Jalopnik: cnn

Unfortunately, CNN's Rick Sanchez Escapes From Sinking Car

Ray Wert — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EDT

CNN's Rick Sanchez demonstrates the fine art of escaping from a car underwater. And here we thought Ted Kennedy tributes were so last month. [Mediaite]

Swine Flu Pandemic, Brought To You By Nissan

The Auto Insider — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:00:00 EDT

The Swine Flu pandemic is officially upon us (we thought the zombie apocalypse was bad) and your Jalopnik detectives have finally uncovered the source. Apparently it was just a boinked Nissan advertising campaign all along.

We caught this sitting pretty atop the CNN.com site today and found a bit of irony in how Nissan would want their name anywhere associated with this newest hyped-hysteria swine flu. So what are you trying to say Nissan?

Their (un)official response:

Nissan: Shift_ Aporkalypse.

[via CNN]

CNN's Don Lemon Hates American Automakers, People With Funny Accents

Ray Wert — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:30:00 EDT

We may not always agree with Consumer Reports' Dave Champion, but we think he's good people. Hearing the inane commentary from CNN's Don Lemon before and after Champion's review, however, makes us want to cry.

It's a smackdown, drag-out fight between the Chevy Malibu and the Honda Accord. And by smack-down, drag-out, we mean Champion thinks both cars perform admirably, he's just concerned about the three- to four-year residual value on the Malibu because the new model's only been out a year.

But does one have higher quality than the other? If you listen to Dave Champion, no. But the answer's yes according to CNN's chatty Don Lemon. The only thing that makes us want to vomit more than watching this piece is that we missed out on the whole "asians need to change their names" piece immediately after this one. But please, watch, if only to see why we can no longer watch CNN with the sound on.

CNN.com Thinks All Cars Look Alike

Ray Wert — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:15:00 EST

CNN.com's displaying mainstream media's usual ignorance of the automotive world today. Usually it's believing 'merican automakers aren't building the vehicles 'mericans want to buy. Today? Believing one Civic picture's as good as another.

CNN.com's using a picture of Honda Civic hatchbacks lined up to illustrate the stupendously horrible sales for January. Unfortunately, Honda doesn't sell a Civic hatchback here in the United States. That's a picture of Euro-spec Honda Civic hatchbacks. Well, whatever, all cars look alike, right? Hat tip to Owen! [via CNN]

In Washington, The Roads Are Paved With Cheese!

Andrew Didorosi — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST

Washington truckers and dairy farmers have come together to attempt to boost winter safety numbers by creating a cheesy concoction combining common road salt and a byproduct of the cheese production process. What's the result?

The salt sticks to the road, meaning your car does too. An added bonus is the decreased corrosion with this new mix; your Honda hatchback will live forever! We shudder to think what those roadways will smell like come spring. [CNN]

Mainstream Media Finds Major 'Merican Automaker On YouTube

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:30:00 EST

The internet reporter for CNN's "The Situation Room" used her fancy touchscreen computer to highlight how GM has transformed its YouTube channel page from a place where it brags, into a place where, increasingly, it begs. Last year around this time there was video of people doing slam poetry about the Pontiac Vibe GT, but now, as we showed you earlier, it's all videos of guys in suits trying to explain why they deserve money from the government. We're not sure what's more depressing: the new Save GM videos or the fact it took the novelty of their use of YouTube to get CNN to finally show them. We're just waiting for video of a crying, sheet-covered Rick Wagoner screaming "Leave Detroit Alone!" into the camera. [CNN]

What It's Like To Have Your Land Rover Shot At

Mark Arnold — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:20:00 EDT

The video from these Turkish television reporters shows firsthand what it's like to ride along in a Land Rover Discovery while being shot at. They're not sure exactly who it was attacking them in Georgia (country, not state), but we're thinking these guys are just happy to all get out alive. One of them was even shot in the head (!) but evidently it wasn't life-threatening. Does this count as hoonage? Video after the jump. [CNN]

Electric Car Home-Brewers Volting Their Rides

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:40:00 EDT

Not content to wait for the major automakers to show up with their expensive Chevy Volts or Electric Cubes, regular folks are home-brewing their own electric vehicles. While the results you get with golf-cart batteries aren't quite the same as what you get with, say, Li-Ion batteries (usually just 20 to 40 miles on an overnight charge), we doubt there's any other way to get yourself an electric-powered Honda Del Sol. One Atlanta man spent $12,000 converting his Chevy S-10 pickup — not exactly a gas-guzzler to begin with — to cruise on all-electric for 40 miles with a top speed of 60 MPH.

While this might not be the most cost-effective way to lower the price of commuting, it's a fun project for those looking to go green and who aren't interesting in taking the easy way out by buying a Tesla or waiting for something else. Anyone have a donor BRAT and a cache of golf cart batteries? [CNN.com, Photo: Flickr]

The Chinese Getting Bumper Stickers, Get Ready For Best Olympics Ever

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:20:00 EDT

When you're rolling down the Jingtong Expressway in your Shuan Huang SCEO-cum-BMW X5 you don't want to let fellow drivers pass without getting a glimpse of your politics. Especially, if those politics are in line with the politics of the state. According to China Car Times, bumper stickers are a rare site in China but that didn't stop this Aveo driver, who supports the Olympics (duh), is anti-CNN (Jack Cafferty said they're "the same goons and thugs they've been for the last 50 years") and hates the Carrefour Hypermarket chain (there are claims the company is pro-Tibet). The red-line-through-logos is a rather unsophisticated form of automotive self-expression, wait until they get Mao peeing on things. [China Car Times, Xinhua]

Gas Is $5.40 Per Gallon On The Cali Coast, We Cry

Mark Arnold — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:40:00 EDT

Think the prices at your local pump are high? If you aren't in California, don't feel so bad. Sure, you may be paying $4 per gallon, but whatever. Because as our auto-loving friends on the Cali coast know, yes, it really does cost $5.40 per gallon. You non-Americans may scoff, what with European prices being around eight thousand dollars per gallon, but for us this cost is simply outrageous. Don't oil companies know this is America? We'll never stand for such prices. Or at least we'll just sit here in our cars and wait it out. [CNN]

CNN All Up In Grill of Street Racing

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:15:00 EST

Yo CNN, we ain't frontin' but you gots to lay the smack down on your reportin' style. That was difficult, but necessary, since CNN has apparently taken to using "lingo" that all the youngsters are into these days. Their canned report on the dangers of street racing is topped with headers like "How they roll", "Law, schmaw" and "It's a fever thing". Adding to the d-light are figures cited from 2005 that have shown decline in the interim, as well as journalistic gems like "There's no database tracking street racing deaths, but a Google search hints at the scope." We're very happy they saw fit to include a note about how "some experts" claim The Fast and the Furious made street racing extra popular. (h/t to SwatLax)

Man Dies Protecting Truck From Thieves

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:15:00 EST

CNN is reporting on a story that could make any red blooded, truck driving guy feel a pang of anger. San Diego area man Richard Hoagland was sitting at home minding his own business when he heard his truck start up. Since he wasn't in his truck at the time, something was up. He rushed out to find two men attempting to steal his Dodge Ram and instead of letting them get away, he jumped into the bed and attempted to confront the scum bags. The thieves raced on for several blocks, careening across the tarmac and hitting parked cars. Unfortunately, Richard was killed when the truck crashed and he was ejected from the vehicle. One suspect was caught at the scene but the other escaped. Police are looking for tips, here's hoping they find the other slime ball and run them both up the river. [San Diego Union Tribune]

Gawker's Chris Mohney Tells Wert Why Chrysler's Looking For POTY Magic From Time

Ray Wert — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 12:46:00 EST

Who would have thought that Time mag's Person Of The Year (POTY being the acronym for those who are — you know, in the know) award was such a big thing? I never knew it needed a "sole corporate sponsor" — but then again, I talk about cars all day. Maybe our sister site obsessed with the media would understand better why the 'merican side of the German-American hybrid felt it necessary to shell out dollars to be the only sponsor for both the POTY-mouthed issue of the magazine and it's one-hour CNN ~~step-child~~ special for the yearly award. I know, let's find out by asking Chris Mohney, Gawker's managing editor what he thinks about the tie-in Chrysler's just re-penned with CNN and Time:

Wert: Hey Chris, Chrysler's spending a lot of money to be the "sole corporate sponsor" of Time's POTY issue and the one-hour CNN special of the same topic. What the hell are they hoping to get out of it?
Mohney: well, firstly, i'm pretty sure Chrysler will object if Time picks Kim Jong-Il
so one can assume Time will go with someone that at least won't be a slap in the face to the american car-buying public

Mohney: what prominent newsworthy figure would make a good cameo in a chrysler commercial?

Mohney: dick cheney?

Wert: Ok, so does that mean Time will look for someone who embodies the merger of 'merican design and German engineering? Who the hell fits that bill?

Mohney: hmmm...arnold schwarzenegger?

Wert: Judging by recent Chrysler commercial cameos — we've had Snoop Dogg, former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca and current DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche — none of whom fit that bill (except Dieter, but somehow I think that the mag may put the kibosh on a request to name "Dr. Z." the POTY). Unfortunately though, Arnold's Austrian — not German.

Wert: But ok, that's the "who" — but what does Chrysler have to gain in spending the mad ducats to get their name on it?

Mohney: one can only assume that they perceive some considerable overlap between their audience and Time's, i.e. old folks who like traditional brands.

Mohney: the holiday audience for the Time POTY special will certainly draw a lot of eyeballs, and i suppose Chrysler hopes some of those will be car-buying eyeballs who might, in a fit of appreciative gravitas, go for a Chrysler after seeing the brand associated with a (supposedly0 weighty subject like POTY

Wert: Mmm...old folks...

Mohney: they're tasty

Mohney: have any of chrysler's POTY-related ads come to light yet? print or otherwise

Wert: Not yet, but one can assume they will be equally as weighty as the magazine attempts to make the issue out to be, right?

Mohney: absolutely. expect misty, nostalgic photo treatments of past POTYs. though i imagine it will tend more toward FDR, Truman, Eisenhower (more old folks!) than, say, Hitler, Stalin, and Khomeni

Wert: So rather than potty-words in web adverts, we should expect the POTY adverts to contain similarly misty pictures of Walter P. Chrysler (the founder of Chrysler Motor Company, obvs) standing alongside cars of the past — hoping to evoke similar feelings of eye-watering nostalgia — rather than the gut-wrenching reality they currently face?

Mohney: ha! if not, Chrysler will be re-conceiving the ads after reading this shot. Juxtaposing those kinds of images alongside past POTYs or related historical events is the dead obvious way for Chrysler to hitch themselves to the POTY gravitas express...and if they can dig out some kind of "car of the year" award — paging JD Power — that would make sense to mention as well

Wert: Ah, I so love the smell of fresh creative in the morning...it smells like...overpaid ad execs.

Wert: Allright Chris, thanks. I now feel like I understand absolutely nothing about both Time magazine's POTY and absolutely nothing about why Chrysler's spending it's hard-earned cheddar for this dubious distinction. I think I'm going to cry in the corner for a short while.

Mohney: understandable. my takeaway thought is that Chrysler is blindly throwing money at something that admittedly does get a lot of annual publicity, but i find it highly doubtful that their POTY investment will result in much — in terms of publicity, sales, or anything else

– Ray Wert

Chrysler Renews CNN Ad Package [Multichannel]

SEMAture Ejaculation: Foose's CNN Hummer

Ray Wert — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 12:25:21 EST

Chip Foose must have lost a bar bet he made with Boyd Coddington and got stuck building a Hummer for CNN. The "Warrior One" appears to be a salute to the reporters covering the Iraq war, though it may alternatively refer to Wolf Blitzer's "blitzkrieg" career path during which he stuck a butter knife into Bernard Shaw's epiglottis. The real question is this: Even if it's for charity — why does every entity in the world need a custom car created in their honor? The end of days is just a "Yes, Dear"-themed Volkswagen away. Full gallery of the nausea-inducing Hummer below and the full press release after the jump.– Ray Wert

[The Chip Foose CNN Hummer Gallery]

CNN to Donate Proceeds of 'Overhauled' Hummer Auction to Fisher House TLC's Overhaulin' Unveiled Restored Iraq War Vehicle Today in Front of CNN Center in Atlanta
Following the unveiling of an overhauled CNN Hummer that saw action during the war in Iraq, the network plans to put the vehicle on the auction block and donate the proceeds to the Fisher House Foundation, an organization that builds "comfort homes" for families of hospitalized military personnel.

Nicknamed "Warrior One," the Hummer will be the subject of an upcoming episode of Overhaulin', a highly rated program on The Learning Channel. The program's co-hosts Chris Jacobs and Adrienne "A.J." Janic and hot rod designer Chip Foose presented the refurbished Hummer to CNN employees this morning.

After Warrior One's tour of military bases and other sites across the country, the Barrett-Jackson Auction Co., a premiere classic car auction house, will auction the vehicle on Jan. 20, 2007, at the auction company's headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz.

"The crew from Overhaulin' has created a memorable tribute to military personnel who serve during times of war and the journalists who cover them," said Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide. "We feel the Fisher House - with its mission to support military families during times of medical need - is an ideal recipient for the proceeds raised by the auction."

The Fisher House provides temporary residence for families of patients receiving major medical care at military and Veterans Administration centers. Since its founding in 1990, the Fisher House has offered more than 2 million days of lodging to more than 100,000. Presently, the organization operates 35 houses in 16 states and one in Europe.

CNN purchased the Hummer in 2002 from the King Hummer dealership in Kuwait. Network producers, video journalists and correspondents used the vehicle when they were embedded with the First Battalion, 7th Marines in the war in Iraq in 2003. The vehicle came under heavy fire near Baghdad in April 2003 as Iraqis celebrated the arrival of coalition forces in Baghdad.

This summer, Overhaulin' took the Hummer to the show's workshop in Irvine, Calif. Crews overhauled the Hummer's engine and body and installed an extensive entertainment system that includes a DVD player, four LCD monitors and a state-of-the-art sound system. Airbrush artists Dru Blaier, Mickey Harris and Mike Lavallee painted images of journalists and military men and women onto the vehicle as a tribute to those who served during the war in Iraq or covered the war.

The Overhaulin' program featuring the Hummer will premiere on TLC on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is one of the world's most respected and trusted sources for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; four Web sites, including CNN.com, the first major news and information Web site; CNN Pipeline, an on-demand broadband video service; CNN Newsource, the world's most extensively syndicated news service; and partnerships for four television networks and one Web site.

Related:
All our 2006 SEMA coverage [internal]