Ever roll through some sleepy burg and notice the townsfolk have painted each fire hydrant, recycling bin or park bench as its own work of art? That's one thing... but how about a whole country? Only in Japan, where the same famously zany locals fascinated with sailor costumes and neon lights on dump trucks have done it yet again. Only this time, their attention has shifted to manhole covers. Yes, manhole covers.

We don't know anything about this fad, how it began or how pervasive it is – we'd be glad to hear from you in our comment section below if you do – but from the look of the pinpointed map available at the link, it seems the craft has grown quite pervasive across the whimsical island nation. Check out a slew of our favorite examples in the gallery below, and try not to wonder how the artists didn't get run down by oncoming traffic while painstakingly completing their masterpieces.



[Source: ittemia.jp]

If you're a big fan of fully automatic machine guns, then there is a good chance that you've heard of the Oklahoma Full Auto Shoot & Trade Show. The O.F.A.S.T.S. trade show features some serious hardware for purchase, including WWII anti-tank guns and Russian units used buy the bad guys in Afghanistan.

G4 contributor Alison Haislip of Attack of the Show attended the gathering to test out some guns, and she brought a tan Dodge Intrepid along for a little target practice. Hit the jump to watch Haislip rip the hapless sedan to shreds with a Browning 1917 machine gun capable of shooting 750 8-mm rounds per minute. We normally don't get too excited about tank-stopping machine guns, but as we're jonesin' to kick off the Fourth of July festivities, well... we'll start off with an altogether different sort of pyrotechnics. Thanks for the tip, Kelly!

[Source: G4]

Just in time for the July 4th holiday roadtrip, it's Episode #134 of the Autoblog Podcast! We've had a couple delays this week getting together to chat about recent events, but hopefully we're hitting your media player before you depart for this weekend's festivities.

Once seated around our digital roundtable, Chris, Sam, and Dan take a quick spin through June's sales numbers, and specifically, the Camaro's Mustang-topping numbers, official BMW X1 imagery, the demise of diesel programs, Consumer Reports' Honda Insight displeasure, BMW's challenge to Lexus as America's #1 luxury brand, and then we hit up your questions for the rest of the show. Thanks for listening, we appreciate your efforts to keep communication rolling in to Podcast at autoblog dot com, as well as all the responses to our survey, which you can still fill out to add your data in our quest for 'cast sponsorship.

Now here's just the thing to mix up with a heated-up Flattie, or better yet, a Rajo Model T powerplant, which would be perfectly authentic for the vintage. Oh sure, purists will argue that this artifact, which apparently started life as a Hariss Steam Car prototype carrying a Stanley Steamer power unit, should be returned to its original state. Good luck figuring out exactly what that was.

With a deft enough touch, you could pay homage to the 1930s craftsmanship in this vehicle without ruining it. Either way, if you're determined enough to buy this obviously Stout Scarab-inspired vehicle (it currently has one bid at $8,500) it will be yours to do whatever you choose, critics be damned. Going all Travels With Charley with this split-window behemoth, especially towing a homebuilt teardrop trailer, would be a fantastic summer diversion, and if you did go all external-combustion-engine on it, you'd always have a fire to sit around at night.



[Source: eBay Motors]

They're called owner "give-ups," and their rise is a sign of the tough economic times. Despondent over being financially strapped and unable to cover car payments, vehicle owners are ditching, sinking, or torching their vehicles and reporting the loss to collect insurance payoffs. According to authorities, most of the titleholders aren't seasoned criminals. In fact, many of the false claims are filed by first-time offenders -- people who normally wouldn't steal a piece of candy from a store. However, the desperate owners see insurance companies as "rich and fat," says James Quiggle, a spokesman for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. Many think the insurance companies won't miss a few dollars.

Well, of course they will. Owner "give-up" cases result in felony charges of insurance fraud, making false statements to police and insurance providers, and arson if the car was burned. A better solution for cash-strapped owners, say experts, is to attempt to renegotiate payments, sell the car, or trade it in for a less expensive model. While you generally won't come out ahead, those transactions are legal and they'll keep you out of the slammer.

[Source: Detroit News | Image Source: Mark Dadswell/Getty]

Four 500s by 2011. That is the latest word out of Italy concerning the adorable Fiat 500. While the Chrysler/Fiat merger chugs along, the tiny 500 is the only model that has been officially greenlighted for American consumption under the Fiat banner. To make up for that dearth of models, Fiat will apparently offer the 500 in four different flavors when it reaches these shores: hatchback, convertible, station wagon and sporty hatchback. There's also an outside chance of a micro-CUV according to this Automotive News piece.

The "sporty hatchback" will be the Abarth, Europe's 2008 Car of the Year. Chrysler/Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne calls it "our iPod." Wonder if it's too late for some co-branding. While it might seem that a sporty wagon and sporty drop-top would be fairly easy to slot into the mix (Abarth Giardiniera SS Corsa, FTW!), we'll have to make due with those four iterations for the time being. The 500 family should be in U.S. dealerships by the first half of 2011. The American-market cars will likely be produced at a Chrysler plant in the United States or in Toluca, Mexico, but there's no official word on U.S. pricing yet.



[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Every year during Wimbledon, St. Mary's Church offers parking to fans attending the tennis tournament. Normally, the church opens an adjacent field for car parking, but this year St. Mary's allowed tourney visitors to park their cars in the oldest portion of its cemetery -- on top of actual graves -- for £20.

Naturally, local residents haven't thought highly of the practice. St. Mary's said that the money would go to charity and "make a valuable contribution to the Church and Diocese." However, it has since realized that perhaps letting people park their Land Rovers and BMWs above deceased parishioners -- even if they're long dead -- isn't the best way to raise money. Not even for charity. As such, the church has stopped using the actual plots as parking spots. Hat tip to Robin!

[Source: Daily Mail | Photo: Flickr, Jessica Mulley]

Remember the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Sportback we showed you back in October? The one that debuted in Paris? The one that we lusted after for its hatchback practicality and Ralliart brawn? The one that the good folks from Mitsubishi had promised we'd be getting here in the States this summer as an early 2010 model? Well, Mitsubishi has delivered. Sort of. A few Mitsu reps drove down to Irvine from Cypress with a genuine 2010 Ralliart Sportback. And not only that, but they dragged along an Evo GSR and an all-new MR Limited as well.

The Ralliart Sportback drew a lot of attention for its shape, but the Limited was the one that caught our eye. It's a regular old MR with a few differences. In place of the Alcantara bits, Mitsubishi has gone all-cowhide inside. There are also a few additions to the standard options list, including an Evo-first moonroof. Out back, the car has gone undercover by foregoing the large wing that has heretofore characterized the Evo sedans. Sounds like the Evo MR for grownups. Mitsu's reps remained tight-lipped on the details, but pricing is likely to top $40,000 for this model. We didn't get as many shots as we would have liked, but we did manage to get a few that we've assembled in the gallery below. As soon as we get more details, we'll fill you in.



Photos copyright ©2009 Frank Filipponio / Weblogs, Inc.

Gallery: 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart

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What do you get when you mix Clarkson, May, a Skoda, and the Catholic church? Controversy, of course. During a review of the Skoda Scout, May and Clarkson engaged in a bit of banter that mingled scouts -- as in Boy Scouts -- the church, and inappropriate touching. And when you "have a dig at two organizations that do a lot for the community," formal complaints get filed to the BBC, you get the Scout Association gunning for you, and you make lots of people unhappy... except the 7.5 million people who watched the show. Ah, Top Gear...

[Source: This is London]

Autoblog went to the premiere of Raptor - Born in Baja, and while the film is on the long side, it's an enjoyable flick. We wrote before that the truck "only" came in third (out of four total trucks in Class 8), but to finish the Baja 1000 at all is an achievement -- especially when the overall attrition rate is close to 50%. Throw in a truck that had been built in three months and hadn't been tested in any other race before and you've got a little adventure on your hands.

The movie provides plenty more. There's never a good time for things to break, but the Raptor R chose a couple of the most abysmal moments to get sick: it was compelling irony to watch the whole race team wearing "Built Ford Tough" t-shirts gathered around a truck that wouldn't start 90 minutes before the race began.

And if it wasn't the Raptor, it was other trucks in the road holding things up. Still, not only did they get it started, but the Raptor R got to the end with all of its panels and, as far as we could see, no dents -- and it came within minutes of taking second place.

But you'll have to watch the movie to truly glimpse the eye of the tiger... and the thrill of the fight. You can view it on Speed TV on Sunday, July 12 at 4 p.m. EST -- and when you do, look for Pickuptrucks.com's Mike Levine, Jalopnik's Ray Wert, and our own Drew Phillips who make cameos during the SEMA coverage. In the meantime, you can check out the trailer after the jump.