Carscoop

Italdesign's Brivido Concept Leaves the Show Floor and Hits the Road

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Fri, 11 May 2012 09:29:25 PDT

In contrast to the vast majority of impressive show car concepts that are either static or too fragile to be even touched, let alone be driven, the Italdesign Brivido sports coupe study is a fully functional model that was created to be enjoyed on the road.
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This is How the Nissan Juke-R looks on the Streets of Dubai at Night

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Fri, 11 May 2012 09:23:04 PDT

Another day, another video of the production-intent Nissan Juke-R. After the release of a short film that tells the tale of the GT-R-powered crossover's race against a trio of exotic supercars, Nissan has now published two new videos of the Juke-R in the hands of the Nissan/Playstation GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoňez.
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Unmarked NYPD Police Car Chases and Pulls Over Bicyclist

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Fri, 11 May 2012 09:19:40 PDT

We are not saying that police officers shouldn't pull over a bicyclist if the rider breaks the law, but it's really not that often that we see it happening, even more so on film.

According to the YouTube poster, the bicyclist ran through a red light at the intersection of 6th Avenue and West Houston Street and was caught by an unmarked New York Police Department Chevy Caprice sedan.
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The Ultimate Lamborghini Parking Lot

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Sat, 05 May 2012 04:24:51 PDT

Feast your eyes on more than four dozen Lamborghini supercars of all sorts of colors, old and new, all parked in the same lot. Naturally, you will be wondering what's going on here.

Well, this fantastic gathering of Raging Bulls took place in a recent meet hosted by the Lamborghini Club of America.
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BMW Returns to DTM After 20-Year Absence – Video

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 06:18:24 PDT

BMW will return to Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) after an almost 20-year absence. To celebrate the occasion, which will occur this weekend, the automaker release a video showing its awesome car running around a track with dramatic music in the background.
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Tool of the Month: We Have a Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:31:30 PDT

As if it wasn't bad enough that the owner of this Toyota Camry sedan parked the car illegally at the end of a crosswalk, thus forcing pedestrians to stand inside the road, the driver proves to be an even bigger tool by backing into a kid returning from school who was waiting to cross the street!
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Honda Dreams its Future Through its Past in New JDM Spot

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:25:07 PDT

A new Japanese commercial from Honda's corporate division attempts to show the passionate and innovative side of the company by displaying several products from its past, mainly focusing on cars but also including motorcycles and even agricultural machinery.
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Shut Up and Drive Races a 2013 Lexus GS F Sport on a Closed-Off Highway

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:20:40 PDT

In its premiere episode, Speed's new television show "Shut up and Drive!" with hosts Justin Bell and Townsend Bell took the brand new 2013 Lexus GS F Sport out to Northern Oregon’s twisty Rowena Loops.
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Tour Pagani's Modena Factory and Meet its Huayra Supercar

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:45:30 PDT

There is a lot of magic going on behind the closed doors of one of the newest and most exclusive supercar makers in the world.

In the latest episode of Drive, JF Musial offers us a unique inside look at Pagani by touring the company's Modena factory and interviewing the brand's founder Horacio Pagani, while he also took a ride in its latest and most exotic creation, the Huayra.
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SUV Caught on Camera Flying Off a Parking Lot Deck in Turkey

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:13:57 PDT

A Turkish driver had the ride of his life when he tried to give way to a passing car at a parking lot in the city of Istanbul.

According to local news reports, the driver of the SUV applied to much pressure on the gas pedal and as a result, he went flying off the parking lot deck crashing onto an adjacent building before landing on the ground. Luckily, the man suffered only minor injuries.
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New McLaren F1 spies

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:57:39 PDT

Our spies have caught the new 800bhp V8-powered McLaren F1 hypercar testing

We caught this McLaren prototype undergoing testing in Germany – and it could be the much-rumoured hypercar replacement for the original F1.
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How to Make the Best of a Flooded Road…Russian Style

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:00:06 PDT

While one driver was being a gentleman in St. Petersburg, Russia, by helping a woman cross a flooded road, another driver and his friend were partying it out by ski-boarding on the still waters, which would have been cool if they had not blasted water into the aforementioned driver's parked car…
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Watch a Drunk Driver Narrowly Miss Several Oncoming Cars Before Ending up on a Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:09:25 PDT

Despite public awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving, some people simply refuse to apprehend and continue to sit behind the wheel of their car after consuming large quantities of alcohol.
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Jaguar Presents New Flagship XJ Ultimate Edition Series at the Beijing Show [Video]

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:05:04 PDT

Described by Jaguar as the "pinnacle" of its XJ series, the new Ultimate Edition that was revealed at this week's Auto China 2012 in Beijing takes its place as the top offering in the saloon model's line-up.
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Lada Driver Loses it when he Finds a Chevrolet Aveo Blocking his Parking Space

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:11:54 PDT

One of the most annoying experiences for a motorist is when another vehicle blocks your car, and as we recently saw in Greece when peeved drivers overturned an Audi A3 hatch, this can often lead to violent actions.
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Land Rover Evoque Victoria Beckham Special Edition is One Posh Ride [Video]

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:01:23 PDT

The latest Land Rover Evoque “Special Edition with Victoria Beckham” seems to possess all the right ingredients to become a proper special edition vehicle. The former “Posh Spice” member of the wildly successful Brit pop girl group Spice Girls, a stand-out BFA award-winning fashion designer, and wife of international soccer star David Beckham, Victoria has worked closely with the British Automaker in developing the latest model.
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How to Buy a Used Car

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 06:54:47 PDT

Taking your time and researching can reap big rewards when it comes to purchasing pre-owned vehicles.

To some, the very notion of purchasing a used car can send them running for the hills, but as with anything else, provided you do your homework, the vehicle you choose can save you thousands of dollars over that new one in the showroom, without proving to be a money pit.
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It's a Bad Idea to Not Look when You're Crossing the Road…

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 06:32:57 PDT

Regardless of who has the right of way, it is very important for both pedestrians and motorists to be watchful at all times. In this occasion, while the ambulance was definitely speeding, on the other hand, the woman didn't even look before she tried to cross the road.
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Nissan Teases All-New 2013 Sentra Sedan, to be Unveiled this Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 06:25:06 PDT

Nissan will mark the Sentra nameplate's 30th anniversary in the States with the presentation of an all-new model that will be unveiled later this summer with sales to start across the country in the fall.
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Skoda MissionL to be Named Rapid in Europe, will go on Sale Before the End of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 06:16:14 PDT

The production version of the Skoda MissionL sedan will be called the Rapid in Europe, the Czech automaker revealed today at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show where it is displaying a lightly modified version of the concept model for the Chinese market.
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Spy Photo Camera Camo Explained: What’s With the Swirlies?

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 08:26:22 PDT

Ever see the cars in our spy photos page and wonder why they look like that? New paint job trends emerge all the time, like gloss-less matte paint finishes, which are becoming more and more popular in recent years. Some companies like to dial it up to 11 with chrome finishes on their entire cars. But there is one look that is always intriguing: car camouflage. No, not the desert or arctic warfare kind, we’re talking about camera-camo.

If you’ve spent even a smidgen of time on our Auto News page then you’ve probably seen one of our spy photo stories. A recurring trend in these stories is the bizarre magic-eye look on the prototype vehicles that our spies track down.

The truth is that car companies deliberately make their cars look that way so that when and if these prototype cars get snapped by a photographer, certain incriminating details are not visible.

Also, it’s worth noting that the look isn’t even a paintjob at all, but a vinyl application. The pattern on the application is perfect at tricking even the most advanced auto focus system on a camera. That’s because a camera’s auto focus system uses a subject’s colors to figure out its focus.

Dan Suszko from Graphik Concepts sells these vinyl wraps and confirms that it really works wonders to hide body work in photographs. “Car companies want to put an end to one person exposing their product to the world” Suszko said. “It really hides the way things look in low-res images,” he added.

Some cameras auto focus by using something like SONAR, but instead of sound, using infrared light. The infrared bounces back to the camera and the camera’s computers calculate the difference in time, and focus accordingly. However, if the subject is painted black, it could absorb the infrared light that the camera uses, and makes it harder for the camera to calculate the autofocus.

Cars in testing are often spotted in zebra-like looks that would make an active autofocus system struggle. Other cameras like SLRs have another form of autofocus which looks at contrast in the subject, to make its focus adjustment.

Again all the black and white swirls and lines on a prototype car make it nearly impossible for even some of the better autofocus systems to work. Add in the fact that cars in testing are usually on the move and you’ll see it’s not that easy getting those spy photos.

Opinions vary about the different designs of car camo. Brenda Priddy is a legendary automotive spy photographer, her photos appearing in almost every major auto magazine, paper and website. She tells us, “Frankly, I find the new breed of camo (swirly lines and sometimes colorful patterns) very photogenic!” Priddy questions the function of the camo too. “They haven’t interfered with my camera’s focusing abilities, and they help make the photo even more interesting,” she said. Further mocking those she stalks for a living, Priddy adds, “It seems the camouflage changes every year. I can’t wait to see what they come up with this year.”

When asked how popular Graphik Concept’s wrap is with automakers Suszko said, “I see it all the time. We’re right in the heart of Big Three country (Ford, GM and Chrysler) and I see my product all the time on the road.” He mentioned Nissan and GM specifically are recurring customers, but that the wrap isn’t isolated to just cars. Other vehicles like ATVs and Hovercrafts use the wrap as well when testing.

In fact, it’s quite likely you’ve seen Susko’s wraps. If not on AutoGuide or some other automotive publication, then during this year’s Super Bowl. The wrap appeared prominently on the new Cadillac ATS, during a commercial for the car right at the two minute warning.

Dan mentioned that car manufacturers like the wrap because it doesn’t affect the normal operation of the vehicle. It’s light-weight and doesn’t create aerodynamic drag. If you’ve spent a lot of time on the AutoGuide Spy Photos page you might have seen some of the bulkier equipment that some cars are dressed up in to hide new body work. Those are clearly more restrictive than these wraps.

David Caldwell from Cadillac’s Communications team talked to us a bit about these different types of camo. “You’ll see it occasionally, they put large and cumbersome parts to hide the design, but later when a car is closer to production, you’ll see that shrink wrapped vinyl.” Caldwell mentioned that the wrap is less cumbersome, and stays on the car easier. “We use [it] because it’s less restrictive. In the ATS-Nurburgring footage you’ll see the ATS in the car camo, because… it doesn’t limit air flow to the brakes”.

The fun part is that anyone can buy these wraps. They’re not just for prototype vehicles. Susko tells us that he gets orders from around the world, so there’s a real possibility that some are on passenger vehicles.

We’ve yet to see a non-prototype car strolling around the streets wrapped up, but then again maybe it’s best if spy photo camo wraps are left to the professionals.

Lamborghini Aventador J Unica Speedster gets its Own Promo Film

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 08:07:55 PDT

Somehow, we find it hard to believe that Lamborghini would take a one-off exotic supercar like the Aventador J Unica speedster for a crazy quick ride on a twisty road as the company's promo video suggest, but we gather the Italians had to show some movement before moving on to the static shots.
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Chevrolet Sonic Can Wax Off Your Body Hair in a Jiffy

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 08:02:03 PDT

We've heard of cars that can put some hair on your chest (figuratively speaking) but vehicles that can literally wax off your body curls is something new to us…
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Another Ferrari 458 Italia Goes Down, this Time in Poland

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:53:09 PDT

The relentless slaughtering of exotic Italian sports cars continues with a fairly new Ferrari 458 Italia that fell victim to the perfect storm: some careless driving mixed with rain and a roundabout. The accident took place in the city of Świdnica in southwestern Poland on Thursday night.
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That's One Way to Park Your Minivan at School

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:57:27 PDT

A school or college campus has to be one of the worst places imaginable to be involved in a car accident (or any type of accident, for that matter…), regardless if you are a student or a teacher.
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