In just a few hours from now, Top Gear will air the first episode of season 17 on BBC. During the past two weeks, we got a taste of what Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond have in store for us this year through two teaser clips. In one of those trailers, we saw a large off-road-like vehicle playing the role of a monster truck on a white Alfa Romeo 156 and an older generation Renault Megane sedan. It turns out that the vehicle is a mine protected armored truck called Marauder from South African company Paramount Group and the driver behind the steering wheel is Richard Hammond. We were contacted by Paramount Group who told us that the Marauder will be featured in tonight's first episode of Top Gear Season 17. We’ll have more on this tomorrow with bonus pictures and videos after the program airs on TV, but for the time being, check out the Marauder’s specifications and a gallery of the vehicle below.
In celebration of the upcoming release of Carte Blanche, the new James Bond book by Jeffery Deaver, publisher Hodder & Stoughton has joined forces with Bentley Motors to create an exclusive special edition that will be available in a strictly limited number of 500 copies. These are available for order from today, Tuesday 26 April 2011, exactly a month before the book reaches retailers' shelves.
The Bentley special edition of Carte Blanche encompasses the book in a polished aluminum case that evokes the Continental GT’s shape, with the metal skin designed to look like the car has risen from the desert sand. The book itself is wrapped in the same, high-quality white Nappa leather with red seams found inside the GT, while the pages are edged in red. In addition, the title of the book, the author’s name and the wings of the Bentley logo are embossed into the front and foil-blocked onto the spine, while the pages are said to have been “expertly cut and trimmed”.
The final topping of the special edition is a die-cut bullet hole that pierces pages of the book. Within the pages is a single polished 9mm bullet, individually marked with a number distinct to each of the 500 copies.
“The reader has the excitement of finding the bullet housed in the centre of the pages with the text positioned so that the reading experience is undisturbed,” said Bentley Senior Designer Brett Boydell. “I hope they find the book as exciting to hold and look at as the unfolding drama itself.”
The collector’s version of Carte Blanche is priced at £1,000 (about US$,1650 or €1,131 at today’s exchange rates) and is available for order through www.007carteblanchebentley.com.
The 1970s spawned some pretty cool car movies. Gone in 60 Seconds, Two-Lane Blacktop and Vanishing Point were all born in the decade of big collars, flared trousers and microwave dinners. The last of these three movies is considered to be somewhat of a classic. In it, a man named Kowalski (Barry Newman) makes a bet that he can drive a white 1970 Dodge Challenger from the dealership in Colorado to a customer in San Francisco in just 15 hours. The inevitable series of street races and confrontations with The Man ensue.Now, forty years after the film premiered, New Wilmington Dodge dealer and long-time fan Bob Frederick has unveiled a special edition model to celebrate this genre classic. All of the “Kowalski Edition” cars are based on the 2011 392 Inaugural Edition Challenger SRT8, as white was not available for standard SRT8s. Frederick explains: “I met with the team and told them what I wanted: 2011 Challenger SRT8 392, six-speed manual, Bright White, stripe delete, Dark Slate SRT seats, WP3 Alcoa SRT aluminum [sic] 20-inch wheels, 730 Nav and SRT Option Group II…. I reminded them that the paint was already in the plant and that the unique SRT8 parts were already there in white as well, so it seemed logical that it could be done.” Along with the usual assortment of custom stickers and a uniquely numbered interior plaque, the Kowalski cars come with a wood grain Hurst Pistol Grip shifter that this writer thinks should be standard equipment. Sadly, just ten of these cars are planned to be built, and all have already been spoken for. At least you have our gallery to check out. By Tristan Hankins
Yep, it's Valentine’s Day and we all know what that means: having to choose between Made of Honor and Eat, Pray, Love for our February 14th viewing (dis)pleasure. Is there nothing a heterosexual man dreads more than having to sit down with his partner to watch a boring, car chase-free romantic comedy?
Fortunately, we at CoolPictures share your pain. We had to endure the horrors of the Sex and the City movie and overwrought melodrama of Julie & Julia. We’ve seen the worst and lied about it to our significant others afterwards. So, here’s how you get out of it: describe your favourite car movie as something that you'd interest her. It’s easier than you think:
Transformers
What it is: Giant robots that can transform into cars / helicopters / fighter jets fight each other in a struggle against flat acting, huge explosions and frenetic editing.
How you describe it: A troubled love story set amidst a violent, long-running civil war. It’s like Captain Corelli's Mandolin, really.
Black Lightning
What it is: Russian youth saves lives and fights crime in a flying Volga. It’s like Batman Begins, if Batman Begins was freakin’ insane and filmed in Moscow.
How you describe it: After the sudden death of his father, a Russian teenager takes over the family business and strives to live up to his old man’s image. It’s a touching story about courage, responsibility and personal growth.
Gone in 60 Seconds
What it is: Car thieves rush to steal fifty cars in a week to appease a mob boss.
How you describe it: A young man struggles to prove himself to his older brother, who is the only father figure he’s ever had in his life.
Bullitt
What it is: The most boringly realistic crime film you’ve ever seen, redeemed solely by an epic car chase between Steve McQueen in a ’68 Mustang fastback and a black Dodge Charger.
How you describe it: Like American Gangster with Steve McQueen.
The Transporter
What it is: Jason Statham drives a black Audi and kicks the living crud out of hundreds upon hundreds of faceless henchmen.
How you describe it: It has Jason Statham in it, and he’s sometimes shirtless. Also, he’s British.
The Fast and the Furious
What it is: Paul Walker and Vin Diesel fight to see who can underact more while competing in increasingly dangerous street races.
How you describe: An undercover cop and a criminal with a heart of gold forge a special relationship through their mutual interests.
Seventeen years after the great Ayrton Senna died, the documentary about his life, aptly named 'Senna', was shown at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival last week and was met with critical acclaim. The work of British director Asif Kapadia and screenwriter and executive producer Manish Pandey, Senna tells the story of one of the greatest drivers who ever lived exclusively through archive footage.
That means that all the great racing sequences are there, showing incredible overtaking maneuvers, spectacular crashes and some of the greatest rivalries that Formula 1 has ever seen.
According to the LA Times, the documentary not only shows Senna’s incredibly competitive personality, but also his spiritual side.
“Though he drove like the devil, he was a spiritual person who believed deeply and profoundly in a higher power. A philosophical mystic with a jewel thief's nerves and a poet's sensitivity (and good looks), Senna was an altogether remarkable human being”, the review states.
The Brazilian pilot entered the world of racing driving karts and at the height of his career he won 33 races and three Formula 1 World Championships. Senna died aged 34 in a crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
The official trailer of the Senna documentary is available below.
fast five Stills,fast five Photos,fast five Images,fast five Pictures,fast and furious Sequel,fast five synopsis,fast five Pics,fast five Poster,fast five wallpaper,fast five trailer,fast five release date
In one of those trailers, we saw a large off-road-like vehicle playing the role of a monster truck on a white Alfa Romeo 156 and an older generation Renault Megane sedan. 
