Autoblog

Jay Leno checks out State Farm's "cross-dressing" Camaro

Chris Tutor — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: SEMA Show, Classics, Convertible, Performance, Etc., Videos, Chevrolet, Celebrities

The latest video installment of Jay Leno's Garage takes a look at a convertible 1968 Chevy Camaro. Actually, two 1968 Camaros on the same, but different, chassis. It's an RS/SS hybrid of sorts that's both fully-restored stock and modified at the same time.

It may sound like something cooked up just in time for Halloween, but, in fact, it was built by State Farm Insurance to educate agents about the myriad ways classic cars can be restored.

The driver's side of the Camaro is stock 1968 Camaro RS except for the clearcoat paint. The rear wheel is the stock 1968 hubcap and whitewall, while the front is the optional redline tire and rally wheel. Passengers, however, get to travel in what the car would look like as a heavily modded SS with bright red paint, shaved door handles, a spoiler, oversized custom wheels and side pipes.

Looking at each side individually, the two wouldn't seem odd at all. From the front or back, though, you'd swear someone just couldn't make up their mind. The whole car is split down the middle, beginning with an RS grille on the right with hidden headlights and exposed lights and half an SS badge on the left. The hood is split between the standard flat RS hood and a louvered Super Sport lid. The divide continues over the cloth top and onto the rear deck lid where half an SS spoiler sits. The engine is split with aluminum heads on one side, cast iron on the other. The SS side also has tubular control arms, nitrous, big brakes and a carbon-fiber wheelhouse.

A single, split-personality Camaro is easier for State Farm to transport than two Camaros, says State Farm's Earl Hyser (who built the original side). He says the car would probably run, but they've never tried because keeping it empty of fluids allows them to take it into any building.

The "cross-dressing Camaro" as Leno calls it, will be on display at this year's SEMA. Check out the video below.

Continue reading Jay Leno checks out State Farm's "cross-dressing" Camaro

Jay Leno checks out State Farm's "cross-dressing" Camaro originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jay Leno's best speeding story is better than yours

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:32:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Celebrities, Humor, Specialty

Just like any self-respecting car guy, Jay Leno has had his fair share of run-ins with local law enforcement. And, much like the rest of us, some of those run-ins result in great story material for those Monday morning watercooler conversations. But as you'd expect, Leno's are more entertaining.

Take, for example, a recent exchange Leno had with Visor Down in the U.K. Says the late-night comedian:

I have the record for the oldest vehicle to be done for speeding. It was a 1912 Stanley Steamer, and I had it cranked up to 75mph on a freeway.

Nice. Needless to say, we're suitably impressed by the speed Leno was able to attain in such a rarefied piece of automotive history. Sadly, the police officer didn't seem to share our respect:

I'm kind of proud of that, especially considering the engine is steam-powered and makes less than 10 bhp. The cop who issued the citation was remarkably straight-faced and unimpressed with my feat, which I thought was a little unimaginative of him. How could you seriously issue a speeding ticket to something with the same engine as a small steam locomotive?

Jay, if it makes you feel any better (and we're sure it doesn't), we completely agree. Read the rest of the interview at Visor Down here.

[Source: Visor Down]

Jay Leno's best speeding story is better than yours originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jay Leno a Chevy Volt intender? Umm... not so much

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Technology, Chevrolet, GM, Celebrities, Electric

2011 Chevrolet Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

As America's most recognizable celebrity car guy, you might expect that Jay Leno is anxious to put what might be America's most recognizable and highly anticipated game-changing new car in decades in his Big Dog Garage. Apparently, you'd be wrong. The late night comedian spoke with The Detroit News about the upcoming extended-range electric car and, surprisingly enough, said he doesn't plan to be one of the first in line to drive away in a 2011 Chevrolet Volt:

"If you didn't know, you might think it's a Cobalt or a Camry... I don't think there's a lot of cachet in having the first one. It's meant to be a people mover, not a people impresser."

If we're all being honest with ourselves, Leno makes a fine point. For the generation of Americans who grew up on hot rods and muscle cars, the Chevrolet Volt is something of an appliance meant to be safe, efficient and environmentally friendly. Those aren't exactly the kind of attributed that stir up the emotions of petrolheads. But that's kinda the point.

As Leno himself points out of the Chevy Volt, "I think it's great technology." And it clearly is. In fact, it's the likely future of automotive transportation. "There is a particular audience that is all about advanced technology and green transportation," responded GM spokesperson Rob Peterson. "For people like that, the Volt has that cachet. It's kind of like an iPhone. An iPhone is still a cell phone with a lot of capability in it."

Perhaps that's an apt comparison. Telephones and even mobile phones started out as appliances meant only to perform a basic function. Just as the iPhone revolutionized what the general public thought could be done with a phone, the Volt has the potential to revolutionize the kind of efficiency Americans have come to expect from their daily drivers... and it will certainly attract plenty of attention. With or without a glowing recommendation from Jay Leno.

Oh, and for what it's worth, Leno says he's excited about the Volt's launch later this year and may in fact buy one. Just maybe not from the first batch, we surmise.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

[Source: The Detroit News]

Jay Leno a Chevy Volt intender? Umm... not so much originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Jay Leno's Garage welcomes the 2011 BMW M3

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, BMW, Celebrities, Luxury

Jay Leno tests out the 2011 BMW M3 - Click above to watch the video after the break

Jay Leno has a new car in his garage today. Yes, we know... shocking, right? But, unlike many of the funny man's cars, this one is brand new and it comes from the other side of the Atlantic. We'll end the suspense - it's a bright red 2011 BMW M3. As always, the late-night comedian takes a good look at the M3 in his garage before taking it for a spin, but then something a bit different happens.

The keys to the 2011 BMW M3 are handed to race car driver Justin Bell, and he takes it and meets up with BMW Motorsport Manager Martin Birkmann and driver Bill Auberlen to compare the road-going M3 with the machines the German automaker campaigns in the American LeMans Series. We're not exactly convinced, but the crew does its best to explain why the racers and the road cars aren't as different as you might think.

Finally, Jay gets his turn behind the wheel, and... he likes its turn signals - better even than those of a Chrysler Sebring. Of course, that's not all he has to say about the M3, so why not just go ahead and click past the break to watch the video for yourself.

[Source: Jay Leno's Garage]

Continue reading Video: Jay Leno's Garage welcomes the 2011 BMW M3

Video: Jay Leno's Garage welcomes the 2011 BMW M3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jay Leno's Garage... Doors

Zach Bowman — Sun, 09 May 2010 17:39:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Celebrities

Jay Leno's new Clopay garage doors - Click above to watch video after the jump

No matter where your loyalties lie in the Coco/Leno wars of aught-nine, it's hard to argue with Jay Leno's enthusiasm for all things automotive. The guy is who we would be if money flowed out of our ears and we suddenly developed an unnatural affinity for denim. Usually, when The Tonight Show's prodigal son opens up his garage, we're focusing more on what's on the turntable inside than the actual doors themselves. Not this time.

It looks like Leno has partnered with garage-door manufacturer Clopay to show off the newest addition to his carriage house. The comedian ditched his old doors in favor of new five-layer mahogany units that supposedly offer increased security in a mouth-watering package. The move changes the whole look of the garage.

Clopay's website won't tell you exactly how much each of the company's models cost. It simply rates each unit on a scale from one to five dollar signs. We're guessing Leno's package probably fell well into five-dollar-sign category, even with the plug on Leno's site. Hop the jump to see a video of the new hardware.

[Source: Jay Leno's Garage]

Continue reading Jay Leno's Garage... Doors

Jay Leno's Garage... Doors originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 May 2010 17:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Jay Leno inspects the Devon Motorworks GTX

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Celebrities, Specialty

2010 Devon GTX walkaround with Jay Leno and Justin Bell - click above to watch the video

Celebrity car-lover Jay Leno was up in Monterey this year, helping to auction off some charity items and checking out every car that caught his fancy. One such car was the newest all-American supercar, Devon's GTX. Jay spotted the car on the concept lawn at Pebble Beach and had development driver Justin Bell give him a walkaround. Fortunately, someone had a camera rolling to chronicle the experience for a Jay Leno Garage segment.

Click through to the jump and you'll hear Justin mention some interesting stats on the car: 3,000 pounds, 650 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque to name a few. That means that this limited production designer sports car will have a much better power-to-weight ratio than the Viper ACR with which which it shares some DNA. In fact, the Devon's numbers mirror those of the Ferrari Enzo, although the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano was reportedly the actual benchmark for the car. No wonder it has been setting production car lap records.

Our favorite part of the video is when Jay fires the GTX up. We can tell you from firsthand experience that the Devon crew has done a terrific job of making their creation sound as good as it looks and performs, and you can get a taste of that in the video. We'll have a lot more Devon news for you in the near future, but for now, follow the jump and watch the clip.

Gallery: Monterey 2009: 2010 Devon GTX

[Source: Jay Leno's Garage]

Continue reading VIDEO: Jay Leno inspects the Devon Motorworks GTX

VIDEO: Jay Leno inspects the Devon Motorworks GTX originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Jay Leno drives, loves the Aptera

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:02:00 EST

Click above and scroll down to watch the video

While Dave Letterman struggles to correctly describe the Chevrolet Volt, rival late-night host Jay Leno takes a bit more care to get things right in his test drive of the Aptera 2e. To get the facts straight, Leno interviews Paul Wilbur, Aptera's president and CEO. Wilbur explains how the car's solar panels keep the interior cool, talks about the vehicle's aerodynamics, and describes a little bit of the technology inside the 2e's sleek body. One cool thing we learn is, thanks to the incredibly low drag on the 2e, taking your foot of the accelerator results in a very smooth bit of coasting. The last few minutes of the nine-minute video is of Jay Leno cruising down the California highway at 70 mph, with everybody and their brother snapping pictures as they drive by. Check out the video after the jump. Thanks to Mike B. and Brian for the tips!

Gallery: Aptera 2e

[Source: Jay Leno's Garage]

Continue reading VIDEO: Jay Leno drives, loves the Aptera

VIDEO: Jay Leno drives, loves the Aptera originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 May 2009 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: 2010 Chevy Camaro SS enters Jay Leno's Garage

Chris Shunk — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Videos, Chevrolet, GM

Click above to watch video after the jump

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro has already received its fair share of praise in the automotive press, and with good reason. It's the only car under $30,000 with over 400 hp straight from the factory, and it looks pretty damn good, too. General Motors looked to keep the positive reviews coming by dropping off a freshly minted red SS model at Jay Leno's Garage. In short, Leno loves him some bowtie pony car and he considers the modern muscle car good enough to save GM. We're not so sure about that, but last we checked we're not Jay Leno, either.

Hit the jump for nine minutes of video starring Jay Leno and the 2010 Camaro. We usually see Jay when he's cracking jokes during the Tonight Show, but on this occasion he's totally serious about 3,800 lbs of American muscle. Except when he's doing burnouts.

[Source: Jay Leno's Garage]

Continue reading VIDEO: 2010 Chevy Camaro SS enters Jay Leno's Garage

VIDEO: 2010 Chevy Camaro SS enters Jay Leno's Garage originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 May 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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