat’s brands. His frequent flight time was his last refuge to write and think through other work on the nine brands he manages without endless meetings or putting out fires.

And his email can be intriguing. On Nov. 11, he was flying Delta from Detroit to San Francisco. In flight, he received an email from Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win advising him that Burmese pro-Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi would soon be released from prison in part, read the email, because of the public pressure Fiat had generated through an ad in Europe last year that went viral spotlighting her imprisonment.

Good news, to be sure. But the email meant that Olivier spent the rest of the flight dictating edits by email from 35,000 feet on another ad he ad he commissioned for the cause, shot in Hiroshima, Japan at the 11th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates only days before with the Dalai Lama climbing out of a Chrysler 300 (the 300 is not in evidence, but he shot it in case he wants to run the ad in the U.S.) The new ad, featuring Lancia vehicles, which broke this week on European TV and the Internet, had to be changed to celebrate the political dissident’s release (watch it after the jump).

Francois, a self-assured French-born executive whose job is running Fiat’s marketing, Chrysler’s marketing, as well as serving as CEO of all aspects of the Chrysler and Lancia business as CEO of those brands, appears supremely confident in every thing he touches. And that encompasses a lot: from selecting ad agencies – six in the last year – to actually writing ad copy, composing music for ads and chasing down celebrities he wants photographed next to his cars.

But there is one brand task that Olivier admits is starting to get the better of him: fixing the Chrysler brand messaging. “It is a wonderful brand with great American roots, but finding the idea to reintroduce it…very difficult,” says Olivier.

Continue reading Chrysler’s Francois has a lot of answers for brands, but not yet for Chrysler

Chrysler’s Francois has a lot of answers for brands, but not yet for Chrysler originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Consumer Reports still loves redesigned Infiniti M37, likes Hyundai Genesis 4.6 a lot

Filed under: Sedan, BMW, Hyundai, Infiniti, Luxury

2011 Infiniti M56

2011 Infiniti M – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Infiniti M37, Hyundai Genesis V8 and the BMW 5 Series were tested in the latest issue of Consumer Reports, and the results were fairly predictable. All three vehicles received ratings of “Excellent,” though each vehicle’s road to the top came from a different direction.

The newly redesigned M37 remains CR’s top-rated midsize luxury sedan for its combination of performance, luxury and comfort. CR chief David Champion credits the M for combining “agile handling, a taut yet comfortable ride, and a beautifully-finished interior.” Solid praise, indeed. The BMW 535i’s top rating comes on the heels of a test that revealed the new sedan as quick, luxurious and fuel efficient. Interestingly, CR believes that the new 5 Series has lost some of its trademark agility for 2011.

While the M37 is the top-rated midsize luxury sedan the V8-powered Hyundai Genesis could be the big winner of this test. South Korea’s best nailed the test with the most power of the three vehicles tested and the lowest price tag of the group. We’re not talking a couple thousand bucks, either. The Genesis was $10,000 cheaper than the M and $15,000 less than the BMW. The dark-horse luxury sedan was called spacious and smooth, though the ‘built for comfort’ chassis was called out for being “not that sporty.” Both the M37 and Genesis have been granted the coveted CR “Recommended” label, while the 5 Series doesn’t have enough reliability data available to qualify just yet. Check out the official press release after the jump.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Infiniti M56

Gallery: Review: 2009 Hyundai Genesis

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 BMW 535i

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Continue reading Consumer Reports still loves redesigned Infiniti M37, likes Hyundai Genesis 4.6 a lot

Consumer Reports still loves redesigned Infiniti M37, likes Hyundai Genesis 4.6 a lot originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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