Video of the week: BMW X1 factory line
The BMW X1 crossover is the German manufacturer’s latest offering. Check out the largely-robotic production line that puts together the vehicle.
The BMW X1 crossover is the German manufacturer’s latest offering. Check out the largely-robotic production line that puts together the vehicle.
About 42 hours after Highcroft Acura driver Scott Sharp walked away from a crash during practice for the Petit Le Mans racing event in the United States, a freshly-built Acura ARX-02a was rolled out for the morning warmup on Saturday. The Highcroft crew put in marathon sessions of work, totalling 20 hours, to build a brand new racecar, as LeMans teams do not generally have a backup car. A spare carbon-fibre tub was picked up from the Honda Performance Development shop in California and shipped, while the crew at the Atlanta racetrack salvaged 10% of the old parts for use in the new car.
Honda has developed a new “personal mobility technology,” naming it the U3-X. The experimental unicycle is designed to provide free movement in all directions just like human walking, including side-to-side and diagonally. The U3-X makes it possible to adjust speed, move, turn and stop in all directions when the rider leans their upper body to shift their body weight. This was achieved by systems such as the ASIMO robot’s balance control technology as well as an omni-directional wheel system.
This test was done to celebrate the U.S. IIHS safety institute’s 50th anniversary. The IIHS is a non-government organisation that conducts crash tests on new cars. It is generally accepted that today’s cars are softer and crumple more easily, compared to the hard-boned cars of olden days. So they decided to pit a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu against a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air to see which one comes out on top.
Interesting European TV ad for the Opel Antara crossover, which incidentally is on sale in the UAE, but no one knows about it. And even if some people did know about it, they rightfully avoid it.
A wild horse collided with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution rally car, causing the animal to be catapulted 9 metres into the air, during the Argentine Rally in South America. Driver Federico Villagra slammed his rally car straight into the horse, which was seriously injured and had to be put down. Two other horses narrowly avoided striking the car. The crash did not injure the driver, but the incident cost him 30 seconds during the race.
Sometimes death can strike in the most unexpected ways. This unfortunate accident in a Formula 2 race led to the death of 18-year-old driver Henry Surtees, after the tyre from an earlier crash hit him on the head, rendering him unconscious with his foot on the accelerator. He died in hospital. His father, John Surtees, was a Formula 1 racer in the 1960s.
The little boxy Toyota bB, known as the Scion xB in America, can become a fun tool to drive the cops crazy.
This here is a crash test of a 1978 Holden at 100 kph. Crash tests nowadays are done at only 56 kph, so the damage seen here is much higher. Keeping in mind that cars back then had even stronger bodies than today’s collapsible cars, and you have an idea of how many pieces you will be chopped into in a high-speed crash. Something to think about next time you drive recklessly, even if you think it is all up to Allah when you die. It is your choice whether you want to die in one piece or as a meat puzzle.
While the first-generation BMW M3 E30 was a regular in the touring car racing scene, few would expect the original M3 to play in the rally circuit as well. This is video footage of Patrick Snijers at the Manx Rally in 1988.