Batwoman Seeks Revenge Against Cheating boyfriend

There are many ways a woman can get back at her boyfriend for cheating on her. Not holding any of her anger back, this woman decided to let the bat do the work and just “went to town.” Of course, she could have sought after a more non-violence approach that wouldn’t have drawn so much attention. She could have been more “sweet” about it and poured a pound of sugar down his gas tank in the dead of night. But then again, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!”

Posted by Dani

BMW 1-Series Monster-Truck To Take Part In 2008 Dakar Rally!

Long before BMW even admitted considering the possibility of adding an X1 model in its range –don’t worry, you’ll be hearing something from Carscoop soon enough…, somewhere in France, a guy named Pascal Boutet has been working like a French poodle on steroids developing a 1-Series hatch 4WD rally car dubbed “Trio”.

Of course, underneath its 1-Series inspired fibreglass body, the “Trio”, that was created to participate in the 2008 Dakar Rally, has very little in common with the compact bimmer. Measuring in at 4.2m in length and weighing 1.900 kg (approximately 4.190 lb) this monster 1-Series is powered by a stock 3.0-litre turbodiesel straight-6 BMW engine that delivers 265Hp. No word on acceleration figures but the monster 1 has a top speed of 185 km/h.-Follow the jump for more images

Via: Autoblog.nl , Info: cms

Bravo! Forum Members Restore ill Friend’s Lotus Esprit!

What a magnificent heart-warming story; Simon Pritchard, a 36-year-old car enthusiast from Abergavenny UK and a member of the Lotus Esprit online forum website was in the process of rebuilding his 25-year-old Esprit when he suffered a stroke. While he was recuperating in the hospital, his fellow forum-members took it upon themselves donating money and time to complete the restoration in just five weeks without him knowing anything! You can just imagine his surprise when he left the hospital and saw the completely restored Esprit!

-Click “Read More..." below to see the rest of the post along with a video of Simon and his Esprit

What makes this story even more special is the fact that Simon has been suffering from several illnesses including Reiter's Syndrome (a form of arthritis that develops as a reaction to infections in the body) and lung complaint. Despite his health problems, Simon has tried to live a normal life and among other things, he spent his time restoring the classic 1982 Lotus Esprit. His online quest for help led him to the Lotus Esprit online forum, the members of which, proved to be a lot more helpful than he or for that matter, anyone, would have bargained for.

Via: BBC

Video: Greedy trucker driver handles more than he can carry

I was always taught to not hold more than I could carry. “Make two trips”, my father would say. Well, I’m sure this trucker in China would have gladly made 3 or even 4 trips if he knew his truck was overflowed with cargo and would tip backwards on a bridge. As if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, it was caught on camera and an audience of surrounding people found the misfortune hysterical. The guy taping the scene is only interested in the fact that he gets to post this on You Tube, so we’ll have to make his day by drawing further attention to his footage and the brainless people who over filled this truck.

Posted by Dani

Fiat Re-Designs Its UK Site

In partnership with AKQA, a digital consulting agency, Fiat unveiled today its brand new UK website at www.fiat.co.uk. As you can see from the screenshots that we downloaded, the Italians did a pretty fine job in the artistic department, but then again what else did you expect from the people who designed the Grande Punto and the 500… Moreover, Fiat added a bundle of goodies including a one-screen car configurator with eschews drop-down menus, pages of options and small images, all on one screen. -Continued: Click "Read More..." below

Built entirely for broadband, the site also features full-screen 360° images of the interiors and exteriors of the cars, combined with a tailored voiceover to give potential customers an audio-visual tour of every model. Other goodies include the ability for visitors to contact with Fiat Customer Services and book or confirm a test drive, request maps for directions and model brochures, in real-time. We hopped over at Fiat.co.uk and fiddled around with the site. Quite interesting, though we have to admit that it seemed kind of slow.

Masterminds at Work: Chevy V8 Engine Converted To BBQ Grill!

What do big loud engines and BBQ grills have in common other than the fact that they are cherished by the boys? Trent Whatley found a way to combine the two passions and created a BBQ grill made from a Chevy v8 engine block. Who needs 500 HP when you can have 60,000 BTU?! From the outside it looks like a regular polished up engine block, but on the inside, a whole lot of burgers and dogs are just waiting to be charred. The grill is completely functional and stole the show at a its maker’s 4th of July BBQ. -Continued: Click “Read More…” below

Posted by Dani

Via: Diariomotor , Source: Neatorama

Mercedes-Benz M-Class "Edition 10"

Marking the 10th anniversary of the M-Class, Mercedes-Benz announced the production of a limited edition model dubbed “Edition 10”. The current model’s predecessor, the first generation M-Class, rolled off the production line in 1997 at Mercedes’ Tuscaloosa plant in Alabama. It was Mercedes-Benz’ first passenger vehicle to be made outside of Germany.

Back to the limited edition M-Class, in addition to the regular model, the anniversary model is marked with “Edition 10” badges on its fenders along with an array of standard equipment and exterior design elements. Available from fall 2007, the “Edition 10’s” standard features include 20-inch wheels, taillights with a sporty, dark background, special color highlights for the vehicle body and bi-xenon headlights. Inside the anniversary M-Class gets among others, two-tone leather appointments throughout, sport instruments, and stainless steel pedals. –Full press release and images after the jump

Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama celebrates ten year production anniversary with the “Edition10” special edition M-Class

Tuscaloosa plant is the cradle of Mercedes-Benz SUVs – all available with state-of-the-art diesel technology

Number of employees and plant capacity has more than doubled since production launch

More than $1 billion of total investment up to date

Governor Bob Riley, Chairman Dr. Dieter Zetsche and Plant Director Bill Taylor celebrate anniversary together with team members and guests

Tuscaloosa, Alabama (USA)- Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc. (MBUSI) celebrated the ten year production anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz M-Class. At the event, Alabama Governor Bob Riley, Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of DaimlerChrysler AG and Head of the Mercedes Car Group, as well as Plant Manager Bill Taylor welcomed current and former team members as well as guests, including government officials, business leaders, and local dignitaries.

In his address to team members and guests, Governor Riley emphasized the economic importance of Alabama’s first automaker: “In 2006, the economic impact of MBUSI and its Tier-1 suppliers was well over $6.8 billion to Alabama’s economy. Mercedes-Benz changed the economic development model for Alabama. It improved the economy of the whole state and helped to prove that Alabama is the place to be when it comes to doing business.”

“Right from the start, Alabama and Mercedes-Benz has been a win-win relationship. Since our decision to come here, we have invested more than $1 billion and twice expanded our production facilities. And that’s not without reason, since the plant produces top quality vehicles that are popular all over the world. Plus, the plant employs around 4,000 people and contributes strongly to society,” Dr. Zetsche underlined.

“Ten years of production of the M-Class is a great milestone and major accomplishment for both our team and our partners around the world in building our products,” said Bill Taylor. “This organization has come a long way – from never having built an automobile just ten years ago – to now building three products that are produced for 135 countries worldwide. Today’s event reminds us what this Mercedes-Benz team in Alabama can do.”

“Edition10” limited edition M-Class model

To mark the tenth anniversary of the M-Class, Mercedes-Benz is presenting the limited edition model “Edition10”. In addition to the regular model, the special edition is marked with “Edition 10” badges on its fenders. The anniversary edition also contains a long list of features and distinguishes itself through attractive exterieur design elements. Customers can order the vehicle beginning in fall 2007. The model comes with a broad range of special features already included, such as 20-inch wheels, bi-xenon headlights, taillights with a sporty, dark background, and special color highlights for the vehicle body. Striking features of the sporty interior include two-tone leather appointments throughout, sport instruments, and stainless steel pedals.

Home of Mercedes-Benz family of SUVs

The M-Class is the pioneer among premium SUVs, first rolling off the production line in 1997. Since then, two additional models have been added to the original and best-selling Mercedes-Benz SUV: The R-Class, a versatile and comfortable SUV tourer positioned between an offroader and a traditional station wagon, as well as the GL-Class, which is the first premium full-size SUV of Mercedes-Benz. More than 960,000 units of the three models have been delivered to customers since 1997, making Mercedes-Benz the best-selling premium brand in the SUV segment. MBUSI produced more SUVs last year - over 170,000 units - than ever before in its 10 Year-history.

Customers continue to provide positive feedback for the vehicles made in Tuscaloosa. Among the award recipients of J. D. Power’s Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study published in June were two vehicles from Tuscaloosa: the GL-Class (Gold medal) and the M-Class. Each year, the American market research organization J.D. Power surveys consumers who have purchased new vehicles to measure customer satisfaction in terms of the respective automotive concepts.

Cutting-edge diesel technology in the SUV segment

Almost half of the vehicles that rolled off the production line in Tuscaloosa last year were equipped with a V6 or V8 diesel engine manufactured at the German engine plant in Berlin-Marienfelde. In the M-Class, the worldwide share of diesel-powered vehicles rose in 2006 to the record level of over 50 percent for the first time.

The trend toward state-of-the-art diesel technology also continues to grow in the United States. In the first six months of 2007, diesel versions accounted for between 14 percent (GL-Class) and 20 percent (M-Class) of SUV sales in the U.S.

Starting in 2008, Mercedes-Benz will offer its entire SUV range with the exhaust treatment system BLUETEC, which makes diesel engines the cleanest in the world in all vehicle classes. What’s more, these engines meet even the most stringent emissions limits, ensuring that vehicles equipped with BLUETEC technology are approved for use in all 50 states. BLUETEC is a system developed by DaimlerChrysler that effectively reduces diesel vehicles’ fuel consumption and emissions by up to 40 percent compared to conventional gasoline-powered automobiles.

The V6 and V8 gasoline engines and transmissions installed in vehicles at Tuscaloosa are manufactured at the Stuttgart-Untertürkheim plant and by AMG GmbH in Affalterbach, Germany. This contributes significantly to the utilization rate of engine production, which Mercedes-Benz continues to entirely operate in Germany.

Series production launched in 1997

The Tuscaloosa plant was commissioned on May 21, 1997, after a two-year construction period. It was Mercedes-Benz’ first passenger vehicle plant outside of Germany. When DaimlerChrysler decided to construct the plant in 1993, it became the first automaker to establish an automotive manufacturing facility in Alabama. All in all, MBUSI has directly or indirectly, created more than 22,000 jobs. If the workforce of the largest suppliers in the area are added to this figure, then more than 41,000 people are currently employed in Alabama’s auto industry, either directly or indirectly.

After quickly reaching the original production capacity target of 65,000 vehicles per year, Mercedes-Benz invested about $80 million in the plant in 1998 and 1999, to ensure that capacity could be increased to approximately 80,000 units per year.

Plant expansion in 2005 and broader product range

By investing a further $600 million since 2001, Mercedes-Benz has prepared the plant for the production of the second-generation M-Class (since 2005), the R-Class (since 2005) and the GL-Class (since 2006). The expansion has led to a doubling of the workforce (4,000) and the production capacity (160,000). The expansion has been completed and was opened in May 2005.

Focus on optimum production and quality assurance processes

The Tuscaloosa plant now has two assembly lines, two paint shops, and a body shop. The assembly process is very flexible, and the principles and standards of the Mercedes-Benz Production System (MPS) have been comprehensively implemented. From a logistical standpoint, the site is ideally suited for just-in-sequence and just-in-time production. To this end, around 30 Tier I suppliers of production materials have located in the state of Alabama. This makes it possible for the plant to keep its inventory to a minimum.

To ensure that production proceeds smoothly, Mercedes-Benz has promoted intensive qualification and close intercultural interaction from the very start. Not only during production launches are team members from Tuscaloosa trained at German plants and the Mercedes-Benz Technology Center; but production experts are sent from Germany to Alabama as well as plant Tuscaloosa team members are also being called on to share experiences and train workforce in other international plants of Mercedes-Benz. At the same time, production experts from Germany are coming to Alabama to exchange know-how. Over the past decade, the German and American employees in Tuscaloosa have been steadily building a close working relationship within the production network as a matter of course.

Jeep Compass By Brabus – Startech... Part II

I thawt I thaw a Starteth… This morning we received a conspicuous e-mail form Startech concerning a sport pack for the new Jeep Compass that rang a bell. Turns out that Startech had presented the same sport pack back in February. The only difference is the structrure of the press release! Of course we could just play dumb and post the article but we’d feel like total asses so whatev.

Anyway, in case you missed out last time, Brabus owned Startech offers a bodykit along with 18 to 20-inch alloy wheels and interior accessories for the Compass. For the 2.0 CRD model, Startech upgrades the 2.0 diesel engine lifting power by 40Hp to 180Hp. Follow the jump to see the current press release along with high-res images or if you feel kinda nostalgic click here to see the previous release -take your pick! -Click “Read More…” below

Press Release: STARTECH Refines the Jeep Compass

More Diesel Power and Exclusive Accessories

180 hp (178 bhp) / 132 kW of rated power and a peak torque of 360 Nm (266 ft-lb) for the 2.0 CRD model, as well as a wide range of exclusive accessories: STARTECH offers an exclusive customization program for the Jeep Compass that features numerous innovative detail solutions and leaves nothing to be desired.

The STARTECH SD3 tuning kit for the Compass turbodiesel model can be installed by any authorized Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealer in less than 30 minutes. It unleashes the true power inherent in the two-liter diesel engine. The additional 40 hp (39 bhp) / 29.4 kW and the enormous torque that's already available between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm, are the result of an auxiliary control module that governs the engine electronics. The engine tuning can be further optimized with the STARTECH stainless-steel sport exhaust. The latter is integrated into the STARTECH individualization concept for this Jeep model based on a brand-new idea.

The two oval tailpipes left and right are seamlessly integrated into the STARTECH rear molding, which is part of the striking designer suit for the Compass. It is styled like an underride guard. The rear molding can also be installed without sport exhaust.

The replacement for the front apron is also shaped like a modern underride guard and lends the five-door a more aggressive expression. The front can be further refined with two stylized air dams below the turn signals. Their 'eyelashes' give the 4x4 a sharper profile. The STARTECH body conversion is rounded out by rocker panels shaped like running boards.

The STARTECH look is further dominated by custom-tailored tire/wheel combinations for the Compass, available with diameters of 19 and 20 inches, instead of the stock 18-inch wheels. The STARTECH Monostar IV five-spoke wheels are silver polished and fill out the space below the wheel arches nicely. They are mounted in size 8.5Jx19 all around with tires in size 255/40 R 19 or in size 9Jx20 in front and back with tires in size 245/35 R 20 all around.

STARTECH also offers progressive-rate springs that lower the ride height of the American SUV by some 30 millimeters. The lowered center of gravity gives the vehicle even sportier and safer handling characteristics.

STARTECH also adds exclusive and individual highlights in the cockpit. These include stainless-steel scuff plates with illuminated STARTECH logo and high-quality velour floor mats. Exclusive highlights in the Compass cockpit are added with the STARTECH Lifestyle interior upgrade package. It includes leather-covered door trim with embossed Compass logo and color-contrasted ornamental stitching that also adorns the trim piece for the dashboard. The interior is further upgraded with high-gloss silver-coated loudspeaker moldings that are designed to look like a compass.