Driving is one of the most enjoyable experiences of modern life , and sometimes, aggressive drivers ruin it for the rest of us. Some studies show that aggressive driving might be responsible for up to two-thirds of all U.S. traffic accidents that involve injuries. Thankfully, there’s now a way to spot them… look for bumper stickers.
That’s the conclusion of a recent study by Colorado State University social psychologist William Szlemko. He found that drivers of cars with bumper stickers, window decals, personalized license plates and other “territorial markers” are far more likely to express “road rage” and aggressive behavior than those without the markers. The best part: It doesn’t seem to matter what the message on the sticker is, “Peace and Love” or “Bomb ‘em All”, just the fact that a person has stickers or markers makes road rage more likely.
Being a designer for Ferrari is second on my list of dream jobs, right below working as a Disney Imagineer, and slightly above writing for an automotive website. I’m not the only one though, it’s a popular dream, which is why you get thousands of random design or engineering students coming up with their own vision of the new Ferrari flagship every year. The internet is swimming with independent designs, and still, finding a really original one is difficult.
Israeli designer Amir Glinik has my attention though. His concept of a V4 motorcycle is based on the Ferrari Enzo, and I love it. It has beautiful vintage lines that capture the original Ferrari design nicely, and yet it’s almost 100% aluminum to keep weight down, and has a drive by wire computerized system.
Check out the pictures:
Back in 1978, a Frenchman named Pierre Scerri wanted a Ferrari. He was a racing fan and loved the look and sound of the Ferrari race cars he saw at the circuit. He knew he couldn’t afford one, so he decided to build one himself, a Ferrari 312PB… but one that would fit in his living room. So he took pictures of the 312 PB, the real one, and sketched out all details.
It took him 3 years to complete every schematic and drawing. Then it took him another 12 years and 20,000 hours after that to build it, in its entirety. By entirety, I mean, he built everything: the body, interior, seat belts, switches, spark plugs, engine, gearbox, electrical system, lights… everything is there, perfectly. And it works.
Check out the pictures and info after the jump:
Driving a go-karts is some of the most fun you can have while looking like a 10 year old. You’re totally exposed and open, and low to the ground, so even the fairly modest speed that a 125cc engine gives you feels supersonic. So I can only image what it’s like to swap out the regular kart motor with a 1300cc Suzuki Hayabusa powerplant. Powerslides and burnouts and, of course, freaky speed. Here’s the builder’s blog.
Check out videos of the go-kart in action after the jump.
Also after the jump, a Smart Fortwo with a Hayabusa engine video. Normally Smart cars have a 3 cylinder engine with less than 1000ccs. Mating it with the 1300cc ‘Busa high quality engine is pure genius. Check it:
It looks like some guy in Poland hooked up his car with a backwards facing seat, steering wheel and pedals, in addition to the regular controls. From what I can see in the video, he also hooked up the rear wheels to a steering rack so he can use them to steer. Strangely, the front wheels look like they still turn too, so they’re not locked in place. This is one of the weirdest DIY alterations I’ve seen in a while.
German auto tuning haus, Reiger, has released an aftermarket styling package for the 2009 Ford Mondeo, successfully upgrading it from grocery getter to gangster getter [alright, so maybe I'm exaggerating for the sake of alliteration, but it's a cool mod kit regardless]. Updated without being ridiculously over accessorized [here's to looking at you, Honda aftermarket outfitters], the Reiger body kit for the Ford Mondeo features a new front lip, side skirts with custom cut out vents, and a rear diffuser - available in three different variations [depending on the exhaust configuration]. Not visible on the exterior, additional enhancements include a KW tuned coilover suspension and ECU-modifying SKU chip upgrades.
All “you might be a redneck” jokes aside [largely because I'm getting mighty tired of hearing them], you have to admit that this is, bar none, the sickest Ford Pinto you’ve ever seen in your life.
Down South lifted cars are a dime a dozen and don’t even garner as much as a second glance, but can you imagine the instant street cred a hi-rise Pinto wagon would garner you in places like Philadelphia?” If you’ll excuse me, I’m off to rummage around on eBayMotors now…
Oh, and I apologize for neglecting to inform you in advance that the super short-shorts wearer was a dude. Sorry ’bout that.
Well, I guess it’d actually be considered more a “down-shirt”, but you catch my drift…
Anyway, Hillbank Motorsports has created a new accessory for 2005-2009 Ford Mustangs, the “Hillbank Glass Hood Kit,” which allows owners to show off their engine bays. For those who don’t want to spring for the $1,299.99 hood kit and don’t mind cutting their hood themselves, Hillbank also offers simply the glass paneling. If executed correctly, the cheaper alternative will still yield the same results.
Interestingly enough, I have nothing snarky to add to any of these photos, and largely because I was raised in the South - the Philly Ride Share program horrifies me more than donks do. I’d like to note, however, that back in high school I dated a guy who drove a brand new ‘94 Camaro that I had to practically pole vault to get into, and up until a few hours ago, that’s what I believed a true donk to be. As I was going through these pictures, though, I realized that “monster cars” like Jason’s Camaro have been almost completely replaced by these shiny new chrome jobs, painted colors like bitchass-purple.
Yesterday, Jalopnik posted about Mopar’s unveiling of the 2009 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, which one commenter pointed out appeared to have been designed for “the man with a switchblade in his sock and only one testicle” [which I personally found to be uproariously funny and dead-on-balls accurate]. The Mopar Challenger Dragster is serious business though, and Mopar actually requires all potential buyers to fill out an application before getting behind the wheel, presumably to screen out those who aren’t man enough [a tobacco spitting contest is included in phase 2 of the review process].
