Snowmaggeden in Europe

Two years ago we were in the middle of Snowmagedden. A Delayed Meet

2010 picture from dcfd.com

Europe has been smacked hard by snow. According to Associated Press's Frances D'Emilio, Italy is issuing government snow shovels to handle the up to 8" snowfall, the worst they have experienced in 26 years.

Snow on the racetrack

Scuderia Ferrari tweeted this picture of their racetrack:

That has not slowed down preparation for the next Formula 1 season. Here is a sneak preview of their latest vehicle:

Better ground clearance than their non-snow version, that appears to use as snow shovel as a aerodynamic aid:

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

One of 25 Pagani Zonda F supercars

Hong Kong crash:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Matt Hardigree is hot on the story for Jalopnik. Perhaps a second crash of the same supercar. 

Which of the 1% cannot drive?

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Click on next paragraph to get the juicy details. The third Zonda crash in Hong Kong since the vehicle hit the streets in 2005.

Did A Dolce & Gabbana Exec Crash This $1.3 Million Zonda F?

Hong Kong has fire-based EMS that is very conservative.  Notice the (lack) of extensive patient assessment. 

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

An Important Car Show in Europe

ONE OF THE MAJOR CAR SHOWS in Europe just finished up in Belgium Sunday.  The Brussels Auto/Moto Salon 2012 had a grand exhibit of fancy sports cars and concept cars from many automakers. including this Bentley Mulsanne:

And this McLaren MP4-12C:

You can view a lot more of these car photos HERE and HERE.

If you and Mike missed the show, they have posted a "virtual tour" of the exhibit hall that is pretty cool HERE.  You can move around and travel through the hall in this "tour."

But the real feature of the show are the HotBabes.  Every car maker has a bunch of HotBabes working in their exhibit for obvious reasons.  This video report is about the show's HotBabes and near the end the announcer asks a couple of them to demonstrate the proper way to enter, sit down and get out of a sports car when you are wearing a skirt that barely covers all the parts:

Enjoy the show!

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Ken Block at l'Autodrome

Shot just south of Paris, France in Linas at l'Autodrome de Linas –Montlhéry, this 1.58 mile oval track, built in 1924, features banks as steep as 51 degrees, which is more than double the standard incline of most NASCAR ovals.

Chosen by Ken for this specific reason, the ramp-like banking proved to be a unique and exciting challenge. The driving physics for the stunts performed were totally unknown until Ken attempted the maneuvers during filming.

DC Shoes website

Monster World Rally Team.

Ken Block (born November 21, 1967, in Long Beach, California), is a professional rally driver with the Monster World Rally Team. Block is also one of the co-founders and recently appointed Chief Brand Officer of DC Shoes.

Block has also competed in many action sports events including skateboarding, snowboarding, and motocross.  Wikipedia link.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

thanks to Dave Statter for the link to the video, seen by 39 million viewers.

Bankruptcy Again – This Time It's Final

SAAB, THE SWEDISH AUTOMAKER that once told us to "Find Your Own Road," has found its road has taken it to the auto graveyard as they filed their papers for bankruptcy today (Monday).

Reuters file photo

They started losing their market in the 1980's and sold a 50% share of the company to General Motors.  GM began savings by utilizing their already-developed technologies to bring the quirky cousin from Sandinavia up to date, but sales continued to slip.  In 2000 GM bought out the rest of the firm, but still couldn't reverse the decline, selling a mere 9,000 units in 2009.  Last year when GM had to "downsize" to keep going themselves, they bailed on the Pontiac and Saturn brands and sold Hummer to the Chinese, hoping they could get the commies to buy Saab, too.  But they wouldn't fall for it and the Saab was sold for pennies to a Dutch automaker, Spyker.

Spyker built a few cars, but couldn't sell them and ran out of cash last April.  They have spent the last few months trying to find a buyer, any buyer to take it for a song if only to keep the loyal factory workers working.  But it wasn't to be.  R.I.P. Saab.

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Blue Monday

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is my duty to keep you informed with both bad and good.  This morning there are two glum notes that I have to pass along to you.  First of all, we must report that the oft-postponed Boobs on Bikes parade in New Zealand was rescheduled once again.  The parade which is held in a different city each year in conjuction with the Erotica Lifestyles Expo, was expected to be held in Auckland in September.  But it coincided on the same weekend with a major world-class rugby tournament and had to be shifted because of the logistics and the heavy crowds already expected to be there.  (Review our most recent update HERE for more information.)

So the BonB was postponed until this past Friday, December 2 in Palmerston North.  Permits were granted and Expo space was rented, but again they ran into a scheduling conflict.  The next day, Saturday was the planned Christmas parade with Santa Claus and the public was understandably upset with the culture clash happening just as the town was filling up with kiddies looking for something quite different in their stockings.

Now once again we have to make a new note on the calendar for the parade and expo which will now be held on February 24 to 26, two months from now.  You can rely on Firegeezer to keep you up to date with the important things.

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The other "downer" for this Blue Monday comes from Japan where the fire and rescue units ran one of those calls that you never forget, this time a highway accident near Yamaguchi.  A group of luxury sports car enthusiasts were enjoying a Sunday outing when they had an unfortunate mishap.  Some are already calling it one of the most expensive car crashes in history.  BBC News tells us:

 Eight Ferraris, three Mercedes-Benzes, a Lamborghini and two other vehicles were involved in the pile-up in the southern prefecture of Yamaguchi. No-one was seriously hurt, but the road was closed for six hours after the accident. Media reports estimate the damaged cars are worth at least 300m yen ($3.85million) in total.

The sports cars – driven in convoy by a group of automobile enthusiasts – were on their way to Hiroshima, reports Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun.

Police say they believe the accident happened when the driver of one of the Ferraris tried to change lanes and hit the crash barrier. "A group of cars was doing 140-160km/h (85-100mph)," an unidentified eyewitness told Japanese broadcaster TBS. "One of them spun and they all ended up in this great mess."

As he spun across the roadway, the others piled into each other as they tried to avoid the crashing car. "I've never seen such a thing," highway patrol lieutenant Eiichiro Kamitani told AFP news agency. "Ferraris rarely travel in such large numbers."

Fourteen cars were involved and ten of them were wrecked beyond repair.  RT News got most of them on video:

We'd better get our own luxury vehicles checked out now – with safe driving in mind, of course.  It's Monday, so we're using the long check list today.  I'll get the Ferrari of coffee-makers, our Bunn-O-Matic going with some more joe.  See you back in the day room in a little while.

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 Big Savings on select Sony  Camcorders

Prices Good Through December 10

CLICK HERE to view the models, sale prices, and to order yours.

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Elements from Friday's NHTSA statement

This past May, NHTSA crashed a Chevy Volt in an NCAP test designed to measure the vehicle's ability to protect occupants from injury in a side collision. During that test, the vehicle's battery was damaged and the coolant line was ruptured. When a fire involving the test vehicle occurred more than three weeks after it was crashed, the agency concluded that the damage to the vehicle's lithium-ion battery during the crash test led to the fire.

Since that fire incident, NHTSA has taken a number of steps to gather additional information about the potential for fire in electric vehicles involved in a crash, including working with the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense — in close coordination with experts from General Motors — to complete rigorous tests of the Volt's lithium-ion batteries.

In an effort to recreate the May test, NHTSA conducted three tests last week on the Volt's lithium-ion battery packs that intentionally damaged the battery compartment and ruptured the vehicle's coolant line. Following a test on November 16 that did not result in a fire, a temporary increase in temperature was recorded in a test on November 17.

During the test conducted on November 18 using similar protocols, the battery pack was rotated within hours after it was impacted and began to smoke and emit sparks shortly after rotation to 180 degrees. NHTSA's forensic analysis of the November 18 fire incident is continuing this week.

Yesterday, the battery pack that was tested on November 17 and that had been continually monitored since the test caught fire at the testing facility. The agency is currently working with DOE, DOD, and GM to assess the cause and implications of yesterday's fire.

In each of the battery tests conducted in the past two weeks, the Volt's battery was impacted and rotated to simulate a real-world, side-impact collision into a narrow object such as a tree or a pole followed by a rollover. NHTSA is not aware of any roadway crashes that have resulted in battery-related fires in Chevy Volts or other vehicles powered by lithium-ion batteries.

However, the agency is concerned that damage to the Volt's batteries as part of three tests that are explicitly designed to replicate real-world crash scenarios have resulted in fire. NHTSA is therefore opening a safety defect investigation of Chevy Volts, which could experience a battery-related fire following a crash.

Chevy Volt owners whose vehicles have not been in a serious crash do not have reason for concern.

NHTSA's current guidance for responding to electric vehicles that have been in a crash remains the same. The agency continues to urge consumers, emergency responders, and the operators of tow trucks and storage facilities to take the following precautions in the event of a crash involving any electric vehicle:

• Consumers are advised to take the same actions they would in a crash involving a gasoline-powered vehicle — exit the vehicle safely or await the assistance of an emergency responder if they are unable to get out on their own, move a safe distance away from the vehicle, and notify the authorities of the crash.
• Emergency responders should check a vehicle for markings or other indications that it is electric-powered. If it is, they should exercise caution, per published guidelines, to avoid any possible electrical shock and should disconnect the battery from the vehicle circuits if possible.
• Emergency responders should also use copious amounts of water if fire is present or suspected and, keeping in mind that fire can occur for a considerable period after a crash, should proceed accordingly.
• Operators of tow trucks and vehicle storage facilities should ensure the damaged vehicle is kept in an open area instead of inside a garage or other enclosed building.
• Rather than attempt to discharge a propulsion battery, an emergency responder, tow truck operator, or storage facility manager should contact experts at the vehicle's manufacturer on that subject.
• Vehicle owners should not store a severely damaged vehicle in a garage or near other vehicles
• Consumers with questions about their electric vehicles should contact their local dealers.

For future updates, visit www.SaferCar.gov.

Additional Resources:

Defects Investigation Documents (PE11-037)

complete NHTSA press release:

Statement of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration On Formal Safety Defect Investigation of Post-Crash Fire Risk in Chevy Volts

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Take a Guess Before You Scroll Down

A FREAK ACCIDENT IN CHINA LAST MONTH didn't leave much living room inside this car:

According to THIS REPORT in CarNewsChina, the Volvo was motoring along when it was struck in the right side by a taxicab.  The impact drove the car into the rear of a truck loaded with scrap metal and the load was pitched through the windshield. and out the back windows.

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The driver and his passenger both reflexively ducked and received only minor injuries.

Do they go to church in China?

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What is in this guy's latte?

Translation (via YouTube comments):

What are you looking at?  Huh!?

What are you looking at?! (slap)

Are you undressing me with your eyes?

Poor guy… you can’t help it?

Is your heart beating?

Is your head spinning?

Do you feel lost thinking that I could be yours forever?

One million views in less than a week.

Jalopnick identifies the actor, Sports Ilustrated swimsuit model Catrinel Menghia. Catrinel Menghia is the hot model from the Fiat 500 Abarth ad

Fiat used Jennifer Lopez to sell their cabriolet model:

Sexing up a slow selling model

The non-Arbath Fiat 500's have not met their sales projections. Larry P. Vellequette, writing in the November 21 issue of Automotive News, reports that only 15,826 were sold through October. Will probably not make the 50,000 annual sales goal.

In fact, 29 of the 130 dealers selling the 500s did not make a single sale in October. There is a half-year of inventory stacked up. 

In comparison, from January to October 33,760 Mini Coopers and 50,790 Honda Fits were sold. [Larry P. Vellequette (November 21, 2011) A bumpy road for FIAT 500. Automotive News]

This version of the subcompact was rolled out to the European markets in 2007. Came to the United States in January with some tweeks:

The suspension will be retuned for American roads, and it will get a more robust heating and air conditioning system to cope with “harsher” American climates, Soave said.

The 500 will also get a larger gasoline tank than its European cousin: 10.5 gallons compared to 9.25 gallons. The American version will also get Fiat's MultiAir engine technology, which Fiat says improves power and fuel economy by 10 percent. The European Fiat 500 does not have MultiAir. Customers can choose between a six-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed manual.

Bradford Wernle (November 18, 2010) Fiat 500 tailored for U.S. tastes. Automotive News

Can Arbath speed up sales?

The Arbath version of the 500 arrives in March. Arbath is to Fiat what AMG is to Mercedes and the M series is to BMW. Arbath races FIATs and provides high performance models.

Fiat is also working on an electric version as well as planning to add their four door version to the United States.

[Actually, I could care less. Just wanted to share the commercial! - Mike]

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

See It Through

Bill Shea, writing in today's Automotive News, provides the background to this ad that sells Detroit as much as the Chrysler 300 flagship:

The spot features Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and metro Detroit neighborhoods and people, similar to the "Imported from Detroit" spots unveiled during the Super Bowl in February.

It also features the 1917 Edgar Guest poem "See It Through." Its music is late iconic bluesman Muddy Waters singing "Mannish Boy."

The English-born Guest (1881-1959) grew up in Detroit and was Michigan's poet laureate and was a Detroit Free Press reporter, a radio host and TV show host, according to information from Chrysler.

Chrysler launches new Detroit-themed TV spot

How would you construct advertisements supporting urban fire departments?

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Earlier articles: 

August 02, 2010:  You only get one shot

February 07, 2010: Imported from Detroit