P1 Brand

What do you do when you're offered some track time and have access to one of JDM Legend's cars? You drop everything and head to the track for a few hours of filming.

The notoriously surreal French director, Michel Gondry, known for his feature films like The Green Hornet, Be Kind Rewind, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and more, is apparently in the process of shooting a new film (L'Écume des Jours/Froth in a Daydream) somewhere on the streets of France. As we discovered from the French, automotive/pop culture blog, Blenheim Gang, Gondry has had several cars modified in a very surreal manner.

A beautiful short film shot in 1959 or 1960 on the Scarab F1, an all American effort car, testing at Riverside, California. Thanks to the folks at MotorSportRetro for the posting, where you can find more details on the segment.

Photo courtesy ©TheCahierArchive

We are currently on a brief sabbatical, engaging upon a small European tour, and it's all those 'little differences' we are noticing again...French, not English; Euros, not Dollars; kilometers, not miles; Celcius not Farenheit, etc. It takes some getting used to, but it also constantly reminds us of the classic scene above. From Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece, Pulp Fiction, of 1994.

As the 2012 Formula 1 World Championship season kicks off this weekend in Australia, it's worth mentioning that another drama is unfolding in the world of motosports. American filmmaker, Ron Howard, is currently directing a biopic based on the life of three time Formula 1 World Champ, Niki Lauda. Tentatively titled Rush, the film tells the story of Lauda's horrific 1976 crash (shown above) at the Nurburgring and the intense, on-track rivalry with Brit, James Hunt.

We're stoked that auto manufacturers, such as Audi, have been highlighting the themes of motorsport heritage in their marketing campaigns. If nothing else, the vintage footy of racers, mechanics and engineers is an aesthetically refreshing visual to promote new product. As a consumer, it's safe to say we'll happily watch this stuff (versus the typically overly-produced, contemporary car commercials) any day....

Above is a new teaser released by Audi to promote their e-tron concept in an upcoming LMP1 effort.

Like many of you, we are anxious for the 2012 Formula 1 World Championship to begin. It's still a few weeks away before the season opener at the Gran Prix of Australia, and we're certain all of the teams will be tweaking their cars until the last possible moment. We expect that one of our favorite drivers, Jenson Button, will competitive in the coming races. The Brit, known for his super smooth driving style, was runner-up in the 2011 Formula One Drivers Championship.

The boys at EGarage have teamed up with Luke Huxham, who has again put together another fantastic short featuring Nakai-san of Rauh Welt Begriff (RWB). Thanks in part to several high profile projects, including new cars for Fatlace and other, the popularity of the RWB style has skyrocketed in the past few months. 

Master builder Nakai discusses his passion for his work and some of the precarious pitfalls inevitable to growing so quickly as a brand.

It's nearly impossible to seperate the name Stussy from the megabrand it has become in the past twenty years. However, at it's beginnings was a man, Shawn Stussy, who had a genuine passion for hand-shaping surfboards. He's made a return to that passion (dig his workshop setup!) and started up S Double, his relatively new, signature line.

Check the beautiful black and white short by Seth Epstein as Stussy talks about his fascination with his craft. Great stuff.

Last year, a monumental exhibit was presented by the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, Art in the Streets. The first, comprehensive U.S. survey of what is loosely referred to as Street Art, the above Outside In documentary chronicles the scope and cultural significance of the show. Curated by MOCA Director, Jeffrey Deitch, with assistance by Aaron Rose and Roger Gastman, the show included major works and installations from more than fifty different artists.