1997 Ford Taurus Sho Sedan 4-door 3.4l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Popular Science magazine's Best Of What's New 2012 all ate up with cars

Popular Science has named the winners in its Best of What's New awards, the victors coming in the categories of aerospace, automotive, engineering, entertainment, gadgets, green, hardware, health, home, recreation, security and software. The automotive category did not go wanting for lauded advancements:
Tesla Model S: the Grand Award winner for being "the standard by which all future electric vehicles will be measured."
BMW 328i: it's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gets called out for being more powerful and frugal than the six-cylinder it replaces.

Toyota fears supplier pressure in Australia with GM pull out

With Ford and General Motors both announcing an end to production in Australia, the country's auto industry is in a bad way. With the exit of two big players, there's increased concern that a third Australian manufacturer, Toyota, will be forced out, as well.
"We are saddened to learn of GM Holden's decision. This will place unprecedented pressure on the local supplier network and our ability to build cars in Australia," Toyota Australia said in a statement. The GM closure of Holden production will be the direct end to 2,900 jobs, but will also force a dramatic reduction in the size of the country's supplier network, as there will simply be fewer cars to build.
In the same statement, Toyota Australia said it would work with suppliers and local government to figure out whether continuing production Down Under was even feasible. According to Automotive News, a representative for the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union told reporters it was "highly likely" that Toyota would also close up shop within the next few years.

Watch this Ford F-150 SVT Raptor fly like an eagle [UPDATE]

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is a very capable truck right out of the box, but "capable" has never translated into "invincible." Just ask the owner of the machine in this video. In it, the driver gets frisky with an aggressive jump with plenty of speed on his hands. The result is enough air to make Vaughn Gittin Jr. blush. As always, it's not the launch that's painful, but the re-entry. Gravity eventually asserts its dominance over the $43,630 pickup in a big way, and when it comes crashing down, it does so with a vengeance.
The impact was hard enough to set off both the alarm and multiple airbags inside the cabin. It's unclear if anyone was injured in the stunt, but we certainly wouldn't be surprised to hear that was the case. You can check out the stunt in the video below, and remember, when in doubt, back out of the throttle. Be warned, there may be some explicit/NSFW language in the clip.
UPDATE: Second video added with an even better look at the jump added below.