Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Human vs. Lincoln MKT: Who is better at parallel parking?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/07/human-vs-lincoln-mkt-who-is-better-at-parallel-parking/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/07/human-vs-lincoln-mkt-who-is-better-at-parallel-parking/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/07/human-vs-lincoln-mkt-who-is-better-at-parallel-parking/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Ezra Dyer vs Lincoln MKT

Auto journalist Ezra Dyer has thrown down the parking gauntlet on the Lincoln MKT in a battle for ultimate supremacy. Dyer fancies himself a fairly skilled parallel parker, and wanted to test his mettle against the self-park feature on the MKT. Armed with a tape measure, a video camera and a healthy distrust of all things mechanical, man squared off against crossover.

How'd it go? Dyer put up a healthy fight by managing to get the Lincoln closer to the curb than the vehicle's software could manage. Unfortunately, he was also slightly more askew in the spot than the self-park feature. The final score put our inevitable robotic overlords ahead of the human resistance once again.

We'll admit that we aren't necessarily fine with notion handing over vehicle control in any situation - parking or otherwise. We'll still take solace in the fact that the MKT can't hand brake itself into that same spot. Hit the jump to check out the video, then let us know in Comments how you feel about the proliferation of self-park technology.

Continue reading Human vs. Lincoln MKT: Who is better at parallel parking?

Human vs. Lincoln MKT: Who is better at parallel parking? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011 lincoln mktauto-parkezra dyerlincolnlincoln mktmktparallel parkingself parkself park featureself-parkvideoFri, 07 Oct 2011 12:45:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20076346/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/10/07/human-vs-lincoln-mkt-who-is-better-at-parallel-parking/20076346/article-detail.xml 20076346 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/10/ezra-dyer-lincoln-mkt-628_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/10/ezra-dyer-lincoln-mkt-628.jpg <![CDATA[Autowriters Aaron Robinson and Ezra Dyer added to <i>The Car Show</i> on <i>SPEED</i>]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/26/autowriters-aaron-robinson-and-ezra-dyer-added-to-the-car-sho/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/26/autowriters-aaron-robinson-and-ezra-dyer-added-to-the-car-sho/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/26/autowriters-aaron-robinson-and-ezra-dyer-added-to-the-car-sho/#commentsFiled under: ,

the car show
First look at The Car Show - Click above for high-res image gallery

SPEED is betting big on its newest TV series, called The Car Show. You're most likely already aware that the program will be hosted by Adam Carolla, Dan Neil, Matt Farah and John Salley. Now, SPEED has announced that some well-known auto scribes are joining the team to pitch in on writing duty.

Aaron Robinson and Ezra Dyer have become a part of The Car Show family. Robinson is the Technical Editor at Car and Driver, while Dyer has written for a handful of publications and has a running column at Automobile. The two will add their automotive knowledge and insight to a team that already knows a good deal about cars. Well, we're sure of everyone except Salley. The Spider owns four NBA championship rings, was a member of the Chicago Bulls record-breaking 72-win season, and wasn't terrible in the film Eddie. None of that translates to cars, but we're hoping the writers stay away from attempting to squeeze his six-foot, 11-inch frame into a Mazda Miata.


Gallery: Adam Carolla's The Car Show


[Source: Speed]

Continue reading Autowriters Aaron Robinson and Ezra Dyer added to The Car Show on SPEED

Autowriters Aaron Robinson and Ezra Dyer added to The Car Show on SPEED originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaron robinsonadam carollacar showdan neilezra dyerjohn salleymatt farahspeedspeed tvtelevisionthe car showtvTue, 26 Apr 2011 18:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19923314/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/04/26/autowriters-aaron-robinson-and-ezra-dyer-added-to-the-car-sho/19923314/article-detail.xml 19923314 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/the-car-show-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/04/the-car-show-opt.jpg <![CDATA[Spectre 341 Challenge is back and open to everyone]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/19/spectre-341-challenge-is-back-and-open-to-everyone/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/19/spectre-341-challenge-is-back-and-open-to-everyone/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/19/spectre-341-challenge-is-back-and-open-to-everyone/#commentsFiled under: ,

spectre 341 challenge corvette on the course
Corvette ZR1 tackling the Spectre 341 Challenge - Click above to watch video after the jump

In June 1972, Hans Tanner and other members of the Southern California Ferrari Owners Club set out to the road that's known today as Nevada Highway 341. Tanner sought to emulate the great hill climb events in which he participated in Europe, and the Virginia City Hill Clmb was the perfect opportunity to take a shot at recapturing that glory. The event ran until 2002, when tragedy struck and organizers decided to discontinue the event.

In 2010, new organizers rebooted the Virginia City Hill Climb, rechristened as the first annual Spectre 341 Challenge. The second running is scheduled for June 17-20, 2011. Unlike last year's invitation-only event, the 2011 Spectre 341 Challenge is open to everyone.

Are you ready to take on 5.2-miles of twisty Nevada blacktop? The road features multiple blind corners, near-constant elevation changes and some spots are still waiting on attention from the Nevada Department of Transportation (read: no guardrails). If you feel you and your car are up to the task, you need to do two things: have the $341 entry fee ready, and get your butt to Nevada to try and get into the 3:41 club. If ham-fisted automotive journalists like Ezra Dyer have made the list there may be room for you as well. Click past the jump to watch some highlights from the 2010 Spectre 341 Challenge.

[Source: Spectre 341 Challenge]

Continue reading Spectre 341 Challenge is back and open to everyone

Spectre 341 Challenge is back and open to everyone originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2nd annual spectre 341 challenge341 clubezra dyerhans tannerhill climbspectrespectre 341 challengevideovirginia city hill climbSat, 19 Feb 2011 18:15:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19851416/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/02/19/spectre-341-challenge-is-back-and-open-to-everyone/19851416/article-detail.xml 19851416 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/02/spectre-341_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/02/spectre-341.jpg <![CDATA[Video: Ezra Dyer tackles the Spectre 341 Challenge in a Porsche 911 Turbo]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/22/video-ezra-dyer-tackles-the-spectre-341-challenge-in-a-porsche/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/22/video-ezra-dyer-tackles-the-spectre-341-challenge-in-a-porsche/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/22/video-ezra-dyer-tackles-the-spectre-341-challenge-in-a-porsche/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Click above to view the video after the jump

We didn't make it out to this year's Spectre 341 Challenge as time just wasn't on our side. Fortunately, we can live vicariously through a few of the participants, including Automobile scribe Ezra Dyer.

If you're not familiar with the event, it has roots dating back to the early seventies, when then-president of the Ferrari Owners Club of Southern California, Hans Tanner, organized a hill climb up Nevada Highway 341.

In the years since, the event has waxed and waned, but the purpose has remained the same: run up the 5.2-mile hill, tackle over 20 turns and scrape just north of 6,200 feet in a time of 3:41 - or less. Can Dyer do it in a Porsche 911 Turbo? Make the jump to find out, read more about the event here and look for Dyer's account of the run in the October issue of Automobile.

Continue reading Video: Ezra Dyer tackles the Spectre 341 Challenge in a Porsche 911 Turbo

Video: Ezra Dyer tackles the Spectre 341 Challenge in a Porsche 911 Turbo originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>341341 challenge341Challenge911ezra dyerEzraDyerporscheporsche 911porsche 911 turboPorsche911Porsche911Turbospectre 341 challengeSpectre341ChallengeturbovideoThu, 22 Jul 2010 20:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19564831/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/07/22/video-ezra-dyer-tackles-the-spectre-341-challenge-in-a-porsche/19564831/article-detail.xml 19564831 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/ezra-314-cap_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/ezra-314-cap.jpg <![CDATA[<i>Automobile</i> checks in for border control duty with Ford F-150 Raptor]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/15/automobile-checks-in-for-border-control-duty-with-ford-f/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/15/automobile-checks-in-for-border-control-duty-with-ford-f/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/15/automobile-checks-in-for-border-control-duty-with-ford-f/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor serves and protects

Aside from the recent dust-up over immigration law in Arizona, we've heard very little about America's efforts on border patrol lately. Where once we heard all about fences, militia parties and night-vision, now the collective media consciousness is focused elsewhere. That doesn't mean that the challenges facing border patrol have exactly evaporated, of course. The men and women charged with keeping an eye on the line between the U.S. and Mexico still face mile upon mile of some of the most grueling terrain on the planet, which is exactly why the Yuma Sheriff went ahead and ordered up a Ford F-150 SVT Raptor before the official government-issue fleet arrives.

Automobile Magazine's Eszra Dyer decided to tag along with Major Leon Wilmot to see how the truck handles itself in an official capacity and just what this border patrol business is all about. As it turns out, the majority of the operation is concerned with large expanses of sand, moon dust, non-exploded ordinance and the cleverness of a people who want nothing more to outwit American law enforcement. If you've got a hot second, click over to Automobile for a quick read.


Gallery: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor


[Source: Automobile Magazine]

Automobile checks in for border control duty with Ford F-150 Raptor originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>border guardsBorder PatrolBorderGuardsBorderPatrolEzra DyerEzraDyerF Seriesf-150F-150 SVT RaptorF-150SvtRaptorF-SeriesFordford f-150 svt raptorFord RaptorFordF-150SvtRaptorFordRaptorFSeriesMexico borderMexicoBordernational borderNationalBorderRaptorSVTSVT RaptorSvtRaptorU.S. borderU.s.BorderYumaThu, 15 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19555416/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/07/15/automobile-checks-in-for-border-control-duty-with-ford-f/19555416/article-detail.xml 19555416 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/raptor-patrol-630_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/raptor-patrol-630.jpg <![CDATA[Video: Dyer's most eXtreme moments of 2009]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/31/video-dyers-most-extreme-moments-of-2009/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/31/video-dyers-most-extreme-moments-of-2009/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/31/video-dyers-most-extreme-moments-of-2009/#commentsFiled under:

Click above to view the video after the jump

Apparently Automobile and New York Times contributor Ezra Dyer took a fair amount of flack for his snowy Audi R8 escapades, so he's compiled his greatest motive moments of 2009 into one predictably ridiculous montage. We'd describe the antics ourselves, but a chilled bottle of champagne is goading us from afar and Dyer does a far better job:
Do not even watch this video if you have a heart condition or think you might be pregnant, for it includes the following graphic material: Goading Michael Schumacher into driving like a maniac in a Ferrari 599 GTB; shooting my Cadillac with machine guns, at night, using tracer bullets; jumping a Subaru; jumping off a sand dune without a Subaru; Lamborghini doughnuts; shots of speedometers reading x-tremely high speeds. And there's even more. Your ticket buys you the whole seat, but trust me when I tell you that you'll only need the edge.
The "Most Awesome Video Ever" awaits after the jump, and in keeping with the extreme theme, Mötley Crüe
provides the soundtrack - fair warning.

[Source: New York Times]

Continue reading Video: Dyer's most eXtreme moments of 2009

Video: Dyer's most eXtreme moments of 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dyerezraezra dyerEzraDyermost awesome video everMostAwesomeVideoEverThu, 31 Dec 2009 19:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19299687/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/12/31/video-dyers-most-extreme-moments-of-2009/19299687/article-detail.xml 19299687 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/12/dyer-extreme_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/12/dyer-extreme.jpg <![CDATA[VIDEO: Audi R8 is the chosen chariot for snowy excursions]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/29/video-audi-r8-is-the-chosen-chariot-for-snowy-excursions/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/29/video-audi-r8-is-the-chosen-chariot-for-snowy-excursions/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/29/video-audi-r8-is-the-chosen-chariot-for-snowy-excursions/#commentsFiled under: ,

Click above to watch the video after the jump

New York Times and Automobile contributor Ezra Dyer may have found the perfect German exotic for New England winters: the Audi R8. True, the R8 is pretty low to the ground, but it also makes good use of Audi's superb Quattro all-wheel drive system and thanks to its mid-engine layout much of the weight sits over the rear wheels. But even the best AWD is useless when providing spin for four summer tires, so the snow white model Dyer was piloting around the northeast winter wonderland also had four of the widest winter tires you can find.

Hit the jump to watch Dyer as he plows through his snowy driveway in pursuit of some "important" shopping. We're pretty impressed with how the four-ringed, mid-engine thoroughbred handled the white stuff even when the pedal hit metal. We're just wondering what Dyer needed so badly from Bed Bath and Beyond.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Audi R8 is the chosen chariot for snowy excursions

VIDEO: Audi R8 is the chosen chariot for snowy excursions originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audi r8AudiR8driving in snowDrivingInSnowezra dyerEzraDyerquattro awdQuattroAwdvideoTue, 29 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19296138/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/12/29/video-audi-r8-is-the-chosen-chariot-for-snowy-excursions/19296138/article-detail.xml 19296138 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/12/a8-audi-snow_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/12/a8-audi-snow.jpg <![CDATA[Ezra Dyer pits the Nissan GT-R versus... the Hummer H3T]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/16/ezra-dyer-pits-the-nissan-gt-r-versus-the-hummer-h3t/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/16/ezra-dyer-pits-the-nissan-gt-r-versus-the-hummer-h3t/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/16/ezra-dyer-pits-the-nissan-gt-r-versus-the-hummer-h3t/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Automobile's Ezra Dyer has a knack for positing the most intriguing vehicular questions in an inimitable, screamingly hilarious style. Who else would send Hummer's junior-level H3T against Nissan's heavyweight GT-R, and why? "I want to go bash around in the boonies with a jacked-up truck before somebody decides that that sort of thing is really so much fun that it should be illegal" is the perfect answer to that question. If vehicles weren't in some way about fun, we'd all be lining up for coveted used Trabants. The challenge was thus: run one vehicle on the road from Telluride to Lake City, while another hits the trail, Duke-Boys style. Both vehicles can be painted with anti-green when one considers their respective purposes. The GT-R is for chewing up miles and passing everything short of determined Porsche drivers, while the Hummer doesn't enjoy the free pass enviros give a Wrangler, but is a capable alternative to the Jeep when things heads off road. Hit the link to see whether an as-the-crow-flies route bests turbocharged brute force. Here's one thing we'll play spoiler on: the Hummer used less fuel.

[Source: Automobile]

Ezra Dyer pits the Nissan GT-R versus... the Hummer H3T originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4 wheeling4Wheelingautomobile magazineAutomobileMagazineezra dyerEzraDyerhummer h3hummer h3thummer offroadHummerH3HummerH3tHummerOffroadnissan gt-rnissan gtrNissanGt-rNissanGtroffroadingTue, 16 Dec 2008 12:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1402412/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/12/16/ezra-dyer-pits-the-nissan-gt-r-versus-the-hummer-h3t/1402412/article-detail.xml 1402412 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/gtr_hummer_580op_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/gtr_hummer_580op.jpg <![CDATA[Ezra Dyer on opulent Bugatti Veyron]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/05/ezra-dyer-on-opulant-bugatti-veyron/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/05/ezra-dyer-on-opulant-bugatti-veyron/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/05/ezra-dyer-on-opulant-bugatti-veyron/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you're unfamiliar with Ezra Dyer's meteoric rise in the ranks of automotive journalism, all you need is a recent copy of Automobile in which his articles appear to know he deserves it. Listen to Jean Jennings, Automobile's Editoress-in-Chief, faun over the young scribe. So far he's written about arriving at his high school reunion in a Ford GT, taking an SL65 AMG to the drag strip or this time hopping behind the wheel of one Bugatti Veyron. Though we've suffered through more than enough blubbering reviews of the illustrious Veyron, not many have tackled the great one with such affluent hyperbole as E.D. Check out the article in its entirety here and rest assured we will keep an eye out for future online articles from Dyer in case you're allergic to the pulp used in Automobile mag's paper.

[Source: Automobile via GermanCarBlog]

Ezra Dyer on opulent Bugatti Veyron originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 May 2006 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>automobile magAutomobileMagbugattiezra dyerEzraDyerveyronFri, 05 May 2006 19:55:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/615173/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2006/05/05/ezra-dyer-on-opulant-bugatti-veyron/615173/article-detail.xml 615173 http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/05/0606_x2006_bugatti_veyrinterior_thumbnail.jpg http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/05/0606_x2006_bugatti_veyrinterior.jpg -1 2