Lifestyle

The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will likely go on sale a little later than expected due to the ongoing UAW strike, but some early reviews of the mid-engine model are in. They paint a picture of a fast and premium sports car that nevertheless leaves room for improvement.

The reports come from a handful of automotive outlets invited to test pre-production prototypes, as the Bowling Green, Ky., assembly line where the Corvette is produced is still set up to build the outgoing model. Fox News Autos was not offered the opportunity to drive the cars.

By the numbers, the switch to a mid-engine layout appears to have delivered mixed results on the performance front. Motor Trend, Road & Track and Car and Driver all recorded 0-60 mph acceleration times of 2.8 seconds for the Stingray equipped with the Z51 performance package. That’s about a second quicker than the previous front-engine car – which was rated at 460 hp compared to the new Stingray’s 495 hp – and is an astonishing improvement attributed in part to the extra traction afforded by having more weight on the rear tires during launch.

THE FIRST 2020 CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY COULD BE WORTH MILLIONS

Conversely, stopping distances have increased, possibly because less weight now shifts to the front tires, which are typically responsible for as much as three-fourths of a car’s braking force. Motor Trend also noted that the Stingray’s new brake-by-wire system is difficult to modulate at the limit compared to traditional setups.

Going around turns, the new Corvette failed to deliver the same level of lateral grip as the old one, but was able to get on the power earlier and harder coming out of them. This allowed Car and Driver to lap the 2.2-mile Grattan Raceway in 1:26.1, which is .9 seconds faster than the 2019 Stingray could manage.

Road & Track, which declared the new Stingray to be “not great, but good,” said that its new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission isn’t as responsive to shift commands as the best from the likes of Porsche and Lamborghini, and that the car understeers more than expected. Both impressions were echoed by the other magazines, with Motor Trend speculating that Chevrolet intentionally tuned the Stingray to “push” through curves in order to keep less experienced drivers from spinning out, as it found the car difficult to control precisely at the limit with its traction control systems turned off.

All three of the major magazines described the Stingray as quiet and smooth, with Motor Trend likening its highway ride quality to that of a luxury sports sedan’s. Summing things up, Car and Driver said it is “spectacular” and the “best Corvette ever” while Road & Track called it a “sign of amazing things to come” in the form of more powerful versions of the Corvette that will be able to capitalize even more on the mid-engine design.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

When one Tennessee couple needed a flower girl for their wedding, they knew just the ladies to ask.

Newlyweds Lyndsey and Tanner Raby decided the day would be even more special if they had their four respective grandmothers and great-grandmothers do the job, typically reserved for a child.

MAN SHOCKED TO SEE BASEBALL MASCOT, NOT BRIDE, DURING FIRST LOOK PRANK

“I knew as soon as I was engaged, I wanted to involve my grandmothers,” the bride told HuffPost. “I felt so blessed to have them all here, so I wanted them to be involved, too.”

The flower women included Tanner’s grandmother, Joyce Raby, 70; Lyndsey’s two grandmothers, Betty Brown, 72, and Wanda Grant, 76; and her 90-year-old great-grandmother, Kathleen Brown.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

According to Raby, the matriarchs were “ecstatic” to be part of the wedding at Ocoee Crest in Benton on Sept. 22. “I do believe they were more excited than my bridesmaids,” she said.

Wedding photographer Natalie Caho shared an image on Instagram of the four women wearing matching pale blue lace dresses, posing around the smiling bride.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

“I’ve seen a lot of cute flower girls in my day, but these four gals take the cake,” wrote Caho.

“Most girls are lucky to even have one grandmother present,” Caho tells HuffPost. “The fact that [Lyndsey] had four was a big deal that she wanted to savor.”

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Raby says anyone lucky enough to have their grandparents present at their nuptials should ask them to be a part of the ceremony.

“It means so much to them, and it will mean so much more to you,” she said.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post.

This is not what Buzz Lightyear meant when he said, “to infinity and beyond!”

A line of revealing Halloween costumes seemingly based on the movie “Toy Story” are scaring up big reactions online. The costumes don’t appear to be officially licensed products, but the small amount of fabric makes it clear which characters they represent.

Online retailer Fashion Nova released the line-up, which includes three different costumes, on their website. The first is called New Sheriff In Town and is apparently based on Woody, the toy Western lawman voiced by Tom Hanks.

For fans of Buzz Lightyear, there’s the Infinite And Beyond costume. Closing out the set is a costume called Ooooh The Claw, based n the toy aliens that live in the Pizza Planet claw machine in “Toy Story.”

FASHION NOVA’S REVEALING LACE-UP TOP CAUSES CONFUSION: ‘IS SHE WEARING IT BACKWARDS?’

According to the Fashion Nova website, the cowboy and alien costumes have sold out and the Buzz-Lightyear-themed outfit is only available in a few sizes.

On Instagram, the reaction was mixed. While plenty of people responded positively to the costumes, others were less enthused. One commenter simply wrote, “Childhood ruined.”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

Another user wrote, “Y’all ruined ‘Toy Story’ for me, but pretty cute.”

On the other hand, the post has garnered more than 42,000 likes and many of the comments are from people hoping to convince other friends into joining them in a group costume.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In other words, for anyone with kids who are fans of “Toy Story,” this might be a good year to go trick-or-treating early so they don’t see anything that ruins the movie.

An uncompromisingly masculine 3-year-old in Michigan may have a future as a title boxing champ after a clip of him relentlessly punching a Halloween decoration has gone viral.

Frank McCormick shared video on Facebook of his savage son Charlie, who got spooked by a leaping animatronic spider at a store.

“Charlie’s from the streets, apparently,” the dad captioned the clip of his son on Sunday, as Fox 23 reported.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

In the clip, which has been taken down from Facebook but is still making the rounds on Twitter, Charlie immediately started swinging and punching at the spider after it “jumped” at him.

“I want to hit him!” Charlie bellowed as he began walloping the Halloween decoration, Fox 23 reported, adding that the Facebook post was viewed more than 20 million times by Tuesday morning before being taken down.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Only time will tell what the baby brawler grows up to be, but he already has many fans around the globe after his moves knocked out the Internet.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I salute this young warrior. He’s more courageous and assertive than many men 10x his age,” one fan tweeted when sharing the video, which had 9.5 million views on the platform.

Well, that didn’t work.

A delivery driver hilariously followed instructions while delivering a package, though the directions made little sense, given what was being delivered. The resulting picture revealed one of the funniest ways for someone to find a package by their front door.

Ebony Freeman recently received a new doormat from a friend that reads, “Please hide packages from husband,” Fox 13 reports. The Texas native apparently liked the mat and placed it outside the front door to her house.

DELIVERY MAN CAUGHT SNEAKING SIP OF CUSTOMER’S MILKSHAKE

A few days later, she reportedly received a package and the delivery driver followed the mat’s instructions. Unfortunately, the package was a long, elongated packaged that was not hidden by the mat in any way at all.

Freeman shared a photo of the package on Facebook and captioned it: “Oh my god look! The UPS guy actually hid it under the rug!”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

The post quickly went viral, garnering over 7,000 reactions, 10,000 comments and 48,000 shares.

This isn’t the first time that delivery drivers have been the source of great photographs.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In 2017, a trend spread online of UPS drivers posing with dogs along their delivery routes. An online group called UPS Dogs was formed by one of the company’s drivers. Sean McCarren of West Virginia created the group after he noticed that his phone was full of pictures of puppies he’d met while on the job.

A vintage Vespa ridden by Hollywood legend Marlon Brando – illegally – while visiting Britain is to go under the hammer.

Double-Oscar winner Brando rode the iconic Italian scooter around Berkshire – even though it was not registered in the U.K.

Brando’s “fun runaround” belonged to his American movie producer pal Elliot Kastner, who he worked with on 1976 American epic western “Missouri Breaks.”

Kastner, best known for producing World War Two classic Where Eagles Dare, bought the 1976 Vespa in Rome for a film shoot. He later shipped it to England where he owned Runnymede House, a country home in Old Windsor, Berkshire.

2019 HONDA SUPER CUB TEST RIDE: 100 MILLION PEOPLE CAN’T BE WRONG:

Elliot’s son, Dillon, said his dad’s “good friend” Brando used the scooter to get about the rural getaway and its surrounding lanes. Dillon said Brando, who died in 2004, used to ask his dad whether the bike was “serviced and ready to go?”

The fact that the scooter was not registered for U.K. roads did not stop Brando, one of the 20th Century’s most acclaimed actors. The Piaggo Vespa 125cc Turismo Speciale is unrestored and still bears the original number plate from Rome.

Auctioneers estimate the scooter, which has become a vintage collector’s item, will sell for between £2,000 to £3,000 ($2,500 to $3,800). It is due to go under the hammer with H&H Classics on November 2 at the National Motorcycle Museum, in Solihull, West Midlands.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Mark Bryan of H&H Classics Motorcycle Department, said: “This Vespa has impeccable credentials and is something of a find for any Brando fan who also appreciates classic Italian design of this iconic scooter. It is a great mix of bike and film history.”

Dillon Kastner, sold the bike to the current seller, Chris Bishop, who has led Pinewood Studios’ furniture team for 25 years. Chris met Elliot at Pinewood Studios where he had an office.

Brando won two Oscars as Best Actor- his first for his role in 1954’s American crime drama On The Waterfront and his second as Vito Corleone in the 1973 gangster classic – The Godfather.

We bet she won’t be doing that again.

A mom in Jacksonville, Fla., recently shared footage of her 2-year-old son complaining about how she rushed off to work without giving him a kiss goodbye — and the adorable video is going viral.

HOTEL REUNITES GIRL, 10, WITH STUFFED ANIMAL SHE LEFT BEHIND ON VACATION

“After Alexander’s soccer practice I was in such a hurry to get back to work and my baby Alex was very upset he didn’t get the proper goodbye,” Diana Simos wrote on Facebook earlier this month. “He had a lot to say and my husband got it all on video,” she added.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

In footage shot by Diana’s husband Christos, their son Alexander can be seen in disbelief, trying to tell Christos about Diana’s hasty departure.

“She didn’t give you a kiss?” Christos helpfully translates, seeing as Alexander is only communicating in short phrases and kissing noises.

“And she just went to work?” Christos asks his little boy. “What kind of mama does that?!”

Alexander seemed upset, too, that his mom didn’t kiss his dad goodbye, or even his newborn sister.

“Aww man!” he says, echoing his dad’s reaction.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Diana said the video had her laughing out loud — and it apparently struck a chord on Facebook, too. The video, which was reposted by WJAX in Jacksonville, has been liked more than 45,000 times since being posted on Monday.

“Mommy u are in big trouble when you get home,” one Facebook user joked. “This is sooo sooo precious.”

“That was adorable and I hope momma doesn’t forget to kiss those babies anymore,” another added.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

For the record, Diana said on Facebook that the video broke her heart too, but she made sure to give Alexander his kisses when she got home.

“#IMadeItUpToHimThough,” she hashtagged her post.

She’s seriously “killing it.”

One New York woman recently celebrated the “death” of her student loans with a funeral-inspired photo shoot at a historic graveyard. This, after paying off $102,000 in six years.

Last week, Mandy Velez shared on Facebook that she had finally paid off the loans that covered her education costs at California University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh, after graduating from college in 2013 with $75,000 in debt, “Good Morning America” reports.

PRANKSTER’S PRE-RECORDED FUNERAL MESSAGE FROM THE GRAVE GIVES FAMILY ONE LAST LAUGH

The 27-year-old’s tale — she brought it to “life” with spooky pictures featuring Velez in a black outfit, joyfully posing with “102K” balloons in Manhattan’s Trinity Church Cemetery — is starting to gain traction on social media, with 1,400 likes and more than 230 shares as of Tuesday afternoon.

PRANKSTER’S PRE-RECORDED FUNERAL MESSAGE FROM THE GRAVE GIVES FAMILY ONE LAST LAUGH

“Ding dong my loans are dead,” Velez began. “It is with immense pleasure that I announce the death of my student loans. On August 2, 2019, after 6 years, I finally killed them. It was a slow death but was worth every bit of the fight.”

The author explained that she moved to the Big Apple after graduation, ready to work hard to pay off the debt. Likening the $1,000 she owed in monthly minimums to “another rent,” the woman said she “hustled like hell” and never missed a payment, persevering even through a layoff as she took “jobs not based on what I really wanted but what could help me survive” for five years.

“Then last fall, something in me broke. … I didn’t want to owe anyone anything more. I wanted to start saving for my future. A house. Kids. A life,” Velez said. “So I made a decision — I’d become debt-free by 30. I’m proud to say I accomplished my goal two years early.”

Doubling down on her goal, Velez, who works as a senior social media editor, said she lived off less than one third of her monthly salary, ate a diet of salad, eggs, chicken and rice, said “no” to spending — even eschewing some plans with loved ones — and held multiple jobs including babysitting, working overnight as a television extra and walking dogs “until my feet literally bled” in all kinds of weather to make her dream a reality.

“Nothing was beneath me,” Velez wrote.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

With her eyes on the ultimate prize, the resolute woman was able to pay off $32,000 in just eight months.

“Was it easy? No. Worth it? I’m smiling in a cemetery. 102K lifted from my back. You tell me,” she wrote on Facebook.

Moving forward, Velez said she hopes that her story inspires others to realize they can free themselves of student loan debt on their own terms – if they are able to work hard and make sacrifices.

“I hope that if [others with student debt] are able, they’re inspired to tackle their student loans in the best ways that they can,” Velez told GMA. “Or if people don’t have student loans, I hope that they understand the burden that it is on people who have them and the ridiculous things that it takes to finally kill them.”

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

In addition, she acknowledged that her position as a “single, childless, able-bodied woman” made it easier to “kill” the looming debt, and voiced empathy for others who are burdened with student loans while caring for families or handling other outstanding responsibilities.

“All I know is, this nightmare, this crisis, needs to end. Being open about my debt, and the hoops I had to jump through to get rid of it, is how I’m trying to help,” Velez wrote online.

“But after six long years, it’s time to celebrate. I have my life back. I changed my life. I changed my future family’s life,” she said. “I ended the cycle of literally ‘paying’ simply for wanting a better future. … I’m free.”

Velez’ pal Mike Arrison of Mike Arrison Photography said he loved the idea of taking the happy yet “horrifying” photos of his friend to draw attention to the issue and spark a larger discussion.

“When people talk about student loans, it’s rarely ever in a celebratory, inspirational manner,” he told “GMA.” “Seeing that [102K] number next to how young she is … I want people to be horrified at the fact that this is something that is a cause for celebration.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Outstanding student loan debt has surpassed $1.6 trillion in the U.S. – double what it was just a decade ago.

Fox Business’ Nick Giampia contributed to this report.

This critter just found the score of a lifetime.

A customer at an Alsip, Ill., grocery store filmed a small animal, apparently a rat. snacking on the store’s cheese supply. While the man who filmed the animal appeared to have a sense of humor about the situation, the local government didn’t find it funny.

The video was uploaded to Christopher Allison’s YouTube page on Oct. 9 and shows the small animal trying to open a package of sliced cheese. At least one store worker is also visible in the video and she appears to be trying to figure out how to handle the situation.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

Allison captioned the video, “I was going to grab some pre-sliced meat and cheese from the Grab n’ Go section when I saw this scruffy old mouse/rat scurry out from the middle of this center-floor cooler. Completely ignoring me Ralph (yes, I named him) went right for a package of Swiss (obviously) and went to town on the plastic wrapping. No matter how close I got Ralph fearlessly ignored the camera and proved once and for all why the store is appropriately named, ‘Food 4 Less.’”

GUINEA PIG ICE CREAM A HIT AT ECUADORIAN VENDOR’S FOOD STALL

While the rat attempts to break through the cheese’s plastic wrap, Allison exclaims, “That rat knows what it’s getting into!”

Allison went on to say that he decided against grabbing food from the deli and “bought some chips and dip instead.”

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

“In response to a YouTube video showing a rat trying to open a plastic bag full of cheese, in the pre-wrapped meats and cheese department at Food-4-Less, Alsip. (Thursday 10/10/19) Mayor [John D.] Ryan dispatched both Building Commissioner Rodger Early & Health Inspector Linda Calvillo the store at 8:30 a.m.,” the Village of Alsip wrote on their Facebook page, “they inspected the store and spoke with the store manager, who confirmed the incident took place on Tuesday 10/8/19.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

According to the post, Ryan returned to the store Friday morning to follow-up on the incident.

“The store manager and HR person confirmed the original products were destroyed, the display has been sanitized, pest control was dispatched and the pest control log book is up to date and reflected two visits this week to address the vermin issue,” the post continues. “No one has any knowledge of how the rodent accessed the store. Kroger stores gave a copy of this incident to the Alsip Health Inspector.”

Back away from the bear!

A group of curious tourists were recently caught on camera getting dangerously close to a black bear in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. Video footage of the surprising scene has since gone viral on Facebook, with many commenters describing the visitors as “idiots” for getting so close to a wild animal, a violation of a federal regulation punishable by fines and arrest.

On Oct. 14, Kelly Price Helms shared an “insane” 33-second clip to Facebook, featuring a group of people photographing a black bear from just a few feet away, while the wild animal ate grass near the side of a road between Cades Cove and Townsend, as per WBIR. The visitors seemed to be blissfully unaware of the dangerous situation they were in.

ALASKA’S ‘FAT BEAR WEEK’ CONTEST ENDS, NEW WINNER ANNOUNCED

“Witnessed this the other day while visiting the Smoky Mountains. Insane!” Helms captioned the now-viral video, which has since been shared nearly 5,000 times to date.

“Please note that my family and I were safe in our car and unable to move along due to these people jumping out of their vehicles,” she added.

Social media commenters were quick to declare the tourists “idiots” and “fools” for the reckless behavior.

“Good grief! People are crazy. This is a wild animal. Yes, they are beautiful and I love to see them but I’m not crazy enough to get that close,” one user wrote. “The sad thing is when people get attacked the bear is the one that suffers the consequences if they find it.”

“It only takes one time for that bear to come after you … There is a sign at the beginning going into the Smokies that tells you how far to stay away from the bears,” another agreed.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

“People are stupid. Stay in your car and leave the bear alone,” another said.

More broadly, Helms said that she shared the footage in hopes of raising awareness on the importance of respecting wildlife and natural habitats.

“I just want people to be informed about the danger of being that close to wildlife. It could not only turn bad for the tourist but for the bear as well,” the woman told WVLT.

Though a spokesperson for the National Park Service (NPS) was not immediately available to offer further comment on the incident, the agency’s website warns that “bears are wild animals that are dangerous and unpredictable. Do not approach bears or allow them to approach you!”

It is also illegal to willfully approach bears within 150 feet (50 yards) or any distance that disturbs or displaces the creature in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the NPS explains. Violation of this federal policy can result in fines and even arrest.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Biologists estimate that roughly 1,500 bears live in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is one of the “largest protected areas in the eastern U.S. where black bears can live in wild, natural surroundings,” the agency states.