Autoblog

Not due to go on sale until next year, the 2010 Kia Sorento has been spied and photographed, by an Autoweek.nl reader. While the two pics don't reveal much, the front end bears more than a striking resemblance to the Kia KND-4 concept from the 2007 Seoul Motor Show. Unlike the current Kia Sorento, currently built on a body-on-frame platform, the next Sorento will share a unibody platform with the Hyundai Santa Fe. Engine choices are only speculative, but we're betting the Sorento will receive either 3.3-liter or 3.8-liter V6 powerplant options. The next-gen Sorento is scheduled to start production in Kia's new plant in West Point, Georgia, in 2009.

[Source: TheCarBlogger]

Guys, if you look a little more hairy and feel a bit more manly at 8:45 PM August 14, don't be alarmed. That's when the 2007 Rolling Roadshow Tour Burt-a-Thon begins in Atlanta, Georgia "celebrating the manliest being in human history." Gruff-voiced festivities will begin with a drive-in triple feature of Smokey and the Bandit, Sharky's Machine and White Lightning. The next day features an actual competitive scavenger hunt from Atlanta to Texarkana, ending at another drive-in screening of the film and refreshment provided by a semi trailer full of Coors. The two most incredible things about the festival, however, are that the grand prize in the scavenger hunt is "an actual 70's era Pontiac Firebird," and that there's a picture of Burt Reynolds on the web site... naked. If you're in the Southeast, and you appreciate real men, sign up now. If you go VIP, you'll even get a free mustache.

Thanks for the tip, Mehugtree!

[Source: Original Alamo]

Common sense dictates that if you run from the police, it will end badly. In our oft-litigious society, suing as a means to evade responsibility is a popular option. In 2001, 19-year-old Victor Harris engaged Coweta County deputy sheriff Timothy Scott in a dangerous chase on rain-slicked roads. To end the chase, deputy Scott rammed Harris's car, which then crashed down an embankment. Mr. Harris was left a quadriplegic from the injuries sustained in the wreck, and subsequently sued on the contention that the sheriff used unreasonable deadly force.

The case made its way to the Supreme Court, which ruled 8-1 against Harris's claim. Lower courts had ruled in favor of Harris, but the Supreme Court overturned that opinion. The reasoning for the decision was that while police chases are dangerous, doing away with them ensures perpetrators a means of escape by merely driving erratically at high speed. Either way, there'll still be someone running from police, endangering other innocent bystanders. While the outcome of Mr. Harris's chase is tragic, it doesn't change the fact that instead of stopping and accepting a citation for travelling 73 mph in a 55 zone, he chose to run. It's terrible that someone so young will have to live out the rest of his days with paralysis, but that could have been prevented by a more thorough examination of the consequences at the time he attempted to evade the law. The most damning bit of evidence was the video of the chase, which shows how reckless Mr. Harris really was, and likely led to the near-unanimous decision from the court.

[Source: NYTimes]

Road rage hits the shopping mall. Augusta police have one Stephen Scott Lowe in custody following a pursuit through the Augusta Mall in Georgia. Apparently Lowe drove his SUV through some locked doors at one end of the mall, and in his best Blues Brothers impression had police pursuing him as he drove along the second floor. After breaking through another set of doors leading into the food court area, he was boxed in by officers and had a brief altercation with them before being subdued with pepper spray and a well-placed baton. The 47-year old suspect was arrested and charged with criminal damage to property in the first degree, felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer and driving under the influence. Under the influence of what remains to be seen. No word yet on why he hated the mall so much or what the voices in his head had told him to buy at that late hour. Perhaps someone in the food court had cut him off or stole his parking space.

[Source: Augusta Chronicle]

Remember in February when we reported Ferrari opening a driving school in Canada? Now 'sibling' Maserati (both manufacturers are owned by Fiat) is opening a school as well, but located a little bit south in the Red, White and Blue.

Luxist, our own sibling, reports that the Master Maserati North America Driving School opens its doors at the Road Atlanta racetrack in Georgia next month. The student body of 18 will have their choice of driving the Coupe, GranSport and Quattroporte. The cost is $1,800 for a one-day session while the two-day course costs $3,400. The latter includes dinner and a stay at the Chateau Elan Inn and Resort. Fancy.

[Source: Maserati America via Luxist]

Korean automaker made headlines this week by announcing it had selected Georgia as the home state for its first-ever North American plant. The new facility will mean up to 2,500 jobs for the area.

But as with virtually every big contract landed like this, there’s a story behind the fight to be the winning locale. ABC News tracked down the story behind the political dance between the automaker and local and state officials.

In the end, local and state government handed Kia about $400 million in incentives— around $160,000 for each job that the plant is expected to bring to Georgia.

As job creation is likely to be among the key issues in this year’s gubernatorial election, sitting Governor Sonny Perdue is drawing accusations of politically-motivated corporate welfare.

Click through to read more about the Kia situation, as well as further details on the contentious debate surrounding business incentives.

[Source: ABC News]