WFAA reports that police in East Dallas are investigating a road rage shooting early Thursday morning. Two vehicles were apparently attempting to turn onto a road at the same time; shots were fired and two men in one of the cars were struck in the leg by bullets. Meanwhile, WFTV reports that two men in Orange County, FL drove through the eastern end of the county with guns blazing. Louis Davis admitted he opened fire as his six and 11-year-old children watched. According to the former corrections officer, the van ahead “was driving too slow” so "I sped up and got in front of him and he rammed my white Honda, rammed right in the back of it." At some point, the two drivers exchanged gunfire. Police say Davis dropped off the kids, found the van, crouched in a yard and popped-off a few more rounds. "I called 911, but if someone's firing at me, by God I'm going to protect myself and my family.” On the other hand… "'You got bullets flying everywhere. This is ridiculous. I think it's a good thing they have both been arrested,' said Deputy Carlos Padilla, Orange County Sheriff's Office."

According to CHINAdaily, China's auto industry is booming, and the city of Guangzhou is feeling the pinch. "We will increase the total number of parking spaces in the city by 150k between now and 2010, with 50k coming this year," says Wang Dong, director of the Guangzhou urban planning bureau. Last year, Guangzhou had more than 1m cars on its roads; officials licensed 600 new cars per day. In an effort to increase total parking capacity by 50k, the city's OKed five large car parks at a cost of 1b Yuan ($140m). Meanwhile, China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) have approved a group of "new" domestic vehicles. In a riff on Detroit badge-engineering, only a few are completely new models. The majority are comprised of "upgraded products from existing models." Chinese carmakers have released some 90 models a year for the past five years, including 20 "completely new ones." Finally, in an effort to curb "resource-intensive sectors and promote energy efficiency," the government is increasing the consumption tax for diesel fuel by about 70 percent (to the "full" tax rate of 0.10 Yuan per liter). We reckon even that won't slow the industry's growth. In just a single generation, the PRC has transformed from a nation of bicycle riders into a population of car-crazed consumers– and there ain't no goin' back.

Yesterday’s closing price for crude represents the first time oil's spiked above $100 a barrel since January 3. Analysts say there isn't a single factor to explain the move. Houston’s KHOU reports that a refinery explosion in West Texas and the possibility that OPEC will cut production next month are driving prices higher. Alon officials say the refinery in Big Spring, TX could be closed for as long as two months; company president and CEO Jeff Morris says the refiner should have contingency supply plans in the coming days. The company doesn’t know what caused the blast, but says it happened near a propylene splitter unit. As of early this afternoon, our friend Steve Austin over at Oil-Price.net pegs the current price of oil just under $99.50 a barrel. The website also forecasts the price of oil will be $129.04 a year from now. If so, it’ll be more bad news for consumers, automakers and the U.S. economy in general.

10News.com reports that someone used a heavy-duty construction loader to drop a 1966 Chevy Nova through a Vista, CA store’s roof. Firefighters discovered the car while investigating a tripped alarm at the industrial park. California Sliding Door Window and Screen suffered water damage from a water line broken by the falling car. The red Nova was parked in the lot next to the building before it was used as a hole punch. “You don’t see a call like this, uh, very often,” said a police officer at the scene. In an associated video, 10News reporter Juliette Vista refers to onlookers as “lookie loos,” and gets this quote from a bystander at the scene: “Either it was a really expensive prank, or somebody’s mad at someone.” Someone’s been watching CSI; you know, other than me.

According to The Los Angeles Times, “Americans are getting serious about using less gasoline.” To wit: one James Eric Freedner. The Sun Valley legal secretary got so fed up with high gasoline prices that he tucked his Toyota Tacoma in the garage, switched to motorcycle commuting, stopped driving to the beach on weekends and began grouping errands. "The price [of gas] was just eating up what I earned,” Freedner kvetched. “This is the best thing I can do to make ends meet." Point taken. "Raise the price high enough, and you will see that there is a lot more that people can do,” says Edward Leamer, an economist at UCLA. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released study, The Effects of Gasoline Prices on Driving Behavior and Vehicle Markets, asserts rising gas prices has motorists taking fewer trips, driving slower and paying premiums for the most fuel-efficient vehicles. Your tax money hard at work.

WFAA reports that the Dallas City Council will “consider” creating a commission to "to help ensure that camera-enforced intersections are selected without regard to the ethnic or socioeconomic characteristics of the area in which the intersections are located." A little history… In September of 2007, the Dallas city council approved 40 more red light cameras (for a total of 100), more than doubling the size of their contract with Affiliated Computer Services ("We believe the impossible is possible, and that giving up is not an option). In 2007, Dallas City Council member Angela Hunt asked her colleagues to delay the vote; she believed council members did not have adequate information on whether the cameras caused more rear-end collisions at intersections. In the end, the need to fill Dallas’ city coffers ruled the day: had the council delayed the vote, they would have been forced to plug a $140k hole in the ‘07 – ‘08 budget. Why? Revenue from the additional, yet-to-be-approved cameras was already included in the City Manager’s budget proposal. Meanwhile, Lubbock Texas turned off its red-light cameras on Feb. 15th, after a study showed an increase in rear-end collisions at all intersections in the Panhandle city. And now you know the news.

“A younger version of Fountains of Wayne, minus the pretentiousness (and some of the talent). Sound-wise they're very FoW-ish.” That’s how TTAC contributor Megan Benoit describes the band “Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives.” They’ll be at “T.T. [no relation] the Bears Place” in Cambridge on June 7th, blasting out Megan’s fave “Red Integra.” And yes Jalopnik fans, it’s a slow news day.

I saw you sitting there on Fruit Street
But I'm not any good with words
I'm the red Integra parked behind you
So I'll leave this little note instead:

"I think that you should be more careful parking. There were no
damages but next time, be careful. They might not be as nice as
myself. I saw you back up into my car."

“Why should a female auto journalist give you advice on great date cars?” CNN reporter Sheryll Alexander asks herself. “Because as far as cars go, I know what turns a woman on and what really turns her off.” Is this some kind of lesbian thing? Anyway, these days, the majority of women “are rather picky when it comes to a guy's ride,” Alexander opines. “Your car really does send her all the right or wrong messages about how much money you make and what gets your engine running. Let's be honest, some girls just like a flashy ride too.” But Alexander counsels clueless men not to go overboard when picking out a four-wheeled babe magnet. “Most women are wary of extremes… I think personal integrity and animal-like chemistry should count way more than what kind of vehicle you drive, but I guess some guys feel that spending the extra money on a racy ride is certainly worth the dating gamble.” In the pursuit of journalistic insight– nothing to do with a personal desire to drive a bunch of sports cars for free we're sure– CNN’s self-appointed (anointed?) car guru gives us the low-down on cruisin' while cruisin':

Nissan 350Z Roadster: “Truly a he-man's ride come true whether girls like it or not.”

Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder: “Guys, you definitely can't go wrong with this one!”

Mercedes-Benz CL 550: “With the $100,000+ price tag, the ladies will definitely be swarming around this hive of vehicular comfort and luxury.”

Audi TT Roadster: “On the outside, the Audis… look truly sexy with their bubble-like hood, curvy haunches and wide back side. Yes, the Audi TT goes both ways as a great date car for both men and women.”

Porsche Cayman: “Just looking at the Cayman's curvy haunches, sexy sloping hood and racing rear spoiler would make any woman want to go for a ride.”

While many tread-bare tires are used as fuel, retreaded or recycled, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency figures that about a quarter of scrap tires are left in landfills. Enter Lehigh Technologies. CNN reports that the Naples, Florida tech firm slices ‘em and dices ‘em, freezes ‘em with liquid nitrogen, then shakes ‘em, crushes ‘em; cuts, sands and grinds ‘em. The resulting powder can be used to make new tires, wheel wells, bumpers, paints and/or coatings. Lehigh Technologies says they can grind-out up to 100m pounds of the fine black powder per year. Pulverizing rubber is not new, says Mike Blumenthal, senior technical director for the Rubber Manufacturers Association. But like justice herself, Lehigh grinds its powder exceedingly fine. 

Step into Ahmed Ibrahim's cab on Valentine's Day and you could get a lot more than a ride from A to B- you could also land a date, says the New York Daily News. The self-proclaimed "cupid cab driver" has spent years driving around the city looking for New Yorkers with lonely hearts, but only offers his services to a select group of passengers. Ibrahim listens to the conversations of his fares, asks them a few questions and then, if he thinks they are suitable, explains his matchmaking services and asks for their number and e-mail. "I want to know if they're the real deal or just a player," and "if you're a player, then forget about it," he says. Cab-rider Martin Karamon met a woman through Ibraham and says "When you live in New York City, nothing is bizarre, but it was a unique experience for sure." Still, cupid's love-arrows don't always hit their mark; Karamon says he might ride in Ibrahim's cab again "because I just broke up with my girlfriend." Oh, and they're still friends. That's nice. I mean who hasn't been through that routine? It's over, "but we can still be friends," she says. While most of us say something like, "oh, okay," what we're really thinking is "Go to Hell, you back-stabbing bitch!" Huh…oh, sorry, it's just an old emotional wound- I'll be okay. Happy Valentines Day, everyone! (You too… bitch.)

Forget all that talk about gas-free Chevys. “Did you miss your chance in the late '60s to buy one of those ZL-1 Camaros with the ‘mystery-motor’ 427 aluminum V-8?” asks Dallas Morning News reporter Terry Box. Well now’s your chance! Come summer, GM will be selling reproduction 427-cubic-inch ZL-1 motors at $21k a pop. "Simply mentioning the term ZL-1 stirs the emotions of Chevy performance enthusiasts," said Lisa Reffett, marketing manager of GM Performance Parts. (Consider yourself stirred, not yet shaken.) The original all-aluminum ZL-1 was “conservatively” rated at 430 horses. GM says the Anniversary motor will be all that, with 450 ft.-lbs. of torque to boot. The “fire-breathing” motor will have a 10-to-1 compression ratio, aluminum port heads, a forged-steel crankshaft and rods; and a dual-plane intake manifold. GM spokesman Tom Henderson reckons the ZL-1s will end up in '69 Camaros. "I think they will appeal to those of us in the baby boomer realm who dreamed of having one of these cars but didn't have two nickels to rub together in 1969," said Henderson. Meanwhile, no word on ZL-1 mpgs, and we’re still waiting for the new Camaro. Oh and we'd like to see the Volt's redesigned [i.e. non-advertisement] sheetmetal please.

CNN Money reports that potential oil-supply disruptions in Venezuela, along with reports of new violence in Nigeria, has oil-industry traders all a-tizzy. "The combination of these factors creates some concerns about the supply side of the equation," pronounced David Moore, a commodity strategist with Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Further frazzling traders' nerves: pipeline sabotage in the Niger Delta. Royal Dutch Shell says terrorist activity will prevent it from honoring all of its export contracts from the region for two months, deducting some 130k barrels a day off world supply. Still, after jumping to $93.59 a barrel on Monday morning, light sweet crude settled at $93.04 by late afternoon. Meanwhile, over at Oil-Price.net, blogger Steve Austin says the Iran Petroleum Exchange (or "Bourse") is set to begin using Euros to price oil on February 19th. (Currently, major oil markets trade in U.S. dollars.) The switch to Euros "could have devastating effects on the US dollar," Austin says. "Although under-reported by the media, this historical shift and its consequences should be watched closely." Rest assured, TTAC will oblige.

“We wanted the MKT to be the Lear Jet of the road.” That’s how Ford's director of design for the Americas describes Lincoln’s concept car to the Pittsburg Post-Gazette. Brit-born Peter Horbury says Lincoln is on the mend. “As of now, we have had 14 consecutive months of sales growth at Lincoln. So once we established that the Lincoln brand was alive and kicking, we put together this Lincoln design vision for the future.” Yada X3. Things get more interesting when Horbury talks small. “The Verve is intended to very much indicate around the world where small cars from Ford are heading.” As to the resurgent popularity of small cars in the U.S., Horbury doesn’t see the price of gas or environmental concerns as the primary sales driver. “What changed things for small cars in this country was the popularity of the Mini Cooper. You can spend an awful lot of money optioning out a Mini. But more people want a car like that these days.” Then the capitalization-challenged reporter (MINI) Don Hammonds asks the question on our minds… lately: “What about Jill?” “Mercury will remain a Ford with extras, a new front end and new tail end, and different materials used inside and out. That approach seems to work very well.” Sure, just like anorexia suits the Olsen twins. 

The AP reports [via the Dallas Morning News] that Hugo Chavez has threatened to launch an “economic war” and cut off oil sales to the United States. “Take note, Mr. Bush, Mr. Danger,” the Venezuelan President intoned. Chavez is responding to Exxon Mobil’s attempts to seize billions of dollars in Venezuelan assets, to compensate for the South American country’s nationalization of the multi-billion dollar Orinoco oil project. "The outlaws of Exxon Mobil will never again rob us," Chavez promised. Meanwhile a British court has issued an injunction "freezing" as much as $12b of the assets of Petroleos de Venezuela SA, Venezuela’s state-run oil company. The U.S. imports some 12 percent (1.23m barrels per day) of its oil from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Oil prices are expected to spike on the news.

KFMB TV reports that some 3k people attended a public hearing in Del Mar, California to have their say regarding a toll road extension through San Onofre State Park. Supporters say the project will end gridlock on I-5 (a.k.a. “the five”) running between Orange County and San Diego County. Opponents contend that the Route 241 extension would wipe out endangered species, ruin the park and destroy Trestles Beach, a popular surfing site. San Diego City Councilmember Donna Frye sided with the nay-sayers. "What we're saying to future generations is that roads and cement and going fast mean more to us than our natural resources and our state parks?” After a 14-hour-long meeting, the state Coastal Commission voted eight to two against the new tarmac. Given that the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is located between San Onofre State Beach and San Onofre Surf Beach, Dude, how bad could a road extension be? Given the UK's powerful [green] anti-roads lobby, we reckon it won't be long before California's Alliance for a Paving Moratorium (or similar) girds-up for more Golden State pavement battles.