Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 12.03.10

Quick Spin: 2011 Dodge Journey

It's nothing short of amazing how much Dodge has managed to change the Journey in such a short period of time. With a little more work, this could be an unlikely top-runner in a hotly competitive segment.

Video: Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 dyno run goes boom in spectacular fashion

Shelby Mustang dyno test goes horribly wrong... on video.

Video: Race-Star ConverTTable may be the coolest coffee table we've ever seen

A table that morphs into a driving simulator? Sign us up.

Also of interest:

• NHTSA proposes mandatory backup cameras by 2014
• Honda announces end of Element production
• Camry pedal recall prompts secondary repair, Toyota denies it's recalling a recall
• Report: Chevy Camaro poised to outsell Ford Mustang for first time in 25 years
• Democrats and Republicans agree on higher gas taxes, just not in public all the time

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 12.03.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.autoblog.com/~r/weblogsinc/autoblog/~3/V9YVbP7voUk/

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Video: Race-Star ConverTTable may be the coolest coffee table we've ever seen

Filed under: Toys/Games, Design/Style

Race-Star ConverTTable is our kind of furniture - Click above to watch video after the jump

A driving wheel sounds like a nice addition for any racing video game, but in reality it might not work as well as you hope. You have to find a place to mount the wheel and a make sure your pedals aren't sliding around the floor. It's not that much of a hassle, but a dedicated space for both wheel and pedals would be nice... throw in a racing seat and the virtual-racing ante has officially been upped.

But where would you store something like that and how do you craft it so as not to be a total eye-sore? Austrian company Race-Star has the answer and it comes in the form of the ConverTTable.

What appears to be a fairly basic box table actually hides a special gaming secret. The ConverTTable unfolds to reveal a driving wheel, adjustable pedals and a track mounted racing bucket. You can slide it in front of your TV and the Nürburgring on Gran Turismo 5 goes from a controller-hucking experience to a carousel-shredding event. When it's time to shut down the fun, simply fold the table back up and it turns right back into drink-holding furniture.

The price for a Race-Star ConverTTable setup is listed at €4,999, which translates to about $6,605 USD. That is a lot of coin for something you might be able to engineer in your garage. Can you produce the same level of fit-and-finish as Race-Star has achieved? Probably not, unless you are used to working with high-quality plastics. Regardless of the price, the Race-Star ConverTTable has earned its place on our Autoblog Holiday Wish List.

Hop the jump to see it in action.

Gallery: Race-Star Converttable

[Source: Race-Star]

Continue reading Video: Race-Star ConverTTable may be the coolest coffee table we've ever seen

Video: Race-Star ConverTTable may be the coolest coffee table we've ever seen originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.autoblog.com/~r/weblogsinc/autoblog/~3/c4sCMl1SOQw/

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BMW, Harley-Davidson among those that tapped Federal Reserve for billions during crisis

The U.S. government's Commercial Paper Funding Facility was established towards the tail-end of 2008. The CPFF was created to offer companies short-terms loan when traditional means of establishing credit were crumbling. Lehman Brothers had collapsed and AIG was taking expensive trips while showing the...

Source: http://www.roadst3r.com/clusters/bmw-harley-davidson-among-those-tapped-federal-reserve-for-billions-dur/

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Renault Megane RS N4

The Megane RS N4 is for customers wishing to run in a rally and Renault hopes to make the ultimate weapon on asphalt because the Megane is a front wheel drive. The 2-liter 4-cylinder 16-valve turbocharged now develops 270 hp and 470 Nm of torque. The electronic engine management and is signed Cosworth gearbox ZF limited slip wins.

Source: http://www.autocarbe.com/renault/renault-megane-rs-n4/

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Audi Announcement: 2012 A6 Sedan with 2.0TFSI Hybrid Engine - Pikaba Social Shopping

The 204HP model completes the 0-100 km/h (62mph) sprint in 7.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 240 km/h (149 mph). Average consumption in the EU cycle comes to 7.4 liters per 100 km (31.79 US mpg) with 172 g CO2 per km (276.81 g/mile).

The 3.0 TFSI sprints from standing to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds...

Source: http://www.roadst3r.com/clusters/audi-announcement-2012-a6-sedan-20tfsi-hybrid-engine-pikaba-socia/

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2010 Volvo XC60: Know What These Buttons Do?

Source: http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/2010/12/2010-volvo-xc60-know-what-these-buttons-do.html

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Followup: Farnbacher Loles team owner charged with $10M fraud

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

One year ago, we reported that Gregory Loles, team principal behind the well-regarded Farnbacher Loles racing outfit and Porsche performance shop, had gotten himself embroiled in an alleged fraud scheme. We hadn't heard much about the scandal since last December, but now the United States Attorney for Connecticut has announced that a federal grand jury has returned a 32-count indictment against Loles. Among the indictments, Loles is being charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering - to the tune of over $10 million dollars.

According to the official Department of Justice press release, Loles, 51, also owned an investment adviser and brokerage firm called Apeiron Capital Management, Inc., an operation he ran as an unregistered investment adviser after his SEC listing was canceled in 1998. Loles evidently misrepresented his dealings and used monies from his investors (including a Connecticut church's endowment and building funds) to pay personal bills and other unrelated expenses. While he was said to be diverting these funds, he provided false financial statements to his clients, and he made periodic payments to some of them using other investors' money.

The case is being investigated in conjunction with the FBI and SEC, and if convicted, Loles could be going away for a very long time. The mail fraud, wire fraud and four of the money laundering charges alone carry a maximum sentence of 20 years, and other charges carry terms of up to 10 years.

You can read more about the charges leveled against Loles in the official DOJ press release at the link below. Thanks for the tip, Benjamin!

[Sources: New Haven FBI, Newstimes | Image: Image: Chris Graythen/Getty]

Followup: Farnbacher Loles team owner charged with $10M fraud originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.autoblog.com/~r/weblogsinc/autoblog/~3/3IpOGRJwzCs/

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