- Video: Brothers make tribute video for mom who died when Explorer rolled
Filed under: SUV, Etc., Government/Legal, Videos, Ford
It is with mixed emotions that we share this particular video, which stars two young boys who lost their mother, Nicole Miller, in 2004 after the Ford Explorer she was riding in blew a tire and rolled, causing her fatal injuries.
A sad story indeed, and we’re quite certain everyone involved wishes that Mrs. Miller were still alive and that her boys would not have had a reason compelling them to make the tribute video in the first place. Certainly, the powers-that-be at the automaker hate seeing the Blue Oval’s name brought up again in connection to older Explorers and the well-known lawsuits lodged against it after a number of owners reported rollover accidents.
While acknowledging the tragic loss of life, it’s important to remember that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigated the Ford Explorer and found it just as safe – or just as dangerous, as the case may be – as any other sport utility vehicle of the same era, which, importantly, was before stability control had hit the market in real numbers (and long before it became federally mandated, which was only recently). Independent tests were also carried out, none of which found the Ford Explorer to be particularly unsafe. Vehicles with high ground clearance and four-wheel drive are often afflicted with a higher center of gravity, making them easier to roll than passenger cars that sit closer to the ground.
For what it’s worth, Firestone did recall 14.4 million tires, including the ones fitted as standard equipment on many Ford Explorers built between 1991 and 2000, due to “a safety-related defect” (read: tread separation). But it isn’t Firestone that the Miller boys’ video targets, it’s the Ford Motor Company.
In response to a query from The Huffington Post, Ford spokesperson Marcey Evans said that the automaker was “familiar with this tragic accident and our sympathy goes out to the family involved.” Evans added, “We believe it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this time as the family has brought a lawsuit against Ford, which is coming up for trial later this year.”
In any case, we’ve included Ryan and Gergory’s video after the break. It’s a heartstring tugger that sets new lyrics to Vanessa Carlton’s hit song A Thousand Miles, so bring tissues.
Continue reading Brothers make tribute video for mom who died when Explorer rolled
Brothers make tribute video for mom who died when Explorer rolled originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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- Video: Enjoy some Supermoto action from every angle in Denmark
Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Etc., Europe, Videos, Motorcycle, Racing
We’ve seen a swell in RoToR camera set ups in bike videos lately, and we have to say the trick makes for some pretty entertaining viewing. Take the clip you’ll see after the break that was worked up by Supermotard Denmark, for example. The video tracks one rider as he finishes up a practice day. The crew crafted their own homemade version of the RoToR setup we know and love, strapped it to a rider’s head and came out with some awesome footage. There’s plenty of peg-scraping glory as the rider works his way through the tight and technical course.
As much as we dig watching the rider kick the machine’s tail out, we’re equally smitten with the video’s soundtrack. Hit the jump to enjoy the antics for yourself. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have some supermoto classifieds to peruse.
Continue reading Enjoy some Supermoto action from every angle in Denmark
Enjoy some Supermoto action from every angle in Denmark originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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- Report: CARB’s latest ZEV revision could add 1.4m more green cars, create a big loophole
Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Electric
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is holding meetings that could put the hammer down on getting more zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) on the road – or so it seems at first glance.
CARB, which always looks far down the road, is discussing how it will change the ZEV program that concerns model year 2018 vehicles and beyond. The proposal (PDF, but watch out: it’s 670 pages that are not searchable!) could force automakers to add half a million pure electric or fuel cell vehicles and another 900,000 plug-in hybrids by 2025, writes The New York Times. Overall, CARB’s proposal would increase the market segment of advanced clean cars from four percent in 2025 to 15 percent in the future. CARB is also asking for more hydrogen stations to be built.
That may all sound good, but there’s another side to the story, one that’s a big loophole. Plug In America is calling on its members to oppose a portion of the proposal that could actually reduce the number of ZEVs on the roads in the future. Comparatively, anyway. In a letter to the DOE and EPA, CARB Chair Mary Nichols wrote:
California commits to propose that its revised ZEV program for the 2018-2021 MYs include a provision providing that over-compliance with the federal GHG standards in the prior model year may be used to reduce in part a manufacturer’s ZEV obligation in the next model year.
The details are that, for every two grams per mile of GHG overcompliance, an automaker could “cut the number of pure electric-drive vehicles [it has to offer] by as much as 50% over 2018 to 2021,” writes Plug In America, which also calls it a “sweetheart deal” and “a bad deal for California and for the United States.” PIA writes that Honda, Hyundai and Toyota lobbied for this overcompliance language. We’ll keep following this one.
CARB’s latest ZEV revision could add 1.4m more green cars, create a big loophole originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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- Video: BMW M shows off new diesel-powered lineup in motion
Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Wagon, Crossover, BMW, Diesel, Luxury
If you’d like to see more of BMW newly unveiled range of M Diesels, here’s your chance. To recap, BMW revealed four tri-turboed, diesel-engined, all-wheel-drive M cars for European buyers yesterday: the M550d xDrive (a.k.a. 5 Series) sedan and touring, the X5 M50d and the X6 M50d. All use a 3.0-liter inline-six putting out 376 horses and 545 through an eight-speed auto, and in the case of the M550d sedan it can get to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds.
That makes each of the white knights in the promo piece both sporty and powerful, as you’ll hear often in the video after the jump.
Continue reading BMW M shows off new diesel-powered lineup in motion
BMW M shows off new diesel-powered lineup in motion originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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- Report: Petrov lines up as Pirelli test driver… but what will he drive?
Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Hirings/Firings/Layoffs
When the music stops, there are always a few Formula One drivers left without seats. That’s not because the field is getting smaller, it’s because there are always more drivers looking for rides than there are rides to go around. And that’s certainly the case this season. With only one race seat still yet to be confirmed at the perennial backmarker Hispania Racing Team (HRT), several drivers were dumped by the teams they drove for last season.
That includes Rubens Barrichello (axed by Williams in favor of Bruno Senna), Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi (both canned by Toro Rosso), Tonio Liuzzi (from HRT), Adrian Sutil (from Force India) and Vitaly Petrov (dismissed by Lotus-Renault in favor of Kimi Raikkonen).
So where will they all end up? Barrichello and Sutil are left scratching their heads, while Alguersuari and Buemi are lining up roles as official test drivers for major teams. But Petrov is reportedly looking at another avenue that is neither with a current team nor altogether outside of F1.
An official announcement has not been made, but all signs point towards Petrov serving as official test driver for Pirelli. The Italian rubber company needs an F1 driver with recent experience and proven talent to test the tires it furnishes for the entire grid at each grand prix, and that driver looks to be Petrov.
The question is, what will he be driving as Pirelli’s test pilot? Last year, the company used the 2009 Toyota TF109, but that’s now three years old – a relic by F1 standards. Picking up one of last year’s cars from a team still competing in the series could constitute an unfair advantage, particularly given the constrictions on testing these days, so Pirelli is reportedly working with all the teams to try and find a consensus solution, but if none is found, it may have to cut a deal with one of the teams in order to continue its development work on next year’s tire compounds.
Petrov lines up as Pirelli test driver… but what will he drive? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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- Official: Nissan Note gets minor upgrades for 2012
Filed under: Budget, Minivan/Van, Europe, Hatchback, Nissan
For 2012, the funky little Nissan Note is getting some upgrading for its top two trims, the oddly named Acenta and N-TEC+, while the Note lineup itself is getting some downsizing. Outside, the Acenta sits on 16-inch wheels now and gets “chrome-effect” caps on the side-view mirrors and around the front fog lights. Inside, items like climate control and automatic headlights are standard, as is a blue cross-stitching on the seats for “a more premium feel.”
Above that, in the UK, the new N-TEC+ trim is now the top-of-the-line model, as the former top-tier Tekna is going away. The N-TEC+ gets rear parking sensors, privacy glass and Nissan’s “Connect” touch-screen satellite navigation.
The base Visia model remains unchanged, as does its £11,200 price (around $17,500 USD). The Acenta gets a £200 price bump to £13,000 ($20,400), the N-TEC+ rises £100 over the plain old N-TEC of yore to £13,500 ($21,200), all prices inclusive of Britain’s costly Value Added Tax. Engines in the range, the 1.4- and 1.6-liter petrols and 1.5-liter diesel, are also carried over. Follow the jump for the press release and have a closer look at the Note in the gallery of high-res photos.
Continue reading Nissan Note gets minor upgrades for 2012
Nissan Note gets minor upgrades for 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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- Rumormill: Renault planning 50th anniversary Alpine tribute concept for Paris
Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Paris Motor Show, Renault, Rumormill
Love it or hate it, the automotive industry of today is not lacking for its exercises in reviving old nameplates. The trend ranges from Mini to Maybach, from Dodge Dart to Dodge Challenger. And the French are certainly not immune. Citroën revived its fabled DS moniker for a range of premium hatchbacks, and Renault – most of all – has been mulling bringing back the Alpine for years now.
Arguably just as central to Renault’s performance heritage as the recently revived Gordini line, Alpine made mid-engined sportscars with Renault mechanicals starting in the 1950s and discontinued four decades later. Its most famous model, however, was the A110 (pictured above), which is now celebrating its 50th anniversary. And if a new report from Autocar is accurate, Renault has no intention of letting the occasion slip by unnoticed.
In fact, the French automaker is reportedly planning an Alpine concept car to unveil at the Paris Motor Show next fall. But the question remains whether there’s any production potential with such a concept. The French are known for producing some rather intriguing show cars – sportscars in particular – that never seem to get very far from the show stand, from the GTbyCitroën to the Renault DeZir.
Whether Renault can make the business case – without the North American market, at that – to take on the sports car establishment remains to be seen, but having the Nissan product bin to raid certainly couldn’t hurt.
Renault planning 50th anniversary Alpine tribute concept for Paris originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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- Video: Ontario seizes pair of taxi cabs for street racing
Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Government/Legal, Videos, Work, Chevrolet, Canada
Two taxi drivers in Toronto recently found themselves on the wrong side of the law after officers stopped the duo for illegal “stunt driving.” The drivers had their Chevrolet Impala taxis impounded and their licenses revoked for seven days after officers busted the two street racing early on the evening of January 25. The Toronto police haven’t released any details about what spurred the two to show down on Younge Street, Canada’s longest, or the drivers’ ages. In addition, their employers are keeping their mouths shut about whether or not the duo will continue to have jobs after their mandatory license suspension lifts in a week.
According to our neighbors to the north, Younge Street once had a bustling street racing scene. Regardless of whether these two were settling an old score or just horsing around, running light to light near the crowded Dundas Square area is a recipe for disaster. Hit the jump to check out a video of the news report for yourself.
Continue reading Ontario seizes pair of taxi cabs for street racing
Ontario seizes pair of taxi cabs for street racing originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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- Report: Bucking trend, Consumer Reports gives nod to BMW X3 over Land Rover Evoque
Filed under: Etc., Crossover, BMW, Land Rover, Luxury
The turn of the year didn’t merely lead us into the Year of the Dragon, but also the year of the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. Halewood’s small softroader won a boodle of awards: Autoweek‘s Best of the Best, Top Gear magazine’s and Jeremy Clarkson’s choice for Car of the Year, Motor Trend magazine’s SUV of the Year and the North American Truck of the Year. For starters. Consumer Reports, however, isn’t as swayed, saying that the new BMW X3 “handily outpointed its European rival” in a head-to-head between the two compact luxury crossovers.
We expect there’s an Evoque out there with a sore backside because CR did not spare the rod, saying the Evoque scored near the bottom of its category because of “a cramped cabin, stiff ride, artificial-feeling steering and troubling emergency handling.” On top of that, its “rear view is poor,” its “cargo area is small” and its interior is “noisy” albeit “well finished,” and was outdone by the X3′s “lavish interior.” The baby Land Rover finished so far in the hole that CR couldn’t give the vehicle its coveted Recommend rating.
That seems a bit harsh at first glance, especially since comparing interior measurements between the two seems disingenuous when the BMW is so much larger that it’s basically in another class. That said, we haven’t read the full piece yet, so we’ll withhold further commentary. For CR’s press release on the Evoque vs. X3 cage match and its comments on the Toyota Prius V, Volkswagen Tiguan and Jeep Wrangler, look no further than after the jump.
Continue reading Bucking trend, Consumer Reports gives nod to BMW X3 over Land Rover Evoque
Bucking trend, Consumer Reports gives nod to BMW X3 over Land Rover Evoque originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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