Jalopnik

Your Ridiculously Cool Saab 900 Turbo Cutaway Wallpaper Is Here [Car Porn]

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:15:00 EST

I'm a big fan of the cutaway drawing and, simultaneously, the old Saab 900 Turbos. I saw one while I was out jogging yesterday and couldn't help but feel like it made perfect sense to me. I'm not planning on owning a FWD vehicle next, but if I did it would likely be one of these. More »

COTD: It's Not You, It's Me Edition [Commenter Of The Day]

Patrick Frawley — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Sometimes relationships are wonderful, enduring, life-sustaining things. Sometimes they aren't. Eventually you get to the point where you just know: it's not working, it's not happening, you're happier spending time away from someone than with them. More »

This Puppy Gets Chauffeured Around In $1.6 Million Bugatti [LOLCars]

Patrick Frawley — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:30:00 EST

Dutch gearhead website Autogespot recently posted a set of pics that takes the hot-blonde-in-a-hot-car cliche in an endearing new direction: a Bugatti Veyron spotted in West Hollywood with a golden retriever in the passenger's seat. More »

Is The New York Times Crossword Puzzle Trolling Car Enthusiasts? [Hoons]

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST

I suspect New York Times Puzzle Wizard Will Shortz was once again showing his weakness with slang when he edited this week's über difficult Friday crossword. Otherwise, he's definitely screwing with car enthusiasts by employing a bit of clue misdirection. More »

Officer Dan Says Don't Try Drifting At Home, Kids! [Video]

Patrick Frawley — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:30:00 EST

If you watched all the way through Icon's Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle 2 video we posted, you saw one of the cops take a nasty roll during the credits. Icon has thoughtfully brought us the full story of Officer Dan's off-road excursion. More »

An Insanely Intense Look At The World’s Cheapest Car [Car Design]

Jason Torchinsky — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST

Like lots of car guys, I have a very specific weakness for one particular class of automobile. For many, that weakness is for fast, powerful, luxurious, high-end exotics; for me, as a side effect of a condition known medically as "being a bit of a moron," it's cars at the extreme low end of the spectrum. More »

British Comedian Draws Ayrton Senna On Used Envelope [Car Art]

Peter Orosz — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST

This is Noel Fielding’s take on the iconic color combination of white, red, yellow, green and black better known as Ayrton Senna driving the wheels off one of his McLarens, drawn upside down in felt-tipped pen on the back of a Royal Mail envelope for The Guardian. Fielding, who discussed his artistic influences, referred to Senna as enigmatic and spiritual and called his racing “almost like an act of poetry." More »

BMW-Named Cold Front Kills 114 In Europe [Ad Watch]

Patrick Frawley — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST

In one of the more tragic cases of fun PR gone very wrong, BMW has apologized after a Mini-sponsored weather pattern named "Cooper" turned into a brutal deep freeze that so far has killed over a hundred people in Eastern Europe. More »

Ferrari's 2012 F1 Car Is An Ugly Fast Duckling [Formula One]

Raphael Orlove — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST

Caving to the wave of backlash over its now-aborted five-seater prototype, Ferrari has hastily redesigned its F1 car overnight, resulting in this ugly little duckling, the F2012. Force India unveiled its own duck-billed racecar as well. Click through for in-depth details on these machines. More »

M.I.A.’s “Bad Girls” Video Brings Arab Drifting To The Masses [Video]

Raphael Orlove — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST

It's called hagwalah and nine times out of ten you've seen it in grainy cell phone video shot from the side of a Saudi highway, but now it's the high-def backdrop of M.I.A.'s surprisingly car-centric video, shot in the Middle East. More »

A Letter To My First Car [Car Culture]

Kelcie Moseley, Thought Catalog — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:30:00 EST

We all remember our first car, and although few of us still have it — even fewer of us probably were thoughtful enough to tell that car how we felt about it. But Kelcie Moseley did just that at Thought Catalog. Here's the letter she sent. Write your own in the comments below. —Ed. More »

Panicked Driver Destroys $165,000 Of Superbikes [Video]

Raphael Orlove — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

A woman in Kuala Lumpur crashed into a store full of superbikes after having already reversed into three other cars. Frightened and confused after the initial crashes, she accelerated straight into the bike storefront, causing an estimated $165,000 in damages. More »

What's The Greatest Dyno Video Of All Time? [Video]

Patrick Frawley — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:30:00 EST

We live in a numbers-obsessed era. We want to see measured proof of a car's awesomeness. If we can see and hear that awesomeness being measured, so much the better. What's the best dyno pull that's ever been captured on video? More »

Ten Car Colors That Need To Make A Comeback [Answers Of The Day]

Patrick Frawley — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST

The world is a vibrant, multi-hued place — but you'd never know that by looking at most automotive showrooms. We need more intensity and variety on the streets. Right now anyone with a little creativity and enough money in their checking account can get whatever color they want. These are Jalopnik readers' picks for the colors that need to make a comeback. More »

Chevy Super Bowl Ad: You Will Die If You Buy A Ford [Video]

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:30:00 EST

Dropping any artifice of civility in the back-and-forth sniping between Chevy and Ford, this year's Silverado ad comes out and says what they've only been wiling to say behind closed doors: buy our competitors vehicle and you will die. You will be dead. Six-feet under. And your family. You will all die a horrible terrible death. More »

New Motor Trend Editor In Childish Facebook Slap Fight With Professional Internet Troll [Motor Trend]

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST

After Motor Trend's Jonny Lieberman found himself the victim of a savage Facebook LOLing by professional automotive internet troll Jack Baruth, newly-annointed Motor Trend editor-in-chief Edward Loh jumped to his beleaguered number two's defense. It's not pretty. More »

Vermont Prisoner Sneaks Pig Onto Cop Cars In Genius Prank [Pranks]

Jason Torchinsky — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:30:00 EST

Somewhere, in Vermont's St. Albans penitentiary, there's a prisoner feeling pretty damn good about himself. Not because of a well-formed shiv or a found cigarette, but because of a really sublime prank: he snuck a pig into the state seals that adorn Vermont's police cars. More »

Clint Eastwood's Chrysler Super Bowl Ad, The 2013 Shelby GT500 Convertible, And Ford's Boob Problem [Video]

Ray Wert — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST

This is the Morning Shift, our one-stop daily roundup of all the auto news that's actually important — all in one place at 9:00 AM. Or, you could spend all day waiting for other sites to parcel it out to you one story at a time. Isn't your time more important? More »

For $16,000, This Corvette Should Come With Miles Of Orange Track [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]

graverobber — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST

The 1965 Mako Shark II concept car previewed the styling direction of the C3 Corvette, albeit with greater exaggeration. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe '71 Coupe is claimed to be a MACO - whatever that is — but will its price take too big a bite out of its buyer's wallet? More »

Watch Jalopnik On "Attack Of The Show" Tonight At 7PM On G4 [Blogging The Auto Bloggers]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:18:25 EST

Ben Popken will be on tonight's "Attack Of The Show" on G4 at 7:00 PM EST to talk about the Heather Peters Honda Civic Hybrid case. Tune in and watch him. Remember, take a drink every time he winks. More »

Your Ridiculously Cool Chevelle SS 396 Wallpaper is here [Car Porn]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:15:00 EST

These days the most exciting mid-size sedans are vehicles like the Kia Optima Turbo which, at least, has some spark of life. But once there were mid-size sedans with options like a 396 c.i. V8 or four-barrel carbs. You know, the good old days. More »

COTD: Applewood-Smoked Edition [Commenter Of The Day]

Patrick Frawley — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

I am waiting for the day when someone passionate and knowledgeable completely gets on my case about my occasional offhand use of the word "barbecue." I want someone to do this. I want to be interrogated about whether I'm talking specifically about dry rub or Carolina vinegar-based or Kansas City or whatever. More »

Kia Track'ster Concept: A Small Car With Soul [Chicago Auto Show]

Raphael Orlove — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:30:00 EST

Kia is set to debut this tall-boy Track'ster concept at the Chicago Auto Show next week, showing off what the company's California design studio can do and giving us an idea what the next Kia Soul will look like. More »

It's Hard To See Your Shadow When You're Hauling Ass [Video]

Jason Torchinsky — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST

Are you sick of all the non-automotive related thinking you have to do in relation to Groundhog Day? Sure, it's fun we entrust a marmot or whatever to handle our global weather control, but dammit, nobody even brings up cars when talking about them. Yes, Bill Murray let one crash a Ford F-150 in the movie, but beyond that, it's all shadow observations and holes in the ground. Until now. More »

How Honda Fought Heather Peters In Small Claims Court [Honda Civic Hybrid]

Ben Popken — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:30:00 EST

Little guy: 1. Honda: 0. That's the results from Round One of Honda v. Civic Hybrid Owner. Which isn't to say that Honda didn't make a valiant effort. And we've got the 120-page evidence packet they submitted to prove it. So how exactly did Honda try to take down Heather Peters? More »

Ferrari's New F1 Car Has Horrible Aerodynamics [Formula One]

Raphael Orlove — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST

Ferrari unveiled its highly anticipated F1 car for the 2012 season in bizarre conditions and many sites, Jalopnik included, are deeply confused and discouraged by the new racer. Click through for more details on this monumental failure. More »

2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI: A Diesel Coupe For Menfolk [Chicago Auto Show]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:45:00 EST

Volkswagen calls the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI the "most fuel efficient 21st Century Beetle" because those old veedubs managed impressive fuel economy feats before safety was an issue. Legal precision aside, shoving a diesel in a new-but-not-New Volkswagen Beetle gives American men a shot at an affordable diesel coupe. More »

Which Group B Car Is More Legendary: Ford RS200 or Audi Sport Quattro? [Video]

Mike Spinelli — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST

The nearly three-decades-old Ford RS200's byzantine all-wheel-drive system is like the modern Nissan GT-R's, only in reverse. The Audi Sport Quattro had ABS and self-locking diffs when those things were still wizardry. Awesome, yes, but which one of these cars enjoys the most renown? More »

This Is Five Hours Of Adriana Lima Waving A Flag In Slow Motion [Video]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:10:00 EST

Adriana Lima is typically near the top of everyone's "most beautiful people in the world" list and usually in a catalog on the bottom of many a young man's sock drawer. Now we have the Internet. And, thanks to the ad wizards at Kia, five hours of her waving a flag in slow motion. More »

Aston Martin V12 Zagato: Is This It? [Aston Martin Zagato]

Mike Spinelli — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST

Last year, Aston Martin's V12 Zagato concept debuted to a flush, veal-complected crowd at Italy's Villa D'Este. This year, the Zagato-massaged Vantage collabo's going into production, and according to GTspirit.com, this is it. More »

Presidents And Cars: The Answers! [Car History]

Jason Torchinsky — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST

Yesterday, I gave you ten fascinating facts about Presidents and cars. And by "facts" I mean half were a special type of fact many experts would term a "lie." So, as promised, today I'm revealing which ones were true, and which were imaginary. More »

Fiery Death Awaits The Junkers Of New Zealand [Video]

Raphael Orlove — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST

Burning cars, rusty cars, cars teetering on the edge of destruction gloriously pushed over the edge: these are the participants in New Zealand backyard derby racing. More »

Lamborghini Is Full Of Expensive Surprises [Geneva Motor Show]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:30:00 EST

Renders of a Lamborghini SUV have left everyone to wonder just what the Italians are up to with regards to their future plans (other than a dozen or so alphanumerically-enhanced Aventadors). The company has responded to the rumors with few details but some intrigue. More »

Kia Super Bowl Ad: Tripping With Adriana Lima And Motley Crue [Video]

Raphael Orlove — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:00:00 EST

Kia's Super Bowl ad throws every testosterone-filled cliché at you in the hopes of that some coolness will rub off on its Optima family sedan. Why? Because this is how things are done now. The only way to surprise us now is with subtlety. More »

What Car Color Needs To Come Back? [Question Of The Day]

Patrick Frawley — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:30:00 EST

We live in an age where car colors are terribly safe. Silver and gray rule the modern automotive palette. It's time to liven things up and add some brightness and contrast to the roads. What color needs to be popular again? More »

The Ten Best High-Performance Bargains [Answers Of The Day]

Patrick Frawley — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST

High-performance cars can be ridiculously expensive, but if you look in the corners and take a pass on snob appeal you can get intense amounts of speed for surprisingly little cash. These are Jalopnik readers' picks for the best budget high-performance cars. More »

How You Can Sue An Automaker In Small Claims Court And Win [Heather Peters]

Ben Popken — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:50:00 EST

Yesterday, Heather Peters proved one woman can strike a blow against a major automaker when she succeeded in a landmark California case against Honda for making false claims about fuel economy.The key? Take them to small claims court. With her help, we've created this definitive step-by-step guide to how she, like a modern-day David, took on Goliath — and how you can too. More »

Hilarious Proof That Being A Race Car Driver Is Hard [Video]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST

You ever look at a race car driver's neck and wonder why they're usually so thick? Watch this video of a woman trying to keep her head in one place while being battered around the Abu Dhabi Yas Marina track in a two-seat Formula One car. Whiplash! More »

Fiat 500L, Camaro ZL1 Production Starts, And A Nissan Leaf Doesn't Explode In Flames [Video]

Ray Wert — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST

For $5,500, is this VW a Mexican, or a Mexican't? [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]

graverobber — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST

This year, Volkswagen released a new New Beetle, and over the decades they built like a gazillion old Old Beetles. Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe Type 1 is a new Old Beetle, but is its price old news? More »