If one were to create of list of things needed to successfully elude the police in a chase, you’d think a full assortment of limbs would be pretty high on the list. Michael Francis Wiley, 40, from Florida would likely beg to differ. Wiley is a three-time amputee who lost both his arms and one leg in an accident when he was 13. Despite that, he taught himself how to drive with stumps and acquaintances report he can even drive stick. Continue reading Armless, one-legged man proves elusive for police in downtown chase

Bosch has been a pioneer in many of the technologies that make modern cars as capable as they are today, and the company has just recently produced its 150 millionth electronic brake control system. In 1978, the very first electronically controlled anti-lock brake system developed by Bosch appeared on a Mercedes-Benz using wheel speed sensors and the brake switch as the inputs to the system. The speed sensors detected when wheels were decelerating faster than the vehicle and reduced the braking pressure to the individual wheels until they recovered. After that, the system continued to control each wheel’s brake pressure to get optimum deceleration for the road surface. Continue reading Bosch produces 150 Millionth electronic brake control system

Domino’s Pizza (The Official Pizza of NASCAR, btw) delivers piles of pizzas every day and probably burns several gallons of fuel, or at least pays their drivers to burn it. So going electric probably sounds pretty good to both the bean counters and the environmentalists. The Electric Vehicle Company also saw a publicity opportunity in Domino’s and provided the pizza-maker with one of its Xebra all-electric, plug-in models to try out in Las Vegas. Continue reading Domino’s tries ZAPping pizzas to customers

As if there hasn’t been enough Paris Hilton in our lives, now she’s going to be competing in this year’s Bullrun behind the wheel of a Spyker C8 Spyder. Bullrun, an eight-day rally and traveling fiesta,, will be running from Montreal to Key West starting on May 11. Paris was part of the 2004 rally (which, of course, she did not win) so she does have some experience with how the competition works. Continue reading Paris Hilton running a Spyker C8 Spyder in Bullrun

While I was out celebrating Earth Day by driving our Audi S8 tester I stumbled across a really interesting find at one of the locations I stopped at to photograph the muscle sedan. Captain’s Cove Seaport in Bridgeport, CT is a harborside complex that’s a very popular spot in the spring and summertime around here. The big deck overlooking the marina is a great place to sit and have lunch with your family and friends, and some of the buildings there make for a great photo backdrop. Continue reading What I found on Earth Day

Conventional gas engines will remain dominant in the U.S. market, but hybrids and diesels are steadily gaining market share, especially as gas prices and concerns about global warming rise and technology advances, concludes a report by J.D. Power and Associates (which, like Standard & Poor’s, is a subsidiary of McGraw-Hill Companies). Continue reading Hybrids and Diesel Engines Steadily Gaining U.S. Market Share

Honda’s Canadian subsidiary is facing an interesting choice: fuel economy at the expense of safety.  New federal regulations recently passed in Canada award a $1000 rebate for cars that fall below a fuel consumption threshold, set at 6.5 liters per 100 kilometers in that wacky metric system. While the competing Toyota Yaris tests at 6.3l/100km, Honda’s smallest offering, the Fit, sits just on the line at 6.5. Continue reading Fit for Debate, Fit for Rebate