Tag: bull

ETC: Red Bull Soapbox winners and racers in all their glory [w/videos]

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos, UK

Red Bull Soapbox Race London UK

There is simply no end to the crazy stuff the crew from Red Bull will sponsor. From the well-known Formula 1 outfit to moped rallies to what you see here, soapbox racers, there seems to be nothing worth doing (or not, we suppose) that the energy drink isn’t interested in. And we’re thankful for that.

If not for Red Bull, where else in the world would you see grown men and women storm Alexandra Palace in the UK to spend a day barreling down a hill barricaded by hay bails with strategically placed jumps in gravity-driven wheeled vehicles just to get judged on their speed, creativity and showmanship? Nowhere. That’s where.

We can’t show you all 70-something teams that took part in the soapbox festivities in the UK this year, but we have managed to scrounge together a gallery of images from the event, and you can see videos of the top three finishers, along with some high- and low-lights, below.

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Red Bull Soapbox winners and racers in all their glory [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Red Bull Racing to collaborate on Infiniti performance model

Filed under: Performance, Infiniti

Infiniti and Red Bull

History and the contemporary automotive market hold no lack of examples of F1 teams translating their checkered flags into road cars. It’s practically Ferrari’s raison d’être, after all. McLaren’s following suit, as well. Even Williams has collaborated with Renault on performance-oriented Clios, and now with Jaguar on the C-X75. But though each of these teams has claimed its share of championships and then some, these days it’s Red Bull Racing that’s on top. Trouble is – PlayStation fantasies notwithstanding – Red Bull doesn’t make automobiles beyond a small batch of single-seaters for Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. That’s where Infiniti comes in.

Powered by sister company Renault’s engines, the Red Bull team this year features prominent sponsorship from Infiniti – a move which is expected to turn into a more comprehensive re-branding scheme in the future. In the meantime, Infiniti is keen to capitalize on its tie-in with the world champion F1 team (particularly since its only previous racing activities involved limited success in converting the Q45’s V8 for Indy racing), and now reports are suggesting that a collaborative road car project between Red Bull Racing and Infiniti could be underway.

Citing the Renault Clio Williams as precedent, the Japanese luxury automaker is reportedly looking into making a performance-oriented version of one of its current products to go beyond the current Infiniti Performace Line. The G37 coupe would be the likeliest basis, but a substantial re-engineering effort could (unlike the Renault Williams tie-up) involve the F1 team’s engineers to transfer their competencies to the road. Sources expect the project to be complete within two years from now.

Red Bull Racing to collaborate on Infiniti performance model originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 May 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive: Amazing Scion FR-S Soapbox car ready to roll in Red Bull race this weekend

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Scion

Scion FR-S Soapbox Derby Car

Scion FR-S Soapbox Derby Car – Click above for image gallery

Remember the good old days when you and your dad spent countless hours in a dimly-lit garage to piece together an old ramshackle Soapbox Derby car for an upcoming downhill race? It probably was constructed out of ancient materials, rocked wagon wheels and had a cable brake that may or may not have stopped you before kissing something solid. Well, my friends, just like the rapture of tomorrow, those days are over.

Scion FR-S Soapbox Derby CarRenowned concept car builder Five:Axis is ready to throw down with a truly outstanding build for an upcoming Soapbox Derby. Being put together by Red Bull, this ain’t your regular Soapbox Derby, and this certainly ain’t your average backyard special. This is a custom one-off fiberglass micro-body based on the super stylish Scion FR-S Concept unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April. Since Five:Axis is well intertwined with Toyota, Lexus and Scion, it looks like they got some design studio CAD files to design the shell and the same slinky red metallic paint that the FR-S was wearing for its first stage appearance.

Think the underpinnings are still ’50s Soapbox technology? You couldn’t be further off because the custom aluminum space frame features a TEIN coilover suspension and Wilwood disc brakes. But all that technology isn’t going to be worth jack if there isn’t a ringer behind the wheel. The Five:Axis Scion FR-S will be piloted by none other than Dai Yoshihara, the Formula D drifter who slides the Falken Tire Nissan 240SX. Dai knows a thing or two about grip as well since he also competes in the Redline Time Attack Tuner Car Championship in an imported Civic Type R.

However, at this point we’re not sure what part of Dai’s expertise is really applicable for the upcoming Redbull Soapbox derby race. The only race on the calendar in the U.S. this year, it’s slated to be held tomorrow, May 21 at 5th & Grand in downtown LA and promises to be nothing like what you might envision a traditional Soapbox derby to be. There are sharp 90-degree turns, NASCAR-style banks and myriad of sweet jumps. Although it appears the Five:Axis build will hold together during the abuse, we are not sure that Dai’s run will be crash or injury free.

Amazing Scion FR-S Soapbox car ready to roll in Red Bull race this weekend originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Bull drifts through downtown Atlanta

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hyundai, Pontiac, Racing

Red Bull Peachtree Drift Battle

Red Bull Peachtree Drift Battle in Atlanta – Click above to watch the video after the break

According to the company’s slogan, Red Bull is supposed to give you wings. Apparently, all it gives Rhys Millen and Ryan Tuerck is smoke… tire smoke that is, and lots of it.

The two drivers – Millen in his Hyundai Genesis Coupe and Tuerck in his Pontiac Solstice Coupe (may it rest in peace) – were flown out to the Georgian capitol to take part in the Red Bull Peachtree Drift Battle, which, as you may have guessed, takes place down Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta.

There’s isn’t really a winner to this staged race, except for perhaps all the innocent bystanders who got a much-needed injection of excitement into their routine daily commutes. See all the tire-smoking action in the video after the break.

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Red Bull drifts through downtown Atlanta originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 May 2011 20:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Red Bull Donkey Cross combines dirtbikes and asses

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Europe, Videos

2011 donkey cross

Red Bull presents the 2011 Donkey Cross – Click above to watch video after the jump

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to cross the challenging world of motocross and walking donkeys? No? Neither have we. Red Bull, however, feels the two should be combined into one event. The result is Donkey Cross, and it recently took place in the hills of Makrinitsa, Greece.

Thirty riders from around the world converged in eastern Greece. The difficult terrain was the perfect place for the skilled two-wheelers to exercise their talents. We’re still not sure why the donkeys are involved, but no matter. There is video from the event and it’s waiting for you after the jump.

[Source: Red Bull, YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Red Bull Donkey Cross combines dirtbikes and asses

Video: Red Bull Donkey Cross combines dirtbikes and asses originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Channel your inner Vettel with the Playseats F1 Red Bull Racing Sim chair

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Technology, Racing

Playseat F1 Red Bull

Everyone knows that driving simulators, no matter how good they are, are just that: simulators. They don’t quite get the experience nailed, and they won’t make you the next Sebastien Vettel. Still, Red Bull and Playseats have teamed up to make your experience that much closer to Vettel’s with the release of this Red Bull racing simulator.

Playseats has nailed the details for this setup, putting the seat in the same location relative to the pedals and steering wheel as in a real Formula 1 car. The best news is that Playseats makes the set up for a variety of systems, meaning you can have one for Forza, Gran Turismo 5 and F1 2010, should you have the funds and the desire.

The funds are the big issue here. Playseats charges $1,300 for the system on sale. Regular price is $1,400, not to mention the cost of a TV to make this worth while. Looks like it’s good, old-fashioned joysticks for us, then.

[Source: CrunchGear]

Channel your inner Vettel with the Playseats F1 Red Bull Racing Sim chair originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infiniti signs on as F1 global sponsor with Red Bull

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising

Infiniti announced today that it is signing on to be a sponsor of Red Bull’s Formula One racing team.

It is the first time that Infiniti is signing on to a global sponsorship of any kind, previously preferring regional tie-ins in sports such as tennis and sailing. But as the Japanese brand looks to expand globally, says global marketing marketing communications chief Simon Sproule, an expanding F1 series looks like a logical partner to the company.

“Infiniti has launched in Europe and is going into Russia, India and China, just as F1 has done, so it’s a good fit for us,” says Sproule.

The association with Red Bull, says Sproule, sprung from Red Bull’s use of Renault engines. Renault and Nissan are global alliance partners, with the French automaker holding a controlling stake in Nissan. CEO Carlos Ghosn is at the top of both automakers. The Renault engines may even be rebranded “Infiniti.” Red Bull, of course, won the championship title in Formula One last year. “It’s also good to be with a winner, of course,” said Sproule.

Infiniti had a good year in the U.S. last year. Sales were up 27% to crest the 103,000 level. But Nissan is looking for Infiniti to be a bigger player in luxury circles worldwide. F1 attracts a good amount of luxury car buyers worldwide, and is catching on in important markets for luxury brands like China and Russia.

Red Bull, says Sproule, has a broad appeal as the biggest energy drink brand in the world. The Austrian beverage company has associated its brand with numerous extreme sports, as well as owning the New York Red Bulls Major League Soccer team. It also has great crossover appeal between rich luxury car buyers, as well as young luxury car aspirers who don’t yet have the incomes to afford big sticker prices.

Continue reading Infiniti signs on as F1 global sponsor with Red Bull

Infiniti signs on as F1 global sponsor with Red Bull originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: How to make a Red Bull RB7 Formula One racecar

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Humor, Racing

red bull rb7 comes to life

How to build a Red Bull RB7 – Click above to watch video after the jump

The Red Bull RB7 Formula One racecar is a screaming, rubber-footed example of why paying attention in math and science class can lead to a fun career. It’s a carbon-fiber and aluminum rocketship propelled by a Renault V8 that’s limited to 18,000 rpm. Designing and building the RB7 is a complicated matter, and the crew at Red Bull has prepared a film that explains the process.

Instead of taking the overly technical route, the Red Bull boys have gone a bit “old-tyme.” Their film manages to be entertaining and interesting, which is usually a hard task to accomplish with something like this. Click past the jump to watch a Red Bull RB7 come to life using the technology of tomorrow… today!

[Source: Red Bull Racing via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: How to make a Red Bull RB7 Formula One racecar

Video: How to make a Red Bull RB7 Formula One racecar originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Bull and Toro Rosso launch 2011 F1 cars trackside at Valencia

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

2011 Red Bull RB7

2011 Red Bull RB7 – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you had told us 20 years ago that a beverage brand would be dominating Formula One, we’d wonder what negative side effects said energy drink might be having on your grasp of reality. But after title-sponsoring the Sauber team as early as 1995, Red Bull surprised everyone by buying not one, but two F1 teams: Jaguar Racing (née Stewart Grand Prix) and Minardi. But five and six years, respectively, since the Austrian company took over the two struggling teams, Red Bull can now lay claim to both titles in the Formula One World Championship.

The premier Red Bull Racing team will have a real job on its hands to fend off the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren (to say nothing of the other dozen challengers, including its own B-squad) in defending its titles this season, and this is the car with which they hope to do it.

Designed by Adrian Newey, the RB7 is, as you might have guessed, the seventh Red Bull grand prix car. It carries the same Renault engine as last year (also used by both Lotus teams), with its own proprietary gearbox mated to the KERS regenerative braking system. And of course, as defending champions, the car has the honor of wearing numbers 1 and 2 for returning pilots Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, respectively. Last season, the duo claimed pole 15 out of 19 races and went on to win nine grands prix to take the championship.

Along with it, Red Bull’s sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso also unveiled its new STR6 at Valencia – where Vettel incidentally took the top slot on the time sheets for the first practice session of the season. The second car developed in-house at STR headquarters in Faenza will be driven once again by Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari under Ferrari power, and bears the same high nose design employed by most of the new designs this season. With the new car, Toro Rosso hopes to improve on the 9th place constructors’ finish from last season that placed them just ahead of the newcomers as the worst-performing returning team on the grid. In the process, STR will undoubtedly be aiming to catch up with the sixth place they seized in 2008 after Vettel captured the team’s only victory – and only podium, for that matter.

Scope out the two new taurine-fueled racers in the pair of high-resolution image galleries below and the press releases after the jump, and watch this space for more as rival teams incrementally unveil their new challengers as well.

Gallery: 2011 Red Bull RB7

Gallery: 2011 Scuderia Toro Rosso STR6

[Sources: Red Bull Racing, Scudreria Toro Rosso]

Continue reading Red Bull and Toro Rosso launch 2011 F1 cars trackside at Valencia

Red Bull and Toro Rosso launch 2011 F1 cars trackside at Valencia originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog chats with Red Bull Junior Team member Jean-Eric Vergne

Formula 1 racing fans should be well familiar with the Red Bull Junior Team by now. Created just ten years ago, the names that have passed through it include Christian Klien, Scott Speed, Sebastien Buemi, Jaime Alguersuari, and Vitantonio Liuzzi. Klien was the first alumnus to get to F1, three years after the program began, and Sebastian Vettel was the first graduate to win a Grand Prix, in 2008, and the F1 title, last year.

There are four racers in the 2011 Red Bull Junior team, including Daniil Kvyat, rally scion Carlos Sainz, Jr. and Daniel Ricciardo, who topped the recent young drivers F1 test at Abu Dhabi. It also contains British F3 champion Jean-Eric Vergne, the first Frenchman ever to take the series.

Red Bulletin, Red Bull’s magazine, did a profile on Vergne in this month’s issue, then put us in touch with him so we could ask seven questions. For a pilot who looks like he’s on his way to The Show very soon, our first one was: What’s it like? Follow the jump for his answers.

Gallery: AB chats with Red Bull Junior Team’s Jean-Eric Vergne

Continue reading Autoblog chats with Red Bull Junior Team member Jean-Eric Vergne

Autoblog chats with Red Bull Junior Team member Jean-Eric Vergne originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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