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These 'blind' automotive world record stunts have to stop

Drivers setting world records "blind" – wearing a blindfold or with something obscuring the windshield – is the new thing for some reason. First it was an Alfa Romeo Giulia setting a blind lap at Silverstone with help from a spotter trailing behind, and now this: a stunt man doing a J-turn within a narrow path with nothing but a Nissan Juke's cameras guiding him. He matched the "sighted" J-turn record, flipping the car around in a space about 7 inches longer than the car. I have two issues with these stunts. First, there are just too many world records. Yeah, I said it. Are these meaningful? Is someone else likely to ever attempt this feat? No, because it's just marketing, both for the manufacturer and whoever's still trying to sell those annual books. Stuff like the fastest production car is fine with me. Heck, I'll even take unofficial Nurburgring times – the kind where the drivers can actually see. Second, I'm all for stunts, but do something cool! And preferably something that could only be performed with that particular car, if you're going to make an ad out of it. Yes, the Juke has an Around View Monitor system, which stitches together feeds from four cameras to make it look like the car is being filmed by a drone hovering overhead. I happen to love 360-degree cameras – they let you see things that are just not visible from the driver's seat and make parking and low-speed maneuvering really easy. But the Juke isn't the first car to offer one, and the feature isn't even new to the car. Nissan was at least forthright enough to admit that this professional driver (on a closed course!) had a bunch of practice. But this really says more about his precision driving skills than about the car, or the camera. And just so we're clear, you really shouldn't try to park a car without looking out the windows, even if you have fancy cameras. So what's next? Pretty soon there will be a record for blindest blind stunt. Let me know when someone actually does something interesting. Related Video:

Touring's Disco Volante makes us green with envy [w/video]

In its entire production run, Alfa Romeo only ever built 500 examples of the 8C Competizione – just 90 of which ended up in the United States – and another 500 Spiders. That makes it a pretty rare car indeed, but it's positively commonplace compared to the Disco Volante, the version reborn by the talented and steady hands at Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. In correspondece with Autoblog, Touring's CEO Piero Mancardi confirmed that the coachbuilder will only build eight examples of the Disco Volante, in colors chosen by their individual customers: one in black, one in blue, one in silver, the one in green you see here and the rest in different shades of red. That makes this particular example a one-of-a-kind work of art that we were privileged to behold here at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, and you can see what we saw through the camera lens in the high-resolution image gallery above, or by checking out the video below. Featured Gallery Touring Disco Volante: Geneva 2014 View 20 Photos Related Gallery Alfa Romeo Disco Volante by Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera in green & gold View 38 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL Geneva Motor Show Alfa Romeo Coupe Luxury Performance 2014 Geneva Motor Show touring alfa romeo 8c competizione carrozzeria touring superleggera disco volante

Alfa Romeo finalizes 2024 Tonale EPA fuel economy, EV range

Alfa Romeo announced Wednesday that the 2024 Tonale plug-in-hybrid achieved 29 mpg combined in EPA testing, coming in at 77 MPGe with a total EV range of 33 miles. The plug-in hybrid powertrain is the only one offered in the 2024 Tonale and is shared with the 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T, which is essentially the same car only in weekend casual.  "We are happy to announce the official EPA electric range of 33 miles and 77 MPGe for the Alfa Romeo Tonale, which will allow many of our customers to drive their daily commutes without tapping the fuel tank," said Larry Dominique, SVP, Head of Alfa Romeo North America. "The Alfa Romeo Tonale represents the beginning of our transformation to greater electrification while staying true to the performance characteristics our customers expect from the brand, including a best-in-class 285 horsepower." The electric range of 33 miles puts the 2024 Tonale smack in between the 2023 Lincoln Corsair PHEV (28 miles) and Lexus NX 450h+ (38 miles). The Lincoln is also a close match in MPGe, coming in at 78, but the Lexus handily eclipses both 84 MPGe. So if fuel EV range and fuel efficiency are all you crave, the Lexus is your go-to, even if the Alfa is thousands cheaper. The Tonale Sprint starts at $44,590 (with destination). After the $7,500 federal electric vehicle credit is factored in (which requires you to lease since the Tonale is built Italy) you’re looking at just $37,090. Both the Lexus and Lincoln start north of $50,000 before subsidies, but the Louisville-built Lincoln can benefit from tax credits whether you lease or purchase.  Related Video 2023 Dodge Hornet R/T