tackles Archives | AutoDepot

Spy Shots: Ford Fiesta ST tackles the ‘Ring

Filed under: Spy Photos, Hatchback, Ford

Ford Fiesta ST spy shots

Ford Fiesta ST spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford’s tiny-tough Fiesta ST is getting closer to production, and our spies recently captured this revised prototype being put through its paces out on the Nürburgring. This latest tester clearly sports a huge grille opening with a visible intercooler, large wheels and a revised rear exhaust.

The Fiesta ST will be powered by Ford’s 1.6-liter EcoBoost inline-four, with an expected 180 horsepower running to those front wheels. We don’t doubt that the boosted Fiesta will be a pretty slick little hot hatch, and we’ll have the full details when the car makes its official debut later this year. In the meantime, click through our high-res image gallery to see the three-door test mule running ’round the ‘Ring.

Ford Fiesta ST tackles the ‘Ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 May 2011 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Spy Shots: Ford Fiesta ST tackles the ‘Ring”

100-year-old NASCAR fan tackles the track, lives to see 101

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos

rachel gilbert toyota camry new hampshire motor speedway

100-year-old NASCAR fan drives NHMS – Click above to watch the video after the jump

We’re not the biggest NASCAR fans in the world, but we can’t think of a much better way to celebrate a 100th birthday than with a few laps around New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Rachel Gilbert, a NASCAR follower since the 1960s, took five live laps around the speedway in a Toyota Camry pace car. Ms. Gilbert, we salute you.

The great grandmother of nine never passed 50 miles per hour, but she seemed pretty darn pleased with her shot at NASCAR glory. The good people at the speedway also gave Gilbert VIP tickets to the July Spring Cup and a shirt signed by Carl Edwards. Hit the jump to watch video of Gilbert as she cruises around NHMS.

[Source: The Daily What]

Continue reading 100-year-old NASCAR fan tackles the track, lives to see 101

100-year-old NASCAR fan tackles the track, lives to see 101 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “100-year-old NASCAR fan tackles the track, lives to see 101”

Blind man tackles the road course at Daytona on his own

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Technology, Ford

Mark Riccobono's blind lap of Daytona

Mark Riccobono’s blind lap of Daytona – Click above for high-res image gallery

Another year, another Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona champion. Something interesting happened before the prototypes took to the track, though, when a Ford Escape Hybrid took on the 1.5-mile road course. The driver, Mark Anthony Riccobono, didn’t break any speed records… but he did successfully maneuver the Escape without the help of a very crucial driving aid – vision.

Riccobono is blind, and with the help of non-visual technology, he completed the Daytona road course. Beyond simply making lefts and rights, Riccobono also had to avoid a variety of obstacles. Some were stationary while others were thrown randomly from the back of a van. Riccobono avoided them all, and then he passed the van before crossing the finish line.

The event marks the first time a blind person has driven a vehicle around a course without the aid of a sighted person. It was a major milestone for the Blind Driver Challenge, which aims to improve blind-interface technology. Check out the press release after the break.

Gallery: Mark Anthony Riccobono’s blind lap of Daytona

Mark Anthony Riccobono's blind lap of Daytona

[Source: National Federation of the Blind | Images: Terry Renna and John Raoux/AP]

Continue reading Blind man tackles the road course at Daytona on his own

Blind man tackles the road course at Daytona on his own originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Blind man tackles the road course at Daytona on his own”

Video: Ezra Dyer tackles the Spectre 341 Challenge in a Porsche 911 Turbo

Filed under: Coupe, Videos, Porsche

Click above to view the video after the jump

We didn’t make it out to this year’s Spectre 341 Challenge as time just wasn’t on our side. Fortunately, we can live vicariously through a few of the participants, including Automobile scribe Ezra Dyer.

If you’re not familiar with the event, it has roots dating back to the early seventies, when then-president of the Ferrari Owners Club of Southern California, Hans Tanner, organized a hill climb up Nevada Highway 341.

In the years since, the event has waxed and waned, but the purpose has remained the same: run up the 5.2-mile hill, tackle over 20 turns and scrape just north of 6,200 feet in a time of 3:41 – or less. Can Dyer do it in a Porsche 911 Turbo? Make the jump to find out and read more about the event here.

Continue reading Video: Ezra Dyer tackles the Spectre 341 Challenge in a Porsche 911 Turbo

Video: Ezra Dyer tackles the Spectre 341 Challenge in a Porsche 911 Turbo originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: Ezra Dyer tackles the Spectre 341 Challenge in a Porsche 911 Turbo”