2003 Ford Windstar Lx Mini Passenger Van 4-door 3.8l on 2040-cars

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2015 Ford Mustang GT Line-Lock Burnout

In this brief Short Cut, Autoblog's Steven Ewing demonstrates Line-Lock on the 2015 Ford Mustang GT. Accessed through an on-screen performance menu, the feature temporarily locks the front brakes to help you heat up the rear tires for better traction, as you would for drag racing. The result? A 15-second smokescreen.

IIHS updates overlap test: 2 SUVs get good marks, 9 fare poorly

Vehicles in crashes keep occupants safe by deforming around the cabin in a way that maintains cabin integrity. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's moderate overlap test, introduced in 1995, has been a huge contributor to improved safety for front-row passengers in a crash. IIHS President David Harkey said, "Thanks to automakers’ improvements, drivers in most vehicles are nearly 50% less likely to be killed in a frontal crash today than they were 25 years ago." In the 'unintentional side effects' column, crash safety has gotten worse for passengers in the back seats. When carmakers reengineered the front crash structure to protect the driver, more crash forces got distributed throughout the rear. IIHS research claims rear passengers have a 46% greater risk of fatal injury than front-row passengers, but back-seaters haven't benefited from the same upgrades in safety as the front row. The IIHS updated its moderate overlap test to address the issue, putting 15 vehicles through the new regime. Two earned good ratings — the 2023 Ford Escape and the 2021-2023 Volvo XC40 — one was acceptable, three were marginal and nine were rated poor. Every one of the crossovers sampled got good marks for all passengers in the original test. That test sees 40% of vehicle's width on the driver's side impacting an aluminum honeycomb barrier at 40 miles per hour. The updated test puts a crash dummy representing small woman or 12-year-old child in the seat behind the driver, the dummy's sensors and grease paint measuring the effectiveness of the restraints and the forces a human body would need to endure. To achieve a good rating, the "measurements must not exceed limits indicating excessive risk of injury to the head, neck, chest, abdomen or thigh." An institute engineer said, "In real-world crashes, chest injuries are the most common serious rear-seat injuries for adults." The sensors and video evidence showed back seat dummies in the Escape and XC40 endured minimal risk of injuries from excessive crash forces, from submarining under the seat belt, or from unwanted interaction with the side curtain airbag.   The Toyota RAV4 scored acceptable. The second-row dummy also endured minimal risk of injury to the chest and lower extremities. However, the lap belt slipped upward in a way that could increase abdominal injuries, and after the dummy's head dipped during crash impact, the head came back up between the rear curtain airbag and rear window.

Top 11 Lego Technic cars to buy on Amazon in 2024

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. I recently got a birthday wish list from my 11-year-old nephew, and I couldn't help but smile when I saw “Lego Technic Cars” at the top. Lego isnÂ’t a phase, itÂ’s a lifestyle. Once a Lego fan, always a Lego fan. In fact, IÂ’d be willing to bet that many of you reading this right now have some kind of Lego vehicle in a box somewhere, or better yet, on display in your home. While theyÂ’re not necessarily cheap, getting into building Lego Technic vehicles doesnÂ’t have to bankrupt you, either, unless you go for the $400 Lamborghini right off the bat. Here are 11 of our favorite Lego Technic vehicles on Amazon, right now, ranging from an affordable $35 all the way up to $450. LEGO Technic Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Ages 9+ (544 Pieces) - $39.99 (20% off) One of my first and favorite model cars growing up was a first-gen Ford Mustang GT350, so this GT500 for under $40 is right up my alley. At 544 pieces and made for ages 9 and up, the GT500 is a considerable step up from Grave Digger but a great starter to a Technic collection nonetheless. It isnÂ’t the most accurate-looking vehicle in this list, but the AR app and the fact that it can drive make it a worthwhile purchase. $39.99 at Amazon LEGO Technic Formula E Porsche 99X Electric Ages 9+ (422 Pieces) - $49.99 Not a Ford fan? Not a problem. This Formula E Porsche 99X is the same price and better looking than the GT500. Even though there are 122 fewer pieces in this Porsche set, it has a level of detail seen in much more expensive Technic sets including numerous decals and a pull back motor.  $49.99 at Amazon LEGO Technic Jeep Wrangler Ages 9+ (665 Pieces) - $54.99 This is the set I ended up going with for my nephew, not because I think it is the coolest, but because for the price, I think you get the most bang for your buck. 665 pieces is over 50% more than the comparatively priced Porsche 99X and it also scratches the nostalgia itch for me: The first-ever model vehicle I built was a yellow Jeep Wrangler Sahara. This Wrangler Rubicon has definitely had some aftermarket mods like the front winch, which makes it one of the coolest Technic sets under $60.  $54.99 at Amazon LEGO Technic Monster Jam Grave Digger Ages 7+ (212 Pieces) - $34.16 If ever there was a gateway Lego Technic, this Grave Digger is it.