Autoblog UK

Drunk-driving, possible hit and run charges, stealing an ambulance - not a bad rap for one night in anyone's book and for one US woman, it was enough to get her on TV.

Local media in Del City, Oklahoma, reported a woman stole a $120,000 emergency vehicle from the hospital that she had been brought to by local police keen to get blood sample after she had been arrested in nearby Shawnee for allegedly driving while under the influence and possible hit and run charges.

Local troopers soon caught up again with the woman, named by media as Mindy Jones, who seemed pretty pleased with her night's work when facing the cameras. "A pretty good time," was her reflection on the evening's fun and games.

Judging by her manner in the video, she's either acting very coy or she's cuffed. We reckon it's probably the latter.

Ice and rain - a combination that's guaranteed to cause some grief on the roads wherever you are.

And for one town in America, it proved disastrous as more than 50 cars were pranged in possibly one of the longest crashes ever to be recorded.

Just outside Shelton lies Route 110 which run downhill into the Connecticut town. On Sunday, black ice appeared on the notoriously smooth surface and drivers and their vehicles suddenly found themselves helpless as they skidded and careered down the road.

As one witness noted, this wasn't a quick, dramatic accident but a long, drawn out crash as vehicles smashed into each over over a couple of minutes or so.

Happily, no one was killed although dozens of people were injured while the tow trucks of Shelton enjoyed one of their busiest days as they turned the town into a giant scrapyard.

Is this the UK's most stupid drunk-driver?

Security cameras in Ely Cambridgeshire captured footage of this man staggering to his car before moving round to the passenger side to relieve himself (so he must have had some semblance of sense not to 'pee in his own backyard').

After zipping himself up, he managed to get behind the wheel and drive off, narrowly avoiding the car parked in front and a few cones, all while ignoring the flashing blue lights coming up fast behind him.

As you can imagine, he didn't get far and soon found himself up before the beak.

It's the stuff of TV drama - the brake cables of car are cut and a hapless victim is taken on a nightmare ride towards certain death - before the hero cuts in and saves the day.

Of course, the culprit is usually apprehended, but not so in the 'Curious Case of the Kent Cable Cutters'.

Residents of West wickham naturally suspected some foul play when a number of cars had their brakes cut and with police unable to find any evidence, people's fears' deepened.

Lebanon - a country which has gone from rack to ruin and back again - is probably more likely than most to have its fair share of head cases and thrill chasers.

So, the echo of motorbikes may be a common sound on the streets of Beirut but may be less familiar in the harbour - until the normally more sedate St George's Yacht club gets involved.

Once a year the club hosts a competition for stunt riders, daredevils, nutters - call them what you will - and builds them a ramp facing the harbour. Then they're free to leap as far as they can into the water.

Amazingly no one seriously crocked themselves although the winner, Joseph Geaga, didn't escape unscathed. That didn't seem to bother him though as he picked up his cash prize of $1,000. We just hope he thinks it was worth it.

Danica Patrick may not be a household name in the UK but she came to the fledgling Autoblog website's attention for the first time a few months ago when she was revealed as one of the celebrity faces in the 'Body by Milk' campaign in the United States.

Since then - and purely because of our love for all things motorsport - we've kept a close eye on the fortunes of the IndyCar Series driver and even had hopes she might be one of the drivers lined up for the USF1 team that will take its place on the 2010 grid.

Once the butt of many a joke, the Trabant was as big a symbol of East European communism as Leonid Brezhnev's eyebrows.

Unlike Brezhnev, the Trabi is on the verge of making an unlikely revival thanks to the brand's new owners and an apparently overwhwelming desire for its return. At this year's IAA exhibition in Frankfurt, 7000 completed questionnaires found 98% of respondents favoured the car's return, albeit in a modernised form.

But, don't expect so see the new model any time soon; 2012 looks to be the earliest date for the new Trabi's appearance. Will it be worth the wait?

Gallery: Porsche Boxster roadster

Britons are renowned for their love of the car - our overclogged streets and motorways bear testament to that. But now it seems we're actually a nation of caraholics who will get up to just about anything in the comforts - or confines - of our four-wheeled friends.

Yes, it seems the great British drivers just can't wait to get their clothes - and their rocks - off while behind the wheel. A new survey by online insurers who shall remain nameless and who clearly have too much time on their hands, has shown that more than two-thirds (67%) of us have had sex in our cars with almost half (49%) of us having automotive sex more than twice. They don't say if the respondants were actually on the move or not whilst joining the 67-percenters club although the way some people suddenly change lanes on the motorway these days who knows what's going on in their nether regions.

And how does the company concerned link this to car cover? Here's their marketing director: "With Brits spending so much of their time behind the wheel, it's no surprise that many relationships begin, blossom or even end on four wheels. However, as a responsible insurer, [we] would like to point out that drivers should always concentrate on the road ahead otherwise it would invalidate your car insurance cover." So, now you know.

Is this Carry On-style jape scraping the bottom of a very deep barrel and have we just played swiftly into their hands? Of course. Now, where's my commission?

If you were going to sail across the Irish Sea, a 100 quid French saloon car would probably not be your transport of choice - especially in October.

But high seas or not, a Renault Laguna was what four friends from Ireland decided to charter for a 23-mile trip from Donaghadee Harbour to Port Patrick - and remarkably, the amphibious craft carried them across in one piece.

Skipper Peter Martin and his 'crew' Carl McConkey, Rick Miles and Mark Farrell, left the Irish port at 9.30am on October 31 crammed aboard the modified Laguna and reached their destination seven hours later.

This was a huge step forward for the team after the dismal failure of their first attempt in 2007 when their craft, Sir Galahad, sank within four minutes of setting sail.
Not wishing to embarrass themselves again in front of the large - and sceptical - crowd that had gathered, Martin and his mates left nothing to chance, sticking an outboard motor on the back - perhaps an improvement on the standard engine - as well as attaching plenty of foam to the car.

"Nearly everyone on shore thought we wouldn't make it, but confidence rides high on the boat", Martin said. "At one point some of the crew even got in a little fishing."

The cruise wasn't some bizarre protest at Irish Sea ferry prices but rather a trip in the name of charity - and with £3,000 raised, the four can regard that as a job well done.

Sir Tristram sea trials:
Launching Sir Tristram: