Kawasaki ZX10R Rider Loses it on Mulholland Highway

A guardrail is one of those things that you either never notice or don't really appreciate its existence until it saves your life.

And that it did when the owner of a Kawasaki ZX10R seemingly locked his front brake (we could be wrong, but that looks to be the culprit from the video) while taking a soft corner on Mulhollland Highway near Malibu California and ended up on the ground sliding dangerously towards the canyon.

Follow the break to watch the video for yourself.

Korean Tow Trucks Break Every Law in the Book while Trying to Reach an Accident Scene First

We completely understand that in certain life-threatening situations, police cars, fire trucks, ambulances and other emergency vehicles should have the priority on the road - even if that means breaking some laws, as long as they don't endanger the lives of other drivers.

But seriously now, tow trucks violating every single law in the traffic book just to be the first to reach a client at an accident scene is a something out of reason.

In the following video that was shot from a dashboard mounted camera placed in one of at least three tow trucks that were racing against each other on public roads in South Korea, we see the driver passing countless red lights and entering the opposite side of the road with no consideration whatsoever for the rest of the cars.

It's truly amazing that he didn't cause several more accidents during his "Need for Speed" rush…

Another Fan Made Transformers Short Film

The third and final film of Michael Bay's Transformers trilogy called "Dark of the Moon" came out this summer receiving fairly mixed by mostly negative reviews from critics and cinema-goers alike.
And while the series will most likely be put to rest for at least for another decade or so, some fans continue to be inspired by the movie creating their own short films.

After last year's awesome fan-made clip from the then 21-year old Alexander Vladimirovich Semenov from Russia, we will soon have another new short film that is currently being prepared by 19-year old Robert Kouba from Switzerland.

Robert sent us a teaser trailer of his film that called "Transformers: The Last Energon Crystal". Here's what the aspiring young producer told Carscoop:

"My name is Robert Kouba and I'm a Swiss filmmaker. I am currently working on a fan made Transformers short film called: "Transformers: The Last Energon Crystal". It was a lot of work (you can check out some behind the scenes here: http://thelastenergoncrystal.tumblr.com/ ). The final short film will be up soon."

Well Robert, we wish you the best of luck and hope we can see the final edition soon. You can check out the trailer in the video below

Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Driver Almost Bumps

There are many good reasons why exotic supercar bloopers capture our attention. For one, these vehicles are extremely rare and cost a fortune to fix even for the smallest of damages.

Another, less noble reason, could be that some of these gaffes make you feel better knowing that, even if you will never ever be able to afford such a ride, at least you won't make a fool out of yourself on film by trying to find the reverse gear, are unable to park or by being so careless or caught up with yourself that you didn't notice the Audi that was behind you…

Hat tip to Chris for the find!

Toyota 86 Video Bonanza: Track and Road Driving, Presentation, and Promo Films

So you want to see more of the new Toyota 86 sports coupe, do you? Well, we have you covered with more than a dozen fresh videos including promotional films, driving footage on the track and the road as well as clips from the media presentation at the Fuji Speedway in Japan.

For some reason Toyota has decided to name the car simply 86 in Japan and GT 86 in Europe, while the same or possibly slightly different variant with the Scion badge will be marketed as the FR-S in North America.

The key facts about the 86 include a front-mounted Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter boxer engine pushing 200-horses towards the rear axle through a short-shift six-speed manual gearbox (or a 6-speed automatic) and an available limited slip differential.

Toyota has not yet released full specifications, but a leaked brochure revealed that the JDM version tips the scales at 1,210kg (2,668 pounds) in basic trim and at 1,230kg (2,711 pounds) in the second trim level.

Needless to say, there's more to come so stay tuned…

Just Some Drifting Fun at the Local Parking Lot

Skilled drivers with a certain amount of experience behind the wheel don't need a lot of space to have some fun with their cars - and without getting into the same trouble as the owner of this white Corvette C6...

The video that follows after the break was shot in Taiwan and it shows a couple of dozen local drivers with their modded cars practicing their drifting skills on a relatively small parking lot marked with cones.

New Toyota 86 from First JDM Test Drive

Our coverage on the production version of what we came to know as the FT-86 in concept form but which Toyota decided to name GT 86 for the European region and simply '86' in its home market of Japan, continues with two fresh videos that depict the rear-wheel drive sports car in action.

The first clip is from a quick spin around the Fuji Speedway racetrack, while the second video includes a more comprehensive test drive from a Japanese car magazine that provides us with a more in-depth look at the sights and sounds of the 86 as well as in a wider palette of colors.

Toyota is highly optimistic about the '86', which it describes as an "entirely driver-focused sports car, designed to recapture the fundamental joys of motoring".

The Japanese firm's recipe includes a 200HP naturally-aspirated engine mounted up front matched to a six-speed manual (or 6sp automatic) and a limited slip differential driving the rear wheels, and a near-perfect 53:47 front-to-rear weight distribution.

By now you already know that the '86' will give birth to the global Subaru BRZ and the North American market-only, Scion FR-S.

For those of you thirsty for more information on the '86', you can check out our comprehensive post that includes all the initial specs and details along with the first pictures of both the European and Japanese market models.

Fiat Abarth 500 Takes on Subaru Impreza WRX STI on Italian Track

The Abarth 500, especially when fitted with the 'essesse' performance package that lifts the 1.4-liter turbocharged engine's output to 160-horses, is a capable little beast for its size and price, but is that enough to challenge a previous generation Subaru Impreza WRX STI on the racetrack?

Well, as any driver with some experience on the circuit will tell you, it’s as much about the car as it is about the person sitting behind the wheel. That said, the Abarth 500 shouldn't come close to an STI in the right hands but it's plausible under certain circumstances.

Youtube poster Marchettino says that he was able to chase the Impreza WRX STI –even though it was modded, which could potentially mean that it packed close to 300-ponies under its hood, with his Abarth 500.

"While driving at Franciacorta racetrack I played with a modified Subaru Impreza WRX Sti," said Marchettino. "I was also very surprised to keep up with such a fast car with my Abarth. Unfortunately, my GoPro HD [video camera] stopped to record the action for no reason!"

McLaren Denies Rumors about a Honda Engine Deal in 2014

The image of a white and red McLaren, usually with a yellow-green helmet signaling that the man sitting in the cockpit was none other than Ayrton Senna, is one that remains etched in F1 fans’ minds many years after his demise in 1994. Powering the McLaren of the late three-time world champion was a Honda engine.

Last weekend, German magazine Auto Motor und Sport reported that McLaren was in talks with Honda to rekindle their 1988-1992 collaboration, which yielded four constructor championships, from 2014 onwards, when the rules mandate the change to 1.6-liter turbocharged engines.

However, McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale denied that there was any truth in those rumors: “That’s all wide off the mark”, he told ESPNF1. “We are wedded to, very happy with and enjoying our partnership with Mercedes-Benz. We’ve had a long standing relationship with them, with many wins and championships and long may that continue.”

Perhaps it was the fact that for the past two years, Mercedes has its own F1 team that fuelled the rumors: “I don’t think that’s a concern”, replied Neale. “Of course, Mercedes have their own GP team, but I was talking this morning with Thomas Fuhr at Mercedes-Benz and we want the same things. It’s in our interest to have consistent engines together because that’s how we get the highest quality.”

Former BMW Employees Charged with Misdemeanor after taking New 1 M Coupe for a Spin in L.A.

What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what you upload on the web is there for the entire world to see.

And that's one lesson learned the hard way for Vacheh Margoussian, 21, and Artin Yazidjian, 22, both of which were employed as a valet and a tire technician respectively at the Pacific BMW dealership in Los Angeles when they allegedly took a brand-new 1 M Coupe for a joyride and uploaded a video on Youtube.

Now, both men have not only lost their jobs but are also facing misdemeanor charges filed by the LA County district attorney’s office.

The young men, employees of Pacific BMW at the time, took a newly delivered BMW 1 M Coupe out for a high-speed ride at East Windsor Road on August 12. Margoussian was sitting behind the wheel of the turbocharged coupe, which still had its plastic covers and window stickers in place, and Yazidjian videotaped the ride from the passenger’s seat.

Now, taking a brand-new car that’s about to be delivered to someone who has actually paid for it for a joyride is, in itself, not a commendable action.

Uploading the video of your deeds on YouTube -of all places- the next day is an epic fail and proves beyond doubt that you simply don’t realize how the real world works.

The incident became a talking point among BMW fans on the web, the police found out about it a month later, and on September 14, they finally arrested the two wrong-doers.

The owner of the car was informed about the incident, but it is not known whether he has returned or kept the car.

Cadillac 2013 ATS

The video teasing of the upcoming 2013 Cadillac ATS compact sedan continues with the fourth installment of the series that focuses on the engineers behind the development of the car with which GM hopes to compete head on with the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

The rejuvenated wreath and crest brand stresses that all engineers working on the upcoming ATS were "handpicked based on their roles in developing other top Cadillacs" and "how well they can drive and evaluate cars on grueling test tracks".

The primary testing phase of the ATS took place at the own backyard of BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, the famed Nürburgring racetrack and the Autobahn.

"It's been the persistent attention to detail in noise-vibration-harshness, the gram-by-gram mass reduction, and consistent focus on ‘fun to drive’ attributes that led this team to hone the suspension and steering in the demanding environments of the German Autobahn and Nurburgring Nordschleife,” said ATS lead development engineer Chris Berube.

The new entry-level Cadillac ATS will receive its world premiere next year and reach showrooms in the third quarter of 2012. It will be manufactured at GM's Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan.

McLaren Gives us an Insight into its New Production Center with Video and Mega Gallery

Venturing into the automotive business takes a lot more than building some prototypes, launching a new model and then waiting for the orders to come in. Even more so if you intend to compete on the top level and establish yourself as a supercar manufacturer.

This is why McLaren Automotive didn’t only build its first supercar after the iconic F1 of the ‘90s, but also invested close to £50 million (€58.2 or US$77.3 million) in developing a brand-new, state-of-the-art factory – or rather, as the company names it, the McLaren Production Center (MPC).

UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, opened the MPC in which both McLaren’s race and road cars will be built, just last week. The company has also initiated a “See Inside Manufacturing” campaign in order to raise awareness of the importance of engineering in Britain by encouraging the young to get a view into the inside workings of the technical center.

The first step in this campaign was the “McLaren Manufacturing Challenge” competition, in which students had to design and build a motor-less vehicle that could carry an object over a 10 m distance as quick as possible.

The mousetrap-propelled vehicle engineered by the Woking College won the challenge, recording a time of just 2.28 seconds and was invited to the MPC, where students received the award from the UK Prime Minister.

You can follow the jump to watch the video showing the brand-new McLaren Production Center, as well as a comprehensive image gallery.