Police Trooper Pulls Over Mayor for Speeding, Mayor then Pulls Over the Trooper for Interfering…

We don't know if we should laugh or cry with this strange story that took place in South Carolina on January 18 and was captured on film by a police trooper's dashboard camera.

It all started when an unnamed South Carolina police trooper stopped the Mayor of Norway, Jim Preacher, for driving 70mph in a 50mph zone in an unmarked Dodge Charger police car. Let us note that the Charger previously belonged to the town's police chief before the division was disbanded in August 2011 due to lack of funds.

The trooped handed a four-point, $185 fine to Preacher, who wasn't pleased at all and decided to return the favor… The Mayor immediately made a U-turn and turned on his lights and sirens to stop the trooper!

"Can I see your driver's license," Preacher asked the trooper. The police officer gave him his license and asked the Mayor why he stopped him. "Are you familiar with interfering with a police officer?" asked Preacher.

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MINI Introduces New Convertible Highgate Special Edition

Leave it to Mini to present a special edition model every two weeks. After the "Baker Street" and "Bayswater" hatchbacks, it's the convertible model's turn to gain a new moniker.

This one is called is called "Highgate" and is offered with four engine variants including the 122HP Cooper, 184HP Cooper S, and for those markets that get diesel versions, the 112HP Cooper D and 143HP Cooper SD.

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Non-U.S. Automakers Displeased After President Obama Snubs Them at Washington Auto Show

On Tuesday, January 31, U.S. President Barack Obama’s schedule included a visit to the 2012 Washington Auto Show. The White House informed automakers on a two days’ notice to bring their most fuel-efficient models to the show.

Naturally, they obliged. For example, Honda flew in the FCX Clarity from California, Kia brought the Optima hybrid and Mercedes-Benz a fuel-cell car. Carmakers also brought along their top brass to discuss green technologies with the President.

As Bloomberg reports, the problem is that Obama, who had half an hour in his disposal, ignored foreign manufacturers.

Instead, he spent most of his time with domestic brands, posing for the press with the Dodge Dart, the Chevrolet Malibu, the Ford C-MAX Energi, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 (not pretty fuel efficient those two, by the way…).

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Kia's Dreamy 2012 Super Bowl Ad, Plus a 5-Hour Video of Victoria's Secret Model Adriana Lima

Only a few days left for the big game, so Kia released the full version of its 2012 Super Bowl ad titled "Drive the Dream" for the new Optima Limited Edition featuring a slew of stars including Victoria's Secret super model Angel Adriana Lima, the Motley Crew, martial arts champ Chuck Liddell and bull rider Judd Leffew.

Out of all those stars, we all know who will capture the attention of most viewers.

Kia's marketing division came to the same conclusion as us and so it created a five-hour long looped version of the hot Brazilian model repeatedly waving her chequered flag. You can watch both videos after the jump.

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Audi Expands A5 Range with 134HP and 161HP TDIe Diesel Engines in Europe

These days, downsizing doesn't occur only to engine displacement but also to engine outputs. Case in point, the introduction of two new entry-level diesel engines for Audi's A5 Sportback and A5 Coupe models.

The new 136PS (134bhp) and 163PS (161bhp) 2.0-liter TDIe diesels will be offered in parallel to the existing 143PS (141bhp) and 177PS (175bhp) 2.0-liter TDI units, the difference being that the 'e' engines are less powerful but more fuel-efficient.

The 2.0-litre TDIe 163PS is available on both the A5 models, linked exclusively to six-speed manual transmission.

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New Mazda MX-5 Miata Special Edition Unwrapped Ahead of Chicago Auto Show

Do you remember the MX-5 Sport Black Edition launched in Britain last summer or perhaps its twin from Japan, the MX-5 Black Tune Edition released this past October?

If the answer is yes, we would like to congratulate you on your excellent memory and tell you that the 2012 MX-5 Miata Special Edition that will be unveiled at the upcoming 2012 Chicago Auto Show is more or less the U.S. market version of those two models – hence the RHD pictures released by Mazda.

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New VW Beetle gets a 39mpg Diesel Variant in the States

At the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, Volkswagen will reveal the most fuel-efficient version of the new Beetle in the States, the TDI, which is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine producing 140 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of peak torque. The same powerplant is offered on the North American Jetta and Passat TDI models.

The diesel engine can be mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or VW’s dual-clutch DSG six-speed automatic, with the German automaker predicting a fuel economy of 29 mpg city and 39 mpg highway.

That's a significant improvement over the base 170HP 2.5-liter gasoline engine that returns an estimated 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway with a five-speed manual, and 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway with the optional six-speed auto.

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Taiwanese Man Bumps into a Traffic Officer…with his Truck

True, accidents can happen any time and at virtually any place, but we think the driver of the small truck seen in this video from Taiwan is unforgivably careless. How on earth can you not see the police officer with the distinctive yellow markings in broad daylight?

Even though he was literally hit by a truck, the officer managed to get up by himself and trot to the sidewalk before another motorist had the chance to finish the job. And yes, that's definitely going to hurt for a while…

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Citroën Facelifts Berlingo and Jumpy/Dispatch Vans for 2012

Citroën has revealed the facelifted versions of its Berlingo and Jumpy (called Dispatch in Britain) minivans. Depending on the market, the Berlingo and the larger Jumpy/Dispatch are offered in both passenger and commercial variants.

In Britain, Citroën has provided initial details on the Berlingo Multispace and the Dispatch Combi, which are the passenger models of the series.

Starting with the smaller Berlingo Multispace, which is available in five- and seven-seat variants, the French firm's minivan gains a wider and more defined grille, a new chevron badge and a new headlight arrangement that can optionally include LEDs.

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Chevrolet Goes Big for Super Bowl with Five New Ads

GM's Chevrolet division will have a huge presence at this year's Super Bowl game as it plans to air no less than five commercials focusing on the Camaro, the Sonic and the Volt.

These include the "Needing Getting" music video for the Sonic from the band OK Go that will air during the pregame program, the "Aliens" spot showcasing the Volt, the "Chevy Happy Grand" with the Camaro Convertible, the "Sonic Anthem" that chronicles the sub-compact's stunts, and the "Joy", again with the Sonic.

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