They're calling it a "wild blend of innocence and Coen Brothers violence" - and with good reason. Imagine a film in the ilk of 1986's Stand by Me-meets-Joel and Ethan Coen's murderous debut, Blood Simple and you've got sense of Director Jon Watts' Cop Car. The film stars Kevin Bacon as both the cop and the bad guy. When two 10-year-old boys find Sheriff Kretzer's car seemingly abandoned in a field, they take it for a joyride. And that's when the cat-and-mouse game turns deadly. "Edge-of-seat drama," says one reviewer. "The adults are suitably weird/deranged, but the two young stars completely steal the show. Their performances felt totally honest... I would recommend this film even if you think you can't stand child actors. Or Kevin Bacon. Or cop films. Or car chases. Not for the...

In 2011, all the talk from the moment of its unveiling at the Frankfurt Auto Show was of Maserati's Kubang concept (pictured). Almost immediately, rumors that a production version would hit the market within a decade began to circulate. Turns out those rumors were true. Reportedly set for debut at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show in January, the Levante will mark Maserati's entry into the luxury crossover/SUV market. It's named for the Via Emilia Levante in Bologna, the street where legend has it that the Maserati brothers, about a century ago, dreamed up the company that bears their name to this day. And you can bet that it'll be a head turner no matter which street it rolls down. Word has it that the 2016 model will feature Maserati's 3.0L V6 engine, with a 560hp V8 planned for the...

One might say that the revving of a well-tuned ride's engine is music only to the ear of a bona fide gearhead. Not so, says hip hop and pop artist will.i.am. To prove it, he hooked up with Lexus and Marshmallow Laser Feast, makers of musical laser forests, light painting and quadcopters. In a single night, organizers built and executed what boils down to a musical racetrack using some350 motion- and auto-sensitive lasers and lights, three Lexus NX CUVs and three drivers with some serious precision skills. The lasers were laid out down a runway and set to go off as the vehicleshttp://e3sparkplugs.com/automotive-sparkplugs sped past. Each ride had to be precise in not only placement but speed to get it right. Why? Because all those lasers and lights were set up to play will.i.am's...

Is nothing sacred anymore? Apparently, in fashion and advertising, anyway, the answer is a resounding "no!" Case in point - the utter destruction of a perfectly good vintage Porsche 911 that any of us here at E3 Spark Plugs would rather have parked in our garage than witness such a senseless (though bizarrely riveting) act of automotive travesty. The purveyors of this particular injustice are the advertising shmucks behind the Rag & Bone fashion label that's sold in more than 700 stores worldwide. The label's newest commercial begins in the odd, heavily black fashion that a lot of haute couture do. In this case, black smoke billows up through a hole in a harshly lit white room where a woman magically changes outfits a few times. Next, a gorgeous black vintage Porsche shows up...

So there's good news and bad news. The good news is that between 1994 and 2012, the total number of motor vehicle fatalities decreased by 15 percent. The bad news is that during that same timeframe, the number of motorcycle fatalities in particular doubled. In fact, statistics show that a motorcyclist is 30 times more likely to die in a crash than an automobile passenger, with traumatic head injuries being the top cause of death. And according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), much of the blame lies in substandard motorcycle helmets that are marketed as road-safe, but actually little more than decorations.NHTSA officials recently proposed a new rule that calls for a boost in safety standards and labeling requirements for motorcycle helmets....

At first glance it's a stunningly pristine 1968 Mustang - black with neon green racing strips and chrome trim. But take a look under the hood and it's immediately clear that this is not your classic restoration. Rather, it's the first of a series of muscle car-to-electric vehicle conversions planned by Texas-based Blood Shed Motors. "Something about old school American muscle just really gets my blood pumping," said host Johnathan Buckley in a recent episode of Autoblog's Translogic video series featuring the Zombie 222. "But when you take two electric motors, in this case, producing 1,800 pounds of torque with 800 horsepower and you've got something really, really special." Special, indeed. This classic Pony car's innards have been completely transformed from a 289-cubic-inch...

"Crafty like lynx. Fast like Eagle. Tough like bear." That's the tagline used to drive sales of the all-new 2015 Albanian Tartan Prancer, the crazy cool ride that's the Eastern European mid-range. You know you already want one. Sorry 'bout your luck - this one's only available if you happen to exist within the fictional realm of the upcoming Vacation movie. That's right - the Griswolds are on the road again in the new film set for release July 29. This time, it's a grown up Rusty at the wheel with his own brood and a mission to treat them to the same fun-filled, family bonding, Walley World road trip experience that dear old Dad provided in 1983's comedy classic National Lampoon's Vacation. But Rusty (played by Ed Helms), wife Debbie (Christina Applegate) and their two sons have...

August is just around the corner. For most US states, it's the hottest month of the year. Here in Florida, where E3 Spark Plugs is based, it's brutal - especially if your ride's air conditioning system is busted. In a desperate effort to avoid sweat-soaked hours feeling like you're riding around town in a pressure cooker on wheels, many of us are tempted to take that whole topping-off thing a little too seriously. Of course, that's exactly what you want to do once a year when it comes to motor oil, antifreeze, etc. But recharging your AC system annually typically isn't necessary. Barring any issues necessitating repair, your AC should only need recharging once every two to three years, automotive experts say. Of course there are a few telltale signs that your ride's AC system is...

At 10 years old, Camilo Pardo moved with his family to Detroit. The move would prove a major factor in the budding young artist's career, prompting a fascination with 1960s and '70s-era sports cars. Today, he's among the nation's most celebrated automotive artists. After graduating from the Motor City's prestigious design school Center for Creative Studies in 1985, Camilo was hired by Ford Design Center in Dearborn Michigan with assignments in the company's Torino, Italy and Cologne, Germany studios. Among his most celebrated works are the state-of-the-art redesign of the classic Ford GT race car (which became the 2002 Fort GT concept car) and the wildly successful 2005 and 2006 production Ford GTs. Today, Pardo's designs and his Detroit studio have become so beloved in the...

Those among us of a certain age remember it well - Sidling up close to your date in the front seat of Dad's car, the window rolled down and topped with a concession tray, and a metal speaker just outside turned up to hear the dialog synched with the action on the giant outside screen. Oh, yeah! Drive-in theaters were the top spot for treating your sweetheart to a fun, romantic night out. Sometimes, we actually watched the movie. With roots going back to 1921, when Claude V. Caver of Comanche, Texas secured a permit from the city to project silent films downtown while the proper folk watched from the dashes of their Tin Lizzies and Hatfield Coupes and Brewster Town Cars, drive-ins are as iconic an American feature as hot dogs and apple pies. The number of theaters grew and the...