Tag: red

Channel your inner Vettel with the Playseats F1 Red Bull Racing Sim chair

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Technology, Racing

Playseat F1 Red Bull

Everyone knows that driving simulators, no matter how good they are, are just that: simulators. They don’t quite get the experience nailed, and they won’t make you the next Sebastien Vettel. Still, Red Bull and Playseats have teamed up to make your experience that much closer to Vettel’s with the release of this Red Bull racing simulator.

Playseats has nailed the details for this setup, putting the seat in the same location relative to the pedals and steering wheel as in a real Formula 1 car. The best news is that Playseats makes the set up for a variety of systems, meaning you can have one for Forza, Gran Turismo 5 and F1 2010, should you have the funds and the desire.

The funds are the big issue here. Playseats charges $1,300 for the system on sale. Regular price is $1,400, not to mention the cost of a TV to make this worth while. Looks like it’s good, old-fashioned joysticks for us, then.

[Source: CrunchGear]

Channel your inner Vettel with the Playseats F1 Red Bull Racing Sim chair originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infiniti signs on as F1 global sponsor with Red Bull

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising

Infiniti announced today that it is signing on to be a sponsor of Red Bull’s Formula One racing team.

It is the first time that Infiniti is signing on to a global sponsorship of any kind, previously preferring regional tie-ins in sports such as tennis and sailing. But as the Japanese brand looks to expand globally, says global marketing marketing communications chief Simon Sproule, an expanding F1 series looks like a logical partner to the company.

“Infiniti has launched in Europe and is going into Russia, India and China, just as F1 has done, so it’s a good fit for us,” says Sproule.

The association with Red Bull, says Sproule, sprung from Red Bull’s use of Renault engines. Renault and Nissan are global alliance partners, with the French automaker holding a controlling stake in Nissan. CEO Carlos Ghosn is at the top of both automakers. The Renault engines may even be rebranded “Infiniti.” Red Bull, of course, won the championship title in Formula One last year. “It’s also good to be with a winner, of course,” said Sproule.

Infiniti had a good year in the U.S. last year. Sales were up 27% to crest the 103,000 level. But Nissan is looking for Infiniti to be a bigger player in luxury circles worldwide. F1 attracts a good amount of luxury car buyers worldwide, and is catching on in important markets for luxury brands like China and Russia.

Red Bull, says Sproule, has a broad appeal as the biggest energy drink brand in the world. The Austrian beverage company has associated its brand with numerous extreme sports, as well as owning the New York Red Bulls Major League Soccer team. It also has great crossover appeal between rich luxury car buyers, as well as young luxury car aspirers who don’t yet have the incomes to afford big sticker prices.

Continue reading Infiniti signs on as F1 global sponsor with Red Bull

Infiniti signs on as F1 global sponsor with Red Bull originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: How to make a Red Bull RB7 Formula One racecar

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Humor, Racing

red bull rb7 comes to life

How to build a Red Bull RB7 – Click above to watch video after the jump

The Red Bull RB7 Formula One racecar is a screaming, rubber-footed example of why paying attention in math and science class can lead to a fun career. It’s a carbon-fiber and aluminum rocketship propelled by a Renault V8 that’s limited to 18,000 rpm. Designing and building the RB7 is a complicated matter, and the crew at Red Bull has prepared a film that explains the process.

Instead of taking the overly technical route, the Red Bull boys have gone a bit “old-tyme.” Their film manages to be entertaining and interesting, which is usually a hard task to accomplish with something like this. Click past the jump to watch a Red Bull RB7 come to life using the technology of tomorrow… today!

[Source: Red Bull Racing via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: How to make a Red Bull RB7 Formula One racecar

Video: How to make a Red Bull RB7 Formula One racecar originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baltimore issues over 2,000 red light camera tickets with dead officer’s signature

Filed under: Government/Legal

traffic camera

Getting pulled over and ticketed by law enforcement makes for a bad day, and we’re quite certain the feeling is amplified when the citation comes in the mail days after the infraction occurs. There’s no surprise, then, that most drivers can’t stand traffic cams, and in many cases, the ticketed fight the infractions tooth and nail. In the city of Baltimore, MD, there are 2,000 ticketed motorists who may have a solid case.

WBAL-TV 11 reports that a police officer who tragically died in a car accident ‘signed’ those 2,000 tickets months after he passed away. That’s a big problem, because each red light camera citation is supposed to be reviewed by an officer of the law before getting sent out. City officials claim that the residents received the wrong notice, and that the tickets were in fact properly reviewed before being issued. We’re guessing that those ticketed won’t buy that explanation and the courts in Baltimore will be quite busy for the next few months. Head over to WBAL TV to view the report.

[Source: WBAL TV]

Baltimore issues over 2,000 red light camera tickets with dead officer’s signature originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Second Camaro Super Bowl commercial features blondes, red heads and brunettes

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Chevrolet

Chevrolet Camaro Super Bowl Ad

Chevrolet Camaro Super Bowl Ad – Click above to watch the video after the jump

A long-standing favorite past-time of beer-drinking buddies everywhere is coming up with absurd movie and commercial plots. With the unfortunate exception of The Love Guru, none of these ill-conceived scripts have ever made it past the six pack and into the harsh, unforgiving light of reality. That is, until now. General Motors has just dropped the longest of its Super Bowl commercials for the Chevrolet Camaro, and thanks to the hilarious navigation and off-the-wall sequence of events, the clip is an absolute winner. The one-minute commercial covers nearly all of the bases without breaking a sweat.

There are beautiful women blasting through the open desert, hay bales, helicopter chases, mirrors and death-defying feats. In fact, this ad is one explosion away from being the next Michael Bay Transformers flick. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Hit the jump to check out the full-length spot for yourself, and keep an eye out on Super Bowl Sunday for the real deal.

[Source: Camaro5]

Continue reading Video: Second Camaro Super Bowl commercial features blondes, red heads and brunettes

Video: Second Camaro Super Bowl commercial features blondes, red heads and brunettes originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Bull and Toro Rosso launch 2011 F1 cars trackside at Valencia

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

2011 Red Bull RB7

2011 Red Bull RB7 – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you had told us 20 years ago that a beverage brand would be dominating Formula One, we’d wonder what negative side effects said energy drink might be having on your grasp of reality. But after title-sponsoring the Sauber team as early as 1995, Red Bull surprised everyone by buying not one, but two F1 teams: Jaguar Racing (née Stewart Grand Prix) and Minardi. But five and six years, respectively, since the Austrian company took over the two struggling teams, Red Bull can now lay claim to both titles in the Formula One World Championship.

The premier Red Bull Racing team will have a real job on its hands to fend off the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren (to say nothing of the other dozen challengers, including its own B-squad) in defending its titles this season, and this is the car with which they hope to do it.

Designed by Adrian Newey, the RB7 is, as you might have guessed, the seventh Red Bull grand prix car. It carries the same Renault engine as last year (also used by both Lotus teams), with its own proprietary gearbox mated to the KERS regenerative braking system. And of course, as defending champions, the car has the honor of wearing numbers 1 and 2 for returning pilots Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, respectively. Last season, the duo claimed pole 15 out of 19 races and went on to win nine grands prix to take the championship.

Along with it, Red Bull’s sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso also unveiled its new STR6 at Valencia – where Vettel incidentally took the top slot on the time sheets for the first practice session of the season. The second car developed in-house at STR headquarters in Faenza will be driven once again by Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari under Ferrari power, and bears the same high nose design employed by most of the new designs this season. With the new car, Toro Rosso hopes to improve on the 9th place constructors’ finish from last season that placed them just ahead of the newcomers as the worst-performing returning team on the grid. In the process, STR will undoubtedly be aiming to catch up with the sixth place they seized in 2008 after Vettel captured the team’s only victory – and only podium, for that matter.

Scope out the two new taurine-fueled racers in the pair of high-resolution image galleries below and the press releases after the jump, and watch this space for more as rival teams incrementally unveil their new challengers as well.

Gallery: 2011 Red Bull RB7

Gallery: 2011 Scuderia Toro Rosso STR6

[Sources: Red Bull Racing, Scudreria Toro Rosso]

Continue reading Red Bull and Toro Rosso launch 2011 F1 cars trackside at Valencia

Red Bull and Toro Rosso launch 2011 F1 cars trackside at Valencia originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog chats with Red Bull Junior Team member Jean-Eric Vergne

Formula 1 racing fans should be well familiar with the Red Bull Junior Team by now. Created just ten years ago, the names that have passed through it include Christian Klien, Scott Speed, Sebastien Buemi, Jaime Alguersuari, and Vitantonio Liuzzi. Klien was the first alumnus to get to F1, three years after the program began, and Sebastian Vettel was the first graduate to win a Grand Prix, in 2008, and the F1 title, last year.

There are four racers in the 2011 Red Bull Junior team, including Daniil Kvyat, rally scion Carlos Sainz, Jr. and Daniel Ricciardo, who topped the recent young drivers F1 test at Abu Dhabi. It also contains British F3 champion Jean-Eric Vergne, the first Frenchman ever to take the series.

Red Bulletin, Red Bull’s magazine, did a profile on Vergne in this month’s issue, then put us in touch with him so we could ask seven questions. For a pilot who looks like he’s on his way to The Show very soon, our first one was: What’s it like? Follow the jump for his answers.

Gallery: AB chats with Red Bull Junior Team’s Jean-Eric Vergne

Continue reading Autoblog chats with Red Bull Junior Team member Jean-Eric Vergne

Autoblog chats with Red Bull Junior Team member Jean-Eric Vergne originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Plato v. Coulthard in Red Bull’s driving sim

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos, Toys/Games, Racing

Red Bull F1 Simulator

Jason Plato vs David Coulthard in the Red Bull F1 simulator – Click above to watch video after the jump

The Race-Star ConverTTable is cool and all, but compared to Red Bull’s F1 racing simulator it’s just a toy. Jumping behind the Red Bull sim’s wheel are David Coulthard, whose Formula 1 resume boasts 247 starts and 13 wins, and Fifth Gear’s Jason Plato, himself a two-time British Touring Car champion. You’d expect DC to mop the floor with Plato, considering that BTTC cars are a long way from the open-wheel racers of F1. So, what happens? Hop the jump to check out the clip.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Plato v. Coulthard in Red Bull’s driving sim

Video: Plato v. Coulthard in Red Bull’s driving sim originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 18:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Bull reportedly cutting employees fat bonus checks for winning world championships

Filed under: Motorsports, Earnings/Financials

Winning the Formula One World Championship may be motivation enough. But as an added reward, Red Bull chief Dietrich Mateschitz is reportedly giving each of his employees at Red Bull Racing a big fat bonus for having taken home both titles this year.

According to reports, each of the 500+ staff members at the team’s headquarters in Milton Keynes, England, will receive at least £10,000 (~$16k), but that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Some senior staff members stand to rake in up to £42k ($67k), while Sebastian Vettel – the driver who took home the top prize – is expected to get €3 million, equivalent to over $4 million in American terms.

With Mateschitz many times over a billionaire and the team waiting for nearly $100 million in purse winnings for the titles, the team can easily afford the bonuses, and are certainly most deserving.

[Source: PistonHeads | Image: Vladimir Rys/Getty]

Red Bull reportedly cutting employees fat bonus checks for winning world championships originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SSC Ultimate Aero II: Red, white and blue Bugatti killer

SSC Ultimate Aero II – Watch the “unveiling” teaser video after the jump

Shelby Supercars’ Ultimate Aero TT used to be the fastest production car in the world, its 256-mph record speed eclipsing even the mighty Bugatti Veyron. Then, as of a few weeks ago, Bugatti got its act together and topped SSC’s number with the new Veyron Super Sport – to the tune of 267.81 mph.

In August at Monterey, the Ultimate Aero successor, the Ultimate Aero II – penned by new Saab design chief Jason Castriota (he of Bertone Mantide / Ferrari P4/5 fame) – was unveiled in a private ceremony captured on YouTube. It was all a tease; the car was never actually shown in the “unveiling” video, only the attendees’ reaction to it. Suffice it to say, the car was well-received.

And now we know why. Jalopnik has secured a pair of leaked images slated to appear in Top Gear magazine in conjunction with the car’s official launch next week. As you can see, Castriota’s influence is plainly visible in the Ultimate Aero II’s detailing. It’s got an edgier, more assertive appearance than its predecessor, and we can only assume that it has the power to back up its menacing new looks. We can’t wait to get the scoop on September 8 when SSC releases full details.

In the meantime, head over to Jalopnik to see the second leaked photo and follow the jump to watch the teaser video filmed at the Ultimate Aero II’s private Monterey unveiling.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Continue reading SSC Ultimate Aero II: Red, white and blue Bugatti killer

SSC Ultimate Aero II: Red, white and blue Bugatti killer originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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