Jalopnik reports that Adam Carolla, with whom I had the pleasure of photographed after he and Danny Bonaduce interviewed me about "The Driver" on Adam’s radio show, will be hosting the American edition of Top Gear on NBC. Read on…
Archive for February, 2008
Should this idea be put in the same bin as the air-powered engine or the engine that runs on water? The scientists who’ve proposed the idea say that all the components to make it work are already in existence. It will, however, require enormous amounts of energy and wouldn’t be economically feasible until gas prices hit $4.60, which isn’t too far off in the future.
Source: NY Times
Photo: Oceanworld.tamu.edu
Ferrari will be working with various Italian Olympic teams to give them a high-tech edge in sports such as canoeing, sailing, bobsledding and the luge (not the one pictured above). Those teams will be given access to Ferrari’s wind tunnel and other deparments, materials, no doubt. Head Honcho, Luca di Montezemolo, said, "If there is even one millimeter of Ferrari help" in Italian wins, "we will be proud."
Source: Edmunds-InsideLine
Photo: SC8.fr
I was a guest last night on CBC’s "The Hour", a late-night Canadian talk show hosted by former DJ/VJ George Stroumboulopoulos. About 50% less political and 80% less scripted than The Daily Show, I wish it aired south of the border, and not just because I was given free reign all day to shoot the most free-wheeling, un-censored series of interviews in Team Polizei history. The best part is, I completely forgot to mention the name of my book or Cory Welles’ movie. The main interview with George aired live last night, and the others - including my un-planned, un-scripted, un-rehearsed nine minute riff on Rendezvous - should go up on their official site within a day or two. (I sure hope my jet lag, quad-shot coffee and cold weren’t too obvious.)
For now, IE, Firefox or Safari users can watch the main interview here. Use Camino and/or Facebook? Click here.
Continue reading ‘Alex Roy on CBC’s “The Hour” with George Stroumboulopoulos!’
Nissan never hid the fact that their target for the R35 GT-R was the 997 Turbo. So, naturally, everyone wants to know how they stack up against each other. Two UK car magazines have gotten their hands on privately-imported R35’s and CAR magazine tested one against a 997Turbo (Part 1. above, Part 2. here). You’ve got to love how they use an M3 to dry out the track.
Autocar magazine pitted their GT-R against a 997 GT-3, which they believe is a better car than the Turbo and is faster around the Nurburgring. The driver/reporter, Chris Harris, throws in his own M3 for comparison. Notice how the footage of the hairpin turn overlays all three cars to show how each car gets through the turn. Nice touch. But I’m wondering why they didn’t bring in a GT-2?
Continue reading ‘Nissan Skyline GT-R Beats 997 Turbo & GT-3 In Comparos. How Will Porsche Respond?’
Original Cannonball Run organizer, Car & Driver columnist, car industry agitator and author, Brock Yates, has left The Truth About Cars after just three editorials. The reason? Well, you can’t gather much from the brief blurb on TTAC’s website. Seems like they parted ways amicably and that Yates may be looking for another website to share his musings.
Source: TTAC
Photo: Kollins.com
Like crack cocaine in the ’80s and heroin in the ’90s, a new addiction is sweeping the streets - red light cameras. Although studies have shown that red light cameras actually increase accidents, municipalities can’t seem to stop hitting the pipe. Speaking to a group of investment bankers, Lynn Blodgett, CEO of Affiliated Computer Services, a maker of red light and speed cameras, said the cameras "generate a lot of revenue and so they’re not going to cut back on those types of areas."
Continue reading ‘Camera Maker Admits Ticketing Is Addictive, To Open Rehab Centers’
According to CNW Marketing Research’s data, those surveyed considered interior conveniences such as heated seats and cup holders a higher priority than fuel economy. And GM’s research said that fuel economy ranked third behind styling and value. No word on where driving dynamics, technology or performance rank but being that it’s GM, i.e., middle America, this comes as little surprise.
A Northborough, MA, cop crashes his truck into a telephone pole, gets taken to the hospital and "when they mentioned blood alcohol testing to (him) he stated that he wanted to think about it and wanted to contact a lawyer." Although he tested at over twice the state’s legal limit (an impressive .168), the court cleared him of the charges because the blood test were taken without his consent. He obviously knew his rights.
File under: It’s OK, I’m a police officer and Serving and Protecting.
Sources: theNewspaper and MetroWest Daily News
Now offered in Japan, and soon to be offered in other markets, Honda’s in-car camera captures video continuously on a non-stop loop. Once it detects sudden directional changes or heavy braking over .45g it saves 20 seconds of footage (12 seconds before and 8 seconds after activation). The driver can then play their greatest hits and nearest misses on the car’s navigation screen.
Similar systems that are already in use in Japanese taxi cabs have seen accidents reduced by 30 percent and insurance claims against taxi companies by more than 50 percent. Drivers also say it makes them more aware and cautious.
Source: Edmund’s Inside Line
