| Free fuel from videogame company Electronic Arts Posted: 05 Sep 2008 06:42 AM CDT  I really like videogames, almost as much as cars, so when I heard that one of the largest gaming companies, Electronic Arts (or EA) will launch Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, a game set out in Venezuela where fuel is used as currency, really sparked my interest, but hearing their marketing plan really got me excited, today, on the launch day of the game in Great Britain, they occupied a petrol station in the UK and offered car owners £40 worth of fuel. In total, they intend to offer about £20,000 worth of fuel to drivers for free. They have already served about 150 motorists by 7:30 GMT and it definitely looks like the campaing is working, car drivers already queing up for their free gas. Sure, there were a bit of arguing in their midst, but security forces were at hand to keep things quiet and make sure the promotion was going to proceed without incidents. Positive reviews already started to appear from the satisfied drivers, “This is a genius idea, whoever thought of this should be promoted,” said one of the guys, “I’ll definitely be buying the game, you’re never too old to play computer games.” replied another happy customer. All in all, quite a briliant marketing campaign from EA and I’m sure the game will sell, let’s just hope they bring that kind of publicity in other countries. Source: Destructoid 
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| Extreme performance: Mercedes C63 AMG based Brabus B63 S Posted: 05 Sep 2008 06:33 AM CDT  The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG isn’t a car to be taken lightly, as Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear said, you’re happy to be alive when you get out of it, and it’s power (457 hp with 600 Nm developed by a 6.2 litre V8) demands respects. But the guys from Brabus thought that the V8 is capable of much more and started tuning it, by adding some high-performance metal catalysts, special sporty air filter and a reprogrammed ECU, all these lead to an increase of performance to about 530 hp with 650 Nm, or 479 lb-ft. This new power increase translates in a 0-62 mph or 100 km/h time of 4.1 seconds, in constrast with the stock 4.5 time. Two versions of this upgrade are available, one capable of making the car go to 300 km/h and another to 315 km/h, or 188 and 197 mph respectively, this is based on the version of Vmax unit you order. Besides this upgrade, Brabus have already developed quite a few accesories for the C63, like limited-slip differentials or height-adjustable suspension. But enough of the data, here are the photos of this gorgeous model, enjoy! Photo Gallery: Brabus B63 S based on the Mercedes C63 AMG
Source: CarScoop 
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| French tuned Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Posted: 05 Sep 2008 05:28 AM CDT  France hasn’t been really sticking its head out regarding the tuning industry, leaving that domain to the germans or japanese guys, but Jeremi Paret decided to take matters into his own hands and put France on the tuning map. His first creation is this really beautiful Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, which received quite a lot of accesories, like a Reventon-inspired front bumper or pink brake calipers. First of all, Jeremi Paret aims to bring tuning to another level, by first of all making a virtual mock-up of what the car will look like and showing it to the customers before any hands are placed on the actual car. The owner will have a huge say in the model’s development, the tuners focusing on unique customization, insteand of ready made tuning packages which can be applied by anyone. Another innovation is that the firm offeres to pay for the transport of the car in France, which will be sure to turn some heads and make the customers smile. But let’s focus on this beautiful Gallardo, the first things that pops out is the front bumper which remings of the Reventon, the carbon fiber front spoiler lip, side skirts and door handles really contrast with the candy white paint job, a big rear diffuser accentuates the power that this car is capable of, and last but definetely not least, the pink brake calippers really bring a unique twist on the car, looking really nice inside the Asanti Diamond wheels. Inside, comfort is at its peak, the leather seats and Alpine entertainment system bring quality to the ride. One more photo after the jump.  Source: MotorAuthority 
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| 150 Dodge Chargers for the Kuwaiti police Posted: 05 Sep 2008 04:59 AM CDT  The Kuwaiti Police sure have some troubles with all those rich guys running around in powerful cars evading their cars all the time, so they decided to order a new model of police cars, something sensitive like the Dodge Charger (!), and quite a few, only 150. Chrysler did go all the way to convince their Deputy Ministry of Interior, Musaed S. Al-Guwainem, who was taken to the central headquarters of Chrysler in Michigan, where a demonstration of a full police-spec Charger was given to him, convincing him that it was the right choice. And it sure worked, the minister puttin immediately an order for 150 cars, and declaring that “Reflecting an image of strength and power is important for our law enforcement officials and the Dodge Charger portrays this image to the Kuwaiti people“. What better way to discourage the bad guys than chasing after them with a big american muscle car. After they are specially fitted with police accesories, the cars will be delivered and policemen from Kuwait will definitely be happy for them. Source: AutoBlog 
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| A Trabant covered in 3,000 stamps Posted: 04 Sep 2008 05:02 PM CDT  Though a terrible car, the Trabant earned its place in auto lovers’ hearts, especially with the amount of jokes made about the car’s Duraplast body. But we have no idea why stamp dealer Scharam Farahbakhsh decided to cover the car with more than 3,000 stamps and park it on a street in Berlin, Germany. One thing though, we hope there was no mailman walking by, because who knows where the car might have ended up. Source: (Via Autoblog) 
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| Lincoln might get Ford Kuga based compact crossover Posted: 04 Sep 2008 04:52 PM CDT  Ford is expected to replace the Escape after 2010 and Automotive News reports that, when that will happen, Lincoln might also get a compact crossover based on the European Ford Kuga. “We do think that there is room for a smaller car in the Lincoln brand,” Derrick Kuzak, group vice president for global product development, said at a press event. He did not give extra details, but he added that Ford has no intentions of bringing the Ka microcar to the United States, though in July, he said that the Ka could be an “opportunity” for the United States. Source: Automotive News (Via eGMCarTech) 
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| Boston cabs to go hybrid by 2015, drivers not so happy Posted: 04 Sep 2008 04:09 PM CDT  Boston cab drivers are pretty upset these days, because the Boston police department decreed that all cabs in the city must go hybrid by 2015. And because all cabs must be retired after they turn 6, it is estimated that by the end of next year, almost 50 percent of Boston cabs will be hybrids. “Requiring taxicabs to go hybrid is an essential step in not only improving air quality, but also improving the quality of our taxi fleet,” said Boston Mayor Tom Menino (known locally as Mumbles Menino). “I am confident that these new regulations will greatly improve taxi service in Boston for all residents and our many guests.” But, as we said, that’s not good news for cab drivers, because an used Ford Crown Victoria sells for about $6,000 or $7,000, while a new (or even an used) Toyota Prius starts at over $24,000. Add the rising fuel prices and we might see Boston losing an important number of cab drivers, who won’t afford a car. The Boston police department’s decision comes after New York’s mayor, Bloomberg said that all cabs must go hybrid by 2012 and after San Francisco authorities announced that all cabs have three years to cut their emissions by 50 percent. Source: Wired (Photo via flickr) 
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| Ford to keep Volvo after all? Posted: 04 Sep 2008 03:45 PM CDT  Though last November Ford said that its Swedish brand, Volvo, is not for sale anymore, there have been a lot of rumors about Ford willing to sell its Swedish brand Volvo, but no official response was issued. However, now, after Ford appointed veteran executive Stephen Odell as head of Volvo Cars, industry analysts say that’s a sign that Ford plans on keeping the Swedish company and do all its efforts to make it profitable. Odell, 53 year old, born in the UK, is the first non-Swede to run Volvo and before that he was chief operating officer of Ford of Europe and had served as its vice president of marketing and sales. He also held senior level positions at Mazda Motor Corp. “This is a statement from Ford that they want to shift into a higher gear,” Matts Carlsson, automotive analyst at Goteborg Management Institute, said. “They want to increase the pace of Volvo’s integration into Ford and the new profile that Volvo is seeking. It’s been discussed that they should no longer view BMW and Mercedes as their competitors, but work downward toward the profile as a people’s car that Volvo once had,” he added. Source: Detroit News 
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| Women aroused by Maserati, Ferrari and Lambo engine sound. Oh, really? Posted: 04 Sep 2008 02:46 PM CDT  A recent study made by a British insurance company revealed that women are aroused by the sound of some cars’ engines. But don’t imagine that if you accelerate your Volkswagen Polo you’ll get ladies all crazy about you. Because, actually, the Polo engine sound has the exact opposite effect. No, we’re talking about the engine sound from cars like Maserati, Ferrari and Lamborghini. Yup, we know, it’s shocking, but it’s the truth. Women love expensive, powerful cars. Who would’ve thought? The study consisted of a 20-minute tape with cars being revved that was played to a group of male and female volunteers. After that the saliva of the volunteers was collected and tested for testosterone levels. The most significant increase in testosterone level for women were reported after listening to Maserati and for men after the Lamborghini part. Unfortunately, bad news for VW Polo owners. The sound of Polo’s engine, not only it didn’t increase testosterone levels, but this actually dropped. Source: Inside Line 
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| Mazda to unveil the Kiyora city-car concept in Paris Posted: 04 Sep 2008 09:30 AM CDT  Mazda has just announced that, besides the MX-5 facelift, the Paris Motor Show will mark the world debut of their latest concept car, the Mazda Kiyora. The Kiyora, which is Japanese for “clean and pure” is a lightweight urban compact concept car based on Mazda’s ‘Zoom-zoom’ vision and which is powered four-cylinder direct-injection engine contribute to excellent fuel economy and low CO2 emissions. To acquire that, the new Mazda Kiyora concept car is based on an all-new platform designed to minimise weight and maximise safety and it also features an innovative interior design with new functions. Check out more photos after the jump.  
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