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Mazda 787B restored, returning to Le Mans for 20th anniversary of win

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Mazda

Mazda 787B restored and returning to Le Mans

Mazda 787B restored and returning to Le Mans – Click above for high-res image gallery

In 1991, Mazda became the first and to this day only Japanese automaker to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans using the 787B you see above. It was also the first and only rotary-powered car to ever win the grueling French endurance race.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of that Le Mans win, and to celebrate that victory, Mazda has restored the original winning 787B and been invited by the event organizers to drive it on the Circuit de la Sarth just a few hours before this year’s 79th running of the race.

The 787B is powered by a four-rotor rotary engine producing 700 horsepower, though it was said to be capable of a maximum power output of 900 hp. Even after 20 years, it could probably keep up with today’s crop of Le Mans prototype cars.

We don’t know yet who will be driving the 787B on June 11, but the man who drove the car across the finish line 20 years earlier, Johnny Herbert, will be on hand, and we’re sure he’d be happy to help out if asked.

Check out the amazing gallery of the Mazda team testing the 787B after its recent restoration, and follow the jump for two amazing audio clips of its engine.

Continue reading Mazda 787B restored, returning to Le Mans for 20th anniversary of win

Mazda 787B restored, returning to Le Mans for 20th anniversary of win originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Win a copy of the Corvette Bible signed by author Mike Yager

Filed under: Etc., Chevrolet

Mike Yager, author of Corvette Bible

It’s often said that you’ll be happy if you find a way to do something you love. Mike Yager took that saying to heart. In 1970, at the age of 20, Yager went out and bought his first Corvette, a 1967 convertible. Four years later, Yager borrowed $500 to start up a small business selling parts manuals and accessories from the back of a car. That business, along with Yager’s reputation, grew strong in the Corvette community. In 1976, Mike Yager made a life-changing move to turn this into his full-time job, and Mid America Motorworks was born.

Thirty-seven years after he borrowed those Benjamins, Yager has turned Mid America Motorworks into a company that ships over four million catalogs per year. And his collection of Corvettes has grown exponentially since he bought that ’67 drop-top. Some standouts include CERV-1, XP-819 and a 1968 Le Mans Corvette that’s painted Ferrari red and wears the prancing stallion on its front fenders.

It’s not just Corvettes, however, as Yager also has a soft spot for old Volkswagens. He celebrates both makes at his annual Funfest events, one for VWs and one for the Corvette. The Funfest weekend has grown since the very first one took place back in 1994. In 2010, Mid America’s 180+ acre Effingham, Illinois facility played host to over 17,000 cars and more than 45,000 people.

The man’s knowledge of Corvettes is also freakishly extensive. Yager has applied it into a book called the Corvette Bible. In it, Yager delves into the details of every Corvette model produced since the first 300 rolled off an assembly line for the 1953 model year.

This isn’t just a book for ‘Vette collectors, however, because it’s filled with amazing photography and a wealth of knowledge that makes an informative read for even casual Corvette fans. Now in it’s second edition, the Corvette Bible covers cars right up to 2011. The first edition was good enough to earn a spot on the New York Times bestseller’s list, so we think the second edition deserves a spot on your coffee table.

That’s why we secured a signed copy to give away to one lucky reader. Leave a comment on this post to enter (only one comment or else you’re disqualified), and we’ll choose one lucky recipient for the win.

How to Enter:

Leave a single comment on this post (if you leave two or more, all of your entries will disqualified)
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the U.S. or Canada (excluding Quebec)
Limit 1 entry per person during entry period
This entry period begins 7:30 PM EST on Friday, April 29 and ends at 7:30 PM EST on Sunday, May 1.
For a list of complete rules, click here

Gallery: Mike Yager’s Corvette Bible

Mike Yager's Corvette Bible

Win a copy of the Corvette Bible signed by author Mike Yager originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Repo Games reality show gives debtors chance to win their pink slips

Filed under: Videos

repo games trailer

Repo Games trailer – Click above to watch the video after the jump

We’ve never had a car repossessed, but we imagine it’s a painful ordeal. That doesn’t mean that it won’t make a great game show, however, as the producers of Jersey Shore have created Repo Games. The premise is simple; real repo guys are taking real cars, but with a twist. If a vehicle owner/contestant answers three out of five questions correctly, the vehicle isn’t towed, and the winner gets to keep the vehicle outright.

Spike TV, which will air the show, says that people from all walks of life sometimes have trouble making their car payments. Still, we’re guessing that many of the show’s contestants will be hard-luck types. Hit the jump to watch the three-minute promo video. Many of the questions from the clip appear to be absurdly simple, though the answers aren’t always that easy to come by.

[Source: EW via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Repo Games reality show gives debtors chance to win their pink slips

Video: Repo Games reality show gives debtors chance to win their pink slips originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia Hampsters win Nielsen’s Top Auto Ad Award for second year in a row

Filed under: Budget, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Kia

Kia Soul Hamsters in

Kia Soul Hamsters in “This or That” – Click above to watch video after the jump

Kia has taken home the top honors in the Nielsen Automotive Ad of the Year awards for the second year in a row. The company’s troupe of dancing hamsters managed to make the biggest impression on viewers in the “A New Way To Roll” spot in 2009 and the rodents managed to pull off a similar stunt in 2010 with the automaker’s “This or That” ad.

Nielsen hands out the awards based on response information collected from 2.5 million viewers across 24 networks, and according to Kia, the hamster spots have helped increase Soul sales in a big way. The boxy compact saw its sales figures increase by 50.8 percent last month compared to March 2010.

The Soul wasn’t the only winner, though. Ford took home two awards in different categories, with the Fiesta netting honors for the best green ad and the company earning best sales event spot with its “Swap Your Ride” commercials. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz grabbed the best luxury campaign trophy with its “Triumphant” spot for the SLS AMG and Toyota walked away with the Spanish Advertiser of the Year title.

Follow the jump for the press release, as well as a replay of the winning “This or That” ad.

Gallery: Kia Soul This or That music video stills

[Sources: Neilsen, Kia]

Continue reading Kia Hampsters win Nielsen’s Top Auto Ad Award for second year in a row

Kia Hampsters win Nielsen’s Top Auto Ad Award for second year in a row originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: LA police officers who alleged ticket quota system win $2M judgment

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety

motorcycle policeman with radar gun

For the average motorist, dealing with law enforcement usually amounts trying to get out of a traffic citation. So it’s understandable that we sometimes are less than thrilled to see them on our roads. But keep in mind that the police are the first responders whenever there is trouble, and the men and women in blue are looking out for our best interests more than many of us realize.

Case in point? Los Angeles police officers Howard Chan and David Benioff sued the city for instituting a ticket quota system (we knew it!). According to the Los Angeles Times, the officers alleged that they were instructed to write up 18 tickets each per shift. And not just any ticket – we’re talking high-dollar offenses like blowing stop signs and other major moving violations.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the officers won their civil case by an 11-1 vote and were awarded a $2 million judgment due to a loss of reputation and work actions that resulted from the officers’ refusal to meet that quota. Gregory Smith, Benioff’s lawyer, says that he hopes the decision helps eradicate quotas, adding that the practice is “a direct violation of the vehicle code and this case was about these officers being asked to break the law.”

The city’s defense was that the department had broad goals for tickets, but only to improve safety and decrease fatalities. Former LAPD Commander Paul Kim tells a different story, testifying that weather, paramedic response times and the price of gas were more likely more significant reasons for traffic deaths. Hat tip to Bo!

[Source: Los Angeles Times | Image: Corbis]

Report: LA police officers who alleged ticket quota system win $2M judgment originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Win an autographed Audi flag from this year’s Twelve Hours of Sebring

Filed under: Motorsports, Audi, Racing

2011 59th Annual Twelve Hours of Sebring – Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi invited us to warm and sunny Florida for the 59th annual Twelve Hours of Sebring, the opening round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series that was held this past weekend. While the French racing team Oreca took the surprise win in the LMP1 class (beating the factory Peugeot 908 HDi team in their older first-generation Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP), Audi held on through punctured tires and collisions to deliver both the fourth and fifth spot in matching R15++ diesel-powered prototypes (Audi will run its brand-new R18 prototype at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June). In the GT class, BMW proudly nailed first and second place with its hot M3 GT.

Spending time behind-the-scenes with a race team offers a completely different perspective, especially when it comes to an endurance event. While huge crowds of spectators down cold beer and blister from sunburn at Sebring’s huge infield and midway (with some seriously creative camping accommodations), dozens of Audi Sport Team Joest crew sweat out the long hours working on the minute details – everything from track concrete composition to atmospheric barometric pressure is taken into account. During our glimpse into a whirlwind 48-hour period (encompassing qualifying and the race), the pace was maddening whether the drivers were attending signing events or the crew was rehearsing pit stops.

Check out our extensive photo gallery with coverage of the 56-car field. Note the amount of race telemetry delivered in real-time to the team engineers in the hot pits, and the exhaustion of the crew in the 85-degree ambient temperatures (who capture shut-eye only while the car is running well). A special shout-out to Xander Walker, who we bumped into hanging with the folks in Turn 10 – see you guys next year!

Audi’s Sebring drivers (Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller) signed a flag for us before the race. While it looks great on our wall, we’re going to give it to one of you (official rules). Leave a comment on this post to enter (only one comment or else you’re disqualified), and we’ll choose one lucky recipient for the win.

How to Enter:

Leave a single comment on this post (if you leave two or more, all of your comments will be disqualified)
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec)
Limit 1 entry per person during entry period
This entry period begins 7:30 PM EST on Friday, March 25 and ends at 7:30 PM EST on Saturday, March 26. We’ll randomly select 1 winner at that time to receive an Audi flag signed by the team’s 2011 Sebring drivers.
For a list of complete rules, click here

Gallery: 2011 59th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

The 2011 59th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Win an autographed Audi flag from this year’s Twelve Hours of Sebring originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man tattooes ‘Mini’ on his penis to win free Cooper

Filed under: Etc., Mini, Humor

2011 Mini Cooper

2011 Mini Cooper – Click above for high-res image gallery

Think about the craziest thing you would do to win a free car. Andreas Muller of Germany has you beat. Muller really – really – wanted to win the Mini Cooper being given away by his local radio station, and in order to do so, he had the word “MINI” tattoed on his mini, err… penis.

Organizers of the stunt received a long list of crazy ideas, yet Muller’s stood out for the sheer ballsiness (pun intended). His screams of pain were broadcast over the air as the tattoo was applied to his now-sponsored manhood.

There’s plenty that we’d do to win a free Mini, but this one reaches far beyond the realm of consideration. Thanks for the tip, Steve!

Gallery: 2011 Mini Cooper: First Drive

2011 Mini Cooper

[Source: Metro via BarStoolSports]

Man tattooes ‘Mini’ on his penis to win free Cooper originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crazy Porsche Cayman wraps will win someone a free eduction

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Porsche, Design/Style

Porsche Cayenne wrap contest

Porsche Italy has jumped into the art car scene with both feet by inviting young designers from the world over to come up with a vinyl wrap for the Cayman. The entries have already been pared down to 30 semi finalists, and registered users at DesignBoom.com can submit up to 10 votes for their favorite. The wraps vary from playful to the outright trippy, and to be honest, we’d have a hard time picking one look over the others. After voting wraps up on January 31st, the top four designs will enter into a final round of voting.

Porsche will go through the pains of creating Cayman images faithful to the artists’ intent. From there, a final round of voting will choose the contest’s ultimate winner. One lucky designer will receive a full paid scholarship for a master’s degree at the Scoula Politecnica di Design in Milan, Italy. The winner must satisfy all of the guidelines associated with applying for the school, and the program starts this October. Head over to DesignBoom.com to check out all of the designs and choose your favorites.

[Source: DesignBoom]

Crazy Porsche Cayman wraps will win someone a free eduction originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Journalist Sue Mead, racer Darren Skilton become first U.S. team to win a class in Dakar Rally

Filed under: Motorsports, Truck, Ford, South America, Off-Road, Racing

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor 2011 Dakar Rally

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor at the 2011 Dakar Rally – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is still proving that it can do whatever deed needs done, whenever it needs doing. Sue Mead and Darren Skilton managed to pilot a largely stock version of the desert-raiding pickup through all 12 stages of this year’s Dakar rally. The team survived 16 days of some of the most brutal terrain on the South American continent and covered over 11,800 miles in the process. Their effort was enough to net the Raptor a 40th place finish over all and a first place finish in the OP class.

In fact, from what we hear, Mead and Skilton were the only contestants to even finish in the OP class, even with big names like Robbie Gordon gunning for the win.

That marks the first time that an American crew has ever managed to take a class win in the history of the Dakar Rally. The F-150 SVT Raptor that Mead and Skilton campaigned boasted the same 5.4-liter V8 that it rolled off the production line with, though a larger cooling system was fitted to handle the harsh temperatures of the course. Likewise, the pickup was equipped with a host of other race-capable bits including a new locker system for the differentials, more robust shocks, springs and tires.

Overall, Volkswagen took the top three spots in the 2011 Dakar Rally. BMW filled out the remaining spots in the top five with its entries. Hit the jump for the press release.

Gallery: Ford F-150 SVT Raptor 2011 Dakar Rally

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Journalist Sue Mead, racer Darren Skilton become first U.S. team to win a class in Dakar Rally

Journalist Sue Mead, racer Darren Skilton become first U.S. team to win a class in Dakar Rally originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW splits from Oracle after America’s Cup win

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, BMW

BMW Oracle racing

America’s Cup champion BMW Oracle Racing says German automaker BMW is ending its sponsorship at the end of the year by mutual agreement.

BMW has been part of the syndicate since 2002, contributing in the areas of structural engineering and lightweight, composite construction.

BMW Oracle Racing swept Alinghi of Switzerland in two races in February to win the America’s Cup, the oldest trophy in international sports. Its radical trimaran design was the fastest boat in the history of the America’s Cup.

BMW Oracle Racing is owned by Larry Ellison, CEO of software maker Oracle Corp.

The reason for the bust-up? BMW is said by sources to want to separate from technology partner Oracle over business issues.
The BMW-Oracle team won the America’s Cup in February with a convincing 2-0 victory.

“In winning the 33rd America’s Cup, we achieved all of our ambitious goals,” said Ralf Hussmann, general manager BMW sports marketing. “We will continue to be involved in the sport on a national level.”

[Source: BMW | Image: Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty]

Continue reading BMW splits from Oracle after America’s Cup win

BMW splits from Oracle after America’s Cup win originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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