Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Autoblog at the 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors show]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/26/autoblog-at-the-7th-annual-wings-wheels-and-rotors-show/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/26/autoblog-at-the-7th-annual-wings-wheels-and-rotors-show/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/26/autoblog-at-the-7th-annual-wings-wheels-and-rotors-show/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors Expo - Click above for our huge image gallery

This past Sunday was the 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors Expo at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, California, and after our experience there last year, we just had to go back for more. As you might guess from the title, this is more than just another hot rod gathering. Attendees get a chance to see mega horsepower air transport as well as earthbound movers and shakers. Even better, folks can actually get up close and personal with military vehicles, airplanes, jets and helicopters too. It's like an open house for the military, with a few hundred muscle cars thrown in for good measure. Hot rodders (and bikers) tend to be a fairly patriotic bunch, so the combination is a perfect match. Make the jump for our report from the ground.


Gallery: 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors Expo


Photos copyright (C)2009 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs Inc.

Continue reading Autoblog at the 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors show

Autoblog at the 7th Annual Wings, Wheels and Rotors show originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>air showAirShowcar showCarShowhelicopterhelicoptersHot Rodhot rodsHotRodHotRodsjetjetsJoint Forces Training BaseJointForcesTrainingBaseLos AlamitosLosAlamitosmilitaryMuscle Carmuscle carsMuscleCarMuscleCarsplane showplanesPlaneShowwings wheels and rotorsWings wheels rotorsWingsWheelsAndRotorsWingsWheelsRotorsMon, 26 Oct 2009 19:26:00 EST<![CDATA[Flight of Fancy: Ferrari takes to the sky]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/19/flight-of-fancy-ferrari-takes-to-the-sky/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/19/flight-of-fancy-ferrari-takes-to-the-sky/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/19/flight-of-fancy-ferrari-takes-to-the-sky/#commentsFiled under: ,



Like their competitors, Ferrari uses advanced aerodynamics to keep their cars on the ground. But what if they flipped their technology upside down to create an aircraft? The result could very well be this, the Piaggio P180 Avanti II.

Beyond the usual correlation between the automotive and aeronautical industries - especially evident in six-figure sportscars and in formula motor racing - the ties between Piaggio Aero and Ferrari run far deeper. Piaggio, which sponsors the Scuderia, is chaired by Enzo's heir and company vice-chairman Piero Ferrari. The aircraft pictured is the one Ferrari uses to shuttle their executives and star drivers around Europe, if not the world, to unveil new cars, win grands prix and cut ribbons on everything from theme parks to retail stores. Interestingly, instead of jet propulsion, the Avanti II uses backwards-mounted turboprops. With a 450 mph top speed, it's the fastest turboprop in the world. It has a 1,800-mile range and 41,000-ft maximum cruising altitude but uses 30% less fuel than a comparable jet.

Of course this isn't the first time the prancing horse has appeared on an aircraft. The logo, legend has it, was emblazoned on the plane of Italian WWI flying ace Count Francesco Baracca, whose mother presented it to Enzo Ferrari after reportedly being impressed by his driving style while racing towards the checkered flag at the Salvio circuit in 1923. Whether the legend is true or not, the plane makes a more suitable canvas for the Ferrari logo than a Segway scooter.

[Source: Piaggio Aero via Luxurylaunches.com]

Flight of Fancy: Ferrari takes to the sky originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aeroairplaneavantichairmancorporateferrarihorsejetp180piaggiopieroprancingMon, 19 Nov 2007 17:57:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: Bonfire building made easy with jet-powered car]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/11/video-bonfire-building-made-easy-with-jet-powered-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/11/video-bonfire-building-made-easy-with-jet-powered-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/11/video-bonfire-building-made-easy-with-jet-powered-car/#commentsFiled under: , ,



As a former Boy Scout, I learned a variety of creative ways to set things alight, usually involving some type of accelerant. These guys have dreamt up a way that even pyromaniac 12 year olds can't top. We're guessing that thet don't worry about rain soaking their matches -- they just wheel out the Pratt & Whitney and give a couple squeezes on the afterburner. It's an awful lot of effort to burn a pile of sticks, and if you're not careful, you could blow a semi-lit mass of twigs clear to the next block. I love the way they stand there admiring their work, drinking beer at the very end of the video. Does it get any finer than that?

Check the jump to see the video

[Source: Break.com]

Continue reading VIDEO: Bonfire building made easy with jet-powered car

VIDEO: Bonfire building made easy with jet-powered car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bonfirefirejetjet enginejet fireJetEngineJetFirevideoThu, 11 Oct 2007 10:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Alan Mulally making friends fast, receives a raise]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/01/alan-mulally-making-friends-fast-receives-a-raise/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/01/alan-mulally-making-friends-fast-receives-a-raise/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/01/alan-mulally-making-friends-fast-receives-a-raise/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Alan Mulally went to Ford to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and now he'll be able to afford more Hubba Bubba. It's really a stock option bump -- from $5 to $6 million -- as a reward for taking FoMoCo by its earlobes and attempting to drag it out of the mire it's stuck in. We have seen more focus out of Dearborn as Mulally rallies the troops, and the compensation is recognition that the good fight is being waged. Intent on keeping its four-star general focused, the board has also allowed Mulally's immediate family and guests access to Ford aircraft for personal use, even without the presence of the CEO. While it may seem egregious - it makes sense. Rather than chaperone people around, Mulally's time is better spent running Ford. Also, since his family hasn't completed a relocation from Seattle, it allows them to get together with a less heroic effort. Even CEOs want to see their spouses and children, so while there are hefty expenses associated with flying the corporate jets around, a distracted, ineffective CEO is far more costly.

[Source: autonews - Sub Req'd]

Alan Mulally making friends fast, receives a raise originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Mar 2007 10:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bonusceocompensationcorporateFordincreasejetmulallypayperksraisestock optionsStockOptionsThu, 01 Mar 2007 10:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Mark Fields under fire for expensive flights home]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/15/mark-fields-under-fire-for-expensive-flights-home/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/15/mark-fields-under-fire-for-expensive-flights-home/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/15/mark-fields-under-fire-for-expensive-flights-home/#commentsFiled under: ,

Steve Wilson, a reporter for WXYZ Channel 7 in Detroit, has taken the President of the Americas for Ford Motor Company, Mark Fields, to task for the weekly flights the executive takes from Detroit to his home in Delray Beach, Florida. Fields uses a company jet for the flights, which itself isn't the issue since the trips are approved by his employment contract. Wilson, however, estimates that each weekly trip costs between $50,000 and $70,000, essentially an entire year's salary for many who work at Ford. Those high figures include the cost of flying one passenger with a crew of three, and either putting the crew up in a luxury hotel for the weekend or having the jet return to Detroit and fly back to fetch Fields before Monday.

Fields has been quoted as saying, "We are making sacrifices at every level." The person who hired Fields, ex-CEO Bill Ford Jr., surely made sacrifices. The great-grandson of Henry Ford announced he would forego any and all compensation back in May of 2005 until his family's company begins turning a profit again. Of course, Mark Fields is not a member of the Ford family and no expects him to forego a salary, which last year reportedly amounted to $3 million including a $1 million bonus. Wilson, however, clearly sees the hypocrisy of an executive asking his workforce to sacrifice their wages, health care and even their jobs while he drains the company of funds he could cleary afford to cover himself.

The weekly trips home on the company jet are seen by Ford as an incentive to attract and retain talent the automaker sorely needs to turn its fortunes around. Hopefully Mark Fields is the man for that job, and if he succeeds we won't say a word every time he boards the Blue Oval jet. But at this moment when Ford is struggling to remain solvent, even if the overall impact is minimal, the gesture of foregoing some of those expensive perks goes a long way.

Thanks to Joe for the tip!

[Source: WXYZ.com]

Mark Fields under fire for expensive flights home originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Nov 2006 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bill fordBillFordcompensationflightsfordjetmark fieldsMarkFieldspaytripWed, 15 Nov 2006 15:01:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: Porsche vs. Bike vs. Jet]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/06/video-porsche-vs-bike-vs-jet/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/06/video-porsche-vs-bike-vs-jet/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/06/video-porsche-vs-bike-vs-jet/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

So very pointless, but so much fun!

If you thought the race between the Porsche, the Champ Car and the Mini was a strange match, you've got to check out this video showing a race between a Porsche, a motorbike and a jet fighter. The race takes place on a runway in Serbia, of all places.

The bike starts quickest off the line, but the jet quickly passes it once the turbines spool up, before drag gets the better of the two-wheeler with the Porsche passing as well. Now that's some good racin'!

[Source: transportTrends]

VIDEO: Porsche vs. Bike vs. Jet originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Nov 2006 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>belgradebikecarjetporscheracerunwayserbiavideoMon, 06 Nov 2006 14:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Top Gear fights for survival as BBC postpones show indefinitely]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/25/top-gear-fights-for-survival-as-bbc-postpones-show-indefinitely/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/25/top-gear-fights-for-survival-as-bbc-postpones-show-indefinitely/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/25/top-gear-fights-for-survival-as-bbc-postpones-show-indefinitely/#commentsFiled under:

As Top Gear host Richard Hammond recovers from his 300-mph crash, the show's future remains in limbo. The crash occurred while filming a segment for the upcoming series, but with Hammond still in hospital with the full scope of his injuries still unknown, the new season is being postponed indefinitely.

That doesn't mean it's being cancelled. Not yet, at least. The BBC is simply putting it off until Richard's back to his usual smiling self and the team can together decide how to proceed. A strong indication came from co-host Jeremy Clarkson, who boldly declared, "Next week I intend to be down on the track driving faster than ever", and from the show's producer Andy Wilman, who said he'll quit if they have any restrictions placed on the show.

With simultaneous investigations underway by the police and highway safety departments, and a mounting campaign to take the show off the air (or at least curtail the extent of their high-speed shenanigans), the Top Gear team is fighting hard to keep the show, and keep its integrity.

Do you think Top Gear should continue its unrelenting quest for the best in automotive adventures, or have they gone one rev too far? Leave your opinion in our comments section.

Related posts:

  • [Source: Reuters]

    • Top Gear fights for survival as BBC postpones show indefinitely originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Sep 2006 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>    bbccrashdragsterhammondjetrecoveryrichardtop gearTopGearMon, 25 Sep 2006 10:04:00 EST    <![CDATA[Hammond Update: "Was I driving like a tw*t?"]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/25/hammond-update-was-i-driving-like-a-tw-t/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/25/hammond-update-was-i-driving-like-a-tw-t/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/25/hammond-update-was-i-driving-like-a-tw-t/#commentsFiled under:

    Here at Autoblog we've been inundated with comments and news updates from well-wishers praying for Richard Hammond's full and speedy recovery following his shocking 300-mph crash this past Wednesday. And so we're pleased to report that the Hamster's condition is improving dramatically.

    According to Hammond's Top Gear co-star Jeremy Clarkson, little more than a day after the crash, Richard spontaneously sat up in his hospital bed, asked what happened, joked around a bit, then got out of bed and walked to the washroom.

    Of course these may seem like fairly ordinary functions, but not when you consider that Hammond was subjected to as much as 100g's of force as his jet-powered car rolled and left him unconscious and buried head-first in the dirt, initially classified in critical condition.

    The crash was apparently caused by a burst tire. Follow the link to Clarkson's article in The Sun for a riveting account of the day of the crash, the events that lead to it, Hammond's miraculous progress on the road to full recovery, and the battle that lay ahead to keep Top Gear on the air.

    Related posts:

    Hammond Update: "Was I driving like a tw*t?" originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Sep 2006 09:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>    accidentconditioncrashdragsterhammondjetprogressrichardtop gearTopGearupdateMon, 25 Sep 2006 09:08:00 EST    <![CDATA[Top Gear's Richard Hammond in critical condition]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/20/top-gears-richard-hammond-in-critical-condition/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/20/top-gears-richard-hammond-in-critical-condition/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/20/top-gears-richard-hammond-in-critical-condition/#commentsIt's been a shocking day in the world of automotive journalism as we receive the terribly upsetting news that BBC Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond lies in a Leeds hospital in critical condition. Hammond was airlifted to the hospital following a terrifying crash at the wheel of a jet-powered car while filming a segment for the popular British car program.

    The news comes on the heels of another terrible crash involving fellow automotive journalist Paul Frère.

    No further news is known at this time regarding the extent or nature of the beloved 36-year-old television personality's injuries or what exactly went wrong.

    We'd like to express our appreciation to all our readers who sent us the sad news.

    We're all pulling for you, Hamster.

    [Source: BBC News]

    Top Gear's Richard Hammond in critical condition originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Sep 2006 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>    bbccarconditioncrashcriticalhammondhospitaljetrichardtop gearTopGearWed, 20 Sep 2006 16:55:00 EST    <![CDATA[Saab sponsors Reno air show]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/14/saab-sponsors-reno-air-show/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/14/saab-sponsors-reno-air-show/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/14/saab-sponsors-reno-air-show/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

    Nurturing (or exploiting) its aerospace roots, Saab is sponsoring the Reno National Championship Air Races currently underway in the Nevada desert as part of its "Born from Jets" marketing campaign.

    The air show features the Thurderbirds (the US Air Force aerobatics squad) along with the Saab Performance Driving Team in from Sweden who will be demonstrating the 9-3 Aero V6 Turbo sport sedan on the runway during the show. Saab will also be on site with a unique trailer that sets up as an aircraft hangar-like exhibit featuring interactive displays of Saab's line-up.

    Saab was founded in 1937 as Svenska Aeroplan AktieBolaget (Swedish Aircraft Company Limited) and branched into cars ten years later. Today the automotive division is owned by GM, while the aircraft company is owned separately. Fortunately you don't need a pilot's license to drive a Saab, or the local country club parking lot would look more like the set of Top Gun.

    [Source: GM]

    Saab sponsors Reno air show originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Sep 2006 18:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

    Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>    aerospaceairair forceaircraftAirForceairshowcargmjetrenosaabshowthunderbirdsThu, 14 Sep 2006 18:34:00 EST