GM impressed its audience by debuting the Buick Invicta concept on hovering on water prior to the Beijing Auto Show, but that seems easy in comparison to some people’s water crossings in the Middle Kingdom.
Liu Suozhu, a 48-year-old Chinese man, recently drove across Miluo River on tightropes in China’s Hunan Province. The tightropes were 148 feet above the river and it took him about half an hour to finish the 755 foot-long bridge. Liu did pause several times at the centre of the ropes, as he needed to check if his Xiali sedan was still balanced or not.
The brave man used to work as a cab driver. He came up with the idea of driving on tightropes in 2001. In 2006, he finished a similar stunt, completing a trip of 656 feet on tightropes 66 feet above the ground at Kurle, Xinjiang Province.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
With an aim to capture the official Land Speed Record, Ted Shadle and Keith Zanghi have created this totally gonzo North American Eagle jet car.
At the heart of the LSR car is, rather unsurprisingly, a massive jet engine. In this case the mill was sourced from a scrapped 1957 Lockheed F-104 Starfighter and makes a willing 42,500 horsepower at its peak. Shadle and Zanghi are hoping that the power will be enough to propel the car past the 800 mph mark and into the history books.
There are a few problems associated with driving a vehicle of this kind; the first being the massive cost of fueling the beast. The LSR car gulps down a massive 160 gallons of fuel per minute, resulting in a tab of $18,000 for each high-speed run. The second is finding a pilot brave or stupid enough to drive the thing. Experienced daredevils with a death wish, and a thirst for immortality should apply here.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
A marketing attempt by a Chicago area convenience store chain has turned out to be just a bit too clever for its own good.
The AMPM ad (shown above on the first day it was up) was posted on local bus-shelters and featured a large wall comprised of tempting snack foods. The idea was that the bags of snacks would be slowly removed day-by-day, to reveal the tagline, “Too much good stuff” to the delight of hungry consumers. But local bus-riders were apparently much more ready to snack than the ad’s creators had anticipated, as merely two day’s into its run the snack wall was breached and mercilessly scarfed down.
We haven’t heard any reports of the snack thieves being tacked down as yet, but there is one substantial clue; they seem to hate Doritos.
(Click through the jump to see the ‘After’ picture.)
UK culinary company Aunt Bessie’s (as best we can tell a sort of British Betty Crocker) has developed a slightly off-putting alternative to the traditional summer favorite, the ice cream delivery truck.
Seeking to cater to the palates of Brits who are trying to adjust to increasingly cold summers, Aunt Bessie’s representatives will be offering up the UK staple of bangers and mash served in an ice cream cone. For the uninitiated bangers and mash is in no way like ice cream, consisting of mashed potatoes and sausages, which is then topped with peas and gravy. The company hopes that the easy to handle cone will work its magic to make the potato-based pop a street food that will sell well during Britain’s cool and rainy summer months.
Last year ice cream sales tanked in the UK, falling by nearly seven percent while traditional comfort foods took off. Helping matters along was the fact that the country suffered its wettest summer in 200 years.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Bold new forms of transportation don’t come about without a bit of a struggle, and for the strangely unnecessary Wheelsurf shown here, that struggle is clearly ongoing. While we applaud the efforts of the Dutch inventors working on this new-look scooter (no matter how much it reminds us of a particular South Park episode), it’s clear that they are a bit off a final product.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Popularized by Michel Gondry’s recent film Be Kind Rewind, “sweding” is the process of amateur filmmakers remaking movie classics. The technique can lead to results that range from the painful to the sublime, and in cases like this Tron redux by French filmmaker Freres-Hueon; they may even surpass the original. The stop-motion version of the eighties sci-fi hit is pretty unbelievable, and stacks up favorably to the relatively dated special effects in the real thing.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
What would do with your life after getting fired in your 40s? Start a job hunt right away, or give yourself some time to take a rest?
He Qilun, a laid-off worker in Chongqing, Sichuan Province of China presents us his answer in the form of this hybrid animal – a three-wheeler-turned helicopter. The 47-year old who has been studying mechanics and engineering from his teens, has long dreamed of making a helicopter himself. From 2002, he’s begun collecting parts and accessories whilst pondering how to achieve his dream. (Click through the jump to read more.)
While most auto parts stores are staffed with employees who can help you change a light bulb or replace a bad battery, we wouldn’t really recommend checking them out for emergency medical attention. But a Cocoa, Florida woman didn’t have much choice when she pulled into the neighborhood Advanced Auto Parts store parking lot, as she was on the verge of giving birth.
A passing customer saw the woman ready to deliver in her car, and ran inside the auto store to look for help. Assistant managers Nicole Laskowski and Christine Hartman called 911, and then ran outside to assist the woman.
(Click through the jump to read on.)
A German trucker has found a novel way to get out of a traffic ticket for illegal cell phone use while driving. His excuse? He was using his handheld to keep his ear warm.
Big rig driver Walter Klein evidently successfully argued that his truck’s cab hadn’t heated up yet, and he was using his warm, freshly-charged phone in order to ease an earache when police pulled him over.
As ridiculous as it may sound, there may have been something to Klein’s excuse: he produced an itemized phone bill that didn’t show his phone in-use during the time when he was pulled over by authorities.
+ IntoMobile: Cellphone as ear warmer
It’s been nearly two years since the cargo ship Cougar Ace tipped on its side near the Aleutians in Alaska, in the process damaging thousands of new Mazda vehicles in its hold. And while company officials were originally optimistic that most of the 4,703 vehicles could be salvaged, in the end they are all finally set to be scrapped.
The damaged vehicles have been rusting away at a Portland, Oregon metal recycling facility since shortly after the July, 2006 incident. Company engineers have finally assessed the damaged vehicles (which had been resting on their sides in salty sea air for a month before they were moved to port), and the new plan is to have them all drained of fluids and scrapped over the next two months.
+ Associated Press: New Mazdas aboard listing ship going to scrap in Oregon (via Oregon Live)
It seems like almost a daily occurrence for news out of Hollywood to be peppered with tales of celebrities making bad decisions regarding drinking and driving. Mostly they just choose to do it far too often.
It’s that tendency towards wanton behavior that makes a new idea by music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs seem so sensible. Saying that he would like to “make sure everyone’s partying responsibly,” Combs is planning to launch a car service to ferry celebs from the club to their homes. Though we mortals might think that a taxi or even limousine service should be all that sloshed stars need, Diddy probably has a better read on the needs of young Hollywood (re: special treatment always).
Excessive as an exclusive nightclub “drunk bus” may sound, anything that helps to keep the L.A. streets safer is fine by us.
(This colorful Hummer might make a good choice for Diddy’s taxi, check it out below.)
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Cadillac CTS-V Laps Nurburgring in Sedan Record 7:59:32
Opel Insignia Hatchback Spied Undisguised 
The Rise of Hyundai: From Mitsubishi Borrower to Possible M-B Supplier
First Look At Possible New MG TF
So Long Super Aguri: Financial Woes Cause Formula One Team to Call it A Day
