Autoblog

Drawing cars project looking for Kickstarter funds

Zach Bowman — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

We like to think we're a pretty talented bunch with plenty of marketable skills. We make a mean slice of toast, for example, and we've been known to demonstrate a unique mastery of sleeping on airplanes.

Even with those boundless abilities on our side, there's a laundry list of activities we can't perform with any aplomb. Take drawing cars, for example. Despite all of our high school doodling, we can't put pen to paper without our creation looking suspiciously like an impressionist Lada Niva. It's just not pretty. Fortunately, a new project on Kickstarter may be able to help us hone those skills.

Arvind Ramkrishna, the mind behind Driven Mavens, is working to release a two-DVD set that will walk viewers through the ins and outs of vehicle rendering. The set sheds light on how to craft a professional-grade marker sketch as well as a computer-generated version of your favorite ride.

The project has a variety of donation levels, but the low price of $40 nets you both discs as well as a comprehensive hard copy sketch guide. Head over to the Kickstarter page to check it out for yourself.

Drawing cars project looking for Kickstarter funds originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pixar's John Lasseter defends CARS 2

Chris Shunk — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:32:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Pixar movies have a history of being massive commercial success stories. They seem to mint money, and CARS 2 was no different. The sequel to CARS pulled in $551 million in global box office receipts and vast riches await thanks to a DVD release date that coincides with the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Oh, and did we mention that the CARS franchise has already produced $2 billion in merchandise?

Is all that monetary success cause for celebration? We're thinking yes, but at the same time, Pixar has received a great deal of flack for CARS 2. We thought it was a fun movie, but plenty of critics and naysayers feel otherwise.

The New York Times sat down with director John Lasseter, who is also a founding member of Pixar, to talk about some of the controversy surrounding the movie. Lasseter appears mostly unaffected by the criticism, and he denies that parent Disney forced Pixar to make CARS 2 to maximize profits. Lasseter goes on to call CARS 2 "a very, very special film to me," and adds that he makes movies for kids who love the characters so much that he wants to "pack his clothes in a Lightning McQueen suitcase."

Head over to NYT to read the entire interview for yourself.

Pixar's John Lasseter defends CARS 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney AppMates creates interactive iPad experience with Pixar's CARS

Zach Bowman — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Videos, Toys/Games

Disney is looking to give younger children an excuse other than Angry Birds to play with their parents' Apple iPad. The company's new AppMates toys feature small Cars 2 characters with unique sensors inside them. Download a free application, place the toys on the screen, and kids can drive around a virtual interpretation of Radiator Springs. There are even games and missions to complete for older tikes. Each set comes with two characters for $19.99, and with the potential for endless updates to the Radiator Springs universe, chances are good that kids won't get bored of the game too quickly.

Of course, the only question is, who wants to hand over their tablet to their child aged four to nine? Fortunately, Disney has thought of that, too, and will release a well-padded Cars 2-themed iPad case later down the line. That little piece of kit will set you back a heady $49, but that's considerably less than the cost of a brand-new iPad. Hit the jump to take a look at a video of the AppMates in action.

Continue reading Disney AppMates creates interactive iPad experience with Pixar's CARS

Disney AppMates creates interactive iPad experience with Pixar's CARS originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CARS 2

John Neff — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Toys/Games, Celebrities, New Car Reviews

Pixar Picks Our Obsession For A Rare Sequel

CARS 2 - Click above for high-res image gallery

I saw an advanced screening of CARS 2 last weekend with my friend Chris and his four-year-old son Noah. This was the little guy's first time seeing a movie in a theater, and his father told me it was all he could talk about in the days leading up to our play date.

"Are you excited to see the movie, Noah?" I asked as we pulled out of their driveway at 9:00 AM, a time that I considered obnoxiously early to be heading out for a movie, but Noah was already on hour four of being awake. He screamed an affirmative back at me from his car seat, to which I quickly replied, "Bet you're not as excited as me!" This is how I interact with kids: one-upping them.

His dad piped up then, "Are you wearing CARS underwear?" Damn.

And that right there is the amazing thing about the CARS franchise: It's equally appealing to four-year-olds and forty-year-olds. Oh, and anything emblazoned with its V-shaped hood ornament logo or the likes of its lead character Lightning McQueen will sell by the truck load, including Underoos.

That morning I knew it wasn't going to be a question of whether or not Noah and I liked CARS 2, but rather did we like it like it or totally love it, and would that affection eventually blossom into the purchase of branded undergarments.

Continue reading CARS 2

CARS 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Planes trailer previews Disney tail-spinning off Cars franchise

Noah Joseph — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos

Disney's Planes trailer - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Cars weren't actually the only machines with smiles in Cars. The Disney/Pixar animated feature that's about to spawn its second installment also included trucks, trains, combine harvesters and even helicopters with anthropomorphic faces. But now Disney is planning on taking things one step farther with a new movie called, simply enough, Planes.

The film's not due for release until 2013, and when it does, it will buzz the theaters and land directly on DVD. But to give us a taste of what's yet to come, Disney has released a little teaser video, hinting at the story of a prop plane trying to make it in a jet's world. Looks entertaining enough, but we'll let you judge for yourself from the Top Gun-esque trailer after the jump.

Continue reading Planes trailer previews Disney tail-spinning off Cars franchise

Planes trailer previews Disney tail-spinning off Cars franchise originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China reboots Cash For Clunkers program

Chris Paukert — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, China, Government/Legal

If there's been a single reason for hope among auto executives during the past few lean years, it's been spelled C-H-I-N-A. Despite being a difficult regulatory environment with many hoops for automakers to jump through, the People's Republic has shone as the industry's brightest and biggest hope for big volumes and bigger profits. Certainly, the nation has delivered massive sales increases as it has developed into a global superpower, and its population and growing wealth suggests it should be good for many more millions of sales per year. Thing is, recent sales haven't supported this trend, and the Chinese government is reportedly stepping in to try and remedy the problem.

According to the Associated Press, China is planning its own version of the Car Allowance Rebate System (a.k.a. "Cash For Clunkers") that jumpstarted auto sales here in the U.S. during the summer of 2009. The program will subsidize the turn-in of everything from city buses and farm equipment toward the purchase of new vehicles. Depending on the type of vehicle, owners may qualify for subsidies of 11,000-18,000 yuan, or about $1,700-$2,800 USD. China previously offered a similar program at the end of 2009, but it did not make allowances for trucks and buses, and incentives were smaller, averaging about $730.

After years of double-digit sales increases, April showed the nation's first sales decrease in two years, and recently new auto sales have shown signs of slowing down. Fresh sales figures for the month of May are due later this week.

China reboots Cash For Clunkers program originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cars 2 trailer remade in Lego Land

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 25 May 2011 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Toys/Games, Celebrities

Cars 2 trailer in Lego - Click above to watch the video after the break

If there's a cooler child's toy for adults than a box of Legos, we don't know what it is. To wit, it's possible to take a couple handfuls of Lego blocks and assemble a miniature car... or a couple hundred pounds of the bricks to make a full-size car. And since you're apparently someone who, like us, obsesses over the automobile, there's really no better way to spend quality time with the kids than joining them in a marathon session of Lego building.

But what if you have even grander Lego-based aspirations? The sky's the limit as far as Legos go, as evidenced by the video you're about to watch after the break. Combining two of our most recent we're-really-too-old-for-this obsessions, one pioneering Lego building team recreated the entire trailer for Pixar's Cars 2 using nothing but little plastic building blocks. Well, they may have cheated a little with lighting and, of course, cameras... but we won't hold that against them for such a worthwhile endeavor.

See for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Cars 2 trailer remade in Lego Land

Cars 2 trailer remade in Lego Land originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 May 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zen gardens, Kabuki and sumo wrestling represented in CARS 2

John Neff — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Toys/Games

Pixar's latest stop on the CARS 2 character roll-out tour is the country of Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun will no doubt provide the World Grand Prix with plenty of racers, but today we have some native vehicles to show you that do anything but compete on a track.

One tends a Zen garden, one is a Kabuki dancer and the other two are sumo wrestling micro vans complete with mawashis and culturally correct hairstyles. Have a look see and read their official descriptions in our burgeoning CARS 2 character gallery.

Zen gardens, Kabuki and sumo wrestling represented in CARS 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For the Love of Cars: An inside look at the making of CARS 2

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:56:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Celebrities

CARS 2 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Pixar CEO and Cars Director John Lasseter looks tired. For the last eight hours, he's been engaged in interviews and fielding inane questions from an assortment of entertainment, foreign and automotive press. But as soon as I ask about his inspiration for CARS 2, his eyes light up. "I just love cars," he starts off, and then begins describing the various locales he visited while doing promotion for the 2006 original, all of which would later influence the sequel.

That's just one of several clear lines of inspiration between CARS and CARS 2. The original came about after Lasseter and his family took a roadtrip across the U.S. while towing a 1962 Ford Falcon. The kids named the Falcon "Arnold" and the RV "Betty."

For the sequel - and Lasseter's overdue return to the director's chair - he and his team decided to take the crew from Radiator Springs global. That includes stop-offs in Japan, Italy and Great Britain to compete in the fictionalized World Grand Prix, pitting racers of all disciplines against each other on circuits inspired by their countries of origin. Underlying all that racing action is a classic spy caper and, after viewing 26 minutes of footage, a slightly darker side to the world of Cars.

Continue reading For the Love of Cars: An inside look at the making of Cars 2...

Fair Warning: We'll be discussing a few plot points and several characters after the jump, and while there aren't any serious spoilers, if you want to enter the theater in a blissful state of ignorance, stop here.

Gallery: CARS 2

Gallery: CARS 2 Characters

Images (C)Disney/Pixar

Continue reading For the Love of Cars: An inside look at the making of CARS 2

For the Love of Cars: An inside look at the making of CARS 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Racers from Germany and Spain announced for Pixar's CARS 2

John Neff — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:25:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Toys/Games

Two new characters from Pixar's CARS 2 - Click above to view all of the new characters

Pixar has released more goodies this week about its upcoming sequel, CARS 2, due to hit theaters in the U.S. on June 24. What we have for you today are the cars representing Germany and Spain in the movie's championship race, the World Grand Prix.

First up is Max Schnell, who not only represents Deutschland, but also appears to be carrying the torch for all DTM racers in CARS 2. His last name, Schnell, is also a nice touch, being the German word for 'fast'. He hails from Stuttgart, which is the home of both Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, but we think his design is actually inspired by the Audi A4, hence him wearing the #4. He's also won more races at the Motorheimring (Pixar-speak for Nürburgring, and also German for Motorhome-ring) than any other car in the World Torque Champion League (Pixar-speak again for World Touring Car Championship).

Next up, representing the country of Spain, is Miguel Camino, who hails from Pamplona. Miguel gained fame in his homeland by participating in the famous Running of the Bulldozers and competing as a toreador in the dozer ring. He now races as car #5 in the Grand Touring Sport circuit. If we had to venture a guess at who Miguel is modeled after, we'd say Spanish F1 champ Fernando Alonso. Why? The shape of his headlights suggest a Ferrari influence, and Spain's real greatest racer drives for Ferrari in Formula One.

Finally, Pixar has also released some cool retro posters promoting the World Grand Prix in each of the four locations it's raced. Check them out in the second gallery below, and follow the jump to watch turntable videos of Max Schnell and Miguel Camino.

Gallery: CARS 2 Characters

Gallery: CARS 2 posters

Continue reading Racers from Germany and Spain announced for Pixar's CARS 2

Racers from Germany and Spain announced for Pixar's CARS 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pixar licenses Cars 2 AMC villains for a song thanks to Chrysler bankruptcy

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Chrysler, Celebrities, MISC

Joe Mantegna and Peter Jacobson from Pixar's CARS 2 - Click above for high-res gallery

Earlier this week, we spent the day at Pixar to get a sneak peak at Cars 2. And before you ask, here's what you want to know: The sequel is an order of magnitude more awesome than the original and chief creative honcho John Lasseter drives a Mercedes-Benz SL65. So with that out of the way...

While interviewing one of the feature's principles, we asked about vehicle licensing. When the flick hits theaters June 24, you'll see "Carified" (their term, not ours) versions of everything from Audi to Opel models, but the villains in the film are made up of what the Pixar team contends are the world's worst cars. So there's an assortment of unloved Eastern European metal mixed in with two main antagonists: an AMC Pacer ("Acer" - voiced by Peter Jacobson) and a Gremlin ("Grem" - voiced by Joe Mantegna).

Obviously, it would be a tough sell to go to an automaker and say "We need villains, and your cars are perfect representations for the most loathsome creations on wheels," but the Pixar people came to AMC's owners - Chrysler - at precisely the right time.

When Pixar approached the automaker about licensing the names and likenesses of two vehicles for the film, Chrysler was in the throes of bankruptcy, it was divorcing itself of Cerberus, and it wasn't sure who its next parent would be... if indeed it was to have one at all. Pixar - knowingly or otherwise - took advantage of the situation and managed to snag usage rights to the vehicles for the film just when the automaker was in turmoil and strapped for cash. The results are spectacular, but you'll have to wait for our full story and the animated feature to come to your local cineplex to find out why.

Gallery: CARS 2

Gallery: CARS 2 Characters

[Images: Pixar]

Pixar licenses Cars 2 AMC villains for a song thanks to Chrysler bankruptcy originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lewis Hamilton and David Hobbscap confirmed for CARS 2

John Neff — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Jaguar, Celebrities

Lewis Hamilton and David Hobbscap from Pixar's CARS 2 - Click above to see all the new characters

The seemingly endless rollout of new characters appearing in Pixar's upcoming CARS 2 continues today with two new vehicles, one another Autoblog exclusive. That vehicle is none other than Lewis Hamilton, the only character we can think of so far whose name hasn't been changed for the film.

The Formula One superstar will appear in the CARS sequel, set to open on June 24th in theaters nationwide, playing a "sleek and seriously fast #2 Grand Touring Sports champion." Having grown up learning Karate and winning Karting championships, Hamilton's character steps onto the international stage as Britain's representative in the World Grand Prix. Follow the jump to see Lewis Hamilton's CARS 2 character in our exclusive video turntable.

Next up is David Hobbscap, voiced by British F1 announcer David Hobbs. Hobbscap is a 1963 Coombs Lightweight Jaguar E-type, who Car and Driver reports has 20 Le Mans starts under his beltline and retired from racing to become a broadcaster, just like his human counterpart.

Hobbscap will join Darrell Cartrip and yet-to-be-revealed Brent Mustangberger on the three-car commentary team for the World Grand Prix in the film. Check out a screen capture off all three lifted from the official trailer after the jump.

Gallery: CARS 2 Characters

[Source: Pixar, Car and Driver blog]

Continue reading Lewis Hamilton and David Hobbscap confirmed for CARS 2

Lewis Hamilton and David Hobbscap confirmed for CARS 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Disney releases new Cars 2 trailer, pics

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos

Cars 2 goes international - Click above for high-res image gallery

Disney has dropped the latest trailer for Cars 2, and along with the two-minute clip past the break, they've released a slew of new images that make a nice addition to our gallery of Cars 2 characters.

In the second installment of our favorite car-related, Pixar-animated feature, the crew from Radiator Springs goes global, racing in the World Grand Prix and getting caught up in an international espionage ring. Naturally, Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) once again take center stage, and judging by the trailer, the Pixar people continue to one-up their own efforts.

Hit the jump to see the action and check out the new gallery of pics below.

Gallery: CARS 2

Gallery: CARS 2 Characters

[Source: Pixar]

Continue reading Video: Disney releases new Cars 2 trailer, pics

Video: Disney releases new Cars 2 trailer, pics originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet the Italian and British cars appearing in Cars 2 [w/video]

Jeff Glucker — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Toys/Games

Francesco Bernoulli from Cars 2 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Pixar has revealed five more new characters from its upcoming film, Cars 2. Since the seqie; takes place on a global stage, the characters are from all over the world, with the five newest members of the Cars 2 family hailing from Italy and the United Kingdom.

Francesco Bernoulli is a Formula Racer champion and his own biggest fan. Uncle Topolino - cleverly named after the miniscule Fiat he's modeled after - runs a tire shop in the tiny town of Porto Corso, Italy. His wife, Mama Topolino, is a great cook who dishes out delizioso fuel.

Miles Axlerod is a former oil baron turned all-electric sport utility vehicle. He is joined by an Aston Martin lookalike in the form of Nigel Gearsley. Nigel is a former hill-climber who has turned to grand touring events.

In addition to this latest crop of characters, you can see the full set of Cars 2 players in our high-res gallery below, and click past the jump to see Francesco Bernoulli, Miles Axelrod and Nigel Gearsley on the Cars 2 turntable.

Gallery: CARS 2 Characters

[Source: PixarTimes.com, Car and Driver]

Continue reading Meet the Italian and British cars appearing in Cars 2 [w/video]

Meet the Italian and British cars appearing in Cars 2 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet seven new characters appearing in CARS 2

Zach Bowman — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:24:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Toys/Games, Humor

Grem from Cars 2 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Disney and Pixar have given us a closer look at some of the stars of the upcoming flick, Cars 2. Mater, Lightning McQueen, Sally and the rest of the crew from the first film will be joined by a host of new faces this time around. Those will include Shu Todoruki, a Le Mans prototype race that hails from Japan, Raoul CaRoule, a WRC racer, Carla Veloso and others. As we've seen from the movie's trailers, a duo of crime fighters will help McQueen and Mater as they work to fight off a pair of sinister evildoers.

Those bad guys officially have a name now, too. Grem, a crusty looking Gremlin and Acer, a similarly dilapidated Pacer (Are all AMC's bad guys? Certainly not the Eagle!) are both out to cause havoc in the best way possible. Fortunately for our heroes, Holley Shiftwell and Finn McMissile are both there to lend a hand, er, tire.

Cars 2 centers around an international plot to disrupt the World Grand Prix, and it's up to McQueen and Mater to save the day. Hit the jump to check out a heap of videos of the newest characters, and scroll through the gallery for an image and detailed description of each character.

Gallery: CARS 2 Characters

[Sources: Facebook, HeyYouGuys]

Continue reading Meet seven new characters appearing in CARS 2

Meet seven new characters appearing in CARS 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Radiator Springs Racer looks like giant slot-car track

Zach Bowman — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:24:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Toys/Games

Radiator Springs Racers - Click above to watch video after the jump

One of our favorite automotive-themed toys from our days as auto-obsessed ankle biters was the slot car track. It wasn't that watching scale-replicas of our favorite cars going around and around in circles was all that entertaining. Nor was it the skill required to keep your racer wheels-down for more than one lap. We just liked imagining what it would be like to drive a car at break-neck speeds held to the ground via the magic of magnets. It looks like we weren't the only ones with that fantasy.

Disney has released a video showing exactly what we can expect from the new Radiator Springs Racer attraction at its California Adventure theme park. That smiling car we saw earlier will dart around a life-size track, complete with high-banked turns and plenty of elevation changes. Even better, the video shows the ride building some pretty good speed, too. Disney says that the attraction is built on the same architecture as the Test Track ride at Epcot in Florida.

So, it may not be Cedar Point-rivaling speed or acceleration, let alone the 150-mile-per-hour Formula Rossa at Ferrari World. Still, sounds like fun to us. Hit the jump to see the video for yourself.

[Source: Motor World Hype]

Continue reading Video: Radiator Springs Racer looks like giant slot-car track

Video: Radiator Springs Racer looks like giant slot-car track originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First look at Disney's new Cars-themed adventure park ride

Zach Bowman — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Toys/Games

Disney Cars ride - Click above for image gallery

When we were but knee-high auto obssessives, our two favorite rides at Disney World were Space Mountain and Indy Speedway. One gave us a genuine feeling of speed while the other let us pretend for a few fleeting moments that our driver's license wasn't quite so far away. Now it looks like youngin's out there will have a new car-themed attraction to check out in the Magic Kingdom, or more specifically, Disney's California Adventure Park. Motor World Hype has managed to get their hands on a few quick shots of the amusement park's new Cars-themed ride.

Called Radiator Springs Racers, the attraction is set to open sometime in 2012. In addition to the marginally-creepy looking cars in this particular ride, Disney is planning a whole section of the park dedicated to the Pixar film. The opening should coincide nicely with the Summer 2011 release of Cars 2... and it may just give us still-car-obsessed adults a good reason to revisit our youth.

Gallery: Disney Cars Ride

[Source: Motor World Hype]

First look at Disney's new Cars-themed adventure park ride originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: First teaser trailer for Cars 2 released

Zach Bowman — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Celebrities, Humor

Mater and Lightning McQueen ride again - Click above to watch video after the jump

Everyone's favorite animated autos are back. Pixar just released the first teaser trailer for Cars 2, and the film looks to bring back the same cast of wayward four-wheel stars as before. Details are still scarce at the moment, but judging from the trailer, Mater and Lightning McQueen will leave Radiator Springs and partner up for some Mission Impossible-style antics. We're guessing that hilarity ensues.

Pixar says that we can expect to see Cars 2 hit theaters sometime during the summer of 2011, but the animation studio isn't saying much beyond that. Hit the jump to take a look at the brief trailer.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: First teaser trailer for Cars 2 released

Video: First teaser trailer for Cars 2 released originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: DieHard keeps Gary Numan "stable for days"

Steven J. Ewing — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos

DieHard battery ad with Gary Numan - Click above to watch the video after the jump

How could we forget about the fantastic 1980's synthesizer-heavy hit "Cars" by Gary Numan? Not only is it an infectious tune, it acts as a sort of an ironic new-wave theme song for automobile enthusiasts. Now, some three decades later, Numan has paired up with the DieHard battery folks for a new ad showing just how powerful their car batteries are - a single one is apparently enough to handle Mr. Numan (who is looking moderately creepy in his old age) playing his oddly dispassionate hit on the horns of a whole fleet of cars.

See the commercial for yourself in the video after the jump, and if you've never heard the original song (or seen the original video), it's available for your viewing and listening pleasure. Good luck not getting it stuck in your head. Thanks for the tip, Chris!

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: DieHard keeps Gary Numan "stable for days"

Video: DieHard keeps Gary Numan "stable for days" originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First image from Pixar's Cars 2 revealed?

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 12:03:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

The movie Cars 2 is slated for release in Summer 2011, and that means that Hollywood CGI types are busy sketching, rendering and compositing. Production artwork (seen above) found in Disney's annual report, has Lightning McQueen running in Japan ahead of what we'd imagine is a Formula 1 car. The plot has McQueen dashing around the world with Mater to win the Race of Champions. Mater gets confused for a top spy, and we can only hope that will be much funnier in Pixar's hands than Larry the Cable Guy's last outing as a government operative.

[Source: Pixar Planet]

First image from Pixar's Cars 2 revealed? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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