Bummer Hummer burns at Burning Man 2008

This year, the theme for Burning Man was "The American Dream." While some may argue that being American means choosing what is right or wrong for yourself, the revelers at this year's Burning Man festival made a statement by creating a giant Hummer out of wood. The front of the Bummer Hummer was painted in rather festive shades which blended into military-style camo at the rear. The vehicle was built to represent rampant American consumerism, especially in these days of high gas prices.

The Burning Man festival itself can perhaps be considered a bit excessive itself, and this wooden Hummer certainly could as well. The house-sized vehicle was burned at the end of the festivities - sounds a bit like inconspicuous consumption. Still, regardless of what you think about the Bummer Hummer, some sort of statement was made and witnessed by all those in attendance. Therefore, its builders surely consider it a success. Check out the video after the break for more.

Toyota begins guerrilla Italian marketing campaign for upcoming iQ

click above for a high res gallery of the Toyota iQ

In a move which sheds some light on just how important the Italian market is for small cars, Toyota has begun a new guerrilla marketing campaign for its upcoming iQ minicar. Using magnets stuck to the sides of parked cars along with leaflets hanging off the side-view mirrors, Toyota is highlighting just how small the new car will be. Coming in at just 2980mm long (that's less than ten feet), the iQ will be the shortest car on the market in Europe which has more than two seats. For perspective, the smart ForTwo is less than a foot shorter, and it can only seat two.

Toyota is aware that its new marketing strategy could damage its green credentials, so it is using recycled paper for all the paper materials. The same crew which was hired to place the magnets on the cars will back around afterwards to retrieve any materials which were left littering the ground. The campaign is scheduled to end in early August and the car should go on sale in Europe in the beginning of next year.

Gallery: 2009 Toyota iQ

Fox Business wants you to keep your trucks

Click above for high-res gallery of the Piaggio MP3 400 and 500

Finding yourself stuck in a truck? Gas guzzling got you down? You are certainly not alone. Though the most obvious thing to do would be to ditch the fuel-inefficient vehicle for a cheaper to run model, Fox Business has other ideas. Keep in mind that the current value of pickups, especially full-sizers, has dropped nearly as dramatically as the fuel prices have risen, so you're not likely to get what you owe, assuming you are still making payments. That's why getting out from under your purchase could end up costing you more than its worth.

If you're stuck with a gas-hog, what are your money-saving options? Umm... drive less. No, seriously. Consider public transportation and carpooling if possible. Ride your bike when its practical and even *gasp* walk. Of course, it's not always possible to walk or ride a bike to get where we need to go. Fox ends by suggesting a scooter as a second vehicle. It's worked out for lots of people already, but be sure to count that cost too before making any rash decisions. We're cycle fans who recognize the fun and low-costs associated with scooters, but safety and practicality cannot be ignored. Whatever you do, get used to it, 'cause gas isn't likely to begin dropping back down any time soon.

The Piaggio MP3 drive along Lincoln Highway ends in NYC

It's taken one month for Dr. Bernard "Buddy" Rosenbaum, 71, and Bob Chase,72, to ride two Piaggio MP3 scooters from San Francisco to New York City along the Lincoln Highway. When the duo finally arrived in Times Square, they were greeted by media, friends, family and Piaggio representatives, including its U.S. Operations president, Paolo Timoni. The event not only showed that there are no age boundaries, but also that summer road trips can still be taken even during these days of $4+/gal.

Ford: Green cars could look like sexy science projects

Some see the success of the Toyota Prius, compared to such competitors as the Civic Hybrid, as proof that green cars need to look different from their normal siblings. While it may be a bit early on in the game to make this assessment, Ford's North American director of car design, Pat Schiavone, suggests that there could be a trend towards "green" styling cues. For instance, cars like the Honda Insight and GM EV1 are easily recognizable for their teardrop shape and covered wheels, both of which help with the vehicles' high efficiency. While nobody that I can think of considers covered wheels "sexy," Schiavone indicates that could change, saying, "This sort of science-project look could end up sexy, or perceived sexy." We've seen some rolling science projects on these pages... although often supremely practical, not one of them has been all that sexy. Also mentioned as earmarked for the future are the wings and spoilers used by Indy racers in the 1970s. Now that could be pretty cool!

What's more polluted? The air outside your car or the air inside your car?

We can all see that many cities are extremely polluted and it's clear that vehicles are responsible for much of that pollution. Nitrogen oxydes, Ozone and particulates are considered the main three pollutants that affect air quality in cities. But how bad is the air for our lungs when we talk about using a specific means of transportation? Is biking in the dirty air worse than sitting in your car? Libération, one of France's most important newspapers, has a very interesting article about just this topic. The article describes the results of a study on air quality in some urban environments based on various activites. How bad is it to travel in different urban situations and how does this affect to the air quality we breathe? Follow us after the jump to see the results from worst to best.

EV race day at Tsukuba circuit in Japan

Today is Children's Day in Japan and that means it's also the day of the annual electric vehicle (EV) races at Tsukuba circuit. Sponsered by the Japan EV club with coordination from Daihatsu Motor Co. (maker of really cool little cars we can't buy in America), the event will feature 30-minute endurance races and 20-lap sprint races with EVs of all stripes including slick open-wheeled racers (like the one pictured above from last year's event). The ever popular electric racing kart (ERK) gymkhana will also be featured. The day begins with at 7 AM with a vehicle inspection and will end after the "commendation ceremony" at three in the afternoon and admission is free. Happy Children's Day!