Video: Leno steals Porsche 918 from The Quail for latest Garage episode

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Videos, Porsche, Misc. Auto Shows, Celebrities

Jay Leno's Garage drives the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder

Just because he’s a famous celebrity doesn’t mean Jay Leno got to take it easy at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance earlier this month. Having already spent some time with the gorgeous Cadillac Elmiraj Concept and Ed Welburn for a recent episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, the late night talk show host also got to put a few miles on a prototype version of the Porsche 918 Spyder.

Like a usual episode of JLG, Leno first goes over the details of the car with Frank Walliser, head of the 918 Spyder’s development, before taking it out for spin. Check out the full episode, which is posted below, to hear what Walliser has to say about the car. More importantly, though, crank up your computer’s volume and let the car’s high-revving engine and amazing exhaust note do plenty of talking for itself.

Continue reading Leno steals Porsche 918 from The Quail for latest Garage episode

Leno steals Porsche 918 from The Quail for latest Garage episode originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Aug 2013 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Redline debuts with Battle of Motorsports in first episode

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Australia, Racing, Comparisons

The first episode of Redline, a new automotive web video, pits seven racecars from different backgrounds against each other.

What do you get when you mix YouTube and Ketzal Sterling of the High Octane DVD series? Another web-video series about high-performance cars with a motorsport twist and juvenile humor. Redline is the newest show by Sterling, and the man devised an epic shootout of seven seriously quick race machines for the first episode.

The catch is that each of the vehicles represents a different motorsport background. Machines that make an appearance include a Super Touring Ford V8; Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution rally car; S14.5-generation time attack Nissan Silvia; Suzuki GSX-R1000 motorcycle; FC-generation Mazda RX-7 drift car (with V8 swap); Subaru WRX STI gymkhana car; and KZ2-class shifter kart.

While the inclusion of one of the entries virtually gives away the winner, we won’t spoil it for you. And it might be closer than you think. Scroll down to watch the Battle of Motorsports episode, which has some substance and is enjoyable if you can put up with the humor and obnoxiously loud narration.

Continue reading Redline debuts with Battle of Motorsports in first episode

Redline debuts with Battle of Motorsports in first episode originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Aug 2013 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Corvette racing series, Episode 3: Sebring

Filed under: Coupe, Videos, Chevrolet, Racing

Corvette Racing, Sebring 2011

Corvette Racing, Sebring 2011 – Click above to view video after the jump

Corvette Racing managed to snag third and fourth place in GT2 at the ALMS 12 Hours of Sebring, beginning a much-anticipated racing season for Chevrolet. Now the team has released the third installment in its coverage of the buildup to the season and Corvette Racing’s fortunes.

Sebring proved to be a tough test for Corvette Racing. The number 4 car went for a spin early on after a nudge from a Porsche, and car number 3 needed a new windshield during the night. Despite those hiccups, things went well for Corvette Racing, and the team says they’re confident going into the next round in Long Beach, California. Hop the jump to see the official video from this season’s race at Sebring.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Corvette racing series, Episode 3: Sebring

Video: Corvette racing series, Episode 3: Sebring originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Watch the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe racecar go testing in Episode 4

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Cadillac, GM

cadillac cts-v coupe scca race car

Cadillac goes back to racing with the CTS-V Coupe – Click above to watch video after the jump

Cadillac has put together a series of clips that document its return to racing. The automaker will run a pair of CTS-V Coupe SCCA race cars in the World Challenge series, which kicks off March 25th, 2011 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Ahead of the green flag, Cadillac has released the fourth and final clip in its mini documentary.

Titled Ready to Race, the last installment of the series has the team eagerly looking forward to its first official event. Cadillac will face serious competition in the SCCA World Challenge but it’s also got an excellent car on its hands. Click past the jump to watch the final episode.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Watch the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe racecar go testing in Episode 4

Video: Watch the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe racecar go testing in Episode 4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 20:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Top Gear USA – the first episode [w/poll]

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Celebrities

Not The Original, But Not Bad, Either

Adam Ferrara, Tanner Foust, Rutledge Wood

The logo. The exotic car-filled studio. The engine block coffee table. The Stig. The Star in a Reasonably Priced Car. It all seemed so familiar. The inaugural episode of Top Gear USA aired Sunday night at 10pm EST/9C on the History Channel with a lot of what made the original British show an international hit, but without those three dynamic blokes that have made the UK version so great. Or the amazing producers who put that show together each week. Instead, we get new producers, a new set, and new promise in hosts Tanner Foust, Adam Ferrara and Rutledge Wood.

The first episode of Top Gear USA started off with a bang by transitioning from an original Shelby Cobra to the best modern interpretation of the big engine on wheels: the Dodge Viper. The American-made missile was driven by Tanner Foust who was charged with outrunning a Cobra attack helicopter. The Viper was fitted with a missile detection simulator that showed when the supercar was being missile-locked and “hit” by the chopper. To win this competition, Foust and his navigator/co-host Rutledge Wood needed to blast across town and back before being hit by the chopper three times. We won’t tell you how it ends, but we will say this first stunt showed that while the camera work and editing isn’t yet up to Top Gear UK levels of excellence, the content is still engaging and fun to watch.

Take our poll below, then follow the jump to continue reading…

View Poll

Continue reading Review: Top Gear USA – the first episode [w/poll]

Review: Top Gear USA – the first episode [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Submit your questions for Episode #201 of the Autoblog Podcast!

Filed under: Podcasts, Etc.

Click above to subscribe to The Autoblog Podcast in iTunes

Episode #201 of the Autoblog Podcast records tonight, and we’ve got some things to talk about. Drop us your own feedback and questions below if you think there’s anything we’ve missed, or vote on your fellow readers’ submissions to help determine what we discuss this momentous evening. You can subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven’t already to hear your question answered.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #201

  • Lincoln fighting with its dealers
    Hyundai wants to be the most American automaker in the U.S.
    Green Car of the Year finalists announced
    Mercedes B-Class coming to the U.S.?


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the Autoblog Podacast and hear your questions asked:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
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Submit your questions for Episode #201 of the Autoblog Podcast! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vote for your favorite obscure supercar for Episode #191 of the Autoblog Podcast!

Filed under: Podcasts

Click above to subscribe to The Autoblog Podcast in iTunes

For Episode #191 of the Autoblog Podcast, we thought we’d hand it over to the audience. Your topic: Forgotten (and wholly awesome) supercars since 1990. There are, of course, the cars that made a splash: Ferrari’s F40, the McLaren F1, Lamborghini’s iconic Countach and its Rubenesque replacement, the Diablo all fall within the 1990-2010 timeframe, but so do comparative oddities like the Cizeta-Moroder V16t, Isdera Commendatore 112i and Consulier GTP.

You and your fellow readers can add your choices to the box below, as well as vote on the suggestions of others. We’ll skim the cars that get the most votes and offer our individual and widely varied takes on your choices. What, you’re still here? Off to Wikipedia with you!

Vote for your favorite obscure supercar for Episode #191 of the Autoblog Podcast! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Corvette Racing Series Episode 8: Cascade engineering

Filed under: Motorsports, Technology, Videos, Chevrolet, Racing

Click above to view the video after the jump

Episode eight of the Corvette Racing series is up and this installment delves into what the team calls “cascade engineering.” It covers some of the same ground we discussed back in March when we toured the Pratt & Miller race shop where the C6.Rs are built and prepared.

The race team works very closely with the production engineering team, using most of the same computer aided engineering tools, and the lessons learned from the 10 years of the race program have been fed back into street car program. Proof? The face of the C6 with its flush headlamps and wider grille opening for better breathing were all inspired by the race car. Similarly, the track-bound coupes now use a 5.5-liter version of the LS7 V8 from the production Z06. Because of the limited in-season testing available to American Le Mans Series teams, the Corvette Racing crew relies on tools like computational fluid dynamics to improve the car from race to race, which you learn more about in the video after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

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Video: Corvette Racing Series Episode 8: Cascade engineering originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Corvette Racing Episode 7 – Le Mans pre-race activities

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Chevrolet

Corvette Racing drivers in the Le Mans parade – Click above to watch video after the jump

After reviewing this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in the previous episode of the Corvette Racing video series, the latest installment looks at the off-track activities that preceded the race. Once the cars and drivers have established their place on the starting grid, they’re able to take a short break from competition to interact with the fans – especially the rabid Danish crowd that showed up to cheer on Jan Magnussen. Judging from the narration, you’d think that eight overall victories at the Circuit de la Sarthe aren’t enough for Tom Kristensen to gain any attention from his countrymen. (If you’ve seen Truth in 24, however, you know full well that the Danes treat TK like a rock star, too.)

Apparently the narrator missed the memo from the marketing department about referring to Chevrolet as Chevy. Rather than vuvuzelas, Le Mans fans prefer to express their enthusiasm using air horns, so the Corvette crew brought a very special one of their own this year. Wanna see? Then check out video after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Corvette Racing Episode 7 – Le Mans pre-race activities

Video: Corvette Racing Episode 7 – Le Mans pre-race activities originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Corvette Racing Episode 6 – 2010 Le Mans recap

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Chevrolet, Racing

Episode six of the Corvette Racing Track to Street series went up this week and as expected, it’s a recap of what went down at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last month. 2010 marked the 50th anniversary or the American sports car’s first appearance at the French endurance race and a parade of 50 ‘Vettes took to the track prior to the race.

The first French appearance of the works Corvettes in the GT2 class started off well, with the cars starting first and second in class after the Risi Ferrari F430 time was disallowed. The Corvettes ran strong for the first 16 hours before both eventually succumbed to engine failures. Team manager Doug Fehan promises the C6.Rs will be back for blood in 2011. Check out the video after the jump.

Gallery: Le Mans 2010: The Race

Gallery: Le Mans 2010: Qualifying and practice

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Corvette Racing Episode 6 – 2010 Le Mans recap

Video: Corvette Racing Episode 6 – 2010 Le Mans recap originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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