Autoblog

REPORT: Bernie wants F1 in NYC, 0-60 already has the plans

Chris Paukert — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:28:00 EST

Formula One impresario Bernie Ecclestone has made no secret of his desire to see his series make a stop in the Big Apple - Manhattan, in point of fact. To that end, our friends at 0-60 thought they'd help him out by drawing up a suggested courses - in fact, in an oddly prescient move, they had already done so, publishing the fantasy circuits in the pages of their Winter 2008 issue.

In any case, with Ecclestone reportedly reaffirming his interest in the Big Apple today, 0-60 has decided to publish the story and the routes online. The routes through Central Park are inspired, although we suspect that more than a few of NYC's anti-car intelligenstia would take issue with that notion. No matter, you can peruse their efforts by clicking on the link below.

[Source: 0-60.com]

REPORT: Bernie wants F1 in NYC, 0-60 already has the plans originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reader Spy: Hyundai concept caught on the street ahead of NY debut

Alex Nunez — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:40:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Spy Photos, Hatchback, Hyundai

Hyundai's Mystery New York concept car - Click above for a high-res gallery

Hyundai's got a concept hatch in store for New York, and Autoblog reader Aaron spotted it on the street and was kind enough to snap a few photos for us.

We have no details on the car itself yet, but as you can see, it's a hatchback/crossover type-thing whose styling is in keeping with the more dramatic design language that the company's show cars have been using of late. Giant gullwing doors ought to give everyone a nice, clear view of the interior, which we suspect will be of a similarly eye-popping nature.

We'll get more details as soon as we can - likely in the next couple of days in the ramp-up to the concept's New York Auto Show debut. For now, feast your eyes on the three photos in the gallery below. Thanks, Aaron! Nice catch.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Hyundai mystery NY concept

Reader Spy: Hyundai concept caught on the street ahead of NY debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NYC trying its luck with first robotic parking garage

John Neff — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 14:32:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology

Robotic parking garages haven't caught on in the U.S. like they have in other developed countries. Perhaps that's because we're not as strapped for open space as other nations, or maybe its because the only robotic parking garage in the U.S. has dropped both a Cadillac Deville and a Jeep several stories and trapped its patrons vehicles inside for 26 hours because of a software glitch. We reported on that robotic garage back in August when a legal dispute between the city of Hoboken, NJ and Robotic Parking Systems, Inc. trapped even more cars inside.

In the Big Apple, however, space for parking is at such a premium that they're willing to risk the aforementioned pit falls to give this robotic storage-and-retrieval thing the old college try. A new robotic garage will open in Chinatown in early February that, unlike the Hoboken facility, stores its cars underground beneath an apartment building. Built by Automotion Parking Systems (click link to watch a demo), the Chinatown facility will be able to fit 67 vehicles where a traditional garage could only fit 24. Patrons can pay $25/day to park or $400/month, which the AP report tells us is competitive for NYC parking. Automotion claims there's a virtual impossibility of any snafus occuring similar to the ones that plagued the parking patrons of Hoboken, though time will certainly tell on this one.

As always, we here at Autoblog would like to extend our warmest greetings to our new robotic overlords, and just say that we look forward to becoming their sole source of power after we scorch the sky.

[Source: Associated Press]

NYC trying its luck with first robotic parking garage originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jan 2007 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crazy BABE seeks bangers to mash from Big Apple to New Orleans

Chris Paukert — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Trends, Etc.

National road rallies are nothing new for North American enthusiasts. Brock Yates' Cannonball Run offshoot, the One Lap Of America has been plugging away in earnest for decades now. But for those without big budgets, trans-continental automotive hooliganism has remained somewhat less accessible.

Enter the BABE, or BigApple2BigEasy. Basically, it's a 'run whatcha brung' event from NYC to New Orleans on public roads. The catch? Competitors can only spend the princely sum of $250 on a vehicle. In other words, expect a parade of bangers, heaps, jalopies, junkers, and the stray basketcase.

The four-day event will be interspersed with 'challenges' which will likely take the form of scavenger hunts and the like. The event is not a race (Gumballers need not apply), but it is scored, and there are awards. The top team takes home $1,500, with the second place team netting $350, and the third-place finishers putting a $150 dent in their gas receipts/future chiropractor bills.

Trophies to be awarded will include 'Team to Hitchhike the Farthest' and 'Most Creative Repair Job.' Participating hoopties must be ~~forklifted~~ registered by April 30th, and the BABE requires a $250 entry fee.

Sounds like fun to us.

[Sources: BABE and IMCDB.org]

Crazy BABE seeks bangers to mash from Big Apple to New Orleans originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Apr 2006 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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