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Need For Speed gives an early peak at The Run

Filed under: Videos

need for speed the run debut trailer

Need For Speed: The Run Debut Trailer – Click above to watch the video after the jump

If you’re getting bored of the racing games that are relegated to the track, the Need For Speed franchise is hoping to grab your attention with The Run. The new game, which doesn’t hit stores until November 15, promises to mix hot rides with a healthy dose of drama. The premise is simple: The gamer will need to make their way across the country while bad guys and the law chases them all the while. In other words, its kind of like Smokey and the Bandit meets Fast and Furious, perhaps with a touch of Grand Theft Auto.

Hit the jump to watch the first trailer for the upcoming game. The clip is short and it doesn’t reveal much, but we did catch a glimpse of an Audi R8, a Porsche Cayenne, a Mustang and even a Ford Taurus Police Interceptor. That’s not a lot to go on, but the post-jump press release says gamers will “blow across borders, weave through dense urban traffic, rocket down icy mountain passes and navigate narrow canyons at breakneck speeds.” Sounds like it could be fun.

[Source: Electronic Arts]

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Need For Speed gives an early peak at The Run originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unmodified Nissan Leaf entered in Pikes Peak Hill Climb [w/videos]

Filed under: Motorsports, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

2011 Nissan Leaf

2011 Nissan Leaf – Click above for high-res image gallery

“With electric automobiles popping up like dandelions across the landscape of American driving, it’s no surprise that they will be part of the field at the 89th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 26.”

So says the press release you’ll find waiting for your prying eyes after the break. While it’s true that we’re not exactly surprised that an electric car will make its way up to the top of the historic hill – there was, after all, a dedicated electric vehicle class for 2010 – we are a little curious whether a completely stock Nissan Leaf has any chance of dethroning current EV Hill Climb record holder Ikuo Hanawa of Japan.

Certainly, Leaf driver Chad Hord knows what he’s doing, as he currently pilots an off-road racing truck in the TORC series. In any case, we’ll find out soon enough if the Leaf’s 110 horsepower and 90-mile-per-hour top speed has the stuff to hang with the purpose-built EV racers; Hanawa will again contest the championship in his Concept two-wheel drive 2010 Custom Summit HER-02.

Oh, and about that dandelion thing… those are generally unwanted guests of those who actually care about keeping a lush carpet of green in their yards. Maybe not the way lovers of automotive greenery want to think of their rides, eh? Check out the complete press release after the break for all the details, and spend a few minutes watching Hanawa’s record-setting HER-02 do its thing on the Peak.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan LEAF

[Source: Pikes Peak International Hill Climb]

Continue reading Unmodified Nissan Leaf entered in Pikes Peak Hill Climb [w/videos]

Unmodified Nissan Leaf entered in Pikes Peak Hill Climb [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeep offers sneak peak at Moab Easter Safari vehicles

Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, Jeep

jeep renegade concept rendering

Jeep Renegade concept rendering – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you’re a Jeep fan, than it’s time to get excited ,because Easter is almost here. Why Easter? ~~Eggs and candy!~~ Because it signals the return of Jeep’s Moab Easter Safari. This event is often a showcase for new products and concept vehicles from Chrysler’s off-road brand.

In the past, Jeep has used the Moab Easter Safari to show off concept vehicles like the Lower Forty, Wrangler J7 and Trail Boss, Patriot Extreme and even the “Moparized” Ram Power Wagon. This time around, for the 45th annual Safari event, Jeep is feature two new vehicles that invoke visions of an older period in Jeep’s history: the Jeep Renegade and the Jeep “Porkchop.”

These are just two of the six vehicles that Jeep is bringing to Moab. The Easter Safari runs from April 16 through the 24.

Gallery: Jeep Moab Easter Safari Vehicles

Jeep Renegade Moab Easter Safari Jeep Porkchop Moab Easter Safari

[Source: Jeep]

Jeep offers sneak peak at Moab Easter Safari vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RENNtech fine-tunes its Mercedes GLK Pikes Peak Hybrid [w/video]

Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, Motorsports, Hybrid, Performance, SUV, Crossover, Mercedes-Benz, Off-Road, Racing

RENNtech Mercedes-Benz GLK350 Hybrid Pikes Peak Rally Car

RENNtech Mercedes-Benz GLK350 Hybrid Pikes Peak Rally Car – Click above for high-res image gallery

Trucks and racing don’t normally belong in the same sentence, but a few exceptions exist – the NASCAR Craftsman series, the Dakar rally, and, of course, Pikes Peak.

The legendary hill-climb competition has bred some of the most jaw-droppingly monstrous machines known to man. It also inspired the creation of the GLK350 Hybrid Pikes Peak Project which Mercedes-Benz tuner extraordinaire RENNtech unveiled at SEMA in 2008.

Three years later, RENNtech has revisited the concept crossover with a second version, bearing the most aggressive body kit this side of a Star Wars film set and coated in 3M’s carbon-look vinyl wrap. (So, no, the body has not be recreated in actual carbon fiber.) Ostensibly based on the 3.5-liter V6 model, RENNtech’s concept packs an additional electric boost developed in-house.

The show car is going on tour across America before it’s retired to the Mercedes-Benz Classic Vehicle Museum in Irvine, California. Follow the jump for the press blast and video footage, and check out all the images in the mega-gallery below.

Gallery: RENNtech Mercedes-Benz GLK350 Hybrid Pikes Peak Rally Car

[Source: RENNtech]

Continue reading RENNtech fine-tunes its Mercedes GLK Pikes Peak Hybrid [w/video]

RENNtech fine-tunes its Mercedes GLK Pikes Peak Hybrid [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ducati reveals Multistrada 1200S Pikes Peak Special Edition *UPDATE

Filed under: Europe, Motorcycle, Specialty

Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak

2012 Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak Edition (U.S.) – Click above for high-res image gallery

To celebrate Greg Tracy’s win at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb last year, Ducati is releasing a commemorative special edition of its Multistrada 1200S for the U.S. and U.K.

Pikes Peak Edition bikes will get a custom paint scheme based on the Ducati Corse livery, along with an anodized black engine and black wheels with red pinstriping. To make things a little louder and introduce more carbon fiber, the bike will be delivered across the pond with an EU-approved carbon fiber silencer from Termignoni and a low profile carbon fiber windscreen.

*Update: Sadly, we won’t be getting the exhaust system here in the States, but we will get a unique numbered engine crankcase cover. We’ve added a U.S.-specific image gallery below and included both U.S. and UK press releases after the break.

To top it off, Ducati is throwing on a carbon fiber front fender and a special seat with custom commemorative stitching(!). Ducati will start hawking the Pikes Peak Edition Multistradas here in the States in June for $21,995 and in the UK in May, with a starting price of just over $27k.

Gallery: Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak (U.S.)

Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak (U.S.)

Gallery: Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak Special Edition

Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak Special Edition

[Source: Ducati]

Continue reading Ducati reveals Multistrada 1200S Pikes Peak Special Edition *UPDATE

Ducati reveals Multistrada 1200S Pikes Peak Special Edition *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Have we hit ‘Peak Travel’? A new study seems to think so…

Filed under: Etc.

Traffic Jam in India

For many city dwellers, the daily commute is usually filled with the same tasks… gas-honk-brake, gas-brake-honk, honk-honk-punch, gas-gas-gas. America’s roads are filled and it’s hard to imagine them being clogged with an ever-increasing supply of vehicles and drivers. Going against the International Energy Agency, a team of researchers from California thinks we might have already hit “Peak Travel.”

Looking at data from 1970 up to 2008, Lee Schipper and Adam Millard-Ball believe that passenger travel peaked back in 2003. While the IEA predicts a passenger growth rate of 1.5 percent through 2030, that also means they have estimated fuel consumption and emissions based on a growing number of drivers on the road. Shipper and Millard-Ball believe we may be able to lower those estimates based on their initial findings. They also admit that more research is needed, but feel it’s a promising sign for the future.

The two examined data from six countries; the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia and Sweden. If you’ve been paying attention to global trends for the last decade, you will notice two very big data points not on that list; India (shown in the photo above) and China. While it’s promising that we may not see more cars on the road, this study clearly doesn’t factor in the rapid changes taking place in these exponentially expanding markets. Thanks to all for the tips.

[Source: Wired | Image: Manish Swarup/AP]

Have we hit ‘Peak Travel’? A new study seems to think so… originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Americans using 8% less gasoline than 2006 peak, will never go up again

Filed under: Etc.

American oil well

Peak oil, according to the great and all-knowing Wikipedia, “is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline.” Regardless of your opinions on whether or not the planet has entered into its Peak Oil stage, it would seem that the United States has at least entered the stage of steady decline in usage.

Here’s the hard data according to the Associated Press: Americans averaged about 8.2 million barrels of oil, or 344 gallons, per day in 2010, which is an eight percent drop since the country’s peak in 2006. Experts seem to agree that gasoline usage in the States will continue to drop – as much as 20 percent by the year 2030, despite millions of additional cars on the roads – barring any unexpected periods of economic boom or another meteoric drop in fuel prices.

Before environmentalists get too excited, though, the falling trend of gasoline usage only applies to the United States, which is still by far the world’s largest consumer of oil. Demand from emerging countries, especially China and India, will more than make up for the declining usage in the U.S., leading to an expected record of 88.3 million barrels of oil produced in 2011. The more things change, they more they stay the same…

[Source: The Associated Press via Google | Image: Farther Along via CC 2.0]

Report: Americans using 8% less gasoline than 2006 peak, will never go up again originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Jeff Zwart shakesdown his Pikes Peak Porsche GT3

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Videos, Porsche, Racing

Jeff Zwart Pikes Peak Porsche 911 GT3

Jeff Zwart shaking down his Pikes Peak Porsche 911 GT3 – Click above to watch video after the jump

There’s just something about watching a Porsche 911 play in the dirt that flips all the right switches. Seeing that iconic shape throw rooster tails of silt triggers a sort of Pavlovian response brought on by years of daydreaming over shots of the Rothman 953 slinging sand in Africa. Consider that doubly true for Jeff Zwart’s Pikes Peak-winning GT3.

Zwart has just released a video of one of his shake-down runs prior to this year’s Pikes Peak event. The course runs up some godforsaken mountain in the middle of the California wilderness, and while Zwart isn’t seen flogging the life out of the car, it’s more than clear that both he and the machine are in their element. Click past the jump to enjoy the action.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Jeff Zwart shakesdown his Pikes Peak Porsche GT3

Video: Jeff Zwart shakesdown his Pikes Peak Porsche GT3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autonomous Audi TTS successfully ascends Pikes Peak

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Technology, Audi

Audi Autonomous TTS

Stanford University Autonomous Audi TTS – Click above for high-res image gallery

The autonomous Audi TTS built by Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Lab, Stanford University and Audi has taken an important first step toward its ultimate goal: participating in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The self-driving TTS officially completed a test run – all the way to the 14,110 foot summit – earlier this year, clocking a time of 27 minutes, which is pretty good considering that race officials typically expect a human driver to do it in around 17 minutes.

Audi says that the car used a combination of brand-new software, algorithms and hardware to tackle one of the world’s most challenging hill climbs. The 12.42 mile course is a gauntlet of tarmac and loose gravel that snakes upward with a number of instant switchbacks. According to Audi, the autonomous TTS managed to hit a top speed of 47 mph during one stretch. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: Audi Autonomous TTS Pikes Peak

[Source: Audi]

Autonomous Audi TTS successfully ascends Pikes Peak originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Helicopter crashes on Pikes Peak while filming Audi commercial *UPDATE

Filed under: Etc., Audi, Volkswagen, Specialty

Audi Autonomous TTS Pikes Peak – Click above for high-res image gallery

A helicopter carrying four crew members filming a commercial for Volkswagen/Audi has crashed near the summit of the famed Pikes Peak Highway just west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County. The pilot is reportedly in critical condition, and three passengers are listed as stable.

Due to the location of the crash, a medical helicopter is unable to reach the victims, so crews are attempting to transfer the injured to nearby Crystal Creek Reservoir, which is the closest the medics were able to get. Hazmat crews have reportedly been dispatched to clean up a 150-gallon fuel spill from the crash.

According to KKTV in Southern Colorado, the crew was filming Audi’s driverless car as it navigated to the summit of Pikes Peak. Click past the break for a couple videos of Shelley, Audi’s autonomous TTS, in action. Thanks for the tip, Mason!

*Update: Audi’s official statement on the incident is pasted after the break.

Gallery: Audi Autonomous TTS Pikes Peak

[Source: KKTV Colorado | Photos by jurvetson | CC2.0]

Continue reading Report: Helicopter crashes on Pikes Peak while filming Audi commercial *UPDATE

Report: Helicopter crashes on Pikes Peak while filming Audi commercial *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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