BMX Dirt Bike

BMW virtually invented the Adventure class with the iconic, go-anywhere GS, and proved they weren’t afraid of getting dirty with multiple wins in the grueling Paris-Dakar Rally, this new bike represents BMW’s first serious off-road Dirt Bike. The BMW G450X has a 449cc single-cylinder dohc 4-stroke motor with 51 HP.

Car Salesman Kills Customer

A Pennsylvania car salesman turned himself in to police after a test drive of a Mitsubishi Lancer ended with a passenger’s death. The Salesman was charged with homicide by vehicle, driving under the influence of a controlled substance, reckless endangerment and driving at an unsafe speed in the death of customer. The salesman instructed the customer to pull over and let him drive. He started driving recklessly at speeds of up to 90 mph, when he swerved to avoid hitting an oncoming truck and hit an embankment and both were ejected from the car. It later emerged that he was intoxicated at the time of the crash.

corvette recall

General Motors has issued a safety recall on the 2011 and 2012 Chevrolet Corvette for a potentially faulty hinge on the rear hatch. According to both the automaker and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, hinges on the rear hatch glass of certain Corvette models may fail to comply with NHTSA requirements. GM, which discovered the issue during testing, says the rear hatch may break free in the event of a collision, though there are no known incidents or even owner complaints of the issue. The NHTSA says such an issue could lead to the increased risk for injuries. About 4,000 2011 and 1,700 2012 Chevy Corvettes, built from the end of January 2011 through September 1st, are involved in the recall, which GM began on October 7th. Owners are urged to bring in their vehicle into the dealership for a inspection and the dealership will replace the rear hatch hinges free of charge.

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Dan Wheldon

Dan Wheldon (22 June 1978 – 16 October 2011 an English Indy Car Racing driver. He was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion, and two time winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and 2011. Wheldon, who was born in Emberton, England, took up karting at the age of four with funding from his father, he progressed through the junior ranks of motor racing and then Moved to the United States in 1999, he spent several years in lower open-wheeled circuits like the U.S. F2000 Championship Series, the Toyota Atlantic series and the Indy Lights series. In 2002, Wheldon moved up to the IRL IndyCar Series. in 2005 not only did he win he win the 2005 Indianapolis 500 he won the IndyCar Series championship. His six victories in 2005 also broke the record for most victories in one season (under IRL sanction). Dan won the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance sports car race with Chip Ganassi Racing driving with teammates Scott Dixon and Ganassi NASCAR driver Casey Mears. Today during the IZOD IndyCar Series season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Wheldon was involved in a 15-car accident during lap 11 of the race. The massive pile-up resulted in a red flag. Wheldon was airlifted to UMC hospital with what were described as serious injuries. He was 33 years old.



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Subaru Recall

Subaru is recalling 69,590 2011 Outback and Legacy models built between August 2010 and July 2011. On certain models, an insufficient amount of adhesive was used to attach the moonroof glass to the retainer assembly. As a result, the moonroof glass can loosen and potentially detach from the vehicle, creating a road hazard for other drivers. All Subaru dealers will inspect the moonroof glass to determine if the proper amount of adhesive was used. Dealers will repair or replace the moonroof glass assembly as required, at no charge to owners. The recall is expected to begin in October 2011, This is the second recall of Subaru Outback and Legacy this past summer the automaker had previously announced a recall of 2010 and 2011 model year Outback and Legacy models for the windshield wiper motor assembly.

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1967 Corvette Sting Ray

STIGZA CAR PROFILE : 1967 Corvette Sting Ray was the last Corvette of the second generation, and five years of refinements made it the best of the line. Though it was meant to be a redesign, its intended successor the C3 was found to have some undesirable aerodynamic traits. Duntov demanded more time in the wind tunnel to devise fixes before it went into production. Still, the 1967 Corvette was a Sting Ray refined to the limit. It was certainly the cleanest Sting Ray ever. Five smaller front fender vents replaced the three larger ones, and flat-finish rockers sans ribbing conferred a lower, less chunky appearance. New was a single backup light, mounted above the license plate. The previous models' wheel covers gave way to slotted six-inch Rally wheels with chrome beauty rings and lug nuts concealed behind chrome caps. Interior alterations were modest and included revised upholstery, and the handbrake moved from beneath the dash to between the seats. The convertible's optional hardtop was now dubiously offered with a black vinyl cover. The 427 was available with a Holley triple two-barrel carburetor arrangement, which the factory called Tri-Power. The ultimate Corvette engine for 1967 was coded L88, even wilder than the L89, and was as close to a pure racing engine as Chevy had ever offered in regular production. Besides the lightweight heads and bigger ports, it came with an even hotter camshaft, stratospheric 12.5:1 compression, an aluminum radiator, small-diameter flywheel, and a single huge Holley four-barrel carburetor. Although the factory advertised L88 rating was 430 hp at 4600 rpm, the true rating was said to be about 560 hp at 6400 rpm. The very high compression ratio required 103-octane racing fuel, which was available only at select service stations. Clearly this was not an engine for the casual motorist. When the L88 was ordered, Chevy made several individual options mandatory, includingPositraction, the transistorized ignition, heavy-duty suspension, and power brakes, as well as RPO C48, which deleted the normal radio and heater to cut down on weight and discourage the car's use on the street. As costly as it was powerful - at an additional $1,500 over the base $4,240.75 price - the L88 engine and required options were sold to a mere 20 buyers that year. With potential buyers anticipating the car's overdue redesign, sales for the Sting Ray's final year totaled 22,940, down over 5,000 units from 1966 results.

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Toyota iQ

Toyota getting in the bite-size car segment with the iQ. The Toyota iQ was first shown as a concept at last fall's Frankfurt Motor Show and then in production form at Geneva this year. The iQ utilizes a 3+1 seating arrangement where the passenger side of the dash board does not extend back as far as the driver side. This allows the passenger seat to sit further forward than the drive leaving room for an "adult to sit behind. The +1 seat behind the driver is strictly for the smaller of stature. The prototype doesn't appear to have changed from the production model shown at Geneva and even with the extra seating capacity it doesn't look much larger than the Smart ForTwo. Toyota has not given any indication yet about whether they will offer the iQ to U.S. consumers although if gas prices keep rising, then maybe.

Shut Up and Drive

New York state has increased the penalty for using a cell phone while driving. While it’s been illegal for years, but the state Department of Motor Vehicles will impose two points on the driving records of anyone found guilty of using a cell phone while behind the wheel. That's in addition to the $100 fine offenders already face. Those who get caught texting while driving also face points and fines. The DMV hopes the laws remind New Yorkers of the dangers of distracted driving. "We hope it to be a deterrent much in the way that when the seat belt law was first drafted decades ago," said David Sampson, executive deputy commissioner of the DMV. "At first there was a very little compliance with it and now New York States leads the nation with 90 percent seat belt use. We hope we can have the same impact because distracted driving has now become one of the most serious problems on our highways today." The DMV estimates that one in five crashes in the state is caused by distracted drivers, resulting in 5,000 deaths last year.

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