Tag: force

Tiny Darth Vader brings The Force to VW’s Chattanooga plant

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Marketing/Advertising, Volkswagen, Celebrities

Tiny Vader Max Page at VW Chattanooga opening

Max Page as Tiny Vader at the VW Chattanooga inauguration – Click above for high-res image gallery

On Tuesday, May 24, Volkswagen officially opened its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee that is dedicated to building the Passat. There were all sorts of potentates gathered for the occasion, from Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to current and former mayors of the city. When it came time to press the big, red button to get the factory party started, though, six men gathered around the podium and they didn’t make a move until a surprise guest waved his hands: little Darth Vader.

Otherwise known as Max Page, he’s the kid in costume who practically owned YouTube when he appeared in VW’s 2012 Passat commercial during the Super Bowl. Arriving with an entourage of Stormtroopers and his theme music, he did a little of what he does, the red button was pushed, and it was only then that the Chattanooga facility officially opened.

It was a fun beginning. Let’s hope the plant benefits from The Force and Vader’s touch as much as that commercial did, and as much as VW and Chattanooga are praying it does. Read the official press release after the break, and, more importantly, check out Tiny Vader in our high-res image gallery.

Continue reading Tiny Darth Vader brings The Force to VW’s Chattanooga plant

Tiny Darth Vader brings The Force to VW’s Chattanooga plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 May 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Driving Force: Lamborghini and Callaway Golf collaborate on new forms of carbon fiber

Filed under: Performance, Technology, Lamborghini

Lamborghini and Callaway announce their strategic partnership in Paris – Click above for high-res image

Lamborghini is hard at work finding new ways to make its cars lighter as much if not more than any other automaker. Most of that research centers around carbon fiber. Thing is, the stuff is really expensive to make. But on the plus side, although motorsport was the driving force behind the material’s development in the first place, the auto industry is far from the only one working with it these days.

Lamborghini Forged Composite carbon fiberWhile experimenting with the material at the University of Washington, Lamborghini met up with another interested party: Callaway Golf. Since their interests overlap but don’t compete one with another, the two recently announced a strategic partnership to develop a more versatile, cost-effective form of carbon fiber.

The result is called Forged Composite. Whereas conventional carbon fiber is layered down in sheets and bonded together, Forged Composite comes mixed together in a paste of fibers and epoxy that can be squeezed into any shape desired. The application makes it far easier to form complex shapes, and since the fibers come out oriented randomly, the resulting form is apparently stronger in every which direction, instead of fixed ones like in conventional layered sheet carbon.

Lamborghini demonstrated what it has in mind for Forged Composite with the Sesto Elemento concept currently on display at the Paris Motor Show. The concept’s monocoque and suspension arms are made from the stuff. For Callaway’s part, they’re planning on using Forged Composite for a new generation of golf club heads, allowing for lighter weight, a longer shaft and a drives an estimated at eight yards longer than with existing clubs. Callaway Golf plans on phasing out titanium drivers – currently the market dominator – in favor of the new Forged Composite ones within a year. There’s no word yet on when we’ll see the debut of Forged Composite on a production Lamborghini, but we’re guessing it won’t be long.

Gallery: Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Concept In Detail

[Source: Lamborghini]

Continue reading Driving Force: Lamborghini and Callaway Golf collaborate on new forms of carbon fiber

Driving Force: Lamborghini and Callaway Golf collaborate on new forms of carbon fiber originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit puts an MP4-12C on the police force

Filed under: Videos, Porsche, Toys/Games

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit trailer – Click above to watch video after the jump

Halo Reach has already grabbed gobs of attention and Gran Turismo 5 is waiting to lure any remaining bloodshot eyeballs and fatigued thumbs away, but they’re not the only new video games on the block. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit will have a playable demo available on October 26, and it hits store shelves November 16.

While you’re waiting and deciding whether you want to play the part of a cop or speeder (and deciding whether to play the game on your Playstation 3, xBox 360 or PC), you can check out the latest trailer for it after the jump, wherein a McLaren MP4-12C in black and white is called on to apprehend a scofflaw in a Porsche 918 Spyder. Hat tip to Yaroukh!

[Source: YouTube via VG247]

Continue reading Video: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit puts an MP4-12C on the police force

Video: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit puts an MP4-12C on the police force originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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