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Momkhana goes drifting with a V8 minivan in the 'burbs

Ken Block probably never expected that he would launch countless imitators when he released Gymkhana years ago, but by now we've seen the concept broadened for everything from toy cars to Crazy Carts. The latest parody is Momkhana, and it moves the setting to the suburbs for a trip to the shoe store. Before you completely write off the idea, though, keep in mind the vehicle making the commute is a drift-happy, rear-wheel drive Toyota Sienna boasting an LS3 V8 with an estimated 550 horsepower. The significant increase in muscle certainly makes a drive to the strip mall a lot more entertaining. In addition to the engine transplant, the minivan gets a massive handbrake to allow for big slides through the neighborhood. The clip replicates many of the classic stunts from Block's Gymkhana videos but in new, rather absurd surroundings. So instead of long, smoky donuts in a warehouse, they happen at the end of a cul-de-sac. If you're curious to see how the video was done, Famous Footwear, which created the clip, also made a featurette showing off some of the van's preparation and filming behind the scenes. News Source: Famous Footwear via YouTube, Carscoops Toyota Minivan/Van Performance Videos gymkhana toyota sienna

Toyota teases 2016 RAV4 Hybrid for New York Auto Show

Toyota is being extremely enigmatic with its tease for the newly announced RAV4 Hybrid. The Japanese automaker merely has a photo of the model's rear end with a visible hybrid badge on it. The only additional into tells us to look forward to the CUV's debut in just a few days at the New York Auto Show on April 2. Thankfully, Toyota's teaser shot does give away a few more details about this new version of the RAV4. The LED taillights on display aren't the regular ones that wrap around the back of the popular crossover. In the current design, the white portion is placed near the middle of the hatch, and there's amber at the corner. Here, the indicator is clear and two strips of lights run towards the center. The automaker has made its plan clear to sell even more crossovers in the near future, and the RAV4 has already been a strong mover for Toyota. The company shifted 267,698 of them in 2014, a year-over-year jump of 22.7 percent. Through February 2015, it has sold 41,767 examples of the CUV, a 25.3-percent improvement over the same period last year. Still, the decision to launch a hybrid version of the RAV4 now is a bit surprising. The US market for the green segment was soft last year, and it hasn't really turned around yet. Although, rumors of Toyota launching a greener variant of its popular CUV have been around for years. At that time, the company said it would monitor market demand, and maybe the people have spoken. Related Video: A new hybrid joins the Toyota family. 2016 RAV4 Hybrid. See it April 2, 12:30 p.m. EDT at the New York International Auto Show. Featured Gallery 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid: Teasers News Source: Toyota Design/Style Green New York Auto Show Toyota Crossover Hybrid 2015 ny auto show toyota rav4 hybrid

Recharge Wrap-up: Nissan "religious" about zero-emissions, Tesla crashes at dealership, Formula E on-board video

Nissan is pretty darn serious about being king of the EV industry. Just see what Chief Planning Officer Andy Palmer has to say at the launch of the e-NV200: "When it comes to zero emissions, we're absolutely religious. We'll be the absolute, No. 1 leader in zero emissions. No doubt. That's our positioning." Bold words, to be sure. Toyota, on the other hand, ended its collaboration with Tesla (whom Nissan mustn't forget about in its quest to reign supreme in the EV world) to build the RAV4 EV, and will focus instead on hybrids and testing the waters with hydrogen cars. Says Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota North America, "I would rather invest my dollars in fuel cell development than in another 2,500 EVs." Read more at Automotive News or Autoweek. To celebrate 25 years of TDI technology, Audi is releasing the A7 Sportback 3.0 TDI Competition special edition in Europe. The Competition uses Audi's biturbocharged, 3.0-liter diesel engine boosted to 326 horsepower, giving the car a 0-62 time of 5.1 seconds. It comes with the S line sport package and is offered in four exterior colors: Daytona Gray, Misano Red, Nardo Gray and Sepang Blue. The interior is black leather, with the option of Misano Red or Agate Gray contrast stitching. The Competition edition will go on sale in August starting at ˆ72,000 (about $97,700). Audi's first Turbocharged Direct Injection engine debuted at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show in the Audi 100 2.5 TDI. See the press release down below for more details. There was another Tesla Model S crash recently, this one at the Tesla Store. The driver apparently crashed the freshly purchased car into the Tesla sign before even making it off the lot. According to Reddit user s1lentway, who was at the Tesla Store in Fremont, California when it happened, "We believe this is someone who just got their car. They must have been driving it for less than a minute and lost control, crashing right into the sign missing the showroom glass windows only by a few inches." Wrecked Exotics suggests the driver hit the accelerator instead of the brake pedal. Probably the best comment in the Reddit post: "Edison strikes again." See the original post at Reddit for more corny jokes, speculation and similar stories from other users. Take a lap in a Formula E racecar. The video below offers up the sights and sounds of a hot, wet lap in the open-cockpit, all-electric Spark-Renault SRT_01E.