If you like to go skiing, or just can’t get enough of carbon fiber, you’re in luck. Audi is now making carbon fiber skis. What do you think? According to a press release, “The Audi Carbon Ski may become available already in winter 2011/2012.” Would you buy them?
These car photos were posted on Sub5zero.com, and they’re pretty interesting. If you think they look like typical cars, think again. Oh, the wonders of Photoshop. Did any of these make you look twice?
Over at Jalopnik, they are reporting that Nissan will unveil the ESFLOW concept at the Geneva auto show in March. The ESFLOW concept is a two-seat, rear-wheel-drive EV, and looks more like a 370Z than your average electric car or hybrid. This sports car/electric car combo can go from 0-60 mph in under five seconds…and also go 150 miles before needing to be recharged. If you thought you’d never consider buying an electric car, check out these photos and tell me if this one could possibly change your mind.
(Photos from Jalopnik!)
What is life like for a blind mechanic? This video of Bart Hickey, found on Jalopnik, might give you some insight. Hickey, who runs Bart’s Automotive and Towing in Alsip, Ill., has been a mechanic since he was a teenager… and blind since birth. If you’ve ever had trouble with something under the hood with your eyes open, check out this video. What a cool story.
“Intimidator” from Jim Quattrocki on Vimeo.
The genius minds over at Lifehacker came up with some handy tips to remember the next time you are buying a car. Among the most useful? Bring a refrigerator magnet.
If there is rust damage to the car or filled in areas, the magnet will not stick to the part of the car where work was done. This is an easy and pretty effective way to tell the truth about where a car has been or what kind of damage it has been through. So if you have an obnoxious amount of magnets on your refrigerator for no reason, now you know another use for them!
Apparently Four Loko will soon be recycled into ethanol for gasoline and used to power your cars, according to FuelFix. Now that the FDA has banned these alcoholic energy drinks, truckloads of Four Loko are being sent to MXI Environmental Services in Virginia. At MXI, they distill the alcohol from the drinks and then sell the fuel to be blended into gasoline. (They also recycle the drinks’ water, cardboard packaging and shipping pallets, and sell the aluminum cans to recyclers.) I can only hope that when it’s filled up on Four Loko, my car doesn’t speed around uncontrollably, crash on the neighbors lawn and then forget how it got there.
Photo: Paul Sakuma/AP
Check out this video of Subaru Rally Driver Pat Richard and navigator Alan Ockwell taking on the tough Stage 4 of Rally of the Tall Pines in a 2011 Subaru WRX STI. With four HD camera views, you can choose which one to watch (or watch all four at once if you can multitask…)
It’s officially January 2011, and that means a lot of great auto shows are happening this month. (Check out Mishimoto’s January desktop calendar to see this month’s auto events.) I’ve got a few I’m keeping an eye on and I know you do, too. What’s your favorite thing about going to the auto show, and what are you most excited to see?
Watch the blog or follow us on Twitter for great pictures and updates. Jalopnik will of course be updating from the Detroit Auto Show with tons of insider info and great photos like the one above of the new BMW 1 Series M Coupe, revealed today. Leave comments and let us know what you want to see!
In China, the driving exam that you must pass in order to get your license is a lot different than the American one I took back in high school. Drivers have to study 1,000 questions and 100 of those are used on the exam. To pass, you need to answer at least 90% of them correctly. Here are a few of those questions from Jalopnik. These were translated from a 2003 test taken by Ash Sutcliffe of the China Car Times website (where you can find the full quiz and all of the answers). Take the quiz and post your results!
The Roads in Road Traffic Safety Law of the Peoples Republic of China refers to _____
__ Expressways and highways
__ Highways, urban streets, and places belonging to residential quarters or establishments where motors vehicles are allowed to pass, including public parking lots and other places open to traffic.
__ Asphalt roads, concrete roads and gravel roads
__ I don’t know
When driving motor vehicles, drivers…
__ Is allowed to smoke
__ May smoke when tired
__ Must not smoke
__ I don’t know
How should two vehicles meeting each other do when there is an obstacle on one side of the road?
__ The vehicle not influenced by the obstacle should let the other vehicle pass first
__ Whoever wants to passes first passes first
__ The vehicle influenced by the obstacle should let the other vehicle pass first
__ I don’t know
Before driving motor vehicles, drivers….
__ May drink a little alcoholic drinks
__ Must not drink alcoholic drinks
__ Are only allowed to drink beer
__ I don’t know
Running along a dark or dimly-lit road, vehicles should turn off the long-range light and turn on the small light when meeting a vehicle_____ meters away
__ 150
__ 50
__ 200
__ I don’t know
Take The Ridiculous Chinese Driving TestWhen passing a zebra crossing….
__ Vehicles must slow down or stop to avoid the pedestrians
__ Vehicles should closely follow the vehicle ahead and pass quickly
__ Pedestrians must avoid the vehicles
__ I don’t know
When vehicles break down…
__ They should be moved to places where they will not hinder traffic and the danger warning flashing light should be turned on
__ They should be repaired on the spot as soon as possible
__ Drivers should ask passengers and passers by to push the vehicle to the side of the road
__ I don’t know
Which of the following rules must a vehicle driving on an expressway act upon?
__ It cannot reverse, drive in the opposite lane, cross the central dividing area, or make a U-turn
__ It can make U-turn or turn by crossing the central
__ Test drive or learning to drive is allowed there
__ I don’t know
When a road accident happens, the driver must stop the vehicle and protect the scene. In case of casualties, the driver must ______ while rescuing the injured
__ Find out the cause of the accident at once
__ Move the vehicle to a place where it does not affect the traffic
__ Report the accident to the traffic policeman on duty or traffic authority at once
__ I don’t know
What obligation do the persons involved in a traffic accident undertake when the accident is being investigated?
__ Making up a story about the accident
__ Complaning of the fault the other party
__ Making a true statement of the accident without concealing the truth
__ I don’t know
Motor Vehicle driving licenses carries the following information of the holder: Name, sex, date of birth, address, ID card number (motor vehicle driving license number) and _____
__ Ethnic Group
__ Citizenship
__ Bloodtype
__ I don’t know
Driving on a road covered with ice or snow, try your best not to turn the steering wheel lest the vehicle should _____
__ Skid
__ Slide
__ Slip
__ I don’t know
What kind of change will driving too fast bring about in the drivers observing power?
__ His observation will get incomplete and his vision narrower
__ His observation will be quick and his vision wider
__ His vision will get too narrow
__ I don’t know
When there are puddles on the road ahead, the drivers….
__ Should accelerate and pass
__ Should drive slowly and lest the water should be splashed onto the pedestrians
__ Drive at the normal speed without the need to slow down
__ I don’t know
What is the right thing to do when the motor vehicle breaks down on any elevated way, bridge cross the river or tunnel of Shanghai?
__ The driver should set up a warning 20 to 30 meters away from the rear of the vehicle and turn on the danger signal light (as well as the width indicator and rear light at night)
__ The driver should wait for the mechanic.
__ The driver should turn off all the lights to save electricity.
__ I don’t know
