Jalopnik

Commenter Of The Day

Commenter Of The Day: Wild Ride Edition

Anyone watching the Dow Jones Industrial Average go up and down today has seen that it's been quite a ride. One could even call it a wild one. If you're one of those people who didn't jump off of something, that is. The day started down about 700 points and then, without much in the way of impetus, it shot up almost 300. It looks like the day will end up down, but no more than around 100 points. Why is the market so crazy? Because nobody knows anything. Just to be clear: no one knows anything. Why did it happen? Jim Cramer? No. It's because people bought houses they couldn't afford. It's because of Wall Street greed. Main Street Greed. It's because we had a system built on exotic securitizations. Who knows? Nobody knows. If you don't like a wild ride, don't watch. Speaking of wild rides, Benji shared some pictures of Tamara Ecclestone baring all for PETA and, after all the jokes, Dwhite summed up for us the other harsh reality of the week. More »

Project Car Hell

PCH, Invasion Of The Hell Projects Edition: Three Alfas or Four Citroens?

Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most hellish! Yesterday, we had the chance to choose between two potential moonshine runners, with either of which one might keep bread on the table during the coming Financiapocalypse, and the Mercury Maruader beat the BMW 850i like Junior Johnson beat the North Carolina Highway Patrol's '53 Ford Mainlines back in the day. However, some of you- I'm not going to use the word "whiners," though it did occur to me- complained that those two cars didn't rate high enough readings on the Hell-O-Meter™. In other words, Hell isn't hot enough for you! We aim to please here, so let's flood the garage with chlorine triflouride, park some more challenging projects inside, and slam the door on you… for eternity!
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Around The Ring

Maserati Claims Fastest Production Nürburgring Lap In MC12, Pretends Viper Doesn't Exist

Joining the "we're faster than you and we can prove it in a completely unscientific way by racing around the same racetrack in a production car under various conditions and providing our own timing" club is the Maserati MC12, which now claims they've made the fastest production lap around the Nürburgring of 7:24.29, besting the feuding claims of Porsche and Nissan, which claim 7:34 and 7:29, respectively, for the 911 GT2 and Nissan GT-R, respectively. Although the MC12's still behind the Dodge Viper ACR, let's not ruin their day by pointing that out. More »

Alternative Fuel

Fuel Up Only With Free Stuff You Find Along The Route: Berkeley To Vegas, No Petroleum!

The City of Berkeley is now a maximum security statist dystopia… Cars are illegal… Petroleum is a controlled substance… Now, geeks and gearheads unite to escape from Berkeley by any non-petroleum means necessary! That's right, a 600-mile race in vehicles not only prohibited from burning petroleum-based fuel but prohibited from buying any fuel whatsoever along the way- it's all got to be obtained free along the route. Steam-powered cars burning wood chips left behind by tree-cutting crews! Gasifiers converting dead possums and heaps of fast-food wrappers into go-go-gas! Batteries charged by sweet-talking locals into allowing power-outlet access! Mules eating grass! Whatever it takes! The race starts tomorrow morning and I'll be making the jaunt from nearby Alameda to check it out- come back tomorrow and you'll see some of these dystopia-fleeing machines. More »

Flying Cars

Reality-Defying Futurama Flying Car For Sale On Amazon For A Mere $50,000!

Good news everyone! A recently-launched merchant on Amazon — named Jetson — is offering the "Futurama Flying Car" for the bargain price of only $50,000. Although the seller makes no promises or claims, other than an artfully updated image of the Guigiaro B.A.T. 5, the reviews on this product offer stunning insight into the performance of this revolutionary, yet totally fictional, vehicle. More »

Transporter 3

New Transporter 3 Trailer Offers Up Tasty Audi A8 Footage

We've already told you that Transporter 3 is headed for theaters at the end of November. Today a new trailer's been released that opens up a little more on the plot and provides some solid stunt-driving action. Back again is the Audi A8 with Jason Statham behind the wheel not performing a number of the stunts we see. Among them are a two-wheeled drive between a couple of tractor-trailers, ramping onto a moving train and a swan dive off a bridge. Considering the action can take place no further than 75 feet from the car, we expect the latest iteration of the franchise to bring the chase scene magic yet again. [Filmofilia]

I Feel Gassy

Financiapocalypse Is The New Gaspocalypse

If you haven't been paying attention lately, the price of a barrel of crude oil has dropped over the last month, trading today at a 13-month low of $78.61 in mid-day trading. Analysts are pointing toward the continued disintegration of the financial markets which could lead to drops in global productivity and thus fuel consumption. The gaspocalypse is indeed easing as we've seen such craziness as above, regular on sale for under the $2.99 figure right at our corner fuel stop. Sure is a far cry from that trade-halting $120-a-barrel price spike three weeks ago. [CNN Money]
Check out Gawker Media's full Financiapocalypse coverage at Economy.Consumerist.com!

Movies

Isn't This Fun, Old Man?

The 1980 film Used Cars may be the finest Malaise Era car movie ever made, and that includes anything featuring a '78 Trans Am. We've already shared the Marshal Lucky and Test Drive For Toby scenes, and now it's time to watch a beautiful '57 Chevy two-door- priced at just $2,400 on the New Deal Used Cars lot- get completely destroyed. More »

Mini Crossover

What Will Mini Name Their New Crossover?

Since we first heard of the possibility of a Mini SUV, dubbed by many the Mini Crossman that we saw debut in Paris, there has been speculation over the name. We thought this was all settled when they didn't officially name it the Crossman, but apparently enthusiast wishes now appear to hold no sway with automakers. You'd have thought we'd have learned after the whole G8 El Camino debacle, right? Anyway, According to GoAuto, BMW's global sales and marketing chief said "I can assure you it won't be known by that name." This brings us back to square one. So what will they call it? We'll walk you through the possibilities below.

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