Category: Entertainment

The Grand Tour returns next month, with Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May traveling through Central Europe. The special, called Eurocrash, will stream on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, June 16. Amazon has shared very few details about the special, but a trio of teaser images provides a peek at what the boys will be driving.

Hammond, with his love of Americana, will pilot a Chevrolet SSR, which briefly existed from 2003 to 2006. Depending on the model year, it came with either a 5.3- or 6.0-liter V8 engine. Unsurprisingly, it’s not the most audacious vehicle in the group, with Clarkson driving a wild-looking Mitsuoka Le-Seyde, a creation from the mid-90s based on the Nissan Silva S13 (Nissan 180SX). May is in the equally as odd Crosley convertible, a car made in Ohio from late 1930 until the early 1950s.

Amazon has not released a trailer that would highlight the special’s vehicle fun, but one photo shows Clarkson racing someone on horseback. Another image shows the trio at a race track with Clarkson’s face squeezed into a race helmet.

According to The Sun, the Eurocrash special will follow the three on a 1,400-mile journey from Poland to Slovenia, visiting Slovakia and Hungary, too. In the last special, A Scandi Flick, May crashed his car during an event, and it looks like Hammond is the one to cause a crash in this special.

Reports surfaced last year that Hammond had crashed a race car in Poland while filming the Eurocrash special. Photos from the accident shared on social media showed Hammond standing outside the wrecked vehicle under his own power, appearing unhurt, with the race car crashed into a tire barrier.

The Grand Tour era might be coming to a close sooner rather than later. Earlier this year, it was reported that Clarkson would have no new programs airing on Amazon Prime Video past 2024. That doesn’t mean the three won’t continue working together, but fans might have to go elsewhere to see their antics.

McLaren introduced the 720S-based 765LT Spider nearly two years ago, and while the 750S is now officially out, the British sports car brand is not done delivering the track-focused convertible. The latest customer to grab the keys of a long-tailed spider is none other than Formula 1 driver Lando Norris. It’s one of the just 765 units to be produced and has a few unique touches from McLaren Special Operations (MSO) along with plenty of carbon fiber.

A new video published by McLaren Automotive on YouTube shows the 23-year-old racing driver traveling to Woking to pick up his prized possession finished in carbon blue. By now, you’re probably wondering why the 765LT Spider was ordered in a left-hand-drive specification considering Lando is British. However, he doesn’t live in the UK anymore as he moved to Monaco a few years ago.

Those contrasting yellow accents found on the brake calipers and body are a nod to his helmet, while the four stripes bridge a connection with his racing number. Just so everyone knows whose car this is, there are “LN” logos embroidered into the headrests. In addition, there’s a special plaque denoting the 765LT was “exclusively commissioned for Lando Norris by MSO,” without revealing the build number.

Rounding off the special touches are the signatures of several people involved in the process of bringing the car to life, including McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. While Lando opted for a convertible, fellow F1 driver Carlos Sainz got a coupe at the beginning of the year. Although both are supercars, they’re quite different as the 765LT has a twin-turbo V8 whereas the 812 Competizione uses a naturally aspirated V12.

That 4.0-liter engine is good for 755 horsepower and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters) of torque delivered to the wheels via a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. It helps the McLaren 765LT reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 2.8 seconds and 124 mph (200 km/h) in 7.2 seconds en route to 205 mph (330 km/h).

Although McLaren now has an electrified V6, it won’t be letting go of eight-cylinder power anytime soon. It has inked a deal with engine manufacturer Ricardo for a new hybrid V8 that will go into future supercars, and hopefully, a hypercar as well.

On the scale of vehicles that seem to attract trouble, pickup trucks with high-top bed toppers land somewhere between semi-trucks and cars driven by the juvenile at heart leaving their first cars and coffee. This is especially true if the bed topper almost doubles the vehicle’s height and is made of a thin gauge metal like aluminum or steel. Like a moth attracted to flame, it’s only a matter of time before something bad happens. 

In the case of the truck in this video on ViralHog’s YouTube site, it takes exactly 22 seconds for something bad to happen, and the driver doesn’t even leave the parking lot. A camera captures the video footage inside an overhang in front of what looks like a store with steel roll-up doors. Judging from the light, it looks early in the day. Perhaps the driver hasn’t had coffee yet, or even a matcha chai latte. 

Whatever the driver drinks to wake up, it’s nothing like the powerful shot of adrenaline they must have received from the accident. There is a loud crash that lifts the truck’s front wheels in the air, causing it to turn and almost take out a row of motorbikes. Adding to the dramatic effect, the video shakes as the impact sends shockwaves through the overhang.

Seemingly unphased, the driver calmly backs up and casually drives away. The metal topper is still intact and firmly mounted to the pickup truck, but the top is opened up like a sardine can. As the truck leaves the scene, a woman leaves the shop and starts taking pictures with her cell phone. She runs after the truck and is gone for 15 seconds, most likely trying to get the driver’s info or the license plate in case there’s damage to the building. 

Judging from the video, the truck is an Izuzu pickup truck, a brand no longer sold in the US. While not as dramatic as a Kia Soul going airborne after hitting a tire or a Citroen Ami rolling over in Monaco, it just goes to show that tall pickup truck toppers and low overhangs don’t mix, regardless of what part of the world you live in.    

In addition to New Wave music, mainstream turbocharged cars, and deconstructed linen jackets worn over pastel t-shirts, the 1980s gave us 8-bit video games. A necessity to support the primitive but burgeoning home computer industry, it gave rise to classic racing games like Pole Position, Spyhunter, and Out Run. Capturing the spirit of that entertainment, the Fast and the Furious franchise has introduced an 8-bit game you can play called Fast X: The End of the Road Begins. 

The simple gameplay involves dodging obstacles, including cars, explosives, and potholes, through the streets of Los Angles, Brazil, and Rome. Along the way, you can pick up NOS bottles, cash, and checkered flags to speed up your progress. The game includes vehicles like motorcycles and what are presumably Dom and Dante’s cars. However, it’s hard to tell which car is Dante’s Chevrolet Impala and which is Dom’s Dodge Charger by anything other than the purple and black colors. 

Between levels, you can watch cut scenes from the Fast X movie trailers showing car chases and explosions. It’s a worthwhile diversion you can play on any web browser by visiting the Lets Race Fast X Movie site. The movie premiers Friday, May 19, and is the first of a two-part finale to the original Fast and the Furious franchise. 

The movie itself centers on Dom and his “family”. It features an all-star cast of franchise characters played by Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, John Cena, Sun Kang, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jason Statham, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Brie Larson, and Rita Moreno. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will not make an appearance due to his longstanding friction with Vin Diesel.          

While the central cast is not expected to return for other movies in the Fast franchise after Fast X, it is possible other standalone movies are in the works, like the return of Hobbes and Shaw or the creation of new characters similar to The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift.  

The Fast and Furious trailer train is in high gear ahead of the movie’s imminent premiere later this month. The latest Fast X preview is a bit different than others, however. Instead of focusing on the fast family in general, special attention is given to the star couple through most of the films.

Of course, we’re talking about Dominic Toretto and Letty Ortiz, played by Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez. The trailer opens with Letty sleeping while a brooding Dom watches over her. Then comes the voiceover from Dom talking about open roads, clarity of mind, his heart belonging to Letty from day one, and yes, living life a quarter-mile at a time. Things have changed, however, because now they have a son. Well, Dom has a son from that time when Letty was dead and his heart belonged to Elena (played by Elsa Pataky), who is also now dead. But Letty came back, so perhaps Elena can too. That would be awkward.

Don’t worry, Fast fans. With gigantic rolling metal balls that crush everything, tiny magnetic bombs that explode everything, and enough Dodge Chargers to fill a dealership lot, the new film appears every bit as dramatic as previous installments. It’s star-studded as well, with Jason Momoa joining the cast as Dante, the angry son of the drug kingpin Dom and family killed way back in the fifth film. Bree Larson also steps in playing Tess, a member of the secret government organization who apparently is on the good side, while other members of this organization aren’t so nice. It’s … complicated.

But you aren’t interested in that. You’re interested in cars drag racing, cars jumping between buildings, swinging on vines, and flying into space. Thus far we haven’t seen anything that suggests Dodge Chargers entering orbit, but we do see one driven backward out of a flying cargo plane that falls neatly onto a couple of baddies in SUVs.

On a slightly more serious note, this trailer is full of flashbacks to earlier films, and we’ve seen this in other Fast X trailers as well. With just one more film to go before the franchise officially ends, it sure seems like the studio is ready to tug on some nostalgic heartstrings before calling it a wrap. Whether that includes a return of Brian O’Conner’s character (played by the late Paul Walker) remains to be seen.

Look for Fast X to reach theaters on May 19.

Fans of the 90s video game franchise Twisted Metal will see a TV adaptation hit screens this summer. It’ll stream on Peacock, and a new teaser trailer provides our first look at the action. The show will follow a “motor-mouthed outsider” who was offered “a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mystery package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland.”

We got a peek at the dystopian world, which looks ripe for some vehicular carnage. The star, Anthony Mackie, is seen in the driver’s seat loading a shotgun and picking out his Road Mix for the CD player. We then get a shot of the Subaru that Mackie is piloting, which features a large rear wing, fender vents, hood vents and fender-mounted machine guns. The teaser also provides us with our first look at Sweet Tooth in Las Vegas, the killer clown who drives a deadly ice cream truck that is popular in the video games.

The Twisted Metal TV series entered development in early 2021, and filming took place in mid-2022. The series has 10 half-hour episodes and will hit the service on July 27, 2023. The show stars Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Thomas Haden Church, and Richard Cabral. Samoa Joe plays Sweet Tooth, while Will Arnett portrays the character’s voice.

The show will follow Mackie as he tries to deliver a mysterious package while being trailed by a horde of murderous marauders. The vehicular action could make or break show, with the video game revolving around demolition derby-style racing with guns, mines, and other weapons.

It seems only recently that video game adaptations have found their stride. From movies to TV, they are finally getting their proper due. A TV show about the video game Twisted Metal seemed to come out of left field, but it appears as if it could have some potential. Peacock is billing it as a post-apocalyptic action comedy, and it could be interesting with Mackie and the rest of the cast at the helm.  

No, this isn’t a trailer for a new Gran Turismo video game. There is a major connection to the popular racing franchise, however. In 2008, Nissan and Sony teamed up to create the Nissan GT Academy where gamers could compete in the sim racing world for a chance to join Nissan’s real-life race team. Gran Turismo tells the story of Jann Mardenborough, one of the winners in the series.

As such, the trailer features all kinds of automotive action in both the sim world and real world. Mardenborough (played by actor Archie Madekwe) is a young man who’s an ace at Gran Turismo and joins the GT Academy, apparently to the dismay of his father (played by Djimon Hounsou in the film). It also seems David Harbour’s character Jack Salter isn’t pleased about the idea of giving sim racers a seat in real cars, as he tells Danny Moore (played by Orlando Bloom) “It will tear them to pieces.” At this point, it’s worth noting that the movie is based on a true story, but isn’t a documentary by any means.

In the trailer, we see Mardenborough conquer the GT Academy (the only one to make the cut) and join Nissan’s racing team. We see him racing the Nissan GT-R against other GT-Rs, against Lamborghinis (portrayed here as the bad guys), and we see LeMans prototypes. This is also where we see a fiery crash, with Mardenborough literally crawling out through the fire. The trailer closes with more cars, more gear changes, smiles, cheers, drama … you know the drill.

It’s unclear how much creative liberty the movie will take with the real-life story of Mardenborough and the Nissan GT Academy. Among other things, the film highlights Gran Turismo 7 on the PlayStation 5, which is the latest iteration of the gaming franchise. That suggests it’s based in the present instead of 2011 when Maradenborough won the championship. It also suggests he was the only winner, when in fact the Nissan GT Academy saw several gamers go on to successful racing careers over its eight-year run. He did experience a bad crash at the Nurburgring, however, killing a spectator while escaping with minor injuries.

Gran Turismo is set to reach theaters on August 11.

Last year, Ken Block was aiming to set a new overall record at Pikes Peak behind the wheel of a curious pink Porsche 911 called the Hoonipigasus. Sadly, that didn’t come to pass and tragically, the world lost the action sports star in January to a snowmobiling accident. However, The 1,400-horsepower Porsche lives and at this year’s Pikes Peak, it will go up the hill with Block behind the wheel. Not Ken, but his 16-year-old daughter Lia.

Taking recently to Instagram, Lia shared the exciting news with the world. However, this won’t be an official timed run, as she explains she still needs a bit more experience before racing it to the top. Considering many young drivers need more experience handling a 90-hp economy car, taking some time to master a monstrous 911 for one of the toughest racing venues in the world is understandable.

To refresh your memory, the Hoonipigasus is a vehicle of epic proportions and not just because it packs a 1,400-hp flat-six engine in a 2,200-pound car. Built by BBi Autosport, this is technically a mid-engine 911 designed specifically for the famous Hillclimb, and we mean specifically. It utilizes a trick height-adjustable suspension system that operates automatically using GPS coordinates, raising or lowering as needed during the car’s run to the clouds. Naturally, it’s all-wheel drive, and for those wondering about the name (and the color), it’s an homage to the 1971 Porsche 917/20 race car affectionately known as the “Pink Pig.”

Ken Block was preparing for a potential record-setting run at last year’s Pikes Peak Hillclimb, the 100th running of the annual event when an engine failure took him out before timed runs could commence. Lia will likely be taking it pretty easy for the 101st running, though she has all kinds of experience with mega horsepower driving the Hoonicorn Mustang against numerous competitors, albeit in a straight line.

However, she’s not unfamiliar with turning or stage rally. Lest we forget the drift practice she received with her dad at age 13, and she is currently running a successful season in the Green APU American Rally Association, driving a Subaru BRZ in the Open 2WD category. She recently finished first in class at the 2023 Olympus Rally and is presently second overall in O2WD.

The latest trailer for Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts showcases a lot of automotive action and naturally some fighting robots, too. The new film takes place in 1994, so there are plenty of retro machines on display. The movie premieres June 9.

In addition to the Autobots, there are now the Maximals, which are transforming animals. You might remember them from the computer-animated Beast Wars series from the late 1990s.

For this installment, Optimus Prime gets to be a classic, red Freightliner cab-over semi-truck, just like the original toy. There’s also a silver, 964-generation Porsche 911 as Mirage. A brief moment in the trailer appears to show an R33 Nissan Skyline GT-R with a tall wing. Bumblebee continues to be a yellow-and-black, second-gen Chevrolet Camaro. A shot also catches the robot Arcee riding in a Volkswagen Transporter avoiding a rocket.

The trailer reveals that Unicron is the major threat in the new film. This character was also the big bad in The Transformers: The Movie from 1986, and it was the final role for Orson Welles.

The Maximals include Ron Perlman as the gorilla Optimus Primal. Recent Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh is the peregrine falcon Airazor.

The non-robot cast has Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback as the film’s stars.

Judging by the trailer, a big battle is a major set piece in the film. The heroes are ripping apart and shooting lots of robot scorpions. Also, there is a bit where Bumblebee is stabbed through the chest. It’s hard to imagine the film would kill such a beloved character, though.

Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts is the seventh installment in the live-action franchise and the second entry not to have Michael Bay in the director’s chair. Creed II director Steven Caple Jr. has the job for this one. Travis Knight directed the previous entry Bumblebee.

The Fast X is expected to air around the middle of May as the tenth film in the Fast and Furious saga. There’s a new trailer for the movie following the early four-minute video from February and, again, there’s a lot to be seen. In addition to fast cars – something we all expect to see in an F&F movie – there are a few memorable explosions and returning cast members.

The tenth installment of the franchise is directed by Louis Leterrier, while former director Justin Lin is among the producers together with Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Jeff Kirschenbaum, and Samantha Vincent. Some of the returning actors we see in this new trailer include Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Jason Statham, John Cena, and Scott Eastwood. There are many new actors filming for Fast X – Brie Larson, Alan Richtson, Daniela Melchior, and legendary Rita Moreno as Dom and Mia’s mother. 

What else is worth mentioning? Well, for starters, the impressive number of explosions, including a giant one blowing up half of Vatican City. Vintage muscle cars, modern European and Asian performance machines, and, of course, a vast amount Dodges can be also seen in the footage. 

And the story behind the movie? In short, Dominic Toretto is chased by Jason Momoa playing Dante, who wants to destroy Dom’s family “piece by piece.” Why? Because Dante is the son of Hernan Reyes, the bad guy from Fast Five who died at the hands of Toretto and company. Dante witnessed it all and has spent the last 12 years masterminding a plan to make Dom pay the ultimate price. From Los Angeles to the catacombs of Rome, from Brazil to London, and from Portugal to Antarctica – Dom and his family are never in a safe place.

The day Fast X will air has also finally been confirmed. This new trailer tells us “the end of the road begins May 19,” also suggesting there’s one more movie still to go.