We're Looking for New Carscoop Writers

We’re currently seeking new bloggers to join our motor-head team here at Carscoop.

Here's what we are looking for: 1) you need to be passionate about cars and up to date with the latest events and models in the global auto industry, and 2) you must be fluent in English with excellent writing skills (no exceptions) and have the ability to produce well written articles that are both informative and entertaining to read.

Ideally, we want someone that can post 2-4 articles per day throughout the week, possibly more during major car-related events like the Detroit and Geneva motor shows, and is available online sometime between 8am and 8pm EST USA.

Interested? To apply you need to send us an email with the subject line "Carscoop New Writers" to carscoop(at)gmail.com (or just click here) with three newly written sample posts (please do not link to other sites) on a freshly introduced production or concept model and/or a random automotive-related subject, between 100 and 250 words a piece, plus a few lines about yourself and a list with some of the car sites / forums you read on a regular basis.

It's really that simple, and we promise to read each and every one. If we think you're a match, we'll contact you in due time with more details about the position.

So, strap on your carpal tunnel wrist braces and rev up your intellectual engines, and let your inspiration flow!

*Please note that if we receive a high volume of applications, we may not be able to respond to each email individually.

Porsche Reportedly Considering Long-wheelbase Panamera for the U.S. and China

Porsche purists have never been too fond of the Cayenne and Panamera, but customers less interested in heritage and pedigree have bought plenty of them. In fact, both models have significantly boosted the automaker’s 2010 sales, so not only are the Germans going keep them in their lineup, but will also continue to pump out new versions, at least according to the latest rumors. Citing inside sources, Autoweek reported today that Porsche is now considering a...long-wheelbase version of the Panamera, which could go on sale in the United States and China as early as 2012.

The same sources stated that the four-door coupe’s wheelbase could be extended by as much as 5 inches (12.7 cm) for a total of 120 inches (3.05 meters), enabling the Panamera to go after the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Lang that boasts a 124-inch (3.15 m) wheelbase.

The additional length is said to result in longer rear doors, which will also improve access, one of the current Panamera’s flaws.

In other news, Porsche has allegedly postponed its plans for new Panamera body styles (convertible and shooting brake) until 2015.

“We've decided to wait until the second-generation model before adding alternative body styles,” a high-ranking Porsche official told the news site. “We're already flat-out meeting demand for a single body style as it is,” he added.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Autoweek

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VIDEO: 83 Y.O. Drives Ford F-150 on the Opposite Side of the Highway, Crashes but Survives!

A freaky but luckily non-fatal highway accident that involved an elderly man driving a 2007 Ford F-150 on the opposite side of the road was caught on film last Friday. The incident took place on the Interstate 5 near Camp Pendleton in San Diego when passengers of a vehicle on the other side of the highway noticed the driver of the Ford, who was later identified as 83 year-old Clarence Kinney, going the wrong way at an unknown speed and then suddenly crashing into the median wall.

According to Police reports, the force of the collision was so strong that it tore the pickup truck in two sending the cab of the F-150 into another lane an onto a tractor, while a Land Rover and a Toyota Sienna were also involved in the crash. Amazingly, no one was seriously injured in the incident.

The police reported that the 83 year-old driver of the F-150 was cited for driving the wrong way as well as for driving on a suspended license., adding that his driving privileges will be examined by the DMV.

Via: Signon Sandiego

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The Road Ahead: Two Visions for the Highways of Tomorrow

Cars have come a long way in the past forty years. We’ve seen the introduction of hybrids and hydrogen cars, Head Up Displays (HUDs), adaptive cruise control and in-car navigation. The modern automobile is widely considered to be better built, more fuel efficient and offering a better driving experience than the cars that preceded it just four decades before.

Compare this to the road. In 1861 the first speed limits were introduced in the UK. In 1917, the first highway centerline was painted on the M-15, a road that would one day become part of U.S. Highway 41. Cats eyes appeared in 1935 and the speed camera came in 1971. Since then, not much has changed. Speed limits may have varied and traffic laws may have evolved over the years, but the road itself essentially remains the same.

Scott Brusaw, a 53yo electrical engineer from Idaho, wants to change all that. His Solar Roadways concept is not just unique, it’s damn near Jetson-esque. Imagine driving on a highway made not of asphalt or concrete but of super strong, super durable glass. Beneath the glass would be solar cells that provide power to the embedded heating elements and LED road markings that keep the road clear of snow and visible to drivers in even the harshest of driving conditions.

The roads could even provide enough surplus energy to power homes and businesses on either side. How’s that for environmentally friendly commuting? An alternative to the Solar Roadways is Rajib Mallick’s clever pavement. The Worcester Polytechnic Institute civil engineer is working with his colleagues and a grant from the National Science Foundation and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to create pavement that contains thermal-insulating pipes that are constantly heated through summer. Like a giant underground thermos, these pipes retain the heat throughout winter, melting the surface ice (and presumably warming your feet).

To retrofit an existing pavement could cost as little as US$12,500 per fifty metres, with US$1,000 per fifty metres in maintenance costs and provide power to 55 homes. The whole thing could pay for itself in just five years in reductions in energy production and savings, Mallick estimates.

Compare this to Brusaw’s Solar Roadways that could cost as much as US$4.4 million a mile. A big ask, but then they would be more durable than asphalt roads and require less maintenance. And even during peak hour traffic, the solar cells would still being operating at fifty percent. Brusaw is looking for ways to make his Solar Roadways provide as much traction as its less sophisticated equivalents, and to find the optimum temperature for melting snow and ice without simultaneously melting your car tires.

Smarter roads are well within our technological grasp; it’s only a matter of time before our law makers decide to take them from fantasy to reality.

By Tristan Hankins

Photo Credits: Solar Roadways, Via: CNN & CNET

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Porsche to Unveil New Full Hybrid Model at Geneva Show, Can You Guess What it is?

Porsche is continuing its foray into the eco-friendly segment with a new full parallel hybrid vehicle that’s headed for the Geneva show, according to a statement released today. However, the Germans are keeping specific details hush-hush, only stating that the new model is set to build on the success of the Cayenne S Hybrid and “signals a new chapter” in the brand’s “Porsche Intelligent Performance” philosophy.

While we can’t confirm anything, signs point to a hybrid version of the Panamera four-door coupe, which was last mentioned (but long ago teased) at the end of January. Porsche then said that it’s considering a diesel-powered Cayenne for the States, which could be followed by diesel and gasoline-electric hybrid Panamera variants as well.

Given the Cayenne S Hybrid reference, it’s possible that the Panamera hybrid will use a similar powertrain setup with the SUV model, which features a 333HP 3.0-liter supercharged V6 gasoline engine and a 47HP (34 kW) electric motor for a combined output of 380HP (279 kW) and 580 Nm (428 lb-ft) of peak torque.

Porsche will also display in Geneva the 918 RSR hybrid racing car concept and hardcore Cayman R, plus the recently introduced 911 Black Edition and Boxster S Black Edition.

By Csaba Daradics

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New Lancia Stratos: 40 Buyers Interested in Ferrari-Based Supercar, Price Estimated at €400,000 or $545,000

A small series production of the Lancia-badged New Stratos seems increasingly likely as time passes by and more people learn about the supercar created by Pininfarina for German businessman Michael Stoschek.

According to the latest announcement, so far 40 potential buyers from Europe and other regions have registered their interest in the New Stratos, but Pininfarina and Stoschek believe that this number will continue to increase after the massive exposure from test drives and presentations in a variety of car magazines in their February and March issues.

The original cost of development of the New Stratos is rumored to be around €3 million but the company believes it can sell the supercar for somewhere around €400,000 or $545,000, which includes €100,000 for a Ferrari F430 donor car and €300,000 for the conversion.

The New Stratos, which pays homage to the legendary 1970s Lancia rally car made with parts borrowed from the Ferrari Dino V6, was designed and built by Pininfarina. Underneath its carbon-fibre body clothes lays a cut-down Ferrari 430 Scuderia chassis complete with its 4.3-liter V8 engine churning out an improved 540 ponies and over 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of peak torque.

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