<![CDATA[Jalopnik: Gettypic]]> http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jalopnik.com.png <![CDATA[Jalopnik: Gettypic]]> http://jalopnik.com/tag/gettypic http://jalopnik.com/tag/gettypic <![CDATA[A.J. Foyt Hospitalized, Will Miss Daytona 24]]> Legendary racer A.J. Foyt is in a hospital in Houston following complications from knee surgery. The 77-year-old racer was supposed to be the grand marshall at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona this weekend, but an infection has sidelined him so he will remain in Houston. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5880051&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[McLaren Veteran Director Suspended, Formula One Soap Opera Continues]]> Sporting director Dave Ryan, with McLaren for 35 years, has been suspended this morning in connection with Lewis Hamilton's disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5196710&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Peugeot CEO Christian Streiff Fired]]> Immediately following GM CEO Rick Wagoner’s departure comes the news that France’s biggest carmaker, PSA Peugeot Citroën, has sacked its own chief executive. Welcome to the club Christian Streiff. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5190079&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Porsche Follows Audi, Pulls Factory Team From ALMS]]> Porsche has said it will no longer be sponsoring an LMP2 team in next year's American Le Mans Series, despite winning the last three LMP2 championships. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5110187&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[What Does "Detroit" Need To Do To Convince People Its Cars Are Good?]]> This weekend brought you reviews of both the 2010 Ford Mustang and 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, two quality American cars. What does "Detroit" need to do to convince people its cars are good again? More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5110134&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Commenter Of The Day: The Sin Of Omission Edition]]> In the Catholic church it is taught omission, the choice not to do or say something correct, is itself a sin if the lack of action is intentional. Making omission an outright sin is a predominately Catholic doctrine, but the idea itself is ecumenical. Most branches of the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches recite a confession of contrition which seeks forgiveness for acts done and not done. It isn't just a religious issue either. The Nuremberg Trials developed this concept further by claiming military commanders are responsible for acts committed by inferiors if they failed to prevent or prosecute such conditions. Some would argue the Senate committed an act of omission last night, which likely led to suppliers omitting parts and, as flyingstich knows, other omissions could soon follow. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5108878&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[GM Cutting Q1 Production By 250,000 Units, 30% Of Capacity]]> General Motors announced today they will cut production in the first quarter of 2009 by 250,000 units, or approximately 30% of total capacity, affecting 21 plants in three countries. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5108561&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[What's Your Best Go-Kart Experience?]]> Video of go-karts blasting through the Isle of Man made us reminisce about our time in front of lawnmower engines. Remember when you thought you were a proto-Andretti? What's your best go-kart experience? More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5108385&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Meter Maids Plan Holiday Strike In Toronto, Rejoice!]]> Christmas may come early in Toronto as the unionized workers of the parking authority are planning to go on strike this December 20th. Is this a good thing? More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5106516&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Is Lee Iacocca Lobbying For The Position Of "Car Czar?"]]> Former Chrysler CEO and Ford President Lee Iacocca issued the following statement today, perhaps deciding he was able to find a better "Car Czar" than Kenneth Feinberg and it's himself. Whatever may have given him the idea? More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5105488&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Not-So-Big Three "Bailout" Loan Agreement Could Come Today]]> A bailout bridge loan plan for the not-so-Big Three drawing emergency aid from an existing pool of $25 billion for green vehicle R&D and including a Cabinet-level oversight board could come as early as today. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5103975&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Caption This: Rick And Ron Edition]]> More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5101931&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[GM's Rick Wagoner Arrives At Capitol]]> GM CEO Rick Wagoner just showed up to Capitol Hill driving the Chevy Volt mule. No clue where the other CEOs are. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5101852&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Commenter Of The Day: Leaving On A Jet Plane Edition]]> The song "Leaving On A Jet Plane" may have been made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary but it was actually written by high-like-the-Rockies John Denver while stuck in an airport waiting for his flight. It was such a hit for PP&M some people believe the John Denver version is the cover and not the other way around. After writing the song he named it "Oh Babe I Hate To Go" but that name was mercifully changed by one of his producers. We always took Liz Phair's "Stratford-on-Guy" from Exile in Guyville as the stuck-circling-Chicago-O'Hare equivalent of Denver's song, but maybe that's us. Ben highlighted the trouble with flying your car on this plane-crazed day and Graverobber had an airborne song of his own to match. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5101636&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[What's Your Worst Gas Station Experience?]]> Even when gas is cheap bad things always happen at gas stations. Perhaps it's because they have surveillance cameras, but not a week goes by without a story involving a gas station and the phrase "You won't believe this video." More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5101376&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Grading The Not-So-Big Three's "Bailout" Plans]]> We spent the night reading the the not-so-Big Three's business plans presented yesterday to Congress and after we graded them below, we've one huge question. Given the Carpocalypse, what's with the overwhelmingly optimistic sales projections for the next three years? More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5101330&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[What's Your Gameplan For The U.S. Automakers?]]> The Not-So-Big Three are heading to the hill, hat-in-hand and plane-in-hanger, in an effort to get the bridge loans they need to make it across the troubled economic waters. What should they say? More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5100822&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Six Most Dangerous Holidays For Driving]]> You could be forgiven for thinking New Year's Eve is the most dangerous driving holiday, but you're wrong. Based on NHTSA data, New Year's Eve is actually the fifth most dangerous holiday for driving. The deadliest? Thanksgiving Day. The reason? More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5100776&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Ford CEO To Drive To Washington, D.C. For Not-A-Bailout Hearings]]> Finally aware of how bad the not-so-Big Three looked for flying to D.C. for the previous round of "bridge loan" hearings in fancy corporate jets, Ford promises CEO Alan Mullally will be taking a car for the eight-hour trip to Washington, D.C. for the next round of talks. There's no word yet on which Ford product he'll drive, leading to the inevitable question: what will Mullally drive to D.C.? More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5100595&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Tata Motors Chairman, Owner Of Taj Mahal Hotel, Claims They "Had Warning" Ahead Of Attack]]> Tata Motors parent company, Tata Group, owns the Taj Mahal Hotel at the center of the deadly attacks in Mumbai ending this morning. News the same company producing the Tata Nano, the cheapest car in the world, also owns one of the largest and nicest hotels in India shouldn't come as a surprise given the Tata Group owns almost 100 companies with operations in 85 countries. Ratan Tata, chairman of both Tata Group as well as Tata Motors, said the hotel had been warned of a possible attack and had increased security over the past few weeks but claimed it was not enough to stop given what he claims were a series of well-planned, well-organized attacks. Ratan Tata, in the same interview with Fareed Zakeria, went on to criticize the preparedness of the Indian officials. Which is interesting seeing as the hotel had returned to a normal level of security shortly before this week's terror attacks. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5100036&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[National Gas Price Drops Below $2.00 Per Gallon, 50% In Five Months]]> The price of a regular gallon of gas dropped to an average of $1.97 on Friday, the lowest price since March 4, 2005, according to the Lundberg Survey. By comparison, gas prices hit a high of $4.11 on July of this year, meaning the price has changed more than 50% since the summer. Additionally, the average price of diesel fuel for that new 2009 Jetta SportWagen TDI is now just $2.93 per gallon, the first time that a ride on the green handle was less than $3.00. Now with cheap gas we can all conveniently forget about hybrid cars and go back to building body-on-frame sport utility vehicles and take Hummer off the auction block. We've got average prices for a smattering of cities below, but how much did a gallon cost you today?. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5097618&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Commenter Of The Day: Ulnar Collateral Ligament Edition]]> The ulnar collateral ligament is the bit of robust tissue attached to the middle part of your thumb (the metacarpophalngeal joint) which allows that particular finger to move so dexteriously and attain victory in skilled thumb-to-thumb combat. Injuring it is a major downer and often causes a serious decrease in functionality. The most common issue is claled "Gamekeeper's Thumb" in honor of the gamekeepers in Scotland who often got the injury from dispatching rabbits with a blow from their outstretched finger (it's also called Break Dancer's Thumb). If you've ever driven your thumb at high speed into a table and bent it backwards, that was the UCL you were injuring. When we asked you today to give the 2010 Mustang a thumbs up or down we recieved a response from Boosted Lego Wagon that indicated not only his feelings about the Mustang, but also the strength of his ulnar collateral ligament. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5092402&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Mazda To Buy Back 20% Of Ford Ownership Stake For $185 Million]]> In an effort to boost capital while simultaneously distracting auto journalists by waving a bright, shiny and colorful new toy around, Ford today authorized Mazda to buy back approximately 20% ( around 96,802,000 shares ) of the 33.4% stake the Dearborn-based automaker holds in the Japanese car manufacturer. The transaction, to be made in off-hours trading at today's closing price of ¥184 ($1.91) per share, despite reducing the share to 13.4%, will apparently not change Ford's control of Mazda. It will net Ford approximately $185 million. And yes, that's not very much. Full press release after the jump. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5091700&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Commenter Of The Day: Remember, It Could Be Worse Edition]]> Those of you who spend a good deal of your time browsing Jalopnik may have noticed our commenting system has changed many, many times. Though we view (most of) these changes as improvements, there are occasionally grumbles from the commentariat about the system. Just remember it could be worse. This could be an unregulated forum. While many car forums (GM Inside News, Blue Oval News, Motive / VWVortex) on the net are well regulated and full of interesting discussions about various topics, there are quite a number of unregulated forums filled with adults masquerading as teenagers and teenagers masquerading as adults. They're as frightening as their conversations are tangential and full of animated gifs and vaguely racist comments. We're glad that this isn't that place and we're grateful to Dr. Danger for pointing out just what we could be in the Obama Limo post earlier today. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5082450&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Obama To Get New, Giant Truck-Based Cadillac Presidential Limo]]> UPDATE: Obama's New Cadillac Limo Officially Unveiled! More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5082005&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Deutsche Bank Views GM Stock As Worthless, Sets $0 Price Target]]> Looks like Deutsche Bank's finally jumping on the whole "GM doesn't have money to pay the rent past December" bandwagon, issuing a price target of $0 on GM stock in light of a likely bankruptcy filing without federal intervention. As a result, GM shares are now down over 27% in morning trading. We're glad to see analysts at huge global financial institutions with millions of dollars in resources are finally on the same page as a car blog with a silly name. [Marketwatch] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5081990&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Formula One May Be Coming Back To America, Eventually]]> Teasing us once again, F1-LIve is reporting that Formula One racing may return to the United States, absent here since they closed up shop and left after the 2007 Red Bull US Grand Prix. In fact, when we lost the Canadian Grand Prix, North America lost all Formula One races. But if the buzz is to be believed, they may have auctioned off that Ford GT a little too soon. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5077154&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Best And Worst McCain Vs. Obama Get-Out-The-Votemobiles]]> Although we'll know who the next president will be by tomorrow night (barring any shenanigans from swing states — we're looking at you Florida), we can learn something about each campaign's supporters right now by looking at their cars. Anyone can donate their money and time, but it takes someone special to convert their car into a portable billboard. Fans of both Senator John McCain and Barack Obama have, in some cases, permanently altered their cars in an attempt to sway voters. Below, and just in time for this week's SEMA show, we look at these rolling works of political art (we guess) in order to see what we can glean about their supporters.

Barack Obama

 The Saturn Mural This particular Saturn sedan has an incredibly detailed mural dictating all sorts of morals and lessons. The paint on the top clearly indicates a support for gay rights. The background image appears to be a giant of some sort walking around a Florida coastline damaged severely by drilling and, just for good measure, the Saturn's got a message about health care costs tacked on. It's quite the commitment of a newish vehicle and an indicator of just how committed Obama supporters are. [Photo Credit: Flickr] The Be-Stickered Subaru Rather than invest time and effort into a clever and didactic mural, the owner of this Subaru Forester decided to spare the effort and instead cover the vehicle with as many bumper stickers as could reasonable fit. This vehicle is pro-Obama, though it seems to also be strongly anti-Bush. John McCain may be a maverick, but as this car shows, he doesn't seem to be able to get through to those who've had a problem with the last eight years. [Photo Credit: Flickr] Volvo-Driving Liberals, Indeed When people picture the cliché "Volvo-driving liberal" we don't imagine they meant Annie and Samantha Woods of the Obama Mobile. The two sisters covered their Volvo with stickers and sold t-shirts and other items out of the back to collect enough money for travel to the Democratic National Convention and back. Of course, one of them does live in San Francisco... [Photo Credit: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images] Is The Governator In The Tank For Obama? There's nothing more confusing than a Hummer H1, the largest one the up-for-sale brand ever made, done-up in "Yes We Can" blue and supporting the omnipresent Obama logo. Is Arnold Schwarzenegger, a big fan of the vehicles, secretly supporting the Democratic president? Even if this isn't at all related to the California governor, the site of an Obama Hummer shows his crossover appeal. As far as we can tell, the driver wasn't daring enough to attempt the "no blood for oil" bumper sticker. [Photo Credit: Flickr] McCain-Bush Lincoln Town Car From what we've observed, Obama-supporting cars tend to be more positive than negative. This bright yellow Lincoln Town Car proves that this isn't always the case. If you look closely, the images on the top of the vehicle are making the "four more years of a Bush term" argument with photos that are half-McCain and half-President Bush. While we can't be 100% sure that this isn't a McCain supporter that sees it the other, this is a net negative for his campaign. [Photo Credit: Flickr]

John McCain

 A Suburban, Of Course Polls seem to indicate McCain is going to need votes in the more moderate suburban precincts in Philadelphia if he wants to win the state of Pennsylvania and have any hope at coming away with a win in the election. This photo was taken in Arizona so it has no bearing on that region, but it is an indicator that he will do well among people who actually drive a Suburban. Though not as dramatic as some of the Obama cars, it's part of a larger trend of McCain supporters not wanting to damage their vehicles in an irreversible way. [Photo Credit: Flickr] A Tastefully Done Cherokee This particular Jeep Grand Cherokee is perhaps the most professional-looking job yet. Perhaps the owner makes car wraps? Seriously, we imagine it was a pretty penny to get this custom job done for the rear and sides of the car. Check out the detail on John McCain's head. This owner is putting their money where their mouth is. [Photo Credit: Flickr] Stop The Radicals! The driver of this GMC Envoy picks up on the "drill now" theme. McCain's strong support for offshore drilling may explain why most vehicles we saw support him were either trucks or SUVs (an observation supported by polling). This particular driver seems to think that Barack Obama is a radical, but only believes it enough to get a couple of small signs printed. [Photo Credit: Flickr] An Oh-So Grand Marquis Picking up the idea that every politician from Chicago is a crook, the driver of this Mercury seems inclined to make this message with a bit of shoe polish. The vehicle has Florida plates, meaning that this is one more voter firmly in the McCain column. Since the vehicle in question is a Grand Marquis, the official vehicle of old people, we can also assume the driver is elderly and therefore disproportionately more likely to vote (and disproportionately more likely to not understand how voting machines work). [Photo: Flickr] McCain's Answer To The Hummer Of Hope If Obama can have a Hummer H1 why can't John McCain have a Toyota Prius? Bucking all preconceived notions of who should drive what, this eco-minded driver still supports the Republican enough to drape their car with a McCain flag. The sign also works as a nice heat shield, reducing the driver's need to use air-conditioning when they step into vehicle. Could this be the swing voter McCain's campaign needs? WIll they let the driver hang out with all the Suburbans and Jeeps? [Photo Credit: Flickr]

Conclusion

 Though none of this tells us who will win, we can at least say something definitively about those who want to see a certain candidate win. In this informal survey we've turned up far more Obama voters who feel inclined to turn their vehicles, irreversibly, into campaign materials. There are two theories for why this is the case. It could be that Obama supporters are more excited about their prospects and more enthusiastic about seeing things go there way, thus they're more likely to attempt something lit this. Or more likely, McCain supporters have nicer cars. Whatever the reasons behind all this, a lot of people are going to wake up on November 5th and wonder what they're going to do next with their cars. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5074567&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[How Do You Plan On Getting To Your Polling Location?]]> Unless you live in Utah, you've probably been subjected to political commercials, robocalls, fliers, emails and door knocks claiming that this or that candidate is a socialist or a right-wing nutjob. Assuming the media crush hasn't completely dissuaded you from participating in the democratic process, you're going to have to get out to the polls. What's your method of getting there? Will you take public transit like a pinko leftist? Will you drive up in a Confederate flag-draped Suburban like a redneck righty? Will you walk like our forefathers? Do you plan on getting there early in the morning or at the end of the day shift? Maybe, like Mitt Romney, you have to hitch a ride because you loaned your campaign all of your money. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5074980&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Commenter Of The Day: Botulism Edition]]> The word botulism, as in the toxin, comes from botulus, which is the Latin word for sausage. This isn't because Cicero and company ate bad pork but rather because one of the first individuals to identify the toxin was German poet and medical writer Justinus Kerner — the person credited with recognizing it was often found in crappy meat products. People who come down with botulism, typically from eating bad food, are subject to an entire symphony of uncomfortable symptoms including paralysis and incontinence. Thankfully, botulism is rare and typically non-fatal in the United States. Nearly a million people a year use a tiny amount of botulism toxin (botox) to soften wrinkles in their faces and Maymar imagines a lot of them may end up driving a 2010 Porsche Boxster or Cayman to their plastic surgery appointments. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5070089&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Ferrari Threatening To Pull Out Of F1 Over Engine Proposal]]> With Max Mosley pushing a one-engine-for-all agenda as a cost-saving measure for Formula One teams, Ferrari has threatened to get out of the F1 business entirely. Ferrari believes that, after more than 50 years of consecutive commitment to the racing series, it would be better served looking elsewhere for race wins if the spec engine proposal gets approved. Mosley has tried to ignore the problem — which he's proven is a winning strategy. Ferrari is probably just mouthing off, as they have made so much history in F1 people are naming buildings after their drivers. The Ferrari statement below the jump. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5069777&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[VW Passes Exxon As World's Largest Company By Market Cap]]> A massive stock price surge in shares of Volkswagen after Porsche's weekend news they'd be snagging a 75% share of the automaker, has briefly allowed VW to stake the claim as the world's largest company by market capitalization, passing oil giant Exxon Mobil. Volkswagen continued to climb Tuesday as short sellers rushed to cover positions with VW shares rising as much as 93% on Tuesday in what we're terming the craziest short sale of all time. With mid-day gains of "just" 50%, the stock is trading about five times higher than lows reached in January. Who knew Porsche could still cause such a stir? Whatever — it won't last long. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5069727&view=rss&microfeed=true