Motorsports: 24 Hours of Le Mans an on-and-off love affair

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Aston Martin, Audi, Chevrolet, Nissan, Porsche, Ferrari, Racing

There was little usual about this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans – intermittent rain in the weeks before the race meant cars didn’t get on track as much as they wanted, and intermittent rain during the race meant cars went off track a lot more than they wanted. The race started with a wet track, and one of the records broken because of the random downpours was the number of times the safety car led the field – 11 times this year – although the record of two hours and 53 minutes of lapping behind the safety car, set in 2011, was not eclipsed.

None of that served to dampen the action. With little more than an hour left in the race there were cars still only a few seconds apart fighting for position, leads still changing because of pit stops and everyone drafting anyone they could.

Things didn’t go the usual way up front, either – well, not exactly…

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24 Hours of Le Mans an on-and-off love affair originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Is your brain predisposed to make you love Rolls-Royce?

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Videos, Rolls-Royce, Luxury

1973 Rolls-Royce Corniche

XCAR has taken a look at what could very well be one of the most quintessential British cars ever built: the 1973 Rolls-Royce Corniche. The question at hand is whether or not expensive luxury items like artisan foods, designer clothing and yes, high-end automobiles are worth their monetary cost. Do they bring some undefined additional value to the table over their low-buck counterparts, or are they simply an excellent way to part a fool from his dollar bills? While the video below can’t comment on four-course meals or $400 jeans, our valiant host does have a word or two on the joy a Rolls-Royce can bring to your life.

That’s even true of a model like the ’73 Corniche. Built during one of the darker days of the company’s history, the convertible was designed and manufactured by an automaker on the verge of collapse. Still, it manages to hold on to that essential spirit of luxury so crucial to the Rolls-Royce brand. Check out the video below to see what we mean.

Continue reading Is your brain predisposed to make you love Rolls-Royce?

Is your brain predisposed to make you love Rolls-Royce? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda shares some landscape love with a dedicated customer

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Honda

Honda Facebook love

Honda shares the love – Click above for image gallery

Just before Christmas, dedicated Honda lover Chris W. showed his affection for Soichiro’s brand by mowing a Honda logo into his front lawn. Chris’s photos made it to Facebook, and eventually caught the attention of Honda itself, through the brand’s huge network of fans.

Thanks in part to loving owners like Chris, Honda’s Facebook page recently broke through the 1,000,000-fan barrier. To commemorate this social media milestone, Honda took a page right out of Chris W.’s book and etched his name into the front lawn of its Torrance, California, headquarters. Check out Honda’s Facebook page to see the fan love for yourself. Thanks for the tip, Johnathan!

Gallery: Honda shows its appreciation for fans

Honda's Torrance, Ca. corportate headquarters lawnHonda fan Chris W.'s yard

[Source: Facebook]

Honda shares some landscape love with a dedicated customer originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 May 2011 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Car thieves still love Honda according to LoJack annual report

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Technology

Honda Accord top stolen car of 2010

LoJack says the Honda Accord was the most stolen vehicle of 2010 – Click above for high-res image gallery

lojack logo Theft prevention and recovery company LoJack knows a lot about stolen vehicles. It also knows a lot about getting those vehicles back. In 2010, the company says that fully 90 percent of vehicles equipped with its car tracking hardware was recovered.

LoJack has been at this game for a while, and last year, it started to release its own Vehicle Theft Recovery Report. The second annual report is hot off the LoJack presses and the data is … not surprising, if you own a Honda.

In 2010, the most stolen and recovered vehicles were: (last years rank in parenthesis)

10. Chevrolet Tahoe (7)
9. Nissan Maxima (New)
8. Nissan Altima (8)
7. Dodge Ram (New)
6. Toyota Corolla (6)
5. Cadillac Escalade (5)
4. Acura Integra (4)
3. Toyota Camry (3)
2. Honda Civic (1)
1. Honda Accord (2)

LoJack also breaks down its stolen and recovered information by year, make and model. Honda claims all five top positions for 2010. There’s more interesting data in LoJack’s 2nd Annual Vehicle Theft Recovery Report. You can read all about it by hot-wiring your mouse and clicking past the jump.

Gallery: Lojack’s Top Ten Most Stolen Vehicles of 2010

Honda AccordHonda CivicToyota CamryAcura IntegraCadillac Escalade Platinum

[Source: LoJack]

Continue reading Car thieves still love Honda according to LoJack annual report

Car thieves still love Honda according to LoJack annual report originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For the Love of Cars: An inside look at the making of CARS 2

Filed under: Etc., Celebrities

CARS 2

CARS 2 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Pixar CEO and Cars Director John Lasseter looks tired. For the last eight hours, he’s been engaged in interviews and fielding inane questions from an assortment of entertainment, foreign and automotive press. But as soon as I ask about his inspiration for CARS 2, his eyes light up. “I just love cars,” he starts off, and then begins describing the various locales he visited while doing promotion for the 2006 original, all of which would later influence the sequel.

That’s just one of several clear lines of inspiration between CARS and CARS 2. The original came about after Lasseter and his family took a roadtrip across the U.S. while towing a 1962 Ford Falcon. The kids named the Falcon “Arnold” and the RV “Betty.”

For the sequel – and Lasseter’s overdue return to the director’s chair – he and his team decided to take the crew from Radiator Springs global. That includes stop-offs in Japan, Italy and Great Britain to compete in the fictionalized World Grand Prix, pitting racers of all disciplines against each other on circuits inspired by their countries of origin. Underlying all that racing action is a classic spy caper and, after viewing 26 minutes of footage, a slightly darker side to the world of Cars.

Continue reading For the Love of Cars: An inside look at the making of Cars 2

Fair Warning: We’ll be discussing a few plot points and several characters after the jump, and while there aren’t any serious spoilers, if you want to enter the theater in a blissful state of ignorance, stop here.

Gallery: CARS 2

Gallery: CARS 2 Characters

GremAcerShu TodorokiRaoul ÇaRouleCarla Veloso

Images (C)Disney/Pixar

Continue reading For the Love of Cars: An inside look at the making of CARS 2

For the Love of Cars: An inside look at the making of CARS 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Aston Martin LMP1 and V12 Vantage sing 12-cylinder love songs to each other

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Aston Martin, Racing

Aston Martin V12 Vantage meets the LMP1 racer

Aston Martin’s V12 Vantage meets the Gulf LMP1 racecar – Click above to watch video after the jump

Aston Martin may offer a car with eight cylinders, but the automaker’s heart truly lies within those machines powered by 12. The Vantage was recently given a full injection of awesome when the folks in Gaydon decided a power upgrade was in order. The V12 Vantage is loud and proud thanks to its 6.0-liter V12 that churns out 510 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. That same 6.0-liter unit can be found in the DB9, Rapide, DBS and even the ultra-exotic One-77, and it’s also the mill that powers Lola-Aston Martin B09/60, better known as the Aston Martin DBR1-2 LMP1 racecar.

The 510 hp in the V12 Vantage is certainly impressive, but the DBR1-2’s power output is raised to around 650 hp for racing duty. That 140-hp advantage is stretched much further when you factor in the weight difference between the two cars – the V12 Vantage weighs 3,700 pounds and the DBR1-2 tips the scales at just 2,000 pounds.

Still, these two Astons pump fuel through similar hearts, and the automaker put together a short video clip that shows the two coming together on a rain-slicked country road. Hop the jump to see the V12 Vantage meet the DBR1-2 LMP1 racecar.

[Source: Aston Martin via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Aston Martin LMP1 and V12 Vantage sing 12-cylinder love songs to each other

Video: Aston Martin LMP1 and V12 Vantage sing 12-cylinder love songs to each other originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Nissan and this polar bear want to love you, if you drive a Leaf

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

Nissan Leaf commercial

Nissan Leaf “Polar Bear” spot – Click above to watch video after the jump

As subtle as a box of hammers to the face, global warming’s most iconic animal has taken a starring role in the latest advertisement for the Nissan Leaf. Called, simply, “Polar Bear,” the one-minute spot follows a polar bear on a trek from watching glaciers calve into the sea down south through a city and into a residential neighborhood to find a man about to start his commute. Then, well, you’ll see. Check it out after the jump.

For comparison, we’ve also pasted Nissan’s ad from June about the “New Car,” which highlights the changes the Leaf will bring to the industry, below. This ad shows off the ways the Leaf is different from other cars, including the tidbit that it will be made of at least 30 percent post-consumer material. While “New Car” is all about smartphones and batteries and other tech, the polar bear ad is all emotion. Still, the new spot does miss a chance to show the driver unplugging the Leaf before getting in, which would help get a little bit of that “new car” messaging across. Watch both here.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Leaf: First Drive

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Video: Nissan and this polar bear want to love you, if you drive a Leaf

Video: Nissan and this polar bear want to love you, if you drive a Leaf originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #191 – With the supercar love!

Filed under: Podcasts, Classics, Etc.

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Chris, Sam and Dan asked for your thoughts on under-appreciated supercars since 1990, and you came through with plenty of ideas. We spend the hour and twenty minutes of Episode #191 of the Autoblog Podcast offering our finely-tuned opinions. Next week, we’re back to normal podcasts, but let us know what you thought of our listener-appreciation experiment. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #191 – With the supercar love!

In the Autoblog Garage:

Lincoln MKS
Range Rover Sport Supercharged
Mazda CX-7

Hosts:
Dan Roth, Sam Abuelsamid, Chris Shunk

Runtime: 78:55


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Feedback:

Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

Autoblog Podcast #191 – With the supercar love! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OnStar Says: GM drivers love Wal-Mart

Filed under: GM

wal-mart

Wal-Mart was the most requested OnStar search in July – Follow the jump to view the top 10

General Motors’ OnStar unit has offered turn-by-turn directions for a while now, and the service seems to be gaining popularity among subscribers. In fact, July was a record month for direction seekers, with over 2 million routes requested in the U.S. and Canada. OnStar has access to more than 13 million points of interest, but one locale was requested more than any other. The General claims that nearly 40,000 OnStar subscribers sought out a local Wal-Mart in July, enough queries to make the value chain the most popular destination of July.

We’re not at all surprised that Wal-Mart came out on top this month considering the sheer size of America’s largest private employer, and the other top requests read like a who’s-who of big business. Big-time hotel chains and major retail outlets dominate the top 10 most requested routes (the top 10 destinations list is available after the jump), but only one fast food chain and zero gas stations cracked the top 10. Hit the jump to read GM’s press release.

[Source: GM | Image: Photo by Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading OnStar Says: GM drivers love Wal-Mart

OnStar Says: GM drivers love Wal-Mart originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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