All the talk in the automotive world lately is the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal. The company recently admitted it falsified output of carbon emissions from diesel cars by programming engine management software in some diesel models to turn on emission controls only during testing. Once affected vehicles passed testing and returned to the roadways, they would rup up to 40 times more emissions than revealed at the test site, according to officials with the US Environmental Protection Agency. That's one dirty move. In the aftermath of the confession, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn stepped down and the company issued a recall of some 11 million vehicles in the US alone, with upward of $7.2 billion set aside to cover related costs. Affected models are: Jetta (Manufacturing...

The movie starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Amy Adams won't be released until next March. But film car buffs and fans of super hero flicks are getting an epic preview of the newest Batmobile to be featured in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The massive muscle movie ride recently was unveiled at the Warner Brothers Studio tour in Hollywood, California. Executives say the next-generation Batmobile combines elements of the sleek, streamlined design of classic Batmobiles and the high-suspension, military build sported in the more recent Tumbler from the Dark Knight Trilogy. Created by production designer Patrick Tatopoulos, the new Batmobile measures nearly 20 feet long and 12 feet wide and we here at E3 Spark Plugs think it's one of the coolest yet. Want to see the new...

We here at E3 Spark Plugs belive this just might be the grooviest automotive auction ever. A customized 1965 Porsche 365C 1600 Cabriolet that once belonged to iconic singer and songwriter Janis Joplin is up for sale at RM Sotheby’s in New York in December. Originally oyster white before its crazy colorful paint job, the ride is expected to fetch upward of £260,000  - that's $396,350 in US dollars. Joplin purchased the car used in 1968 for a mere $3,500 and comissioned roadie Dave Roberts to give it a psychedelic revamp. The paint job dubbed "The History of the Universe" took a month to complete and quickly became one of the most recognizable sights in the San Francisco area where Joplin lived. That paint job also proved a bit of an insurance policy. When the car...

With this month's release of the National Insurance Crime Bureau's list of the top 10 most stolen rides in 2014, there's a lot of talk about just how to avoid becoming a car theft victim statistic. One idea: If you live in California, Washington or Texas, consider a move. NICB statistics show that cities in these three states fill the list of the top 10 metropolitan areas with the highest auto theft rates last year. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California Bakersfield, California Stockton-Lodi, California Odessa, Texas Modesto, California Spokane-Spokane Valley, Washington Vallejo-Fairfield, California Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington Fresno, California San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California What gives? Experts say that port and border cities are notorous hotbeds for...

Drive a Honda? You might want to look into a few theft-deterrent options. That's because the Honda Accord and Honda Civic took the top two spots on the National Insurance Crime Bureau's list of the most stolent rides in 2014. The nearest contenders weren't even close. The news comes as no surprise to insurance pros and law enforcement. The same two cars topped the annual list last year as well. Experts point to the fact that both models are known for reliability, which means many older models remain on the roadways - and those older rides lack modern security features that come standard in more recently manufactured vehicles. Plus, their enduring popularity makes them less noticeable when the BOLOs go out. Here's the NICB's list of the 10 models most likely to disappear from America's...

Statistics from the FBI show that upward of 700,000 vehicles are lifted each year, with metropolitan areas in California, Washington and Texas having the highest auto theft rates. And if you own a Honda Accord or Civic, you're at particular risk. These popular rides known for their reliabilty top the National Insurance Crime Bureau's list of the most stolen vehicles in 2014.To avoid contributing to such statistics, E3 Spark Plugs offers these eight great tips for avoiding having your ride disappear from the parking lot or driveway: Drive a manual: An ever growing percentage of Americans don't know how or simply don't want to drive a manual. And if they can't drive it, they can't steal it. Take your steering wheel with you: Quick release steering wheel kits are increasingly...

The racing world is reeling from the untimely death of one of its most beloved. British open-wheel racer Justin Wilson passed away August 23rd after a horrfic on-track crash at the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway. The 37-year-old was struck in the head by the carbon-fiber nosecone of race leader Sage Karem when Karem's Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet hit the Tricky Triangle's outside wall, sending debris flying up and down the track as it essentially disintegrated. Footage shows that Wilson appeared to lose control and spear left into the track's inside wall. He was immediately airlifted to an Allentown, PA hospital, where he never emerged from a coma.In homage to Wilson, a husband and father of two daughters from Sheffield, England, fellow racers gathered on Thursday to parade five...

Statistics show that drunk driving kills one person every 52 mintues throughout the United States. You might think that these accidents are more frequent in larger party cities like Los Angeles, New York or Miami. But you'd be wrong. Turns out that drunk driving crashes are far more likely to happen along the long stretches of open road that connect small towns in rural western areas, where drivers often are tempted to drive faster and less carefully for longer distances. A new study commissioned by the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminsistration took a look at road fatalities stats associated with drunk driving all across the country. The data turned up a total of 94,550 drunk driving deaths between 2004 and 2013, and identified the roadways where these accidents happened most....

In 2013 pro motocross racer Zack Bell experienced one of the most harrowing crashes the industry and its fans would see all year. It happened at the Dallas Supercross event where Bell was making his 250SX debut. He was leading his heat race and launching off a triple when it all went wrong and he found himself soaring through the air sans-bike, then landing hard on the dirt-covered concrete track. Those in the stands were sure Bell's career and possibly his life were over. So, you can imagine the shock when he got up and walked away.In most any other case, Bell likely would have suffered a major head injury. But on that day, he just happened to be wearing a 6D Advanced Imact Defense helmet designed by someone who knows all too well the daily dangers that competitive bike racers...

With Old Glory again flying over the American Embassy building for the first time in over half a century, there's renewed interest in all things Cuba. And for vintage car enthusiasts, that means the eventual possibility of a firsthand look at the one thing the Pearl of the Antilles is best known or - Classic American rides. Meanwhile, for speed-loving children of the Revolution, those storied American-made machines are much more than simple modes of transportation. They represent freedom, thrill and the competitive spirit, as beautifully illustrated in the new documentary, Havana Motor Club. Says the film's website: "Punctuated by a lively Cuban soundtrack, Havana Motor Club captures a nation at a crossroads. Changing international relationships and economic reforms have offered...