FAIL: 2 Fast, 2 Furious Lancer Evo VII Breaks Free Of Dyno In Peurto Rico [Video]

Dynamometers, or dynos for short, are a useful tool in any racer’s arsenal. By applying some basic physical principles, a dyno can calculate the amount of horsepower and torque being transferred from the wheels to the track, without ever needing to leave the safety of the garage.
So here’s the scoop (according to the posters): some students at Mech-Tech College in Ponce, Puerto Rico were putting a Lancer Evolution VII through its paces on the school’s dyno, when disaster struck. Everything seems normal until 16 seconds in, when the Lancer careens to the left and slides off. Of course, it was all captured on video for our edification.

According to the EvolutionM forum, the vehicle was improperly strapped down. It has something to do with the fitting of a Blow Off Valve (BOV) dump tube which changes the way the vehicle behaves both on the track...and on the dyno. Of course, nobody seems to have taken this into account when tying the Evo down.
Check out the vid and let us know what you think in the comments section below.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: Evolutionm , Via: WFC

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VIDEO: 800 hp Shelby GT500 Blows Up During Dyno Test

We don’t know if this is a factory 800-horsepower Super Snake or a privately tuned GT500, but something went very wrong during this dyno test... It might have happened due to insufficient cooling or a faulty component - we just don't know. Whatever the cause, the owner is one unhappy guy. Follow the break and watch the engine going up in flames and a cloud of smoke.

By Csaba Daradics

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Slow Down App Uses Music to Warn Heavy Footed Drivers

If for some reason you find yourself constantly violating the speed limits, then you may want to take a look at this new app for Apple's iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad products. The "Slow Down App" does what it implies; it slows down the music or even shuts off the volume completely to warn drivers that they have exceeded the speed limit. The music resumes when the driver gets back in order. The application makes use of the GPS to work out the car's driving speed. It was created by OVK, an organization in Belgium supporting the Parents of Child Road Victims. Watch the video after the jump.

Thanks for the tip Glen!

Source: Slowdown , Link: Apple App

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U.S. Government Looking Into Cell Phone Blocking Tech in Cars to Save Lives

[Updated] In response to the ever growing number of deaths and injuries attributable to distracted driving, the U.S. Department of Transportation is investigating technology that would effectively disable driver’s cell phones in their cars.
 
On MSNBC’s Morning Joe breakfast show, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stated: "There's a lot of technology out there now that can disable phones and we're looking at that. That's one way. But you have to have good laws, you have to have good enforcement, and you have to have people take personal responsibility. That's the bottom line."

The semi-official announcement comes as the DoT launches a new online video campaign called, “Faces of Distracted Driving”, where victims speak about how it has changed their lives. Mr. LaHood went on to state that the deadly phenomenon has claimed 5,500 lives in the last year, with 500,000 more injured.

Paul Atchley, a scientist as the University of Kansas, thinks the true numbers could be much higher, and that things will only get worse:
"When we ask young drivers about drunk driving, they say that judges should throw the book at drunk drivers, but not the person texting while driving. The bottom line is that people want to use these devices. And things are going to get worse before they get better."
There are no federal laws in the U.S. that limit the use of a cell phone while driving, though many states do prohibit texting. Others have made it illegal to use a cell phone without a headset / voice dialing.
It is unlikely that cell phone jammers will be built into cars, as the Federal Communications Commission has made these illegal (for obvious reasons). The DoT is therefore seeking a software solution that could use cell phone towers to estimate a car’s speed.

Mr. Atchley, however, is convinced this won’t work, as these methods are voluntary and the software is not difficult for tech savvy users to work around. Instead, Atchley believes we must change people’s attitudes.
Though given the failings of similar campaigns against speeding and drunk driving, this may not be as easy as it first seems.

*Update: The U.S. Department of Transport is not considering mandating cell phone blocking technology in cars. The U.S. DoT is simply evaluating these technologies so that individuals and companies may voluntarily use them in the near future. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has clarified this in a blog post.

By Tristan Hankins

Via: MSNBC

Family of Four Receive Free Paint Job after Crashing their Paint-Filled Car

It may look a scene from a slapstick comedy with an in-your face humor made for teenagers, but what you see here is the real deal. According to the reports, a family of four were carrying some 7 gallons (about 27 liters) of white paint in their Fiat Palio hatchback when they were involved in a mild fender-bender somewhere in South Africa.
While no one was hurt as a result of the accident, unfortunately, the laws of physics that state an object that is in motion will not change its velocity, were not suspended and the family of four received a well deserved lesson in safety procedures.

Via: Wreckedexotics

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Top Tips for Safe Winter Driving in the Snow and Ice

Every year, as snowfall begins, YouTube gets flooded with videos showing cars out of control crashing into everything and people trying to stop their runaway vehicles by pulling them with their hands - not a very a smart idea. While there are moments when Mother Nature is simply unstoppable, a few winter driving tips can make your life much more easier. The British Driving Instructors Association (DIA) compiled a list and we've also added a few tips of our own.


According to DIA, drivers give too much emphasis on the actual skidding, instead of taking precautionary measures, which can help them to avoid the problem in the first place.


For starters, make sure you leave on time from home and prepare your vehicle for the journey. There's nothing worse than a stressed out driver in a rush, constantly tempted to floor the gas pedal on slippery roads.

It's also very important to prepare your car. In winter, windows will gather frost (minus these) and there's a good chance that the entire car will be covered in snow. If you don't clear the windows and the car, which by the way, is an offence in many countries, you'll be endangering yourself due to the lack of visibility as well as those around you by blinding them with the snow falling off your car.

We consider that letting the engine idle for a few minutes in freezing temperatures is a good idea as well, because it's going to extend its lifecycle. Madly revving a cold powertrain just to clear the driveway can cause damages.

Don't forget to check the fuel, antifreeze and windscreen washer levels, and consider pulling the wipers away from the windshield if the car remains stationary for longer periods of time to prevent the rubber from freezing onto the glass.

If you have done all this, you're ready to go, unless of course you don't have winter tires,. Most people tend to neglect this aspect, but it's a big mistake. Tire companies say that normal rubber will lose grip even at 7 degrees Celsius (44.6 F), not to mention below zero (33 F) temperatures. If that's the case, you won't be better off with four-wheel drive either. You might get a bit further than two-wheel drive vehicles, but that's about it without a good set of tires.

But let's say you have winter tires and you're on the road. You should keep a safe distance from other vehicles that have not been cleared, to avoid flying snow and ice that can blind you or even shatter your windscreen.

If there's a steep street ahead, wait for the other cars to reach the top before continuing your drive. Should they slip back, you will be a sitting duck if there's not enough distance between vehicles.


Use a higher (third instead of second, for instance) and if your car has an automatic transmission, check if it has a winter mode. Always accelerate progressively and plan ahead when braking. Use engine braking if possible and avoid locking the brakes. As long as the wheels are turning you can still change the direction of the car, while with locked wheels you'll spin around uncontrollably.

Pay attention to road surfaces. On bridges and flyovers the cold wind can cause the surface to freeze. Sheltered areas can also be hazardous: if the sun doesn't reach them for a few hours you might end up driving on "black ice". Road markings might not be visible, so think twice about stopping in certain spots.

If you live in areas with severe snowfalls, it's a good idea to keep some supplies in your car (drinks, food, blankets, waterproof clothing etc.) and consider buying a shovel and chains in case you get stuck. In extreme conditions, your survival can depend on them, so every penny will be well spent.

Foremost, use common sense. If something feels wrong, don't do it. Once, I saw a sticker on a Land Rover Defender that said, "Caution! This machine has no brain. Use your own". How true is that?

By Csaba Daradics

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Not In My Town: America’s Resistance to the Roundabout

I want to be upfront about something: I'm not an American, I'm an Australian. And as such, I don't really understand NASCAR or baseball, and my daily driver is from a country that the Americans were at war with seventy years ago. Heck, I sometimes even eat croissants.

So what gives me the right to chide American drivers for resisting such a basic piece of road design as the humble roundabout? Well, that's simple: in Australia we've been using roundabouts for years.


The New York Times reports that, for some oddball reason (probably because the French are so fond of them), Americans are actively resisting the introduction of the roundabout across their great, proud nation. This comes despite the fact that roundabouts have long proven to be safer, more efficient and better for the environment than that other piece of road design: the intersection.

Eugene R. Russell Sr, a civil engineering professor at Kansas State and the chairman of a national task force on roundabouts, elaborates:

"There's a lot of what I call irrational opposition. People don't understand. They just don't understand roundabouts."

What's to understand? It's a big concrete circle that you drive around counter-clockwise, turning off on the exit that you want. If you're turning left or making a U-turn, you keep to the inside lane, if you're turning right, you keep to the outside lane. You give way to the left like you would at an intersection, and to any vehicles already transversing the roundabout. That's it.

So why don't Americans like roundabouts?

Well, there are a few potential reasons. First, there's the resistance to change: intersections have been a staple of American towns for at least sixty years. There's also some confusion between what a roundabout actually is: traffic circles, like Dupont Circle in Washington D.C., are not roundabouts. Roundabouts are typically smaller, traffic moves more slowly and do not feature traffic lights.

There are, however, signs that attitudes are changing. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety interviewed 1,802 drivers across six communities and found that just 34% support roundabouts before construction, but that this generally increases to 57% shortly after construction was finished and 69% after more than a year had passed.

There are roughly 2,000 roundabouts across the United States, most of which were built in the last ten years according to Edward Myers, the senior principal at transport engineering firm Kittelson and Associates. Hundreds more are planned for the immediate future, so it seems American drivers will have no choice but to go accustomed to, and learn how to use, these rotary roadways.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: NYT , Photo/Video: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

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VIDEO: Driver Tries and Fails Spectacularly to Park

For years the debate has raged over unintended acceleration. Is it the result of a design defect or is it simply driver error? Well, this video put forward for the case of the latter as one driver's attempt to park goes horribly, hilariously wrong. Watch the white car entering from the top right at approximately 6 seconds in. Everything seems normal up until 23 seconds, when suddenly...

You might have to watch it again to get the full effect. With the steering wheel still hard over, the driver realizes he or she has gone too far. Rather than hitting the brake, he or she hits the accelerator instead and the car surges forward, demolishing a door and slamming into the side of another parked car.

It's one of those things that has to be watched over and over again (I know I did). Feel free to leave your jibes, chides and other remarks in the comments below

By Tristan Hankins

Via: Gawker

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Landwind CV9 MPV receives Two Stars in Euro NCAP's First Chinese Vehicle Rating

Euro NCAP has released its latest crash test results, including the data sheet for the first Chinese vehicle it has ever tested, the Landwind CV9. Although the Chinese maker claims it has revamped the car to meet "the strictest European safety standards", the mid-sized MPV only managed a two star rating. However, Euro NCAP noted that the CV9 came close to meeting the three star threshold for adult protection, so there's still hope for the Chinese maker.


Dr. Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP's Secretary General, commented:

"It is clear that vehicles from China, India and other emerging countries will in the next few years become commonplace on European roads. Euro NCAP will ensure that consumers know what levels of safety are offered by these vehicles. By highlighting differences in safety performance, we aim to drive the safety of all cars towards and beyond the high levels we see from more well established manufacturers. We are confident that Landwind and others will rise to this challenge".


This is not Lanwind's first foray into the European market. In 2005 they tried to attract buyers with the X6 SUV, based on Isuzu Rodeo/Opel Frontera underpinnings, but failed miserably after ADAC conducted a crash test and rated it with zero stars.

The MPV fared better, but it's still considered to be poorly equipped. Euro NCAP pointed out that side airbags, increased head protection and electronic stability control would have helped it achieve a better score. The test vehicles were early examples of Euro-spec models, as Lanwind plans to officially launch the CV9 in early 2011.

You can read the official Euro NCAP assessment below.

By Csaba Daradics

Adult occupant

Inspection of the vehicle after the frontal impact, and examination of its performance during the test itself, revealed that structures surrounding the passenger compartment were at the limit of their load-bearing capacity. As a result, the passenger compartment was deemed to be unstable as an impact at a higher speed was expected to lead to significantly greater collapse. Protection of the driver's chest was rated as marginal. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the front seat occupants' knees and femurs. However, structures in the dashboard presented a risk of injury to occupants of different sizes and to those sat in different positions, and protection was rated as marginal. The steering rack was pushed rearwards during the frontal test, heavily distorting the driver's footwell and tearing the metal. This represented a risk of injury to the driver's feet and ankles and the car was penalised. The CV9 has no side protection airbags and, in the side barrier test, protection of the chest area was rated as weak and that of the abdomen as marginal. In that test, three doors were seen to have opened during the impact. Landwind have attributed this to weak springs in the door latches and intend to fit stiffer springs to try to overcome the problem in future vehicles. As the car has no head protection device, no side pole test was performed. The seats supplied for whiplash tests were not consistent with the ones in the test vehicles. As the seats in the test cars were damaged from the full scale tests, no valid assessment could be made of the whiplash protection offered by the CV9.

Child occupant

In the frontal impact, forward movement of the head of the 3 year dummy, sat in a forward facing restraint, exceeded recommended limits. However, in the side barrier test, both the 3 year and the 18 month dummies were properly contained within the protective shells of their restraints. The passenger airbag cannot be disabled to allow a rearward facing restraint to be used in that seating position and the label warning of the dangers of doing so was unclear and not permanently attached. Markings on the restraints of both dummies were not permanently attached and points were lost.

Pedestrian

The protection offered by the bumper to pedestrians' legs was good in places and poor in others. The front edge of the bonnet offered poor protection and scored no points in Euro NCAP's tests. Tests in some areas at the centre of the bonnet indicated good protection for a child's head but was poor elsewhere. The protection offered to the head of a struck adult was also predominantly poor.

Safety assist

A seatbelt reminder system is standard equipment for the driver and front passenger seats. Electronic stability control is not currently available on the CV9.

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VIDEO: Pensioner Takes the (Parking) Law(s) Into his own Hands

In what looks like a low budget recreation of Marvin Heemeyer's notorious bulldozer rampage through a small Colorado town, an 83yo pensioner in the UK has been caught on CCTV ramming two other vehicles out of the way with his Peugeot after their driver's imprudently parked them in front of his garage.


The Telegraph newspaper reports that the Bristol resident, Ronald Pemberton, was taken to court over the matter and found guilty by the Bristol Magistrates Court. Nicholas Rowland, the Court Recorder, banned Pemberton from driving for 12 months and order he pay over £1,900 in fines, court costs and compensation.

Recorder Rowland had this to say to Mr. Pemberton after delivering his verdict:

"It is an expensive lesson for you. I hope you will think long and hard before you do anything like this again. No doubt you were severely irritated with the long-existing parking problem. It's very sad to see somebody of your age in court at all but I'm afraid you can't go taking the law into your own hands."

Sarah Regan, the prosecuting lawyer, added:

"The way you deal with it is to leave a note on the windscreen and have a word when [the drivers] come back. You don't use your car to move it."

Mr. Pemberton had rented the garage, located near his home and across from a local school, for the past twenty years. His lawyer argued that he had never had problems with the police, and it was only after he grew increasingly frustrated by people parking in front of his garage that he took this drastic course of action.

By Tristan Hankins

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Ferrari 458 Italia Roasted Brazilian Style [with Video]

A new set of photos showing a... red-hot Ferrari 458 Italia going up in flames is making the internet rounds today. Even though some websites are reporting that the incident happened in Sao Paulo, Brazil, two months after Ferrari issued the infamous recall on the 458 Italia (see here), we don't have sufficient information to be sure about the date, let alone if this particular example had gone through the mandatory repairs. So until we find out more details, follow the jump to take yet another glance of what a 458 Italia on fire looks like.

Via: Wreckedexotics & Youtube

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VIDEO: Captiva Driver Shows Tow Truck Who’s Boss

Who wouldn't be annoyed to find, upon returning from the shops, that their car has been ticketed, clamped...or even worse...towed. As this hilarious clip proves, Hell hath no fury like a female SUV driver towed. Full video after the jump.

Here's the scoop for those who haven't seen it: a Shanghai woman is having her Chevy Captiva SUV towed, and she isn't happy about it. So she does what any (insane) person would do: gets in her car, starts the engine and drives off...with the tow truck still attached.

In a word, this video is epic. We've seen some ballsy things here at Carscoop, but this has to be one of the ballsiest. It's like Gone in 60 Seconds with a Chevy AWD or Jackass with a little Asian woman. Above all else, it's a defiantly erect middle finger directed at the money grubbing instigators of authoritarian traffic control.

I guess the tow truck driver should be thankful this was the only thing the Captiva driver did. I'd hate to see her behind the wheel of a tank, that's for sure. Watch the video and give us your verdict in the comments.

By Tristan Hankins

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VIDEO: Bugatti Veyron Driver Backs Into Toyota

Yes, we know: this video is almost three months old, which for the Point-and-Click Generation is practically ancient history. We're like your Grandpa, buying you a NWA CD and being all like, "Your Mom says these guys are 'hip'!"

Now to the video. Back around August, a man in the U.S. took a Bugatti Veyron for a test drive and as he was backing out, he bumped into what appears to be a Toyota Corolla (correct us if we are wrong).

Well, we're not 100% sure of all that, but since a) that's when this video was uploaded, b) when was the last time you heard a woman talk about the Veyron outside of Fifth Gear and c) there's a Ford Crown Victoria in the background, we're at least 70% certain (and, uh, 100% sexist). *Ahem*

According to the comments, he also scrapes the Bugatti's chin on the curb as he reverses out and scrapes it again as he drives back in. Riveting, I know. Honestly, this isn't even half as impressive as that video of Bumblebee colliding with that police car we showed you a couple of weeks back. I suppose what makes it of interest to us here (and you out there) is that this is one of the world's fastest, most expensive cars.

Just think about that for a moment. It'll probably cost upwards of US$10,000 to sand down and repaint the Bugatti. We're talking Nissan Versa money, not chump change. And yeah, me too: I'd rather have a damaged piece of Veyron front bumper than a perfectly intact, drivable Versa.

To each his own, I suppose.

By Tristan Hankins

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30-Meter Wide Sinkhole Opens up and Swallows Car in Germany (with Post-Event Video)

Here's some recent global infrastructure news from Thuringia, Germany: a 30-meter wide, 25-meter deep sinkhole recently opened up in an unsuspecting neighborhood to swallow up some property. In this case, the only losses were a car, some road, and a driveway and garage door.

The sinkhole, which is one of the largest ones to form in Thuringia, is suspected to be the result of "a salt column, calcium sulphate or limestone [dissolving]". According to reports, the region averages twenty smaller sinkholes a year.

No one was hurt this time, but people were still evacuated as a precautionary measure in case more dirt started to cave in. By the time you read this, service crews should be at work repairing the road, filling the sinkhole, and ensuring that peoples' homes are still habitable.

By Phil Alex

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Aussie Man Narrowly Escapes Hyundai Flying Into his Bedroom! [+Video]

To say that Demitrios Bisbelis from Melbourne, Australia, is lucky, is an enormous understatement. The 31-year old man escaped almost certain death - or serious injuries at best, when he decided to get out of bed briefly at 2 am to check his computer in another room. A few minutes later, a Hyundai Excel [also know as the Pony] ploughed into his house and onto the bed he was lying on moments ago!

VIDEO: Twin-Turbo Lamborghini Gallardo goes Airborne at Texas Mile

The Texas Mile had its inaugural event back in October 2003 and since then it has become very popular among performance enthusiasts. There you can drive on a one and a half mile highway section as fast as you can and not be in trouble in the eyes of the law. Oh, and you can set some records. Just what the owner of this twin-turbo Lamborghini Gallardo intended, but things went horribly wrong for him as you can see in the video after the break.

Richard Holt's rocket-on-wheels was built by Underground Racing with the twin-turbocharged V10 rated somewhere between 1,500-1,900 hp (1,119-1,417 kW). More than enough to attempt setting a new standing mile world record.

Eyewitness reports say that the car hit the 1 mile marker with no trouble, immediately deploying its parachute. At that moment it suddenly veered off to the right and, after hitting the grass and a small obstacle, took to the skies going well over 100 mph or 160 km/h.

The reason? Strong crosswinds, it seems. Fortunately, Mr. Holt was able to walk away from this one, the only real victim being the car.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Autoblog.com & Autoblog.nl

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FAIL No2: Volvo V60 Safety System Flub Ends with a Dead Dummy Named Bob

This is officially the second safety system demonstration in as many "Look at this!" announcements that has gone horribly wrong for Volvo. That's right, two. The first one was back in May and led to a new S60 estate crushing itself into the back of a truck - see the video here. This latest mishap occurred during a media demonstration to Australian journalists in Europe.

Now that the known-as-safe Volvo brand is officially owned by the Chinese, is this a sign of things to come?

The mechanism in question is part of Volvo's pedestrian avoidance technology, which makes use of cameras and radar in the nose of the vehicle to control the brakes and stability control system in order to reduce driver/pedestrian injuries. The object that the system was meant to detect was Bob the Dummy; as you can see in the vids below, it didn't detect a damn thing.

That's not to say the system is terrible; after all is said and done, it worked 75% of the time. Of the twelve runs, only one ended with Bob getting the full force of the Volvo unleashed on him, with the other two still being less than perfect. Some of the blame has been placed on a camera that doesn't work well in low-light conditions (infrared / night vision, guys?).

Volvo's Jonas Tisell, Active Safety Systems manager, told journalists, "The failure of the test was due to the dummy not being set up properly, therefore it did not give an echo enough for the system. So the dummy was not relevant in this situation." So...blame it on the dummy? And "not relevant"? How does being to blame (according to Volvo) translate as irrelevant?

More like Volvo just got caught with its pants down...again.

By Phil Alex

Via: Drive and Autoblog.com

Segway Company Owner Dies After Riding Two-Wheeler Off a Cliff...

British tycoon and owner of the Segway company, Jimi Heseldon, has died after reportedly driving one of the firm's motorized two-wheelers off a cliff and into a river near his estate in Thorp Arch, Boston Spa, West Yorkshire, on Sunday, according to news reports.

"Police were called at 11.40am yesterday to reports of a man in the River Wharfe, apparently having fallen from the cliffs above," a spokesman for West Yorkshire Police force told reporters.

"A Segway-style vehicle was recovered. He was pronounced dead at the scene. At this time we do not believe the death to be suspicious."

The 62-year-old businessman, whose personal fortune was worth £166million earning him 395th place on this year's Sunday Times Rich List, brought the Segway from its U.S. inventor Dean Kamen in January 2010.

Source: Daily Mail / AP

FAIL: Toyota Land Cruiser vs Puddle [Accident Content]

Nothing brings you back to driving-reality quite as effectively as good a ol' cold shower, or in this case, a puddle bath. The sinkhole incident involving this new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado reportedly happened during a test-drive event organized by a Prado fan club (we're assuming it occurred somewhere in Russia). Photos and a video of the accident after the break.

Spasiba to Alex V. for the tip!

Via: Carlifeblog , Source: Prado-club

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BP Ultimate 1, Ultimate Driving Machine 0; Porsche 911 GT3 Crashes into Gas Pump

The Porsche GT3 RS is widely accepted to be one of the best handling performance cars on the road today. So how is it that this driver managed to slam it into the petrol pump at a BP service station?

In any case, you only have to type, "car + petrol station" into YouTube to see just how lucky this guy was... Sure, the repairs will no doubt cost more than a well-equipped Toyota Corolla but at least he wasn't burnt alive.

We gather this accident happened in England because of the blue-and-yellow-marked Police Mitsubishi (Shogun?) parked in the background, but that's about all the information we have.

We would have contacted BP for a statement, but we assumed they were busier with some...ahem...other, little accident...

By Tristan Hankins

Via: Autoblog.nl & Jalopnik , Photos: Quattroworld