Woman breaks world record fingernails in SUV accident

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Posted in General Auto News

A Utah woman suffered a devastating loss following a car crash Tuesday night – her world record-length fingernails.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Lee Redmond had not cut her fingernails since 1979 and the total length of her nails combined reached almost 30 feet. Guinness says Redmond’s longest nail was her thumb which measured in at 2 feet 11 inches.

But according to the Salt Lake City Tribune, Redmond’s nails were broken off on Tuesday when her SUV was involved in a four car crash outside of Salt Lake City, Utah and she was ejected from the vehicle.

Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Don Hutson told the paper that Redmond was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

According to the Deseret News, Redmond was the passenger in an SUV that hit the side of another vehicle Tuesday afternoon in Holladay, Utah. That caused the second vehicle to strike a third, and force Redmond’s SUV onto the curb, through a chain link fence and into a fourth vehicle.

The 67-year-old Redmond had previously said she turned down $10,000 from a Japanese television station to cut the nails.

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Hef’s new girlfriends need a car upgrade

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Posted in Celebrity Auto News

Playboy icon Hugh Hefner may have found himself some new girlfriends to replace the Girls Next Door, but it seems that he has yet to give the girls a new set of wheels as photographers recently caught two of them getting into a Mitsubishi.

The octogenarian founder of the men’s magazine has reportedly replaced former girlfriends Holly Madison, Kendra Wilkinson and Bridget Marquardt with three new models, including 19-year-old twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon.

It seems that the twins were recently spotted in a California parking lot by photographers getting into a Mitsubishi – quite a difference from the Cadillac Escalade that former girlfriend Kendra Wilson had stolen from her last year according to TMZ.

According to the Celebrity Cars Blog, that’s not how it’s done in California.

“[T]hey are in desperate need of a new ride!” writes the blog. “My guess is they’re not from around here!”

Even Holly Madison was seen driving a classic Chevy Corvette last year and in one episode of the E! Network show The Girls Next Door, Bridget Wilkinson was seen driving in a red Porsche with customized Playboy logo rims.

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Jetta TDI wins ‘Best of the Year’ honors

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Posted in Volkswagen - DO NOT USE

Citing its environmental-friendliness, fuel-efficiency and its appealing driving experience, MotorWeek named the Volkswagen Jetta TDI its “Best of the Year” 2009 Drivers’ Choice Award winner at the Chicago Auto Show this week.

Although the choice of a Volkswagen as the car of the year may not be too shocking, the fact that this car has a diesel engine makes the choice somewhat surprising. But John Davis, host of the PBS show MotorWeek says the choice of the Jetta TDI was clear.

“The Jetta TDI has no peer this year,” said Davis. “It is the best of all worlds rolled into one vehicle. It’s clean, powerful, fun to drive, roomy and comfortable, and it also happens to be very affordable. If history is any judge on past Volkswagen diesels, you can also add extremely reliable and durable to the list.”

In winning the award the TDI beat out 150 other vehicles that were evaluated by the show. It also named the car the Best Eco-Friendly vehicle.

Other cars taking home awards were the Honda Fit for Best Small Car, the Nissan GT-R for Best Performance Car and the Subaru Forester for Best Small Utility.

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Romantic Rides for Valentine’s Day

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Posted in Celebrity Auto News

With Valentine’s Day only days away some couples may be thinking of taking a long romantic car ride together and maybe heading to “Makeout Point.” If that’s in the cards, Kelley Blue Book has put together a list of the most romantic cars to take a ride in.

It’s natural for people to associate cars with a holiday like Valentine’s Day says Kelley Blue Book executive editorial director Jack Nerad.

“So many people have romantic feelings tied to cars, whether it is the thought of what a car represents at a certain time in a person’s life, an activity they are passionate about, or perhaps the memory of a long drive with a special someone,” said Nerad who is also executive market analyst for kbb.com.

Taking a ride in a convertible with the wind running through your hair can be very romantic and the company lists a couple of cars that are known to be driving with the top down. According to the company, a Mazda MX-5 Miata and a Chevy Corvette are perfect choices.

For the more environmentally friendly couple the company suggests the cozy smart fortwo. At 8.8 feet long and 5.1 feet wide a couple can’t help but stay close.

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Getting financing for a used car purchase

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Posted in Auto Loans & Financing News

During this credit crunch it’s more important than ever for car buyers to know what they’re doing when financing the purchase of a used car. AOL Autos gives some tips on getting the best deal possible.

It’s important to know what you’re getting into before you even start your used car search. The website suggests applying for loans at a local bank or credit union along with some places online, this way you know what your options are before even looking at a car.

The site also suggests keeping your guard up when doing your shopping.

“The deal doesn’t conclude until you drive the vehicle off the dealership’s lot,” writes the site. “So despite how friendly the business manager may seem, remember that she’s there to make as much money as possible for herself and the dealership.”

There may be additional help for people looking to finance a car purchase with the recently passed economic stimulus plan.

As the economy has soured, many lenders have tightened their wallets, but portions of the stimulus bill are aimed at opening up lending which may make it easier for people to get the loans they need.

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Top used cars under $5,000

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Posted in Mitsubishi - DO NOT USE

Times are tough, but that doesn’t mean a good used car can’t be had without breaking the bank. According to Edmunds, there are a number of good used vehicles for under $5,000.

The website says that for under $5,000 it’s likely that the cars will have over 100,000 miles on them, but a good car can still be found with significant mileage.

One of the cars on its list is a 1990-1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse. The car, which can also be found as the Eagle Talon, has some power with a turbocharged engine and between 195 and 210 horsepower. If the options are out there, Edmunds says the first generation of the cars are less expensive with the Talons being the cheapest.

For some muscle the site recommends a 1986-2004 Ford Mustang which it says can be found in abundance across the country. Plus, after all these years a Mustang from two decades ago can still look good, according to Edmunds.

With an influx of cars on the market it is possible to find a car for less than $5,000 that would have sold for more money a few years ago. According to the National Automotive Dealers Association, used car prices fell in every category in 2008.

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Ford reintroduces Taurus SHO for 2010

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Posted in Ford

It appears that Ford feels that American car buyers are in the market for more muscle as the company has announced it will release the SHO version of the popular Ford Taurus next year.

The 365 horsepower Taurus SHO will revive the high-powered model that was sold for ten years with the last units hitting the roads in 1999.

An advanced V6 engine will give the SHO about 100 more horsepower than the traditional Taurus and some say the company is smart to look past today’s economic situation with the hope of more prosperous times ahead.

“It’s important for an automaker to look beyond the current situation and have some exciting models,” Stephanie Brinley of consultant Auto Pacific told the Detroit Free Press.

But while Fold cites a decrease in gasoline prices as a reason to bring back the SHO model, some critics say the company is quickly forgetting the recent spike in prices and more consumers looking for fuel efficient vehicles.

“It sounds like Ford’s got muscles where its brains should be,” Dan Becker, director of the safe climate campaign at the Center for Auto Safety in Washington told Reuters.

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The car is expected to get an estimated 25 miles per gallon with prices starting at $37,995.

Some classic cars under $10,000

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Posted in Chrysler - DO NOT USE

When buying a used car, sometimes it isn’t about getting better gas mileage or saving money. Sometimes you want to buy something classic. According to Jalopnik, there are a number of “classic” cars that can be had for under $10,000.

Among the list is the 1988 Chevrolet Corvette 35th anniversary edition, which the site says can be had for just under $10,000. With only 2,050 produced it makes it a classic and as Jalopnik says, “the epitome of the Eighties.”

Another American made car on the list is the 1983 Chrysler Cordoba, which featured the late Ricardo Montalban in its commercial in the 80s touting its “soft Corinthian leather.” For that reason alone it might be worth shelling out the $9,995.

Topping the website’s “Cool Factor” is the 1988 BMW E28 M5. If you’re wondering why this car made the list Jalopnik says “then the Ultimate Driving Machine is not for you.”

Granted none of these cars are at the level of the 1937 Bugatti which sold for $4.5 million at auction last week or the 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa that is expected to fetch $10 million in May, but they are classics in their own right.

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Lindsay Lohan behind the wheel of a Mercedes SL550

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Posted in Celebrity Auto News

It seems that while much-maligned starlet Lindsay Lohan is finally back behind the wheel in California, the economic situation has hit her hard as photographers recently caught her getting behind the wheel of a Mercedes SL550 – a step down from her SL65.

After crashing her SL65 almost two years ago, Lohan has gotten her California license back, but now she’s driving a SL550, which is a significant downgrade for the Mean Girls star.

While many people would be happy to drive around in an SL550, at $98,000 Kelly Blue Book lists the car at almost half the sticker price of a $194,175 SL65.

In other Lohan news, it seems the actress is having some bad luck with her forms of transportation. Following last week’s Super Bowl, Lohan was bumped from first class on a Delta airlines flight from Tampa, Florida.

But reports say the 22-year-old actress threw a fit and eventually a first class seat was found to accommodate her.

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Car sells for $4.5 million in auction

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Posted in General Auto News

It turns out that eccentric guy on your street who says the clunker in his garage is actually worth a ton of money might be right after a car found in a UK garage sold for more than $4 million in auction.

The 1937 Bugatti Atalante 57S coupe was found in the garage of a doctor following his death in 2007. The owner reportedly used the car for a few years in the early 1960s, but the car had not even been started up for more than 50 years.

Although the car sold for about $4.5 million last week at a car auction, experts say it will cost another $500,000 to properly restore the car to its original condition.

The car was one of only 17 made in 1937 with at least four being owned by an automobile museum in France and the rest by private owners.

“This was the creme-de-la-creme of late 1930s sports cars,” Simon Kidston, a Geneva-based classic car adviser, told Bloomberg. “Of the examples that have come on the market, this had by far the best history, prettiest body style and no one has seen it for 50 years.”

According to the London Daily Mail, the garage which contained the Bugatti also held a 1,500 beer steins and a World War II spy drone.

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