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[2008 Autoblog Holiday Sweepstakes - Day 3: C'était un Rendezvous and Snake and the Stallion on DVD (plus BONUS)]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/17/2008-autoblog-holiday-sweepstakes-day-3-cetait-un-rendezvous/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/17/2008-autoblog-holiday-sweepstakes-day-3-cetait-un-rendezvous/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/17/2008-autoblog-holiday-sweepstakes-day-3-cetait-un-rendezvous/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click above to get £10 off the Snake and the Stallion using coupon code AUTOBLOG01

Today's prizes come courtesy of Spirit Level Films, which has a real treat in store for Autoblog readers. We're giving away copies of both C'était un Rendezvous and the Snake and the Stallion on DVD to five lucky Autoblog readers.

For those who don't know, C'était un Rendezvous is largely considered the best driving scene ever captured on film, with Jeremy Clarkson himself saying, "Makes Bullitt look like a cartoon." While only nine minutes long, the uninterrupted footage of director Claude Lelouch's lawless race through Paris is the most jaw-dropping driving scene you'll ever see on film. Thanks to Spirit Level Films, you can now watch the DVD legally on your livingroom's giant flatscreen rather than a little window on YouTube.

The Snake and the Stallion, meanwhile, is the most definitive documentary on how Carroll Shelby and his Cobras took on the mighty Enzo Ferrari in motorsport during the 1960s. Written, produced and directed by Richard Symons, the two-disc set also features original interviews with all the participants, footage of the original races and newly filmed reconstructions with the original cars (Ferrari GTO, 250 SWB, Cobras and Daytona Coupe) on the track. Check out trailers for both films after the jump and read the instructions below on how to enter.

BONUS: Spirit Level Films is offering £10 off the normal £24.99 price of the Snake and the Stallion just for Autoblog readers. Click here and enter coupon code AUTOBLOG01 for the reduced price of just £14.99 ($22.41 USD).

How to Enter:
  • Leave a single comment on this post (if you leave two or more, all of your comments will be disqualified)
  • You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec)
  • Limit 1 entry per person during entry period
  • This entry period begins 12:30 PM EST on Wednesday, December 17th and ends at 12:00pm EST on Thursday, December 18th. We'll randomly select 5 winners at that time to receive one DVD copy of Rendezvous (ARV: $29.95/per) and one copy of the Snake and the Stallion (ARV: $45.00/per) each. Please check your e-mail!
  • For a list of complete rules, click here
Click here to view official rules and come back each day this week around 12:30 PM EST to see what else we're giving away. Happy Holidays from your friendly neighborhood Autoblog!

Congratulations to KMac, who was the winner of the 2008 Autoblog Holiday Sweepstakes - Day 2! If you're KMac, please check your email and verify your eligibility. If you're not KMac, comment on this post for your chance to win C'était un Rendezvous and the Snake and the Stallion!

Continue reading 2008 Autoblog Holiday Sweepstakes - Day 3: C'était un Rendezvous and Snake and the Stallion on DVD (plus BONUS)

2008 Autoblog Holiday Sweepstakes - Day 3: C'était un Rendezvous and Snake and the Stallion on DVD (plus BONUS) originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2008 autoblog holiday sweepstakes2008AutoblogHolidaySweepstakesautoblog holiday sweepstakesAutoblogHolidaySweepstakescarroll shelbyCarrollShelbyCtait un RendezvousCtaitUnRendezvousenzo ferrariEnzoFerrarirendezvousSnake and the StallionSnakeAndTheStallionspiri level filmsSpiriLevelFilmsthe Snake and the StallionTheSnakeAndTheStallionWed, 17 Dec 2008 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Buick lineup to get Chinese-infusion]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/30/buick-lineup-to-get-chinese-infusion/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/30/buick-lineup-to-get-chinese-infusion/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/30/buick-lineup-to-get-chinese-infusion/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Judging by the positive reception the Chinese-marketed Buicks have been receiving here in the States, GM would be ill-advised to continue offering the same warmed-over products that it's been selling over the past decade. According to Automotive News, the General sees the writing on the wall and intends to go global with the new look of Buick, originally shown at the Shanghai Motor Show in the shape of the Riviera concept.

The idea is to make Buick an affordable luxury brand here in the States, and it has plans on offering a number of new vehicles to the U.S. market that will take on the high-end competitors from Japan.

To begin with, the Excelle, a small sedan, is set to be released sometime in 2008, based off the Alpha platform currently under development in Germany, while the next iteration of the LaCrosse will come in 2009 and will be based off of GM's Epsilon 2 underpinnings. The Lucerne will get a full makeover in 2011 and will be built around the RWD Zeta platform, and the Rainier, Rendezvous and Terraza will die off after the current production run, and replaced with the new Enclave.

Buick's move to become more things to more people is the only way the marque will survive, and judging by what's in the pipeline, the automaker actually has a chance at success.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Buick lineup to get Chinese-infusion originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Jul 2007 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buickchinachineseenclaveexcellelacrosserainierrendezvousterazaMon, 30 Jul 2007 09:57:00 EST<![CDATA[NHTSA investigating fuel leak on Aztek and Rendezvous]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/23/nhtsa-investigating-fuel-leak-on-aztek-and-rendezvous/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/23/nhtsa-investigating-fuel-leak-on-aztek-and-rendezvous/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/23/nhtsa-investigating-fuel-leak-on-aztek-and-rendezvous/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is in the process of investigating close to 280k 2001 to 2004 Pontiac Aztec and Buick Rendezvous SUVs after consumers filed 213 complaints with the organization.

Apparently, a faulty weld on the fuel tanks' filler pipe is causing a leak, allowing either gasoline fumes or fuel itself to escape from the pipe.

The announcement by NHTSA is part of the second stage of the investigation, however, no recall has been issued thus far.

[Source: Detroit News]

NHTSA investigating fuel leak on Aztek and Rendezvous originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aztekbuickfuel leakFuelLeaknational highway transportation safety assocationNationalHighwayTransportationSafetyAssocationnhtsapontiacrecallrendezvousMon, 23 Apr 2007 17:35:00 EST<![CDATA[TTAC hands out TWAT awards]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/08/ttac-hands-out-twat-awards/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/08/ttac-hands-out-twat-awards/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/08/ttac-hands-out-twat-awards/#commentsFiled under: ,



The votes are in, the judges have, uh, judged and it's official: Democrats control the House.

No, wait. Wrong election. The Truth About Cars readers and staff have chosen the 2006 winners (losers?) of The Worst Automobile Today award.

For those with stomachs too queasy or hearts too weak to read criticism of the domestic auto industry, we recommend you find something else to read. Those TTAC folks get kinda brutal.

Just to keep you in suspense, the list of TWAT winners, with excerpts of TTAC's witty criticism, is after the jump.

Continue reading TTAC hands out TWAT awards

TTAC hands out TWAT awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Nov 2006 16:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Buick RendezvousBuickRendezvousChevroletChevrolet AveoChevrolet UplanderChevroletAveoChevroletUplanderChrysler AspenChryslerAspenHummer H2HummerH2Jeep CompassJeepCompassLincoln Mark LtLincolnMarkLtMonte CarloMonteCarloRendezvousSaab 9-7XSaab9-7xSubaru B9 TribecaSubaruB9TribecaThe Truth About CarsThe Worst Automobile TodayTheTruthAboutCarsTheWorstAutomobileTodayTTACTWATUplanderWed, 08 Nov 2006 16:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Tiger Woods to help intro Buick Enclave]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/18/tiger-woods-to-help-intro-buick-enclave/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/18/tiger-woods-to-help-intro-buick-enclave/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/18/tiger-woods-to-help-intro-buick-enclave/#commentsFiled under: , ,



GM's Chairman/CEO Rick Wagoner will join PGA superstar Tiger Woods to unveil the new-for-'08 Buick Enclave at this year's second L.A. Auto Show. Apparently moving the show to a new time slot in December to avoid the January competition with Detroit is already paying off for the L.A. organizers. Bringing Tiger out for this event shows how eager Buick is to get maximum exposure for this all-important new model. We're sure Tiger's going to be happy they didn't wait for the North American International Auto Show to debut it. L.A. in December or Detroit in January? Tough choice.

The Enclave should look a lot like the concept shown in Detroit last January, but will mark the debut of GM's new Lambda platform. The Lambdas will eventually replace the U-Body minivans with their front- or all-wheel-drive platform and 2+2+2 seating. Initially a 270-hp V-6 mated to a 6-speed automatic will be offered, but a V-8 should arrive somewhere down the road as well. That V-8 will undoubtedly be identified by the four (or is that fore?) ventiport styling touch Buick is becoming known for.

The Enclave should also feature a more upscale interior befitting Buick's position in the GM lineup. The first Lambda full-size CUV to be unveiled was the Saturn Outlook at the 2006 New York Auto Show, and it will beat the Enclave into showrooms when it goes on sale next Spring, followed by the Enclave and GMC's Acadia. The Enclave will replace the awkward looking and slow-moving Rendezvous.

[Source: GM]

Tiger Woods to help intro Buick Enclave originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Sep 2006 18:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>EnclavePGARendezvousRick WagonerRickWagonerTiger WoodsTigerWoodsMon, 18 Sep 2006 18:54:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO + Google Earth: "It was an Appointment"]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/15/video-mashup-it-was-an-appointment/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/15/video-mashup-it-was-an-appointment/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/15/video-mashup-it-was-an-appointment/#commentsFiled under: ,

French filmmaker Claude Lelouch's (in)famous 9-minute short, "C'etait un Rendez-Vous," consisting entirely of bumper-mounted camera footage of a high speed dawn run through the streets of Paris in 1976, languished in obscurity for years until liberated on the internet and DVD. (See our previous post here.) Now, thanks to the coding efforts of blogger Brian Hendrix, those of us unfamiliar with the streets of Paris (OK, I recognized the Arc de Triomphe, but that's about it) can follow Lelouche's drive in an animated Google Earth map, synchronized with the video!

The animation is here. Syncing the video to the map animation may take a bit of fiddling - I found the video got ahead of the map a couple of times - but pausing the video for a moment fixed it.

With Hendrix' brilliant mashup making the rounds of automotive blogs at the moment (Thanks for the tip, Alberto!), a post on Le Blog Auto took us to another post that dispels the myths around the making of the film. (Did Lelouch drive, or did he enlist a Grand Prix driver? Was it a Ferrari? A Mercedes? Was it staged?) Well, it turns out it was Lelouche himself, driving his Mercedes 300 (with two passengers!), on the open streets of Paris. The film was made in one take (that's all the film they had). Oh, and the Ferrari rumor? The soundtrack is pure Ferrari, dubbed in after filming.

But wait, there's more! Here's a video made earlier this year, on the 30th anniversary of the original drive, in which Claude Lelouche returns to the scene and describes how the film was made (in French).

[Sources: bhendrix.com, leblogauto, memoiresdestands]

VIDEO + Google Earth: "It was an Appointment" originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Aug 2006 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>claude lelouchlelouchparis driving videoParisDrivingVideorendezvousrendezvous videoTue, 15 Aug 2006 16:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Buick says hello to Enclave, goodbye to Rainier, Rendezvous]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/10/buick-says-hello-to-enclave-goodbye-to-rainier-rendezvous/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/10/buick-says-hello-to-enclave-goodbye-to-rainier-rendezvous/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/10/buick-says-hello-to-enclave-goodbye-to-rainier-rendezvous/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



General Motors seems to be following through with its pledge to slim down and refocus the model lineup at some of its less successful brands, with Friday's spotlight on Buick. Automotive News quotes Buick's marketing director as saying the new Enclave crossover, which debuted at this year's Detroit Auto Show, will replace two existing Buick models, the Rendezvous and the Rainier.

The Enclave will debut next spring as a 2008 model, as the last Rainier and Rendezvous 2007 models are being sold. The Rendezvous will disappear, while the Rainier will carry on in its guise as the GMC Envoy.

[Source: Automotive News]

Buick says hello to Enclave, goodbye to Rainier, Rendezvous originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Jun 2006 20:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buick enclavebuick rainierbuick rendezvousBuickRendezvousenclaveenvoyGMCranierrendezvousSat, 10 Jun 2006 20:06:00 EST<![CDATA[GM slapped with gasket class-action lawsuit in Canada, claims could hit $1.2 billion]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/26/gm-slapped-with-gasket-class-action-lawsuit-in-canada-claims-co/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/26/gm-slapped-with-gasket-class-action-lawsuit-in-canada-claims-co/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/26/gm-slapped-with-gasket-class-action-lawsuit-in-canada-claims-co/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Earlier this month, Autoblog informed you about General Motors electing to handle a widespread intake manifold gasket defect on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis. But if Toronto-based law firm Stevensons LLP has any say in the matter, the automaker won't have the option to be choosy with some 400,000 Canadian vehicles.

The firm announced Tuesday that it is filing a class-action lawsuit against General Motors of Canada Ltd., as well as parent company General Motors Corp. The suit is predicated on the premature failure of intake manifold gaskets used in a wide range of the company's vehicles from 1995-2003. Given the 400,000 vehicle estimate by Stevensons and an average claim of $3,000 per vehicle, the class-action tab could balloon to $1.2 billion dollars.

A similar lawsuit in the U.S. was granted class-action status in January.

Click on the link to see further details, including a list of affected vehicles.

[Sources: The Canadian Press via Canada.com; Canadianally.com]

GM slapped with gasket class-action lawsuit in Canada, claims could hit $1.2 billion originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Apr 2006 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AleroAztekBonnevilleBuickBuick Park AvenueBuick RegalBuickParkAvenueBuickRegalChevroletChevyClass ActionClassActiongasketGeneral motorsGeneralMotorsGMGrand PrixGrandPrixintake manifoldintake manifold gasketIntakeManifoldIntakeManifoldGasketLawsuitLeSabreLuminaMonte CarloMonteCarloOldsmobilePontiacRendezvousRivieraStephenson LLCStephensonLlcToronto LawTorontoLawWed, 26 Apr 2006 11:31:00 EST