People who eat at the wheel are a menace. An errant drip of ketchup can be the difference between a mundane commute and a starring role in an impromptu Richard Weyman film. To help further enable the noshing pilot, someone has invented a cupholder-mounted french fry holder. This is undoubtedly a harbinger of the motoring apocalypse. Seriously folks, if your in-car fry habit is such that you require a dedicated, purpose-built mount (with an integrated ketchup tray, no less), you probably need to re-evaluate your lifestyle. In an ironic twist more delicious than a McDonalds' french fry, this contraption is sold through the Improvementscatalog. We're hard pressed to determine what this improves other than the chance of a fry-related mishap at highway speeds. According to the site, it's "not available at this time," which is either cause for concern (it's completely sold out) or celebration (someone pulled the plug and stopped the madness).
It comes as little surprise, but Cars.com has all but confirmed that the "El Camino" moniker has been nixed as a potential name of the new G8 Sport Truck. The site reports from a recent media event that a Pontiac spokesperson said that there was internal strife regarding use of the Chevy-associated nameplate on a Pontiac vehicle. Frankly, we agree with this decision. If GM wanted a legit El Camino, it would have simply handed the Ute to the Chevy division. GM has mismanaged its vehicle naming process enough as is -- one needn't look any further than Pontiac, where it's nuthin' but a "G" thang, baby... unless you're talking Vibe or Solstice. Way to be consistent, guys. Like everyone else, we're curious to learn what the badge applied to the G8 truck's tailgate will read, and it sounds like we should hear something fairly soon. Now, can we have another contest to give the G8 sedan a real name, too? Bonneville sounds nice to us...
You know those videos that sometimes automatically start playing when you visit automaker websites? You know how you usually click right past them? Sometimes, they're worth paying attention to. If you visit to the 2009 Dodge Ram website, you're treated to a tour of the truck by Ralph Gilles and Mark Allen. Before the design guys give their spiel, however, you get a very brief glimpse of a poster showing '09 Ram body styles and options/accessories. There, clear as day, is a shot of the forthcoming Ram R/T.
When the new Ram was initially unveiled, PickupTrucks.com confirmed that the R/T was indeed on the way. Word at the time was that the R/T would be a standard-cab, 4x2, short-bed truck with a HEMI, 5-speed auto, and a 4.10 rear axle ratio. As you can see in the photo at right, the truck gets a monochrome treatment (a la the Ram Sport), a deep chin spoiler, and a hood reminiscent of the one used on the Challenger R/T and SRT8. As PickupTrucks.com reported, expect the Ram R/T's powertrain combo to deliver a sub-7 second 0-60 time. It'll be interesting to see the R/T's marketplace reception, given that gas prices are likely to continue climbing for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately for Chrysler, it's a less-than-perfect environment for welcoming a new performance-oriented truck. Nothing a little cash on the hood and a locked-in gas price can't fix, right? Thanks for the tip, David!
Click above for a high-res gallery of the BRABUS SL
"BRABUS" might as well be German for, "Hey, why not?" This would seem to be the question its engineers ask themselves before they stuff ludicrous amounts of power under the hoods of Mercedes-Benz cars and trucks. Thisbehavioriswell-documented, and it continues unabated with the arrival of MB's new SL. Full wheel/tire, interior, and styling packages are a given. Backing up those enhanced looks is an assortment of tuning packages capable of providing more power than even Montgomery Scott could ever plead for.
The SV12 S Biturbo engine swap appears to have been created by someone with a severe, pathological hatred for tires. This is the same engine used in the Brabus Bullit, and it dishes out a predictably ridiculous 720 horsepower and 973 lb-ft of torque. The latter number is electronically restrained to a mere 811 lb-ft., and a top speed of well over 200 mph comes with the territory. Not interested in the full swap? No worries, BRABUS has your back. SL 65 AMG drivers can opt for the T 65 S package, which bumps the stock V12 Biturbo to 705 hp/811 lb-ft. There's a solution for the all-motor SL 63 AMG as well that packs on an additional 40 horses over stock. This pattern continues right on down the line -- even the "lowly" V6-powered cars can be tuned to deliver 327 hp/ 310 lb-ft. Bonkers. Er, BRABUS, rather.
This Ferrari 330 GT is gonna die so that others might live.
Eurospares, based in Essex, UK, specializes in spare parts for Italian cars, boasting 12,000 square feet worth of spares for Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maseratis. As The Independent reports, if you need headlamps for a Lamborghini Miura, a steering column for a Ferrari 360, or a chassis and body for a BB512, the people at Eurospares have your back. But spares for out-of-production exotics need to come from somewhere, and this is where some readers might find themselves feeling queasy.
Eurospares honcho James Pumo gets parts from all around -- in some cases, from sources his father formed relationships with many, many years ago. Sometimes, however, the parts received don't come piled in shipping boxes; sometimes, they arrive as a whole, like the Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 you see above. Nice, right? Don't get too attached. As Eurospares details on its website, rust issues and a problem in one cylinder mean that the old stallion is going to get fully dismantled and parted out. It must die so that perhaps another 330 in need can be returned to its former glory. For car guys, witnessing the company's breakup operations must be akin to a vegan getting a tour of a slaughterhouse -- horrifying and mentally-scarring. On the flipside, to owners seeking the final piece of a restoration/repair puzzle, Eurospares is like that mythical pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. It's all about perspective, we guess. Those of you interested in seeing what's scheduled to head to the big garage in the sky courtesy of Eurospares' blowtorch-wielding car slayers, click here. It might make you a little sad, though, so don't say we didn't warn you.
Car thieves are a resourceful lot. Despite whatever technical wizardry automakers incorporate to thwart them, they find a way. Of course, they don't just go after the new stuff. Older cars are fair game, too -- many of which are bereft of those pesky security systems the bad guys are masters at defeating anyway. Suppose, however, your car was sitting outside without a gearbox. That's gotta be enough to keep it from getting swiped, right? As the Scottish owner of an unknown-vintage Ford Grenada Scorpio learned this week, it is indeed not enough. The lack of a gearbox did nothing to deter thieves, who police believe simply towed the car away one day earlier this week. Hey, it's common practice for some regular folks bring a trailer when they go to pick up a car they've bought, so why not thieves? It's like the same thing, minus the whole "buying" part. Any U.S. readers who own Merkur Scorpios, take note and keep your heads on a swivel. These guys might have passports.
This just in: Rick Wagoner has told reporters that the Chevy Volt is still on for a 2010 release, saying that so far, there have been no hang-ups that could potentially delay the arrival of General Motors' forthcoming Ultra Super Image Flagship -- currently in the last-gen Chevy Malibu phase of its gestation period. We'll chalk up Rick's comments as one of the "regular updates" he promised the media back in January when he tempered expectations somewhat by applying the "fluid" tag to the Volt's timeline. We assume his latest remarks mean things are proceeding nicely in Voltland, which is good, because the car that will battle the 'lectro-Chevy for the hearts, minds and greenbacks of the enviro-chic -- Prius v3.0 -- will throw down the gauntlet in the General's backyard come January. It'll be interesting to see whether GM responds to Toyota's reveal with some big new Volt-related showcase at the 2009 North American International Camaro Show. Time will tell, and we're sure many more updates are in store between now and then.
Click above for photo gallery. Follow the jump for the music video.
The music video for the updated Speed Racer theme, "Go Speed Racer Go", has hit the web, and while the song itself gets annoying after a couple of verses (how many times can you listen to that refrain before going insane?), the actual video is mesmerizing. There's a lot of footage that hasn't been seen in the trailers and ads so far, and the cartoon come-to-life visuals are simply eye-popping. In that respect, anyone who ponies up ten bucks for a ticket is going to get his or her money's worth. Hopefully, the strength of the story can match the undeniable visual power the Wachowski's onscreen kaleidoscope is set to deliver. At least one early review indicates that may not be the case, unfortunately. We'll wait 'till we see it ourselves next weekend to pass final judgement. In the meantime, feast your eyes on the new video after the jump.
Follow the jump for the video report on Volvo's safety goals
We all know how seriously Volvo approaches vehicle safety. At least we thought we did. In a new Reuters video feature, we learn that the safety-obsessed Swedish automaker has goals far loftier than we had imagined. You see, Volvo has set a goal of zero injuries or deaths to passengers in its vehicles by the year 2020. According to reporter Paul Chapman, Volvo wants to create a car that basically "forms a giant bumper" around its occupants to protect them if and when the need arises. A Volvo representative quoted on camera goes on to state that beyond the elimination of crash-related death and injury, Volvo would like to see the elimination of car accidents altogether.
While this admirable sentiment undoubtedly serves as a goal-setting mechanism for Volvo safety engineers, it's hard to view it as anything other than hopeless optimism unless you completely remove the human element from driving (and presumably replace all cars with Miracle Safety Volvos). You can build the most perfect car in the world and equip it with the greatest safety features imaginable, but cars can't predict everything, and humans are anything but predictable -- as any readers who commute amongst the general populace can attest. We'll know Volvo's really getting closer to safety Nirvana when it unveils a feature that determines when the driver next to you is simultaneously steering with his knees, reading a newspaper, sending text messages, and eating Ramen noodles at highway velocity.
Click above for high-res gallery of the Weber Sportcars faster one
Like the Millennium Falcon, the Weber Sportcars faster one may not look like much, but it sounds like it might be capable of besting the former's Kessel Run time of under 12 parsecs. Hell, after looking over the manufacturer's stats, we think that the faster one might be able to tear a gaping hole in the space/time continuum.
Billed by its Swiss maker as the world's fastest street legal sports car, the faster one's ugly-but-aerodynamic carbon fiber body covers a vehicle that weighs in at a scant 1,984 pounds (900 kg). That mass is distributed 50:50 and is propelled by a 900-horsepower/774 lb-ft twin-supercharged V8 that begins its life as a garden-variety General Motors LS7 before Weber tears it apart and rebuilds it to its own specifications. The twin-blown eight is then mated to an in-house-developed 6-speed sequential gearbox. Power is directed to an intelligent AWD system (also developed in-house) that can send a maximum of 36% of power to the front wheels.
Stated performance numbers are of the astonishing variety: 0-62 mph in 2.7 seconds; 0-124 in 6.6 seconds; 0-186 in 16.2 seconds; and a top speed said to be over 248 mph. Helping rein in the insanity is a set of 12-piston, 15-inch ceramic brakes supplemented by the car's motorized rear wing, which, like the Bugatti Veyron's, doubles as an air brake when necessary. You can get into all the minutiae after the jump where we've pasted Weber Sportcars' full press release. Weird but wicked, the Weber Sportcars faster one is just the thing to settle that pissing contest you've been having with your Veyron-driving billionaire neighbor. If you give the nice people at Weber (at least) 1.6 million Swiss francs (plus VAT), they'll build one just for you.
People who eat at the wheel are a menace. An errant drip of ketchup can be the difference between a mundane commute and a starring role in an impromptu Richard Weyman film. To help further enable the noshing pilot, someone has invented a cupholder-mounted french fry holder. This is undoubtedly a harbinger of the motoring apocalypse. Seriously folks, if your in-car fry habit is such that you require a dedicated, purpose-built mount (with an integrated ketchup tray, no less), you probably need to re-evaluate your lifestyle. In an ironic twist more delicious than a McDonalds' french fry, this contraption is sold through the Improvements catalog. We're hard pressed to determine what this improves other than the chance of a fry-related mishap at highway speeds. According to the site, it's "not available at this time," which is either cause for concern (it's completely sold out) or celebration (someone pulled the plug and stopped the madness). 
Pontiac El Cami-"NO"
Spy Shots: Baby Cayenne caught on 'Ring!
First Peek: 2009 Dodge Ram R/T
Spy Shots: Corvette ZR1 attacking the Nurburgring
2008 International Engine of the Year awards announced...
Future Classic: 1984 Chrysler Minivans
Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy
First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen
Project Track Slut, Part One: Pick a weapon on the cheap
By the Numbers: April 2008
