Autoblog UK

Playing Russian roulette has apparently become slightly boring and predictable. That's according to the Bulgarians, who decided it was about time to come up with a better, riskier and stupider version of the game.

The rules are simple – take a car, race it insanely fast through red lights at night against others and see if you make it first and alive. If you do, you could win up to £5,000. If you don't, well...

With a large selection of deaths on offer – embedded in a post, underneath a truck, off a ravine, choking on your air-bag etc, this game is much more exciting than the old Russian roulette with its one and only option.

However, there is a strict set of rules you will have to follow in order to get your money. For example, if you touch your brakes or crash into a pedestrian you will be disqualified and can wave bye-bye to the mullah. That is whether the pedestrian dies or not.

The game started in the busy streets of Sofia at the end of the summer and is very popular among SUV male drivers in their early twenties. The little daredevils are keeping the authorities busy as they try to tackle the problem. The illegal races are also attracting large and blood-thirsty crowds of spectators, who inadvertently might end up being part of the game.

Kids, don't try this at home...

Last week in Hamburg, the well-known New York street artist Craig 'KR' Costello gave a Mini a paint job in his so-called 'Krink' style. This involves applying the paint in such a way that it runs down the surface, looking as if it has been laid on too thickly. In the case of the Mini seen below, the silver streaks appears to trickle down the bodywork plus the rear and side windows. KR Costello made a name for himself in the 90s with his distinctive signature style. Ultimately, this led to the Krink brand name and line of products. You can find examples of his work in all the major metropolises of the world, in vestibules, on walls or in underground railway stations.

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:

Diamonds might be a girl's best friend but a £140,000 supercar might just come close as one footballing WAG has just found out.

Melanie Slade, the long-term girlfriend of Theo Walcott, has just been presented with a brand spanking new Ferrari California by the Arsenal striker to celebrate her 21st birthday.

According to The Sun, the physiotherapist student is 'over the moon' and has already got personalised plates for the car.

It's a bit of a step up from the Volkswagen Beetle he bought her three years ago and the insurance premiums for the Ferrari are probably more than the Beetle was worth, but with a 193mph top speed we imagine Mel will find the upgrade more than makes up for the cost.

We have already been given some hints about the storyline for the sequel to the 3D animated film 'Cars'. Lightning McQueen, his pit crew and new chief mechanic Mater travel round the world to five different venues for the Race of Champions. The countries visited are Japan, Germany, Italy, France (24-hour race) and England (London, to be more precise). In a case of mistaken identity, Mater saves the life of British secret agent Aston Martin (alias Finn McMissile) and is drawn into the exciting world of espionage. Below is another gallery of Cars-style vehicles.

Pixar CARS : new models

Disney Pixar are currently working on the production of 'Cars 2', sequel to the 3D cartoon 'Cars'. The new film (full title: 'Cars 2 World Grand Prix') is due for general release in June 2011. The first one in the series delighted audiences of all ages. To whet your appetite in the meantime, we present a photo gallery with a few models in the 'Cars' style.

Pixar CARS: More new models

It seems that animals in the US have no issues crashing (into) others' vehicles. They also seem superstrong, going on pretty deadly journeys only to escape unharmed and – according to photographic evidence – a little smug.

Following the adventures of the travelling Harlem cat last week, a coyote has adopted the same means of travel, taking an eight-hour journey under the bonnet of an apparently very comfy Honda Fit.

A brother and sister on a 600-mile journey to Nevada hit the coyote at 75mph. They didn't stop, being pretty sure the poor thing would have been killed on the spot. However, when they eventually reached their destination they discovered him snugly wedged between the radiator and bumper.

The siblings, Daniel and Tevyn East, failed to spot the furry intruder twice when they stopped for petrol. Daniel East was amazed when he discovered the death-cheating animal which he named Tricky. "Somehow the conditions were just right for it to survive the trip" he commented.

Tricky the coyote was taken to the shelter only to escape hours later. Probably trying to hitch a ride home....

Every child should be taught good manners – wipe your feet before entering the house, say thank you when given a biscuit, finish your parsnips and refrain from telling Grandma she smells like the attic.
And last but not least, say hello and goodbye. Conscientious parents will teach the "hello and goodbye" routine – generally accompanied by over-exaggerated waving motions – to their kids pretty much from birth.

Now in China, in the village of Huangping, the notion of politeness has been extended a notch, and kids must salute passing cars. Every child should salute passing cars on their way to and back from school. This rule, which has supposedly been passed to teach kids respect, actually doubles as a money saving scam. If kids make cars aware of their presence, no speed bumps will be needed around school areas, saving the town a bundle.

Needless to say, this is a little backwards but also could end up achieving the exact opposite. Drivers could start saluting back, becoming distracted and ending up smashing into trees. The road to school could end up scattered with fuming cars, broken poles and injured people. Kids could be in great danger.
They could also start getting confused between people and inanimate objects and start saluting everything around, turning playtime into a mad affair...

I thought the excitement of stealing a car was mostly fuelled by the fact that you need to take risks. You need to act with nonchalance. You need to act like the car is yours in front of passers-by while you frantically try to open the door with a hair pin. Then there's also the tricky part of actually starting the car by sticking two wires together, and avoiding a potentially lethal electric shock. This is the challenge. This what makes it exciting.

But I am wrong. This breed of thieves seems to be dying down, giving way to a new, slightly precious style of theft. Before nicking your car, the robbers will first break into your house and grab your car keys. So when they get around to taking your car, they can do it in a much more pleasant, much less suspicious manner.

Of course, getting caught will lead to a double sentence for car theft AND house burglary. So the reason for this new thieving trend – which has risen by 5% in the last 3 months – leaves me unsettled. Is this clever? Lazy? Stupid? Adventurous? I just can't decide.

All I know is that I feel sorry for the victims, who on top of being gutted for losing a car have also been shown how easy it is to break into their home and how predictable they are for leaving their car keys in the bowl on the desk by the phone. Ouch.