If you can’t get enough of car performance statistics, and you’ve got an extra hundred and sixty dollars you’re willing to drop on finding them out, then I’ve got something fantastic to tell you about here, the ScanGauge II Automotive Computer.

It’s a foregone conclusion, of course, that it will tell you all those “error codes” that make your check engine light kick on.  That’s pretty much the top reason to buy one of these, so you can tell what that check engine light is actually trying to say.  I mean, there are HUNDREDS of things it can mean, and it can mean just about anything from “your catalytic converter is shot” to “you didn’t fasten the gas cap securely”.

But it doesn’t just handle error codes. It also tackles fuel economy, battery charge, coolant temperature, and any of a dozen other concepts as well, giving you literally the best possible status report you can have on your car at any given time without having your head under the hood while you drive.

Again, they’re a hundred and sixty bucks a piece, and you can buy them on ThinkGeek.

To some, the above paint job would look like nothing more than a mess but to New York artist KR, it’s a work of art. Honestly though, this artistic style is what KR called Krink and Mini has let the artist perform said art style on one of their vehicles. The result? The KRINK MINI.

The KRINK MINI went on display in Hamberg last week and was met with positive reception which I don’t doubt because it looks damn cool.

When can you buy one of these? Most likely never.

via autoblog

We’ve all heard of biodiesel and we’ve all heard of hybrid vehicles but how about a hybrid biodiesel burning 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle? No? Me neither. Neither did students at the University of Kansas until they built one, that is.

What you see above is their creation which gets close to 50mpg  running on both biodiesel and 10 lead acid batteries.Professor Chris Depcik, leader of the team, comments on the project:

“We have driven it around and reached approximately 30 mph, but this was more of a proof of concept drive without pushing the boundaries. We are currently getting the vehicle into road-ready shape to be driven safely in order to determine these values.”

via autopia

Jeremy Walton today further proved the obvious, if you know how to actually drive efficiently you will achieve higher fuel efficiency. He did this during this year’s UK MPG Marathon where he drove a Ford Focus RS for 360-miles while maintaining a 32.05 mpg US rating.

To put this into perspective, the Ford Focus RS is rated in the US for just 25.1 mpg meaning Walton achieved 6.95 mpg higher than the factory rating.

Moral of the story: ease up on the pedal, you’ll save gas.

Press release after the break.

via autobloggreen
continue reading "Ford Focus RS driven 360 miles while maintaining 32.05 mpg during UK MPG Marathon"

Do you have enough money for a Ferrari 458 Italia? No? Me neither, but I like to pretend I do that’s why I got pretty excited that Ferrari has today went ahead and launched their 458 Italia online configurator.

If you’ve played with an online car configurator before this is essentially the same thing, change the color along with various other things to customize the 458 Italia just to your liking.

Check out the Ferrari 458 Italia online configurator here.

A drive through wildlife safari park in Oregon–which is one of the all-time great tourist trap concepts EVER–has opened up a new feature to its park, the drive through elephant car wash.  It’s hose-free, brush free, and if you believe the park, it’s guaranteed to not get your car cleaned.  Check out the word from the park:

“I think a great deal of the success that happened at Wildlife Safari this year was attributed to these animals. People love to come out and have fun. What’s really cool with our elephants is what started this whole thing, and that’s that they love to play in water. They just love to have fun themselves.“

They’re having fun, you’re getting your car…um…sprayed…what more can you possibly want?  Aside from, of course, not having to take your car to an actual car wash to get the streaks of elephant mucus off it?  Not much, I’d say.

Better yet, check out the video!

It seemed that Tesla did a bit of planning ahead with their Model S as it was recently announced that the car was designed with the ability to have its battery swapped out from the get go.

What’s even better is the design allows for a very fast swap so a potential driver would be able to do it in less than 5-minutes. Just imagine, you’re cruising along and your battery runs out of juice but no worries because you have another fully juiced up battery in the trunk that you can swap out in under 5 minutes.

Of course, this also means that Tesla can sell different batteries for the Tesla Model S that could potentially make for a cheaper purchase price tag while still leaving room for a hassle free upgrade.

via autoblog

Imagine seeing this backwards of a truck in front of you while you’re driving. And let’s say it’s late at night any you’re hurrying to get home. Wouldn’t you be scared to see this thing coming at you? Wouldn’t you try to avoid a crash by slowing down and maybe trying to avoid it? Sure the paint job on that truck is definitely interesting and hilarious to a certain point, but it could also be very dangerous and cause some unwanted accident. As always, keep your eyes on the road, and you should be just fine!

via jalopnik

The 3M Headlight Lens Restoration System offers a cost-efficient way of trying to bring back the shine and use of your old headlights. It makes of 3M’s abrasive technology and a polishing compound to restore hazy and dull headlight lenses. A household drill is needed to aid you in applying it. This product should help improve those dull lighting needs you need especially if you drive your car out at night.

Price: $14.56

(Source) Amazon

Have you been eyeballing all electric vehicles such as the Chevy Volt but want something with a bunch more muscle? Well, what you see above is the work of electronic controls engineer Tom Leitschuh; an all electric, fully functional El Camino.

Mr. Letischuh said that the entire project cost him right around $30,000, including the cost of the ‘81 El Camino, when it was all done. The car is powered by 46 lithium-ferrite phosphate batteries furthermore, the car is said to have a maximum power output of 100 horsepower which, coupled with a 3 speed manual gearbox, is awesome, to say the least.

via autopia

Now here is something amazing — What you see above is a 32 valve DOHC V8 engine fashioned completely out of legos. What’s even more impressive is the fact that it’s 100% functional.

Now, there’s not much more that I can say so you’re just going to have to watch the video because this thing is absolutely ridiculous.

Like what you see? Well if you have over 300 hours of patience you can build it yourself using these instructions and this part list.

What you see above is the Robert Lange’s Balanced-Over-Battery fully electric, tilting vehicle. Sure the car features a cool DIY look but the real gem is that Lange reportedly only spent $500 over the 3 years it took him to build this car. Of course, its made of recycled components but it’s still ridiculously cheap for the outcome.

Another interesting feature of this car is the tilting which is used for steering; the car will tilt left to right up to 45 degrees as the driver leans into turns while its batteries act as a counterweight. Also, the car uses a creative gear-box like system where it can be switched from 36 to 72 volts for added power.

via jalopnik

We have seen a lot of marquee solutions when treating chips and cracks and here is one that should be of use to motorists who want a simple DIY product for addressing such issues. The product is the Fix-A-Flat – Fix-A-Windshield, Do-It-Yourself Windshield Repair Kit (161890) which is easy to use and can do the job in minutes.

While some prefer to change the damage in its entirety, the conservative motorists today are looking for better cost-efficient ways to address car problems. And in cases where such chips or cracks are not that major as far as repairs or replacements are concerned, this repair kit should come in handy and resolve the problem better.

Price: $11.99

(Source) Amazon

We are seeing a lot of people using various products for their cars to make sure that they retain their shine and maintained better. Waxes and car products that help clean certain debris and contaminants are of course the ones that come into mind and here is one car cleaning product that should come in handy.

The Mothers California Gold Clay Bar Paint Saving System helps wax your car in minutes and make your car look as fresh as ever. Get rid of those debris and make sure that your car looks clean and glamorous with the right maintenance it is due with.

Price: $15.83

(Source) Amazon

There are a lot of crazy people out there who love their car so much that they would do anything. But this practically takes its cue from sleeping with your car. Can you imagine your pad with a practical garage inside? Now that is something worth checking out.

The crazy guy is an architect, Holger Schubert, who practically designed his place to accommodate his Maserati Granturismo. And to sweeten up the garage, he has even added a remote-controlled ramp so that when it is time to use it, he doesn’t have to worry about fumes sticking on the classy interior.

Now the question, is it a garage or a pad? You be the judge and see in the video below for yourself!

(Source) Slashgear