VIDEO: Driver Tries and Fails Spectacularly to Park

For years the debate has raged over unintended acceleration. Is it the result of a design defect or is it simply driver error? Well, this video put forward for the case of the latter as one driver's attempt to park goes horribly, hilariously wrong. Watch the white car entering from the top right at approximately 6 seconds in. Everything seems normal up until 23 seconds, when suddenly...

You might have to watch it again to get the full effect. With the steering wheel still hard over, the driver realizes he or she has gone too far. Rather than hitting the brake, he or she hits the accelerator instead and the car surges forward, demolishing a door and slamming into the side of another parked car.

It's one of those things that has to be watched over and over again (I know I did). Feel free to leave your jibes, chides and other remarks in the comments below.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

New SEAT Ibiza Bocanegra Unveiled at Barcelona, Available with 150 and 180HP 1.4 TSI

Volkswagen Group's Spanish division, SEAT, chose the Barcelona International Auto Show to debut the road-ready version of its sporty Ibiza Bocanegra that was first shown as a concept at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show a little over 12 months ago. In essence, the Bocanegra is a more dramatic-looking version of the Ibiza Cupra and it will be offered with a 1.4-liter twin-charged TSI engine in 150HP and 180HP guises, as found in the Ibiza FR and Ibiza Cupra respectively.

The new sporty variant of the Ibiza pays homage to the Spaniards' original Bocanegra, the 1200 Sport, which debuted in its home country back in 1975. Just like the Geneva Show concept, the production model boasts several unique black styling elements at its nose – hence the Bocanegra name which translates as 'black mouth' in Spanish.

Other styling tweaks on the exterior include a broader grille, a new treatment for the fog light surroundings, black door mirror housings, a dark tinted sunroof and newly designed 17-inch alloy wheels. At the back, the Bocanegra features honeycomb mesh on the side grids, a roof spoiler and a tinted rear window plus a prominent "Bocanegra" badge centred on the rear hatch.

The hot hatch's interior has also been upgraded with sport seats upholstered in a special fabric made up of rhomboids stitched together in red, a three-spoke flatt-bottomed steering wheel, gloss black trim, aluminum-clad pedals and a Bocanegra logo on the instrument panel.

The Ibiza Bocanegra in both 150HP and 180HP versions will hit European showrooms this summer.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Paris Preshow: Seat IBE Sports Coupe Concept No2

At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, which opens on 30 September, Seat will present a second iteration of its IBE small sports car concept. The first version of the coupe-ish hatchback with the low bonnet and long roofline was introduced at the Geneva Salon this past March (see here).

Since then, the car has gained an interior while its exterior design has been tweaked with a restyled lower fascia and new LED headlamps and tail lights. Furthermore, the car is now finished in a more eye-catching cherry-red color.

The super-compact sports coupe concept with the 2+2 seat layout is around 200 mm shorter than the Ibiza measuring just 3,830 mm in length. However, it is also unusually wide at 1,770 mm with a height of just 1,230 mm.

The Spanish automaker says the IBE has ample space for two and "plenty of room in the back for the option of a trip for four". The rear seat backs can be folded individually to form a flat surface that is level with the floor of the luggage compartment.

The concept is equipped with several gadgets including a wireless application to connect a smart phone to the IBE and conduct an on-line check of the car's systems.

The IBE is an all-electric vehicle. The drive motor, which has a maximum output of 75 kW (102 hp) and 200 Nm of torque, is located together with the power electronics at the front of the car, while the lithium-ion battery is positioned in the rear.

Seat says that the IBE, which tips the scales at only 1,100 kg or 2,425 pounds, can dash from 0 to 50 km/h in 3.6 seconds and reach 100km/h from standstill in 9.7 seconds. Top speed pegged at 160 km/h or 100 mph, while the battery offers a total driving range of around 130 kilometers (80 miles).