Autoblog

Most of us have gotten speeding tickets before, and it's usually not a pleasant experience. It's "Yes sir" and "No, sir" and "Thank you" while the officer is chastising us for whatever minor infraction we've incurred. All the while, you're thinking to yourself, "I was doing 8 mph over the speed limit. Shouldn't he be out chasing terrorists or something?"

So this video is for all of us who would have so very much enjoyed telling off the guy or gal about to make us pay potentially hundreds of dollars in fines and insurance costs just because we were in a little bit of a hurry to get to the house/work/that big sale at Autozone/etc. We held our tongues, took our punishment and probably avoided higher fines or, worse, jail time.

How the alleged offender in this video manages to keep his freedom is a complete mystery. That is one patient cop, and I hope he got a raise for putting up with this driver's degrading diatribe. The man's choice of adjectives earns it a NSFW, btw.

If you like this sort of thing, be sure to check out our source, Bluetube, for more .

[Source: Bluetube]

Brand revival has become a hot trend in the automotive industry, but while European marques like MINI, Maybach, Bugatti and Spyker have returned to the limelight, American automakers have yet to climb on board. According to this Brandjunkie survey conducted by Interbrand's website brandchannel.com, the public most wants to see the retired American auto marques Oldsmobile and Studebaker revived. The gone-but-not-forgotten car brands follow names like Pan Am and Atari on the list, which also happened to include the retired Chrysler division Plymouth.

Elsewhere in the survey, respondents answered that BMW would make a great dinner party guest; Ford and Toyota have made a significant impact on the course of history; GM and Ford deserve a good tongue lashing in an argument; BMW, Toyota, Mercedes or Volkswagen would be good brands to be if one could be a brand; BMW, Mercedes and Toyota inspire people; GM, BMW and Mercedes need to be rebranded; and Toyota, Honda, GM and BMW are truly "green" brands. Outside the auto industry, Apple is apparently the best brand ever created, as it nabbed the No. 1 survey spot in most questions.

[Source: brandchannel.com via NYTimes Wheels]

Click above to view the Ferrari 400i Limo in low-res

So here's the problem: you want a Ferrari limo. (Don't we all?) A Maserati Quattroporte isn't going to do the trick, and the Sultan isn't willing to part with any of his. You could try to build one and risk being sued by Maranello, or you could log on to Craigslist and buy this one for just $25,000 (or best offer).

The vehicle in question is based on the largely forgettable – and therefore easily dispensed with – 1981 Ferrari 400i. It was stretched by Mardikian coachbuilders and retains its 4.8-liter Flat-12 engine. It's listed in good working condition but in need of some cosmetic work. The vehicle is registered in California and being sold in Huntington Beach, Orange County. Check out the images in the low-res gallery below, with our thanks to astute reader Mike who sent in the link. A better specimen of '80s extravagance we challenge anyone to find.


[Source: Craigslist]

While filming the latest installment of everyone's favorite overly dramatized street racing flick, Vin Diesel extended his rage from a character in the movie onto the right front bumper of an S2000. The Honda, owned by Ben from Bespoke Ventures and being used as an automotive extra in The Fast and Furious 4, sustained a fair amount of damage to the bumper, right fender and headlamp. There's no word on when Universal is going to be settling its tab for the damages done by Mr. D, but Ben has already got a "Vin Diesel Broke My Car" t-shirt for sale, which should ease the financial burden. That, along with the "Don't tune your GT-R" tee, should complete your summer fashion collection.

[Source: TheRealJDM]

A few of us around the Autoblog offices have made the case that the recently unveiled Volkswagen Passat CC should replace the current model and drop the "CC" suffix altogether. Both are fine looking vehicles, but there doesn't seem to be any need for another variant carrying the Passat name. Well, apparently VW agrees with part of that argument and has updated its consumer web site with information about the new CC, while dropping the Passat moniker altogether. It's a subtle marketing ploy that may or may not work, but will help to fill the gaping hole between the standard Passat and the soon-to-be-revived Phaeton nameplate.

Thanks for the tip Rob!

[Source: Volkswagen]

Click above to view the Porsche Design White Collection in hi-res

White is not "the new black". Nor is anything else, for that matter. Black is the new black, and always will be. That's why it's black. What white is, however, is the white-hottest color for new cars these days. Porsche knows that as well as anyone else, and its merchandising division, Porsche Design, is celebrating the trend with a line of products in hot white instead of the usual black.

The new Porsche Design White Collection is highlighted by a white version of the company's award-winning mobile phone, rounded out by items ranging from pens to jackets and laptop cases to sunglasses. Arriving just in time for a summer spent cruising around in a white 911 Turbo convertible, the collection goes on sale next month, its products available in any color you want... as long as it's white. Check out the press release after the jump for more info and the images in the gallery below.


[Source: Porsche Design]

We love talking about car-related movies here at Autoblog, so it's no surprise that we're actually interested in the silver screen conversion of the '80s TV show Magnum P.I. in which an ex-Navy seal turned private eye keeps the Hawaiian islands safe from cheesy bad guys while driving an iconic Ferrari 308 GTS with gusto. The lead character in the TV series, Thomas Magnum, was played by Tom Selleck who wore Hawaiian shirts and what our colleagues at Cinematical call "big, porn mustaches" on the show.

The idea for making a Magnum P.I. movie has been around since 2006, but for some reason Hollywood has resisted the temptation until now. A script is now floating around penned by Rawson Thurber of Dodgeball fame (good sign, eh?), and as we speak Matthew McConaughey is rumored to be reading the script. Don't even think about it Matt, just do it. We bet they'll let you keep that Hawaiian shirt unbuttoned the entire time to show off your prosthetic chest hair.

Other actors who have been mentioned for the role include Ben Affleck, George Clooney and Vince Vaughn, while the original Magnum, Mr. Selleck, has called the movie "stupid" and vowed to take no part in it. It appears Selleck does not subscribe to the David Hasselhoff Theory of Celebrity Comebacks, in which one never lets an old role die. Thanks for the tip, John!

[Source: Cinematical]

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Some of us here at Autoblog tend to avoid WreckedExotics.com. Don't get us wrong, it's a very well done site, but the images just make us cringe. And then cry. Knowing that hooligans with too much cash are regularly wrapping their supercars around poles is one thing, seeing it is another. But this one is just too funny to pass up.

Like something off of the Discovery Channel, the guys at Wrecked Exotics have assembled a collection of "wildlife" photography documenting the mating rituals of exotic supercars. Log on (alongside FIA president Max Mosley) and enjoy the close-up car-on-car action. Check out our faves below and visit the source for more photos from this odd safari


[Source: Wrecked Exotics]

Click above for a high resolution photo gallery of the Mustang Bullitt

It would appear that the Mustang Bullitt does not have the same magic as the Shelby GT500. While it's taken over a year for dealerships to lower prices on the GT500 to near MSRP, customers can get their hands on the Bullitt for well under the starting price of $31,075. Ford's April incentives for the Mustang, including the Bullitt, include a rebate of up to $1,500 and an additional $1,000 off in some regions if you purchase the vehicle with Ford Credit. With the potential of $2,500 in rebates, the $3,310 cost of the Bullitt package sounds like a pretty good deal is reduced to just $810. Check out the source below for the rest of Ford's incentive lineup, including money back on the not-yet-available F-150 Chip Foose Edition.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Click above to view more high-res shots of the R8 under construction

This week Audi invited a group of American journalists to Europe to sample the newest A4 Avant, and since we hate to miss an opportunity to drive new cars, we hopped on a plane. Upon our arrival, Audi offered us the chance to visit the birthplace of the mighty R8 in Neckarsulm, which is home to one Audi's two main German manufacturing sites, the other being at its headquarters in Ingolstadt. The Neckarsulm complex is only about half the size of the Ingolstadt campus, but along with manufacturing the A4, A6 and A8, it is also home to Quattro GmbH.

Quattro GmbH is Audi's in-house tuning group, roughly equivalent to AMG at Mercedes-Benz and the M-Division at BMW. That means all S and RS models are developed here and the RS4 and RS6 are built here in addition to the R8. The R8 is built in a dedicated building by a team of 240 specially selected assemblers working on two shifts. Right now, the R8 team is turning out about 27 to 28 cars per day, but Audi's manufacturing engineers are refining the process to try up that to 30 cars per day. Read on to learn more about how and where the R8 is created.