You Won't Believe How Lucky this Russian Driver Was

Trying to stop a car sliding down a steep road covered with snow and ice on foot with your….hands might be a noble and meritorious act, but unless you're hiding a red and blue spandex with an 'S' logo under your clothes, it's a futile effort and in some cases, a very dangerous move.An onlooker in the frozen city of Vladivostok in Russia recorded one such incident, when not one, but two helpful citizens ran to assist a driver whose car slipped on the road and was heading towards a parked vehicle.

The second man slipped and fell down, but fortunately, he was quickly able to get up on his feet and dash out of the way before the car could crush him.

While a crash with the parked vehicle seemed inevitable, in the end, it didn't happen… See how it all went down, in the video below.

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National Geographic's Megafactories to Lift the Hood on the Nissan GT-R

he much-acclaimed Nissan GT-R, now in its fifth year of production, will be the center of focus in an upcoming episode of National Geographic TV's "Megafactories" documentary, which is scheduled to air on Thursday, December 13 at 7:00 p.m. ET.

"As one of the most acclaimed supercars in automotive history, the Nissan GT-R is the ultimate expression of the Nissan brand and its "Innovation for All" philosophy," says NatGeo. "It is a multi-dimensional performance machine that lives up to the concept of "the ultimate supercar that can be driven by anyone, anytime, anywhere."

The series will take us for a ride to Nissan's production facility in Tochigi, Japan, to see how the world's most affordable supercar is manufactured (the GT-R's twin-turbocharged V6 is hand-assembled in Yokohama), with the producers also talking to the people responsible for its creation.

You can watch the extended trailer for the upcoming GT-R episode in the video that follows.

 

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Cam-Shaft Proposes New Transparent Polyurethane Foil to Protect Your Car's Paint

As they say, nothing lasts forever and from the moment your vehicle rolls off the assembly line, the decay process begins.

And while there's no to stop your vehicle from being damaged by the elements of nature or human hand, German foil specialist Cam-Shafthas a little something that promises to offer an additional layer of protection and delay the process.

That something is a new transparent foil that covers and protects the most exposed parts of a car's body. Unlike conventional color wraps, this new adhesive foil is not made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), but PU (polyurethane), which the company says is a softer and more absorbent material originally created for the airline industry to protect propellers and rotor blades from foreign objects.

Cam-Shaft adds that, the new foils are characterized by their "extremely high transparency" and provide "nearly invisible protection while achieving a fantastic depth effect of the original paint".

The film comes in a width of 152cm or 59.8 inches, meaning that it can cover much larger surfaces than traditional laminations, while it has a material thickness of 150μ.

"With the previously known foils it was only possible in half-width and thus an unpleasant film edge was visible in the middle of the engine hood," says Cam-Shaft.

To showcase the PU wrap, Cam-Shaft used the material on a Porsche Carrera GT on which the engine hood, the front bumper, the complete (two-part) fenders, the lower side skirts and the carbon entrances were laminated.

 

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Ford to Offer 2014 Fiesta Facelift with 1.0-liter Three-Cylinder EcoBoost in the U.S.

We knew it was coming but now Ford has confirmed the arrival of its 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine Stateside in the redesigned Fiesta that was revealed at this year's Paris auto show and which will go on sale in the U.S. early next year.

While in Europe, the 3-cylinder EcoBoost unit is offered in two states of tune delivering 99HP (100PS) and 123HP (125PS), in North America, Ford will bring the most powerful version that generates a peak torque of 148 lb.-ft.

By comparison, the pre-facelift 2013 Fiesta's base (in the U.S.) 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder unit peaks out at 120hp and 112 lb-ft.

"Customers are going to be pleasantly surprised at what the smallest member of the EcoBoost engine family can do," commented Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president of Powertrain Engineering.

He continued: "Most customers are not going to be thinking about the number of cylinders under the hood when they drive the new 1.0-liter EcoBoost Fiesta. They'll notice an extremely smooth and quiet idle, terrific acceleration accompanied by a sporty sound at high revs, and – most importantly – outstanding fuel economy."

Ford hasn't released any performance or economy figures for the North American model, but the European variant of the 2014 Fiesta with the 123hp 1.0-liter engine and a 5-speed manual goes from 0-100km/h (62 mph) in 9.4 seconds, tops out at 196 km/h (122 mph) and delivers a combined fuel consumption of 4.3 liters, which is equivalent to 54.7mpg US.

More details on the U.S. model are likely to be released at next week's LA Auto Show.

 

2014 FORD FIESTA - EU SPEC

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McLaren Unleashes Limited Run 630HP MP4-12C Can-Am GT Priced at £375,000

Right before the U.S. Formula 1 Grand Prix held during this weekend at Austin, Texas, McLaren announced that the Can-Am concept, which was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance last summer as a design study for a more extreme, track-focused version of the MP4-12C, will enter a limited production run.

The track-only Can-Am model was developed by McLaren GT, the Woking-based automaker’s racing division. It is inspired by the GT3 racing version and, according to the company, “pays tribute to Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme who successfully raced a series of McLaren models in the Can-Am series”.

Like the racer, it features an aggressive aerodynamic package that increases downforce by an impressive 30 percent. It consists of a prominent front spoiler and a huge rear wing, made out of carbon fiber, of course, as are the engine cover vents, side radiator intakes vanes, door mirror mounts and covers, sill covers and badges.

The McLaren MP4-12C GT Can-Am will also feature forged lightweight racing alloy wheels finished in black satin paint and shod with Pirelli racing tires.

In the cabin, a FIA-approved race-spec full rollcage is fitted along with black race seat, six-point seatbelts and a steering wheel “borrowed” from the GT3 racer, which is derived from this year’s MP4-24 F1 car. Despite being touted as a track-focused supercar, the Can-Am foes feature a special air conditioning unit that’s integrated in the racing car-like carbon fiber dash.

The good news for prospective clients is, not being a true racer, it does not have to comply to certain regulations that are meant to even out the playing field between the competitors.

Thus, the mid-mounted 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 will be unrestricted and, thanks to its unique calibration and optimized cooling system, it will pump out up to 630HP, which makes it the most powerful MP4-12C yet.

The bad news is that it’s not homologated for road use, so its owners will be able to enjoy it only as a track-day car.

Managing Director of McLaren GT Andrew Kirkaldy commented:

“The 12C Can-Am Edition concept shown at Pebble Beach earlier this year was purely that, a one-off design study. However, the reaction and response following the unveiling was remarkable. It is a real testament to the performance and results of the McLaren GT customer teams this year, still only in the debut competitive season, that there is such a strong demand for this type of track-day special.”

McLaren stated that the 12C GT Can-AM will be built in “no more than 30” examples starting March 2013, each of which is priced at £375,000 (US$595,600 or €467,500 at today’s exchange rate).

You can watch a short video of the 12C Can-Am concept in the video that follows the jump.

 

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