Wishing All a Safe & Happy Holiday!

As we head out to our various holiday destinations (H Barry Boo included), I just wanted to send a small reminder to please drive safely and wear your seat belts -- every occupant, even pets! 



In case of a crash, your seat belt will help:

• Keep you from getting banged around the car's interior


• Keep you from getting ejected


• Keep you from colliding with another passenger


• Keep your body in optimum position if the airbag deploys

Also, take off your coats (and baby's too, obviously) and position the belts correctly:  across the hips (not the belly), and across the middle of the shoulder (NEVER behind the back). 



Thanks to everyone for their holiday greetings and treats!  Take care out there and enjoy.  'See you in a few...!

Space Bags Illustrate Puffy Coat Risk

Some people just do not believe that a puffy coat could really matter that much.  I think I have a way to illustrate the point:  Space Bags.



You know the commercial.  You know you really want one.  Put sweaters, blankets, or coats in the special zip loc bag.  Suck the air out of it with a vacuum hose.  Watch it shrink down and resemble a crumpled leaf.  Slide it under the bed and voila, no more puff.  Here's a thirty-second demonstration.



After the holidays I swear I'm going to get some at Bed Bath & Beyond and record my own demonstration.  If anyone else gets to it first, please let me know and link it to my Facebook or to the comments section!

Audi A1 Snapped During Commercial Filming with Justin Timberlake

A candid snapshot of the Audi A1, with pop-chart topper Justin Timberlake in the foreground, recently leaked out from a video and photo shoot. As the recently announced Audi A1 ambassador, Timberlake will be featured in a series of advertisements for the new supermini.

Our thanks to WorldCarFans reader "G" for raising the flag on this story.

Following official teaser renderings released a few days ago, the car appears to have headlights that bulge a bit as they extend outwards. The grille has a slight hexagonal shape, instead of a trapezoidal one. Air intakes appear to be larger, with foglights ringed in either chrome or white. It appears as though the A-pillar and roofline are still in a second color tone, as expected.

Do not read too much into the American pop star's involvement in the A1 campaign; this is not a sign that the car is coming to US soil. Despite the Mini Cooper's level of profitability in North America, Audi executives have long maintained that the volume of sales are not enough to justify bringing in another competitor. Audi boldly reiterated this line of thinking recently with a statement saying, "no sales are planned for the U.S."

Audi plans to introduce the urban commuter on the internet next February, with a full-reveal coming in March at the Geneva Motor Show.