Running On Empty: L.A. Without Cars

Running on Empty from Ross Ching on Vimeo.

As you head for a holiday weekend filled with congested streets, highways and parking lots, we leave you with this glimpse of my hometown, the City of Angels...in a world without gas. The only cars you'll see are parked on the street. It's called Running on Empty, it's by Ross Ching, and it's only been online a couple of days. More here.

Mercury, Dead At 71?

Bloomberg and Automotive News are reporting that Ford is getting ready to wind down the Mercury brand.

Sources say the plan will be presented to directors in July. The stats make a compelling case for euthanasia...the brand's peak sales year was 32 years ago, sales have dropped 74 percent in the last 10 years, ad spending by 88 percent in the last four, and with the 2011 demise of the Grand Marquis and Mountaineer, the brand would have only two models, the Milan and Mariner, clones of the Ford Fusion and Escape respectively.

The truth, of course, is that those were self-inflicted wounds. While Mercurys have had an on and off history of being based on supposedly lesser Fords, there was a time when FoMoCo worked to make them different, establish the argument for spending more for a Merc, and in the process, came up with some compelling and iconic vehicles (helped a bit by Hollywood and the original Mad Men):

What's Next? A Plague Of Frogs? Well, Stavros, yes.....

Debt crises, near-collapse, riots.....

Stuff's getting Biblical in Greece, where now frogs are swarming over a major highway, causing accidents, forcing closures and....well, getting squished.

My Car Ran Over Your Dog...Here's What You Owe Me

A Canadian family, mourning the loss of their dog, is being asked to pay for damage to the car that hit it.

State Farm insurance says Kim Flemming let Jake, a 12-year old yellow Labrador, out of the house without a leash...in violation of a local bylaw....and thus caused the accident.

The bill? 1732.80 Canadian...$1648.95 US dollars.

(from Breitbart)

Beach Patrol Runs Over Sunbather On Way To Help Swimmer

A bad, bad start to the holiday weekend. From WNBC-TV, New York.

First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta SEL Sedan

                    

Hype is a dangerous thing in the car business. Too much advance buildup can result in a big letdown when the real car finally shows up. And the Ford Fiesta has certainly had a big advance campaign...nearly a year of special events allowing access and even seat time...none of which yours truly was able to attend.

Well, Ford has put the real deal in my care for a week...and after 24 hours and 100 miles, I'm ready to say this much: They have not over-promised.

The Fiesta is a revelation...a glimpse into how good our friends in Europe have it when it comes to small cars that aren't penalty boxes. Not only is this more than a worthy competitor for the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Nissan Versa, I don't see how Ford is going to sell a single Focus from now until they bring us the European version of that model.

                   

Roomy, decent power, great gas mileage (thanks to a six-speed automatic)...and a huge trunk for its class.

Admittedly, Ford sent a loaded version of its top trim level. Being a pre-production car, the window sticker is blank where the prices go, but building one out to these specs on Ford's website produces an as-equipped price north of $19,000....and that's pricey for this class. I'll be very interested in driving lower-spec five-doors.

Meantime, six days and untold miles to go...followed by a full review right here.

You Go, Girl! 4 Foot 11 Woman Fights Off Carjacker

If that's what Rosalina Ruiz will do for an old RAV4, I'd hate to really tick her off.

God bless her.

Return Of The Hamsters: The New Kia Soul TV Commercial

When you create an award-winning ad, the impulse is to go back and do it again. Which usually works about as well as your typical Hollywood sequel. Transformers 2, say.

But this? Hit. Massive home run hit. It begins airing tomorrow (Friday, May 28). But you can start burning it into your brain now.

And if you want to indulge your inner hamster, you could start by dressing like them. Go here.

UK Lorry Driver Keeps License After Pushing Car Sideways Down Highway

Remember that video? Big stuff all over the internet earlier this year.

Well, the wheels of justice turn quickly in the UK...driver John Tomlinson has appeared before a traffic commissioner, pleaded his case (that he couldn't see, hear or smell the Renault Clio attached to his front bumper) and has been allowed to keep his license.

In fact, traffic commissioner Beverley Bell praised Tomlinson for his fast action and cool head. You don't see it in the video, but other drivers signaled him to pull over, he discovered the Clio on his bumper, and freed driver Rhona Jane Williams.

Commissioner Bell urged companies to retrofit older lorries (trucks to us Yanks)with the kind of proximity mirrors now standard on newer models.