Watch this real-life Transformer turn into a car and drive

We're sure this human-size Transformer would say that he does it for the kids, but somehow we think there's just as much adult-spec geeking out for anyone so in love with Transformers that they would be willing to build a costume and walk around wearing it in public. And, if we're honest, we ourselves are just geeky enough that we'd probably do it, too. For the kids, of course.

Check out this real-life Transformer street performer from Ann Arbor, Michigan convert from a walking and talking robot into a bright yellow Hummer/Cadillac thing that's actually capable of moving under its own power in the video below. After all, it's significantly more entertaining than the last couple Transformers films you probably saw in theaters...

 

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Porsche resurrects V8-powered 911 prototype from the Eighties

These days, we take it for granted that the Porsche 911 uses a flat-six engine. That's because every version of the iconic rear-engined sports car has had one. Right? Well, for the most part. There was the 912 that joined the original in the late Sixties with a flat-four. And in the mid-Eighties, Porsche toyed around with the idea of a V8-powered 911.

After the first-generation 911 had been in production for over two decades, Porsche began development of its successor, the 964, in the 1980s. And one of its ideas was to use a V8 engine. So it took a 964, borrowed a V8 from Audi, gave it the rear bodywork from a 959 and dubbed it the 965.

The idea was to create a more affordable successor to the 959 that included its advanced all-wheel drive system and active suspension. The Audi V8 would have been replaced with one of Porsche's own design - possibly based on the it had built for Indy racing - but Dr. Ulrich Bez (who was then head of Porsche R&D long before taking the reins at Aston Martin) ultimately killed the project.


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How to break into your crapcan with a piece of string

Being locked out of your car is just as much a universal language as music, love and drunkenness. That's why this video from what appears to be Russia, featuring a Lada, can be immediately understood even though no one in it speaks a lick of English. The protagonist in the clip, showing off a skillset that would make MacGuyver say "Dayum," opens a locked car door with nothing more than a piece of string.

Yes, you'll note that in order for this to work you'll need to have a car with truly crappy door seals and locks that are at least 20 years old, or a Lada; or as one commenter quipped, "I'll have to remember this trick if I ever go back to the 80's."
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Watch Porsche legend Jeff Zwart frolic in the snow in his 356

Racing driver Jeff Zwart picked up a 1953 Porsche 356 Pre A to use as a historical prop in a Cayenne commercial, then decided to keep it when the filming was done. Then, explaining to filmmaker Will Roegge that his vintage toy does really well in slippery conditions, Zwart throws it around in the Colorado snow - on pencil-thin studded tires on 16-inch wheels - to prove the point.

Don't expect roostertails in this winter wonderland video, however; with just about 60 horsepower at sea level, gumption drops to about 40 hp when playing at 9,000 mountainous feet.
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Turbocharger tweak responsible for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 dominance? [w/videos]

The image above is a screenshot from a Mercedes-Benz video illustrating the workings of the power unit in its current Formula One challenger, the F1 W05. We're looking at the back of the engine, the exhaust-driven turbocharger in the foreground connected to the compressor via a fluted tube that is the heat-based energy recovery system, the ERS-H, that can be used to power the turbo. Except this isn't what the engine looks like.

As first discussed in a video by F1 technical blogger Craig Scarborough, then further explained in a video by Sky Sports, perhaps the single biggest development in the Mercedes power unit is that the turbocharger and the compressor sit on opposite sides of the engine; the turbo still sits at the back, but the compressor is at the front of the 1.6-liter V6 and the two are connected by a long shaft that runs through the engine's vee. Locating the compressor away from the turbo allows cooler, denser air to enter the engine, providing more power, and shortens the length of ducting necessary to get the air from the compressor through the intercooler and into the cylinders, meaning less turbo lag. The Sky report also suggests the arrangement lowers the temperature at the rear of the car, meaning the gearbox can be moved closer to the engine to improve balance, and has other benefits such as allowing smaller sidepods and more efficient use of the ERS-H.

Scarborough tweeted a line drawing of the concept, and someone else managed to snap a photo of the slightly obscured compressor on an actual engine. If the images from Ferrari and Renault Sport are to be believed then neither uses the same layout, even though the Magneti Marelli turbo that Ferrari uses did, at one time, place the ERS-H unit between the turbo and the compressor. There is certainly more to Mercedes AMG Petronas dominance than this one trick, but if it's a major contributor then the competition will have to find another way to challenge it: the engines are homologated for the year.


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Brits recreate iconic Bullitt chase scene

Recreating the famous chase scene from Bullitt has become almost an art form in its own right. We've seen it done in a music video, with scale models and even in commercials. There are few films that are as defined by a single scene as the 1968 classic. Even if you don't know a single beat of the plot, the Highland Green Ford Mustang racing a Dodge Charger through the hilly streets of San Francisco is famous. It's so well known that the Silverstone Classic has created a homage to promote its celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Mustang at this year's event in July.

Filmed around the famous UK circuit, the short film generally gets the key points of the scene right. It even has a green Volkswagen Beetle that keeps reappearing, as in the movie. Unfortunately, its Steve McQueen stand-in looks a little too old for the role. While the video shortens the chase considerably, it's still great to see these '60s behemoths leaning and sliding around the track.

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Mike Ryan drifts a 200,000-pound dump truck

Some vehicles are better suited for drifting than others. Light weight, rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission make for a good hoonage platform, but that doesn't mean you couldn't get an all-wheel drive, automatic family sedan like, say, my mom's Passat into a four-wheel drift (which this writer definitely did not attempt back in college). But what about a 200,000-pound dump truck built for mining? That's what one tech company set out to do in this promo clip.

Seeking to align itself with the notions of "scale" and "agility," data protection firm EMC took a Caterpillar 789 dump truck - a piece of mining equipment with a 78-liter V16 diesel engine, a 200-ton payload capacity and around 2,000 horsepower on tap - out to a slab of concrete in Kentucky coal-mining country and set up a little slalom course with some data servers, a fish tank and a cluster of sports cars including a BMW M1, a classic Corvette and what we hope is a replica Shelby Cobra. Then they put Mike Ryan up the ladder and behind the wheel.

Now for those unfamiliar with Mike Ryan's exploits, what you need to know is that he's probably one of the best stunt drivers ever to steer a semi truck. He's drifted 'em Gymkhana-style, jumped 'em over mind-blowing ramps and raced them up Mt. Washington and Pikes Peak. So if there's anyone who could drift a 200,000-pound truck that's designed to scale open-pit mines, surely he's the man for the job.
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