Damox's Car Blog

Russian investment billionaire Suleiman Kerimov is in a coma following a fiery crash in a Ferrari Enzo on the French Riviera. The car went on to a sidewalk and hit a tree before the engine caught fire. Kerimov escaped the wreckage, but his clothes were on fire. He suffered severe burns on much of his body and face.

This might be the first Ferrari Enzo crash to cause life-threatening injuries. A crash on the Pacific Coast Highway last year split an Enzo in half, but the driver was left with only minor scratches, despite the fact that the car flew up an embankment and hit a telephone pole.
Bloomberg.com: Europe

Hot Rod Magazine has reviewed the top 40 car movies of all-time, and it's actually a pretty good list. I've seen much worst movie lists from movie guys, so I'm a little surprised to see a bunch of car guys actually get it right.

Without a doubt, the best car movie is American Graffiti. The teens in that movie just lived cars, and they did it so naturally. You would never watch that movie and say "those kids are way too obsessed about cars, it's very unrealistic." Sure, they talk about the Deuce Coupe and the '55 Chevy, but they don't make the movie, which is what I like. Even a great car movie shouldn't overwhelm us with automotive mumbo jumbo.

Two-Lane Blacktop is #2 on the list. Few people remember this movie today, but I love it. The '55 Chevy is not only the same type of car later used by Bob Falfa in American Graffiti, it's actually the same car. They painted it black, replaced the custom hood with an original, and made it the only car to star in two movies on this list.

The only movie I think the reviewers must have not seen is Dazed and Confused. If they are going to include a terrible American Graffiti rip-off like Hollywood Knights, they have to include a very good American Graffiti-inspired film like Dazed and Confused. D&C had a greater assortment of cars than any good movie in the past 15 years, such as a 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge and a 1974 Pontiac Trans Am SD-455. Like American Graffiti, it wasn't about the cars, they just provided a beautiful background.
We Review the Top 40 Car Movies and Tell You Where to Get Them - Hot Rod Magazine

You don't need to be a millionaire to drive a Bugatti Veyron anymore. Putnam Leasing is now offering the world's fastest production car for lease for just $23,595 a month for 60 months. That's after paying the $400,000 down payment.

If you end up buying the car, the lease deal will have you paying a total of $1,815,700, which is about $400,000 more than the purchase price if you were to buy it outright.
Lease a Bugatti Veyron for $24K a month - Autoblog

Ferrari has been testing an insertable 4x4 system on a 612 Scaglietti. The system tests have been caught by a spy shot photographer.

I'm concerned about the added weight of a system like this. Is there really a market for Ferraris that drive well in bad weather? I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Winding Road » Archive » Spied: 4×4 Ferrari 612! No Kidding, Folks

Wired News got to check out a BMW Hydrogen 7, and they seem impressed. This is not a hydrogen fuel cell car. Those use hydrogen to create electricity, which then powers the motor. The Hydrogen 7 is fueled directly by hydrogen, although it can switch to gasoline power on-the-fly, a nifty trick.

Although not as powerful as most cars today, the 12-cylinder, 260 horsepower engine is no slouch. The hydrogen fuel system is heavy, because it needs to keep the gas cool enough to stay a liquid. That's been a problem, as the entire fuel supply will evaporate if the car is not driven for 12 days. The fuel loss will begin after just 17 hours.

When the car is actually being driven, it's very efficient. With a direct fueling system, no energy is wasted on conversion to electricity.

I think this is definately where cars are headed in the future. Maybe not the near future. In fact, I'd guess it'll be 50 years before hydrogen surpasses gasoline as our preferred fuel source. First, we have to set up the hydrogen infrastructure. That will be slow, because it will only grow once a market is saturated with enough hydrogen cars. At first, expect to see owners with home-based fueling systems. That will keep them tethered to an area within a hundred miles or so of their house. Second, car makers need to find a way to make these fueling systems more efficient with regards to holding the fuel in the tanks. People will become frusturated with losing fuel without driving.
Wired News: Road Testing BMW's Hydrogen 7

There has been speculation that Ford is working on a Mustang Wagon that could be at dealerships by 2010. At first I was shocked by the idea, because everyone who has seen the 1960's Ford Mustang Wagon concept knows that it will haunt you in your sleep for years.

I looked at the mock drawings of a possible modern Mustang wagon, and I'm not so upset anymore. I'm not saying that I would buy one, but it doesn't look that bad. It's pretty much a Dodge Magnum rip-off.

The reason for a sudden interest in wagons is the decline in demand for minivans and SUVs. People want storage space for the big crap they cart around, but they don't want something that's sluggish or built on a truck platform and only gets 18 mpg. A station wagon can be sporty but also comfortably seat an average family with room in the back for all sorts of stuff you really don't need in an automobile.
2010 Mustang Wagon Speculated by German Magazine

British automaker Aston Martin (or are the German now, I can't keep track of these things) will unveil the new V8 Vantage Roadster on November 28 at the LA Auto Show.

These cars are beautiful, powerful, and about as luxurious as you'll find. I'm sure in some corner of heaven right now, Jesus is driving an Aston Martin around some wicked curves.
Aston Martin Launches the V8 Vantage Roadster - AutoMotoPortal.com

I've been getting some questions about the Bugatti Veyron, which is easily the most hyped car of the year. Let me explain this once and for all: the Veyron has three different driving modes. They are the following:

Normal driving mode (used most often):

Note the rear wing is lowered all the way (not visible) and the suspension is at a normal level

Handling mode (curvy roads taken at speed):

Note the high rear wing and slightly lowered suspension

Top Speed mode (best for use on race tracks and the Bonneville Salt Flats):

Not the fully lowered suspension and the once-again lowered wing

I hope this helps all you Bugatti owners out there. Because I know there are so many of you out there. And you're all reading this page.

No, Toyota has not stopped making the Prius, it's just no longer the most green car in the country. That title goes to the 2007 Honda Civic GX.

The Civic GX uses natural gas that costs about a third the cost of gasoline. Although there are very few gas stations that have natural gas pumps, they are growing in number, and if you drive close to home it won't matter anyway, because Honda has made a home-fueling station to go with the car.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has given this Civic the title for being the cleanest burning internal combustion vehicle on Earth. That's saying a lot, and it could be a glimpse of the future. Fuel economy is 29/39 mpg, which seems low until you figure in the cost of the fuel. This car will cost half as much to fuel as the Prius, and there is still room for improved fuel economy in the coming years.

MSRP on the Civic GX is $24,590
Natural-Gas Guzzler - Popular Science

One of my favorite cars from this year's SEMA show thus far is the Dodge Challenger Super Stock Concept. It's got a 392 HEMI, a modern version of the engine first produced nearly 50 years ago.

The Dodge Challenger will into production next year for the 2008 model year. Of the muscle car lines that are making a comeback, including the Pontiac GTO and Dodge Charger, the Challenger is by far my favorite. It's the only one that seems to even attempt to reproduce some of the lines and features of the original.
Dodge Challenger Super Stock Concept - Ultimatecarpage.com - Images, Specifications and Information