G4 TV - TheFeed - Cars

'GRID' Demo Gameplay

Thu, 08 May 2008 17:06:00 GMT

The makers of DIRT are back with a new game, GRID. This game is all about drifting and arcade style racing. I took the demo for a spin and put my drifting skills to the test (I failed).

Just to prove there are no hard feelings, I chose the PS3 demo over the Xbox 360 demo.

The full game will release on June 3, 2008 for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

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'Gran Turismo 5': Win a Spot in a Real Race

Tue, 06 May 2008 14:29:00 GMT

Think you're a great virtual driver in Gran Turismo? Put it to the test and you could win a spot in a real race.

Sony and Nissan will be holding an online tournament (Europe only) to find the best fake driver. The event will run 8 months and while details are currently scarce, the winner will get 4 months of real race training before they get to race in real life.

The GT Academy contest features the Nissan 350Z and the winner gets to drive one in a real 24-hour endurance race later this year in Dubai.

They should be warned, however, as real life does accurately model vehicle and bodily damage. Here's the first 15 minutes of GT5: Prologue.

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AutoBlog: GT Academy competition to put GT5 Prologue player in real race

World Flip a Bitch Contest -- Match 2

Fri, 02 May 2008 12:39:00 GMT

Remember the trailer for the GRID World Flip a Bitch Contest we brought you last month? Well our friends over at GTChannel.com have released matches one and two for your bitch-flipping enjoyment.

Match 2, featuring Formula D favorites Chris Forsberg and Daijiro Yoshihara is below. Dai absolutely KILLS it, as usual.

Be sure to check out GTChannel.com for more awesome car vids.

'Gran Turismo' Mastermind is Excellent Driver

Fri, 02 May 2008 09:07:00 GMT

Kazunori Yamauchi, the creator and mastermind behind the Gran Turismo series, is actually a really skilled driver. Check out the video above where he speeds around a track in the Nissan GT-R.

The Nissan GT-R features a navigation and car management system that Yamauchi and Polyphony Digital helped development. Hit the break for an interview with Nissan about their involvement with the car's nav design.

(via Kotaku)

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Tech Review: GPS Snitch

Thu, 01 May 2008 10:37:00 GMT

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We’re living in a tech obsessed world. To not be aware of the latest technology is to welcome ridicule from your friends and peers. Is that what you want? Keep checking back here for new tech reviews three times a week and save yourself from ridicule.

GPS Snitch

What You Need to Know

It uses GPS technology along with GSM cell networks to gather all the data like location and speed, so this means you have to be in GSM cell phone coverage
You can also "arm" the Snitch so it has motion detection or a perimeter alert, and it will send emails or text messages when it moves
Send commands via your cell phone like turning it on or arming it
Everything is easily laid out and all the most used features are really simple
You can set up schedules to track, continuously get locations and set up alerts for your cell phone
It saves all your previous locations and alerts
It's a fun gadget, but it's also a great car theft solution

Price

$400 plus $30 activation fee, plus a monthly fee which can be up to $25 a month
At the end of the day, you're gonna pay about $450 to start, and about $700 after the first year
At it's cheapest, LoJack is about $900 a year
The Snitch is cheaper, but it doesn't necessarily always have coverage, and it might not repel thieves.
It's expensive for a toy, but it's an excellent tool.
If you're looking for an anti-theft device that's portable and easy to use, buy this. You won't be disappointed

Are you a friend to the Earth? Then check out GCycle... it's G4's new initiative to try and get you to be a better person and recycle tech stuff!

Cars To be Powered By…Beer?

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:47:00 GMT

According to some rag called the New York Times, an inventor named Floyd S. Butterfield built the E-Fuel 100 MicroFueler, which combines sugar and yeast to ferment an alcoholic brew that distills into ethanol, which can be use to power automobiles.

Butterfield says that using these ingredients it should only cost about $1 per gallon to make this type of fuel (even cheaper when you put stale beer into the system since the fermentation is already done). But critics say that a gallon of the MicroFueler's ethanol produces only 12.5% of the carbon from a gallon of normal gasoline. And since sugar costs 20-cents per pound, and you need 10 to 14 pounds to make a gallon of ethanol, it ain’t exactly cheap. But it is good for the environment!

But who is this Floyd S. Butterfield, you wonder? Is he the Willy Wonka of our time…but with beer…?

Well, he happens to be the 1982 California winner for "best design of an ethanol still" so…er…yes, I guess he is indeed the Willy Wonka of our time...but with beer!

Oh, there’s one small catch…100% ethanol is illegal as an automotive fuel. But so is making chocolate out of small children…

Gizmodo.com: E-Fuel MicroFueler Turns Sugar, Stale Beer Into Gas For Your Ride

First 15 Minutes: 'Gran Turismo 5 Prologue'

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:24:00 GMT

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue has finally been released giving gamers a taste of what to expect from the full version of GT5 coming in 2009.

Here now is the first 15 minutes of the game including the full intro cinematic. Be sure to check out our interview with Nissan about the 2009 Nissan GT-R and its special navigation system developed in partnership with GT developers, Polyphony Digital.

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Video: Gran Turismo Vs. Thin Lizzy

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:52:00 GMT

Gran Turismo 5: Prologue and Thin Lizzy are together at last, baby.

Check it out:

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The game will be available tomorrow for the PS3.

Flip a Bitch World Contest

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:40:00 GMT

Our dear friends over at GT Channel have just released the trailer for their upcoming "GRID Match World Flip a Bitch Contest" film. Yes we have friends. People like us.

You'll recognize some of the drivers here from Formula D including Daijiro Yoshihara, Tanner Foust and Chris Forsberg.

Enjoy, and please remember that these brave men are professional bitch-flippers. Do not try this at home. Do it in an empty parking lot.

GTChannel.com: GRID MATCH - THE WORLD FLIP A BITCH CONTEST

'Gran Turismo 5' / Nissan GT-R Interview

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:30:00 GMT

Attack of the Show got a chance to check out the 2009 Nissan GT-R earlier this week, but we wanted to know more about the cars unique navigation system. Why?

Polyphony Digital, the makers of Gran Turismo actually helped design it. That's why. In return, Nissan helped Polyphony get the in-game GT-R running as close to real life as possible.

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Check it out and remember, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue releases next week in the US for $40 on Blu-Ray or download. Hit the jump for X-Play's preview.

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SEGA Closes 'Rally REVO' Studio

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:05:00 GMT

SEGA has hit the brakes on SEGA Racing Studio, the development house behind the recently released SEGA Rally REVO. The studio has officially been shut down.

This is most likely due to poor sales of Rally REVO.

We can only hope that this is how SEGA broke the news to the studio.

Next-Gen.biz: Confirmed: Sega Racing Studio Closes

'Carmageddon' Existed. Canceled.

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:11:00 GMT

Here's a bummer: An unnamed source has told Next Generation that a never-announced current-gen version of the classic car-smashing+pedestrian killing game Carmageddon is canceled.

The game was apparently a project at Full Auto developer Pseudo Interactive, a company that is closing its doors.

It's hard to be excited for a game and then mourn its passing in the same moment: We need a tissue. But the world is not without hope: Someone else could pick up this tragically un-exploited intellectual property and make a Carmageddon game.

next Generation: Source: New Carmageddon Killed Off

'Gran Turismo' Finally Getting Car Damage?

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:15:00 GMT

Looks like one of the biggest missing features from the Gran Turismo series might not be missing for GT5 Prologue and GT5.

In an interview with IGN, GT head honcho Kazunori Yamauchi hoped that "maybe by Fall we'll be able to implement [car deformation]".

The plan is to release the feature as a downloadable update to Prologue that will no doubt be included in the final release.

AWESOME!

IGN: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue gets Smashed

Robocar Rematch

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:19:00 GMT

The robotic cars from 2007’s DARPA Urban Grand Challenge autonomous car race will stage a rematch at the Toyota Grand Prix in Long Beach, Calif., later this month.

And this time it’s personal…

"Boss," a rugged, bold Chevy Tahoe from Carnegie Mellon University and winner of the $2 million Urban Grand Challenge, will compete yet again against "Junior," the affable robotic Volkswagen Passat from Stanford University that took second place. The two teams, which have a long, heated rivalry, will also face off against "Ben," a Toyota Prius from the University of Pennsylvania and Lehigh University with a heart of gold and penchant for love. Ben finished sixth in the urban challenge, but first in our hearts.

Although the Urban Challenge tested the robo-contestant's performance by speed and driving skills, in this year’s the Robotic Grand Prix the three teams will be judged by how fast they can drive one lap of the 1.97-mile track. Of course, they'll have to stay on the track.

The Robotic Grand Prix will take place on April 20 and will be part of the "Green Power Prix-View," which features futuristic alternative-energy vehicles.

News.com: Robotic cars take their rematch to the track

'GT5' A Year Away, $100 For "Full" Game?

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:28:00 GMT

Gran Turismo 5: Prologue is set to release in the US on April 15 and will run you $40. It should serve as a holdover, but it was revealed that the final, full version of GT5 is still over a year away.

Now, Prologue is better than nothing, but that means we'll end up shelling out $100 for the entire GT5 experience.

TechConsumer notes that this could unfortunately lead to a trend of developers releasing partial versions of their games while they work to finish it up.

Let's take a look at this.

How do you feel about paying $40 for a preview of a game that won't be out for another year? Think about this in a general way.

It's decently suited for a game like Gran Turismo because the full version just adds cars, tracks, and other features. Imagine Rockstar releasing Grand Theft Auto IV: Prologue a year before the game comes out. It let's you check out the engine (which might not even be finished) and play the first 10 missions or so.

Would that be a good thing? We realize that something like that probably won't happen, but it's basically what Sony is doing with GT5.

Multiplayer betas are different. Those are useful (and sell copies of Crackdown) for hammering out problems so things work on release day. This is a great way to preview your product before it's ready to ship as well as get useful data on your game.

Would you pay for multiplayer betas? How about if they are bundled with another game like Halo 3/Crackdown? Part of a pre-order bonus like Battlefield: Bad Company or Metal Gear Online?

Leave your comments and we'll read them, honest.

TechConsumer: The $100 PS3 Game: Gran Turismo 5

Two 'Gran Turismo 5 Prologue' Vids

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:16:00 GMT

These two videos for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue for the PS3 are guaranteed to transport you to a wonderful fantasy world where you can blast Weezer and Mars Volta from your quarter-million-dollar race car while blasting through exotic locales.

The game comes out on April 15th, but until then, watch the videos, but make sure to turn the speakers down if your boss walks by your cubicle.

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Chrysler Giving In-Car Web Access

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:44:00 GMT

Chrysler will begin offering in-car web access by the end of 2008 in their new car models. By using cell phone technology, they will be able to make the car stereo a roaming wi-fi port, and you will be able to get a wireless signal on the road. It will be available as a dealer add-on later this year, and then as a factory option going forward.

Other auto makers, such as Ford, will be doing the same, beginning in 2009, so you can look forward to reading TheFeed on long trips in your car from now on. Won't that be great? We're with you...always.

Autoblog: Chrysler offering in-car web access later this year

BMW Outperforms Prius in Mileage

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:22:00 GMT

The London Times recently carried out a test pitting the BMW 520d up against the Toyota Prius in gas mileage. The Beamer, which features regenerative breaking and a conventional diesel engine, beat out the Prius by 1.8 mpg over the 460 mile trip from London to Geneva even though they added a little 100 mile city jaunt through traffic to make things a little closer.

To be fair, the Prius' strengths don't lie in highway mileage but it is still somewhat of a victory for people who want to clutch to their conventional fuel-burning powermachines.

autoblog.com: BMW 520d beats Prius in gas mileage

Wanna Win $10 Million? Get to Science-ing

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:29:00 GMT

The X Prize Foundation, which is best known for putting up a stack of change for the team that manages to send a passenger rocket into space, is throwing a contest for a super efficient car.

The contest will take place in 2009 and the competing cars will drive across the US and be scored on fuel efficiency, speed, distance, and more.

More than 60 teams have already signed up and hopefully this will result in a working car that will be mega efficient. Concept cars need not apply.

CNet: X Prize dangles $10 million for fuel-sipping car

New 'Gran Turismo 5: Prologue' Screens

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:48:00 GMT

This gallery of shots lovingly details the awesome-osity of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue's F1 car.

Here's more info for you, and the game's trailer is below. It's for the PS3 and comes out in the middle of May.

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