Italian Ministry Orders 19 Maserati Quattroporte Limos Amidst Severe EU Economic Crisis

Unless you’ve been living in a cave these past few months and were completely cut-off from the outside world, you’ll surely have heard of the European economic crisis that started with the Greek debt and is now threatening to engulf many more European countries.

For the past two years, Greece taken extremely severe austerity measures to reduce its debt – though their implementation has left a lot to be desired. Italy and Spain are considered by many analysts to be next in line.

Yet the Italian Ministry of Defense recently ordered 19 range-topping Maserati Quattroporte limousines for government officials!

Read more »

Chuck Norris Approved: Alert Woman Ducks Rolling Mercedes ML

A traffic camera located at an intersection in the small Russian town of Timashevsk in the Krasnodar region captured a terrifying accident involving a Mercedes-Benz ML350 SUV.

The driver of the German luxury crossover blew right through a red light at speed and was hit on the rear passenger side by an oncoming Daewoo Nexia, which sent the Mercedes rolling over towards a pedestrian on the sidewalk.

Amazingly, the alert woman saw the Mercedes-Benz SUV coming her way and she instinctively jumped to safety literally at the last moment. The ML350 came to a stop on an electric pole with the video showing the careless driver jumping out of the car, apparently unhurt.

Read more »

Video: Stillen R35 GT-R Races Helicopter in New Zealand

On the second day of the Targa New Zealand race, competitors and viewers alike witnessed a rather unusual spectacle: a sports car racing against a helicopter.

The vehicle in question was a Stillen R-35 Nissan GT-R driven by Steve Millen while acrobatic racing pilot, Leigh Hopper, controlled the Eurocopter “Squirrel”.

Now, this isn't the first time a sports car has lined up against a flying machine. But this spontaneous road-and-sky-racing during a pit stop was unexpected – especially as they made two runs instead of one.

Read more »

Sioux City Police Denies Mistreatment Allegation in Woman’s Forceful Arrest [Video]

A patrol car dashboard camera video showing a woman being arrested in Sioux City has sparked allegations for police mistreatment.

Dacota Daniels, 34, was detained on August 8 at Sioux City by two officers, one in uniform and one in plain clothes after they stopped the rental car she was in as a passenger.

The plainclothes drug task force officer said in the report that he spotted Daniels’ fiancé, Christopher Robinson, driving the car despite being "known to have a barred license."

Read more »

BMW 325i Convertible E30 wants to be an 8-Series when it Grows Up

While there's only a single digit gap between the E30 and E31 codenames, in reality, these two BMW models couldn't be more different from each other.

The E30, a.k.a. the 1983-1991 3-Series, represented the firm's entry-level family car in the 1980s, while the E31, more widely known as the 8-Series, was the brand's flagship GT coupe in the 1990s.

But one German owner had the bright idea of taking a 1989 325i Convertible (albeit with pre-1987 tail lamps) and fusing the front end of an 850i Coupe on its nose. Of course, there was a slight problem with the width of the 8-Series fascia that was solved by…removing one of the BMW kidney grilles.

Read more »

Giggidy Giggidy Goo or What the Deuce? Miss Tuning Calendar 2012 [NSFW]

For better or for worse, tuning shows are as much about modified cars as they are about booth babes - and that's regardless of where they take place. Just wait and see at next week's SEMA Show.

But just to get your engines running – or so to speak, we have a special treat for you, and no, we're not referring to the Nissan 180SX/200SX ...

Read more »

Warning: Meet the Worst Accident Scam Artist in the World [Video]

Traffic accidents involving pedestrians are all too common but once in a while, you get your archetypal "please hit me" scam artist that will try anything to get something from you or better yet, your insurance company.

And truth is, unless there's a witness or two around, you'll either waste or have a pretty hard time proving your innocence. On the other hand, if you've installed a dashboard mounted camera on your car, an accident con can turn a nightmare scenario into a rather enjoyable 30 second clip.

Enter the world of the one of the worst fraudsters we've ever seen in action. Period. According to the person that uploaded the video, the incident took place somewhere in Korea. You can watch it right after the break.

Read more »

Raw Video: Driver, Beware of the Spicy Newscaster…

We can't see what reporter Alison Ariotti from Australia's Nine Network was wearing during this live TV broadcast, but the…package must have been interesting enough to distract the driver of the black Mazda CX-7 SUV who zoom-zoomed his attention from the road and on to the young lady and as a result, collided with a Mazda parked behind her.

So the lesson here folks is that if you happen to stumble upon a TV crew filming in the side of the road, please keep your eyes where they should be…

Read more »

What a Feeling: Carscoop Reader Takes Lexus LFA for a Spin around Silverstone

Say what you want about the Lexus LFA and whether or not it is worth the hefty $375k sticker price; if you're a true-blue petrol head and you were given the opportunity to get behind the LFA's wheel for a lap around a professional circuit, you'd do it in a heartbeat no matter what you thought about the car.

And that opportunity came for Carscoop reader Jean-Luc Cartwright from Britain who was able to drive the V10-powered Lexus LFA at the Silverstone racetrack in England.

Read more »

Read Why Steve Jobs' Car Never Had a License Plate

Steve Jobs, the charismatic founder of Apple and Pixar, was a man who changed not only the way computers are made and marketed, but also popularized a number of novel products, such as the iPhone and the iPad, which made buyers form long lines outside Apple stores and the competition always play catch-up.

Sadly, Jobs passed away on October 5 at the age of 56. After his death, one of the rumors circulating the web was that of his car’s number plate – or rather its absence.

Some said that he didn’t care about paying the fines, as he surely could afford to, while others claimed that he had somehow obtained a special permit to drive without one.

Read more »

Porsche Offers Drivers First Taste of New 911 through Winter Experience Program

Porsche enthusiasts will be happy to learn that the German sports car maker has launched its new Winter Driving Experience program that offers drivers the opportunity to test-drive the brand-new 911 in extreme conditions.

The company says that regardless of the driver's level of driving skills, instructors will teach them to improve their skills and refine their driving style through a carefully selected mix of theoretical and practical lessons.

Read more »

A Look at Some of the More Odd Creations of BMW's Individual Division

For the past few decades, BMW's Individual customization division has been catering to the needs of the Bavarian firm's more affluent clientele that are willing to dig a little bit deeper into their pockets to personalize their vehicles.

The firm's Individual workshop promises to fulfill almost any wishes as long as they comply with safety requirements and legal stipulations.

And while one client's request to base all colors used on an M6 Coupe around a Hawaiian Koawood trim worked out nicely (see video here), we can't say the same for the lamb wool floor mats found on a 2008 7-Series or the custom fabric interior trim on the 1992 7-Series.

Read more »

Army Fail: How to Flip Over a Tank

You may think that it's extremely difficult to flip over a heavy machine like a tank, but that's because you haven't seen these army guys in action. And yes, they managed the unthinkable while trying to place the vehicle on a special truck bed for transportation.

Watch the video for yourself right after the break.

Read more »

BMW wants you to get into the Christmas Spending Spirit

We're two months away from Christmas, which means most companies are ramping up their efforts to…occupy your wallet. Even carmakers can’t resist the temptation to propose some gifts.

Among the first automakers to launch their Christmas goods is BMW. The Bavarian automaker claims that its online-shop has a little something for everybody, be that your mother, father, sibling, daughter or son, including clothing, sporting goods, children’s products, miniatures, luggage, and accessories.

Read more »

Police Pursuit Drunk, Topless Gal in a G-String going 128MPH in Ohio [Video]

Ohio police officers were engaged in a high-speed chase earlier this month when 28-year-old Erin B. Holdsworth failed to stop after cops clocked her going 110mph (177km/h) along Route 422 in Bainbridge on October 11.

The young woman reached speeds of up to 128mph (206km/h) before police officers made use of stingers to puncture two of Holdsworth's tires and bring the chase to a stop.

And here's where the story takes a strange twist. Upon stopping her car on the side of the road, the young woman came out obviously drunk wearing nothing more than a…pair of sneakers and a G-string! The scene was captured by a dash-mounted police camera.

Read more »

VW Releases New Beetle Apple App that Interacts with Billboards

Mobile apps are becoming increasingly popular these days as tools to market products and services. This has not escaped the attention of automakers and their respective advertising and marketing divisions, which try to create apps to draw the attention of consumers.

Following the recently launched FT-86 app by Toyota, Volkswagen of Canada has also released its own interactive app to promote the new 2012 Beetle named "VWJuicedUp".

Read more »

Fake Videos of the Day: Tank Crashes Aston Martin & Mad Man Cuts Off Parking Meter

As you probably should already know by now, not everything you see and read on Youtube is real. One recent example was a video showing a new Lexus IS F being crushed, and which many websites rushed to adopt the poster's unfounded claims that it was destroyed for street racing by California authorities.

Today, we stumbled upon two more clips, one allegedly showing a man cutting off a parking meter with a saw after receiving a ticket, and another with an Abrams tank destroying an Aston Martin coupe.

Read more »

1990 Honda Accord Owner in Ohio Tops 1 Million Miles [Video]

Many people drive old cars. Whether it is out of necessity or choice, it makes no difference: as the cars age the owners have to deal with minor or major problems and, at some point, get rid of them.

Well, except for 53-year old Joe LoCicero who owns a 1990 Honda Accord. What makes Mr. LoCicero's car special is that its odometer surpassed the 1 million mile mark 20 years after it was rolled off the assembly line in Honda’s Marysville, Ohio plant. That’s equal to driving the circumference of the Earth about 40 times…

Read more »

Video: One Very Talented Pinstriper at Work

Pinstriping is an art form that combines precision skill with design, and one that is very commonly found in the world of automobiles and motorcycles.

Like many other arts, it's a talent you either have or you don't. This particular pinstriper, who was filmed while working on a series production Royal Enfield motorcycle gas tank at the company's factory in India, certainly has the talent.

Watch the video and you will understand why some people claim that professional pinstripers have steadier hands than brain surgeons do.

Read more »

In Russia, Saving a Lexus ES300 Means Drowning it… [Video]

A rescue attempt to save a Lexus ES300 that was on the verge of sinking into a lake in Russia had the opposite effect when the tow straps holding the car snapped off leading the Japanese model into the water.

We can’t confirm this, but the person who uploaded the video on Youtube says that the Lexus sedan was parked too close to the water and the driver couldn't get out.

Read more »