Autoblog

Tightest parallel parking record falls yet again

Zach Bowman — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Budget, Europe, Videos, Hatchback, Volkswagen

It looks as if Mini didn't get to hold onto its Guinness World Record for the tightest parallel parking job for all that long. German stunt driver Ronny Wechselberger managed to slide a Volkswagen Up! into a space of just 12 feet and 0.88 inches. Given that the three-door Up! takes up a full 11 feet and 7.37 inches of space itself, the remaining room front and rear was less than the length of a Bic pen. The margin makes the Mini effort seem down right spacious by comparison. Ronny C' Rock, as the stuntman is also known, pulled off the feat at Flugplatz Kindel in Eisenach, Germany.

Earlier this year, Mini held a promotional event in China that saw driver Han Yue leave just 15 centimeters between his Cooper and two others. Before that, the record stood for just one month. You can watch the new record-setting slide in the video below, and be sure to go back and check out Han Yue's efforts here. Now, let's see them pull out of that spot.

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Tightest parallel parking record falls yet again originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Dec 2012 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch some drunk German football fans cheer on a parallel parker

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:44:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Europe, Videos, Hatchback, Citroën, Humor

Europeans, as we know, take their football (our soccer) seriously - it isn't until a team wins that their fans can stop being so focused and have some serious fun. Exhibit A: after the German national team beat Argentina in Euro 2012, some chaps still full of cheer (and beer, presumably) came upon this woman trying to slot her tiny Citroën C2 into an equally tiny parking spot. Naturally, they decided she could use a cheer of her own. It is guaranteed this did not happen after the Germany-Italy game.

When people say they want their own theme music or cheering section or Mariachi band, we're pretty sure this is isn't at all what they mean. But it's funny for us. Check it out below.

Continue reading Watch some drunk German football fans cheer on a parallel parker

Watch some drunk German football fans cheer on a parallel parker originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mini gets in Guinness with tightest parallel parking job

John Neff — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: China, Etc., Videos, Hatchback, Mini

Electronic nannies have become so prevalent in cars that they've even taken over even the simple act of parking. Luxury cars have offered parallel parking assist systems for a while now, but these days you can get automatic parking tech on cars as mainstream as the Ford Focus.

Mini has set out to show that human beings can still do some things better than machines. It recently held a promotional event in China for the debut of a new version of its hatchback called "The Chinese Job," where the car in question was used to set the Guinness World Record for the tightest parallel parking job. Two drivers with apparent stunt skills were used, and suffice it to say, breaking the record was no sweat for them.

Using a handbrake maneuver to deftly slide the car into place, the first man to make an attempt set the new record at a combined distance of just 21 centimeters left between his Mini hatchback and two Clubman models. The second gentleman proceeded to one-up his counterpart by breaking the record again at 20 cm. Proving how important pride is to the Chinese people, this one-upmanship continued in single centimeter intervals until the new record was set, and left, at just 15 cm as certified by an official representative from Guinness World Records. The name of the man behind the wheel was Han Yue, and the prior record he broke was 21 cm set by Patrik Folco in Italy just a little more than a month earlier.

Scroll down to watch the tit-for-tat record-breaking that went on for yourself, and join us in wondering why those automatic park systems don't parallel park like this with a running start and 180-degree drift.

Continue reading Mini gets in Guinness with tightest parallel parking job

Mini gets in Guinness with tightest parallel parking job originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Parallel parking like a pro

Jeff Sabatini — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:44:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Humor

Big city parking blows. You're either fighting the vultures to get a spot on the street, or paying a king's ransom to park off it. (Let's not even talk about parking tickets.) And if you want to own a nice car? Fuhgeddaboudit. Because there are always guys like this, who won't think twice about "fitting" their beater Camry into a spot sized for a Yaris.

In what must be a new numbskull world record, he manages to hit the bumper of the minivan behind him a full 10 times getting into the space. (Yep, we counted.) We won't give away what happens in the rest of the video, but suffice it to say that the guy's day ends much the way it started: With him being a total imbecile.

Click through the jump to watch the whole video.

Continue reading Parallel parking like a pro

Parallel parking like a pro originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Human vs. Lincoln MKT: Who is better at parallel parking?

Zach Bowman — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Crossover, Lincoln, Luxury

Auto journalist Ezra Dyer has thrown down the parking gauntlet on the Lincoln MKT in a battle for ultimate supremacy. Dyer fancies himself a fairly skilled parallel parker, and wanted to test his mettle against the self-park feature on the MKT. Armed with a tape measure, a video camera and a healthy distrust of all things mechanical, man squared off against crossover.

How'd it go? Dyer put up a healthy fight by managing to get the Lincoln closer to the curb than the vehicle's software could manage. Unfortunately, he was also slightly more askew in the spot than the self-park feature. The final score put our inevitable robotic overlords ahead of the human resistance once again.

We'll admit that we aren't necessarily fine with notion handing over vehicle control in any situation - parking or otherwise. We'll still take solace in the fact that the MKT can't hand brake itself into that same spot. Hit the jump to check out the video, then let us know in Comments how you feel about the proliferation of self-park technology.

Continue reading Human vs. Lincoln MKT: Who is better at parallel parking?

Human vs. Lincoln MKT: Who is better at parallel parking? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crazy Russian commuter's parking job

Chris Shunk — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:25:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Russia

Crazy Russian parking job - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Parking can be the toughest part of any commute, unless of course you've gone to the Ken Block School of Parallel Precision. Beyond the jump is a very short clip a Russian driver who didn't have time to turn around and park like the rest of us, so (we're guessing) he jammed the parking brake at speed, spun 180 degrees and landed right where he needed to be.

This clip isn't exactly new, but it's new to us. Hit the jump to check it out. Thanks for the tip, Matt!

PS: Anyone else wonder if the driver might be related to this guy?

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Crazy Russian commuter's parking job

Crazy Russian commuter's parking job originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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U.K. study suggests women don't park as well as men

Chris Shunk — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

We've heard this before: men are better at parking than women. It sounds like a bunch of macho male ego BS that's been perpetuated since the days of Leave it to Beaver (happy 94th birthday, Barbra Billingsley!) and Father Knows Best, but the U.K.'s Telegraph reports that a study shows that this myth may not be far from reality.

Dr Claudia Wolf from Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany lead a study of 65 men and women, testing different parking maneuvers of both sexes. The vehicle of choice was an Audi A6, and test subjects were timed during head-on, reverse and parallel parking. Parking accuracy was also measured. The end result? Men parked their vehicles an average of 20 seconds faster than women while also managing to park the Audi closer to the center of the spot. Dr. Wolf says the study demonstrates that men have better spatial awareness than women, but the good doctor was sure to keep men's egos in check by adding, "it is not as if there was a massive failing by women. It is just about parking - not the triumph of men over women."

We're not sure that a study of 65 random test subjects is a big enough sample to definitively say that men are better parkers than women, but the test does give guys a small feather to stick in their caps nonetheless. We'd suggest not bragging about it to your wives and girlfriends, though, because that could lead to... unpleasantness.

[Source: Telegraph | Image: Bruno Vincent/Getty]

U.K. study suggests women don't park as well as men originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Vauxhall team creates mathematical formula for perfect parking

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:03:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Technology, Vauxhall, UK

Parallel parking isn't difficult, but we have generally found ways to make it so. Between cars that almost kinda park for you to those with video game displays that turn parking into a Microsoft Flight Simulator landing attempt to the automated cars that park themselves (a frickin' robot! To park!), getting a car into a space couldn't be more complex.

It is a university scientist and engineers at Vauxhall, though, that have proposed the most difficult parking solution we've encountered so far: a not-exactly-short equation. To make it work you'll need to know your car's turning radius, wheelbase, the distance from the center of your car's front wheel to the car's front bumper, and the width of the parked car you're trying to fit behind or in front of.

Drop those numbers into their proper places, let the slide rule dance, use the result to take a few pulls at the wheel, and voila! All you need to do now is leave your insurance information on the cars you just plowed into. If anyone can get this to work, successfully, please let us know. But we though everybody knew the answer to parking is "42." It's the question that's the hard part... Cap tip to Eralp

[Source: Daily Telegraph | Image credit: AtomicNebula via CC2.0]

REPORT: Vauxhall team creates mathematical formula for perfect parking originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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From the archives: Students build their own parallel parking system

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Videos

Click above to view the YouTube clips after the jump

Ford's recent announcement of a new, automated parallel-parking system has prompted us to drive down Memory Lane and revisit an oldie-but-goodie. A couple years back, a handful of highly-motivated, up-and-coming mechanical engineers from the University of Toledo designed and built their own parallel parking system that seems to work as well as (maybe better than?) anything available to consumers. Though it might seem ridiculous at first, it's absolutely ingenious. The project takes a donated Toyota Corolla, some hydraulics, a motor, plus extra guide wheels and turns them into a brutally simple-yet-effective parallel parking device that could rival the latest techno-wizardry from Lincoln or Lexus.

Okay, okay - it's not perfect. You do have to give up your trunk space, and it sounds like the exhaust no longer benefits from a muffler, but still... Parallel parking takes just 21 seconds with little (if any) help from the driver, and without fancy computers and sensors to monitor all the action. Now as then, this still looks like a winner. Check the two video clips after the jump to see the system in action, and check out the build blog by clicking here. Kudos on the project guys. Hat tip to David for reminding us about this one!

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading From the archives: Students build their own parallel parking system

From the archives: Students build their own parallel parking system originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford automates parallel parking for Lincoln MKS, MKT

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Technology, Crossover, Ford, Lincoln

Click above for a high-res shot of Active Park Assist in action

Admit it, you've embarrassed yourself at some point trying to parallel park. It's like they say about drivers at Indianapolis: There are those who have hit the wall, and those who will. The same principle applies when it comes to parallel parking. Like an increasing number of automakers, Ford is moving beyond the realm of auto-dip side mirrors and into the realm of auto parking systems. The Blue Oval's new Active Park Assist will initially be available on the Lincoln MKS and MKT (about which you'll hear much more on January 12) next summer.

The system takes advantage of the ultrasonic sensors now mounted on the corners of many vehicles (used for backup warning, blind spot detection and other functions), and combines them with a new electric power assisted steering setup. The system can manipulate the steering automatically and the sensors detect where the vehicle is relative to other vehicles. It starts off by using the sensors to measure the distance between cars to determine if there is enough space, and then it operates the steering, instructing the driver when to shift into Drive or Reverse and press the gas or brake. Ford claims the system works much more reliably than the camera-based system used by Lexus. We had no luck with the Lexus system, so we'll be the judge of how well Ford's setup works. Follow the jump to read Ford's official press release.

Gallery: Ford Active Park Assist

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford automates parallel parking for Lincoln MKS, MKT

Ford automates parallel parking for Lincoln MKS, MKT originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Your car won't fit, lady

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:33:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos

No smartass comments about women drivers, capisce? It could just as easily have been a man at the wheel trying to squeeze 12 feet of car into 10 feet of parking space. While we do admire her determination, we question her depth perception, and her social graces. Perhaps it was a mild case of road rage that apparently leads her to take a swig of amaretto after several passes. We'll probably never know. She still seems to do a better job than the Lexus self-parking system as tested by the guys at Automobile. All we can say is, poor Panda. The YouTube video is after the jump.

Thanks for tip, Adrian!

Continue reading VIDEO: Your car won't fit, lady

VIDEO: Your car won't fit, lady originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another parking nanny, this one by Bosch

Erin Mays — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 07:06:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets

As a woman, I find the various gadgets making it easier to operate your everyday automobile fascinating. A sensor to check your blind spot for you? Brilliant. Adaptive suspension? Perfect for more sophisticated drivers. But even more fascinating, however, is the subsequent impact upon the "guy things" about operating the automobile.

Manual transmission is a prime example of this. Even with new dual-clutch gearboxes, which have proven themselves to be more effective than manual transmissions, guys are still teaching their sons to drive stick. Why? Not because they envision valet service careers for thier sons, but rather because the guy who can't operate a vehicle with manual transmission will get called out by his peers later in life.

When high-performance automakers like Porsche signed on with dual-clutch gearboxes and the media gave more advanced versions of the technology a thumbs-up, guys seem to be slowly getting over needing to punch the clutch pedal and have something to shift. I have yet to see a guy (or most women, for that matter) who didn't smirk in satisfaction after a particularly impressive parallel parking job.

Bosch has come up with a system that will help us out, but still give us enough responsibility that we'll be smirking afterwards. Introduced on the Citroen C4 Picasso, Bosch's system makes the vehicle "the world's first car to feature integrated parking space measurement," according to the supplier. Drive by at up to 12.5 mph, press a button to initiate the system, and six sensors measure the parallel parking space, alerting the driver to whether the space is too small, "a tight squeeze," or will work just perfectly.

While it doesn't park the car itself like the Lexus LS 460 or the Toyota Prius, Bosch hopes to have that capability online by 2008.

[Source: Engadget]

Another parking nanny, this one by Bosch originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Dec 2006 07:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch out Lexus: Students design auto-park system

Scott Davis — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:04:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Technology

A rather creative group of mechanical engineering students at the University of Toledo have taken on a unique task: parallel parking. We all know that Lexus has made headlines with the LS460 and the Advanced Parking Guidance System, but these guys have designed a relatively simple alternative that doesn't require a Master's degree to operate.

The basic design is a simple hydraulic system that lifts the rear of the vehicle and slides it sideways into the spot. You really have to see it to realize how simple and effective it is...the video tells the rest.

Thanks to Martijn for the tip!

[Source: University of Toledo Capstone Project Group #16]

Watch out Lexus: Students design auto-park system originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CNBC's Phil LeBeau doesn't park the Lexus LS460... the LS460 parks the LS460

Erin Mays — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 07:02:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Sedan, Technology, Videos, Lexus

The Lexus LS460 is a technophile's dream car -- it hosts the first eight-speed transmission, a rear-view camera, 19-speaker Mark Levinson stereo and hard disk drive to store 4,000 songs... and it parks itself. CNBC's Phil LeBeau shows us how "hands-free" is really done in the video above.

We've chatted with fellow automotive journalists about the self-parking feature, and most have not been impressed -- and by their accounts, what you see in the video is the best-case scenario. By the time the driver lines up the car correctly, confirms the space in which the car is to be parked, and presses go, the drivers in the cars lined up behind him will be out of patience faster than you can say, "Weren't you supposed to learn this crap in driver's ed?"

[Source: CNBC via Jalopnik]

CNBC's Phil LeBeau doesn't park the Lexus LS460... the LS460 parks the LS460 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Sep 2006 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: BMW parks itself sans driver

John Neff — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 08:03:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Technology, BMW

BMW unveiled a new system this week in Munich that enables a car to park itself without driver involvement. The remote parking-assist technology uses off-the-shelf technology already in use on many BMW vehicles, including sensors like those that measure distance and alert the driver when the vehicle approaches an object too closely. This system requires the installation of a reflective tape on the wall directly ahead of the vehicle's parking spot that enables the system to coordinate its position.

The video shows the driver exiting the car after he's positioned it outside his garage and simply pressing a button on a key fob. The BMW then retracts its outside mirrors and begins to inch forward into the tight spot between another car and a wall.

BMW says the technology should be available on production vehicles within three years. It's a pretty neat trick, but we doubt any BMW owner would ever hit the button and just walk in his house. Would you trust the people who gave us the iDrive to park your $50,000 sedan without supervision? Chances are it'd get lost on the way to the garage.

[Source: YouTube via Wired]

VIDEO: BMW parks itself sans driver originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Jul 2006 08:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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