Author: Tabitha
Origami is alive and well when it comes to making paper automobile models. All you need is an X-ACTO knife, some glue and a pattern created by Jesse Smith who is the driving force behind Paper Cruisers. The company focuses on pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, including the Jeep Wrangler, Ford SVT Raptor and Toyota FJ Cruiser and Land Cruiser as well as other classic Toyota, Jeep and Ford products. All are amazingly life-like and can be had in a variety of colors. Each fold-up model is priced from $4-$6.50. However, if you’re not sure this hobby is for…
If you were one of those kids who was hooked on assembling model cars, then Jellio has just the item for you. The company’s Drive In wall art draws inspiration from those AMT- and Revell-brand scale-model kits from the 1960s and ’70s. The sculptures resemble the chrome-coated plastic parts that were part of each kit and were attached to what is called a sprue. You’ll get a major kick out of identifying the various attachments, including wheel covers, bumpers, grille, fan blade, steering wheel and other components. The Drive In wall art is 44 x 44 inches, is made from…
A study by the Automotive Science Group released in April found the all-electric Nissan Leaf to be the least environmentally impactful vehicle on the planet, for the third consecutive year. The study, which looked beyond just miles per gallon to projecting a model’s emissions from pre-production to the end of its life cycle, said the Leaf beat the Honda Fit (the study’s most economical gasoline car) by 47 percent in lifecycle emissions, said automotive lifestyle Web site Autos Cheat Sheet. Where the Leaf topped the list, the Fit ranked highest of all gasoline-powered cars, at No. 22, as regards greenhouse-gas…
Self-driving Chevrolet Bolt EV taxis could be on American roads within a year. General Motors and ride service Lyft will begin testing self-driving technology developed by Cruise Automation Inc., which GM plans to buy for $1 billion. GM declined to confirm the report in the Wall Street Journal, but did say it ‘continues to make progress’ on its goal to build an ‘integrated on-demand autonomous network’ with Lyft, in which it invested $500 million in January. ‘Similarly, we have said the Bolt is the ideal platform for ride-sharing solutions . . . we believe electrification blends perfectly with autonomy when…
Most people don’t consider the quality of cooler when camping or picnicking. They load in some ice and hope it stays chilled for a few hours. Pelican Products’ line of heavy-duty Elite Coolers will, however, retain water in its solid state for up to 10 days (depending on conditions), thanks to two inches of thermal insulation surrounding the storage area and a freezer-grade gasket between the lid and the box. The latches on all their models are also of the heavy-duty variety, as are the handles and other hardware, which is why Pelican Elite coolers are guaranteed for life. They’re…
Anyone who is as handy with wrenches and screwdrivers as they are with grilling burgers will appreciate this item. Although it looks just like your standard-issue red metal toolbox, the Barbeque Tool Box opens up to reveal an 8.0-inch by- 15-inch stainless-steel cooking area, warming rack and condiment tray. Beneath the grilling surface, there’s a removable tray that you fill with charcoal or mesquite. Also built-in is an adjustable vent that allows you to introduce just the right amount of fresh air. Order yours for $120 from www.suck.uk.com.
Sold only in small numbers in a handful of select markets, the 2016 Ford Focus Electric, now in its fifth model year, remains the only battery-electric car sold by Ford anywhere in the world. The company’s most energy-efficient car has changed little over those years, notes alternate-vehicle Web site Green Car Reports. The compact five-door hatchback is an adaption of the gasoline model, built on the same assembly line in Michigan as all other North American Focus models. Initially distinguished by a unique grille design, a 2015 restyle of the gasoline Focus gave the entire lineup the same look. Its…
BMW aims to have fuel-cell powertrain components for production cars ready by 2020, says the automaker’s head of fuel-cell development. Merten Jung told Digital Trends magazine that plans are to have the components ready by the end of the decade, when it will be decided in which vehicles they’ll be used. He said hydrogen fuel cells could be best suited to larger vehicles. Batteries are adequate in smaller vehicles because the weight of a battery pack is offset somewhat by the vehicle’s tidier proportions. In larger, heavier vehicles, relatively lighter fuel-cell powertrains & where hydrogen is converted to electricity on…
Until now, chances are if you took your brand new sports or muscle car to the local track for some high-performance hijinks, you would be laughed out of your dealer’s service bay if you tried claiming for warranty work. Not so if you’re driving your 2016 Camaro SS or upcoming 1LE or ZL1 variants on a closed circuit (those facilities are springing up everywhere, by the way). The Trenchcoated One hears that General Motors will now cover you under the Camaro’s powertrain warranty should anything of a mechanical nature break. And that includes competition, not just tooling around the track…
There are currently 38 Mercedes-Benz cars for sale that wear the AMG label. That’s a lot, but The Sleuth’s sources are telling him that at least 10 more are on the way for the 2017 model year. In fact, there are now so many AMG variants that the company will soon test the market with dedicated stand-alone outlets that sell only AMG or Mercedes-AMG vehicles. The first store will open in Japan, but rumor has that one in Australia is in the planning stages. As for North America, existing dealers might soon be encouraged to create separate showroom space for…