Video: Porsche vs. Corvette prequel at the 12 Hours of Sebring
Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Chevrolet, Porsche, Racing
Click above to view the video after the jump
The 57th running of the 12 Hours of Sebring is set to begin tomorrow at 10:30 AM, and with Audi out and Peugeot already dominating the LMP class in the qualifying sessions, the attention turns to the ALMS GT cars - specially the Porsche and Corvette teams.
The rivalry between the Flying Lizards and the Corvette C6.Rs has been stoked (even further) by Chevrolet’s new racing webisodes, and after last year’s final lap at Laguna Seca, the GT-class feuding is sure to make for some great racing.
After the jump you’ll find a video documenting the Lizard’s practice session yesterday, including Hans Herrman - the winner of the 1960 race - taking a lap around Sebring in a immaculate Porsche RS 60 Spyder. If you’re planning to tune in tomorrow, you can download Andy Blackmore’s stellar spotter’s guide in all its high-res glory here and read our breakdown of this year’s season here.
Gallery: 2010 ALMS Corvette C6.R
Continue reading Video: Porsche vs. Corvette prequel at the 12 Hours of Sebring
Video: Porsche vs. Corvette prequel at the 12 Hours of Sebring originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: a-lap-around, alms, chevroletcorvette, corvetee, corvettec6.r, flyinglizards, jump, motorsports, porsche, porsche 911, porsche911, videos
Video: Fiat takes on ‘The Office’ with online fleet management sitcom
Filed under: Minivan/Van, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Work, Fiat, UK, Humor
Episode 1 of The Fleet - Click above to watch the video after the jump
Imagine the TV show, “The Office.” No, not the American version that catapulted Rainn Wilson into superstardom, but the British original. You know…the sitcom that helped launch creator and star, Ricky Gervais, into the spotlight. Now imagine it set in a fleet management company called Lightfoot Logistics. That is the setup for a new viral marketing effort created for Fiat’s UK van business, of all things.
Fiat has produced a series of short mockumentary-type webisodes chronicling the day-to-day activities at the firm and a full Lightfoot website to go with it. There is plenty of sexual innuendo in the videos, but they are pretty tame and make this Office-knockoff almost as funny as the real thing. Almost. We’ve embedded the first two episodes after the jump for your lunch-at-work viewing enjoyment. Click through to see Pete and Dave take on a rival’s clueless salesman and watch as they head to the area commercial van show to check out the Doblo and its competition, nearly getting sidetracked by an obnoxious acquaintance.
WARNING: Videos after the jump are set to auto play.
[Source: Lightfoot Logistics]
Continue reading Video: Fiat takes on ‘The Office’ with online fleet management sitcom
Video: Fiat takes on ‘The Office’ with online fleet management sitcom originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: almost-as-funny, fiat doblo, fiat vans, fiatcommercial, humor, office-knockoff, rainn-wilson, spotlight, theoffice, ukvans, videos, white van man
Exclusive First Ride: 2011 Ford Edge Sport
Mar 17, 2010 Object
Filed under: Performance, Crossover, Ford, Quick Spin
Yee-Ha! in a 2011 Ford Edge Sport - Click above for high-res image gallery
Manufacturers used to roll out all-new cars every five-to-eight years. Somewhere around the halfway point - usually year three - much hoopla would be made about new front and rear fascias, the addition of some standard features and some new option packages. (*Yawn*). These changes were designed to give shoppers a reason to look at a car that was getting long-in-the-tooth.
Ford Motor Company sung by this songbook for decades, but it’s not any longer. As we’ve seen with the Escape, Fusion and Mustang, the Ford brand is rolling out significant product changes any time they darn well please. For example, the 2010 Fusion could have been a standard refresh, but instead included three all-new powertrains, a significantly upgraded interior, and the expected front and rear fascias.
Introduced as a 2007 model at the close of 2006, the Edge was Ford’s second attempt at a more car-like crossover. (Anybody remember the Freestyle/Taurus X … uhh, not so much.) Heading into its fifth year of production, the Edge needed some serious attention. It just got it: We reported so on the eve of February’s Chicago Auto Show.
Following the new model’s public debut, Ford offered Autoblog an exclusive opportunity to ride in a 2011 Edge Sport with some development engineers so we could have an early, behind-the-scenes look at their handiwork. The new Edge doesn’t go on sale until later this Summer, but you can read all about our experience at the Dearborn Development Center right now after the jump.
Gallery: First Ride: 2011 Ford Edge Sport
Photos by Rex Roy / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
Continue reading Exclusive First Ride: 2011 Ford Edge Sport
Exclusive First Ride: 2011 Ford Edge Sport originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: 2011fordedgesport, after-the-jump, entry, escape, exclusive-first, experience, first-ride, humor, product-changes, quickspin, videos
PSA: If you’re going to attempt insurance fraud, you might want to avoid posting on YouTube [w/video]
Mar 15, 2010 Object, news, video
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Government/Legal, Videos, Nissan
Insurance Fraud GT-R? - Click above to watch the video after the jump
Why is it that people engaged in illegal activities feel compelled to record their indiscretions? It’s just a really, really bad idea. And a bad idea becomes an act of outright stupidity when said video is published on YouTube, where any random investigator can easily find evidence that can be used against the guilty party. This just makes sense, right? Obviously not for everyone.
According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Jay Chen, the 21 year-old owner of a wrecked Nissan GT-R, apparently now knows this lesson all too late, as the accused street racer allegedly crashed his Ivory Godzilla on a Glendora mountain road in California. The SGVT reports that Chen and his sister Tracey gave insurance investigators conflicting testimony after the March, 2009 accident, sending up red flags. Chen later called the insurance company and informed them that he would pay for the damages himself, only to claim another accident three months later on 60 Freeway in Riverside, CA.
Unfortunately for Chen, during the paperwork processing following that ’second’ accident, the body shop informed Chen’s insurance company that it had been holding on to the mangled GT-R since March. Investigators then searched YouTube for any evidence of the incident, and apparently they believe that they’ve found it - the insurer alleges that the footage shown after the jump incident shows damage consistent with that of Chen’s GT-R after a mountain run with a Mitsubishi Evolution IX MR goes awry. The actual crash doesn’t look all that bad, but the apparent $76,000 repair bill shows that near-supercars can cost a boatload of money to fix.
Regardless of the severity of the accident, as a result of the investigation, Chen has officially been charged with six felony counts of insurance fraud, and his sister has been charged with one count. If you are in your late teens or early 20s and you’re wondering why you’re paying over $300 per month to insure your battered Honda Civic, hit the jump to see why.
[Sources: San Gabriel Valley Tribune, YouTube]
PSA: If you’re going to attempt insurance fraud, you might want to avoid posting on YouTube [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: after-the-jump, indiscretions, insurancefraud, jaychen, lfa, nissan gt-r, video, videos, youtube
Video: Zero wheels, all awesome - Homebuilt Kiwi ‘hovercraft’
Homemade flying hovercraft - Click above to watch video after the jump
Rudy Heeman, an inventor in New Zealand, has created a flying hovercraft. We’ll admit right now that it has little nothing to do with cars, but it is ridiculously cool. Heeman wants to make and sell them for only $13,000. Maybe it’s time for us to just sell the car and move someplace with waterways for roads. Follow the jump to check it out. Hat tip to Duy!
[Source: YouTube]
Continue reading Video: Zero wheels, all awesome - Homebuilt Kiwi ‘hovercraft’
Video: Zero wheels, all awesome - Homebuilt Kiwi ‘hovercraft’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: admit-right, after-the-jump, championship, europe, flying, follow-the-jump, homebuilt, hovercraft, jump, mercedes, mick doohan, v8 supercars, videos, world-touring
Officially Official: 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring [w/Video]
Filed under: Wagon, Europe, Videos, BMW, Luxury
BMW 5 Series Touring - Click above for high-res image gallery
Just as the new sixth-generation BMW 5 Series sedan goes on sale in Europe, a new station wagon variant has been unveiled. Like past editions of the 5 Series Touring, this one is essentially the same as the sedan, only with the roof extending straight back to enclose a substantially larger cargo area.
All of the fancy new technology that we’ve already seen in the 5 Series Gran Turismo and sedan is carried over into the Touring. That includes the driver assistance systems like the surround-view cameras and parking assist. Underhood, BMW’s twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 won’t be available at launch, but a selection of gas and diesel four- and six cylinder engines will be offered. The range-topping 535i is powered by the new 300-horsepower 3.0-liter N55 twin-scroll turbo direct-injected inline-six.
Single-turbo versions of the 2.0-liter inline-four and 3.0-liter inline-six diesels are also available with 184 hp and 245 hp respectively. The four-cylinder 520d Touring gets an EU combined fuel economy rating of 45.2 miles per gallon (U.S.) with the 530d also scoring an impressive 36.8 mpg.
Unfortunately, it seems extremely unlikely that we will ever get to see any of these handsome new wagons given Americans’ ongoing aversion to this body style. We’ll just be forced to make do with the homelier-looking 5 Series Gran Turismo. Click past the jump to check out new video footage of the 5 series Touring.
Gallery: 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring
[Source: BMW]
Continue reading Officially Official: 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring [w/Video]
Officially Official: 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring [w/Video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: 2011, 2011bmw5seriestouring, bmw 5-series gt, breaking, entry, past-the-jump, series, series-gran, series-touring, videos
Pics Aplenty: TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster hits the road
Mar 13, 2010 Object
TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster Sport - Click above for high-res image gallery
Following the unveiling of the TAG Heuer Roadster Sport at the Geneva Motor Show last week, Tesla has released a large batch of new photos of the one-off electric sports car. The new shots show the car, which was prepared to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Swiss watchmaker, out on the road.
Following the close of the Geneva Motor Show this weekend, the Roadster will be driven the 155 miles to Basel for the big watch show that starts there next week. (At Baselworld, TAG Heuer will unveil a new concept timepiece.) Mechanically, there’s nothing really new about the Roadster Sport, but for those of you that can’t get enough images of the two-tone Roadster, check out our newly-expanded high-res gallery.
Gallery: TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster
[Source: Tesla]
Pics Aplenty: TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster hits the road originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: 2011, bmw 5-series gt, electric-sports, entry, following, heuer-roadster, road, roadster-, series-touring, tesla roadster, videos
Video: Europeans find humor in loathable roadside flashers
Filed under: Etc., Europe, Videos, Humor
Roadside flashers - Click above to watch the video after the break
Ever wonder what would happen if Robbie the Robot had an addled tryst with a photo-radar box? Neither have we. Some possibly addled Europeans, though, have inadvertently created that union’s possible love child with their own nocturnal hijinks.
Mocking the roadside photo radar ‘Gatso’ units, one giggle-prone youth donned a box and fired a strobe at passing automobiles in a taunting fashion. At least they didn’t do their impression of a high-pressure car wash, right? Make the jump to see the video.
Continue reading Video: Europeans find humor in loathable roadside flashers
Video: Europeans find humor in loathable roadside flashers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: a-box-and, european traffic, europeanphotoradar, roadside, robot, the-roadside, traffic enforcement, videos, youth-donned
Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 3.10.10
Mar 10, 2010 Object
First Drive: 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet a smooth Spanish Fly(er)
Convertibles have long been something of an acquired taste. Devotees steadfastly defend the unique sensation of…
2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon slots in right below ZR1
For the truly hard-core Corvette fanatic who likes to spend weekends thrashing his or her car at the track, there is only one Corvette worthy of consideration: the Z06…
Report: Another Prius accelerates unintentionally in New York and crashes
Not one day after a high-profile incident involving a Prius taking off on its owner in Southern California, we’re hearing reports that another one of Toyota’s popular hybrids has suffered…
Also of interest:
- Source: Next-gen Ford Police Interceptor will debut this Friday in Las Vegas
- GM quickly one-ups Ford with 2011 Duramax diesel ratings, shows off GMC Sierra Denali HD
- Report: Porsche really, really wants to built 918 Spyder. Really.
- Nissan unveils NV commercial van, available in three different flavors
- Ralliart announces it is closing its doors… so what does that mean for Mitsubishi?
- Spy Shots: Next-gen Dodge Charger interior gets outed
- Carl Edwards gets three-race probation for intentional wreck
- Report: Toyota Tundra frame rust recall to go nationwide
- Cash for Clunkers more than twice as effective as first thought?
- Infiniti celebrates 20 years with limited edition Gs
- Update: Texas high school gets to keep using Ram logo
Browse our archive of Daily U-Turn posts or subscribe to the RSS feed
Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 3.10.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: carbon, chevrolet, daily, first-drive, police, prius, robot, sierra-denali, texas, traffic enforcement, videos
Video: PSA - Do not try to drive your C4 Corvette like a Duke Boy
Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor
Corvettes don’t float - Click above to watch video after the jump
If there are two indisputable truths in life, they are that a man is not a camel and a Corvette is not a boat. The gentleman above needs to retrieve the C4 Corvette in the shed behind him. The problem is the pool of water between the Corvette and solid ground. His solution is as comical as it is regrettable… and expensive. It did, however, teach us a new way to use the word “yahoo” as a verb. Follow the jump for the fun.
[Source: YouTube via Tampa Examiner]
Continue reading Video: PSA - Do not try to drive your C4 Corvette like a Duke Boy
Video: PSA - Do not try to drive your C4 Corvette like a Duke Boy originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: after-the-jump, and-expensive, behind-him-, c4 corvette, follow-the-jump, gentleman-above, img-vspace, jump, midwest, retrieve-the, sierra-denali, texas, video, videos
