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offbeat news
over a year ago (Ed: Bad Internet, way to fib to us) was captured on this security footage and shows cars being tossed like toys from a parking lot. This looks to be a relatively small twister and only a glancing blow to the cars, so imagine if it had been a big one and a direct hit, those cars would be gone. Remember kids, if you see an approaching funnel cloud, find a ditch or culvert to hide in (assuming you can't find a building or a shelter), because you might be accompanying your car to another part of the county. [Youtube]
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offbeat news
Ford F150 Now With Under Hood Pit Bull Option
A pit bull gets stuck in an engine. How the hell does that happen? Do pit bulls have magical teleportation powers? In any case, since the 60 lb Pit managed to find an elder F150 with the straight six, the challenge to get in there would be less than a new one, but getting out rather than in was the problem. Since the dog was stuck and bored, he did what dogs do — chew on stuff. As a result the trucks unfortunate, but comically gifted Walter Witthoeft, now has a truck which needs a good deal of rewiring. [CNN.com]
offbeat news
FIA Wants Sebastien Loeb To Shave Those Sideburns, Hippy
Two senior FIA officials have suggested that television cameras refrain from showing close-ups of four-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb until he cleans-up his "scruffy" look. "Of course these persons are an insult to real males," wrote WRC Commission President Morrie Chandler, kicking off a hilarious email exchange. More »
offbeat news
Utah Guys Set Out On Great American Road Trip
Three guys from Utah have set out to drive through the contiguous 48 states in record time. Starting out Sunday in Vermont, they're already in Wyoming on the way to North Dakota with the goal of getting home to Utah, via nine more states, by Friday. The time to beat is 5 days, 7 hours and 15 minutes. Joey Stocking, Adam Gatherum and Josh Keeler think they can do it in three hours less. More »
i feel gassy
[CNN]
Hat Tip to Sugi!
Save On Gas! Buy A Beater Subaru Brat!
It's no mystery that buying a new pious Hybrid to save money on gas is a bit counter-productive. Yeah, you'll spare pennies at the pump and score points with the eco-snob crowd, but the cost of that new car is likely to still end up costing you more than what you'll be saving on gas. But what if you could save gas with a car that's hardly costs anything to buy? That's what these gearheads are trying to do. They've parked their full-size trucks and bought old beaters for daily driver duties. Proving it can be done in style, one guy even went for a vintage Subaru Brat complete with rear-facing jump-seats! You hear that truck guys? Now you've got "gas prices" as the perfect excuse to indulge in that secret little Japanese fantasy you've always had.[CNN]
Hat Tip to Sugi!
offbeat news
Three Year Old Girl Crashes Car Into River, Probably Training As Bond Driver
Gjunai Gjursel has probably got some 'splainin to do after his three year old daughter Katarina decided to take a joyride through the Bulgarian town of Beli Lom. The tot apparently hopped into the driver's seat after dad stepped out, she grabbed the keys, turned on the car, shifted into drive and then took off. For a half a mile. Through an outside market. Eventually her skills came to an end and the car came to a stop in a river where she, and the four and six year old cousins accompanying her, were pulled out by locals. More »
offbeat news
Cat Attacks Old Lady's Face, Causes Car Accident
How much proof is actually necessary to conclude cats are the spawn of Satan and tolerate humans only to keep a reserve of flesh around in case times get tough? Not much for some of us, but it's a constant struggle to get the truth across. A case-in-point here comes from Folsom, California were an elderly driver was attacked about the face by her cat while driving her Toyota Solara, lost control, and crashed into an area diner. Nobody was seriously injured, but we would pay good money to watch that hidden camera footage. No kitty — no! That's a bad kitty! [SacBee]
offbeat news
Aussie Anti-Hoon Laws Taking Natural Course, Government Wallowing In Cash
Eventually, auto enthusiasts of the Australian persuasion will rise up with pitchforks and torches and rebel against their fun-hating government. On Sunday, police in New South Wales descended upon a gathering of motorheads and proceeded to search 72 vehicles, issue 39 tickets and impound 18 vehicle — one of which was a rare $200,000 Ford Falcon GT. This wouldn't be such a huge deal except for that part about the impounding being permanent, and the vehicles being sent to auction, and the proceeds going to government coffers. Adding insult to injury for that Falcon driver, what was the offense? A second burnout ticket. More »
offbeat news
manhoonhood, but for this Aussie boy, it may be a while before he will fully appreciate the accomplishment of crashing his dad's Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale, though never being able to see daylight may accelerate that process.
[via AOL] Hat Tip to Andy and Matt!
Aussie Son Crashes Daddy's Ferrari 360CS
It's happened time and time again, and it will continue to happen until the end of days. A jumpy teenager has a crazy idea, perhaps induced by peer-pressure, to sneak the old man's car out for a late night joyride. As Jalops, we've likely all put ourselves in such a situation. In retrospect, we're able to look back at it as a right of passage into[via AOL] Hat Tip to Andy and Matt!
offbeat news
NY Times Reveals Congressmen Have Bad Taste In Cars, No Eye For A Deal
Representative Michael R. McNulty pays $816 for a 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid, which he chose for its utility. Representative Redolphus Towns pays $715 a month for his Lincoln MKX, he bought it to save money on fuel. Representative Louise M. Slaughter needed a car that handled safely in the snow, so she picked a Buick Lucerne, for which the US Taxpayer pays $808 a month. All have chosen to take advantage of the benefit on offer to any member of the US House of Representatives: any car of their choice leased for them with no price limit and all expenses, including gas, paid for. More »
cougar ace
Cougar Ace Mazdas Face The Crusher, We Cry
We thoroughly enjoyed Joshua Davis' thrilling tale of the salvage operation of the Cougar Ace — a subject we've covered on these pages more than once. Finally, we've now got the answer to the question of what you do with a boat-wrecked shipment of Mazdas. You take the 4,700 formerly brand-new automobiles and send 'em to the crusher. Although we knew this already, we still think they could have at least sent them out to hoons like us as, after all, it's not like we're the types to really give a damn about a warranty. Or they could have started the "Shipwrecked Mazda Cup." They could've done something epic, but no, they shredded up all those poor little zoom-zoom'ers for scrap. Damn you, Mazda! Damn you and your silly liability insurance concerns and your million-man attorney army. [WSJ via CarDomain]
offbeat news
Garbage Truck Bagged For Street Racing
Underground Garbage truck street racing is apparently the latest threat to civil society in Canada, because cops in Goderich, Ontario have busted a driver for 112 KPH in a 60 KPH zone. The part that has us furrowing our brow is there seems to be no opponent in this race. Which would simply make it speeding, which would mean the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP, yeah you know them) wouldn't be able to impound the truck, suspend his license and levy a minimum $2,000 fine. More »
stupid criminals
Carjacker Popped After Asking TV News Crew For Directions
A little bit of advice for any prospective carjackers out there, bring any of the many GPS units we talk about here with you. In addition to impressing potential victims with your foresightedness, it'll also help you avoid the fate of one slow-witted 19-year-old Cleveland man. Having commandeered a vehicle at gunpoint, the young man realized he was lost and had to ask someone for directions. This is bad because you're going to be giving someone else a general idea of where you're going. Second, if you do have to ask for directions it may not be a good idea to ask a television news crew. More »
offbeat news
Man Protests High Diesel Prices By Trading His Truck For A Horse, Horsepower Puns Ensue
A man in rural Kentucky, fed up by the high price for diesel, has decided to trade driving for riding. He'd rather fill up his horse with oats than spend $4.00 a gallon putting fuel in his truck, so he's riding everywhere in protest. This is easier for the gentleman because he's a sign painter and not, you know, an ambulance driver. His argument loses some coherency until he starts to show off that he can multiply by twos. The tired horse was later quoted as saying "I hope to God that the price of beef doesn't suddenly shoot up." [CNN]
offbeat news
Jackknifed Truck Spills Load Of Jello, Billy Cosby Sheds Lone Tear
When first responders made it to the scene of a flipped truck in St. John's County, Florida, they probably thought the worst. The interstate was covered with blood, gelatinous blood. Oh, the humanity! Wait. Blood isn't usually gelatinous. It's Jello. And not just any Jello, that's a truckload of strawberry snack packs. Oh, the hilarity! Well, maybe not so much hilarity for the driver who flipped the truck. He's in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is likely to face charges when he recovers. A semi-driver passing through the area noted that it was a delicious smelling accident. Conveniently, two busloads of elementary students returning from a day spent visiting the oldest wooden schoolhouse were trapped behind the accident and were able to clear the scene. [First Coast News via Motive Forums]
offbeat news
Canadian Man Blames Lost Chrysler Data Tape For Irrational Identity Theft Fears
A man from the Canadian city-to-the-south-of-Detroit, Windsor, Ontario, is miffed at Chrysler (or more likely Chrysler Financial Canada) for losing a data tape and potentially making the possibility of identity theft happen sooner rather than later. Seems a tape containing the names, addresses and Social Insurance Numbers of some Canuckian Chrysler lessees was lost in transport by UPS. The carrier informed Chrysler of the loss by March 12th, and in turn, letters to folks with compromised identities were sent by March 27th. This chap from Windsor didn't get his note till April 21st and it's rubbing him the wrong way. More »
offbeat news
In Belarus, Police Make Road Block Out of You!
Under orders to stop a drunk driver at all costs, police officers in Belarus stopped four civilian cars and ordered them to form a line across the road — acting as a roadblock. As brilliant a plan as this is, it failed to take into consideration that the drunk driver would be crashing into the makeshift barrier, placing six people including a child in harms way. Thankfully, after the inevitable crash, all of the unlucky drivers were fine and the drunk was caught and is now recovering in the hospital. We're wondering if those Belarussian cops were drunk themselves when they came up with this plan. [Russia Today]
offbeat news
