50 Flights, and Still Stuck in the Airport   01 Oct 2009 00:54 GMT
This morning I hit 50 flights. It seems like I should have celebrated it as some sort of special event, but there really wasn’t anything particularly remarkable about it. I boarded the flight early, which I suppose was a change of pace. I’m usually one of the last to go on, trying to savor every [...]
Source: wired.com

Remember: No Snow Globes on the Airplane!   30 Sep 2009 20:25 GMT
It can be difficult to know for sure what can and cannot be carried on an airliner these days. There was a time just after 9/11 when it seemed that anything with a sharp edge was destined to be confiscated at airport security. Airports proudly displayed collections of confiscated nail clippers, throwing stars and [...]
Source: wired.com

Klever Kolberg Races Dakar in 2010 With Ethanol   30 Sep 2009 17:30 GMT
The Paris-Dakar rally, now just simply referred to as “the Dakar” has long been a race of supreme craziness. Simply finishing is a major achievement, and it’s not just because of the punishing terrain or the high level of competition. At Autopia, we’ve seen competitors taken out when they strayed into a WW II era [...]
Source: wired.com

1050 HP Powershore Boat Worthy of Abarth Name   30 Sep 2009 16:00 GMT
After dominating the car racing scene in the 1960s, a rejuvenated Abarth has taken on the waters of the Mediterranean with the Powershore Abarth SP rigid inflatable boat. While best known as Fiat’s in-house tuner division, this time Abarth got to work on the Strider 12S from Italy’s SACS Marine, who had already teamed up [...]
Source: wired.com

Korean Spies Defect to Russian Automaker With Subcompact Recon   29 Sep 2009 21:31 GMT
In a story filled with high-tech international intrigue, tragedy, financial loss and four cylinder engines, GM Daewoo alleges an upstart Russian automaker is selling a new car based on a stolen Daewoo design. Shortly after resigning from Daewoo, two engineers known only as Mr. Hwang and Mr. Jeong began working at the Korean subsidiary of Russian [...]
Source: wired.com

BMW Developing Green M1 Supercar To Match Audi R8   29 Sep 2009 16:02 GMT
The Germans can get into these piques of competitive frenzy when it comes to cars. A while back, it was who could make big, fast luxury sedans best, and now it seems to be building green super cars is all the rage. Chalk it up to ‘anything you can do, I can do better’ or [...]
Source: wired.com

MV Agusta: Sexiest Bike In The World, Now Sexier   29 Sep 2009 10:30 GMT
Heads would explode if someone decided to redesign the Sistine Chapel ceiling or Mona Lisa’s smile. So what were they thinking when they decided to completely overhaul the MV Agusta Brutale voted “most beautiful” bike at the 2007 Milan Motorcycle show? They were thinking that history not only repeats itself, but does so faster, stronger, and [...]
Source: wired.com

The Terminal Man In His Natural Habitat   29 Sep 2009 01:10 GMT
I’m well over the halfway point, and at 20 days, 48 flights and 30 different airports, I’m starting to get a little tired. Wait… no, little’s not right. I’m just trying to convince myself there. I’m really tired. Not tired of the trip, or flying, or anything like that, which surprises me. I fully expected that [...]
Source: wired.com

European Airline Brings Back The Smoking Section   28 Sep 2009 19:56 GMT
It’s been a long time since passengers have been allowed to smoke on an airliner in the United States. It’s the same story in Europe. But now the smoking crowd across the Atlantic have an option when the nicotine comes calling. Ireland based Ryanair is selling smokeless cigarettes on all the company’s flights. Ryanair says a survey [...]
Source: wired.com

MAX: A Homemade, Biodiesel-Fueled Lotus Seven Replica   28 Sep 2009 19:14 GMT
Kinetic Vehicles’ Jack McCormack is Autopia’s kind of guy. A transportation geek from birth (it would seem), he also has a habit of being a constant tinkerer. To make him even more interesting, not only has he been doing interesting engine swaps, an endeavor we’ve been avidly following for a while, he also has a [...]
Source: wired.com