Odds Of Mythbuster: Are Modern Truck and Car Emissions Comparable to that of Lawn Blowers? [Video]

With government agencies enforcing stricter emission regulations every year and auto manufacturers doing their best to prove that their cars are as eco-friendly as possible, hyperbole is part of the game.

A common saying is that the modern cars are cleaner than lawn equipment and that the carbon dioxide emissions they release are actually lower than that present in the air that comes into the combustion chamber.

Edmund's Insideline decided to put the theories to the test. Since cars come in all shapes and sizes, they chose two examples from the opposite side of the spectrum: a Fiat 500 mini and a Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Crew Cab pickup.

The diminutive Fiat is powered by a 1.4-liter four with 100HP, while the big and menacing-looking Raptor sports a 411HP 6.2-liter V8.

They also bought along two leaf blowers: one with a single-cylinder 50.8 cc two-stroke engine and the other with a 30cc four-stroke engine.

The contest took place at the Automotive Research Center of the American Automobile Association Auto Club of Southern California, which runs the FTP 75 emissions cycles test that is one of the primary standards in U.S. light-car emissions and fuel economy certification.

So what do you think? Are modern cars and trucks as clean as their makers claim them to be, beating even a common lawn blower? No spoilers here: just watch the video to find out the answer.

Ford Begins Countdown for the Launch of 2012 Focus ST Hot Hatch with New Video

Unless Ford is preparing an even bigger surpRiSe for us, the company's recent announcement on the unveiling of the "next performance Focus" at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show strongly suggests that we will see the final production version of the Focus ST in Germany.

But until then, Ford has unleashed yet another media campaign on the internet that marks the final (or at least we hope it’s the final…) countdown for the release of the new Focus ST, which we saw in showcar form in Paris last year.

The campaign, which will also run on social media sites like facebook, will see Ford sharing both exclusive video and photography guiding us through the development of the model.

"This is Ford’s first truly global performance vehicle, and social media gives us a rare opportunity to show enthusiasts how this car is progressing, gives insight into its technologies and builds excitement in this community as we finalize Focus ST’s technical specifications,” said Jost Capito, Director of Global Performance Vehicles and Motorsport

The front-wheel drive-only 2012 Focus ST is equipped with a new 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine churning out approximately 250-horsepower.

“We are determined that the new Focus ST will meet the very high expectations of our fans around the world,” said Capito. “Focus ST will deliver on the promise of great technology, exciting driving dynamics and high levels of refinement – making it as enjoyable to use for everyday driving as it will be on exciting and challenging roads we performance enthusiasts deliberately seek out," he added.

Dodge Takes a Stab on the 2011 Ford Explorer with New Durango Ads

Dodge

The Chrysler Group continues to aggressively market the newcomers in its vehicle lineup with new advertisements. This time the automaker has released numerous television and online spots to tout the new generation of the Dodge Durango SUV, all of which will begin airing this week.

While you can check out all the ads in the videos after the break, we must say that four commercials captured our attention including one that refers to Ferrari to show off the Durango's leather interior, another one that depicts seven Stig-lookalikes running to get into Dodge's SUV, and two spots featuring the 2011 Ford Explorer.

For the latter commercials, Dodge used Ford's SUV to demonstrate the new Durango's best-in-class towing capacity. In particular, the Durango V6 can tow up to 6,200 lbs (2,812 kg) while the V8 model up to 7,400 lbs (3,357 kg). That's compared to the Ford Explorer 3.5L V6's max loaded trailer weight of 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg).