DARPA Selects XC2V to Replace HUMVEEs [with Video)

The trusted HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle), or as the troops (and everyone else) understandably calls it, Humvee, is getting a little long in the tooth, having entered service for the first time in 1984.

So it’s reasonable that DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) started looking for a suitable, and more up-to-date replacement with the Experimental Crowd-derived Combat Support Vehicle project –or, in civilian-speak, “the first crowd-sourced, military relevant vehicle design”.

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VIDEOS: “Monster” Tajima Breaks 10 Min Record at Pikes Peak with 910-hp Suzuki SX4

Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima has broken his own record at this year’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb, completing the 12.42-mile (19.9 km) “Race to the Clouds” in just 9:51.278, demolishing the 10:1.408 time he set four years ago.

“Monster” Tajima, who has being racing at Pikes Peak every year since 1988, accomplished this extraordinary feat driving an extremely modified Suzuki SX4 with 910-horses. Second fastest was Rhys Millen in the modified Hyundai PM580, with a time of 10:09.242.

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Fail: Wile E. Coyote’s Long Lost Cousin goes Rock Climbing

When common sense goes out the window, you can usually expect one of two things to follow: tragedy or comedy. What you’re about to view in the video after the break could have turned tragic, but since it appears that no one was seriously hurt, we’re going to categorize it as comedy. Read more »

Jackie Evancho’s Album Sales Top Charts – Singer Talks Next Steps - Video

Young Jackie Evancho is only 11-years old, but she has the top selling Album on Amazon.

This week, her “Dream with Me” album outsold every artist except Adele, selling more albums then Bon Iver, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Selena Gomez and Lady Gaga.

To be fair, Jackie’s album was just released June 14th and she has had tons of air time on the June PBS fund drive, so time will tell if her staying power is real.

We think it is.

Related: Video - Meet Jackie Evancho, She’ll Melt Your Heart and Make You Cry

All you have to do is hear her sing and you can see she has what it takes to be a strong contender on today’s music scene.

She considers herself a crossover opera singer, and knows she will not get by on just singing opera.

But boy can see sing opera.



Just over a year ago, Evancho was taking second place on America’s Got Talent and today she’s singing duets with Susan Boyle and Barbara Streisand.

One of our favorites is her version of Sarah McLachlan’s hit “Angel” that was released as a single, and as a track on “Dream With Me.”

Related: Watch Jackie Evancho Sing “Angel”

After meeting 17-time Grammy Award winner David Foster, the two worked on creating and producing her current album - and the results have been better than both of them expected.

When asked about the title for her new album Jackie says,

“Well, the last CD that I had done was called 'Prelude to a Dream' and that's the beginning of a dream. Prelude is usually the beginning of a song or beginning of something. With 'Dream With Me,' I've kind of already made it. So, that dream has become real life, so now it's the real thing.”

And her dream has come true, and the first stop was the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota Florida where she filmed her PBS special.



And we have to say, her PBS special was amazing.

But what's in store for the new super star now that her album has been released and the World has discovered her?

Evancho says with all that has happened, she has to attend school on-line and misses her friends she used to see every day,

“Cyber School is really, really hard. And it’s boring, you know? I’d rather do normal school than go to online school.”

When asked if she is able to understand the deep emotion in some of her songs she says,

“All of the songs are emotional to me. 'Angel' is really sad because it’s about suicide. It’s really emotional. It’s really easy for me to show my emotions but it’s hard to listen to because it’s so sad.”

Watch Jackie Evancho Sing “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan


She sure does know how to make your heart melt.

When asked where she wants to go from here, and what her next steps are she says,

“I want to continue with my music but I also want to be a normal kid. This whole thing has happened so fast my parents and I are still just trying to sort it all out. For now, I’m just going to keep singing and see what happens next.”

Jackie says opera is her first love but she also likes the music of Josh Groban and Lady Gaga. She has also started writing and would like to start creating her own songs from start to finish.

Evancho also likes to play with her many pets. In fact, she calls her pet collection her “pet menagerie” and it includes nine hermit crabs, two guinea pigs, three dogs, two cats, a lizard, three frogs and four ducks.

The young opera crossover singer is currently on a mini tour with upcoming shows in Sun Valley Idaho, Atlanta Georgia, Highland Park Illinois, Omaha Nebraska, and Dallas Texas.

Jackie has already appeared on the Jay Leno Show and can be seen on CNN’s Piers Morgan show June 30th.

Go get ‘em kiddo.

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Greenpeace wants to Turn VW Away from the Dark Side, Launches Spoof Star Wars Ads

The rebel alliance from…Greenpeace launched a coordinated attack against the Volkswagen Group this morning by airing spoofs of the German firm’s now famous mini Darth Vader commercial, taking over advertising hoardings to install their own banners on billboards located in London and unleashing “eco-storm troopers” to protest on London's Old Street.

Greenpeace went ahead with the attack to draw attention to its concerns over the German company’s ecological record.

The environmental activist group claims that the car giant is “spending millions of Euros every year funding lobby groups who are trying to stop Europe increasing its commitment to greenhouse gas reductions from 20% to 30% by 2020” and calls Volkswagen to turn away from the Dark Side.

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Mazda’s Legendary 787B Le-Mans Winner to Race at Goodwood

It’s been 20 years already, yet it feels like yesterday when Mazda in 1991 became the first, and to date, the only Japanese manufacturer to win the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. The weapon of choice was the rotary-engine-powered 787B, which sported a carbonfibre body, an output of 700 PS and a 210 mph (338 km/h) top speed. Read more »

Yes Please: Porsche 911 with GM LS1 V8 Power [Videos]

By taking a kitbashed GM-sourced LS1 V8 engine and slotting it into an AWD Porsche 996, LS1tech forum member “1dirtyZ” has set out to create something truly unique. Sure, it’s unconventional and perhaps a little sacrilegious...but just look at the Porsche donor car.

It’s a wreck, the victim of a catastrophic engine fire. It has a ruined interior and a body that’s been damaged both by fire and rust. It would have spent the rest its days rotting away in a car wreckers yard if 1dirtyZ had not rescued it.

And even though this confabulation of All-American grunt and German precision engineering is not yet finished (it doesn’t have a rear bumper, for one), it certainly runs and can even be driven around a dirt race track. You can check out our gallery of in-progress images below and a handful of videos showing the V8-powered Porsche 911 running.

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Sacha Baron Cohen gets Glitzy Gold Dartz for the Needs of his New Movie The Dictator

After becoming worldwide known for his portrayal of the fictional character Borat from the Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, and the lesser successful flamboyantly gay Austrian fashion show presenter, Brüno, English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen is returning to the big screen with a new movie called The Dictator.

And what may that have to do with a car site, we hear you ask? Well, for one, we’re going to see him facing off three Lamborghinis with his camel on the streets of New York, but most importantly, we learned that the dictator he portrays will ride in an “all-gold Dartz” armored truck.

For those of you with a weak memory, the Russian maker of the Dartz Prombron had made headlines about a year ago when it introduced a special version of the armored truck with its interior slathered in…whale-penis leather.

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Ferrari’s World Design Supercar Contest: Detroit College Video

A few days ago we reported on the seven finalists of Ferrari’s World Design Contest in which the best design schools from all over the globe submit their proposals, both in Autodesk 3D software and in actual 1:4 scale models.

Their goal? To envision the Ferraris of the future or in the words of the Italian supercar company, “design a pure supercar with technology and materials from the latest generation, a car with an extreme architecture, while functional in every aspect”.

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VIDEO: Lexus LF-A Nurburgring Edition Laps the Nordschleife in 7:22.85

Carscoop reader Shinya Yamamoto from Japan tipped us off about this video showing the new Lexus LF-A Nurburgring Edition (or at least that’s what the Youtube poster claims we’re seeing here) lapping the famous Nordschleife circuit in 7 minutes and 22.85 seconds. The poster videotaped the run from a video screen set beside the LF-A Nurburgring Edition.

According to the person who shot the clip, Lexus raced the car just before this past weekend’s 24-hour Nurburgring endurance race kicked off.

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Subaru in the Midst of Saudi Women Driving Uproar

Last month, a 32-year old woman named Manal al-Sharif was arrested in Saudi Arabia for committing the crimes of… driving and posting a video on Youtube urging other women to drive too.

This is strictly forbidden by the Wahhabi sect of Suni Islam which is Saudi Arabia’s religion, as women are not allowed to apply for a driver’s license or mix with men (e.g. in service or gas stations) or even leave the home without male company.

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Video - Greyson Chance Covers Michael Jackson and Releases New Album Details

Move over Justin Bieber – there’s a new kid on the block.

13-Year-Old Greyson Chance stormed the world after being discovered on YouTube playing Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” and has quickly turned into a rising star.

Of course the inevitable comparisons to Bieber are to be expected, but Greyson is a lot more “rock” with a little pop, where Bieber is nothing but “pop” and very little rock.

As it turns out, Ellen DeGeneres took young Greyson under her wing and is producing his album and managing his career after creating her “eleveneleven” record company and signing Greyson as her first artist.

Now, after his two hit singles “Waiting Outside The Lines” and “Unfriend You”, he is preparing his first full length album due this August.

As a tease, Chance released the cover art for the highly anticipated album titled “Hold On ‘Til Night”.

Greyson Chance's New Album Cover

Greyson says it’s not just art and there is meaning to it saying,

“The album cover is not just about art – it’s mainly about words. Words mean everything in this world and can both help and hurt people. The words on the piano, and all over the cover, are happy words, positive words. I like to think of my music as a way to convey positive words to the entire world.”

Okay, maybe a little deep coming from the mind of a 13-year-old but we definitely get the idea.



Greyson credits Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson as his two main influences because they have amazing music and are (were) not afraid to be who they wanted to be regardless of who the world felt they should be.

In a tribute to Jackson’s two year anniversary since his tragic death, Chance covered one of his favorite Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5's song “I Wanna Be Where You Are.”

Watch Greyson Cover Michael Jackson


And if Greyson wasn’t busy enough, he is currently traveling around North America with his friend and tour mate Cody Simpson on their “Waiting 4 You” tour.

Greyson also has his own professional web site at Greyson-official.com and YouTube Channel that already has over 67 million views.

Keep your eye on this kid, he’s going to be a star.

See Also:
> Meet Jackie Evancho – She’ll Melt Your Heart – Video
> Greyson Chance Does Lady Gaga on the Ellen Show

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Top Gear Season 17 Episode 1 Starts with a Blast: Forget about the Hummer, Meet the Marauder [Video]

Yesterday we brought you news about the first episode of the seventh season of BBC’s Top Gear TV series which aired last night featuring the Paramount Group’s Marauder. The South African-built armored vehicle was driven by TG presenter Richard Hammond in its native country.

However, “driven” is an understatement, since Hammond made the Marauder flatten cars, smash through walls and defy lion attacks. He also took a bright red one for a drive around Johannesburg, creating quite a fuss.

Read more »

Video – Meet Jackie Evancho – She Will Melt Your Heart and Make you Cry!

Move over Lady Gaga – there’s a new kid in town.

And we mean move over, as in get out of the way.

If you haven’t heard of Jackie Evancho you will soon.

Why?

Because Jackie just released her first feature length CD, “Dream With Me”, and it’s outselling every major artist on the pop music scene today.

Young Ms. Evancho is only 11-years-old and was born is Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. She has several brothers and sisters and says she fell in love with music after seeing “The Phantom of the Opera” on television.

After hearing her sing, her mother, Lisa, entered her into a local talent contest where she came in second place – Jackie was only eight years old.

After narrowly missing out on winning several more talent contests, her parents allowed the ten-year-old prodigy to audition for the television show “America’s Got Talent.”

Jackie seemed to blow away the competition and seemed to be on track to win, but unfortunately came in second place.

Her performances were so flawless that there were accusations that she had lip synced her songs and it was all a scam by producers.

But the cat was out of the bag and America had heard, and seen, what was to become one of the youngest artists to skyrocket to Platinum sales status in over thirty years.

After “America’s Got Talent”, Jackie immediately released her first single “O Holy Night.” This was her first national exposure and won her a spot singing for President Barak Obama in Washington D.C. during the annual Christmas tree lighting.

Watch Jackie Evancho sing O Holy Night in Washington D.C.


The reaction to her “O Holy Night” single was amazing, and immediately shot to the top of the Billboard music charts and became a best seller on Amazon. It was certified as Platinum in 2010.

She also setup her own web site at JackieEvancho.com, and created her own YouTube Channel and Facebook page.

Jackie had hit it big and people wanted more.

After doing the rounds on the daytime and late night talk shows, she was approached by producer David Foster who worked with Jackie in the development of her first full length album “Dream With Me”.

Together, the two fashioned a collection of tracks, one which Jackie wrote herself, that combined both opera and crossover songs like “The Lord’s Prayer”, “When you Wish Upon a Star”, and “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan.

Watch Jackie Evancho and David Foster Interview


Jackie says,

“The title of my new album is ‘Dream With Me’ because it means I’m basically living the dream and there’s more to come.”

Jackie also plays violin and piano and has said she would like to collaborate with Josh Groban, Charlotte Church, and Andrea Bocelli.

Evancho's Sarasota Florida concert is currently being featured on most national PBS stations and showcases some of her best music and features several songs off her new album.

Theses PBS shows are the first time many viewers have seen Jackie and have caused quite an interest in the young singer.

She says she understands that in order to remain popular she has to do more than just sing opera songs, and realizes she will have to be a crossover singer in order to stay relevant.

On “Dream With Me” you will find her favorite opera pieces like “Nella Fantasia”, “Nessun Dorma”, “O Mio Babbino Caro”, and “Ombra Mai Fu”, along with incredible duets like “A Mother’s Prayer” with Susan Boyle and “Somewhere” featuring Barbra Streisand.

Watch Jackie Evancho sing Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” on PBS


Now you see why Jackie is going to be a star.

In fact, InfoStar has not really been able to find a bad review or other critical comment about her anywhere – and that says a lot in the world of the internet.

Composer Tim Janis says,

"Jackie's voice is so pure and natural, there's no flaw in it. People say 'I can hear her potential coming,' but no, it's here, it's now. She is truly an Angel and I can’t wait for the World to hear it and see it."

We agree.

And Jackie says the only thing she does to prepare for a big show is to “Say a prayer that God will be there on the stage with her and that He will sing along with her.”

Wow. Sniffle sniffle. Goose bumps…

So we set out to find the one performance piece that often separates the good from the bad in critical operatic singing – “Ave Marie”.

We figured if Evancho can pull off that tune with its massive complexity, then she really must be a true angel sent from Heaven.

Well - we found it. And it will make you cry.

So ladies and gentlemen, here is Jackie’s version of “Ave Maria” by Schubert accompanied by The Houston Chamber Choir and The Treble Choir of Houston.

Watch Jackie Evancho Sing Schubert’s “Ave Maria”


See. I told you.

I’ll say it again. Move over Lady Gaga - because I would love for my kids to learn, respect and look up to an artist like Jackie.

I know it won’t happen but I can dream can’t I?

If you only buy one CD this year... buy "Dream With Me."

You can sample each song and purchase Jackie’s new CD here at Amazon.

Follow InfoStar on Twitter – no crying allowed...

Protests Disrupt U2 Concert in Glastonbury – Bono on the Defense after Tax Evasion

Bono From the Band U2

Well, it wasn’t exactly billed as Woodstock, but the band U2 ran into its own kind of violent protest last night.

U2, and its front man Bono, have long been known for their environmental and social issues, but Bono has come under intense pressure this last month when it was discovered he had dodged taxes in Ireland.

Fans have been protesting the band since the news came out and feel that if they have to pay their taxes that Bono should too.

And things turned ugly in Glastonbury when upset vigilantes calling themselves “Art Uncut” blew up a 20 foot balloon inscribed with the words "U Pay Your Tax 2."

Police struggled with the group before beating them to the ground and destroying the balloon. About 35 people were involved in the violent clash but it’s unknown how many arrests were made.

U2’s Bono, guitarist The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton, and drummer Larry Mullen are some of the richest individuals in Ireland and have been criticized for not paying their taxes.

One protestor said,

“U2 and its members have more money than all of us put together and should be paying taxes just like everybody else. Ireland is in the middle of its worst economic downturn and we find out these guys are skipping out. It’s just not fair.”

In a flashback to Woodstock, over 150,000 people had descended on a farm in Glastonbury in southwest England for the concert which includes acts by Morrissey, U2, Mumford & Sons, Coldplay, Beyonce and many others.

While being billed as a humanitarian event many of the fans took the opportunity to protest U2’s hypocrisy.

Another protestor said,

“We know the band has done a lot for not only Ireland but the rest of the people in the World. But when they won’t even pay the taxes in their own country it makes you think they have sold out and it’s really all about the money. They have enough mansions, cars, and toys – now they should make things right at home.”

Many of the fans protested in one way or another and there were thousands of people sporting T-shirts or signs that said “U2 – Bring it home. Pay your taxes.”

Watch U2 Live Performance at Glastonbury


Many of the bands supporters became upset in 2006 when U2 moved its corporate headquarters to the Netherlands where taxes on music royalties are very low. This left many Irish fans feeling like they had been abandoned and betrayed by Bono.

Nobody from U2’s team has commented yet on the incident.

And they say money can’t buy happiness.

Follow InfoStar on Twitter – no protesting allowed
_

Video - 11-Year-Old Jackie Evancho Takes the World by Storm with “Dream With Me”

If you you’ve never heard of Jackie Evancho don’t worry – you will.

This 11-year-old soprano prodigy has taken the word by storm with her first full length album “Dream With Me” and is outselling Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Katy Perry combined.

Jacqueline Marie "Jackie" Evancho was first seen during season five of “America’s Got Talent” when she was just ten years old, and blew away viewers who couldn’t get enough of her exquisite singing.

In addition to singing, Jackie also plays the piano and violin and even co-wrote the title track on "Dream With Me" with producer David Foster.

Watch Jackie Evancho Interview with David Foster


Jackie was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania to Michael and Lisa Evancho and says she became interested in singing after seeing “The Phantom of the Opera”. She has two brothers, one older and one younger, and a younger sister.

Jackie says she was amazed that her debut single “Oh Holy Night” was so well received, and couldn’t believe that it sold over a million copies and has since gone platinum.

Evancho has teamed with the famous David “Hit Maker” Foster to produce her first full length CD titled “Dream With Me”.

On the album, she features the duets “A Mother’s Prayer” with Susan Boyle and “Somewhere” with Barbara Streisand along with her favorites “O Mio Babbino Caro”, "Ombra Mai Fu", "The Lord’s Prayer" and “Dream with Me”.

But the song everybody seems to want to hear is Jackie’s version of Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel”.

Watch Jackie Evancho Sing Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel”


One reviewer says,

“It may well become her signature song – the one everybody wants to hear. She is able to put so much emotion into it and you can tell by watching her perform she absolutely gets lost in the moment. I have rarely seen adults who can perform with such maturity. It made me cry.”

Indeed.

In fact, PBS has been running segments of Jackie’s performance of “Angel” from her show in Sarasota Florida - and PBS only brings out the big guns during their fundraising season.

That should tell you something about this incredible young singer.

Jackie even has her own website at Jackieevancho.com and YouTube channel.

It’s true – we have not been able to find one review that had anything negative to say. This young lady is destined to become one of the greatest talents we have ever seen.

You can purchase her new album on Amazon here.

Forget Lady Gaga, this is the type of music and personality I want my kids to learn to appreciate – but I’m not holding my breath.

Follow InfoStar on Twitter – no crying allowed
_

Justin Bieber and Jimmy Fallon Team Up For Hilarious Commercial Parody - Video

Last night, Justin Bieber stopped by NBC’s 30 Rock to visit Jimmy Fallon and talk about his new women’s perfume “Someday”.

Well, it wasn’t as much talk as it was funny SNL type commercial parody.

Jimmy and the Biebs did a parody commercial for “Someday” where Bieber says; someday… we’ll be together… Someday I’ll fall in love… Someday I’ll be older…

And someday, I’ll be fat and look like this.

That’s when Fallon appears in his “Bieber” costume.

The skit was shot in black and white and shows Bieber looking at Fallon and wondering how he got to looking that bad.

It is hilarious.

Watch Justin Bieber on the Jimmy Fallon Show


Justin has been doing up New York this week with appearances on the David Letterman Show reading the Top Ten List, and visiting the ladies at The View for a little Segway racing.

He also visited Macys on Harold Square where he was attacked and knocked to the ground by a confused off duty police officer.

Have you tried “Someday”? Will you?

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Columbo Actor Peter Falk Dead at 83 - Just One More Thing...

I grew up watching Lieutenant Columbo.

I remember getting frustrated at how long it would take him to actually bust the bad guy even though he knew who it was from the very beginning.

With his dirty old raincoat, beat up old car, floppy eared dog, and wife that we never got to meet - Lt. Columbo always knew how to outsmart the crooks.

And here is a little bit of trivia – during the entire Columbo series the viewer was never told what his first name was, and it remains a mystery to this day.

His Shtick was to ask very basic, and sometimes annoying questions, and just as he was walking toward the door to leave he would stop, turn, and say, “Just one more thing…”

And it was always THAT question that got the criminal busted.

But it was entertaining, and little did I know that Peter Falk and Columbo would become an American Icon.



Falk died yesterday at the age of 83 from complications from dementia at his home in Beverly Hills.

Friends say Falk was involved in a bad car accident in 2008 and suffered a bad head injury and was never the same man.

But Falk did much much more than just play Lt. Columbo.

His career started back in 1957 and by the time he retired had been in over 100 movies and TV shows.

Some of the greats included Murder, Inc., The Untouchables, The Twilight Zone, Murder by Death, The Cheap Detective, The Princess Bride, and others.

Peter Falk was one of the greats - and I expect to see his dirty old raincoat in the Smithsonian’s American History Museum next time I’m in Washington D.C.

Hey, don’t laugh – they have the same “Fonzie” lunchbox there that I had when I was in school.

Feel old yet?

Follow InfoStar on Twitter – and just one more thing…
 

Video - Miley Cyrus Rushed on Stage by Crazy Fan During Australian Concert

Pop singer Miley Cyrus was rushed by a crazed fan during her “Gypsy Heart” tour in Melbourne Australia last night.

She had just finished her popular song “The Climb” when a crazed fan jumped on the stage and attempted to grab Miley.

Fortunately, security guards ran to her aid and pulled the female fan away from Cyrus and threw her off the stage. Ouch!

Miley was visibly shaken and can be heard saying “Oh my God…” when the fan was grabbed by security.

The attack is at the end of the video…

Watch Crazed Fan Rush Miley Cyrus during Concert


Miley’s troubles come just a day after another young pop star, Justin Bieber, was attacked at an event on Harold Square in New York City while doing press for his new perfume “Someday.”

Related: Video – Bieber attacked at Macys Someday Event

Some reports say it was a miscommunication among off-duty security guards but some eyewitnesses say a man charged Bieber and attacked him before being subdued by security.

No if we could just get somebody to attack Lady Gaga and knock her down a peg or two – where’s Chris Brown when you need him?

See Also:
> Video – Miley Cyrus Does Justin Bieber on SNL
> Video – Miley Cyrus covers “Smells Like Teen Spirit”


Follow InfoStar on Twitter – no rushing allowed
  

Dancing with the Bikes: The Most Twisted Video You’ll See Today

What you’re about to see in the following video is one of the weirdest motorcycle accidents ever with an unexpected -yet admittedly, highly enjoyable-twist.

It features two racing motorcycles and their respective drivers during a round of the promosport Championship at the Magny Cours track in France. The incident began when the first motorcyclist slips before a turn sending his bike sliding on the tarmac, and eventually hit a rider in front knocking him down from his bike.

Up until this point, there is nothing out of the ordinary about the incident. But as the two bikers get up and try to lift their motorcycles, it happens… See for yourself in the video after the jump.

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