Lapping A Snowy Nürburgring Nordschleife, In A Formula Car: Video
February 9, 2012 by Kurt Ernst
Filed under Automotive, Video
Andy Gülden is the chief instructor for the Nürburgring Driving Academy. In other words, he earns a living teaching people how not to kill themselves on the ‘Ring, and occasionally how to lap the Nordschleife in a spirited-but-competent manner. Business, we guess, is slow in the winter, but a driver must constantly practice his skills to stay sharp.
We’re not sure if piloting a formula car around a snow-and-ice-packed ‘Ring demonstrates mad skills or just plain madness, but it makes for entertaining video. The car Gülden is driving weighs just over 1,000 pounds and is powered by a 140-horsepower, 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine. They don’t make snow tires for formula cars, so he’s lapping on what appear to be intermediate rain tires. We’d call them “sub-optimal” for snow and ice.
Also sub-optimal was the temperature for Gülden’s run, which was hovering around the three-degrees-Fahrenheit mark. In weather like that, we’d prefer our wintertime driving fun behind the wheel of a (winter-tire shod) BMW M3, with working heat and heated seats.
Want to get driver training from Gülden and his staff on your next trip to Germany? You’ll find complete details on available programs at the Nürburgring Formel Super Racing website.
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.
Dear Cadillac – Enough With The ‘Green Hell’ Ads: Video
February 8, 2012 by Kurt Ernst
Filed under Automotive, Cadillac, Video
We get it: Cadillac wants the world to know that its new ATS compact sedan is as good as a BMW 3-Series sedan. We’ll reserve judgement until we actually get a chance to drive an ATS (preferably back-to-back with a comparable, 2012 BMW 3-Series), but we sincerely hope that Cadillac doesn’t pull a bait-and-switch on us. The 3-Series line includes a lot of different models, so if you’re emphasizing the “sport sedan” characteristics of the ATS, it’s only fair to throw down against the new 3-Series Sport Line, with the variable sport steering and the adaptive M suspension.
And while we’re complaining, enough with using the “Green Hell” Nürburgring Nordschleife reference in every single ad. That horse has been flogged to death; in fact, it’s been flogged to death, buried, dug up, flogged some more and then buried again. It’s clear: you tested the ATS on one of the world’s most challenging racetracks to fine-tune the suspension, chassis, throttle and brake settings. That should yield a sedan with impressive handling, but we won’t know until we drive one.
We’ve got some concerns about the 270-horsepower turbo four that Cadillac is using in the ATS, too. We’ve driven the engine in Buick Regal GS trim, and to be honest, it wasn’t that impressive. Granted, the ATS is a lighter car, and its rear-drive platform will certainly improve handling. Still, we can’t help but think that Cadillac is setting some unreasonable expectations of the new ATS before the car even hits the streets.
If it’s as good as you’re telling us, finding buyers won’t be a problem. If it isn’t, all the “Green Hell” references in the world won’t help to move inventory.
Can Classic Muscle Car’s Handle, Too? Matt Farah Finds Out: Video
February 7, 2012 by Kurt Ernst
Filed under Automotive, Dodge, Ford, Tuners, Video
It’s human nature to look at the past with rose-colored glasses, and remember (incorrectly) how good things “used to be.” Take muscle cars, for example: most of us remember them as being stupid fast and punishing to drive, while today’s equivalents somehow seem more docile and user-friendly. In reality, however, today’s muscle cars and pony cars can (generally) kick the crap out of the stuff built four decades ago. Read more…
Video: Side-By-Side Toyota 86 Epic Drift Battle Action
Ever since the final conception of the new Toyota 86, aka Scion FR-S or Subaru BRZ, tuners and true automotive enthusiasts have placed their crosshairs on this new inexpensive sports car waiting to see what it is truly capable of. It is no doubt that the new “86”, FR-S or BRZ has quite a bit of potential for tuners, but what about those who are serious about drifting?
The new Scion FR-S, Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ were designed with the heart of the infamous AE86 Corolla at hand. Because of that, there should be no problem when it comes to going sideways in the new Toyota sports car even in stock form, as the video below demonstrates. The guys taking the Toyota 86 sideways take it a step further by drifting side-by-side another Toyota 86 in this epic drifting battle video below. Enjoy!
Honda Gets You Ready For The New NSX: Video
February 6, 2012 by Kurt Ernst
Filed under Automotive, Honda, Video
The 2002 NSX-R
The original Honda NSX, produced from 1990 to 2005, was a truly remarkable car. Intended as a supercar you could drive on a daily basis (a remarkable concept in 1990), the mid-engine, rear drive NSX was a near-ideal blend of horsepower and handling. While the original cars only made 270 horsepower, an all-aluminum body kept the weight below 3,000 pounds. Like all mid-engine, rear drive cars, the NSX could get tail-happy in a corner if pushed hard by an inexperienced driver, and it didn’t take long for insurance companies to start raising rates on the NSX to astronomical levels. Read more…
Ford Unhappy About Chevy’s Apocalyptic Super Bowl Ad: Video
February 6, 2012 by Kurt Ernst
Filed under Automotive, Chevrolet, Ford, Video
Given the recent string of cataclysmic events across the globe, Chevy’s Super Bowl ad for the Silverado pickup was, at best, insensitive. Events like the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. and last spring’s outbreak of tornadoes in Alabama make end-of-the-world videos not quite as funny as they used to be. Add in the ongoing situation in the Middle East, and the video hits a bit close to home for anyone following world events. Read more…
BMW Jumps Into Super Bowl XLVI Game With 6 Clever 3 Series Commercials
February 3, 2012 by Darryl
Filed under Automotive, BMW, Video
BMW has jumped into the Super Bowl Commercial Game to score big with about 6 spots advertising the new 3 Series. Many of them are focused on new features offered on the new BMW 3 Series and the idea of BMW building only one thing, The Ultimate Driving Machine. These commercials are pretty clever and are sure to give other automotive ads a run for the money during Super Bowl XLVI. Enjoy!
