A quarter of the total Car Accident in the U.S. because Berponsel

Attention and also a warning to motorists who have a habit of using mobile phones while driving. According to the Road Safety Association of Governors (Governors Highway Safety Association / GHSA) in the United States, from advanced research ever reported by 350 posts since 2000, 25 percent of the total vehicle accidents because drivers are bertelpon.

Then, almost half the time of activity a day of driving distracted by many things (including calling), resulting in minor injuries to loss of life. Very fatal, was driving when making a short message (SMS).

"Although more posts related to driver distraction, there are still many things we do not know. It should be more research done to find solutions to reduce or eliminate them," said GHSA Executive Director Barbara Harsha, as reported by autoevolution (12 / 7).

The results also showed that there was no certainty of hands-free use can reduce the risk of road accidents. Including the prohibition of pro-sms while driving succeeded in reducing the level of road accidents. To that end, GHSA recommends a total ban on new rules for motorists using mobile phones while driving.

The action came into force in several U.S. states, including 30 states in the district of Colombia has established this rule. Furthermore, 41 states including Washington DC started banning new sms on the road.

Spada unveils Codatronca Monza roadster in all its glory

Spada Codatronca Monza

The father-son design team of Ercole and Paolo Spada made a real splash a few years back when they unveiled the Codatronca. Inspired by the Kamm-tailed Alfas Ercole designed back in the day for Zagato, the Codatronca looked something like a cross between a Chevrolet Corvette, a Lamborghini and Darth Vader's helmet.

Radical as the design was, however, it wasn't quite extreme enough for Aznom. So the Italian coachbuilder and aftermarket firm commissioned Spada to build the car you see here: the Codatronca Monza.

Initially unveiled at the Top Marques Monaco a couple of months ago, Spada has only now revealed the details in full. The roadster packs the same 710-horspower twin-supercharged 7.0-liter V8 (presumably based on the Z06's LS7), but in an open-roof bodystyle named after the legendary Italian racing circuit. Weighing in at only 2,600 lbs, the show car features a stripped-out cockpit with Sabelt buckets and full data acquisition system centered around the F1-style steering wheel. It rides on a fully adjustable suspension with OZ Ultraleggera wheels, Pirelli PZero Corsa tires and Brembo brakes with the same ABS system employed in the FIA GT3 series. The Spada boys say these factors add up to a 0-62 mph time of three seconds flat and a face-shredding 208 mph top end.

The Monza was commissioned by Aznom as a demonstration vehicle, but Spada says it would built more to order, and will develop and additional Barchetta derivative that will presumably offer a little more in the way of creature comforts at the expense of the Monza's extremity. In the meantime you can check out the full high-res image mega gallery along with the press release and video after the jump for a closer look.

Gallery: Spada Codatronca Monza

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Chinese police caught rebadging Mercedes as Honda to avoid taxpayer ire

Perhaps there was once a time when the Chinese citizenry couldn't tell the difference between a Mercedes-Benz and a Honda. In today's car-crazy China, however, this is clearly no longer the case. That didn't stop police in Fangchenggang (part of Guangxi Province) from performing a low-tech badge swap on a Mercedes-Benz ML350 in a bid to make it look like a run-of-the-mill Honda, right down to CR-V emblem on the rear liftgate.

Car News China reports that the police did it to fool taxpayers into thinking that the department didn't spend big bucks on a Benz. An ML350 reportedly costs around 900,000 yuan ($139,000 USD), which is a lot more than Honda CR-V, which runs around 200,000 yuan ($30,000 or so). As you may have guessed, the ridiculous (and failed) cover-up attempt by the cops angered residents whole lot more than if they'd simply rolled out, baller style, in the Mercedes from the beginning.

Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 gets Star Wars-inspired wrap

2009 Lamborghini LP640 Star Wars

Brian Zuk wrapped a 2008 Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640 with a Star Wars-themed vinyl skin for this year's Gold Rush Rally 3. Verdict? We like.

The wrap features Clone Wars-era Jedi Order crests on the passenger side, Galactic Republic/Galactic Empire crests on the driver's side, and an overhead view of an R2 unit on the car's roof (very handy for repairing the V12's hyperdrive). If nothing else, this Lambo's a lock to score one of the prime valet spots outside Jabba's palace. Hop the jump to watch video of it in action.

Jeff Zwart's record-breaking run up Pikes Peak in a Porsche 911 GT2

Jeff Zwart's 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS at Pikes Peak

Last month we showed you a video chronicling Jeff Zwart's 1,132 mile road trip from Southern California to Pikes Peak in his quest to break his own 2WD Time Attack record in a stock Porsche 911 GT2 RS. The second video, showing Zwart's run up the mountain, has now been released. The footage of the attempt is excellent.

While Zwart didn't manage to come up home with the title, it would be difficult to not consider his drive a success. He smashed the Pikes Peak record for stock production cars, and his time of 11:07.869 bested his previous attempt in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car by 24 seconds. Only Zwart's good friend Rod Millen was able to top him on the day, albeit by a mere three seconds and with a fully-prepped race car producing over 700 horsepower.

You can watch Zwart drive his 911 GT2 RS up Pikes Peak in the video after the jump.

Gallery: Jeff Zwart's Porsche 911 GT2 RS at Pikes Peak

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Scuderia Ferrari drops Marlboro from its name

While cigarette-brand logos once adorned most of the Formula 1 cars on the grid, tobacco sponsorship in F1 has been banned for years. The last holdout was Ferrari, but even that's been scaled back to oblivion over the past few seasons.

As countries hosting races gradually banned tobacco advertising, Ferrari was forced to remove the Marlboro name and logo from its cars at some grands prix. Eventually, it was removed altogether in favor of the bar-code graphic that was, according to some, designed to evoke the Marlboro logo while skirting the sponsorship rules. Last year, even that was dropped after controversy erupted over the issue.

The last vestige of the collaboration between Ferrari and Philip Morris remained in the team's name, but reports now indicate that's over. The team is reverting from Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro to Scuderia Ferrari. This change comes after the two outfits recently announced a renewal of their contract, but you to wonder what Philip Morris is getting out of its multi-million-dollar sponsorship deal at this point, and by extension, how much longer it will last.

Abarth Punto Evo hits the street in 180-hp EsseEsse trim

Abarth Punto Evo EsseEsse

With the 500 getting the lion's share of the attention, it'd be all too easy to forget about the Punto. But Fiat offers more than one model, and so does its tuning division, Abarth.

The Grande Punto has been around since 2005, and was updated in 2009 as the Punto Evo, something of a stopgap until its eventual replacement comes along. Abarth offers its own version of the Punto Evo for those who find the 500 either too small or too cutesy, and has now rolled out an even more powerful version of the Italian performance hatch.

Instead of the 165-horsepower turbo four in the existing Abarth Punto Evo, the EsseEsse version gets a more promising 180, thanks to revised ECU programming and bigger turbocharger. The brakes are also upgraded, as are the springs, dampers and wheel/tire package. The result is a 7.5-second sprint to 62 and a 134 mph top end.

Best of all, the modifications in the EsseEsse kit can be ordered and installed from the dealership up to a year after the car was purchased. Although the model was unveiled nearly a year ago in Paris, it's only just hitting the market. Read more about it in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Abarth Punto Evo EsseEsse

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2011 British Grand Prix brings the circus back home to Silverstone

2011 British Grand Prix

Unlike racing series like IndyCars or Le Mans, the Formula One championship isn't built around any specific race. But even though each grand prix carries the same weight in the standings, some are – symbolically speaking – more important than others. While Monaco is clearly the most exciting and emblematic of the series as a whole, we'd argue that none are as important to the teams as the British Grand Prix.

Since more teams are based in the UK than anywhere else, the race as Silverstone is considered home turf for about half the grid – not to mention the spiritual home of grand prix racing. So with the British Grand Prix unfolding this weekend, who took top honors? Follow the jump and we just might tell you.

New Owl City music video features Back to the Future DeLorean

1985 DeLorean DMC-12

Synth pop project Owl City, the brainchild of Minnesota's own Adam Young, recently released the video for its new single, "Deer in the Headlights." In addition to some pretty cool CGI, the video resonates with us because in it, Young pilots the Back to the Future DeLorean.

Time travel doesn't happen until the end, when he inexplicably goes to 2015 and meets an alien. Other than that, the video is just a dude singing to himself tooling around in a 1985 DeLorean DMC-12 time machine. It's not "Wires" by Red Fang, but it's still pretty cool. Check out the video after the jump.

Netherlands' worst driver proves it in graphic

We've seen some pretty bad ideas for reality TV shows come to fruition, but they all pale in comparison to De Allerslechtste chauffeur van Nederland? (Who Is The Worst Driver In The Netherlands?) – a concept that takes bad drivers and puts them behind the wheel in a series of contests.

Show organizers apparently got their answer when a contestant identified as Pim mistook the accelerator for the brake, veered off course, took his hands from the wheel, covered his eyes, struck a car and ran down both a camera man and the show's host. By some small miracle, no one was seriously injured in the episode, though host Ruben Nicolai spent some time in the hospital as a result of Pim's excursion.

Strangely enough, the show shoved two passengers into the car with Pim for his stunt. Neither of the two ladies were harmed in his off-course adventure despite the fact that he hit a staff car hard enough to shatter the windshield in his Volvo and blow the airbags. Hit the jump to watch the video for yourself.

2011 Mazda CX-7

When we think of mid-size crossovers, words like "comfort," "convenience" and "roominess" are the first things to spring to mind. For some CUVs, those are accurate descriptions, but the Mazda CX-7 also has to fulfill a Zoom-Zoom promise. For the past 11 years, Mazda's mantra has meant that driving excitement must be injected into every vehicle it builds, whether it's a roadster like the MX-5 Miata or a minivan like the Mazda5.

Athletic handling is a no-brainer for sports cars like the RX-8, but crossover owners typically expect creature comforts, utility and a smooth ride. We've been won over by the CX-7's sporty genes before, but the crossover field is far thicker and more talented than it was back in 2007 when the CX-7 first hit the scene. Does this Mazda softroader still strike the right balance? We spent a week getting reacquainted with 2011 CX-7 Grand Touring to find out.

Bentley to unveil new Continental GTC in Frankfurt

Bentley's Continental range has, well... "spurred" a whole line of derivatives: the GT coupe, the GTC convertible, the Flying Spur sedan, Speed and Supersports versions of each, a string of special editions.... And like other such proliferative products – say, the Porsche 911 or Ford Mustang, for examples – when one is updated, it starts a whole new game of dominoes.

So after the Continental GT was updated this past September with a fresh face and a whole host of changes, we knew it would only be a matter of time before the others would follow. And according to reports, the next one down the line is the cabrio.

Word has it that the new Continental GTC will be unveiled one year after the coupe was revealed at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. So what can we expect when it does? Well, the same fresh bodywork as its fixed-roof counterpart and its refresh interior as well as its revised flex-fuel 6.0-liter twin-turbo W-12 and six-speed automatic transmission, only with a folding fabric roof.

A less costly V8 model is still expected to come at some point down the road, as will the more powerful Speed versions and the Flying Spur sedan. Just one Bentley at a time there, boys.

Porsche NA sends employees to Nürburgring for Carrera Cup

Working for Porsche Cars North America has to have its perks. Aside from being associated with some of the best sports cars in the world, you also get a shot at hanging out at the Carrera World Cup at the Nürburgring with none other than Melanie Snow. PCNA recently held an internal contest to allow seven employees to do just that, and the gaggles of lucky souls packed their bags, headed to Germany and proceeded to watch the American Le Mans champ take to the field.

The Carrera World Cup features six laps of the famous race track, and competitors from all over the globe come to prove who's best from behind the wheel of the spec 911 Carrera. Unfortunately, Melanie suffered an early shunt that saw her efforts cut short briefly after the very first turn. Hit the jump to see a video of the event from PCNA's point of view.

Osamu Suzuki blog paints VW tie-up in negative light

There seems to be a bit of a domestic disturbance between Suzuki and Volkswagen. According to The Truth About Cars, VW is a bit upset that the corporate tie-up between the two automakers hasn't borne more fruit. If you believe the whispers sneaking around the web right now, the German company even went so far as to leak its frustrations to the German press, saying that partnership is "a big disappointment" and that Suzuki expects full access to VW tech without having to reciprocate. Suzuki, meanwhile, says that's not the case.

Osamu Suzuki himself took to his company's blog to say that the two automakers entered into the agreement as equal partners, and that Volkswagen has no say over how Suzuki conducts its business. What's more, the engineers at the Japanese company didn't find any Volkswagen tech worth borrowing, and that if it decides it needs any assistance, it will look toward other manufacturers.

Aw snap.

Even so, Suzuki said that both companies are continuing dialogues to discover ways to work together in the future, which means we can still hold out hope for a TDI GSXR.

Mexico's Mastretta MXT headed for production

The 2011 Mastretta MXT, Mexico's homegrown sports car that took a Top Gear slagging, is ramping up production. The company is on track to produce 100 vehicles by the end of 2011, and that figure will double next year. Speaking at the Guadalajara International Motor Show (SIAG), Daniel Mastretta announced the first production MXT will be delivered by the end of July.

Despite what Clarkson, May and Hammond had to say about Mexican cars and cuisine, co-founder Daniel Mastretta didn't fire back at Top Gear with anger. In fact, the comments on the popular show helped publicize the MXT and spurred the company to make improvements to the vehicle. The aluminum chassis MXT features a turbocharged Ford Duratec four-cylinder and MTX transaxle, but as Lotus has proved with the Elise, plebian pieces with a light load can translate into thrilling performance. Mastretta is holding 30 percent of its Toluca, Mexico factory output back for the Mexican market, while the rest of the coupes will head out for other lands.

Vehicles will soon be put in the hands of media for evaluation drives. That's a vote of confidence by the manufacturer in its product and Mastretta can count us among the interested parties who are eager to see what this car is capable of.

Ford displays two Mad Max Interceptor Concepts in Australia

If you were unlucky enough to find yourself in the middle of a post-apocalyptic dystopic world where gang violence and a complete lack of any real human society were the norm, there's only one vehicle you'd want the keys to: a matte black Ford Falcon coupe. Don't believe us? Apparently you've missed out on the Australian cinematic masterpiece that is Mad Max.

Besides launching Mel Gibson's acting career (we're not touching that one with a ten-foot pole), the film and its two sequels were famous for the outlandish cars and motorcycles used to rundown unsuspecting prey and their precious last drops of gasoline. And no single machine from the film was as memorable as Max's Pursuit Special, a 1973 Ford XB Falcon GT351.

In case you didn't know, the Mad Max series is due for a fourth installment. Tentatively due to hit theaters sometime in 2012, Mad Max: Fury Road is set to star Tom Hardy, Teresa Palmer and Charlize Theron... but, of course, the real stars we're most interested in will be the cars, which are currently being designed.

Two of the leading candidates for the hero car have been created in roughly 40-percent size and are on display at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne. See the two scale models along with a slew of other potential designs in our high-res image gallery below. We also suggest you click past the break to check out a quick video of the concept on the show floor in Australia, along with the related press release.

One Month, Juke Nissan Buyer Reaches 3552 Units

Recently launched on 1 June, sales of Nissan Juke has exceeded the target after a number of bookings car from Nissan's crossover types have exceeded 3500 units with a pivot for the period up to September 2011.

Earlier Nissan Motor Indonesia as the sole agent in Indonesia only the Nissan brand sales target of 500 units per month.

'Total' book order 'during the June to early July has reached 3552 units. We were quite surprised by the very positive public response to the Juke, "said President Director of NMI, Takayuki Kimura, in a press release received by ABC News on Wednesday (6 / 7 ).

According to NMI, the largest market share for Juke come mostly from young men who succeed and be an alternative choice for women who want a 'ground clearance' high visibility and good steering.

NMI itself has continued to provide Juke berusahan according to market demand and promised to deliver as many as 2700 units Juke to its customers in August.

"Nissan hopes customers can be patient and wait for a Juke their property and hope they always feel satisfied with the products of Nissan," said Kimura.

Nissan Juke is a compact crossover vehicle type first offered NMI. In terms of design, the Juke is the interconnection between concept SUV and 'compact sports car' thereby creating a new genre in the segmentation of four-wheeled vehicles.

New Car Features You Should Have It

New Car Info - Research in the USA showed a significant effect on ESC reduces the risk of fatal single accident and more than one car. Works very well in the SUV. But the system is also criticized.

ESC
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is designed to help drivers to maintain control of his vehicle at high speed maneuvers or on slippery roads. Usually the condition is causing symptoms of oversteer or understeer. ESC applies the brakes and engine control to control the car remained on track.
Research in the USA in 2004 showed significant effects of ESC reduces the risk of fatal single accident. Researchers from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) reinforce the results of 2004 research by showing that ESC reduces the risk of fatal up to 32% on inter-vehicle accident.
The study also confirmed on a single accident ESC can reduce the risk of fatal to more than 40%. The researchers estimate that if all cars equipped with ESC, then 10.000 fatalities on the streets of the USA could be avoided each year.
"This discovery indicates the ESC should be standard on every vehicle," said Susan Ferguson, senior vice president for research institutions. "Jaranrg is a safety technology that shows the effect is so great in reducing fatal accidents."
In the USA, currently 40% of passenger vehicle output in 2006 is equipped with ESC as standard equipment and 15% offer it as optional. ESC became standard in every model Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche output 2006. Cadillac, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Mini, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo also offers on each model, at least optional.
In Indonesia, the car-mobi premium is usually already equipped with this device. It could be that price considerations lead to the ESC is not installed in most cars. In the USA as the ESC is offered between $ 300 - $ 800 as a single system. When equipped with other features the price quickly rose above $ 1,000.
ESC is offered by many names, almost every brand has its own version and name of each, such as Electronic Stability Program (DaimlerChrysler, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Peugeot, Renault, VW), Dynamic Stability Control (BMW), Electronic Stabilization Program (Audi), and Vehicle Dynamic Control (Nissan).
How ESC works

ESC Working Method

ABS brakes have speed sensors and a number of ESC adds sensors that continuously monitor how well a vehicle responds to input from steering wheel. These sensors can detect when the driver lost control because the car deviated from the path that should be passed, the problems that often arise in high-speed maneuvers or slippery-road. In this situation, the ESC automatically brakes individual wheels to keep the car under control. When the driver suddenly do a maneuver, such as cornering too fast, lost control of the car at risk. Then the ESC will conduct a series of braking is required and in some cases also reduce the speed of the car so the car under control.

ESC was first introduced by Robert Bosch GmbH, leading German automotive components company. This system called Elektronisches Stabilite tsprogramm (ESP) which was first used Mercedes-Benz and BMW in 1995. Continental Automotive System and then offer it to a wider market with the name of Electronic Stability Control which later became a generic name, although many automotive manufacturers use a different name for its version respectively.

ESC is relatively new. Just a few years ago researchers had sufficient data to analyze their effects on actual accidents. Using data Fatality Analysis Reporting System and police reports about accidents in 10 states between 2001-04, IIHS crash rate compared to sedans and SUVs (same model) that uses the ESC and no.

ESC known to provide a greater benefit compared to sedans to SUVs. Single accident risk reduction for the SUV reached 49% compared to 33% for sedans. Many single accident also makes the car overturned. Effectiveness of ESC prevent rollover is very dramatic. ESC reduces the risk of the SUV rolled up to 80% and 77% sedan.

Critics ESC
However, ESC is also criticized for a number of drivers feel features restrict exploration of the dynamic behavior of the driver of their car. ESC 'rob' them pleasure driving, he said. Therefore, some automotive companies offer a system where the driver can choose to eliminate the function of ESC. Others add to the tolerance limit oversteer or understeer before the ESC menginterverensi. There are also drivers who modify their ESC.
Another criticism, because it uses the ESC, there are drivers who felt able to drag as he pleased when passing the bend, past the limits ditoleriri car or ESC system. When this happens, the car will be slammed with a very loud and pose a greater danger.

Unique New York Taxi

New Car Info - Also touted as the world's busiest city, New York is also famous with the nickname City Taxi. Thousands of yellow taxi (yellow cab) become synonymous with "The Big Apple" for being one of the mainstay of transportation in this city.
Well, the Taxi and Limousine Commission (Taxi and Limousine Commission / TLC) New York is looking for a substitute candidate shaped sedan taxi orthodox. Competition is done by open tender, and has been rolling since the middle of this year.
Of the thousands of participants register candidates, selected the three finalists competing for the contract with TLC, at least for 10 years. Of the three finalists, there is a Turkish manufacturer Karsan OTOMOTIV competing with other finalists, namely the Ford Motor Company and Nissan Motor Company.
"Yellow Taxi is one of the icons of New York and has become an important part of the means of mass transportation. We plan to create a new fleet in the city is safer, environmentally friendly, and comfortable than they are today, "said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Karsan OTOMOTIV multigunanya V1 product displays showed the most prominent of the other candidates. The shape of the van and has advantages for the disabled passenger access. However, TLC Chief David Yassky said that while interesting, but Karsan OTOMOTIV still minimal experience in terms of production and selling cars in the U.S..
Ford Transit Connect models rely produced in Turkey. Compact van is widely known because it is commonly used in Europe. In addition, the Transit Connect also named North American Truck of the Year 2010 at the Detroit Auto Show, earlier this year.

World's Most Dangerous Car

New Car Info - A nonprofit agency in charge of driver safety in the United States, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), recently issued a list of the most dangerous vehicles so far this year.
   

Most Dangerous Cars From a number of collision tests (crash-test) done IIHS stated, lower-class sedan vehicles most at risk during a fatal accident. Chevrolet Aveo, Chrysler PT Cruiser was blamed for a car that has the worst crash-test ratings in their class. Especially the impact of the current side impact and rear crash.

Chevrolet Aveo IIHS enter and Chrysler PT Cruiser in the Cadillac STS and the Mercury Grand Marquis as the most dangerous vehicle in 2010.
In the crash-test using the 2010 model cars, the team found at least 28 points in the trauma caused by collision ahead, and traumatized by 37 points on each side impact tests.
The worst rating is a car that caused the most trauma. Each point of trauma obtained judgments based on specific parameters depending on the region.
"The cars on our list has exceeded all Federal safety standards (U.S.)," said Russ Rader, IIHS spokesman as reported by Forbes. "Automaker has really taken over safety."
Not only that, the IIHS also included two-door Jeep Wrangler and four doors on their special list. In the crash-test conducted, the Wrangler has made a traumatized passengers from side impact. "When compared to its competitors, the Wrangler made ill during an impact with the side door," said David Zuby, senior vice president of vehicle research IIHS.
Zuby said, in an accident, the vehicle with a heavier mass will be better than small vehicles. 5500 Chevrolet Tahoe with a weight of pounds (2,750 kg) will beat the Nissan Micra that only weighs 1,000 pounds.