Classic Corvette with just 21km on clock to be auctioned in US

Car-jumping Swede becomes YouTube hit, Women 'make excuses for bad driving', Back to the Future DeLorean to return - as an electric car and trapped bird is rescued by a handy Lexus mechanic.

A limited edition 1978 Corvette that has just 21km on its clock is to be auctioned in the US for upwards of $50,000 (Dh184,000).

The 25th anniversary edition Corvette has been holed up in a barn for more than 30 years but will now go on sale at a Corvette dealership in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The V8-engined black and silver T-top was bought by a man in Detroit 33 years ago. He drove it once and then locked it up in storage as an investment.

It remained there until last month when the car, which is covered in a thick blanket of dust, was bought by Bud Schoenleben, of Bud's Chevy Buick & Corvette Center, in St Marys, Ohio.

He then sold the car to "Corvette Mike" Milian, who has put it on display at his Plymouth showroom - dust and all - ready to be sold.

Only 6,502 of the Indy Pace Car Corvette replicas were made, Milian says, and they were sold at the time for $14,630. That would equate to about $51,000 in today's money.

Practically every part of the car is original, including the tyres, which, experts say, will add significantly to its value.

Swede becomes internet hit by jumping over 100kph supercars

A crazy Swede named Alassan Issa Gobitaca is becoming a hit on YouTube - by jumping over cars speeding towards him.

The children's guidance counsellor has been performing the stunts using Lamborghinis and Mercedes in his homeland and in the US.

He calmly walks towards the cars - that are driving at speeds of almost 100kph - and jumps over them, landing safely on his feet when the car has passed.

The 31-year-old, who's nicknamed "Al the jumper" on YouTube, says he started doing it when a friend asked if he could jump over his car. "I didn't see it as a challenge when it wasn't moving, so I asked him to drive at me so I could make the jump," Alassan says.

"It was scary but fun. I'm a bit of a daredevil so I like to do this sort of thing. I want to challenge Top Gear to film me jumping over a car driven by The Stig."

And it seems that Alassan isn't content with challenging The Stig. He's planning on the ultimate jump - he wants to leap over two supercars as they speed towards him at 120kph. A growing YouTube following awaits that next feat.

Women 'make crash excuses'

A recent report has confirmed what many men may have already suspected - that women make excuses for bad driving.

Women believe that they're seldom in the wrong when it comes to accidents, as the survey revealed that eight out of 10 women involved in a crash denied it was their fault and looked for someone else to blame.

The UK study by car insurer Young Marmalade found that 78 per cent of women said they weren't to blame for crashes they were involved in.

Of the 2,000 drivers polled, almost one in five women (19 per cent) claimed there was a problem with their car, while 31 per cent blamed factors out of their control, such as other drivers, an obstruction or weather.

To compound matters for women, the same study found that the vast majority of men were better at owning up to mistakes they make on the road and were more likely to settle disputes without arguing.

The poll also found that women have a higher opinion of themselves, with 94 per cent describing themselves as a "very good or above average" driver, compared to 76 per cent of men.

One triumph for women is that men are still 70 per cent more likely to be involved in a crash in the first place.

DeLorean is coming back in the future - as an electric vehicle

The famous DeLorean car is set to come back in the not too distant future - as a fully electric vehicle.

DeLorean Motor Company in Texas has revealed plans to bring the classic design back into production in 2013 using 80 per cent original parts and 20 per cent modern technology.

DeLorean chief Stephen Wynne says the company came up with the plan as electric cars have become so popular again, as car makers try to find viable green car production solutions.

"The exterior is so iconic that we didn't want to mess with it," Wynne says.

"We took out all of the combustion engine, components and transmission and replaced that with battery packs and an electric motor.

"The electric cars I'm seeing out there are nice but they're not cool cars. With a DeLorean, you've got a cool electric car."

The car will have a top speed of 193kph and will cost about Dh330,600.

Bird of prey trapped in grille of Lexus 4x4 rescued by mechanic

A bird of prey trapped in the grille of a car after a high speed collision has been rescued by a Texas mechanic.

The Lexus driver became aware that the red-tailed hawk had managed to lodge its head in the grille of his car so he drove to local Lexus mechanic Matt Whitehead.

When the car arrived at the garage, no one thought the bird would be alive as it was motionless. However, while trying to prise it out of the metal, Matt noticed it was blinking.

He eventually managed to safely remove the hawk from the grille but it seemed unable to fly.

It was taken to a vet who nurtured it and established that the bird had not broken any bones, so it is hoped that it still may fly at some point.

Whitehead described the ordeal as "extraordinary", adding that "I wish every day would end that happy".

For now, the hawk should just be thankful that it avoided a proper grilling.