There are plenty of automotive phenomena we don’t entirely understand. Take sound system competitions, for example. We just never saw the practical use for a stereo worth more than your vehicle, especially when the largest fraction of that investment gets channeled into bowel-wobbling subwoofers. That is, until now. The owner of this particular Pontiac Grand Prix has found a unique way to shed snow from his car in the winter. Instead of standing in the cold with a brush and scraper, he simply cranks the volume on his Rockford Fosgate P3 subwoofers and lets physics take over.
Thanks to a little pounding bass, the vehicle’s windows are clear of snow in no time flat. Of course, the gentleman’s neighbors might have a word or two to say about his turning the community’s winter wonderland into a pounding dance floor. Hit the jump to check out the clip for yourself, just be sure to nix the volume.
Surely you’re hip to the Diet Coke and Mentos phenomenon of a few years ago. When an enterprising duo realized that the hard-coated candies interacted with the soda in an explosive way, an internet meme was instantly born. Over the last couple of years, though, interest in the parlor trick seemed to wane. Until now.
Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz, the two men who helped kick off the fun in the first place, are back, claiming a new record for the longest distance traveled in a car powered by Diet Coke and Mentos: 239 feet.
No, that doesn’t seem very far to us, either, though Mark II of their machine is a marked improvement over Mark I. The Mark II vehicle is more aerodynamic and seems to have less mass than its predecessor, which positioned the rider way out in front over a bicycle-like contraption. That said, we think Grobe and Voltz do even better… especially since they used just half the fuel this time ’round.
After dissecting the video, we believe there’s a lot more power in the Diet Coke and Mentos recipe to be had, and there must be a better way to stop so much of the fuel from leaking out instead of providing forward thrust. Duct tape, perhaps?
Until they try again with Mark III, feel free to check out the latest Diet Coke and Mentos-powered car in the video after the break. Read more…
That there’s a Santa Claus and an “elf” riding some sort of contraption behind a miniature big rig is intriguing enough. In reality, the downsized big rig is the story. Built by model maker Luca Bordin, the 1/4-scale Peterbilt 359 isn’t a kit, it’s made from scratch.
As best we can tell from Google Translate, Bordin found detailed plans of the 359, then fabricated the body out of fiberglass, including the cabin, and attached it via springs to a twin-rail frame made of iron. The differential steering mechanism was lifted from go-karts, the diesel tanks are plumbing pipe, a nightclub smoke machine blows white clouds from chrome stacks, a 12v compressor powers two truck-sounding horns, and the engine is from an electric jack “with lots of torque.”
What’s more: when Santa’s not riding out back, Bordin fabricated a fiberglass trailer to go with the tractor. It’s impressive, and we’re hoping Santa drives it straight under our tree. There’s video of it after the jump.
This is just a sneak peak of a longer fan film that creators Airsoft GI are planning to release soon, spotted on RPS. It’s been a great year for classy fan films, from the Fallout 3 film, Nuka Break, to Beyond Black Mesa and Infectious Designer’s recent Half-Life inspired short, Origins. From the looks of the trailer, this Left 4 Dead film could top them all. Look, Zoey’s even clutching Bill’s discarded beret.
Alfa Romeo test driver Terry Grant has picked up a few records in his day. The hot shoe has picked up a total of 19 world records during his time behind the wheel, and now he can add one more: Grant has taken to the Alfa Romeo Mito to become the man to pop the most water balloons using a vehicle. The Italian automaker crafted a massive version of its iconic logo from a staggering 2,500 balloons and then unleashed Grant on the finished product in a Mito Quadrifoglio Verde. Fortunately Alfa fans, the company trained more than a few lenses on the stunt for some excellent slow-motion action.
Pointless? Probably, but we’re never ones to shun a video of an attractive European hatchback sliding around on a skid pad in slow motion. Of course, seeing all those water balloons makes us miss summer in a powerful way. Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself.
In a moral victory for everyone that’s ever seen something and immediately wondered what it’d be like to ride a motorcycle over that something, South African Trials star Brian Capper just got a chance to ride his bike over the 384-foot-tall arch supporting Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Trials bikes share very little with regular motorcycles other than their two-wheels-and-an-engine configuration. To start with there’s no seat; purpose-built competition machines, they’re made to be ridden standing up. Other differences are extreme light weight — think mountain bike — and very, very low gearing.
The sport of trials itself is sort of an arcane take on two-wheeled gymnastics. Competitors tackle a challenging obstacle course either in the woods or in a stadium in which they must navigate a series of climbs, jumps and balance beams under a certain time, with points come off every time they touch a foot down to balance. Riders like Capper are attempting to draw more attention to the sport by taking it out of motorcycling’s footnotes and into extreme stunts like this one. You couldn’t pull of a similar ride on your Harley while wearing assless leather chaps.
Right: Tactical Solutions’ Nightstalker II night vision lens attached to a Nikon D700. It’s used by some US military photographers to take night action shots like the one on the left. It also makes the camera look like an actual weapon.
Using this kind of camera lens is very difficult, since you have to focus manually and setting the exposure is tricky. It’s used by the military, what do you expect?
With expansions planned all the way to 2020, the world’s largest model railroad just opened its latest addition: a 1,600-square-foot model airport, chock full of tiny aircraft support vehicles, hangers, terminals, and passengers. Originally scheduled to open in 2009, it has taken more than six years to complete the $4,440,000+ expansion to Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland. The airport includes remote-controlled planes taking, landing and taxiing to terminals and hangers. Plus, there are luggage carts and other support vehicles scurrying about the tarmac. If you’ve ever dabbled in model railroads, I recommend taking the time to watch their entire promo video, and then weep over the vastly inferior setup in your rec room.
When folk start drinking, their aim can get pretty messy. Though there are certain home-remedies for helping those with terrible aim to stay tidy (the old cork in the toilet trick worked a treat when we were at school), one pub in England is taking things to the next level with a video game that is won with perfect aim.
The Exhibit on Friday unveiled a couple of new games for its male patrons. Located in the loos, the video games are controlled by the customer’s stream of urine and test the player’s accuracy. Tapping into customers’ competitive side, there’s also a Twitter leaderboard. The pub is also using the games to boost business as the games are interspersed with ads and offers for special deals.
Captive Media, the company behind the games, says that the urinals in The Exhibit are the first of their kind in the world and claims that they offer a unique opportunity for businesses looking to advertise to young men out socializing, a hard market to reach. The company plans to roll out the product across selected bars from early 2012.
“It’s taken three years of research and development to get to this point,” says Captive Media director Mark Melford. “The reaction to the units so far has been incredible – it’s just so much fun.”
“We already had a huge amount of interest in the units from bars, pubs, exhibition centres and retail outlets across the country and overseas – even though we’ve been trying to keep a lid on it,” says Captive Media cofounder Gordon MacSween.
The carnival doesn’t quite enjoy the same level of prestige it once did. The old-world entertainment now has to vie with a movie industry soaked in computer-generated special effects, on-demand satellite entertainment and a vast expanse of electronic distractions. That doesn’t make some of the stunts performed at the carnival any less amazing, however, and it’s especially true when it comes to the infamous Wall of Death, wherein motorcycle riders ramp up speed and take to a near vertical wall to defy gravity.
Benedict Campbell has just finished a short film on Ken Fox and his family. The Fox Troupe wanders the English countryside with a traveling carnival, where they ride the Wall of Death. Fox himself rides an Indian Scout along the walls of the 26-foot diameter wooden ring. In his 30 years of performing, Fox estimates he’s had around 20 significant falls, and yet he’s still incredibly grateful to be able to live and work with his family on a daily basis. Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself.
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