Incredible Drifting and Death Defying Stunts in a Subaru Rally Car

You may or may not know the name Ken Block. If you haven’t heard his name before, he is a Subaru rally driver and co-founder of DC Shoes. He’s also the man who made a 171-foot jump in a Subaru Rally car. He is two things. First: an incredible driver. Second: utterly insane.

Here is an absolutely ridiculous video of Ken driving his 530WHP Subaru STi around the El Toro airfield in his Gymkhana car. Not only does he push his Impreza STi the very limits, but he does donuts around a guy who is riding a segway. Enjoy.

Source: 0-60 Mag

Even Now, Truck Accessories Are Tops – SEMA 2008

Think trucks and truck accessories are dead? The 2008 SEMA Show proved quite the opposite. Two new full-size trucks, the 2009 Dodge Ram and the 2009 Ford F-150, are driving hundreds of new parts to the aftermarket arena.

Sure, accessories for green vehicles like the Smart Fortwo and Prius were given plenty of press ahead of the show. But there was little depth behind all of the high talk, as 2009 Ford F-150 accessories and 2009 Dodge Ram accessories outpaced parts for fuel misers by a cavernous margin.

Clearly, SEMA’s sharpest parts producers still want and need to be in the truck business. The big economic and environmental guns at their collective temples demand that a few highly publicized bones be thrown in trendy directions. Still, virtually no manufacturer suggests that green car accessories can replace the green lost when truck sales are sagging.

That’s probably why SEMA 2008 pushed a massive lot of 2009 F-150 accessories, but did so with little fanfare. Performance exhaust systems, suspension lift kits, lowering kits, style bits like billet grilles and body kits, and the usual utility suspects like tonneau covers and side steps all made their debut.

The wave continued on the Mopar side. 2009 Dodge Ram accessories sharpened the horns of the latest 1500 from Auburn Hills. Lifts, slams, truck bed accessories and bold bull bars premiered at SEMA 2008, allaying some fears that this Ram is more Caravan than Power Wagon.

Ford itself bolstered the 2009 F-150’s excitement with eye-attracting show concepts like the much-anticipated Raptor concept and a loaded jobsite dreamboat courtesy of DeWalt. While Chrysler’s Mopar booth focused on Challenger muscle, 2009 Dodge Rams roamed throughout the show floor as the showcase truck for dozens of brands.

The hot story of SEMA 2008 may be about trying to make traditional accessories and performance parts for non-traditional vehicles. Behind this public face, though, truck accessories are alive and well – especially if you’re sizing up a great deal on a 2009 Ford F-150 or Dodge Ram. Expect no shortage of add-ons for the latest editions of these mainstay half-tons.

Image caption: Extang’s latest tonneau cover on a showy 2009 F-150 Platinum Edition.

The Ghouls Are Out and So Are New Products – AutoAnything Weekly Product Review

It’s Halloween!  If you were in our office right now, you’d see everything from ghosts, goblins and werewolves to tennis players, hippies and 80’s rockers.  Even with all the fun and games, there would be no way you would miss the HUGE line up of new products we added this week.  No need to call the Ghost Busters, none of these new additions are haunted.

Yakima Q-Tower Base Rack System

We have been working really hard to build out our Roof Racks department with the best base racks available.  Thule and Yakima are the two biggest names in the roof rack game and this week we have expanded our selection of Yakima racks with their Q Tower base rack system.

Yakima Q Towers are a base rack system that attaches to your bare roof so you can add any of Yakima’s roof-mounted rack accessories.  Whether you need a kayak rack, a ski & snowboard rack, a cargo box or a bike rack, it’ll mount to the Q tower system.  Yakima Q Towers are easy to install and do not require any drilling. Included in the box is:

• Four Q Towers
• Two Crossbars
• Mounting clips

Special Note: Yakima Q Towers are not intended to be used on vehicles with factory roof rails.

EZ Cover Cable and Key Lock

Remember the EZ Cover car cover we introduced last week?  Well now you have a way to secure that car cover with the EZ Cover cable and key lock kit.  This lock kit is available for purchase with every EZ Cover and comes in both 7 and 10 foot lengths.

Banks Super Scoop Ram Air Kit

Force feed your air intake with even more fuel-burning, oxygenated goodness with the Banks Super-Scoop Ram Air kit.  By drawing air from below your front bumper, you’ll be getting a rush of cooler, more dense air into your intake.  This leads to more horsepower, cooler EGT’s, better fuel economy and improved engine efficiency.  You can find this kit in our new Ram Air Intakes category.

This product is intended for use with your Banks Ram Air intake system and is not a stand alone air intake.  Maximize your performance gains by combining the Banks Ram Air Intake system with the Super Scoop and a Banks exhaust.

Gauges 

Two and a half months ago we added a pretty big line up of Autometer gauges.  We know that everyone has a particular style when it comes to customizing their vehicle and automotive gauges should be able to look like they were factory installed.  So what did we do?  We got 17 new gauge styles that will blow your mind and complement your ride.  Here’s a quick list of the gauges we think you’ll like the most.

• Autometer Cobalt Gauges – Black faced and backlit by lots of cobalt blue LED’s, these gauges are easy to read and look great!
• Autometer C2 Gauges – Similar to the Cobalt line, intense blue lighting is provided by multiple LED’s.  These gauges feature a white face with an orange needle.
• Autometer Nexus Gauges – The Nexus series is top of the line.  The LED’s which backlight the gauges can be changed to one of seven different colors so you get a perfect match to your interior everytime.  The Nexus gauges can even playback recent measurements and have programmable warnings to help fine tune and protect your engine.
• Autometer NV Gauges – Bright anodized bezels with brilliant green backlights, these gauges are perfect for most newer vehicles.
• Autometer Sport Comp II – These black faced gauges scream high performance with their super white LED lighting and glowing red needles.
• Autometer Ultra Lite II – The Ultra Lite II’s have a white face with amber back lighting and bright red pointers for an illuminating experience.
• Street Rod Series – The Street Rod gauges are the perfect match for you old supe’d up hot rod.  9 different gauge styles means you’ll be able to find the perfect match to your old school interior. 

You’ll find pictures of all these gauges below, if you want to see the other styles we’ve added this week, head on over to the Autometer Gauges page. 

That’s all for this week, have a Happy Halloween!

 

Yakima Q Tower Base Rack Kit

Banks Super Scoop Ram Air Kit

EZ Cover Car Cover

Autometer Cobalt Gauges

Autometer C2 Gauges

Autometer Nexus Gauges

Autometer NV Gauges

Autometer Sport Comp II Gauges

Autometer Ultra Lite II Gauges

Ferrari F430 Replacement to be Turbocharged and Lighter Weight

The F430 has been one of Ferrari’s top selling models for several years now.  Although it still looks like one of the best supercars on the street, it is due for replacement.  Codenamed the F142, the 430’s successor will be even lighter than the current Scuderia version which weighs a scant 2,750 pounds.  Some of that weight will be shed from the engine by moving to a smaller V8 than the current 4.3-liter.  To make up for the loss of displacement, Ferrari will probably be turbocharging the new model to give it that extra boost and maintain peak performance. It also seems likely that the F142 will look similar to Ferrari’s Mille Chilli concept, pictured above. 

Ferrari’s goal to reduce emissions by 40% by 2012 is, to say the least, very admirable.  Using lighter materials and smaller engines is one logical step for the Italian car maker, so you can expect to see similar treatments across the Ferrari lineup in the future.

Source: AutoBlog

An Underground Garage Would Be Perfect for Hiding Your Exotic Cars, No?

From Honda making everybody listen to the William Tell Overture to someone wrapping their entire car in automotive foil, we’ve had a lot of strange and funny stories come buy our desks and the creativity of some peoples projects are simply amazing.  I don’t know if you can really classify this as creative or just very James Bond-ish, but whatever you want to call it, there’s no denying that it’s cool.

Toyota Yaris Used as a Bobsled

Here’s another funny commercial that Toyota’s marketing team came up with in their list of thing’s the Toyota Yaris can’t do.

Toyota Yaris Tries to Fly off an Aircraft Carrier, Swims with the Fishes

Toyota’s latest line of commericals aims to show that their Yaris can do just about anything, but instead of showing you what it can do, they show you what it can’t do.  In this commercial, the Yaris tries to take off from an aircraft carrier.

American Top Gear Website Goes Live!

The UK Top Gear crew has put together a new section of their website that is dedicated for the American audience.  On this new section you’ll find only the best reports taken from the Top Gear television show, Top Gear Magazine and Top Gear’s UK website, but now with a little more “American flavor.” 

It’s nice to see some love for the US audience.  No official word yet on whether the US version of the Top Gear television show will get a spot on site, but my guess is that it’ll find a home there. 

See it first hand at http://www.topgear.com/us/

Next Season of Top Gear to Start November 2, 2008: Brought to you by AutoAnything

Tickets for Top Gear’s studio audience are currently being sold for Wednesday, October 29th.  This would be for the first episode of Top Gear’s new season, which would indicate that the first episode should air on Sunday, November 2nd.  Can’t wait to see what trio has in store for us. 

Sneak Peak: Judging by the photos I’ve seen, there will be a shootout between Chevy’s ZR1, the Dodge Challenger and Cadillac’s CTS-V.  Whether that will be featured in the first episode or not will remain to be seen, but it’s definitely in the works.

Sources: Final Gear and AutoBlog

AutoAnything Noticed a Revamped, Restyled TopGear.com

If you follow this blog, you’d know we’re huge fans of Top Gear.  The changes to their site debuted yesterday and they look great.  There’s over 300 high-quality videos from the Top Gear show, new blogs, car reviews and lots more.  If you get a chance, I recommend you cruise on over there and check out the redesign at TopGear.com.

Backup Sensors and Backup Cameras – AutoAnything Weekly Product Review

Do you sometimes wish you had that fancy backup camera system that all the new luxury cars have?  Heck, even a backup sensor would a big improvement.  Well now you can enjoy the perks of those systems because we’ve got’em in stock and ready to ship!

The Bully Dog backup sensor system can save you and your car’s butt from hitting anything that’s behind your vehicle and hidden from view.  Do your kids leave their bikes in the driveway?  Got house pets that love running around your car while it’s moving?  Do you drive a big truck or SUV that has lot’s of blind spots?  Then the Bully Dog backup sensor system is right for you. 

• 4 sensors to detect objects with
• Available in a traditional wired system, or go wireless for easy installation
• Power is supplied by your reverse lights, so the system is only on when you need it
• Beep frequency increases as you get closer to objects.  At 1 foot, it is a continous tone
• Designed to work on cars, trucks, SUV’s and Vans

Want to know more about what’s behind you than what a beep will tell you?  Check out our new Autero wireless backup camera system.

• Easy-mount camera attaches to your license plate
• The camera is rugged and waterproof, so no need to worry about durability
• Automatically activates when you put your vehicle in reverse
• The 3.6″ screen displays whatever is behind you and it includes a night vison mode so you’re never left in the dark

Want even more functionality?  The Autero wireless backup system with GPS combines all the functionality of their wireless backup system with the added convienence of GPS! 

• The LCD screen gets bumped up to a 4.3″ touch screen and displays even higher resolutions for better visual clarity
• Turn-by-turn directions with voice instructions
• Charge the GPS system and take it on-the-go
• Includes MP3 and Photo capabilities

Backup sensors and backup cameras are great gift ideas for the holidays and AutoAnything offers free shipping on these kits, so give us a call or check out the website if you want to order up the perfect gift.

Top Gear Magazine Reviews the Corvette ZR1

Although their review is expectedly a far cry from what Jeremy Clarkson will have to say, the review is quite favorable.  You would think it would have to be since it holds the record for the fastest production car to go round the Nurburgring.  They found it to be compliant and supple on regular roads, but when you floor it you have limitless power.  To put it briefly, they said to “make no mistake. What we have here is one of the truly great supercars.”

I have a feeling that in Clarkson’s review, he will talk about how cheap the interor is and how flimsy the body panels are, but then he’ll throw it around the track and fall in love with it.  Time will tell, the new season of Top Gear should be starting in a few months.  Stay tuned and we’ll keep you in the loop!

Source: TopGear.com

Top Gear Tests the Nissan GTR!

Being a HUGE fan of the new GTR, and an even bigger fan of Top Gear, I just had to bring this video to you all.  At the end of this video, the Stig puts the GTR through it’s paces on the Top Gear Test Track.  I’m not going to spoil it for you, but its fast!  Now you can really see why the Nissan GTR is making tidal waves in the car industry…

Top Gear is coming to American Television

Unfortunately Clarkson, Hammond, and May have decided to stay on their side of the pond, so Hollywood did what Hollywood does and re-cast the show with some good ol’ American boys. Who got selected to host the new show? You might know Adam Carolla from either his popular radio talk show or the legendary production run of “The Man Show”, which he co-hosted with Jimmy Kimmel. Tanner Foust was also chosen to host the show, bringing with him his experience and clout from the world of rally, drifting, various other motorsports. Tanner is also a stuntman on the side, so that should indicate some interesting driving challenges to be included in the series. And Eric Stromer, that handyman from HGTV, was selected to bring a more refined outlook on the cars and trucks they’ll be testing, and maybe even a fraction of the female audience. It should be a good blend of personalties, something the British version had masterfully managed. The new show is tentatively being called “Gear”, look for it on NBC next year.

Top Gear: New Season starts June 22nd

Not sure how many Top Gear followers are out there, but I personally adore this TV show.  Between Jeremy Clarkson’s never-ending thirst for more horsepower, Richard Hammond’s silly antics, and James May’s general complaints about everything in life, there just isn’t much to hate.

Entering its 11th season, or series if you’re on the other side of the pond, Top Gear is the top-rated car enthusiast show over in Europe.  They have reviewed everything from a SmartCar to the Bugatti Veyron.  This season proves to be one of their most challenging yet as there have been few new exotic cars released this year.  I expect to see more fun challenges like last seasons race to the North Pole.

It can be hard to find playing stateside, but I was able to catch re-runs on the BBC2 last night.  If you’ve never seen it, program your DVR to record the series or keep your eye out for re-runs, you won’t regret it.