Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[VIDEO: Low-flying pelican results in Bugatti Veyron Hydro Edition <b>[*UPDATE:</b> Now with actual crash footage!]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/12/video-low-flying-pelican-ends-up-creating-bugatti-veyron-hydro/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/12/video-low-flying-pelican-ends-up-creating-bugatti-veyron-hydro/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/12/video-low-flying-pelican-ends-up-creating-bugatti-veyron-hydro/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above to watch the video after the jump

This is one of the saddest, yet most amusing sights we've ever seen. A $1.6 million Bugatti Veyron sitting in a salt water lagoon, door open, in two feet of nasty, corrosion-inducing muddy water. While the sight is sad, how the event allegedly transpired is downright hilarious. The unnamed owner of the vehicle, traveling through Galveston, Texas to look at some high-end property, was reportedly talking on his cell phone when a low-flying pelican distracted him. The driver swerved to avoid the big bird, dropped his cell phone, and in the process the front passenger tire hit a mud patch.

A quad-turbo, 16-cylinder engine may be able to get you to 60 mph in under three seconds, but it doesn't work well with mud, so the supercar made a b-line for an adjacent lagoon. The ultra rare Veyron (reportedly one of 15 copies here in the States) was still running after it rested nearly belt-line high in the salt water, as local news affiliate KHOU reported the 1,000+ hp engine "gurgled like an outboard motor for about 15 minutes before it died." It probably would have been a great idea to kill power to the engine (and even shut the door) once the Veyron hit the muck, but hey, what do we know?

Hit the jump to watch video of the Veyron as it is extracted from its salty abyss. And if you own a Veyron, let this be a lesson to you that having money doesn't necessarily mean you have the skill to drive a supercar, especially when you're on the phone. Thanks to everyone for the tips!


*UPDATE: Now with actual (incredible) crash footage! (and no, we don't see any pelicans, either). WARNING: Second video contains explicit not-safe-for-work language.

Gallery: First Drive: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport


Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
[Sources: KHOU; YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Low-flying pelican results in Bugatti Veyron Hydro Edition [*UPDATE: Now with actual crash footage!]

VIDEO: Low-flying pelican results in Bugatti Veyron Hydro Edition [*UPDATE: Now with actual crash footage!] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bugatti veyronBugattiVeyroncar accidentcar crashCarAccidentCarCrashdistracted drivingDistractedDrivinggalvestonlake galvestonLakeGalvestonveyronveyron in lake galvestonVeyronInLakeGalvestonThu, 12 Nov 2009 10:59:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: Hey y'all, crash your clunkers]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/18/video-hey-yall-crash-your-clunkers/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/18/video-hey-yall-crash-your-clunkers/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/18/video-hey-yall-crash-your-clunkers/#commentsFiled under: ,

Crashing Remote Controlled Clunkers: click image above to watch the video

Q: What are a redneck's last words? A: "Hey y'all, watch this!" Only in this fine piece of reporting by CNN, the only (self-described) rednecks behaving badly are the ones having that third helping of funnel cake mixed with that seventh Bud Lite. No sir, in this here video, all the clunkers getting crashed are done-in by remote control.

Now, at first blush you might be a smidge disappointed that no amateur Wisconsin Evil Knievel types are hurling themselves off the cliff of a quarry towards both certain hospital time and everlasting glory. But, as the crashed cars pile up, it becomes pretty dang clear that Bob Moravitz - the brains behind the event - knows what the people want. Just like in Roman times, the people want carnage - and lots of it. Enjoy the video, after the jump.

[Sources: CNN; KARE-TV/USA Today via 0-60]

Continue reading VIDEO: Hey y'all, crash your clunkers

VIDEO: Hey y'all, crash your clunkers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car crashcar crashesCarCrashCarCrashesCrash for ClunkersCrashForClunkersTue, 18 Aug 2009 12:59:00 EST<![CDATA[STUDY: Majority of highway fatalities caused by deficient road conditions]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/02/study-majority-of-highway-fatalities-caused-by-deficient-road-c/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/02/study-majority-of-highway-fatalities-caused-by-deficient-road-c/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/02/study-majority-of-highway-fatalities-caused-by-deficient-road-c/#commentsFiled under: , ,



What would you think to be the leading contributor to fatalities in car crashes here in the States? Failure to use seat belts? Speeding? Drunk driving? Think again. According to a new study commissioned by Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE), the leading cause of highway fatalities is deficient road conditions. In fact, the study asserts, with a roadway-related crash occurring every minute on American streets, inadequate roadway infrastructure is responsible for the majority of highway fatalities in the United States and over a third of injuries incurred in non-fatal crashes as well.

Given the state of many roadways, you might think that the situation - like America's road network - is beyond repair. However, the study, entitled "On a Crash Course: The Dangers and Health Costs of Deficient Roadways," assesses the financial cost alone of crashes caused by these substandard roadways - as a whopping $217 billion annually, including medical bills, loss of productivity and property damage. That's more than three-and-a-half times the $59 billion which local, state and federal governments in the United States invest in improving America's roadways. PIRE's solution? Improving road conditions, of course, including better signage and markings, widening shoulders and removing obstacles from roadsides. Follow the jump to read more on PIRE's findings and suggested solutions for what it deems is one of the largest killers in America.

[Source: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation | Image: STR/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading STUDY: Majority of highway fatalities caused by deficient road conditions

STUDY: Majority of highway fatalities caused by deficient road conditions originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto accidentauto accidentsAutoAccidentAutoAccidentscar accidentcar accidentscar crashcar crashesCarAccidentCarAccidentsCarCrashCarCrashescause of deathCauseOfDeathdeathdeficient roadwayDeficientRoadwayfatalitiesfatalityhighwayhighway maintenancehighway markingsHighwayMaintenanceHighwayMarkingsPacific Institute for Research and EvaluationPacificInstituteForResearchAndEvaluationpireroad constructionroad maintenanceroad networkroad safetyRoadConstructionRoadMaintenanceRoadNetworkRoadSafetyroadwaysafetysignagetraffic safetyTrafficSafetyThu, 02 Jul 2009 10:28:00 EST<![CDATA[US DOT report confirms speed not major cause of accidents]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/us-dot-report-confirms-speed-not-major-cause-of-accidents/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/us-dot-report-confirms-speed-not-major-cause-of-accidents/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/us-dot-report-confirms-speed-not-major-cause-of-accidents/#commentsFiled under: ,

Sometimes numbers lie. But we keep them around because they tell the truth more often than not. The NHTSA undertook a two-and-a-half year study that examined 5,471 injury accidents nationwide in order to figure out how accidents were being caused. Government researchers conducted their own evidence gathering at crash sites in order to establish a first-hand account of causation. What did they find? Among other things, that more drivers crashed as a result of crossing the center line (11%) than as a result of speeding (5%). Speeding, in this case, defined by "too fast for conditions," not necessarily above the posted limit.

In accidents where driver error was the cause, speeding also came in last as a causative: the 8% who drove too fast were tied with the 8% who fell asleep or had heart attacks while driving. What's more, the NHTSA's causation percentages are strikingly similar to the percentages found in an independent study conducted by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. In its study of crashes in 2007, the VDoT found that 2.9% were due to speeding -- dead last -- while 3.8%t were due to drivers falling asleep or falling ill at the tiller.

What will this mean to the politicians setting and revising speed limits based on the "Speed Kills!" mantra? Probably nothing. But it's nice to know, and nice to have the government researched numbers to back it up.

[Source: The Newspaper]

Continue reading US DOT report confirms speed not major cause of accidents

US DOT report confirms speed not major cause of accidents originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentaccidentscar accidentcar crashCarAccidentCarCrashnhtsaresearchspeedingstudytraffic accidentsTrafficAccidentsThu, 18 Dec 2008 10:27:00 EST<![CDATA[More proof that a surprising number of Ferrari owners can't drive]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/09/more-proof-that-a-surprising-number-of-ferrari-owners-cant-driv/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/09/more-proof-that-a-surprising-number-of-ferrari-owners-cant-driv/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/09/more-proof-that-a-surprising-number-of-ferrari-owners-cant-driv/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



It wouldn't be correct to say that all Ferrari drivers can't drive. What we can say is that a lot of Ferrari drivers are probably not short of ego, and also probably have little idea of what their cars can do when pressed. Combine a robust confidence with a watching crowd, add a high-powered and sometimes testy car, thrown in a little bit of ignorance... and a pole.. and what you get is the image above.

A man in Australia pulled out of a garage in his Ferrari 360 Spyder, took his chance to impress some gathered folks at cafes lining the street, and floored it. The car, as they say in the business, got away from him. The pole in the median did not. We're never happy to see (another) wrecked Ferrari, or to see a man carted away from his toy by the police, so to you kids with Ferraris, please learn from this and stop the madness.

Our favorite part of this picture is that, having made his boo-boo and probably realizing what he's in for, the driver is still just sitting in the car, although the guy in the blue shirt flexing in the background also gets a special mention... Thanks for the tip, Sam!

[Source: EHOWA]

More proof that a surprising number of Ferrari owners can't drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiaaustraliancar accidentcar accidentscar crashCarAccidentCarAccidentsCarCrashferrariferrari crashferrari crashedFerrariCrashFerrariCrashedwrecksMon, 09 Jun 2008 11:03:00 EST<![CDATA["Hello dad, I totaled your Ferrari - what time is dinner?"]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/05/hello-dad-i-totaled-your-ferrari-what-time-is-dinner/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/05/hello-dad-i-totaled-your-ferrari-what-time-is-dinner/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/05/hello-dad-i-totaled-your-ferrari-what-time-is-dinner/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



Somewhere, a father in Melbourne weeps. There were 16 Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradales imported to Australia and New Zealand. There are now 15. A proud dad gave his son the keys to his so-rare-it's-almost-extinct Ferrari, and his son got a little too frisky with the audacious redhead. She didn't appreciate his advances, he lost control of the situation, and that little redhead introduced him to a pole... at a high rate of speed by the looks of it.

And as if that didn't beat all, the kid had to call home. While news crews watched. And filmed. Only to have newspapers and blogs spread the story around the world. No word on what his father said, but it probably rhymed with "Why I oughta @#%$*&%!"

Police say the driver was speeding, which means he must not have seen these commercials. But now, at least, he has a theme song, so sing along: "To you other kids all across the land, take it from me, parents just don't understand..." Thanks for the tip, Patrick!

[Source: Sydney Morning Herald]

"Hello dad, I totaled your Ferrari - what time is dinner?" originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 May 2008 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiacar accidentcar accidentscar crashcar crashesCarAccidentCarAccidentsCarCrashCarCrashesferrariferrari 360ferrari 360 challenge stradaleFerrari360Ferrari360ChallengeStradaleMon, 05 May 2008 10:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Pterodactyl ruins man's Christmas]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/31/pterodactyl-ruins-mans-christmas/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/31/pterodactyl-ruins-mans-christmas/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/31/pterodactyl-ruins-mans-christmas/#commentsFiled under:

Dave Chappelle did a bit about going for a ride with a friend of his in New York City. His friend driving, Chip, started racing down a Manhattan street. When he was pulled over by NYPD, Chip told the officer, "I didn't know I couldn't do that" -- and after a scolding, the officer let him go with "Now go on, get out of here!"

We aren't sure if a 29-year-old man in Washington had the same thing in mind when one evening, after driving in the opposing lane for less than a block, he totaled his car on a light pole. His one-word answer to the police, when he was asked what happened, was this: "pterodactyl." And it appears to have worked: the man was treated at a local hospital and released.

The man's alcohol level was "minimal." We don't know what he was drinking, but it must have been powerful. So on this New Year's be careful out there. And watch out for flying, Mesozoic-era reptiles.

Thanks for the tip, Gary!

[Source: Herald]

Pterodactyl ruins man's Christmas originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentcar crashCarCrashMon, 31 Dec 2007 12:02:00 EST<![CDATA[RAZR brings phone/car integration to new heights]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/01/razr-brings-phone-car-integration-to-new-heights/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/01/razr-brings-phone-car-integration-to-new-heights/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/01/razr-brings-phone-car-integration-to-new-heights/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Cell phones help us communicate with others at all times, but for the millions of motorists who like to gab on the phone while driving, these devices can become the kind of distraction that causes plenty of harm. In Russia, using a cell phone while driving is against the rules, so the viral marketing exercise above was created to remind citizens of the inherent danger in talking or texting while driving.

After seeing how the above RAZR caused irreparable damage to an otherwise perfect Mercedes, we think the Russian government drove home the point. It's crystal clear Kremlin, thanks! The only thing more amazing than the cataclysmic damage caused by this phone is that in this day and age there are still phones that big. Uh, Zack Morris called Vlad, he wants his brick back.

Check out more pics of the danger RAZR here.

[Source: English Russia via Engadget]

RAZR brings phone/car integration to new heights originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car crashCarCrashcell phone crash mercedescell phone mercedesCellPhoneCrashMercedesCellPhoneMercedesgiant cell phonegiant cell phone mercedesGiantCellPhoneGiantCellPhoneMercedesgovernment safety rulesGovernmentSafetyRulesmercedes benzMercedesBenzmotorola razrMotorolaRazrrussiatalking on cell phone while drivingTalkingOnCellPhoneWhileDrivingviral marketingViralMarketingMon, 01 Oct 2007 12:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Would-be racer destroys GMC driving wrong way on track]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/14/man-destroys-astrovan-driving-wrong-way-on-racetrack/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/14/man-destroys-astrovan-driving-wrong-way-on-racetrack/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/14/man-destroys-astrovan-driving-wrong-way-on-racetrack/#commentsFiled under: , ,

According to Tacoma, Washington station KOMO 4, a man was driving his 1993 GMC "Astrovan" the wrong way around Pacific Raceways near Auburn, Washington when he collided with a guard rail on a straightaway, violently distributing his wanna-be racecar around the track in several pieces. For the record, we're not exactly sure what an "Astrovan" is, but our guess is they were referring to the Safari, GMC's rebadged version the Chevrolet Astro. Regardless, the man's dog riding shotgun was thankfully thrown free of the crash and emerged uninjured. His owner, thought to be an electrician working at the site earlier in the day, however, is seriously injured.

As entertaining as one might think it'd be to drive an ill-suited vehicle around a track, here's yet another reason why racing takes so much training!

[Source: Komotv.com]

Would-be racer destroys GMC driving wrong way on track originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 May 2006 18:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car crashCarCrashGMC AstrovanGmcAstrovannascarPacific RacewaysPacificRacewaysracingvehicle crashVehicleCrashWashingtonSun, 14 May 2006 18:56:00 EST