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apocalypse wow

Storm Chaser Takes Lead In Zombie Apocalypse Challenge

We're not sure where this best fits into our many post-apocalyptic nightmare scenarios, but it's practically begging for Mad Max to drive it through a field of vampire zombies. Captured in Kansas, this bulldog-in-black is a purpose-built storm chaser with some seriously thick steel plate armor, bullet proof glass and a rotating turret up top. We're assuming it makes its home somewhere in Colorado — based on the plates on the support trucks — but that's almost beside the point, it can live wherever it wants to. But how to modify it? Good question. Our thoughts after the jump.

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10:40 AM on Fri May 2 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
9,335 views, 49 comments

Latest by pevans34: I keep saying this but those kind of armored SUV/heavy truck vehicles will be useless in the apocalypse, youd simply run out of gas or get your wheels clogged up with zombies. What you really need is speed and more »

novelties

Star Raider Blasts Alien Scum With Jet Engines

This sci-fi wet dream is Star Raider, a ground act for the 2007 Naval Base Ventura County Air Show. The dragster is powered by two Rolls Royce Viper jet engines and driven by builder and owner Bruce Abbott. Why it's shaped like a melted Buran and runs at air shows is anybodies guess, but the key point here is two jet engines on a drag racer. That's some serious thrust there, a little digging around tells us the least thrust one of these babies puts out is 2000 lbs. Double that and tweak for more power and you've got the makings for a face stuck in permasmile.


[Air and Space and MagicalPower]

3:20 PM on Fri Apr 25 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
5,282 views, 21 comments

Latest by AustinMiniMan: @chenslee: Subtle. Bob Dole likes your style. Bob Dole. Bob Dole. Bob Dole. more »

ad watch

The BMW M3 Takes You Through The V8 On A Real Fantastic Voyage In "Performance"

As we've already shown you, the new BMW M3 is a hot bit of precision machinery. While it is essentially a modified 3-series, the real difference is the M3's 4.0-liter V8. Trouble is, nowadays you pop the hood and you're overwhelmed with all sorts of plastic and coated metal covers. So BMW decided the M3's V8 engine was deserved of a Fantastic Voyage of a trip on the inside of this magical metallic marvel of modern technology. That's right, this commercial isn't some newfangled computer-graphic simulation. This is good ol' fashioned footage— you know, shot with cameras. Special holes had to be precisely cut for the tiny cameras to peek through, and other holes for just the right amount of lighting. The end result is a masterfully-shot, slow-motion micro-documentary of the beautiful process known as internal combustion.

[YouTube]

5:15 PM on Tue Apr 8 2008
By marnold
9,387 views, 47 comments

Latest by tbennett017: we get carried away by lots of things that aren't "real".. what's the problem? more »

spy photos

Radio Reporter Sneaks Out First Video Of Chevy Volt Electric Car

UPDATE: The Chevy Volt Forum's got pictures from inside the design studio of the interior and a GM artists render of the front. Hit the jump to see it in all of its graininess. - Second update: now with a front end picture!Something we didn't tell you yesterday was that while we were in attendance at the GM event yesterday, we pulled out our cell phone to check a text message we'd just received. Immediately, GM PR was on top of us, confiscating the phone because it had a camera on it. OK, we could deal with that — we understood they didn't want the scoop to get out that we'd just seen both the first test mule of the Chevy Volt electric car (dressed up in the skin of a late model Chevy Malibu) and a scale model of what the actual Volt will look like when it hits the road in two years. But apparently some pigs are more equal than other at these embargoed and supposedly confidential press events. WWJ Radio's Jeff Gilbert has posted video of the battery lab and the wind tunnel we described from yesterdays Chevy Volt event at GM. We don't know how he got out of there alive with it, we don't know why GM officials weren't all over him for filming this and we don't know what the ramifications will be. But seriously though, who knew a radio reporter could be so sneaky, anyway? Kudos to Jeff on his liberation of the video. However, although we won't be the first ones to break embargoes, we also won't be the third. Without further ado, the video above tells the story we saw better than the words out of our fingertips. More »

Spy Photos

5:30 PM on Fri Apr 4 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
26,628 views, 86 comments

Latest by skierpage: @Hello_Newman: An additional X prize couldn't hurt because batteries are so crucial for cars and laptops and the BigDog robot, but I agree with others: batteries are good enough right now, even the EV1's batteries were good enough to meet more »

test drives

Jalopnik Drives Real Live Tank By Remote Control, Can Now Die Happy

Guess who got handed the manual remote control pendant for BAE Systems' Black Knight fully autonomous tank? Yeh, I'm in as much shock as you are but can't stop thinking "Holy shit, I drove a robot tank! ROBOT. TANK." The 12-ton Unmanned Combat Vehicle (UCV) was developed by BAE Systems as an internal test bed for next generation technologies in ground warfare support. The Black Knight (we love the name, so take that Batman) is powered by a 300 HP Cat diesel and although it's quiet as a mouse is capable of up to 48 MPH. It's the largest robot with a safety release from the US military and has undergone field testing at Fort Benning. The tank can operate up to 15 MPH autonomously or by way of pendant in a command vehicle like an A3 Bradley from distances as far as three miles away. By the way, did I mention I DROVE A FREAKIN' ROBOT TANK? And now, since we did drive it, it's only fair to give it the good ol' Jalopnik Review treatment below the jump, star ratings and everything:

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Feature

2:59 PM on Wed Mar 12 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
20,420 views, 66 comments

Latest by SavannahJack: @sierran: Yeah, and no Hellbore, either. Still, I for one welcome this early model of our future robot overlords and wish them only victory and good maintenance. more »

novelties

The Ten Best Post-Apocalyptic Survival Vehicles

We asked you what you think the best post-apocalyptic vehicle would be, assuming you could fuel it up and were unable to stay in one place due to the lack of other resources (and likely abundance of radioactive zombies looking for a tasty brain to munch upon). The response we received from commenters was phenomenal. We've culled the comments down to our ten top responses. Some we expected and some we didn't, and we even had a quasi-fictional vehicle thrown in for some fun. After you've had a moment to take a gander at the zombie-fighting machines-o-war below, drop all the way down to the bottom and help us cull the wheat from the proverbial radioactive chaff and determine the ultimate ride for living through the bleak world that awaits us. The very fate of humanity may rest upon your decision. More »

Feature

10:00 AM on Mon Feb 25 2008
By Matt Hardigree
124,131 views, 98 comments

Latest by bugattatra: Whot no Tatra T813? more »

knight rider

KITT In Action: Exclusive Video

Yesterday, Ray and Wes met KITT in the flesh— er, metal. Today we bring you the video footage of us doing our best Hasslehoff impression during our exclusive Brooklyn rendezvous. The new Knight Rider made-for-television movie premieres tomorrow on NBC, so our test drive ride just came right at our peak of anticipation. And while we still kinda agree with the "never meet your childhood heros" rule, we've gotta admit that the supercharged Mustang GT in GT500KR clothing looks and sounds pretty sweet.

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2:00 PM on Sat Feb 16 2008
By marnold
11,698 views, 53 comments

Latest by pkstanger: Hey Moron!!! Turn off the traction control BEFORE you try to do a burn out!!!! more »

super bowl ad watch

Iron Man Super Bowl Commercial Shows Off Stark's Hot Garage

UPDATE: The official Iron Man Super Bowl commercial! Apparently it's not just automakers like Hyundai and Chrysler with money to burn this Super Bowl Ad Watch weekend. Nope, it's also the movie industry — it looks like Iron Man will be getting some love in a commercial airing this Sunday during the big game. Apparently, judging by this screen capture of the ad in question, we'll get some shots of Tony Stark spending some time testing his suit in a garage filled with all sorts of hot automobiles. We already knew about the Audi R8, but apparently Stark's also got himself a Cobra, a Saleen S7 and lookie-here, a Tesla roadster. Nice job, Stark — now we know what the "Whitestar" project really was all about, don't we? That's right — a hybrid powertrain for the Iron Man booster rockets. We knew it. Anyway, we'll have the official commercial up here online just as soon as it airs this weekend to add to the original Iron Man commercial — just follow along at our Super Bowl Ad Watch tag and feel free to hit the jump to make the shot above bigger than life.

7:45 PM on Fri Feb 1 2008
By Ray Wert
14,536 views, 36 comments

Latest by elitza: @Klappstuhl: I'd say that's a non-issue.... more »

speed racer

Speed Racer Lego Sets Hit Store Shelves In April, We Like The Real Mach 5 Better

Looks like the licensing for the upcoming Speed Racer movie is beginning with earnest but after seeing the trailer for the movie, we're generally "meh" on this whole thing. But Warner Brothers isn't letting our lack of enthusiasm stop them from moving ahead at full speed. They've just announced that Lego'll be producing four playsets under the "Lego Racers" brand, and they're scheduled to "race onto" store shelves in April. The thing we're most excited about is to see what Trixie and Chim-Chim will look like in Lego minifigure form. However, after seeing the Mach 5 in person at the Detroit Auto Show, we're not real pleased with the look of the lego one. Strike two against this film. Full press release after the jump. (Hat tip to Jeff!)

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10:45 AM on Wed Jan 30 2008
By Ray Wert
9,439 views, 32 comments

Latest by aesthari: As much as I'm a Lego fan, I'll be waiting for Aoshima or Tamiya to come out with 1/24s, thank you. more »

novelties

Transformers The Ride Is Coming! Protect Your Children!

And you wish we would stop posting about Transformers. Well not today, bucko. News is going around that Hasbro and Paramount Studios will be bringing Transformers to an amusement park as a ride! Early word is that there will be "life size" Transformers involved, and that this attraction will be a "dark ride." A what? More »

3:15 PM on Mon Jan 28 2008
By Travis Hudson
8,765 views, 25 comments

novelties

Working PaperCraft V12 Cranks And Lights Up

The visible V8 was the highlight of some of our younger years, planting the greasemonkey virus in our still mushy brains. While we've moved on from that fantastic toy, this miracle of man-hours has us yearning to build miniature fake engines again. This paper craft V12 kit, available from yeesjob.com is an impressive display of time, energy and talent, misguided or otherwise. When complete it features a rotating crankshaft, fan, pushrods, 12 pistons and their 12 connecting rods all simulating the motion of a real V12. To add to the flavor, each cylinder has a red and blue LED installed in the "head" to indicate a power cycle or an intake cycle - pretty spiffy. Now the shocking part: The kit comes with an easy to follow 595 page instruction manual. Let's hope you're very patient - and that the finished engine never has a run-in with a teething puppy.

3:15 PM on Wed Jan 23 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
19,290 views, 33 comments

Latest by xpoet: I am lazy today can, Can I just build the V4 instead ? .... more »

knight rider

New Clip From New Knight Rider, Still No Turbo Boost


No turbo boost in the first 15-second teaser of the new KITT, no turbo boost in the second, 30-second commercial for NBC's new Knight Rider, and now we're here. How sad is it there's now a third video — a minute-and-a-half clip from the new Knight Rider movie/show now up on the interwebs, yet still no turbo boost. Yes, sure, there's plenty more moments of the new Shelby-fied Ford Mustang GT500KR-powered KITT in action and there's the new shots of the new Hoff-ness, Mike Tracer. There's even some great ignition sounds of the big 550-HP 'Stang — but there's certainly no boost of a turbo nature. Although we hear Ford's working on that.

[via Knight Rider Online]

11:32 AM on Wed Jan 9 2008
By Ray Wert
53,158 views, 79 comments

Latest by kevjohn: Surprisingly, this movie looks pretty bad.Wait, did I say surprisingly? I meant to say UNsuprisingly. more »

ces

Bumblebee Comes to CES: Dolby Gives Wert a Robogasm


This just goes to show you that not only do our brethren at Gizmodo eat, sleep and breath gadgets, but so does the 2009 Chevy Camaro concept, in its Bumblebee transformed and larger than life form. More »

12:30 PM on Tue Jan 8 2008
By Travis Hudson
8,273 views, 17 comments

Latest by wolfsingleton: I want it so I can sit inside and work it like a Gundam. But I have a couple of questions: Does Bumblebee double as an iPod dock? Isn't Treehugger mad that he doesn't run on solar power? Why is there a more »

ces

CES: Cadillac Provoq Hydrogen Fuel Cell Concept Revealed

Viva, Las Vegas, baby! Our ramblin' and gamblin' boss is in Sin City for a day and he's reporting back on GM's latest concept car they're showing off at the 2008 CES show. As we told you first earlier today, the General's luxe brand has brought some hydrogen-powered action to the Consumer Electronics Show in the form of the 2008 Cadillac Provoq Fuel Cell concept car. It's a hydrogen fuel cell crossover — but you're probably wondering how it works. Here's what the General has to say:
"The concept can drive 300 miles (483 km) on a single fill of hydrogen - with 280 miles (450 km) from hydrogen and 20 miles (32 km) on pure, battery electric energy...a pair of 10,000 psi (700 bar) composite storage tanks beneath the rear cargo floor hold 13.2 pounds (6 kg) of hydrogen to feed the fuel cell stack, located under the hood. There, hydrogen mixes with oxygen to generate electricity - up to 88 kW continuous power. A lithium-ion battery pack can store up to a total of 9kWh of electrical energy and also provides a peak of 60 kW of power for additional performance...the electricity generated by the fuel cell is distributed to a 70 kW co-axial drive system for the front wheels and individual, 40 kW wheel hub motors on the rear wheels, giving the Cadillac Provoq its all-wheel-drive traction and great driving dynamics. Its 0-60 mph (approximately 100 km/h) speed of 8.5 seconds is a more than 30-percent improvement over the previous-generation fuel cell system and with instantaneous torque to the wheels, it feels even faster. Provoq has a top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h)."
The Provoq is built on the E-Flex system — the same platform that brought us the electric Volt at the Detroit Show, the diesel Flextreme in Frankfurt and a few others we don't care to remember. It's all about being flexible for the General — kind of like the showgirls Wert's spending the night oggling. Full press release after the jump.

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12:01 AM on Tue Jan 8 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
6,957 views, 32 comments

Latest by MadHungarian: @Triborough: I'm with you. Bring baq real Cadillacs instead of this Provoq dreq. This suqs. It looqs liqe some weird combo of BMW X-series and a Toyota Matrix. I thinq I am going to be siq. Put the innovative hi more »

ces

Bill Gates Drives a Ford Focus 2-Door?


If you're like us and you too sit at the bleeding edge intersection of technology and cars, then you've spent some time checking out our gadget-obsessed brother site's coverage of CES this weekend. Most important to those of us of the auto-obsessive variety — was the Bill Gates keynote tonight because we knew we'd get a closer look at the new upgrades to the Ford-Microsoft Sync entertainment system. Who knew we'd also find Gates whores himself out in driving a 2008 Ford Focus 2-door in a humorous send-up on his last day at the office? We asked Ford PR whether Gates drives a Focus in "real life." The answer: More »

10:31 PM on Sun Jan 6 2008
By Travis Hudson
52,491 views, 56 comments

Latest by busbodger: I would have at least expected a stretch-limo Focus... I'm with the guy on cars at least. Want some nice rides on standby in the garage but I'm perfectly content to drive ordinary four banger compacts during the work week. more »

ces

CES 2008: Ford Unveils Sirius Travel Link Navigation System, Offers At-A-Glance Gas Prices, Sports Scores, Other Random Info

In addition to a tease of even more Sync-ing to come at the 2008 CES show, Ford's just unveiled their newest toy to complement the Sync system. It's called the Sirius Travel Link navigation system — and it's a nav system that uses Sirius's ability to download data to your in-dash system to give drivers and passengers up-to-the-minute information on the little stuff you need when you're driving — stuff like gas prices, traffic, weather, sports scores and movie listings. All the random tidbits of information you can normally get by looking out your windshield or tuning to WWJ your local AM news station. Well, except for the movie listings. The system also supposedly "includes full music "jukebox" capability - with space for up to 2,400 tracks and Gracenote® technology for album cover art..." and will be first available in the 2009 Lincoln MKS. But anyway, it's just what we wanted — yet another opportunity to watch drivers randomly glancing away from the road. Still, it sounds pretty cool — let us know when we can get RSS feeds from our fave web sites added and we're sold. Full press release after the jump. More »

7:31 PM on Sun Jan 6 2008
By Ray Wert
1,934 views, 9 comments

Latest by rlj676: @Mike the Dog: You answered your own question there. Those jackasses you just described want to do everything in the car. You minds as well sell to them if you can. Just because the driving enthusiasts here aren't interested in all the more »

ces

A Real KITT? GM to Reveal Plans for Driverless Vehicles Within Decade at CES


We'll be there live on Tuesday when GM CEO "Slick" Rick Wagoner gives the keynote address at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas — and boy are we glad we're going. We're hearing the General's main man will devote part of his speech to GM's desire to really create KITT from Knight Rider. No, not an advanced crime-fighting vehicle with turbo boost, rather, a driverless car — and one that could be ready for sale within a decade using technology described in the above video from earlier this year. At least that's what Business Week is reporting this evening. More after the jump — but seriously how prescient was our posting of the new 30-second Knight Rider commercial earlier? More »

7:00 PM on Sun Jan 6 2008
By Ray Wert
7,267 views, 24 comments

Latest by Maymar: @Leathersoup: So, you mean my local public transit system will work on my schedule, and the reason I have to share my bus to work with a bunch of obnoxious high school kids is because I've been gracious enough not more »

knight rider

30-Second Knight Rider Commercial Airs, No Turbo Boost In Sight


UPDATE: We snagged ourselves a higher-res version of the new Knight Rider commercial. We've replaced the ol' and busted one with the new hotness you see above and added the text of the commercial below the jump. The second commercial for the new Knight Rider's aired just weeks after the first and it's got us thinking. OK, so the new K.I.T.T.'s a Mustang GT500KR, right? And it's got all these great standard features, right? 550 horses under the Cylon-like hood, race-tuned suspension, Xenon headlights with infrared, military satellite access, and all the rest. But where's the turbo boost, eh? Seriously — that's all we want — a little bit of turbo boost. Is that too much to ask for? We don't think so.

More »

9:10 AM on Sun Jan 6 2008
By Ray Wert
51,300 views, 86 comments

Latest by subzero288: The douche-bags putting this thing together apparently NEVER WATCHED THE SHOW. KITT, within the reality of the series, just RESEMBLED a Trans Am, but he didn't share ONE component with a GM product. KITT wasn't "modified,", but a completely new more »