Most drivers could have said that jumping a BMW X5 off a dirt ramp probably isn’t a bright idea. But apparently the guy behind the wheel got the idea he had Travis-Pastrana-like skills. He didn’t.
The Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid is preparing to shake-up the green auto world with its stylish, luxurious looks, roof-mounted solar panels and 400-hp powertrain. Before it does, Fisker is giving us a little peek in a new promotional video.
The Karma is a rear-wheel drive sedan that is driven by two electric motors that combine for 403 hp. A 260-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine works to generate electricity to power the lithium-ion battery and provide up to 300 miles worth of range. The solar panels on top also kick in a little charging. The car can travel up to 50 miles on electricity alone, hit 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and top out at 125 mph.
The short, one-minute clip below features some nice Karma action and a pair of stilletos–what more do you need? [via WCF]
The latest installment of Ken Block’s iconic rally video series “Gymkhana” is officially underway, with a release of the first part of Gymkhana 3 yesterday. Unfortunately for fans of the past videos, Part I is more like a rap video than a rally video, watching more like a teaser of what’s to come. In fact, it’s even called “The Music Video Infomercial (feat. The Cool Kids).” On the plus side, there’s as much T & A as your average rap video, and there’s some allusion to the car action we’ll see in the future. Check out the full video and whet your appetite for what’s next. [via Motor Trend]
It’s not every day that you get to sit down with Horacio Pagani and hear him speak about one of his exclusive supercars. However, today is that day.
In a new video, Pagani details how the Zonda R reached a record-setting Nurburgring time of 6:47. Unfortunately, Pagani isn’t speaking English, so you’ll have to settle for subtitles. On the plus side, Marc Basseng, the driver who brought home the record in the Zonda R, does speak English and is all too happy to describe the scene.
So, to break it down simply: you have one of the true greats of automotive design, the driver that set the record on the world’s greatest track and footage of the car itself. Go to it. [via WCF]
Ahh, to be young and moronic. In a poor man’s version of a Jackass stunt, some Texan kid in his best “Drop Dead Gorgeous” T gets his face covered in truck exhaust debris for no better reason than to try it. The gag is so well thought out that the dynamic trio even put a piece of electrical tape on his forehead to see how dark his face gets. What we do for science! Luckily, Brillo had the foresight to ask his bud to tell him when he was goena’ gun it so he could hold his breath.
Did Longhorn frat hounds officially drop the paddle in favor of the exhaust tip? [via Jalopnik]
Earlier this year, Ferrari announced a host of upcoming new cars. And now we have some video of one of those models. The swollen-jowelled prototype was recently seen strutting its stuff not too far outside of Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters. The short, 8-second clip below captures but a fleeting look at the new car, but it recreates the rumble of the engine to a T.
Ask yourself a couple of quick questions. Do I like sexy sports sedans? Do I find sweeping mountain vistas appealing? Does brilliant, high-end engineering resonate with my soul? Do the words Aston and Martin go together better than most any two words in my native tongue?
If you answered yes to any or all of the questions above, don’t waste any more time reading and skip to the video after the break. If not, I’m not sure I can convince you, but let me try anyway. The video combines some track footage with some windy, Italian Alps road footage and also gives a peek at the development process behind the Rapide.
And if you find nothing I said appealing, what exactly are you doing reading a car blog? [via MotorAuthority]
Take a short sprint down memory lane, and you’ll recall all forms of sexy electric concepts back at the Geneva Motor Show. Outside of the Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid, the Citroen Survolt was arguably the most interesting and sexy electric born in Geneva 2010.
The concept is currently being prepped for a run at the Le Mans Classic this weekend and Citroen has released a new teaser video. Off the showroom floor and onto the track, the Survolt puts 300 horses worth of dual electric motors to work. One of the most short, to-the-point videos you’ll see in the auto world, the teaser is seven seconds of nothing but Survolt straightlining. [via WCF]
We may not yet have any visual on the McLaren F1 replacement, but there’s plenty on the company’s lower end MP4-12C. Most recently, the car made its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it took to the street in front of all forms of cameras.
See what that twin-turbo V8 can do on the infamous ascent in the three minutes of glorious video below. [via MotorAuthority]