Posts tagged "Video"

Big Muscle Visits The Lingenfelter Collection: Video

When we grow up, we want to be Ken Lingenfelter. Not only does he own Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (which was founded by a cousin, John Lingenfelter), but he also has one of the most impressive car collections in the United States. How many cars are in the collection? Even Ken doesn’t know for sure, saying “about 200,” since he’s afraid to give an exact count.

While the collection is heavy on Corvettes (which make up about 40% of the total), there’s something for everyone. Want a Ferrari F40, a DeLorean DMC1, a Vector, an Opel GT, or a mid-seventies Pontiac Can-Am? No problem. A Bugatti Veyron or an original AAR ‘Cuda? Yeah, they’re in the collection, too.

This episode of Big Muscle centers on one of the most significant cars in the collection, which host Mike Musto refers to as “ground zero” for hot rodders. Lingenfelter owns the Duntov Test Mule EX-8, which was the first Corvette to be tested and evaluated with a small-block V-8 engine. Without this car and its small block Chevy V-8, the Corvette may never have survived beyond the first generation, and hot-rodders may never have embraced a Chevrolet V-8 engine.

Mike spends some time in a Lingenfelter-tuned 1993 Corvette ZR1, too, capable of producing upwards of 600 horsepower. It’s got a rather unique valet key, and unlocking the car’s full power is akin to twisting the two keys needed to launch a nuclear missile. It’s as subtle as an artillery barrage, and makes an impressive statement on how much power was possible from a street-legal car, even back in 1993.

J.F. Musial Meets Lamborghini’s Valentino Balboni: Video

If you’re a fan of Lamborghini, you know the name Valentino Balboni. Best known as Lamborghini’s test driver, Balboni’s history with the company dates back to 1968 and a chance meeting with Ferruccio Lamborghini himself. The story is best told in Balboni’s own words, but here’s the two minute drill: in today’s process-obsessed world, there can never be another Valentino Balboni.

Balboni was trained by Lamborghini to become a test driver, and had no prior racing background. Instead, Balboni had a passion for cars, and learned early on to “listen” to what a car was trying to communicate. That’s easily lost with today’s technology-filled supercars, but in the early 1970s “listening” to cars like the Lamborghini Muira or Countach was an important part of self-preservation.

While we’d have liked to see more time with Balboni and less time with Musial touring the Italian countryside in a Gallardo Spyder, the video is worth watching. We’re not the fashion police, but we’ll still offer some free advice to Musial: when you’re going to meet one of the automotive world’s iconic figures, wearing a hoodie over a t-shirt is a bit inappropriate. Next time, buck up for a polo shirt, OK?

Big Muscle Runs To The Coast: Video

The very spirit of hot rodding is this: take what you have, and make it faster. When you’re done, drive it like you stole it, preferably in competition against other similarly-built cars. That formula has been the basis of street racing for nearly 100 years; what’s changed in recent years is that hot rodding, at least with big American cars, has become respectable.

Instead of running light-to-light on the street, endangering both your license and other drivers, events like the American Street Car Series’ Run To The Coast allow builders to run their cars in a series of events, ranging from autocross to drag race to road course competition. The variety of cars entered is impressive, and Big Muscle host Mike Musto points out everything from a Sunbeam Tiger through a vintage Ford pickup built up from a wrecked Mercury Marauder.

Musto knows a thing or two about driving, as well. He drove his own “Mr. Angry” 1968 Dodge Charger, the same car used to run One Lap Of America, in this year’s Run To The Coast. While a eighteen-foot long, two-ton car may not be nimble enough to do well in the autocross, it is capable of impressive burnouts.

Ferrari Shows Off Its F12 Berlinetta: Video

We’ll admit that the initial images of Ferrari’s F12 Berlinetta had us scratching our heads. The car simply didn’t look like a Ferrari; instead, it look like a Banglore back-alley interpretation of a Ferrari, perhaps built on a stretched Toyota Corolla chassis. Now that we’ve had some time to digest Ferrari’s latest Grand Touring flagship, we’ll admit that we’ve warmed up to the design just a bit.

It still lacks the elegance of a 458 Italia, but it also isn’t as comically over-styled as the Ferrari Testarossa or the Ferrari Enzo. We’d prefer some less-pronounced character lines, and we still can’t quite figure out the functionality of the top fender vents (brake cooling or negative lift, perhaps), but at least we’ve warmed to the upswept lines of the rear fenders a bit.

We certainly can’t argue with the music produced by the F12’s 6.3-liter V-12 engine. Like all Ferraris, it positively sings as you run it to the 8,700 rpm redline, and those lucky enough to own an F12 Berlinetta will drive the car simply to enjoy its mechanical symphony.

The video below gives you an idea of that glorious noise, but it’s partially masked by a heavy metal backing track. We’ve said this before, but we’ll keep saying it until automakers listen: when you’re producing a video to highlight your car’s engine sound, background music is only a distraction.

Alex Roy Explains How To Beat Speed Traps: Video

Unless you’re a true gear head, it’s entirely possible that you’ve never heard of Alex Roy. He isn’t a Formula 1 star, he hasn’t beaten Sebastian Loeb in a stage of the World Rally Championship and (as far as we know) he’s never turned a faster lap around Talladega than Jeff Gordon. He’s not a movie star, either, but Roy does has a taste for flamboyant costumes and over-the-top theatrics. The man knows a thing or two about driving fast, as well.

Roy is a multi-year Gumball 3000 and Bullrun participant, and holds the (unofficial) transcontinental speed record from New York to Los Angeles, a run Roy and co-driver David Maher made in 31 hours and 4 minutes. He also set a (now beaten) record for a lap of Manhattan, making the trip in 27 minutes with speeds as high as 144 miles per hour.

While Roy has seen his share of police stops, he’s also managed to make a career around avoiding them. In other words, when Alex Roy speaks about avoiding speed traps, it may benefit you greatly to pay attention. That said, we don’t advocate equipping a car with laser jammers (illegal in many jurisdictions), and we’d be the first to point out that public roads aren’t the place to test your driving skills.

Below is the first of a multi-part series where Roy gives advice on avoiding detection. While a lot of what he discusses is common sense, it’s still worth the time to watch the video, and we can’t wait to hear what he has to say on upcoming segments.

Video: Chris Harris Gets Behind the Wheel of Toyota GT-86 (Scion FR-S, Subaru BRZ)

Chris Harris has an interesting way of expressing his opinion about every vehicle that he drives. To say the least, he is brutally honest in most cases and sometimes it does not sit well with the manufacturer or die-hard enthusiasts of a particular car. Now comes Chris’ chance spend a good 20 to 30 minutes behind the wheel of the Toyota 86, or aptly known as the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ here in America.

Chris Harris heads to Spain and takes the new Toyota 86 for a flogging. See it in action and what Chris has to say about Toyota’s new sports coupe in the video below.

It’s Toyota Versus Acura For The Super Bowl Ad Win: Video

We haven’t been overly enthused by this year’s crop of Super Bowl ads, but then again we’re jaded moto-journalist types. It takes a lot to impress us, and partying vampires, singing dogs and re-hashed movies from the 1980s just won’t do the trick. If only an automaker could come up with something fresh and innovative, maybe we’d actually crack a smile (and admit to it).

Enter two ads that have rocketed to the top of our “must-see” Super Bowl viewing list. The first video, from Toyota, imagines a world where everything is reinvented to perfection, like (Toyota claims, anyway) the new Camry. In fairness, we haven’t driven the new Camry yet, so we can’t say how good it really is (although given the last car’s entertainment value, anything is a step up). If it’s as good as the world envisioned in Toyota’s Super Bowl spot, we’re definitely putting one in the garage. Just as soon as we order a new couch and some fresh curtains.

Acura is hawking a car that doesn’t even exist yet, its new NSX. That’s a good thing for a couple reasons: first, it puts the upcoming NSX on display to the general public, creating interest in both the car and the brand. Next, it reminds us that a successor to the beloved NSX really is on its way, even if it will be saddled with a hybrid drivetrain. We’re not anti-hybrid, mind you, we’re just anti-hybrid sports car.

We promise to keep an open mind until we get a chance to drive the new NSX, but sadly we’re not in a position to actually buy one. Taking delivery of the very first NSX will be quite an honor, and as Acura’s Super Bowl ad points out, there are several car guys vying to park the very first NSX in their own garage. We’d be willing to bet that the ad isn’t far removed from the truth, either.

Ford Launches App To Tease New Fusion Sedan: Video

It’s bad enough when automakers tease new products by leaking faked “spy photos” months in advance, but Ford has taken jumping-the-shark to an entirely new level with the 2013 Ford Focus. Not content to give us a few images of the directional signal, or the wiper switch, or stitching on the upholstery, Ford has actually created an app for the iPhone or Android platforms whose sole purpose is to build interest in the new Fusion. We realize that some people have excess time on their hands, but we can’t imagine having that much down time. Ever.

The app doesn’t show you the new Fusion, except in heavily disguised form. You can see ”re-imagined” versions, a la Pimp My Ride, and “drive” them on up to 19 different courses. You also get sound bites from the designers and engineers behind the car, and exclusive video content leading up to the Fusion’s launch at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. The app also lets you see the reveal on the same day the new Fusion is launched, saving you a trip to Detroit in January.

An app like this would be hugely popular for an aspirational car like the Porsche 911 or the BMW M5. For a relatively common midsize sedan like the Ford Fusion, we’re not sure that we see the point. It’s unlikely that the app will hit the same demographic as the Fusion sedan, so we’re not sure it will help move cars or even draw much interest to the product.

We haven’t seen the new Fusion up close and personal yet, but we’ve heard (very) good things about it. We’ll be sure to let you know when we have details to report.

Video: Chevrolet Teases New 2012 Malibu Exterior Design

I remember my brother’s old 1968 Chevy Malibu which was, well, an awesome looking car that simply needed more power from its deceivingly big 5.0-liter V8 engine. I know, he should have opted for a Chevelle SS. Since then, the Malibu has become a watered down mid-sized-4-door slush box that would otherwise be completely overlooked until you end up at the rental car counter. The upcoming 2012 Chevrolet Malibu will be taking a totally different direction, one that hopes to bring some life back into the name from the looks of the exterior design teaser video below. We expect the new 2012 Malibu will be something along the lines of a bigger and more refined Chevy Cruze, something that is universally styled for several world markets. Read more…

Video: Nissan Takes You Through the 2012 GT-R

When the new Nissan GT-R was unveiled in 2007, chief engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno promised that the car would never rest on past achievements, and that the GT-R would constantly be improved. His team set the benchmark by lapping the Nürburgring in 7:38.54, besting the previous record for fastest production car held by Porsche. Mizuno was a man of his word, and each production change to the GT-R resulted in subtle improvements to Nürburgring lap times. By 2009, the GT-R was lapping the ‘Ring in 7:26.70, an improvement of nearly twelve seconds in just two years. Read more…