Gizmodo: Car

Peapod Electric Car Makes Us Smile Even While It May Eat People

Jesus Diaz — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 05:56:00 EDT

Jalopnik spotted the new Peapod—Chrysler's GEM electric car for neighborhoods—in the wild. Even while it feels like a glorified golf cart for "gated communities," it looks great down to the iPod/iPhone dock in the middle of the dashboard. The design makes us smile for obvious reasons—although it's also a little bit scary because it reminds me of the evil Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in Ghostbusters.

The Peapod will run at 25 miles per hour with just a 30-mile range per battery charge, which can be reloaded using a standard electrical plug in six to eight hours. [Jalopnik and Mocoloco]

Sony HCB-108 Bluetooth Car Speaker Has Longest Standby, Talk Times

Kit Eaton — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 06:31:00 EDT

Yeah, I know: Bluetooth car speaker/microphone systems blah blah... but this one's got a such a battery lifespan it's a bit different. Clipped to your car's sun visor (or on your desk as a speakerphone) it'll sit on standby for a full month, and if you choose to chat using it, you can do so for a chunky 25 hours, which is apparently the longest time for both options that you can buy. It's also got "superior true duplex audio quality" with echo reduction and noise canceling, to try and stop you from sounding like you're speaking using the local cabbie's dodgy CB radio. Due at the end of the year, price still to be announced. [Pocket-lint]

Solar Car Mistaken for UFO, Gets Pulled over by Alaskan Police

Jesus Diaz — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:40:00 EDT

Marcelo da Luz was driving his solar-powered Xof1 car when he was pulled over by Alaskan police. They chased him for a while, trying to figure what the heck his vehicle was, then decided to stop him. The reason: 911 received an UFO sighting alert. And no, there's no Sarah Palin connection here, because this wasn't the first time it happened to him.

Yes, the thing does look like an UFO. For anyone who doesn't have a clue about what a solar car is, anyway. Or who doesn't notice the big honking wheels below. Or the fact that the "UFO" is rolling on a road.

The fact is that Marcelo, who is trying to raise awareness about renewable energy and energy independence driving across North America trying to break a long-distance record, has been stopped a total of seven times by the police. Marcelo, seriously, I think the third time was enough to paint "This is a frikkin solar car, you idiots" in fluorescent yellow all over the car's rim. [Xof1 and NPR via New Launches]

DJ Mobile Car Speeds Along On Sound Rockets

Sean Fallon — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:40:00 EDT

For many enthusiasts, pimping out car sound systems (and even bicycles in some circles) is a time-honored tradition. However, Dutch artist Olaf Mooij may have taken this pastime to extreme new levels with his DJ Mobile. Inspired by the Popemobile and the song “God is a DJ” by Faithless, Mooij created a rolling PA system complete with two turntables and several gigantic speakers that look more like rockets. Details are scarce on the system itself, but it does appear that interested parties can rent out the system for loud and obnoxious events. [Olaf Mooij via Born Rich via Dvice]

Batman's Tumbler Replica Won't Fly On Rooftops, Ram Through Barricades or Take a Direct RPG Round

Jason Chen — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:40:00 EDT

This $499 Tumbler from The Dark Knight is confusing. On the one hand, it's $499, but on the other hand, it's a 1:6 replica of what Batman's been driving in the last two movies, PLUS it's even big enough for you to fit your 12-inch action figures in. The thing doesn't seem to be remote controlled—you'd be afraid to lose your $499 from ramming this under a car tire anyway—but does have light-up headlights, a sliding roof panel and movable flaps. If this were only a few hundred bucks cheaper we'd be all over it, but we suppose the price is worth it just to see Brock Samson sitting in Batman's ride. [Entertainment Earth via Random Good Stuff]

Fusion CA-1P500 Is the First Head Unit That Hides, Docks Your iPod

Jason Chen — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:20:00 EDT

We can't believe it, but Fusion CA-1P500 is apparently the first head unit that allows you to dock and hide your iPod directly inside the face. The thing costs £149.99 ($278), which isn't too bad for a head unit that has an OLED menu, a knob that corresponds to the iPod's scroll wheel, and SRS Wow. It fits the classic, touch and nano, but supposedly not the iPhone. Weird, aren't the touch and iPhone about the same? In any case, what we'd love is for it to take in the iPhone and give us full handsfree calling capabilities through a mic in the head and output through the speakers. [Fusion via T3]

Crazy Kassou Car: Confusing, Like a Giraffe With Batwings

Sean Fallon — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:30:00 EDT

As a tall guy I can appreciate that designer Nicholas Lee Dunderdale incorporated an adjustable roof into his 3-wheeled Kassou concept car. The rubber "neck" can be raised or lowered depending on the passenger's need for headroom or better aerodynamics. But, to be honest, this thing looks like some sort of crazy science experiment. Like an unholy mixture of a giraffe, bat and a vacuum that surely goes against the laws of nature. I mean, what are those wings for anyway? Despite its odd appearance, the Kassou actually earned second place in the Car Design News Contest for 2008—although I wouldn't expect to see it on the street anytime soon. [Car Design News via The Design Blog via Gearfuse]

Top Gear Races Nissan GT-R Vs. Bullet Train In Japan

Christopher Mascari — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EDT

The Top Gear crew is in Japan for this week's episode and they've got another heated race for us: A Nissan GT-R R35, a gadget car by dynamic handling and Playstation inspired dashboard vs. a bullet train, running both from Japan's northern Hakui-Shi coast to Tokyo. With no surprise ol' Clarkson is driving the fiery beast while Hammond and May are left traveling Japanese public transportation. I'm not gonna spoil the race for ya though, but Jalopnik has the results for you. [Jalopnik]

Infrared Tracking R/C Car is Remote Control Toy for the Truly Lazy

Kit Eaton — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 05:37:00 EDT

This remote-control car has an infrared follower system built in, so you steer it simply by pointing the IR beam from the controller somewhere ahead of the car, and it works out where you want it to go. So yes, it's a simple remote control for those who can't be bothered to learn how to steer their toys with a joystick or wheel and throttle remote. Or kids. Ah... now I understand. The "magic dot" can be up to five feet ahead of the 9-inch car and it'll still work, and you get about 20 minutes of racing, cat-bothering action from one charge of its batteries. Available now for $49.95. [RedFerret]

Rocket Car Mod is Like Steampunked Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Kit Eaton — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:48:00 EDT

Forget boring hydrogen-hybrid supercars and the like: a one-off vehicle mod like this recently-spotted Rocket Car is how to really impress passers-by. Built by Baron Margo, its shiny bullet-shape is all pipes, rocket exhaust (with what look like real jet engine parts), dials and a whirling propeller that apparently spins as you drive, keeping time with a ring of flashing lights. Basically it's like the car that Chitty Chitty would dream of being when it grows up, and I can almost forgive its steampunk-esque nature as it's just so astonishing. [LAMetblogs]

The Tim Burton Batmobile Is For Sale

Mark Wilson — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:50:00 EDT

While most of us enjoyed yesterday's Dark Night trailer—though we found typing on lopsided laptops for the remainder of the day a bit inconvenient—watching Batman on the silver screen has and will always be a vicarious experience. It's a humbling reminder that we weren't separated from our parents by tragedy and that we don't live in cities completely overrun by psychotic criminals who lust for torture more than money.

But at least we can score the real Batmobile.

From Tim Burton's original Batman, an eBay seller is offering up one of the five existing Batmobiles. It's 20 feet long and 8 feet wide, sitting on a custom-built chassis and powered by a Chevrolet 350 engine.

Of course you get creature comforts like black leather seats, but it's the vehicle's inconvenience that seals the deal on its $500,000 pricetag. You have to enter from the top canopy, just like Batman did in the movie. Because superheroes fucking hate doors. [eBay via autblog]

Hamster Wheel Powered Toy Car

Brian Lam — Mon, 05 May 2008 22:23:11 EDT

Here's a old but good idea in honor of Fuzzywuzzymodo: power a toy car by hamster. The Flintstones would approve. I personally think its a better use of hamster power to rig a traditional gerbil wheel with a generator capable of charging a battery which in turn can charge a USB device. I mean, how else are the vermin going to pay their rent? Vid after the jump. [PetGadgets]

Volvo Creating Injury-Proof Car By 2020

Jason Chen — Mon, 05 May 2008 19:15:00 EDT

Having been in the business of making incredibly safe vehicles for decades, Volvo is going one step further and making a "virtually" injury-proof car by the year 2020. "Virtually," because it will ensure all occupents survive all but the craziest wrecks. Not only is Volvo making the car more resistant to crashes, but they're putting stuff like radar and sonar in order to automatically force the car to brake when a collision is imminent, lowering death rates by half with just a 10 MPH decrease in smash speed.

Is this death-proof car a good thing for everybody? It's definitely good for the people riding in the car, but if you drove around in a vehicle that you knew would protect you from accidents, would you be more cautious or less cautious? That's one of the complaints we've heard about big SUVs—it's supposedly more safe for you, but completely ruptures the person you hit who's driving a small car. [Wired]

800 Mph Jet Car Needs Just One Thing More: A Pilot

Kit Eaton — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:25:00 EDT

Think you've got what it takes to out-do Wing Commander Andy Green and the 763 mph land speed World-record set by Thrust SSC? Well, the team at North American Eagle may have a spot behind the controls for you: they've launched an open contest for the driver of their vehicle. The crazy red car looks a shade like an F-104 Starfighter, you say? Well, that's because it actually is one. With wheels. For going along the ground, faster than the speed of sound.

The North American Eagle is a joint Canadian-American attempt at reclaiming the world land speed record, and it really is built from a salvaged F-104. Co-owner Ed Shadle spotted the 1957-vintage aircraft in a scrapyard in 1998 and bought it for $25,000, and it's taken ten years of work to turn it into a record-worthy road vehicle with a predicted top speed of 835 mph. That's a mile in 4.3 seconds apparently, but that kind of performance doesn't come cheap: each test run sets the team back $18,000 in parts and fuel since the gas-guzzling engine gulps 160 gallons per minute. Hence the search for a "good looking" driver who'll be able to pull in sponsors, says Ed.

Still, it turns out the original plane was once flown by Chuck Yeager himself, which must bode well for the upcoming record-breaking attempts, don't you think? The competition for the pilot/driver is real, and it's open to global contenders: all you have to do is send in a photo and a 400-word email outlining your credentials. The chance to rocket along the ground faster than your own sound waves is one heck of a prize. [The Times Online]

DLO VentMount iPhone Car Holder is Practical, Convenient

Jason Chen — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:50:00 EDT

Using a car's AC vents to hold cellphones is an old idea. Using a car's AC vent to hold an iPhone so you can watch movies/Cover Flow your way through your music is a new idea. DLO's VentMount seems like an incredibly practical way to keep your iPhone/iPod Touch within short reach, especially in cars (like ours) that don't have a convenient cupholder location to shove it into. It's not mindblowing, but it's $24.99 we'd gladly spend for usability's sake. [DLO]

Mario Theme Played with RC Car and Wine Bottles

Jesus Diaz — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:02:01 EDT

What can you get from a RC car with some wires attached and a lot of wine bottles? Drunk driving and the Mario theme, that's what. We have included the complete lyrics so you can sing along after the jump.

Today, full of energy, Mario is still running, running
Go save Princess Peach! Go!
Today, full of energy, Mario runs
Today, full of energy, jumping!
Today, full of energy, searching for coins
Today, keep going, Mario!

Get a mushroom - it's Super Mario!
Get a flower - it's Fire Mario!

Goomba! Troopa! Buzzy Beetle! Beat them all!
Mario is always full of energy and strong!

[Spoken] The only one who can reverse the spell that has captured the Mushroom People is Princess Peach. But Princess Peach is hidden underground, in a far-off castle. Ah, the days of peace... if we could once more return to those days... to save Princess Peach and bring peace back to the Mushroom Kingdom, that is why Mario is on his journey today.

Today, full of energy, Mario is still running, running
Go and beat the Koopa tribe, go!
Today, full of energy, Mario runs
Today, full of energy, jumping!
Today, full of energy, searching for coins
Today, keep going, Mario!

Get a star - become invincible!
Quickly, go save Princess Peach!

Lakitu! Blooper! Cheep Cheep! Beat them all!
Mario is always full of energy and strong!

Today, full of energy, Mario is still running, running
He's made it to the castle and gets fireworks!
Lightly sidestepping the Hammer Bros.
Show the last of your power, Mario!
It's been a long journey but it's nearly at an end
You've done it, you've done it! You've defeated Bowser!

Princess Peach says "Thank you"
Mario's got a great big heart!

Mario's adventure is over for now, but
Mario's dream lives forever...

Come on. Sing. You know you want to. [Break via Boing Boing —lyrics taken from Destructoid]

Silbervogel Gravity Car Has No Muscle, Still Makes the Mark

Haroon Malik — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:45:00 EDT

The Silbervogel Gravity Car concept, by Jakob Hirzel from the Pforzheim University Of Applied Sciences in Germany, has no engine, but still wants to grow up and be a real racing vehicle. The racer relies solely on, you guessed it, gravity to pick up speed. We're thinking the whole exempt engine thing is going to give the Gravity Car a little handicap in conventional races, but as a play thing, it would be pretty great. [Jakob Hirzel via Tuvie]

Porta Jump Will Jump Start Your Car From the Comfort of the Driver's Seat

Sean Fallon — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:30:11 EDT

You are sitting in the parking lot at work with a dead battery. You obviously need a jump, but you don't have jumper cables and your co-workers are dicks that don't want to help. Screw them—you have the Porta Jump. There is no need for jumper cables or helpful friends, all you need to do is plug it into your cigarette lighter and wait for the green light to turn on. Just like that, you are back in business. Plus, it will recharge while you are driving. Seems like a no-brainer for only $20. [JC Whitney via Book of Joe via Coolest Gadgets via DVICE]

Weird Car LCD Display: Phone Number Swapping While Driving?

Sean Fallon — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:30:34 EDT

Apparently, the Callme Prism is a phone-number-displaying LCD intended for those times you're in your car, stuck in traffic or at a red light, and you see an attractive girl pull up beside you. The Callme makers seem to think girls are into complete strangers who run game on them by sticking a screen up against a window. And they think she would call your number and have sex with you in the backseat of your car at a highway truck stop or something? Yeah...OK. The device retails for around $26. [Callme via TFTS via Jalopnik]

V1 Rocket Car—Goodbye, Eric

Haroon Malik — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 18:20:00 EST

Here's what we know: 1) There is a car. 2) It has a freaking rocket attached to it. 3) If this is not the product of PS mastery, we would like to volunteer weekend intern Eric to test it out. Benny, as you probably all know, is still busy growing his hair back from last year's ~~self-imposed torture~~ back, sack and crack wax.. [Abnormal Photographs]

Corgi H2GO RC Car Turns and Runs on Water

Jesus Diaz — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:14:39 EST

The Corgi H2GO is a RC card powered by a fuel cell that gets refilled with hydrogen extracted from water. Like the previous model, the H-Racer, it uses solar-powered electrolysis to do it. Unlike the straight-line-only H-Racer, however, the H2GO is a real RC car that can actually turn left and right. Playing Dr. Manhattan will set you back $255. [Corgi via Pocket-Lint]

Surfacesound Compact Saves You Cost of a Ticket

Eric Sheline — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 12:00:00 EST

The SurfaceSound Compact may be simply another bluetooth car speakerphone on paper, but its interface and design has definitely grabbed our attention. The visor-mounted SurfaceSound connects to your phone after the microphone is pulled down into position. This simple, tactile method of activation is superior to the usual button press and would make speakerphone usage easier to become a habit.

Though the $100 MSRP seems steep, it's on par with other bluetooth devices at launch. The SurfaceSound Compact has a rechargeable battery rated for 15 hours of talk time or 22 days of standby, and features Bluetooth 1.2 connectivity. We just hope Bluetrek and Contour Design have paid equal attention to sound quality, as now we need devices like this to stay legal. [Product Page via iLounge]

Exhaust Grill Cooks Burgers with Smoke Heat

Kit Eaton — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:36:56 EST

If one crazy grill design wasn't enough today, then check out this Exhaust Burger grill concept. A short-listed entrant in a recent design competition titled "Dining in 2015," the grill, invented by an Iranian team, plugs directly into your car exhaust. It soaks up spare heat in the gases to do the cooking, and the clamshell design keeps those noxious fumes away from your food. Check out the extra image to see how it might let you "cook while you commute."

[Designboom, Dining in 2015]

Giz Pit Crew Is The Best, Around

Christopher Mascari — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST

When the Gizmodo Crew isn't working, their favorite hobby is to pretend they are a world famous F1 pit crew. So when CES was finally over, they headed over to the BMW booth to test their pit stopin', tire changin' skills. With teams of two on each side of the BMW F1 car, the Giz pit-crew raced head-to-head to swap out the car's tires. As you'll see in the video, Team 2 (Adam Frucci / Benny ~~Goldberg~~ Goldman) beat Team 1 (Haroon Malik and Matt Buchanan) by a huge time of 1.2 seconds. Since both teams have the same coach, Wilson Rothman, he didn't know if he should celebrate the win, or beat the losers; but in the end Rothman was still comfortable stating, "We're the best around, and nothin's ever gonna keep us down."

Area Man Parks Car On House Roof, Tells Police "GPS Made Me Do It"

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 17:40:30 EST

CHICKASHA, Oklahoma (Agencies). Chickasha resident James McFarlan, a 45-year-old computer analyst and part-time fabric designer, drove this morning into Annie Svenson's home roof after what he referred to as an incident with his car GPS. "I told him [Sheriff Furillo] that my GPS made me do it. I was just driving when the nice sexy voice inside the box told me to turn left while I was driving through the bridge on Frisco and 62nd," said McFarlan after being released by the police. "She was like, come on, do it. Do it! Dooooo iiiit!!!" The next thing McFarlan recalls is 78-year-old retiree Mrs. Svenson in her nightgown, knocking on his windshield.

Shortly after this episode, unidentified federal agents appeared in the area, escorted by a group of US Marines. Establishing a perimeter around the house, they seized the car and took both Mr. McFarlan and Mrs. Svenson into custody. An official written statement, handed to the press on the scene, pointed out that the Pentagon and all the government agencies are taking all precautions in connection to a potential general uprising of GPS machines all over the country.

According to the same note, earlier this week there were recent reports of other GPS units "malfunctioning" and "giving wrong instructions to wreak havoc in our transport infrastructure." In Bedford Hill, New York, a computer consultant blamed his vehicle's GPS after driving his car into a railway and causing a train to crash at 60mph. News outlets all over the nation are reporting other similar incidents:

In a conference call, Pentagon spokesman Jerry Lopez admitted that these weren't isolated accidents. "We think this may be related to the secret alien invasion currently underway across the planet" Lopez declared. "On the other hand, it may just be a bunch of idiots" he added after a brief pause.

During a short interview with the Chickasha Salty Water Aquariums Bi-monthly, Digg editor and famed sea sponge collector Kevin Rose said that his community-based popularity website has been receiving "numerous articles about these incidents. I don't agree with Mr. Lopez. It's just too coincidental. I think this may be real. You know, like in that episode of Star Trek, where the computer on the Enterprise gets crazy and tries to crash itself against a Romulan ship. LOL! Dude, that shit was crazy," Rose added.

Meanwhile, professional snooker player and freelance legal consultant for Gawker Media Drew Curtis declared: "I never saw that episode of Star Trek. I think Kevin is making it all up." [Yahoo! News and Total Car Crashes]

(Notice: While this should come as obviously fake to 99% of the people out there, for the 1%, yes, this post is fake fake FAKE. F-A-K-E.)

Videos of Cars Converted Into Aquariums

Sean Fallon — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:20:52 EST

Have an old beater car sitting in the driveway that doesn't run and smells like ass? Grab a blowtorch, a hose and head to your nearest pet store. Apparently cars can make for some sweet looking aquariums —as you can see from the video of the car above which is currently on display in the Siam Paragon shopping center in Bangkok. Two other videos of converted cars are available after the break.

[doobybrain via about:blank]

Volkswagen/Apple iCar On Hold, Upper Middle Class Weep

Jason Chen — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:50:28 EST

If you've been looking forward to a possible Volkswagen + Apple car, or iCar, you'll have to wait slightly longer as talks between the two companies have just been put on hold. The bad news is that the exploratory talks are at an end, but the good news is that there were exploratory talks to begin with. VW fans and Apple fans overlap pretty well (picture a Venn Diagram with Batman on one circle and Bruce Wayne on the other), and will be willing to purchase any type of iCar that will eventually be sloshed forth from the combined loins. [Presseportal via German Car Blog via Jalopnik]

CarPhone Solves Wireless Calling in Car Without the Need for Bluetooth

Haroon Malik — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 15:30:00 EST

So, you love your phone and your car so much you want to create a hybrid, but you are not going to embark on your ultimate mod before seeing some proof that it is possible. Thanks to some fellow, who deemed it fit to create a car/phone hybrid some 25 years ago, your curiosities can be settled. Checkout his ridiculous CarPhone, complete with a matching/self-deprecating uniform, in the gallery below:

We do not know an awful lot about the machine itself. It seems it functions as a real vehicle, however the phone may or may not be functional. That is the deal breaker for us. Sure, you may say there was no deal to break, but we had our little hearts set on that being a functioning phone. Breaking our hearts is a deal breaker. Imagine making a call on that whilst you drive, now that really would be an impressive/hilarious feat! [Gizmo Watch]

Circuit Board Car: Rollin' With a Supergeek

Sean Fallon — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 10:05:39 EST

Recycling circuit boards for use as everyday, decorative objects is nothing new—but you have to hand it to a guy who takes the concept this far. Although, I doubt that you would be pulling in a lot of tail rollin' down the street in a circuit-board-covered beater with Thomas Dolby blaring on the radio. [Nerdcore via Dark Roasted Blend via Geek Alerts]

One To The Power Of Four Equals Honda Awesomeness

Sean Fallon — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 19:20:52 EDT

At this year's LA auto show, Honda pulled out all the stops in the design category with their One to the Power of Four solar hybrid. The challenge was to design a vehicle that will be on the streets a half century from now, and Honda decided to devote their energy to solving the carpooling dilemma. The car is actually four individually operated vehicles in one, and they can be "instinctively reconfigured" thanks to a blend of gyros, artificial intelligence, and molecular engineering. When combined into a single vehicle, commuters could take advantage of HOV lanes. Carpooling—that's great. Honda had me with the looks. [Autobloggreen]

Infiniti's Around View Camera System, When Looking Out Your Window Just Won't Do

blongo3 — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:40:07 EDT

Infiniti's unreleased 2008 EX35 has lots of fun new features like self-healing paint and automatic folding rear seats. It even has something called the Around View camera system. It basically works just like those backup cameras that started showing up a few years ago, but now you can see to the right, left and front of you as well. I'm pretty sure that I'm the only person that could actually benefit from something like this. Since my garage is so narrow that I have to pull both of my side mirrors in just to fit, which makes pulling out just a bit trickier. [AutoSpies]

Drive Alarm, In Your Ear, Keeping You Awake

msparkes — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 02:47:09 EDT

This unusual-looking gadget is worn behind the ear, and wakes you up if you start to catch some Z's on the highway. It constantly measures the angle your head is resting at, and vibrates if you tip forward. Of course, if you fall asleep and lean back into your headrest, then it will happily let you careen off the road to your fiery, but restful, death.

The design comes from Korean company Design Fingers but there's no word on availability. Popgadget helpfully point us to a similar product on Amazon though, if you really must get your hands on something like this. [Popgadget]

Tyco Tri-clops R/C Car, Gets You In Laser Sight Then Pelts You Mercilessly With Discs

blongo3 — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 22:04:37 EDT

Generally we try to be pretty skeptical of R/C cars, what with so many of them being completely worthless, but the Tri-clops is anything but. We got our hands on this little beast earlier today, and it literally attacked us. But we're getting ahead of ourselves, first off it has three arms complete with omni-directional wheels that allow it to strafe back and forth, and there's even a berserker mode which sends the Tri-clops into a frantic spin that terrorized Gizmodo HQ. But that was only the beginning.

Suddenly it raised its little helmet and beamed a red laser on us. Confused by what was happening we focused on the bright light, only to be relentlessly pelted by plastic glow-in-the-dark discs. And they weren't just gently trickling out either, the Tri-clops launches them out reaching distances as far as 20-feet. And the fun doesn't run out after 5-10 minutes like R/C cars used to when I was a kid, Tri-clops will go run at full speed for over a half hour. All of this crazy laser-guided R/C destruction will cost you $99.99, look for it this month.

The Stallion, World's Most Expensive Bigwheel

Mark Wilson — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 12:02:04 EDT

$30,000 may sound like a lot to pay for a three-wheeler, but The Stallion by Thoroughbred Motorsports seeks to be an economic performance vehicle, combining car comfort with motorcycle acceleration.

Featuring a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine that pushes 150HP, five-speed automatic transmission, and even A/C, The Stallion would make one hell of an unimpressive car, but it's not a car, it's a superlight vehicle that we're certain gets a crazy 0-60. The rider and passenger sit front to back, which won't allow for easy conversation, but the 45MPG highway might make up for lost chatter (besides, who likes easting bugs anyway).

I'm not in love with The Stallion, but I could be. A reworked body, the proper marketing campaign, and maybe a few extra miles per gallon in the city (35 isn't much), and I'll be on board. Just convince my wife that it really isn't a motorcycle. [product via scifitech]

Nissan Skyline Now Bouncier for Pedestrians

msparkes — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 03:34:53 EDT

Nissan have announced a cunning new safety feature, aimed at pedestrians rather than drivers. In the event of an accident, the hood on the Skyline Coupe immediately pops up a few inches, creating a softer landing spot. Note the word, softer, not soft - getting hit by a Nissan is still going to sting. It should be released in the fall, and will hopefully spread to all models eventually. [Japan Today]

Komfort Pets Climate Controlled Crate Keeps K9 Cool (or Warm)

blongo3 — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:30:20 EDT

Dogs and cats everywhere rejoice! No longer will you be relegated to sit and bake in the backseat of the car. Instead, the Komfort Pets Carrier automatically will cool you off once your crate breaks 72 degrees. Conversely, if it goes below 65 degrees, on goes the heat to keep you from turning into a pup-sicle. Keeping your pet comfortable is going to cost you, as the smallest crate (19-inch X 13-inch) will run you a steep $399, and a medium or large sized crate will be coming out later this year. Personally, I think I'll just go try and find that kid from

last year's American Inventor who made the solar-powered pet fan that sits in your cars window. [Product Page via Washington Post]

Tell Your Car What to Play, Read With Ford Sync

msparkes — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:17:28 EDT

Ford Sync is a new system developed by Ford and Microsoft that aims to fully integrate your MP3 player, cell phone and car computer with a speech recognition system. You will be able to climb into your SUV and say, 'Play artist Cliff Richards', and the annoying old timer will start blaring out of your speakers. It can even read out your text messages for you in an old-skool synthesised voice, which even understands lazy abbreviations like GR8. Jump to see it in action on a video featuring the action movie guy voice over.

I can imagine some problems if your passengers disagree with your music tastes though - it will be a competition to see who can shout their choice the loudest. It should be available in the fall. Jalopnik had a review of Ford Sync at the start of the year, see it here. [TrendHunter]

A Video of the New Joker Semi!

Mark Wilson — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 17:10:21 EDT

Remember that badass Joker semi we showed you a few days ago? Here's some video of his ride, but it's a bit of a spoiler for those who want to be completely surprised when good triumphs over evil, and the Joker destroys Batman in The Dark Knight. Oh, and hit the jump for a bonus shot of the carnage. [HollywoodChicago]

Oh, don't worry about our friend and hero, the Joker. He's just on his back waiting to pounce. [georgeaye flickr]

Wooden Car Goes 90km/h, Costs $32,000

Jason Chen — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:40:12 EDT

Unlike the last wooden car, which was only wood-skinned, this Japanese wooden car is made entirely out of wood. Well, except for the engine and other mechanical parts. The Japanese wooden car was made by a furniture manufacturer, costs $32,000, and is probably the most dangerous car ever. Video after the jump.

[Wood Car via Da nnyChoo via Japan Probe via Boing Boing]

Black Eagle GPS Video Logs Car Crashes

Brian Lam — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 21:10:11 EDT

When the Korea-only Black Eagle GPS detects a deceleration of 1.1G or more, it assumes you've plowed into a tree or car, and saves an 18-second video clip of the collision. (12 seconds before, pulled from a cache, and 6 seconds after.) It also has sensors for lane changes. I'm not sure I'd want this incriminating AV evidence on my dash, which also reports your speed before impact.

[AVING]