Jalopnik: newmexico

Trucker Amok! [News]

Murilee Martin — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 09:15:33 EST

Erik Dubach, a diesel jockey from Mount Vernon, Illinois, felt that he'd just had enough. And he knew the source of his troubles: Albuquerque, New Mexico. Yes, that fetid cesspool of sin and corruption needed to be messed up, and with a couple grams of rocket fuel up his nose and some grinding of gears in his 18-wheeler, Mr. Dubach set out to accomplish his goal, smashing into a grand total of 23 cars plus assorted buildings, fences, and signs. – Murilee Martin

Meth fuels trucker's rage, deputies say [KRQE News]

New Mexico Gets Tesla "WhiteStar" Facility — To Produce An Electric Fusion? [News]

Ray Wert — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 05:59:00 EST

I had the chance to meet Tesla Motors CEO Martin Eberhard briefly at the Detroit Auto Show this year, not less than a couple of days after their research center was to be opening in Metro Detroit. I jokingly asked him if we'd be seeing a manufacturing center for the "White Star" four-door 'lectric sedan located nearby as well. Eberhard was coy on the subject, and no wonder — New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson announced earlier today that Tesla Motors will build a new automobile assembly facility in Albuquerque, which the state's claiming will include 400 jobs, a total capital investment of $35 million in a 150,000 square foot plant. They're also claiming the construction of the assembly plant will begin in April of this year and be completed by 2009. We're not really sure how that's going to happen - unless they've already got an auto platform to work with to design the plant around. Oh wait, we've also heard a rumor from a couple of different sources that Tesla may be using the Ford CD3...

...platform — otherwise known as the Ford Fusion.

What's that got to do with being located in Albuquerque? This is totally conjecture on our part, but maybe Tesla just wanted to be close enough to the Hermosillo, Mexico plant that puts together the Fusion and its hetero-life-mates, the Lincoln MKZ and Mercury Milan. Again, just conjecture — as it's the only reason we could think of for why they'd be wanting to locate in Albuquerque, although one minor metal mental giant on the subject thinks it may be because New Mexico may have "government support for technology" — although we've even less proof of that than the Fusion thing. I guess we'll just wait and see what happens. If you've already forgotten what Tesla's Elise-based Roadster looks like, we've included a gallery below. – Ray Wert

Richardson announces Tesla Motors assembly facility for Albuquerque [FreeNewMexican via Gizmodo]

Talking Urinal Mints To Put Kibosh On New Mexico Drunk Driving [News]

Murilee Martin — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 15:02:02 EST

It's well known that New Mexico has a serious problem with drunk driving (at one point it became the only state with its own "DWI Czar"). In a move that ~~reeks of desperation~~ shows real innovative thinking, the state is now buying 500 urinal mints, to be placed in men's rooms in bars across the state. These futuristic devices detect the presense of a micturator and play recorded anti-drunk-driving messages to their, er, captive audience (in a female voice that is first flirty, then stern). Yes, flirt with me, talking urinal mint! – Murilee Martin

N.M. introduces talking urinal cakes [Illinois Courier News]

Weeding Out Good Used Cars: New Mexico Man Finds 22 Pounds Of Pot In Newly-Purchased Used Car [News]

Ray Wert — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 15:51:30 EST

The town of Hobbs, NM better be getting ready for some visitors. I'm expecting stoners from across the country to converge on used car lots across the sleepy little New Mexico city with a population of just over 28,000 because of what one resident found in his most recent used car purchase — $28,000 worth of mary jane stored under the back seat. My assumption is that hash-heads looking to get their smoke on will be looking for an opportunity of their own to snag a car with 20 bricks, or 22 pounds, of pot under the back seat. – Ray Wert

Eunice resident finds marijuana inside used car [NewMexican.com]

Unsers Hosed by Po-Pos in New Mexicos [News: Racing]

Davey G. Johnson — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 00:55:00 EDT

Man, we miss Al Senior and Bobby Unser. Thankfully, however, the brothers, with 7 Borg-Warner trophhies between them, made a bit of news today by trying to cross a crime scene in Albuquerque. While the fuzz had chased down a carjacker, who ultimately either accidentally or on-purpose turned a shotgun on himself after firing at police and hitting another vehicle, Al Unser was just trying to get to his property. Apparently, he gave the cops a bit of 'tude, so they arrested him. When brother Bobby arrived on the scene and came to his brother's defense, law-enforcement agents pulled his card, too. Al has allegedly threatened vengeance upon the arresting officer. We wonder if it'll involve sour milk.

Black flag: Unsers busted at crime scene [KRQE]

Bullrun Update: Ditka Would've Taken the Lot of 'Em [News]

Davey G. Johnson — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 22:14:05 EDT

As the teams first pulled into Chicago, there were conflicting reports as to whether the Magnaflow RS4 driven by Stefan Johannson and Prince Malik came in first or the RENNTech CL600 of Team Reicke came in in the lead position. The Reicke boys, Jay Reicke and Byron Burkhardt, were the confirmed first-placers, rolling in around 7pm, with the RS4 in second. 3rd was the Team Darkcyde support Navigator driven by Jason Garber, beating the team's Lotus.

Meanwhile, more drama from Michigan. While traffic was hauling ass, autobahn style, in the right lane, the Collins Brothers smashed by on the left at 160. Almost immediately in the Collins 550's wake, an MSP cruiser pulled out and parked, bisecting the center line on I-94, basically daring anyone to go around. It's unconfirmed who the officers were looking for, if anyone.

Projected route? Now that they're in Chicago, figure that they'll most likely head down to Nebraska, across to Denver, down to New Mexico, over to Vegas and then to LA. Why do we say that? Alex Roy wouldn't comment, despite our probing, but we figure since the Bullrun went through Bonneville last year, and a rally hasn't been through Albequerque since '03, and they all stop in Sin City, that's gotta be it. And Nebraska, judging by our understanding of the geography of the United States, is the perfect pivot point for a run through the treacherous mountain passes of Colorado, where scanners have short range and cops have a myriad of hiding places.

The next two days or so, as Arte Johnson would say, should be veeeeery eenterestingk.

Podcasts About UFOs: Farago Podcasts About Roswell Vee Dub Convention [News]

Davey G. Johnson — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 19:15:00 EDT

"Sometimes I see her sitting on the rooftop/Perched in a lawnchair and staring into the sky/I know that somewhere in some faraway galaxy/That some gray men with telescopes are gazing right into her eyes." -Grant Hart

Farago talks New Beetlemania (which apparently hasn't yet bitten the dust) with VW PR type Clark Campbell in anticipation of the Roswell gathering of New Beetle owners. Topics of interest? The Nova Scotion rendition of the Roswell incident, the legacy of the dead-in-US-waters Phaeton, and the glory of the DSG, a transmission that Farago drops reference to nearly as often as we namecheck H sker D . No more analysis, but mad H skers after the jump.

Volkswagen Phaeton Found on the Moon! [The Truth About Cars]