BlendLines

BimmerWorld's James Clay @ Watkins Glen

2012-08-30T01:00:00.000-04:00

Oh! So ya say you wanted more in-car action?

Watkins Glen is a kickass track, and it is absolute nirvana watching James Clay push that little 3 series to it's limit. Impressive is how fast those little MX-5's are... Much Miata love here at BlendLines....

Porsche (GT3) RS 4.0 - Fastest lap at Laguna Seca

2012-08-29T12:38:00.000-04:00

A quick disclaimer about this "blog": We don't "blog" how "they" say we should. We really don't care. Either you enjoy the videos we find, or you've already seen them and don't care. Ultimately, this site is a homage to people who enjoy racing and track days as much as we do.
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You may not find a 1:33.1 lap of Laguna Seca interesting. We do. You may not be interested in the plethora of in-car videos so rampant on this site. We are. You see, BlendLines.com is not meant for the latest racing news. that's what the info in the borders are for. BlendLines is about finding other like-minded track addicts; mostly to show the world that we are not that crazy. That life and racing can be blended together into one purpose.

Like a good friend once told me: "Racing is life, everything else is just waiting..."
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Birth of another RWB 911

2012-08-10T12:49:00.000-04:00

The Porsche purists will probably want my head after I make this statement.

I think the RWB style is awesome.

Why?

Well I'll tell you after the jump....

Because the 911 chassis is so versatile. It can be used as a race car. It can be a boulevard cruiser. It can be a tuner platform. It can be a show car. And it never loses it's awesomeness in either form.

Because one has to admire the time, effort, and creativity employed to build a RWB 911. The flares. The offset. The wing. The sound.

Because canards and dive planes.

Because in a world where everyone gawks at the latest and greatest technology available in cars, RWB (and other styles like it) celebrate simplicity in design; purpose built to thrash. The beauty of manual gearboxes and even more, the joy of manual steering.

The theory that less really is more.

Enjoy the clip.

The Obligatory Gymkhana 5 Post

2012-07-25T06:55:00.001-04:00

I'm so sick of everyone bashing Ken Block.

After watching how can you say that you are not entertained?

And that's what this is all about , by the way. Entertainment. Every race. Every performance car. Every drifting car in every commercial ever made. Entertainment.
If you feel you can judge Block on his WRC performance, let's see what your WRC stats are. Want to berate him on his choice of music for the closing sequence of his vids? We can compare it to your million-dollar production. Care to make comments on his RallyCross results? Funny, I didn't see you on the grid either.
Bottom line is: If you can't compete or challenge him in his chosen sport; shut the hell up and enjoy the video.
I know I did...
Well done Ken, your true fans will always respect your dedication, originality, and most of all - your deranged driving style!
Blend on!!!
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BMW M5 - "Bullet" - High Performance Art

2012-06-23T18:19:00.000-04:00

I'm a sucker for awesome car commercials. BMW never dissapoints with the latest spot featuring the M5. Especially since it seems to be done without any CGI whatsoever. Just good old staging and high speed super slow-motion camera work. Oh, and doesn't hurt to have one of the fastest production sedans as the star.
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And if it's CGI you prefer, you can also get that from BMW. Still an impressive concept, but obviously too risky or illegal to ever attempt.

So, you tell me - CGI or not?

See? It's not just me who aims for Toyota Hybrids...

2012-06-18T18:20:00.000-04:00

I confess. I'm that guy. If your driving a Prius, and if you have been almost run off the road, that was probably me.

So as much as I hate that it's always a Ferrari driver doing something stupid on a racetrack (or the street), at least he took a page from my book and speared a Toyota Hybrid in the process.

Luckily both drivers will be OK. The cars? Not so much. True testament to the inherent safety engineered in modern race cars. But all that safety still doesn't fix asshat driving. So when a Ferrari pilot wants to sideswipe you, he's gonna sideswipe you.

Mirrors? What are those?

Watch the clip and you tell me if that was "avoidable contact" or just a "racing incident".

And before you send me hate mail or call the authorities, I was only kidding about running Prius' off the road.

Or was I?

2012 LeMans 24 Spotter's Guide

2012-06-16T10:37:00.000-04:00

Yeah I know it's late. I'm sure you found this somewhere else on the web already. But I wanted it on the blog. Like I said earlier, this blog is for ME! If you happen to like it too, all the better...

Special thanks to simraceway.com for the guides! Also on their site is some great info regarding the 24 and other versions of the guide (PDF, JPEG) for your enjoyment. Check out their site!!!

BlendLines - What's it all mean?

2012-06-15T17:47:00.001-04:00

So when I decided to start this blog, my primary focus was to amass all my favorite vids, pics, and links in one place. Mostly for me to be able to store and stockpile motorsport related items, and be able to call upon them at once in a centralized location. It soon evolved to commentary on these items, but never went any further than that.

Fast forward a few months, and someone suggested (detrimentally) to put some ads on it to generate income. At that point, I have to admit, that the BlendLines motto was compromised.

So what was our motto? The goal was to showcase how everyday guys and gals, like us, could juggle the demands of family, work, and an active motorsports lifestyle into a well-rounded, evenly distributed existence.

But we lost our way. We got sucked in to the demands of day jobs. Family commitments took precedents over posting a cool vid. Actual track days and the vehicle maintenance that is required for that ate up time that would normally be spent typing away, scouring the Internet for material. Then other social media outlets like Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter monopolize the already strained ADD mind of a car guy like me. What I am left with is a page with very little or questionable content, a draft pile 2 pages long, and an overwhelming urge scrap the whole thing.

But no. Not me. When all the would-be contributors flake out, it ultimately falls on the blog creator to carry on. The show must go on.

So over the next few weeks, you will notice a revamp of the site, and content will shift as well. Gone will be irrelevant, pointless ads just for the sake of revenue. You'll see more relevant info, and maybe even some more sarcastic commentary of Internet finds related to motorsports. Tips on trailering, trackdays, and vehicle maintenance is also planned.

And I am also on the lookout for contributors. As you can determine from reading the few posts on this blog, literary prowess is not a prerequisite. Just passionate people who want to put a BlendLines.com sticker on their ride and say they are a part of something. Part of a culture of enthusiasts who blend family, work, and cars into one flowing lap of life.

Being a motorsports junkie always helps!

Email us! BlendLines@gmail.com

Audi RS4 Avant, yet another unicorn in the USA...

2012-05-23T22:28:00.002-04:00

It probably isn't a mystery at this point that I am a wagon fan. More room than a coupe, more sporty than an SUV. Maybe not as "cool" as a convertible, but definitely "cooler" than a sedan (in my humble opinion).Throw in a mighty Audi 4.2 liter V8 and you have something that could be considered perfection.

If that is of course 450 hp @ 8,250 RPM in a car that can haul ass and groceries interests you in the least.

But there is a catch, always a catch... No third pedal option. At all. Hopefully a 7 speed paddle flapper will excite you or it's no joy buddy. It's just the way of the future I guess. Get used to it. Us gear-rowers are no longer a large part of the market, and soon these manufacturers will see no need to ever produce manuals at all.

I guess it doesn't matter to us here stateside though. 'Cause we ain't ever gonna see one o' deez. We won't have the chance to be mad about the auto-only policy of Ze Germans. That's right, Audi won't be offering this under 5 second-to-60, 174 MPH family missle to us Americans.

We are not worthy I guess.

So for now, drool-on at some driving footage, with some sexy exhaust note too, happily un-molested by any type of soundtrack.

Pure. Wagon. Love.

Sorry, I mean AVANT...

As if we needed another great RSR to lust after...

2012-04-26T20:36:00.002-04:00

And lust is the right word. It seems there is no other car that moves my desire meter as much as a classic 911 RSR.

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I can be offered a brand new (insert car here) and still want - no, NEED to get an old 911. Flared out or original. Rusty or shiny. Modified or bone stock. There really is no substitute.

So when I see another great video from MPZ Race Video on YouTube containing the above mentioned Stuttgart-born sex on wheels; you could imagine my joy. Add in a healthy dosage of in-car camera, pure Porsche sound, and a little after-fire from those symphonic pipes, and you have what possibly could be the greatest hillclimb video ever...

Enjoy this as much as I did...

Check out the owner's garage... if you can read it that is...

The Audi R8 GT - Made for the masses?

2012-04-14T17:28:00.000-04:00

The R8 GT. 560 HP of Audi Quattro goodness. A tremendously capable out-of-the-box race car from a brand with a storied motorsports pedigree. So why do I think it's for the masses?

Audi has spent so much time. money and effort to make their models more appealing to the general public. Instead of the quirky, cult following it had generated in the 80's and 90's - now the mainstream "it" car of the 21st century. This has translated in the R8 GT as two items I cannot live with. NOT available with a 3rd pedal and IS available in a Spyder.

Producing a "purpose built" track weapon and not offering the car in a stick irks me to my core. Sure, I understand that performance slushboxes like DSG,S-tronic, R-tronic, PDK, DSG, E-gear, etc.. are the way of the future, but nothing can replace the visceral feeling of a properly executed heel-toe shift, or the deftness of footwork required to left foot brake while still knowing that left foot has clutch responsibilities in less than 4 seconds as you accelerate to your track out. Automatics are just so... I don't know... automatic?

Randy Pobst recently had some choice words to say about the GT's handling. Appeasing the lawyers by inducing understeer is as dissapointing as my next point. Check out the clip below and read the article here.

Next on the revolt-o-meter is the fact that this "track-ready" R8 is ALSO available in a Spyder.

WHY?

Clearly a marketing move, proving that Audi has left the enthusiasts' side, and are slaves to the marketing machine. And before you let loose on the hate comments, I understand that at the end of the day Audi (or any other manufacturer) needs to build vehicles that people will buy, and that most "enthusiasts" don't have the means to purchase a $200k sportscar and are not their primary focus. I get it. But for a car company with such a supposed dedication to racing and purpose, it's quite a departure from their core...

Just my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions...

Porsche 911, a Legacy...

2012-03-30T10:25:00.001-04:00

Very few cars can stir the soul like a 911.

Maybe because of it's performance. Maybe because of it's sound. Some will say it's because of it's looks.

I say it's because of it's legacy.

To a car who's general shape, purpose, premise and spirit has remained unchanged for the last 50 years; we salute you!

Nissan DeltaWing In-Car Video

2012-03-28T19:52:00.000-04:00

Why We Practice (BMW M3 GS Pit Stop Practice)

2012-03-26T10:37:00.001-04:00

Build your own time machine...

2012-03-22T22:46:00.000-04:00

Okay, so maybe it doesn't actually travel thru time. But it does fly, and that is just cool enough for me to be mesmerized.

In case you haven't noticed; we at BlendLines love cars. We also love any movie about cars. We also have MUCH love for other car/movie nuts who take their passion to the next level. And when I mean next level, I mean 3 or 4 stories of level.

If any readers out there read Russian, please get me some more info on these maniacs!

http://forum.rcdesign.ru/f123/thread250976.html

More Grassroots Drifting

2012-03-19T23:58:00.001-04:00

Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GTE

2012-03-15T14:55:00.002-04:00

I don't get much exposure to FIA World Endurance Championship racing.

But after watching this clip I wish I did. But there really isn't any coverage on TV here in the US so I'm open to suggestions on how to solve this.

What would you do?

Walter Rohrl - Master of the Audi Quattro

2012-03-14T23:56:00.001-04:00

I just can't get enough of Walter Rohrl behind the wheel.

Couple him with an Audi S1 and it's pure driving nirvana.

That particular vehicle's exhaust note is something special.

Most definitely in my top-ten sounding cars list...

And if that wasn't enough... here's a video I found long ago and probably posted once before.
Or maybe even twice.
Turbocharged Quattro pure sound porn at it's finest.
Enjoy!!!

Money can't buy brains...

2012-02-20T00:07:00.001-05:00

Just goes to show you, most people who have the means to purchase high-performance vehicles usually don't have the skill or experience to operate them.

No one was seriously hurt in any of these clips, unless of course you consider the emotional damage and bruised egos. Imagine spending a nice chunk of change to get yourself a potent sportscar and instead of upping your street cred, it only enables you to display what a fool you originally were.

C'est la vie when you have more dollars than sense...

Nasty Winter Blending Formula

2012-02-19T12:25:00.000-05:00

When someone says "Nordscheife" the last thing think of is snow. Unless of course your Andy Gulden. Then you think ice. And snow tires. And an open Formula car?

Nice job blending open cockpit, arctic driving conditions and downforce. Now we can name it the "White Hell".

Well for at least a few months out of the year anyway...

More Reverse Entry Drifting...

2012-01-18T11:09:00.000-05:00

There is no sicker angle than coming in backwards. Entering a drift with that kind of speed and backwards displays many things. Skill, experience, and most of all - balls.

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What's a Point-By Anyway?

2012-01-04T07:58:00.001-05:00

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2011 - Ford Transit Trophy

2012-01-03T12:17:00.001-05:00

In our never-ending effort to bring you all things motorsport, here is some racing ridiculousness that can't be ignored. That's right racefans- parts truck racing.

M3 Supercharger Installation Time Lapse

2012-01-02T01:41:00.001-05:00

Don't think that after watching this video you'll be able to install your own supercharger on your E92.

Unless of course you already had the tools, experience, knowledge and step-by-step instructions prior to the video.

Then you're probably OK.

Probably.

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King Of Europe Drag, Brasov, Romania

2012-01-01T00:10:00.001-05:00