Autoblog

The 2008 SEMA Show ended last week, but for some inexplicable reason, Toyota forget to mention this little diddy that was supposedly tucked away in a corner of the Las Vegas Convention Center. It is exactly what it's name implies: a Scion xB that's been transformed into a taco truck of all things. Normally SEMA project cars are tuned for superfluous high performance and look like rejects from the Paul Walker Sport Compact Hall of Fame, but the xB Taco Truck can at least do something, i.e. serve that staple of the Mexican diet to legions of hungry lunch goers. From what we can tell, the vehicle uses the xB's platform, keeps the front end and dash and ditches the rest to make room for a stainless steel mobile kitchen. The truck was reportedly built from scratch by Louie Contreras with hand-painted graphics applied by Kenton Parker. Good job guys, it's... um... interesting, and probably the most fuel-efficient taco truck ever made. While it may be good on fuel, the Scion xB Taco Truck will likely be responsible for an entirely different kind of gas if it ever gets pressed into service.


[Source: Toyota, Carscoop]

"Truth-enhanced" car dealer advertising is nothing new. After all, how many times have you seen a newspaper ad for a special on, say, a base model, when the accompanying image shows a fully-optioned, range-topping version of the car instead? It's your job to read the fine print and stay informed so that you're not disappointed by the crank-window special the salesman presents when you get there.

To that end, we'd like to offer a helping hand to potential customers of Lynnfield, MA's Kelly Jeep. If you visit their website and click on "New Vehicle Specials" (under New Vehicles), you'll find a listing for an '08 Chrysler Town & Country. Okay, fine -- but the image that's paired with the listing is the one above. It's the Photoshop love child of the Euro-spec 300C Touring and a Town & Country. In fact, it doesn't look half bad with the 300's front end, big wheels, and flared fenders. One might even be tempted to ask, "Damn, that thing got a Hemi?" Whatever the case, it's more appealing than the blandtacular actual Chrysler Town & Country, which is what the nice man at the dealership will be happy to show you. We understand that the car in the photo above is hidden away in a barn where the owner also keeps a stable of unicorns. Thanks to Koko for the tip (and the laugh).



[Source: Kelly Jeep]

Click above to watch the video after the jump

Honestly now, who doesn't enjoy a good laugh at the expense of a stereotypical caricature of a Frenchman? We know we do. Especially when peppered with footage of spectacular racing crashes, over which the Parisian telecasters can say little more than "Oolala!", "Incroyable!", "Sacre Bleu!" and such. So sit back, pop open a beer and enjoy the endless humor of French exclamation.

[Source: Axis of Oversteer]

Click above for high-res gallery of goofiness from SEMA

Even with the avalanche of posts we've brought you from SEMA this year, we ended up with a ton of extra random photos showing things that stopped us in our tracks and had us asking, WTF?! Below is a gallery that highlights some of that flotsam and jetsam for all of you to see. It's the kind of random madness that makes SEMA, well, SEMA: Tribute cars, skyscraper lift kits, cartoonish body kits, Technocolor paint jobs, and, of course, the outrageously inappropriate wheel and tire upgrades. Granted, most of the vehicles on display here in Vegas are designed to attract attention, but if they scare people away, we don't know if they're really serving any purpose. Still, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and most of these projects have hundreds, if not thousands, of man-hours in them, so we don't want to be too critical. One man's trash is another man's treasure, as they say. Just seems we've hit the jackpot here.


Photos copyright ©2008 Brad Wood, Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.

Remember the road that played the William Tell Overture when driven over at 55 mph? The Honda marketing ploy kept neighbors awake at night, so the city paved over it. Now, in another great example of "small town comes up with oddball tourist attraction," the city of Lancaster, California got hundreds of phone calls requesting they save the road. So not only has the city devoted $35,000 to putting the road in another location, they've even been approached by other companies that want to subsidize the cost or pay for it entirely in return for publicity. Why? Because, in the words of the Lancaster mayor, "It will be a tourist attraction. It will pull people off the freeway." Since we've been to Lancaster and know that there is nothing else to do, we might believe it. And yet again, William Tell lives to ride another day...

[Source: MSNBC]

One of the concerns about today's electric and hybrid vehicles is that they don't make the same noises as internal-combustion-propelled conveyances. It seems customers have come to expect a certain sound when a vehicle starts or is put into motion, and electric motors just can't compare to ICEs. GM has decided to add a soundtrack to its upcoming Chevy Volt to remedy that situation. Rather than plugging in the melodic symphony of the ZR1's LS9, however, they think the car deserves something a bit more space-age to go along with its high-tech hardware, and apparently there are some Trekkies at GM HQ. While we doubt they'll actually license the sound effects from the the Kirk and Spock franchise, E-Flex vehicle line executive, Frank Weber thinks the Volt should make sounds similar to when "you hear the doors close, or use the transporter," on the USS Enterprise. So it's official. The Prius' place in the geek hierarchy has been eclipsed by the Volt.

[Source: GM-Volt.com]

Perhaps this is Ferrari's answer to the FIA's threat to move to standardized engines: standardized building blocks! What could be more fair than to have every team start out with their own huge package of LEGOs? The drivetrain could remain unique or might even be a LEGO V8, but each team would get a color-specific mega-pack of blocks to build their own bodywork. All parts must be used, but how you place them is up to you. The resulting cars would have the aerodynamics of a brick so maybe safety would improve as speeds were reduced. Drivers would also have to slow considerably into turns, as lateral g's generated by modern F1 cars can easily exceed block lock integrity at will. None of this is true or has anything to do with the car in the photos, but this is far more interesting than reading the true story about some uber-geek who built a LEGO F1 car in Amsterdam to celebrate the "LEGO World" event. While we love the LEGO Mustang, Camaro, Batmobile, "Death Proof" Nova et al that we've shown you before, we have to admit that a full-size LEGO car is a step above. 80,000 bricks and about $20,000 later, this guy has a Ferrari F1 car of his own. And he doesn't have to cut open his basement wall to remove it.


[Source: 0-60mag]

Being somewhat of a national treasure, the James Bond image is understandably important to the Brits. It can really boost public morale to have Bond associate with the most beautiful women in the world, use the most incredible gadgets, and drive the world's finest cars. It can be equally devastating, then, to have Bond engaging in any of these activities with anything less than the best. So it comes as little surprise that Channel 4 has called out the Bond creators for some of their awful vehicular choices. They've assembled a Bottom 10, if you will, of bad cars that Bond has been forced to drive or co-pilot on the silver screen. The list includes everything from a Tuk Tuk to an Aston Martin DBS, but probably not the one you're thinking of. It's a fun read with a pretty spot-on analysis of the merits of each selection, but we're pretty sure some of the choices will be debated. Do you disagree with any of the selections? Think they're nuts for skipping something? Let us know.


[Source: Channel 4]

Mitsuoka, that tiny Japanese manufacturer who makes the wonderfully wacky Orochi sea monster, has introduced its latest automotive mash-up, just in time to give us a Halloween fright. It is a derivative of the company's Galue III (the return of the shapeshifter) and is known as the Galue Limousine S50. This shouldn't be confused with the company's Galue 204 Toyota Corolla rebody, or the Galue Convertible, which is based on the Ford Mustang. Instead, this limo is based on the Infiniti M, but incorporates styling touches from such classic designs as the '94 Cadillac Fleetwood, the Rolls-Royce Phantom and the Apple iPhone. While that might not sound too offensive, trust us, it is.

Remember the classic Beetles with the R-R grilles? Imagine that on a new Infiniti M35. And out back, that gracefully curved rear has been amended with Caddy taillight protrusions. Where once stood a B-pillar, we now have a foot-wide panel that houses an oversized iPhone-like glass panel. Like the retro-classic Excaliburs of the '70s and '80s, Mitsuoka apparently feels people will like modern running gear hidden beneath "classic" British looks. Priced between 8,016,750 yen (68,600 euros at the exchange) for the 223-hp 250LX to 9,345,000 (80,000 euros) for the 313-hp 350LX 4WD, we think that's a lot of coin for a Frankencar like this. Heck, you could probably find a used Continental GT for about the same. You could even rebadge it as a Hyundai if it makes you feel better.


[Source: Mitsuoka via Autblog Spanish]

While cruising along in Southern California one morning this week, we spied what could pass for a new hero car in the next installment of the "Mad Max" movie franchise. Just check out those rows of steel studs along the hood, roof and trunk. Perhaps bouyed by the historic executive branch runs of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin, the newest chapter of this apocalyptic anecdote could see the Mad Max reins being handed over to a woman. Spotted proudly piloting this studded silver V6 'Stang, we've dubbed her "Mad Maxine." Just like the car, the driver transformation hadn't been completed yet, but she definitely looked the part with her steely gaze and guard dog companion. Whatever it is, we got a kick out of this personalized pony. One word of advice though -- if you see this in your rearview mirror, kindly move aside. Come to think of it, it doesn't look too pedestrian-friendly either...