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Video: Watch and hear Renault’s awesome Twin’Run driven in anger

Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Videos, Hatchback, Renault

We’re a little tardy in getting to this, but the engine notes will make up for the delay. When Renault revealed the Twin’Run concept at the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix earlier this Summer, it didn’t reveal much of the engine note. This was an appalling shame, since the not-road-legal Renault 5 revival had a mid-mounted, race-tuned Nissan V6 that could soar to a practically unsilenced 7,000 rpm.

A few members of the auto journo cabal have corrected that, Top Gear being one of them by including the Twin’Run in its Speed Week festivities. Calling it “deafening, smelly, brilliant,” the verdict of Sam Phillip was that it “makes every car on Top Gear’s Speed Week… feel as woolly and distant as a tumble-dried sheep.” Them’s pointed words when “every other car” includes metal like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series.

You’ll can check out Top Gear‘s run around the Charade Circuit in France below. We’ve also included a longer clip of the Twin’Run doing some dynamic testing (worth it for the 360-degree-stunt alone), and an in-depth piece from Autoweek Holland.

Continue reading Watch and hear Renault’s awesome Twin’Run driven in anger

Watch and hear Renault’s awesome Twin’Run driven in anger originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: How that awesome Mustang R/C car chase vid was made

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., Videos, Ford, Toys/Games

Mustang RC car chase video behind the scenes

We’ve reported on a few R/C car chase videos in the past. One in particular that stands out as a favorite is Zach King’s “The Cliché RC Action Chase.” It featured a pair of Ford Mustang coupes racing through a cardboard city, plowing into outdoor patios and busting through construction zones. It was wonderfully creative and fun to watch, yet we know there was more to its creation than a bunch of guys fooling around with a camera one afternoon.

Turns out we were right, as evidenced by this video produced by Ford that takes us behind the scenes of Zach’s creation. The young filmmaker explains why he chose the Mustang to star in his video, as well as how the cardboard sets were created, what equipment they used for shooting and what it was like when his video went viral. Ford found the young filmmaker and produced the followup as part of its Mustang Countdown video series, which will see a new video about the Mustang culture released every week until the original muscle car’s anniversary on April 17, 2014.

Want to make an RC chase video of your own? Yeah, we do too. Watch the behind-the-scenes video below (you can refresh yourself on the mini feature film, too) before you get started.

Continue reading How that awesome Mustang R/C car chase vid was made

How that awesome Mustang R/C car chase vid was made originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Latest Rush trailer reminds us that James Hunt was awesome

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, TV/Movies

Rush The Movie - trailer screencap of F1 field in the rain

Rush, the upcoming Ron Howard flick that focuses on the intense rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda during the 1976 Formula One World Championship, is looking better and better with each trailer.

The most recent spot focuses on Hunt, playing up his reputation as a notorious womanizer and playboy. You get a glimpse of the transformation that Chris Hemsworth’s character goes through as the movie proceeds, from the free spirit shown in the beginning of the trailer to the intense competitor eager to best Lauda.

Take a look at the trailer below and be sure to check out the previous clips here and here. Rush hits theaters on September 27. Don’t plan on much from Autoblog that day – we’ll all be at the theater.

Continue reading Latest Rush trailer reminds us that James Hunt was awesome

Latest Rush trailer reminds us that James Hunt was awesome originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Scandinavian homemade dyno is dangerously awesome

Filed under: Etc., Europe

home-built dyno

Home-built dyno is dangerously awesome – Click above to watch video after the jump

Tuning an engine can be a delicate procedure. There is a lot of time and patience required to dial things in just right. You can spend hours and big dollars adjusting parameters on an expensive professional dynamometer -or you can be a crafty Scandinavian and homebrew a dyno right in your yard.

Apparently, all it takes is the rear end from a heavy-duty truck, some straps and a quick skaal to Odin. The result is a snowed-in dyno that can tune all the V8-engine-swapped drift machines in the neighborhood. Click past the jump to watch ingenuity at work.

Continue reading Scandinavian homemade dyno is dangerously awesome

Scandinavian homemade dyno is dangerously awesome originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 May 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saab 9-3 Sport Combi unlikely but awesome Viper V10 transplant recipient

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Performance, Wagon, Etc., Europe, Saab, Specialty

Saab 9-3 Sport Combi Viper V10 – Click above for image gallery

Of the multiple sacred laws of hot rodding, “Thou shall put big engines in small cars” is by far our favorite. This line of thinking spans cultures and has led to the creation of many a magnificent machine. Machines like this Saab 9-3 Sport Combi with a kicking V10 sourced from the mighty Dodge Viper under its hood. This thing puts a whole new spin on the term “sport wagon.” As you might imagine, shoving a longitudinally mounted lump of American engineering into the engine bay of a small Swedish long roof required significant re-engineering of the 9-3 body structure, including fabricating an entirely new transmission tunnel.

With that big lump situated behind the front axle and a set of stoppers lifted from the big snake as well, we have to imagine that this beast is an absolute terror on the track. Who do we have to bribe for a little seat time? Check out the full build over in Zatzy forums thanks to contributor mrspringer.

Saab 9-3 Sport Combi unlikely but awesome Viper V10 transplant recipient originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Emergency testing a Boeing’s brakes equals awesome

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos

Boeing 747-8 Ultimate Rejected Takeoff testing

Boeing 747-8 Ultimate Rejected Takeoff test – Click above to watch the video after the break

Modern-day supercars typically come with brake discs and pads made from exotic carbon and steel compounds, and are more than a foot in diameter. As you would expect, they are capable of hauling the exotic machinery they are attached to from speeds of over 200 miles per hour back down to zero with physics-defying alacrity.

But even the most high-tech automotive brakes have got nuthin’ on the binders holding back the latest Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet.

To demonstrate the effectiveness of the brakes of its massive aircraft, Boeing ground away every last bit of of the carbon surfaces that normally handle braking duties. In other words, these brakes were ready for replacement and would never even have sniffed a runway in real life. In order to pass the test, the 747-8 needs to stop from 200 miles per hour to simulate an aborted takeoff, and it must do so using only its brakes – no reverse thrusters allowed.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that the fully-loaded airplane weighs in at more than 975,000 pounds. That bears repeating: A million pounds!

So, does the million-pound airliner pass this ultimate rejected takeoff test? Check out the video after the break to see for yourself.

Continue reading Emergency testing a Boeing’s brakes equals awesome

Emergency testing a Boeing’s brakes equals awesome originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Awesome mid-engine, RWD Abarth 500 Motore Centrale revealed at Top Marques [w/video]

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Europe, Videos, Hatchback, Misc. Auto Shows, Racing, Fiat

Lucarelli Monza 500 Motore Centrale R230

Lucarelli Monza 500 Motore Centrale R230 – Click above for image gallery

There’s a grand tradition to mid-engined hatchbacks that blend exotic layout with utilitarian bodystyle, and as promised, that tradition has now embodied itself in the Fiat 500.

Developed by Lucarelli Monza – a new tuning house eager to make its mark – the Abarth 500 Motore Centrale is a substantial re-engineering of the Italian retro hatch. The engine has been moved – apparently to a glass display case – in the rear, and extensively modified in the process. With a new turbocharger and intercooler, new catalytic converter and pistons, the 1.4-liter turbo four now drives 230 metric horsepower to the rear wheels, aided by an electronic limited-slip differential.

While the front MacPherson struts have been left intact, a new wishbone suspension has been crafted for the rear, joined by upgraded brakes with four-pot calipers all around and some revised bodywork with ducting fitted to help keep the engine cool in its new orientation. Aznom, meanwhile, has been brought on board strictly to outfit the interior with Poltrona Frau leather and Alcantara.

The road-going R230 is quoted for a 4.7-second sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) and a 240 km/h (150 mph) top end. An R280 Pista version is also available with an extra 50 horses and 220 fewer pounds, plus a mechanical diff, full roll cage, adjustable suspension and data recorder, dropping its sprint down to 3.9 seconds and raising its top end up to 260 km/h (160 mph). No word on pricing, but you can bet that getting a budget hatchback to reach those kinds of numbers isn’t a cheap proposition.

Have a closer look in the gallery below, and follow the jump to see and hear the pocket rocket zipping around the streets of Monte Carlo thanks to Marco at Marchettino. Thanks to all for the tips!

Gallery: Lucarelli Monza 500 Motore Centrale R230

[Source: MotoreCentrale.com via Italiaspeed]

Continue reading Awesome mid-engine, RWD Abarth 500 Motore Centrale revealed at Top Marques [w/video]

Awesome mid-engine, RWD Abarth 500 Motore Centrale revealed at Top Marques [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Slow-motion Segway joust has nothing to do with cars, is awesome

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor

Segway Jousting by the Washington Lottery

Segway Jousting – Click above to watch the video after the break

What would you do if you won the lottery? Surely you’ve thought about it. You know, the typical stuff: Tell your boss to take this job and shove it (since my bosses are reading this, I’m just kidding), buy a fancy house and a fancy car, a yacht… maybe a small island in the South Pacific.

But those are all too obvious. Reach for the stars. You did just win the freaking lottery! What you really want to do is Segway Jousting, even if you don’t know it yet. That’s right. We said Segway Jousting, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Plus, since you’re now filthy rich, you can afford to invite your friends and pay through the nose for extremely high production values when you make a video of your exploits.

PS. Yes, we know that Segways aren’t cars. We don’t care, this is still awesome. Also, these aren’t actual Segways. Look closely and you’ll see that they are actually cheap Segway knockoffs that have – get this – four wheels. More carlike than you thought, eh? No? Whatever. Just watch the video after the break.

[Source: Washington Lottery via CrunchGear]

Continue reading Video: Slow-motion Segway joust has nothing to do with cars, is awesome

Video: Slow-motion Segway joust has nothing to do with cars, is awesome originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BAC Mono gets real. Real awesome.

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Specialty

BAC Mono

BAC Mono – Click above for high-res image gallery

Maybe we watched too much A-Team when we were kids, but we just love it when a plan comes together. That’s especially true when the plan involves an open-cockpit, single-seat racer like the BAC Mono. Designed specifically to put hardware like the KTM X-Bow, Ariel Atom and the whole Caterham bunch in their proper places, the Mono features a carbon fiber skin draped over a space-frame steel cell. The bodywork is slick as can be, but it pales in comparison to the fact that this beast is powered by a 2.3-liter Cosworth four-pot with 280 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque.

Considering the Mono tips the scales at a feathery 1,190 pounds, that should be more than enough pep to widen your eyes. ~~The sad part? Briggs Automotive Company is only planning to hem 35 examples of the Mono.~~ Of course, with a price tag of £67,000 pounds, we’d have more than a little trouble getting our hands on one even if we knew which palms to grease. BAC has been so kind as to release full specs on the machine as well as a volley of photos of the production model.

Delicious.

Hit the jump for the full read.

UPDATE: Following a communication with BAC, we’ve stricken the reference to the 35-example limit on Mono production, as the automaker has pointed out that is not the case.

Gallery: BAC Mono

[Source: BAC]

Continue reading BAC Mono gets real. Real awesome.

BAC Mono gets real. Real awesome. originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Half Mini Cooper, half racing chair… all awesome

Filed under: Etc.

Most people probably describe themselves as casual gamers, but then there are the guys who stand in line for two days to buy a new title and call in sick for a week as they immerse themselves in it. If that’s you when it comes to racing games like Forza and Gran Turismo, this gaming chair probably fits your lifestyle.

Yes, it’s made from the front end of an old Mini Cooper. The super-seat features a racing wheel and three proper pedals, but that’s just the beginning. It also boasts a pair of speakers connected to an iPod dock and a 500-watt amp, a mini fridge, an under-seat vibration pad, and a smoke machine. Sick. But it doesn’t come cheap:the chair’s price tag is $13,000.

[Source: Gizmodo]

Half Mini Cooper, half racing chair… all awesome originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Feb 2011 18:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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