Autoblog

And the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8's 'Ring time is...

John Neff — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:15:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, SUV, Europe, Videos, Jeep

The Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR currently holds the unofficial production car record for a Nürburgring lap with a time of 7:12.13. The Porsche Panamera Turbo S is the first four-door to show up on the list of lap times with a 7:52.00. The Audi RS6 Avant is the quickest wagon with a time of 8:09.00, and the first thing resembling a sport utility vehicle is the BMW X6 M at 8:24.00. That right there would be the target for a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 were someone to bring one to Germany for a 'Ring run. Last September, somebody did.

Piloted by the eminently qualified Sabine Schmitz, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 did the deed in 8:49.00. Ouch. That's 25 seconds behind the X6 M and slower than even the front-wheel-drive Chevrolet HHR SS (8:43.52). Still, you can't be taken seriously as a performance machine these days until you pay tribute at the Green Hell. And watching something attempt a high-speed 'Ring run that was originally designed to rock crawl is always fun. Scroll down to watch the official lap vid from SRT.

Continue reading And the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8's 'Ring time is...

And the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8's 'Ring time is... originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Sabine Schmitz needs your help to save the Nürburgring

Noah Joseph — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Videos

Click above to watch the video after the jump

Race tracks open and race tracks close. It's an unfortunate reality. But there are some circuits that we simply couldn't imagine the world carrying on without. Like the Nürburgring Norschleife.

Lamentable as it may be to even ponder, the legendary road-course in Germany is apparently in trouble, and not the kind that Lassie can save them from. The track is reportedly half a billion euros in debt, and while the government apparently wants to help, that support has apparently arrived in the form of indoor roller-coasters and other amusements built by private companies. Unfortunately, all the 'Ring really needed was a new parking lot and some maintenance.

With the unthinkable looming on the horizon, supporters have enlisted one Sabine Schmitz - the Ring Mistress herself - to campaign on their behalf. Follow the jump to hear her plea, and check out SaveTheRing on Facebook for more.. Hat tip to msport!

[Source: Axis of Oversteer]

Continue reading Video: Sabine Schmitz needs your help to save the Nürburgring

Video: Sabine Schmitz needs your help to save the Nürburgring originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Sabine Schmitz makes another blonde shriek in BMW M3 Frozen Gray

Zach Bowman — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, BMW, Humor

Sabine Schmitz and Juliet McGuire in the BMW M3 Frozen Gray - Click above to watch video after the jump

There are a few tried-and-true recipes for car video success out there, but one of our favorites has to be mixing an inexperienced passenger with a skilled driver and a world-class car. The results are nearly always as predictable as they are hilarious. South Africa's CAR Magazine recently found that out firsthand when they strapped their Juliette McGuire into the passenger seat of a ~~Frozen Gray BMW M3~~ South African-market M3 Frozen edition with Nürburgring queen Sabine Schmitz behind the tiller. After a brief bout with the traction control, Schmitz is able to really start wailing on the Bavarian.

The result is well worth a few moments of your day. Schmitz is the hoon for hire in CAR Magazine's 2011 Performance Shootout, and she's put 12 of the world's hottest sports cars through their paces on an airstrip and around the Zwartkops raceway. That issue of CAR hits newsstands on December 20, but if you don't have access to a South African newstand, you can catch the video of McGuire holding on for dear life in the video after the jump.

[Source: CAR Magazine]

Continue reading Video: Sabine Schmitz makes another blonde shriek in BMW M3 Frozen Gray

Video: Sabine Schmitz makes another blonde shriek in BMW M3 Frozen Gray originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Gear visits the farm for next Stig

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Celebrities, Humor

A Stig who's identity isn't a secret? Why, that just won't do, will it? As you might expect, then, Top Gear presenters Clarkson, Hammond and May are hot on the trail of a replacement Stig, and they've apparently found just the place: a farm. And not just any farm... a farm where Stigs are cultivated, no less.

Clarkson has reportedly found a perfect candidate who will be unveiled at the Top Gear Live event at Earl's Court in London next week. It's not known whether this new Stiggy will be the final model used for the next series of episodes, leaving only one real question left that still needs answering: What color will the next Stig be?

We vote pink. Sabine, anyone?

[Source: The Sun via Jalopnik]

Top Gear visits the farm for next Stig originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will the next Stig be a woman? UK bookies lay odds

Jeff Glucker — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 11:34:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Humor

Is the Stig about to get a sex change? William Hill, one of the UK's largest bookmaking operations, places the odds of the next Stig being a lady at 4-1 and has reportedly seen a good amount of action on that particular wager. Gamblers can also bet on what color the next Stig will wear, with pink currently holding 5-1 odds.

Ireland's largest bookmaker, Paddy Power, is also in the mix, posting odds on both the color of the next Stig and who will be behind the mask (they stick with all-male options, though). Paddy Power is also taking bets on how White Stig will meet his demise. The long shot, at 20-1 odds, is currently an assassination by Tom Cruise (not a solid bet, really, as such behavior seems unbecoming of a high-level Thetan).

If Top Gear does go the Lady Stig route, who do you think will suit up? We're going with Sabine Schmitz. She clearly has the ability, plus she's already friendly with the Top Gear crew.

Actually, that's not a bad bet at all - excuse us while we place a few international calls...

[Source: The Sun; BettingDirectory]

Will the next Stig be a woman? UK bookies lay odds originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Another reason to watch rallying: Burcu Cetinkaya

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Opel, Skoda

2008 Castrol Fiesta Sporting Trophy winner Burcu Centikaya - Click above to view video after the jump

Move over Sabine Schmitz. It's been nice, but looks like us gross internet troll types have a new hot-shoed hottie to leer and drool over. Meet Burcu Cetinkaya. She's 28-years-old and she's a rally driver. First of all, Burcu starts of by explaining that her dream car at 18 was an Opel Calibra 4x4. That's not exactly normal teenage girl thinking. Of course, Burcu admits to crashing the Calibra several times, but only because she was "trying to go so fast with it." We can respect that. And there's actually some fairly gnarly footage of her crashing a rally car in the 2008 Ypres rally in Belgium. But, Burcu explains, the tires were cold and professionally she's only crashed twice, which is quite low actually for a rally driver.

Halfway through the video, Burcu winds up in Austria where she gets to test out the new to her Skoda Fabia Super 2000. Not surprisingly, her coach (Raimund Baumschlager) feels she has the stuff to make it into WRC, explaining, "You teach a little bit, you tell her something and immediately she does the right thing. I think this is the most important thing for a rally driver." Also of note, Burcu admits to idolizing Michelle Mouton, the legendary Audi Pikes Peak driver and modern day glass ceiling smasher for female racecar drivers. And just because we're a bunch of dudes, if you think Burcu is attractive for a racer, just wait until you meet her co-driver, Cicek Guney. Full video, after the jump.

[Source: Axis of Oversteer]

Continue reading VIDEO: Another reason to watch rallying: Burcu Cetinkaya

VIDEO: Another reason to watch rallying: Burcu Cetinkaya originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sabine Schmitz coming to America, leaving the 'Ring

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe

APR Motorsport, the racing arm of the APR tuning company, has brought Mistress of the 'Ring Sabine Schmitz to the U.S. for two rounds of the KONI Grand Am Challenge Series. Driving a Golf GTI in the Stock Tuner class, Schmitz is replacing Randy Pobst.

Sabine's visits are for the round just completed at the Iowa Speedway, and for the August 31 race at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. The #181 Golf piloted by Schmitz and Mark White came in 25th in Iowa (out of 43), but 11th in its class (out of 26). A solid performance, now she's got three weeks to show the boys what else she's got. Then it's back to the 'Ring Taxi... and t-shirts with Shrek's donkey in a Ferrari logo. German humor, eh...

[Source: Axis of Oversteer via Jalopnik]

Sabine Schmitz coming to America, leaving the 'Ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Big-O of used car sales: Enterprise teams up with Overstock.com

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:34:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying

Although she might not be the spokewoman for Overstock.com any longer, Sabine Ehrenfeld is one minor celebrity we actively look for an excuse to mention. Second only to Nürburg-queen Sabine Schmitz, Overstock.com's Sabine Ehrenfeld is that super sexy, multi-talented spokesperson that reintroduced us to the Big-O a Christmas or two ago.

Well, that was sort of car-related, but there really is another reason to bring her up. It seems the online clearinghouse for seemingly everything else is getting deeper into the automotive market. Overstock has reportedly signed an agreement with rental giant Enterprise to clear out last year's inventory of fleet vehicles. With 15 million users a day, Overstock represents a huge built-in audience that Enterprise Rent-A-Car has apparently decided might be interested in their cars a,s well. As with other automotive offerings, Overstock will essentially act as a storefront rather than as an actual dealer. Maybe Schmitz will be interested in the spokesperson vacancy.

[Source: Winding Road]

The Big-O of used car sales: Enterprise teams up with Overstock.com originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorhome laps the 'Ring in 11 minutes while dinner's being cooked

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 20:04:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

This has to be the most unorthodox vehicle to ever attempt lapping the 'Ring at speed. Sure there are tour buses that will shuttle people around the track for a fee, and many people run their own vehicles on the North loop to see what it feels like to be Hans Stuck, if only for 15-20 minutes. But how many of them can take a motorhome round the course in 11 minutes? Heck, that's a pretty decent time for a sports sedan. And how many people lapping in the 11-minute range can do it while two cooks are fixing a meal on the inside range? Only one that we can think of, Sabine Schmitz.

As part of Germany's Top Gear-ish DMotor, Sabine sped around the track in 11 minutes at the wheel of the Colorado, forcing the show to change the gameplan. It would be way too easy for Ms. Schmitz to win this one. Sabine's self-imposed challenge was to lap the 'Ring quicker than the two star chefs inside could finish cooking a meal. The big Karmann-Mobil VW Colorado R-S had its TDI pumped up to 298 hp to push its 2.6 tons. Top speed was a respectable 191 km/h (119 mph). The 11 minutes was far too little time and the g-forces they'd endure too much of a challenge for the chefs, so Sabine was relegated to a 30-year-old Bedford camper with but 55 hp. While the cooks worked on their meal at trackside, Sabine tried to return from her lap before dinner was served. Our German isn't as good as we would like and Google can only translate so well, so we have no idea who won. If you have additional info, please add in the comments below.

[Source: MotorVision]

Thanks for the tip, Mirko!

Motorhome laps the 'Ring in 11 minutes while dinner's being cooked originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Dec 2006 20:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Sabine has fun with the boys in an M5

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 12:35:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Videos, BMW

We can't get enough of Sabine Schmitz or the Nurburgring. To watch someone as talented as Mrs. Schmitz effortless fling the portly, V10-powered M5 around the Green Hell is a joy unto itself. We can only image being able to experience it person, so we've tacked it onto to our ever-expanding list of "to-dos before we croak."

This video was compiled by some of the gentlemen from M5board.com and although it has a little bit of cheesy idolatry thrown in for Sabine, our favorite part comes in at 2:19, at which point she flicks the sedan sideways, right before entering the mini-carousel. She's so cool, she even has her own Wikipedia page.

[Source: StreetFire.net]

VIDEO: Sabine has fun with the boys in an M5 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Dec 2006 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW's 'Green Hell' Facility reinvented

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, BMW

BMW has just reopened one of its most important technical workshops after finishing a three-year remodel. The reason this facility is so important is that for some 40 years, it has been BMW's base of operations at the Nürburgring. The center has been expanded and reconfigured to allow Nordschleife testing well into the future.

The test facility at the Nürburgring Nordschleife has served as HQ for BMW Motorsports' efforts as well as production vehicle testing for four decades, but it was getting a bit cramped in there. The workshop area specifically needed to be enlarged, and so it has grown from four work bays to eleven. In the renovation, several areas of the complex were upgraded, but new areas also needed to be constructed. A new wash center, a wheel alignment facility, as well as a new leisure wing to keep employees comfortable has been added.

A computer center was also built to allow technicians to share data with Munich and Garching more quickly. Finally, exhibit and conference spaces have been created. No word on whether or not this will be open to the public, but we do know that the site serves as home of the popular BMW Ring Taxi program. And as we all know, that includes the one driven by Sabine Schmitz (formerly Sabine Reck). Some day, hopefully soon, we'll get the pleasure of the Ultimate Cab Ride.

[Source: MWerks]

BMW's 'Green Hell' Facility reinvented originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Nov 2006 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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