How to Overkill a Ferrari 458 Italia

Electric lamps are so passé these days. The way of the future is LEDs or Light-emitting diodes that can be found just about everywhere. Lately, LEDs have taken the automotive industry by storm with carmakers offering them either optionally or standard on most of their models.But it’s not only regular carmakers that have adopted the new lighting technology; so has the tuning industry which discovered a new toy to attract consumers. The results, as you can see from this example of a Ferrari 458 Italia slathered in LEDs, aren’t always graceful. Video follows after the break.

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2012 Toyota Camry Videos

We have covered the 2012 Toyota Camry extensively these past few weeks, from the moment we first laid our eyes on an unofficial video from the dealer presentation in Las Vegas up until today when the Japanese automaker officially revealed the car.
And now, following our detailed report on the ins and outs of the new Camry, we have a plethora of videos including a walkaround with Toyota Senior Product Education and Development Specialist David Lee who talks about the features of the mid-size sedan and a promotional clip with NASCAR driver Kyle Busch spinning the Hybrid model around Daytona.
To check them all out for yourself, just follow the break.

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New BMW M5 Filmed on Track

More than 30 years after BMW slapped the iconic "M" badge on the deck lid of the first generation 5-series saloon (then called the M535i), the Bavarians continue to evolve the sports sedan concept with the introduction of the all-new 5th generation M5.
The new M5 won’t be going on sale Stateside before 2012, but BMW has released a new promotional video that takes us for a ride around the Laguna track.
The latest M5 is the first turbocharged model of the series fitted with a high-revving V8 engine capable of delivering 560-horsepower and 500 lb-ft of peak torque for 0 to 60 mph sprint time well under 4.5 seconds.

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Ferrari 458 Italia Xbox 360 Steering Wheel Brings Maranello Magic to your Playroom

Chances are most of us will never have the opportunity to drive, let alone own, a Ferrari 458 Italia. But a racing game for a gaming console like Microsoft’s Xbox 360, is certainly within the reach of most.

Even though you will have to do without the hand-stitched cream leather of the interior, the actual G’s squeezing your body in corners and, of course, the gorgeous bodywork, Thrustmaster wants to bring the 458 experience closer to with the Ferrari 458 Italia Racing Wheel for the Xbox 360.

Apart from being sanctioned by Ferrari itself, the 11-inch diameter steering wheel features a rubberized grip, built-in paddles and the Manettino dial for changing certain game settings. In other words, it gets as close to the real thing as possible, even offering progressive “Bungee Cord” resistance to the driver’s inputs.

The 458 steering wheel comes bundled with a pedal base that features a long-stroke accelerator pedal, a resistant brake pedal and a wide footrest.

Now, if you already own a Sony PS3 or a PC instead of Microsoft’s console and feel left-out of all the fun, Thrustmaster offers the TH8 RS gear shift, which also connects via USB to the PS3 and PC-compatible T500 RS steering wheel. It offers a sequential or a traditional H-pattern as well as a 360o rotation feature in order to customize it according to your preferences.

The 458 steering wheel and the TH8 RS gearshift are expected to reach U.S. stores in October with a suggested retail price of $180 and $90 respectively. So, ladies and gentlemen, you have plenty of time to fasten your seatbelts…

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Video: New BMW Z4 sDrive28i

Starting from this fall, the Z4 roadster will no longer be available in the States with BMW's venerable 3.0-liter normally aspirated straight-six. Instead, the Bavarian company will replace the sDrive30i with the sDrive28i that features the new N20 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with a twin-scroll turbocharger.

Just for the record, the Z4 sDrive35i and sDrive35is with 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engines will continue.
With 240 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 260 lb-ft of torque at just 1,250 rpm, the N20 four-pot is less powerful but has more torque than the normally aspirated inline-six it replaces and which is rated at 255HP at 6,600 rpm and 220 lb-ft at 2,600 rpm.
And while we don’t have any reasons to doubt BMW's claims that the N20 is more responsive, lighter and fuel efficient than the classic straight-six, we're sure going to miss the German firm's trademark engine. 
Take a look at the video of the new Z4 sDrive28i with the N20 unit below. 

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All-New Porsche 911 Working out in the Arctic Circle

It may be a little late for showing the new 2012 Porsche 911 all-dressed up in black camouflage since the first photos of the sports car have already been spilled online, but we're not going to complain.

In this latest official video, Porsche takes us for a quick ride across the Arctic Circle where the German firm's engineers oversaw cold weather testing of the seventh-generation of the 911 in sub-zero temperatures. Take a deep breath, then follow the jump to watch the clip.

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New Kia Rio Prices in the UK from £10,595

The all-new 4th generation Rio will reach Kia's UK showrooms on September 1 with on-the-road prices starting from £10,595 for the entry-level 1.25 "1" and reaching £14,895 for range-topping 1.4 CRDi "3" EcoDynamics.
The Rio will be available at launch only as a five-door model but a three-door bodystyle will be added to the range early next year.
The South Korean automaker's proposal in the highly popular in Europe B-segment will go against the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and Fiat Punto EVO.
The Rio will be available with four engines including two petrol and two diesel units. The entry-level petrol engine is the 1.25-litre Kappa unit that develops 83bhp and 121Nm of torque, while the second option is Kia’s 1.4-litre Gamma engine, generating 107bhp and 137Nm of torque.
The two diesel engines are a 1.1-liter CRDi unit producing 74bhp and 170Nm of peak torque while returning up to 88.3mpg UK (73.5 mpg US or 3.2 lt/100km), and a 1.4-liter CRDi delivering 89bhp and 220Nm with a combined fuel consumption of up to 70.6mpg UK (58.8mpg US or 4.0lt/100km).
All diesel models are fitted with Kia’s EcoDynamics suite of fuel-saving technologies including Intelligent Stop & Go engine technology, low rolling resistance tyres, a drag-reducing front grille, gearshift indicator and rear spoiler.
There are three available trim grades with the entry-level "1" featuring front electric windows, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, two-way steering column adjustment on the petrol model (height-adjustable only on the entry level diesel), trip computer, split folding rear seats, and an MP3-compatible RDS radio and CD player with USB and AUX ports as standard. Bluetooth is also standard on the petrol entry model, and on all versions with other trim grades.
The ‘1 Air’ grade simply adds air conditioning to the mix, while the level ‘2’ models receive 16-inch alloys, front fog lights and a chrome radiator grille surround, along with bespoke interior trim, rear electric windows, a cooling glove box, electrically adjustable heated and folding door mirrors with side repeaters, leather steering wheel and gearshift, and a centre console armrest.
Finally, the level ‘3’ specification adds 17-inch alloys with low-profile tyres, LED daytime running and rear combination lamps, automatic air conditioning rain sensing wipers, cruise control, automatic headlights, heated front seats and six speakers in lieu of four.

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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. 

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Video: BMW Union Workers in California Fight Back

The showdown between BMW and the 68 union workers set to lose their jobs on August 31 at the Bavarian firm's distribution plant in Ontario, California, continues to escalate after Teamster members and their families protested outside 50 BMW dealerships in 11 states in the beginning of the month.
Today, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters that represents the soon-to-be-laid-off employees said union members of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) have been organizing informational pickets at 10 ports in nine countries over the past few days to show their solidarity with the BMW workforce.
"This is what international solidarity is all about: Crossing state lines, seas and borders to help workers whose jobs are threatened," said ITF President Paddy Crumlin.
"BMW is planning to outsource good, middle-class jobs," said Bob Lennox, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 495.
"Many of these employees have worked there for decades – some as long as 30 years. BMW told these workers they were a family, and then proceeded to hire union-hostile lawyers to help it exploit America's plant-closing laws. BMW and its lawyers at Jackson Lewis are condemning 68 American families to poverty and misery" Lennox continued.
In addition to the protests, BMW union workers recently launched a dedicated website under the name "BMW Ultimate Misery" where they have uploaded a series of videos to aid their cause.
On its behalf, BMW said that the decision not to renew the contracts of the 68 workers is not related to the union or wages but about operating its Ontario facility in the same way it does with its other North American plants through third-party workers. 

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Google's Self-Driving Car Involved in California Accident

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated in the title that this was the first accident involving a Google self-driving car. The corrected version reflects a change only in the title of this article. We also posted an updated story on the incident that includes a new video and an official statement from a Google spokesperson.

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?

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Video: How to get Even with Your Other Half

We have no way of knowing if the protagonist of the video you're about to enjoy after the break had some scores to settle with his other half (be that his wife or girlfriend), or if he simply had his moment of Zen, but if it's the former, we can guarantee its success. All joking aside, we'll assume that there's a large entrance located somewhere behind the man filming the driver in the Cobra roadster leaving his mark on the wooden floors – well, that or he built the car from a kit inside the room in which case we'd support the "moment of Zen" theory. Either way, watch the video after the break.

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Toyota Shows US Market 2012 Yaris Hatch at Lollapalooza Music Fest

When an automaker is ready to launch a new model into the market, we usually receive a press release along with some initial or teaser photos before we see it in person at a major auto show.

But that's not the case with the U.S. market version of the 2012 Yaris as Toyota quietly unwrapped the car under a tent at the…Lollapalooza annual music festival in Chicago this past weekend while today, the Japanese company announced U.S. pricing without, however, releasing any photos or further details. Strange indeed.
We'll remind you that the new generation of the Yaris was first shown in Japan in December, 2010. Toyota then presented a concept hybrid version at the Geneva Show in March this year before revealing the final production model for Europe in June and for Australia in July at the Melbourne Motor Show.
Toyota said the redesigned 2012 Yaris's base MSRP will range from $14,115 for the L grade three-door liftback fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox to $17,200 for the SE grade five-door liftback with a four-speed automatic transmission.
The aforementioned MSRPs do not include a $760 delivery, processing and handling (DPH) fee which lifts prices to $14,875 and $17,960 for the 2012 Yaris L and Yaris SE grades respectively
Toyota said that pricing for the new model is "comparable to a Convenience Package-equipped current generation Yaris" adding that production of the car will start on August 31.
And while Toyota did not announce any further details, Cars.com editor Joe Bruzek was at the Lollapalooza music fest where he managed to get a look at the spec sheet found on the 2012 Yaris LE that was on display.
The LE comes fitted with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with Toyota stating on the spec sheet that the manual model will return an estimated fuel efficiency of 30mpg city and 38mpgh highway, while the automatic 30mpg city and 35 mpg highway.
By comparison, the current generation Yaris that also features a 1.5-liter gasoline unit, returns 29mpg/36mpg when equipped with a manual gearbox and 29mpg/35mpg when fitted with an automatic.
While we wait for Toyota to release photos of the North American-specification 2012 Yaris, scroll down for a video and a comprehensive gallery of the European market model.

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Video: 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.

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