Popular South African off-road bike racer Elmer Symons has been killed in a crash during stage four of the of the Dakar Rally in Morocco.

Race organisers said Symons, 29, was about 140km into the stage on his KTM 660 when satellite monitoring showed he had stopped suddenly. A medical team was sent in by helicopter but the rider was declared dead at the scene.

Symons is the 24th competitor to have died during the race since 1979.

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So whats after chrome wheeels? Do you travel where there are no roads? Introducing the Tankpedition – an example of the rubber track conversion system by Mattracks.

The conversion can take “as little as 30 minutes”. For me, it took only 30 seconds. I’m in love…finally geeks have ruined the car world, too. We have no idea what the product costs, but trust me, it’s worth every penny. Going off road has a all new meaning. On top of that next time a taxi cuts you off in the road you can cut them to size! Not sure if this add on will reach our shores!

Acura had an ace up its sleeve at the North American International Auto Show.

Acura had an ace up its sleeve at the North American International Auto Show. To the delight of onlookers, the company unveiled the Advanced Sports Car Concept (ASCC), which for all intents and purposes will serve as the foundation for the successor to the NSX. But unlike the heralded mid-engine sports car, the ASCC will have its engine located in front of the cabin. But that’s not to say that the future exotic won’t carry the spirit of the NSX. If you look closely, you’ll notice subtle cues that have carried over from its predecessor, including the long one-piece taillight and all-black canopy. The front even hints of a pop-up headlight design that was used on the first-generation NSX.

Via: RoadandTrack.com

World of Cars is the worlds largest printed car directory with some 1500 makes and 4000 models in each issue, with a lot of info on international kit- & tuning-companies. It’s been published in Poland since 1991, and this years’ is the second english edition of the catalogue.

I think they’re limiting the time the downlod is available until christmas. (Although they obviously have no control over how the file spreads. It’s up on torrent sites, for example)

Catalogue homepage: http://www.theworldofcars.com
(the pdf download is under “Happy hours! Free pdf”)

Download it now 60mb

Flush with cash from strong sales of its Cayenne SUV, Porsche is looking to expand beyond its sports car roots yet again with an all-new sedan. Revealed here in our exclusive spy video, this 2009 Porsche Panamera prototype was caught while undergoing early development tests prior to its launch in mid-2009.

It may be covered in heavy camouflage, but this prototype does give some hints to the overall shape of this front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sedan. Porsche is already calling the Panamera a four-door coupe much like Mercedes-Benz does with its sleek CLS sedan. This should assure a low, sloping roof for the Panamera and somewhat limited rear-seat passenger room compared to sedans of similar size.

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Normally, coupes are exercises in vanity: all fluff and no substance. Ego-trumping sensibility. Liberace bitch-slapping Alan Greenspan. No one knows this better than BMW, which has been in the 3 Series game since Gerald Ford was cracking his knuckles in the Oval Office. It’s getting pretty good at the game, as evidenced by the outstanding latest version of the 3 Series, which debuted as a 2006 model in “E90″ sedan form only. As in previous generations, the coupe version is released just when the panting over the sedan has subsided.

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What did people do before there were onboard electronic navigation systems? Decades ago, there was a very simple tool you could use to chart your course from one place to another: a paper map. Of course, not everybody could fold one the same way twice.

Today, state-of-the-art onboard electronic navigation systems — whether a portable navigation device (PND) made by any of a wide range of brands, including Garmin, Pioneer, Sony, TomTom and more, or a built-in navigation system for your new car — can guide you with spoken directions and detailed maps, and there’s no need to fumble with paper as you hurtle down the highway.

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If you’re under 40, chances are you haven’t ever craved a Volvo. Well, be prepared to crave. With the 2008 Volvo C30, Volvos will no longer only be bought by those who value practicality, safety and understated versatility.

Volvo’s marketing boffins are claiming the C30 is a sport coupe that will appeal to couples aged 25-35 who are yet to breed, or the over-50s whose children have fled the nest. Moreover, they reckon that 75 percent of customers will be new to the Volvo brand. This Volvo seeks to steer trendy, affluent urbanites away from Audi TTs, Mini Coopers and Volkswagen GTIs, and it’s priced to do so, starting around $23,000 (R160 000).

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