I-90, somewhere in Montana. Image: smithje77

You Tube user smithje77 was moving his family from Seattle to Maine, so he did what any of us would have done: he wrote a script in python to have his Droid take an image every ninety seconds, then he set this to video and dubbed in a Woody Guthrie tune, which he also performed.

And by “any of us,” I mean not me. I’m adept with an iPhone, but I draw the line at writing apps. As for setting images to video, I still struggle with Photoshop, and I’m fairly sure that people would pay me large amounts of money to NOT sing. I sure as hell can’t play guitar, but I have driven across this country more times that I care to ponder.

So has Mike, which may be one of the reasons we get along so well. If you’re a fellow brother of the road, you’ll get this video; like us, I’m sure you’ll recognize a few frames, even if they do flash by rather quickly. If you don’t have the Road Jones, you probably won’t understand the attraction of this video, or the appeal of driving twelve hour days, fueled by truck stop coffee and bags of beef jerky. If you don’t understand, I sure as hell can’t explain it to you.

Source: You Tube via Straightline

http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2011/09/video-time-lapse-footage-from-seattle-to-maine.html#more

Ever see those white outline stickers on the rear windows of SUV’s and minivans that depict a nice happy family? Kurt seems to think that there’s a conspiracy theory at work here and that the stickers were actually designed to be used as a tasting menu for murders and pedophiles. As for me though, I just think they’re heinous… that was however, until now. What we have here is perhaps the best automotive sticker ever. It’s short, to the point and gets its message across in no time flat. It’s genius I tell ya’… pure genius and I want one for my car!

So there you are all pissed off that Mother Nature has decided to water the Earth and royally screw up your weekend plans. Then to top it off you find out that not only is your car half-submerged, but that the local reptile farm has had a security breach. Now normally neither one of these incidents should affect on one another, but just imagine if they did…

Source: VWVortex.com

Apparently the rumors are true as it seems that Top Gear’s Richard Hammond is all set to get his own automotive related TV show right here in the U.S.. The show, titled “Hard Drive with Richard Hammond” will air on BBC America and feature the hamster criss-crossing the U.S. in search of some of America’s most extraordinary vehicles. According to the site, tvbythenumbers.com;

Top Gear has consistently rated as one of BBC AMERICA’s most successful shows. Now Top Gear host Richard Hammond will star in a brand new original series called Hard Drive with Richard Hammond (wt) (6 x 60). Produced by BBC Worldwide Productions and based on the BBC format, World’s Toughest Driving Tests, it features Hammond traveling the U.S. and competing with local experts driving some of America’s toughest and most extraordinary vehicles. The executive producers for BBC Worldwide Productions are Rob Fox, Elli Hakami and Jane Tranter.

Now, we’re not sure how Hammond’s new show will impact shows like Top Gear U.S. and The Car Show, but I’ll you one thing, we’re eager to find out!

Image: BMW, via Auto Zeitung

Until now, all we had were thinly disguised spy photos of the new BMW M5. Sure, BMW even released a few teaser vids, but they were careful not to show too much sheetmetal. Thanks the the German magazine Auto Zeitung and 5Post, we now have the official BMW stock images, before BMW has them up in their press section. If you were looking for a radical re-style, you’ll probably be disappointed; on the other hand, BMW knows what M5 fans expect, and subtle changes will draw more buyers into showrooms than a complete styling makeover.

Image: BMW, via Auto Zeitung

Image: BMW, via Auto Zeitung

The V10 is gone for 2012, replaced by a more fuel efficient twin-turbo V8. The new engine is said to produce 552 horsepower and 501 ft-lb of torque, so don’t expect acceleration to be lacking. There appears to be good news on the gearbox front as well; after enough potential American buyers complained, BMW changed their minds about offering a manual transmission. If rumors are correct, the new car will come with either a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic or a six-speed manual.

Image: BMW, via Auto Zeitung

Look for more details on the car next week, but for now, enjoy the pics.

Source: Auto Zeitung, via 5post

Even Porsche's 'Pink Pig' 917 looks good. Image: Big Ben 212

Ask a dozen race fans what the best looking cars of all time were, and you’re liable to get a dozen different answers. I suppose it depends on which series you follow, as well as when you were born and who you watched race. I’ve been a big fan of open wheel racing since as far back as I can remember, but formula cars don’t do anything for me from a design perspective. That’s the point, really, since everything that goes into a formula car is about making it faster or improving handling; design really can’t be factored into the equation unless it coincides with improved aerodynamics.

I’ve always been a fan of endurance racing, which tends to be under-broadcast on TV. Even their production race cars have an element of style that you simply don’t see in other series, but the best years were the sixties and early seventies. Below are the five cars that stand out for me, but I’d love to hear your picks as well. What do YOU think were the five best looking race cars of all time?

1. Porsche 917K

The "psychadelic" Porsche 917K. Image: Brian Snelson

I’m a fan of any 917, but I think the 917K has the best lines of any variant. Unlike the short-tailed 917Ks, the 917Ls were much more stable at speed, but sacrificed the car’s original clean lines. That said, it still took “Huevos Mas Grande” to drive any of these cars at the limit.

Ford GT 40 Mk 1

A Mark 1 Ford GT40. Image: Lothar Spurzem

Ford’s GT 40 was their way of kicking sand in Ferrari’s face, and it was living proof of what could be accomplished by an American automaker. I still like the early Mark I and Mark II designs the best, since the later Mark IVs tended to look just like the Ferraris they were designed to beat on the track.

McLaren F1 LM

McLaren's race-ready F1 LM. Image: Robad Ob

As good as the road-going McLaren F1 looked, it was even more impressive dressed in race trim. I can’t think of many cars that look better with a big rear wing, but the McLaren LM is certainly one of them.

Lola T70

The Lola T70 - what a race car should look like. Image: John Chapman

Ask any child who’s ever seen “Speed Racer” to draw a race car, and chances are good it will look something like the Lola T70. It looks like what a race car should look like, which is perhaps the highest compliment you can pay its designers.

Ferrari 512S

A closed cockpit 512S. Image: Lothar Spurzem

It’s ironic that the car I consider to be one of the most beautiful Ferraris ever built didn’t rack up much of an impressive racing history. This is largely due to Ferrari’s indifference about sports car racing, which they essentially abandoned after 1967 to focus on their F1 effort. The 512S (in open and closed cockpit variants) only raced for two seasons, but anyone who’s ever seen the movie LeMans knows the car.

I was cruising around San Francisco today and just couldn’t help but notice all the old vintage iron that was parked on the streets. New York City is currently experiencing snow, freezing temperatures and salted roads, all things that are not conducive to the longevity of an old car. Around here though it’s friggin’ paradise. After cruising the streets for a few hours I just knew that I had to start snapping some photos. Old Corvairs, El Camino’s, Ford’s, Dodge’s and even a bunch of old VW’s littered the streets. The best part though… they’re all driven! Back in NYC seeing anything that was built prior to 1975 is a rarity, but here in San Francisco it seems to be the norm. I’ll be heading home in a few days and truth be told I’m not overly happy about it. In fact I’m so bummed that I actually met with a realtor today just to see what kind of pads I could get for my hard earned dollar. Who knows, maybe it’s time for ole’ Mr. Angry to head west to the land of 75 degrees and sunshine and give these folks a little bit of my New York charm. Click through to check out all the street side beauties.

Awesome.

By bolting on a sharpened front bumper, Tiny found that he actually enjoyed mowing the lawn in his truck.

Source: That Will Buff Out

A strict believer in Colin Chapman’s advice to “add lightness” Doug never could make his Jeep Cherokee as fast as a Lotus Seven.