RideLust

2011 is right around the corner and we all know that New Year’s Eve is when the champagne flows and inhibitions are forgotten.  And when drunk driving is especially prevalent.

As a reminder of such dangers, AAA has released the results of a survey finding that one in ten American drivers within this past year have admitted to getting behind the wheel despite believing that they were near or in excess of the legal blood alcohol content limit.  In addition, AAA reviewed NHTSA data on alcohol-related fatalities between 2000 and 2009 and found that almost two and a half times as many people are killed in alcohol-related crashes on New Year’s Day than on the same day of the week in the weeks surrounding the holiday.

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Ford's Mustang GT is the car I'd most like to add to my garage. Image: Ford Motor Company

Writing about cars can be both a blessing and a curse. On the plus side, you get to climb behind the wheel of some really cool rides, most of which are beyond your current (and future) bank account balances. On the flip side, you don’t get to pick and choose which cars you drive, and manufacturers build a whole lot more minivans and crossovers than they do entertaining sports cars. Still, I’d be in the wrong line of work if I didn’t love to drive, and all cars, no matter how bland, have some redeeming qualities. Looking back on the last 12 months, I drove around 50 different vehicles. Some were truly memorable, while others I can only remember because I photographed them. The one constant across all the different vehicles I drove in 2010 was this: no one builds a bad car anymore. The days of paring costs back to the bone and less than motivated line workers appear to be behind us, and that’s a very good thing.

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One way to keep your car safe. Image: Ihasahotdog.com

According to the latest data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, you’re more likely to have a car stolen on New Year’s Day than on any other holiday, and New Year’s Day even trumps the average daily theft rate. The NICB just released their latest analysis of car theft rates in 2008 and 2009, and it includes a handy breakdown of theft rates per holiday. In 2009, an average of 2,276 vehicles were stolen per day in the U.S. On holidays, the theft rates were:

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Chevy has provided first responder training on the Volt. Photo: © GM Corp.

It’s official: the first Volt to be binned was taken out by a 2005 Ford Explorer, whose driver was “distracted while reaching for a cell phone”. The 24 year old woman behind the wheel of the Explorer hit the Volt from behind at speed, which resulted in minor injuries to her 2 year old son when his safety seat failed. No injuries were reported to either driver involved in the incident, which occurred in Linden, Michigan. Since Volts have gone on sale in Michigan, it isn’t known if the Volt driver purchased the car or was driving a loaner vehicle. It also wasn’t clear if the driver of the Explorer was ticketed for the accident, but let me go on record as saying, “I sure as hell hope so.”

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Slow, panning shots of the Ferrari 458 Italia, from multiple angles. Footage of the car in red, white, yellow or two-toned paint. Scenes of carbon fiber panels being manufactured, coupled with close-up shots of carbon fiber panels. Beauty shots of the leather and Alcantara seats, which blend the ultimate in comfort with the ultimate in support for aggressive driving. All set to a soothing electronic soundtrack, guaranteed not to offend anyone. Technically, it’s a video that shows the customization options available to buyers of the Ferrari 458 Italia, but we know better. This is car porn, solo car porn to be exact, and it doesn’t get better than this.

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The Honda Accord tops the list for the sixth straight year. Image: Honda Motors America

For years, Kelly Blue Book (KBB) has been the go-to resource to obtain pricing information on both new and used vehicles. What started as an “insider only”, subscription-based service for car dealers went public when KBB began selling their little blue books to anyone with interest and money. Since that time, KBB and others have de-mystified car dealer pricing, and now provide a handy online resource for car shoppers. Want to know what a dealer pays for a car? KBB will tell you (mostly). Want to know what option packages cost? KBB will tell you. Want to know how much you should pay in your area, and what the current incentives are? KBB will tell you.

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Just in case you’re not a fan of Formula One, here’s some background: the guy driving the Mercedes-Benz wagon is none other that Finnish F1 superstar Mika Häkkinen, who won the F1 World Driver’s Championship in 1998 and 1999, and was one of the competitors most feared respected by Michael Schumacher. Häkkinen retired from F1 after the 2001 season, but returned to racing in the DTM series in 2005. He retired from competition in 2008, and now spends his time coaching new drivers and managing their careers.

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Russian Bear Ruins Fishermen’s Day – Watch more Funny Videos

I used to live in black bear country, and I can tell you from first hand experience that bears are smart. Scary smart. Garbage cans pose no challenge to them (unless it’s a screw-top bear can, which they haven’t mastered yet), fences don’t even slow them down and they’re pretty adept at breaking into houses if you store dog food or birdseed on the porch. I’ve seen bears break into cars looking for food, and it’s never a pretty sight. If you want to get back at an ex, just steal the keys to their car, smear the inside with peanut butter and park it in bear country. Total devastation (and a really funny YouTube video) will ensue.

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Suzuki’s Kizashi mid-size sedan is the best automobile the Japanese automaker has ever produced. It’s stylish, it’s comfortable and it represents solid value for the money; despite this, sales of the Kizashi to date have been disappointing, and that’s an understatement. Suzuki has sold just under 5,300 Kizashis since the car went on sale earlier this year. That’s not exactly Toyota Camry territory, so Suzuki will roll out a new ad campaign beginning on Christmas day.

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Image: jonsteiger.com

The Plymouth nameplate is long dead and buried, but that hasn’t stopped Chrysler from registering the name ‘Cuda as a trademark according to Autoblog. There are many different reasons why Chrysler would do this, including launching a line of ‘Cuda sportswear, ‘Cuda die cast toys, ‘Cuda appearance packages for the Dodge Challenger, etc. On the other hand, it’s no secret that Chrysler recognizes the power behind the ‘Cuda name, so speculation that a ‘Cuda variant of the current Dodge Challenger is under development may not be that far-fetched.

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