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Official: Ford Focus ST, Fiesta ST buyers to get free Octane Academy driving school

Filed under: Performance, Hatchback, Ford

The Ford Focus ST and Fiesta ST have created plenty of excitement in the sport compact segment, and Ford is looking to make sure that owners are driving and enjoying their cars to the best of their abilities. As an added bonus for buying one of these sporty hatchbacks, Ford will provide a complimentary ST Octane Academy session to be held at the Miller Motorsports Park in Utah.

Attendees will be responsible for travel and lodging, but Ford will provide the driving school free of charge. Included in this two-day trip, ST owners will get class instruction and driving instruction in prepped Focus ST and Fiesta ST models on the track and autocross course. Some karting action will also be involved as will a tour of Ken Block’s Hoonigan Racing headquarters located nearby. If this doesn’t sound like enough fun, there is also an optional day of activities that includes some more track time in a Mustang GT and off-road instruction in an F-150 SVT Raptor.

Ford told us that those who have already purchased a Focus ST or Fiesta ST will still be able to attend the performance driving school, but the press release, which is posted below, makes it sound like it applies to original owners only. Ford has yet to announce its schedule for the ST Octane Academy or prices for additional activities or guests.

Continue reading Ford Focus ST, Fiesta ST buyers to get free Octane Academy driving school

Ford Focus ST, Fiesta ST buyers to get free Octane Academy driving school originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Nissan/PlayStation GT Academy winner Ordonez training for Le Mans on UK roads

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Nissan, UK, Racing

GT Academy training

Lucas Ordoñez takes off on a 24-hour road trip – Click above to watch video after the jump

Oh, what a life…

Lucas Ordoñez went from racing cars on his couch to sitting behind the wheel of a real-life Nissan LMP2 racecar. After winning the Nissan/Playstation GT Academy contest, Ordoñez earned a shot at putting his virtual skills to the test. He’s running a full Le Mans Cup schedule this year, which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Nissan is prepping him for a full day of racing, and to do that they’ve sent him and his teammates on a trip around England.

Armed with a Nissan GT-R, an RV, trainers and a dietitian, Lucas Ordoñez and his team will split driving duties as they travel around the country. The team knows this isn’t as dramatic as spending hours behind the wheel of a racecar, but it’s still a good warm-up to the real thing. Click past the jump to watch Lucas and friends on their research road trip.

Continue reading Nissan/PlayStation GT Academy winner Ordonez training for Le Mans on UK roads

Nissan/PlayStation GT Academy winner Ordonez training for Le Mans on UK roads originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GT Academy ‘Sweet 16’ head to Silverstone

Filed under: Motorsports, Technology, Toys/Games

Of the more than 52,000 contestants who originally entered into the United States version of GT Academy, jointly hosted by Nissan and Sony, just 16 have advanced to the final competition being held in Silverstone in the United Kingdom. The top 32 virtual racers from the four U.S. regions descended on Orlando, Florida this week to go pixel-to-pixel for a spot among the sweet 16. But this is about more than just bragging rights. Those that made it into the final round will face a battery of new challenges, including physical fitness tests and evaluations behind the wheel of real-live race cars.

The top winner will have a shot at becoming a professional race car driver by joining a legitimate team, just like GT Academy Europe winner Lucas Ordonez. As you may recall, Ordonez and his team managed to finish second at the 12 Hours of Sebring with a Signatech Nissan LMP2 racer, and the 25-year-old Spaniard is headed to this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans for a shot at taking home the checkers at one of the world’s most grueling race events.

Nissan and Sony are currently working up a reality TV show about the GT Academy’s U.S. contestants. While the winner will be chosen after the throwdown in Sivlerstone this summer, look for the show to hit the airwaves this fall. Hit the jump for the full list of final contestants.

[Sources: Sony, Nissan, GTPlanet | Image: Zach Bowman/AOL]

Continue reading GT Academy ‘Sweet 16’ head to Silverstone

GT Academy ‘Sweet 16’ head to Silverstone originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoñez races Nissan-powered LMP2 car at Sebring

Lucas Ordoñez – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lucas Ordoñez, the Spaniard who won the inaugural Nissan GT Academy, is racing in the 12 Hours of Sebring today in Sebring, Florida. Ordoñez is at the wheel of a Nissan-powered LMP2 machine entered by Signatech.

This is Ordoñez’s first trip to the big time, and won’t be his last, with a full LeMans Cup schedule ahead of him this year, including the 24 Hours of LeMans in June. After singling himself out of a field of 25,000 GT Academy contestants, Ordoñez’s first race was at the 2009 Dubai 24 Hours, where he drove a Nissan 350Z.

This may not be Ordoñez’s first endurance racing rodeo, but LMP2 is a completely different beast than GT cars. We’ll keep you updated on his status.

Gallery: Nissan GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoñez

Nissan GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoez

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoñez races Nissan-powered LMP2 car at Sebring

GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoñez races Nissan-powered LMP2 car at Sebring originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Mar 2011 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony: GT Academy round two won’t count because of cheaters

Filed under: Etc., Toys/Games

GT Academy

If you’ve been feeling slighted by the fact that the top three contenders in Polyphony Digital’s GT Academy are cheating curs, don’t sweat it. Sony has announced that round two of the Gran Turismo 5 challenge won’t count. Instead, everyone who participated in round two will also be able to give it a go in round three. The company says that its already hard at work on a way to prevent gamers from cutting the same corners in the Rome and Madrid circuits that allowed the contentious lap times in the first place.

The news is welcome for anyone who feared that Sony might pull the plug on the competition all together. There is a downside, though. The next round of the GT Academy has been permanently postponed until this whole mess can be properly sorted, and Polyphony hasn’t said when we can expect a patch to fix the gamers’ cheating ways. Stay tuned.

[Source: Joystiq]

Sony: GT Academy round two won’t count because of cheaters originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GT Academy flaw exposed by cheaters who currently top the podium [w/video]

Filed under: Videos, Toys/Games

GT Academy

GT Academy cheaters – Click above to watch video after the jump

A handful of Gran Turismo 5 players are currently battling it out for a shot at becoming a real-world race car driver in Polyphony’s GT Academy, but according to GT Planet, there may be a bit of an issue. Currently, the top three drivers are using a less-than-sanctioned route to get around the track by dipping off of the asphalt and cutting two corners entirely to come up with a significantly quicker lap time than everyone else.

To put it simply, the three players who are on the podium right now are cheating.

Now, cheating is a staple of both video gamedom and the hallowed halls of racing, so it should come as no surprise that someone has figured out a way to get around a track quicker than everyone else by ~~bending~~ obliterating the rules. Still, it kind of ruffles our feathers to know that the top award could go to the shadiest man (or woman) standing.

So far, there’s no word on whether or not Polyphony will step in to quell the competitor’s cheating ways. Hit the jump to have a look at the videos for yourself.

[Source: GT Planet]

Continue reading GT Academy flaw exposed by cheaters who currently top the podium [w/video]

GT Academy flaw exposed by cheaters who currently top the podium [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony and Nissan announce GT Academy for U.S. [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Nissan, Toys/Games

Gran Turismo 5 If you’ve been a long~~-suffering~~-standing fan of Gran Turimso here in the U.S., you probably know all about the game franchise’s GT Academy. The clever marketing ploy pitted European Gran Turismo fans against one another for a chance to hop behind the wheel of a real-life Nissan 350Z race car. Now it looks like American gamers will get the same chance. Nissan has announced that Sony is firing up the GT Academy in our neck of the woods. Racers will campaign various Nissan hardware in time trials, unlocking free content as they race.

Finally, the top 32 racers will compete live for just 16 slots in the finals. Those 16 gamers will go lock horns in a variety of competitions, including ones that involve hot-shoeing genuine Nissan 370Z and GT-R race cars around a track. Finally, the winner will have a chance to train with professional drivers and race as part of a professional team. Hit the jump to watch a video and for the full press release.

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Sony and Nissan announce GT Academy for U.S. [w/video]

Sony and Nissan announce GT Academy for U.S. [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari officially launches Virtual Racing Academy

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Ferrari, Toys/Games, Racing

Ferrari Virtual Academy

Ferrari Virtual Racing Academy – Click above for high-res image gallery

Earlier this month, we mentioned that Ferrari was getting ready to release an online simulator. It’s time for Scuderia fans to brush up on their virtual F1 skills, because the Ferrari Virtual Academy is now available for download. The racing sim took 12,000 hours to develop and utilized the input of Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella.

The first course available for purchase is the Fiorano circuit. It costs €14.90 (about $18.97 USD) and allows players from around the globe to compete against each other in Ferrari F10 Formula One race cars. Lap times are already up on the Ferrari Virtual Academy website and the competition will continue to heat up as more tracks are released. Next up is Mugello, and then players will get their shot at taming the Nürburgring. The two extra tracks will run €9.90 (about $12.60 USD) each, with all three tracks painstakingly reproduced down to the tiniest details.

All drivers will be able to record and post their lap times as part of an international competition and each week, Ferrari will send out prizes for the top times. At the end of the competition, the five fastest drivers will win a trip to Maranello and take part in a Ferrari Driver Academy course.

Time to stretch those gaming thumbs and take on the world.

Gallery: Ferrari Virtual Academy

Ferrari Virtual Academy

[Source: Ferrari]

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Ferrari officially launches Virtual Racing Academy originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 11 Sep 2010 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari to release Virtual Academy online driving simulator [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Ferrari, Toys/Games

Ferrari Driving Academy Trailer – Click above to watch the video after the jump

There are a handful of F1 driving simulators out in the market today, ranging from Codemaster’s F1 2010 to the $191,000 Cruden Hexatech simulator. Ferrari has decided to try their hand at their own version called Ferrari Virtual Academy 2010.

The simulation racing game will benefit from much of Ferrari’s own expertise in Formula One. The team’s engineers were consulted to provide realistic driving dynamics and each of the tracks were digitally recreated with Laser Scan and Motion Capture. Ferrari’s current competitor, the F10, is the vehicle of choice, and Fiorano, Mugello and the Nürburgring are the current tracks available. There’s no word as to whether historic cars or additional tracks will be offered.

The game will be available for download on September 9 with a price tag of 15 Euros (around $19 USD), although to tantalize potential users, Ferrari has said that there will be “exclusive Scuderia gadgets and further surprises” for the drivers. We don’t know what that means, but we can’t imagine a Ferrari gadget that we wouldn’t like. Need to see more? You can watch the game’s official trailer after the jump.

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Ferrari to release Virtual Academy online driving simulator [w/video]

Ferrari to release Virtual Academy online driving simulator [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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