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Report: Man arrested in Australia for driving with pliers instead of steering wheel

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Australia, Humor

Aussie man caught driving with vice grip pliers instead of steering wheel

We’ll be the first to say that taking short cuts to keep a car on the road isn’t a good practice, but sometimes, people take it too far. No, we’re not talking about using a coat hanger for a throttle linkage, or driving on bald tires for one more week, even though the cords are showing. We’re talking about driving without a steering wheel and using locking grip pliers clamped around the steering column shaft to navigate, which is just what one man has been caught doing in Adelaide, Australia, the Daily Mail reports.

The unnamed 38-year-old man’s Monday morning commute was interrupted when police pulled him over for driving erratically with two flat tires, and they were surprised to find him holding the pliers instead of a wheel. He was arrested and charged with many offenses, including driving without a license in an unregistered vehicle, uninsured while under the influence of illegal drugs and more. Police also said they believe he was involved in a hit-and-run accident.

There are many things one can learn from this man’s mistakes, which can be summed up in two words: Drive safely. And that includes taking good care of your car.

Man arrested in Australia for driving with pliers instead of steering wheel originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Hyundai Genesis won’t get all-wheel drive until next gen

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Hyundai, Luxury

2012 hyundai genesis sedan

2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to the sleuths at Car and Driver, the current Hyundai Genesis won’t come with all-wheel drive. Instead, buyers will have to wait until at least 2014 before the traction-adding tech shows up on the company’s luxury four-door. That may also mean that the Genesis Coupe and the lengthy Equus will miss out on all-wheel drive for another few years until the Korean automaker can come up with a refreshed platform. Hyundai CEO John Krafcik has long made it clear that the Genesis twins and the Equus would receive an all-wheel drive option in the future, but we were hoping that we’d see a variant of the refreshed-for-2012 model that churns from all four wheels.

As Car and Driver points out, the Genesis Sedan has seen fairly strong sales since its introduction, and the addition of all-wheel drive will likely help the model inch ever closer toward that magic 30,000 unit-per-year mark. Unfortunately, with at least three years before an all-new model touches down, buyers will have to content themselves with the rash of more powerful engines, a reworked suspension and refined visuals that Hyundai recently unveiled.

Hyundai Genesis won’t get all-wheel drive until next gen originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All-wheel-drive BMW M5 in the cards

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, BMW, Rumormill

2012 bmw m5 concept

2012 BMW M5 Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

The times, they are a changin’… and so is the BMW M5. Since it hit the streets back in 1985, the M5 has always been a beastly Bavarian that sends power solely to the rear wheels, but now, new reports are stating that the all-new F10 M5 may be available with all-wheel drive.

Exact details of this upcoming M5 have yet to be revealed, but BMW has reportedly confirmed that an AWD-version is in the cards. The production version of the 2012 BMW M5 is set to hit the Frankfurt Motor Show stage in September, and we expect to suss out a few more tidbits of information before that time arrives. Until then, we’re content to fill our dreams with visions of snow-filled four-wheel drifts punctuated by the turbo-muffled growl of a force-fed V8 engine.

Gallery: 2012 BMW M5 Concept

All-wheel-drive BMW M5 in the cards originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 May 2011 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All-wheel drive finds favor with Lincoln buyers

Filed under: Car Buying, Lincoln

2011 lincoln mkz

Audi may be the king when it comes to premium vehicles fitted with all-wheel drive. Lincoln, however, must be taking notes because its customers prefer their luxified-Fords with the four-wheel motion as well. Every model in the automaker’s current lineup is available with all-wheel drive, and lots of folks are checking that particular box on the order form.

It seems 2011 will go down as Lincoln’s assault on four powered wheels. So far this year, 72 percent of MKT customers have opted for AWD while 62 percent of those purchasing the MKX have done the same. Of course, as you move into the automaker’s sedans these numbers begin to fall, which is to be expected. Still, 46 percent of MKS shoppers choose the all-wheel-drive version and a quarter of MKZ sedans purchased are prepped for bad-weather driving.

Let’s not forget the Navigator (yep, they still make it), which gets all-wheel drive 62 percent of the time.

Lincoln is enjoying this shift in consumer desire, as all-wheel-drive vehicles command anywhere from $1,850 to $6,890 extra when compared to their non-AWD counterparts. Full press release from Lincoln after the jump.

[Source: Lincoln]

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All-wheel drive finds favor with Lincoln buyers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Jaguar readying all-wheel-drive XJ

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Performance, Europe, Jaguar, Diesel, Luxury

2011 Jaguar XJL

2011 Jaguar XJ – Click above for high-res image gallery

Jaguar says it will have an all-wheel-drive version of its flagship XJ sedan ready in less than two years, which should coincide with the launch of the car’s mid-cycle refresh. Jag hopes the move will increase its sales in the northern United States, where it has traditionally held the strongest foothold in the U.S. market. According to Jaguar, the all-wheel-drive model will be crucial to maintaining that foothold, as nearly 70 percent of sedans sold in the Rust Belt send power to all four wheels.

Though the all-wheel-drive XJ is the most important prospect for the American market, Jaguar is planning a raft of new and redesigned models to reinvigorate its sales around the world. The company’s plan to release a small luxury sedan below the XF is still in place, with pricing to start around £28,000.

Before the small luxury sedan drops, Jaguar is planning to release a four-cylinder diesel version of the XF to try and steal some of BMW’s diesel 5 Series sales. For a little perspective, diesel four-cylinder models account for 60 percent of 5 Series sales in Europe.

Gallery: Review: 2011 Jaguar XJL

2011 Jaguar XJL

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Jaguar readying all-wheel-drive XJ originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maxime Berger loses a wheel at Donington Park [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Motorcycle, Racing

Maxime Berger loses a wheel during World Superbike Racing at Donington Park

Maxime Berger loses a wheel during World Superbike Racing at Donington Park – Click above to enlarge

There are a few common ways to crash a motorcycle while racing – most often either the extremely dangerous high-side or the usually-little-more-than-ego-scraping low-side incident – but, when dealing with machinery pushed to the very edges of its mechanical abilities, there’s always the outside chance of catastrophic equipment failure leading to an astonishing accident.

Such was the case for Maxime Berger, who crashed out of the first race during the second round of World Superbike action at Donington Park in rather spectacular fashion. As you can see from the image above and the video after the break, Berger’s privateer Ducati somehow managed to completely shed half its normal allotment of wheels… and in the case of a motorcycle, that’s a very bad thing indeed.

Click past the break for a video of the incident, along with a brief press release from the Supersonic Racing Team that includes a quote from Berger himself. Oh, and better luck next time, Maxime!

[Source: Supersonic Racing Team, Youtube]

Continue reading Maxime Berger loses a wheel at Donington Park [w/video]

Maxime Berger loses a wheel at Donington Park [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: All-wheel-drive Mini Cooper hybrid caught weathering the arctic

Filed under: Spy Photos, Hybrid, Mini

hybrid mini cooper spy shot

AWD Mini Cooper Hybrid Spy Shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Once you’ve put an all-electric drivetrain into a Mini Cooper, is it that hard to hybridize one? Well, yes, especially since BMW’s limited testing program was intended to give the company information about a plug-in architecture. But our spy photographers have discovered what’s believed to be the first Mini Cooper prototype fitted with a hybrid drivetrain.

The body certainly looks the same, but – as you can see in our high-resolution gallery – BMW has affixed a sticker in the window that clearly says “hybrid test vehicle.” We don’t know many details about the powertrain sitting under the bright red paint, but sources indicate that this is a through-the-road hybrid, with the front wheels powered by a normal engine and the rear wheels motivated by an electric motor. Things like displacement, total horsepower and battery size are all as mysterious as they ever were, but rumor has it – no, really this time – that a hybridized Mini will be available when the next-generation arrives in 2013.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Mini Cooper Hybrid with AWD

[Source: Carpix]

Spy Shots: All-wheel-drive Mini Cooper hybrid caught weathering the arctic originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Kia planning Mazda MX-5 fighter, all-wheel-drive Soul

Filed under: Convertible, Crossover, Kia, Rumormill

Kia is seriously considering adding a two-seat droptop along the lines of Mazda’s MX-5 to its portfolio. European CEO Paul Philpott has stated that the automaker will expand and enhance its volume offerings during 2011 and 2012, but that a roadster could be in the cards shortly thereafter.

Philpott is not alone in his desires for a Kia sports car. Paul Schreyer, Kia’s Chief Designer, believes that the Korean automaker needs a truly sporty vehicle in the lineup (sorry, Forte Koup).

UK-based magazine Auto Express has put together a rendering of such a vehicle, and it clearly draws heavily from the Pontiac Solstice. However, it should be noted that the idea of a sports car in the lineup is not a totally foreign concept. From 1995 through 1999, Kia held licensing rights to the Lotus Elan and produced the Kia Elan for the Korean Market.

Kia is also reportedly working on a small, all-wheel-drive vehicle to slot below the Sportage. The Soul is due for a revamp within the next two years, so it makes sense that the funky hatchback could get all-wheel drive as part of its overhaul.

[Source: Auto Express]

Rumormill: Kia planning Mazda MX-5 fighter, all-wheel-drive Soul originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Drifting BMW i3 proves rear-wheel drive cars have more fun

Filed under: Europe, Videos, Hatchback, BMW, Electric

2013 BMW i3

2013 BMW i3 – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Footage from cold-weather testing of the BMW i3 in Sweden has surfaced, showcasing the all-electric city car’s rear-wheel-drive platform and penchant for getting sideways. These are still early tests, as the full production i3 isn’t expected to be ready until 2013.

Still, with 150 horsepower on tap from a rear-mounted electric lump, the little BMW could well be a barrel of laughs, as well as an environmentally-responsible mode of transportation. Of course, we wouldn’t expect much range with these kinds of antics…

The BMW i3 sports an aluminum body around a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic passenger compartment, and will be considered a premium micro car when it hits showrooms. How premium? Expect the price tag to creep past $40,000. See how much fun electric drifting can be in the video after the break.

[Source: YouTube via GMotors]

Continue reading Video: Drifting BMW i3 proves rear-wheel drive cars have more fun

Video: Drifting BMW i3 proves rear-wheel drive cars have more fun originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Kickboxer Concept is all-wheel-drive diesel insanity on two wheels

Filed under: Concept Cars, Etc., Subaru, Motorcycle

Kickboxer Diesel all-wheel drive concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s been a while since we heard anything from Ian McElroy. As you may recall, he’s the twisted mind who came up with the notion of lodging a Subaru boxer four-cylinder between the rails of a motorcycle frame. Well, it appears that he’s been a busy bee since showing off his first take on the Kickboxer Concept. McElroy has set about reimagining his creation with a diesel boxer lump at the heart of the action. The engine is still sourced from Fuji Heavy Industries, though it’s both smaller and more efficient than the old gasoline lump.

The newest addition to the Kickboxer family boasts new body work and a different swing arm design along with a new turbo configuration. Not quite mad enough for you? How about sticking an all-wheel drive version of the oil-burning moto in your pipe? McElroy worked up a twin-chain design that works with some help from a jack shaft, idler sprocket and a drive axle.

These aren’t just some random renderings, though. McElroy says that he has all of the CAD files he needs to have the bikes machined and built. All he needs is the coin to do so. Shall we start passing the hat?

Gallery: Kickboxer diesel all-wheel drive concept

[Source: The Kneeslider]

New Kickboxer Concept is all-wheel-drive diesel insanity on two wheels originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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