Papa Johns Gives Away 35,847 Pizza’s!

That’s a lotta pizza-pie, but to get it for free, you had to pick it up in your Camaro.  That’s amore!

In case you missed the headline, the Papa J0hn Schnatter of Papa John’s was searching for his long lost 1972 Z28 Camaro, the one he had to sell to open the very first Papa John’s.   It was a beauty, one that he dearly loved.  After more than 30 years, he decided to leverage his wealth, start a search, make a website and offer a $250,000 reward!

Jalopnik championed coverage of the story, encouraged their readers to help and one of them actually found it!  Now the Papa has been reunited, Jeff Robinson is $250K richer and 35,847 proud Camaro owners have a full belly… I guess there is such a thing as a happy ending.

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Jeep Accessories from Smittybilt, New Edge Evolutions & a Truck Bed Slide – An AutoAnything Weekly Update

Yes, another Friday is upon us.  In San Diego, the sun is shining, its a comfortable 80 degrees  outside and there’s a south-western swell working it’s way toward the shore.  Since I don’t want to admit that summer is almost over, I’m going to stay in denial and make the most of it.

If you’re looking to kill a little time, check out the six new products we added this week.  The Edge Evolution has been updated with two new models, the CS (color screen) and the CTS (Color TouchScreen).  A few more jeep accessories from Smittybilt were added, and we teamed up with IFW to give you a high-quality truck bed slide.

• Westin Wind Guard – Crack open your windows without letting in deafening wind noise. These vent visors are made by Wade, branded by Westin and molded from sleek plastic that’ll keep the wind at guard.
• IFW Bed Slide – If you’re not made of the same stuff as Stretch Armstrong, then the BedSlide helps you easily load and unload your truck bed.
• Edge CS Evolution Programmer – See all of your tuning power in full color with this Edge Evolution power programmer. (CS = Color Screen)
• Edge CTS Evolution Programmer – Like an iphone for your engine, the CTS has the same programming power of the CS but with a color touch screen (CTS!)
• Smittybilt Jeep Cargo Net – It makes your dune-dude look like it’s wearing a Von Dutch mesh hat…
• Smittybilt Jeep Tonneau Cover – Imagine a layer of Saran wrap on a frat house john, except that it’s over your Jeep’s boot and not transparent.

Cars: 1, Eight-Foot Inflatable Beach Ball: 0

Somebody’s been watching their back catalog of Top Gear episodes. Unless you want to have a whole lot of dangerous, reckless fun, do NOT try this at home.

The idea probably originated from…

What Does ₩161,000,000 Buy You?

₩ is the symbol for the Korean Won, their form of the Dollar.  161,000,000 Won sounds like a lot, and it is, roughly equating to $130,000 bucks.  For that, you could by a Corvette ZR1 and a few extra sets of tires.  Or you could buy a tricked out GT-R and mob the streets with all wheel drive prowess.  But now there’s a new option, and it’s price just so happens to be $131K.  They call it the Spirra, and it’s a quick little devil. Using a 2.7-liter V6 Hyundai engine, lifted from a Tiburon, the creator was able to squeeze out 400 horsepower by throwing on a sizable supercharger.  That’s the Spirra S, and for a car that weighs just 2,200 pounds with a full tank of gas, that’s a real nice power-to-weight ratio.  But if it want’s to compete with the aformentioned ZR1 and GT-R, or even Ferrari’s and Lambo’s, it would probably need 25% more to hold it’s own.  So they creators went back to the drawing board and threw on a turbo.  Crank the boost and you net 500 ponies from a car that weights a Keg more than an Elise.

The Spirra Turbo has a top speed in the 200+ MPH range, so you can bet that it will keep up with just about anything. Here’s a video of it dusting an F430.  The racing starts around the 3:35 mark.

New Mini Clubman on the Horizon, the People Rejoice

Well, people like me rejoice.  I’ve always been a huge fan of Mini Coopers; they’re practical, unique, fuel efficient and they handle like a go-cart…that’s a good thing.  When the Clubman came out, I considered trading in my Subaru, but I couldn’t justify the trade-in.  But now they are just tempting me further with the Mini Clubman Rally Edition.  It gets the full treatment; 17″ wheels, a Midnight black paint job with silver racing stripes, HID’s, a sexy black/anthracite interior, sport package and aero kit, a roof rack (!), and green rear view mirrors…?

Yeah, not sure about the mirrors, but everything else sounds perfect.  Coming in at $32,999, it’s pricey for a Mini, but it’s also going to be very exclusive; only 70 examples of the Rally Edition will be shipped to the states. If you want one, call your Mini dealer today… I mean now, mister.

Source: Motoring File

New Templates + Car Massagers, Heated Car Blankets, Lap Desks & More – An AutoAnything Weekly Update

After an hour long surf session, a brief swim with some dolphins and a little breakfast, I made it to work and checked my inbox.  Sure enough, we had released a bunch of new stuff on our site…I love the smell of new product in the morning!

And not only do we have all this new product for you, but we also did a little redesign on the site.  Here’s a link to our seat covers department; if you click it, there’s a good chance you’ll see the  new template.  If you see the same old site, dump your cookies and refresh the page.  If that still doesn’t work, check out the snap shot below.  There are a few big changes and a lot of subtle ones, but overall we think the (re)design is a big improvement.  Hover your mouse over one of the products and click the “Quick Look” button for a nifty preview of the product.

Before:

After:

Our category pages also went under the knife and they share a similar look and feel to the departments, but now have some filtering options to help you find what you’re looking for.  For example, take a look the left navigation on our neoprene seat covers page.

Without feedback, we’re shooting in the dark, so if you’ve got some thoughts about the new templates, we would love to hear it!  As for the new products…

• Husky Gear Box – Pushing aside everything in your backseat to make way for passengers is always awkward. With the Husky GearBox you’ll have a better place to stash tools, emergency supplies and old Micky D’s bags.
• Truxedo Edge Tonneau Cover – You can’t go wrong with a soft roll-up tonneau cover from Truxedo. Check out the latest edition of this popular choice.
• Whirly Wash Car Wash Brush – Like the world’s most advanced back scrubber, only for your vehicle.
• CarCozy Heated Car Blanket – If your car’s heater doesn’t produce enough heat, get this—because Snuggies are for dorks.
• AutoVent Solar Powered Ventilator – You know the smell that sticks in your car when a bag of Mickey-D remnants sits in the passenger seat? This should help.
• Trillium Lap Desk – Like a lap dog, only easier to write on…
• CozyCushion Car Massager – Why pay a beautiful Swede with powerful hands and an uncanny touch to rub you down? Just get this.
• FEY Perfect Match Bumper – Like a great Brazilian butt lift, this bumper makes your truck’s back end look just like it did before life had its merciless say.
• Dee Zee Trailer Toolbox – Even your trailer needs storage options—this toolbox is the perfect place to put all of your gear.
• Rugged Ridge Slip Yoke Eliminator – Reduces the drive train vibrations cause by 2″ or higher lift kits.

Porsche Releases Details: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3

Hot on the release of the 2010 Porsche 911 is the GT3 RS. This super-tuned version of the GT3 gets the same upgraded 3.8-liter flat-six engine that the 911 inherited from the Carrera, but this version is sans-turbos. Either way, power output is pegged at 450HP, more than enough to make the RS leave blurred streaks of neon through the air. A wider track, custom suspension and light weight body work improve grip, handling and general sex appeal.  Full gallery below, but there’s two track videos after the jump!

Lambo SuperVeloce vs Corvette ZR1

The blokes over at AutoCar were lucky enough to pit two of the worlds fastest and most highly regarded super cars in the world. The Lambo SV has 670 Italian-bred ponies in the boot and all wheel drive, making it go from 0-60 in negative three seconds… well, maybe it can’t defy space and time, but it’s still ridiculously fast. The ZR1, on the other hand, has 30 less horsepower and 60 more pounds, meaning the Lambo should have a solid edge over the bowtie. Watch and learn why American muscle is king.

The Ford Fiesta: Will it Blend?

Maybe the better question is, what doesn’t blend?

Rocket vs. Crotch Rocket vs. Golf Ball?

Richard Hammond narrates and races his Honda Firebird “motorbike” against a massive rocket-shaped firework and a golfer… a completely useless comparison, but still fun to watch.

Unveiled: 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo

Out with the old, in with the new. Although Porsche hasn’t made any real changes to the exterior, it’s whats under the hood (boot?) that counts.  And Porsche delivered for 2010; gone is the peppy 3.6-liter, replaced by the Carrera’s beefier 3.8-liter flat-six.  Not only does the new engine have 5.5% more displacement, but it also features direct-injection, which gives a bump to power and fuel economy. What also gives a bump to power? The twin set of variable-geometry turbines they mounted to the boxer.

Power output has been raised to an incredible 500 ponies, and if you can keep your lead foot in check, you can also expect an EPA-estimated 24.1 MPG with the 6-speed tranny.  If you want to go for the 7-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (aka: dual-clutch) system, you get bumped up to an environmentally-friendly 24.8 MPG.  Being green never felt soooo good.  :)

What else is new? A refined Porsche Traction Management System (PTMS), a more rear-wheel-biased Porsche Stability Management (PSM) and an optional set of super expensive, super light RS Spyder Rims. The Coupe runs $132,800, but you can expect to pay another $11,000 if you want to sport the convertible.  All this amounts to quite an upgrade for the 911, probably Porsche’s way of pushing back on the GT-R.  Check out the full photo gallery after the jump.

Jeep Accessories, Rear Bumpers & Trailer Tool Boxes – An AutoAnything Weekly Update

How’s your week been going? Slow and painful, or fast and furious? Well either way, the weekend is right around the corner, which means it’s time for a little Rest and Relaxation.  Got any plans for this weekend? Maybe wash the family car and do a little auto detailing in the garage.  Or maybe you’ve got a quick camping trip lined up?  Well, whatever it is, have fun!

Before skip out for the day, check out the latest and greatest from AutoAnything:

Dee Zee Trailer Tool box – Even your trailer needs storage options—this tool box mounts to the tongue of your trailer and is the perfect place to put all of your gear.

Rugged Ridge Slip Yoke Eliminator – If you’ve got a lifted jeep, chances are you either have or need one of these.  The slip yoke eliminator removes the slip, fixes your yoke and reduces the drive train vibrations caused by lift kits. If you’re in need, go find one in our suspension department.

FEY Perfect Match Bumper – Like a great Brazilian butt lift, this bumper makes your truck’s back end look just like it did before life had its merciless say. All metaphors aside, these rear bumper kits really are a perfect match for your vehicle, providing OEM fit and finish with added aftermarket functionality.  And to add the perfect touch to your pickup, these Fey bumpers are available in chrome or black finishes.

Ken Block Hits the Salt Flats

His 566 horsepower STi is pretty insane. With 590 ft-lbs of torque, his Impreza can sprint to 60MPH in 3 seconds flat. But that torque can be used for other things as well, like towing people on plastic trash cans…

Ken Block and his crew are at it again, but this time they are out setting some land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats using some less-than-traditional methods of transportation; trashcans, big wheels and plastic snow-sled from Wal-Mart. Good stuff, check out the mischief after the jump…

Design Your Own 2010 Ford Mustang… with Burnouts!

Ford has released a fancy, schmancy new website that lets you build up a new 2010 Mustang with all the trimmings; custom paint jobs, rims, body kit’s and a custom level of smoke coming from the rear tires. My guess is that this is to help boost sales and beat out the Camaro, but Ford has done a great job here and although it takes forever to load, it’s a fun website to around with.

Here’s a link to our car, make your own if you have a few minutes: http://www.fordvehicles.com/the2010mustang/?id=/customizer/overview/No1648

How to Kill a Clunker, the CARS Way

There’s lots of chatter in the blogosphere about the Car Allowance Rebate System, aka CARS, aka Cash for Clunkers. On the surface, it sounds like a good deal; trade in your old gas guzzler and get up to $4,500 towards a new vehicle. Here’s the rough breakdown:

• Your vehicle must be less than 25 years old on the trade-in date
• Only purchase or lease of new vehicles qualify
• Generally, trade-in vehicles must get 18 or less MPG (some very large pick-up trucks and cargo vans have different requirements)
• Trade-in vehicles must be registered and insured continuously for the full year preceding the trade-in
• You don’t need a voucher, dealers will apply a credit at purchase
• Program runs through Nov 1, 2009 or when the funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.
• The program requires the scrapping of your eligible trade-in vehicle, and that the dealer disclose to you an estimate of the scrap value of your trade-in. The scrap value, however minimal, will be in addition to the rebate, and not in place of the rebate.

There are a certain vehicles that are excluded from the program, but Edmund’s has put together a list of vehicles that are included. Check it out, your vehicle may apply, but be forewarned that you’re clunker will end up with a similar fate to this one…

RE: Ken Block’s Gymkhana Videos

Armed with a beaten up Subaru Impreza, 5 spare tires, an armory of fireworks and an apparently fearless crew of buddies, here is IMV’s response to Ken Block’s Gymkhana videos. I’m not even sure what to say about this spoof, except racing on public roads is bad, mmmk?!

Disclaimer:  What happens in this video is highly illegal, do not attempt to duplicate, imitate or recreate any of the stunts performed in this video… or else!