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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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Video: Watch as Japanese motorist’s car is engulfed by the tsunami

Filed under: Etc., Japan

Japanese motorist's car engulfed by tsunami

Japanese tsunami footage from inside a car – Click above to watch the video after the break

Modern technology means that the world has an almost constant and unlimited amount of coverage of major news stories from all around the planet. That’s certainly true of the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan, especially since Japan is one of the most tech-happy countries in the world.

And so it comes as little surprise that at least one Japanese man had a camera running in his car as he attempted to flee the impending rush of water near the coastline. Suffice it to say that his plans to escape failed miserably. Thankfully, though, the man lived to tell the tale, as did his footage.

Click past the break to see a truly harrowing video of a Japanese motorist’s car being engulfed by a two-meter tsunami. Again, this driver is truly lucky to have survived, and we know that hundreds if not thousands of Japanese citizens weren’t so fortunate. Our thoughts remain with the survivors.

[Source: Telegraph]

Continue reading Video: Watch as Japanese motorist’s car is engulfed by the tsunami

Video: Watch as Japanese motorist’s car is engulfed by the tsunami originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How government safety standards for car seats fail large children

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety

Every parent does his or her best to keep their children safe. Car seats are a big part of that equation, and snapping our little cherubs into a five-point harness makes us feel like we’ve done our very best to care for our precious offspring. But are we really?

If you assume there’s strict federal federal standards for child safety and booster seats to conform to, you might be surprised at just how little oversight there actually is. In fact, kids weighing more than 65 pounds – which means younger and younger kids as childhood obesity rates ratchet up – sit on boosters with no government safety standards. Seats for younger young’uns are only held to a front-end collision standard. The physics of a car crash act in different ways on the bodies of children than they do on their full-grown counterparts – kids are not simply scaled-down adults.

According to The Washington Post, part of the problem is that a crash-test dummy that mimics a child’s physiology is far behind schedule. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was supposed to have a dummy ready by 2004 to simulate a 10-year-old, as part of Anton’s Law, a bit of legislation that went into effect in 2002. That dummy is still not right, and that leaves child seat manufacturers to self-regulate their products and to recall reactively when problems crop up, instead of conforming to guidelines that protect all children in front, side, rear-end and rollover accidents.

[Source: The Washington Post | Image: U.S. Department of Transportation via CC 2.0]

How government safety standards for car seats fail large children originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pics Aplenty: BMW 1 M MotoGP safety car

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, BMW, Racing

bmw 1 m motogp safety car

BMW 1 M MotoGP Safety Car – Click above for high-res image gallery

The new BMW 1 M is a sports coupe we’ve all been waiting for the Roundel-badged German automaker. Sure, it could be lighter or a little cheaper, but by all accounts, it has the driving-sensation meter bouncing off “Awesome.” To tout its new performance machine, BMW has tarted one up in classic red, white and blue ///M livery, and turned it into a safety car for MotoGP.

This is more than just a paint job, however, as only the engine and transmission from the production car have been carried over. More weight has been shaved thanks to the use of carbon fiber and polycarbonate, while a titanium exhaust setup takes the place of the standard noisemaker. Out back, an adjustable rear wing sits on the trunk.

On the inside, the BMW 1 M Safety Car is fitted with a roll cage, a pair of racing buckets and a six-point harness. Underneath the skin, BMW has revamped the suspension and beefed up the brakes. The result is a truly track-ready 1 M that might just draw some attention away from the insane riders of the MotoGP series.

Gallery: BMW 1 M MotoGP Safety Car

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Pics Aplenty: BMW 1 M MotoGP safety car

Pics Aplenty: BMW 1 M MotoGP safety car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: EPA now offering used car window stickers

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Government/Legal

1995 honda civic window sticker

Thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency, new car buyers always have the ability to read fuel economy numbers on the window sticker of any car on the lot. But if you’re looking at a used vehicle, the same efficiency info isn’t always readily available.

Consumer Reports reports that the EPA has changed that little problem by posting the fuel efficiency information of used vehicles on its fueleconomy.gov website. These aren’t new fuel economy numbers, but the EPA did apply the updated fuel economy logic that was instituted in 2008. So if your original 1995 Honda Civic was once quoted at 40 miles per gallon, the new fuel economy number is 33 mpg. The EPA is tracking fuel economy dating back to 1984, too, so car buyers can go back before many Autoblog readers were even born.

The EPA is hoping that anyone selling a vehicle will use the tool as well. Dealers, for example, can print up the window sticker and place it on the window of the vehicle being sold, giving the “sold as is, no warranty” caveat some competition on the passenger-side window.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

PSA: EPA now offering used car window stickers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peeved Lamborghini owner destroys car with sledgehammer, others help

Filed under: Coupe, China, Etc., Lamborghini

smashed lamborghini

Stop! Hammertime? Well, if you’re the owner of this particular Lamborghini Gallardo, you’re not saying stop, but “go, go, go!” According to reports, the happless Gallardo was purchased about six months ago by a resident of Qingdao, China. In his short period of ownership, the man has apparently had a few issues with the car.

In one instance, the Lamborghini wouldn’t start, so the owner had it towed to the local dealer. Upon arrival at the service bay, the owner found that the car had been damaged in transit. No one would claim responsibility and the original non-starting issue still wasn’t fixed.

The Gallardo owner attempted to escalate the issue within the Lamborghini family, ultimately trying to reach out to Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann. No response or solution has been offered so the owner has become decidedly frustrated. So frustrated, in fact, that he decided destroying his Lamborghini in public would be the best way to garner attention.

According to the report, the owner is trying to make a point that China is home to a growing number of individuals capable of purchasing luxury items. Companies realizes this and are making increased efforts to offer their products to the Chinese people. However, the Lamborghini owner believes that the Chinese people do not get the same level of service found in other markets. By smashing his Gallardo, he’s certainly captured our attention.

By the way, a new Lamborghini Gallardo, which typically sells for $230,000 on up, retails for between $529,000 and $757,000 USD in China. Ouch. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Sources: China Car Times, MSNBC]

Peeved Lamborghini owner destroys car with sledgehammer, others help originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Citroën shows us what to do when you wish your car was fully loaded

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Citroën, Humor

Citroen video

Citroën’s “fully loaded” ad spot – Click above to watch the video after the jump

We’ve seen some amusing videos over the years here at Autoblog, many of which have taken the form of clever advertisements. This latest one comes from French automaker Citroën, and as far as humorous ads go, this is quickly becoming one of our favorites.

In the video after the jump, Citroën humorously imagines what it must be like for someone driving a bare-bones car while wishing he was driving something newer with all the bells and whistles. You know, stuff like power windows, sat-nav, a stereo, keyless entry… all the things we’d take for granted on a new car. Click past the jump to watch, and trust us, it’ll put a smile on your face.

[Source: YouTube via rpmgo.com]

Continue reading Video: Citroën shows us what to do when you wish your car was fully loaded

Video: Citroën shows us what to do when you wish your car was fully loaded originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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American International Automobile Dealers launches ‘What Is An American Car’ website

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing

AIADA

The American International Automobile Dealers Association has gone through the trouble of working up an informative website to break down which foreign automakers have a presence here in the land of the free. Even after decades of manufacturing products in the United States, automakers from Europe and Asia are still occasionally confronted with protectionist sentiments. Just look at the spate of vandalism toward Toyota vehicles at this year’s Chicago Auto Show as evidence. As the American economy continues to stumble along and unemployment stays high, it’s possible that the AIADA is attempting to educate the public about exactly what it means to “buy American.”

The site allows you to click through the foreign automakers with American manufacturing facilities to see exactly how many employees each have on the payroll and how long they’ve been on U.S. soil. According to the AIADA’s information, there are 21 “import” vehicle manufacturing plants in U.S. that employ a combined 86,507 workers.

That’s not to say that there aren’t some issues with the data. For example, Suzuki is allowed to claim the same Tennessee manufacturing facility as Nissan since the plant cranks out the Equator pickup alongside the Nissan Frontier. You can check out the full site here. Hat tip to Aiden!

[Source: WhatIsAnAmericanCar]

American International Automobile Dealers launches ‘What Is An American Car’ website originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: How not to judge your speed in a car jump attempt

Filed under: Etc., Videos

dacia 1310 overshoots landing on jump attempt

The incorrect way to gauge your speed for a ramp jump – Click above to watch video after the, ahem, jump

Planning on attempting a ramp jump in an automobile? We have a tip for you: Don’t use a Dacia 1310. Why? Apparently it can build up too much speed, causing you and your co-driver to overshoot your landing area. Either that, or you need to reconsider your high school math skills…

Check out this clip from a stunt performed in 1995. We believe it takes place in Romania, and we’ve also found reports that say both driver and co-driver were okay, which seems to be the case if you watch all the way through the end. That last bit is miraculous because the duo manage to soar quite a bit further than they anticipated. Strap in and come fly with us past the jump to view the clip.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: How not to judge your speed in a car jump attempt

Video: How not to judge your speed in a car jump attempt originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prince Harry poised to drive Top Gear Reasonably Priced Car?

Filed under: Etc., Kia, UK, Celebrities, Russia

prince harry

Top Gear could be set to welcome royalty into the driver’s seat of its reasonably priced Kia Cee’d. Prince Harry is reportedly eager to get behind the wheel and tackle the Top Gear test track in the next series of the popular BBC franchise, where he will attempt to best the 1:44.2 lap time set by Tom Cruise.

Prince Harry is used to handling high-speed machines, but they’re typically of the airborne variety. He recently completed military training that qualifies him to fly Apache helicopters. The top speed of an Apache is listed at 182 miles per hour – a few ticks quicker than the Kia.

[Source: Metro.co.uk | Image: Clive Mason/Getty]

Prince Harry poised to drive Top Gear Reasonably Priced Car? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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