Autoblog

Sebastian Vettel gets surprisingly technical with David Letterman

Scott Burgess — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos, Infiniti, Celebrities, Humor

Two-time defending Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel appeared on CBS' The Late Show with David Letterman Monday night as part of an F1 media blitz.

Vettel, 24, talked to Letterman about the racing karts as a kid, as well as some surprisingly technical nuts and bolts about Formula One cars. Vettel, of course, drives for Red Bull Racing and is becoming an increasingly important spokesman for Infiniti, who have even awarded the driver with his own model.

Of course, Letterman is no stranger to racing. He is part owner of the IndyCar team Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, which has claimed 22 victories, 31 pole positions and 2 series championships. Thus, it's probably a bit unsurprising that the late night icon repeatedly pestered Vettel about getting F1 racing to Indianapolis.

Scroll down to watch the interview.

Continue reading Sebastian Vettel gets surprisingly technical with David Letterman

Sebastian Vettel gets surprisingly technical with David Letterman originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: David Letterman buys a Ford Fusion on air, Nissan Juke gets dissed

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Videos, Ford, Celebrities, Humor

David Letterman buys a 2011 Ford Fusion on-air - Click above to watch video after the jump

If you were David Letterman, what type of car would you purchase? Something German? Italian? Perhaps something that quickly propels you to illegal speeds? You're all wrong, unless your guess was the 2011 Ford Fusion... which would be an amazingly accurate answer.

Letterman posed a challenge to local Nissan and Ford dealers; get to my set first and I will buy a car from you. Nissan was working to bring down the Juke, while Ford sent over a Fusion. It was clear that Letterman wanted the Ford to arrive first because he mocked the Juke and held up a sign reading "we love Ford."

Luckily for Dave, a salesman from the Manhattan Ford dealership arrived first. He sat down with Dave, and Letterman successfully haggled him down a bit on the price. Click past the jump to see David Letterman take ownership of a 2011 Ford Fusion and to see the Top Ten Reasons Dave Doesn't Want A Nissan Juke. Okay, fine. We may have embellished that last bit a little...

[Source: YouTube, Ford]

Continue reading Video: David Letterman buys a Ford Fusion on air, Nissan Juke gets dissed

Video: David Letterman buys a Ford Fusion on air, Nissan Juke gets dissed originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Your late-night TV preference says a lot about your taste in autos

Zach Bowman — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Celebrities, Humor

These days, there are some serious battle lines drawn around which late-night host you prefer. With the embattled Conan O'Brien taking to the airwaves for the first time since being ousted from NBC, we can all but guarantee another outpouring of down-with-Leno sentiment. But who are the rank and file that make up the heart of each suit's fan base? Who is it exactly that watches Letterman, and how do they differ from Stewart's army of fans?

The crew from USA Today set out to discover the answers to those questions by commissioning a poll with Penn Schoen Berland. What did they find? Conan O'Brien fans are likely to be between 18 and 34 years old, drive Volkswagens and be single atheists. Seriously.

Meanwhile, Jay Leno is favored by folks who are 45 years old and up, religious and listen to country music. Their chariot of choice tends to be something of the domestic flavor - especially Pontiac and Chevrolet hardware.

One of Leno's harshest critics, David Letterman, picks up views from people between the ages of 25 and 44 years-old who are likely divorced democrats. Interestingly enough, Letterman's crew rolls on a beige tide of Toyotas.

Finally, the study took a look at Jon Stewart's fan base and found that the comedian garners views from 35-54 year-old married Catholics. Team Stewart tends to favor a GMC truck for getting around town.

[Source: USA Today]

Your late-night TV preference says a lot about your taste in autos originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: Optimus Prime hiding in plain sight [w/VIDEO]

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:55:00 EST

Filed under: Auctions, Videos, Work, Toys/Games, Celebrities

1997 Peterbilt dressed as Optimus Prime - Click above for image gallery

With Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen holding the number box office spot for two weeks, there couldn't be a better time for this ardent Autobot fan to be flogging his truck on eBay. Done up thoroughly enough to qualify as an Optimus Prime replica, this 1997 Peterbilt 379 wears custom PPG paint and clearcoat, along with hand-applied pinstripes.

If you do actually want to haul things, under that extended hood - just like Prime has - there's a 475 horsepower Caterpillar running through a ten-speed Eaton Fuller transmission. Bidding is up to $20,300 at time of writing, but you've got nine days left to get your bid in and make room in your back yard... and then you can retrieve the Allspark.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Optimus has been showing up all sorts of odd places lately, including a guest appearance on The Light Show With David Letterman last night. The booming Autobot leader led his vocal talents to the program's trademark Top 10 list, and you can check out how he did by watching the video after the jump. Hat tip to 94 Taurus owner!

Gallery: Optimus Prime Peterbilt 379

[Sources: eBay; YouTube]

Continue reading eBay Find of the Day: Optimus Prime hiding in plain sight [w/VIDEO]

eBay Find of the Day: Optimus Prime hiding in plain sight [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM CEO ranks #2 on Letterman's list of Top Ten Worst Summer Jobs

Chris Shunk — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Chrysler, GM, Celebrities, Humor

There's no question that there have been better summers to be the chief executive officer of General Motors. Bankruptcy hearings, plant closings, job cuts and a near certain pay cut will no doubt put a damper on Fritz Henderson's backyard barbecues. The CEO job is so undesirable that it cracked Late Show host David Letterman's Top 10 Worst Summer Jobs list this week. In fact, GM CEO was deemed worse than being the Octomom's babysitter, Susan Boyle's groomer, or even Dick Cheney hunting partner. Ouch. At least it beat out George Bush memoir proof reader.

[Source: CBS Late Show]

GM CEO ranks #2 on Letterman's list of Top Ten Worst Summer Jobs originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Letterman gives ground on Volt, asks Lutz for first production model

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Videos, Chevrolet, GM, Celebrities

Click above to view the video after the jump

Last night, General Motors' outgoing Car Czar, Bob Lutz, went to New York City to rebut the thrashing David Letterman gave the Chevy Volt a few weeks ago during an interview. That comedian's criticism came during the an "interview" with Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk (details here). The more forceful Lutz certainly didn't allow Letterman to control the discussion the way he did when dominating Musk. Lutz actually expressed himself well, even praising Tesla's accomplishments along the way. In the process of doing that, however, he explained that a big reason the Tesla Roadster costs over $100,000 is its battery pack with 6,831 laptop cells.

Observers were probably far less satisfied with Lutz's defense of the end of the EV1 program and his argument that the "batteries were not ready" and the company "couldn't sell" the EV1. He should have just said that the batteries were not ready for a mainstream vehicle and the car couldn't be sold profitably at a price people would actually pay.

When it came to the Volt, Lutz did a much better job of explaining the differences in the way it works compared to current parallel hybrid vehicles that drivers are used to. Ultimately, Letterman asked if he could get the first production Volt before reprising his electrocution schtick from the Musk episode. Follow the jump to watch the interview for yourself.

[Source: Youtube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Letterman gives ground on Volt, asks Lutz for first production model

VIDEO: Letterman gives ground on Volt, asks Lutz for first production model originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 May 2009 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Lutz will appear on Letterman next week to refute Volt claims

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Chevrolet, Celebrities

Two weeks after late night comedian David Letterman lashed out at the Chevy Volt's 40-mile EV range during an interview with Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, General Motors is counter-attacking with former Vice Chairman Bob Lutz. Next Wednesday night, Lutz will appear on Letterman's Late Show with the Volt show car. Lutz is generally pretty good at holding his own in interviews, but it will be very interesting to see how he rebukes Letterman on his own turf. The latter generally keeps a pretty tight rein and controls the action, just as he did with Musk. If Lutz is smart, he'll emphasize that he brought the show car instead of one of the Cruze-based mules because those are being intensively tested back in Michigan getting ready for a production launch next year. The Tesla Model S that Musk brought with him is also little more than a show car at this point, and most development has been suspended until Tesla raises more money.

Clarification: When I say most Model S development is on hold, I mean most, not all. When I spoke with CEO Elon Musk in January he acknowledged that spending on Model S had been cut from 30 percent of Tesla's resources to only 10 percent. Before leaving the company, last former SVP Darryl Siry told us that essentially all work other powertrain development had come to halt. Some work is ongoing since they did finish the show car, but the bulk of it depends on raising cash. Meanwhile GM tells us that the Volt program is essentially the only one at the company that has not seen any significant cuts.

[Source: General Motors, Source Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty]

Bob Lutz will appear on Letterman next week to refute Volt claims originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 May 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Letterman meet Musk, Musk meet Letterman. Got it? Good. Let's all hate on Chevrolet's Volt

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:08:00 EST

Click on the image above to watch the video

Elon Musk brought out the Tesla Model S for its big New York debut last night, and Late Night talk show host David Letterman got a real "charge" out of it. Musk appeared on the Late Show and it was kind of strange to watch. Letterman had some kind of throat ailment that left his voice sounding remarkably like Bob Lutz. In spite of that, Dave's trademark style left him showing little sympathy for any automakers when discussing why after more than 100 years no one has really developed the electric car.

Dave didn't spare any kind words for efforts to develop hydrogen fuel cell technology, but he really ripped into General Motors and its baby, the Chevrolet Volt. Apparently the idea of being able to go a mere 40 miles on a charge is not appealing to him, and to his discredit, he didn't bother to mention the range extender. For his part, Musk does nothing to correct this oversight.

Check out the video after the jump for as long as it stays live on YouTube.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Letterman meet Musk, Musk meet Letterman. Got it? Good. Let's all hate on Chevrolet's Volt

VIDEO: Letterman meet Musk, Musk meet Letterman. Got it? Good. Let's all hate on Chevrolet's Volt originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Letterman remembers Paul Newman...and their V8 Volvos

Alex Nunez — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 08:50:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, Videos, Volvo, Celebrities

In the wake of Paul Newman's passing just over a week ago, we've seen countless, wonderful tributes to the man written from different points of view. He's remembered as an actor, a colleague, a racer, and most importantly, a towering philanthropist. One of the best non-written remembrances, however, comes from the mouth of David Letterman, who paid respect to Newman in one of his monologues on The Late Show last week.

The whole thing's worth watching, but at around 3:45 in, Dave gets to the story about when Newman called him up one day and talked him into buying a custom Volvo wagon (a 960) with a supercharged Ford V8 underhood. You see, Newman was having one made and was very pumped up about it, so he asked if Dave wanted one, too. And you know, how do you say no to Paul Newman? Dave recounts the whole affair beautifully, and of course, it's also funny.

After you watch the clip, head over to Swedespeed, where in 2003 they profiled a third car just like the ones built for Newman and Letterman, with even more background about Newman's car and what went into the build. This is the very definition of "sleeper."

[Source: The Sheila Variations]

Letterman remembers Paul Newman...and their V8 Volvos originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 Oct 2008 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Alex Roy on the Late Show with Letterman

John Neff — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Videos

You may remember Alex Roy as a member of Team Polizei, which drove a BMW M3 across the continental U.S. in the unofficial record time of 31 hours and 4 minutes in late 2006. The record is unofficial because maintaining an average speed of over 90 MPH for a day and a half isn't exactly... legal. You can read about the monumental effort required of Roy and his team in his book The Driver, or you could watch the video after the jump of Roy's appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman last Tuesday. Having met Roy, the amazing thing about him is that he's fully aware of how dangerous and crazy his endeavor was, and on some level agrees with those who take offense with what he did. It's a disarming quality that makes him easy to talk to even if you're one those who disagree with his need for speed. That comes through in his interview with David Letterman, who belabors the illegality of Roy's record run a bit too vociferously in our opinion. Roy takes it like a champ and we think, by the end, wins Dave over. And once you've got Dave, you've got Paul, too. Check out the video after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Chris!

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Alex Roy on the Late Show with Letterman

VIDEO: Alex Roy on the Late Show with Letterman originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Letterman drops safe on Buick LeSabre

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 14:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Buick

David Letterman is at it again. And this time we're taking it personally. Long a fan of Dave and his destruction of household items for our amusement, we have to draw the line somewhere. In his latest shtick, Letterman has his crew drop a safe from the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater in which his show is taped. The 300-pound hunk of metal is unceremoniously dumped from the roof and plummets towards the street below, coming to a cushiony halt atop a Buick LeSabre's rear seat.

Not a particularly big fan of the Buick, but it did appear to be in good working order and we can think of more than a few people who could use some wheels to get themselves to work, so this seems especially wasteful.

Aww, we're just joshin'. This is hilarious! One only has to watch to marvel at the "precision" with which this stunt was arranged. It seems a miracle they even hit the car and didn't make a crater in the sidewalk. The suspension of the Buick appears to take the impact with aplomb and we actually discussed whether or not the car might still be drivable. Certainly the safe looks no worse for the fall. We're pretty sure there will be complaints about the vehicle's untimely demise, but laughter has been said to be the best medicine, so that and a chill pill should help everybody get over ~~themselves~~ it.

[Source: The Daily Reel]

Letterman drops safe on Buick LeSabre originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Dec 2006 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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