The more things change, the more they stay the same. That age-old adage is once again proven by the video you’ll see . In a classic battle of versus , the 1981 Blazer SUV is pitted against the Ford Bronco in a dealer training video designed to give sales staff all the information they needed to sway customers toward the Bowtie and away from the Blue Oval.
The checklist sounds familiar. Horsepower and torque, fuel economy, standard features versus optional equipment, payload and cargo space – each of these categories are compared. Seems the issues that matter most to car-buying consumers haven’t changed much in 30 years. and watch the video to take a stroll down memory lane.
training video extols the virtues of the 1981 Blazer
We may have gotten used to it by now, but the bottom line is that the is an astonishing feat of engineering. The task of summing it all up, then, would fall to one Jeremy Clarkson.
In addition to hosting BBC’s celebrated Top Gear and penning columns in an array of magazines and newspapers, Jezza was tapped by the people behind the Xbox driving sim Forza 4 to voice-over the video clips showcasing some of the exciting cars in the game’s virtual stable, including the Veyron.
You may have already seen it while playing the game, but evidently pleased with the job Clarkson and Turn 10 Studios did, Bugatti itself released the video for your viewing pleasure. to watch the brief clip.
There have been plenty of excellent debuts over the past year, but few capture our imagination like the Morgan 3 Wheeler. The V-twin-powered creation looks just like its forebears with its open cockpit, classic metalwork and three-wheel design. Being in love with any vehicle that looks as if it might kill us at any second, the 3 Wheeler is right up our alley.
The videos below haven’t dulled that passion. We’ve amassed a smattering of clips, including a new showcasing the 3 Wheeler as it motors through the countryside.
Of course, should you find backwoods sprints too boring, we’ve also included a few videos that demonstrate just how much fun you can have vaporizing the back tire. (The 3 Wheeler lends itself to donuts like few other machines on the planet.) to take in the goodness for yourself.
Got 13 minutes to spare? Of course you do – it’s a Friday. Then we’ve got just the way to burn them.
has posted three new SRT videos, the first being a nice seven-minute documentary about Viper history, from its origins to the present.
We’re happy to see the automaker make no attempts to distort the truth here, wisely including period footage of both Carroll Shelby and Bob Lutz, despite the fact that those two automotive legends currently work for its most bitter rivals, and General Motors, respectively. The inclusion of a clip from the Viper TV series, however, was perhaps a less inspired choice. We’d have left that on the cutting room floor in favor of more racing footage, like maybe something from Le Mans.
The second video is three minutes of Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of SRT Brand and Motorsports at Chrysler. Gilles walks us around a static Viper, explaining some of the details in the design that might escape a casual observer – and help the new Viper hit 206 miles per hour.
The final video goes inside Conner Avenue Assembly in Detroit where Chrysler builds the Viper. So maybe Chrysler employees like Shelly Brown Alore, the operations manager at the plant, aren’t quite the celebrity that Gilles is, but then again, we’re exactly the type of car nerds that actually find this stuff interesting.
Commercials are a great way to learn about culture; since a seller has maybe 30 seconds to get something across, you see what people think is the most important thing to convey and the best way to convey it.
Having said that, we have no clue what’s going on with some of the South Korean ads for the 2013 . In a couple of them, a genteel pair – we’ll call them Run CUV and Jam Master – lays down some mad lyrics, presumably about the Santa Fe. When they’re not rapping, they’re set in short episodic dramas to demonstrate the crossover’s features. We’re not sure if the pair are famous in Korea and frankly, we have no idea what they’re talking about, but they look fun while they’re doing it.
for your Asian commercial fix for the day. You won’t be disappointed.
Of course you all know who that man in the picture is, don’t you? He’s Jeremy Clarkson, one of the stars of Top Gear, the BBC’s hilarious automotive variety show. Its 18th series just premiered on BBC America this past Monday, with more new episodes airing Mondays at 8:30 p.m. EDT/PDT.
We include this preamble because the powers that be at the BBC have kindly suggested that if we want to use this photo of their Mr. Clarkson, we do so “for show promotion only.”
Now that we’ve taken care of that, we’ll get on with the news, which of course, pertains to the aforementioned celebrity rankling yet another group in Britain. This time it’s a result of Clarkson’s commentary in The Sun newspaper, calling people who commit suicide by jumping under trains “selfish,” suggesting that trains should be put back on schedule after these incidents as soon as possible. According to a report by Press Gazette, five groups who assist suicide victims and their families have complained to the Press Complaints Commission, stating their belief that Clarkson and his newspaper employer violated a clause pertaining to “intrusion into grief.”
The Sun apologized, according to the report, removed Clarkson’s column from its website and agreeing to train its staff in reporting suicide sensitively, among other concessions.
Given Clarkson’s long history of seemingly attempting to offend everyone in Britain, from to , if not the world (particularly ), we wonder if he’ll actually be forced to complete the training. And if he does, we can only imagine what an amazing BBC special that might make.
We’ve got to hand it to of Europe – this is one of the most brilliant marketing stunts we’ve ever seen. Blending the correct amounts of populist outrage, mockery of the common man, hidden cameras, big budget technology, and gritty urban realism into one literal over-the-top promotion that – get this – is actually relevant to the vehicle it is designed to promote? Well, we’re impressed, to say the least.
We won’t spoil the punchline to the video, created by ad agency Ogilvy of Paris (according to Co.Create), but for anyone who’s ever had to suffer through living in a big city and parking on the street, you’ll be pleased.
And for those of you who might occasionally do a little park-by-touch yourself? Ford’s new with Active Park Assist is just the vehicle for you.
If you’ve been waiting for someone to combine R/C cars and Ken Block’s brand of gymkhana, you’ll want to pay a visit to Hot Wheels. The toy maker has of Block’s rallying , and after you load the required eight AA batteries you’ll be drifting it around corners WRC-style in much less time than it took Block to learn his craft.
We won’t mention the center-mounted wheel under the car that makes it all a bit easier. Instead, you can to see a video of Ken Block writ small for yourself.
In between bouts of Olympic games, the official torch that traditionally kicks off the opening ceremonies makes the long journey by a relay of runners to the host site. And you can bet that over the course of years, it has passed through some tricky environmental conditions. But is it ready to endure the unpredictability of British weather?
To find out, – a main sponsor of the fast-approaching London Olympics – lent its wind tunnel facility to test the torch in a variety of conditions. Over the course of the grueling test, the torch was made to withstand temperatures ranging from 23 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, winds generated at upwards of 50 mph, with snow packed into the front and under driving rain. But all the while the flame stayed lit.
The tests were carried out at the BMW Energy and Environmental Test Centre in Munich, a facility which boasts three wind tunnels and two climatic test rooms capable of simulating weather from -4F to 131F, replicating the Arctic Tundra and the Sahara Desert, generating wind speeds at up to 174 mph, and simulating altitudes approaching 14,000 feet above sea level.
Watch a video of the testing procedure shown on the UK’s ITV1 news by .
In the music industry, a band’s third album is typically make-or-break. You start with the debut album, introducing the general public to the band’s polished works, then comes the sophomore record, which proves whether or not the band can keep its fan base happy and gain more traction in the music scene. But the third album must show if that band’s sound and style has a good enough mix of individual flare and mainstream appeal to keep them successful in the long-run.
If you think about it, the same can be said about the automotive landscape, and for the purpose of this review, the . The first-generation Escape, launched in 2000 as a 2001 model, entered during a time when small SUVs and “cute-utes” were booming. The redesigned 2008 Escape built upon the first model’s success, and now, as the curtain is about to close on that ruggedly handsome, boxy Escape, this new third-generation model has some mighty big shoes to fill.
Over the past year, the Escape has been an absolute sales superstar. In 2011, moved over 254,000 of the compact crossovers – a 33-percent gain over 2010’s numbers. To get an idea of just how impressive that is, know that in the same timeframe, moved just over 218,000 , while sold 137,000 and hustled around 193,000 models. Building upon that success, Ford announced that with 60,000 units sold in the first quarter of 2012, the Escape posted its best Q1 numbers in its 11-year history. Talk about going out with a bang.
But rather than sticking to the original formula of a small, trucky crossover, Ford has completely redesigned the Escape for 2013. Perhaps the biggest point of contention surrounding the new model is its styling – the two-box, upright design has been ditched in favor of the automaker’s Kinetic language, employing a more, shall we say, Focused appearance.
So here it is, the ever-important third album. Does Ford’s all-new Escape have enough mainstream appeal to take on the best and brightest of the CUV set while still being able to appeal to loyalists? We headed to the roads around San Francisco to find out.
Renault Sport invited its fans to suggest challenges for the to overcome, and one of the chosen feats was for it to play the ball in a game of ten-pin. After some establishing shots and burnouts, the 133-horsepower hot hatch gets going down the lane.
To make sure it doesn’t disappoint, a stern gang of mute, pouty models looks on because, well, you can’t have car-bowling without that, now can you?
Chances are, if we asked you to replicate the sound of a small block with a mild cam, you could probably pull it off with nothing more than a little slobber and a few embarrassed glares from your significant other. If you keep practicing that particular skill, you may just find yourself in front of a massive studio audience. Just ask 19-year-old Daniel Jovanovic.
The teenager recently took the stage on the show Australia’s Got Talent and managed to wow all three judges with his impressive engine impersonations. He started with the sound of a Formula One pit stop before moving to a variety of other machines.
Talented? Absolutely. Even if he doesn’t manage to take the top nod, Jovanovic has already soared to internet stardom. to check out the quick video for yourself.
Oh, how we’d like to go all grumpy-old-man-get-off-my-lawn on for this latest bit of hipster marketing. But dammit, it’s got robots in it. Real robots, industrial robots, installed inside a 2012 hatchback. And it’s just so cool.
The robots are there to help Jeff Soto paint a mural on an empty brick wall, and while we’re pretty sure the final product of this collaboration is still something like 90-percent man and 10-percent machine, we really like what we see. Chevy calls Soto a “respected street artist,” which we figure just means a graffiti artist with a degree rather than a rap sheet. (Soto’s is from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA.) Soto, in turn, refers to the compact Sonic as the first “robotic art car.”
While Soto did a lot of conventional work on the mural, he also used the Sonic’s robotic arms, which were controlled from within the car and could be operated while Soto drove. The painting appendages emerged through the Sonic’s windows, sunroof and hatchback, and seem to take up all the available space inside the car, save for the driver’s seat.
While we were fairly impressed seeing the Sonic , we definitely think the little car should focus on its art. There’s some real talent there.
“It’s time to say goodbye,” said spokesman Igor Burenkov to Russia’s RIA Novosti about the end of production, which happened this week. The Lada 2107, also called the Lada Riva, has been plying Russian roads since before . It’s one of the cars you’re most likely to see in grainy film and video clips from the days before .
As you might suspect, the Lada 2107 has origins that go back to the early 1970s. This old comrade has been wound down to make room for the cars Lada is calling “new” classics. Newer Lada models like the , Priora and Kalina are going to move into the Izhavto production facility that had been building the “Seven,” and Lada is expecting demand for the newer cars to continue rising as more features and body style variations continue to be rolled out. До свидания, друг.
Last year aimed cameras at the the 150 Camaros making the drive to Phoenix for Camaro5 Fest. The footage has been pieced together into a ten-minute documentary called Alter Ego, a celebration of owners in celebration of their cars.
It’s more than that, though, since it pauses to take a look at the model that made the name, and the annus horribilus of 2002 when Camaro production ceased.
There’s also lots of tire smoke. Naturally. to watch.
We’re losing track of how many top gunners post high-speed-run videos on public roads on YouTube and then get busted. Police take that tomfoolery personally, and you’d think they put the entire department on the case judging by how quickly the perps get caught.
Latest on the list is a Canadian motorcyclist who took his Yamaha on the Trans-Canada Highway and . CBC News now reports that the unidentified rider in question is 25 years old, unlicensed, riding an uninsured Yamaha R1 registered in his mother’s name. Then there’s the small matter of his 25 previous infractions.
Police wasted no time tracking down YouTube poster “Joe Blow,” but he’s been uncooperative up to now. We have no idea why he wasn’t in jail already after 25 violations, but we’re guessing his Internet handle will soon be changed to “Three Hots and a Cot.” to refresh your memory with a video demonstration of his stupidity.
The 2012 Targa Tasmania is officially underway, having started on the 17th of April. While we’d give (nearly) any portion of our anatomy to see the spectacle in the flesh, we’ll simply have to content ourselves with living vicariously through the miracle of YouTube for the time being.
Competitors use the prologue stages to work out any kinks in their vehicle as well as get a feel for the competition. As always, the range of vehicles in attendance is as wide as it gets. We’re particularly fond of the fire-spitting , though the sight of a Holden Commodore SS ute thrashing about puts a smile on our faces, too.
The Targa runs through April 22, covering 366 miles of transit and rally stages in the process. We’ll do our best to keep up with the coverage. In the meantime, you can check out the competitor list at the and click for the Prologue recap.
Argentinian rally champ can attest to the udderly day-ruining power of hitting a wayward cow on an ATV at open throttle. There’s no way to know for sure, but we can guess Bonetto was thinking, “Oh, that’s bull…!” right before T-boning this side of beef. Unlike some cows, most ATVs don’t have horns, and even if Bonetto’s did, there was little chance of it being herd over the roar of his quad. Plus, ATVs aren’t exactly known for quick steering.
At the last moment, the cow tries to hoof it out of the whey but gets creamed anyway. The resulting crash will make your blood curdle. Luckily, Bonetto is chucked from his ride because it becomes hogtied with a barbed wire fence, rendered unusable for the rest of the race. The cow? Of course it ran off to hide, likely to get a good ribbing at the next celebrity roast. The race probably ground to a halt.
This wasn’t Bonetto’s first rodeo, and we’ll steak our reputation on the bet that he’ll go a little slower next time. And, yes, we know the video is from 2011. We thought we’d milk it just a bit more.
The challenge of small, efficient and clever hatchbacks catching on with the American masses is a long story that shows infrequent signs of becoming less challenging. The bottom line is that most U.S. consumers feel such vehicles are simply too small for our wide-open-spaces sensibilities. This smallness is only enhanced when one looks around while stopped at American intersections, only to see big and tall sheetmetal in all directions. There are admittedly serious strides being made in this segment in various U.S. markets, usually of the urban variety and on the coasts, but it will always be a struggle.
The last time Peugeot tried directly communicating in American English with imported product was back in 1991 with its 505 and 405 ranges that unceremoniously flopped. There was ongoing talk at that time of bringing over the 205 hatchback to try and improve things, but we missed out and Peugeot was gone. Perhaps the seven percent of PSA Peugeot-Citroën now owned by General Motors will someday result in the importing of the solid hatchback tested here, but I won’t hold my breath.
Recently, the new Peugeot 208 was all over the French giant’s show stand at the , together with its legendary GTi trim and new XY upmarket trim. Back in 1984, it was the 105-horsepower 205 GTi that established the legend of the French hot hatch. While the 206 was then a smash hit with buyers between 1998 and 2006, the subsequently larger 207 has been far less popular in the face of much improved competitors – a group that blossomed from just 16 different models on the European market in 1998 to now 27 separate hatches today. In its prime, the 206 outsold even the mighty Volkswagen Golf and stayed at the top of Europe’s sales charts for a time. The outgoing 207, however, has routinely lingered behind the and Polo, Renault Clio, Opel Astra and Corsa, not to mention the and .
is using the to reveal a special edition with Victoria Beckham – not “created with” or “by,” just “with.” It was , but Posh Becks has been busy doing the kinds of things keep a woman called Posh busy.
LR has made a vid to support the cause, but it stretches the definition of “teaser” since it’s more like 17 seconds of Fashion TV meets Tron in monochrome, bracketed by titles. If you look really closely, you might even see the Evoque in it. to check it out.
