Car Overload » Videos & Podcasts

What a Car Enthusiast(Man) Looks for in a Woman – Epic Overload

Warren — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:00:00 +0000

I watched the Tyra Banks show a week ago with my wife and the theme of the show was what a women can do to attract the right men. Well ladies, I hope you’re paying attention. It’s not about high heels, ear rings, tanning, Louis Vuitton bags, or the embellishment of certain body parts(although it couldn’t hurt). I mean, sure you may catch a guy’s eye with a combination of those things, but it won’t have a lasting effect. What you are about to witness is a woman that has captured the hearts of men around the globe.

…sure she could have fled the scene leaving her trusty 335 to an aquatic grave.

Uncompromising Companionship

This is the type of dedication that will attract a quality man. Sure she could have fled the scene leaving her trusty 335 to an aquatic grave. More than likely her insurance would have covered any kind of damage including perhaps a full on replacement. Instead, she honors the sacred contract between a vehicle and it’s owner. You know, the contract that states the owner’s vow to protect said vehicle from all enemies, both foreign and domestic.

…unfazed by it’s surroundings, the beast awoke

Beauty and the Beast

You see, the BMW 335 promises to deliver jaw dropping power to it’s owners while asking nothing more than the occasional oil change and maintenance check up in return. This woman valiantly entered the coupe from the rear to minimize water damage and maximize the chances of this 335′s survival. After navigating through the cabin to the driver seat, she firmly pressed the start engine button and prayed her trusty companion would awake from it’s deep slumber. As if unfazed by it’s surroundings, the beast awoke with the same beefy growl so familiar to the woman. Today it seemed quite a bit heartier. After running its startup diagnostics, the Bavarian steed signaled to it’s owner that all systems were go and it was ready to brave the challenges ahead. Our heroine brushed the excess water from her brow, checked her blindspot out of habit, and accelerated into a watery abyss.

The Bottom Line

Showing this kind of dedication to the cars we love says “till death do us part” in a way unparalleled by the most lavish of weddings bankrolled by daddy. This feat earns this woman our most esteemed award of awesomeness, Epic Overload.

High Fidelity Speakers were invented for the Aston Martin One-77

Warren — Fri, 14 May 2010 01:27:47 +0000

Listen first.

Now let’s discuss. That’s the sound of 700 horses pounding the pavement. What you just heard was a 7.3L V12 engine. That’s more displacement than two 997 Carrera engines stacked up. That’s one liter for every kid in the Brady Bunch + Alice with .3L left over. Ok, you get the picture. It’s a big friggin’ engine, and its beautiful. Perhaps it’s not Al Gore “An Inconvenient Truth” beautiful (I’m sure it’s a thirsty beast), but beautiful nevertheless. I hope that the high price of $1.7 million includes a Jawbone noise canceling headset.

Video from Top Gear

Suzuki’s Hayabusa engines made for cars?

Steven — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:00:35 +0000

What do you get when you combine Suzuki’s Hayabusa engine with a car? You will probably get one of these.

Let’s take a Smart car for example, gut out the sucker, take the engine compartment apart and then, just for kicks, install a Suzuki Hayabusa engine in it. Your result… One mind blowing Smart car! Can you imagine riding in this thing? I wonder how fast you can get your groceries?

Wait! There’s one more! What happens when you take just a regular first generation Volkswagen GTI and slap in a Hayabusa engine? You get this!

After looking at these clips it makes me wonder… Why would anyone want to do this?! It sounds completely insane to swap in a 1,340cc engine made for a street bike and put it into a car. Is it just a matter of time & money? Maybe it’s just the adrenaline rush? Or, is it the fact that you can beat Lambo’s and Ferrari’s with a VW Golf GTI or a Smart Fortwo?

The Supercharged Ariel Atom

Steven — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:00:19 +0000

In a previous Top Gear episode, Jeremy test drove the Ariel Atom. Check out the YouTube clip below and be amazed at the potential the Atom has to offer everyone who calls themselves a car enthusiast.

The Ariel Atom originated in the UK and started one small branch here in the states. TMI Autotech, Inc. was granted the exclusive North American license to assemble the Atom at the raceplex within the Virginia International Raceway. Unfortunately, none of the Ariel Atom models are street legal.

This fast “go kart” is a monster, with a supercharged Honda Civic Type R engine inside a car that weighs next to nothing. The power to weight ratio on the Ariel Atom is immense. It has 300 BHP (Break Horse Power) but it creates 600 BHP per ton and it weighs roughly 1,102 pounds (500 kg). It can do 0-60 MPH in 2.9 seconds. Can you imagine the type of G-force you would be experiencing through turns and on straights? I think your face would fly off!

There’s more about the Ariel Atom on their website, along with their latest model, the V3.

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/exfordy

A Love/Hate Relationship, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe – Part 2 of 2

Kyle — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:00:58 +0000

Okay, now we’ve covered marketing and user integration, let’s talk more about the user experience, or more specifically, what we here at Car Overload like to refer to as “the goods”. Hyundai offers several variations of the Genesis Coupe, the most striking differences lie between the 2.0 turbo model and the 3.8L V6 model. Stylistically the two models are the same, which can be recognized as a more mature or modern version of the Tiburon (a much welcome facelift for the Hyundai line in my opinion). Smooth lines and a bold profile give the Genesis Coupe an aggressive look many Hyundai’s have lacked, and its simple yet refined profile give it enough class to bring that aggressive look back into the modern world without feeling too science fiction.

The 3.8L engine model’s baseline 306 HP and 263 lb/ft torque isn’t science fiction either. However, if someone had told me that Hyundai would make a car with specs like that just 2 years ago, I would have laughed my way into a mental institution later that same day. With a curb-weight of about 3,390 it’s not hard to see why this car can fly just as smoothly as it drives.

Equally as tempting and surely as capable to make your knuckles turn white, is the 2.0T model Genesis Coupe. The 2.0T model produces 210hp and 223 lb/ft torque weighing in at 3,290. This is comparable to the 2008 VW GTI, which produces 200hp and 207 lb/ft weighing in at 3,151 (keep in mind the Genesis Coupe is 4.1” wider and is 16.5” longer with 1” bigger wheels baseline option).

Just as surprising as the car’s stock features is the impressive similarity to the prototype unveiled in 2007. The main differences being carbon fiber body kit items which highlighted what Hyundai expected their “target market” to be capable of doing with their stock model.

As the president of the “Haters of Hyundai” club, I surprise myself when I say that no other car has done better for a company than the Hyundai Genesis Coupe when it comes to improving a company’s respect among car enthusiasts. My deepest hope is that American auto makers will take the hint and join the progression towards better automobiles.

A Love/Hate Relationship, Hyundai Genesis Coupe – Part 1 of 2

Kyle — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:00:39 +0000

During these times of recession we see many auto-makers falling under the heat. GM, Chrysler and Pontiac have all suffered (read: failed) hardships during this time, resulting in smothering a once prosperous and respected American Industry.

To fill the void, many other companies have stepped up with surprising marketing ideas that integrate new elements with a great user experience. These fresh ideas have even had an affect on someone like myself. For those of you who know me personally, you have experienced my deep seeded dislike (to put it mildly) for all things Hyundai. However, I have been urged and pushed by friends, family and mental therapists to take a look at Hyundai’s newest creation, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

Before I dive into any details about the car itself, the first thing that got me hooked was their promotional website which allows you to peruse through lots of footage, music and effects to edit your own video. Right away this caught my attention. As an experienced photographer and video editor (one of my biggest passions), I enjoyed browsing through some pretty slick shots to put together my own 30 second Hyundai Genesis promo. The marketing behind this is nothing short of genius. At the same time as promoting their newest addition to the Hyundai family, they are creating brand loyalty with exceptional hands on performance. 40 years ago a man landed on the moon, and all I can think about is how cool my 30 second video of a car I used to despise is, if that isn’t marketing genius then give me a shiny red nose and call me a clown. Check out my little video below:

Make your own video at http://www.hyundaigenesis.com/coupe/ and post your link in the comments, we would love to see your creative side!

Check out part 2 of our post tomorrow and we’ll dive deeper into the specs.

Ken Block + Top Gear = Win

Warren — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:44:41 +0000

To say Top Gear is a show that I watch is an understatement. Top Gear is a show I worship. There are lots of car shows out there now, but they all pale in comparison. Don’t get me wrong, I still watch the other shows, but they don’t have me glued to the screen. Top Gear is also a show that can be appreciated by more than just car enthusiasts. Its down right entertaining thanks to the chemistry of the hosts. More footage that can be enjoyed by all audience is Rally Driver Ken Block and his 380hp STI. Ever since his Gymkhana videos, his name and “awesomeness” have been synonymous. Lucky for us these two forces of automotive madness have come together to bring us some jaw-dropping action. Check it out.

GM Launches Reinvention Campaign – Pessimist’s Rebut

Erin — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 17:13:40 +0000

Just days after filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy, General Motors launched a reinvention campaign, starting with this nationally aired commercial. They uploaded it to YouTube with the following quote:

GM is Changing. One Thing Isn’t, Our Commitment to the Customer.

From a marketing perspective GM is definitely in need of some brand management and reputation rebuilding. However, personally, I don’t know that the multi-million dollar television advertising campaign was the best use of their funds. I don’t disagree with the message, just the way the message was delivered. Both skeptics and fans are out there online right now – on social media sites like YouTube, forums, and blogs. They’re going to need to do a lot more than just project their message of reinvention on us, they need to engage with us, get our feedback, and build that into their company moving forward.

If they don’t start engaging soon more people like Alfred (YouTube username gmretardation) will come out with responses of their own. The GM video has received over 45,000 views in the past 5 days since it was uploaded and Alfred’s video is over 27,000 views in just 2 days with nearly a hundred comments. Ironically, GM disabled the use of comments for their video. Check out their spoof of the commercial below.

What do you think? Can GM pull through the bankruptcy, and if so, what do they need to do to command your wallet again?

Ken Block Launches Rally Car Gear in Gymkhana 2 Video

Erin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:00:44 +0000

Ken Block has only been driving rally cars for a short amount of time, but his list of accomplishments read like that of a seasoned pro. In 2005, Block’s first year of rallying, he was aptly named Rally America’s Rookie of the Year. As his career continued, Block’s speed and skill behind the wheel became apparent and he was signed by Subaru Rally Team USA in 2006.

Riding on the success of the first Gymkhana Practice video that grabbed the attention of over 20 million viewers worldwide, the Gymkhana 2 video takes infomercials to the next level. What is Gymkhana?

Subaru STi Specs
The 2008 Subaru STi was custom built by Crawford Performance (CP) and the Skunkworks Team to the unique specifications of Block. Created specifically for Gymkhana TWO, Crawford has custom built this new car to the unique driving conditions of Gymkhana. The car features high-power performance modifications, tons of custom and unique parts, lots of carbon fiber, and has a custom graphics package and body mods for a unique and striking look. The car has a Crawford Performance SR5 2.65L race engine with 565 WHP and 590 torque, Tein Super Racing Coilovers, Brembo Gran Turismo brakes, and BFGoodrich KDW “Smokey” tires. See Block’s complete modification list.

Source: DCShoes & Ken Block Racing

Update: Go here to see Gymkhana 3.