Jalopnik: damage

Jamiroquai's Jay Kay Devastated After Ferrari Enzo Damaged

Andrew Didorosi — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:20:00 EST

The Ferrari Enzo owned by Jamiroquai's Jay Kay was brutalized by a yet unconfirmed assailant at the Brudenell Hotel in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. We've got the full damage report inside.

The hotel's pastry chef, 21-year-old Aaron Billington, was arrested on suspicion of causing "thousands of pounds of damage to the car." Must've been a heavy bloke.

The damage consists of a cracked windscreen and a busted side window. Repairs are estimated at £7,000, or a bajillion dollars American, whichever comes first. The singer, who owns "four Ferraris and seven Porsches," was described as both devastated and forlorn. We at Jalopnik are similarly distraught, though not as distraught had it been our own Enzo.

Do we have to begin Saving The Enzos again, or can the pastry chefs of the world keep it in their collective pants?

[DailyMail]

How To Avoid A Flood-Damaged Car

Andrew Stoy — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:20:00 EDT

Given the flooding in the upper Midwest earlier in the year, and the fact that many folks likely chose not to escape recent hurricanes by car, chances are better than ever that you're going to encounter a salvaged flood car on the used vehicle market. Sellers are generally required to disclose flood damage, but unscrupulous retailers have been known to ignore such rules. To help, vehicle mega-retailer Carmax has put together a list of things to look for when checking out a used car that point to possible previous flood damage. Our advice: If it's still wet, walk away. Full list and release below.

CARMAX ADVISES HOW TO AVOID FLOOD-DAMAGED CARS

RICHMOND, Va. (September 29, 2008)—In the wake of a destructive hurricane season that brought flooding to many areas of the country, CarMax, Inc., (NYSE: KMX), the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, is advising consumers on how to avoid purchasing flood-damaged vehicles.

“Consumers should be aware that some businesses and individuals may try to sell salvaged and flood-damaged cars without revealing the vehicle history,” said Gary Hickman, purchasing manager for CarMax in Houston, Texas. “Flood-damaged cars that are not structurally or mechanically sound could be repaired, re-titled, and sold to unsuspecting buyers.”

CarMax’s car-buying team offers ten tips for identifying a vehicle with possible flood damage:

1. Check for a moldy smell inside the car and feel the carpet for dampness
2. Ask questions about an older car with a brand new interior or carpeting
3. Check for rust under the brake or gas pedals
4. Look for dirt or rust under the dashboard and floor mats
5. Inspect the bolts and screws under the seats for evidence of rust
6. Check the undercarriage for excessive rust
7. Check inside the trunk under the carpet in the spare tire well area for rust, dirt or sand
8. Look for corrosion, water marks, or a thin brown line on the exterior of the vehicle
9. Check to see if the electrical system works
10. Check the VIN number with AutoCheck or Carfax to see whether a flood claim has been filed or a salvage title has been issued on the vehicle

CarMax provides a free AutoCheck vehicle history report for every used vehicle. CarMax’s team of approximately 900 car buyers nationwide is trained to detect whether a car has frame or flood damage. CarMax will not retail any car that has flood or frame damage or an odometer or title discrepancy.

[Carmax]

Carmakers Warm To "Damage Modeling" In Games

Travis Hudson — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:45:00 EDT

The final hurdle of realism may be crossed in Gran Turismo sooner than expected. Kazanori Yamauchi, the creator of the famed series, recently said:

We've had a lot of discussions with the manufacturers and although at the beginning they hated the idea of deformation, now they're slowly coming around to it. We've still got a few to convince, but we will. Expect deformation in the very near future: very, very soon.

And by "deformation" he of course means damage modeling, i.e. enabling the cars to show the evidence of wrecks, rollovers, and collisions. Believe it or not, the likes of Porsche and Ferrari aren't too keen on amateur drivers smashing the hell out of their glorious automobiles, even in a virtual realm.

Gran Turismo is one of the more realistic driving simulators available, but without damage modeling, it's still simply a video game. If its developers hope to get it to that next level, they need to convince manufacturers to greenlight the results of inadvertent mayhem. Even though it pains me to see amazing cars smashed to hell by our gaming-deprived editors, there is something thrilling about knowing my driving fuck ups have real consequences. [Kotaku] (Image)