Autoblog

Hot Wheels introduces remote controlled Stealth Rides

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 08:02:00 EST

Hot Wheels has just rolled out two new R/C cars in the Stealth Rides line. The collapsible racers fit into their own cases which double as infrared remote controls. At the moment there are just two vehicles - one with wheels and another with treads - but in October Batman's Tumbler joins the party. The good news is they fit in any pocket, run for about 45 minutes and cost just $25. The not so good news is that when that 45 minutes is up you'll have to replace five watch batteries - three in the car, two in the remote - to get them going again. Click the link for the video at CNET. Hat tip to Sea Urchin

[Source: CNET]

Hot Wheels introduces remote controlled Stealth Rides originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lamborghini licenses insane limited-edition Reventón R/C car

Zach Bowman — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Lamborghini, Toys/Games, Luxury

Lamborghini Reventón R/C Car - Click above for image gallery

Like the vast majority of humanity, we were never able to lay our hands on one of the 20 Lamborghini Reventón models the company built for the fabulously wealthy. We had neither the $1.27 million it took to call the car your very own nor the connections to be one of the few to even have the chance to purchase said Raging Bull. That's just fine, though, because Lamborghini has partnered up with De Agostini to build a 1:10 scale R/C replica of the car for the masses. Well, maybe not the masses per-se - the company is only building 65 examples, so this ain't your garden-variety Nikko or Tamiya.

Each one of the cars is crafted with impressive detail and features a 3cc gasoline engine mated to a two-speed transmission, a fully-independent suspension with hydraulic shocks and four-wheel disc brakes - all on an R/C car. Insane? Sure, but it's our kind of crazy. Unfortunately, with so few of the cars being produced, we're guessing they won't be cheap enough for anyone we know to afford. History repeats itself. You can head over to the R/C car's site for a closer look.

Gallery: Lamborghini Reventon RC Car

[Source: Lamborghini]

Lamborghini licenses insane limited-edition Reventón R/C car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Reverse-engineered Wipeout racing videogame is silly brilliance

Chris Shunk — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:28:00 EST

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

Click above to watch the video after the jump

Leave it to the Germans to turn a real-life radio control car, a video camera with a wireless transmitter and an arcade box into the best 3D rendition of the old Playstation game Wipeout we've ever seen. If designer Malte Jehmlich and friends would have stopped after designing a massive multi-level carboard track for their remote control cars, we would have thought it was pretty cool. But the innovative crew attached a plate to their 1/28 scale car and mounted a video camera with a wireless transmitter that sends a video signal to an arcade racing cabinet to make this a truly multi-dimensional video game. The racing cabinet is equipped with a steering wheel and a monitor that displays the r/c car's progress in real time. The whole project took them two months to put together.

Jehmlich and his friends are currently working on integrating force feedback and power-ups using sensors built into the track. Very cool, indeed. Hit the jump to watch video of the Great Room-sized arcade game in action. We're thinking that we'd want one of these in the basement, but we're not sure if our wives would approve.

[Source: Vimeo via Engadget]

Continue reading Video: Reverse-engineered Wipeout racing videogame is silly brilliance

Video: Reverse-engineered Wipeout racing videogame is silly brilliance originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Sign #5,328 You Have Too Much Free Time - Lego R/C Veyron with seven-speed gearbox

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:57:00 EST

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

Remote control Lego Technic Bugatti Veryon - Click above to watch video after the jump

Someone going by the handle "Sheepo" spent who knows how many hours satisfying the urge to build a Bugatti Veyron out of Lego Technic pieces. Among its many features are a remote controlled braking system, power targa roof and motorized rear spoiler. And then there's that working seven-speed sequential gearbox - even the gear lever moves - plus reverse. If it goes 254 miles per hour to scale, we'll be even more impressed. And to any of you with this much time on your hands and dreams in your head, keep up the good work. Follow the jump to see it in action. Hat tip to Cameron!

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Sign #5,328 You Have Too Much Free Time - Lego R/C Veyron with seven-speed gearbox

Video: Sign #5,328 You Have Too Much Free Time - Lego R/C Veyron with seven-speed gearbox originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Super slo-mo R/C cars lose all sense of scale

Zach Bowman — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos, Subaru, Toys/Games

R/C cars in slow motion - Click above for the video after the jump

As Dave Chapelle irrefutably proved in 2004, everything is better in slow motion. Similarly, scale race cars are nearly always more interesting than the real deal, partially because any Joe can afford a WRC Subaru that runs off of glow fuel or electric power, and also because sliding a 1/10th remote-controlled car into a ditch is never really "game over" for the day. Plus, as Nissan Canada recently proved with its spot for the 2010 Sentra SE-R, it's hard to tell the little guys from the real deal on film.

So what happens when the you combine scale R/C cars and slow motion? Pure gold, friends. Aside from seeing their Lexan body shells deflect and bend under the bristling power of tiny motors, we also get our minds blown with just how real these things look. Throw in a slightly out-of-focus image, a perfectly designed course and good looking car, and you could nearly replicate your favorite WRC footage. Hop the jump to see for yourself.

[Source: Awdsome via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Super slo-mo R/C cars lose all sense of scale

Video: Super slo-mo R/C cars lose all sense of scale originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: The coolest R/C footage we've seen in a long time stars... a Nissan Sentra SE-R?

Zach Bowman — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:55:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Nissan, Toys/Games, Canada

Nissan Sentra SE-R writ small - Click above to see the video after the jump

If you're like us, chances are you spend just as much time drooling over the latest automotive toys as you do the real deal. Nissan has embraced its inner child with a new spot for the 2010 Sentra SE-R, filming the entire commercial in 1/10th scale with the help of a fleet of radio-controlled vehicles. There's even a R/C helicopter in on the action.

As the story goes, this ad was worked up by TBWA\Toronto for Nissan Canada, and the crew has been kind enough to provide the world with a "making of" video, too. Us? We're just happy to see Nissan spend some money promoting the SE-R at all. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be in the parking lot perfecting our R/C drifts. Hop the jump for a look at the full spot, and don't forget to catch the behind-the-scenes video, too. Hat tip to Lindsey!

[Source: Nissan Canada via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: The coolest R/C footage we've seen in a long time stars... a Nissan Sentra SE-R?

Video: The coolest R/C footage we've seen in a long time stars... a Nissan Sentra SE-R? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Delphi concept controls your car through iPhone

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:54:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology

One of Delphi's major reveals during CES this week is surely to get the iPhone fanbois frothing at the mouth - even if it's just a concept. The software allows users to monitor and control several aspects of a vehicle's system, everything from unlocking doors to starting the car and getting the temperature just right.

The connection is made from the phone to a Bluetooth-enabled key-fob that then connects to the car. According to Delphi, that gives geeks the opportunity to connect to their vehicle from a mile away.

Beyond the aforementioned features, the system can start or stop the car, roll down the windows, check tire pressure, monitor oil and brake fluid life, as well as detecting if the car has been broken into. If and when the system is ready for primetime, Delphi expects it to be available for a number of smart phones.

Thanks for the tip Corinne!

[Source: PCMag]

Delphi concept controls your car through iPhone originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All we want for Christmas is a Ford GT

Dan Roth — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Supercars, Ford, Toys/Games

The Ford GT has always been badass. When it went into production in 2003, all of those kit cars from back in the day suddenly paled in comparison to a genuine GT40-inspired supercar. It was a relative bargain, too. Of course, when we say relative bargain, we mean expensive. Always willing to settle, we've found a way to claim with a straight face that we own a GT. It's still not cheap, but it's hundreds, not hundreds of thousands. Winding Road has pointed us to the 1:6 scale remote control Ford GT over at wowzzers.com. Equipped with a 23cc engine, this three-plus foot long vehicle can buzz around at a maximum speed around 60 mph. Christmas is coming, and it's only $650.

[Source: Winding Road]

All we want for Christmas is a Ford GT originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Oct 2007 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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R/C car going for 200mph speed record

Siddharth Raja — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:03:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

It's hard enough to get a full-sized vehicle slurping gasoline and sitting on 10-inch wide rubber to reach 200 mph, so imaging trying to reach the lofty speed with a home made remote control car powered by a 29.6-volt electric motor and running on foam based tires. The current R/C land speed record is held by R/C enthusiast Nic Case, who managed 134.4mph.

This time, another enthusiast by the name of Nick Maslowski is going for 200 mph with his new X2 racer. Though the R/C car has a theoretical top speed of 274 mph, drag generated by friction from the road surface and air brings that final top speed to the 200 mph figure.

At these kinds of speed, directing the cars remotely can be very difficult. To prevent it from rolling out of control, Nic has installed a gyroscope that adjusts a pair of rudders to keep it on a straight line. We'd love to see what a R/C car would be capable of with the right facilities such as a wind-tunnel and smoother track.

[Source: Jalopnik via Pistonheads]

R/C car going for 200mph speed record originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wacky USB remote-controlled car provides minutes of fun

Dan Roth — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 19:32:00 EST

Filed under: China, Etc., Technology

Around our office, we're always passing small files between the multiple workstations via USB flash drives. Chinese toymaker Marsilli has come up with a fun way for us to amuse ourselves as we pass files back and forth. Their 512MB flash drive that doubles as an RC car comes with its own race track, though the first thing we'd try is zooming these little buggers around from room to room. They're controllable with your cellphone, though we're not sure if it's via Bluetooth or some other scheme. The USB port jutting out the back of the New Beetle is also just about the correct scale to match some of the inane drainage-pipe exhausts we've seen on clapped out rides around town, too. It's too bad we don't have an office pet, as we bet these zoomy little cars would do great on smooth surfaces and drive cats and dogs absolutely bonkers. We know we'd giggle like schoolgirls for a good half hour, maybe more. We're not sure where to find these in the US just yet, but we haven't looked terribly hard, either. We've been avoiding actually finding them because they're just what we need, more excuses to be unproductive while we hold out for that dream job of GranTurismo beta tester.

[Source: engadget.com]

Wacky USB remote-controlled car provides minutes of fun originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jan 2007 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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