An advertising campaign is actually doing some good in the city of Bucharest in Romania. 
People can snap photos of unsightly street art using their phones, and Cif - a cleaning company that's behind the campaign - will come and clean up the offensive art. 
Around 250,000 people <a href="http://www.cif.ro/">visited the website</a>, and 385 locations were cleaned using the app. You can see the before and after shots on an interactive map. 
This app isn't the first of its kind, either. The city of Escondido, California, has an app <a href="http://www.escondido.org/escondido-report-it.aspx">called Report It</a>. Using the app, you can report graffiti, as well as potholes that you see, and the city will send someone out to fix the problem. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/539b8bd7eab8ea350fb8bbc4/cif_app.gif" border="0" alt="Cif app" />YouTube</div></div></div>
People take pictures of the offensive art. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/539b8c2a6bb3f79f2bb68714/cif pictures.gif" border="0" alt="cif pictures" />YouTube</div></div></div>
And then a team from Cif comes and cleans it up. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/539b8c7969bedd7a4319c0cc/cif cleanup.gif" border="0" alt="cif cleanup" />YouTube</div></div></div>
Here's what the walls look like before and after. Not bad!
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/539b8cdf6bb3f75f20b68717/cif before and after.gif" border="0" alt="cif before and after" />YouTube</div></div></div>
Check out the <a href="http://youtu.be/X8E92VgYhkY">whole YouTube video below</a>:
<iframe width="800" height="450" frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/X8E92VgYhkY"></iframe>
(<a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/ugly-street-art-cleaned-up-with-app/">Via CNET</a>)

This Clever Advertising Campaign Helps Wipe Out Ugly Graffiti 

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="REUTERS/Eric Thayer" title_caption="At least they're fixing something." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/517aa15d69bedd4768000017-960/rtr2ow6e.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/517aa15d69bedd4768000017-1200-858/rtr2ow6e.jpg" border="0" alt="I-405 freeway california los angeles traffic" /></a>REUTERS/Eric ThayerAt least they're fixing something.</div></div></div>Crumbling infrastructure alert!
A <a href="http://www.tripnet.org/docs/CA_Transportation_by_the_Numbers_TRIP_Report_Sep_2014.pdf">new report</a> from TRIP, a Washington, D.C., <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation">transportation</keyword> research group, finds that Los Angeles motorists are each spending an extra $2,458 per year due to poor roads and bridges. 
And that's just the City of Angels.
"Roads and bridges that are deficient, congested or lack desirable safety features cost California motorists a total of $44 billion statewide annually," the report concludes.
The report's authors are unflinching in their recommendations:
<blockquote class="blockquote">With a current unemployment rate of 7.4 percent and with the state's population continuing to grow, California must improve its system of roads, highways and bridges to foster economic growth and keep businesses in the state. In addition to economic growth, transportation improvements are needed to ensure safe, reliable mobility and quality of life for all Californians. Meeting California's need to modernize and maintain its system of roads, highways and bridges will require a significant boost in local, state and federal funding.</blockquote>
The situation with California's roads is especially grim. TRIP breaks it down:
 Thirty-four percent of California's major roads and highways have pavements in poor condition, while an additional 41 percent of the state's major roads are rated in mediocre or fair condition and the remaining 25 percent are rated in in good condition.
 Roads rated in poor condition may show signs of deterioration, including rutting, cracks and potholes. In some cases, poor roads can be resurfaced, but often are too deteriorated and must be reconstructed.
 Driving on rough roads costs all California motorists a total of $17 billion annually in extra [vehicle operating costs]. Costs include accelerated vehicle depreciation, additional repair costs, and increased fuel consumption and tire wear.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Matt Snodderly / Shutterstock.com" title_caption="Not crumbling - yet." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5130e89c69bedd8c6400000d-960/bixby-bridge-on-the-pacific-coast-highway-in-california.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5130e89c69bedd8c6400000d-1200-900/bixby-bridge-on-the-pacific-coast-highway-in-california.jpg" border="0" alt="Bixby Bridge on the Pacific Coast Highway in California" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;" /></a>Matt Snodderly / Shutterstock.comNot crumbling - yet.</div></div></div>In additional to flat tires from potholes, poor road conditions are also costing motorists in the Golden State time. 
Los Angeles and San Francisco-area residents are no strangers to traffic, but they probably won't be happy to learn that drivers in and around both cities are losing 61 hours a year to congestion. That's more than two days.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Wonderlane/Flickr" title_caption="San Francisco is no better than L.A. for traffic." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5408777269beddf84cb3086d-960/sf traffic.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5408777269beddf84cb3086d-1200-800/sf traffic.jpg" border="0" alt="SF Traffic" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderlane/3109550658/in/photolist-5JMg5o-cgTrkj-f8uo3A-8R77kE-cj1bZ3-6fkoCf-6fgd8v-6fgd7Z-6fgdbe-6fgdbT-6fkoNU-6fkoJm-6fkoD5-6fgd5z-aS6oin-aS6nmZ-6fgd4k-6fkoDU-6fgdar-9LCEdS-2hpsqM-8ieR4h-d63rRU-9f8M8T-cB81i3-abTd3-6iriHw-7KBUhZ-Bttkq-5BYsA-oAMeTi">Wonderlane/Flickr</a>San Francisco is no better than L.A. for traffic.</div></div></div>
California is carland, but I can identify with whatever astonishment the people who live and drive in the state are experiencing, given TRIP's findings. I lived there for a decade and saw firsthand a lot of the decay, and suffered through the traffic delays on a regular basis. 
In a state whose economy is bigger than most countries, this is a major challenge.

REPORT: Bad Roads, Bridges, And Traffic Are Costing Every LA Driver $2,500 A Year

A local's ultimate guide to visiting Minneapolis

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55a04ceeeab8ea1f2af7425b-2048-1363/linus-torvalds-7.jpg" alt="Linus Torvalds" data-mce-source="Linux Foundation" data-mce-caption="Linus Torvalds" data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/linuxfoundation/14237859571/in/album-72157644357132410/" /><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/linuxfoundation/14237859571/in/album-72157644357132410/">Linux Foundation</a>Linus Torvalds</div></div></div>Linus Torvalds, the founder and maintainer of the incredibly popular free Linux operating system, spends his days working from home in a bathrobe in complete silence.Torvalds revealed his work process on stage at this week's TED conference, the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35599774">BBC reports</a>.It's a deceptively unassuming look for Torvalds, the man behind Linux. While not as well-known as Windows or Mac OSX, Linux is an operating system that powers the servers running the Internet. It also underlies just about every banking and market trading system and serves as the core of Google Android. Linux is an open source operating system, meaning anyone can use it for free and customize it to their own needs. And more than 12,000 developers from more than 1,200 companies have not only done that, but have seen their work added back to the main Linux project (the "kernel" in geek-speak), according to a <a href="http://www.linuxfoundation.org/news-media/announcements/2015/02/linux-foundation-releases-linux-development-report">recent report from the Linux Foundation.</a>It's a real badge of honor for a developer to contribute to the Linux kernel.To do that, however, they've got to go through Torvalds. He has the ultimate say over what code gets added to the Linux kernel and what doesn't. And he manages <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/a-peek-at-linus-torvalds-little-desk-2015-2">the whole thing from home</a>.As his casual bathrobe look might suggest, Torvalds is not one to put on airs - in that same TED talk, Torvalds says "I am not a visionary. I'm an engineer. I'm happy with the people who are wandering around looking at the stars but I am looking at the ground and I want to fix the pothole before I fall in."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54e3e52a6da811e73585a479-635-350/linus-torvalds-desk.gif" alt="Linus Torvalds desk" data-mce-source="YouTube/Linux Foundation" data-mce-caption="Linus Torvalds desk" data-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSgUPqygAww" /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSgUPqygAww">YouTube/Linux Foundation</a>Linus Torvalds at his home office's standing desk.</div></div></div>But Torvalds is also notoriously demanding (and foul-mouthed) when it comes to contributions to Linux.In January 2015, he <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/people-are-mad-at-linus-torvalds-again-2015-1">infamously remarked</a> "I'm not a nice person, and I don't care about you. I care about the technology and the kernel - that's what's important to me." In his TED talk, Torvalds confirms "I am not a people person."That abrasive style of management, and his lack of any sense of decorum, has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fedora-project-seeks-diversity-advisor-2015-3">turned away many would-be contributors to Linux over the years</a>. Yet, Linux remains an incredibly critical piece of software to the entire world.Even Microsoft, which once hated Linux with the burning passion of a million exploding suns, has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-expands-open-source-on-azure-2016-2">gotten in on the Linux love-fest with its Azure cloud platform</a>. Great things come from humble beginnings, it seems. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/android-features-apple-iphones-dont-have-iphone-google-2015-9">These are the features that make Android phones superior to iPhones</a></h3> <div> <div> <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="BicHJrdzpTGQGwdhd6Z_-PRYY3JAAmQk" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> <script> if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; } RunFunctions.push(function() { var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'BicHJrdzpTGQGwdhd6Z_-PRYY3JAAmQk',{ autoplay: 'false' }); }); </script> <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div> </div> <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script> </div>

One of the world's most important programmers works from home in his bathrobe in complete silence

<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image on-image"><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5280f76a69bedd4a031f9b10-1200-600/wellington-cone-glasgow.jpg?maxX=800" border="0" alt="Wellington Cone Glasgow" width="800" /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Statue_of_Wellington,_mounted,_Glasgow_-_DSC06285.JPG">Wikimedia Commons</a>The cone in 2010</div></div>
Since the mid-1980s, pranksters have frequently placed a traffic cone on top of a statue of the Duke of Wellington in the city's Royal Exchange Square. For local residents, it's been a way to show off the city sense of humor and to celebrate the statue, which was designed Italian artist Carlo Marochetti and erected in 1844. Outsiders seem to agree - last year travel guide the Lonely Planet called the <a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/flaming-glory-10-scottish-sights-among-worlds-best.15263656">cone-wearing statue one of the top 10 most bizarre monuments on Earth</a>.
But the Glascow City Council is not amused and says it cannot afford to continue spending around £100 ($160) to remove the cone around 100 times a year.
Thus the council plans to raise the plinth that houses the statue by 3 feet, making it harder for pranksters to climb. The statue renovation would cost around £65,000.
Some Glaswegians aren't too happy that the prank may be coming to an end, however - the "Wellington Cone" already has its own Twitter account, which is angrily challenging the council:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
£65,000 could fix a lot of potholes.. Meaning my cone brethren could be at peace.. And not covering holes in the middle of the road.
- The cone (@WellingtonCone) <a href="https://twitter.com/WellingtonCone/statuses/399907395142709248">November 11, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>

Scottish City Council Has Plan To End An Infamous Prank That Has Been Going On For Decades

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59e0da621f848931108b4c6e-1481/img9971 1.jpg" alt="Audi R8 V10 Spyder" data-mce-source="Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider" />Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderThe Audi R8 V10 Spyder.</div></div></div>The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/audi-r8-v10-quattro-review-2016-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Audi R8 V10 has long been a favorite here at Business Insider</a>.The looks, the engine, the speed. The Audi delivers on all fronts.But what happens when you cut the roof off?Usually, cars get heavier, less dynamic, and less refined in drop-top form.Has this terrible fate befallen the R8 as well?To find out, we spent a week behind the wheel of a 2017 R8 V10 Spyder quattro S tronic, the new convertible variant of the supercar Audi unveiled at the 2016 New York Auto Show.But first the facts. The Audi R8 V10 Spyder is powered by a 540-horsepower, 5.2-liter, naturally aspirated, V10 engine. Powers flows to all four wheels through Audi's signature quattro all-wheel-drive system and a superb seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox.According to the Audi, this combo can power the 3,957-pound droptop to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 198 mph.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59e0e08ad4e9202d008b4ef4-1473/img9991.jpg" alt="Audi R8 V10 Spyder" data-mce-source="Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider" />Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider</div></div></div>The R8 is also equipped with Audi's award-winning 12.3-inch virtual cockpit digital instrument display. The 2017 R8 V10 Spyder starts at $175,100 while our option laden test car retailed for $191,350. For 2018, the base price of the car ticks up to $177,100.<h2>No roof, no problem</h2>For the Spyder variant, Audi chose to go with a canvas top instead of the bulkier folding metal variety. The roof is neatly stored in an electrically controlled tonneau cover and can be activated in 20 seconds at speeds of up to 31 mph. Lopping the roof off of a supercar can be a risky proposition. Losing the roof tends to compromise chassis rigidity which in turn compromises the car's ability perform at the limits. Strengtheners added to the chassis to fix the problem also added weight, which further compromises performance. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59e0f1f9d4e9202d008b5074-2000/img9959.jpg" alt="Audi R8 V10 Spyder" data-mce-source="Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider" />Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderHere's that virtual cockpit.</div></div></div>Fortunately for Audi, things have worked out rather well. The Spyder feels solid and tightly put together. No hint of scuttle shake could be detected, even over the pothole-strewn roads of New Jersey. ("Scuttle shake" is annoying vibrations commonly exhibited by cars with lower chassis rigidity that experience too much flex.) According to Audi, the Spyder's new carbon fiber and lightweight aluminum chassis is 50% more rigid than the first generation R8 ragtop. <h2>The experience</h2>To drive to the V10 Spyder is terrific. The 5.2-liter V10 engine is a dying breed. Smaller-displacement engines with turbocharging have become the status quo these days. We were glad to be able to experience this joyful, unboosted, nothing-but-motor engine while it's still here. Step on the gas and the V10 revs freely with peak power coming at a stratospheric 7,800 rpm. Power delivery is swift and efficient. However, at no point does the R8 feel overwhelming or beyond the capability of the average driver. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59e0f2eed4e9203c008b502e-1552/img0005.jpg" alt="Audi R8 V10 Spyder" data-mce-source="Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider" />Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderThe roof in action.</div></div></div>In addition, the high pitched roar of the big V10 is a true aural pleasure. As evidenced by the fact that our test car's Bang &amp; Olufsen sound system spent most of the week on mute (except when BI's Matt DeBord was listening to classic rock). Around the twisty parts, R8 remains smooth and steady, devoid of the nasty habits and handling gremlins that often plague high-performance cars. While the Spyder is 220 pounds heavier than the Coupe, its performance handling hasn't been noticeably affected. Herein lies the true magic of the R8 V10; its multiple personalities. In V10 guise, the R8 works both as an everyday commuter car but also possesses the magnetism of a supercar. However, where it really shines is as a super-grand tourer, a GT car in a stunning supercar body.A true grand tourer can cover large distances at high speed in style and luxury. Here, the V10 Spyder's naturally relaxed demeanor isn't a detriment, but a blessing. With the top down, the R8 V10 Spyder delivers that GT experience in with an added dose of sunshine.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59e0f3351f848931108b4ea3-1519/img9983.jpg" alt="Audi R8 V10 Spyder" data-mce-source="Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider" />Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider</div></div></div>(Those looking for a more hardcore experience should consider the stellar 610-horsepower R8 V10 Plus, which delivers Lamborghini-esque levels of frenetic insanity in a stylish Audi body.) Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with 2017 Audi R8 V10 Spyder. As a supercar, its V10 power, eye-catching looks, and precise handling make it a standout in the segment. But as a GT car, the R8 Spyder is nothing short of amazing.After all, where else are you going to find a beautiful mid-engined, V10 exotic drop top you'd gladly take on a 500-mile road trip? <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/183000-audi-r8-perfect-supercar-tony-stark-wannabes-2016-6">This $183,000 Audi R8 is the perfect supercar for Tony Stark wannabes</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/wob0GL3w-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

We drove Audi's $200,000 supercar for a week - here's what surprised us most about the car

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5373d16c6bb3f7e45485bba2-1200-924/high-rise-construction-worker-doha-qatar-6.jpg" border="0" alt="high-rise construction worker doha qatar" />Sean Gallup/Getty ImagesA worker takes a break at a construction site next to new high-rise office buildings and hotels under construction in Doha.</div></div></div>We survived the fiscal cliff and the government shutdown, but there's another big battle brewing this summer between Congress and the Obama administration with dire economic consequences that could cost the country hundreds of thousands of jobs. And even though politicians on both sides of the aisle agree this disaster is "completely avoidable, "all signs indicate were on a collision course with crisis. 
On Wednesday, President Barack Obama gave his first formal warning about this impending catastrophe - the Highway Trust Fund, a transportation and infrastructure fund financed by gasoline taxes, is set to run out by the end of the summer.
Thus far, Congress has not come up with a solution, and both sides are beginning to dig in. By July, thousands of projects and contracts could be put on hold amid the uncertainty - right in the middle of summer construction season. In one economic analysis released last week, the Obama administration warned 700,000 jobs tied to the fund and its uncertain future are at stake. 
"Right now, there are more than 100,000 active projects paving roads and rebuilding bridges, modernizing our transit systems," Obama said Wednesday in remarks near the Tappan Zee Bridge in Tarrytown, N.Y., where a $3.9 billion effort to replace the current aging structure is underway. "States might have to choose which ones to put the brake on. Some states are already starting to slow down work because they're worried Congress won't untangle the gridlock on time. And that's something you should remember every time you see a story about a construction project stopped, or machines idled, or workers laid off their jobs."
The fundamental problem is that gasoline taxes alone are no longer enough to finance the Highway Trust Fund, due to declining fuel use across the U.S. However, neither the White House nor Congress wants to raise those taxes, and there is a disagreement about how to fill the fund without them.
Simply put, spending on transportation and infrastructure now exceeds gas taxes taken in. During recent <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/publication/45315?utm_source=feedblitz&amp;utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&amp;utm_content=812526&amp;utm_campaign=0" target="_blank">testimony</a> before the Senate Finance Committee, Joseph Kile, the assistant director for microeconomic studies at the congressional budget office, laid out two politically painful potential solutions - either cut spending in the fund's two accounts by 30% and 65%, or raise the gas tax by 10 to 15 cents per gallon.
In an election year, both options are non-starters. The gas tax hasn't been raised since 1993. Though increasing these tariffs seems like the most logical solution to most analysts, it won't have a chance before the midterm elections. Kile said Congress could also shift money from the rest of the federal budget to the Highway Trust Fund, which seems like the most politically palatable option. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5373db03eab8ea573452974f-1200-924/barack-obama-421.jpg" border="0" alt="Barack Obama" />AP</div></div></div>When he issued his dire warnings Wednesday, Obama advocated for his solution to the fund fiasco - a four-year, $302 billion transportation and infrastructure plan. Warning the "cupboard will be bare," he urged Congress to act on his plan - but that too seems unlikely. Obama's plan would require about half the cost to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes and through other changes Republicans have long resisted. 
Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, who has been sounding the alarm for weeks on the Highway Trust Fund, has begun a campaign to prod Republicans into adopting a fix that runs similar to Obama's proposal. To back up her case, Murray noted Republican Rep. Dave Camp, the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, dedicated $126.5 billion to the Highway Trust Fund in his <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dave-camp-tax-reform-republicans-2014-2" target="_blank">proposal to reform the tax code released earlier this year</a>.
"Democrats and Republicans have put forward plans to fill the trust fund using corporate revenue, including President Obama and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Camp," Murray said last week at a legislative summit. "I think this approach makes sense, and I don't think we need to wait until comprehensive tax reform to do it. Of the long list of wasteful corporate loopholes that Democrats and Republicans agree should be closed, surely we can find a way to agree on eliminating just a few of the most egregious ones to invest in jobs and economic growth and prevent an unnecessary crisis."
Right now, though, the most likely solution in the Senate runs through the Environment and Public Works Committee, which unveiled a bipartisan proposal this week. The bill would keep spending on projects at current levels, but it doesn't explicitly say how to raise the needed revenue, leaving that job for congressional tax-writers at a later date. 
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, meanwhile, has yet to introduce its version of the bill. All of this uncertainty already has analysts worried.
"Both parties are miles apart on how to replenish the Highway Trust Fund," said Greg Valliere, an analyst at Potomac Research. "Obama aides amped up the volume [Monday], insisting that the funding should come largely from $150 billion in corporate tax reform. Chances of that happening this year are virtually nil - and the White House knows it. The brinkmanship over highway funding will persist well into the summer."
For Chris Krueger, an analyst at Guggenheim Partners in Washington, the obvious solution is raising the gas tax. In a research note on Monday, Krueger said the most likely fix is another bout of kicking the can down the road - possibly creating more potholes along the way. 
"A temporary extension of the Highway Bill would likely create a headwind for all companies that rely on federal infrastructure investment (such as Martin Marietta, Vulcan Materials, Granite Construction, Cemex, Caterpillar, Astec Industries, Eagle Materials, and Texas Industries) until a new bill is signed into law," he said.

Here Comes Congress' Next Big Economic Crisis And It Could Be Even Worse Than The Fiscal Cliff

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48576667.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
The government has allocated Rs. 98,000 crores for 100 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/5-pillars-of-Smart-Cities-Top-honchos-finally-unveil-the-key-to-the-lock-called-Smart/articleshow/48544126.cms">Smart Cities Mission</a> in India. Clearly it is not enough, agrees <keyword id="2827654" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pratap-Padode">Pratap Padode</keyword>, founder and director of <keyword id="2827653" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Smart-Cities-Council-India">Smart Cities Council India</keyword>. So this is where the private players come in and a lot is dependent on them. Are they willing to take risk? What is the current status of their involvement in this project? Here it from a player itself; <keyword id="1488022" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pratap-Pradhan">Pratap Pradhan</keyword>, Director, Smarter Planet Business, <keyword id="10875" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="IBM">IBM</keyword> India and South Asia, who is leading IBM’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/India-to-soon-get-100-Smart-Cities/articleshow/47095969.cms">Smart City plans in India</a>, in talks with Business Insider India.
 

	What challenges will be faced in implementing the internationally accepted reference models of Smart Cities in India?
 

	We have to first consider what the legacy setup is. Most of the data may not be digital, a lot would be in pen and paper. Just getting the whole operation digitised would be the first challenge. 
 

	Second issue is the process discipline. There are books in India on disaster management. But it is not feasible that everybody who is in the middle of a disaster has read and memorised it. It can be done through command and control. This is where video analytics comes in.
 

	Third is institutional capacity, which means that there are people in the department who may not be typically trained in these areas. Most cities in US have Federal Emergency Management Agencies. Technology is a challenge but there also needs to be functional experts in these areas. This is one of our closest programmes with the Indian government.
 

	The government funds allocated for the project is not enough. So a major chunk of investment is expected from the private players. Are the private players willing to take that risk?
 

	The whole concept that smarter cities mean more money is a fallacy. Most of these projects would pay for themselves because the benefits that they reap would bring money. 
 

	It can be explained with an example. In one of the cities in US, sewage water was leaking into drinking water. US govt imposes fines for that. The civic authorities were mandated to create infrastructure which would have cost $100 million. So through analytics we installed sensors and found out which are the main blocking areas. We were able to open up 10 million additional capacity of water in the same sewerage system that they already had. So this investment was no longer required.
 

	Another instance was in the city of Sao Paolo in Brazil. The city wanted to understand where are all its civic issues were? Instead of installing hundreds of sensors and cameras, we gave the citizens a mobile app. We said wherever you go, if you are having inconvenience in terms of waste, sewage, traffic, potholes, street lights, click a photo, the app geo codes it and sends it to the city. 
 

	In 3 hours we were able to map 4 sq kilometres area of the city and each and every civic issue of that area was noted. The city did not spend a penny because of citizen participation. 
 

	Our brains are actually a better asset than our money.
 

	What is the global perception of India’s smart cities mission? Does India have the necessary infrastructure to make the cities smart, considering even the remotest areas?
 

	From a technology deployment perspective, India’s situation is very good. For most brown field areas that we are targeting, there is a fair bit of readiness.
 

	And, through Digital India campaign, government is trying to create a seamless communication system between the government, gram panchayats and the citizens of the remotest areas.
 

	What smart technologies are available?
 

	The technology is predominantly in two categories. One of these is highly vertical solutions like water management, waste management, disaster management etc.
 

	The other thing is horizontal technologies like mobile engagement, city wide command and control.
 

	Where technology and analytics comes in, the question of cyber security comes in. And India’s security system, both physical and cyber, is abysmal. How is IBM playing a part in the solution?
 

	Cyber security is one of the key element which is part of all of our solutions. Enterprise security is our key element. We design for security. We also have threat assessment programmes in an existing system through penetration analysis. For example if you are entering a legacy system which you need to improve and also have to fix some loopholes, we have a team called X-Force Exchange, comprising of threat assessment specialists, who can do threat assessment on any given system, find loopholes and plug those loopholes.
 

	In terms of physical security, we implement video analytics to solve problems like crowd management, traffic management and accidents.
 

	For instance, we deployed a surveillance system during the Navakalevara festival of Orissa. The city basically needed a much more advanced way of surveillance. Through analytics we solved the problem. What it solved was that if you have 100 cameras you can’t have 100 eyes constantly focussed on that. Analytics are very important because you manage by exceptions. Video analytics are able to speak out specific exceptions from the feed itself. They are able to alert somebody to take action.
 

	What difficulties would be faced if this needs to be implemented on a pan India basis?
 Smart cities get thrown around as a little bit of generic concept, you put in technology and you will get a <keyword id="513113" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="smart-city">Smart city</keyword>. 

	Smart City is about local context and tapping what is best in that particular city. The issues are unique at each city. There isn’t a one size fits all solution. 
 

	We did a study in Vishakhpatnam post Hudhud. The city has a vibrant MSME sector. When Hudhud came there wasn’t that much loss of lives but there was lot of loss of livelihoods. So, in Vizag before we try any other smart city interventions, the very first intervention required is to make it a resilient Vizag where there is an integrated command and control. Another reasons of such massive damage was lack of adherence to building codes. Other coastal cities like New York have put in strong norms to protect the city from these climate related disasters.
 

	We can really be the drivers of that city if only digitally it becomes easier for us to engage with that city. Like through a single app, we can promote tourism of Ajmer (as tourism is the strength of this city).
 

	Is IBM working on any such kind of apps?
 

	We have a very strong digital engagement portfolio which includes apps, devices. There is technology and then there is design. One really needs to work closely with the city to design the right solution. How can it really push the economy? Can the city then do analytics? How can it reach all the people living in that city? There are some pockets within Ajmer that are getting left out because of reach.
 

	We have done 2500 Smart Cities projects around the world and these assets are what we are bringing to our India programme
 

	How long will it take to build a Smart City in India?
 

	If you see the roadmap, the roadmap for selection of cities is a three year roadmap. So, say in the first year 20 cities get selected. When the first round of selection occurs, then it will take 2-3 years for those 20 cities to see some progress.

	 
	 
	(Image credits: youtube)

IBM’s India
Head reveals how creating Smart Cities in India is really no ‘rocket science’

We talked to the CEO of Waze about selling to Google for $1 billion, his new Tesla, self-driving cars, and the future of your commute

20 Handyman Skills That Everyone Should Have

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/46746541.cms" />We are entering an Age of Complexity manifested by intensified economic unpredictability, tectonic demographic and technological shifts, and accelerating scarcity of resources. Adversity has become the new normal. The good news is that we humans are typically good at coping with adversity. From a biological perspective, humans are pre-programmed to react predictably to adverse—and even hostile—situations thanks to our well-perfected “fight-or-flight” instinct. Sadly, however, this preconditioned “fight-or-flight” reaction fails to produce optimal responses in today’s complex world. When we face an intractable problem many of us tend to throw in the towel quickly or keep on fighting the issue wishing it will vanish. Now visualize this: what if you could transcend this binary “fight-or-flight” reaction and uncover a “third way”—a new outlook that empowers you to see adversity as an opportunity for personal and collective growth? Adversity will suddenly morph into your ally—an ally that can ignite your ingenuity and drive you to the unearthing of revolutionary solutions that yield amazing value for yourselves and for humanity. You will become a modern day alchemist—one who can literally transmute adversity into opportunity. Such alchemists do exist—and many of them live in emerging markets like India. 
 
Take Kanak Das, a young man who lives in Morigaon, a remote village in the northeast Indian state of Assam. Das got sick of riding his bicycle on poor village roads filled with potholes and bumps. Assume you were an R&amp;D engineer who works for <keyword id="6355174" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ford">Ford</keyword>, <keyword id="6355119" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="BMW">BMW</keyword>, or <keyword id="6374528" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Toyota">Toyota</keyword> trying to design a car that can ride smoothly on such potholes-filled roads: your “fight” instinct would have told you to design better shock absorbers to overcome the bumps. But Das didn’t “fight” the bumps: instead, he used this constraint to his advantage by equipping his bicycle with a makeshift device that converts the shocks it gets into acceleration energy—enabling his bicycle to run faster on bumpy roads! 
 
Das literally transformed adversity into an opportunity to innovate and extract value from the very problem he confronted. Das epitomizes the spirit of jugaad. Jugaad is a hindi word meaning an innovative fix or an improvised solution born from ingenuity and cleverness. Jugaad is, quite simply, a unique way of thinking and acting in response to challenges; it is the gutsy art of spotting opportunities in the most adverse circumstances and resourcefully improvising solutions using simple means. Jugaad is about seeing the glass always half-full. 
 
Jugaad Innovators: The Modern Day Alchemists 
 Jugaad is practised by almost all Indians in their daily lives to make the most of what they have. Jugaad applications include finding new shrewd uses for everyday objects—Indian kitchens are replete with empty soft drink or pickle bottles reused as containers for water, spices, or lentils— or inventing new utilitarian applications and ingenious solutions with everyday objects, like using cellphones to make “missed calls”. 
The entrepreneurial spirit of jugaad is not limited to India. It is widely practised across all emerging economies such as China, <keyword id="12925" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Africa">Africa</keyword>, and Brazil, where resilient entrepreneurs are also pursuing growth in difficult circumstances. The Brazilians have their own word for this resourceful approach: jeitinho. The Chinese call it zizhu chuangxin, or indigenous innovation (in contrast with shanzhai, meaning copycat versions of foreign-made products). The Kenyans refer to it as jua kali. In our book Jugaad Innovation, my co-authors and I delved into the frugal and flexible mindset of thousands of ingenious entrepreneurs and enterprises around the world practicing jugaad to creatively address critical socio-economic issues in their communities. In Kenya, for instance, entrepreneurs have invented a device that enables bicycle riders to charge their cellphones while pedalling. 
 
In the Philippines, Illac Diaz invented A litre of light—a recycled plastic bottle containing bleach-processed water that refracts sunlight, producing the equivalent of a 55-watt light bulb. This product—which costs only $1—is a boon for scores of Filipino families living in makeshift houses in off-the-grid shantytowns. And in <keyword id="15735" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Lima">Lima</keyword>, <keyword id="6360497" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Peru">Peru</keyword> (a country with 98% humidity that receives only 1 inch of rain a year), the local university of engineering and Technology (UTEC) has designed advertising billboards that can generate up to 100 litres of potable water out of humid air each day. 
 
The jugaad innovators we studied all hail from different cultures and social and professional backgrounds. Yet they all share one unique quality: their uncanny ability to “make lemonade with any lemon” they are given. They are resilient entrepreneurs who overcame tremendous difficulties to invent ingenious solutions to vexing issues afflicting our societies. Like magicians, they conjured up these innovative solutions out of thin air—using meagre resources. Just as an alchemist can convert low-value metal into high-value gold, these frugal innovators can “do more with less”: they can create lot more value using far fewer resources. 
 
What Makes Jugaad innovators— And Their solutions—Unique? 
Despite their diversity, all the jugaad innovators—be they entrepreneurs or corporate leaders—we studied in India and other emerging markets all have the following unique personality traits in common: 
 
They are empathetic 
They recognize that their fellow citizens are suffering from adverse circumstances (e.g., poor access to healthcare or education services) and strive to lessen their pain. It is this compassion for other beings that sparks their own passion to discovering pertinent solutions to issues afflicting others. 
 
For instance, Jane Chen, a Stanford MBA, was deeply moved by the fact that 20 million babies are born prematurely or with a low birth weight each year worldwide, and four million of them die, most in developing nations, because their parents can’t afford to maintain them in baby incubators, which are too expensive. To address this issue, Jane co-founded Embrace, which makes inexpensive portable infant warmers that low income mothers in rural India, China, and Africa can use to keep their premature babies warm, and thus save their lives. 
 
They are driven by a higher purpose 
 
Jugaad innovators are not driven by fame or money. Rather, they are motivated by the aspiration to build “a better world”. This higher purpose provides them great ethical clarity and serves as an inner compass that guides all their decisions and actions. 
 
For instance, brothers <keyword id="299988" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Abhishek-Sinha">Abhishek Sinha</keyword> and Abhinav Sinha co-founded Eko to make <keyword id="6354241" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Financial-Services">financial services</keyword> affordable and accessible to the 600 million Indians who can’t avail of banking services. Eko enables low income people to open a savings account in a kirana (neighborhood retail store) and then merely use a mobile phone to deposit/withdraw cash as well as send/receive money. 
 
They are nonconformists 
 
Jugaad innovators boldly challenge the status quo by relentlessly posing the question: “why not?” They exhibit what Samuel Taylor Coleridge calls “uncommon common sense”: they develop counterintuitive solutions that flout conventional wisdom or even turn it on its head. 
 
For example, when <keyword id="6360722" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="ratan-tata">Ratan Tata</keyword> announced his decision to produce the Nano industry experts and media analysts scoffed at the idea of making a $2,000 car, for which they believed there would be no market. But the maverick Tata stuck to his counterintuitive decision and he ended up creating not only a breakthrough car but he also shaped an entire new market for subcompact cars that western automakers are jumping into lately. 
 
They are ingeniously resourceful 
 
Just like MacGyver (the famed TV action hero who can escape from any predicament by improvising solutions using just his Swiss Army knife), jugaad innovators display great ingenuity in the face of challenges. They leverage their (inner) resourcefulness when they have no external resources to tap into. They embody the frugal “bricoleurs” whom the legendary anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss lauded in his seminal book La Pensée Sauvage. According to Lévi-Strauss, a bricoleur taps into existing resources to quickly solve a problem—unlike an engineer who goes searching for the best resources available to design a perfect solution. 
 
Mansukh Prajapati is one such bricoleur: a potter by training, he created Mitticool, the world’s “greenest” fridge made entirely of clay that consumes no electricity and is 100% biodegradable. 
 
They are adaptable 
 
Jugaad innovators possess an agile mindset that enables them to rapidly shift course and reach their objectives by trying out various approaches. They are not wedded to any specific approach or tool to solving problems. Their sense of purpose is steadfast (“make the world a better place”) but their method to serving that purpose is dynamic and constantly evolving. Hence, they are resilient and can “reinvent” themselves continually. 
 
For example, Harish Hande founded Selco in 1995 to debunk the myths that poor people can’t afford <keyword id="6357019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="solar-energy">solar energy</keyword> and cannot maintain sustainable technologies. Conservative banks refused to fund his start-up and he initially struggled to convince rural consumers to switch from cheap-but-polluting kerosene to solar systems. But Hande applied his flexible thinking to improvise an ingenious solution that involves a grassroots network of micro-entrepreneurs who charge, install, maintain, and collect payment for solar lighting systems that they rent to people in remote villages. 
 
These personality traits of jugaad innovators also pervade the clever solutions they conceive. All their astute solutions (products or services) share the following attributes: 
 
• They deliver more value at less cost: Their ingenious solutions are low-cost (or much less expensive than alternative solutions in the market) and yet they offer much greater value for users. As a result, these solutions deliver “more value for less”. For instance, the embrace portable infant warmer costs less than $200—or 1% of the cost of western baby incubators priced at $20,000. More importantly, mothers can now hold against them their premature babies— dramatically boosting their chances of survival. That’s real value! 
• They are simple to use and maintain: The solutions are designed to be incredibly simple to use and maintain, thus lowering their “adoption barriers” for a larger number of users. For example, Eko’s mobile banking and payment services can be accessed using even the most basic mobile handset. This ease of use is a key success factor of Eko’s service which today counts 2 million clients. 
• They are inclusive: The solutions make critical products and services available and accessible to “marginal segments” of the society—e.g., low income people, the elderly, ethnic minorities— who traditionally couldn’t afford or access these products/services due their high cost or high complexity. For example, Selco’s solar lighting systems are now used by over 125,000 rural households across India (Selco aims to serve 200,00 households by 2013). 
• They are sustainable: The solutions are both environmentally and socially sustainable. First, these solutions are eco-friendly and minimize use of natural resources. Second, these solutions contribute to the social sustainability of local communities by spawning new “ecosystems” that create new jobs, etc.—thus catalysing a virtuous cycle of enduring socio-economic growth. For instance, Mansukh Prajapati involves many women in his village in Gujarat to produce his Mitticools, thus creating gainful employment for local community members. 
 
The rise of Jugaad innovation in The West The developed world, like emerging economies, is increasingly facing its own problems in areas such as healthcare, education, finance, and community development. Cash-strapped western governments, however, are unable to deal with these challenges on their own. In this context, a new wave of flexible-minded jugaad innovators in the US and Europe are emerging. These nonconformists are turning the conventional practices of many industries upside down, and in the process creating affordable and sustainable products and services for more citizens. 
 
For instance, Sal Khan founded Khan Academy to democratize access to education and make learning more fun for kids. He has created over 4,000 video tutorials for math, sciences, and engineering that are freely available on <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword> and are today viewed by over 6 million users a month. Similarly, Erik Douglas co-founded CellScope, a start-up that converts your smartphone into a medical diagnosis tool so you can do ear, throat, and skin exams at home without having to visit an expensive lab. CellScope is a boon for the 50 million Americans who lack medical insurance. And to meet the needs of the 68 million Americans today who are unbanked or underbanked, <keyword id="2787085" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Danny-Shader">Danny Shader</keyword> founded PayNearme, which enables US citizens without credit/debit cards to pay for online transactions by cash in local convenient stores. 
 
Universities too are joining this jugaad innovation movement in the west. Several higher education institutions in the US and Europe are training a new breed of engineers and managers to design next-generation products and services that can deal with scarcity in a frugal and sustainable manner. For instance, Stanford runs a very popular multidisciplinary program called entrepreneurial design for Extreme Affordability. And <keyword id="54274" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="MIT">MIT</keyword>, with funding from Ratan Tata, recently launched the <keyword id="2481320" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Tata-Center-for-Technology-and-Design">Tata Center for Technology and Design</keyword> to train future generation of engineers and business leaders to create affordable technologies and inclusive systems that meet the needs of resource-constrained communities in the developing world. Finally, several vanguard western corporations— helmed by visionary CEOs—are pioneering the adoption of jugaad innovation. The most notable of them is the global carmaker <keyword id="70040" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Renault-Nissan">Renault-Nissan</keyword>, whose CEO, <keyword id="69288" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Carlos-Ghosn">Carlos Ghosn</keyword> famously coined the term “frugal engineering” in 2006 to describe the Indian engineers’ unique ability to conceive high-quality solutions faster, better, and cheaper. Ghosn is a big admirer of the jugaad mindset. As he puts it: “In the west, when we face huge problems and we lack resources, we tend to give up (too) easily. Jugaad is about never giving up!” In 2012, he sent Gérard Detourbet, a senior French executive in charge of <keyword id="43777" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Renault">Renault</keyword>’s entry-level car business, to India. From his new R&amp;D center in Chennai, Detourbet will be designing and producing several vehicles—all built on the ultra-low-cost “A-entry” platform—that will first be launched in India and then marketed in Brazil and <keyword id="6355117" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="South-Africa">South Africa</keyword>. There is no doubt that when Detourbet returns to Renault’s headquarters in Paris, he will carry with him the flexible jugaad mindset he acquired in India. 
 
Ultimately, the ingenious solutions devised by these audacious jugaad innovators—our modern day alchemists—in emerging markets as well as in developed economies stand out not because they are “clever” but because they bring hope to millions around the world. In today’s morose economic climate and challenging social context, these alchemists help transmute pessimism into optimism—and that, by itself, is priceless. These ingenious alchemists—and their frugal and agile jugaad mindset—not only represent the hope for humanity but they also help restore our faith in humanity. 
 This article is partially adapted from the book Jugaad Innovation: A Frugal And Flexible Approach To Innovation For The 21st Century (<keyword id="189391" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Random-House-India">Random House India</keyword>, 2012). 
 (<keyword id="373112" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Navi-Radjou">Navi Radjou</keyword>, an innovation and leadership strategist based in <keyword id="6357722" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="silicon-valley">Silicon Valley</keyword> and <keyword id="192175" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="co-author">co-author</keyword> of best selling books including Jugaad Innovation; From Smart to Wise: Acting and Leading with Wisdom; and most recently Frugal Innovation: How to do more with less, leads an engaging discussion with a group of like minded individuals brought together by Thinkers (<a href="http://www.thinkers.in/">www.thinkers.in</a>) on how new technologies (mobility, social media, Internet of Things, 3D printing) and groundswell socio-economic movements (e.g., sharing and circular economy, maker movement) are dramatically lowering the cost of innovation worldwide.)

Thinkers/Thinkers 50: Know what 'Jugaad' or frugal innovation has done for the world!

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53b485b869bedd0b0ee1852f-1200-924/traffic-17.jpg" border="0" alt="Traffic " />AP</div></div></div>
Travelers aren't the only ones who should be worried about Congress' next big economic crisis. 
Political analysts and groups with an interest in the outcome are starting to become anxious about the battle brewing this summer over the Highway Trust Fund - and they're not convinced any of the likely solutions being floated on Capitol Hill will solve the problem one leading lawmaker has dubbed a potential "construction shutdown." 
The Highway Trust Fund, which is financed by gasoline taxes and pays for transportation and infrastructure projects, is set to run out by the end of the summer. The federal highway money <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/highway-trust-fund-expiration-when-infrastructure-spending-2014-5" target="_blank">will begin to dissipate at the beginning of next month</a> and stop altogether by Sept. 30.
In a letter to state transportation officials sent Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said funding for transportation projects would begin to be affected Aug. 1 if Congress does not take action. Foxx also warned states should expect about a 28% cut in federal funding for construction projects.
The fund is headed towards insolvency because the government now spends more money on those transportation and infrastructure projects than it collects from the gas tax, which has not been raised in over two decades. If the fund dries up, it could have dire consequences for the economy and cost the country hundreds of thousands of jobs, according to some estimates.
These consequences make the fund's expiration date one of a few deadlines, including the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ex-im-bank-government-shutdown-2014-6" target="_blank">reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank's charter</a>, that has analysts worried about the economic headwinds coming out of Washington this year. These fears intensified when House Majority Leader Eric Cantor stunningly lost his Republican primary battle to a Tea Party insurgent. 
In an email to Business Insider, Guggenheim Securities analyst Chris Krueger indicated the so-called construction shutdown is one of the main potential economic headwinds coming out of Washington this year. He also described the climate on the Hill as the "new hysteria" and warned it could make a solution "difficult" to reach.
"The new leadership slate has a difficult challenge in the ~140 days to the midterms, with many conservative/Tea Party groups pushing for a more aggressive/confrontational leadership style," Krueger wrote. "Thankfully for the markets, there are few fiscal fights on the horizon this year, though. However, the highway bill and the Export-Import Bank could well fall prey to this new hysteria, as both face expirations before the midterms."
Thus far, Congress has failed to agree on a solution, and the federal government has begun amping up its warnings to states. The Obama administration has estimated as many as 700,000 jobs could be lost and about 112,000 active construction projects could be affected by either being delayed, deferred, or halted. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington), who has been the Democratic leadership's point person on the issue, has warned of the potentially disastrous "construction shutdown." 
President Barack Obama, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-highway-trust-fund-socialism-imperial-presidency-2014-7" target="_blank">sounding rather exasperated on Tuesda</a>y, pushed the four-year, $302 billion plan his administration has advocated as a solution to the problem - which has no chance of passing through Congress.
"It's not crazy, it's not socialism," he said in remarks in front of the Georgetown waterfront with the Key Bridge in the background. "It's not the imperial presidency - no laws are broken. We're just building roads and bridges like we've been doing for the last, I don't know, 50, 100 years."
During <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/publication/45315?utm_source=feedblitz&amp;utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&amp;utm_content=812526&amp;utm_campaign=0" target="_blank">testimony</a> before the Senate Finance Committee earlier this year, Joseph Kile, the assistant director for microeconomic studies at the Congressional Budget Office identified two possible solutions to what the CBO has described as an "impossible situation." Kile suggested Congress could either drastically cut spending in the fund's two accounts or increase the gas tax by at least 10 cents per gallon. 
In an election year, lawmakers are loath to support either of these options. The gas tax hasn't been raised since 1993. Last month, two senators talked about the unthinkable solution - they introduced a bipartisan <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/highway-trust-fund-solution-gas-tax-hike-corker-murphy-2014-6" target="_blank">plan to save the fund by incrementally raising the 18.4 cents-per-gallon gas tax</a>. But with voters heading to the polls this November, the prognosis for the proposal is grim as there little political appetite for raising taxes on drivers among both the Republican-controlled House and the White House. 
The most likely solution is a short-term extension to boost the fund through the end of the year. Right now, the proposal that has the most "energy," according to one Senate Democratic aide, is one <a href="http://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Staff%20Summary%20of%20PATH%20Act%20Provisions.pdf" target="_blank">unveiled</a> last week by Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden. Wyden's proposal would infuse about $9 billion into the fund through offsetting methods aimed at increasing revenue through tax compliance and higher taxes on heavy trucks, among others. Senate leadership is open to a short-term solution.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53b302dceab8ea072ed61a18-1200-858/rtr3womu.jpg" border="0" alt="Barack Obama" />REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstAn exasperated-sounding Obama said a solution to the highway problem is "not socialism."</div></div></div>
In an email to Business Insider, Murray, the No. 4 Democrat in the Senate, expressed support for a short-term fix for the Highway Trust Fund.
"The most important thing we can do right now is prevent this looming and completely unnecessary crisis, so I'm hopeful Republicans will push aside the Tea Party fringe, and find a way to get a deal with us that would, at the very least, avoid a construction shutdown this summer," Murray said. "And as soon as we've ensured workers and businesses across the country won't pay the price for another manufactured crisis coming out of Washington, D.C. we should absolutely look for a longer term solution."
However, Wall Street analysts are unconvinced a short-term solution would do much to solve the overall problem. 
The reason: States cannot plan any long-term infrastructure projects in a three-month window, which they would be working with if the Highway Trust Fund is extended only through the end of the year. There would be no guarantee federal dollars would continue to flow to the states for these projects in 2015. Krueger said this would effectively kill any largescale infrastructure projects for the time being.
"This means state departments of transportation are basically left filling potholes because it takes a lot longer than three months to build large bridges, overpasses, etc.," Krueger explained. 
Furthermore, even a short-term plan to save the fund might not be able to get off the ground. 
The Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote on Wyden's measure soon after they return next week from Congress' July 4 recess. There is no guarantee, however, it will pass muster with the Republican-controlled House, whose leadership until recently had pushed a plan that would have offset a new cash infusion to the Highway Trust Fund by limiting U.S. Postal Service deliveries on Saturdays. 
That plan fizzled amid resistance from conservative groups and some of the House's more conservative members. House Speaker John Boehner is waiting to see a plan from Republican House Ways and Means Committee Chair Dave Camp (R-Michigan) next week.
Like the Ex-Im Bank fight, the debate over replenishing the Highway Trust Fund has created some strange alliances in Washington. Conservative groups like the Club for Growth and Heritage Action oppose throwing more federal money into the Highway Trust Fund, viewing it as another broken program in Washington. They have advocated devolving highway funding to individual states to let them decide their own infrastructure needs. 
The White House, meanwhile has found common ground on the issue with Republican-leaning, business-friendly groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that have strongly advocated finding a solution. The Chamber even put out an <a href="https://www.uschamber.com/blog/what-highway-trust-fund-and-why-should-you-care-about-it?utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_medium=Wallpost&amp;utm_campaign=Status" target="_blank">explainer</a> on its website about the issue that pushed Foxx's message.
It seems only one thing is certain as Congress barrels towards its next big economic crisis - the business world is worried. 
"If Congress does not act, states should expect to see reduced and delayed reimbursements for projects," the Chamber's explainer read.
"Some states have decided not to start construction, due to the probable chance that there will be bills they can't afford and unfinished projects without funding. By failing to improve transportation systems, the conditions of roads will not improve, let alone be maintained. Not only will the population be in danger, but the economic opportunities that highways provide will suffer, too."

Why Everyone Is Starting To Freak Out That We Might Be Headed For A 'Construction Shutdown'

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Benjamin Zhang/ Business Insider" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d00caa69bedd26435485e5-960/2014-infiniti-q50s-hybrid.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d00caa69bedd26435485e5-1200-924/2014-infiniti-q50s-hybrid.jpg" border="0" alt="2014 Infiniti Q50S Hybrid" /></a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/author/benjamin-zhang">Benjamin Zhang/ Business Insider</a></div></div></div>Editor's Note: Consumer Reports' 2014 Reliability Survey trashed Infiniti's Q50 sedan, calling it one of the least reliable luxury cars on sale today. CR cited issues with the car's navigation system, touchscreens, and Bluetooth connectivity as some of the more prevalent gripes from owners.
Business Insider reviewed a 2014 Infiniti Q50 S Hybrid AWD earlier this year, and we loved actually loved it. We were impressed by its attention-grabbing looks, high-performance powertrain, and dazzling array of electronic gadgets - gadgets that become its Achilles' heel in the CR survey. 
We didn't experience any of the electronic gremlins that CR's survey participants did. 
 
It isn't easy being the most important car in the lineup of a luxury auto brand striving to keep up with the BMWs and Lexuses of the world. 
But the Infiniti Q50, an ambitious sequel to the highly successful G-Series sedan (now renamed the Q40), is just that. 
Nissan's luxury brand has to anoint a successor to its popular and well-regarded Q40 model. But Infiniti also wants the Q50 to be the centerpiece of a reboot for the nameplate. 
The now-aging G-series has performed admirably for a brand that has struggled to gain a solid footing in the hyper-competitive luxury-car market. In 2012, the G-Series accounted for a whopping 68% of Infiniti's car (versus SUV and crossover) sales. Even in 2013, when the first Q50s hit the market, the G-Series accounted for 48% of Infiniti's car sales. 
The challenge is stark: For the Q50 to be successful, it has to sway buyers from industry heavy hitters, such as the BMW 3-Series, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and the Lexus IS. 
Fortunately, Infiniti has stuffed the Q50 with every ingredient it needs to succeed. State-of-the-art powertrain? Check. Bucketloads of the latest car tech? Check. Supermodel looks? Check. 
To get an idea of how these elements come together, Business Insider spent a week driving a fully loaded Q50 S Hybrid All-Wheel-Drive (AWD), in fetching Venetian Ruby, around the streets of Manhattan and Northern New Jersey. 
Here is our takeaway.
<h3>Behind The Wheel </h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Infiniti" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d1488169beddb22f5d7585-960/2015-infiniti-q50s-jpg.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d1488169beddb22f5d7585-1200-924/2015-infiniti-q50s-jpg.jpg" border="0" alt="2015 Infiniti Q50S .JPG" /></a>Infiniti</div></div></div>The first time you get behind the wheel of a Q50 your senses are inundated with bright LCDs, the smell of fine leather, and the growl of its engine. From its striking good looks to its gobs of high-tech goodies, the Q50 communicates in hyperbole. The Q50 Hybrid's engine is no different. Propulsion comes from the marriage of the 3.5-liter VQ series V6 engine and a hybrid electric drive system. Together, they produce a hefty 360 horsepower and all the torque you're ever going to need. 
And make no mistake, the hybrid system wasn't developed exclusively so that the Q50 could be environmentally friendly; it also helps the car go faster. Speed comes with price. Although Infiniti claims the Q50 Hybrid delivers 27 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway, Business Insider recorded a combined fuel economy of just under 25 mpg.
Our test car was crammed with more technology than the latest $250,000 Bentley that I drove, not that tech probably makes all that much difference to most Bentley buyers. The lineup is dizzying: cameras on all four corners of the car, a system that keeps the car in the middle of the lane, another one that accelerates and brakes based on the car in front, and a gizmo that predicts whether the vehicle two cars in front of you will slam on the brakes. 
Our Q50 came equipped with Infiniti's revolutionary direct adaptive steering (DAS) system. When the car is moving under engine power, there is no physical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels. Instead, when you steer, your actions are piped through an onboard computer to the wheels. It's like the control systems on most modern jets. Many automotive journalists, for whom a direct mechanical link between steering wheel and tire grip is a sacred covenant, have complained about the numb and detached feel of the "steer by wire" system. 
But it didn't bother me. While it's not perfect, the DAS provided adequate feel and effectively communicated the lay of the land. Sure, I couldn't sense every crack, pebble, or asphalt nuance. But I didn't really want to. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Infiniti" title_caption="Infiniti's direct adaptive steering system." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d1530decad04643a94df54-960/infiniti-q50-direct-adaptive-steering.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d1530decad04643a94df54-1200-924/infiniti-q50-direct-adaptive-steering.jpg" border="0" alt="Infiniti Q50 Direct Adaptive Steering" /></a>InfinitiInfiniti's direct adaptive steering system.</div></div></div>With power routed through a 7-speed automatic transmission and Nissan Group's legendary ATTESA all-wheel-drive system, the Q50 Hybrid rockets to 60 mph in a scant 5 seconds. The AWD Q50 grips hard; you're not going to spin the wheels when you floor the throttle.
There are instances, unfortunately, where Infiniti has to adjust how the gasoline powertrain interacts with the hybrid drive system. Under hard acceleration, there is a pronounced delay between the time the Q50's electric motor requests help from the gasoline engine and the time the gas engine can turn on and provide power. This becomes dangerously evident on highway on-ramps, where acceleration on demand is essential. 
Like many of its competitors, the Q50 comes with a pair of paddle shifters mounted behind the steering wheel. Sadly, they don't simulate manual control in the way they're supposed to. While most shiftable automatic transmissions allow the driver a range of gears to choose from, the Q's electronic brain seems to want the driver to shift only into the precise gear that the car demands, defeating the purpose of having a manual-shift option in the first place.
As part of the sports package, Infiniti has given the Q50 S a stiff performance-tuned suspension that makes the sedan incredibly composed at high speed and in corners. However, by stiffening the Q50's shocks and springs, its ability to soak up bumps and potholes has been greatly compromised. I could blame New Jersey's poorly paved roads, but the ride is too rough to make the Q50 a good daily driver.
<h3>The Walkaround </h3>
The exterior of the Q50 features some of the most striking sheet metal in the marketplace (optional 19-inch wheels up the ante). More than a few passersby commented on our car's eye-pleasing aesthetics. The Q50 is the most successful implementation of the aggressive front grill and headlight design found across the Infiniti lineup. Infiniti balances out the more aggressive elements by using sculptural lines to pull your eyes toward to the softer curves that dominate the rest of the car.
<h3>Step Inside </h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Infiniti" title_caption="Lots of gadgets here. " class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d15fcf69beddf21b5d7583-960/infiniti-q50s-interiorjpg.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d15fcf69beddf21b5d7583-1200-924/infiniti-q50s-interiorjpg.jpg" border="0" alt="Infiniti Q50S Interior.JPG" /></a>InfinitiLots of gadgets here. </div></div></div>While not as striking as the car's exterior, the Q50's interior is a strong selling point. It's stylish, sensible, and remarkably pleasant. As you climb into the driver's seat, the Q50 gives you an immediate sense of modernity blended with sportiness. The centerpiece of the interior is the Q50's pair of touchscreen LCDs, a rarity even in ultrahigh-priced sedans. 
The dual-screen layout allows for an incredible level of flexibility, offering occupants the ability to tweak the car's settings, access infotainment, and adjust climate controls without taxing the navigation interface. The Intel-powered lower screen can be laggy, but its tablet-style setup is clear and easy to use. On the downside, the Q50's voice activation is incapable of understanding standard American English, and the navigation system looks like a dated rehash of the same system that Nissan has been using for the better half of a decade. 
Overall, the cabin is swathed in soft-touch leather panels and accented with real maple wood trim. Hefty control stalks are cut from the finest plastic. Seating is ample up front, but rear legroom is limited, especially for taller occupants. Trunk space for the Hybrid model is also limited, because that's where the lithium-ion battery lives. 
<h3>Should You Buy It?</h3>
I put the car through its paces on the streets of Weehawken, New Jersey, tracing the course that screaming Formula One cars would take should the <a href="http://www.northjersey.com/news/weehawken-s-formula-one-grand-prix-race-delayed-again-1.1057055" target="_blank">proposed Grand Prix of America</a> ever come to fruition. Like the F1 race that's perpetually stuck in limbo, the Q50 has all of the elements required to be great. Sadly, the Q50 hasn't quite revealed its full potential because of some small but irritating faults. Fortunately, annoyances like the throttle timing, paddle shifters, and navigation system can be easily fixed.
How does it compare to its rivals? The Q50S Hybrid doesn't offer the raw driving experience of the BMW 3-series, the brand cache of the Mercedes C-Class, or the refinement of the Lexus. However, it does a great job of aspiring to those qualities. What the Q50 does deliver is a powerful high-tech sports sedan that rocks a level of gizmofication usually seen only in ultrapremium sedans. 
At a fully loaded price of $55,000, the Infiniti Q50 S Hybrid is one heck of a good deal. Comparably equipped competing models cost thousands more. While its imperfections keep it from reaching greatness, the Q50 is still a terrific car, offering great bang for the buck. A worthy successor to the G-Series has arrived.

Consumer Reports Called This Infiniti One Of The Least Reliable Luxury Sedans - But We Totally Disagree

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Benjamin Zhang/ Business Insider" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d00caa69bedd26435485e5-960/2014-infiniti-q50s-hybrid.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d00caa69bedd26435485e5-1200-924/2014-infiniti-q50s-hybrid.jpg" border="0" alt="2014 Infiniti Q50S Hybrid" /></a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/author/benjamin-zhang">Benjamin Zhang/ Business Insider</a></div></div></div>It isn't easy being the most important car in the lineup of a luxury auto brand striving to keep up with the BMWs and Lexuses of the world. But the Infiniti Q50, an ambitious sequel to the highly successful G-Series sedan (now renamed the Q40), is just that. Nissan's luxury brand has to anoint a successor to its popular and well-regarded Q40 model. But Infiniti also wants the Q50 to be the centerpiece of a reboot for the nameplate. 
The now-aging G-series has performed admirably for a brand that has struggled to gain a solid footing in the hyper-competitive luxury-car market. In 2012, the G-Series accounted for a whopping 68% of Infiniti's car (versus SUV and crossover) sales. Even in 2013, when the first Q50s hit the market, the G-Series accounted for 48% of Infiniti's car sales. 
The challenge is stark: For the Q50 to be successful, it has to sway buyers from industry heavy hitters, such as the BMW 3-Series, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and the Lexus IS. 
Fortunately, Infiniti has stuffed the Q50 with every ingredient it needs to succeed. State-of-the-art powertrain? Check. Bucketloads of the latest car tech? Check. Supermodel looks? Check. 
To get an idea of how these elements come together, Business Insider spent a week driving a fully loaded Q50 S Hybrid All-Wheel-Drive (AWD), in fetching Venetian Ruby, around the streets of Manhattan and Northern New Jersey. 
Here is our takeaway.
<h3>Behind The Wheel </h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Infiniti" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d1488169beddb22f5d7585-960/2015-infiniti-q50s-jpg.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d1488169beddb22f5d7585-1200-924/2015-infiniti-q50s-jpg.jpg" border="0" alt="2015 Infiniti Q50S .JPG" /></a>Infiniti</div></div></div>The first time you get behind the wheel of a Q50 your senses are inundated with bright LCDs, the smell of fine leather, and the growl of its engine. From its striking good looks to its gobs of high-tech goodies, the Q50 communicates in hyperbole. The Q50 Hybrid's engine is no different. Propulsion comes from the marriage of the 3.5-liter VQ series V6 engine and a hybrid electric drive system. Together, they produce a hefty 360 horsepower and all the torque you're ever going to need. 
And make no mistake, the hybrid system wasn't developed exclusively so that the Q50 could be environmentally friendly; it also helps the car go faster. Speed comes with price. Although Infiniti claims the Q50 Hybrid delivers 27 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway, Business Insider recorded a combined fuel economy of just under 25 mpg.
Our test car was crammed with more technology than the latest $250,000 Bentley that I drove, not that tech probably makes all that much difference to most Bentley buyers. The lineup is dizzying: cameras on all four corners of the car, a system that keeps the car in the middle of the lane, another one that accelerates and brakes based on the car in front, and a gizmo that predicts whether the vehicle two cars in front of you will slam on the brakes. 
Our Q50 came equipped with Infiniti's revolutionary direct adaptive steering (DAS) system. When the car is moving under engine power, there is no physical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels. Instead, when you steer, your actions are piped through an onboard computer to the wheels. It's like the control systems on most modern jets. Many automotive journalists, for whom a direct mechanical link between steering wheel and tire grip is a sacred covenant, have complained about the numb and detached feel of the "steer by wire" system. 
But it didn't bother me. While it's not perfect, the DAS provided adequate feel and effectively communicated the lay of the land. Sure, I couldn't sense every crack, pebble, or asphalt nuance. But I didn't really want to. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Infiniti" title_caption="Infiniti's direct adaptive steering system." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d1530decad04643a94df54-960/infiniti-q50-direct-adaptive-steering.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d1530decad04643a94df54-1200-924/infiniti-q50-direct-adaptive-steering.jpg" border="0" alt="Infiniti Q50 Direct Adaptive Steering" /></a>InfinitiInfiniti's direct adaptive steering system.</div></div></div>With power routed through a 7-speed automatic transmission and Nissan Group's legendary ATTESA all-wheel-drive system, the Q50 Hybrid rockets to 60 mph in a scant 5 seconds. The AWD Q50 grips hard; you're not going to spin the wheels when you floor the throttle.
There are instances, unfortunately, where Infiniti has to adjust how the gasoline powertrain interacts with the hybrid drive system. Under hard acceleration, there is a pronounced delay between the time the Q50's electric motor requests help from the gasoline engine and the time the gas engine can turn on and provide power. This becomes dangerously evident on highway on-ramps, where acceleration on demand is essential. 
Like many of its competitors, the Q50 comes with a pair of paddle shifters mounted behind the steering wheel. Sadly, they don't simulate manual control in the way they're supposed to. While most shiftable automatic transmissions allow the driver a range of gears to choose from, the Q's electronic brain seems to want the driver to shift only into the precise gear that the car demands, defeating the purpose of having a manual-shift option in the first place.
As part of the sports package, Infiniti has given the Q50 S a stiff performance-tuned suspension that makes the sedan incredibly composed at high speed and in corners. However, by stiffening the Q50's shocks and springs, its ability to soak up bumps and potholes has been greatly compromised. I could blame New Jersey's poorly paved roads, but the ride is too rough to make the Q50 a good daily driver.
<h3>The Walkaround </h3>
The exterior of the Q50 features some of the most striking sheet metal in the marketplace (optional 19-inch wheels up the ante). More than a few passersby commented on our car's eye-pleasing aesthetics. The Q50 is the most successful implementation of the aggressive front grill and headlight design found across the Infiniti lineup. Infiniti balances out the more aggressive elements by using sculptural lines to pull your eyes toward to the softer curves that dominate the rest of the car.
<h3>Step Inside </h3>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Infiniti" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d15fcf69beddf21b5d7583-960/infiniti-q50s-interiorjpg.jpg"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53d15fcf69beddf21b5d7583-1200-924/infiniti-q50s-interiorjpg.jpg" border="0" alt="Infiniti Q50S Interior.JPG" /></a>Infiniti</div></div></div>While not as striking as the car's exterior, the Q50's interior is a strong selling point. It's stylish, sensible, and remarkably pleasant. As you climb into the driver's seat, the Q50 gives you an immediate sense of modernity blended with sportiness. The centerpiece of the interior is the Q50's pair of touchscreen LCDs, a rarity even in ultrahigh-priced sedans. 
The dual-screen layout allows for an incredible level of flexibility, offering occupants the ability to tweak the car's settings, access infotainment, and adjust climate controls without taxing the navigation interface. The Intel-powered lower screen can be laggy, but its tablet-style setup is clear and easy to use. On the downside, the Q50's voice activation is incapable of understanding standard American English, and the navigation system looks like a dated rehash of the same system that Nissan has been using for the better half of a decade. 
Overall, the cabin is swathed in soft-touch leather panels and accented with real maple wood trim. Hefty control stalks are cut from the finest plastic. Seating is ample up front, but rear legroom is limited, especially for taller occupants. Trunk space for the Hybrid model is also limited, because that's where the lithium-ion battery lives. 
<h3>Should You Buy It?</h3>
I put the car through its paces on the streets of Weehawken, New Jersey, tracing the course that screaming Formula One cars would take should the <a href="http://www.northjersey.com/news/weehawken-s-formula-one-grand-prix-race-delayed-again-1.1057055" target="_blank">proposed Grand Prix of America</a> ever come to fruition. Like the F1 race that's perpetually stuck in limbo, the Q50 has all of the elements required to be great. Sadly, the Q50 hasn't quite revealed its full potential because of some small but irritating faults. Fortunately, annoyances like the throttle timing, paddle shifters, and navigation system can be easily fixed.
How does it compare to its rivals? The Q50S Hybrid doesn't offer the raw driving experience of the BMW 3-series, the brand cache of the Mercedes C-Class, or the refinement of the Lexus. However, it does a great job of aspiring to those qualities. What the Q50 does deliver is a powerful high-tech sports sedan that rocks a level of gizmofication usually seen only in ultrapremium sedans. 
At a fully loaded price of $55,000, the Infiniti Q50 S Hybrid is one heck of a good deal. Comparably equipped competing models cost thousands more. While its imperfections keep it from reaching greatness, the Q50 is still a terrific car, offering great bang for the buck. A worthy successor to the G-Series has arrived.

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