Many of you likely saw the video Pepsi Max created last year that went on to become a huge viral hit. We are talking about this one that showed a disguised Jeff Gordon (champion NASCAR driver) taking a local dealership salesman on the wildest ride of his life. That video was supposedly captured on a hidden camera but actually ended up being debunked as a fraudulent video by Travis Okulski, a writer for Gawker Media’s Jalopnik blog.
A year has now passed since the first video and Pepsi MAX and Jeff Gordon apparently had something to prove so they have created a follow-up Jeff Gordon 2.0 video. By all accounts this new video is for real and destined to become another massive viral hit as it’s already at over 13 million views.
Although Travis is getting some serious online coverage within the mainstream media it must be slightly humbling since the world can now watch him scream like a little girl in the video.
We regularly cover news on the indelible Ken Block and this is another story we thought worth sharing. Back in October, Ken Block and co driver/navigator Alex Gelsomino needed a win at the Lake Superior Performance Rally to take the 2013 Rally America championship. However, this was not to be as the boys missed a clump of dirt in the road along with a word in the pace notes resulting in their Ford Fiesta becoming airborne and tumbling over five times.
Check out this video interview as Ken and Alex describe what went wrong on the course that day. Thankfully they both walked away from the crash uninjured.
The video reveals Block’s incredible competitive streak as you see him start the engine and attempt to get back on the course as soon as the car stops rolling. The only problem is the front wheels were both gone…..
Here are some more images from the crash captured by Jalopnik.
Auto journalist and tester extraordinaire Chris Harris is really the only player who can come close to the level of access the UK’s Top Gear folks receive. Well, he out does himself once again with this extended video where he gets up close and personal with the unreal $1.2-million McLaren. Check out Harris’ once in a lifetime experience as he heads to Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi to get behind the wheel of this 950 HP, turbocharged V8 hybrid-electric British built McLaren P1. Of course no Chris Harris video would be complete without him sliding it around the racetrack as he is famous for doing in all his tests.
The P1 features a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 gasoline engine similar to the engine found in the MP4-12C, but it’s tuned to deliver 727 HP and 531 lb ft at 7500 rpm. Combined with an in-house developed electric motor, which produces 176 HP and 192 lb ft, the P1 will have a total power and torque output of 903 HP and 722 lb ft.
Living in Toronto’s east end, space is a premium so driving a full size pick-up truck is not exactly ideal. However, having recently spent a week testing the 2014 Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab 4×4 I have to stay it’s a marvelous machine. With its eight-speed automatic transmission, backup camera, air suspension and smallish five-foot-seven inch box it was surprisingly maneuverable in the tight confines of Canada’s biggest city.
Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab 4×4
Having been named Motor Trend magazine’s Truck of the Year five times in the last 20 years the Ram brings a stellar pedigree to the table. With victories in 1994, 2003, 2010 and back-to-back wins in 2013 and 2014, Chrysler’s Ram continues to have success with its winning platform.
In 2011, the Chrysler Group dropped the Dodge Ram model name, re-branding its line of trucks under the shorter Ram brand. This new branding came with an amazing marketing campaign focused on the infamous “Code of the West” theme narrated by Hollywood icon Sam Elliott. The hyper-masculine tone of these ads show the competition as being left in the proverbial dust with Elliott’s voice-over saying the infamous tag line, “Guts, Glory, RAM.” Here’s the original ad that set the creative campaign off.
The Laramie Crew Cab 4X4 model is the third highest trim level coming in at a starting price of $38,895 CDN MSRP. However, our demo model came equipped with a range of additional options pushing the “as tested” price to $59,985. But before you say anything about this being significantly more than the advertised price just hold on since this Ram came with everything you could ever want in a truck.
Our tester came paired with the 5.7L V8 HEMI (395 horsepower and 407 pound-feet) and new eight-speed automatic transmission. The power-train incorporates both variable valve timing (VVT) and a cylinder shut-off system making it quite energy-efficient overall. However, don’t fret, Ram has not gone all soft on you – the HEMI provides tons of muscular power and 0-60 mph times of less than 7 seconds. All this HEMI power is harnessed through chrome exhaust pipes providing a strong but subtle throaty, V8 exhaust note.
The cabin of the Ram is comparable to the look and feel of any of today’s luxury cars or trucks with its rich leather bucket seats and high-end interior materials. Along with the 8.4″ Uconnect Touchscreen with back up camera, 9 speaker amp and subwoofer stereo system, this truck has it all. Some other features especially useful in winter include heated second row seats, dual zone climate control and a heated steering wheel.
Having chauffeured around family and friends there were many compliments about the roominess and comfort of the Ram’s back seats. Whether it’s people or groceries, the Ram provides tons of room with its crew cab model.
Ram Laramie with air suspension set to Off Road 2
In spite of providing all the creature comforts associated with high-end vehicles, the Ram does not compromise on its truck characteristics. The image above illustrates the increased wheel travel available using the air suspension system which provides drivers with the ability to raise the frame of the truck enabling more travel for off-road use. The air suspension system provides a built-in lift-kit at the push of a button which is a dream come true for the off-road enthusiast who does not want to suffer the consequences in ride quality and performance of a lifted suspension. Land Rover has used this technology on their models for years, so way to go Chrysler!
There is one other significant feature which the Ram possessed, it’s called the wife quotient. I have written about this before in past reviews and its utmost importance at the end of the day, since without a high number, the usual result means the vehicle does not stay in the driveway. To my wife’s surprise, she loved travelling around in the Ram over the week, she thought it was the most comfortable vehicle she’s experienced in my life as an auto blogger. She also loved the superior ride height and wide range of luxurious interior features. If my needs were different and I required a truck, the only missing element for a perfect score would be the optional running boards.
With its rugged good looks, stellar performance and keen sense of efficiency the Ram provides consumers with an amazing opportunity to buy a truck that can do it all.
Key competitors to the Ram 1500 are the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Nissan Titan, Ford F-150 and the Toyota Tundra.
Last Spring, several reports appeared about Dubai’s unreal assortment of police vehicles. Their ornamental fleet consisted of Dodge Chargers, Chevy Camaros, BMW 5 Series sedans and several exotics including a Lamborghini Aventador and Ferrari Four. Well, the party continues in 2014 as they have just added a brand new Bugatti Veyron to this already insane stable.
This is so wrong for so many reasons, however, the most upsetting thing of all is, why would you paint police colours and add service lights to a $1.6 million Bugatti?
Honestly, the line more money than brains suits this perfectly. Shame on Dubai.
We can only imagine some of our Canadian men and women in blue are wishing they worked in Dubai about now…Since those rides sure beat driving around in an old Ford Crown Victoria…..
In the spirit of this month’s Sochi Winter Olympics we thought this was a very cool story to share. Driver extraordinaire Ken Block has debuted a new creation from Ford called the RaptorTrax. This unreal modified Ford Raptor has swapped its wheels for snow trax to become the greatest winter vehicle. Of course with Ken Block behind the wheel putting it through its paces is a bit of an understatement. Check out this photo montage of his new toy in action as well as a start-up in this crazy machine.
Here’s another clip of Ken driving the RaptorTrax around town at last month’s X Games in Aspen. How fun would going through the drive-thru be?
This past Sunday’s Super Bowl was not the best of games that’s for sure as it looked like the Broncos may have thrown the game. As for the Seahawks I congratulate you as your team deserved the win and winning your first Superbowl is a very big deal.As a car guy, the best part of the big game is seeing the new car commercials of which there were 15 this year, the same number as last year. Audi, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, VW, GM, Ford, Chrysler, Jaguar, Maserati, Jeep and Honda all splurged and spent the huge cash required for airtime during the big game. To check out all the ads see Autoblog Canada’s feature on the Top 10 Best Car Commercials from this year’s Super Bowl. You can vote for your favourite one too.
Unless you have lived in a cave for the past year, you know that Tesla and their Model S is the hottest car in the world. From its incredible technology, top safety record to Consumer Reports going on record saying it’s the best car they have ever tested it does not get any better than this. Now, before you all jump over me about the NYT’s review and the Model S fires and there have been a few of them there is one important thing to remember.
As a car enthusiasts, the most important aspect of the Model S is that it looks good and it’s darn fast…..This is why I along with thousands of other folks want a Tesla Model S. It produces zero emissions and provides 416 horsepower and 443 lb ft of torque all available off the line. Check out this new very cool video of a 2013 Tesla Model S P85 take on a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z51 at a drag strip in Palm Beach Florida.
We don’t want to spoil it for you but back in 2012 we did a another story where a Model S did a similar battle with a BMW M5 so the Model S has been down this road once before.
Top Gear fans who have been waiting for the next series of their beloved show can rejoice. Trailers for Series 21 have been released and the first episode is set to air on the BBC on Sunday February 2nd (and across the web shortly there after no doubt). The trailers can be seen below but as viewers will soon realize it’s not your typical TV show trailer, which uses the dry British humour.
If you head on over to the official Top Gear site you’ll be treated to some stills of the upcoming season.
Today we profile a short video from Petrolicious Productions featuring the Toyota MR2. The MR2 was a two seater, mid-engine sports car introduced by Toyota in 1984 and discontinued in 2007. There are three different generations of the MR2. The first generation was from 1984-1989, second 1990 – 1999, and the third generation lasted from 2000 -2007.
Over its lifespan the MR2 received a number of accolades in the press including being named to the ten best lists of Road &Track and Car and Driver as well as being name Import Car of the year in 1985 by Motor Trend.
The video profiles a member of the Texas MR2 owner’s club as he discusses his love for the vehicle.
RedlineNorth 