Autoblog

What's the most common Pavlovian response to the name "Porsche?" Thinking of people running on treadmills, right? If you had a different thought, consider that treadmills were front and center at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this past weekend, where 12 runners set a new world record for the longest distance covered in 48 hours: 539.86 miles. The previous world record of 495.76 miles was set in back in April 2008.

This weekend's event was organized by sports scientists at the Porsche Human Performance Centre, a name that prompted us to make sure it wasn't April 1. This is a real thing, though, and their "careful preparation" and special Adidas shoes helped each runner complete their 45-mile shifts – at an average speed of 11.3 mph – over the weekend. We appreciate what Porsche is trying to do here, but we'll take an electric 911 and just suck down a few Gatorades when it's ready. Thanks. Check out the high-res gallery below and the official press release after the jump.



[Source: Porsche]

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	REPORT: Toyota will launch series production PHEV Prius in 2012 In a word: finally.		Strange But True: Researchers extracting hydrogen from urine Give a whole new meaning to, well, you know what we mean. Photo: estherase.
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The Smart ForTwo isn't for shy people. Even though Smart USA has sold about 30,000 of these tiny two-seaters in the U.S., the little rollerskate attracts a lot of attention. On the road or in America's parking lots, the ForTwo is a conversation piece, and people don't hesitate to come up and talk to you. Some will tell you about the Smart they saw in Europe. Others will ask if it has the guts to make it onto the highway. Most will assume it gets great gas mileage (it doesn't). But one thing's for certain, during our week with the ForTwo, there was a 100-percent conversation rate wherever we went. Anthropophobes, be warned.

Follow the jump to see what it's like to spend wheel time with a Smart ForTwo Cabriolet.



Photos Copyright ©2009 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc.

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How many barrels of oil do you think you could steal in a month, y'know, if you were into that sort of thing? Ten people in West Texas have been arrested recently for stealing about $2 million worth of oil and gas condensate, and a local sheriff said that the thieves were able to steal 8,000 barrels of oil during a single month. That's good for a lot of trips to the grocery store.

Actually, the thieves were not stealing the fuel to use themselves. Instead, the men stole the barrels and then sold them the "oil and gas to buyers who didn't know of the theft," according to The Associated Press. What, did they say the barrels just happened to fall off the back of a truck? We'll probably learn more soon, as the men were arrested following a seven-month investigation. There's got to be some good information in upcoming court filings, right?

[Source: The Associated Press | Image: AFP/Getty]

	Fortune ranks GM's PUMA as #1 business blunder of 2009 [w/POLL] Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the Segway tie-up.		BMW X1 coming to America in 2011, diesel could get 45.2 mpg Think it'll have a shot?
	Greenlings: How can I pimp green my ride? Love your clunker but has the low mpg? Try these tips. Photo by Joe Thorn. CC 2.	Other news: China raises fuel prices by 10% REPORT: Thieves make off with $2 million worth of oil and gas in Texas Grid Manager: Plug-in autos are OK if charged overnight or else

For a guy who allegedly wants a lot of the credit for creating Tesla Motors, Elon Musk certainly doesn't seem to like the job of being its CEO. As part of Daimler's investment deal with Tesla, Musk needed to commit to staying on as Tesla's CEO at least until the Model S launches in 2011. Musk told Reuters:

I didn't really have a choice. This was a requirement of Daimler that I remain CEO of Tesla through the Model S launch and then continue to be part of Tesla in a chairman role beyond that. It's flattering, but at the same time it's golden handcuffs.

Well, that sure makes it sound like fun, doesn't it? It's clear that Musk has always been interested in projects other than Tesla (e.g.: electric planes and SpaceX), but does he have to make running one of the hippest electric car companies around sound like a drag?

Another nugget from the article: One of the reasons the price on the Roadster was raised was to help qualify Tesla Motors for the DOE loan it later received. Musk said, "We did the minimum we needed to do to make the business work."



[Source: Reuters]

	Toyota will continue focusing on "clean halo" hybrids, not EVs or diesels Might not be what EV advocates want to hear, but the makers of the Prius probably know a thing or two about the green car market.		Tomberlin releases Anvil NEV [w/VIDEO] Want a golf cart that people won't make fun of? Steal style cues from a HUMMER.
	Elon Musk: Daimler's "golden handcuffs" mean I'll stay with Tesla through Model S launch Not exactly "I'm lovin' it," but it does mean we're due for a few more years of great quotes from him.	Other news: Columnist: Plug-in cars are the new ethanol-style boondoggle T3 Motion introduces three-wheeled CT3 personal commuter Diesels grab 81% of Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen sales in June

	Columnist: electric vehicle hype needs to be tempered Just how important will EVs be? One writer thinks "not so much."		In the future, we'll all be driving electric ... shopping carts? The logical conclusion of our Mad Max and Sex and the City future.
	Detroit 2010 Preview: good news for fans of the smelly basement forest I suppose this qualifies as a spot of sunshine, right?	Other news: Carver Europe files for bankruptcy, technology may live on Consumer Reports blasts Honda Insight, ranked 21 of 22 tested Toyota stung by possible Prius HID headlight defect

The saga of California's greenhouse gas waiver has come to an end with the EPA deciding that the state can indeed enforce its own GHG emissions standards for new motor vehicles. This means that, at least between now (with current model year vehicles) and when the 2012 MY vehicles arrive, California and the 13 states (and D.C.) that have adopted its rules will use the stricter emission standards to regulate vehicles. In the EPA's statement on the decision, it says it used "the law and science as its guide," in order to "tackle air pollution and protect human health." EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson says:


Here's a short history of the waiver story: CARB asked for the waiver in December of 2005. The EPA announced in December of 2007 that it would deny the waiver (after then Vice President Dick Cheney met with automakers). The day after Barack Obama was inaugurated, CARB asked the EPA to reconsider the denial, a request that the new President supported. When strong national CAFE standards were announced in May, the EPA's waiver lost a bit of its punch, but it still wanted the waiver to bridge the gap between now and when the CAFE rules go into effect with 2012 vehicles. Today, the EPA said "okay." Come to think of it, this saga probably isn't as final as this decision might imply. Check out the official press release after the jump.

[Source: EPA | Image: David McNew/Getty]

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	GM: Volt will be sportier alternative to Prius, Insight From muscular to sporty, the Volt's evolution continues.		Is XP Vehicles' inflatable car just a lot of hot air? Supposedly, you can shoot it with an AK-47 and it'll be fine. We'll see.
	REPORT: Scion iQ headed for America by early 2011 with a few changes Big Wheels fans take note.	Other news: New survey finds $4 gas is the tipping point, again Former Tesla marketing chief headed to Coda Automotive? Contrary to reports, second generation Chevy Volt is already under development