Gordon Murray's Batmobile

In the annals of Batmobile history, we’re not sure where to peg this latest version. The good: It’s dark, it’s carbon fiber and it spits flames from a carbon-ceramic afterburner. The bad: It’s just really freaking dull. But because it’s been designed by Gordon Murray of McLaren F1 fame (not to mention the strange-but-somehow-cool T.27 city car), we want to love it. But can’t.

Unlike the jet-engined powered Batmobiles of yore, Murray’s design is an odd attempt at the Dark Knight going green, with a hydrogen fuel cell and a brace of lithium-ion batteries. The carbon fiber body supposedly “breathes” and the “virtual wheels” are ringed in LEDs. How either of those features help the caped crusader fight crime is beyond us, but then again, so is the idea of the Batman Live World Arena Tour it’s been built for.

You can check out Murray’s original sketch below and watch a duo of videos. We’re going to weep quietly as yet another childhood dream vehicles succumbs to the PC overlords.

Wilson Automotive Group Toyota

Wilson Automotive Group Honda

Wilson Automotive Group Lexus

Courtesy of autoblog.com

DAVID WILSON’S FORD OF ORANGE PARTNERS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO HOST TEEN DRIVER SAFETY AWARENESS EVENT

David Wilson’s Ford of Orange is partnering with the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the California Highway Patrol, and the Anaheim and Orange Police Departments to host a FREE parent/teen driver safety awareness event on Thursday, June 23rd at their local dealership.

Vehicle crashes remain the No.1 killer of teenagers in the United States, claiming nearly 6500 lives every year. But as young drivers gain experience, studies demonstrate the crash rates decline considerably. “Teen driver safety and awareness is the most important lesson to teach, so here at David Wilson’s Ford of Orange we are committed to providing this free event to our local community” said Chris Pratt, Fleet and Commercial Director for David Wilson’s Ford of Orange.

David Wilson’s Ford of Orange is supporting safe driving and awareness initiatives that educate new and existing drivers because they believe it is critical to making the roads safer for everyone. “We believe in the importance of driving right? from the start, and encouraging teens to take the challenge of becoming safe drivers” said Pratt.

The event will include guest speakers from the California Highway Patrol to speak about highway and state safety, as well as Orange and Anaheim Police Departments to discuss local city traffic regarding teens. Representatives from the Department of Motor Vehicles will discuss the process of getting a driver’s license and Teen Road to Safety will discuss driving schools and the training process. This is a free event, and all guest speakers will provide informational booths for parents and teens to ask questions and receive material handouts.

For more information contact Christopher Pratt at (714) 633-6731 or cpratt@fordoforange.com

Toyota City, Japan, May 31, 2011—Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), as part of its social contribution activities, will introduce Table for Two (TFT), a program aimed at both encouraging healthy eating habits among its employees and providing meals to children in famine-afflicted areas of Africa. The program is administered by Table for Two International*, a non-profit organization that works to solve food-related problems around the world.

Beginning June 1, TMC will serve TFT lunches every Wednesday at a total of 15 employee cafeterias in the Tokyo head office and the Toyota City head office area. The price of these healthy lunches will include a 10-yen donation—matched by TMC—to be channeled through Table for Two International. This 20 yen can provide one hot school lunch to a child in Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi or Ethiopia. In this way, meals can be shared with those in need.

This is the first introduction of such a program, which TMC plans to expand companywide in stages, by a Japanese auto manufacturer.

As many as 1 billion people in developed countries are afflicted by obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases caused by overeating, while even more people in developing countries suffer from hunger. Table for Two International was established to address both aspects of this imbalance.

Separately, as part of wide-ranging efforts to support areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and its aftermath, meals containing ingredients produced in Japan’s Tohoku region are being served at TMC’s employee cafeterias. Some of these ingredients are planned for use in TFT lunches.

Courtesy of toyota.com