Until Google and NHTSA get their way and assimilate us all into connected, self-driving cars, there are precious few was for motorists to communicate with each other. We can honk, wave, roll down the window and yell (or give the old one-fingered salute) or we can flash the brights.
The last one means different things at different times. It can mean "Go on" if you're letting someone merge. It can mean "Seriously?!" if someone's just gone on without you letting them in, or it can mean "Whoa, doggy, slow it down; there's a speed trap ahead."
And it's the last one that police are so eager to fight. No speeding = no revenue.
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Categories: Auto Industry,Miscellaneous
Lucas Ordonez has an enviable life. He won the original GT Academy back in 2008 and since then has been trained by Nissan to be a proper, real-life race car driver going so far as to put him behind the wheel of an LMP2 car at this year's 24-hours of Nurburgring (Check video 2 after the jump for more on that.) and signing him to test the Delta Wing.
Ordonez is also the face of Nissan's motorsports division getting behind the wheel of the GT-R powered Juke-R for a number of these promotional videos. Now he's behind the wheel again, but this time on an ice track.
Must be tough.
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Categories: Crossovers,Nissan,Tuners and Modifications
We're racing headlong into a long weekend and half of us are already checked out. Here's something to push you all the way over the edge into full-on, throw-your-hands-up-in-the-air, ditch-work-early mode: A bunch of gold Mercedes-Benzs all decked out in gold to transport VIPs around the Cannes Film Festival.
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Categories: Mercedes-Benz,Miscellaneous
At last year's Get Your Heart Racing benefit event for the Edith and Benson Ford Heart and Vascular Institute, Ford designer and Heart and Vascular Institute patient Melvin Betancourt decked out a Mustang Boss 302 in slick Parnelli Jones-inspired school bus yellow paint as the signature piece of the auction.
Betancourt is back again, but this time with a vehicle that's going to command a significant higher price: A customized, one-of-one 2013 Shelby GT500.
The auction takes place on September 22, 2012 at the Ford Test Track in Dearborn. There are driving experience tickets (complete with a Pit Party) for $1,000 each or $1,750 for a team of two; pit party tickets are $250. If you can't make it in late September, bidding is available by phone.
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Categories: Car Auctions,Ford,Sports Cars
Are you in the marker for a quirky light commercial van that makes the Mazda 5 look restrained? Are you hoping that said vehicle will have "zero C02 emission at the point of use"? Are you also hoping that same vehicle will have "driving range similar to the Nissan LEAF on a singe charge and similar performance"?
Good news! Nissan will be producing (in Barcelona) the 2013 e-NV200 light commercial vehicle.
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Categories: Electric Vehicles,Nissan
To thank their fans for watching cool videos on YouTube, Mercedes posted a video of the C63 AMG Coupe drifting the Corkscrew-- and later corners -- of Laguna Seca. We'll never complain about huge horsepower cars drifting epically complex corners, but this one was a little light on smoke and high on techno.
Mercedes got the message loud and clear and have now posted a follow-up that features more sliding, more smoke and, unfortunately, the same amount of bad music. Perhaps if we complain again they'll give us a version with ONLY engine sounds?
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Categories: Mercedes-Benz,Motorsports,Videos
Here's one of those things about 24 hour endurance races: They race at night. When it's dark. Even at the Nurburgring. Where there aren't things like lights.
Racing at night limits your field of view not just ahead, but your peripheral vision is reduced to nearly nothing and with the exception of headlights, your rear-view is shot. It's disorienting and requires your full confidence in both your knowledge of the track and skill as a driver. And that's assuming you're driving something slower than a Porsche GT3 Cup.
Niclas Kentenich is a machine. We're all doomed.
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Categories: Motorsports,Porsche
(Android fans should just turn around now; you're not going to like this one.)
Audi's first installment of Truth in 24 -- a documentary about the company's racing efforts at the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans -- was an instant favorite for anyone who liked cars or racing. It was a personal look at one of the most challenging, competitive and technologically advanced races in the world. And now Audi has followed up on that with a documentary about their 2011 season titled "Truth in 24 II: Every Second Counts."
It first premiered on Speed but now, like the original, you can download the sequel on iTunes for free. Racing is a marketing effort, right? Load up on these for the long weekend.
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Categories: Audi,Motorsports
Recently we've peeked at the undersides of several Porsche 911 variants, from our vintage 1985 Porsche 911 to the 2011 Porsche 911 GTS (the tail end of the 997 phase), to the all-new 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S (the first appearance of the new 991 chassis.)
But all of those, of course, are rear engined Porsches. They keep their high octane junk in what would otherwise be the trunk.
The Porsche Cayman, however, is a proper mid-engine machine. Its pancake motor sits ahead of the rear axle with the transmission behind and between the rear tires, just like almost every clean-sheet formula and prototype race car built in the last 40 years or so
Our Guards Red example is a 2012 Porsche Cayman R, the healthiest version to date. Alert readers will recognize that the lack of a Rotary Lift in our shop means we've been sitting on these images until the 911s finished their parade across these pages.
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Categories: Coupes,Porsche,Sports Cars,Suspension Walkarounds
When we posted a video of a previous Ferrari 458 Italia crashing during a Ferrari Challenge race the general consensus was one of "Well, that sucks, but at least the celebrity driver was actually driving it!"
Ryan Ockey may not be a celebrity and thus this video is less likely to wind up on TMZ, but he did manage to flip a 458 at Laguna Seca. (I'm guessing 90% of you knew exactly what this corner was without reading a word of the post.) Thanks to racetrack/racecar safety procedures, everything went better than expected and nobody was injured in the spectacular crash. Brake failure is the rumored cause.
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Categories: Ferrari,Motorsports
When our man Alistair was in Italy driving the Ferrari 458 Spider, he had a bit of a run-in with the local Polizia. After some gesticulating and a few kind words from a Ferrari employee and everything is square. We're still not sure what went on on that hilltop, but Alistair's got a heavy right foot and the 458 is, as he puts it, "cartoonishly loud, it's no surprise that one would get pulled over.
But it's not cartoonish noises or goofy behavior that's causing Ferrari and Lamborghini drivers to be pulled over in Italy, it is, instead, for simple 1%-hating tax reasons.
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Categories: Ferrari,Lamborghini
Late last year Porsche announced that they would be removing a small golf course in Carson, California and replace it with a 53-acre Porsche Experience Center. AKA: A track. Porsche has now announced that with the completion of the project, the North American customer sports programs will move from Santa Ana to the new facility when it opens in 2013.
"This not only makes sound business sense, but is symbolic as well, "says Detlev von Platen, PCNA President and CEO. "Aside from offering a modern, purpose built working environment, the motorsport specific operations will provide additional energy and dynamics to a facility that is all about performance both on the vehicle and human side. Thus our new Experience Center will perfectly symbolize the core of the Porsche brand, which has always been a successful blend of a passion for racing and for spirited yet responsible driving on open roads."
Of course. Spirited and responsible. Right. Anyways, more on the track...
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Categories: Miscellaneous,Porsche
Mazda and Fiat have just signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding for the development and manufacture of the next-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata and Alfa Romeo Spyder. For Fiat and Alfa Romeo (and its fans) this is shockingly good news. For fans of fun rear-drive roadsters who think that the MX-5 Miata looks incredibly bland, this is even better news. Mazda can do a new Miata in their sleep and Alfa Romeo can design a car like nobody's business.
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Categories: Auto Industry,Fiat,Mazda
Senior Editor Erin Riches goes over the pros and cons of the Fiat 500, along with insight on pricing, safety, and fuel economy plus a list of competitors of the Fiat 500 to check out including the Mini Cooper, Ford Fiesta, Chevy Sonic, Hyundai Accent, and the Honda Fit.
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Categories: Fiat,Videos
When we hit 144 mph in our Long Term Buick Regal CXL, we didn't have an on-board video camera, only the still. When Buick sent one of their Regal GSs out on the Nevada Open Road Challenge, they thought ahead and set up a video to document the happenings.
The top speed is cool, but what's really interesting (we have a hard time with "cool" for this), is the precision and planing it takes to hit a specific time during a 40 minute event.
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Categories: Buick,Motorsports
Yesterday was a big day for NASCAR as two rear-wheel-drive, tube-frame, V8 racecars pretending to be even remotely like FWD, four-cylinder family sedans were finally revealed.
Like their production counterparts, the 2013 Ford Fusion and the 2013 Toyota Camry NASCAR racers do look pretty sharp -- especially the Ford -- but the stickers and subtle body cues are the only thing even remotely close.
Check the two newest NASCAR rides out in all of their "not nearly enough stickers to actually go racing" liveries after the jump.
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Categories: Ford,Motorsports,Toyota
Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year. Cars, trucks, SUVs, we run them all, and the numbers always tell a story. With that in mind we present "IL Track Tested," a quick rundown of all the data we collect at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
The 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe is instantly recognizable. For this model year Hyundai ditched the blobular look that the Genesis Coupe debuted with and replaced it with a sharp, angular face and a hood with cutouts that you can see from a mile away. Hyundai also added an additional 64 horsepower and 52 pound-feet of torque for a total of 274 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque.
Last time we tested the previous iteration, a 2010 Genesis Coupe 2.0, it hit 60 in 6.9 seconds (6.6 with rollout) and went on to a quarter-mile of 15.0 @ 91.8 mph. How did this one do?
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Categories: Coupes,Hyundai,IL Track Tested
Earlier in the month Porsche and Turn 10 teased us with this one, but now it's finally available. Trade in 1600 Microsoft Points ($19.99) and you'll get access to 30 new Porsche vehicles that you probably should have had when buying the game new.
"This is an excellent opportunity for Porsche to offer a virtual experience with our sports cars in a very fitting environment -- on race tracks around the world," said Vice President of Marketing for Porsche Cars NA. "In many ways, best-selling gaming titles like Forza Motorsport 4 generate enthusiasm for products that often translate into a lifelong connection to the brand."
While he's correct (See: Evo / Sti fanboism from GT3), he's ignoring the fact that only Porsche fans already excited to drive the 911 GT2 RS, Cayenne Turbo, Flying Lizard Motorsports 911 GT3-RSR, 911 Sport Classic, Panamera Turbo, 996 GT3, Carrera GT, '89 944 Turbo, '82 Turbo 3.3, 550A Spyder (and more) are going to spend $20 more on this game.
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Categories: Porsche,Video Games
It's been a good day for Elon Musk. First, Space X launched their rocket and then, in a new blog posting, Tesla announced that deliveries of the Model S would begin on June 22nd. Yesterday Musk tweeted "All crash testing is complete for 5* (max) safety rating. Cars can now be built for sale to public."
Previously Tesla reported that they would be moving the Model S launch up to June, but gave no specific date. Tesla said that they will be hosting an event, viewable at Teslamotors.com, highlighting the first customer deliveries.
Categories: Electric Vehicles,Tesla Motors
At this point there's really nothing I can say to sell you on spending 5 minutes of your day watching an extended cut of Gymkhana Four. You either read the title and said, "Oh boy, bonus footage and deleted scenes of Ken Block and his Ford going Gymkhana-y stuff!" and skipped right to the video, or you said, "This guy's still around?" and aren't reading this anyway.
With that stirring introduction, I preset to you Gymkhana Four: Bonus Edit. There are new angles!
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Categories: Celebrities,Ford,Motorsports
