Das Auto! Among other things...

Volkswagen T2 Microbus Production to Cease in 2013

2012-10-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

To refer to this as the end of an era, would be putting it too lightly. It has been confirmed by Volkswagen of Brazil CEO Thomas Schmall that production on the Volkswagen T2 will cease at the end of 2013.

Now some of you may be thinking to yourselves, "They still make those?"

It is unfortunately not-very-common knowledge that the T2 (AKA Microbus, AKA Camper, AKA Bus, AKA Kombi, AKA Transporter, AKA Pick-up, AKA - aw screw it, you get the point) is still currently on sale in Brazil, where it been a strong seller for many years. During that time, the T2 only had minor modern upgrades - and it wasn't until 2005 that its iconic 80-horsepower air-cooled engine was swapped out for a 1.4-liter water-cooled straight-four.

The reason for the T2's demise is reportedly stricter upcoming safety laws, which, when you think about it, makes it all the more surprising this is just happening now. Nonetheless, I'm sure classic VW enthusiasts everywhere are saddened by this news.

2013 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S Unveiled

2012-10-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've always had a soft spot (read: hard-on) for performance SUV's, especially the Porsche Cayenne, since its introduction to Porsche's vehicle line-up in 2003. Now in its second generation, we've seen some impressive statistics from the Cayenne over the past decade, including a 0-60mph acceleration of 4.7 seconds from the 2008 Turbo S model.

Porsche has been kind enough to give the world a sneak peak at its 2013 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, which is will be meeting the public at the Los Angeles Motor Show next month. They've made some modest performance improvements, outlined below.

Utilizing the same twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V8 as under the hood of the Turbo, the Turbo S has a re-designed intake manifold, increased boost, and a re-mapped ECU, which produce 550 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Reportedly, these modifications have resulted in a 0-60mph acceleration in 4.5 seconds, and thanks to the 8-speed Tiptronic S transmission, the Turbo S can achieve a top speed of 175 mph.

As expected, buyers will also find all of Porsche's latest equipment, including Dynamic Chassis Control and Porsche's Active Suspension Management.

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S will be available for sale in the spring, with a base price of $146,975 USD.

Garmin Nuvi 5" GPS (1490 LMT) Review

2011-10-31T19:24:00.000-07:00

The price of quality, name brand GPS systems has been steadily decreasing over the past couple of years. This can mainly be attributed to the prevalence of GPS systems being included in new vehicles, as well as people using their smart phones for that same purpose.

A quick browse through any electronic store's inventory will reveal numerous good deals on GPS units, but there is one unit in particular that I would like to highlight - the Garmin Nuvi 5".

As a name brand product, the price definitely caught my eye. But as I read over the specs of this unit, I was surprised at how good of a deal this actually is. Equipped with Bluetooth hands-free calling and free lifetime updates, this unit contains most of the features you need, and leaves out the ones that you would probably never use. See the below chart for more details.

Bluetooth Handsfree Calling - Yes

Dimmable LCD - Yes

Keypad Interface - Yes

LCD Resolution - 480 x 272

LCD Screen Size - 5"

Touchscreen Interface- Yes

Vent Mount - No

Windshield Mount - Yes

Address Book - Yes

Audible Directions - Yes

DC Car Adapter - Yes

Distance Log - Yes

Downloadable Maps - Yes

Downloadable Voices - Yes

External Antenna - Not Applicable

GPS Chipset - Multiple

Includes Lifetime Map Updates - Yes

Includes Lifetime Traffic Updates - Yes

Integrated Antenna - Yes

Points of Interest Yes - 6 Million

Programmable Waypoints - Yes

Product Depth - 1.6 cm

Product Height - 8.6 cm

Product Width - 13.7 cm

Product Weight - 221 g

Remote Control - No

Warranty Labour - 1 Year(s)

Warranty Parts - 1 Year(s)

Garmin has always been known for standing behind their products, and creating quality technology to being with. In a store, you can expect to pay at least $200 plus tax. I did some searching around, and it seems that Amazon is the cheapest place to buy the Garmin Nuvi. Even with shipping, it still usually works out to be cheaper than buying it in store.

I recently ordered a couple of these units that I intend on using as Christmas gifts this year. Why not shop early before the price goes up?

Ferrari Gives the Finger to Electric Cars

2011-09-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari's president, said his company will never make electric cars as he doesn't believe in them.

I agree with di Montezemolo's assessment of environmental alternatives, such as Hybrids, since they will be much more practical for Ferrari from a business perspective. Who in their right mind (and who isn't a celebrity) would actually purchase an electric Ferrari? A fully electric engine would detract from the rich engineering history that encompasses Ferrari's vehicle line-up.

"You will never see a Ferrari electric because I don’t believe in electric cars, because I don’t think they represent an important step forward for pollution or CO2 or the environment. But, we are working very, very hard on the hybrid Ferrari. This should be the future, and I hope in a couple of years you can see it."

The hybrid system that is alluded to in the above quote is rumored to be Ferrari's KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) technology which the company currently uses in its Formula 1 cars.

60th Anniversary of the Unimog Prompts New Concept from Mercedes-Benz

2011-06-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

The Unimog is certainly not a common discussion topic at the dinner table these days, so perhaps an introduction is in order for this vehicle.

The term "Unimog" technically represents a range of multi-purpose 4-wheel drive trucks made by Mercedes Benz. There's the medium 405 series, the heavy 437 series, and U20 which is the smallest available Unimog. Shortly after World War II, the first Unimog was designed to be used off-road, with farming in mind. Unimogs can be found anywhere that an off-road vehicle is required, such as in the jungle, on mountains, in the desert, and in towns and cities as municipal vehicles (such as snowplows).

To honor its multi-purpose design, Mercedes-Benz has created a concept based on the already-existing U5000 platform, featuring exposed underpinnings and brightly-detailed aluminum chassis rails. And of course, the aluminum five-spoke wheels add a certain personality to the truck.

Designers promise that certain aspects of this concept will manifest themselves in upcoming models of the Unimog.
(source)

Smaller, High-Revving Turbo V8 in the New Corvette C7?

2011-05-26T22:40:00.000-07:00

If there's one thing I hate doing, it's jumping on the "rumor" bandwagon - but with the current C6 generation Corvette coming to an end soon, I'm finding it difficult not to partake in the speculation that GM may be substituting its large V8's for something smaller.

It's no news that basically all manufacturers are going the "forced induction" route when it comes to pushing their vehicles to their limits, but the Corvette is an icon of American muscle! Will it really be the same without a massive traditional V8? Well, as I was reading on The Detroit Bureau, the new C7 will be targeted towards a completely different demographic. Corvette owners have typically been older American males, so GM wants to cater to a younger crowd with a European-styled V8 that could be as small as three liters, but still deliver around 400 horsepower! Some aesthetic rumors have implied that the C7 may bring back some historic features, such as the split window of the 1963 model - but that rumor is of course unconfirmed.

What I can confirm, however, is that GM’s global design chief Ed Welburn admits that the current interior of the C6 is a massive disappointment, and he is personally overseeing the design of the C7's interior. Since he considers himself a long-time fan of the Corvette, he promises the new design to be "world class," but I'll have to see it to believe it.

Back to the engine, is this a good change? I'm asking myself this very question right now. Since the Corvette's debut in 1953, it has always been stuck to the philosophy of "there's no replacement for displacement," indicating that this is a HUGE overhaul for this sports car. I really can't predict how the C7 will do on the market, but GM really has to make this a work of art in order for it to succeed. There's no word on price yet obviously (which should answer the majority of the comments on this post), but price is really irrelevant at this point anyways.

Not One, Not Two, But Three Turbochargers on the Upcoming BMW X3 M?

2011-05-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

No, it's not a misprint! BMW's "M" Division in Munich is readying a brand new mid-sized SUV which will possibly be equipped with "tri-turbo" technology. I might add that it is scheduled for launch as early as 2012, which makes me hope they're not rushing this beast out the door to test the market.

The current straight six will apparently be tweaked to 3.2 Liters, up from 3.0L. Although I have no idea how valid this next statistic is, we can apparently expect horsepower somewhere around 450bhp, and can expect it to cost approximately $12,000 more than the current X3.

My guess is that the X3 M will be greeted with good sales figures - judging from the fact that that the current X3 is sold out in the UK until 2012. It`s absolutely astounding to see the advancements that automakers are making with forced-induction technology, and I for one will anxiously await this vehicle`s release... even though I won`t be buying one.
(source)

Is Lamborghini Planning a "Daily Driver"?

2011-05-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

Currently, Lamborghini offers two super car models - the Gallardo and the Aventador- but this might soon change with another addition to its line-up.

News has trickled from a press release that the automaker plans on releasing a third model that will be intended as an "every-day car" that would be designed for daily use.

Although details are sparse at the moment - and believe me; I've looked - there are quite a few theories about what this car will look like. It will most likely use a platform within the Volkswagen Group, and could take on a variety of forms.

For instance, Audi and Porsche (with their R8 and 911 respectively) have proved to their customers that a daily-driver supercar is not only possible, but it's an awesome idea.

I'm personally hoping that they don't design something like the Ferrari FF or the Porsche Panamera.

(Source)

The Worst Vehicles on the Road 2011 - According to Forbes

2011-05-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

Forbes magazine recently released its "2011 Worst Cars on the Road" list, and while I wasn't surprised that American manufacturers got hated on substantially, but a couple others such as the Smart Fortwo made me laugh. Here is the full list:

• Cadillac Escalade
• Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
• Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
• Dodge Nitro SLT
• Chrysler Town & Country
• Mercedes Benz S550
• Chevrolet Aveo
• Chevrolet Colorado
• Nissan Titan
• Jeep Liberty
• Smart Fortwo

Whenever lists like this are compiled, its important to know the criteria. Forbes took many factors into consideration The Cadillac Escalade for example, although a symbol of wealth and class, topped the list because of its high cost of ownership, poor safety rating, and overall low value.

As I mentioned above, American vehicles are quite prominent on this list. Since Forbes derived its data from Consumer Reports, this is clearly because of low safety reports, low reliability, high maintenance costs, and bad fuel economy.

I can't say I agree implicitly with this list, but instead of ranting I'll just conclude by saying that Consumer Reports seems a bit biased. Luxury vehicles have an obviously higher cost of ownership, but that doesn't necessary make them "the worst vehicles on the road," does it? And not every manufacturer strives to make all of their vehicles the safest (substituting practicality and performance). So although I wasn't necessary looking to buy any of the vehicles on this list, the fact that Forbes proclaimed them the "worst vehicles on the road," does little to alter my thoughts towards them. If anything, I think less of Forbes for being a bunch of jackasses.

Electric Racing to Premiere in United States

2011-05-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

Rather than in the UK as previously announced, the race for the EV cup will be occurring in the United States in this upcoming November. The EV cup is a race with exclusively-electric vehicles, and is apparently the first of its kind.

In my opinion, the EV cup is more for technology interest than for any other reason. Statistics show that the general public isn't keeping themselves too well-informed about electric vehicle technology, and probably won't be too interested in this type of competition.

Surprisingly, the US has shown more interest in the EV cup than the UK, which was the reason for the location change.

Expect races to begin in 2012, and expect them to be really quiet and lame.

Are We Finally Going to See Some More Turbo-Diesels?

2011-05-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

Since when I first began being interested in vehicles, I always wondered why North America wasn't taking the same initiative as Europe when it came to turbo-diesel technology. Turbo-diesel engines are fuel efficient, have tons of torque, and are being under-utilized by most manufacturers.

Luckily, this might soon change. I read an article on Left Lane News (source) about how Cummins is working together with Nissan and the Department of Energy to create a four-cylinder engine that just might change the North American pick-up industry forever.

Rumor has it that Nissan actually has a fully-functional prototype in a testing phase - boasting a 2.8 liter engine and 3.8 liter engine. But the important part of this post is how this will affect driver's wallet. Just how efficient is this damn engine in comparison to what's already on the market?

In comparison to the current Nissan Titan (which may soon have a turbo diesel) the increase in fuel efficiency is approximately double.

Although the new Nissan Titan isn't scheduled until 2016, other manufacturers are likely to follow suit, and you can bet your ass that I'll have a turbo-diesel pickup on my shopping list in a 5 or 6 years.

62MPG Fleet Average Not Likely

2011-05-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

Unknown to most American citizens, 18 US Senators and a bunch of hippy environmentalists have been quietly pushing a bill that would require US automakers to have a fleet average of 62MPG by the year 2025. However, numerous letters including one from the Alliance of Auto Manufacturers has the Obama Administration reconsidering this proposal.

Obama, even though he has basically nothing to do with this post.

My opinion is that this proposal will interfere with the American dream of being a bad-ass motherfucker. You see, it is very difficult to be hardcore when your car gets 62MPG.

The official response from the AAM is that the cost increase would be too substantial, at approximately $10,000 per vehicle, and all manufacturers would likely see a significant decrease in sales. Job loss is predicted at 250,000 jobs if the 62MPG fleet average requirement were to take effect.

An official decision on this bill isn't expected to be delivered until next year, but until then Das Auto! says screw the hippies and their hippy agenda, and recommends that you buy a gas-guzzler while you still can.

Hot Wheels to Comes to LIfe at Indy 500

2011-04-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Very few car-related things make me reminisce about my childhood more than Hot Wheels, so my eyes were immediately drawn to a news article today about a stunt being planned which will involve a real truck, and a massive ramp.

Over the course of three weeks, organizers planned to construct a 30 meter door with a huge orange ramp, and judging by the trial-run video I saw, they're nearly done. Their goal is to break the jump record for a four-wheel vehicle, and to be honest, I can't wait to see their attempt!

The stunt will take place in the fourth turn of Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the May 29 race begins. Company officials expect the driver, whose identity is being kept secret until after the stunt, to break Johnny Greaves’ current world record of 301 feet.

Finally Some Isuzu News!

2011-04-18T01:13:00.000-07:00

Isuzu has almost become a forgotten brand these days in most of North America. Its GM partnership has been going roughly due to lack of interest, and lack of sales. But things might be looking up for the brand, based on reports that Volkswagen has expressed interest in purchasing Isuzu.

VW has stated that they won't be making any quick decisions, but if the purchase does go through, VW would only have indirect control considering that MAN SE, a truck maker that is 29.9 percent owned by VW, may be the entity to make the stake.

The reason I found it necessary to mention this possible purchase, is actually based upon the surge in Isuzu's stock of 9.6%. And this was purely on the "word" that the purchase may occur. I know I'll be keeping an eye on this!

Cheers!

Land Rover Defender Relaunch Planned for 2015

2011-04-17T03:13:00.000-07:00

Although Land Rover has always catered its Defender to a very small client base (making it quite rare), Land Rover has announced that it has already begun the development process of the next-generation Defender. American readers probably aren't as familiar with this vehicle, considering it's been banned in the United States since the 1990's due to airbag regulations, but the next-generation Defender is sure to be in the public eye within the next few years.

The current model has retained its basic design for several decades, but expect this to change.

What does this mean exactly? Land Rover has indicated they are quite serious about the update, boasting a new production facility, brand new platform, and most importantly the backing of parent company Tata Motors.

Land Rover was kind enough to provide a time-frame for curious enthusiasts such as myself. We can expect a concept of the Defender in 2013, with the road-going version scheduled for its market introduction in 2015.

Fuel Prices - Do I Have to Become a Prostitute to Pay for Gas?

2011-03-11T20:18:00.000-08:00

After a brief hiatus of not giving a fuck, I am back and ready to provide the world with the automotive content that it craves and deserves. Along with my senior news correspondent, Yuri Bonergarden, there is nothing that will stand in our way of providing car enthusiasts their daily medicine; so get ready.

I cannot fathom a more meaningful way of resuming my role than to bitch about today's gas prices, so that's exactly what I'll be doing! If you don`t like a man speakin`the trufs, please leave now.

Hopefully you guys and gals aren't surprised to learn that I've never worked at a gas station (because let's face it - only retards and immigrants work at gas stations), but our senior news correspondent, Yuri Bonergarden, has obtained some interesting information about this industry, and has been kind enough to share:

1. Most gas stations set their prices not according to how much it costs them to replace the fuel, but in correlation with their closest competitors in the area

2. If one station ups their price per gallon, the rest will follow suit and vice-versa. That's because station owners typically only make two or three cents on every gallon of gasoline sold. Instead, they make their money off of the snacks and drinks inside.

So kids, if there's one thing to take from this lesson, it's that gas stations don't have much control over the price of their fuel, but they really jew you over (pardon my political incorrectness) on the food inside the store.

Hopefully you are all as fortunate as myself, and had the foresight to purchase a fuel-efficient vehicle. If not, and you are among the portion of the population who eats through their stress, DO NOT, I repeat: DO NOT, purchase your food from the gas stations. Why? 'Cause fuck 'em, that's why.

In all seriousness, however, the gas prices aren't going down anytime soon. If you're rich and don't care, I commend you on your success - but for the rest of us, public transit is becoming a more feasible option for daily commuting.

If you are planning on taking public transit to and from work, I must insist that you continue reading. People on buses staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnk, and you're going to want to get drunk before riding the bus to lower your olfactory sensitivity. Also, remember to bring your mp3 player because people on the bus tend to jibber-jabber, and it's very annoying. Last but not least, I feel inclined to recommend that bring your bike so you can minimize your time on the bus.

Obviously I'm not going to bother discussing specific gas prices, but you can check gasbuddy.com if you want to find the cheapest gas near you.

We at Das Auto! are interested in hearing how the current gas prices are affecting you! You won't win anything, but you will temporarily satisfy Yuri Bonergarden's curiosity! Have at 'er in the comments.

How Hard Does Your Suspension Have To Work?

2011-02-25T18:09:00.000-08:00

The short answer is that it has to work pretty goddamn hard to keep your vehicle straight, and keep you comfortable during the ride.

Our Senior News Correspondent, Yuri Bonergarden, was directed to the below video where a smart gentleman has attached a camera to his Mazda Miata to capture the suspension travel over a short distance. This resulted in some pretty awesome footage, and I recommend watching it even if you don't own a car or give a shit what I'm talking about.

So even though your ride may still feel bumpy, or your suspension may be tuned stiff, you now have a general idea of how much vibration your suspension is absorbing. The suspension in the video was aftermarket sport suspension, meaning that it was designed for handling and actually absorbs less vibration than what you would get on a stock vehicle designed for comfort.

While I'm on the subject, if you're thinking about purchasing some coilovers for your vehicle, I highly recommend K-Sports. They'll cost you a pretty penny, but I threw a set of fully-adjustables on my 1992 VW Jetta GTX a couple years ago, and I have no regrets. They perform great, and I can raise my vehicle easily in the winter. This is a subject that I've researched extensively, so if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section.

FBI Sued for Crashing Ferrari

2011-02-24T17:51:00.000-08:00

Catchy title, right? Well it's true, the FBI is being sued by a Detroit insurer after an agent crashed a $750,000 Ferrari F50 into a tree! The lawsuit alleges that he dun goofed, real bad.

As for the Ferrari itself, it began its life in a dealership in Pennsylvania where it was stolen in September of 2003. The dealer submitted a claim for the stolen vehicle to their insurance company, who paid them their claim. Five years later in 2008, the vehicle was found in Kentucky and was held by the FBI as they investigated the case.

While in FBI possession, two mechanically-retarded special agents decided to take it for a drive. The Ferrari vehicle "fishtailed and slid sideways" within only a few seconds of leaving the warehouse where the vehicle was being stored," according to the lawsuit. Some people just can't handle a supercar, apparently.

After the crash, the insurer submitted a claim to the FBI for the cost of the Ferrari, and was denied on two separate occasions, hence the lawsuit.

source: detnews.com

330km/h Speed Record Set - On Ice!

2011-02-22T17:44:00.000-08:00

Off the coast of Finland, on the frozen Baltic Sea, a pretty amazing feat has taken place recently. No, I'm not talking about ice fishermen having inappropriate relations with a whale; I'm talking about the new ice-speed record being set by Juha Kankkunen, a four-time world rally champion.

The supercar he was driving was the world's fastest convertible - the Bentley Continental GT - and as the title of this post suggests, 330km/h is the record that was set.

As you might assume, certain necessary modifcations were done to the Bentley to make it suitable for the freezing conditions, which dipped as low as -30C. These included installing Pirelli winter tires, a rear parachute, and a roll-cage.

Only 4.8 km was needed before hitting the record speed on the 16.5 km course. A representative with Guiness World Records was on hand to verify the achievement.

For those interested in seeing the video, (which I think is pretty goddamn awesome) here it is:

Rearview Advertising - Nissan's New Approach to Marketing their GT-R

2011-02-21T18:37:00.000-08:00

It seems automotive companies are slowly beginning to realize that traditional advertising aggravates consumers and makes them feel stupid. If someone is genuinely interested in learning about a new car, they'll go online and do research - and it doesn't matter to them if someone (not to mention any names...*cough* Eminem) is driving a car in a commercial. A while back, I did a post about BMW's flash projection publicity stunt, and now Nissan is doing something interesting as well.

I'll let the video do the bulk of the explaining, but a couple ladies in a Nissan GT-R went driving around and slapping a film on Porsche owner's windshields to make it look like they're behind a GT-R. It looks like they're capitalizing off their Nürburgring lap time, which was faster than Porsche's.

Some people think that Nissan's actions border on vandalism, but I think it's clever marketing. Thoughts?

Insurance Company Forced to Pay Man for Marijuana

2011-02-20T13:21:00.000-08:00

Whenever insurance companies are forced to court-ordered to pay out their policies, it is a victory for the consumer. However, one case specifically caught my eye the other day because of the judge's unique decision. Quebec’s auto insurance protection agency has been ordered to pay $5,000 to a man so that he can grow and smoke marijuana in his home, for medicinal reasons of course.

The man had initially requested insurance coverage for medicinal marijuana for his back spasms, claiming that traditional medicine didn't work, but he was obviously denied. He apparently used to smoke weed illegally, and was arrested and charged on numerous occasions for doing so.

The man (whose name wasn't included on the news report) appealed his case to tribunal officials in Quebec, and it was decided by two judges that the proper steps must be taken for rehabilitation for the car crash victim. This means that $5,000 must be paid for a hydroponic greenhouse in the man’s home, as well as covering water, electricity, plants and soil expenses.

I came up with this complicated algorithm for how this man achieved this court victory:

Now, of course the man had to prove with doctor testimony that prescribed pharmaceutical drugs didn't work to relieve his pain, but hopefully this sets some type of precedent for people who can benefit from cannabis... such as Das Auto!'s Senior News Correspondent, Yuri Bonergarden:

Would You Buy a Car if a Sumo Wrestler has Sat on it?

2011-02-19T16:54:00.000-08:00

For the competent consumer, the answer to this question doesn't require any consideration.

But for one gentleman on a local (Vancouver) Subaru forum, he found out after purchasing his new Subaru Forester that the vehicle had been used in a commercial - one which included having a Sumo Wrestler sprawled out on the hood.

Here is his original post quoted from Subaruforester.org:

So I picked up my new 2011 Subaru Forester last weekend. Drove it home, parked in the sun to get a good look, and much to my dismay, noticed small imperfections in the hood... as if someone placed something heavy on the hood. Not really dents... just areas where the light reflections show up shallow imperfections.
At first I wasn't going to complain, thinking "it's not noticeable unless you really look..." but every time I looked
Drove back to the dealer (Don Docksteader in Vancouver), and they said "no problem, we will take care of that for you... must have happened when we shot the latest Sumo Wrestler Add!! Google "Sexy Sumo 2011 Forester"
At the end of the add, you can see a bunch of Sumo Wrestlers lounging on Forester hoods outside the dealership.... I guess this is where the damage happened.
Tomorrow the manager is supposed to phone me, and I am wondering what I should ask for:
1. replace with a new Forester that hasn't been sat on by a huge Japanese man. I can guess that would be a difficult discussion.
2. replace the hood with a new Factory painted hood... not sure this is even possible?
3. repair the hood and re-paint it... I am really not in favor of this option, but that is likely what the dealer will offer. Kind of like paying full price for a new car after it has been in an accident and repaired.
4. ask for money back to compensate for the damage.
Any thoughts / suggestions?
I guess the only good thing is knowing the Forester can actually take the weight of a Sumo Wrestler without too much damage... I would have thought sitting on the hood of a new vehicle these days would have definitely left a large impression.

Here is the ad that he is referring to in his post:

Now although instances of this magnitude would be few and far between, it just goes to show you that even if you purchase your vehicle brand new, from the dealership, you still don't know exactly what they've done with it before selling it to you.

I think it was fairly irresponsible of this dealership to sell the Forrester to this guy without properly inspecting it after the commercial was filmed, because surely they could have anticipated that SOME damage might occur. However, this just perpetrates my theory that you should never buy a car from a dealership.

What Happens If You Don't Change Your Oil?

2011-02-18T17:50:00.000-08:00

Even people who aren't mechanically-inclined know that only a retard doesn't change his oil. But what actually happens if you neglect to perform regular oil changes on your vehicle? I sent Das Auto`s senior news correspondent, Yuri Bonergarden, to find out the answer to this question.

Yuri was able to contact one unfortunate gentleman who literally ran his BMW 60,000KM without an oil change, and this gentleman shared pictures of his engine with Das Auto.

First, we'll have a look at the oil pan. Nasty! It's amazing the engine could still run!

Next, the car's owner (who shall remain nameless) showed us the backside of the cover.

To get technical, your engine will be filled with sludge. Your engine simply can't run properly with all this crap. The owner of this particular car will be cleaning his engine for a while, and even after rigorous cleaning, it's not certain that it can ever function at optimum efficiency ever again.

Kids, our senior news correspondent, Yuri Bonergarden, says "NO" to improper engine care.

Detroit's RoboCop Statue Is Funded!

2011-02-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

I know I'm not the only person been thinking that a statue of RoboCop would look great in Detroit, so I was glad to hear this piece of news today. In fact, I sent our senior news correspondent, Yuri Bonergarden, to Detroit get the scoop!

On the plane to Detroit, Yuri was pleased to read that donations were raised to put this project together, with a final donation of $25,000 from a company called Omni Consumer products.

Now when Yuri first arrived in Detroit and met with the Mayor, he was surprised to learn that there was no immediate plan to put a fur hat on RoboCop upon the statue's completion. This concerned him greatly, and he expressed this concern with extreme gusto - an action to which the Mayor replied, "Men, get RoboCop a fur hat!"

As you can imagine, the Mayor is a very influential man, and when he requests a fur hat, one is fetched for him immediately. He put this task on top priority, and his men came back with a high-quality, no-expenses-spared red tail fox hat. Yuri and the Mayer of Detroit shook hands, knowing that RoboCop's statue will be erected in style! Above is an artist's rendering of what the statue will look like upon completion.

Turbo Minivans - "I gotta get me one of these!"

2011-02-15T19:01:00.000-08:00

Call me crazy, but turbo minivans have been an interest of mine ever since I was a kid. My parents had a minivan, and the thought of making one really fucking fast by either upgrading the naturally aspirated engine, or adding a turbocharger sounded really cool. As I grew up, I realized that these things are all over the place.

Obviously at the age of 20, I have better things to spend my money on (i.e. rent, food, and beer) but I've been reading stories over at turbominivan.com that seriously make me want to pick up a minivan at some point in my life, and slap a turbo on it. Can you imagine the look on someone's face when they hear your minivan's engine screaming with 15 psi of boost? I can.

Still thinking turbo minivans are a joke? Well, they're not. Here's a video of a Plymouth Voyager absolutely smashing a Firebird on the track:

And here's a video of a turbo Plymouth Voyager (possibly the same one?) just barely losing to a Subaru WRX:

So in conclusion, if you pull up to a red light and there's a dude in a minivan beside you, you don't know what he's got under the hood! And to all the haters who are saying "yeah, but it's an ugly-ass minivan," I say shame on you all. It's the ultimate sleeper, and I'd totally like to own one (not as my daily driver, of course).