Chevrolet Camaro Airbags Deploy While Drifting and Without an Accident!

Airbags are made to deploy when a vehicle is involved in a crash, usually when the car is travelling over a certain speed and it comes to abrupt halt be that because it collided or was hit by another vehicle, and in some cases, due to a roll over.
That said, airbags are not meant to open without an accident of some sort. At least that's the theory because according to this Youtube video, the side airbags on this latest generation Chevrolet Camaro deployed without an accident while driver Paul Beiswenger was drifting the car at the Milan Dragway in Michigan.

While Beiswenger was unhurt, the Youtube poster noted that his co-driver suffered some burns on her right arm.

We don't know all the details surrounding this specific mishap to pass a judgment, but as noted by a member of the Camaro5 forums, a similar incident involving a new Camaro occurred in Quebec, Canada, last fall.

According to the Sympatic Autos Teams, editor Antoine Joubert was driving the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS over at the oval track at Sanai when the side airbags suddenly deployed without any cause.

"I was at the wheel of the Camaro at a speed of 130-140 km/h on the oval track at Sanair when suddenly, for no apparent reason, the side curtain airbags deployed!" said, Antoine Joubert. "I was driving in a straight line, at a constant speed, on the pavement. The electronic stability control wasn't disabled and the car had no mechanical problems."

We'll try to find out more details about the incident and keep you posted on any updates.

Richard Hammond Blows up a Hummer

The 17th season of Top Gear recently ended with the airing of the sixth and last episode on August 2. For those of you in the States that happened to miss some or all of the episodes, we have good news as BBC America has begun releasing preview clips from the 17th season.

In the first release, we get a two-minute-long video from episode 1 with Richard Hammond trying out the Marauder, which is a South African-built armored vehicle.

During the test, Hammond compares the Marauder with the Hummer to see which one can withstand a blast from seven pounds of plastic explosives. Hit the break to watch the video.

Former Employee Claims Pro Drivers do Clarkson Stunts on TOP GEAR

Some say it is the world’s most famous car show, with millions of viewers worldwide and that, despite having three presenters, plus the man in white known as The Stig, 51-year old Jeremy Clarkson is the undisputed star of the show. All we know is that it's called Top Gear and it has run on BBC for 17 seasons so far.

And as one of the most popular and long-running TV shows in the world, Top Gear and Jeremy Clarkson often make headlines, but not for the reasons one would expect.

Now, British tabloid Daily Mail has put up a story claiming that Clarkson’s stunts are not always performed by him, but by professional racing drivers. The newspaper cites two unnamed sources, one of which is said to have worked for Top Gear for more than five years.

For example, once source claims that an April 2008 clip showing Clarkson driving a Lamborghini Murcielago to over 200 mph (322 km/h) and eventually reaching 207 mph (333 km/h) was not actually performed by him but by Formula 3 racer Aaron Scott. The latter declined to comment.

“It’s been going on for years,” said one of the unnamed sources. “The fact is the presenters on Top Gear are presenters, not professional drivers. So why would you get them to do a job than an expert can do better, faster and in one take?”

The Mail’s “Deep Throat” accusations didn't stop there: “Top Gear rely on professional racing driver a lot more than the show would suggest. I would say 80% of the driving on the show is done by pros but is made to look as if it’s done by Jeremy”.

Said sources claim that BBC2 hires pros because of the tight filming schedule of the show and also because TG’s presenters can’t do this kind of driving themselves.

Last Friday, BBC’s spokeswoman Tara Davies replied to the Mail: “Yes, professional drivers are used on the show. On the Power Laps, production have the car for a day, and Jeremy has to go off to do the scripting. So rather than him driving for a bit and then everyone sitting there while he goes off and writes, and because it is a very expensive show to make, other people may do the driving”.

So, are the claims valid? Are the show’s viewers being misled? Davies vehemently denies it: “If you see Jeremy, Richard or James driving a car around a track it is them driving. But the crew may need to go back and get “pick-up” shots, which may use another driver”.

BBC later issued the following statement:

“To be clear, Jeremy performs all of the challenges you see him perform on Top Gear. On power tests, the speed at which Jeremy is seen driving is the speed at which he drove the car, so to suggest otherwise is untrue”.

Davies added: "Jeremy would have driven the car and got it to 207mph. Then, when they wanted a camera shot of the speedometer going up to 207mph they would have got a different driver to do that. For just the shot of the speedometer, it may have been another driver but Jeremy absolutely would have driven the car at 207mph.”

A Tribute to Enzo Ferrari

August 14 marked the 23rd anniversary of the death of Enzo Ferrari. The man who founded Ferrari was, according to some, a difficult man to deal with, as ingenious people usually tend to be. But no one ever questioned his passion about racing and his dedication to the company he founded in 1947. His life was long and complicated –so we'll just write a few words for the man who founded the company that built some of the finest supercars the world has ever seen.

Born in 1898, Enzo Ferrari initially worked for CMN (Construzioni Meccaniche Nazionali) redesigning truck bodies into passenger cars. He entered racing with CMN in 1919, but with no success. He left in 1920 to work at Alfa Romeo, eventually establishing its racing division, which he named Scuderia Ferrari, signing famous drivers such as Tazio Nuvolari.

However, Alfa Romeo withdrew from races in 1933 due to economic problems, only to return in 1937 and reduce Enzo’s role in the racing department. His departure was inevitable, but since a clause in his contract didn’t allow him to race for four years, he found a loophole by founding Auto-Avio Costruzioni and supplying parts to other teams.

After World War II, he relocated his company from Modena to Maranello, where it remains to this day, and in 1947 founded Ferrari S.p.A. He manufactured road cars, starting with the V12 125S, but only to gain funds to race again. This happened one year later and in 1950, he entered the first ever Formula 1 world championship, in which the Scuderia still competes. But his activities weren’t restricted in F1, as Ferrari also raced in Le Mans and the Mille Miglia with remarkable success.

Enzo Ferrari became known as “il Commendatore” and hired some of the best drivers of all time who he famously encouraged to fiercely compete against each other – often with dire consequences.

Financial problems forced him in the 1960s to sell a part of his company. Ford nearly closed the deal, but Enzo withdrew and eventually sold some shares to Fiat, which bought 50% of his company in 1969.

The iconic F40’s development was the last Ferrari model Enzo oversaw. In August 14, 1988, he passed away. That year, McLaren Honda’s MP4/4s won all F1 races bar one. It was the Italian Grand Prix held at Monza on September 11, where Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto crossed the finish line in their F1/87/88Cs in first and second place respectively. Fittingly, it was the first race held after il Commendatore’s death.

In 2002 Ferrari launched its top supercar which it named Enzo to honor the company’s founder and next year a movie was made about his life.

 

Ford Chevy in Truck Tug of War

Have you ever played 'tug of war'? Well, if the answer is yes, just imagine that instead of having one or more people pulling on either side of a rope, you have a pair of monster pickup trucks battling it out for who is the brawnier of the two.

The epic battle involved a modified Ferd Ford pickup truck and what you could call a […] homemade Chevy. Follow the break to see how this works out.

The Dark Knight and Catwoman Show Their New Rides

Work on Christopher Nolan's next Batman film called "The Dark Knight Rises" is well underway with the movie crew currently filming in Pittsburgh.

To our delight, we now have some fresh footage of Batman's new toys that include the never before seen Batwing hovering or rather being carried around by a large truck, as well as his trusted Tumbler.

The Batwing is pretty impressive in these amateur videos and it will probably look even better after the special effects are added in.

Finally, we also get to see some scenes with the sensual Catwoman played by Anne Hathaway on her new blacked-out motorcycle. Enjoy the videos below.

New Cadillac Ciel 4-door Convertible Concept

GM's Cadillac division is on a roll lately. After confirming the production of three new cars including the XTS large luxury saloon, the BMW 3-Series rivaling ATS compact sports sedan, and the ELR Coupe plug-in hybrid EV, Cadillac revealed an impressive new concept model called Ciel that looks into the future but winks at the past.

Named after the French word for sky, the Ciel is a large (5.174 mm or 203.7-in. in length) four-seat, four-door convertible with “suicide” rear doors and no B-pillar reminiscent of the 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible.

“Large, expressive luxury is innate to Cadillac and the Ciel recalls that heritage, while suggesting where the brand can go in the future,” said Clay Dean, global design director for Cadillac. “Authentic luxury is driven by experiences, not just products, and Ciel is about the experience of the journey.”

The Ciel was developed at GM’s North Hollywood Design Center, with Niki Smart as the lead exterior designer and Gael Buzyn responsible for interior development. A wheelbase of 3,175 mm (125 inches) provides ample space for the passengers.

Buzyn, who opted for the use of Italian olive wood, machined aluminum and hand-crafted leather with warm colors to dress the cabin, shares Dean’s point of view:

“With the Ciel the journey is the thing, so the interior is a place of uncompromising comfort and elegance that makes the journey more enjoyable. Nothing distracts from the open driving experience and the color and materials lend the feeling that the car’s interior blends with the surroundings.”

The all-wheel drive concept is powered by a twin-turbocharged version of the company’s direct injection 3.6-liter V6 and an electric motor using a lithium-ion battery pack. The system's combined output reaches 425HP and 583 Nm (430 lb-ft) of peak torque, making the Ciel not just a looker, but also a performer.

So are we going to see a production version of this flagship convertible, or was it created just to wow the crowds at the Pebble Beach event? Clay Dean’s answer is straightforward: “We wouldn’t be showing it if we didn’t have any intentions of doing anything with it”, he told Autonews.

Moreover, Dean revealed, the all-new Ciel architecture is going to be used on other Cadillac models. Our take is that a flagship sedan would be the prime candidate.

Tesla Model S and Roadster Silently Race Each Other

It’s not the first time we've shown you the Model S, Tesla’s 5-passenger-plus-2-children electric 5-Series rival on video, even though deliveries aren’t expected to begin before 2012. And the Roadster has gotten its fair share of coverage too.

But seeing the two Tesla models silently drive side by side down an empty desert road is a good enough excuse to show the two EV sports cars again – especially the gorgeous Model S.

You can watch the video after the jump, but please don’t complain about the music: in this case it’s entirely appropriate since you wouldn’t hear anything anyway.

New Jaguar XJ into a Four-Door Convertible

One of the latest models to fall into the hands of California-based company Newport Convertible Engineering (NCE) is the new Jaguar XJ.

NCE is known for chopping off the roofs of just about anything it can, be that a Toyota Prius hybrid or a luxury Range Rover SUV.
And while we respect the work that went into developing and applying the convertible treatment to Jaguar's flagship limousine, the end result is not what we would call elegant or stylish, especially with the soft top in normal position. Check out the rest of the pictures for yourself in our gallery after the break.

 

Lady Drives Fiat Cinquecento with the Handbrake On

While we could understand if someone forgot to release a broken or a loose handbrake that allows the rear wheels to turn around with some difficulty, how can you drive a car on the road with the rear wheels completely locked down and not take any notice?

And that's exactly what we have in this video starring a lady behind the wheel of a green Fiat Cinquecento (which was the 500's predecessor in the Italian brand's range).

Not only did she forget the handbrake on, but she doesn't even pay attention to the young men trying to inform her about the brake. Follow the jump for the video.

Google Makes History with its First Self-Driving Car Accident

Many companies are developing self-driving cars. The latest example is VW’s TAP (Temporary Auto Pilot) that was recently demonstrated on video.

Another earlier model is Google’s automated/driverless fleet of Toyota Prius hybrids developed with the help of the military’s DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) 2007 Urban Challenge winner, Chris Urmson and Anthony Levandowski, the maker of the world’s first autonomous motorcycle (again, for DARPA) – oh, and an self-driving pizza-delivery vehicle.

The question many skeptics raise is who would be responsible in an accident involving a self-driving car. Handing over control to a machine may sound like a good idea: the car will obey speed limits, never do anything dangerous like overtaking on the right, and the streets will be safer.

However, as a recent accident in Google’s campus showed, when a Google Prius was involved in an accident practice is a different thing from theory.

Google’s autonomous car researcher Sebastian Thrun called the system “the perfect driving machine” and said that self-driving cars can save one million lives every year –and that’ a goal worth pursuing. Google later revealed to Business Insider that one of the cars was operated by a human, the implication being that the autonomous driving system is not the culprit.

While we're not questioning Google’s statement, the issue remains: who exactly is responsible in the case of an accident involving a self-driving car? Since no two situations are ever the same, how can one rely on a computer to decide what’s best and for whom –the passengers of the car it controls, those of another vehicle, or a pedestrian?

What if the software crashes? What if there is a hardware malfunction? Even PCs, with decades of development behind them encounter such problems – which, while frustrating, are not life-and-death issues.

The thing is that Nevada has already been convinced by Google to legalize autonomous cars on the state’s freeways. And Google is using its Prius fleet in California, where legislature does not pose any bans.

But is anyone ready to guarantee that AI-driven vehicles can operate in a fail-safe way dramatically reducing accidents and casualties?

Man Sinks Porsche Boxster into a Lake

Now here is something you don't hear about every day. A local businessman's new Porsche Boxster was discovered paritally submerged in a lake at the Parque Ecológico (Ecological Park) in São Paulo, Brazil on Friday, July 29.

Brazilian news site TV Sol found the owner of the car who told reporters under the condition of anonymity that he was driving through the park when lost control of the Porsche ending up into the lake.

And here's where the story gets slightly twisted as TV Sol also reported that eye witnesses placed the owner of the Boxster at a local restaurant the same night calling a cousin on the phone and telling him to "Throw the Porsche into the lake of the park".

Scroll down for the video news report.

Camaro Meets Batmobile

Fancying a GM classic with a little more, ahem, pizazz than your run-of-the-mill F-Body Chevrolet Camaro? Welcome to the wonderful world of eBay and the DreamRyder (that's how the owner spells the name of the car).

The DreamRyder is the creation of one Bill Logan who used a V8-powered 1984 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible as a base. Logan says he spent 13 years to complete all the customizations, which include a fiberglass body said to be inspired by a number of animals such as the bat ray and the eagle.

The DreamRyder is up for sale on eBay at an undisclosed reserve price, with the highest bid currently standing at $5,900. Head down for more photos, a video and the seller's description of the car.