Hot Wheels to Comes to LIfe at Indy 500

Very few car-related things make me reminisce about my childhood more than Hot Wheels, so my eyes were immediately drawn to a news article today about a stunt being planned which will involve a real truck, and a massive ramp.

Over the course of three weeks, organizers planned to construct a 30 meter door with a huge orange ramp, and judging by the trial-run video I saw, they're nearly done. Their goal is to break the jump record for a four-wheel vehicle, and to be honest, I can't wait to see their attempt!


The stunt will take place in the fourth turn of Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the May 29 race begins. Company officials expect the driver, whose identity is being kept secret until after the stunt, to break Johnny Greaves’ current world record of 301 feet.

Finally Some Isuzu News!

Isuzu has almost become a forgotten brand these days in most of North America. Its GM partnership has been going roughly due to lack of interest, and lack of sales. But things might be looking up for the brand, based on reports that Volkswagen has expressed interest in purchasing Isuzu.

VW has stated that they won't be making any quick decisions, but if the purchase does go through, VW would only have indirect control considering that MAN SE, a truck maker that is 29.9 percent owned by VW, may be the entity to make the stake.

The reason I found it necessary to mention this possible purchase, is actually based upon the surge in Isuzu's stock of 9.6%. And this was purely on the "word" that the purchase may occur. I know I'll be keeping an eye on this!

Cheers!

Land Rover Defender Relaunch Planned for 2015

Although Land Rover has always catered its Defender to a very small client base (making it quite rare), Land Rover has announced that it has already begun the development process of the next-generation Defender. American readers probably aren't as familiar with this vehicle, considering it's been banned in the United States since the 1990's due to airbag regulations, but the next-generation Defender is sure to be in the public eye within the next few years.

The current model has retained its basic design for several decades, but expect this to change.

What does this mean exactly? Land Rover has indicated they are quite serious about the update, boasting a new production facility, brand new platform, and most importantly the backing of parent company Tata Motors.

Land Rover was kind enough to provide a time-frame for curious enthusiasts such as myself. We can expect a concept of the Defender in 2013, with the road-going version scheduled for its market introduction in 2015.

Fuel Prices - Do I Have to Become a Prostitute to Pay for Gas?

After a brief hiatus of not giving a fuck, I am back and ready to provide the world with the automotive content that it craves and deserves. Along with my senior news correspondent, Yuri Bonergarden, there is nothing that will stand in our way of providing car enthusiasts their daily medicine; so get ready.

I cannot fathom a more meaningful way of resuming my role than to bitch about today's gas prices, so that's exactly what I'll be doing! If you don`t like a man speakin`the trufs, please leave now.

Hopefully you guys and gals aren't surprised to learn that I've never worked at a gas station (because let's face it - only retards and immigrants work at gas stations), but our senior news correspondent, Yuri Bonergarden, has obtained some interesting information about this industry, and has been kind enough to share:

1. Most gas stations set their prices not according to how much it costs them to replace the fuel, but in correlation with their closest competitors in the area

2. If one station ups their price per gallon, the rest will follow suit and vice-versa. That's because station owners typically only make two or three cents on every gallon of gasoline sold. Instead, they make their money off of the snacks and drinks inside.

So kids, if there's one thing to take from this lesson, it's that gas stations don't have much control over the price of their fuel, but they really jew you over (pardon my political incorrectness) on the food inside the store.

Hopefully you are all as fortunate as myself, and had the foresight to purchase a fuel-efficient vehicle. If not, and you are among the portion of the population who eats through their stress, DO NOT, I repeat: DO NOT, purchase your food from the gas stations. Why? 'Cause fuck 'em, that's why.

In all seriousness, however, the gas prices aren't going down anytime soon. If you're rich and don't care, I commend you on your success - but for the rest of us, public transit is becoming a more feasible option for daily commuting.

If you are planning on taking public transit to and from work, I must insist that you continue reading. People on buses staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnk, and you're going to want to get drunk before riding the bus to lower your olfactory sensitivity. Also, remember to bring your mp3 player because people on the bus tend to jibber-jabber, and it's very annoying. Last but not least, I feel inclined to recommend that bring your bike so you can minimize your time on the bus.

Obviously I'm not going to bother discussing specific gas prices, but you can check gasbuddy.com if you want to find the cheapest gas near you.

We at Das Auto! are interested in hearing how the current gas prices are affecting you! You won't win anything, but you will temporarily satisfy Yuri Bonergarden's curiosity! Have at 'er in the comments.