Jalopnik: City

In Detroit, The Arab Ice Cream Man Cometh

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:40:00 EDT

If you hear the familiar ring of the ice cream man's bell along Bellevue Street or any other thoroughfare in Metro Detroit, the purveyor of that ice cream cone is likely to be a Muslim Arab immigrant. According to a profile by Charlie LeDeuff in this morning's Detroit News, the life of the average Detroit ice cream truck driver manages to merge the experiences of the average immigrant (living with other immigrant men in an attempt to make money) and the average Detroit working class resident (not making much money). At the very least, they've found a job that's not likely to get outsourced.

Times have been tough for ice cream men due to the sudden preponderance of competition, the downturn in the economy and the price of gas.

Indeed, the steel-panel truck that is rented for $225 per week has no air-conditioning and temperatures inside can reach a sultry 100 degrees. The refrigeration unit continually fouls out and water must be poured on the machine to revive it. And every day there seems to be one less person in Detroit who can afford to splurge on a sundae. Factories are shutting down. Homeowners are going belly-up. Unemployment is almost triple the national average. It makes more sense to move away and yet these immigrant brothers go on, trying to scratch out the American Dream one ice-cream cone at a time.

Next time you hear "The Entertainer" belting out of a steel-paneled truck along Woodward Ave, maybe slow down and grab a sundae. It's a cold world on those hot streets.

[Detroit News , Photo: Max Ortiz/The Detroit News]

9 Out Of 10 Japanese Robot Bulldogs Prefer The '84 Honda City Turbo

Murilee Martin — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT

It's rough and tough, it's turbocharged, and it gets a yen-pinching 17.6 kilometers per liter (about 41 MPG). Is it any wonder the enraged stainless-steel bulldog feels a deep kinship with the Honda City Turbo?

Th!nk All-Electric City Car Coming To US In 2009

Mark Arnold — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EDT

~~Ever-struggling~~ long-experienced electric car maker Th!nk is planning on bringing the City to our cities in the US next year, allowing you to go gas-free, Norwegian-style. The little car has a 126-mile range on an overnight charge, and if you give the batteries a workout, the City will top out at 65 MPH. It's going to take a while to get there, though: Despite its top speed, they've only listed a 0-50 time of 16 seconds, leaving us to assume their stopwatch doesn't read high enough to record a proper 0-60 time. More specs and full release after the jump.

Th!nk must have confidence in their batteries, because the City has power locks, a 4kW electric heater, electric windows, electric mirrors, air conditioning, an electrically heated windscreen, stereo CD with MP3, USB, Bluetooth, and even a navigation & multimedia system.

Believe it or not, Th!nk claims this really is a car, not just a quadricycle. At least, that's what they're telling folks at the British International Motor Show, where the car is debuting for the UK market. That means Jeremy Clarkson's favorite, the G-Wiz electric quadricycle, shouldn't feel directly threatened when the Th!nk City is first delivered to UK customers in summer 2009. No word on pricing yet, presumably because Th!nk wants you to sell you one based on "low operating costs" before they give you sticker shock.

PRESS RELEASE — The arrival on Britain's roads of the first fully electric-powered car moves one step closer today with the UK motor show debut of the new TH!NK city electric vehicle.
Displayed at the 2008 British International Motor Show at ExCeL London by Norwegian electric vehicle pioneers Think, a company with 17 years experience in electric vehicles, the new TH!NK city will be available for UK customer orders next summer.

TH!NK city is a true, modern urban car, not a quadricycle. It is a fully environmental vehicle, emission free and 95 percent recyclable. With an energy efficiency three times that of a traditional combustion engine car, it is a vehicle that realistically meets the growing challenges of environmental protection, traffic congestion and emissions legislation.

The two-seater urban car has a top speed of 65 miles per hour. It accelerates from zero to 30 mph in just 6.5 seconds and to 50 mph in 16 seconds. It requires just an overnight top-up of electricity and can travel for 126 miles in city driving on a fully charged battery.

To charge the batteries from 20 per cent capacity to 80 percent takes just four hours. Over 10,000 miles use, the total cost of electricity used to power a TH!NK city will be in the region of £100.

TH!NK city is designed to meet the strict safety requirements of both Europe and the USA, as a genuinely-safe road car. It is the world's only crash-tested and highway-certified EV. The car is equipped with ABS brakes, airbags and three-point safety belts with pretensioners and it surpasses all European and US requirements.

"Unlike the lower-range, electric quadricycles that have had limited success in the UK, the TH!NK city is a real car which provides a realistic option for those motorists who want to drive a true zero emissions car," said Richard Blundell, Managing Director of Think UK.

"Concern for the environment has been at the heart of the development of TH!NK city. It's not only environmentally sound to drive, but the car itself is designed to be recycled," he said, "Driving a silent car will give urban motorists a totally new experience. The TH!NK city produces no waste heat and no pollution. Critically for London and many other urban markets it beats the congestion charge!"

"Moreover, the TH!NK city is fund to drive, cheap to run, great to look at, generates incredible mileage figures and is extremely kind on the environment. This is a proposition that we believe will interest many drivers who are re-thinking their approach to motoring," he added.

Engineers, developers, buyers and designers in the Think company have focused on utilising clean recyclable materials and non-polluting production processes. The dashboard can be completely recycled. The fabrics, body, supports, air ducts, adhesives and fixings are designed using the same recyclable materials.

TH!NK city's body is made of recyclable ABS plastic, designed specifically for city driving. Not only is it ideal for motorists who want to avoid visible scratches and irritating dents, the unpainted, self-coloured plastic bodywork also reduces both energy consumption and toxins, while making the panels easier to recycle. The battery is returned to the supplier at the end of its useable life.

These factors have been warmly welcomed by the auto insurance industry, resulting in reduced auto insurance rates by as much as 30-50 per cent.

Standard equipment on each TH!NK city includes power steering, central locking, a 4kW electric heater, and electric windows and mirrors. Optional equipment will include air conditioning, a pre-heat timer, electrically heated windscreen, full length sunroof, Radio CD with MP3, USB, Bluetooth, a navigation & multimedia system, alloy wheels, roof rack and 2 + 2 child seats (including 3-point seat belts)

Production started this year in Norway, and the first batch of right-hand drive cars will be delivered to UK customers in summer 2009. Prices of the TH!NK city will be announced closer to the on-sale date.

[NewsPress UK]

Russell Simmons Hits SoHo: Maybach Owner, Obama Supporter

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:40:00 EDT

One of our New York City tipsters and regular friend of the site, was minding his own business, strolling down Broadway, when he came across a rather imposing Maybach surrounded by rather imposing bodyguards. Our hero was eventually shooed away by one particularly massive fellow, but not before he confirmed it was the carriage of hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. Elbowing his way back in momentarily, he managed to take a photo of the rear — seems Mr. Simmons isn't afraid to declare his love of Obama by way of bumper sticker. Is that even legal on a Maybach?

Bloomberg Creates "No-Car Zone" In Manhattan, Reveals Anti-Auto War Of Aggression

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:20:00 EDT

New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has announced a plan to create a car-free zone along a 6.9-mile stretch of Manhattan streets on three Saturdays during the month of August. The experimental initiative, which the Mayor has dubbed "Summer Streets," stretches from 72nd street, taking a jog over to Fourth Avenue at 14th St., crossing over to Lafayette and stopping just shy of the Brooklyn Bridge. This ~~anti-American~~ anti-auto experiment is like a grenade signifying Mike's true intentions — an all-out full-frontal car assault.

If you remember, this is the same Mayor who introduced a failed proposed fee for driving into the center of Manhattan. While we wholeheartedly supported that proposal to clear Manhattan of tourist traffic and silly city commuters, allowing those of us who enjoy driving freer reign of the city streets — for a price, of course — this is a bridge too far. Not only that, but we'd have never supported the idea if we'd realized his true end-game — clearing the city of all cars.

That's right, our fear is this is just the first grenade lobbed in an anti-auto war of aggression which won't stop until Mayor B has what he truly wants — a city free of all cars! Good god, do you realize what that would mean? Everyone would take the subway — can you imagine the smell? Um, well, it could get worse. [NYC.gov via Treehugger]

Honda Motocompo Fits In Your Tiny Trunk!

Mark Arnold — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:20:00 EDT

Tiny Japanese cars from the '70s and '80s are awesome, but can you really fit anything more than a small suitcase or a couple bento boxes in the back? Actually, yes. In fact, back in the '80s, Honda sold the City with a motorcycle in the rear hatch. How did it fit? It transformed!

Yes, the Honda Motocompo could transform by collapsing its handlebars into the seat. After that, it was small enough to be picked up by one person and fit snugly in the rear cargo area, with enough room left for a saxophone, a boombox, and all your tennis equipment. Of course, the City may not be very nimble all loaded down. As for the Motocompo, it had a 49cc two-stroke good for a top speed of about 30mph. Maybe Honda should sell the new Fit with a scooter — you know, since everyone's talking about gas prices and stuff.
[3yen, JapaneseNostalgicCar]

The Ten Craziest Concept Cars Of All Time

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EDT

BMW's GINA concept car today got us to thinking about concept cars in general. They exist at the inflection point where our dreams and technology meet. Whether we yearn for nuclear power, extreme performance or phallic shapes, we have the concept car to thank for pointing us toward the uncertain future. And while not all concept cars see the light of day, the automotive wishes of yesterday often influence the driving realities of today. With the help of some of our readers, we've put together a top ten list of what we believe are the most insane concept cars ever created. We'll leave it to you to pick the craziest in the poll below.

10. Alfa Bat Concepts
Though perhaps tame when compared to today's cars, these Bertone-penned concept cars represented a revolution in the early 1950's. The cars were designed for Alfa Romeo with the goal of creating extremely aerodynamic cars that could handle the speeds engineers were creating, eventually achieving a wind resistance better than today's Porsches or Corvettes. They're also, as 68Stang is right to recognize, completely gorgeous.

9. Powell Motors Presents The Homer
This is the car that most credit with taking down economy car giant Powell Motors. Envisioned by Herbert Powell's brother, Homer Simpson, The Homer did foresee certain automotive achievements, such as extremely large beverage holders and excessively large grilles. On the other hand, the bubble-top domes have yet to catch on in a widespread manner, much to the disappointment of Jchabotte. [Simpsons Wiki]

8. Peugeot 20cup

Man has always attempted to bridge the ages-old axiom of "two wheels bad, four wheels good" by merging the car and the motorcycle. Unfortunately, this has usually resulted in the sidecar. Though there have been many copies, the Peugeot 20cup stands out as the most fantastic and awkwardly attractive attempt. Despite taking some of the danger out of motorcycles, Dr. Danger sees this as an "odd duck," offering seriously confusing proportions yet also the promise of extreme sportiness.

7. Tang Hua Book Of Songs
Chinese automaker Tang Hua looked to an aerodynamic shape to power the design of their oddly-named Book of Songs electric car. And what's the most aerodynamic shape they could come up with for this electric-gas hybrid? The — umm — well — you can just ask MIke the Dog, he can explain it to you.

6. Assystem City Car
As strange as the Assystem City Car looks, and as unfortunate as the company's name is, it's some of the technology inside that moves us. The car features a "biometric" interface that recognizes when drivers begin to nod off, a "reality display" that uses cameras to show the world around the car, and mood settings that change the car's coloration and sounds based upon the feelings of the driver. Though far-fetched looking, the car actually has some seriously prescient technology that's finding its way into newer cars that KingFling might buy some day. [Assystem.com]

5. Mercedes Bionic Car
When looking to design a car after an animal, you think Mercedes would have looked to something muscular like a Cheetah, tight like a Tiger or fast like a Falcon. Instead, those nutty Germans chose a car designed after the Boxfish. The dimensions of the Mercedes Bionic Car are all wrong and yet somehow all right at the same time. Order one up for Simpson Movie Ruled so he can ~~swim~~ drive it to the theatre.

4. Ford Nucleon
Let's see, it's a Ford, it's got a nuclear reactor and it's a Ranchero. Someone pinch us, because the Ford Nucleon is making us woozy. Or maybe that's the radiation? Either way, the Nucleon stands out as our favorite car from the Nuclear era — a time when every other concept car was powered by some sort of futuristic energy source, including good ol' plutonium. Yes, it presaged the Delorean by nearly 30 years. A freaking nukachero. Thanks Scroggzilla.

3. Luigi Colani-Designed Suzuki Truck
Graverobber knows there are few designers that are more Jalopnik than Luigi Colani, the man behind anthropomorphic concepts such as the Ekranoplans and supercars such as the Utah 8. Though none of his pod trucks, such as this Colani Suzuki truck, have seen production, the extreme aerodynamics are starting to see use on cabs from Mercedes.

2. Aurora Safety Car
Perhaps one of the ugliest cars of all time, the Aurora Safety Car has a sad story. The dream of a priest who was also a car nut, the Aurora ESV was built on a Buick platform with the hope of encouraging automakers to build safer cars both for drivers and pedestrians. The insane safety features included crumple zones, hydraulic jacks, a cow-catcher nose for people walking by, and real, live seatbelts for all passengers. The Priest, Father Juliano, was eventually ruined because of the project in what he claimed was a conspiracy by General Motors. If they'd have listened maybe they could have avoided "Unsafe At Any Speed. " SlantSick recognizes it is ugly, but it sure is fascinating. [NYTimes]

1. The Dymaxion
Can you top the Dymaxion car? DrewDraws doesn't think so, and we tend to agree. Designed by none other than the legendary Buckminster Fuller, this car was meant to make the world a better place. How? It achieved 30 mpg, could transport 11 people at high speeds and was probably the first minivan ever. All this in 1933. It was so awesome it never saw the light of production. Pity. We could use one right about now.
[Photo Uncovering.org]

Billetproof Burnout Contest, Yee Haw!

Mark Arnold — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT

All right boys, you know the rules: Chain up your axle to this here block of cee-ment, spray it all down with water, and roast them tahhrs. Whoe're makes the most smoke wins! Can you think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon in America? Didn't think so.

The winner? That sweet Dodge Coronet.

Fresh Prince Of Belle Isle?

Andrew Stoy — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:40:00 EDT

ABC has reportedly ordered up a new hour-long drama pilot, based upon the auto industry and set in our very own Motor City. The Prince of Motor City is said to contain "Hamlet overtones" and is set to begin filming at the end of June, airing this winter as a mid-season replacement. According to the casting call on the Michigan Film Office Web site, they're seeking actors for a variety of roles, including at least one apparent Dr. Z lookalike. More details and full release after the jump...

Herr Merkel sounds awfully familiar: "Tall, handsome German man meets with Cora Neel and the other board members about buying Hamilton Motors." And, as if you need more than a drama about the car biz based in the D, apparently Andie MacDowell is already on board. Poor Yorick: We thought that was your head we saw rolling down Jefferson.

THE PRINCE OF MOTOR CITY To be an auto tycoon... or not to be? That's the problem plaguing philosophy lecturer Billy Hamilton.
His father, the legendary William Hamilton III of Hamilton Motor Works, was just killed in a mysterious accident. And when Billy returns home for the funeral, he's shocked to discover that his father left him... everything. The factory. The assets. Detroit's fourth-biggest auto plant. All the power and wealth he can imagine. But Billy's not sure if he wants it. Because the situation back home has gotten strange indeed.

Company CFO and family friend Paul Riley is outraged that he wasn't given the keys to the kingdom. Billy's unfinished romance with Riley's spunky daughter Meg is heating up again. And Billy's mom and his Uncle Charlie seem to be consoling one another in much too cozy a fashion—do they know more about William's death than they're letting on?

But all this pales in comparison to the eerie goings-on around the plant. Billy's being haunted by a song... a moody Elvis song that was his father's favorite. He's getting mysterious, meaningful messages from complete strangers. At a dinner party, he chats with an empty seat next to him—which chats back. Finally, a ghost that could only be his father tells Billy in a croaking voice: "I want revenge."

An epic, Gothic, family melodrama with overtones of Hamlet, The Prince of Motor City injects corporate and familial intrigue with supernatural suspense. Produced by actor Hamish Linklater of The New Adventures of Old Christine, this riveting drama tells the story of a modern-day monarch with method in his madness... and vengeance in his heart.

(Hat tip to Bridget) [The Futon Critic]

Fire At Kansas City Magellan Oil Refinery Gets Out Of Hand, Threatens To Shoot Gas Higher Than Price Of Strip Steak

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:20:00 EDT

It looks like the Magellan Oil Refinery's just what the gas price doctor ordered to make sure those high Memorial Day prices stay around the same price as the per-pound-sticker on a Kansas City strip steak. OK, maybe that's just what "Big Oil's" doctor may have ordered. We're not so much happy about what just happened in Kansas City when a storm moved through the area yesterday and set Magellan's huge 1.2 million gallon vat of unleaded ablaze, clouding the landscape with acrid black smoke. At first when we heard the reports of the thick smoke, we thought maybe Kansas City had oversized its jets or needed to drop the needles a bit, as it seemed to be running on the rich side. Alas, this was not the case. (Hat tip to Johnny!) [Fox4News]

2009 Honda City Spotted Testing In India

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Consumers in the United States are lucky in that their version of the Honda small car platform is the Honda Fit as opposed to the Honda City, which doesn't offer quite the style of the Fit/Jazz or the space of the Honda Freed. The little Honda sedan is only available in Southeast Asian markets such as Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. A member of the Team-BHP forum, which loves Indian cars almost as much as they love unnecessary watermarks, managed to capture a few pictures of one testing in the city of Pune.

With a new generation of Fit/Jazz on the market we're not surprised they're updating the City, though we're not exactly blown away by the looks. No word on what revised specs this latest City will get, but we're betting most of you don't know what the old specs were. Maybe someday, if they're really good, they''ll be able to get a Fit-based Honda Airwave. That would be sweet. [Team-BHP]

100 MPG Axon City Car In Realistic-Thinking Shocker

Wes Siler — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:20:00 EDT

Hydrogen / Electric hybrids, wood to ethanol power, poop to biogas, plug-in power cords, compressed air; the Axon city car uses non of these, and that's what makes it so special. By figuring out that light weight and low drag equal high mileage Axon has found a way to forego all the State-of-the-Union-sexiness and just make a car that's not only actually capable of achieving 100mpg, but stands some chance of actually seeing production.

Built on an aluminum space frame, the carbon fiber body has been carefully shaped in a wind tunnel to make it as efficient as possible. It's also light; weighing just 400kg means that a 500cc twin-cylinder engine provides more than enough motivation.

It'll be at least two years before Axon is able to put this concept into limited production, but expect to see millions of vehicles like this if manufacturers and the public ever commit to the reality of reducing fuel consumption instead of just paying lip service to it.
[via Autocar]

Tim Robbins Really Doesn't Like Car Alarms

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Let's say you're Tim Robbins for a minute (we know, only in your dreams), and in your latest movie play a guy living in New York City whose wife plays the cello and a car alarm goes off. That would be enough to make you spin out and become a bizarre anti-car alarm vigilante calling himself the "Rectifier," right? Well, maybe not. But that's the premise of a new movie called "Noise" (why not "The Rectifier"). If you're frustrated by the agonies of the occasional car alarm and find yourself fantasizing about vandalizing unattended cars whose alarms are going off, this movie has your name written all over it. Make the jump for a nice little preview.

[Filmdrunk]

NYC Congestion Charge Sputters And Dies, Your Cab Still Stuck In Traffic

John Krewson — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:57:52 EDT

We've told you before about New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg's proposal to charge New York drivers eight bucks to enter Manhattan during the day, a proposal that was carefully researched, drafted, approved of by Bloomberg, and then buck-passed to Albany, which people are always surprised to hear is the official capital of New York. Well, it seems the folks in Albany handled the controversial proposal with the courage and vision you might expect: they allowed the voting deadline to pass without touching it — Now, the city's out $354 million in federal funds intended to help get the plan rolling.

Actually you can hardly blame them for letting this one go by. It may be a cop-out, as one Bloomberg spokesman claims in the Reuters report, but there are tons of reasons not to start erecting tollbooths everywhere. It's basically a tax on people living in New York's other four boroughs, which would also see a substantial traffic increase. It would lead to greater wear and tear on New York's already overburdened mass transit system without providing additional funds for upkeep. There's also some question of whether it's fair to New Jersey and Connecticut drivers. Meanwhile, Manhattan traffic continues to resemble the world's slowest, most dangerous, and — since it's mostly taxis — yellowest stock car race.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Minibuses Are Awesome

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Why are we randomly showing you pictures of European Sprinter vans? Because Mercedes Sprinter Vans are awesome. Bigger and mightier than the standard Sprinter is the Sprinter Minibus line, which offers seating configurations for uses as varied as hospice transport to urban people moving. Our personal favorite is the City 65, seen here in blue and silver. With seating for 13 passengers, it's much classier than your common OMNIBus or E-Series-based van.

Sure, all of those vans are powered by small diesel engines that barely put out more than 110 horsepower. But that's not the point. They're gigantic (as much as 75-feet long), efficient and beautiful. Behold the mighty Sprinter Minibus, yet another in the long list of European models we desire.

[Source: MB]

NYC Congestion Charge Moves Forward, Your Cab Still Standing Still

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EDT

The New York City council has just approved the plan to charge up to an $8 fee to enter sections of Manhattan south of 60th Avenue. The plan was passed as a "home rules message" — sort of a plan to have a plan system which tells the state Senate Legislature to pass a bill a certain way. Whatever, that's just New Yorkers making things overly complicated. Let's just say the possibility has been raised that sometime in the near future, driving in Midtown will feel more like traffic and less like a seething hell of cabs and anger. [NYTimes via WorldCarFans]

New Yorkers Looking To Tech To Cut Down On Cabbie Honking

Travis Hudson — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EDT

If you've ever been to New York you likely know that cabbies can be pretty big d-bags when it comes to using the horn, honking at damn near anything, now people are finally taking a stand. A new proposal is looking to modify taxi cabs so the vehicle will be visually identified when honking. It's illegal to honk a horn in New York except in cases of imminent danger, but an officer has to physically see a horn being honked to issue a ticket. This new proposal would make seeing a horn honking a lot easier.

Don't expect the honking to subside anytime soon. The New York Taxi and Limousine Commission will look at the proposal as part of the "Taxi of Tomorrow" project which be considering designs for the new cab. Until then, those living in nightlife-busy areas of New York are better off investing in earplugs. But hey, baby steps, baby steps. [Reuters via Gridskipper]

50 Cent Thinks "El Camino" Isn't Cool, Will Cheat To Elect Pontiac G8 "Curtis"

Mark Arnold — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:15:00 EDT

Continuing our coverage of the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck ~~ballot bowl~~ naming contest, 50 Cent has announced that he is officially endorsing his own name, "Curtis," for the name of the new ute. This comes as no surprise to our ~~best political team on television~~ hack team of — well, hacks — despite Bob Lutz's unofficial endorsement of "El Camino." Remember, if you haven't already, vote "El Camino" today!

2008 New York Auto Show: The Top Ten Galleries

Ray Wert — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:02:46 EDT

Well folks, it certainly was a fun time had by all in the Javits Center here in New York City for the 2008 New York Auto Show. But it appears there's ten reveals that got Jalopnik readers more excited than the rest. Without further ado, here's the hottest of the hot from the city that never sleeps — the Jalopnik top ten most trafficked galleries. Read 'em and weep.

1.) 2010 Pontiac G8 Sport Truck: The El Camino Is Back!

2.) 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe Revealed Live In New York

3.) 2009 Nissan Maxima Is Here, F'real This Time With Details

4.) 2009 Honda Fit Is Go, Again

5.) 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe: The Epic Reveal, Live!

6.) BMW Unveils CS Concept, Hopefully For Last Time

7.) Karvajal Designs ZX-1 Custom Couchbuilt Corvette

8.) Dodge Live Unveil Of 2009 Challenger Lineup: Deja Vu Anyone?

9.) Audi R8 V12 TDI Le Mans Diesel Prototype

10.) 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe: A Mustang-Killer Revealed

Backseat Nav/Entertainment Screen Distracts NYers from Cabbie Hoonage

Matthew DeBord — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:30:00 EDT

It was just like old times! On the eve of the New York Auto Show, several Jalopnik staffers hopped into a cab, called out an address—and immediately felt the familiar sensation of a Ford Crown Vic having its pedal jammed to the metal. Gotta love NYC cab drivers. As we were being tossed hither and yon in the back seat, we noticed that...NYC cabs now have nav/entertainment systems for he benefit of passengers.

Luckily, our gadget expert, Travis, was among our number. He quickly mastered the system by randomly stabbing at the touchscreen while our driver hooned across lower Manhattan. In the old days, all that you would have had back there for entertainment was the lingering aroma of puke from the last drunk to take a ride. As for nav, you had your wits. And blind trust.

Those days are gone for good. God only knows what they'll come up with to keep us occupied in the next generation of yellow hacks.

An Amazon Does Not Fear New York

Murilee Martin — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:30:00 EST

SethyT wasn't content to give us DOTSBE photos of the New York Studebaker Hawk. Now he's found a solid-looking Volvo Amazon in the West Village, in way better shape than the one I've been able to find in Alameda. Make the jump for more photos and SethyT's description.

I saw this amazing car about 3 weekends ago on a Friday night when I was out in the West Village (NYC). It was dark and I'd had a couple drinks, so I didn't know what kind of car it was...I had to go look closely for me to realize that it was a beautiful Volvo. The next morning, I went back to the Village to search for it. Of course due to parking rules the car had been moved, but I did find it again after about 30 minutes of hunting. Here are the resulting pictures! Enjoy!

Fiat 124 To Unreliable-Italian-Car Stereotypes: Drop Dead!

Murilee Martin — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST

When I was a kid, my mom bought a Fiat 128... which died of old age about two years later (it sure sounded cool to my 7-year-old ears as it ran through the gears, though). But I'm not going to let my personal experience color my opinion of Fiats, nor will I let the fact that I've never even heard of a North American Fiat that could go for more than a month without suffering some sort of catastrophic breakdown prejudice me against the marque. Not after seeing evidence of a daily-driven 124 living in New York City! I'm guessing it's a '66 or '67, judging from the lack of side marker lights. We can thank Harumph for sending these shots our way.

2009 Mercedes GLK Gets Naked on "Sex and the City" Movie Set

Ray Wert — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 14:16:49 EST

Our spy photographers caught a completely naked 2009 Mercedes GLK on the set of the new Sex and the City movie. The new Mercedes CUV sans camo is looking better than we expect co-star Sarah Jessica Parker probably does sans her own caked on camouflage-like makeup. Luckily our spy mistress Brenda Priddy ~~tells us~~ shows us with the above picture this particular shot featured the sultry cougar Kim Cattrall at the wheel in this shot taken not in the siren's normal hunting grounds of Manhattan, but rather on Rodeo Drive. Rowr! We hope she'll be riding the new GLK into Cobo Hall at the Detroit Auto Show for what we're told should be the mini-ute's world debut.

Supposedly it'll be off-road ready despite sharing many components with the new C Class. As we said before, power is expected to come from a 3.5-liter V6 with Mercedes 4Matic all-wheel-drive as a standard feature. In addition, all versions are expected to have the 7G-Tronic TouchShift automatic transmission, but, we're fairly certain we're seeing the luxe ute in its natural habitat — out front of over-priced Beverly Hills (or Manhattan) boutique shoe stores. We're hoping to have a full spy report from Brenda soon, but here's our older shots of the new GLK for you to peruse at your pleasure.

Cab Catches Fire One Block From New York Times Office, Times Web Team Gets Crappy Video

Ray Wert — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 09:15:00 EDT

We caught this off of the NYT YouTube feed this morning. We're betting they're totally glad they invested in all that video equipment. We wonder if anyone thought to run downstairs and actually get close to the taxi cab caught on fire — or was everyone worried it was a terrorist attack? Maybe this means there's going to be one more medallion up for auction — woo-hoo! A new top price story! Yay!

Volvos have taken over Williamsburg. Run ...

Ray Wert — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:55:00 EDT

Volvos have taken over Williamsburg. Run for you lives, hipsters, run!! [Gawker]

Over the Back Fence: Mini to Go Tiny?

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:38:54 EDT

According to the Mini watchers at Motoring File, Mini's working on an even smaller model for the European city-car market. The minier Mini would help parent BMW even out its high C02-emissions average in the face of Europe's stiffening regulations. But how would a smaller, less consumptive Mini spec out? Motoring File says it could cost as low as 8500 British pounds and hit the streets early next decade. More on this bulldog puppy as we find out.[Motoring File]

New York City Cabbies Gouged Us Yesterday More Than Usual

Ray Wert — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 10:30:00 EDT

Yeah, so one of us had the unfortunate need to take a cab from LaGuardia to the city yesterday in the midst of a two day cab strike over GPS systems in the lovely city of apples that are big. After seeing the traffic levels ahead of us on the Triborough Bridge, we decided it'd be best to just stop at an Astoria subway stop and take a subway across to Manhattan. The cab fare for the shared ride trip of two miles in mild to medium traffic? $20. Apparently the strike yesterday was causing something called "gouging" which is when a person offering a service overcharges you by reaching into your pocket and taking as much money as they can while threatening to drive off with your bag in the trunk of their dirty yellow cab. But I apparently was not the only ~~mark~~ fare suffering from this fate yesterday. Luckily, the strike's over today — and I've hit an ATM to replenish my twenty bucks. [via New York Post]

Management Briefing Seminar Update: Ralph Gilles Says Interiors "The New Battleground" For Chrysler

Ray Wert — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 09:30:00 EDT

So there's this thing called the Management Briefing Seminars up at Michigan's Grand Traverse Resort in the sleepy resort community of Traverse City. While we've partaken in said seminar a couple times ourselves, we kind of feel like it's just a way to get automakers and media outlets to foot the bill for a short August vacation. Don't get us wrong, we're OK with that, and frankly if the boss-man would foot it, we'd be there ourselves — but we've found it difficult to make the case for going just to do some industrial navel-gazing so we haven't even tried. Nonetheless, with the first day complete — the folks who did go have eked out a wee bit of product news from Michigan's pinky ring resort town. That news revolves around interiors from the newly independent Chrysler, Siemens looking to build their very own gasoline-electric hybrid and Ford execs touting their quality and Sync-ing with their dealers. Our round-up of the best of coverage from the "hard-working" folks fromAutomotive News below the jump.

First off we've got Chrysler claiming they'll be focused on the inside of the vehicle now in addition to the outside.
..."interiors is the next battleground," Chrysler LLC design whiz Ralph Gilles said Monday that the carmaker intends to begin interior design work up to a year earlier than usual so fresh ideas can be introduced.
Of course proof of this new focus is given via a "unique" investment decision:
"Gilles, who championed the successful Chrysler 300 sedan, said Chrysler's recent $3 billion commitment to new powertrain plants speaks to the company's emphasis on innovation."
Second item of note out of Traverse City is FoMoCo's Joe Hinrich was talking up Ford quality improvements:
"Ford has benefited by standardizing manufacturing processes across plants and through greater use of computers to foresee production obstacles."
But that's not the only reason. Apparently it's also working closely with the UAW that's improving their numbers:
"But teamwork with Ford's unionized work force may be the biggest reason for improvement, he said.

UAW locals at every Ford plant in North America have instituted flexible work rules codified in competitive operating agreements, Hinrichs said.

The agreements, which reduce job classifications and promote team building, are expected to save Ford more than $500 million annually. Hinrichs said those workers who stayed after about 27,000 Ford hourly workers volunteered for buyouts did so with the expectation that labor conditions would change."
You mean if you work with your employees instead of instituting an unfriendly work environment, you'll actually see quality levels improve? Who knew?
Third item of note revolves around Ford's new "Sync" system. Automotive News spoke to Hinrichs about the new music/phone/bluetooth/Personal Jesus system in addition to quality gains, and here's what he had to say:
"Hinrichs said Sync is expected to be a key product differentiator, so ease of use and quality are critical. That's why Ford is training dealers to make sure they're ready to sell it and educate drivers on how to use it.

He said: "We are putting a tremendous amount of resources on it because we see it as an exclusive opportunity for us to lead in this regard."
Yeah, they get to lead up until Microsoft lets every other automaker start to play with the system at the end of 2008.
Last item is auto parts supplier Siemens is looking to build their very own gasoline-electric hybrid. Sure — why not, everyone else is doing it. Oh wait, it's just for seminars. Well, good luck with that.

Tokyo Auto Show: Audi A1 to Debut in Japan

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 09:43:29 EDT

If you thought Audi would roll out its new entry-level luxe subcompact for Europe in Frankfurt, Germany's Auto Motor und Sport says, sie sind eine grosse dumbkoff!! The A1, the mag says, will debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in October as a hybridized concept. According to Michael Dick, commandant of Technical Development at Audi, the A1 will be "manlier" und "schportier" than BMW's Mini. As translated by the Finnish blokes at World Car Fans, he added, "When a father sits gladly in his daughter's car, then we've got it spot on." Makes sense, but now we feel creepy. [Auto Motor und Sport via World Car Fans]

Volkswagen to Premiere Eight Models at Frankfurt Show

Mike Spinelli — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 10:30:41 EDT

V-Dub has big plans for the local crowd at this year's Frankfurt auto show next month. Rolling into the klieg lights will be eight new models: the Tiguan SUV, a prototype of VW's coming rear-engine city car and six BlueMotion diesels. The Tiguan we've seen, but the people's company is holding tight to the pulley ropes keeping its city car under wraps. It'll be called the City Expert, and will be powered by a flat-four "boxer" engine mounted rearward. We'll be on scene with our personal media devices in hand, and a free shrimp in each fist to bring you the latest from the furt of Frank as it happens. (See press release after the jump.)

Press Release:

Volkswagen at the IAA 2007: Marketing campaign with eight world premieres

· SUV: World premiere of an agile Tiguan
· Prototype: World premiere of a slick City Expert
· BlueMotion: Six new models at a stroke

Wolfsburg, 01 August 2007 - Volkswagen will present its widest product range of all time at the International Automobile Exhibition (IAA) in Frankfurt (13th to 23rd September). Europe's no. 1 will be presenting over fifty models on view in Hall 3.0 - eight of them world premieres. One of the highlights: the Tiguan - an entirely new generation of SUV developed to complement the Touareg. And if all that's not enough: Volkswagen will respond to the official motto of this year's IAA - "see what's driving tomorrow" - with a prototype. The heart of this sensationally flexible City Expert will beat where the flat-four "Boxer" engine once did in the Beetle. When the gates open at the IAA, six new BlueMotion models will also make their debut. From 2008 onward Volkswagen will offer nine vehicles under the BlueMotion label.

Volkswagen will welcome visitors to the IAA in an exposition area of 9,000 square metres. The centrepiece of that will be the Tiguan. It is the world's first production model exclusively equipped with supercharged engines. It offers two particular advantages: lower fuel consumption and still fun to drive. Also new: the remarkably quiet four-cylinder diesel engine with common-rail injection. The two new TDIs produce 103 kW/140 PS and 125 kW/170 PS respectively. Both engines already conform to the Euro 5 exhaust standards that will be introduced in 2009. You will be able to "see what's driving tomorrow" here and now.

Moreover, Volkswagen will unveil six new BlueMotion models at the same time. Therefore, in the course of 2008, there will be at least nine BlueMotion models available. The Volkswagen BlueMotion environmental label will certainly become a byword for effective environmental protection. The versions already available - the Polo BlueMotion (3.8 litres of Diesel consumed per 100 km and 99 g/km CO2) and Passat BlueMotion (5.1 litres of Diesel consumed per 100 km and 136 g/km CO2) - have already redefined the standards of economy in their respective classes.

The Volkswagen press conference will be held on 11th September at 11.00 a.m. in Hall 3.0, on the Volkswagen stand. Dr. Martin Winterkorn will present the new Tiguan there, as well as the prototype of a future compact model.

Porsche 959 Decals!

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:00:00 EDT

The poor guy who created this page had no idea that one couldn't create one's own repro decals by scanning them and printing them out. It reminds us of being a youngster and finding out that 150dpi RGB images were no good for four-color, on-press printing. What's more, he's optimistic in thinking that copying a decal set by a vector artist will cost him a mere fifty samoleons. Nevertheless, the man does have a great archive of '80s-era R/C car decal sheets. Our favorite is the one from Tamiya's wonderful 959 kit. We kind of want to make our own life-size Rothmans water-slip decals and post them on every transparent surface within a three-block radius. [Vintage R/C Web]

Albany says "no" to Bloomberg's NYC traffic ...

Ray Wert — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 08:20:00 EDT

Albany says "no" to Bloomberg's NYC traffic tax. D-bag I-bankers lift their double lattes to cheer. [NYT]

More On The Metro Detroit I-96 Water Main Break

Ray Wert — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 10:30:00 EDT

See, we told you you'd need to take a week off from driving I-96 in Livonia. Jeez, we knew it looked bad from the air, but it looks worse from the ground. [Detroit News]

Nevermind An Apartment Or Condo In New York, For $250K We'll Just Buy A Parking Space

Ray Wert — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 11:30:00 EDT

Sure, you could play the parking game and try to find yourself an alt-side parking spot on the Upper East Side, or you could drop the couple of grand necessary for a parking spot in a rat-infested ~~plebeian~~ public underground garage. But if you really want your own little spot of land to park your ride, you'll have to pony up some serious bank in the big red n' delicious.

But it all depends on what borough you're in, and in the case of Manhattan, where in that borough you're looking to buy. Today's New York Times tells us of a new 34-unit condo development scheduled for completion in January on West 17th Street — with a total of five spots. Going price on the five wait-listed spots is a quarter of a million dollars. In Brooklyn, we're told it'll cost ya $125,000 at one new development. If you're looking for a bargain, head on over to Harlem — you can snag one there for the basement price of just $50,000. Jeez. I thought it was bad I could only use quarters to park if I were driving to a restaurant in Ferndale, MI. Who knew?

For Parking Space, the Price Is Right at $225,000 [NYT]

[Photo Credit: bunchofpants]

Manta - der Stadt!

Davey G. Johnson — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 16:15:00 EDT

Oh man. Where's our fruit hat? We're scamming a ticket to Ecuador from an unsuspecting produce wholesaler, just to get all immersed in the country's third-most-economically important city. A city, of course, named for Rüsselheim's most important export, the Opel Manta. Plus, it's got the largest seaport in the country, which makes it sort of like Pedro. And let's face it, harbors + Mantas + fruit hats? How can one possibly go wrong? Wait, wait, don't tell us. We don't want to know. We just want to listen to late-Ozzy-era Sabbath and Mantasize. – Davey G. Johnson

Manta, Ecuador [Wikipedia]

Related:
Isle of Manly, Isle of Manta [Internal]

Man Jumps Into Popemobile, Gets Severe Ass-Whoooping

Ray Wert — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:30:00 EDT

As you can see from the video above, a man tried to jump in Pope Benedict XVI's popemobile during his weekly general audience held in St Peter's Square at the Vatican early this morning. The man was wrestled to the ground and beaten senseless by security officers before he could do any damage to his holiness or his holy ride. In fact, not only was the Pope not injured, he didn't even appear to notice the incident. How does a ~~man~~ Vicar of Christ not realize it when a dude jumps a metal barrier onto his heavily armored Fiat Campagnola? And for seriousness, isn't there supposed to be a top on that thing anyway? – Ray Wert

[The Today Show]

NY Daily News: A Jersey Gas Tax Hike Could Lead Legions Of New Yorkers To Never Again Visit Garden State

Ray Wert — Tue, 29 May 2007 09:00:00 EDT

Everyone knows the only reason to go to Jersey is for the access to cheap gas and the access to on- and off-ramps. Every other reason gets lost like I do navigating the byzantine maze of cement and rebar that is the "Garden State." For serious, if it weren't for the cheap gas there's just about no reason I'd go there, because I seem to find a way to end up on some no-name no-streetlight alley in downtown Newark every time I'm driving through Jersey. And I'm apparently not the only one who feels strongly about the gas-as-tourist-attraction — a reader quoted today in the New York Daily News echoed my sentiment when she was asked about her feelings on a proposed gas tax hike by Jersey Governor Jon "Seatbelt" Corzine to pay for road enhancements. The Brooklyn-ite reader, Sandra Burroughs, says it best: "Don't raise the prices! If so, we're not coming back!" There you have it Corzine — you've now been officially warned. – Ray Wert

Jersey? Fuhgeddaboudit if gas tax hiked - N.Y.ers [NY Daily News]

Did Rawlings and Collins Break the Transcontinental Record?

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 14 May 2007 17:00:00 EDT

"Cannon Ball" Baker

We've been on the phone all morning sorting out the veracity of Collins and Rawlings' stab at the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash Record. And frankly, it seems pretty legit to us. Collins and Rawlings are notably two of the fiercest competitors on the rallying scene. But there is another record, of thirty-two hours, seven minutes. While it seems as though Collins and Rawlings have legitimately smashed the Cannonball record of 32:51, the 32:07 record set by David Diem and Doug Turner during the 1983 running of the US Express (a successor race set up after Brock Yates shut down the Cannonball) hasn't exactly fallen. Why? Hit the jump for our reasoning, as well as the second part of Jay Riecke's challenge to the Transcontinental Texans.

The Dave Heinz/Dave Yarborough Jaguar XJ-S that set the 1979 race didn't leave from Manhattan, as previous Cannonballs (and the later US Express did); rather, (as commenter PatFromGundo noted) the Cannonballers departed from Darien, Connecticut. Factoring in getting out of Manhattan, we estimate a 25 minute penalty leaving Darien. Spinelli asserts it could be as tight as 15 minutes, but given the vagaries of traffic that particular morning, our NYC-area contingent is pretty comfortable with the 25 minute penalty. Which means that what Rawlings and Collins were actually dealing with was the 35:53 mark, set in 1975 by Rick Cline and Jack May in a Dino.

If the verification pans out, and according to Bullrun organizer Andy Duncan, it definitely will, Rawlings and Collins have definitely obliterated the Manhattan-to-Redondo run, and they likely outpaced Heinz and Yarborough. But there's a catch. The 1983 running of the US Express was run from Manhattan to Newport Beach, which is a longer distance than the shot to Redondo. The 10 Freeway is the main conduit from the east into Los Angeles. We're assuming that Rawlings and Collins cut across on the 10 and then took the 405 down to Redondo and then cut across to the Portofino, which is right off of PCH. In fact, pretty much any sensible route to Redondo includes the 405, even if it is a nightmarish road. From what we've been able to gather, it looks as if Rawlings and Collins ran just about 2,800 miles, vs. Heinz/Yarborough's 2855 miles.

Meanwhile, the route that Diem and Turner took in '83 spanned 2871.7. That gives Collins roughly 70-80 miles to cover in the space of eight minutes to equal the US Express record. The last time we checked, not even a V-12 Fezza with two seasoned drivers (as Rawlings and Collins are) could pull that off. The 550 Maranello has a top speed of 199mph. Which means — completely maxed out — they only could have covered about 26 miles in those eight minutes.

On the other hand, Rawlings and Collins now have the Ferrari loaded on a transporter headed for Miami in an attempt to cash in Riecke's chips. They now have to beat his RennTech 600CL. Jay and his co-pilot Byron were the second runner-up in last year's "Always First" awards, and the dudes are fast. We'll keep you posted.– Davey G. Johnson

One Airport Hassle Down, 6,593,039 To Go

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 17:30:00 EDT

Kansas City International Airport, a swinging place if you're taking a connecting flight to Evansville, has decided to reduce the stress of the traveling masses by consolidating the airport's ten rental car offices into one $90 million facility. Besides making it easier to find the rental car counter, it also reduces the environmental impact by decreasing the number of busses needed to get people to their cars. It would be great if more airports would do this, as we'd prefer the limit the time between us and the Shelby GT350H we expensed to the Jalopnik corporate card (which, sadly, has a credit limit of twenty smackers). As one airport official said "We believe this facility and our recent terminal renovations will firmly solidify our role as the region's leading airport." That's right, Springfield-Branson Regional Airport can suck it. – Matt Hardigree

Consolidated Car-Rental Facility Will Help Ease Traveler's Hassles [Kansas City Star]

Related:
Laaaaaaame, GT350H rental details [Internal]

Bloomberg To NYC Drivers: Drop Dead

Murilee Martin — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:30:56 EDT

Since London and New York City are so damn interconnected, it was only a matter of time before London's idea of charging drivers to enter the city's core would spread to NYC's overlords. Now that time has come; Mayor Bloomberg has proclaimed that it's time to "... face up to the fact that our population growth is putting our city on a collision course with the environment, which itself is growing more unstable and uncertain." The proposal is for drivers of vehicles venturing into Manhattan below 86th Street to cough up some bread for the privilege: $21 per day for trucks, $8 for cars. Environmentalists like the idea, truckers and borough dwellers may not; look for a hard-fought battle over this one. We're just wondering if there's a Zamboni loophole. – Murilee Martin

NYC Program Would Hit Drivers With Fees [Forbes]