Autoblog

While we get all revved up over the revival of Speed Racer in film form, our funny friends in France are gearing up for the remake of their own children's classic, Asterix. The new film, which opens in French theaters next month, is slated to feature cameos by a number of sports figures, including Ferrari stars Michael Schumacher and Jean Todt.

Set in the ancient Roman era, Asterix is a classic series of French children's comic books which has been translated into dozens of languages around the world. The film which, like Speed Racer, is shot with live actors (rather than animated like the original), is called Asterix aux jeux olympiques ("Asterix at the Olympic Games"). Schumacher appears in a seven-minute segment in the movie as a chariot racer called – you guessed it – Schumix, while Todt gives orders from the pit wall...dressed in red, of course. (Hopefully the German authorities won't give Michael a hard time about driving the chariot this time.)

In addition to the Ferrari champions, several other European sports celebrities make cameos in the movie as well, including French tennis player Amelie Mauresmo, retired French soccer player Zinedine Zidane (of World Cup head-butting infamy) and British footballer David Beckham. This is, of course, the second such cameo Schumacher has made, after his appearance in Disney/Pixar's Cars.

[Source: F1-Live]

Coinciding with the launch of the new Bourne Ultimatum movie, Volkswagen has launched an interactive stunt simulator that allows fans to play out their own stunts online as many times as they want. Users can maneuver any of six different VW models through different explosions, while altering vehicle speeds, props, sound effects and camera angles to make that perfect scene.

Product placement in the movie has several VW vehicles making an appearance, including the Touareg 2 SUV and Golf GTI, a smart move seeing that The Bourne Ultimatum has grossed more than $70 million in its first weekend. That's a hell of lot of viewers seeing VW's new models up on the big screen.

[Source: Bourne Simulator]

It's fantastic when the Microsoft juggernaut uses its massive expertise to get things spot on. Forza Motorsport 2, the sequel to original's four-wheeled bedlam, has better physics, better visuals, and according to the recently posted list, 310 cars to choose from.

There's the mundane, like a 2006 Acura RL. There's the surprising, like a Bentley Continental GT. There's the juiced, like the the Saleen S7. There are the shoo-ins, like the Mclaren F1 and the NSX. And then there's the overkill: 18 Chevys, 20 Ferraris, 22 Nissans, 25 Porsches, and 25 Toyotas. That's the kind of "overkill" that's just right in our book. Seven of those cars can only be had with game pre-orders and the collector's edition. Other rare "unicorn cars" can be bought in the Turn 10 online auction, in case you can't get your lap times just right with the 310 standard options.

What's more, you get more tuning choices like swapping drivetrains (changing FWD into RWD), and more artwork possibilities (4000 art layers instead of 400). You can even create custom paint jobs and sell them online. Forza Motorsport 2 arrives in May. Get ready to drive.

[Source: Joystiq]

When you are called to some difficult duty by family or love or ambition, you take the bitter pill and do what needs to be done. When the red Nismo 350Z above called to Jesse Edgar, he knew what he had to do: unload the immense video game, console, and accessory collection covering every surface of his room. Not to buy the car, just to get a "nice" down payment.

You know when the vice squad makes a huge bust and they load a table up with the haul? Imagine if video games and consoles were illegal, and the cops busted a guy in a bunker who had been hoarding contraband for 30 years. When his loot was laid out for photographs, it would look like the pictures on Jesse's eBay page. From a 1976 Fairchild to a Sony PS2 and an insane number of games -- and a lunchbox and Monopoly game -- it's all there. You'll also get quite the education in consoles if you read the entire thing. We don't know what the street value is, but the bidding starts at $2,000. This is what "turn and burn" is all about. Good luck, Jesse.

[Source: Joystiq]

If you're a video game freak and a Mustang fan, chances are you're going to pick up Ford Bold Moves: Street Racing for the PS2, XBox 360 or PC no matter what kind of reviews it gets. Manufacturer specific driving games are not a new thing, even for Ford who is now on its third version of the Ford Racing series. Still, they can often devolve into extended digital test drives when there's only one brand to race.

Perhaps Ford Bold Moves: Street Racing is a cut above the rest, as it has some interesting features beyond the obvious draw of driving 18 of the greatest Ford vehicles of all time (see complete list of available vehicles after the jump). Gameplay is structured around short challenges, competitions and league play that takes place on 24 tracks based on the streets of L.A. Why video game makers insist on having us race the streets of the most congested city in the U.S. is beyond us, but we digress. In addition to winning cash to modify your Ford of choice, the game also goes the extra step to simulate real damage. The real hook, however, is a Maximum Team Control Racing mode in which players can control a team of up to three cars at once and can switch which car they're controlling on the fly.

With a name like Ford Bold Moves, we were hoping there'd be a management mode where we could swap out CEOs, bargain with teamsters and close plants, but it looks like game developer Razorworks is saving those features for its follow up, The Way Forward: Turnaround Xtreem.

[Source: Ford]

This is one we missed for Father's Day... Yes! A chess set made out of car parts. The Renault F1 Team Collection Chess Set features all the widgets one might find in your typical F1 vehicle -- carbon fiber for the game board, titanium and aircraft-grade aluminum suspension and wing bits to serve as the pieces, and other parts that could be mistaken for a bishop until one decides to perform a closer examination. The only thing not so cool about it is the price -- this baby will set you back close to $39,000, like almost how much a Lotus Elise costs. We hope you *really* like chess.

[Source: Renault via Sybarites.com]