Companies have been using product placement in movies for years, but GM hit the jackpot when Michael Bay was on the look-out for cars for the upcoming Transformers movie. Many of the prominent good guy roles, known to many of us as Autobots, have been assigned to various GM vehicles. The biggest change to come from the selection of GM however is in the role of Bumblebee.

In the animated TV series Bumblebee was a friendly VW Beetle. For the live-action Transformers Movie BumbleBee has been fashioned out of a late 70’s model Camaro that receives a face-lift in the movie to resemble the new Camaro concept due out in 2009. For any purists of the comic book and 80’s cartoons of the Transformers making such a change in the body of Bumblebee may be difficult to swallow. But for the characters sake and for GM’s benefit this might be the best move imaginable.

With the new Chevy Camaro receiving a prominent role in the Transformers movie they are helping to guarantee the spotlight on a car that will not reach showrooms until 2009. Between toy sales, video game sales, and movie sales when it comes out on DVD GM may be assured that the hype for their new Camaro will remain high until it is unleashed onto the Auto Market. And may also acquire a new crop of Camaro loyalist whose first experience with the car will be in a Bumblebee transformable toy.

Source[MSNautos]

AOL Autos have put together some great tips which will enable drivers to avoid getting that dreaded speeding ticket, these are not illegal tips or anything like that, they are just some good common sense tips that will make you aware of those little things that you could be doing wrong.

1. Stay with five and ten mph of the traffic around you, otherwise you will stand out and get noticed by the police.

2. Get into the middle of the pack; the first car will get the first view of anything ahead.

3. No Pack? Find a single car ahead, stay within 100 yards of it, when he spots the police or speed camera, he will brake and that is your warning signal.

4. Avoiding switching lanes, tailgating and aggressive driving, you will be either reported or spotted by the police.

5. Don’t hog the fast lane; it is a giveaway to the police, only use it for overtaking if necessary.

6. Look ahead; on highways you can normally see a parked police car, which is your signal to lift off the gas.

7. Never speed when you are the only car on the road, this is just plain stupid, being the only car on the road is going to get you noticed, if you are only slightly speeding, you could be in trouble.

8. Get yourself a legal radar detector, you get advance warning of speed traps and therefore can take the appropriate action.

9. Do not stand out from the crowd, having a modified, unusal or brightly colored car will get you noticed, are the police going to stop the family sedan or brightly painted customized street racing car?

10. Your appearance matters, if you look like you have just escaped from jail, then you are more likely t be stopped than the respectable family man.

These points are self explanatory, but a you can tell, by doing one or more of the above can increase your chances are being noticed and getting a ticket.

Source [Life Hacker]

Science continues to stretch the alternatives for what may be the fuel of tomorrow. Recent news of a breakthrough at the University of Wisconsin-Madison indicates that carbohydrate or sugar may be the next fuel alternative to seek a market.

Professor James Dumesic and his graduate students are converting biomass into sugar and then turning that into 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF). From their work they have determined that DMF can be created with 1/3 the energy as ethanol while providing a higher energy capacity as well. Although DMF is still in its research phase and its own environmental impact has yet to be determined it is certainly a promising alternative worthy of further investigation.

The most important aspect to take out of the announcement of DMF as another alternative fuel is that science is in pursuit of an answer.

Check out the article from the University of Wisconsin-Madison that details the process and benefits of DMF over ethanol.

It seems that California is not the only state or province in North America that has a crush on illegal street racing. The Ontario government and the Ontario Attorney General are out to crack down on illegal street racers and the cars they so covet. In response to the outcries of the families that have been victims to illegal street racing and as its popularity in the province is reaching its pinnacle the Ontario government has passed new legislation to increase the punishment for such illegal driving. And if the Attorney General continues to get his way they will not only deprive you of your means to race, but they hope to cut you off at the curb.

The new legislations passed by the Ontario parliament are summed as as follows:
 -   Police can issue an immediate roadside seven-day licence suspension
        and seven-day vehicle impoundment for street racing, participating in
        a driving contest or stunt driving
    -   The maximum fine increases from $1,000 to $10,000 upon conviction for
        street racing, making it the highest penalty in Canada. The minimum
        fine increases from $200 to $2,000
    -   Courts can impose a driver licence suspension of up to 10 years for a
        second conviction, if the second conviction occurs within 10 years of
        the first conviction
    -   The Act also bans driving a motor vehicle on a highway with a
        connected nitrous oxide system. Some street racers use nitrous oxide
        to enhance the acceleration capabilities of their vehicle.

That is the exact breakdown of the new law as noted by the Ministry of Transportation. They are also proud to note that included in the new laws the police are now permitted to use both Red and Blue alternating lights. Those measure are reported to help improve their visibility. How very progressive.

The Attorney General of Ontario, Michael Bryant, is taking the battle against illegal street racers one step further. Like California Bryant intends to demolish any car confiscated by police for street racing. As qouted in the Canadian press Bryant said of the cars impounded, “we will seize it and you will never see it again. We will crush your car, we will crush the parts.” Attorney General Bryant went on to elaborate by saying, “If we can establish someone has parts and they’re juicing up their car — obviously for the purpose of street racing — then we can seize those vehicles”
To some Canadians and to others of the free world such harsh languish may sound a little General Tarkinton attempting to extract the location of the secret Rebel Base from a dainty Princess Leiah with Dark Vader gasping down her neck. There is a delicate balance between personal liberty and the right of the state to protect its people. The quesion will be, How far is too far and will they know it before they have superceeded it?

What do you think of the governments offensives against illegal street racing in California and Ontario? Are they going too far or are these the necessary steps to get racer off the streets?

Source[Canadian Press]
Source[Ministry of Transportation]

A listing of the Top 10 selling sedans in May was released on AOL Autos and to some peoples surprise the #1 car was not the Honda Accord. The number one selling sedan in May was the Toyota Camry. Now considering that Toyota has become the #1 seller world wide that news should not be earth shattering. Also considering the influx of hybrid sedan shoppers in recent months the Camry hybrid would be a good choice for a new sedan. But to me the bigger surprise is the number 2 car on the list: the Chevy Malibu.

The Chevy Malibu seems to be fitting in where the Lumina once stood in the late 1980’s and early 90’s. It is an economical choice with few frills or stand-out features, but for the general population it is a car that gets the job done. Back in 1996 if the Malibu were on the list of best selling sedans there is a good chance some car guys would be High-Fiving one another. To this day the 1996 Chevy Malibu is a hot commodity on the used car market.
In 2008 a new design will be released for the Chevy Malibu. While it will probably still retain much of its general appeal as an economical car choice, the new design should help provide the Malibu with a bit more distinction amongst its sedan peers (or so Chevy hopes).

Check-out the entire list at AOL Autos.

Volvo has one former concept car ready to hit show rooms for the coming new year and another concept prepping for production. The one thing about Volvo in this decade; when it comes to concept cars they are a waste-not, want-not. Volvo does not toss out concepts to the car show crowds as mere litmus tests to see if they meet critical approval. Their cars seem to be well throughout, uniquely styled concepts just waiting for the right market for them to reach production. And so it is with their latest concepts the C30 and XC60.

In the C30 Volvo is entering into the 2-door hatchback market against the likes of the VW GTI and the Mini Cooper. They have coupled the sophisticated styling of the S40’s front end with the curvatured distinction of the XC90 in the rearend. The C30 is powered by the same 218 horsepowered engine as the S40 T5 which should serve well in this slightly shorter hatchback. The interior cockpit of the C30 boasts 4 bucket seats and the same unique dash as the S40. But with a stiffer, driver friendly suspension and a 6-speed manual transmission there should still be plenty of adventure built into this uncommon hatchback.

In not so stark a comparison the new XC60 is deemed to be the little brother to the well designed XC90. The rush to production is rumored to be in response to the new BMW’s X3 and the Audi Q5 that will be coming to market in the next year. But with its one-off styling and flex-fuel element this is a concept deserving its place on the market. While the narrow windows may give some people pause in concerns to visibility the over-all design of the car follows the similar and successful lines to that of its larger brother. With the new S80 out and the C30 and XC60 coming to market in the next year the future is looking very exciting for Volvo… which is something that no one would ever have said about Volvo back in the 1970’s.

On a side note, another area in which Volvo has taken a large step is on the internet. Of all the major car manufacturer’s Volvo has embraced the marketability of the internet and produced some of the more original sites for their cars. Check out the current websites for the C30 and XC60.

The racing team Sorted Performance had their Dodge Ram pickup and transporter hauling 2 Dodge racing SRT-4’s stolen from outside their hotel room in Livonia, Michigan. That was the report on AutoBlog, as the team scrambles in conjunction with law enforcement to locate the missing race cars.

It is asked that everyone in the area keep their eyes out for the cars pictured above. The transport carrying them and the Dodge Ram pick-up have been recovered.

Go to AutoBlog for further details. And for daily updates you can follow the thread on the SCCA Racing Forum. Your help is appreciated.

You know how it is, your driving along minding your own business possibly going slightly over the thirty five miles per hour speed limit, when suddenly you find that there is a police traffic cop bearing down on you, what do you do?

Well you are driving a 2000 Dodge Viper, so why not make a run for it!

This is exactly what happen, Officer Mario Marzetta of the Plainfield Police Department, heard the car coming way before he could even see it, speeding along Essington Road, passing the officer at around 127 mph, in a 35 mph zone.

The driver was eventually stopped and charged with felony fleeing and eluding the police, this was after he had driven at speed through interchanges and on into an industrial park where he tried to hide from the police by parking the in a parking lot, unfortunately there are not many Dodge Vipers around with custom paint jobs, including a stars and stripes painted on the hood.

The driver was unaware of the powers of the police, they can seize any vehicle that is involved in a felony, and in this case that is exactly what the police dept has done. The Dodge Viper has now been repainted in the police dept colors and has a set of lights on the roof too.

Now do you think that speeding through Plainfield is a fun idea? Obviously not all seized vehicles are turned into police cars most are sold at auction.

Source [Suburban Chicago News]

It seems that California has decided to take a different approach to combating illegal street racing. Not only will the police ticket you and impound your car, they are now going to Crush your car.

All that money spent on parts and tuning and styling will be folded up into a deck of playing cards as a warning to all illegal street racers.

Until the process of crushing cars reaches its full potential the deterrent they intend it to be may only result in more racers running to avoid capture. For some racers the $10,000 or so in extra parts on the car is a bit harder to replace.

For California the message is clear: leave the racing to your XBOX or on the track. If you want to race on the streets they will be seeking to crush your spirits.

Source[msnbc.com]

Related Articles:
Attempts to expand Car Confiscation Denied
UK Crushes 45,000 Cars in 2007 from Uninsured Motorists
Australian Govt to Crash Street Racers Cars for Educational Films

Two teenage muggers armed with a gun see that a man outside of a pizza restaurant would an easy target; they held him up at gunpoint and made off with his wallet and car keys. After finding the car, which was a Honda Accord they thought that they were home and dry, after all they only need to get in, start the car and then they off, no problems there then, or so they thought!

In a situation like this speed is of the essence, hanging around can only lead to one place, the local police station. Naturally while all this is going on, the staff in the restaurant are calling the police, who will be dispatching the nearest car ASAP.

To everyone’s total amazement the kids are still in the car, the engine is running, but they are going nowhere, witnesses say that the kids were tumbling around in the car as they tried to make their escape, what had stumped them was the car had a manual gearbox, it will not engage first gear unless the clutch is dipped first no matter how hard it is forced, but by now their time had run out, the sirens and lights kind of tell the kids that the game is up and they make off only to be caught a few yards away from the car.

So there are two lessons here, if you cannot drive a manual car, don’t use one as a getaway car and if you want to deter car thieves, get a car with a manual gearbox.

Source [RTE]