Video

The official videographer of the Internet Car and Truck jury is Roosevelt Gist of AutoNetwork.com. It’s not a real press event unless Roosevelt is there with a video camera pressed to his right eye. Follow him through a walkaround of the Mini Clubman with a Mini product manager.

What’s especially good about this presentation is you can hear auto journalists asking questions about the product while the camera is rolling. It’s unedited comments that you won’t get at most websites.

Also, if you go to AutoNetwork.com, you can also see the manufacturer’s presentations for all the cars and trucks Roosevelt videotapes. That’s an added bonus you can’t find anywhere else that we’re aware of.

Thanks Roosevelt!

Ultimate 911 extracts 620 ultra-efficient, twin-turbocharged horsepower from 3.6 liters; dramatically improved power-to-weight ratio and increased fuel economy

ATLANTA – May 12, 2010 – The time: seven minutes, 18 seconds on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. The power: 620 hp. The weight: 3,020 lb (1,370 kilograms) in road trim with all fluids on board. The car: the new 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS.

90 More Horsepower, 154 lbs Less Filling

The latest 911 is the fastest and most powerful road-going sports car ever built in the history of Porsche. With horsepower (hp) up by 90 and weight down by 154 lbs (70 kilograms) in comparison with the previous 911 GT2, the new 911 GT2 RS has a power-to-weight ratio of just 4.9 lbs (2.21 kg) per horsepower, by far the best power/weight ratio in its class. These are the ideal ingredients for an ultra-high-performance sports car with supreme agility and truly blistering performance on the road. Perfectly illustrating Porsche Intelligent Performance, the 2011 GT2 RS achieves a reduction of approximately 5 percent for both fuel consumption and CO2 emission reduction when compared with the previous 911 GT2.

The 3.6 liter six-cylinder boxer engine features two variable turbine geometry turbochargers and provides power to the rear wheels exclusively through a six-speed manual gearbox. Equally impressive stopping power comes from Porsche Composite Ceramic Brakes (PCCB).

Unique Tires, One of a Kind Performance

New tires were specifically developed for the 911 GT2 RS and measure 245/35 ZR 19 at the front and 325/30 ZR 19 at the rear, delivering cornering performance to match the straight-line speed. Extreme cornering dynamics are ensured by the setup of the springs, Porsche Adaptive Suspension Management (PASM), unique anti-roll bars, specific engine mounts and recalibrated Porsche Stability Management (PSM), whose stability and traction control functions can be switched off individually.

The combined effect of these developments is evident on the racetrack. In fact, the ultimate 911 accelerates from 0-60 in 3.4 seconds, boasts a top-track speed of 205 mph and laps the famed Nürburgring-Nordschleife racetrack in just 7 minutes and 18 seconds.

Carbon Fiber, Limited Production

In its looks, the new 911 GT2 RS stands out clearly from the other 911 models through the lavish use of carbon-fiber-reinforced (CFR) components with a matt-black surface finish, even wider wheels (including flared wheel arches at the front), new light-alloy wheels with central locking and “GT2 RS” model designations on the doors and rear lid. Matte-finish carbon also graces the redesigned front spoiler lip and the 3/8th of an inch (10 mm) taller rear spoiler lip – which both enhance aerodynamics and provide extra downforce.

The interior of the 911 GT2 RS also exudes sporting performance in virtually every detail. Lightweight two-piece bucket seats made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic are standard, as are lightweight door panels with fabric straps instead of traditional door handles. The basic interior color is black, which contrasts with red elements, such as the seat center sections, the roof lining and segments of the steering wheel rim. The gearshift and handbrake lever are also finished in red alcantara.

Limited to just 500 units worldwide, the 911 GT2 RS will be available in the U.S. October 2010 and will have a MSRP of $245.000. The GT2 RS is making its world debut at the Moscow Auto Show on August 25, 2010.

Could a station wagon be among the contenders for Internet Car of the Year? The 2011 Cadillac CTS-V could. Take a look at this video walk around with Cadillac Design Director Clay Dean. By the way, if you like this walk around, check out this Boston.com interview with Cadillac director of exterior design Max Wolff.

Via Autoblog.com, comes the above great video of a Volvo S60 crashing into the back of a truck. Now, like most folks, we here at Internet Car & Truck of the Year enjoy a good crash video as much as the next person. What’s particularly enjoyable about this one, though, is the Volvo S60 does not work quite like it should during a media demonstration.

You see, Volvo S60s traveling below 30 mph are supposed to stop before striking objects. Volvo said, according to the Autoblog.com post, that it was human error. Um, isn’t it humans that program the system to begin with? Does anybody else out there have a little less confidence in this new system that will be available on the 2011 model S60?

By the way, click this link to see how Volvo presents its safety message (sans unexpected crashes that I’m surprised Volvo didn’t blame on unintended acceleration).