Putin gives his little friend a small Japanese hatchback

Everyone's favourite desperate despot (and Ash Sutton lookalike) has given another despot a Toyota Auris:

Although looking at the picture it looks more like a stretched Chrysler 300.

The BBC have the story here.

It's true, Vladimir Putin has gifted Kim Jong-Un an Aurus.

Maybe they should call it the "Kim John Uranus".

This is presumably toadying as Vlad needs to keep Kimmy on his good side.

Looking again at the story it would appear that "Kim Jong-un is believed to be a car enthusiast" - so not all bad then?

And it would also appear that the gift in question was not a Toyota but actually an Aurus limousine.

Bet Donny was jealous.

How do you get four elephants in a Mini?

Two in the front, two in the back

How do you get four giraffes in a Mini?

You can't - it's full up with elephants.

In my day, people broke records for the number of people they could crush into a Mini.

It still happens.

But that's a new Mini not a proper Mini.  They're bound to get more in.

 

That photo (and record)  appear in this plug for the new Guinness Book of World Records book that is appearing in MSN Cars at the moment - a plethora of motoring records.

 

As plugs go, it is quite an interesting one.  Partly because not only does it feature Edd China in a couple, but it also features the Honda BTCC Team in a couple.  Win-win as far as I'm concerned.

 It also features the longest car in the World, complete with helipad and helicopter:

I particluarly like the fastest bathroom including Edd China, dirty washing and rubber duckies: 

and also this VW Scirocco which hasn't won the "most boring" title (I can think of many candidates for that category - Japan and Korea I'm looking at you) but has won the most powered by coffee category - a Sciroccocino if you will.

Communist Plot

Whilst perusing Rossiyskaya Gazeta this morning I noticed that old Vlad Putin is continuing his mission to return Russia to the 1970s.

Actually, I found the story in Caradvice.com.au.

The gist is that the Russian government has engaged Porsche to help four Russian car makers develop a unique range of new vehicles for official Russian government use including a limo so they don't have to keep relying on their stretched Merc S-Classes.

The mock-ups imply they want Rolls-Royces with Ford Mondeo steering wheels:

These look a bit better though than the mock-ups from this 2010 CarScoops story where this proposed ZiL was designed using Minecraft...

...and involves the rear-end of a 1976 Cadillac Seville.

 

It's probably where we get the term "Red Square" from.