Carmakers cover up sexy models to win over women

PARIS — Scantily clad models were once as much a part of motor shows as shiny sports cars and roaring engines, but as women buy more cars, and green credentials dominate, carmakers are slowly changing their ways. While some manufacturers of macho sportscars are still using sexy models to promote their cars, many carmakers are anxious to portray a more responsible, inclusive image that goes hand in hand with favoring low CO2 emissions over speed and power.

Why Are Black Bikers More Likely to Die in Crashes than Whites?

Motorcycle accident–related fatalities account for 1 in every 8 deaths on the road. And a new study suggests that blacks are at higher risk than whites: for every two white motorcyclists who die in accidents, three of their African-American counterparts do not survive.

Three old Japanese models top the list of the most-stolen cars last year

 

Three old Japanese models top the list of the most-stolen cars last year, the National Insurance Crime Bureau reports. The NICB’s Hot Wheels 2010 report puts ancient Honda Accord and Civic, and Toyota Camry at the top of the most-stolen list.

GM audio engineer lists Top 10 songs to test your car’s stereo

Test driving the sound system when you’re car shopping can be as key to your long-term satisfaction as checking out the handling. So we thought you’d like to see this list of Top 10 songs for testing car audio quality from General Motors audio engineer Matt Kirsch, who led the sound work on the Chevrolet Cruze.
GM also posted the tracks as a mix at the iTunes store: If you want it for your own audio test driving, you can buy here for $12.

Bentley Is Doing A Recall Because Their Fancy Hood Ornaments Could Kill Someone

If you’re dropping the coin to get a freakin’ Bentley, you want it to have that classic Bentley hood ornament . . . the one that looks like a flying “B” with wings . . . the hood ornament that makes the poor, jealous masses stop and stare. Unfortunately, it turns out that hood ornament might actually KILL THEM.
Bentley just issued a recall for about 600 vehicles in the U.S. because their hood ornaments were SO well assembled, they could actually injure or kill a pedestrian in a crash.
In most of their models, the hood ornaments are designed to retract into the hood on impact . . . so if the car hits a person, the ornament doesn’t IMPALE them. But on certain models . . . the Arnage, Azure and Brooklands from 2007 to 2009 . . . the ornaments don’t retract. Bentley says there haven’t been any injuries because of the hood ornaments yet, so this is a preemptive strike. There’s no word on how much the recall is going to cost them.

A Man Gets A DUI After Police Catch Him Swerving . . . Because He Was Making Salami Sandwiches And Driving Drunk

Drunk driving is dangerous and stupid enough. But if you’re drunk driving AND doing some multitasking that would be hard to pull off sober, you’d be lucky to just get a DUI, and not a funeral.
Earlier this month, a 24-year-old man from Elm Grove, Wisconsin (his name hasn’t been released) was doing the whole drunk driving-and-multitasking thing.
The police saw the man swerving between lanes and not using his turn signal, so they pulled him over.
During the stop, the man started eating a salami and cheese sandwich. And when the officers saw a loaf of bread and packages of salami and cheese on his passenger seat, they realized he’d been making sandwiches WHILE he drove. There was also an empty bottle of vodka on the floor of the car, and the man admitted he’d had between six and 10 drinks earlier in the day. He also admitted he was a recovering marijuana and painkiller addict and had recently relapsed. He was arrested for a DUI and a BAD case of the munchies.

Driving Slowly And Carefully In A Traffic Jam Makes Things Worse

Okay, before you start reading this, we’re going to offer up a quick disclaimer: We’re NOT telling you to start driving like a lunatic, or do crazy things in your car that put you, your passengers, or other drivers in danger.
We’re just saying that sometimes, you need to stop driving like your GRANDMA.
A new study out of Georgia Tech has found that people who drive really slowly, carefully, and timidly during a traffic jam actually make things WORSE. But obviously, drivers who are super-aggressive in traffic jams ALSO cause problems. So the best thing you can do in a traffic jam is to keep driving like normal: Go a normal speed, follow cars at a normal distance, and change lanes just like you normally would.
The study found that when people are ultra-aggressive, they do sudden moves that make everyone behind them slow down. And when people are too timid, they aren’t just going slow themselves . . . they’re slowing down everyone behind them too.
The researchers say that if everyone just acted normally and calmly in a traffic jam . . . and stopped trying to switch to find the “perfect” lane . . . then traffic would get back to normal much quicker than it does now. So the moral to this story is to USE COMMON SENSE!

Summit calls for reduction in distracted driving

WASHINGTON — Making sure drivers keep their eyes on the road will require a network of tough laws, enforcement by police and personal responsibility, the government said Tuesday.

Obama administration officials said during a second summit on distracted driving that it had made progress in pushing states to target drivers who send text messages and use mobile devices from the road, but too many people are being killed because of inattentive motorists.

“Every time someone takes their focus off the road — even if it’s just for a moment — they put their lives and the lives of others in danger,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The Religous Car Salesman

Have you ever run into this guy before?

14 Cars Mechanics Hate . . . Because They Never Need Repairs

Cars.com had their mechanics come up with a list of cars they HATE . . . because they never break down. And even when they DO break down, it doesn’t cost much to get them fixed.

SEDANS:
The TOYOTA CAMRY used to be THE most-reliable car on the road, but other cars have caught up. It’s still one of the best though, and COROLLAS are about the same.
Mechanics also hate the HONDA CIVIC and the HONDA ACCORD, because they last forever, and any problems are usually easy to diagnose and fix. And NISSAN ALTIMAS usually don’t have major problems until around 150,000 miles.

HYBRIDS:
The TOYOTA PRIUS is just as cheap to fix as any other Toyota, except for the hybrid components.
But most mechanics don’t make ANY money on the Prius . . . because right now, the only place you can get the hybrid parts fixed is at a registered Toyota dealer.
And overall, according to Cars.com, two of the only American models that come close to the Japanese when it comes to reliability are the FORD FUSION and the FORD FUSION HYBRID.