Let’s here it for knee pads! I’m not what you’d call a motorcycle guy. I know they all have two wheels and you rest your crotch on the gas tank, but other than that I just fall off. But not Raffaele de Rosa. Not even kinda. Make to jump to see man triumphing over machine, physics, logic, common sense, road rash, etc.
This is sort of absolutely killer. Above is an Aston Martin V12 Vantage running the Nurburgring 24 Hour. The engine is production stock while the only mods are a stiffer suspension, roll cage, strippo interior, slicks and a fire suppression system. This particular car came in first in class (SP8) and 21st overall, besting competition like a Lexus LF-A (which was running close until it caught fire), Audi RS4 and Lexus IS-F. So, good on Aston Martin. But that’s not what makes this win special. One of the V12’s drivers does. Jump.
And by that misleading headline we mean it catches on fire! What happened? Dunno, probably flaming brakes igniting a fuel line. Or a fuel leak on/around the exhaust pipe. Hey, the LF-A’s a prototype after all, and 24 hour endurance races are the cruelest thing you can do to a car. Well, the cruelest thing you can do save for the Nurburgring 24 Hour, which is what Lexus did to two of their 500 hp, V10-engined, 205 mph beasts. This car (#15) caught fire two hours from the checkered flag. The other LF-A (#14) finished 87th. Jump for video.
On your left you have The Road Crew, winner of the “Best Yank Tank” award at last weekend’s 24 Hours of LeMons Reno race for their Chevy C10 racing pickup. On the right, the Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys, drivers of the hyper-awesome Peugeot 505 and winners of the “Fastest French Car” award. I’m sure this is exactly what Patton and de Gaul had in mind when they liberated Paris. Also, Team Road Crew, if you ever show up to BS Inspection again without blasting Motorhead’s “We Are the Road Crew!” that’s ten laps right there. Picture stolen from the Road Crew’s site. Both cars pictured after the jump.
You all remember Ken “Lord of the Hoons” Block and his “look at me!” Gymknana video, right? Well, looks like Mister Block and DC Shoes/Monster Energy Drinks/Subaru/BC Goodrich/Greddy want to see if lightning can indeed strike the internet twice. Below you’ll find some footage of Ken hooning the living hell out of a Subaru STI as well as at least two Japanese reporters. Weeeeee! The actual video goes live on June 1. Jump to check the preview.
Here’s an odd “never-thought-that-would-happen” moment — the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that Daimler’s recent investment in Tesla has re-valued the electric car company at $550 million — approximately half of what GM is reportedly worth these days ($1.17 Billion). Call me crazy, but it seems almost impossible that a company which has so far has only produced one car (a tiny, 2-seater roadster that costs $110,000), been on the brink of bankruptcy more than once, and has only been in existence since Hanna Montana got popular is suddenly worth as much as The General? Jump.
Greetings everyone! I am happy to bring you all yet another installment of Muscle Car of the Week. Last week we did some fabulous MOPAR muscle and this week I would like to switch it up by offering something for the Bow-Tie bunch. Anyone who is told to think of a Chevrolet muscle car instinctively thinks Camaro or Chevelle and rarely spits out the word Nova. Only those in the know truly understand that while the Nova may appear as granny’s grocery-getter on the outside, it could be optioned with some lethal horsepower. Jump it for more on the 1969 Nova SS.
Bonjour mon amis! Comment allez vous? Ca va? Bon. And I know it seems like we just got back from a 24 Hours of LeMons race in Reno — we did — but one week from today yours truly and my good pal Judge Martin (along with the rest of the LeMons spazolas) will stepping off of big old jet liners into the maw of the Big Easy. After a night of observing local customs (see above), we’ll be moving on to the No Problem Raceway to watch the following heaps rust to pieces before our very eyes (jump).
The bell certainly tolled for GM, but some new information has come to light in the on-going struggle to keep General Motors producing automobiles. In a startling announcement today, GM is expected to hand over nearly 70% of the company to the Treasury Department. What are the possible implications of this nationalizing? Hit the jump. Read More >>
Above is a modern crash test dummy. If you’ve been involved in a serious accident lately (and lived), you have him/her to thank. Below the jump are his/her ancestors getting slaughtered en masse in some fairly shocking yet thoroughly entertaining GM archive footage. One watch and you can see why General Motors did everything in its power (including the use of hookers!) to discredit Ralph Nader after the latter published Unsafe At Any Speed in 1965. Jump.
