Category: Entertainment

The last ride for the Fast and Furious franchise is going to last a little longer. Dwayne Johnson shared a post on Twitter revealing one more film will reach theaters ahead of the Fast finale. Before reading further, be advised that a minor spoiler for Fast X is forthcoming, though the fact that Johnson is talking about the franchise on social media is basically a spoiler unto itself. In any case, consider yourself warned.

Johnson’s Twitter post flat-out says his character Hobbs is returning to the street-racing saga, and he will be in a film that sets up the final movie unofficially known as Fast X Part II. The wording of his post suggests the movie will be in a similar vein as Hobbs & Shaw, technically part of the Fast and Furious universe but not focused on the core cast. In a video shared with the Twitter post, Johnson says “Dante and Hobbs collide” so there should be a prominent connection to the current storyline. As a reminder, Dante is the primary baddie in Fast X, played by Jason Momoa.

At this point, you might be thinking about the very public feud between Johnson and Fast staple Vin Diesel over the years. You know, the one where Johnson said in no uncertain terms he would not be returning to the Fast franchise? Apparently that’s all water under the bridge, or at least, smoothed over enough for Johnson to step back into the role. In his video, he says he and Diesel were brothers, and “plans that are much bigger than ourselves” made his decision to return an obvious one.

It’s certainly a sharp contrast to the time he called an unnamed cast member (believed to be Diesel) a candy ass in a now-deleted Instagram post from 2016. And there’s Johnson’s sharp criticism of Diesel’s infamous Instagram post from 2021, in which he publically asked Johnson to “fulfill your destiny” by returning to the franchise. His answer, again, was no, but as we’ve seen throughout all 10 Fast films, nobody is ever really gone. And with Johnson’s character making a surprise cameo at the end of Fast X (we told you there was a minor spoiler) events are already set in motion.

A quick check at the Internet Movie Database shows nothing forthcoming for Johnson or Diesel in the Fast universe, so there’s no timeline on when either film will reach theaters.

A series of high-profile truck highjackings have come to the attention of Michael Knight, a lone crusader, and his faithful four-wheel companion KITT. With Devon’s help, they quickly learn that the gang’s leader is Dominic “Dom” Toretto, a street racer, mechanic, and ex-convict who lives his life one quarter-mile at a time. Boasting that Dom’s Dodge Charger is no match for his turbo boost, KITT trash-talks his way into a street race.

That’s the premise for the latest video from Lampoonery!, a YouTube site dedicated to comedy mashups using AI and a little imagination. Crazy as it may sound, a “Fast and The Furious” Knight Rider episode would be fun to watch. Especially with Michael Knight going undercover with Brian O’Conner. 

Before you know it, KITT is lining up in a drag race with Dom’s Mazda RX-7, Brian’s Mitsubishi Eclipse, and some other cars, including an Acura Integra. KITT gets the jump on the other racers, easily cruising to victory. It’s debatable that turbo boost would beat nitrous oxide, but with a few mods, there’s no doubt KITT could beat an 11-second drag car. 

The creators behind Lampoonery! and this sendup of Knight Rider and The Fast and the Furious are not above having fun at the expense of their source material. However, they seem like genuine fans of both franchises and car culture. It’s an impressive effort and entertaining to watch.  

More impressive is the use of what their site calls “transformative editing,” likely using AI and other tools to insert Michael Knight into the world of early 21st-century street racing. The use of light and color shading and the lip-syncing to the dialog isn’t too bad and stands out less than you would think.

Really the only thing that stands out is early 80s David Hasselhoff with his glorious mane of curly hair, red shirt, and leather jacket. He clearly stepped out of a world with a soundtrack of Pat Benatar, John Cougar Mellencamp, and 80s synthesizers into one with Method Man, Ja Rule, and Limp Bizkit. If that seems weird, stay tuned for parts two and three, where the A-Team shows up. 

Formula One veteran Fernando Alonso owns the Ferrari Enzo with the first body, which is known as Scocca n.1. He’s putting the exceptional vehicle up for sale at the Monaco Car Auctions L’AstaRossa event on June 8. The estimated price is over $5.36 million (5 million euros).

Alonso’s Enzo is in the classic color Rosso Corsa. The vehicle comes with a Ferrari Classiche Red Book that acts as a certificate of authenticity that the car meets all of the original specifications. It also indicates this vehicle is Scocca n.1. The odometer shows just 2,983 miles (4,800 kilometers).

Alonso raced for the Scuderia Ferrari squad from 2010 to 2014. The automaker produced the Enzo from 2002 to 2004. The auction listing doesn’t specify how he got ahold of this remarkable example of the supercar.

Join owners and enthusiasts discussing this topic at FerrariChat.com!

The Enzo featured a design that evoked a Formula One car. It featured a naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V12 making 651 horsepower at 7,800 rpm. The gearbox was a six-speed automated manual. Ferrari made just 400 of them. Today, they change hands for over $1 million.

Alonso isn’t the only F1 driver to own an Enzo. Ferrari built a custom example for Michael Schumacher as a gift. The car had special touches like electric windows, a Bose stereo, Rosso Scuderia brake calipers, and Schumi’s logo on the seats and door sills. It even had the driver’s signature and then-boss Luca di Montezemolo’s autograph on the hood.

The L’AstaRossa auction has 42 Ferraris for sale. The lots include the bizarre 365 GTC/4 “Beach Car” by Michelotti with no top or doors and a denim-upholstered interior. There’s also a rare 250 GT with a body by Carrozzeria Boano. A 1988 328 GTS with a Koenig body kit is another oddity.

At the time of this story’s publication, Alonso is third in the 2023 season driver standings with 93 points. He’s behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

It’s 2023, but the Meyers Manx is alive and kicking with all kinds of love for the 1970s. Under new ownership, Meyers Manx Inc. is bringing back the famous fiberglass dune buggy conversion kits for the classic VW Beetle. And as you can see with this prototype at Jay Leno’s Garage, there’s a significant addition to the familiar formula.

Actually, some might say there’s an omission here. In place of the traditional air-cooled four-cylinder VeeDub engine is a water-cooled three-pot, but the lack of a cylinder does not hamper this dune buggy in the least. Rather, it’s the party piece for the new Manx because it’s a bonkers three-cylinder radial engine used for aircraft. It comes from an Australian-based company called Radial Motion, which developed it for light airplanes and gyrocopters. However, as Meyers Manx Chairman Phillip Sarofim told Leno in the video, the company tested the engine first in a VW.

The one in this modern Manx is a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter three-cylinder, and though it looks like an air-cooled mill, it’s actually water-cooled. The unique design doesn’t use any belts; the alternator is chain-driven and there’s no power steering pump or air conditioning to fuss with. The engine’s internals are LS components from General Motors, and it’s fuel-injected with a 6,000-rpm redline.

To prevent hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders, a compression valve with a scavenger pump pulls oil that might seep past the piston rings. And while radial engines usually conjure images of tremendous smoke clouds on startup, this one is modern and smokeless. It produces 130 horsepower and 130 pound-feet of torque, though forced induction versions can reach upwards of 300 hp. Considering it powers a vehicle weighing approximately 1,600 pounds, it doesn’t take much power to get this new Meyers Manx rolling.

And roll it does. Just like the OG Manx from the 1970s, the new version is still offered as a conversion kit for the classic Beetle. The transmission is a Beetle-spec four-speed manual, and as the video demonstrates, it sounds downright mean under throttle. For those seeking something a bit quieter, there is an electric version coming that folks can buy turn-key ready. However, the sights and sounds of a radial-powered buggy have our undivided attention.

The video states this is a prototype, and while the radial engine is cool, it’s not necessary for those who prefer classic VW power with their brand-new dune buggy body.

There is no shortage of supercars to choose from if you have six or seven figures to spend and an empty parking space in your second garage that needs to be filled. You have options from Ferrari, McLaren, Pagani, Gordon Murray, and others to start. For NBA legend and businessman Michael Jordan, the selection is likely endless, but he has added a rare Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster to his roster of vehicles.

Hennessey Performance posted the photo of company CEO John Hennessey standing with Michael Jordan in front of his Venom F5 Roadster and Jordan’s private golf club in Florida named Grove XXII. The photo doesn’t show off much of the supercar, which debuted just over a year ago, but it does reveal the car’s exposed and glossy carbon-fiber body and its yellow pinstripes.

Underneath the F5 Roadster’s sheetmetal hides a mid-mounted twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V8 engine. It produces 1,817 horsepower and 1,193 pound-feet of torque, which runs through a seven-speed, single-clutch semi-automatic transmission. Hennessey claims the supercar can exceed 300 miles per hour, with the company claiming the roadster “the world’s fastest and most powerful convertible.”

The Venom F5 Roadster looks a lot like its coupe sibling, especially at the front. However, things start to change at the cabin, which features a removable carbon-fiber roof panel that weighs just 18 pounds. New tempered glass at the back provides a peek at the potent engine behind the passenger compartment. The glass is made of a material that can withstand temperatures over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Roadster’s lack of a roof does increase its curb weight, but not by much. The regular F5 tips the scales at 2,998 pounds, while the F5 Roadster weighs under 3,100 pounds, so there isn’t a big difference.

Jordan is one of only 30 people to own an F5 Roadster, as Hennessey limits its production. The company said it’d make just 24 examples of the coupe, so the convertible isn’t as rare. The increased production number also coincides with an increased price tag, the Venom F5 Roadster costing $3 million to start compared to the $2.1 million coupe. Production began in late 2022.

Oh, if you happen to have the means and the motivation to “be like Mike,” check out this stunning F5 listed by our friends at duPont Registry. 

BMW premiered its latest short film during the Cannes International Film Festival in France yesterday. “The Calm” features the BMW i7 M70 as one of the highlights in a movie that has Pom Klementieff and Uma Thurman in the leading roles. The entire seven-minute film is attached at the top of this page for your viewing pleasure.

For this new movie, BMW called proven names from the movie industry. Joseph Kosinski takes executive producer credits and Sam Hargrave is in the director’s chair. There’s also a behind-the-camera star quality, while the soundtrack for the film is the work of film score composer and Academy Awards winner Hans Zimmer.

We won’t spoil “The Calm” but here’s what you need to know about the plot in short. Pom Klementieff and Uma Thurman play a pair of secret agents who have to meet in the Hotel Martinez in Cannes. The duo has to fight off some mysterious enemies with Klementieff narrowly escaping a hijacking attempt from the back seat of a BMW i7 M70 xDrive. Thurman has had a similar off-screen action in her hotel room, and finally, the two meet to piece together the story behind their secret mission.

“We’re thrilled for all film fans to experience ‘The Calm’”, Stefan Ponikva, VP for brand communication and brand experience at BMW, comments. “When we started out with this project, we knew we were working within a set of high standards, and we’re proud to be building on that tradition with this new and compelling storyline. This is a comeback that will give us all a lot of pleasure, I am convinced of that!”

Chances are high you’ve missed the official premiere in Cannes but you can now watch the entire movie here. If you happen to be in the rear seat of an i7, it’s probably interesting to know that “The Calm” made its world premiere through the BMW Theatre Screen, which is the 31.3-inch panoramic display that extends down from the headliner of the luxury sedan.

Robert Downey Jr. is not just Iron Man. Sure, this is the role that made him famous around the entire planet but he has many other significant roles. In his new journey, Downey will embark on a mission to save his classic vehicles and make them more environmentally friendly. And you will be able to watch the process in a new TV series.

HBO Max has just released the first trailer for Downey’s Dream Cars – a new series that premieres on June 22 and features Robert Downey Jr. as a host and co-producer together with Boat Rocker’s Matador Content. Executive producers for Matador Content are Jay Peterson, Todd Lubin, and Dave Larzelere, while Team Downey’s crew includes Emily Barclay Ford. Kyle Wheeler serves as an executive producer from Discovery. 

So, what’s the plan? Downey has a large collection of classic cars, mainly 1960s and 1970s American vehicles that need to be converted into more efficient and eco-friendly machines for the new era of mobility. Downey builds a team of engineers and mechanics who turn his beloved machines into hybrids and electric cars. 

“We are what we drive, and having amassed a formidable collection of classic cars over the years, I was a petrol-spewing mess. And a hypocrite, as I’d founded the Footprint Coalition in 2019 to scale technologies that mitigate climate change. Fortunately, I’m a bit of a dreamer. The last 3 years have been an experiment in hope, as I engaged the best and brightest minds to evaluate, educate, elevate, and decarbonize these vehicles in a way that demonstrates the limitless potential of creative problem-solving,” Downey says in an official press release.

What do we see in this first trailer for Downey’s Dream Cars? A bunch of the actor’s vintage cars, including a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray that he wants to make fully electric. “What we are doing here, nobody’s ever done before” – that’s the promise we are given and it makes us excited for the shows’s start on June 22. Stay tuned.

Fast X is coming out this Friday and is supposed to be the penultimate movie of a franchise that started way back in 2001. The tenth movie has been written as half of a two-part finale, with the series planned to end after the eleventh title. However, that might not actually be the case as Vin Diesel has strongly hinted there is a distinct possibility the epilogue will be stretched to include a third movie.

The disclosure was made in Rome during the world premiere of the latest movie. “Going into making this movie, the studio asked if this could be a two-parter. And after the studio saw this one, they said, ‘Could you make ‘Fast X,’ the finale, a trilogy?’” Michelle Rodriguez also alluded it might just happen: “It’s three acts in any story.”

Meanwhile, the eleventh movie will be co-written by Christina Hodson (Bumblebee, Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey) and Oren Uziel (The Lost City). Louis Leterrier will be the director, having already been at the helm of Fast X. An extension of the already long-running franchise could depend on the success of the forthcoming title, which reportedly had a massive budget of $340 million, according to The Wrap.

It’ll be interesting to see whether there will be more spin-offs in the same vein as Hobbs & Shaw. Director David Leitch said in December 2022 that a sequel depends on Dwayne Johnson as “The Rock” has a busy schedule. A potential Fast and Furious 12 movie might put spinoffs on the back burner to have a budget prepared for a grand finale.

Well friends, we’ve reached the end of the line for this side road of the Fast and Furious saga. By that, we mean the slate of teaser previews promoting the premiere of Fast X which is less than a week away. This is the final trailer for the new film, and at over four minutes long, it isn’t short on content.

Like previous trailers, we see plenty of explosions, cool cars, and references to family. This time around, however, there’s less attention given to the various cars and wild car stunts. Instead, we spend a lot of time watching people fight. Letty and Cipher (played by Michelle Rodriguez and Charlize Theron) engage in a serious round of fisticuffs, while the reunion between Han (Sung Kang) and Deckard (Jason Statham) isn’t all hugs and puppies. Lest we forget, Deckard was the one who killed tried to kill Han way back in the franchise’s third film Tokyo Drift, though we don’t find that out until the seventh film. Yeah, there’s some drama here.

Of course, Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto is fighting with everybody to keep his racing family safe. That doesn’t just include Dante, the new big bad played by Jason Momoa. There’s a new government team leader including an angry dude named Aimes (played by Alan Ritchson) who tells Dom that “the days where one man behind the wheel of a car can make a difference are over.” Aimes is also responsible for the neat flashback sequence at the start of the trailer, conveniently reminding us of all nine Fast movies that have led to this one.

Don’t worry, car fans. While fight sequences take center stage, we also see plenty of motorized excitement. Once again, we’re treated to the scene where Dom backs his classic black Charger out of a moving cargo jet, landing triumphantly on bad guys in SUVs. We also see Dom driving new Chargers, and while we don’t see it in action, the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT EV concept makes a brief appearance parked outside the Toretto homestead in front of a Pagani.

By now, it’s well-known that the Fast saga is nearing its ultimate conclusion. Just one more movie is slated to follow this one, billed as a direct sequel to what happens in Fast X. Will the late Paul Walker’s character Brian O’Conner make a digital return before the final scene is shot? Will Gisele, played in three movies by Gal Gadot return from the dead as Han did? Perhaps some of these questions will be answered when Fast X opens in theaters on May 19.

Porsche throws its weight behind Transformers: Rise of the Beasts in a new promo video highlighting the character Mirage who has Pete Davidson as a voice actor. When in car mode, this Autobot is a 964-generation 911 Carrera RS 3.8.

The promo clip showcases a scene in some earlier trailers. Actor Anthony Ramos playing the character Noah Diaz is in the car, but he’s not in control of the vehicle. The Porsche is running away from the police, including jumping off a ramp. The 911 slides into a warehouse and reveals Mirage’s robot identity.

In other scenes, the silver-and-blue Carrera RS 3.8 drives through a mountain road during an avalanche. Meanwhile, other bots are chasing it, including the peregrine falcon Airazor.

Mirage does some cool stuff in this clip. At one point, Noah steps out of the Porsche while it transforms into a robot around him. In another bit, three versions of the robot form jump out of the car. This suggests only one might be real, and the rest are mirages.

In its day, the 911 Carrera RS 3.8 was comparable to the current 911 GT3 RS. It debuted in 1993 as an evolution of the earlier Carrera RS. The engine received a 200-cc displacement increase. 

To weigh as little as possible, the RS 3.8 used aluminum for the hood and doors. The glass was thinner, and the rear seats were gone. The final result was a machine that was about 600 pounds lighter than the standard, rear-drive Carrera 2.

Mirage has taste because his choice of Porsche is among the rarest variants during that generation. The company made just 55 of them, according to the site Stuttcars and an auction listing from RM Sothebys.

Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts takes place in 1994. Optimus Prime appears as a red Freightliner cab-over semi-truck, just like the original toy. Bumblebee is a yellow-and-black, second-gen Chevrolet Camaro. In addition to the classic transforming vehicles, there are now the Maximals that turn into animals from the computer-animated Beast Wars series from the late 1990s.

An earlier trailer indicates that Unicron is the primary threat this time. Orson Welles voiced the character in the animated The Transformers: The Movie from 1986.

Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts premieres in the US on June 9.