Tag: pixar

Racers from Germany and Spain announced for Pixar’s CARS 2

Filed under: Etc., Toys/Games

Max Schnell in Pixar's CARS 2

Two new characters from Pixar’s CARS 2 – Click above to view all of the new characters

Pixar has released more goodies this week about its upcoming sequel, CARS 2, due to hit theaters in the U.S. on June 24. What we have for you today are the cars representing Germany and Spain in the movie’s championship race, the World Grand Prix.

First up is Max Schnell, who not only represents Deutschland, but also appears to be carrying the torch for all DTM racers in CARS 2. His last name, Schnell, is also a nice touch, being the German word for ‘fast’. He hails from Stuttgart, which is the home of both Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, but we think his design is actually inspired by the Audi A4, hence him wearing the #4. He’s also won more races at the Motorheimring (Pixar-speak for Nürburgring, and also German for Motorhome-ring) than any other car in the World Torque Champion League (Pixar-speak again for World Touring Car Championship).

Miguel Camino in Pixar's CARS 2Next up, representing the country of Spain, is Miguel Camino, who hails from Pamplona. Miguel gained fame in his homeland by participating in the famous Running of the Bulldozers and competing as a toreador in the dozer ring. He now races as car #5 in the Grand Touring Sport circuit. If we had to venture a guess at who Miguel is modeled after, we’d say Spanish F1 champ Fernando Alonso. Why? The shape of his headlights suggest a Ferrari influence, and Spain’s real greatest racer drives for Ferrari in Formula One.

Finally, Pixar has also released some cool retro posters promoting the World Grand Prix in each of the four locations it’s raced. Check them out in the second gallery below, and follow the jump to watch turntable videos of Max Schnell and Miguel Camino.

Gallery: CARS 2 Characters

GremAcerShu TodorokiRaoul ÇaRouleCarla Veloso

Gallery: CARS 2 World Grand Prix retro posters

Continue reading Racers from Germany and Spain announced for Pixar’s CARS 2

Racers from Germany and Spain announced for Pixar’s CARS 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pixar licenses Cars 2 AMC villains for a song thanks to Chrysler bankruptcy

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Chrysler, Celebrities, MISC

Pixar's Cars 2 characters Grem and Acer

Joe Mantegna and Peter Jacobson from Pixar’s CARS 2 – Click above for high-res gallery

Earlier this week, we spent the day at Pixar to get a sneak peak at Cars 2. And before you ask, here’s what you want to know: The sequel is an order of magnitude more awesome than the original and chief creative honcho John Lasseter drives a Mercedes-Benz SL65. So with that out of the way…

While interviewing one of the feature’s principles, we asked about vehicle licensing. When the flick hits theaters June 24, you’ll see “Carified” (their term, not ours) versions of everything from Audi to Opel models, but the villains in the film are made up of what the Pixar team contends are the world’s worst cars. So there’s an assortment of unloved Eastern European metal mixed in with two main antagonists: an AMC Pacer (“Acer” – voiced by Peter Jacobson) and a Gremlin (“Grem” – voiced by Joe Mantegna).

Obviously, it would be a tough sell to go to an automaker and say “We need villains, and your cars are perfect representations for the most loathsome creations on wheels,” but the Pixar people came to AMC’s owners – Chrysler – at precisely the right time.

When Pixar approached the automaker about licensing the names and likenesses of two vehicles for the film, Chrysler was in the throes of bankruptcy, it was divorcing itself of Cerberus, and it wasn’t sure who its next parent would be… if indeed it was to have one at all. Pixar – knowingly or otherwise – took advantage of the situation and managed to snag usage rights to the vehicles for the film just when the automaker was in turmoil and strapped for cash. The results are spectacular, but you’ll have to wait for our full story and the animated feature to come to your local cineplex to find out why.

Gallery: CARS 2

Gallery: CARS 2 Characters

GremAcerShu TodorokiRaoul ÇaRouleCarla Veloso

[Images: Pixar]

Pixar licenses Cars 2 AMC villains for a song thanks to Chrysler bankruptcy originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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