VW predicts world domination. Not lacking in confidence, Volkswagen has announced its intention to be the number-one vehicle manufacturer worldwide by 2018. Last year the VW group––comprised of VW, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and Porsche––ranked third behind Toyota (second) and GM (first). VW is already sells more vehicles in Europe than any other company.
Getting to the bottom of car-theft prevention. Japanese engineers are working on an anti-theft system that identifies you by the shape of your butt. The seat has 360 sensors that measure pressure at various points to create a topographical map of your backside. No word yet if there's a built-in post-Applebee's-buffet margin for error.
The hole truth. Honda vehicles are the least likely to be damaged by potholes, according to a study by a warranty company in the UK. The figures are based on warranty claims for damage. The most susceptible cars? Large, expensive luxury models, the kind that come with expensive wheels and low-profile tires.
Time machine. One of the DeLoreans used in the Back to the Future trilogy sold at auction last week for $541,200. It was one of only three remaining out of seven that were built. The one that sold at auction was the only one privately owned. The others are owned by Universal Studios.
Fine, but can they get Lewis Hamilton to stop running into Felipe Massa? McLaren is known primarily for building Formula 1 cars, but CEO Ron Dennis says the technologies that go into the racers will help transform the company into a $1.5 billion technology giant over the next five years. He cites McLaren's expertise in computing and modeling, which can be useful in pharmaceutical and transport management.
Friends again. Consumer Reports has been hard on Toyotas in recent years, but times change. The 2012 Toyota Camry got a "recommended" review from the magazine, which praised the car for its interior, handling, and fuel economy.
And he was wearing cowboy boots. The late Kim Jong Il was no fan of America, but someone in North Korea liked American cars, because the Dear Leader's coffin was carried to its final resting place in a mid-1970s Lincoln Continental hearse.
