Jalopnik

What's the story behind everybody's handle/screenname?... [From Comments]

Jagvar — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:48:43 EDT

What's the story behind everybody's handle/screenname? Maybe we've done this before, but if we have, I don't remember. More »

Why GPS Real-Time Traffic Isn't Always Real Time [Car Tech]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:50:00 EDT

A discussion about why GPS "real-time" traffic rarely occurs in real time. More »

Get Some Jalopnik In Your Facebook [Cult Of Cars]

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:45:00 EDT

Your friends are probably already following Jalopnik on Facebook and sharing the best Jalopnik stories with their friends. So why aren't you? Get some Jalopnik in your Facebook today! More »

BMW Dealer Crashes M5, Tries Screwing Owner Out Of $27K [Cotomer Sevis]

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:30:00 EDT

An M5Board forum member took his 2007 BMW M5 to the dealer for brakes and fresh oil. Their 20-year-old tech crashed it during a test drive. The dealership's offering him $2500 in parts. The problem? There's $30,000 in damage. More »

Commenter Of The Day: Jimmy "Pony" Ryan Edition [Commenter Of The Day]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EDT

I love stories about old baseball. They all involve games with dozens of runs scored, someone getting punched, and an immigrant with a farm animal cursing a team. One such source of great stories is Jimmy "Pony" Ryan of the variously named Chicago White Sox (my favorite being the Orphans). A bit of a hot-head, he was famous for punching multiple reporters, players, and a clumsy train conductor. He's also the only player ever to hit for the cycle in a game — a 21-17 game against the Detroit Wolverines in 1888. It's possible, if Pony were alive today, he'd punch the 2011 Dodge Durango, which TroyQueef thinks is in the midst of another kind of cycle. More »

Jessica Alba Likes To Hit The Switches [Car Stars]

Rob Krider — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:45:00 EDT

At the premiere for the movie Machete, Jessica Alba rolled up in a drop top lowrider Impala. More »

General Motors Trademarks "Range Anxiety" [Inside 8 Mile]

Ray Wert — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:30:00 EDT

Did you miss our scoop on General Motors trademarking the term "Range Anxiety." For shame! Check it out here. More »

Your Car's Headers Are Uglier [Engine Porn]

Peter Orosz — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EDT

These are the exhaust headers of Ferrari’s 1966–69 Formula One car, the 312. Due to Ferrari’s focus on Le Mans, it wasn’t a particularly good car: it won 3 races out of 52. Like we care. More »

Mariner Energy Oil Rig Explosion: First Photo [Oilpocalypse]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EDT

Here's one of the first photos of the Mariner Energy oil rig explosion from earlier today, showing the rig burning in the distance. No one was killed, but authorities report seeing a one-mile long oil sheen near the site. [CultureMap] More »

Top Gear's James May Claims He's The Stig [Top Gear]

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:15:00 EDT

Ben Collins? Who's he? James May is really The Stig. [Telegraph] More »

From Canada To Mexico On One Tank of Diesel [I Feel Gassy]

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EDT

Craig Henderson drove from Blaine, Washington to the Mexican border — a distance of 1,478 miles — without stopping to refuel. He burned 12.4 gallons for a record-breaking 119.1 mpg in a car he originally designed in 1984. More »

World-Record Monster Truck Practice Jump Foiled By Gravity [Monster Truck]

Justin Hyde — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EDT

Joe Sylvester, 26, wants to break the 202-foot long jump record for monster trucks set by Bigfoot in 1999. On Tuesday, he took a practice jump of half the distance, but generated about twice the altitude he needed. Gravity sucks. More »

Identify This Chunk of Fiberglass, Help Catch A Killer [JaloPSA]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EDT

Kyle Peters was killed riding his bike Tuesday when a vehicle struck the Canadian teenager. The driver fled, leaving behind only this 11" x 16" piece of black fiberglass. If you know what it is, leave a comment below. UPDATE! More »

God I Love the Germans [Retro]

Peter Orosz — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:30:00 EDT

Here is six minutes of glorious Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, back from the days when it was nothing but an epic battle between BMW E30 M3’s and Mercedes–Benz 190 E 2.3-16’s. More »

DropTop Customs Developing Dodge Challenger RT Convertible [Tuner Cars]

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EDT

Mopar fans aching for your own convertible muscle car, DropTop Customs is creating a Dodge Challenger RT Convertible. Other than open-air tire smoke baths, it's got structural reinforcements, a new fascia, hood scoop, and probable power improvements. [Zercustoms] More »

Another Gulf Oil Rig Explosion This Morning [Oilpocalypse]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:45:00 EDT

Another Gulf of Mexico oil rig exploded today, injuring one. It's unclear if this one's leaking. More »

Wheels Stolen Off Detroit Mayor's Security Car [Car Crime]

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EDT

Mayor Dave Bing's shaking things up in Detroit by actually making progress fixing things that're broken. Unfortunately that didn't stop the wheels being stolen from his security detail's vehicle last night. D'oh! [Freep] Photo credit PSFK More »

Rahm Emanuel: "Fuck the UAW" [Emissions]

Justin Hyde — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:00:01 EDT

Rahm Emanuel, former Democratic congressman and President Obama's chief of staff, gave the UAW the Gettelfinger during the GM and Chrysler rescue debate, according to former auto czar Steve Rattner's new book. This could get messy. Especially because there's more. More »

What's The Coolest Car Name? [Question Of The Day]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:30:00 EDT

What's in a name? Juliet thinks a rose by any other name would still smell fairly nice, but Shakespeare's tragedy says otherwise. She dies because of her name. It's important, especially in the automotive realm. What's the coolest car name? More »

Ten Totally Bogus 90s Cars [Answers Of The Day]

Martin Grossinger — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EDT

Some cars are only bearable through the prism of nostalgia, but according to you rad dudes and dudettes these ten cars still seem totally bogus two decades later. More »

2012 Honda Civic Looks Less Beige In Leather [Spy Photos]

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:45:00 EDT

The Honda Civic, America's most trusted automotive appliance, is getting a makeover for 2012 and here's the first leather-wrapped glimpse. Kinda bland from what we can see. Hopefully they've got a more interesting Si model under development. [WorldCarFans] More »

This Is Dodge's New Logo [New Cars]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:30:00 EDT

If you've been reading Jalopnik, today's newly-unveiled logo for Dodge won't surprise you. Last month we showed you our rendering of a new Dodge logo based on reports from our sources. As you can see, we were right. More »

Why GM's IPO Sales Pitch Begins The Day After The Election [Inside 8 Mile]

Justin Hyde — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EDT

General Motors won't start the hard sell of its shares to investors, called a "road show," until Nov. 3, one day after mid-term elections, and the actual IPO now expected Nov. 18. Why? Politics, of course. More »

2011 Dodge Durango: Three Rows And A Hemi [New Cars]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:20:00 EDT

The 2011 Dodge Durango adds a third row of seats for Chrysler's third attempt at making a competitive mid-size SUV not named Jeep. More »

Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore Art Thou Alfa Romeo? [Car Porn]

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EDT

If you've ever played Circuit de Catalunya in Forza 3, just imagine doing the same in a real, well-worn Alfa. Glorious. [formfreu] More »

Nebraska Car Collector Busted For Avoiding Tax on 150 Cars [Car Crime]

Justin Hyde — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:30:00 EDT

A Nebraska car collector has been charged with avoiding sales taxes on 150 vehicles in his private collection. Nebraska State Troopers say Mark Pieloch, 52, will turn himself in on one felony charge of tax evasion. [ConcoursBlog.com] More »

For $4,900, Get a Buick Fit for a King, a Very Quick King [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]

Graverobber — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EDT

For '83 alone, Buick took a break from the Grand Nationals to make the T-Type. As today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe turbo Regal proves, that's almost as grand, but will this car's price fit you to a T-Type? More »

Ford Auto Sales For August Down 11% [Auto Sales]

Ray Wert — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:40:00 EDT

Ford, current 'merican automotive media darling, saw sales drop 11% in August. At least they did better than Toyota! More »

Commenter Of The Day: LAN Party Edition [Commenter Of The Day]

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EDT

When I was in college I had a newish Vaio desktop (with a 1-gig AMD! OMG!) and a Sony monitor and was fairly happy with myself. It was kind of purplish, but awesome. When my The University of Texas at Austin dormmate Eddie installed Counter Strike on it I suddenly had less time to study or try to get dates. Between the two of us, I had the vastly superior computer setup and therefore I'd sometimes find him playing at my desk. No biggie. If he'd share his ill-gotten beer I could certainly share my computer. He even asked if he could borrow it for a LAN party on Friday night. I said sure, not knowing exactly what he was talking about. I nearly ruined my date when I came home, not alone, on Saturday night with a ladyfriend only to discover the computer was gone. Had I been robbed? No. The computer was just in the lobby, as confirmed by a phone call, leaving me with a dorm room all to myself for a different kind of party — one that involved girls. So when we said the Austin F1 track looked like a bong and Chairman Kaga disagreed we can, at least, confirm his tale of Austin's long relationships with gaming. More »

New Top Gear USA Clip Shows Trio Racing Lamborghinis [Top Gear USA]

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:50:00 EDT

This just-released new video from Top Gear USA shows us a different side of the hosts from what was seen in the first trailer. Here the threesome displays a little less hugging and a little more profanity. More »

Camaro Kicks Mustangs 5.0-Engined Ass In August [Car Sales]

Ray Wert — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:45:00 EDT

Camaro retakes sales lead from Mustang in August. [Camaro5] More »

Car Magically Racks Up 724 Miles In Airport Parking [LOLCars]

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:30:00 EDT

New Yorkers Mimi and Ulrich Gunthart came home to find their car, parked at Kennedy Airport's AviStar Parking, put on 724 miles. When confronted, AviStar officials "found nothing out of the ordinary." The couple says they'll park there again. [CBSNewYork] More »

"So I Poured More Gas In My Engine Bay" [Garage Of Horror]

John Krewson — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EDT

Welcome back to Garage of Horror, where we share your worst wheeled experiences. Today's installment asks the classic question: Is this damn car trying to kill me? Or am I trying to get myself killed? More »

EPA Helps You Identify Awesome Cars [I Feel Gassy]

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EDT

The EPA's released a list grading current cars by the new fuel economy window sticker standard. We've cut it down to some cars you might actually want. More »

This Woman Crashed Into A House, Then Turned Into A Moron [Car Crazies]

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EDT

This is 20-year-old Floridian Kristin Ashley Butcher. She allegedly crashed her Nissan into the front of a house, backed out, drove home, called the cops and claimed the car had been stolen, then returned damaged. They didn't believe her either. More »

America's Ambulances Upgrade For XL-Sized Patients [Emergency Vehicles]

Justin Hyde — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EDT

A swelling count of patients weighing more than 400 pounds have forced paramedics across the United States to beef up their ambulances. The new stretchers can carry 1,600 lbs., about what a Euro-version Smart car weighs. More »

Hurricane Earl As Seen From The Space Station [Spacelopnik]

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EDT

The astronauts in the International Space Station have the best (and safest) view of Hurricane Earl as its 125 mph winds spin toward the Outer Banks of North Carolina and onward to New England. Photo Credit: NASA/Douglas Wheelock More »

NASCAR: Born From Cheaters [Nascar]

Justin Hyde — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:45:00 EDT

Oh my goodness, the National Association Of Stock Car Auto Racing (as opposed to the national association of stock car boat racing) is full of cheaters! Stone-cold cheatin' to victory in every race, ever. America expects better from former moonshiners. More »

Ford GS Boss 5.0 315 Ute: Grass Growing Increasingly Greener Down Under [El Caminos]

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:15:00 EDT

Australia's Ford Performance Vehicles has chucked the Ford Falcon GS Ute's 5.4-liter V8 for the Mustang's 5.0-liter V8 plus a 1.9-liter supercharger to create the Ford GS Boss 5.0 315 Ute. 428-hp, 402 lb-ft of torque, all forbidden fruit. [Pickuptrucks] More »

Fiat-Based Jeep Teased In Cheesy Web Video [Spy Photos]

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EDT

When Fiat bought Chrysler, Jeep's future was murky. Would we see Panda-based Wranglers? This terrible web video shows off a compact Jeep probably on Fiat's C-Evo platform. Better change the tagline to "The things the Italians make, make us." Updated More »