The week is gone already? Wow…time flies when the old inbox is flooded with press releases and junk mail. Most of it was sent to the circular filing system (or the little electronic symbol for the filing system on my computer’s desktop) but one or two bits stuck out well enough to be saved and collected for your viewing here.
1. The Nissan Gripz debuted…
A little while back we mentioned that the Nissan Z-car might morph into a crossover vehicle, and here’s one of the bigger reasons we suspect that might actually be the case: the Nissan Gripz Concept, which was unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show this week. Squint a bit and you just might see why Nissan keeps reaching back to the Works rally cars from the 1970s. Honestly, our money is more along the lines of a preview of the second-generation Nissan Juke rather than an off-roading Z, but you never know.
2. Just taking a leisurely stroll, Officer…
Yep, that happened. During the Singapore F1 race, a random fan managed to gain access to the track at an unguarded gate in the fence. He then went on a casual stroll at F1 cars shrieked by him at speed. The 27-year-old was arrested by local police. The FIA is investigating what action should be taken to keep people from gaining access to the track.
3. Most popular used cars: Dodge Magnum and Pontiac Aztek?!
Edmunds.com recently released a top-10 list of the used cars picked by shoppers between the ages of 18-34 years old, also known at the Millenial Generation. Results: Used cars were favorable for families, and that utility and practicality seemed to trump most other metric. Two surprises stuck out on the list: the Dodge Magnum took top honors and the Pontiac Aztek took sixth place, with Edmunds suggesting that the Aztek’s relation to the television show “Breaking Bad” might have something to do with those figures.
4. It’s coming…
The Bloodhound SSC, the projected 1,000 MPH land speed vehicle, will officially debut on September 25th. Meanwhile, enjoy this picture of a guy polishing his rocket-powered car.
5. “It lies! I was just cleaning up after a party!”
A company called Sober Steering has developed an interlock technology that reads gasses emitted from human skin, through the steering wheel, and activates a transmission interlock. If the vehicle was already in motion when the gasses are detected (which usually occurs within five minutes of ingestion), the transmission interlock doesn’t jump in for safety reasons, but instead sends a message and GPS location to a receiving authority that alcohol was detected…in short, your steering wheel tattled on you. This is only an emerging technology, but with safety groups worldwide advocating for a standard interlock system across the board for new cars, would this be the way to go?
That GripZ car makes me dislike crossovers even more. Just another amorphous blob on stilts.
The steering wheel interlock is an interesting idea, but I’d always thought of a manual transmission as an effective DWI-deterrent.
The Nissan Gripz looks butt ugly, most likely will be bought by someone with the same mentality as the dumbass walking along the active F1 racetrack.
Project Butthound’s non-working bullshit powered full-scale model is debuting in a warehouse ready to be drenched in tears of laughter!
Brilliant – these Hooray Henrys will be exposed for the frauds they are – why not cremate them and their broken dream on the playing fields of Eton – who knows the whole shebang might catch fire thus ending the lives of the next generation of chinless wonders who would seek to govern us!
Oh how I wish we had had Founding Fathers of our own in England’s green and septic isle……
I didn’t realize that Bloodhound was LS powered…
Meanwhile in the desert of Oregon, an American team is going for 600mph this week in a test to crack 763. And no one is paying attention or seems to care.
I care!
Thank you from the bottom of my heat for this wonderful news!
GO GO USA!
I would give my right bollock to see the faces of the Butthounders when they realise that some proper American hot rodders could actually build a car that ran on fuel instead of bullshit – I will enjoy their roasting in the British media!
the problem with skin detection of alcohol is that the chemical is functionally the same as being in a state of too high blood sugar… so if you’re diabetic and you need to get to a hospital…. sorry about your luck buddy, you shouldn’t have had that twinkie.