Autoblog

Modified Lightning McQueen Powerwheels is what childhood dreams are made of

George Kennedy — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Videos, Toys/Games, Electric

Evan here is one lucky five year old. In 2009 he received one of those Lightning McQueen Powerwheels, which would have been fun enough for someone his age. But according to the poster of this video, "after three years of use he had worn through the plastic wheels. We decided to upgrade the OEM plastic wheels with rubber tires."

But that was not the end. Not by a mile. His father, in a shop with some high-performance metal, continued to modify the Powerwheel, to the point that it now has a partial aluminum chassis, 24-volt gel batteries and a 500-Watt, 0.66-horsepower electric motor. The car also has disc brakes, Sparco battery cutoff switch, and a modulated throttle.

Further emphasizing that Evan here has the coolest parents, he races the custom Powerwheel at a dirt track, just like the dirt track in Cars. Check out the video below to see this awesome ride... and to think about how accomplished a driver you'd be now if you had a car like this at his age!

Continue reading Modified Lightning McQueen Powerwheels is what childhood dreams are made of

Modified Lightning McQueen Powerwheels is what childhood dreams are made of originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Disney AppMates creates interactive iPad experience with Pixar's CARS

Zach Bowman — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Videos, Toys/Games

Disney is looking to give younger children an excuse other than Angry Birds to play with their parents' Apple iPad. The company's new AppMates toys feature small Cars 2 characters with unique sensors inside them. Download a free application, place the toys on the screen, and kids can drive around a virtual interpretation of Radiator Springs. There are even games and missions to complete for older tikes. Each set comes with two characters for $19.99, and with the potential for endless updates to the Radiator Springs universe, chances are good that kids won't get bored of the game too quickly.

Of course, the only question is, who wants to hand over their tablet to their child aged four to nine? Fortunately, Disney has thought of that, too, and will release a well-padded Cars 2-themed iPad case later down the line. That little piece of kit will set you back a heady $49, but that's considerably less than the cost of a brand-new iPad. Hit the jump to take a look at a video of the AppMates in action.

Continue reading Disney AppMates creates interactive iPad experience with Pixar's CARS

Disney AppMates creates interactive iPad experience with Pixar's CARS originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Video: Disney releases new Cars 2 trailer, pics

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos

Cars 2 goes international - Click above for high-res image gallery

Disney has dropped the latest trailer for Cars 2, and along with the two-minute clip past the break, they've released a slew of new images that make a nice addition to our gallery of Cars 2 characters.

In the second installment of our favorite car-related, Pixar-animated feature, the crew from Radiator Springs goes global, racing in the World Grand Prix and getting caught up in an international espionage ring. Naturally, Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) once again take center stage, and judging by the trailer, the Pixar people continue to one-up their own efforts.

Hit the jump to see the action and check out the new gallery of pics below.

Gallery: CARS 2

Gallery: CARS 2 Characters

[Source: Pixar]

Continue reading Video: Disney releases new Cars 2 trailer, pics

Video: Disney releases new Cars 2 trailer, pics originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Meet seven new characters appearing in CARS 2

Zach Bowman — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:24:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Toys/Games, Humor

Grem from Cars 2 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Disney and Pixar have given us a closer look at some of the stars of the upcoming flick, Cars 2. Mater, Lightning McQueen, Sally and the rest of the crew from the first film will be joined by a host of new faces this time around. Those will include Shu Todoruki, a Le Mans prototype race that hails from Japan, Raoul CaRoule, a WRC racer, Carla Veloso and others. As we've seen from the movie's trailers, a duo of crime fighters will help McQueen and Mater as they work to fight off a pair of sinister evildoers.

Those bad guys officially have a name now, too. Grem, a crusty looking Gremlin and Acer, a similarly dilapidated Pacer (Are all AMC's bad guys? Certainly not the Eagle!) are both out to cause havoc in the best way possible. Fortunately for our heroes, Holley Shiftwell and Finn McMissile are both there to lend a hand, er, tire.

Cars 2 centers around an international plot to disrupt the World Grand Prix, and it's up to McQueen and Mater to save the day. Hit the jump to check out a heap of videos of the newest characters, and scroll through the gallery for an image and detailed description of each character.

Gallery: CARS 2 Characters

[Sources: Facebook, HeyYouGuys]

Continue reading Meet seven new characters appearing in CARS 2

Meet seven new characters appearing in CARS 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Video: First Cars 2 trailer released by Pixar

Zach Bowman — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Celebrities, Humor

Cars 2: World Grand Prix Trailer - Click above to watch video after the jump

It looks like Lightening McQueen and Tow Mater are jumping back on track to fight a bevy of international evil doers in the Cars 2: World Grand Prix. Along with going fender to fender with the best racers that the world has to offer, the dynamic duo will be joining forces with British Intelligence. Judging from the trailer, there will be auto kung-fu, car chases, missiles and plenty of destruction. Sounds like a good time to us, er, we mean the kids.

Hit the jump to check out the full trailer yourself. Cars 2: World Grand Prix hits theaters next summer, and fans will be able to catch all of the action in 3D.

[Source: Pixar via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: First Cars 2 trailer released by Pixar

Video: First Cars 2 trailer released by Pixar originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Video: First teaser trailer for Cars 2 released

Zach Bowman — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Celebrities, Humor

Mater and Lightning McQueen ride again - Click above to watch video after the jump

Everyone's favorite animated autos are back. Pixar just released the first teaser trailer for Cars 2, and the film looks to bring back the same cast of wayward four-wheel stars as before. Details are still scarce at the moment, but judging from the trailer, Mater and Lightning McQueen will leave Radiator Springs and partner up for some Mission Impossible-style antics. We're guessing that hilarity ensues.

Pixar says that we can expect to see Cars 2 hit theaters sometime during the summer of 2011, but the animation studio isn't saying much beyond that. Hit the jump to take a look at the brief trailer.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: First teaser trailer for Cars 2 released

Video: First teaser trailer for Cars 2 released originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cars 2 coming a year early in summer 2011

Chris Shunk — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Click above for high-res gallery of Cars photoshops done by readers

The Disney/Pixar movie Cars didn't have the box office appeal of movies like Wall·e and Toy Story, but on toy store shelves, the autos-only flick was a grand slam. Merchandising and the recent boon for sequels are two great reasons for film executives to make Cars 2. Disney and Pixar are so excited about an encore for Lightning McQueen and his buddy Mater that the 3D sequel has been moved up from 2012 to the summer of 2011. The highly anticipated (at least by us) Cars 2 will reportedly feature both carry-over and all-new characters, but we're assuming Lightning McQueen and Mater will be central to the plot. Hopefully Paul Newman will be well enough to come back for a second helping of Hudson Hornet.

Antz and Ratatoulie director Brad Lewis will take the reigns for Cars 2, and a big part of his job is to wow us with 3D race scenes and super high-def imagery while keeping all-ages storyline that made Cars such a good flick. To keep a new generation of adolescents interested five years after the original hit the silver screen, Pixar will release a series of shorts before the movie comes out, starting with Mater's Tall Tales. The movie is still three years away, and we'll spend that time hoping some automaker doesn't hijack the movie and make it a 90-minute marketing exercise.

Gallery: Pixar CARS Photochops

[Source: Reuters]

Cars 2 coming a year early in summer 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Spoiler Alert: Super GT Rd. 3 Results

Justin Gardiner — Mon, 05 May 2008 09:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Japan, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Toys/Games

Click above for a huge, high-res gallery of Rd. 3 of the '08 SuperGT season.

After previous incarnations of the Nissan GT-R ran away with successive JGTC titles, Japan's GT Association decided to inflict "success ballast" on race winners in an attempt to level the playing field (i.e give Toyota and Honda a chance).

As the current GT-R race car is built to 2009 Super GT specifications, the GT-A handed it a weight penalty of 50kgs added right from the start of the season. After winning Round 1 in Suzuka car number 23 had to carry an additional 50kgs at Round 2 in Sugo, which it promptly won anyway. Then thanks to also setting numerous fastest laps and other speeding offenses it was deemed that Benoit Treluyer and Satoshi Motoyama's ride would have to port an massive 200ks (440lbs) of ballast at this weekend's race at Fuji Speedway.

That presents a couple of problems. Firstly, where the heck do you safely stow 200kgs of lead? And would the car meet GT-A regulations even if Nissan found a way to do it? The ruling body's compromise was to give the car a 115kg penalty and fit a stifling restrictor to the GT-R's air intake. That knocked 30kph off the GT-R's maximum velocity at the end of Fuji's 1.5km straight, and in the words of Benoit, "Gives us no chance at all."

Follow through the jump to find out if he was right, and to find out how Lightning McQueen faired in GT300 after qualifying on pole yesterday.

Gallery: 2008 Super GT - Round 3

Continue reading Spoiler Alert: Super GT Rd. 3 Results

Spoiler Alert: Super GT Rd. 3 Results originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 May 2008 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Kachow! Lightning McQueen 13th in first race, just ahead of Mach 5

Justin Gardiner — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Japan, Toyota, Toys/Games, Celebrities

Lightning McQueen came home 13th in his first race in the Japanese Super GT-300 Championship, one place ahead of new rival, Speed Racer Mach Go Go Go.

The rookie, who looks suspiciously like last year's Team Toy Story APR Toyota MR-S, has apparently been lured away from The Piston Cup by a company that makes products under license of Pixar and Disney. No matter, my three-year-old was beside himself with joy when he saw number 95 hit the track, and I suspect he was not alone.

14th pace finisher, the Mach Go VEMAC 320R (below), is far from new to Super GT's 300hp class, but may get a little more attention internationally once Speed Racer is released Stateside.

Kachow! Lightning McQueen 13th in first race, just ahead of Mach 5 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

First review of CARS says film has a flat

John Neff — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 15:26:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

We here at Autoblog have been unabashedly eager to see the upcoming animated feature from Pixar Studios called CARS in which hot rod racer Lightning McQueen rolls into a sleepy hollow and make friends with the colorful characters of Carburetor County. So it is with much chagrin that we report to you this first review of Director John Lasseter's magnum opus. CARS has received an unflattering grade of 2 out of 5 stars from Sarah Lindner of the Austin American-Statesman.

On the film's plot Ms. Lindner comments, "For a huge stretch of the film, there's not what you would call a story going on. There are just cars hanging out." Uh, is that a bad thing? That's how we plan to spend our retirement - hanging out with cars. It seems the great effort on Mr. Lasseter's part to infuse CARS with enough auto-related minutia to please even the most diehard enthusiast has been lost on this reviewer. For instance, how cool is it that the numbers on the license plate of Luigi, a Fiat 500 in the film, represent the latitude and longitude of the Ferrari factory in Maranello. That's worth at least one star alone in our book.

Look for an official Autoblog review of CARS when we finally get a chance to see it after today's nationwide release.

[Source: Austin360]

First review of CARS says film has a flat originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Jun 2006 15:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Kelley Blue Book values CARS star at $1.5 million

Chris Paukert — Wed, 24 May 2006 13:39:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Work

In a bit of creative (if liberally stretched) cross-brand marketing, Kelley Blue Book, the folks responsible for helping consumers evaluate the value of all things four-wheeled, have teamed up with Walt Disney and Pixar to offer assessments of how much the animated stars in CARS are worth.

The upcoming film, slated to hit theatres June 9 will star Lightning McQueen, a 200-mph racer KBB believes is worth $1.5 million, the most expensive valuation in the guide's history. KBB executive editorial director and market analyst Jack R. Nerad also reports that this marks the first time that his company has attached a value to a tow truck: "'Tow-Mater, as this specific tow truck likes to be called, was difficult to place a value on without a pink slip or any appropriate badging, but its value has been enhanced due to its low-volume, hard-to-find model status.'" Uh-huh.

Check out the press release at the link.

[Source: Auto Racing Daily; Pixar Animation Studios]

Kelley Blue Book values CARS star at $1.5 million originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 May 2006 13:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Detroit's involvement in CARS

John Neff — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 19:02:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Ford, GM, Porsche

As anyone who reads Autoblog is aware by now, we're pretty jazzed about Pixar's upcoming June 9th release of CARS, which is shaping up to be a celebration of the auto on celluloid. A pair of recent Detroit News articles reveals just how large a part the domestic duo of Ford and GM has played in the movie's making, in addition to our already reported on involvement of Porsche.

The film's director, John Lasseter, has been a good friend of Ford's design diva J Mays since 2000. The pair visited SEMA and attended the Pebble Beach Concours de Elegance together. Mays even visited Pixar's studios in Emeryville, CA on more than one occasion to check on the film's progress. The most prominent Ford in CARS ended up being a 1949 Mercury Police Cruiser - the town's sheriff (pictured above).

Lasseter also visited General Motors and spent time with some of the General's designers. The director was one of the very first people to view the redesigned C6 Corvette, in fact. CARS features a few cars from GM including a '59 Impala lowrider named Ramone, a '75 Cadillac Coupe de Ville named Tex and an unnamed green HUMMER.

J Mays and the Blue Oval's current head of things that go fast, Hau Thai-Tang, were among a group of 700 who viewed an early screening of the movie at Pixar's studios last weekend.

[Source: Detroit News]

Detroit's involvement in CARS originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Apr 2006 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments