Russia auto news

Video: Watch this Audi transform into a moving picture show

Though we still can't explain the technology, we're becoming big fans of projection mapping, as can also be seen in this video that has also been featured on these pages.

From what we can gather, a Russian marketing team called Radugadesign was behind this production, and we can only assume that a lot of hard work and some sinister numbers crunching from a swath of powerful computers and graphics cards went into its making.

As to why this presentation existed in the first place, we have no idea... other than some vague notion that it was produced for Marlboro. Yes, we're assuming it's the cigarette company. What Marlboro has to do with an Audi sedan, we won't even attempt to explain.

In any case, we suggest you see the results for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Watch this Audi transform into a moving picture show

Official: Lada gears up for racing campaign with new Granta Sport

Lada? Racing? We've got to be kidding, right? Only we're not. While the Russian automaker may not have the motorsport pedigree of, say, Ferrari or Porsche, there's reason enough to believe it's getting serious.

One reason is its new corporate cousins at the Renault-Nissan Alliance, which owns part of Lada's parent company AvtoVaz and which never fails to get each of its divisions - from Renault in Formula One to Nissan in GT racing to Dacia in the Andros Trophy - on the track. Another is its history, however limited it may be, of competition in the World Touring Car Championship. Lada was contesting the WTCC just a couple of years ago, and in announcing the arrival of the new Granta, confirmed that it would be making a comeback. And this is the car with which it'll do it.

Called the Granta Sport, this adaptable racer will form the basis for a number of racing categories. One is the WTCC, which Lada will contest this year at two rounds (Hungary and Portugal) with an eye towards expanding to a full-season challenge in 2013. Another is the Granta Cup, a one-make racing series which Lada will field in Russia. Finally, an S2000-compliant version is reportedly in the works that would let privateer teams enter the Granta Sport in any of a number of racing series around the world.

Aside from the 1995 Chrysler Sebring coupe calling to ask for its fake plastic grille back, few details are available as to the Granta Sport's technical specifications, but we have the distinct feeling that Renaultsport has had a hand in its development. One way or another, you can scope out the high-res images in the gallery for a closer look.

Official: Lada steps out of the Cold (War Era) with new Granta budget sedan

It's not every day that Lada comes out with a new car. In fact, the Samara - which the model you see here is set to replace - has been on the market pretty much unchanged since 1997. (And that's not even their oldest model: the Niva 4x4 has been out there since 1977.) So the launch of the new Granta is a bit of an occasion for the Russian automaker and its parent company, AvtoVaz.

Based on the Kalina hatchback, the new Granta sedan is about as bare-bones as they come. For the equivalent of about $7,500, buyers born under Soviet rule get steel wheels, manual windows and... little else. A higher trim level with power steering, locks and windows, plus a stereo and ABS, goes for about $8,500. GPS, stability control and side-curtain airbags are options. Either way, it's got an old-school eight-valve 1.6-liter four that drives the front wheels through a five-speed manual, though a 16-valve 1.4-liter is on its way.

A competition version is also set to take on the World Touring Car Championship. You might be inclined to laugh, but if a Dacia can take on the Andros Trophy and Pikes Peak....

Video: Watch Fifth Gear drive across England in a brand-new Lada Niva

If you happen to have a soft spot for ugly, inexpensive four-wheel-drive machines that can outperform substantially newer and more expensive vehicles, don't watch the video after the jump.

If you choose not to heed our guidance, you may just find yourself desperately searching for a way to get your hands on a Lada Niva. Fifth Gear recently undertook a unique challenge. While the Niva hasn't been sold new in the UK for years, specialty importers can still slide one your way for a small fee and a smile. The whole kit will set buyers back around £11,000, or about $17,00 at current conversion rates.

That makes the Niva the cheapest four-wheel drive on the UK market right now. But is it worth it? Fifth Gear took to the network of unpaved roads that envelope the UK countryside in a bid to crawl their way across the island by spending as little time as possible on paved roads. How did the plucky little Soviet-era machine do? Hit the jump to find out. Just remember: we warned you.

Continue reading Watch Fifth Gear drive across England in a brand-new Lada Niva

Official: Ural takes a giant step back with M70 Anniversary Edition

Ural, the Russian motorcycle company that specializes in sidecars, has never been known for groundbreaking designs that blaze a trail through electronic gadgetry or super lightweight composites on the way to the most technologically advanced motorcycles possible.

Instead, the heavyweight iron steeds that roll out of the factory in Irbit near Siberia (out of the range of the bombs of Nazi Germany) trade things like fuel injection and ABS brakes for shovels and machine gun mounts. Seriously.

The latest machine from Ural looks as far back into the past as the Russian sidecar industry can go, harking all the way to 1942 when the first M72 motorcycles were sent into the Battle of Stalingrad based on designs for the German BMW R71, which had been superseded by the R75 in 1941. A total of 9,799 M72 motorcycles were produced by Ural for military use.

The new 2012 Ural M70 Anniversary Edition celebrates 70 years of history with two distinct models; one with a sidecar for $14,200 and one solo for $9,150. Both come painted in a perfect shade of olive drab, and there's a canvas tonneau cover, spare wheel and tire and shovel on the sidecar. And yes, there's also that machine gun mount.

Ural based the M70 on its Retro model with 18-inch aluminum rims, 40mm Marzochhi telescopic forks, Sachs rear shocks and a Brembo front disc brake. The frame boasts a longer wheelbase than other Ural models and sits closer to the ground, making it the fastest and best-handling model available. We especially like the teardrop gas tank fitted with a throwback Ural badge.

Read all about the M70 after the break, but not before getting an eyeful of its old-school design in our high-res image gallery.

Continue reading Ural takes a giant step back with M70 Anniversary Edition

Video: Russian tuner squeezes 1,000 horsepower into a Fiat Coupe

You may remember a fun little hatchback called the Fiat Panda 100HP. All it took was a hundred horsepower to turn a ho-hum supermini into what European editors knew and loved as one of their favorite driving machines. That was a little overshadowed by the Fiat 500 that offers the same powertrain, if not all the same fun, but the Panda put things into perspective. Especially considering now how one tuner has taken an earlier Fiat Coupe and squeezed a whopping 1,000 horsepower out of it. That's ten times as much.

So how'd they do it? Well, for starters they scrapped the stock engine and shoehorned in the twin-turbo V6 from the Mitsubishi 300GT VR-4. Advanced though it was for its time, with its 24 valves and dual overhead cams, the Diamond Star engine never produced more than 300 horsepower in stock form. So the tuner performed some undisclosed magic on it and boosted the output up over three times its stock figure.

While they were at it, they also squeezed the Mitsu's advanced all-wheel-drive, four-wheel-steering system in there. Because as bonkers as 1,000 horsepower is by any account, trying to keep that much twist on the straight and narrow when it's just driving the front wheels would be a nightmare. This, on the other hand, is clearly someone's dream come true. Check it out in the trio of videos after the jump.

Continue reading Russian tuner squeezes 1,000 horsepower into a Fiat Coupe

Video: How to start a car with a dead battery without jumper cables

Here's a handy trick: Say you find yourself in the middle of nowhere with a dead battery and no way to roll-start your vehicle. What do you do? If you happen to have enough rope lying around (or belts, for that matter), you can conceivably lift the drive axles, wrap the rope around a tire and pull with all of your might with the transmission in gear and the ignition on. The motion should be enough to turn the engine over and start the combustion cycle.

Of course, it's worth noting that the vehicle needs to be properly supported during this whole endeavor, or you could wind up with a runaway hulk in a hurry. Fortunately, the enterprising youths in the video after the jump had their derelict ride well secured before pulling the old rope trick.

We should mention a few safety precautions here. First, make well sure that you can release the rope as soon as the engine fires, or you'll quickly be introduced to the front fender well. Second, don't waste your effort on an automatic. There isn't a power in the 'verse that can cause a slusher to turn over its engine. Finally, be warned that it's going to take a significantly larger amount of effort (thanks, compression!) for any vehicle with more than four cylinders. Check out the video after the jump to see the trick in action.

Continue reading How to start a car with a dead battery without jumper cables

Video: How to use a BMW 5 Series as a cord winder

Conventional wisdom dictates that if you set out to make a MacGyver video to post on YouTube, you must have a roll of duct tape. Or a pack of chewing gum. At the very least, a pocket knife.

We're not sure if these Russian guys had any of the aforementioned items - heck, we're not even sure if they're Russian - but they did have an E34 BMW 5 Series. Which is exactly the car we'd choose for a winter expedition flying giant kites. Or whatever it was they were doing with several hundred feet of spooled nylon cord. Follow the jump to watch the brief video clip.

Continue reading How to use a BMW 5 Series as a cord winder

Report: Nissan moves on plans to revive Datsun nameplate as budget sub-brand

Plans are reportedly progressing to bring back Datsun. Wait, what? Wasn't Datsun just the name of Nissan before it became Nissan? Why yes, yes it was. But the Japanese automaker is - as we initially reported back in July - planning on dipping back into its own history to launch a budget brand for developing markets.

The sub-brand would further increase the number of marques in CEO Carlos Ghosn's portfolio that already includes Renault, Dacia, Nissan, Infiniti, Renault-Samsung Motors and a significant stake in Russia's AvtoVAZ.

As Auto Express points out, the Renault-Nissan Alliance already has a budget brand called Dacia (pictured above) that's managed by the French side of the equation and based in Romania. (You may recognize the name from the brand's off-road racing exploits in the Andros Trophy or Pikes Peak, or from James May's obsession with the brand's sensible vehicles on Top Gear.) Nissan's revived Datsun nameplate may, then, amount to little more than rebadged versions of Dacias for markets like Russia and China.

Whatever they sell and wherever they sell them, one thing's all but certain: Datsun won't be coming back to the United States any time soon. Oh well, we'll just have to stick with Nissan and vehicles like the 370Z and GT-R.

Video: Band on the run rocks Russia's freeways with crazy motorcycle

The desire to listen to tunes on the road has led to all sorts of innovations. It's where Motorola got its start, it's where eight-tracks lived and died, it was the impetus for the invention of satellite radio... But this, this is something new.

Evidently tired of playing in their parents' garage, a teenage band in Russia has hit the road. But instead of a beat-up old jalopy or a tour bus, they strapped their gear to a motorbike and what looks like a purpose-built side-car and hit the open road. And played while in motion. Not exactly the kind of behavior we'd encourage of our youth - especially not without helmets - but highly entertaining just the same. Follow the jump to watch the brief video clip.

Continue reading Band on the run rocks Russia's freeways with crazy motorcycle