Autoblog

Nissan and NASA announce 350Z-based spec series

Chris Shunk — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:01:00 EST

Nissan is partnering with the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) to create an all new Spec Z Series that promises low costs and performance parity. The single classification series will feature 350Z models from 2003 to 2008, and prizes that part-time track warriors can really get behind.

At the regional level, podium finishers can earn up to $850 in prize money. Further, Nissan will pony up $6,500 in cash support for top Spec Z finishers at the 2012 NASA Championships. Further support will come from BFGoodrich, which will be the control tire for the series and will back a contingency price program for Spec Z.

Hit the jump to read over the Nissan press release, which includes a link that will provide still more information on the Spec Z series.

Continue reading Nissan and NASA announce 350Z-based spec series

Nissan and NASA announce 350Z-based spec series originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watchdog group blasts report that exonerates Toyota

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 24 May 2011 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Toyota

Remember the reports released by NASA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which concluded that Toyota's electronic systems were not to blame for cases of unintended acceleration? Watchdog group Safety Research & Strategies has a 51-page bone to pick with those papers.

According to The Safety Record, the advocacy group's publication, Safety Research & Strategies took a deep dive into unintended acceleration research reports. The group also obtained previously unreleased portions of the report, and the results seem to contradict the very defense that Toyota is using in its UA-related lawsuits.

The unreleased documents show that NASA was able to find electronics failures, which could cause unintended acceleration. Per The Safety Record, these research efforts were heavily influenced by Toyota and limited in scope. In fact, more of the research has yet to be revealed.

These are bold claims by Safety Research & Strategies, and you can read its findings by heading to SR&S website. This new report could spell serious trouble for the automaker, if the allegations are found to be accurate.

Watchdog group blasts report that exonerates Toyota originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 May 2011 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Own your own copy of the Road & Track Special: The Space Edition

Zach Bowman — Wed, 18 May 2011 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

The crew from Road & Track recently teamed up with NASA astronaut Drew Feustel to create a special-edition issue of the magazine to commemorate STS-134. Along with the infamous April Fools features on both the space shuttle Endeavour and the NASA Crawler, Feustel picked out a handful of his favorite R&T stories from the magazine's illustrious past.

Those include an epic muscle car shoot out from 1967 that covered the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and the Plymouth Barracuda as well as a stack of choice Peter Egan columns. Feustel also threw in a piece on the Lamborghini Miura S from 1988 as well as another article on the Austin-Healey Sprite 1100 from 1963. All told, the collection sounds like the best of Road & Track history.

A copy of the issue is currently circling above Earth on Endeavour right now, but you can order up a terrestrial copy for your own enjoyment from the Road & Track site. Tell them we sent you.

Own your own copy of the Road & Track Special: The Space Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 May 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bloomberg: Unintended acceleration Toyota plaintiffs challenging NASA findings

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota

Plaintiffs in the unintended acceleration class action case against Toyota are striking back against the findings laid out by NASA. It was the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that produced research showing electronics were not to blame for any sudden acceleration-related issues.

According to Bloomberg, the plaintiffs in the case maintain that NASA didn't dig deep enough. Toyota's computer systems utilize eight million lines of code, yet NASA only looked through 280,000. Lawyers for the plaintiffs have filed paperwork stating they plan to bring in experts who'll contradict NASA's findings.

Toyota maintains that any issues of unintended acceleration were related to stuck accelerator pedals, faulty floor mats and driver error - two out of three of which have been addressed with recalls.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Bloomberg: Unintended acceleration Toyota plaintiffs challenging NASA findings originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opinion: Five Questions For Ray LaHood

John McElroy — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Autoline on Autoblog

It took ten months. It involved the best brains in the nation. They conducted exhaustive tests. And Lord knows what it all cost. But when it was over, the results were totally predictable. The U.S. Department of Transportation could find nothing wrong with Toyota vehicles that would cause them to suddenly accelerate out of control.

The results were predictable because the country went through the same thing nearly a quarter of a century ago. Only then, it involved Audi. And in both of these cases, each car company was accused of having some sort of mysterious gremlin that would cause its cars to suddenly accelerate out of control.

But there is a significant difference between both investigations. Back then the Department of Transportation blamed it on driver error. Officially, they called it "pedal misapplication." But this time around, the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, wouldn't do that. He said it was caused by mechanical problems, i.e., sticky pedals and piled up floormats.

Too bad the Secretary didn't have the courage to call it like it is. By failing to identify the root cause of the problem, more people are going to lose their lives.

Continue reading...

[Image: Chip Somodevilla/Getty]

Continue reading Opinion: Five Questions For Ray LaHood

Opinion: Five Questions For Ray LaHood originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Toyota pushing to dismiss sudden acceleration class action over NASA findings

Jeff Glucker — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:33:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota

Toyota is facing down a lawsuit that cites unintended acceleration as the cause of several accidents and a greater-than-normal reduction in resale values. Due to recent findings by NASA, Toyota now has more ammunition for its legal efforts to get these allegations dismissed.

The automaker already attempted to have this case dismissed back in November of 2010. At the time, Judge James Selna declined to dismiss the suit based on the evidence presented by Toyota. This time, however, Toyota is armed with research conducted jointly by the space experts at NASA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which indicates that there are no electronic culprits to blame for the unintended acceleration phenomenon.

[Source: Los Angeles Times]

Report: Toyota pushing to dismiss sudden acceleration class action over NASA findings originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Toyota image gets big boost after NASA findings revealed

Zach Bowman — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Toyota

It doesn't take much to change the opinion of the masses, apparently. Automotive News is reporting that it only took a mere two days for Toyota to see a rebound in its reputation after NASA engineers cleared the company of any electronic flaws in its vehicle software. As you may recall, the Department of Transportation called in some of the brightest minds from the country's space program to have a look at the issues surrounding the rash of unintended acceleration claims involving Toyota vehicles. Those engineers couldn't find anything that would point to an electronic issue as the culprit.

What did they find? As it turns out, the NASA investigation pointed to the same culprits as both Toyota and the Department of Transportation. Instances of unintended acceleration were caused by sticky pedals, floor mat interference, or good old-fashioned pedal misapplication.

Automotive News reports that according to YouGov/Brandindex, a company that tracks customer perception of popular brands, Toyota saw a sizeable boost in its reputation in the days following the announcement.

Toyota, meanwhile, says that the company doesn't view the findings as a victory. Instead, the news is simply validation of what the automaker believed to be true all along.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Report: Toyota image gets big boost after NASA findings revealed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASA to send R2 droid robot co-developed with GM to space station

Zach Bowman — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, GM

General Motors R2 - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you've got an unnatural fear of human-like robots, it's time to look away. It turns out that Chrysler isn't the only manufacturer getting cozy with NASA these days. General Motors just announced its new robot co-developed with NASA will soon be shedding its earth-bound shackles to help on the international space station, in addition to its duties to here on our home planet. Called Robonaut 2, the 300-pound man-like machine is designed to be as physically similar to a human being as possible in order to allow the robot to share tools with astronauts.

The first R2 will be scooting up to low orbit aboard STS-133 this September, where it will undergo testing in zero-gravity. At this point, GM says the robot lacks the necessary protection to operate outside of the space station, but that over time, new models may eventually take dangerous space walks instead of humans. The company also hopes that the robot will be able to aid in exploration of our solar system.

Neither GM nor NASA is saying exactly how much an R2 costs, which is a shame. We could use an extra set of hands around the garage.

Given the recent cancellation of NASA's Constellation program, we're likely to see more partnerships between independent companies and the space exploration agency crop up in the near future. The Obama Aadministration is hoping that independent industry will step in to fill the void left by government funding, and in order for that to be successful, NASA is going to have to share its knowledge.

Gallery: General Motors Robonaut 2

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading NASA to send R2 ~~droid~~ robot co-developed with GM to space station

NASA to send R2 ~~droid~~ robot co-developed with GM to space station originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler and NASA partner on advanced technologies

Zach Bowman — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:32:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler

Now here's a partnership we didn't see coming: Chrysler and NASA have jumped into bed to share research on things like radar, materials and robotics. While we can't imagine Chrysler has too much to add to that discussion, the partnership could have a wide-ranging impact on the company's future products. Neither NASA nor Chrysler is exactly willing to say how the government agency will benefit from joining up with the smallest of the Big Three, but the mind reels...

It's also worth noting that NASA will be sharing some of its battery tech with the Penastar people, including "other energy storage mediums." That's good news for a company that just put its ENVI electric-vehicle program out to pasture. While hybrids still make up a small portion of the total vehicle sales here in the US of A, any manufacturer without a decent hybrid showing would seem to be at a serious disadvantage going forward.

If nothing else, we may see more Velcro, memory foam and freeze-dried ice cream in our Chrysler products of the future, although there's no word on sending a Sebring into space.

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Chrysler and NASA partner on advanced technologies

Chrysler and NASA partner on advanced technologies originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: NASA will study sudden unintended acceleration problem

Chris Shunk — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:57:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota

Who do you call when automobiles are rocketing (intentional pun) out of control? As it turns out, the answer is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, aka NASA.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has enlisted the help of NASA to solve the unintended acceleration conundrum that's led to the recall of nearly 10 million Toyota vehicles. A statement by the DoT says it is calling on NASA's expertise in "electronics, hardware, software, hazard analysis and complex problem solving" to help solve a problem for which many credentialed experts have no acceptable answer. In short, NASA will be looking for any defects that could lead to an investigation, and its study should be completed by late summer.

The National Academy of Sciences will also conduct a second, more broad investigation that will tackle unwanted acceleration and electronic vehicle controls. The study will last up to 15 months, and the total bill for the two studies will cost American tax payers a relatively reasonable (if there are results) $3 million dollars.

The announcement of the two independent federal investigations comes one month after Congress demanded answers from Toyota and the DoT that would put Americans at ease. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood apparently senses the urgency to get this daunting problem resolved, adding "for the safety of the American driving public, we must do everything possible to understand what is happening." So to infinity and beyond we go.

[Source: The Los Angeles Times, Business Week | Image: Bill Ingalls/AFP/Getty]

Report: NASA will study sudden unintended acceleration problem originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free Spirit: NASA's stuck rover marks 2,000 days on Mars

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:20:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology

Quick -- what's got six wheels, lives on Mars and has been stuck in a sand trap named Troy since May 1 of this year? If you answered, "NASA's Spirit Rover," pat yourself on the back. Spirit, along with its twin rover Opportunity, was only supposed to provide three months of Martian exploration. Incredibly, both Spirit and Opportunity are still kicking, having lasted over 20 times longer than initial NASA projections. In fact, Spirit just passed a major milestone as a result of it having landed on the Red Planet before its twin: 2,000 days on the job. Longer than that, actually, as Martian days (called "sols") take longer than our earth days. To wit, Spirit had been on Mars for 2,000 earth days a few weeks ago, but yesterday marked 2,000 sols.

Sadly, reports indicate that Spirit has been stuck in sand for the last several months. One of its wheels has died and there appears to be a rock jutting up into the robot rover's belly pan. Worse, Spirit's downhill facing wheels have spun so much that they've buried themselves in the loose sand. Luckily, Martian winds have been potent enough to blow most of the dust off Spirit's solar arrays and the robot has plenty of power.

Back here on Earth, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists have been working with a replica of Spirit in a sand box, trying to duplicate its sticky predicament and devise a solution. They did this four years ago when Opportunity became mired in a sand dune named Purgatory, then - as now - using techniques you might use to free your car from a snow drift. If all goes well, the scientists will be able to send freeing instructions to Spirit during the second week of September.

You can follow all of Spirits ups and downs as well as the earthbound rescue planning on NASA's cleverly named Free Spirit website.

[Source: MSNBC Cosmic Log]

Free Spirit: NASA's stuck rover marks 2,000 days on Mars originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andrew J. Feustel: Astronaut, Hubble mechanic, car guy

Chris Tutor — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Maintenance, Etc., BMW

Sometime today, astronauts aboard the space shuttle Atlantis are scheduled to begin fitting the Hubble telescope with three new gyroscopes. But why does Autoblog care? Well, apart from the fact that the whole mission is super cool, one of the galactic grease monkeys wielding a wrench today will be Andrew J. Feustel. He's one of us car guys who really wanted to be an astronaut and found a way to make it happen.

His official NASA bio reads like your typical lab-coat-wearing science geek. He graduated from Purdue with an M.S. in geophysics and from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario with a Ph.D. in geological sciences. Under "Organizations" he lists membership in the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, the American Geophysical Union and, to top it off, the BMW Car Club of America.

ABC's World News Tonight interviewed Feustel in his garage as he worked on his M3. In the background is the 1966 Austin Healy he gave his wife. To help pay for his college education, Feustel restored old cars. His son races karts. In short, Feustel is one of us. He's a car guy. And today, he'll be looking for 4mm sockets several miles above the planet.

Good like Andrew. If you get time, we'd love to get our first comment from outer space.

[Source: ABC World News Tonight]

Continue reading Andrew J. Feustel: Astronaut, Hubble mechanic, car guy

Andrew J. Feustel: Astronaut, Hubble mechanic, car guy originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 May 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW working on regenerative exhaust system... with NASA?

Noah Joseph — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 09:32:00 EST

Filed under: Green, Technology, BMW

Baby steps. That's how BMW expects to improve the efficiency of its vehicles - not by revolutionizing the automobile or replacing the internal-combustion engine, but by improving it. The Bavarian automaker's Efficient Dynamics program includes a roster of fuel-saving technologies like regenerative braking and start-stop engine management, but the second generation of the initiative looks to the heavens for inspiration. Specifically, to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

NASA's satellites are powered by thermo-electric generators (TEDs) which derive electricity from the heat generated by radioactive materials. BMW has no intention of putting plutonium in your car, but is working with NASA to adapt the TEDs to hook up to the car's exhaust system and provide some 200 watts of what would otherwise be (and until now has been) wasted energy. Capturing the heat to power auxiliary systems like climate control, BMW says the system could improve fuel economy by 5%. Not a revolutionary figure, but more than the contribution of both regenerative braking and start-stop combined.

[Source: CAR]

BMW working on regenerative exhaust system... with NASA? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New NASA Lunar Rover looks ready for Armageddon

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Technology

Click above for high-res image gallery of the NASA Lunar Rover concept

NASA paraded its Small Pressurized Rover Concept down the streets of the presidential inauguration last week, and it looks like they're fans of Michael Bay. The lunar rover, which is a rear canopy and a couple of struts away from being the Armadillo drilling unit from the movie Armageddon, is about the size of a pickup truck, and has twelve wheels.

NASA has its eyes on the moon in 2020, and this is the vehicle that will host a succession of astronauts, in pairs, as they explore the lunar ~~cheese~~ surface. The pressurized cabin behind the two spacesuits is an RV that can be lived in for two weeks at a time, driven 625 miles on a charge, get up to 6 mph and climb 40-degree inclines. Predicting the technology we'll be using then, the rover contains a plasma energy chamber and comes equipped with a top-mounted pulse laser battle cannon. Ok, not really. But it should... Check out the gallery of images below.

Gallery: Small Lunar Rover Concept

[Source: Engadget]

New NASA Lunar Rover looks ready for Armageddon originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original lunar rover tire helps with next gen development

Chris Tutor — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, GM

Click above for image gallery of lunar rovers in action.

About the time Ford was developing the first Mustang, General Motors' Defense Research Labs was working on something more other-worldly. Man was about to go to the moon, and they needed some transportation when they got there. GM was chosen to develop the running gear along with the tires for the three lunar rovers that would travel to the moon.

Now, more than 40 years later, NASA is on a mission to return to the moon and again needs something to cruise the craters. As we've reported before, NASA is developing a new rover design, but wants to improve upon the original rover's wheels. Unfortunately, the original rovers are still on the lunar surface, and, in its infinite Cold War wisdom, NASA made sure nothing from the original design escaped the shredders.

Luckily, NASA called up one of the original rover tire designers to seek his insight. The 80-year-old engineer was more than happy to help, and even offered to bring in the original, 40-year-old lunar rover tire he had squirreled away in his closet. Made out of zinc-coated piano wire, the tire has been sitting in the retired GM employee's closet just waiting for its day to do its patriotic duty. Or end up on eBay.

So the engineer and his 40-year-old moon tire are helping NASA develop a new transportation system for future moon-exploring astronauts. Click here to listen to the NPR story. Check out the gallery for several shots of the piano-wire-mesh tires in action on the lunar surface. Thanks for the tip, Christina!

Gallery: NASA finds old moon buggy tire in engineer's closet

[Source: NPR]

Original lunar rover tire helps with next gen development originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Off-world off-roading: NASA tests new lunar rover

Alex Nunez — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:26:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Click above for a gallery of the Small Pressurized Rover

This week in Arizona, NASA conducted tests of the new battery-powered Small Pressurized Rover (SPR) it hopes to use when the U.S. sends astronauts back to the moon by 2020. The SPR is a huge leap forward over the original open-air (or is it open-vacuum?) rovers used by the Apollo astronauts. The configuration consists of a pressurized cabin mounted atop a modular chassis that can drive in any direction, thans to wheels that turn 360 degrees. The cockpit leads back to an area housing an airlock that the astronauts can use to transfer from one rover to another, from the rover to a apacecraft, or from a rover to a surface installation and vice-versa.

At the back of that compartment are two "suitports" that allow the astronauts to enter and exit their EVA (extra-vehicular activity) spacesuits without having to bring them into the vehicle itself. The suit backpacks lock into the ports and open up, allowing the wearer to climb out and work in the pressurized vehicle in normal clothing. Very, very cool stuff here. Since the rover is modular in nature, it can also operate as a non-pressurized vehicle, with all the operators in turrets wearing suits. Top speed is 10 km/h (around 6 mph), and the rover should enable astronauts to go on missions away from base for up to two weeks, covering up to 625 miles, according to Reuters. We've gallerized a pair of high-res images and NASA's fact sheet below, and the NASA Edge blog has more photos you might be interested in checking out.

Gallery: NASA Small Pressurized Rover

[Sources: Reuters, NASA, NASA Edge Blog]

Off-world off-roading: NASA tests new lunar rover originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Out of This World: Goodyear and NASA collaborate on airless tire

Noah Joseph — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:56:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

click above image for more views of the NASA Chariot rover

Any good article about space exploration starts with "when I was a kid...". So, when I was a kid, my older brother was working on his college thesis. He cooperated with NASA on designing various devices for use in space, the basic premise being that few of the things we take for granted here on Earth would work in a zero-gravity environment. Everything needed for use in space needs to be redesigned.

Recently Goodyear and NASA announced a collaboration in developing a special non-pneumatic tire to be used by vehicles on the Moon, and potentially, on Mars, in support of a 2004 presidential mandate to further exploration on the celestial bodies. This isn't the first time Goodyear has collaborated with NASA to develop special moon-tires, having spent over ten years developing a piano-wire-mesh tire for the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle in the 1960s. However, the new Chariot vehicle (pictured above) is expected to support ten times more weight and travel 100 times longer than the Apollo, so Goodyear's Akron Technical Center and NASA's Glenn Research Center are developing a stronger version by testing and re-testing the Apollo's wheel and tire set-up to determine where they break down. Better here than out there, because as big a pain as it is to change a tire down here, imagine mounting a spare in space.

The researchers expect to demonstrate the Chariot, with its special tires, a year from now at the Johnson Space Center in Texas, after which, they say, the findings could be applied towards the development of new tires for use here on Earth.

[Source: Goodyear]

Gallery: NASA Chariot

Continue reading Out of This World: Goodyear and NASA collaborate on airless tire

Out of This World: Goodyear and NASA collaborate on airless tire originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2007 Russo & Steele, Scottsdale: 1967 Gus Grissom Corvette goes for $275,000

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 09:24:00 EST

Filed under: Auctions, Chevrolet

Click on the image for a high-res gallery of photos of these cars

1967 Chevrolet Grissom Corvette 427 - #6645

This little red Corvette has quite a pedigree. Although it was originally Lynndale blue, the Rally Red paint was applied 25 years ago. It has just 31,499 documented original miles, a 427/435hp tri-power engine and a 4-speed M-21. It also features the HD suspension, off road exhaust, transistor ignition, leather seats, Strato-Ease headrests, tinted windshield, AM/FM radio, speed warning indicator, telescopic steering wheel, and redline tires. It's had a professional body-off restoration that is documented with the included photos. Another multiple award-winner including NCRS & Corvette Bowling Green. Pretty impressive 'Vette, but obviously it's the fact that NASA astronaut Virgil "Gus" Grissom was the original owner that helped net this car a $232,500 price at auction. Read the whole fascinating back story from the Russo and Steele catalog after the jump.

[Source: Russo and Steele, Corvetteblogger.com]

Related Items:

Astronaut Gus Grissom's 427 'Vette for sale on eBay

Gallery: 2007 Russo & Steele, Scottsdale: 1967 Chevrolet Grissom Corvette 427

Continue reading 2007 Russo & Steele, Scottsdale: 1967 Gus Grissom Corvette goes for $275,000

2007 Russo & Steele, Scottsdale: 1967 Gus Grissom Corvette goes for $275,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jan 2007 09:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Audi A6 ad by Knucklehead's Johnny Green

Noah Joseph — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 10:32:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Audi

Johnny Green, a director with UK's Knucklehead Films, has made this 90-second commercial for the Audi A6. The result is something truly out of this world, showing a mysterious object falling from the sky over the American mid-west and plunging into the deep blue ocean.

The mind-boggling numbers quoted at the end reveal that Audi has actually filed more patents than NASA...for the new A6 alone.

The impressive and stylistic commercial is only the director's second, yet he manages to portray a thoroughly modern automobile in a retro-futuristic space-age style, all while achieving its purpose as a commercial advertisement by projecting a kind of ethereal desirability on the product. (Watch the clip, you'll see.)

[Source: Knucklehead via German Car Blog]

VIDEO: Audi A6 ad by Knucklehead's Johnny Green originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Oct 2006 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Focus gains NASA Spec class

John Neff — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:06:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Budget, Hatchback, Ford

Sure, the Ford Focus is getting a bit long in the tooth and we're all impatiently awaiting the arrival of the next generation car, but that shouldn't overshadow the successes of the current model. From day one, the current Focus has been lauded as a fun to drive small car. From the base model all the way up to the hot hatch SVT, the Focus has proven itself willing to hike up its side skirts and get a move on at the slightest provocation.

So it's only natural that the National Auto Sports Association has finally awarded the Focus with a racing class all its own, the Ford Focus SPEC class, for the 2006 season. The class is open to all model years and trim levels, which of course includes the SVT, but also the much more ubiquitous model with the 2.3-liter engine. Typical entrants throw about $6,000 to $10,000 into their car to prep it for competition, all for the chance to win $500 for being the best in their region or a cool grand for being the fastest Focus in all the land. Hmm... wonder if there's an Unlimited class. If so, we're showing up in this.

[Source: Blue Oval News]

Ford Focus gains NASA Spec class originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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