If you’ve ever had an old vehicle get away from you, be it due to a stuck throttle or failing brakes, you know just how exciting the moment of realization that accompanies limited control can be. In our not-inconsiderable experience in this area, the mind clicks from denial to acceptance in a heartbeat before allowing you to come up with a solution. A group of old-metal-obsessed Hungarians have taken the time to craft a video detailing exactly what happens when a 1981 BMW 3 Series decides to get up and go all on its own.

The result is plenty of gravel-slinging E21 action in glorious slow-motion. The whole clip is well-shot, if not a little anti-climactic. We’re just glad no BMWs were harmed in the filming. Hit the jump to check out the brief video for yourself.

Continue reading A little story about a runaway BMW 3 Series

A little story about a runaway BMW 3 Series originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not too long ago, we caught the dramatic finish to the Targa High Country in Australia. The last stage of the event featured one very on fire Lamborghini Gallardo piloted by Jason and John White as the duo sped to the finish line. Why didn’t the team stop and put out the fire? For starters, White notes there were more fire extinguishers at the finish line than there were in the car. Additionally, the teammates beat out their closest competitor by just 10 seconds. That may be a lifetime on a track, but in targa, ten seconds can be come and go in an instant.

Now the Whites have released a video of the events that led up to the race’s dramatic conclusion. The short clip follows the team through the more dramatic moments of the 2011 Targa High Country, including multiple tight passes, wide open driving and tight, technical stages. Check it out after the jump.

Continue reading Watch the story of the flaming Lamborghini that won this year’s Targa High Country

Watch the story of the flaming Lamborghini that won this year’s Targa High Country originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Buick Grand National is a bona fide classic. Out of the emissions-strangled Seventies arose an engine that turned the plain G-body Buick into a fire-breather capable of running with exotics of its era. Pony cars were accustomed to viewing it from behind. Slathered in monochromatic black paint, the Grand National is one of few true legends to emerge from the beleaguered domestic auto industry during the 1980s. That’s why Andrew Filippone Jr’s “Black Air” documentary will be thrilling to anyone whose heart beats in some kind of firing order.

In many ways, the Grand National is the last gasp of the muscle car era that started nearly a generation before it. Built on the last rear-wheel drive General Motors intermediate platform, the A/G body, the chassis details of the Grand National weren’t vastly different than those underpinning Skylarks 10-15 years prior.

The Grand National’s engine, however, was a different story. Fuel injected, turbocharged and snorting out horsepower and torque numbers that shamed Corvettes, the Grand National’s 3.8-liter cast-iron fist hit the jaw of car enthusiast lore hard enough to establish itself as a force to be reckoned with. And that was before it was ushered off the showroom floor with one last gasp of ultimate awe, the GNX.

Filippone has taken the time to interview auto-journalism luminaries and insiders involved with the Grand National’s development to weave the enthralling story through firsthand accounts. People we’ve read, like Csaba Csere and Don Sherman feature in the story, as do Bill Porter, Tony Assenza and Martyn Schorr. Their well-rounded narrative further cements the the sinister black Buick’s historical importance.

Watch the trailer after the jump. You can follow Black Air on Twitter, and there’s also a Facebook page where you can keep up. Or try to, anyway.

Continue reading Black Air: The story of the Buick Grand National

Black Air: The story of the Buick Grand National originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 02 Oct 2011 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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