Meals on...Exotic Wheels: Gotham Dream Cars Helps Feed the Elderly, so you Best Give a Damn

In charity-oriented news, Gotham Dream Cars recently assisted Pascack Valley, New Jersey's Meals on Wheels program in delivering food to some of the area's age- and hunger-impaired citizens. Edibles were brought door-side via cars like a Viper SRT-10, Lamborghini Gallardo, and Maserati Quattroporte, among others. The best part? Well, that depends.

Most people would say it's feeding those in need. Normal, right? Unfortunately, the press seems to think the story is the cars. That's right; instead of people who require help, the exotic transportation became the story. It's insane.

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U.S. Car Sales Continue the Uphill Trend in December

While the U.S. car market is still underachieving compared to the best results of the last decade, December sales are expected to significantly contribute to the annual forecast of about 12 million sold vehicles, as 2010 is clearly ending with an uphill trend, according to industry analysts.

“That's a long way from the 16 million and 17 million sales rates that we experienced for the better part of this decade. But we're coming out of 2010 on an upswing and I think this bodes well for 2011”, said Ford Motor Co. sales analyst George Pipas.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK Patent Drawings

While looking for the designs of the Smart Roadster model we showed you in our previous post, we stumbled upon these drawings of the next-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK used for trademark filings. Being that an official video of the 2012 SLK has already been leaked online (you can watch it after the jump if you missed out), these pictures simply offer some additional -and unobstructed- views of the roadster model with the retractable hardtop.

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VIDEO: Honda Civic Burnout Ends in Fiery Fail

As far as hooning goes, one would think that a simple burnout should get you in the least amount of trouble. However, the owner of this Honda Civic almost lost his car while dazzling the crowd [...], as after about 40 seconds the tires suddenly burst into flames.

So, what have we learned today? Well, first of all, avoid overdoing the burnout if your car is tied to a block of concrete. Also, always keep a fire extinguisher at hand, because it turns out that putting out flames with some refreshments isn’t very effective. Who would of thought it? Watch the video after the jump.

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Noblesse Wings Up Honda CR-Z Hybrid Sport Hatch

Japanese tuner Noblesse has been steadily releasing numerous aftermarket bits and pieces for the new CR-Z ever since Honda launched its hybrid sport hatch . Among other parts, the company has developed a ground aero-kit with front and rear bumper aprons, side skirts, a rear diffuser and a large roof wing. These can be complemented by a lightweight carbon fiber hood, underbody aero parts, larger alloy wheels and a sport exhaust system. You can check out photos of Noblesse's Honda CR-Z offerings along with a video of a test car doing a circuit round right after the jump.

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2011 Chrysler 200: Conflicting MPG Figures Hit the Maker’s Official Website

Even though the 2011 Chrysler 200 is set to debut in the U.S. at the end of January, many facts on the mid-size sedan remain unclear. The company hasn’t officially (…) released interior pictures yet, only a video, and mpg figures were also unknown. However, as some isolated reports about EPA ratings hit the internet today, we decided to investigate. We found out that Chrysler’s sedan won’t establish any records in the segment and that, ironically, the automaker can’t decide which is the correct EPA estimated mpg.

According to one page on Chrysler.com, the 200 sedan equipped with the 173 hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine returns 21/30 mpg city/highway, with both the 4-speed and 6-speed automatic transmissions. This is kind of strange to begin with, as you’d expect the more modern gearbox to have better numbers for the sake of marketing, if nothing else.

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Mercedes-Benz Patents Designs of Smart Roadster Model

Back in 2001 at the Geneva Motor Show, Smart introduced a quirky roadster concept with no doors, no roof and no windscreen called the Crossblade. The Fortwo Cabrio-based concept eventually went into a limited series production the following year with Smart offering a total of 2,000 cars.

Fast-forward to today, and Smart appears to be readying a spiritual successor to the Crossblade as the firm's parent company Mercedes-Benz has trademarked these designs drawings of a two-seater roadster model.

Unlike the original Crossblade, which came without doors featuring instead steel safety bars at passenger shoulder height that swing upwards with the help of a gas-operated struts, the roadster model seen in these pictures gets a conventional set of doors. It also features a larger wind deflector surrounding the driver and passenger as well as Smart's trademark Tridion Safety Cell - albeit redesigned to look like separate safety bars.

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La historia de Gef , una persona reencarnada en Mangosta

En septiembre de 1931, la familia  de Irving Voirrey (su esposa y su hija Margaret Voirrey  de 13 años) afirmaron escuchar ruidos persistentes parecidos a arañazos en su casa de campo detrás las paredes de madera.


Al principio se pensó que era una rata, pero luego la criatura invisible empezó a hacer sonidos diferentes, a veces gritando como un hurón, gruñendo como un perro, o balbuceando como un bebé.


La criatura pronto reveló una capacidad para hablar, y se presentó a sí misma como Gef, una mangosta.


Gef afirmaba haber nacido en Nueva Delhi, India, en 1852. Según Voirrey, que era la única persona que dijo verlo concretamente, Gef era del tamaño de una rata pequeña, de pelaje amarillento y una larga cola peluda (la mangosta india es en realidad mucho más grande que una rata y no tiene una cola peluda ).


Gef afirmó  muchas veces ser "una mangosta extra inteligente", un "espíritu atado a la tierra" y "un fantasma en forma de una comadreja".

Irving Voirrey , murió en el año 2005. En una entrevista publicada a finales de su vida, sostuvo que el este fenómeno paranormal no era creación de su imaginación

Poll: Should Fiat Cut Loose Alfa Romeo and/or Sell it to Volkswagen?

Like Saab and countless other brands before, Alfa Romeo is at a tipping point. The famed Italian automaker, which once stunned the world with its gorgeous styling and motorsport victories, is now losing an estimate €200 million (US$265 million) per annum. It’s hard to believe that the company that brought us cars like the GTA, the Spider and the 158/159 Alfetta could be reduced to such a sad state of affairs.

Sergio Marchionne, the unwavering CEO of Fiat and its subsidiaries, is determined to turn the ailing automaker around. Meanwhile, Volkswagen is sniffing around for more brands and smells a potential winner in the Milanese company.

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James Robbins’ Corvette Design Study: Close But No Cigar

Here at Carscoop, we love us some Corvette design studies. Heck, if we wanted to we could probably serve up a new one every day of the week.

Today’s CAD mock up comes from transportation design student James Robbins. Think of it as a C6.5, a stopgap measure between the current gen Corvette and a future C7 model. The design brief required Mr. Robbins to use the basic proportions of the C6, which limited what could be done with the design.

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Meet the 388HP V8-Powered and RWD Mercedes-Benz B55 [with Video]

The regular Mercedes-Benz B-Class wasn’t exactly created with the motoring enthusiast’s needs in mind, but this one-off B55 special is another story. Trainees of Mercedes-Benzs Rastatt plant in Germany turned a B200 CDI diesel model into a full-blown sports car by planting in a 388 hp 5.5-liter V8 and transferring the drive from the front axle to the rear.

The idea of the project came from plant manager, Peter Wesp, while the execution fell on the shoulders of foremen Andreas Würz and Matt Rieger and a team of twelve second and third-year trainees specializing in production mechanics and automotive mechatronics.

The team aimed to fulfill several goals, drawn up in a book of specifications. According to the plan, the spatial concept as well as the body of the B-Class were to remain unchanged. The interior, however, was to be upgraded to reflect the newly acquired qualities and the overall goal was to create a vehicle suitable for everyday driving.

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Techos con jardines en Noruega

Es increíble. Algunos techos tienen un crecimiento real de jardines en ellos sin que se les haya tratado con alguna forma especial para el crecimiento en azoteas.

 

2011MY Jeep Compass Facelift Priced from $19,295*, or Nearly $4,000 More than the 2010MY

The Grand Cherokee-like nose job and the upgraded standard equipment have had a negative impact on the 2011 Jeep Compass' sticker price as the refreshed crossover model will reach showrooms next month with a starting price of $19,295, not including a (*) $700 destination fee. That's close to $4,000 more than the pre-facelift 2010MY Compass, which retailed for $15,365.

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Las consecuencias de las tormentas de hielo

Estas son las consecuencias de las tormentas de hielo que azotan años tras año el hemisferio norte, bellas imágenes sin duda pero también muestran los daños que provocan.

Useless Stat of the Day: Over 50% of British Drivers Have Made Love in a Car [Plus Top 10 Cars for Hanky Panky Time]

According to a research done by Autoquake, 54% of Britain’s drivers have made out in a car and for 22% of those, it was a fantastic experience. Nevertheless, fooling around in a car presents some, let’s say, technical issues, like being cramped and the possibility of getting caught, so 32 percent think that the experience is overrated.

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Ford Recalling F-Series Trucks, Edge and Lincoln MKX Over Fire Hazard

Nearly 15,000 Ford trucks and crossovers are being recalled in the States because of problems with electrical systems that can short and create a fire. The recall concerns certain 2011MY Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550 and Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles.

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VIDEO: Pagani C9 Teaser Shows Scale Model with Engine Key

One would expect an action-filled teaser for a supercar like the upcoming Pagani C9, which will replace the aging Zonda, but the Italian maker approached the task in a more laid-back manner, choosing to show us a man enjoying some coffee and the written news. And then, at the end of the clip, he picks up something that resembles a scale model of the new supercar incorporating what appears to be the engine key. Now, is this the best way to start your day or what? Video after the jump.

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Triple Recall for Dodge Affects Over 144,000 Journey and Ram Vehicles

The Chrysler Group is recalling certain Dodge Journey crossovers and Ram trucks in three separate actions to repair defective steering wheels, airbags and noisy rear axles.

The largest of Chrysler's recalls involves 65,180 Dodge Journey vehicles manufactured from November 1, 2007, through September 7, 2008. According to a posting on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA], the wires within the front door wire harnesses may fatigue and break. If this happens, the side-impact sensors may not work resulting in inoperative side airbags. Chrysler said it will replace the left and right door wiring harnesses free of charge.

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