Filed under: Europe , Marketing/Advertising , Videos , Volkswagen VW Fun Theory Part 3, Bottle Bank Arcade -- Click above to watch video VW's Fun Theory project, with its European ad agency DDB, takes on a third task to show that you can get more people to do the right thing if you make it fun. This time it's bottle recycling, and the tool used is a bin fitted with an arcade scoreboard. After a "player" presses start, lights flash above any of the six holes in the bin and the recycler collects points for putting a bottle in the correct opening. It's the same theory as whack-a-mole but with glass bottles. Just as the other Fun Theory demonstrations with the bottomless garbage can and the piano steps , people flocked to the Bottle Bank Arcade: it was used 50 times more than the plain green bin sitting nearby. Put a scoreboard on something and all of a sudden people will celebrate doing anything - when's the last time you saw a grown man shaking his fist over throwing away a bottle? Follow the jump to see for yourself. [Source: YouTube ] Continue reading VIDEO: Fun Theory Part 3 - VW's bottle bank arcade finds plenty of players VIDEO: Fun Theory Part 3 - VW's bottle bank arcade finds plenty of players originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read

Filed under: Classics , Coupe , Performance , Ford , Celebrities , Reviews 1967 "Eleanor" Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 - Click above for high-res image gallery H. B. Halicki was a used car salesman who wanted to make a movie. With a little money, one big idea, and a 1971 Mustang Mach 1, he made Gone in 60 Seconds . And in that particular way that movies, especially '70s movies, can be, it wasn't all that good, but it was awesome. Fast forward to Michael Bay's remake in 2000, and the Mach 1 was replaced by a 1967 Shelby GT500. When we got a call offering us the actual car from that movie for the weekend, we felt obliged to say yes... and then drive it like we stole it. The verdict: Eleanor is the hottest piece of car we've spent a weekend with in quite some time. Gallery: Review: 1967 Classic Recreations Eleanor Mustang Photos copyright (C)2009 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc.

Filed under: Hybrid , Ford , Honda , Toyota 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery There's no doubt about which automaker leads the hybrid vehicle race. Toyota - and particularly the Japanese automaker's Prius hybrid - outsells all other manufacturers combined. In total, Automotive News calculates that Toyota sold 144,351 hybrid vehicles in the first nine months of 2009, which actually represents a 28-percent drop from the previous year. So far this year, Honda has come in second with its new Insight, but that position is currently in jeopardy. The 26,016 hybrid vehicles sold by Ford in the first nine months of the year represents an impressive 73-percent gain from last year. Honda has sold 29,958 hybrids so far in '09, representing a much smaller eight-percent increase. In both July and September, Ford actually sold more hybrids than Honda. In other words, Ford, led by its Escape Hybrid and new-for-2010 Fusion Hybrid, is gaining on Honda at a very rapid pace. Moving on down the line, General Motors slots in at number four with 12,556 total hybrid so far this year and Nissan's 7,713 units make it the number five hybrid seller in the U.S. Gallery: ABG Garage: 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid Limited [Source: Automotive News - Sub.

Filed under: Motorsports , Ford 2009 SPEED World Challenge GT at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Click above for a high-res image gallery With various racing series coming to a close this month, the Mustang has proven its worth on track by bringing home two major road racing championships. This past weekend Brandon Davis secured the 2009 SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT title in only his second season with a fourth place finish at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Davis, who was racing in the new 2010 ACS Mustang that debuted a few weeks earlier at Road Atlanta, only needed to finish in eighth place to guarantee the championship and beat out Porsche driver James Sofronas. In the Grand-Am Koni Challenge series, the Mustang FR500C also captured not only the driver title, but also the team and manufacturers' championships for the second straight year. Rehagen Racing sat atop the driver and team points lead with a sixth place finish at Virginia International Raceway, and the win by JBS Motorsports helped put Ford just one point ahead of BMW in the manufacturers' standings. Mustangs won five races during the 2009 season and finished on the podium eight out of eleven races. We didn't make it out to VIR for the Koni Challenge race, but we were on hand at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to watch the SPEED World Challenge race with cameras at the ready. Check out the high-res gallery below, or tune into SPEED TV on November 3 at 2:00 pm EST to watch the race yourself. Gallery: 2009 SPEED World Challenge GT at Laguna Seca Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc. [Source: Ford Racing , World-Challenge.com ] Ford Mustang captures Grand-Am Koni Challenge and SPEED World Challenge titles originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:27:00 EST.

Filed under: Coupe , Performance , Auctions , Ford , Luxury 2009 1/2 Iacocca 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang - Click above for high-res image gallery It looks like the top-shelf, one-off 550-hp engine upgrade for that new Iacocca Mustang is worth about $362,000, at least to one buyer. The fifth of just 45 2009 1/2 Iacocca 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustangs to be made crossed the block on Saturday at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Las Vegas with a winning bid of $320,000. After fees, the car's final selling price was a whopping $352,000. That's well above the $89,950 MSRP of the other 44 limited-edition, coachbuilt specials. We just wrote about the Iacocca 'Stang and said that the car's exclusive dealer, Galpin Motors of California, would offer engine upgrades for an undisclosed premium. We seriously doubt that the actual surcharge will come anywhere close to the premium secured on the Barrett-Jackson car. So what made this particular Iacocca attractive enough to bring such a lofty price? Well, for one, it had that upgraded, supercharged 550-horsepower engine. Another reason this one sold for a price nearly four times higher than the base model was that it was sold at auction, with the bidders getting whipped into a typical Barrett-Jackson feeding frenzy. Finally, it was in Las Vegas, a city where fiscal responsibility takes a backseat to, well, pretty much everything.

Filed under: Motorsports , SEMA Show , Videos 2010 Ford Mustang FR500CJ testing - Click above to watch the video after the jump Testing is well underway on the 2010 version of the Cobra Jet Mustang, and from the looks of this new video released by Ford Racing, things are going very well. During a recent test of a development model with the new 2010 powertrain, the FR500CJ pulled a huge wheelie off the line in a perfect display of massive torque and traction. The ability to launch the front wheels off the ground is no doubt helped by the new aluminum-block motor underhood, which weighs far less than its iron counterpart. Will a version of this new lightweight motor make it into the 2011 Shelby GT500 ? We sure hope so. Watch the brief but awesome video after the jump . Gallery: 2010 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet Testing [Source: Ford Racing] Continue reading VIDEO: 2010 Ford Mustang FR500CJ catches air VIDEO: 2010 Ford Mustang FR500CJ catches air originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Filed under: Aftermarket , SEMA Show , Coupe , Performance , Ford 2010 Steeda Q Series Mustang - Click above for an image gallery Steeda has long been synonymous with high-performance Mustangs, customizing and racing the pony cars for the past twenty years. In July the Florida-based tuner showed off its first version of the 2010 Mustang, the Sport Edition , which featured fairly simple upgrades, including new wheels and tires, minor suspension upgrades, graphics, and the like. We assumed more was to come, especially in terms of horsepower, and it looks like we won't have to wait long to see what Steeda has for us next. The company announced this week that it'll unveil the 2010 Q Series Mustang at SEMA next month, although specific details are far and few between. Company founder Dario Orlando promises the company's new take on Ford's pony car will be devoid of compromises or shortcuts, and we're sure the result will be nothing less than impressive if Steeda's previous Mustangs are anything to go by. We expect the 4.6L V8 will likely benefit from a twin-screw supercharger, adding triple-digit horsepower increases, and the suspension should receive extensive upgrades developed from Steeda's racing program. Stay tuned for more details as Steeda releases them, and be sure to look for our coverage of the official unveiling in just a few short weeks at SEMA. Gallery: 2010 Steeda Q Series Mustang [Source: Steeda ] Continue reading Steeda previews 2010 Q Series Mustang ahead of SEMA unveiling Steeda previews 2010 Q Series Mustang ahead of SEMA unveiling originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read

Filed under: Classics , SUV , Jeep , Specialty Jeep Grand Wagoneer Limo - Click above for high-res image gallery There will always be something special about the Jeep Grand Wagoneer that keeps the original Sport Utility Vehicle entrenched firmly on our list of truly iconic American automobiles. Somehow, despite the old-school design and fake wood paneling, the GW manages to look both classy and capable at once. Though we'll take our Grand Wagoneer exactly as God and American Motors intended, we think this stretched limo-spec Woodie is rather tastefully done as well. If nothing else, it's far cooler that any stretched-to-the-hilt Hummer H2 we've ever laid eyes on. According to the seller (the original ad can be found here ), this model is an '87 and features the trusty 360 cubic inch V8 engine, automatic transmission and the requisite four-wheel drive. It looks to be in good shape inside and out, as it should with just over 43,000 miles showing on the clock. As an added bonus, this Grand Wagoneer sports an attractive black exterior, a fake forest's worth of wood paneling and a very nice tan interior. Take it home for $24,900. Just be sure to replace those awful wheels with something more appropriate... like stock steelies with chrome trim rings.

Review: 2009 Audi Q5 3.2 Quattro is crossover magic - at a cost For $50,000, you can put your rump in vast automotive acreage, or opt for something smaller and more practical. The Audi Q5 fills that need with a host of amenities, and a ride that finally puts the "sport" in Sport Utility. Porsche club hits the road to celebrate Ferry's 100th September 19, 2009 would have been Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche's 100th birthday, and to celebrate his centennial, the Porsche Club of America's Long Beach Region (PCA-GPX) threw a little shindig and we were on hand for the festivities. Corvette ZR1 matches Nissan GT-R around N

Filed under: Motorcycle Ducati Hypermotard 796 - Click above for high-res image gallery There's no doubt that the Ducati Hypermotard is one of the most talked about new motorcycles in recent memory, but at $14,995, it is priced out of many buyer's budgets. If you're slightly shy of coin, we have some good news to share: Ducati has just officially announced the Hypermotard 796, and it carries a more reasonable $9,995 asking price. At this point, Ducati isn't saying much about the new engine that powers the Hypermotard 796, except that it's air-cooled, sports two valves per cylinder and puts out 81 horsepower and 56 lb-ft of torque. We've heard, though, that the new mill will displace around 800cc and is a development of the mill used in the Monster 696. Those power figures coupled with the new bike's low 368-pound (unverified at this point, naturally) package provide an attractive power-to-weight ratio. Other features will include an APTC clutch and a single-sided swingarm along with redesigned top and bottom fork clamps and a revised steel trellis frame. Color options will include Ducati red and matte black in addition to the cool matte white scheme seen in our photo gallery below. Click past the break for the official press release. Gallery: Ducati Hypermotard 796 [Source: Ducati] Continue reading Ducati launches 2010 Hypermotard 796, prices it below $10K Ducati launches 2010 Hypermotard 796, prices it below $10K originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .