Autoblog

Mini "Britalian Job" celebrates London Olympics with sendup of heist film

Zach Bowman — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:44:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Mini, UK, Celebrities

Mini is gearing up for the Olympics in a big way. The company has released a short film featuring a gaggle of former gold medalists, including Daley Thompson, James Cracknell, Jonathan Edwards and Matthew Pinsent. Thompson plays the ringleader of an elite driving squad sent to retrieve a set of gold medals pilfered by none other than supermodel Jodie Kidd. In the film, Kidd sets to tearing through London on a supermoto, pursued by three London 2012 Edition Mini Cooper models. The scenes feature some iconic shots lifted from the classic 1969 film The Italian Job.

Directed by Top Gear lead director Phil Churchward, the clip boasts some impressive stunt driving. There's even a close-formation jump that includes all three Mini models as they sail through the air. Check out the full show for yourself to see what we mean.

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FIA gains official recognition from International Olympic Committee

Noah Joseph — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

There's plenty of racing that takes place at the Olympics, so don't let anyone tell you otherwise. There's running, cycling, sailing, speed skating, luge, bobsledding and skiing. The thing is, none of these sports are mechanically powered, so motorsports are decidedly excluded from the highest-profile sporting event in the world.

It wasn't always that way, though. The 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, France, included both car and motorcycle racing, but only as demonstration events that did not return. That may or may not change in the future, but one step has been taken closer as the FIA - the body which governs most forms of motor racing around the world - has been officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

The recognition is provisional for two years, and it encourages the FIA to abide by the principles embodied by the Olympics and the establishment of an Athlete's Commission.

Of course, even if the IOC gives the FIA permanent recognition, that doesn't mean we'll be seeing auto racing at the Olympics any time soon: the Committee already officially recognizes a number of sporting bodies, sanctioning everything from motorcycle and powerboat racing to chess, bowling and billiards. Follow the jump for the official statement.

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FIA gains official recognition from International Olympic Committee originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM Olympic fleet vehicles will all find their way to Canadian dealers

Michael Harley — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Canada

They won't make you ski, skate or snowboard with any additional talent or zest, but the "official" Olympic-branded vehicles used during the 2010 Winter Games are going up for sale in Canada later this month. Each of the General Motors supplied cars and trucks spent time in Vancouver and Whistler shuttling athletes, officials, VIPs and dignitaries to and from the competitions and related events. Now, with the Winter Olympics written in the history books and the Paralympic Winter Games closing at the end of the month, more than 4,600 lightly-used vehicles will find their way to dealerships across the vast country. The fleet includes:

Chevrolet Equinox, Malibu (Hybrid), Impala, Traverse, Suburban & Tahoe
Buick Lucerne & Enclave
Cadillac DTS, CTS Sport Sedan & Sport Wagon, Escalade (Hybrid) & SRX
GMC Acadia, Terrain, Yukon (Hybrid models available) & Yukon XL

Differentiating the "Olympic" vehicles from the standard GM offerings are the commemorative (and "permanent") Vancouver 2010 medallions adorned with the iconic Inukshuk symbol and Olympic rings on each model. That, and fact that the vehicles are all "specially-priced," says GM. If you are interested, contact your local GM retailer ASAP as the first cars and trucks will be available for purchase in just a couple weeks. The official press release is available after the jump.

[Source: General Motors]

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GM Olympic fleet vehicles will all find their way to Canadian dealers originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No car repairs or painting in Beijing until after Olympics

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:35:00 EST

Filed under: China, Etc., Government/Legal, Green, Safety

The city of Beijing has drawn widely-publicized controversy due to its poor air-quality leading up to the 2008 Summer Olympic games. In fact, the air pollution is at least two to three times higher than levels deemed safe by the World Health Organization at this very moment. To ease the minds of the competing athletes, the city of Beijing is taking steps to improve the situation and has promised clean air for the games. Officials in Beijing have already cut the number of vehicles driving in the city in half by alternating what vehicles are allowed to drive each day and have asked more people to ride bikes. Now, they've banned car repairs and spray painting until after the games are over. We are all for the athletes rights to breathe clean air, but we also have to wonder about the economic cost associated with cutting out all automotive repairs and painting.

[Source: Motor Authority]

No car repairs or painting in Beijing until after Olympics originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Schumacher cameos in another kids' movie

Noah Joseph — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:02:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Europe

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]

Schumacher cameos in another kids' movie originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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