Quick: What’s the world’s most practical supercar? We’re sure some and fanatics would answer otherwise, but we’re going to go with the , in one of its many fantastic iterations. Narrowing it down a little further, we’ll go with the , which offers at least vestigial rear seats, all-wheel drive and several hundred horsepower, all lined in a sumptuously luxurious leather-clad cabin.
Plus, as demonstrated in the video after the break, the 911 Turbo can also pull part-time duty as a small pickup truck. Don’t believe us? .
We have no way of knowing exactly how much has dished out on its partnership with the Red Bull Racing team and with its star driver Sebastian Vettel specifically, but you can bet it’s a lot. You can also bet that the Japanese luxury marque is keen on capitalizing on its sponsorship deal beyond the logos that appear on the race cars and racing suits.
In fact, Infiniti is said to be working on two collaborative projects with the reigning world champions it sponsors; one with the team and one with the driver. Now, with the approaching as fast as Vettel into a hairpin corner, the automaker has released a video that seems to suggest that it’s ready to unveil the Sebastian Vettel edition.
Edition of what, we don’t know just yet, but while logic might point us at first towards the , they’ve already taken that model pretty far with the Infiniti Performance Line. Instead, we have a feeling we’ll be looking at a special edition of the crossover. We’ll have to wait a little longer as the show’s opening nears, but for now you’re invited to and arrive at your own conclusions.
Silly , rivers are for boats. As the story goes, this particular Swiss Porsche owner had to learn that the hard way when his was driven by a friend off a boat dock leading to the Rhine River. We assume this “friend” will forever be mentioned at cocktail parties in stories that start with “You won’t believe…” and end with “… so I jump-kicked him in the throat, and that’s why we’re not friends anymore.”
Click to see the sad, waterlogged Porsche flop like a fish on its crane-assisted trip back to dry land.
It’s not the Call of DutyJeep, but Glenn Neff and his were captured in Maryland ready for battle. Police found the outfitted with a homemade turret and awful lot of fireworks. Neff’s apparent plan? To launch a fireworks barrage upon the National Mall to bring attention to issues he has with the banking industry.
Makes perfect sense to us, too.
Thankfully, the 27-year-old would-be pyrotechnics wizard was spotted by police in the Cabin John Regional Park located in Bethesda, Maryland. Officers spotted Neff’s red Jeep in an isolated area of the park after it was closed. The SUV was loaded with fireworks, the aforementioned turret and a handful of PVC tubes with which to launch the colorful artillery.
Glenn Neff has been taken into custody and charged with three felonies related to the fireworks and his plan to assault the National Mall. Not surprisingly, Neff was also charged with possession of drugs, and all of the charges against him add up to a bond set at $2 million.
Internally, we’re currently investigating the garage of our own John Neff (no relation) to make sure his sparklers and roman candles aren’t being used for nefarious plots designed to bring attention to his own gripes with the banking industry.
We’ll get back to you on that front, but for now, to watch local news coverage what went down in Bethesda.
The man pictured above is Phil Ward. He is a former pro Touring Car driver who was inspired by the American Legends and started the Aussie Racing Cars series. These are scaled-down imitations of popular racecars found in the V8 Supercars series, powered by turbocharged 1.2-liter twin-cam Yamaha motors. That mill is paired with a sequential manual transmission, and the entire concept seems like it would equal about as much fun as you can have with 125 horsepower.
But that’s not what we’re here to talk about. Before the start of a recent race in Queensland, Ward apparently wasn’t happy with the track conditions. Rather than sit and wait for officials to do something about it, Ward ran his Aussie Racing Car to the front of the grid, hopped out and told officials to delay the start. We guess if you own the series, you can do things like that.
Still, the delayed start nearly caused serious issues for those drivers finishing their warm-up laps. to see Ward delay the race, and the resulting (almost) carnage. Also, pay close attention towards the end of the video to get an idea of the scale of cars being raced. Either they are that tiny, or the pace car is enormous. (Okay, so maybe it’s a bit of both…)
has finally , and the marketing machine is now in full swing. The automaker is hitting the virtual airwaves with a trio of commercials highlighting its newest midsize sedan, as well as Toyota’s love for NASCAR. Kyle Busch helps out with some smoky burnouts, high-speed driving and general information about the , and yes, that does seem a bit incongruous.
The first spot is titled “Electrified“, and shows the NASCAR Camry turning donuts before being hit with some electricity and turning into a Camry Hybrid. The other two showcase Busch showing off for the camera. We can only hope …
to check out Toyota’s first three commercials for the 2012 Camry.
Being a video game designer sounds like fun. And when the video game you’re designing involves recreating famous racetracks from around the world, you’re definitely having more fun than the average cubicle-dweller.
The developers at Turn 10 Studios have to do exactly that for the upcoming Forza 4 video game. It’s an interesting process, and Turn 10 has released a video showing us how it’s done. It highlights the nearly three-mile-long Hockenheim circuit in Germany, which features 13 turns and plays host to both the German Grand Prix and DTM events.
We won’t spoil the track-creation magic for you. Instead, and let Turn 10 demonstrate how it happens.
It looks like and Activision Publishing are , placing battlefield-ready Wranglers in the Call of Dutyvideogame series and selling a real-life version to gamers who wish to shuttle themselves to and fro in rough-and-tumble off-road-ready opulence.
For those unaware, there’s a new version of the video game series heading to store shelves in short order, and Jeep is wasting no time showing its own Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to the public.
Interestingly, Jeep decided to bring out its COD 3 Wrangler for the first time at the , sporting all manner of specific gaming paraphernalia; such as new front and rear bumpers (the rear one holds water), mesh reliefs in the hood, flat black wheels with large, blocky tires and large metal emblems.
Expect this latest COD-infused Wrangler to hit the market in the fall, timed to coincide with the release of the affiliated video game. In the meantime, check out some live shots in our image gallery, courtesy of Sidequesting.com.
A company’s livery is an important part of its image. If a brand has done a good job of things, you can generally tell its wares by its color scheme or logo without the need to spell out names. When we think of famous liveries, images of Martini & Rossi, John Player Special and Silk Cut-clad racing machines pop into our head. If you live in Minnesota, however, you might prefer the green and yellow scheme belonging to the farm equipment czars at John Deere. One couple in particular decided to highlight their mid-80’s John Deere Turbo 6620 combine in a rather unique way.
Are you familiar with the term ghost riding? For the three percent of our readership isn’t, allow us to explain. To ghost ride, is to put a vehicle in gear then exit it and walk or dance alongside it as it ambles along. (Full Disclosure: We don’t really get it either).
Many have tried to ghost ride with all manner of vehicle, but this is the first time we can recall anyone ghost ride a John Deere combine. The couple’s amusing video, which throws in Petey Pablo’s Need for Speed for good measure, is posted .
We’re pretty smitten with the Flyin’ Miata story at Targa Newfoundland, and not just because they offered us a seat in their . Husband and wife team Keith and Janel Tanner managed a 16th place finish in their 1994 Mazda MX-5 Miata in the event back in 2008, and this year, they’re coming to the fight with a fire-breathing V8 conversion at their disposal. The tale is interesting enough to have snagged the ear of a filmmaker who wants to bring the Tanner story to the rest of the world.
Adam Costa has jumped onto the Flyin’ Miata wagon for the long road to the checkered flag, and he’s started a Kickstarter project to help fund the endeavor in hopes of being able to bring along an additional cameraman. You can donate anything from one dollar all the way up to $2,000 for various ‘thank you’ gifts, including an executive producer title in the film itself. A more reasonable $50 donation will land you a DVD copy of the film. Having had the pleasure of seeing Costa’s work in Speed Science for the Science Channel, we don’t think we’ll be disappointed. to check out the trailer for yourself and cruise over to for a look at the project.
The is a convertible showstopper that wowed crowds at this year’s Concours d’Elegance. Not surprisingly, Jay Leno managed to secure some talking time with VP of Global Design Ed Wellburn, and the two chatted about the ultimate Art and Science-mobile while Leno got a look at some of its features.
The Ciel concept is powered by a 425-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine that’s paired with a lithium-ion battery pack powering an electric motor. Basically, it’s one of the best-looking hybrid vehicles on the planet at the moment, and it’s even more intriguing when Wellburn shows off the rear power suicide doors.
It may be wearing a different badge, but Cadillac has seemingly built a modern-day homage to the fourth-generation Lincoln Continental. to see what we’re talking about.
We know a few kids who love Britain’s Top Gear more than any of the lame cartoon shows on the air (little Ariel, we’re looking at you, buddy), but for some tots, those oafish Brits who present the hit BBC program may be a little too scary. Fortunately, an internet denizen has come to the rescue.
In , you’ll see some clips from My Little Pony cleverly edited and spliced to sync up with the audio from Top Gear. The opening credits are funny enough on their own, but the video goes on for a good three-and-a-half minutes of Jeremy Clarkson’s voice coming out of the most adorable little unicorn… in the world.
Diesel-lovin’ is slowly, slowly coming to grips with this whole hybrid thing. Earlier this year, the finally gave out some real information about its (after years of teases and ,) and we at the in January. Today, Audi is making good on the promise it made at the in 2010 when it showed off .
Due out in 2012 (coincidentally, the 15th anniversary of the ), the A8 hybrid should appeal to customers who crave the German automaker’s style and dislike stopping for petrol every third day. The A8 hybrid uses a 2.0 TFSI engine and an electric motor to crank out a peak output of 180 kW (245 horsepower) and 480 Nm (345.03 lb-ft) of torque. Audi says all that power and style will come with 37 mpg (U.S.), which doesn’t put the A8 at the top of the hybrid efficiency pack – remember, the A8 is huge – but it beats the pants off of the gas-only A8, which the EPA rates at 18/28/21 (city/highway/combined) mpg.
Even better for late night stealth missions to the golf course, the A8 hybrid can go three kilometers (1.86 miles) and up to 60 km/h (37.28 mph) using nothing but energy stored in its 1.3 kWh lithium-ion battery. Once the luxury sedan is up to speed, it can move down the highway at speeds of up to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) on battery power, too. These are all good numbers (if only estimations from Audi, for now), and we eagerly await the chance to see how the A8 Hybrid operates in the real world. Until that time, check out the gallery below and read more details in the press release available after the jump.
Having the means to buy a performance automobile does not automatically come with the ability to drive it well. Few are as keenly aware of this correlation (or lack thereof) than and its performance arm, AMG.
In addition to building some of the most capable performance cars on the market, AMG also operates the AMG Driving Academy at locations around the world to show its customers how to get the most out of their cars.
Courses ranges in price from $1,595 for a one-day ‘Basic Training’ class to $3,695 for a three-day comprehensive ‘Pro Training’ course. To give us a taste (and then some) of what’s on offer, AMG has released a ten-part video series on YouTube covering the basic elements of what a driver needs to know, everything from proper seat adjustment to how to drift.
The series is hosted by experienced racer, television presenter and instructor Tommy Kendall, and it’s worth taking the time to watch. Each segment is only three or four minutes long and can be found . Watch them, and you’re sure to learn a thing or two. AMG is also for you and three friends on its Facebook page.
Even among the most capable of off-roaders, some are luxurious and some are decidedly spartan. One look at the bare-bones interior of a Defender and you’ll know exactly where it stands. But some will inevitably want their Defender decked out with all the comforts they’d expect of its big brother, the , and for them, there’s Vilner.
The Bulgarian customizer (named, for some reason, after a Lithuanian city) has superbly redone the interiors on everything from the and to the and . And for its latest trick, it has tricked out the most spartan of Land Rovers.
Whether you think it’s overkill or just what the doctor ordered, you’ve got to admit the results are pretty stunning to behold. We’ll let them speak for themselves in the high-resolution image gallery, and invite you inside to see for yourself.
The Circuit of the Americas isn’t quite finished yet, and Austin isn’t quite ready for the Formula One circus to roll into town. But apparently someone forgot to tell David Coulthard and the Red Bull Racing team.
Last week we reported on over the weekend, but apparently their plans went a little further than that as their veteran driver took one of their F1 cars for a little spin in and around the Texas capital city.
The event included the foreshadowed run along city streets, but also took DC and the team out for a run through a good ol’ Texas cattle ranch, and around the site of the grand prix track that is currently little more than a dirt road.
It’s not every day you get to see an F1 car go off-roading, much less on a ranch or in America altogether, so check out the videos after the jump as well as the high-res image gallery.
What’s the fastest you’ve ever driven? We’re sure many of you have crested the century mark. Some of you may have seen 150 miles per hour crawl by on the speedo, and perhaps a lucky few have experience 200. We can all but guarantee that none of you have gone as fast George Poteet, though.
Poteet is the man who strapped himself into a Bonneville Blown Fuel Streamliner known as , and proceeded to run down the salt flats at a tremendous rate of speed. Using a set of (the same type ), Poteet captured footage of his 426 mile per hour flying mile run.
For that speed, you need a serious engine, and the Speed Demon comes prepared. A 347 cubic-inch V8 mill gets paired with a pair of Turbonetics “Demon” turbochargers. The result is over 2,200 horses and a thrill ride that few get to experience.
What does it feel like to trip the lights fantastic at 426 miles per hour? Click to see for yourself.
“I’m not a doctor, but I play one on television.” If that line sounds familiar from old television commercials featuring soap opera stars in white coats, bear in mind that the theme extends far beyond the annals of fake medicine. People get mixed up between actors and the characters they play all the time.
Tom Cruise, for example, has driven all sorts of vehicles on the silver screen, from cars to motorbikes to speed boats, often pulling off scarcely believable stunts and feats in the process. But how much of that comes down to camera trickery and special effects, and how much can be chalked up to actual driving talent?
We got a pretty good answer when Cole Trickle himself set the lap record (however short-lived) on Britain’s Top Gear, but Cruise wasn’t about to stop there. So while David Coulthard and the Red Bull demonstration team were Stateside for a show in Texas, they met the Hollywood mega-star out in Southern California to let him try his hand at driving an Formula One car.
The seven-hour test at Willow Springs started in a road car, where Coulthard and Cruise drove the 2.5-mile track to get a feeling for the layout before the Mission: Impossible star climbed into the F1 car for 24 laps. At the end of the day, Cruise managed a top speed of 181 miles per hour – just four mph off of DC’s trap speed – while scrubbing 11 seconds off his first lap – a marked improvement that left Coulthard impressed at Tom’s skills.
Stay tuned for video footage when it’s released and check out the official snapshots in the gallery for a closer look.
A and free rein at California’s legendary Laguna Seca circuit sounds like a near-perfect way to spend a day. BMW agrees with that line of thinking, and it was kind enough to bring a long a camera. Well, you could easily replace “kind” with “annoyingly torturous” since we aren’t the ones wearing the helmet and driving suit.
Regardless, we still enjoyed the clip and we think you will too – especially when you hear just how ruthlessly the sound from 560-horsepower twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 assaults your eardrums. to check it out.
If you miss the classic wedge shape of the Lancia Stratos, there are a few things you can do about it. You could buy yourself a vintage example, which will set you back a pretty penny. Or you could have Pininfarina build you one based on a F430, and run the risk of legal action from Maranello. Or you could buy a KTM X-Bow and bring it to the creative folks at Montenergy.
The Italian carrozzeria has developed a body kit for the Dallara-built carbon-fiber chassis called the Stratosferica that gives it the look of the Stratos with the handling of the Austrian motorbike company’s four-wheeled track monster. The conversion will set you back 12,000 euros (around $17,300 USD), but a simpler canopy addition called the Monte Carlo is also available and will take you most of the way there for less cash.
An engine upgrade is also available to boost the -sourced TFSI four from 237 horsepower up to 310, which just sweetens the deal to a downright mouthwatering degree. Check it out in our galleries, or watch the pair of rudimentary video clips .
