Smart Car Hitting a Wall at 70 MPH

Now show us what happens when a 2-ton GMC Pickup hits it from the side.


Online Videos by Veoh.com

Go Suck Start a Harley!

Who'da thunk it?

It's getting more plausible every day.

[Air Car Tantalizingly Close]

Guy Buys Old Farmhouse, Discovers Barn Full of Cars!

Imagine: You buy a farmhouse in Portugal. You find a locked barn on the property. You open it and find this inside.

Talk about a treasure trove. This pic is dark, but there appear to be at least 150 cars in there, many of them classics in excellent condition.

More pics in this link.

The Scariest Car Accident Ever

Yep, it's pretty scary. Don't worry. No gore.

[MustangWorld]

Website: Car Talk

Find a local car mechanic. Leave reviews. [Car Talk's Mechanics Files]

Game: Need For Speed: Carbon (PS2)

EA's latest release in the Need For Speed franchise is an improvement over it's last, befuddled attempt to further its position in the smothered field of Arcade Racing games. The market is glutted with Arcade racers right now, thereby causing the studios to release games that aren't quite ready for prime time. Fortunately, the gameplay in Carbon is adequate enough to make the experience worthwhile.

Gameplay - Just like EA's last release, Need For Speed: Most Wanted, Carbon continues the old routine of trying to make racing mean something. I don't know why they've decided racing games require all the drama of vindication and revenge, but so long as it doesn't hurt the gameplay, I can live with the cheesy plot devices.

Drift racing is back this time around, but it's a real disaster and ruins this game's chances of achieving gaming perfection. The cars are difficult to control and ultimately, this seems like a tacky add-on that should have been scrapped to retain the game's integrity.

Controls have improved since the last release, with 10 options for controller layout. Cars are more responsive and actually drive with the physics one would expect. There are additions to the gameplay that hint at something much grander coming down the pipe with this genre. Something called "Crew" racing seems to be on the minds of the developers at EA, and I think they're really onto something. In Career mode, you now race with a "Wing man" who can assist you in three different styles: by Colliding with competing racers, by Scouting ahead for secret pathways, or by giving you speed boost via Drafting. The Wingman concept is really strong and would allow for some incredible racing via XBox Live, but this is PlayStation 2 I'm reviewing because my Xbox is, sadly, down with the flu, so I don't even know if it's an option for Xbox players.

Career Mode also requires you to choose your favorite style of car from the start, so you can expect to be behind the wheel of a Tuner, an Exotic, or a Muscle Car from the beginning. Not sure if that's such a good idea, since some racers like multiple car types and being locked into one may seem confining. In addition to all these new concepts, racing now involves capturing and defending territories against rival racing teams (racers who also race with a wingman). This requires more strategy than one is accustomed to in a standard racing game, which is very interesting.

As always, you can customize your car to your heart's content, and the new Autosculpt feature gives you even greater control over your artistic bent, allowing you to customize your car in millions of different ways.

Interface & Graphics - The Interface of Carbon is really not too different from the last release. There has been a marked improvement in the ability to jump directly to races via the WorldMap. This saves a lot of time and releases the player from having to deal with the tedium of avoiding cops all the time, as we did in Most Wanted. Graphics seem the same, but for some reason the cars look more realistic, less cartoony. The backgrounds are quite an improvement from Most Wanted. The cut scenes are similar to Most Wanted, with live action which has been altered to resemble animation. However, there are some serious frame rate issues this time around that were not present in the last release. Not sure if the developers were rushed to get this out the door before Christmas, but gameplay can get choppy/glitchy at times. Not sure if this is merely a PS2 problem or if it affects all consoles similarly.

Artificial Intelligence - The AI in Carbon is leaps and bounds ahead of what was presented in Most Wanted. Cop chases are remarkably realistic from the start and their chase patterns seem much better coordinated and challenging, bordering on belligerent. Rival racers are also more apt to cause frustration early on in the game, which is actually a welcome addition for a racing game of this type.

Sound - As always, the soundtrack in this Need For Speed release is superior to what you will find in most racing games. Whoever is in charge of licensing the music for this deserves a raise. You can always count on a Need For Speed game to have some of the freshest music out there. My only complaint is that I wish there was more than 30 or so songs here. Why not include all that older music you have licensed from earlier releases of the game? After a while, hearing the same collection of songs can get tedious, even when they are great songs. The Sound Effects are first rate, as always. The cars seem to have their own distinctive engine sounds, although, I did not notice much change in sound when changing muffler tips. The voice acting is good, but the new Crew racers can get a bit grating, as they are somewhat repetitive (but also entertaining at times).

Utilities - The mechanics of the game are almost identical to Most Wanted. Being able to jump to races eliminates the tedious need to free roam through the city and that's a good thing, since most of the city is empty until you defeat bosses from recently conquered districts. There is a new card collecting feature, but it's a bit of a mystery that doesn't immediately present itself.

Problems -

• Glitchy frame rate problems.
• Cops are very persistent from the start, bordering on relentless.
• Drift Racing is back, but it's a complete and total disaster. Controlling your car on a sheet of ice would be more fun.
  
• This is not a racing game for beginners or the faint of heart. If you have not played a racing game before, you would be better off starting somewhere else. If you are a fan of the Need For Speed franchise, this is an excellent title to add to your library. Much better than the annoyance that was Most Wanted.
  
• Licensed cars for this release seem really scattered. On the one hand, you have licenses for Porsche and Ferrari, but old staples of the Need For Speed franchise, like the Dodge Neon, are nowhere to be found. There are no SUVs or Pickup Trucks. Want to race your own whip? It's unlikely you'll find it among the roughly 50 cars licensed in this release.

Sifted: 8/10

McWhip

Heh heh. Supersized wheels....

Video: Time Lapse Microsoft Paint Drawing

Amazing, what goes into drawing. Microsoft Paint seems to be a little non-compliant. This artist's skills are definitely put to the test.

Mazda Concept Car

Here's an incredible concept car from Mazda. My only question: how do you get in?

10 Cars That Should be Remade Today

To put it simply, car manufacturers need to wake up. Especially American car makers. Detroit continues to slip in the ratings. Unbeknownst to them, this has little to do with the quality of the cars they are producing. After all, most people these days don't keep their cars for more than 5 years anyway. Why would quality be a factor to such a fickle market?

Lately, most people buy cars for the coolness factor, as well as to satisfy their need to reminisce. Good design is what sells cars today. On that note, here are several cars that manufacturers should be focusing on. Because if the reintroduction of the VW Bug and the Mini Cooper are any indication, there are several models that have attained an archetypal status with the consumer. These cars, for whatever reason, hit a mark with buyers. People like them. And the quicker these cars are remade, the more succesful the car makers will be.


10. Toyota MR2 (80's model)
Who knows what fueled the success of the 80's MR2's. They were not especially fast. What they did do was capture a certain post-modern flavor that people liked. The angular body and the pop-up headlights were charming. This car looked fast on a budget. The rear engine was a nifty novelty that survives well into today with their slightly larger Spyder model. The compact nature of this car made for fun driving. With today's safety features, it would be a certain hit.

9. Jaguar E-Type
On the higher end, but a definite remake candidate for the same reason as the MR2. It was fun to drive. And nothing seemed to exude style as much as the Jaguar. Since the US now owns this brand, it would be wise for them to can the Oldsmobile-looking thing and roll an updated version of this out for all those new Wall Street high-rollers.


8. Citroen DS
Perhaps no car on this list screams to be remade as loudly as the Citroen DS. This car drips class. With today's safety features, the Citroen could be the new American family car. Just look at the comfortable interior with that enormous, panoramic view. Who wouldn't enjoy a roadtrip in a car like this?

7. BMW 2002
Yet another masterpiece of engineering. The BMW 2002 was the most affordable BMW around. As such, it functioned as a gateway to the higher end models. Is there anything being produced by BMW that fits this function today? What made the BMW 2002 so great was a solid, quality interior. The simplicity of the engine is well-renowned to this very day. Remake it, dammit!


6. The Honda Civic (1977)
Nothing could tear into the youth market better than an ultra-mini vehicle like this. With today's tech, a car like this could be made that got 70+ MPG. So where is it? Spare us the bright plastic and aerodynamic shell of the modern Civics. This is what we really want! Only more modern.


5. VW Bus
Do some people not learn from their success? VW, perhaps moreso than any other car maker, seems to understand the zeitgeist of car making. After all, this is the company that has given us the Bug and is currently rewrapping the Golf in shiny new metal for our consumption. But this all really begs the question: why haven't they remade the BUS? Sure, there might be safety issues, but with today's modern airbag systems, this car is begging to be remade for a new generation that has lost touch with the smell of patchouli. Just think of what you could do to this car with some tinted glass and 20" dub wheels.


4. Pontiac Trans Am
Because every man in his 30's wants to relive Smokey and the Bandit. There is no car that oozes cool moreso than the 1977 Trans Am. I don't know what drugs the people at Pontiac are on, but they clearly need to dump the ugly G series and get back in touch with the 70's. note: okay, so the Solstice is hot; don't let it go to your heads.

3. Honda CRX
Why ruin a good thing? The Honda CRX got killer gas mileage and it was zippy as all get out. Whoever decided to kill this model should have been given the hara-kiri treatment. Not only would CRX's make great tuner cars, they would appeal to students who want cooler alternatives than their parent's hand-me-down minivans. The CRX is a truly hot car that is begging to be brought back from the dead to reclaim its place in the pimp pantheon.

2. DeLorean DMC 12
Too bad DeLorean had that coke problem in the 80's. But if his "issue" was the inspiration behind the DMC 12, I forgive him. Because there has clearly not been a car made since that is this far ahead of its time. There was a reason it played center stage in all those Back to the Future movies: because it looks like it should have been made today, not back in the 80's. Gull-wing doors, aluminum stainless steel exterior, this car should be remade just to show it can be done even better with today's technology. In fact, I dare you to try!

1. Toyota Supra (Mark IV) 1993-2002
Who knows when Toyota lost their minds and decided to abandon this great vehicle to leave behind the crappy, gutless Celica. Ever since, however, tuner fanboys have been pining for the glory days of the Supra. Rightfully so. The turbo version of this car could do 180 MPH with all stock parts! This car is one of the most popular tuner cars available. For under $1000 US, the stock horsepower could be cranked up from 320 to 500+. If anyone ever offers to sell you one, snatch it up real quick like, as they are rare. Toyota stopped producing these in the US in 1998 and cut off production in Japan in 2002.

These are just a few of my personal favorites. Do you have any? Let me know in the comments.


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Video: My Vote for Costume of the Year

Click above to see the video.

And yes, it's probably much better than what we'll see from Michael Bay's movie next year!

Clear Rims

When you're just too cool to even bother with bling anymore.

Video: Top Gear GM Highwire

A friend over at Xerox just pointed out this great Top Gear episode focusing on the new GM Hy Wire using the fabled skateboard and hydrogen technology. Come on, government! Get us some taxbreaks now!