Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Steals Limelight in New Schwarzenegger Movie

Arnold Schwarzenegger muscled his way back into big-screen action last weekend with "The Last Stand," but the real muscle came compliments of the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, for which the film essentially serves as a 90-minute commercial.

The 2013 ZR1 that appears in the movie may just make moviegoers momentarily forget the 2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray that stole the show last week at Detroit's North American International Auto Show. The ZR1 serves as the getaway car of choice for the film's villain, an escaped drug-cartel kingpin (played by Eduardo Noriega) who's making a furious run for the border; but to do so he must first get past Schwarzenegger's remote-desert-town sheriff.

In real life, the high-performance sports coupe's 638-horsepower, supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 is good for a top speed of 205 mph. The ZR1 in the film, however, is referred to by characters as "modified" and able to reach 250 mph.

The car performs numerous spectacular feats throughout the movie, including speeding agilely through a police barricade, outrunning a pursuing helicopter and destroying a law-enforcement SUV convoy by, in part, using itself as a ramp to launch one of the vehicles to its demise. That's in addition to a climactic, Chevy-heavy cornfield showdown between the 'Vette and Schwarznegger's Chevy Camaro ZL1.

Original TV Batmobile Sells for $4.2M

BAM! POW! ZONK! A mystery bidder defeated competitors at an auction on Saturday to acquire the original Batmobile used in the 1960s "Batman" TV series, according to USA Today.

So, how much did the campy yet classic crime-fighting car fetch in this era of more "serious" Batmobiles like those seen in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy? According to USA Today, renowned car customizer George Barris' 19-foot-long, black, bubble-top 1955 Lincoln Futura driven by actor Adam West's Caped Crusader went for — "Holy sticker shock, Batman!" — $4.2 million.

USA Today reports that the winning bidder has not been disclosed, but at that price, "millionaire Bruce Wayne" of 1966 might have to settle for leasing it from the "billionaire Bruce Wayne" of today.

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Driving Santa: Extreme Nerves at 2 MPH

As an automotive journalist, I've piloted 500-horsepower supercars at high speeds. I've driven on some of the best tracks in the country, with professionals offering me tips. Exotic cars with price tags hovering near the balance of my mortgage have parked in my driveway. But after this past Thanksgiving, I can tell you there is nothing quite like playing Rudolph and towing Santa Claus in front of millions of people.

Chicago's Thanksgiving Day Parade doesn't get the same national limelight as the Macy's parade, but it is a tradition for the millions of Midwesterners who watch it on TV and in person. This year the weather was perfect, and it helped bring out thousands of people to watch the floats, big balloons, marching bands and, yes, Santa Claus, roll down State Street.

Car Talk Wants Your Favorite Bumper Stickers

It's the height of election season, and everyone we hear from seems a bit burned out by the ads, the pundits, the yard signs and, yes, even the bumper stickers.

And while a rectangular piece of sticky paper might not seem like the thing to alleviate the moods of 100% of the population, our friends at Car Talk are going to try and do their best.

But they need your help.

Starting today, head over to Car Talk's Facebook page and submit your favorite bumper sticker. The folks at Car Talk along with Cars.com editors will pick our favorites and post them next week, but the submission process itself promises quite a bit of fun.

Remember, no political stickers are allowed. And please, please don't take photos while driving.

Forza Horizon: A 1995 Toyota Corolla Never Looked So Good

The Forza series of racing games for Xbox has always nailed the translation of sports cars into the video game world. The way cars look, feel and sound can successfully rope any gamer into Forza for hours and days on end. The series' latest installment, Forza Horizon, is no different. This time, the racing environment is a simulated slice of Colorado city streets and mountain roads that replace the traditional racetrack environments of past Forza games.
 
Populating this open world of back roads, multilane highways and dirt paths are pedestrian cars — pesky drones that fill the streets to give life to the city and rural environments. In Horizon, though seemingly unimportant, pedestrian cars like a Toyota Prius have just as much detail as the game’s drivable Ferraris and Corvettes.

The Simpsons 500: The Top Cars of 1989

By Robby DeGraff, Cars.com

The 500th episode of America's favorite cartoon, "The Simpsons," airs Sunday night. It's a record-setting show, the longest running primetime comedy in TV history. Of course, we've seen all sorts of animated cars on the long-running show, from "The Homer" (the car that Homer designed for his brother's company and which drove that company into bankruptcy) to Apu's red 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, screaming eagle hood decal and all. Let's travel back in time 23 years ago to see what the 5 best selling cars were when "The Simpsons" debuted in 1989:

Henry Rollins: Infiniti's Hardcore Voiceover Man

Celebrities’ lending their voices for commercials has been a huge trend in the automotive world the past few years. Hyundai made a splash getting Jeff Bridges as its gruff-but-soulful pitchman. Mercedes-Benz’s new cars are pushed by Jon Hamm, who portrays ’60s ad exec Don Draper in “Mad Men.” And Chevy uses everyman comedian Tim Allen to sell everything from big trucks to electric Volts.

A few weeks ago when I heard on the radio the unmistakable voice of underground music icon Henry Rollins talking about Infiniti’s latest sales event, I assumed the Japanese luxury brand decided to follow the trend and simply picked someone with more “attitude.”

Rollins is Infiniti’s voice, but he wasn’t handpicked because of his considerable persona. It was his voice, with no name attached, that won him the job.

Revisit 'Cars 2' Before it Hits Theaters

Pixar’s “Cars 2” hits theaters Friday, so before taking the kids to the theater — or telling friends you’re seeing “The Hangover Part II” and secretly buying “Cars 2” tickets — be sure to check out our coverage below. You’ll find our review of the movie as well as a behind-the-scenes look and exclusive info.  
 
Cars.com's 'Cars2' Movie Review
 
Behind The Scenes of 'Cars 2'
'Cars 2' Exclusive: First Look at Max Schnell
Exclusive: 'Cars 2' Racers Get Real Specs

'Cars 2': Movie Review

“Cars 2” is a faster, funnier film than its predecessor, and that's in part because racecar Lightning McQueen plays second fiddle to Tow Mater, the affable, bumbling tow truck.

While “Cars 2” has a different visual feel from the first movie, with Tokyo, Paris and London (among other places) remade through the eyes of car lovers, it has an underlying message that’s not too far removed from the first, which was, “Take time to see the world around you.” The message this time is “Be who you are no matter where you are.” The rust-bucket tow truck (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) takes us through this journey of discovery. He’s still Lightning McQueen’s best buddy from Radiator Springs. McQueen is voiced by actor Owen Wilson.

Here’s the setup for the movie, which opens Friday: McQueen is invited to a new international race circuit that pits the best race cars from different styles (road racers, Formula One, NASCAR and more) in three races in Tokyo (spelled Towkyo on-screen), London and a coastal Italian town that owes as much to Monaco as it does to Rome. McQueen brings Mater along, despite some misgivings at how his, er, down-home buddy will fare in these sophisticated international surroundings. At the same time, Mater winds up in a James Bond-style spy mystery. Watch the backgrounds in each of these cities carefully; you’ll see Notre Dame redrawn with grilles, pistons and other car parts integrated into the architecture. A crucial scene is set in “Big Bentley,” the renowned timepiece in central London.

This is definitely a car guy’s movie.

Exclusive: 'Cars 2' Racers Get Real Specs

Pixar’s “Cars 2” hits theaters on June 24 and is filled with new characters that should look familiar to race fans; the film’s World Grand Prix storyline features faces that take inspiration from real racing series. Pixar gave us an exclusive rundown on how these animated autos stack up in the “Cars” world using numbers we’re familiar with in the real world such as horsepower, zero-to-60-mph times and top speed.

First up is the movie’s hero, Lightning McQueen, who packs a 750-horsepower V-8 and can reach 60 mph in 3.2 seconds on his way to a 200-mph top speed. The Max Schnell character we debuted on Cars.com has a 4.0-liter V-8 making 470 hp and tops out at 160 mph, which are specs close enough to pass tech inspection in the DTM German Touring Car Championship of which the Schnell character takes inspiration from.

Click through to see the complete list of characters and a full set of acceleration numbers and top speeds, and be sure to check out the new trailer for "Cars 2" here.