Latest news with #MarioKart-Inspired
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Trump 'Couldn't Care Less' If Tariffs Make Foreign Cars More Expensive
Good morning! It's Monday, March 31, 2025, and this is The Morning Shift: Your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, all in one place. This is where you'll find the most important stories that are shaping the way Americans drive and get around. In this morning's edition, we'll hear Donald Trump's reaction to warnings that cars could be about to get much more expensive thanks to his tariffs, and see why Aston Martin is selling a stake in its F1 team. Plus, find out who thinks automotive tariffs could be good for America, and see who's stepping in as Volvo's latest boss. Read more: F1's Mario Kart-Inspired Saudi Track Proves It Has More Money Than Sense President Donald Trump confirmed that 25 percent tariffs will hit almost every car imported into America from April 2. The taxes are meant to encourage automakers to bring manufacturing into the U.S., but the reality will probably mean higher prices for many cars and could even spell the death of the cheap car in America. Trump isn't bothered about all that, though, and told reporters at NBC News that he "couldn't care less" if tariffs make foreign cars more expensive. The "Home Alone 2" actor's comments came just days after auto industry insiders said brands feared repercussions if the tariffs led to price hikes, as NBC Explains: Asked what his recent message was to motor industry CEOs, and whether he had warned them against raising prices, Trump said, "The message is congratulations, if you make your car in the United States, you're going to make a lot of money. If you don't, you're going to have to probably come to the United States, because if you make your car in the United States, there is no tariff." Trump even went so far as to say that he hoped automakers hiked their prices on foreign cars as it would mean "people are gonna buy American-made cars." The only problem there is that Trump's tariffs are also going to hit imported car parts as well as entire vehicles, meaning that some made-in-America models are also at risk of getting more expensive. What's more, some of the top selling cars in America are made outside the U.S., with models like the Toyota Tacoma being assembled in Mexico and Canada building cars like the Honda CR-V. Away from the tariff talk, Aston Martin is once again struggling and looking for a cash boost. The British brand, which was declared bankrupt seven times in its history, is selling its stake in the Aston Martin F1 team and looking for a funding boost from Canadian Billionaire Lawrence Stroll. Aston Martin owns a minority stake in the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One team, which it now plans to offload in order to boost its cash reserves. At the same time, the company is seeking a further investment from Stroll's Yew Tree Consortium, which could plow another £52.5 million ($68m) into the car manufacturer to grow its shareholding, reports the Independent. The two deals could bolster the company's finances by as much as £125m ($162m), as Aston Martin's stake in the race team is valued at around £75m ($97m), as the Independent reports: Mr Stroll, who is also executive chairman of Aston Martin, said: "This proposed investment further underscores my conviction in this extraordinary brand, and commitment to ensuring Aston Martin has the strongest possible platform for creating long-term value while reducing equity dilution via this premium subscription, which should greatly reassure shareholders, as I again increase my long-term ownership in the company. As a result of the deal, Stroll's investment firm will own 33% of the British car maker and 22.7% of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One team. In the UK, owning 33% in a company would normally mean that investors have to put forward a cash offer for the entire business, but Aston is hoping to waive these rules, adds the Independent. As well as the fresh cash, Aston today revealed that it's expecting "modest growth" in sales over the course of 2025. The projection comes amid uncertainty around tariffs and a rollout of new models for the British brand. Just last week, the company unveiled the fastest front-engine convertible in the world. Sure, cheap cars may be about to die off, vehicles could get more expensive, and the ever-growing trade war could hit all kinds of goods sold across America, but there is at least one positive to come from Trump's new tariffs: jobs may come back to Michigan. That's the message being spread by United Auto Workers union president Shawn Fain this week, anyway, who believes the tariffs could, in fact, be good for America. The union boss said pressure from tariffs would force brands to immediately bring jobs back to the U.S. as they use "underutilized" plants in across the country, the Detroit Free Press reports: "Yes, I disagree with Donald Trump on virtually everything, but this (tariffs) is one thing I don't disagree on," Fain said. "We've begged, we've begged Democrats, politicians for years, to do something to get these companies in line. He's the first one, in my lifetime — after 30 years of going backwards with NAFTA and horrible trade laws in this country — who is doing something. I'm not going to sit here now and say that since he's a Republican or because he's Donald Trump, I'm going to say, 'screw you.' That's not how we do things. It's having integrity." Strong words from a man who once called Trump a "scab" and said the President knew nothing about America's auto industry. Of course, Fain isn't expecting that, come April 3, companies across the automotive spectrum will open new factories in the U.S., as "that takes time," he added. But, the union boss said there were "a lot of opportunities" across the country already where automakers could expand their domestic production. Fain cited plants like the Warren Truck facility where Stellantis built pickups up until last year as one example, arguing that the automaker could shift production back "tomorrow" in order to skirt Trump's incoming tariffs. Swedish automaker Volvo doesn't need the threat of tariffs to bring about a shake up in its company, as the automaker is preparing to bring in a new CEO... sort of. Volvo announced this morning that CEO Jim Rowan would step down from tomorrow. Instead of promoting from within or bringing in a fresh face, the company will bring back former boss Hakan Samuelsson to lead the automaker on an interim basis, reports Reuters. Samuelsson previously led Volvo from 2012 until 2022, when Rowan stepped into the role. Rowan will serve his last day at the top today (March 31) before making way for the return of Samuelsson for a two-year period while Volvo selects its next leader. Per Reuters: Volvo Cars board Chair Eric Li said the company was facing fast-moving technological shifts, growing geopolitical challenges, and intensifying competition. "He brings a rare combination of industrial depth, strategic clarity, and proven leadership and Hakan has a broad knowledge of our group," Li said of the veteran CEO who ran Volvo from 2012 to 2022. Samuelsson re-joins the automaker at a tough time for the auto industry, with Volvo facing tariffs on imports into America, competition from Chinese automakers, and a fine balancing act for the pivot to clean power. The new Volvo CEO acknowledged this in a statement about his appointment, where he added that "the car industry is under pressure from many directions." I always find it amazing how many global icons were derided when they premiered. Guy Fieri wasn't always the cultural icon he now is, the Sydney Opera House was once loathed by locals, and heck, even "Wet Hot American Summer" was panned when it was first released. The Eiffel Tower in Paris is another cultural icon that was once panned by critics and locals alike, explains Back on March 31 1889 when it was first opened, angry locals could at least rest easy in the knowledge that the monumental construction would only be a blight on the Paris skyline for 20 years. Who knows how angry the Parisiens would've been, had they known the tower would still be here more than 135 years later. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Calm Your Soul With These Stop Motion Engine Builds
It's been a big week, Donald Trump confirmed tariffs were coming to make cars more expensive, Red Bull fired yet another race driver and another submarine fiasco killed six. If you're looking for a way to switch off after all this, then these stop-motion engine build films could be the perfect solution. Everything is better in stop-motion, just look at the meticulous reconstruction of this old Mercedes or any Wes Anderson animation. The precise engineering of an engine build is no different, and two online creators have created a pair of incredibly calming animated films of work being carried out on their motors. In one, the How a Car Works YouTube channel performed a careful tear-down of the four-cylinder motor found in the Mazda Miata. The second, from the Mech A Nic Channel, is the opposite and it documents the rebuild of a straight-four Honda engine from the CRX and, I must say, both are beautiful. Read more: F1's Mario Kart-Inspired Saudi Track Proves It Has More Money Than Sense For the tear-down of the old Miata engine, How a Car Works leans into the magic of animation as all manner of nuts, bolts and components loosen and unscrew themselves from the engine. Parts fly across the workshop while the engine spins in some wonderfully-choreographed display. As the film progresses, cables slither off, gears spin loose and spark plugs jump free from their bonds. With each piece that's removed, a new layer of dirt and grim in the engine is revealed to show that this was the motor from a well-loved Miata. The pistons are the final parts to pop out, making an incredibly satisfying sound as they're freed from the engine block. With that, the entire unit is dismantled and ready for a repair and a refresh. The channel, sadly, hasn't made a stop-motion film of the rebuild, but that's where Mech A Nic comes in. This clip is, dare I say it, a cinematic masterpiece. The film reportedly took the YouTube channel six months to make, and the results are stunning. Over the course of eight minutes, shiny new parts are unwrapped, tools are selected and all manner of components are lubricated and screwed into place. Upgrades are unboxed and fitted to the four-cylinder motor on a Honda CRX that the channel is rebuilding, and there's even a stop-motion brake upgrade that really is the icing on the cake. It's lovely and well worth a watch to ease you into the weekend. If that whet your appetite for lovely stop motion films, then you're in luck as we've, weirdly, covered quite a few over the years. Head here to watch a stop-motion rebuild of a vintage Range Rover or, if destruction is more your cup of tea, an artist trashed an old VW van for your enjoyment here. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Cadillac Will Pay Each F1 Team A $45,000,000 Fee To Enter The Championship
American automaker Cadillac will join the Formula 1 grid for the first time in 2026, and it'll have to pay out the nose for the privilege. Parent company General Motors will provide a one-time entry fee of $450,000,000, split equally among the other ten teams on the grid, as an "anti-dilution" payment. Because each F1 team derives some of its annual income from a share of the sport's television revenue and prize money, and in 2026 that pot will be split among 11 teams instead of ten, Cadillac's payment will help diffuse some of that revenue loss in the first couple of years of the new team's participation. The Concorde Agreement, the commercial contract between Formula 1 and the teams running in the sport, has stipulated an anti-dilution payment from any team joining the grid. The existing agreement which runs the 2025 season specified a $200,000,000 anti-dilution fee. A new agreement was signed by all teams ahead of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix governing the 2026 season, which increased the fee to $450,000,000, though many of the teams started the negotiation with a desire to pump it up to $600,000,000. The most recent team to join F1 was Aston Martin in 2021, though it did not pay an anti-dilution fee because it purchased an existing team and did not expand the grid. Audi, which similarly purchased a stake in the Sauber team, is joining alongside Cadillac, but will not have to shell out the same fee. Read more: F1's Mario Kart-Inspired Saudi Track Proves It Has More Money Than Sense In addition to the money teams make from selling sponsorship Formula 1 pays out about 61 percent of its operating budget to teams, totaling around $1.3 billion in 2024. The basic way teams are paid is by points earned through the season. By winning the constructors' championship last year McLaren earned a payout of $132.9 million, while last placed team Sauber earned $57.9 million. There are additional bonuses paid out for "success" to previous championship winning teams Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, and Williams, and Ferrari famously receives a $63.3 million bonus for being a "historic" team. For a team like Ferrari, which reportedly took home a quarter of a billion dollars for its middling success in 2024, Cadillac's $45M won't be much of a game changer, but for Williams or Sauber it could mean a huge difference in team investment opportunities and choices. Ahead of the new Concorde Agreement signing, the series issued a statement saying that "Formula 1 has never been in a stronger position—and all stakeholders have seen positive benefits and significant growth." Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Brad Pitt's 'F1' Has A Nonsensical Plot, But I Can't Look Away From The Trailer
Brad Pitt's F1 movie is almost here. It's been in the works for years, has faced all sorts of setbacks and may end up being the most expensive film ever made, but on June 27, 2025, you'll finally be able to give it a watch. Will it be any good? Will it just be "Days of Thunder" with a taller lead driver and a bigger budget? We'll have to wait another couple months to find out, but to tide you over until the movie lands in theaters, Warner Bros. just released the official trailer, and it looks good. Title? Well, it's very creatively called "F1". Plot? It's not exactly the most original racing story ever told. Brad Pitt plays a driver whose promising career ended with a crash but comes out of retirement to do one last job returns to F1 "for one last shot at saving the team and being the best in the world." Visuals? That's where this trailer, and presumably the entire film, really shines. Even if it isn't the best-written movie ever made, I don't get the feeling anyone is going to complain about sitting back for two hours to watch attractive people go fast in loud cars. Read more: F1's Mario Kart-Inspired Saudi Track Proves It Has More Money Than Sense Do I plan to see "F1" on IMAX opening night? You better believe it. Do I believe it's going to make any money, though? Not a chance. We're talking about a movie that reportedly cost more than $300 million to make, and it could easily be far higher than that. No one knows. EW reports they did stuff like buy six F2 cars for the film and have Brad Pitt actually driving more than 180 mph on track. That kind of stuff ain't cheap. I mean, just imagine how much it costs to insure Brad Pitt driving that fast. That's also before you add in marketing costs, which they're clearly also spending an absurd amount of money on. If this thing doesn't make at least $1 billion at the box office, it doesn't even have a chance of breaking even. No one is going to shed a tear about a bunch of already-wealthy people not getting their money back, and I appreciate them being willing to burn a ton of cash to give us what looks to be an absolutely gorgeous movie. It's also just a little sad to think we probably won't get another racing movie made with actual race cars driving on an actual track ever again. From here on out, it's probably nothing but green screens and CGI, and that's never going to look nearly as good. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lewis Hamilton Recreated The Ferrari Scene From 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' Because His Job Offers Better Benefits Than Yours
Seven-time Formula One World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton is already enjoying the perks of being a Ferrari driver, despite the 2025 season not yet having started. On Wednesday the Briton posted a new video to his social media channels making his debut in a major Hollywood motion picture. Though weirdly the film came out when Hamilton was merely one year of age, as it was the 1986 comedy heavyweight "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Hamilton worked with Dawn Apollo Films, Large Eyes, and Paramount Pictures to fully insert himself as the joyriding parking lot valet drifting and jumping Cameron's father's 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder around the streets of Chicago. Only 56 examples of that car were ever made, and thankfully for car enthusiasts everywhere, the one they destroyed for the film was actually a Ford 302-powered fiberglass replica, not the 8-figure alloy original. Hamilton said he "had to get the exact car" for this scene remake, so perhaps this is also a replica and not a Ferrari at all? In any case, as a fan of the film myself, I'm impressed. The shot-for-shot remake of the fully restored scene inserted Hamilton as the mildly shady valet that Bueller pays off with a fiver to take extra good care of the delightful Ferrari. In the original sequence the driver is played by Richard Edson and his co-pilot is Larry Flash Jenkins, but in this revamped edition Edson's stand-in is Hamilton, while Jenkins is re-cast as legendary Hollywood master Edward Norton. Norton has been confused for Matthew Broderick's "Bueller" co-star Alan Ruck for decades, so this was probably a bit cathartic for Norton. Read more: F1's Mario Kart-Inspired Saudi Track Proves It Has More Money Than Sense Lewis posted that the film "has been one of my favourite movies since I was a kid," and ends the short nearly three-minute clip with an inspirational dedication quote credited to himself: "For all the kids out there who dream the impossible." Most young drivers who dream of making it to Formula One will never get there, and many young drivers who actually do dream of one day driving for Ferrari and never do. For Lewis, this has been a decades-long journey to get to the top of the sport and earn his way into the Scuderia. He calls the short film "Another dream come true ..." on YouTube, indicating that driving for the team has perhaps been a dream as long as he's loved watching the Ferrari in "Ferris Bueller." Andiamo, Lewis, Forza Ferrari. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
