EPIC FAIL: 2011 Volvo S60 "Collision Warning with Auto Brake" System Doesn't Work, Car Crashes at Press Event! [with Video]

It's probably a PR's worst nightmare - having something going completely wrong at a press event. And that's exactly what happened to Volvo at the media presentation of the firm's new S60 saloon in Sweden this week.

See, the Swedes wanted to show journalists how the 2011 S60 sedan's new 'Collision Warning with Auto Brake' system works in action, so they catapulted a test car out of a tunnel at around 35km/h towards a parked truck.

Volvo says this about the system: "Volvo's new Collision Warning with Auto Brake automatically brakes the car if there is an imminent risk of a collision with a moving or stationary vehicle. The system starts by alerting the driver and preparing the braking system for emergency braking. If the driver does not respond despite the warning, the brakes are applied automatically."

But guess what? In this case, the system didn't work and the 2011 S60 smashed into the rear-end of the truck in front of the eyes of dozens of journalists equipped with cameras! Luckily, Volvo had not used a person to drive the car, so no one was hurt.

Some journalists were quick to point out that the system had worked earlier stopping the car before it hit the truck.

Volvo claimed that the pre-production test car "suffered as the result of a human error in preparation" and that the car's battery was at fault, adding that "had a human been driving, he or she would have noticed the system was not operating correctly."

Well, we'll leave the comments to you...

Via: Wired & Jalopnik

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Opel Releases Corsa Football Championship Edition Dedicated to the German National Team

To celebrate the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa that will kick off in Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium on June 11th, Opel has released a limited edition version of its Corsa supermini dedicated to the German national soccer team. For the record the Germans were drawn into Group D where they will play their three first round matches against Australia, Serbia and Ghana.

But back to the Corsa, the German-market "Football Championship Edition" features the traditional colors of the country's soccer team combining a white paint job with stripes that run from the hood to the rear quarter window and also cover the exterior mirrors, and a set of 17-inch alloy wheels finished in black.

The special edition Corsa also gets dark tinted headlights and tail lights, sport seats, aluminum pedals, leather steering wheel and center console in piano black.

Air conditioning, stereo CD radio with steering wheel controls, electric windows and central locking with remote control are standard.

Prices for the new Corsa Football Championship Edition start from €15,160 for 87HP 1.4-liter Ecotec model.

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1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Cabriolet Sets New Record at RM's Sporting Classics of Monaco

RM Auctions just wrapped up its very first Sporting Classics of Monaco to the tune of €33,235,917 (~$45,101,139). Out of the 105 vehicles up for new homes, 88 of them (86%) swapped owners; of those 88, five scored €2,000,000+ sales and two of those set new world records.

Record-setter number one was a 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Cabriolet Pininfarina SWB. With a sale price of €2,800,000 (~$3,799,600), it has become the priciest Superamerica ever.

Record-setter number two was a 1960 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage, coming in at €2,464,000 (~$3,343,648), an all-time high for a Birdcage.

The remaining three €2,000,000 busters were: 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta (€2,632,000 / ~$3,571,624); 1957 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Tour de France (€2,352,000 / ~$3,191,664); 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder (€2,072,000 / ~$2,811,704).

The Sporting Classics of Monaco auction, according to RM, was a huge success. With registered bidders from 33 countries and a swarm of first timers (28% of registrations), the sale was watched by more than 3,000 people online.

Max Girardo, Managing Director for RM Europe, says, "Our Monaco sales results underscore RM's undisputed leadership position in the investment-grade segment of the collector car market...[We have] set a new standard for collector car auctions not only for the high quality of cars, but also for its impeccable presentation and client experience."

Scroll down for some drool-worthy (video) pics.

By Phil Alex

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The Folden: New Zealanders Create Half Holden HQ, Half Ford Mustang Mechanical Frankenstein

Is it a Holden? Is it a Ford? Well, according to the folks from the New Zealand music radio station, 'The Rock', neither. They say it's a Folden and it was born from the unholy -or so to speak- union of a Holden HQ and a 1969 Ford Mustang.

The culprits are The Rock's Drive show announcers, Robert Taylor and Jono Pryor, who claim that they created the Folden because they were "fed up with the ongoing battle between their listeners over who is mightier - Ford or Holden."

Their goal was to fuse the rear 3/4s of a 1970's Holden HQ sedan with the front-end of a 1969 Ford Mustang with power being provided by 302 cubic inch V8 Ford engine.

After 3 months and more than 800 man hours involving a couple of dozen of businesses, and not to mention a total cost ranging somewhere between NZD$85,000 to $95,000 (about US$62,000 to $69,500), the project was finally completed.

Other treats include one-off Chip Foose 20-inch alloy wheels, a gun metal gray paint job with orange racing stripes, a custom interior fully rebuilt, high-end audio system, and last but certainly not least, a cool badge that puts the Mustang horse and Holden lion together.

And what now? New Zealanders have the chance to bid for the Folden as the car is being auctioned on "Trademe" with proceeds to be donated to the NZ Mental Health Foundation for Out Of The Blue, an organization set up to help combat depression in men.

At the time the article was written, the highest bid on the website was NZ$62,700 or close to US$45,800 at today's exchange rates. The auction will end on May 6, 2010.

Links / Source: The Rock & Trademe

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VIDEO: Shocking MINI Racer Accident in Australia

A horrific crash involving a MINI Cooper S racer took place this past weekend at the Ipswich Raceway in Brisbane, Australia, when debutant racer Kain Magro, 23, literally cart-wheeled out of control over a barrier and into a crowd of spectators during a racing event that preceded the Ipswich 300 V8 Supercars race.

Miraculously, the driver was unhurt while only two people from the crowd were treated for minor injuries. Check out the video after the break.

Hat tip to Braddo!

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DIY: Chinese Lamborghini "Wannabe" Replica Built for $3,000

25-year-old Chen Jinmiao from China is a mechanic and likes Lamborghinis. In fact he likes them A LOT. But he couldn't afford one (yet), so he decided to build his own - or at least one that vaguely resembles Sant'Agata's "Raging Bull" models.

For about $3,000 (US) in parts and a year's worth of time, Chen created a very-Lego Lamborghini that has a top speed of 60 mph (or 90, depending on who you trust). No word on the power source, but somehow I'm thinking an engine slightly smaller than a V12.

Perfect? Hardly. However, he DID built it from the ground up, which deserves a pat on the back.

If anyone's going to be around Chenzhou City, China, keep an eye out for it.

By Phil Alex

Via: Gammasquad , Photo Source: Cfp

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VIDEO: BMW 328 Kamm Coupe and Winning Maserati from the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2010

At this year's edition of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, BMW showed off a 328 Kamm Coupé replica that was built in-house by BMW Classic. The original model, named after the German aerodynamics pioneer Wunibald Kamm, disappeared without trace back in 1953.

If you follow the jump, you can check out two videos of the BMW racing car replica as well as general views from the event and shots from the Maserati A6GCS Spider Fura that won the "Best of Show" award.

The prestigious annual show was organized under the patronage of the BMW Group and was held on April 23-25.

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Rolls Royce Silver Shadow II Krug Champagne Van Returns Home

When you're in the business of selling premium champagnes to the rich and famous, you can't go promoting your goods in a Bedford van. With this in mind, Krug Champagne, one of the one of the crown jewels in the LVMH (Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton) wine division, ordered this bizarre Rolls Royce "bread van" for commercial purposes back in 1984.

The car was eventually sold by the company but has now returned to the House of Krug in Reims, the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, as a museum piece.

The Rolls Royce is a 1979 Silver Shadow II Sedan converted into a three-door commercial van with front seats for driver and one passenger and an open rear compartment fitted with two refrigerators. The vehicle bears the Krug crest and logos while it also gets a special cork key ring.

Via: Autoblog.it & Autoblog.nl

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Tulsa Man Drives Mercedes through Parking Wall Backwards! [with Video]

A couple of days ago, 67-year-old Ralph Hudson backed his Mercedes-Benz C-Class out of a parking garage in Tulsa, Oklahoma (let's hear it for the Golden Hurricane!).

Only problem is, he was 7 stories up. According to his statement, his foot was caught between the accelerator and brake pedals. Luckily, he wasn't hurt or killed.

The same can't be said for some of the cars below, which got beat up by falling bricks. Ah well, accidents will happen... Video after the break.

By Phil Alex

Via: AP

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Bavarian Cops Testing BMW X3 Police Car

The Bavarian State Police has begun testing a prototype version of the BMW X3 fitted with all the necessary equipment to patrol the German highways. The all-wheel drive X3 police car is powered by a 218HP turbocharged six-cylinder diesel engine and comes equipped with more LED lights than a Las Vegas Christmas tree show. You can check out the rest of the pictures right after the jump.

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