Mike Ryan drifts a 200,000-pound dump truck

Some vehicles are better suited for drifting than others. Light weight, rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission make for a good hoonage platform, but that doesn't mean you couldn't get an all-wheel drive, automatic family sedan like, say, my mom's Passat into a four-wheel drift (which this writer definitely did not attempt back in college). But what about a 200,000-pound dump truck built for mining? That's what one tech company set out to do in this promo clip.

Seeking to align itself with the notions of "scale" and "agility," data protection firm EMC took a Caterpillar 789 dump truck - a piece of mining equipment with a 78-liter V16 diesel engine, a 200-ton payload capacity and around 2,000 horsepower on tap - out to a slab of concrete in Kentucky coal-mining country and set up a little slalom course with some data servers, a fish tank and a cluster of sports cars including a BMW M1, a classic Corvette and what we hope is a replica Shelby Cobra. Then they put Mike Ryan up the ladder and behind the wheel.

Now for those unfamiliar with Mike Ryan's exploits, what you need to know is that he's probably one of the best stunt drivers ever to steer a semi truck. He's drifted 'em Gymkhana-style, jumped 'em over mind-blowing ramps and raced them up Mt. Washington and Pikes Peak. So if there's anyone who could drift a 200,000-pound truck that's designed to scale open-pit mines, surely he's the man for the job.
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Vladimir Putin's all-Russian limo revealed

It seems like you can't turn on the news this year without seeing the icy stare of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Whether he's opening the Olympics, sending troops to the Ukrainian border or just riding a horse while shirtless, he's seemingly everywhere. But behind the scenes, Putin has a big engineering project under development to create a new Russian-built and engineered official limousine for him and other top officials.

?Russian media recently snapped a few pictures of the design concept. As you can see, the current version has the country's seal emblazoned all over the vehicle. The front end has the monolithic flatness that is associated with super high-end luxury cars from Bentley and Rolls-Royce. It's not exactly a beauty, but you probably wouldn't want to criticize the look to Putin's face. He doesn't seem to a guy who takes critique well. Prototypes of Putin's new limo are scheduled for testing later this year, and final production is planned for 2016.

Known as Project Cortege, the plan has several Russian automakers working together to design several vehicles, but the limo is the first priority. According to Yahoo Autos, the venture might even be getting some engineering input from Porsche. Putin has sunk an estimated $150 million to $400 million in government money into the project. Eventually, he wants it to spawn other vehicles - like a van and SUV.

This is actually the second attempt at a new Russian limousine. Initially, ZiL, which made vehicles for top officials in during the Communist era, was spearheading it, and its limo even started production. However, Putin was reportedly not happy with the design. Now, it's back to the drawing board.
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Auctions: George W. Bush's 2009 Ford F-150 fizzles with $300,000 bid at Barrett-Jackson

Despite some truly impassioned pleading from Jay Leno himself – including calling on Arizona's notoriously Republican-rich voters to beat the $600,000 level set the last time Leno sold a vehicle for this particular charity... in California – bidding for George Bush's 2009 Ford F-150 pickup truck stalled at $300,000.

Barrett-Jackson Lot: 3017 - 2009 FORD F-150 KING RANCH SUPER CREW PICKUP

President Bush has used this stunning white F-150 at his Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, TX since shortly after he left the White House in 2009. With a 5.4 Liter V8 engine commanding 310 horsepower, this impressive truck has a luxurious adobe King Ranch premium leather interior. President Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush have since used the truck to work around their ranch; entertain friends, family, and dignitaries and to give tours of their Crawford property. This is a unique opportunity to own a piece of presidential automotive history. Owned continuously by President bush since he ordered it new. The title is in the former President's name and will be transferred directly to the buyer. Additionally, the right airbag panel features President Bush's signature and a copy of a video showing him autographing the truck and driving it around his ranch in Crawford, TX will be included with the purchase. "I haven't driven on a street in many, many years, but I have been able to drive this truck on my ranch," said President Bush. "I want to thank all those who are supporting the Fisher House. In supporting the Fisher house, you're supporting our veterans. And in supporting our veterans, you're helping America." **ALL PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT THE FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION** **WILL BE SOLD DIRECTLY FOLLOWING LOT 5052 ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2013**

News Source: autoblog

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Auctions: 1947 Talbot-Lago T-26 Grand Sport passes $2 million mark at Barrett-Jackson

If you're not familiar with the Talbot-Lago brand, well... you're not alone. Born out of the collapsed Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq by an engineer named Antonio Lago, who turned the automaker into a strong competitor in racing. The machine you see above, hailing from 1947, is based on the short-wheelbase chassis used for racing with bodywork designed by Franay.

Suffice it to say, this is a very rare machine, powered by a high-performance 4.5-liter six-cylinder engine with three carburetors mated to a four-speed manual gearbox. Apparently the car was found languishing in Tennessee in 1988, and a thorough restoration was completed in 2004. After all was said and done at Barrett-Jackson, the car's new owner found himself $2,035,000 lighter in the wallet.

Barrett-Jackson Lot: 5019 - 1947 TALBOT-LAGO T-26 GRAND SPORT

This Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport has a 2-seat coupe coachwork by Franay on a short chassis. It is believed that only three Grand Sports had Franay coachwork. There were approximately 30 Grand Sports built but only eight with the short chassis, the same as used on the Grand Prix cars. The engine in this car is a 4.5 Liter with three carburetors. The car was originally sold in Geneva, Switzerland, likely the only place that could afford such a car as World War II had just concluded. Chassis 110113 was found in Tennessee in 1988 and was in very original condition. A complete restoration was performed in 2004. Finished in its original black paint, red leather interior with black piping and is completely original with all its original body panels, engine and chassis.

News Source: Barrett-Jackson

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Auctions: Barrett-Jackson 2013 - Odds and Ends from Friday's Festivities

While the big-ticket items sold at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale usually hit the block on Saturday, Friday often brings with it a few interesting finds. This year was no different. With an assortment of vehicles ranging from an original 1969 Chevrolet Camaro COPO with a 427-cubic-inch V8 and four-speed manual transmission to a 1929 Ford AA Custom Popcorn truck, you never can tell what's going to show up at Barrett-Jackson.

It's impossible to miss a bright tangerine Willy's Roadster, and we could hardly pass up the opportunity to watch one of the infamous Unique Performance Eleanor replica cars cross the auction block. Really, we just pointed our lenses at whatever happened to catch our eye.

Check out the fruits of our labors in the high-res image gallery of live photos above. Each of the cars you'll see is captioned with the its appropriate make and model, plus the amount it finally sold for. Enjoy!

News Source: autoblog

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Chip Foose custom 1953 Ford F-100 sells for $170K at Barrett-Jackson

There may not be a more recognizable name in the world of custom cars than Chip Foose, and those star-struck (and well-healed) fans of Foose just had the opportunity to purchase one of the designer's custom creations for their very own garage. This 1953 Ford F-100 pickup was created to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the one item just about everybody has in their toolbox: WD-40.

Way back when, WD-40 was sold by the Rocket Chemical Company, and the vintage artwork on the door highlights that little bit of trivia. Under the truck's massive flowing hood sits an original 239-cubic-inch flathead V8 engine, with appropriately modern updates, naturally. A set of one-off Foose wheels wearing Pirelli P Zero tires completes the aesthetic.

All proceeds from the vehicle sale will benefit two charities: Childhelp and Victory Junction.

1953 FORD F-100 CUSTOM PICKUP

Designed by legendary Hot-Rod designer and TV star Chip Foose, the WD-40/SEMA Cares Foose '53 Ford F-100 commemorates the 60th anniversary of WD-40 multi-use product. With a vintage "shop truck" look, updated drivetrain and suspension, and custom paint, this special pickup looks similar to the truck used to deliver the first case of the product in the early 50s, back when WD-40 Company was called Rocket Chemical Company. Features of the vehicle include: an original flathead engine from Edelbrock, speed equipment from Egge, BASF paint, one-off custom "vintage look" Foose wheels from MHT wheels, Pirelli P Zero tires, restoration parts from LMC Truck, a custom MagnaFlow exhaust, and more. Other companies that pitched in on the vehicle include: Street Scene Equipment, L&R Engine, American Autowire, Painless Performance, Quiet Ride Solutions, K&N, and McGard. All proceeds from the auctioned vehicle will benefit two SEMA Cares charities, Childhelp, an organization that provides services to abused and neglected children and Victory Junction, which provides life changing camping experiences to special needs and chronically ill children. **ALL PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT SEMA CARES** **WILL BE SOLD AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00PM ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2013**

News Source: Barrett-Jackson, Speed

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