Three years later, it’s official: the ChevroletCorvette is the official sports car of Kentucky. A bill to laud the ‘Vette with that title was , still trying to a year later, and (read: slow death) in March this year in what some thought was a snub at over the bailout.
By April 26, however, all appeared forgiven and the resurrected bill was signed by Kentucky Governor Steve Brashear. Now Brashear has ceremonially signed the bill at the Bowling Green assembly plant that is the cause for all of this, handing Kentucky another official state item to add to the thoroughbred horse, Bluegrass silverwear pattern and Appalachian dulcimer. Hooray!
In case you’re wondering about those other bills introduced around the same time as the Corvette bill – those to make burgoo the official state food, KFC the state picnic food and cornholing the state game – burgoo got the nod via a declaration of the governor earlier this year, KFC was derailed by a PETA boycott and cornholing is still looking for love. You can read the Corvette press release after the jump.
ESPN recently announced the to the banquet of driving discipline at the X Games, and now it’s been revealed that champion drifter Sam Hubinette will be one of the SuperRally entrants. He’ll be behind the wheel of a built by Andrew Comrie-Picard, who’s already got four years of experience participating in the X Games. Hubinette’s no tyro, though – he got his first racing license at the age of 16 in Sweden, running a Volvo 142 in rallycross.
The SuperRally event takes place on the Saturday of the four-night event, July 29 to August 1 at the LA Coliseum. If you can’t wait until then to see him, he’ll be in Formula D action in two weeks and rumor has it you can find his work in a Tom Cruise flick opening this weekend.
There’s a whole lot of technology built into the , and some upcoming advertising for the plug-in hybrid looks to be just as futuristic (unlike ‘ ). Case in point: Chevrolet and Microsoft Advertising have announced that its new hands-free Xbox 360 Kinect accessory used with a new game called , will let you virtually test drive the Volt. In case you were wondering, this isn’t about you figuring out if a real Volt is right for you; the Kinect is really about providing advertisers “an innovative way to connect with consumers by enabling them to physically explore and engage with a brand through voice and gesture.” Microsoft is also showing off the Kinect technology with but Chevy is the first ad partner for the device (the Kinect, not the Xbox, which ).
In order to drive the Volt in the game, players will first need to unlock the car and watch a Chevy Volt ad either on Xbox Live or on the web. Microsoft also demoed a huge potential Chevrolet Volt campaign at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival today that includes being able to:
“…add a local Chevrolet promotion event to their calendar to go test-drive a Volt or use voice-enabled search on Bing to find locations near them. Chevrolet will be the first auto marketer to incorporate a branded advertising experience for the new Windows Phone 7.”
There may also be Microsoft Surface tables and and Kinect kiosks at future Volt promotional events. There’s a video interview with Paul Edwards, executive director of marketing strategy with General Motors, talking about the ad deal .
A steering-wheel-and-pedal setup for your PS3 starts at around $50, but you’ll spend at least double that to get into the good stuff. HKS has teamed with InterWorks on a game controller solution that stays at the $50 mark but could work just as well as a wheel while being a little less intrusive.
The hot-coal red Hipermax III replaces the analog joysticks with a thumb wheel on the left side and throttle and brake buttons on the right side. The wheel has center stripe to aid steering, and the precise inputs of the throttle and brake controls are registered in the digital readout in the center of the controller. For the moment this is PS3-only, and while HKS hasn’t released a price, it’s pegged to come under $55.
A close look at the trailer for Atari’s Test Drive Unlimited 2 trailer – Click above to watch video
Gamervision has saved you the trouble of going on a frame-by-frame clue hunt through Atari’s Test Drive Unlimited 2 trailer. Among its findings, a bunch of hot new cars, jet-setting between stages, day-to-night transitions appear to happen in-game, not just in the trailer, and SUVs are included in a rally mode, but motorcycles and non-player road traffic have been left out. However, we’re thoroughly confused about the possible inclusion of the 2011 Shelby GT350 or the previously unheard of “Aston DB9S…” to see the breakdown and decide for yourself.
We finally drive the CTS Coupe and deem the days of uninspired Cadillac design officially over.
In the run-up to next week’s IPO, Tesla lays out a road map for its future products and reveals a new convertible, a utilitarian van and a sleek crossover all built atop the Model S architecture.
If there’s a market for small pickups, Jeep wants to be there to blend off-road ruggedness with open-bed utility.
We came away from the with the feeling that anything was possible. The season had settled into a blistering pace and drama had definitely begun to unfold. Departure from Mugello left many heads spinning as we saw defending champ Valentino Rossi following a nasty get-off and the subsequent end of Yamaha’s ownership of the top spot on the podium. We have a feeling that did not sit too well with the boys in blue, as Jorge Lorenzo showed up at Silverstone to put a punctuation on his championship points lead… a 6.743 second punctuation to be exact!
The race launch gave birth to a hungry pack of racers, and although Lorenzo held the top honors, there would be no runaway (at least not at first) as Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa gave early chase with the lead swapping between riders as early as lap one. As the laps ticked off though, Jorge had found his way to a comfortable lead, leaving the real battles behind him. Andrea Dovisioso and Randy de Puniet pushed hard to round out the podium, while a pair of patient young Americans named Nicky Hayden and Ben Spies lay in wait just outside the top three.
As the rubber boiled in and the laps wound down to just three, Dovisioso made his move pulling away from the battle with de Puniet. Just as this was happening, Spies also found his speed and was able to make another pass stick on the Frenchman, riding inside the top three for the first time this year. Nicky Hayden also managed to put his Ducati in front of de Puniet and would pass the checkers in the number four spot for the fourth time since . After suffering an extremely poor start and having to work his way up the ranks from the very last position, Casey Stoner pulled up the caboose of the train that would pass de Puniet prior to the finish line and round out the top five.
So there we have it folks, Jorge Lorenzo is taking care of business, both for Yamaha and for his championship hopes. Andrea Dovisioso is quickly becoming a solid runner up, and all the while Ben Spies finally found his groove and got a bottle of champagne in the process. We can only hope Hayden can break his fourth place curse one of these rounds. As for his teammate Casey Stoner… well, his results remain marginal at best this season, and it remains to be seen if that is going to change.
Next stop: the Netherlands. We can only imagine that it is still anyone’s game at Catalunya! Click past the break for the top ten results.
has decided to jump into the free scheduled maintenance game with a four-year/50,000-mile deal for all buyers of 2011 models. Cadillac’s announcement comes just days after decided to to anyone that buys or leases one of its vehicles between now and Labor Day.
The Premium Care Maintenance program is part of Cadillac’s revamped customer service program that includes advanced dealer training in conjunction with the hotel chain. Premium Care goes beyond Lincoln’s offer with a longer term that will run for the full model year, but doesn’t cover wear items like brake pads and wiper blades, as the Lincoln program does. Like similar programs from , and Lincoln, Premium Care Maintenance covers oil changes, tire rotations, filters and inspections. Cadillac undoubtedly hopes to bolster sales of its previous volume leader, the CTS, with this new program. While sales of the SRX have been soaring recently, the CTS is down more than 14 percent so far this year.
2010 Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway – Click above for high-res image gallery
The IndyCar Series moved on to the plains of Iowa for the eighth round of the 2010 Championship with a new points leader – Champ Dario Franchitti. Ryan Briscoe had moved up in the standings too, having won the last round in – the race that had seen Penske return to Victory Lane and had almost seen the . Fortunately Simona was extricated quickly enough to avoid major injuries and was in fact back in action in Iowa.
Qualifying on Saturday had seen early season dominator Will Power at the top of the charts, but he was one of the first drivers on course and had to play a long game of sit-and-wait to see if his time would stand. to see how the rest of qualifying played out, and to read all about the race – the 2010 Iowa Corn Indy 250 from Iowa Speedway.
Gallery:
[Images: Chris Trotman/Getty Images, Conrad Schmidt/AP]
was the first OEM to install Mircroheat’s HotShot heated windshield wiper fluid system into its cars. That was in 2006. But the hot, wet good times didn’t last long, with underhood fires causing GM to recall almost a due to problems it claimed were caused by the HotShot. For its part, HotShot didn’t accept the blame, claiming GM’s electrical system was at fault.
Two year later, GM is due to problems it claims are caused by the HotShot. Microheat went bankrupt after that first recall, but the company born from its ashes with the purpose of getting the product back to market, AlphaThermUSA, is still claiming that GM’s electrical system is at fault. The only real changes are that lawsuits that both companies have against each other must wait for GM’s bankrupt shell, Motors Liquidation Co., to be given the go-ahead for legal proceedings, and that the amounts that each company is trying to recoup have gone up.
In the meantime, the South Koreans might be the first to get the redesigned HotShot system: AlphaThermUSA has licensed the technology to KCW, which will begin producing it for Korean automakers next year.
Autoblog gets hands on with GT5 – Continue reading
The wait is nearly over. The game we all had nearly given up hope on is now less than five months away. Gran Turismo 5 is a reality, a playable reality, and Sony is making a big enough deal about its to make us think that, for once, it might actually happen. The version at this year’s E3 is by far the most polished version of this game we’ve yet seen — and we’ve seen quite a few over the years.
That it still isn’t finished (no full crash damage in the version we played) and that there are still a number of questions to be answered (details for online play, what sort of driver training will be included, etc.) leaves us a bit leery, but we certainly didn’t pass up the opportunity to take it for a spin just the same. We were also given the opportunity to speak with series producer Kaz Yamauchi to get his thoughts on the game — and to chat about his recent real-world racing exploits. Keep on reading for our detailed impressions of the game, and some video of some good ‘ol boys banging fenders around the Top Gear Test Track.
New Gran Turismo 5 trailer – Click above to watch video
Now that we have an official for Polyphony Digital’s , it’s hard to contain our anticipation. It doesn’t help that the company keeps teasing us with new trailers for the game, each showing some new bit of detail that we hadn’t foreseen or been previously able to confirm. The latest spot features a little voiceover action from none other than . It’s hard to tell exactly what part the Formula One guru will play in the game, and our imaginations are running wild as a result.
The new trailer also gives us a glimpse at three of the most hotly talked about features of the game – damage rendering, night races and the Top Gear test track. There’s even a cameo by himself. Some say he lacks opposable thumbs and controls joysticks through a series of ultra high-frequency squeals. All we know is, he’s in Gran Turismo 5, and we can’t wait to get our greedy little paws on the game. We’ve never been so excited for November 2. Take a peek to see the video.
Can a diesel really be sporty? Volkswagen obviously thinks so, and after fielding “numerous inquiries” about offering a replica of its TDI Cup cars for the road, V-Dub has begun offering a kitted-out version of its diesel-powered Jetta…
If you’re a Forza fan, then chances are you’ve spent more than a few seconds ogling the incredibly high-res versions of the cars shown in your virtual in-game garage. Now, with Kinect, it appears as if you’ll be able to get a little closer….
The sixth-generation 2011 Jetta is a pretty big deal for Volkswagen. The automaker has developed a completely new platform for…
Sony and Polyphony Digital have become a dynamic duo of boys crying wolf when it comes to the holy grail of driving simulators – . We’ve been infuriated by repeated blown launch dates, faux teasers and rumored content so many times that we’ve nearly lost all interest in what was once one of our favorite ways to blow a few hours in front of a console. Nearly. Word has just come down from that the game will launch on November 2, 2010, and that not only will it pack all of the standard tracks and cars we’ve come to expect, but the game will be playable in 3D. Get your paper spectacles, kids.
The news came along with a new for the game, and the quick spot’s got us crawling back like the kicked puppies we are. We’d be lying if we weren’t placing our pre-orders as you read this. to see the action for yourself, complete with damage rendering, fender-to-fender ally action and plenty of the most drool-worthy race metal on the digital planet.
Forza Motorsport with Kinect controls – Click above to watch video
The Electronics Entertainment Expo is underway in California, and Microsoft has kicked things off by unveiling its new Kinect peripheral for the xBox 360. Kinect (formerly “Project Natal”) is an advanced camera that can track your body as you stand in front of your TV, enabling what Microsoft is calling controller-free gaming. The primary titles shown were silly ones involving running, jumping, and other types of tomfoolery that will appeal to the casual crowd, but there was a Forza Motorsport tie-in that might just make motorheads take notice.
If you’re a Forza fan, then chances are you’ve spent more than a few seconds ogling the incredibly high-res versions of the cars shown in your virtual in-game garage. Now, with Kinect, it appears as if you’ll be able to get a little closer. The camera can track you as you physically walk around, enabling you to “walk around” your virtual steeds. As you move, the perspective shifts. The demo car was a Ferrari 458, naturally in red, which a spokesman was able to explore, crouch to get a closer look at its carbon ceramic brakes, and even open the door with a wave of his hand and take a seat inside.
Gorgeous, but not particularly exciting. A short demo was also given of a simple gameplay mode, which you play by holding your hands in front of you as if you were holding a steering wheel to control the car. This mode looked to be a challenge to see how many cars you can pass in a limited period of time, but with seemingly no way to accelerate or brake we’re guessing this will be little more than a passing distraction.
This version of Forza is said to be coming sometime in 2011, so it won’t be here for the November 4 launch of Kinect. Neither was there a mention of whether this will be a free update for Forza Motorsport 3 or a whole new title. Given the limited amount of content here, we’re hoping for the former. Check out the keynote during which the Kinect-enabled version of Forza was demonstrated .
MotoCzysz E1pc wins the TT Zero – Click above to watch video
After a day-long weather delay, eight all-electric motorcycles took to the starting grid to compete in the Isle of Man TT Zero yesterday. The game was much the same as last year when began what will likely be a longstanding annual affair – one 37.73-mile lap around the , no gas.
For the American team that had put in , it was time to put up or shut up. They damn well put up. Rider Mark Miller didn’t allow himself to be baited into a scrap andstuck to a game plan that called for a steady twisting of the throttle. In the end, he finished in the top spot with a time that was a massive two minutes and 51 seconds quicker than last year’s winner. The , which easily looks as good parked as it does in a 140-mile-per-hour blur, averaged 96.820 mph around the famed circuit, just missing a £10,000 ($14,700 USD) prize had it broken the century mark. Miller shrugged off that shortfall with an easygoing, “It’s all good, dude” in the post-race interview.
Last year’s winner, Rob Barber, who again crouched in the saddle for Agni Racing, also beat his time from last year. The fierce competitor was astride a newly constructed Agni Z1, looking for all the world like a throwback to the ’40s with a dustbin fairing mounted in place of a modern cowl. Although happy with the gains achieved by the aerodynamic package, “The Bullet” was obviously frustrated with the result, convinced he could have somehow gotten the best of the MotoCyzsz had there only been a bit more energy in the battery pack. As it was, he just managed to cross the finish line after employing a strategy that had him pushing hard from the get go.
After a long battle with another Agni Z1 piloted by Jenny Tinmouth – who, by the way, had not a mile of seat time before the green flag dropped – third place on the podium was claimed by James McBride on a converted Ducati for -based ManTTX Racing. Check out the gallery of the winner below and for the official TT Zero report and post-race video interviews as well as a bit of bonus footage of the bikes blasting by.
Make your own parking spot – Click above to watch video
Having just survived a trip to New York, we know all about the challenges of trying to find a space in the world’s busiest cities. Nabbing a spot for your car is one part luck of the draw and two parts being ruthless enough to swoop in and nab an open space no matter how many lanes of traffic you have to cross in order to do it. But that’s if you want to play by (most) of the rules. What if you had the power to manifest a legal-looking parking spot out of thin air?
We’re guessing life would be considerably less stressful, at least until the authorities caught on to your game and put a stop to creative parking all together. We can’t quite tell whether the video after the jump is the real deal or a cleverly-staged spot by one group or another, but it doesn’t really matter. to see how one smart young Beijing driver does when she needs to find a spot for her .
Armando Galarraga with Corvette Convertible Grand Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery
The move may have , but he’s wrong. General Motors when a bad call blew what would have been a perfect game for Armando Galarraga, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. It’s true that General Motors missed out on $53,000 by just handing a convertible over to the thwarted baseballer, but the company knew it was getting a screaming bargain in exchange for the car.
$53,000 buys a modest print run and an even more modest TV campaign. On the other hand, according to Joyce Julis & Associates, a Michigan-based firm that measures the reach of sponsorships, GM also received the equivalent of $9 million in media coverage thanks to every media outlet clamoring to cover the story. That, friends, is bounce, and when you’re in business to sell cars, it’s priceless. It’s a stunt, sure, a well-calculated one that turned out to be wildly successful. Rep. Issa doesn’t have to like it, but the people in the business of selling cars likely love the bang they got for their buck.
1931 Bentley 4½ Litre Vanden Plas Open Tourer by Harrisons – Click above for image gallery
You go ahead, try and find a car engine in production with a displacement larger than its cylinder count. It won’t take much to realize that means that each cylinder would have to displace over a liter. Only a few of the most monstrous of Detroit steel – venerable , for one – even come close. But this does: the 4½ Litre.
Sure, 4.5 liters may not sound like all that much, but when you consider that it’s a straight-four everything comes into perspective. Top that off with a supercharger and you’re talking some serious muscle. Well, 110-130 horsepower (depending on tuning), but that was a lot back in 1931. It was also enough to take this particular model – chassis #FS3621 – from London to Kenya, through Pennsylvania and New York, back to England a few times, to South Africa and Japan in the decades since its construction. Along the way it’d been put to all sorts of uses, from patrolling African game reserves to delivering war-relief supplies, and rebodied a couple of times as well by such coachbuilders as Harrison and Vanden Plas.
The most recent chapter was written just a few days ago when this particular example sold for a princely £670,500 – that’s just shy of a million in American greenbacks, and not bad for the first auction held by rookie auction house Historics at Brooklands. Have a closer look in the image gallery below.
Mini takes on Porsche – Click above for high-res image gallery
Here’s something unexpected. USA has announced it’s challenging to a formal race, where the go-kart-like will take on the infamous . This may seem like a far stretch, seeing as how the Cooper is down on power by over 200 horses, but Mini is confident that its more nimble, lighter hatch can out-maneuver the big 911 on the track.
This certainly automaker challenge this year, and we’re hoping Porsche steps up to the plate. The event will take place on June 21 (that’s in two weeks!) at Road Atlanta, which as Mini points out, is right around the corner from Porsche’s North American headquarters.
In the video found , Mini USA’s president, Jim McDowell (a former Porsche executive, we might add), explains the whole deal, and says that if his team loses, he’ll wear a shirt that reads “We did not beat Porsche” at his next public appearance. Likewise, he has a “We beat Porsche” shirt prepped for the same occasion. Mini will be hosting a live video of the event on their , as well as more information about the event. Will Porsche send out a 911 for the challenge? We certainly hope so. Let the games begin.
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![moz screenshot 2 Mark Miller wins TT Zero on awesome MotoCzysz E1pc [w/videos]](/DOCUME~1/drivin98/LOCALS~1/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.png "Mark Miller wins TT Zero on awesome MotoCzysz E1pc [w/videos]")
![moz screenshot 3 Mark Miller wins TT Zero on awesome MotoCzysz E1pc [w/videos]](/DOCUME~1/drivin98/LOCALS~1/Temp/moz-screenshot-3.png "Mark Miller wins TT Zero on awesome MotoCzysz E1pc [w/videos]")
96.820 mph around the famed circuit, just missing a £10,000 ($14,700 USD) prize had it broken the century mark. Miller shrugged off that shortfall with an easygoing, “It’s all good, dude” in the post-race interview.
