Autoblog

Click above to view video after the jump

An altercation between the two admittedly attractive female drivers in the IndyCar Series has all the makings for a sensational headline, and in this case Danica Patrick and Milka Duno backed it up by tangling in the pits last Saturday after a practice session for the Honda Indy 200. Patrick, as she has done twice before, walked all the way to her competitor's pit stall to address a grievance. She simply asked Dreyer & Reinbold Racing's driver, who looked like she just stepped out of a salon, if she had seen her on the track. Apparently Patrick was miffed that Milka wasn't letting faster cars like her No. 7 Motorola Dallara Honda pass during practice. Milka was having none of it and twice threw a towel at Patrick while telling her to "go away". Such is a pretty normal day in the IndyCar Series with Danica Patrick on the prowl. For the record, neither lady performed particularly well in the actual race on Sunday, with Milka finishing 23rd out of 26 and Danica placing 12th. Check out video of these brunettes battling after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Art!

[Source: FOX Sports, Three Strikes and Out]

Click above to see what else was found hiding behind a rock.

Not to mention any names or anything (*cough* Baja *cough*), but there have been some downright ugly trucks to go from the concept stage straight through to production. Usually, though, consumer reaction is properly gaged and the most egregious styling mistakes are usually swept quietly under the rug. Until, that is, somebody starts digging around for the most grossly misshapen models they can find... which is exactly what PickupTrucks.com decided to do. The results of their efforts have been ignominiously placed up on their website for the whole world to gaze upon in disgust. They are as follows:

1. Nissan Nails
2. Rinspeed Tatooo
3. Nissan XIX
4. Dodge MAXXcab
5. Chevrolet Borrego

Though these concept vehicles have been ranked, we hesitate to call any of them winners. See for yourself in the gallery below -- if you must.


[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

From time to time, license plates wind up with unintentionally humorous alphanumeric combinations. Massachusetts had a run of plates with "POO" as the trailing characters, for example, but th North Carolina DMV's inadvertent pun takes the cake. About 10,000 plates were stamped up bearing the characters WTF before a 60 year old teacher's grandchildren whispered the internets meaning of the acronym in her ear, spurring her to raise the issue. Perhaps they need to surf the web a bit more in North Carolina's DMV offices, but at least anyone offended by his or her tag can get it replaced for free. The best part of the entire debacle? The DMV's own sample image for its website was "WTF-5505."

[Source: DriversDrive, Photo: WXII]

Click above for more shots of the Mazda-rrari RX-8

Thanks to an astute reader, we now have further proof that owners of Mazda's rotary powered RX-8 wish they were driving a Ferrari instead. Not that we blame them or anything, as the Prancing Horse has been plastered on many of the finest sportscars that this world has ever seen. What we don't recommend, however, is actually attempting to replicate a Ferrari of your own with a Mazda RX-8, as the owner of said car seen in our gallery has done. It's not that the car is an RX-8, a fine vehicle in its own right,– but a Ferrari it is not. The rotary is a fun engine to wring out on the way to its 9,000 RPM redline, but it just doesn't quite match the aural pleasure that a fine Italian V12 is able to deliver.

This particular Mazda-rrari was caught at a mall in Denton, Texas, and we believe it's probably the only one in existence. Before you get real upset about all that's been done to it though, remember that it could be worse. Much, much worse. Just don't tell the guys in Maranello, they tend to get rather upset about this kind of thing. Thanks for the tip, David!

The scholars over at Automobile magazine have handed out their "Funky Ergonomics Awards" this year. As expected, BMW's iDrive and 7 Series interior (shown above) remains their favorite pincushion. Rightly so. Their list includes convenience keys that are downright inconvenient, window switches that are out of reach, touchscreens that are dangerously slow to respond, all center-of-the-dashboard mounted instrument clusters, complicated navigation systems, reverse-action manu-matic transmissions, and dimly lit interiors.

While we generally agree with their list, our own ergonomic pet peeves include spinning seat adjusters mounted inaccessibly outboard (yeah, by the doors), cruise control stalks hidden out-of-sight by the wheel itself, and manual modes for old-fashioned "slushbox" automatic trannies. Oh yeah, the list goes on and on...

[Source: Automobile]

The senior prank has become nearly its own rite of Spring. Every year, graduating high school students pool their creativity to come up with something that's a little antisocial without crossing the line. Matriculating students from the northeastern Connecticut institution Killingly High School managed to bust the chops of principal Dan Costello without resorting to a pickup truck full of manure. Students covertly adorned what looks like an Acura with lots of sticky notes, toilet paper, and plastic wrap. Costello was called out to the parking lot with a ruse, where he was surrounded by a student body doing a collective imitation of Nelson. A tame prank, but at least Principal Costello laughed it off. Normally, if the students don't like you, they wouldn't even bother. Extricating his car from the cocoon didn't take too long with the aid of some sophomore students. Less settling was the idle chatter during the unwrapping process about how their senior prank was so going to be better.

[Source: Network World via Digg]

Click above for more pictures of the Vibering concept

Cars can be dangerous objects, there's no doubt about it. While the most obvious danger is definitely an accident while driving, there are other ways your car could kill you. Exhaust from gasoline vehicles is very dangerous, and diesel soot can get lodged on your brain, so we advise against its inhalation whenever possible. But don't let those environmentally friendly hybrids and electric cars fool you... they can be silent killers, too. There have been many ideas thrown around in an effort to make hybrid vehicles safer for blind people who may have a hard time hearing the stealthy vehicles approach. Some of these ideas are better than others. Take, for instance, the Vibering concept, which is able to sense approaching doom by listening for key sounds made by a car like the Prius or other hybrid model. When worn in conjunction with its companion watch, the Vibering listens and alerts its wearer whenever a vehicle may be coming and how far it is from making impending contact. We're not sure what technology it's using to "listen" for identifying sounds, but the idea is solid. Imagine a government mandate that required all hybrids to emit an inaudible sound that could be detected by seeing eye dogs or a device worn on the wrist.


[Source: Yanko Design via Jalopnik]

Don't you just hate it when you're idling around in the parking garage and there aren't any empty spaces? How do you feel when you spot somebody with a nice car who's purposely taken two spaces so that nobody can park next to their car? Yeah, pretty infuriating. Looks like somebody decided to do something about it, if the letter above is for real. In case you can't read it, here's what it says:

Dear person,

I'm sorry I put a dent in your car. I didn't want to, but I did when I tried to park next to you. I am not leaving my information because you chose to use two spaces and I just wanted to park in one. The scratches are because I used a towel that had sand on it to try to clean the dent/paint off. Beaches are fun.

Please look your car over for the dent and scratches and each time you see them, remember not to park in two spaces.

Sorry!!!

NOTE: We at Autoblog do not condone the denting of cars on purpose. Yes, beaches are fun.

[Source: Carscoop]

Alright, fun is fun, but enough is enough. We wish one day would go by when we didn't have cause to redefine the term "auto erotic". First it was the amorous peacock and the Lexus. Then it was Jenna Jameson's Lamborghini. Then the whole Max Mosley affair with the Nazi hookers. Most recently we had the MINI Clubman dressed up like a dominatrix. And now this.

Edward Smith, 57, of Washington State, loves cars. Well yeah, don't we all? No, but this guy actually loves cars, and has confessed to copulating with some 1,000 vehicles. We don't really want to imagine how exactly he goes about that, but we're sure he must be on good terms with the staff down at the local Jiffy Lube. At least we can give this condition its own name now: mechaphilia. Seriously. Ed is part of a 500-member group of "mechaphiles" who profess the same infatuation. Follow the link to read more, if you must. Thanks to all who tipped in.

[Source: The Telegraph]

Hot on the heels of the recent brandtag exercise that saw BMW drivers labeled as a-holes (and a lot of explanations and justifications in the comments), we have this classified ad from an M3 owner in Peoria, Arizona. Its starts off rather plainly, with a rundown of the aftermarket components with which the seller has graced.

And then the listing takes a left turn and heads straight for Mars when the seller writes "This car has gotten me laid so much it is ridiculous." After that, you get a rundown of his success with women, copious use of the word "pimp" as both noun and adjective, his workout routine and testosterone regimen, his success with women, tidbits on his "killer" anatomy, instructions on how to become "a Jedi pimp," and more of his success with women. And in case you didn't realize it, he states explicitly: "I'm a winner." A few subtle clues dropped here and there in the description reveal that the owner is parodying Brucie from Grand Theft Auto IV, but you wouldn't know it if you've never played the game.

We at Autoblog have a few questions: Who is this ladies' man they call John Connor? With the miraculous powers of this car, why isn't it at auction with Bonham's or RM? And what do they put in the water in Peoria, AZ? In the mean time, we're going to add "jedi pimp" to BMW's brandtag to save you the trouble. Thanks for the tip, Kirk!

[Source: AutoTrader]