Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[<i>Go Faster</i> celebrates the 70s heyday of race car liveries]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/22/video-go-faster-celebrates-the-70s-heyday-of-race-car-li/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/22/video-go-faster-celebrates-the-70s-heyday-of-race-car-li/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/22/video-go-faster-celebrates-the-70s-heyday-of-race-car-li/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Go Faster

According to Sven Voelker's book Go Faster, it was American driver Briggs Cunningham who ushered in the era of the "go-faster stripe" when he put two of them on his white Le Mans racer in the fifties. The next year, according to Voelker, stripes were everywhere, and so began the era of wild and memorable race-car liveries that would peak in the 70s and 80s.

The surprise of the book is that the in the days before massive corporate sponsorship, color schemes weren't conjured by graphics departments. Usually, they came from the engineers and grease monkeys who built the cars. It's an observation that helps make sense of some of the luridly hued racers shown in the archival footage. Follow the jump to watch Voelker discuss the book and the war-painted cars within - all the period racing footage makes it worth a look.

Continue reading Go Faster celebrates the 70s heyday of race car liveries

Go Faster celebrates the 70s heyday of race car liveries originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Jan 2012 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bookbooksgo fasterliverypaint jobrace carracingracing liverysven voelkerSun, 22 Jan 2012 09:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20152981/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/01/22/video-go-faster-celebrates-the-70s-heyday-of-race-car-li/20152981/article-detail.xml 20152981 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/gofaster_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/gofaster.jpg <![CDATA[Gold(finger's) Mercedes C63 spotted in... where else? Dubai]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/23/gold-fingers-mercedes-c63-spotted-in-where-else-dubai/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/23/gold-fingers-mercedes-c63-spotted-in-where-else-dubai/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/23/gold-fingers-mercedes-c63-spotted-in-where-else-dubai/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Click above for a high-res gallery of the gold C63

This United Arab Emirates-registered gold-mirror-finish Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG was caught at the Bling on Wheels Show, otherwise known as the valet area at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. While we have nothing untoward to say about someone who decks out his/her ride in any manner desired, we are always intrigued when someone looks to have spent the worth of a car - on top of the price of the car itself - on "beautification."

There is some debate as to whether this is a real paint job or a wrap, but parking your gold-wrapped C63 next to a genuinely chrome SLR would be shamefully ludicrous. A C63 AMG goes for about 300,000 AED (about $82,000 USD). Unless gold paint bubbles out of the ground as well, a liquid gold paint job has to cost a good portion of that. And all for a C63? Really? We won't ask whether it looks good... we'll just guide you to the gallery of high-res images below. Hat tip to AB reader Chad.

Gallery: Mercedes C63 in Dubai Gold


[Source: MB World]

Gold(finger's) Mercedes C63 spotted in... where else? Dubai originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>c63c63 amgC63Amgcustomizationdubaimall of the emiratesMallOfTheEmiratesmercedesmercedes c63 amgMercedesC63Amgmiddle eastMiddleEastpaint jobPaintJobsedanspecialuaeunited arab emiratesUnitedArabEmiratesFri, 23 Jan 2009 12:29:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1438293/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/01/23/gold-fingers-mercedes-c63-spotted-in-where-else-dubai/1438293/article-detail.xml 1438293 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/chrome_c63_moe2_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/chrome_c63_moe2.jpg <![CDATA[BMW owner tapes black car to white]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/06/bmw-owner-tapes-black-car-to-white/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/06/bmw-owner-tapes-black-car-to-white/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/06/bmw-owner-tapes-black-car-to-white/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

When a BMW 335i owner in Munich became bored with his black coupe, he hired a team to wrap it in white tape. Two days later, he drove home in his refreshed "Alpine White" coupe (with an M3-appearing black roof). No, it's not normal tape. It's a special 3M wrap, and the process is known as "foiling." Apparently, the German military has been using the process (with an olive drab tape) for some time now. Likewise, the process is popular with race teams and taxi companies. Available in countless colors, the tape itself is thick enough to protect the paint from minor chips and nicks, and it can be left adhered to the surface for 3-4 years without damage (!). Adhesion isn't a problem either, as the tape can even withstand an automatic car wash without peeling off. Thanks for the tip Frank.

Gallery: Foil Tape Paint Job


[Source: E90post]

BMW owner tapes black car to white originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bmwbreakingchange colorChangeColorcolorfoilgermanyPaint jobPaintJobrepainttapeWed, 06 Aug 2008 12:29:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1276604/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/08/06/bmw-owner-tapes-black-car-to-white/1276604/article-detail.xml 1276604 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/08/detail_450_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/08/detail_450.jpg <![CDATA[Don't dig your paint? Change it with the touch of a button.]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/08/dont-dig-your-paint-change-it-with-the-touch-of-a-button/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/08/dont-dig-your-paint-change-it-with-the-touch-of-a-button/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/08/dont-dig-your-paint-change-it-with-the-touch-of-a-button/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Normally, when you want to change the paint color on your car, you're facing lots of disassembly, extensive prep work, and expensive time in a spray booth followed by seemingly endless hand blocking. Instead of the conventional method, a new technology might be on the way to make a color change as easy as twisting a knob. It's actually quite similar to the magic General Motors has wrought with their magnetorheological dampers. The variable-color paint works this way: prior to paint, the body gets a special polymer coating that's got paramagnetic iron oxide particles in it. When a current passes through this coating, the ferrous particles change their alignment, which alters the way they reflect light, effectively changing the car's color. The default color when the car's not running is white, which hints at a future of exceptionally bland parking lots if this technology takes off.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Don't dig your paint? Change it with the touch of a button. originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Nov 2007 08:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chameleoncolor changeColorChangepaintpaint jobPaintJobparamagneticparamagnetic paintParamagneticPainttechnologyThu, 08 Nov 2007 08:55:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1033516/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2007/11/08/dont-dig-your-paint-change-it-with-the-touch-of-a-button/1033516/article-detail.xml 1033516 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/11/multicolor_polo_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/11/multicolor_polo.jpg <![CDATA[Spy Shots: Jet-ified Camo Lambo spotted ... somewhere]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/11/spy-shots-jet-ified-camo-lambo-spotted-somewhere/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/11/spy-shots-jet-ified-camo-lambo-spotted-somewhere/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/11/spy-shots-jet-ified-camo-lambo-spotted-somewhere/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Click image for photo gallery

Nobody knows what this Lamborghini is, other than "really, really, hot." It's an LP640 with a fighter jet-style camo paint job, complete with rivets and warnings like an arrow reading "HEAT" that points to the exhaust. There's also a red star painted on the hood, which is intriguing because that was used to signify the Russian "Migs" way back when in Top Gun.

A VW Vortex poster claims it's a one-off paint job done on a Lambo in Singapore. The car is right-hand-drive, has a license plate that could be from Singapore, and looks to be sitting in a garage with a couple of Lotuses. Unfortunately, whoever took the pictures seems to have had full access to the car yet neglected to take one pic of the interior. The car even has a call sign written just above its rocker panels. It is, of course: LP640. Can anyone fill in the blanks?

[Source: VW Vortex]

Gallery: Jet-themed Camo Lamborghini LP640


Spy Shots: Jet-ified Camo Lambo spotted ... somewhere originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f22lamborghinilp640paint jobPaintJobsingaporeTue, 11 Sep 2007 19:36:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/985966/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2007/09/11/spy-shots-jet-ified-camo-lambo-spotted-somewhere/985966/article-detail.xml 985966 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/09/lambo_raptor_scheme_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/09/lambo_raptor_scheme.jpg <![CDATA[eBay Find of the Day: General Zee Camaro not even John Schneider could love]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/19/ebay-find-of-the-day-general-lee-camaro-not-even-john-schneider/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/19/ebay-find-of-the-day-general-lee-camaro-not-even-john-schneider/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/19/ebay-find-of-the-day-general-lee-camaro-not-even-john-schneider/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Land!

Some things are just unnatural, and should never be attempted. Does the paint job give this car any pop-culture cred via osmosis? Yes, yes, calling it the "General Zee" displays a modicum of wit, but we can't condone trying to splice in cool with a paint job. Us Gen-Xers will always have a soft spot for the orange Charger with pushbars out front and "01" emblazoned on its welded-shut doors. Giving that treatment to a 2002 Z-28 does not make it a collector car, even if the abomination has under 40,000 miles on it. There's a "Dixie" horn setup, and enough amateur-grade extra wiring is present in the underhood shots to make us cringe visibly. Our favorite modification has to be the muffler, which "has holes added to enhance the sound quality of the V-8 engine." The dead newspaper tycoon operating the T5-6 is a nice touch, too. Must be a one-off, 'cause that's the first we've heard of a "Hearst" shifter. Reserve is not yet met at a current bid of $7,100. Us, we'd use that cash as a downpayment on a General Lee replica that's at least a Mopar, though an Omni GLH dressed up in this type of drag would be equally repugnant.

Thanks for the tip, Aaron!

[Source: eBay]

Gallery: General Zee - Z28 with Dukes paint

eBay Find of the Day: General Zee Camaro not even John Schneider could love originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 May 2007 13:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auctioncamaroebaygeneral leegeneral zeeGeneralLeeGeneralZeejobpaintpaint jobPaintJobreplicaz 28Z28Sat, 19 May 2007 13:42:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/899544/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2007/05/19/ebay-find-of-the-day-general-lee-camaro-not-even-john-schneider/899544/article-detail.xml 899544 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/05/562b_12_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/05/562b_12.jpg -1 2