RideLust

Between 1950 and 1985 auto manufacturers would do anything and everything to sell you a car. They’d burn them, jump them, flood them and in some cases even make them go boom all in the name of advertising. I recently watched this compilation of classic car commercials and sat in amazement as I viewed what advertisers and automakers did to get buyers into showrooms. By today’s standards everything from the music to the basic concepts will make you shake your head and giggle like a little kid. These old commercials are hilarious, so now just sit back and treat yourself to 5 minutes and 50 seconds of classic automotive goodness.

Mark Webber in Malaysia, 2010. Photo: Morio

Just a few week’s back it looked like Webber was on his way out the door at Red Bull Renault; now, he’s got a guaranteed seat for the 2011 season. Teammate Sebastian Vettel is said to be in negotiations for a three year contract extension at Red Bull, but that doesn’t phase Webber. As Webber described it, “…at this stage of my career, I’m happy to take one year at a time.”

Webber, who began his F1 career at Minardi in 2002, currently leads the World Driver’s Championship points standing. He’s captured 4 poles and 2 wins in seven races thus far, and both Webber and Vettel have made Red Bull Renault this year’s team to beat.

Read More…

Based on this video, it looks like the correct answer is “intermediates”, though I probably would have gone for full rain tires myself. Especially for driving in the salt-water surf.

I’m not sure what the purpose of this ad is, other that demonstrating the potential destruction of a Red Bull Renault F1 car. Sand is the enemy of delicate and precisely fitted parts, but salt water is even worse; unless this is an old chassis with an end-of-life motor, this pointless video was damn expensive to film.

It would have been hilarious if Mark Webber was driving Sebastian Vettel’s car, especially if he drove it straight into the surf. Maybe then Vettel’s paranoia over his position on the Red Bull team would be justified.

As I sat on my couch the other day filling my head with boob-tube nourishment I came upon a channel that was showcasing rally cars of the past, specifically the Group-B rally cars that were produced from 1982-1986. These cars were some of the fastest and most powerful rally cars ever created and because of this (and a few deaths) there were outlawed after only four years. Formed in 1982 Group-B cars had very few restrictions placed on them and were in a sense, a designers wet dream. They could be as light and as fast as you could make them and with no restriction on horsepower levels these cars would push the boundaries of both man and machine. Below is a video showcase of what most consider to be the top 10 Group-B rally cars ever produced.

Read More…

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner

This week’s “Thank you, Captain Obvious” award goes to Red Bull’s F1 team boss, Christian Horner, who has finally admitted that Webber wasn’t entirely at fault in Sunday’s crash. The accident occurred when Sebastian Vettel made contact with Mark Webber’s car during a failed attempt to pass the race leader. Red Bull cars had been running in first and second, and Vettel’s boneheaded move eliminated an all but certain 1 – 2 finish for Red Bull.

Read More…

If you were into cars in the 1980′s you’ll remember that times were tough. Performance numbers were in the toilet, as were most of the cars themselves. I was in high school out on Long Island’s north shore and back then and I remember my high school parking lot very clearly. IROC Camaro’s, old Trans Am’s, Datsun 210′s and old Mustangs filled the lot. As high school kids we took anything we could get our hands on and simply ran with it. Hell, I remember my first car… it was a 1981 Mercury Capri that my Aunt gave me. It was blue, rusty and had 4 different tires on it, but it ran and back then that was all that mattered.

The 1980′s were filled with a fair amount of automotive atrocities, but if you looked hard enough there actually were some bright spots. Listed below are 10 rays of sunshine that helped shed some light on an otherwise miserable automotive decade.

Read More…

Tata Nano is the hottest car in India

It’s hard to imagine profitability for an automaker in a $2,500.00 car, yet Renault is determined to produce a rival to Tata’s Nano. A huge success in their native India, Tata Nanos sell for the equivalent of $2,100, making them the least expensive new car option in a country with an exploding driver population.

Nissan will be working with the Bajaj Group to produce and distribute their microcar, targeted to sell at a price point of $2,500. Bajaj is best known as a manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, and (based on volume) is the world’s fourth largest producer of two-wheeled vehicles. A partnership like this makes good sense for Renault, as it gives them access to inexpensive and fuel efficient motors while simultaneously broadening their distribution network. Renault’s goal is to produce a microcar that gets 70 miles per gallon and emits just 100 grams / kilometer of CO2.

Source: gas2.0

A while back I picked the uncoolest cars of all time, and I named the Renault R5 (dubbed the “Le Car” in the U.S.) as one of them. A surprising number of people wrote to complain that I’d clearly never heard of the R5 Turbo, but nothing could be further from the truth. I know all about the R5 Turbo and Turbo II, which is why I’m salivating at this recent eBay posting. If I had the cash and the garage space, I’d be bidding like a madman on this car.

Read More…

The past thirty years have not been kind to automakers who sell cars in the United States. We’ve seen financial collapse, rising distribution and product liability costs, skyrocketing oil prices and a fickle buying public that no longer understands the concept of brand loyalty. Selling cars in the U.S. of A, it seems, requires deep pockets for marketing and promotion: if you’re not constantly in the face of the American consumer, chances are you won’t be a brand for very long.

Toyota’s recent $16.4 million fine got me thinking about how many automotive brands, good, bad and otherwise we’ve lost over the past 30 years. Following is a collection of car logos that have received last rites in the United States since 1980. Some of these companies continue to enjoy success in the EU or Asia, while others are dead and buried, with no chance of resurrection. It begs the question of how different the automotive landscape will look in another 30 years, assuming we’re still driving cars at all.

Read More…

Now here is an interesting tidbit of information for you guys. Renault-Nissan and Daimler announced officially that they will be working together on developing future projects. This is something that has been in the works for months according to industry insiders. The merger comes at a perfect time for Daimler as they have been looking for partners to help them in developing their small car line. Since Renault already has a 44% stake in Nissan the synergy seems to be perfect.

Right now it looks as though Daimler will get 3.1% of Renault and 3.1% of Nissan, while Nissan-Renault will take a 3.1% share of Daimler.

Read more at: USAToday.com