The Auto Blog .ru

Danny Thompson, the son of Mickey Thompson, has a need for speed that’s satiated when he hits the salt flats in his 1,300-horsepower Ford Mustang. Thompson had previously recorded a top speed of 252 miles per hour but recently headed back to the flat lands for an attempt at the 300-mph mark. Problems arose as Danny passed 260 mph. The car began to lift and then left the ground at approximately 264.7 mph. Danny and his Mustang traveled 1,100 feet before returning to the salt and the car tumbled further before coming to a stop.

Amazingly, and a testament to just how good proper safety equipment is, Danny escaped from the wreck with no injuries. He didn’t have minor injuries, scratches or bruises… he was completely unharmed. Well, maybe physically, as a wreck like that can probably keep you awake at night for a few months. Also unharmed? The iPhone 4 sitting in his front pocket.

The in-car crash footage is waiting for you after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Danny Thompson’s 265-mph Mustang crash from inside the car

Video: Danny Thompson’s 265-mph Mustang crash from inside the car

The Ford F-150 is an outrageously important vehicle here in America. Not only has it been the best-selling pickup truck for the past 33 years, it has out-sold every single vehicle in the country for 28 of those years. So when it comes time to update the bread-and-butter pickup, Ford has to make sure it is still poised to be a high-volume seller.

For 2011, Ford hit a bullseye by adding four new powertrains to the F-150 lineup – a 3.7-liter V6, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, and two V8 engines measuring 5.0 and 6.2 liters. By doing this, Ford says that there’s no need to compromise when shopping the F-150 because its range of powertrains provide the most power, best towing capacity and best fuel economy in the class. Checkmate.

To promote this, Ford has just launched its latest series of television ads that showcase the “no compromise” theme. The automaker has signed comedian Dennis Leary to provide the voiceover, and you can check out both of the new ads, as well as Ford’s press release, after the jump.

Question: How do Ford’s new advertisements compare with these latest examples from Chevrolet?

Photos copyright (C)2010 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL
[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Videos: Ford launches new TV spots to promote 2011 F-150 powertrains

Videos: Ford launches new TV spots to promote 2011 F-150 powertrains

The Detroit News reports that the U.S. government and South Korea are working to finalize a free trade deal in advance of the November 11 G20 summit in Seoul. The two countries already came to an agreement back in 2007, but the Bush administration didn’t submit the pact to Congress for approval. Ford and Chrysler spoke out against the agreement in its current form due to the large automotive trade gap between the two countries. Through August of this year, the trade deficit sat at $6.8 billion dollars, up from $4.8 billion in 2009, and Korean automakers have imported a reported 411,000 vehicles Stateside compared to only 7,600 U.S. vehicles that were brought to Korea.

A big reason Detroit metal doesn’t sell in Korea is the country’s eight percent tariff on autos, compared to a 2.5 percent tariff for auto imports to the U.S. Korean ambassador to the U.S. Han Duk-Soo says that removing the larger tax on U.S. vehicles will help sell more Motown Metal and points to the fact that European and Japanese automakers export about 80,000 vehicles to Korea annually as proof.

[Source: Detroit News]

Report: White House working to finalize free trade deal with Korea

Autoline on Autoblog with John McElroy

Nestled on the fringe of Stanford University’s campus in Palo Alto, California is one of the coolest toy stores in the automotive industry. Officially it’s called Volkswagen’s Electronics Research Lab, and inside they’re working on some of the most innovative technology that we’ll soon see in cars.

Volkswagen is using the ERL to develop electric cars, autonomous cars, online navigation, new human-machine interfaces and other electronics related technology. The reason the lab is in Silicon Valley is that VW wanted to tap into the “let’s-just-get-it-done” entrepreneurial spirit for which the region is famous. And it’s attracted some pretty interesting talent to work there.

For example, Martin Eberhard, the guy who created Tesla and who later had a major fallout with Elon Musk (who now owns Tesla), is now working on electric cars for VW. And yes, he’s still working with laptop-type batteries, which are officially known as the 18650. Eberhard claims he’s going to be able to come out with an electric version of the Golf with a 200-mile driving range, and an Audi e-tron with a 300-mile range.

Continue reading…

Continue reading Inside Volkswagen’s electronic toy store

Inside Volkswagen’s electronic toy store

General Motors‘ advertising department has seen quite a shakeup over the past year. GM chief marketing officer Joel Ewanick may have hand-picked San Francisco-based Goodby, Silverstein and Partners as his ad agency of choice, but the good ol’ boys from Campbell-Ewald still have some tricks up their sleeves for Chevy Trucks.

The world may not completely understand how and why Chevy runs deep (to be fair, we’re going to give it some time…), but nobody is going to miss the hidden meaning of GM’s new “Max and Al” campaign, which features the recognizable faces of Patrick Warburton (Seinfeld, Rules of Engagement) as Max, and Craig Robinson (The Office, Last Comic Standing, Hot Tub Time Machine) as Al.

What hidden meaning, you ask? You’ll see it clearly when you watch the videos, naturally, but basically what we have here is a message that GM’s Duramax diesel V8 engine and Allison transmission is a time-tested and proven combination that is the thinking man’s obvious choice in a segment that also includes Ford’s Power Stroke and Ram’s Cummins series.

There’s a website (www.maxandal.com), a series of videos (which you can find after the break along with the press release) an upcoming online game and even a downloadable app that’s said to be coming soon to the iPhone App Store. Oh, and what modern-day marketing campaign would be complete without a FaceBook page and a Twitter account? Not this one, that’s for sure.

Check out all the facets of this far-reaching HD pickup advertising campaign and let us know what you think of it. Us? Well, let’s just say Chevy’s got our stamp of approval so far on this one.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Videos: Chevrolet releases new “Duramax & Allison” ad campaign to promote Silverado HD

Videos: Chevrolet releases new “Duramax & Allison” ad campaign to promote Silverado HD

Sure, BMW is going to build a small, urban electric car – the Megacity – in a few years, but we’re pretty sure there are a lot of Bimmer drivers who won’t much care for that little thing, no matter what the powertrain. For them, BMW has announced a second treat today: the Vision Efficient Dynamics (VED) concept will indeed make the jump to production form.

We first saw the VED a little over a year ago at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009 and BMW says the concept was met with an “overwhelming response.” Little surprise, then, that BMW was interested in building this for the people – well, people who can afford the $200,000, give or take, the car will likely cost when it come to market in a few years. Since the VED contained a fair bit of “completely or virtually production-ready components,” BMW is confidently giving out media test drives at the Leipzig trade fair center of a road-ready technology showcase vehicle based on the VED.

Final production numbers won’t be known for a while, but the prototype features wing doors and a 2+2 seating arrangement. Underhood, a three-cylinder turbo diesel engine “with a hybrid synchronous motor at the front axle and a full-hybrid engine at the rear axle” put out a total of 241 kW/328 bhp and hits 0-100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in just 4.8 seconds. The sleek car can do this while burning just 3.76 litters of fuel per 100 kilometers (a Toyota Prius-beating 62.5 miles per gallon U.S.) and emitting 99 grams of CO2 per kilometer. The production VED will also be a plug-in, with the ability to go 50 km (31 miles) on lithium-polymer battery power. Hit the jump for the full details in BMW’s press release, as well as a video of the Efficient Dynamics prototype.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Officially Official: BMW confirms Efficient Dynamics production [w/video]

Officially Official: BMW confirms Efficient Dynamics production [w/video]

Vaughn Gittin Jr., Ford and Need For Speed have officially pulled back the cover on the wicked RTR-X 1969 Ford Mustang. Built for both street and drift duty, this car started life as a brand-spanking new Dynacorn body. Under the hood, a Ford Racing 302R V8 spins to a heavenly 8,000 rpm, churning out 440 horsepower. Outside, the vehicle’s drip rails have been shaved for a cleaner look and the windshield and rear windscreen both received the flush treatment.

Massive, one-off fender flares give this pony a little extra girth and cover a set of retina-melting green Work Meister wheels. Despite the radical look, the guys from Need For Speed say that the RTR-X is a fully functional monster and that Gittin Jr., himself, will be hopping behind the wheel for drift demos soon.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Need For Speed]

SEMA 2010: Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s RTR-X Mustang

Ram is gunning for the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. The Chrysler pickup truck purveyor parked its Ram Runner under the spot lights at this year’s SEMA show, and according to Pickuptrucks.com, the company plans to sell a kit to turn your very own Ram into the muddy beast you see above.

With suspension components from Kore and Fox Racing, wildly flared body work and a full safety cage inside, the goodies won’t come cheap, but they should help the mighty Mopar keep pace with its Blue Oval competition. Look to spend around $11,000 for the suspension upgrades alone, but buyers should be able to snag some of the pieces a la carte.

If you’re more interested in spending some time fishing or hunting, Ram also showed off its Outdoorsman. With a clever storage system for rifles or fishing rods, underbody protection for bumping around off road and a price tag that starts at $28,350, the truck is all you need to take home your next trophy.

Photos cpyright (C)2010 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

SEMA 2010: Chrysler gets down and dirty with Ram Runner and Ram Outdoorsman

Now that the B segment has been set ablaze with newcomers like the Ford Fiesta and Mazda2, it’s time for other automakers to freshen up their small car offerings. Honda revamped the Fit for 2009, there’s a brand new Chevrolet Aveo on the way, and we’re now seeing spy shots of the next-generation Toyota Yaris.

The Yaris is undergoing what appears to be a pretty substantial makeover, ditching its cute, bubbly image in favor of something much more aggressive. We have a pretty good idea of what to expect in terms of design, especially since this prototype looks a lot like a leaked image we stumbled upon last month. Our spies report that the new Yaris will be about four inches longer than the current car, and that two of those inches are found in between the front and rear axles, allowing for slightly more interior room.

We’re willing to bet that the Yaris’ current powertrain will make its way into the new car, possibly with some slight updates. Don’t rule out the possibility of a Yaris-based hybrid, too.

The new Yaris will launch sometime next year, with early reports stating that we could see a concept (or “show car”) at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. For now, see the Yaris prototype from all angles in our image gallery below.

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: 2012 Toyota Yaris looking more aggressive

One of our favorite parts of SEMA every year is seeing the Ring Brothers’ latest creations, and they certainly didn’t disappoint this time around. The Wisconsin-based company brought out a custom 1970 Ford Mustang fastback that is one of the most stunning pony cars we’ve ever seen.

The car, nicknamed “Dragon,” features a Roush 427 IR V8 crate motor, five-speed Tremec transmission, Forgeline three-piece wheels, Flowmaster exhaust and a custom interior done by Upholstery Unlimited. The best part of the car, though, are the little details. For instance, the four point racing seat belts are held in place by a custom made billet jutting out from the rear seats, and many of the emblems and logos have been custom fabricated aluminum or carbon fiber. There isn’t a single part of the car that hasn’t been touched by the Ring Brothers’ magical hands, and the results are nothing short of impressive. Check out all of the car’s details in the gallery below.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

SEMA 2010: Ring Brothers 1970 Mustang is the king of restomods

SEMA has created an award for Hottest Car, Truck and 4×4 at this year’s show, and the honor is bestowed upon a specific model in each category, which are not only favorites of the various tuners and customizers in attendance, but are deemed by SEMA organizers as the most accessory-friendly new models on the market.

For the inaugural award, the SEMA heads have selected the Chevrolet Camaro, Ford F-Series pickup and the Jeep Wrangler. Hop the jump to read the full press release, and be sure to take a look at some examples of each winner in the galleries below.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips and Jonathon Ramsey / AOL

[Source: SEMA]

Continue reading Chevy Camaro, Ford F-Series and Jeep Wrangler named ‘hottest’ vehicles of SEMA

Chevy Camaro, Ford F-Series and Jeep Wrangler named ‘hottest’ vehicles of SEMA

Well, look at that… Day Two has finally come to a close, and this is but a small sampling of what we brought you over the last couple of days from the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. We’ll have a little bit more coming your way tomorrow morning as we wrap up the final day of the festivities. Stay tuned!

Spectre Land Speed Racer	Chevrolet Z-Spec body kits	Superformance GS E-Rod
Honda Accord Crosstour HFP	Ford Taurus SHOx	1953 Chevy pickup E-Rod
Honda CR-Z concepts	Aftermarket tuned Subarus	Toyota Camry NASCAR Edition
Toyota Tundra Sportsman	Custom 2011 Chevy Camaros	Lexus Custom Hybrids
Mazda2 Street and Evil Track	C&A Toyota Prius	Dodge Challenger SRT8 392
Chevrolet Corvette Z06X	Chevrolet Camaro SSX	Neiman Marcus Camaro
Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG	Savini Wheels booth	Airhead Kustoms Ford F-350
Ford Taurus Interceptor Stealth	2011 Honda CR-Z Mugen	Toyota Prius Plus
2011 Ford Fiestas	Oakley Designs Ferrari 458	Bio-Hybrid Tracked Hummer
2011 Honda CR-Z Hybrid R	Toyota Swagger Wagon Supreme	Chevrolet Corvette Jake Edition

We obsessively covered Day Two of the…

We’ve seen Explorers, Fiestas and even an F-Series Super Duty, but of course, the car with the biggest showing on Ford’s SEMA stand is the Mustang. In fact, the automaker is displaying nine examples of its pony car, showing a wide range of customization options.

Starting things off in-house, Ford has provided us with a glimpse of what is possible through its Vehicle Personalization program. The VP ‘Stang wears wheels, rear window louvers, a rear spoiler and a handful of other items that are all for sale at FordAccessoriesStore.com. Besides the in-house car, Ford handed the Mustang off to Funkmaster Flex and Team Baurtwell, MRT, Creations n’ Chrome, Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords, Mobsteel, Raceskinz, Street Scene Equipment and Tjin Edition.

Funk Flex, who at this point probably holds an executive position back in Dearborn, designed his Mustang for rapper Snoop Dogg. MRT envisioned the car as a tough street warrior. Creations n’ Chrome partnered with the American Cancer Society to raise awareness for breast cancer, and painted its car Pink Chrome. Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords stays true to its name, adding a supercharger kit to the 5.0-liter engine under the hood. Mobsteel goes a different, yet similar route, by turbocharging a V6 example.

This is only a small taste of what the assorted tuners have done to the 2011 Mustang, and that’s only limited to what Ford has in its display. Click through the gallery below and check out the finished products.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

SEMA 2010: Ford’s 2011 Mustang rolls in with a deep crew

Grand Cherokee lifts Jeep, Toyota falls hard

After a couple days of delay, sales numbers for the month of October are finally in, and most automotive brands earned a treat instead of a trick.

The majority of brands for sale in the U.S. achieved an increase in sales versus the same month last year, and of those, the majority posted a double-digit gain in sales. Jeep pulled off a triple-digit sales gain, seeing volume rise an incredible 111 percent thanks to the new Grand Cherokee, sales of which rose from a scant 3,256 units last October to an impressive 12,721 this October.

The biggest surprise is Toyota joining the cellar dwellers with a 6.2-percent drop in sales. Despite an 8-percent rise in sales, Lexus and its relatively low sales volume couldn’t save the company as Toyota as a whole fell 4.4 percent.

*Brands and companies are displayed in descending order according to their percentage change in volume sales. There were 27 selling days in October 2010 versus 28 selling days in October 2009, so the change in monthly sales volume will be different than the change average daily sales rate (DSR) for each brand/company.

By the Numbers – October 2010: Trick or Treat Edition

Ford is quite eager to show off the versatility of its all-new 2011 Explorer, so naturally, the automaker has decided to bring a trio of tuned examples to Las Vegas for the 2010 SEMA show. The Blue Oval handed out keys to Funkmaster Flex and Team Baurtwell, Galpin Auto Sports and CGS Performance Products, with each group providing a unique take on the Ford’s new crossover.

Funkmaster Flex and his Team Baurtwell crew approached the Explorer with the idea of making it into an urban utility vehicle. Besides the obvious exterior and interior upgrades, Funkmaster Flex has packed this example with a complete Sony Xplod audio setup – a real treat for serious audiophiles.

Galpin Auto Sports designed its Explorer as a full-on luxury crossover. A leather-trimmed headliner has a central section of suede running the length of the ceiling, and that dual-texture styling is replicated in the seats. For second row passengers, an iPad pops out of the console, able to operate in either portrait or landscape mode while docked.

CGS Performance Products takes the luxury idea to a different level by adding in several touches that would be attractive to people with active lifestyles. 22-inch wheels might not be ready for all sorts of off-roading, but the carbon fiber mountain bikes attached to the roof can surely handle all sorts of outdoorsy tasks.

For the full details about each new Explorer, hop the jump and taking a gander at the press release, and peruse through our gallery of high-res images, below.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading SEMA 2010: Ford showcases Explorers customized for a variety of lifestyles

SEMA 2010: Ford showcases Explorers customized for a variety of lifestyles

Rick Bottom Designs was given the keys to a 2011 Ford Taurus SHO and the custom car builder decided it wanted to hear more from the Blue Oval sedan. The 365-horsepower EcoBoost V6 has been bumped up by a Hahn Racecraft Stage 1 upgrade package, meaning this SHO is now putting out 465 hp. Re-christened as the SHOx, further modifications include a performance exhaust system, cold air intake kit, large Baer brakes hidden behind 22-inch Axiom forged wheels and a custom body kit.

It’s not the engine, however, that is making all the noise. We said Rick Bottom Designs wanted to hear more from the car… so the tuner installed a 16,000 Watt stereo system capable of blaring the most intense block-rockin’ beats. The car has been modified to a two-plus-two seating arrangement, and we imagine that potential fifth passenger will be glad they now have to walk, since all his or her Taurus SHOx-riding friends are going to be deaf. Cover your ears and check out the SHOx live from SEMA in our gallery below.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

SEMA 2010: Ford Taurus SHOx prescribed for power, side effects include bleeding ears

Day One has officially come and gone, and we’ve done our best to provide you, dear reader, with an interesting selection of the kinds of vehicular machinery that can only be seen at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Below you’ll see a sample of the wares we pointed our digital SLR lenses at. Enjoy, and just wait and see what we’ve got in store for you all through the night and into tomorrow!

Chevrolet Corvette Z06X	Chevrolet Camaro SSX	Neiman Marcus Camaro
Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG	Savini Wheels booth	Airhead Kustoms Ford F-350
Ford Taurus Interceptor Stealth	2011 Honda CR-Z Mugen	Toyota Prius Plus
2011 Ford Fiestas	Oakley Designs Ferrari 458	Bio-Hybrid Tracked Hummer
2011 Honda CR-Z Hybrid R	Toyota Swagger Wagon Supreme	Chevrolet Corvette Jake Edition

We Obsessively Covered Day One of the…

Perhaps the biggest (or smallest) champion car for Ford this year has been the 2011 Fiesta. The fizzy little sedan and hatchback duo are drawing a lot of attention to Blue Oval showrooms, and thus, Ford has a whole flock of Fiestas represented at this year’s SEMA show.

A host of aftermarket tuning companies have put their touches on the pint-sized Ford – modified Fiestas from 3DCarbon, H&R Springs, Steeda Autosports and FSWerks are all on hand, just to name a few. Our favorite, though, might be the automaker’s own Ford Racing Performance Parts Fiesta, powered by a modified version of FoMoCo’s 2.0-liter EcoBoost four (bumped to 2.3 liters), that produces a staggering 350 horsepower. We’ll take two. See the full grip of Fiestas live from Las Vegas in our high-res gallery below.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

SEMA 2010: Custom Ford Fiesta models invade Sin City

Shelby and Factory Five Racing have been going at it for years. Back in 2000, Shelby filed suit against the Massachusetts-based replica builder, which resulted in Factory Five being allowed to continue building cars as long as it made no reference to the terms “Cobra,” “427 S/C,” “Shelby,” “Shelby Cobra,” “Daytona Coupe” or “Daytona Coupe Cobra.” Eight years of apparent peace passed until Shelby again filed suit against FFR because the company felt that the the replica builder’s Type 65 Coupe name was too close to its Shelby Daytona Coupe. The court ruled in favor of Factory Five.

The two companies went back to court a third time because Shelby recently attempted to patent the shape of the Cobra. Well, the case has been settled and the result is yet effectively another victory for Factory Five Racing. The United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board felt that the shape of the Cobra does not solely belong to Carroll Shelby. Factory Five had the following to say:

“On October 13th, 2010, the court denied his application and our opposition was successful. We felt that if he were to get a trademark on the Cobra shape, his PR machine would use that to make the legitimate replica industry look bad. Our position was that a Shelby trademark would have ignored the factual history of the car, which started life as an AC car with a Ford engine in it, as well as completely discounting the huge contributions that replica guys have made to the car’s continuing legacy since the 1970’s. We have never denied Shelby’s part in history, but he has enjoyed huge popularity, in-part, due to replicas.

Looking back, our little company has done more than anyone ever to secure this car for all. Factory Five Racing and our customers have made such a huge contribution to the industry over the years.

I am attaching the Court’s opinion as a PDF document here so you can read it for yourself. Factory Five Racing does not use the word COBRA to describe our products.”

You can weigh in on the outcome for yourself and read the full, 49-page ruling of the of the court here: Shelby vs FFR. Thanks for the tip, Bip-D-Bo!

[Source: Factory Five Racing]

Shelby loses court battle to trademark Cobra shape

While we should be excited to see Ford show off a new, updated cop car, the Police Interceptor Stealth Concept already has us checking our rear-view mirrors. The full details on this cop cruiser were released yesterday, but seeing it under the bright lights at SEMA only serves to kick up the nervous anxiety to 11.

The man behind the car, Ford designer Melvin Betancourt, says he drew inspiration from the SR-71 Blackbird stealth plane. The blacked-out finish and hidden blue and reds, coupled with the potential for hosting a 365-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 under the hood are more than enough to cause speed-limit scofflaws to think twice about pushing harder on that gas pedal.

It’s not only the outside that incorporates the idea of stealth design. The interior features a police radio hidden in the console, along with the on-board computer and the glove box has a hidden space to hide weapons. Slow down and check out the Stealth concept in our high-res gallery, below.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

SEMA 2010: Ford Police Interceptor Stealth Concept will haunt the dreams of speeders everywhere