John Kerry... Again...

Kerry's obviously thinking of running for President again--he is starting to crack up already.






















Update: The .MIL guys strike back!











(photo courtesy of Little Green Footballs)

World's Fastest Street Legal Car

The title of "world's fastest street legal car" is claimed by a guy in England who has a 1972 Vauxhaul Victor which he calles "Red Victor 1". It has a 9.3L V8 with two turbos, and claims 2200 BHP. 7.8s quarter mile.

The car is street legal because it is grandfathered--and it is also tax free.

Video from YouTube.

UL Erects Ethanol Roadblock

Underwriters Laboratories is an organization that tests products and equipment for safety compliance. UL has announced that it is withholding its certification from ethanol fuel pumps because of the unknown durability (and safety) of fuel pump components used to dispense ethanol fuel, given ethanols higher corrosiveness compared to gasoline. Here is the announcement from UL's web site:

As of October 5, 2006, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. has suspended authorization to use UL Markings (Listing or Recognition) on components for fuel dispensing devices that specifically reference compatibility with alcohol blended fuels that contain greater than 15% alcohol (i.e. ethanol, methanol or other alcohols). Dispenser components as they relate to use with traditional fuel blends (i.e., blended fuels containing 15% or less alcohols) are unaffected. In all cases, acceptability of fuel dispensers for using alcohol-blended fuels containing greater than 15% alcohol (e.g., E-85) remains at the discretion of the Authority Having Jurisdiction.

Research indicates that the presence of high concentrations of Ethanol or other alcohols within blended fuels makes these fuels significantly more corrosive. This may result in the fuel chemically attacking the materials used in fuel dispenser components, and may ultimately degrade the dispenser’s ability to contain the fuel. While UL has no evidence of field issues related to this application, we are suspending authorization to use the UL Mark on components used in dispensing devices that will dispense any alcohol blended fuels containing over 15% alcohol until updated certification requirements are established and the effected components have been found to comply with them.

This move, according to the Detroit Free Press, has caused two ethanol pumps to be shut down in Columbus Ohio. That's because in many places, fire code requires that fuel pumps carry UL safety certification.

Mark Griffin, president of the Michigan Petroleum Association, which represents 1,500 stores, said state officials were still wrestling with the question of whether the pumps at Michigan's 26 E85 stations still met state standards, and new pumps wouldn't be available until UL clears up the confusion, which "could be a matter of weeks. It could be months or years."

"Somebody asked whether this thing is heading toward a train wreck," Griffin said. "Well, I don't know."

Liberace's Car

Ouch, my eyes! It's Liberace's car, up for auction on eBay. Hat tip to Autoblog.


It's a modified Mercury, BTW.

Chevy HHR Panel: Sweeet.

GM, not normally known for taking risks or building quirky vehicles, has gone and done it: they have just announced the Chevy HHR Panel edition, which is an HHR with no rear seats, no windows or doorhandles on the rear doors, and a flat load floor with tie-downs and storage bins.

Photo courtesy of Jalopnik

Jalopnik has a nice photo gallery.

Besides being a nice fleet vehicle for small businesses, and a perfect platform for advertising, this HHR has a definite utilitarian cool factor to it. You can expect this car to be a platform for all kinds of customization at SEMA--surfing, woody edition, extreme audio. How about a micro-hearse edition?

GM should offer mountain bike mounting hardware for the cargo floor.

Various Car Sightings

I saw a few memorable vehicles driving around Metro Detroit recently.

A Jaguar XJ sporting a Michigan vanity plate that read YNKSFAN. Brave.

A white E-350 cargo van, no windows, with a lift kit and a full 4x4 system. Vanity plate read RU4RDTUF. Looked like a roll-over machine to me!

A red Chrysler minivan with a vanity plate that read GAVE IN. Heh.

And finally, one of these, a Dodge Rampage (Omni-Camino?). I can't remember seeing one in recent history, I thought they all must have fallen apart by now. Some day, I'd like to see the ultimate--a Dodge Rampage with camper!