Autoblog

Drifting on a frozen lake with a studded Lexus looks like fun

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Lexus, Humor, Specialty

Sometimes you come across a list of ingredients and you don't even need to know what's being made, you just know you need to be there when it's done. So if you saw a recipe for a Vimeo video that was one snow-covered frozen lake, one Lexus IS, four studded tires, two ice fisherman and one guy lounging on a couch, do you think you'd have any questions?

We didn't. The dish was cooked up by the Wide Open Drift Team and KSP Productions, and it's exactly what you'd think it is. Right down to the guy on the couch. We're glad we got to partake, and you can too in the video below.

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Drifting on a frozen lake with a studded Lexus looks like fun originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Audi RS5

Matt Davis — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Audi, First Drives, Luxury

Tweaked RS5 On Ice Is More Thirst Quenching Than Before

We've admittedly had our share of issues with the approach Audi takes with its RS cars. In theory, "RS" represents the German tradition of heavy-breathing RennSport driving - essentially for cars that can really race. What we have found most often, however, is that the RS more readily approximates a branding exercise that comes sort of close to smacking us upside the head with thrills, but falls short in key ways - especially when Audi has brought us to a track, eagerly awaiting our feedback.

RS models tend to weigh a lot, and the company's Quattro obsession can harm handling while cornering - and it costs a pretty pickle or two to boot. The RS model that finally got us closest to Renn Sportiness was the TT RS (a car that's finally hitting the U.S., having already been savaging European roads since 2009). Then we waited until Spring 2010 and the RS5 that promised us things - wonderful things. The A5 upon which it is based was possessed of the near-perfect rear-biased sports coupe proportions, and the S5 it spawned was a pretty solid piece of work, too, so we were excited to drive it.

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2013 Audi RS5 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Q Tires testing Celsius retractable-stud snow tires

Dan Roth — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:19:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Safety, First Drives

click the pic to view a video about the Q Celsius tire

Studded snow tires can be a godsend when the going is on glare ice. When roads have been cleared, though, they chew up pavement and can produce some exciting though unanticipated handling characteristics. Japan's ban on studded tires led directly to a new generation of snow tire technology like Bridgestone's Blizzak line. Q Tires, taking its name from James Bond's high-tech quartermaster, has developed a new set of tires called Celsius with studs that can be deployed or retracted with a dashboard switch. Two air chambers in the tires allow the studs to extend or retract without leaking off much inflation. Q Tires is preparing to send its product out into testing soon, and part of that process involves making sure that it doesn't run afoul of any state regulations that prohibit studded tires of any sort for all or part of the year. If the tests prove successful, the tires will likely command a 30-percent premium over other black, round and rolly-things. The increased cost is mitigated by the fact that a separate set of winter tires, and the attendant seasonal mounting chores, are eliminated. Of course, none of this will matter to that knucklehead trying to climb hills in the middle of a blizzard with low-profile summer tires.

[Source: Detroit News]

Q Tires testing Celsius retractable-stud snow tires originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gallardo on Ice: Lamborghini Winter Academy

Noah Joseph — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:03:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Supercars, Lamborghini, First Drives

We can think of a lot of places where we'd love to drive the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera. On ice and in the snow would not be one of those places. But that's precisely the point of the Lamborghini Winter Academy. The inaugural event took place a couple of weeks ago in Italy's Auronzo di Cadore ski resort, where a dozen participants shared time behind the wheel of six Lamborghinis. The wintry driving conditions bring the limits of adhesion closer, so instructors could help their pupils improve their driving skills.

If this sounds like your idea of a winter wonderland, don't worry about having missed the first round: Lamborghini will be holding another session next month at the Livigno's "Ice Autodrom" in the Italian Alps. And while dates have yet to be set, the Lamborghini Academy is preparing a similar program for North America. Check out LamborghiniAcademy.com for more information.

UPDATE: Motor Trend reports that Lamborghini has already held its Winter Driving Academy in the U.S. at least once. Last March the one-day course costing $2,500 a pop was held over the course of a week during March in snowy New Hampshire.

Gallardo on Ice: Lamborghini Winter Academy originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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