Tag: video

Video: Automotive tumblehome explained

Filed under: Videos, Design/Style

Automotive Tumblehome Video

If you’ve ever been in the midst of reading some description of new car design, and had to stop to find the “Tumblehome” page on Wikipedia, we don’t blame you. The term (like so many) is a carryover from the nautical world and ship building, and is used to describe the inward slant of a vehicle’s greenhouse.

Starting with the salty origins of the folksy sounding piece of design jargon, Autoline Detroit‘s Jim Hall takes on a journey from past to future, explaining how the shape of a car’s tumblehome has evolved throughout the years.

Close that dusty old dictionary and scroll down below to follow along with Mr. Hall and the rest of the class.

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Automotive tumblehome explained originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: How that awesome Mustang R/C car chase vid was made

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., Videos, Ford, Toys/Games

Mustang RC car chase video behind the scenes

We’ve reported on a few R/C car chase videos in the past. One in particular that stands out as a favorite is Zach King’s “The Cliché RC Action Chase.” It featured a pair of Ford Mustang coupes racing through a cardboard city, plowing into outdoor patios and busting through construction zones. It was wonderfully creative and fun to watch, yet we know there was more to its creation than a bunch of guys fooling around with a camera one afternoon.

Turns out we were right, as evidenced by this video produced by Ford that takes us behind the scenes of Zach’s creation. The young filmmaker explains why he chose the Mustang to star in his video, as well as how the cardboard sets were created, what equipment they used for shooting and what it was like when his video went viral. Ford found the young filmmaker and produced the followup as part of its Mustang Countdown video series, which will see a new video about the Mustang culture released every week until the original muscle car’s anniversary on April 17, 2014.

Want to make an RC chase video of your own? Yeah, we do too. Watch the behind-the-scenes video below (you can refresh yourself on the mini feature film, too) before you get started.

Continue reading How that awesome Mustang R/C car chase vid was made

How that awesome Mustang R/C car chase vid was made originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: 2014 Fiat 500L now comes with a complimentary Italian family

Filed under: Budget, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Humor, Fiat

2014 Fiat 500L

Fiat’s marketing machine has invaded Funny or Die, and the resulting web commercial is both entertaining and weird. Watch one couple buy the “most stylish” and “roomiest” car they’ve ever had, thinking they’d be able to transport golf bags and art supplies (and 32 basketballs?) only to have the roomy-for-a-Cinquecento back seat filled with a complimentary Italian family. In real life, we can’t see this being a good thing; not only do they take up space, but their added weight most certainly would hurt gas mileage and performance.

But in commercial land, it comes off as funny, and Fiat does prove that the 2014 500L is roomy enough for five people (including the driver), if not golf bags, art supplies and 32 basketballs. Scroll down to watch amusing Internet short below.

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2014 Fiat 500L now comes with a complimentary Italian family originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Aug 2013 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Gymkhana video team produces insane off-road flick using Polaris UTV

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Specialty, Off-Road

Gymkhana video team makes flick of Polaris UTV tearing it up at an abandoned iron mine.

The video team responsible for Ken Block’s first three Gymkhana videos is at it again, but this time, the action has been taken further off-road with a highly modified 2014 RZR XP1000, the new top-of-the-line Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) from Polaris. The video by Mad Media was published today as part of a campaign timed to follow last week’s release of Polaris’ newest offering.

The $20,000 recreational vehicles (Mad Media uses two XP1000s for the shoot), which started off with 107-horsepower 999.6cc two-cylinder engines before modifications, received suspension, engine and drivetrain upgrades before off-road truck racer and UTV champion RJ Anderson pitched them through some truly punishing terrain in an abandoned iron mine in Southern California’s desert.

The stunts are insane, and we’re impressed by the little UTV’s capabilities, but to our eyes, the video lacks the finesse and progression of the first three Ken Block Gymkhana videos. The single-pitch drone of the UTV’s engine doesn’t help, either. Watch as much off-road action as you want in the 10+ minute video below.

Continue reading Gymkhana video team produces insane off-road flick using Polaris UTV

Gymkhana video team produces insane off-road flick using Polaris UTV originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Aug 2013 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Rare Isdera Imperator 108i flexes its considerable muscles

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Racing

Isdera Imperator 108i

The Isdera Imperator 108i is a remarkably rare supercar from the late 80s and early 90s. Born of a Mercedes-Benz concept car, it’s powered by a range of AMG-developed V8s, with five to six liters of displacement, depending on the engine. The example shown here, lapping the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit, features the most potent 6.0-liter V8 available. And rather than just being driven about on a perfectly clean racing line, it’s freaking power sliding!

Yes, there’s something eternally childlike about a wedge-shaped supercar from our formative years being flung about a Belgian racetrack. Adding to the appeal is the Imperator’s stumpy, periscopic rear mirror, sticking out of the roof. Even after being out of production for 20 years, this is still a wild, wild car and we’d happily snap up the opportunity pilot one of the 36 Isderas that were built. Take a look below for the full video from Spa.

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Rare Isdera Imperator 108i flexes its considerable muscles originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Aug 2013 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Take a peek inside Tim Allen’s garage

Filed under: Classics, Videos, Celebrities

GQ in Tim Allen's Garage

Jay Leno might be the celebrity that’s known for an impressive car collection, but there’s no shortage of big names stars that enjoy picking up new rides. Tim Allen, star of Home Improvement, Toy Story, and Galaxy Quest is one of those celebs. Being a Detroiter, Allen’s collection of muscle cars shouldn’t be a huge surprise. However, it’s the generally eclectic feel of his collection that makes it interesting.

GQ took a video camera inside Allen’s Los Angeles garage, where he keeps a spate of muscle cars, along with some truly rare finds and a few one-off deals. The video includes an interesting anecdote about his Ford RS200, along with closer looks at a Shelby Cobra 289, a 1950 Cadillac, and the same 1933 Ford that was rebuilt on-air during Home Improvement‘s run.

We’ve got the full video below, so be sure to swing down and check it out.

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Take a peek inside Tim Allen’s garage originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Aug 2013 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Volvo C30 Polestar Concept hits the ‘Ring

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Videos, Hatchback, Volvo, Luxury

Scandinavian Touring Car Championship driver Robert Dahlgren drives C30 Polestar concept on the Nurburgring.

It’s been over three years since the Volvo C30 Polestar Concept was unveiled, driven by journalists and, as it turns out, lapped around the Nürburgring with Scandinavian Touring Car Championship driver Robert Dahlgren behind the wheel. For whatever reason, the video of the ‘Ring track session was only published by the tuning company yesterday. (Another discrepancy: Did Polestar’s C30 lose 46 horsepower somewhere along the line? Because the video states that it has 405 hp, while the company’s website quotes 451 hp…)

Whatever the case, the tuned Volvo is a beast, much more so than the similar-looking, 250-hp 2013 Volvo C30 Polestar Limited Edition that was sold last year. With 451 hp (sounds better than 405 hp, doesn’t it?), all-wheel drive, limited-slip differentials front and rear and Öhlins dampers, the Polestar Concept checks all of the right boxes for us.

For some reason, the video, which you can watch below, seems a bit vanilla to us. Perhaps the overly dramatic music takes away from the action and the beautiful sounds of the turbocharged five-cylinder engine?

Continue reading Volvo C30 Polestar Concept hits the ‘Ring

Volvo C30 Polestar Concept hits the ‘Ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Aug 2013 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: McLaren takes P1 up the hill at Goodwood with contest winner in tow

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Toys/Games, McLaren

McLaren P1 on the Goodwood Festival of Speed course for the Forza McLaren Ride

Andrew Freeman is proof that video games will take you places. That’s not really news, we suppose, considering the success of Nissan and the GT Academy, which takes talented gamers and turns them into full-blooded racecar drivers. Freeman’s case is a bit different, though, as it was more deduction than a blistering lap that got him a seat in a McLaren P1.

Freeman won his spot by taking part in the Forza McLaren Ride, a Facebook contest where he had to watch the trailer for Forza Motorsport 5, then use a map of the circuit shown in the video and figure out where the starting grid was at. The person closest would win a free trip to the Goodwood Festival of Speed and would be the first person from outside the McLaren organization to ride in a P1, with McLaren’s head test driver, Chris Goodwin, at the wheel. And to top it off, they’d be tackling the Earl of March’s driveway.

Take a full look at the video of Freeman and his trip below.

Continue reading McLaren takes P1 up the hill at Goodwood with contest winner in tow

McLaren takes P1 up the hill at Goodwood with contest winner in tow originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Aug 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Kia Hotbots come back out to play with 2014 Forte

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Kia

Kia Hotbot ad

Kia is bringing back its so-called “hotbots,” the slightly disturbing female robots that traipse about the uncanny valley while hustling the new Forte and “respecting the tech,” for three new, humorous animated spots.

The Hotbots first debuted during Kia’s latest Super Bowl spot, which followed the debut of the 2014 Forte sedan at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. Each new spot follows the premise of the two originals, with the hotbots protecting the Forte while the oblivious owner stands by. Take a look at all three ads below, along with the two originals that kicked the series off.

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Kia Hotbots come back out to play with 2014 Forte originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 04 Aug 2013 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Watch an Acura NSX prototype lap the track at Mid-Ohio

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Videos, Acura

Acura NSX prototype at Mid-Ohio

As promised, Acura trotted its NSX prototype out to the mass of waiting fans ahead of today’s Honda Indy 200 IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio. The hybrid supercar took to the track for a fast lap, and Acura was kind enough to attach a score of cameras to the car in order to share the event with the rest of the world.

The blue-wrapped NSX looks pretty darn good on a race track, if we do say so ourselves, and its V6 engine, coupled with its three electric motors and lithium-ion battery pack, sounds awfully sweet at full song. The automaker is promising to release its new NSX in 2015, which is still quite a ways away, so we don’t expect this exhibition lap to be the last time we see a prototype in action ahead of a production debut.

Want to see the video? Of course you do. Scroll down to see the NSX take to the track like a fish takes to water.

Continue reading Watch an Acura NSX prototype lap the track at Mid-Ohio

Watch an Acura NSX prototype lap the track at Mid-Ohio originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 04 Aug 2013 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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