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Video: Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee season 2 opens with Sarah Silverman and Jag E-Type

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Performance, Videos, Jaguar, Celebrities, Humor

Season Two of Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee kicked this week in style. How much more style is there to be had than in a 1969 Jaguar XKE, after all? This time around, Seinfeld and Sarah Silverman spend some time driving around in the “slinky, sexy” Jag, talking comedy and then grabbing breakfast.

In addition to the kickoff of the show’s second season, this episode also represents the start of a 24-episode sponsorship with Acura. The original deal promised short ads at the beginning and end of each episode, but this time around, Seinfeld “stumbles upon” a 2014 Acura RLX, which is obviously – and admittedly – the work of product integration. Scroll down to watch Seinfeld and Silverman exchange banter with the Jag’s beauty as a happy backdrop.

Continue reading Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee season 2 opens with Sarah Silverman and Jag E-Type

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee season 2 opens with Sarah Silverman and Jag E-Type originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Jun 2013 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Robert Kubica not expected to return to F1 before season’s end

Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus, Renault

Robert Kubica

If you’ve been counting down the days until Robert Kubica returns to the Formula One grid, you may want to stop counting for now. The latest reports suggest that the Polish driver is not likely to return before the end of the season, if at all.

Kubica, for those who may not recall, suffered a terrible accident during the off-season while contesting a rally in Italy some four months ago. His car was impaled by a dislodged guardrail and Kubica sustained extensive injuries to his right-side limbs. Now released from hospital and recovering at home, Kubica’s boss – Lotus Renault GP chief Gerard Lopez – reportedly says it is not likely the star driver will be back by season’s end.

Renault may give Kubica the opportunity to test drive during a Friday test session on a grand prix weekend at some point, but that should not, Lopez warns, indicate that he’d be ready to relieve Nick Heidfeld and take on a full race. Whether Kubica ever gets back into racing form remains to be seen – his doctors are reserving judgment until the summer – but we wish him the best for a suitably speedy recovery.

Robert Kubica not expected to return to F1 before season’s end originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 May 2011 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Formula Drift kicks off the 2011 season in Long Beach

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

2011 Formula Drift Streets of Long Beach

2011 Formula Drift Streets of Long Beach – Click above for high-res image gallery

A handful of well-known drivers and manufacturer-sponsored cars typically dominate the Formula Drift circuit – Foust, Gittin, Hubinette and Millen. At the opening event in Long Beach this past weekend, though, the big names were noticeably absent from the podium.

Perennial contender Tanner Foust retired from the sport last season to focus on his rally and television careers, Sam Hubinette couldn’t manage to get his new Dodge Challenger to the starting line, and last year’s champion, Vaughn Gittin Jr., failed to qualify for Saturday’s knockout round. Rhys Millen in his newly painted Hyundai Genesis Coupe only managed to make it into the quarter finals.

The eventual podium featured first time winner Justin Pawlak, who drove to victory in Gittin’s hand-me-down Mustang, Matt Powers, another newbie to the podium, and Daijiro Yoshihara, who finished fourth last season. You can read more about the event in the press release after the jump or browse through our photos from the event in the high-res gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Formula Drift Streets of Long Beach

Continue reading Formula Drift kicks off the 2011 season in Long Beach

Formula Drift kicks off the 2011 season in Long Beach originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Avensis touring car debuts ahead of BTCC season opener

Filed under: Sedan, Toyota, UK, Racing

Toyota Avensis BTCC

Toyota Avensis BTCC – Click above for high-res image gallery

Touring car racing is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance as of late. DTM is growing from a German national series to a proper international championship, while the World Touring Car Championship is living up to its name by expanding outside Europe. V8 Supercars are as popular as ever Down Under, just as Super GT is in Japan. But arguably the most resurgent is the British Touring Car Championship.

Title-sponsored by Dunlop, this year’s BTCC will feature no fewer than 27 competitors – and all-time high for the series – fielding 13 different models from 10 manufacturers, representing Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Proton, Seat, Toyota, Vauxhall and Volkswagen. That could very well be higher and more varied participation than any other major racing series in the world.

When the BTCC launched its Next Generation Touring Car formula, it was Toyota’s British subsidiary that kicked it off with the new Avensis racer, which has finally made its public debut at Silverstone – a little behind schedule, but still a week before the series gets under way at Brands Hatch. The car will be campaigned by Dynojet Racing and Speedworks, with Frank Wrathall, Jr. and Tony Hughes behind the wheel of each, respectively. The cars are built atop frames rolling right off the assembly line at Toyota’s Burnaston plant, and powered by a turbochagred 2.0-liter four with over 300 horsepower. Check out the full press blast after the jump for more.

Gallery: Toyota Avensis BTCC

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota Avensis touring car debuts ahead of BTCC season opener

Toyota Avensis touring car debuts ahead of BTCC season opener originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Subaru’s reborn rally team beaten by privateer at season-opening Sno*Drift [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Performance, Videos, Hatchback, Subaru, Racing

Sno Drift Rally

Sno Drift Rally – Click above to watch the video after the jump

After losing both Ken Block and Travis Pastrana last year, Subaru’s American rally efforts are undergoing a bit of rebuilding. The factory-backed Pleiades team took to the stages for the first time this season at Sno*Drift 2011 in Atlanta, Michigan, and despite a solid effort, driver Dave Mirra found himself three minutes and 53.1 seconds behind the father and son team of Travis and Terry Hanson in their 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. Their win made United States rallying history as the duo became the first Super Production class effort to win a National Rally America event.

Day one saw Sno*Drift favorites Antoine L’Estage and David Higgins both forced to retire, leaving the Hanson duo to widen the gap between themselves and their closest competitors. Mirra, meanwhile, was handicapped by a tire puncture that saw the factory Subaru team fall all the way to fifth place before clawing its way back to take the silver.

The Hanson team was joined on the podium by Joseph Burke, another Super Production class contender. Burke was last year’s Rookie of the Year, and managed to give Mirra a solid fight for second place despite limited experience on snow and ice. Hit the jump for an excellent recap video.

[Source: Rally-America]

Continue reading Subaru’s reborn rally team beaten by privateer at season-opening Sno*Drift [w/video]

Subaru’s reborn rally team beaten by privateer at season-opening Sno*Drift [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari opens hunting season with the new F150

Filed under: Motorsports, Ferrari, Racing

2011 Ferrari F150

2011 Scuderia Ferrari F150 – Click above for high-res image gallery

With the first of four preseason tests scheduled at the Spain’s Valencia circuit this week, Scuderia Ferrari became the first team to unveil its 2011 Formula One World Championship challenger. Over two million fans signed on to the team’s website to watch its debut before the new monoposto took to Fiorano for a promotional run.

That the car bears the name F150 is no dig against the best-selling pickup truck from Ford (though the histories of the two companies are riddled with enough cutthroat competition). It’s a celebration of a century and a half of Italian unification. The back of the rear spoiler carries the Italian flag, and the Scuderia also devised a new logo that features prominently on the engine cover where the banned Marlboro logo once stood.

Livery tweaks aside, the Ferrari F150 reflects a number of changes to the formula for 2011. A new hydraulically-actuated rear wing is in place, the air intakes are smaller, and KERS is back. Ferrari opted to place its kinetic energy recovery system – co-developed with MTS and Magneti Marelli – inside the redesigned fuel cell, and with the engine freeze still in place, its installation represents the only substantial change to the drivetrain.

The only other major update is the switch from Bridgestone to Pirelli tires, which the entire grid makes this year. Tire calibration will be crucial for all teams during the Valencia test and the three more scheduled to follow before the march 13 season kickoff in Bahrain. When it does, Ferrari hopes the new F150 will help them put last year’s blunders behind them in what’s shaping up to be an even more exciting campaign than last year’s championship, which went down as the most competitive season in F1 history.

Both the Lotus-Renault teams as well as Sauber are scheduled to unveil their cars on Monday, January 31, followed by Mercedes GP, Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Williams on Tuesday, February 1. McLaren shows its 2011 car on February 4, and Virgin on the 7th. Force India and HRT have yet to confirm when their cars will be revealed. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest, and check out the of the Ferrari F150 in the high-resolution image gallery below and the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Scuderia Ferrari F150

[Source: Ferrari]

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Ferrari opens hunting season with the new F150 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford releases new Fiesta RS WRC in full livery ahead of season debut

2011 Ford Fiesta RS WRC – Click above for high-res image gallery

The World Rally Championship is downsizing. Not in the number of teams participating – that’s actually expected to increase – but in the size of its cars. While Formula One is set to switch to turbo fours, the WRC is switching to smaller cars, similar to the Super 2000 formula. And so, in-line with the new regulations, Ford is switching from a Focus-based rally challenger to the new Fiesta.

The WRC-spec Fiesta RS was revealed in tentative, showgoing livery back in Paris, but the team has now unveiled the car in the full competition livery in which it will take on the world’s most challenging rally stages. Similar to the livery featured on the outgoing Focus, the new Fiesta RS WRC is dominated by the logos of title sponsor Abu Dhabi – which takes over from BP – and secondary sponsor Castrol’s Edge range of motor oils.

Full specifications have still yet to be released, so we’ll have to wait until early February before the new Fiesta RS WRC hits the season-starting Rally Sweden from Feb 10-13. Details in the press release after the jump with high-resolution images of the liveried rally machine in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Fiesta RS WRC

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford releases new Fiesta RS WRC in full livery ahead of season debut

Ford releases new Fiesta RS WRC in full livery ahead of season debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Gear UK opens new season with drive-by Stig shooting session

Filed under: Celebrities

Stig

If we didn’t know any better, we’d think there was still some bad blood between Ben Collins and the hosts of Top Gear. Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond all took a few pot shots at cardboard cutouts of the Stig during this week’s episode while trying their respective hands at the art of drive-by shooting. According to The First Post, Captain Slow was the initial one to bust a few caps with a handgun from the passenger side of a Ferrari, followed by Hammond gunning from a Porsche. Not to be outdone, Clarkson took on his target with an automatic rifle from the window of a Mercedes-Benz.

Collins infamously riled both the producers and the hosts of Top Gear by publishing a memoir of his time as the Stig called The Man in the White Suit. With the mystery of the Stig’s identity dissipated, Collins was canned from the show. He quickly found work with the rival gang over at Fifth Gear, but Top Gear has yet to replace its tame racing driver. Still, there is some word that the show has found a new driver and its only a matter of time before he shows his ~~face~~ helmet. Thanks for the tip, Gooner!

[Source: The First Post]

Top Gear UK opens new season with drive-by Stig shooting session originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: ‘Tis the season for pumpkin vs. airbag

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor

Pumpkin vs Airbag

Airbag: 1, Pumpkin: 0 – Click above to watch video after the jump

There are plenty of reasons to love Fall. Perfect driving weather, turning leaves, a host of excellent holidays and, of course, pumpkin carving all help to make the passing of Summer all the less painful. But what happens when you get bored with cutting scary faces into unsuspecting gourds? What then? With a little engineering ingenuity and sense of reckless abandon, you could always subject your pumpkins to the destructive force of, say, an airbag from a 1995 Ford Escort.

Hey, some people juggle geese.

Between the rapid expansion of gasses into a synthetic bag and the always hilarious popping properties of pumpkins, you’re all but guaranteed instant YouTube success. Just remember not to try this kind of shenanigans at home. Or, if you do decide to make your own airbag vs. pumpkin video, don’t tell the authorities where you got the idea. Deal? Hit the jump to check a duo of pumpkin popping videos. Thanks for the tip, Coop!

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: ‘Tis the season for pumpkin vs. airbag

Video: ‘Tis the season for pumpkin vs. airbag originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar: Sparks fly as thrilling Indy 300 closes season [SPOILERS]

Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Racing

2010 Cafes do Brasil Indy 300 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Heading into the final race of the 2010 IRL IZOD IndyCar Series Championship, early championship leader Will Power clung to a 12-point lead over the fast-closing Dario Franchitti. The two drivers had each been strong on ovals or road courses, but not both. Franchitti was crowned the oval champ, earning the A.J. Foyt trophy, while Power had won the road race crown, picking up the Mario Andretti trophy. Power had shown a level of dominance through the mid-season road and street races that made his title lead look insurmountable. But Franchitti racked up more points in the latest oval races as Power struggled to get good results.

That brought the title fight down to the last race of the season at the Miami-Homestead oval: The Cafes do Brasil Indy 300. Follow the jump to see who took the 2010 IndyCar Championship and how it came to be.

Gallery: IndyCar: 2010 Cafes do Brasil Indy 300

[Images: Chris Graythen, Nick Laham/Getty | Alan Diaz, Terry Renna/AP]

Continue reading IndyCar: Sparks fly as thrilling Indy 300 closes season [SPOILERS]

IndyCar: Sparks fly as thrilling Indy 300 closes season [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Oct 2010 10:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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