U Spy: We Remember the Cars You Scooped in 2012

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We would like to begin by personally thanking each and every one of our readers who contributed with their scoop images and in some cases, videos as well, to our "U Spy" section that has gained a lot of traction over the years, with 2012 being no exception.

The fact that many of you took the time to shoot pictures of yet-to-be revealed models that you happened to cross paths with and picked CarScoop as the site of your choice to share them with other readers and fellow gearheads without ever asking for something in return is truly admirable and sure gets our engines running.

In your honor, we've compiled a list with the vehicles you, our readers, either photographed or filmed during the course of 2012. If we missed something, send us an email or head over to the comments and tell us about it so we can add it.

U SPY 2012
BMW 3-Series M Performance BMW X5 SUV BMW M3 Sedan BMW i3 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Chevrolet Trailblazer Ford Prototypes Hyundai Equus F/L Jaguar F-Type Roadster Rendered Kia Cadenza F/L Lexus LS Mercedes S-Class Mercedes CLA Mercedes S-Class Mercedes Prototype Mercedes A-Class Mercedes CLA Mercedes Prototype Mini Paceman JCW Mystery Model Mystery Model Mystery Model Mystery Prototype Opel Convertible Porsche Panamera F/L Porsche Cayman Porsche 911 Turbo Porsche 911 Turbo Porsche Cayman & Macan Range Rover Range Rover Prototypes Renault Fluence F/L Rolls Royce Ghost Skoda Octavia Mk3

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Check Out This Ex-Mario Andretti Owned Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole

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Most people credit the Lamborghini Miura with being the world’s first supercar. It is the Miura's successor though, the Countach, that wrote the handbook on how a supercar should be: extraordinarily flashy with the cabin set forward to accommodate the huge engine set longitudinally amidship making a wonderful, uncompromisingly loud scream when revved hard.

Most people also deliberate on which shirt, jeans, suit or tie to wear each morning. Some, on the other hand, are faced with dilemmas such as which car to drive off with from their garage. A lucky few, such as the YouTube user Allan Lambo, must choose between two Lamborghinis: a Diablo SV or a Countach 5000 QV.

Picking a color to go with the outfit is not an issue: both are white. The Diablo Super Veloce is the younger and more powerful of the two. The Countach Quattrovalvole, on the other hand, not only is more rare and iconic, but this particular example was initially owned by none other than racing legend Mario Andretti, which is a nice fact you can bring up in a conversation.

The red interior may look a bit garish, but the wedge-shaped bodywork, the extra-large air intakes, absolutely gorgeous deep-dish wheels and the sound of the 5.2-liter, four-valve per cylinder V12, conspire to make one hell of a statement.

As you can see in the video that follows, the classic supercar was restored to tip-top condition by its new owner, who freed it from a private collection it was sitting in for more than 20 years.

By Andrew Tsaousis

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Watch Our 12 Most Popular Offbeat Videos of 2012

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When we're not scooping out future cars or reporting the news from around the auto industry, we habitually like to snoop around and see what else is going on in the world of four and sometimes, two wheels - guilty as charged…

You can find these stories classified under our Offbeat News section. For one reason or another, some videos from this category grabbed your attention more than others did, so we decided to crunch the numbers and see which ones from 2012 were the most popular with you, our readers.

If you're wondering why we chose a Top 12 list instead of the usual Top 10, well, we did it as a homage to the last two digits of the year that has either ended for some (i.e. Australia, China) or will soon come to an end.

So, after the jump, behold CarScoop's Top 12 Offbeat Videos of 2012. Enjoy…

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12. French Motor Journalist Takes a Dive

Moto Journal's Lolo took an unexpected turn down a marina in southwestern France while being filmed testing a Yamaha FJR 130. FYI, he didn't get wet…

11. Woman's Kia Sorento Gas Pedal Stuck on the Highway

An Iowa woman had the misfortune of experiencing a stuck gas pedal on the highway while driving her Kia Sorento at speeds of up 120mph (193 km/h).

10. Bolivia's Death Road Justifies its Nickname

The Camino de las Yungas in Bolivia is one of the world's most dangerous roads – if one can call it that, and it claimed another victim when a bus plunged down a cliff. [Some viewers may find this clip disturbing]

9. Woman Drives a Porsche 911 Turbo Into a Store

This is what happens when you confuse the gas pedal with the brake pedal of a quick sports car like the Porsche 911 Turbo. This accident occurred in Turkey.

8. Land Rover Jumps Into the Air and Flips Into a Somersault

Ah, our first video from Russia. We’re still not sure what happened, but this scary mishap seems to have been caused by a loose sewage cover.

7. One Reason Why Russians Love Dash Cams

True, there are many reasons why dashboard cameras are quickly becoming more popular than Vodka shots in Russia (and its neighboring countries), but proving your innocence ranks high in the list.

6. Yana is the Car Salesperson we Always Dreamt Of

Unfortunately, this beautiful young Russian model is not a real car assistant, which could explain why her Seat clip garnered more than 1 million views on YouTube in just two months. [Yes, it's NSFW]

5. One Very Angry Brazilian Woman Lashes Out on Biker

They say, Brazilian woman are known for their beauty as well as their fiery temperaments. We'll let you decide which holds true for this femme fatale.

4. New Toyota Auris Ft. Transgender Model

Toyota's move to use a transgender model in a Japanese commercial for the new Auris was condemned by some, praised by others. [NSFW]

3. BMW M Club Drivers Crash Into Each Other

Here's another famous clip from Russia. While travelling on the streets of Moscow, a group of BMW M Club drivers had an unexpected meeting with each other.

2. Fatal Accident with Ferrari 599 GTO

An accident involving a Ferrari 599 GTO driven by a Chinese expatriate, a taxi and a motorcycle, led to the death of three people and sparked a huge outrage in Singapore. [Some may find this clip disturbing]

1. 1,250-horses Versus Silicone Prostheses

Who would have thought that an extremely fast Italian supercar and a busty blonde model would make hordes of male gearheads watch this video?

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Cars 2 Clips: "Carmac Chase" & "Mater's Disguises"

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We're just two weeks away from Cars 2!!! And with that, comes two more clips. This first one is a continuation of the "british intelligence" clip featuring McMissile and Mater meeting at the airport. This time, we get to see a little part of the car chase with our two lemons, Grem and Acer.

This second clip introduces us to the spy train named Stephenson who works with Finn. In this clip, Mater puts on different disguises using advanced technology.........voice activated by the way.....

Pixar Corner Gets Christmassy

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Once again, the amazing Paul Robin has provided us with a fantastical new seasonal header for this blog.
In this year's Christmas logo, a snowman's head take the place of the usual Luxo ball. Who knows, maybe this snowman is relative of little Knick from Pixar's 1989 short film Knick Knack.

Big thank you to Paul Robin, who has also posted a new holiday-themed adventure on his blog - don't forget to check that out! Happy Holidays!

EW Reveals New MonstersU Images!

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A website, two posters, and now two brand new stills from Monsters University fresh from the studio. But still no stinking trailer.
However, Pixar may be torturing us fans by not yet having released a new trailer (and not even mentioning when it'll pop up), but at least they're feeding us with small appetizers like these new images to ease the hunger for the extremely anticipated trailer.
Entertainment Weekly debuted the stills, and also talked with director Dan Scanlon, who gave brief explanations of what is happening in each of the images.
“They’re at a fraternity party, and this is Mike and Sulley getting off on the wrong foot a little bit,” he says of the first image (seen above). Mr. Scanlon also tells us that the creature Mike is clutching in his right arm while being lifted up by his furry rival is "the monster equivalent of a farm animal" and the university's mascot. The second image sees a young Mike arriving at MU on his very first day, eager to begin a new chapter in his life.

Be sure to read the full story over at EW, and look forward to Pixar's Monsters University this summer. In the meantime, Monsters, Inc. 3D hits theaters just next week, so don't miss out on this chance to get to see the original film in theaters 11 years after its original release!