Autoblog

Racing helmet legend Bill Simpson turning his attention to pro football safety

Zach Bowman — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Safety

Bill Simpson has turned his helmet expertise toward reducing the number of concussions in football. Simpson has been manufacturing helmets for motorsports for years, turning his experience as a drag racer and a driver in the Indianapolis 500 into safer equipment for use at the track, but it wasn't until he met Tom Moore that Simpson began thinking about making football safer. At the time, Moore was working as the offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts. Moore offered up a few tickets to a game in 2010, and Simpson went. During the game, Colts receiver Austin Collie took a hard hit and wound up out cold.

After the game, Simpson asked for a few helmets for testing and found the gear to be sub par. While some of his work in the motorsports world translates to making safer football helmets, the two sports are very different. One principal remains the same, however: lighter helmets reduce brain injury. As a result, Simpson's prototypes use plenty of light-weight materials, and his youth version weighs about half as much as the current industry standard. Next, Simpson says he'll turn his attention to lacrosse helmets.

Racing helmet legend Bill Simpson turning his attention to pro football safety originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Jan 2013 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch some drunk German football fans cheer on a parallel parker

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:44:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Europe, Videos, Hatchback, Citroën, Humor

Europeans, as we know, take their football (our soccer) seriously - it isn't until a team wins that their fans can stop being so focused and have some serious fun. Exhibit A: after the German national team beat Argentina in Euro 2012, some chaps still full of cheer (and beer, presumably) came upon this woman trying to slot her tiny Citroën C2 into an equally tiny parking spot. Naturally, they decided she could use a cheer of her own. It is guaranteed this did not happen after the Germany-Italy game.

When people say they want their own theme music or cheering section or Mariachi band, we're pretty sure this is isn't at all what they mean. But it's funny for us. Check it out below.

Continue reading Watch some drunk German football fans cheer on a parallel parker

Watch some drunk German football fans cheer on a parallel parker originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bears blanking Packers could win you free car

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:58:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc.

The emphasis, in this case, rests heavily on the word "could." The mere question of a bet between two folks at Sawicki Motors in Rochelle, Illinois ultimately resulted in the dealership's general manager, Ron Matula, offering anyone a free car if the Chicago Bears can shut out the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day.

The tiny little hook: you've got to buy your Chevrolet, Cadillac or Buick before the game, and if Chicago manages to make such magic you will receive a full refund. But that's nothing compared to the large hooks: da Bears are 13-point underdogs; they'll be starting their third string quarterback, Josh McCown, who in nine years has been on seven NFL teams and one CFL team, with the stats to make it clear why; da Bears will be without playmakers Matt Forte, Marion Barber, Johnny Knox and probably Devin Hester; and that depleted lineup is playing the 14-1 Green Bay Packers.

History might be on the side of the Bears and Sawicki customers, though: according to ESPN Chicago, "The Packers are one of five teams in NFL history to open a season 13-0 and then lose in their 14th game. All four of the other teams lost their 15th game, too." That's still a long way from holding Green Bay scoreless, but in the words of Jim Carrey in Dumb & Dumber, we're saying there's a chance.

So if you've been in the market for a model that Sawicki sells, no matter what happens with the Bears at least you can't lose - as long as you buy today.

Bears blanking Packers could win you free car originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler signs on as Official Car of the NFL... in the UK?

Noah Joseph — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, UK

Football is big in the UK, but when the Brits talk about football, they're referring to what we call soccer. Even so, American football has its fans in Great Britain, and not just when Peter Griffin got traded from the New England Patriots to the London Silly-Nannies or when the Marines stationed at our embassy get the night off to watch the big game.

In fact, the Chicago Bears faced off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday, not at Soldier Field in Illinois or Raymond James Stadium in Florida, but at Wembley Stadium in London. It was the fifth NFL International Series game played there in as many years at the venue that's used to hosting the other kind of football.

It's the kind of opportunity an American automaker trying to make a name for itself in the UK couldn't pass up. And since Ford is well established there and GM is represented by its local brand Vauxhall, that could only mean one company: Chrysler. While Lancia markets Chrysler models in continental Europe, the inverse is the case in the UK, where the American brand has a better reputation than its Italian counterpart.

And so Chrysler was there in full force as the Official Car of the NFL (in the UK), sponsoring the International Series (as well as the Super Bowl broadcast there), displaying the new Chrysler Ypsilon and transporting VIPs around in Grand Voyagers. The arrangement follows a similar announcement between Mercedes-Benz and the New Orleans Saints that saw the German luxury automaker acquire the naming rights to the Louisiana Superdome.

Continue reading Chrysler signs on as Official Car of the NFL... in the UK?

Chrysler signs on as Official Car of the NFL... in the UK? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Followup: Dodge FIFA World Cup ad forgets where the Challenger is built

Zach Bowman — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Dodge, Canada

Three horsemen of the Revolutionary War - Click above for high-res image gallery

Is there anything more American than taking someone else's hard work and claiming it for our own? Probably not. Maybe it's some sort of collective synaptic impulses left over from our former masters in the empire or some sort of instinctive will to survive at all costs brought about by our ancestors being made to carve out a life on an uncivilized continent. Whatever the reason, it doesn't seem like the impulse will let up any time soon. The recent Chrysler recent Red, White, and Blue soaked World Cup ad is a perfect example. If you need a refresher, check it out after the jump.

In the midst of the patriotic daze brought about watching George Washington behind the wheel of Dodge Challenger, we failed to point out that Chrysler isn't exactly the most American car company at the moment. As Consumer Reports has noted, with Canada owning a full 10 percent of the company and Italian carmaker Fiat holding the reigns to another 20 percent, the company isn't as 'apple pie' as it would have buyers believe.

Then there's the annoying fact that the Challenger itself is built off of a modified Mercedes-Benz platform and constructed in Ontario, Canada. Of course, the same sort of criticism can be leveled at Chrysler's new Jeep Grand Cherokee ads, which, while built in the U.S., also rides on a Benz-derived platform and also shares Italian and Canadian ownership ties.

Still, none of these facts make these ads any less effective, just hypocritical in the most ironically patriotic fashion.

Gallery: Dodge "Freedom" World Cup Ad

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Continue reading Followup: Dodge FIFA World Cup ad forgets where the Challenger is built

Followup: Dodge FIFA World Cup ad forgets where the Challenger is built originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Soccer Hooligans Beware - It's the World Cup crash test

Zach Bowman — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Safety, Videos, UK, Humor, South America

World Cup crash test - Click above to watch video after the jump

Unless you've spent any time overseas during a World Cup celebration, you really can't comprehend how crazy fans go for their respective teams. With the event only coming around once every four years, everyone has plenty of time to let their craziness build up, and as a result, localities explode with flags of every origin and diehards take to the streets to profess their team pride. Naturally, that includes hanging out of every available car window and sunroof with air horns in hand.

Now, we don't speak German, so we have little to no idea who initiated this video after the jump, but it's worth checking out. A safety organization wanted to show just what happens when a vehicle gets into a low-speed accident with its occupants dangling outside of the body structure - a World Cup crash test. As you might imagine, it doesn't go well for a bunch of crash-test dummy fans when their Audi A6 Avant meets an immovable object.

So remember kids, keep your hands, heads and torso inside of the vehicle at all times, or the ze Germans will ruin a perfectly good long roof as punishment.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Soccer Hooligans Beware - It's the World Cup crash test

Video: Soccer Hooligans Beware - It's the World Cup crash test originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Funny Car Commercial of the Day: Free kick edition

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:58:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Renault, Humor

Goooooooaaaaallll! - Click above to watch the video after the break

Football fans - or, if you happen to live in the United States... soccer fans - are well aware that 2010 is the year of the FIFA World Cup. The international competition has been run every four year since 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not contested because of World War II. Stay tuned for this year's festivities in June and July from South Africa.

What does ~~soccer~~ football have to do with cars? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Unless you are Renault, it would seem. The French automaker has been associating itself with the sport for the last few years with a series of print and video advertisements for its Megane hatchback.

One such ad, which you can find conveniently pasted after the break, shows exactly what might happen if one overly exuberant Megane-owning football fan misjudges the power of his own free kick. Click here to see more funny car commercials from veryfunnyads.com.

[Source: veryfunnyads.com]

Continue reading Funny Car Commercial of the Day: Free kick edition

Funny Car Commercial of the Day: Free kick edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorsports and soccer are the Superleague Formula

Merritt Johnson — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Lifestyle

Click the above picture for more Superleague Formula photos.

Superleague Formula might sound like a new comic book or a cough syrup but in fact it is the title of a new open-wheel race series coming in August 2008. It plays on the idea that people can't get enough open-wheel racing between all the already existing series such as Formula 1, Champ Car, IRL, A1GP and all those feeder series. Superleague Formula takes an aim at the A1GP concept, but with a little twist. The cars are painted in livery to match the world's top soccer (aka football to most of the world) teams. Many soccer teams are already on board the project, while negotiations are underway to increase the field. The series is run by sports marketing guru Alex Andreu. He says the concept is meant to draw more outside interest to the world of motorsports. The first season will see the races limited to Europe, with plans to expand after that.

The Superleague Formula package is a chassis from Elan Motorsports Technologies and a 750 hp 4.2L V12 engine from Menard Competition Technologies. The chassis is aerodynamically developed to ensure ease of passing on track. The participating teams will be given their cars for the first season and everyone will run the same package with organized test sessions. It sounds like a project with high prospects. If it works, who knows, maybe next we'll see NASCAR team up with the NFL.

[Source: Superleague Formula]

Gallery: Superleague Formula Race Series

Motorsports and soccer are the Superleague Formula originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fantasy Football: Lamborghini Gallardo "Italia"

Noah Joseph — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:11:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Europe, Supercars, Lamborghini

Some travelers insist that a country's character and culture are best understood by tasting their local food. We'll offer instead that you can tell the most about a country by looking at the special-edition cars honoring their football teams. In America, for example, you might find a pick-up truck spangled with decals honoring the local NFL franchise. In Italy, on the other hand, they've decked out a unique Lamborghini in the colors of their national soccer team.

This one-of-a-kind Gallardo has been painted the same shade of blue as the national team's jerseys. The roof has been painted in the tricolore, the red, white and green of the Italian flag. The interior is likewise trimmed in solid blue alcantara, and the engine - which is otherwise left completely stock with "only" 520 hp - is said to be adorned with a gold-tone engine cover.

The one-off Gallardo was produced through Lamborghini's factory personalization program, and is offered by the dealership in Padova at a whopping €230,000...a considerable €85k premium for what amounts to little more than a special paint job. That's more than a few yards difference over that Ford F-150 New England Patriots edition you've been eyeing.

[Source: OmniAuto.it -translated]

Fantasy Football: Lamborghini Gallardo "Italia" originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Superbowl Spot Smackdown - Honda jumps in for the 4th quarter

Dan Roth — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 08:24:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Honda

Honda's adding to the Super Bowl spot cacaphony this year, joining Toyota, GM, and Ford. Almost as important as the football, the commercials are often more entertaining than the game itself, and it's not unheard of for non-sports folks to actually tune in for the commercials. While there are often new and highly-amusing spots debuted during the big game, Honda's offerings have already aired. One of the spots depicts a CR-V dancing to a remix of Elvis's "Burnin' Love," while the other touts the company's fuel-efficiency by showing the Honda fleet slaloming around gas pumps. One cool thing about the Elvis spot is a shot of the nav screen, zoomed in on Graceland. Nice.The ads are scheduled to air during the fourth quarter of the game, we assume to cash in on the presumption that more viewers are watching the critical last minutes of the matchup. It's just too bad the ads aren't debuting during the Super Bowl - forget the game, our watercooler talk is going to be about the great new spots we saw, and since we've seen these already...

Follow the jump to get the jump on the spots

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading VIDEO: Superbowl Spot Smackdown - Honda jumps in for the 4th quarter

VIDEO: Superbowl Spot Smackdown - Honda jumps in for the 4th quarter originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Jan 2007 08:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Passing in the Corner: F1 and Soccer cross paths

Noah Joseph — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 16:34:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Europe

As two of the world's most popular and action-packed sports, F1 racing and soccer ("football" to just about everyone outside North America) share more in common than you'd think. This past season, the F1 race calendar was adjusted to avoid conflicting with the World Cup. No wonder, as grands prix are consistently second only to the World Cup (and the Olympics) for global television ratings.

Nearly all of the F1 drivers are avid football players, and routinely play friendly matches against each other. In a recent article in F1 Racing magazine, most of the drivers seemed to agree that Giancarlo Fisichella was the best player among them (though Schumacher and Alonso came close). Schumacher himself plays for FC Echichens, a third division Swiss team, whose coach (ironically named Patrick Ferrari) is hoping Michael will spend more of his new-found free time with the team. In the past, Schumi's demanding schedule had meant he'd leave in the middle of games to get to the track. And it was none other than soccer legend Pele who was on hand to present the retiring champ with a parting trophy at last Sunday's season-closing Brazilian Grand Prix.

Most of these intersections between soccer and grand prix racing are ad-hoc, but the Real Madrid football club is making it official. The team is going to sponsor an F1 car for the 2007 Spanish Grand Prix, and Williams appear the likeliest candidate, not least because, as an independent team, Williams.F1 wouldn't pose a problem for Audi, Real Madrid's sponsor.

NASCAR racing and American Football are undoubtedly the more popular forms of the two sports in the United States, and aside from the occasional special edition Ford truck, the two don't often cross paths. But everywhere else in the world, F1 racing and soccer are the be-all-and-end-all of sports. The FIA World Championship and the FIFA World Cup, it seems, share more than similar names, they share common fans with a common passion.

Passing in the Corner: F1 and Soccer cross paths originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Oct 2006 16:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European car market takes a dip with the commencement of the World Cup

Erin Mays — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 20:03:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying

Those crazy Europeans and their love of socc... er, we mean football... Auto manufacturers are bracing for impact upon the start of the World Cup, which promises to divert the attention of many a potential car buyer to the telly, where England reportedly has a brilliant chance of grabbing the brass ring in the world championships, taking place in Germany.

Now it sounds like the concept should be pretty fundamental. Potential car buyer is distracted by sporting event in June/July, then goes to buy his/her car after the Cup has finished. Not so much. Stats show that the industry doesn't make up the difference later in the summer, indicating that the World Cup truly does have a negative impact upon the automotive industry.

[Source: AutoIndustry.co.uk]

European car market takes a dip with the commencement of the World Cup originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Jun 2006 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fever(ed) Pitch: World Cup mania casts spell on motorists

Chris Paukert — Sat, 27 May 2006 14:03:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Etc., Safety

World Cup hooliganism is a well-documented phenomenon. From crazed fans cheering for their teams in new and inordinate ways, to local pub punch-ups, ~~soccer~~ football mania is a way of life for millions around the globe.

As it happens, back in England, word is that the mania extends to driving practices as well. According to Churchill Car Insurance, accident rates escalate dramatically when the home team is taking part in tournament action. In fact, they were up 14 percent during the duration of the major tourneys, skyrocketing some 50 percent on game day.

The study mentions increases in driver stresses, along with hurried drives to catch the game at home as some of the reasons for the increase.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Fever(ed) Pitch: World Cup mania casts spell on motorists originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 May 2006 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Celebrity update: Beckham bounces back with Audi Q7

Stuart Waterman — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 16:06:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Crossover, Audi

Our friends at Luxist report that ex-BMW-owner David Beckham is back on the road, this time in a shiny new Audi Q7. It seems that Beckham's Real Madrid squad are sponsored by Audi, who gifts each of its 23 stars with a new Audi every year. Beckham's newest 4x4 is a 4.2FSI finished in pearlescent Phantom Black, with black leather interior, car phone, video player, Bose sound system, a nav system and keyless entry. All told, Beckham's free Bimmer replacement boasts more than $35,000 worth of options.

Beckham has apparently already tested his off-roading skills at a dirt track near Real Madrid's practice facility (see photo).

Let's see how long he hangs on to this one...

[Daily Record via Luxist]

Celebrity update: Beckham bounces back with Audi Q7 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Apr 2006 16:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Celebrity shocker: Beckham's Bimmer boosted - again!

Stuart Waterman — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 09:03:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Etc., Crossover, BMW

Real Madrid superstar and English ~~soccer~~ football hero David Beckham has lost his second BMW in just six months. In the latest heist, his armored BMW X-5, which was fitted with the latest in high-tech security features (including an ignition requiring a unique ID code to start the engine), was lifted from a shopping mall parking garage near Madrid.

Apparently, thieves used specialized software to circumvent the X-5's anti-theft measures. Police report that an average of 50 luxury cars are stolen in Madrid every day.

[Sources: The Scotsman, contactmusic.com]

Celebrity shocker: Beckham's Bimmer boosted - again! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Apr 2006 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TGIF: Toyota Aygo soccer video

Erin Mays — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 19:10:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Etc., Europe, Japan, Videos, Hatchback, Toyota

The guys at Top Gear really know how to show a small hatchback a good time... by using it to play soccer. Five a side "football" with Toyota Aygos pits red versus blue for the ultimate sporting experience. Don't try this at home, though -- we hope the Top Gear body shop repair specialists were up for a little reconstructive surgery after this experience.

[Source: TopGear via Putfile]

TGIF: Toyota Aygo soccer video originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Mar 2006 19:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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