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Video: Powerball winner’s first purchase will be used Acura NSX off Craigslist

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Acura

Video of Powerball winner Paul White

We don’t play the lottery very often, but when we do, even a five-dollar win is cause for celebration. So we can’t possibly imagine how Paul White from Minnesota is feeling after scoring a third of this week’s $448 million Powerball jackpot. It has to be an overwhelming experience, but we think he’s going to end up handling it well if his first press conference is any indication.

Like some of us, White has a pretty reasonable idea of what his first purchase is, and boy, is it a good one: an early Acura NSX. Yes, this man has class. Rather than run out and buy a clichéd Rolls-Royce or Lamborghini, his first instinct is to go pick up a $30,000 Acura that he has been eyeing on Craigslist for months. It’s enough to make us wonder if he’ll use his winnings to get on the list for one of Acura’s new NSXs when they finally come around in 2015.

Watch White describe what it is about the NSX that makes heart skip a beat in the press conference video from USA Today below (note: video autoplays).

Continue reading Powerball winner’s first purchase will be used Acura NSX off Craigslist

Powerball winner’s first purchase will be used Acura NSX off Craigslist originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 19:58:00 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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Read This: PickupTrucks.com’s latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video]

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Nissan, Toyota, Ram

2013 PickupTrucks.com Light Duty Challenge

PickupTrucks.com has gone and thrown the latest batch of half-ton pickups into a cage match to see who would come out on top. The site put the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2013 Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan through a battery of tests. Those included 0-60 miles per hour acceleration, 60-0 mph deceleration, fuel economy, a hill climb, and payload and towing. They even threw the rigs on an autocross course to evaluate overall handling. Each truck was given points based on how it scored in each evaluation.

Who came out on top? Somewhat surprisingly, the 2013 Ford F-150 walked away with the gold, though fewer than 50 points separated first and fourth place. Head over to PickupTrucks.com to read the full evaluation and the final results. You may be shocked to see exactly where some of the segment’s newest additions placed. You can also watch a video on the test below.

Continue reading PickupTrucks.com’s latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video]

PickupTrucks.com’s latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Nissan/PlayStation GT Academy winner Ordonez training for Le Mans on UK roads

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Nissan, UK, Racing

GT Academy training

Lucas Ordoñez takes off on a 24-hour road trip – Click above to watch video after the jump

Oh, what a life…

Lucas Ordoñez went from racing cars on his couch to sitting behind the wheel of a real-life Nissan LMP2 racecar. After winning the Nissan/Playstation GT Academy contest, Ordoñez earned a shot at putting his virtual skills to the test. He’s running a full Le Mans Cup schedule this year, which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Nissan is prepping him for a full day of racing, and to do that they’ve sent him and his teammates on a trip around England.

Armed with a Nissan GT-R, an RV, trainers and a dietitian, Lucas Ordoñez and his team will split driving duties as they travel around the country. The team knows this isn’t as dramatic as spending hours behind the wheel of a racecar, but it’s still a good warm-up to the real thing. Click past the jump to watch Lucas and friends on their research road trip.

Continue reading Nissan/PlayStation GT Academy winner Ordonez training for Le Mans on UK roads

Nissan/PlayStation GT Academy winner Ordonez training for Le Mans on UK roads originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoñez races Nissan-powered LMP2 car at Sebring

Lucas Ordoñez – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lucas Ordoñez, the Spaniard who won the inaugural Nissan GT Academy, is racing in the 12 Hours of Sebring today in Sebring, Florida. Ordoñez is at the wheel of a Nissan-powered LMP2 machine entered by Signatech.

This is Ordoñez’s first trip to the big time, and won’t be his last, with a full LeMans Cup schedule ahead of him this year, including the 24 Hours of LeMans in June. After singling himself out of a field of 25,000 GT Academy contestants, Ordoñez’s first race was at the 2009 Dubai 24 Hours, where he drove a Nissan 350Z.

This may not be Ordoñez’s first endurance racing rodeo, but LMP2 is a completely different beast than GT cars. We’ll keep you updated on his status.

Gallery: Nissan GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoñez

Nissan GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoez

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoñez races Nissan-powered LMP2 car at Sebring

GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoñez races Nissan-powered LMP2 car at Sebring originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Mar 2011 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spoiler Alert: Daytona 500 winner makes history

Filed under: Motorsports

2011 Daytona 500

If you’re saving your 2011 Daytona 500 viewing experience for a later date, you’ll want to go ahead and skip this post all together.

Still with us? This year marked the 53rd running of the biggest race in NASCAR, and thanks to a completely re-paved track, the event saw a record 74 lead changes between 22 drivers. The new sticky asphalt also led to plenty of side-by-side racing with more than a few pile ups as a result. But all of that carnage happened to open the door for one very unlikely winner.

Wood Brothers Racing took home the checkered flag for the first time since 1976 with 20 year-old Knoxville, Tennessee native Trevor Bayne behind the wheel. Never heard of him? We aren’t surprised. This Daytona 500 only marked his second Sprint Cup series start. Bayne led the last six laps and successfully fought off a last-minute rush by Carl Edwards to take home the $1.46 million purse and become the youngest-ever winner of the Daytona 500. While Bayne was only scheduled to run five races with Wood Brothers this year, this win just might change his schedule.

[Source: ESPN | Image: Glenn Smith/AP Photo]

Spoiler Alert: Daytona 500 winner makes history originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You picked Autoblog’s long-term 2011 Mini Countryman, and the winner is…

Filed under: Crossover, Mini, Long-Term Garage

2011 Mini Countryman S All4

Autoblog’s long-term 2011 Mini Countryman – Click above for high-res image gallery

Last week, we presented you with four different 2011 Mini Countrymen and asked you to vote for the one that you want to see as the newest member of Autoblog’s long-term test fleet. The poll is now closed, the votes have been tallied, and we’ve officially sent in our order form to Mini USA. We’ll be adding a True Blue Countryman – option #3 for those of you who voted – to the long-term pool in the coming months.

As much as we’d like to say it was a close race, the truth is, Countryman #3 earned a staggering 7,907 votes – 42.7 percent of the 18,446 total votes. The Oxford Green Countryman (#4) came in second place, earning 24.2 percent of your votes, while the Bright Yellow car (#2) garnered 20.1 percent and the Surf Blue Countryman (#1) brought up the rear with 12.9 percent.

We’re looking forward to taking delivery of our 2011 Countryman, complete with the 181-horsepower turbocharged inline-four, a six-speed manual transmission and All4 all-wheel drive. We’ve also outfitted such amenities as the premium package, sport package with additional sport suspension setup and cold weather package – an absolute must for those of us who live in frigid climates.

We’ll be sure to post a formal introduction as soon as the vehicle arrives, and thanks to all who participated in the poll. You can see some screen captures of the winning Countryman in our high-resolution gallery below.

Gallery: Long-Term 2011 Mini Countryman Configurator Images

2011 Mini Countryman S All4

You picked Autoblog’s long-term 2011 Mini Countryman, and the winner is… originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford launches naming contest for V6 Mustang, winner gets free two-year lease

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Ford

Ford plans to rename the Performance Package for the Mustang V6, and it’s giving Facebook fans and LA Auto Show visitors the chance to decide what moniker it will carry. On the Contest page of the Ford Mustang’s Facebook profile, you can submit your choice of moniker for the package that adds go-fast items like a 3.31 rear axle, Shelby GT500 rear lower control arm and Pirelli tires to 305-horsepower coupe.

You can also stop by the Ford booth at the LA Auto Show and submit your clever-yet-corporate nomenclature. The contest is on now and runs until the middle of December. Make the jump for all the details.

[Source: Ford Mustang Facebook]

Continue reading Ford launches naming contest for V6 Mustang, winner gets free two-year lease

Ford launches naming contest for V6 Mustang, winner gets free two-year lease originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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James Winner Jr., inventor of The Club, dead at 81

Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Safety, Technology

The Club James Winner Jr. made a unique mark on the automotive world. He created a product that took the country by storm and ushered in a new age of aftermarket theft deterrents. And now he’s gone. Mr. Winner lost his life on September 14th, 2010 during a two-car crash in Clarion County, Pennsylvania.

After having his Cadillac stolen a few decades back, Winner realized there had to be a more aggressive way of securing a vehicle than simply relying on the alarm that came with the car. He put his brain to work and came up with The Club and sold millions of units around the world.

Winner, 81 years old, was driving his Lexus when for unknown reasons he crossed the divider into oncoming traffic and hit another car. Mr. Winner, as well as the driver and passenger of the car he hit, were pronounced dead at the scene. Seat belts were reportedly worn by both drivers.

The Club sold well and Winner made some serious scratch, but he didn’t keep it all for himself, becoming a prominent philanthropist in his community and donating large sums of money to hospitals and other worthwhile foundations across the country. Our condolences go out to all the families of those involved. Thanks for the tip, Charlie!

[Source: WKBN | Image: Michael McCauslin/Wikipedia]

James Winner Jr., inventor of The Club, dead at 81 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fred Krugger’s Veon is a deserving Custom Bike winner at Sturgis

Filed under: Motorcycle, Design/Style

Click above for high-res image gallery of the top five bikes from the 2010 World Championship of Custom Bike Building

One particularly worthwhile criticism of the custom motorcycle scene in general is that builders often choose to make super expensive eye candy that’s nearly impossible to ride and is therefore completely devoid of any real usefulness. American Chopper aside, thankfully we’ve been seeing a gradual shift away from blinged-out two-wheeled jewelry over the last few years, and this year’s AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building offers some prime examples.

Most notable is winner Freddie ‘Krugger’ Bertrand, who is no stranger to the scene, having placed as high as third in the Championship in three separate years. His title-winning machine for 2010 is pretty spectacular – power from a liquid-cooled Harley-Davidson V-Rod engine means that it’s fast, but it’s the transforming frame that’s truly exceptional.

With the flick of a switch, the bike can be changed from a cruiser (23.8-inch seat height, 30-degree rake, 4.7 inches of trail and 6.7 inches of ground clearance) to a sportbike of sorts (30.5-inch seat height, 23-degree rake, 3.1 inches of trail and 9.3 inches of clearance). There are two sets of foot controls that the rider can use, depending on which mode the bike is in.

Second place went to Thunderstruck Custom Bike’s Sniper, which is a much more traditional-style long and low chopper powered by a highly customized Indian Power Plus engine. We’re more interested in the third place bike, The Machine by Yuri Shif Custom. It’s got an air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine made up of parts from a BMW R71 and a Russian K-750. Oh yeah, and a supercharger sitting up top.

Fourth place went to Garage 65’s Kcosmodrive and fifth went to another bike we love called the Beezerker from Speed Shop Design. Check out all five machines in our high-res image gallery below and see the press release after the break.

Gallery: 2010 AMD Championship of Custom Bike Building Top 5

[Source: AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building]

Continue reading Fred Krugger’s Veon is a deserving Custom Bike winner at Sturgis

Fred Krugger’s Veon is a deserving Custom Bike winner at Sturgis originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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