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Aston Martin adds V12 Vantage to Performance Driving Course [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Aston Martin

2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage

2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage – Click above for high-res image gallery

Aston Martin wants you to push its cars to the limit – at least, after you’ve signed some waivers and paid $2,500. If that’s the case, you’re probably at Aston Martin’s Performance Driving Course located at the Ford Proving Grounds in Romeo, Michigan. The fleet of cars at your disposal includes the V8 Vantage, DB9, Rapide and DBS, and now Aston Martin has added its new V12 Vantage to the driving school’s list of exotic motorcars you can hoon for a nominal fee.

Click past the jump to read the full press release, and to watch a film that will make you want to remove $2,500 from your savings account posthaste.

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Aston Martin adds V12 Vantage to Performance Driving Course [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 May 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vettel gets in trouble in Turkey for driving, then drinking

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Middle East

Vettel drinks champagne on the podium in Turkey

Ruh-roh. It looks like Sebastian Vettel hasn’t quite ingratiated himself with his hosts in Istanbul, though there’s no telling what (if any) repercussions might ensue.

According to reports, Vettel was told before the start of this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix that, if he were to win, he would not be allowed to drink the champagne. Not because alcohol isn’t permitted in Turkey – while in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain the traditional bubbly is replaced with a sparkling non-alcoholic beverage in deference to the ban on alcohol under Sharia (Muslim law), Turkey, while predominantly Muslim, is a more liberal country. No, the instructions were given specifically to Vettel because of a new Turkish law that places the minimum drinking age at 24. And Vettel (both the youngest race winner and the youngest world champion in F1 history) is just 23. As you can see above, drink champagne he did.

Now Vettel isn’t the youngest driver on the grid this year. Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari and Sauber’s Sergio Perez are all younger, but given their track records compared to Vettel’s… well, let’s just say the bookies weren’t giving even odds on that particular bet.

The restrictions in Turkey extend as well to a ban on advertising alcohol, forcing some teams to temporarily jettison their liquor sponsors (much as they did when tobacco advertising was banned in certain countries, but not others). McLaren, for example, is sponsored by Johnnie Walker scotch whisky, as Force India is by Whyte & Mackay, while Sauber is sponsored by Jose Cuervo tequila. (Ferrari is apparently no longer sponsored by Martini, while we assume Vettel and Webber simply left the vodka out of their Red Bulls for this round.)

Will Vettel face some sort of punishment at the hands of the Turkish authorities? We’d hate to think what that would entail, but one way or another, he’ll be legal by next year’s grand prix. That is, assuming the race takes place again next year; an increase in the fees by Bernie Ecclestone could mean that this year’s was the last for Istanbul Park.

Vettel gets in trouble in Turkey for driving, then drinking originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 May 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT studies how age affects distracted driving

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos

MIT researchers in the AgeLab car

MIT AgeLab researches distracted driving – click above to watch video after the jump

Auto Observer recently sat down with researchers at the MIT AgeLab to learn more about a new study about distracted driving and how it changes as we age. By placing drivers of various ages into a simulator, researchers can collect data related to distraction. After studying conditions such as heart rate and eye movement, it becomes clear that different age groups are distracted by different stimuli. For example, young people have a harder time tuning out in-car distractions like text messages and cell phones, while older drivers are more impacted by sirens and flashing lights outside of the vehicle.

Researcher Bryan Reimer said that in most cases, reducing distracted driving isn’t so much a matter of leveraging technology to make current car features easier to use; instead, it’s more about properly educating drivers about said features before they hit the road .

AgeLab also investigated a number of other driving-related technologies, including automated parallel parking systems like the one found on the 2010 Lincoln MKS to discern how drivers of various ages would adapt to theem. Hit the jump to see a video on the research.

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MIT studies how age affects distracted driving originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 May 2011 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari gives a lesson on driving the 458 Italia

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Technology, Videos, Ferrari, Luxury

2011 Ferrari 458 Italia controls

2011 Ferrari 458 Italia controls – Click above to view video after the jump

The 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia is magnificent. With a vast array of electronic wizardry, a glorious 570-horsepower mid-mounted V8, statuesque bodywork, the track manners of an F1 car and the street manners of sleeping kitten, it may be the finest supercar available.

There is, however, a catch. The myriad controls for all those electronics and the information output by the car is enough to give even the most ADD driver sensory overload. With that in mind, Ferrari has released a video to walk you through the 458 Italia’s controls one at a time, breaking down their use and functionality.

Study the vid carefully a couple times, and you can stop worrying about hitting the turn signal when you simply wanted to tune the radio. Tired of turning off traction control when what you wanted to do was de-couple the suspension? The electronic instruction manual has you covered. Click past the jump to get acquainted with the Italia’s controls.

[Source: YouTube via WorldCarFans]

Continue reading Ferrari gives a lesson on driving the 458 Italia

Ferrari gives a lesson on driving the 458 Italia originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 May 2011 18:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AdSpotting: BMW 5 Series “Refuel” reintroduces us to The Ultimate Driving Machine

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, BMW, Luxury

BMW 5 Series Refuel ad

Company: BMWa

Brand: BMW

Medium: TV

Ad Agency: Grey West

Product: 2011 5 Series

Campaign: 5 Series “Refuel”

What We Like: The swagger is back at BMW. After more than a year of fooling around with “Joy” as a lead ad positioning, a new marketing team at the German automaker is re-emphasizing “The Ultimate Driving Machine” as the brand’s central positioning. The 30-second ad contains what many BMW followers like – a fast car and a big plane. No, the plane, which looks to be a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, is not hovering so close to the 5 that it could fill the guy’s coffee cup. But the CGI is good enough to pull off the visual trick.

What We Don’t Like: Not much at all. Getting a story and message across in a 30-second TV ad is not easy. But BMW and this ad agency, Grey West, did a nice job of conveying a fuel efficiency story.

Strategy: BMW marketing chief Dan Creed, who took over at BMW North America a few months ago, is all about re-affirming “The Ultimate Driving Machine” as Bimmer’s main message. At the New York Auto Show, he walked us to the front of BMW’s stand to look at a giant rendering of the ad slogan, which dates back to the early 1970s. At last year’s show, there was a giant banner that proclaimed “Joy of Driving.” “We know there is a lot of joy in driving a BMW, but we are going to show it in pictures and film rather than say it,” says Creed.

It’s worth noting that as fun as this ad is, the message is about the 5 Series’ fuel economy, not the horsepower. BMW is trying to broaden its message to be more inclusive of men and women, as well as tell its story about its investments in the South Carolina plant that produces X3 and X5. But Creed also wants the brand and the cars to show some leg when it comes to marketing and advertising. BMW remains an exciting brand, and a premiere stable of driving machines. That shouldn’t be lost when telling the broader story.

BMW is kicking off a review for a new ad agency. It parted ways with Austin-based GSD&M late last year. New York-based Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners produced last February’s Super Bowl ads. Grey West, which has handled BMW’s retail and pre-owned advertising since 2008, produced the ad and will presumably get a crack at the whole enchilada.

Grade: A-

Watch the commercial after the jump and give it your own grade below.

View Poll

Continue reading AdSpotting: BMW 5 Series “Refuel” reintroduces us to The Ultimate Driving Machine

AdSpotting: BMW 5 Series “Refuel” reintroduces us to The Ultimate Driving Machine originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World Class Driving offers pieces to the 200-MPH puzzle. We assemble them

Filed under: Etc., Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari

Autoblog Returns For Another Crack At The 200-MPH Club

World Class Driving 200 MPH

World Class Driving 200 MPH Challenge – Click above for high-res image gallery

Driving 200 miles per hour has always been at the top of my bucket list. Unfortunately, accomplishing this dream has always eluded me as it is laden with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. First, the task requires a machine capable of the speed. Second, one needs a very long, straight piece of pavement. Lastly, there is the hurdle of the law – getting tagged at three times the typical legal limit will not only seriously ruin your weekend, but also take a sizable chunk of money (and probably a driver’s license) out of your leather wallet.

After decades of frustration, World Class Driving has come to my rescue. The same company that has been touring the nation with its fleet of expensive exotics, offering regular civilians the opportunity to drive on road and track, offers the “200 mph Challenge.” In a nutshell, they provide the cars, pavement and amnesty from the law in one turnkey package. It isn’t cheap ($4,995 for this program), but successful completion puts participants in a very exclusive group of non-professionals who have driven 200 mph. To put it into perspective, more people have been launched into space.

Participants are an eclectic group. Of the 16 in my class, there are prominent physicians, attorneys, CEOs and wealthy adventurists who do it for sport (you know, the kind who travel to Russia for a supersonic flight in a Mikoyan MiG-29). There is also young 16-year-old Alec Feintuch, attending through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Poignantly, I’m not the only one with the dream of driving 200 mph.

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Gallery: World Class Driving 200 MPH Challenge

Continue reading World Class Driving offers pieces to the 200-MPH puzzle. We assemble them

World Class Driving offers pieces to the 200-MPH puzzle. We assemble them originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opinion: If distracted driving is such an epidemic, why don’t statistics show it?

Filed under: Safety

Declining Highway Death Rate Challenges Distracted Driving Fears

Distracted driving

The distracted driving debate is being marred by an overdose of hype and hysteria.

My weekend nearly got off to a disastrous start when a driver, busy texting, suddenly realized he was going to miss his exit. At the last possible moment, he slammed his brakes and surged across four lanes of traffic, avoiding the need to go a few miles out of the way – but nearly touching off a multi-car accident in the process.

We’ve all seen the texters, the women putting on makeup, the guys checking their sports scores. Heck, a woman in Florida recently crashed while giving herself a bikini shave. But are we experiencing, as Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood puts it, “a deadly epidemic” of distracted driving – one that can only be addressed by the most draconian of new laws?

There’s no question that there are some things you just shouldn’t be doing behind the wheel, and few would argue against the laws that many states have passed prohibiting motorists from texting while driving. But what other steps are needed? The latest federal data on highway fatalities suggests we’ve probably gone far enough – and that the distracted driving debate is being marred by an overdose of hype and hysteria.

Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

[Image: Corbis]

Continue reading Opinion: If distracted driving is such an epidemic, why don’t statistics show it?

Opinion: If distracted driving is such an epidemic, why don’t statistics show it? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drive First: Sprint’s Android app to curb distracted driving

Filed under: Safety, Technology

Sprint EVO 3D With Old Man LaHood making distracted driving a pet cause, both device manufacturers and wireless carriers are trying to devise new ways to reduce distracted driving before the Department of Transportation mandates its own solution.

To that end, Sprint has announced a new Android app at the CTIA show that limits the functionality of your smartphone while you’re on the go.

DriveFirst – created by Location Labs – will be an optional app available on Sprint’s ever-expanding line of Google-powered devices that locks the phone’s screen while the vehicle is in motion, redirects calls directly to voicemail, blocks text message alerts and sends a preprogrammed auto-response that states the driver is unavailable. Thankfully, DriveFirst will allow drivers to select three apps (i.e. navigation) and three contacts they can access while on the road.

Naturally, the service is more geared towards parents and it’s just in time for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Sprint says the app will be available in the third quarter of this year and commands a $2-per-month premium over your standard wireless service. Full details in the press release after the jump.

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Drive First: Sprint’s Android app to curb distracted driving originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Survey: 19% admit using Internet while driving

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Technology

Distracted driving is an ongoing problem. A new State Farm poll proves once again that the roads are full of idiots. One in five of the 912 drivers State Farm informally surveyed in November admitted to accessing the Internet on their smartphones while driving. The insurance company will conduct a deeper study soon, and the 19 percent who admitted to surfing and driving in this study may actually be low for certain groups of drivers. Teenagers and young adults are more tethered to their phones than just about everyone else, and they’re also the least experienced drivers, a recipe for danger on the roads with a likely higher percentage of smartphone use while driving.

Despite the guilty drivers acknowledging the dangers of paying attention to a device instead of the road, none seem too repentant. “I’m not saying it’s the smartest thing in the world,” says Sean Black, a 38 year old Illinois resident, “but I guess I just do it anyway.” As with texting and driving, or even concentrating more on a phone call than piloting your automobile, many feel that only a near-accident or actual crash is going to modify this behavior. Even then, it will be on a case-by-case basis, and it puts the lives and well-being of innocents at the mercy of those too indolent to change their habits.

[Source: USA Today | Image: Corbis]

Survey: 19% admit using Internet while driving originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2011: BMW ActiveE looking to become the Ultimate Electric Driving Machine

Filed under: Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, BMW, Electric

BMW ActiveE at 2011 Geneva Motor Show

BMW ActiveE – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW showed us the ActiveE Concept back at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. Now the automaker is using the Geneva Motor Show floor to roll out the latest version of its electrified 1-Series. The BMW ActiveE, following in the footsteps of the Mini E before it, will begin rolling out to select markets in the Fall of 2011.

Mini utilized a fleet of 600 electric Coopers for field tests, but BMW is upping the ante by producing 1,000 vehicles. The ActiveE will make its North American debut at the New York Auto Show in April. After that, it will roll its way into the driveways and garages of residents in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, New York, Boston and parts of Connecticut.

Powering the BMW ActiveE are a plethora of liquid-cooled SB LiMotive batteries. They provide enough juice to generate 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The ActiveE uses that energy to run from 0-60 miles per hour in about nine seconds and the juiced-up 1-Series has a range of 100 miles. Check it out in the galleries below and read more about the car in BMW’s official release after the jump.

Gallery: BMW ActiveE: Geneva 2011

Gallery: BMW ActiveE

Continue reading Geneva 2011: BMW ActiveE looking to become the Ultimate Electric Driving Machine

Geneva 2011: BMW ActiveE looking to become the Ultimate Electric Driving Machine originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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