The BBC have just released the new trailer for Top Gear’s 20th series (season). It’s hard to believe there have been twenty seasons of Top Gear – from burning down caravans, travelling to the North Pole and racing a Bugatti Veyron around Volkswagen’s test track in Germany.
From the looks of it the 20th series promises to deliver just as many adventures, amazing cars and some fantastic cinematography as is the hallmark of the show. The Redline North team is looking forward to the new series starting June 30th.
For all the Ultimate Frisbee and Miata/MX-5 fans out there, Mazda has produced a video for you. Shot as part of Mazda’s Fun in the Sun promotional campaign in the UK, the video features passengers in two Mazda Miata’s throwing a Frisbee back and forth to each other, while the drivers perform various maneuvers. The video was shot at Longcross racetrack in Surrey. Both the driving and Frisbee skills are impressive, however, we wonder how many takes it took to get these shots!
Continuing our focus on Japanese cars this week, the following video entitled San Francisco Skyline takes a look at pair of Skylines owned by Ivan Jaramillo. He talks about the interest that the cars bring when he drives them on the streets in and around San Francisco, even from people who don’t know what they are. Jaramillo’s philosophy is to drive these cars as much as he can so he can enjoy them, as opposed to looking at them in a garage, which has a certain logic.
The Honda NSX (sold as the Acura NSX in North America and Hong Kong) is a sports car produced between 1990 and 2005 by Japanese automaker Honda. The NSX is a legend as it possessed supercar characteristics and the latest racing technology all in a street car that could be purchased at your local Honda dealership. Much of the car’s strong chassis and cornering/handling capabilities were the results of the late Ayrton Senna’s direct input with NSX’s chief engineers. Honda was very close to Senna as they had powered all three of his world championship-winning Formula One race cars before his death in 1994.
After studying their main competitors such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche, Honda engineers designed the NSX in search of the “perfect balance” between usable power and reliability and thus produced a powerful naturally aspirated VTEC engine suitable for the extreme demands of both road and track.
2nd Gen modified NSX
It was equipped with a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout and powered by an all-aluminium V6 engine featuring Honda’s Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) system.
One of the first magazine articles to chronicle the NSX showed the lightweight 3.0L 270 HP NSX producing a best 0-60 mp/h time of 5.03 seconds and 13.47 seconds for the quarter mile. In addition, a Ferrari 348 to NSX comparison was done with a 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds being recorded for the 1991 NSX.
Initially assembled at Honda’s purpose-built Takanezawa R&D Plant in Tochigi, Prefecture in Japan from 1989 to early 2004. The NSX was assembled by approximately 200 of Honda’s highest-skilled and most experienced personnel, a team of hand-picked staff with a minimum of ten years assembly experience employed from various other Honda facilities were assigned to run the NSX operation.
Amazingly, during this time the local police force had an NSX in their cruiser fleet. Wow, I bet everyone wanted to do overtime driving that around town.
NSX Police car
Although the last NSX rolled off the assembly line over eight years ago it remains a true classic and Honda engineers are still being praised for its design and innovation. If you appreciate Honda motorsports you need to get to know the NSX.
And to end with, we found this epic video that captures this untamed samurai warrior of a sports car in all its glory.
In our continuing effort to bring you interesting and cool car videos found found in cyberspace, today we focus in on a short film called Simple Soul. Simple Soul is part of the Depth of Speed series and this video focuses on the T1 version of the VW bus, or also known officially as the VW Type 2 (T1 version). The narrator talks about his love of the VW bus, including its simplicity in terms of the mechanics and design. The popularity of the VW bus has had its ups and downs over the years. In the narrator’s opinion its popularity is on its way up again as people are interested in reliving some of their youth, or have found memories of the VW bus that they want to regain. The particular VW bus profiled in this video has a beautiful paint job. It makes you want to go out on a long road trip this summer!
For all those owners that have hung on to their old vehicles, or those bargain hunters who have picked up a well loved classics, check out this video from eGarage called The Derelicts. It focuses on a custom car company based in LA called ICON.
ICON builds new custom 4x4s using retro styling and designs such as the ICON Bronco. The other, and perhaps more interesting side of their business restores old classic cars. Interesting because they modernize the mechanics and the interior, however, they keep the original exterior, patina and all. Their restorations are also designed to be driven on a daily basis and not left sitting in a garage somewhere. It’s an interesting take on restoring old classics and wonderful video.
Today’s post focuses on a wonderful video that profiles the Lamborghini Countach, called When Outrageous Was Possible. Growing up in the 1980s lots of kids had Lamborghini Countach posters on their wall, including yours truly (a white one). At the time the Countach was THE sports car that kids (and adults) aspired to own or drive. One look at a Countach and you knew it was one cool car.
When Outrageous Was Possible interviews James Chen, owner of Axis Wheels and current owner of a white Lamborghini Countach. Chen discusses the design of the car and it’s impracticalities such as the scissor doors, the not so great AC, and the tight headroom. However, he also explains why the Countach is so loved, even today, and why a vehicle like the Countach will never be made again.
On June 9th a new documentary on the tuning car culture and lifestyle will be released called We Are Driven. The film makers spent a year and a half visiting countless shows, meets and track days to gain more insight into what the aftermarket tuning culture is all about. For those that are in the scene, or simply interested in understanding what the culture is all about check out the trailer below and watch the movie when it’s released on June 9th. Based on the trailer it looks like the movie promises to have some beautiful cinematography and editing as well.
Tom “the Mongoose” McEwenand Don “the Snake” Prudhomme are retired American drag racers who had one of the most interesting rivalries in the history of the sport. During the late 1960s, they revolutionized the NHRA drag racing circuit as well as entertainment sports marketing when they attracted Mattel’s Hot Wheels Division to sponsor them. Over the course of the sponsorship in the early 1970s, they were able to buy the best racing equipment and build their brands all across the US drag racing circuit.
Don and Tom
During this time, Tom McEwen raced in his red 1970 Plymouth Duster, named “Mongoose” and Don Prudhomme raced his yellow 1970 Plymouth Barracuda named “Snake”.
Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen
Don ‘the Snake’ Prudhomme
Both drivers gained even wider public attention from Mattel’s “Hot Wheels” toy versions of the cars that were released in 1970.
Here is a clip of the two cars in all their glory.
Coincidentally, a new feature film titled “Snake & Mongoose”is scheduled for release in September 2013. The film will explore one of the greatest rivalries in racing history as well as how these two unlikely figures revolutionized entertainment sports marketing. Check out the film’s most recent trailer.
Many of you have already likely seen the World Baseball Classic game from Saturday which saw Canada and Mexico in a bench clearing brawl. Well, if you haven’t go ahead and check this out as it is really is quite the spectacle.
On a related note, last weekend’s Rally Mexico is one of the toughest races on the WRC‘s annual schedule given the high altitude geography of the course. French Volkswagen driver and Team Red Bull member Sebastien Ogier won the event by more than three minutes to take his second straight WRC victory.
Volkswagen Motorsport chief Jost Capito dedicated the team’s victory to the team’s engine builder after the Polo R WRC took the checkered flag. Capito was quoted ironically “To win with that engine in the neighbourhood of the country’s Volkswagen plant makes us very proud people”.
RedlineNorth 