We don’t need to tell you why rally racing – though awesome – is incredibly dangerous. As much as we love to watch turbocharged, all-wheel-drive Euro hatches being flung around on dirt, gravel, snow and tarmac, the fact that many of these races go through small towns and wooded trails leaves plenty of room for disaster.

Case in point: This Renault Clio racer went off course during the 2012 Mazowiecki Rally, leaving driver Patrick Osowiecki and navigator Maciej Wrona trapped upside-down in a lake. According to CarScoop, no race officials were near the scene of the accident, but some selfless spectators rushed in to attempt to free Osowiecki and Wrona from their racecar. Scroll down to watch the action unfold.

Continue reading Watch spectators rush to save lives of rally drivers trapped in capsized Renault

Watch spectators rush to save lives of rally drivers trapped in capsized Renault originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PORTLANDIA-Series


Image by drburtoni
street scenes on a late February day…

MGB

1st RC rocket car


Image by Erik Charlton
A project for a design class called “an experience in motion." Well, the estes engine fired…and the fin worked great while the rocket soared down the street…then the engine shut off and the car slowed. No air pressure on the rudder meant no control =) It was an awesome wipe out.

Car Sawed in Half


Image by Tim Patterson
I went into this parking garage so I could take some photos from the roof when I noticed this really cool old car cut in half and mounted on a wall.

This is one of those things you’ll probably only see in Austin.

Acura is recalling 52,615 TL sedans from the 2007 and 2008 model years. The problem: a faulty power steering hose that could, over time, deteriorate and develop a fluid leak.

According to the automaker’s official statement, a leaky power steering hose “could lead to loss of power steering assistance or, if it leaks onto a catalytic converter it may result in smoke, or in the worst case, fire.” Acura states that no crashes, injuries or fires have been reported because of this issue.

Owners will receive notification by mail starting in mid-June, and Acura dealerships will replace the defective hoses free of charge. If owners want to find out if their specific vehicle is affected before being notified by mail, Acura invites them to visit www.recalls.acura.com or call 1-800-382-2238 and select option 4. Scroll down for the official press release.

Continue reading Acura recalling over 52,000 TL sedans over power steering hose

Acura recalling over 52,000 TL sedans over power steering hose originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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(Blurry Photo Series) “Live” From The Presidio – Ford Edsel And Other Classic Cars


Image by raider3_anime
Blurry photos, because someone who borrowed my camera yesterday didn’t turn the autofocus for the lens back on.

Anyway, saw these cool cars, mostly Edsels, parked outside the main parking area of the Presidio in San Francisco. I was there with a friend, Dominic, and a couple other folks representing the Barbary Unit (Division 49) of Dr. Steel’s "Toy Soldiers", running a Toy Soldier Invasion of the Walt Disney Family Museum

My friends and I spent nearly three hours inside, and even that wasn’t enough time to process all the exhibits, chronicling Walt Disney’s life, his early days as a cartoonist, the struggles in the early days, leading up to the founding of the Disney studios, development of animated short features, full-length animated movies, live-action films, and of course, the creation of Disneyland, Walt Disney World and EPCOT, and a few projects he was working on prior to his death in 1966.

It was an interesting and informative day for me. Photos not available of the museum, due to their "No Photography" policy – Be sure to visit the museum when you’re in the area, and check out what else is in the immediate vicinity.

(Info on Dr. Steel: worlddominationtoys.com/drsteel/about/about.htm )
(Info on the Toy Soldiers: www.toysoldiersunite.com/ )

(Blurry Photo Series) “Live” From The Presidio – Ford Edsel And Other Classic Cars


Image by raider3_anime
Blurry photos, because someone who borrowed my camera yesterday didn’t turn the autofocus for the lens back on.

Anyway, saw these cool cars, mostly Edsels, parked outside the main parking area of the Presidio in San Francisco. I was there with a friend, Dominic, and a couple other folks representing the Barbary Unit (Division 49) of Dr. Steel’s "Toy Soldiers", running a Toy Soldier Invasion of the Walt Disney Family Museum

My friends and I spent nearly three hours inside, and even that wasn’t enough time to process all the exhibits, chronicling Walt Disney’s life, his early days as a cartoonist, the struggles in the early days, leading up to the founding of the Disney studios, development of animated short features, full-length animated movies, live-action films, and of course, the creation of Disneyland, Walt Disney World and EPCOT, and a few projects he was working on prior to his death in 1966.

It was an interesting and informative day for me. Photos not available of the museum, due to their "No Photography" policy – Be sure to visit the museum when you’re in the area, and check out what else is in the immediate vicinity.

(Info on Dr. Steel: worlddominationtoys.com/drsteel/about/about.htm )
(Info on the Toy Soldiers: www.toysoldiersunite.com/ )

In The Cool Kids Car


Image by BrittneyBush

Just don’t answer. The question is neither relevant, nor is it even the crux of the column. Get past the clicky smelling headline, and what you have here is a combination of two news stories, one new and one old, both of which you’ve likely already come across.

We’re going to play nice here and not knock over Salon columnist David Sirota’s house of cards, because this is a good read and he’s a talented writer – even if, off the top of our heads, we can name several popular vehicles that offer a fuel economy benefit to those willing to row their own, from the Volkswagen Jetta to the Chevrolet Sonic to the BMW 3 Series. But the guy does have a point that’s probably of great benefit to many Salon readers: If a smug sense of superiority is what you’re after, opting for a manual transmission is no longer a sure bet. (Locally sourced organic produce and craft beer, for the win!)

In the end, Sirota is smart enough to come to two conclusions that most of us would agree to. The first being that driving a manual is fun, and the second, that it’s hard to text while steering, operating all three pedals, and working that stick.

On second thought, maybe you should answer with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. See below for our completely unscientific poll.

View Poll

Salon columnist asks, “Is it ethical to drive stick?” originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 May 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog

Cool Cars Under the Stars, Elmhurst, IL

Image by skeggy

Cool Cars Under the Stars, Elmhurst, IL

Image by skeggy

Every year the Formula One calendar incorporates new races at more far-flung locations around the world. Recent additions have brought the series to such locales as Abu Dhabi, South Korea and India. But the purists know that, no matter where it may roam, F1 is essentially a European series.

With the grands prix in Australia, Malaysia, China and Bahrain now behind us, the circus has come back home for the European section of the calendar that kicked off this weekend in Barcelona, Spain. Keep reading to see how it unfolded.

Continue reading A rookie challenges the champions at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix [spoilers]

Autoblog

Image by Martyn @ Negaro
An overcast windy Saturday at Castle Combe for the car track day. The day just got wetter and wetter, only one minor off thankfully.