Fun Stuff

The Stuntbusters team drops cars to test the theory of survival after dropping off a cliff.

The Stuntbusters check out the strength of a set of tyres and how long they can last before they pop … and how hot they get before they go critical.

The actor and comedian best known for his role as Kenny, and who recently finished "Beaconsfield" - a series based on the Tasmanian mine disaster - says Top Gear Australia was canned because of a falling audience."We have three more episodes that we have done but won't be shown on TV until the end of this year," he said. "We've finished up. Look, to be honest, I think the audience stopped watching because there were too many repeats."It just became too much. We were doing even episodes and the UK had 13. That's not many so there were a lot of repeats. The audience in Australia was still impressive - on our worst night we had half-a-million viewers. That's 200,000 more viewers than the Morning Today show or, the equivalent of filling the (Melbourne) tennis centre 30 times."Jacobson says he isn't "sad" about not fronting the show (with fellow presenters Steve Pizatti and Ewen Page). "I'm sad for the viewers," he said.He hopes to rectify that next year with a motoring show that "isn't anything like Top Gear". "We're in the final stages of getting a few more sponsors on board.  It's more about people and their cars, looking at older cars and collectors of cars," he said."Clayton (his director/producer brother with whom he collaborated on "Kenny") is in this as well. That surprised me a bit bcause he's so busy. But he sees a lot of interest in it."Jacobson appears this week in Top Gear Live at Burswood Dome then returns to finish filming telemovie "Jack Irish" with Guy Pearce. He also has some films in the pipeline including a voice-over for an Australian children's movie.He says he's now ended his status as an ambassador for Jenny Craig. "I lost 20kg, so I'm down to 106kg," he said."I did that because my doctor said I had issues with my blood pressure and cholesterol and said to me, frankly, "do you still want to play with your kids and stay off medication?'," he said. "That was enough for me."Jacobson said he retains the eating habits learnt through Jenny Craig and now mentors people who have weight problems.

1. The Flintstones carHow could this not be the ultimate cartoon car? To start, it's a rag top, so it's got sex appeal. It's a family car, seating a whole family and its pet dinosaur. Most importantly, it's the ultimate in green power. Forget about hybrid machines and electric power, this car was powered by foot and included two-foot brakes. And it came with leather seats. The number plate was XYZ643 not YABADO as in '94 movie.2. Homer Simpson's carIndestructible and pink. Homer's car was crashed so many times, yet it kept returning to each episode brand new - except for a minor dent in the front. It features a driver's side airbag, a bent radio aerial, and an eight-track audio system. While it is modelled on a 1973 Plymouth Valiant, Homer's mechanic says in one episode it is made from Soviet tanks and built in Croatia. The orange station wagon driven by his wife Marge is also similarly indestructible.3. The HomerYes, from the same cartoon show, this was Homer's vision of the perfect car. It was the height of sex appeal with its shag carpeting, tailfins and three horns that played La Cucaracha. Homer said the engine sound causes people to think the world's coming to an end and has "power like a gorilla, yet soft and yielding like a nerf ball". But its crowning glory was its family values with its separate sound-proofed dome to enclose the kids in the back seat, including restraints and muzzles. It also had supersized cup holders. It cost $82,000 and sent his half-brother's company bankrupt.4. Scooby Doo Mystery MachineThis multi-coloured psychedelic van was a mystery because it seemed to be able to fit a huge number of people: a Great Dane, four teenagers, the Harlem Globetrotters and various guest stars. The van was bought by redhead Daphne Blake's rich dad. He should have bought the rights to it as well, because millions have been made on the toy version.5. Speed Racer's Mach 5At 5000 horsepower this race car has five times more power than a Bugatti Veyron. It has many features such as being able to drive on the ocean floor, jacks for super jumps and quick repairs, and seven buttons on the steering wheel that could adjust road traction - 40 years before Ferrari thought of doing it with its F1 race car.6. Lightning McQueenThe star of the Pixars film, Cars, is an amalgam of three of the best-loved sports cars of all time: Chevy Corvette C1, Mazda MX-5 and Dodge Viper. Add a big smile on its face and give it a bright disposition and who couldn't love it? The car is mistakenly believed to be named after Hollywood star and car nut Steve McQueen, but is actually named after a Pixar worker who died of skin cancer.7. The GadgetmobileInspector Gadget's car was, of course, loaded with gadgets. They include the ability to turn itself into any other type of vehicle, radar to track Gadget's location, tyres that expand upwards and retractable jail bars for criminals in the back seat. But it's really a hoon machine with its rear-mounted powerful engine and constant law-breaking speeds. The Gadgetmobile says: "Speed limits are for cars, not the Gadgetmobile."8. The Compact PussycatPenelope Pitstop's compact pink convertible in the Wacky Races had red lip bumpers and was a beauty parlour on wheels. She often used these features in her car to improve her appearance and distract the other drivers in the race. Sometimes they even let her pass. Typical!9. Spider-MobileSpiderman's car wasn't ostentatious like the Batmobile, but a fun dune buggy. Spider-Man was asked by Corona Motors to drive a non-polluting vehicle but he asked friend Johnny Storm to customised a dune buggy. It features web-launchers, a spider-signal and could be disguised as a normal car. It was wrecked but later modified to go up walls and drive itself.10. Hong Kong Phooey's PhooeymobileThe "number one super guy" travels around in the Phooeymobile fighting crime with the aid of his manual, The Hong Kong Book Of Kung Fu. He's an incompetent anti-hero and a shocking driver who crashes into everything but gets away with it. When he drove the Phooeymobile through wet cement, splattering workers, they said it was an honour to have a whole day's work ruined by "the great Hong Kong Phooey". The perfect car for incompetent drivers.

Everyone's looking to be a chip off the old block, especially when that Block's first name is Ken and he tosses a car around like few can. The urban rally master is a legend among car enthusiasts for his Gymkhana video series. His marketing genius has made him just as popular with the suit-clad crowd, who appreciate his prowess at accumulating cash through ventures as varied as DC Shoes and Hoonigan car stickers.  Now kids can live the high-powered dream, with Block and Mattel teaming up to launch a line of Hot Wheels cars based on the Ford Fiestas he uses in his shows and on the WRC circuit.  The range rockets from the basic 1:64-scale die-cast Hot Wheels toy _ in black or white _ to a pocket-sized Hot Wheels RC Nitro Speeders Ken Block Fiesta. Those wanting to emulate Block's trademark drifts can pick up the 1:16-scale Ken Block RC stunt car, which Mattel says goes from 0-130km/h in two seconds.  Block is, funnily enough, a big fan of the range. "This is a dream come true, I never actually thought I'd have my own line of Hot Wheels cars," he says in the press release.  "I've been a huge fan of Hot Wheels for years, when I was a kid they were all I played with. I'd collect them, I'd jump them over things, I'd send them flying off of stuff, I'd race them around on the floor. So to be where I am now with my driving career and this new collaboration with Hot Wheels not just for my own1:64 cars, but also for two different remote control versions? It's amazing, I'm beyond stoked."

Two of Italy’s top adventure athletes - Marco Ponteri, 38, and Telemaco Murgia, 37 - will contest the gruelling five-day event in Tasmania wilderness. The Team Pirelli pair are both champion mountain bike, trail running and kayaking athletes, but will be up against stiff competition from around the world. Created by the Formula One driver in 2003, the Swisse Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge raises funds for the Mark Webber Foundation which has donated than $1 million for charities such as the ‘Leukemia Foundation’ and ‘Save the Tasmanian Devil’ Appeal. During the event from December 7-11, teams will compete in stages of climbs and abseiling at Freycinet Peninsula, paddling along the coastal cliffs and hidden bays of the Tasman Peninsula, running and mountain biking across the forests of Bruny Island and Alpine terrain, plus a spectacular ropes course, a whitewater paddling leg and one of the longest stretches of downhill bike riding in the island state. Mark Webber says he welcomes the news that Pirelli had secured two of Italy’s best adventure athletes to compete in the Challenge. “The calibre of both Marco Ponteri and Telemaco Murgia as Team Pirelli raises the bar for all involved in the event,” Webber says. “It will be quite a sight to see them demonstrate their extraordinary skills and we are thrilled to have them on board.” Ponteri, who regularly competes in adventure events across the world, says he is eager to push himself to the limit in the Challenge. “It is an exciting opportunity to take part in such a unique competition in what must be one of the most beautiful and challenging courses in the world,” Ponteri says. “I am very proud to be representing Pirelli and Italy in such a wonderful event, which not only will test the strength and endurance of the athletes but ultimately deliver some good outcomes to a diverse range of charities.” Pirelli Tyres Australia managing director Alessandro Marchi says the event is a great fit for the Italian brand. “Our further engagement in this exciting adventure race and the causes it supports, through the Mark Webber Foundation, is part of a long Pirelli tradition of taking part in community projects and activities all over the world that contribute to education, health and research,” he says. “We look forward to welcoming ‘Team Pirelli’ to Tasmania and cheering them on as they test their skills and strength in some of the most pristine wilderness in the world.”

Suncorp Claims Team has identified for Carsguide some of the more "unusual" claims stories to show a lighter side to the industry.

Cars have wrongly been interpreted as inanimate objects. But that's because a lot of people can't hear what the car is saying. Listen and look closely and be aware that the car could be having a hissy fit and telling you that things are going to get very expensive or you may be stranded for some time by the side of the road. Here's some things your car may be saying: 1. Lights on the dash: These are more than "annoying", as one motorist once told me. They mean something has gone horribly wrong or is about to. Red lights are bad - water or oil temperature or pressure. Blue lights are sort of good - you have your high beam headlights on.  2. A dull thud, thud: You have a puncture. This could be as simple as an inconvenience or become your worst nightmare. Apparently, according to most carmakers, you will never have a puncture so they fit either a temporary, motorcycle-size tyre; or a compressor kit with aerosol goo; or nothing at all. Time to join the auto club.  3. Clunk clunk when turning the car slowly. These are dollar bills manifesting themselves as sound. The noise is more than likely your car's constant-velocity (CV) joints and they can be $50-$100 each. You have four of these joints if you have a front-wheel drive car, eight if you have an all-wheel drive. And yes, you must get them replaced.  4. White smoke behind the car. Hopefully, it's not coming from your car. If it is it could be something as simple as residual engine oil spilling onto the hot exhaust - smelly and annoying - or the first stages of the total meltdown of your engine (really expensive and time consuming) or if you have a turbocharger, the oil seals have died and you're either up for a complete pull-down or a new turbo (also expensive).  5. Click, click when you turn the ignition. You have no battery power. If you have a manual car and you live on a hill, it can be push started. If you have an automatic, reach for the Yellow Pages and call an auto electrician or auto club. If you have a second car, get to a battery retailer and buy a new one. 6. Deathly silence as brake pedal extends to the floor. You have no brakes or brake fluid. This is really serious and clearly you will not be driving this car until it's fixed.  7. The ignition's off but the engine is still going. The erratic thunk, thunk as the petrol engine still runs without the ignition key is loosely called "dieseling" or "two-stroking" and happens when the hot engine ignites any fuel it can find without needing a spark from the ignition system. It means you car is very badly tuned, or overly hot, or worse. Instant repair needed.  8. Noisy engine and automatic gearbox won't change up. This isn't a good sign. It means the auto is losing hydraulic fluid pressure or the bands that hold the gears are slipping. This can be a tear-down or a replacement with a reconditioned box and, as you'd guess, won't come cheap.  9. Grinding noise when changing gear (manual transmission): The pedal on the left is the clutch. Depress it before moving the gear shifter. If there's still a noise, your clutch has gone south. That could mean the hydraulic fluid for the clutch slave cylinder (actuator) has leaked away. Immediate attention required.  10. No noise as car suddenly stops (in the most inconvenient place). When did you last put fuel in the tank? Cars generally don't just stop - they'll retire gracefully with a slow slide to the road kerb - unless there's a big noise and usually some smoke or steam. Running out of fuel is just a pain. Big noise and smoke is catastrophic.

This bike jump is a major fail. With a face full of dirt.

Buy your child a pony. Stuff it in the back and drive home. Doh