November 30th, 2009 by Byron Thurman
The Song “NDN Kars” By Kieth Secola … NDN Kars Cars car Indian Native Keith Secola Kieth Aboriginal Rights song music
November 30th, 2009 by Byron Thurman
Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Hatchback, Ford, Specialty, Off-Road
As an homage to rallying’s legendary Climb Dance video, the blokes at Motor Trend have teamed up with Ford and Marcus Gronholm to concoct a gorgeous new short film chronicling the rally champion’s 2009 ascent of Pikes Peak in the Blue Oval’s new Fiesta RallyCross. In the interest of clarity, this is not the same car that crashed earlier in practice - that was the #5 car of Andrea Ericksson, this is Gronholm’s #3 - a car that looks to have made it to the top just fine, thank you.
Check out the 9+ minute Peak Performance film after the jump, with its breathtaking footage from various in and on-car cameras, it’s a high-definition gem with great audio. Just for fun, we’ve also included its inspiration, the original Climb Dance film of Ari Vatanen’s 1988 record-breaking Pikes Peak Hill Climb run in his Peugeot 405. Thanks to everyone for the tips!
[Source: YouTube]
Continue reading VIDEO: On board with Marcus Gronholm’s Ford Fiesta at Pikes Peak
VIDEO: On board with Marcus Gronholm’s Ford Fiesta at Pikes Peak originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Originally posted 2009-07-30 12:24:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
November 30th, 2009 by Byron Thurman
Filed under: Car Buying, Japan, Hyundai, Kia, Earnings/Financials, South Korea
As Hyundai continues to pull itself up by its bootstraps, the company is moving decisively and picking up share around the globe. However, one key market continues to be so problematic for the brand that they’ve decided to abandon it altogether: Japan. Rather than dodder around and wait for its disappointing performance to improve, Hyundai is tying off the bleeder that is the company’s Japanese market presence. The cars themselves, either under Hyundai badging or as Kias, have become contenders in terms of styling and quality, two key indicators of the company’s commitment. And the move into Japan was part of Hyundai’s worldwide plan for expansion. For all its efforts, though, the famously insular market has deflected this outsider. In the eight years Hyundai has been selling vehicles in Japan, it has only managed to shift 15,000 units.
For all its efforts, 1,875 cars per year just isn’t worth it to Hyundai, though it will still try to sell commercial vehicles to Japan. According to the South Korean daily, Chosun Iibo, tariffs are slapped on outsiders selling cars in Japan, and the size of some models Hyundai’s been trying to market there doesn’t match up with typical Japanese garages and parking spaces. Buyers who have the space for larger cars aren’t the ones Hyundai’s trying to nab, either. Those purchasers typically pursue higher-end metal.
Interestingly, rival Toyota might see Hyundai’s move as a sort of victory. Toyota itself established a beachhead in the more-welcoming South Korean market in 2000, and has been selling thousands of vehicles there under its Lexus and Toyota nameplates. While Hyundai is giving up on Japan, Toyota’s looking to move more cars than ever in South Korea.
How do you spell Hyundai’s Kryptonite? J-D-M originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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November 30th, 2009 by Byron Thurman
Filed under: Car Buying, Tech, Audi, Australia
The woman you see in the picture above isn’t an actual human — she’s a life-sized hologram. PDM, an Australian out-of-home digital media company, created the hologram to present “customers an entertaining way to gather product knowledge and information about Audi’s offering.”
A load of tech and a 10 mm piece of perspex are what was needed to make the walking talking customer service rep. Of course, since we are still in the first inning of this technology, she’s a bit stiff and not a little uncanny to watch. But as a sign of things to come, whatever her name is, she is our introduction to another corner of the car buying future.
[Source: Prime Digital Media]
Audi partners with PDM to create ‘Holographic Virtual Assistant’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Originally posted 2009-04-22 20:26:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
November 30th, 2009 by Byron Thurman
Filed under: Motorsports, Canada
It’s official, Formula 1 and Montreal are in love again. Bernie Ecclestone’s supersonic price increases in 2008 drove the Canadian venue (and North America entirely) off the map in 2009. It was the first time in three decades that the F1 club didn’t visit Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and by the end of this summer, everyone was highly motivated to get it back.
When Ecclestone’s original demand of $175 million Canadian ($165M U.S.) over five years became $75 million Canadian, ($71M U.S.), the Montreal, Quebec, and Canadian governments got together to split the cost three ways. When the government’s commitment to spend such an amount on a sporting event was questioned, Quebec’s minister of finance replied that the GP will cost Quebec $4 million but return $10 million to its coffers alone. On top of that, Ecclestone promised them 30% of ticket sales every year, which, for a hugely popular grand prix, should be a substantial number. Vive le Montreal GP and June 13, 2010! Thanks to everyone who submitted tips
[Source: F1 Live | Photo credit: Vinod Sankar via CC2.0]
Canadian GP back on F1 calendar through 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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November 30th, 2009 by Byron Thurman
Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Honda, Suzuki, Toyota, India, Tata, Design/Style
It was bound to happen. Think back to when Volkswagen Beetles infested the roads of the globe; there was no shortage of customized Bugs. Tata aims to put the world on wheels with its low-priced Nano, offering mobility to India’s massive population for what many Americans just dropped on Black Friday. To stave off an impending swarm of same-same vehicles, and cash in with buyers looking to stand out, New Delhi-based Carnation Auto (not to be confused with North America’s Car Nation) has teamed up with Dilip Chhabria’s DC Design to offer prefab-custom options for the Nano.
The endeavor has been given the tagline, “The Artist Meets the Enabler,” and it began with tarted-up offerings for the Toyota Innova, creating a car called the Innov8. If the reworked MPV is any indication, we can expect the DC Design Nano to have an interior that apes a Gulfstream, while we can all plainly see what’s been done to the exterior. The Nano kit is not yet available, but Carnation says it will be ready to join the already-available Innova, Honda City, and Suzuki Swift kits in 2010. We’re sure opinions abound over this visually-charged Nano, so feel free to express yourselves in the comments. Press release posted after the jump.
Gallery: DC Designs Cars
[Source: CarnationDC.com via Indian Auto Talk]
Continue reading It Begins: First tuned Tata Nano spotted
It Begins: First tuned Tata Nano spotted originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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November 30th, 2009 by Byron Thurman
Filed under: Motorsports, Canada
It’s official, Formula 1 and Montreal are in love again. Bernie Ecclestone’s supersonic price increases in 2008 drove the Canadian venue (and North America entirely) off the map in 2009. It was the first time in three decades that the F1 club didn’t visit Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and by the end of this summer, everyone was highly motivated to get it back.
When Ecclestone’s original demand of $175 million Canadian ($165M U.S.) over five years became $75 million Canadian, ($71M U.S.), the Montreal, Quebec, and Canadian governments got together to split the cost three ways. When the government’s commitment to spend such an amount on a sporting event was questioned, Quebec’s minister of finance replied that the GP will cost Quebec $4 million but return $10 million to its coffers alone. On top of that, Ecclestone promised them 30% of ticket sales every year, which, for a hugely popular grand prix, should be a substantial number. Vive le Montreal GP and June 13, 2010! Thanks to everyone who submitted tips
[Source: F1 Live | Photo credit: Vinod Sankar via CC2.0]
Canadian GP back on F1 calendar through 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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November 30th, 2009 by Byron Thurman
Filed under: Motorsports, Volkswagen
There have been rumblings about VW getting into F1 by signing up with a specific team, but the chatter was always quashed. This time, reports suggest that VW is actively talking up the idea of getting into Formula 1 after 2012, but as an engine supplier to multiple teams. Hans-Joachim Stuck, VW’s motorsports head, said with the way F1 engine regulations are going — especially with costs and the potential of the “world engine” — it could be the perfect opportunity for VW to start pumping out powerplants.
While future F1 regulations are still undefined, and VW’s eventual entry into the series is by no means guaranteed, it’s clear that VW’s looking for ways to show off its engineering chops and get its name onto tracks. Stuck recently visited a NASCAR race and spoke about the company looking to get into the GrandAm series, and perhaps IndyCar.
Interestingly, the very conditions that Stuck sees as favorable for VW’s entry are the ones that a number of F1 teams and fans are, at best, ambivalent about: substantially lower costs, spec engines, and more than 24 teams on the grid. With a new FIA president, what F1 is going to look like after 2012 is almost completely unknown. Hat tip to Stefano
[Source: Autosport]
Rumormill: Volkswagen ponders becoming F1 engine supplier in 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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November 30th, 2009 by Byron Thurman
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, BMW
For the life of us, we can’t figure this. BMWblog has posted a video of what surely looks like an O.G. BMW M1, dressed up in that ubiquitous swirlydelic camouflage du jour and parked on a Munich street. It’s either a very clever gag being put on by someone, or something potentially awesome is afoot. Either way, we can dig it. See for yourselves after the jump. Thanks to Mike S. for the tip!
Continue reading VIDEO: BMW M1 in mule-style camo?
VIDEO: BMW M1 in mule-style camo? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 10:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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November 29th, 2009 by Byron Thurman
Filed under: Hatchbacks, India, Tata, Special/Limited Editions
This cute little guy is the Tata Indica Vista, a special edition created to celebrate ten years of Indica sales. The Indica has perennially been one of India’s best selling cars, as well as being Tata’s prime mover. Given credit for greatly lifting the fortunes of the company, the Indica walks off with 78% of sales among the cars built on its platform (like the Indigo and Marina).
With design elements that might be generously taken from Ford’s European design language, the Vista’s changes from the regular Indica are all cosmetic. It will get a specially designed number plate, an interior with better materials and design, an integrated audio system and double-stitched seats. It will come in a selection of colors and a variety of wheel options, and if you’re keen on the Vista, you can even read a review. For the rest of you, the full press release is after the jump. Let’s hope Tata can create the same magic with Jaguar and Land Rover after ten years of ownership.
[Source: Indian Autos Blog]
Continue reading Tata Indica celebrates decade of sales with special edition
Tata Indica celebrates decade of sales with special edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Originally posted 2009-04-22 20:27:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
