We hate to be the ones to tell you this, but chances are pretty slim that you’ll ever get the opportunity to slide behind the wheel of the new Pagani Huayra. Blame it on the numbers. Pagani is only planning on cranking out so many Huayra models, and there just so happens to be a shave under 7 billion people on the planet. Throw in the fact that each of the 700-horsepower Italian exotics will carry a price tag of near $1.35 million and the odds start to look even more bleak.
Hey, at least you’re in good company. We’re sitting in the exact same boat as you.
Fortunately for all of us, then, the Need for Speed franchise has come to our rescue. While we may not be able to find out in person just how fast 740 pound-feet of torque can move a 3,000 pound supercar, we will get a shot at flinging the carbon-fiber creation down a few virtual streets in Shift 2 Unleashed. In fact, the game is the only racing outlet to feature the newest addition to the Pagani family, so if you want to play with this bad boy, you’re going to have to pick up the latest addition to the Need for Speed library. for a quick trailer.
Sam Hubinette learns to drive sideways all over again – Click above to watch video
Sam Hubinette is exceptionally good at getting a car sideways and keeping it there. Now, it seems that the drift king wants to learn a new skill, and he needs just two wheels to do it. No, Mr. Hubinette is not switching to motorcycles… he’s learning to drive a car on two wheels.
Someone with his level of car control should be able to pick this up relatively quickly. In fact, Sam Hubinette takes to two-wheeled action like he has been doing it his whole life, and it took preposterously few attempts for him to master the art. Hit the ramp and to check out Hubinette learning a new skill.
Now, we’re thinking we need to try our hand at two-wheeled driving too… anybody got a car we can borrow?
We headed to the Fujitrans warehouse in Carson, California to watch the ultra expensive and exclusive Lexus LFA star in its own kabuki performance. Minus the make-up.
Rumor has it that these super Jaguar XKR prototypes could be named the XK-E in honor of the 50th anniversary of Jaguar’s legendary E-Type. Just try to look past all the swirlies…
De Tomaso SLC Concept – Click above to watch video
Now here’s a question worth racking your precious brain over. If you were asked to choose between the recently unveiled De Tomaso SLC Concept and a , which would you park in your driveway? If you chose a used Audi RS6 Avant, congratulations, you just made our holiday card list.
Still, it’s difficult not to draw comparisons between the recently unveiled De Tomaso and the awkwardly-proportioned 5-Series family hauler. Both vehicles have managed to meld the crossover and sedan realms in a way that few other vehicles have.
While we’ve already been privy to a of the De Tomaso SLC Concept, a video of the vehicle has now made its way to the internets. The quick clip gives us a slightly better look at what the vehicle will bring to the table when it gets an official unveil early next month at the Geneva Motor Show. Here’s hoping it looks better in the flesh. to have a look-see of your very own.
Building the Falcon Kestrel – Click above to watch video
We’ve set about ticking off the days of 2011 with a little help from the ever-luscious calendar. Along with some of the best photography on two wheels, we’ve also been treated to a quick history of the featured bike of the month as well as information on the builder.
This month’s machine is none other than the lovely . With over 2,000 man-hours worth of fabrication wrapped up in the Kestrel, there’s little wondering why Falcon took home the Best Custom trophy at the 2010 Quail Motorcycle Gathering.
Now Falcon has been so kind as to release a video showing exactly what went into the Kestrel’s creation. According to Hell For Leather, builder Ian Barry is a sucker for employing some of the lost arts of metal fabrication, including silver brazing, and all of his talents went into bringing this particular bike to life. Check out the video .
Mastretta MXT – Click above for high-res image gallery
Mexican sportscar manufacturer Mastretta is making the best of a bad situation. The company is attempting to capitalize on the furor over that the presenters of Top Gear made about the automaker and Mexico in general. According to Drive.com, since the incident, traffic to the company’s website has skyrocketed, and more importantly, orders for the Mastretta MXT have leapt as well. According to Carlos Mastretta, the company’s general manager, the manufacturer now has orders from countries in Europe as well as Brazil and Chile. Mastretta has recently begun to receive inquiries from the States, as well.
The jump in attention is thanks solely to the dust up over the Top Gear comments. According to Drive.com, the MXT was a relative unknown – even in its home country. While Mastretta is a well-known manufacturer of public-transportation vehicles, few knew that the company is also responsible for this new sportscar before hearing about the confrontation between the BBC and Mexico’s ambassador to the UK.
The Mastretta MXT is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter Ford Duratec four-cylinder engine with around 250 horsepower, and the company says that the vehicle should be good for 0-60 mph dashes in the high four-second range thanks to its lightweight design.
Honda has upset Godzilla with this Odyssey commercial – Click above to watch video
is feeling the heat of Godzilla’s wrath at the moment. No, for once we are not talking about the , but the actual daikaijū star of nearly 30 films. The Japanese firm that owns the rights to Godzilla and produces the related films is Toho Co. and according to Automotive News, it’s not very happy about a recent commercial for the .
The ad entitled “The Van Beckons” shows a man walking out of a grocery store where he is confronted by the 2011 Honda Odyssey. Trying to show that a minivan can be manly, Judas Priest’s The Hellion plays while pyrotechnics detonate around the vehicle. The camera moves inside to show off Honda’s widescreen monitor, which is displaying an image of a heavy metal band on one side and Godzilla on the other.
That shot of Godzilla is what has Toho Co. a bit angry, because the use of its star lizard was apparently not licensed. Toho Co. has filed an injunction with the Los Angeles Federal District Court stating Honda has infringed on its copyright protected material. For its part, Honda has not issued a comment with regards to the legal aspects of the matter but AN notes that the commercial has yet to be suspended. to watch the spot and see for yourself why Toho Co. is breathing legal fire upon Honda.
We’ve got to wonder what it is about crappy cars that inspire acts of musical tribute. It seems like every time we turn around, the internets are serving up another heaping helping of clever lyrics and catchy beats to commemorate some heap that most people would just as soon forget. It wasn’t until just recently that we were able to pry the snappy licks of the from our gray matter. Now it seems that the mechanical muse has struck in the form of a faux-wood paneled Chevrolet Celebrity wagon.
While the video after the jump lacks the wit of the 240 wagon ode, it makes up for its shortcomings with some of the staples of the music video arsenal – a bit of exposed female anatomy and ranting about “The Man.” to watch the clip for yourself, just be warned, the images might possibly be NSFW depending on how strict your cubicle overlords are. Thanks for the tip, Matthew!
Polish Mustang gathering – Click above to watch video
It’s easy to dismiss the muscle-car phenomenon as a fluke of American excess. With our miles of open freeway and sinfully cheap gasoline, the inexpensive, high-horsepower V8 machine was a creation that could have only come from our neck of the woods. But that doesn’t meant the rest of the world doesn’t appreciate of our contribution to automotive history. Just look at the thriving community in Poland.
That’s right, Poland.
A devoted group of pony car lovers recently got together for a little meet up and happened to cook up one of the best fan videos we’ve ever laid eyes on. There are plenty of special-edition Mustangs in the mix, including at least one Bullitt, a Shelby GT500 and even a P-51 Edition. But these horses aren’t all standing around in a parking lot somewhere. Oh, no. Instead, the owners set to sending their rear tires spinning in the best way possible, and there’s plenty of high-definition tire smoke to go around. to check the flick for yourself. Hat tips to Brent and Mateusz!
[Source: ]
owners gather in Poland, create amazing mini movie
Lexus LFA – Click above for high-res image gallery
On January 21, Toyota to arrive in the U.S., inviting a representative from Club to witness the stylized drama of uncrating the $400,000 supercar. While we can’t be certain, perhaps it was the King-Lear-esque howls and gnashing of teeth from the non-invited (our own form of stylized drama) that convinced Toyota to do it again. So we headed to the Fujitrans warehouse in Carson, California to watch the star in its own kabuki performance. Minus the make-up.
Chevrolet MyLink – Click above for high-res image gallery
is finally bringing the smartphone battle to with the introduction of MyLink, an integrated infotainment system that connects to your smartphone and allows you to access apps through either the steering wheel controls or the console-mounted touchscreen.
The wraps officially came off at tonight’s and boasts similar functionality to and recently revealed system. MyLink connects your Android or Blackberry device over Bluetooth, allowing you to wirelessly access apps. And if you’re partial to Apple’s iOS devices – namely the iPhone or iPod Touch – you get the same functionality, but can only be controlled by plugging it in via USB.
At launch, MyLink is only compatible with and radio, with other apps due to be released later this year. The and will be the first two models to come equipped with the new system, and in addition to voice-control functionality courtesy of , both models will be available with , so you don’t have to worry about your Bluetooth-tethered phone running out of juice. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but expect MyLink to be available within the next few months. for the official release and get more details at our tech-obesessed sibling site .
Motor Trend tests three sub-$100,000 supercars – Click above to watch video
Motor Trend is on a quest to determine the best budget supercar. , and stepped up to the challenge with the , and . Total cost of the vehicles used in this 1,585-horsepower shootout? $244,290… or $37,040 less than the . Perspective, folks.
This comparision is not about high-dollar exotics, however, because M/T is looking for the best sub-$100,000 performer. The 2012 Nissan GT-R develops 530 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6. The American muscle machines perfer V8 power with the supercharged 5.4-liter GT500 producing 550 horses and the 7.0-liter Z06 pumping out 505.
The Shelby GT500 certainly represents the best bang-for-your-buck due to its $55,330 as-tested price tag. Yet both the Z06 ($98,010 as-tested) and GT-R ($90,950) offer equally appealing performance at a relative bargain.
Motor Trend took all three super coupes to the drag strip and the Streets of Willow road course. The winning car is not much of a surprise (hint: it’s not American) but the resulting videos are still fun to watch. for clips of the drag race and the road course testing, then head over to Motor Trend to read about the test.
Audi has yet another strong contender on its hands in the 2012 A6, and BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus have yet another weapon from Audi to worry about.
Enjoy this remarkably well-produced, two-minute video of the Murciélago successor, aka the Aventador LP700-4, running through some snow-covered hills. Geneva can hardly come soon enough…
Join Chris Shunk, Dan, Zach and Chris Paukert for Autoblog Podcast #217.
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Volkswagen Golf24 endurance racer hits the track – Click above to watch video
stunning new and now we finally have some noise and moving imagery of the Golf24 endurance racer thanks to a new VWvideo.
The people’s racer was filmed on a track conducting some shakedown runs before it tackles the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. This isn’t just some tarted-up with a roll-cage installed: Under the hood sits a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder producing 434 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. That go-fast energy is channeled through a six-speed sequential gearbox and sent out to all four wheels. to see the Volkswagen Golf24 in action.
Bentley sets an ice-speed record – Click above to watch video
When we first heard that Juha Kankkunen and had managed to set a new off the coast of Finland, we immediately wanted to see footage of the action. The thought of watching a race-prepped dash across just 20 centimeters of Baltic Sea ice is the kind of thing that haunts our daydreams. Fortunately, the automaker has been so kind as to slip the world a quick clip of the record-smashing run, complete with angles from the sky, the ice and the cockpit.
Kankkunen demolished his old ice-speed record of 199.83 mph set in 2007. At the time, the World Rally champion was shooting to cruise past the 200 mph barrier but just barely missed his mark. He had no such trouble this go-round. His drop-head clicked off a top speed of 205.48 mph.
Interestingly enough, aside from a set of winter tires, some safety kit and a couple of aero additions, the Continental Supersports Convertible that Kankkunen used as his weapon of choice was essentially a bone-stock machine. to check out the clip for yourself.
Lamborghini Aventador in action – Click above to view the video
We’re less than two weeks away from the Lamborghini Aventador’s unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show, so that means there’s plenty of time for a few more “leaks” ahead of the big bull’s reveal.
This latest clip of the 700-horsepower V12 Lambo comes courtesy of Autogespot, which has received a remarkably well-produced, two-minute video of the successor running through some snow-covered hills. The exterior camouflage is still intact, but we finally get our first glimpse of the interior, including the steering wheel and IP. Nothing revolutionary, but well worth checking out in the video .
has seen more than its fair share of negative press over the past year and a half, but is the Japanese automaker willing to pay “mommy bloggers” to spread positive news? Mom site Dear Crissy reports that it received an email offering a $10 Amazon gift card in exchange for a post that highlights the fact that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issues that led to the company’s unintended acceleration woes.
The email, which reportedly came from a company called Mommy Networks, cited Toyota’s damaged reputation, adding “we’re helping to spread the positive news.” The email asked for a blog post about NHTSA’s release with links to a few articles, some love on social networking sites and “thumbs up” votes for YouTube videos.
For its part, Toyota denies having anything to do with the offer, adding that the company “adheres to the highest standards when working with media, journalists and blogger and we find any sort of payment for editorials or blogs unethical and illegal according to FCC guidelines.”
Dear Crissy has since published an update indicating that the site has been contacted by both Mommy Networks and Toyota, both of which claim no affiliation with each other. Mommy Networks has since gone on to to both Crissy and Toyota.
Holden Captiva Series II – Click above for high-res image gallery
Holden has unveiled its Series II Captiva in both five and seven-passenger configurations, and the company says that buyers can now enjoy greater power and fuel economy thanks to a range of new and refreshed engines. The Captiva 7 (shown above) will come packing either a 2.2-liter turbo-diesel lump or the same 3.0-liter direct-injection V6 found in the nose of the company’s Commodore. Likewise, the Captiva 5 will be able to take advantage of that same oil-burning engine in addition to the standard 2.4-liter gasoline four-pot. All three engines will be mated to six-speed automatic transmissions.
The Australian arm of has also gone about resculpting the Captiva 7’s front fascia, and buyers can now choose between a total of three different wheel sizes from 17 to 19 inches. Meanwhile, the new Captiva 5 is only available with 17 inch rollers. Interestingly, the Captiva 5 retains a different look that’s very close to that of the now-departed .
Holden has also baked-in a new heap of standard equipment, including an MP3-compatable CD player with AUX input, Bluetooth hands-free calling and music streaming and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. for the full press release and video.
There are a few different ways to earn membership into the badass old man club. Anyone who survived a World War is automatically on the list, and if you’ve wrestled a bear or a silverback gorilla you’re definitely club-worthy. Oh, and if you are 84 and you survive in the Arizona desert for five days by drinking wiper fluid, you are absolutely in the club.
TheNew York Daily News reports that Henry Morello took a wrong turn while driving in the Arizona desert, and his mistake became five days in the desert after his SUV got stuck. The senior citizen used his smarts, some floor mats and some strained wiper fluid to stay alive. Mr. Morello, welcome to the club. to view the AP report.
Audi Aluminum A5 Coupe Prototype – Click above for high-res image
has put carbon fiber to good use in concept vehicles like the and , which has a carbon fiber hood and rear deck, and in some parts of the and RS 3. The high-tech (and currently expensive) material could make the jump from fancy accoutrement to integral part of future lightweight production cars thanks to the announcement that Audi and Voith GmbH have formed a development partnership to bring “fiber-reinforced materials” to market by “developing a highly automated process chain for high-volume automotive production.”
Voith has many years of experience with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), a material that will use in the . , too, , and this is one party that can’t have too many guests. Feel free to read the complete press release .
