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Car flies off Pittsburgh parkway and into auto shop parking lot

A motorist lost control of their car on a Pittsburgh freeway yesterday and, after hitting a curb, flew off the freeway and crashed into the parking lot of a local auto shop. According to KDKA, an unidentified motorist was driving along Parkway West in a Kia Optima just after noon on January 30 when they missed a sharp turn near the Campbell Road exit. The Kia hit the curb, flew into the air, smashed through Snyder Brothers' Automotive's sign, and landed nose-first in the repair shop's parking lot. "It sounded like a shower of debris hitting the floor, you know, the ground out there," owner Donald Snyder told KDKA. "We ran out there and we had 911 on the phone and he told me to check him out. We were checking him out. I looked at him, he didn't have no bruises on him, no scratches, it was amazing," Snyder told reporters that this isn't the first time a car has flown off the Parkway and into their lot. In fact, it's the eighth one in nine years. "We've had cars flip over, catch on fire. Hit the building, time and time again," said Snyder. "You know, coming down 376 and when you're in the right hand lane to exit – that's a long run. I think people, they are not prepared to make that sharp turn. Also, I think people become distracted. This fellow, he didn't even hit his brakes, he just kept going straight without turning." Snyder has reported the situation to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation numerous times. He said that PennDOT keeps putting up warning signs, but they just get destroyed by the next person who misses the corner and crashes into his lot. He told KDKA that he just wants people to be careful out on the Parkway. "Slow down and be aware of that sharp turn," said Snyder. Related Video:

Albert Biermann, the man behind some of Hyundai's sportiest cars, retires

Hyundai Motor Group, which includes Kia and Genesis, made big news by announcing at the end of 2014 that it was bringing on Albert Biermann to its research and development division. He had spent just over 30 years at BMW and was in charge of the M division before he left. His time at Hyundai led to some of the company's best driving cars, which meet or beat the global competition. But now, the company has announced Biermann is retiring. At 65 years old, it's not entirely surprising that Biermann would be looking at retirement, and he seems to be leaving on good terms. "Korea will remain as my second home, and all of my colleagues at Hyundai Motor Group will always be considered part of my family. I would like to recognize that our success has always been based on the strong collective spirit of the many talented people at Hyundai, and I will value our unique achievements wherever I live," he said in a release from Hyundai. Fortunately, Biermann will still be an Executive Technical Advisor for the company. Specifically, he'll be advising on electrified performance cars. We say fortunately, because Biermann has been so involved in some of the company's best cars. He helped make the company's rear-drive-based cars such as the Kia Stinger and Genesis models so fun to drive. He also helped setup Hyundai's N sub-brand, and the N models are among the best sport compacts in the world. Assuming Hyundai has taken to heart many things from Biermann, and with his continued advising, the company should still be in a good position. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2022 Hyundai Kona N Short Cut

Kia Trail'ster Concept brings traction for the Soul in Chicago

Kia teased its hybrid all-wheel drive Trail'ster concept prior to the 2015 Chicago Auto Show debut, but the company kept some of this off-road Soul's biggest features a secret. Designed both to go off the beaten path and drive efficiently in the city, the company's designers in California added 2.5-inches of extra ground clearance and aluminum skid plates to give the hatchback a more rugged appearance. Drivers can also let the weather into the cabin thanks to a retractable canvas roof. However, the Trail'ster's most intriguing feature is its drivetrain. With a platform still based on the production Soul, up front there's a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with stop/start churning out 185 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed automatic gearbox. The gas engine exclusively runs the front axle; at the rear there's an electric motor with 35 hp and 100 lb-ft with a 1.2-kWh lithium-ion polymer battery under the cargo floor providing assistance. The whole system produces a total output of 220 hp and 285 lb-ft of twist, and the Kia claims, the concept could even run two or three miles purely on electric power. There's no physical connection between the internal combustion engine at the front and electric in the rear. Under low-throttle situations, the electric motor runs exclusively, but under most driving conditions, the all-wheel drive system provides extra traction and a bit more acceleration. Kia claims that if it put this layout into production it would offer 25-30 percent better city fuel economy and a 5-10 percent improvement on the highway compared to the current 2.0-liter powertrain in the Soul. That works about to about 30 miles per gallon city and 34 mpg highway, based on the maximum figures. The automaker isn't saying anything official yet, but it's at least hinting that a system like this could end up in the Soul one day. "The Trail'ster concept is a near-future look at how the production Kia Soul would logically evolve into an AWD-capable version that's built to escape the city streets and roam into the mountain wilderness," Tom Kearns, chief designer at the Kia Design Center of America, said in the model's announcement.