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Tony Stewart to star in Smoke Is The Bandit web series

NASCAR driver Tony Stewart is making good use of his nickname Smoke in new videos inspired by the 1970s classic Smokey and the Bandit. The original is one of the quintessential automotive movies of its era with a fantastic combination of slapstick comedy and great car stunts in a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. If you've never seen it, check it out immediately.
In the new six-part Smoke IS the Bandit web series, Stewart takes on the role of Burt Reynolds' famous character complete with huge mustache. But instead of trying to smuggle cases of Coors beer it's Mobil 1 oil. The series promises to recreate many of the famous scenes from the movie and includes cameos from other NASCAR drivers.
To complete the look, future videos just need a quality replacement for a young Sally Field to ride shotgun. It would also be really cool if Reynolds could make a brief appearance at some point. Scroll down to check out the trailer and the first episode in the series.

GM Recalls 1.5 Million Cars For Steering Defect

General Motors Co. said Monday it is recalling 1.5 million vehicles worldwide because the electronic power-steering assist can suddenly stop working, making them harder to steer. The new recall brings to 6.3 million the number of vehicles GM has recalled since February. The initial recall - now at 2.6 million small cars for an ignition switch defect - prompted the automaker to name a new safety chief and speed up the review of cases that might lead to recalls. GM said it expects recall-related costs to total $750 million in the first quarter, including $300 million for the ignition switch recall. Included in the new recall are: - Chevrolet Malibu from the 2004-2005 model years, plus some 2006, 2008 and 2009 model-year cars. - Chevrolet Malibu Maxx from the 2004-2005 model years, plus some 2006 model-year cars. - Chevrolet HHR from the 2009-2010 model years (non-turbocharged only). - Some Chevrolet Cobalts from the 2010 model year. - Some Saturn Auras from the 2008-2009 model years. - Saturn Ion from the 2004-2007 model years. - Pontiac G6 from the 2005 model year, plus some cars from the 2006, 2008 and 2009 model years. - Service parts installed into certain vehicles before May 31, 2010, under a previous recall GM says no deaths related to the defect have been reported. It is still investigating whether there have been any accidents or injuries related to the problem. GM dealers will replace the power steering motor and other parts for free. Spokesman Alan Adler said owners will be notified of the recall the week of April 28 and will be told when parts are available after that. The Cobalt and the Ion, which are also involved in the ignition switch recall, share many common parts.GM recalled Cobalts from the 2005-2010 model years for the power steering defect in 2010, but it's unclear why the company didn't recall the Ion at the same time. Federal regulators also opened an investigation into power steering complaints in the Ion in 2010, but didn't order a recall. Related Gallery 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Test Drive View 9 Photos Recalls GM Pontiac Chevy Cobalt saturn ion pontiac g6 Chevrolet Cobalt Chevrolet HHR

Burt Reynolds' movie re-creations fetch $379,500 in Vegas

The recent death of Hollywood legend and automotive enthusiast Burt Reynolds helped drive up the value of four of his former cars from the 1970s and '80s, which sold last weekend at Barrett-Jackson's Las Vegas auction for a combined $379,500. Reynolds, who died Sept. 6 at age 82, had offered three Pontiac Trans Ams — two of them re-creations of the cars he drove in "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Hooper" and the third from 1984 used to promote his United States Football League team, the Tampa Bay Bandits. The fourth was a 1978 Chevrolet R30 pickup truck, styled like the one featured in "Cannonball Run." The "Bandit" re-creation, a 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that Reynolds ordered to be as "movie-correct" as possible but featuring a custom-built 200-4R automatic transmission, sold for $192,500. The car features a freshly built Pontiac 400 cubic-inch V8 mated to a four-speed automatic and featuring all-new Butler Performance parts and air-conditioning components. Reynolds reportedly said this was his favorite car from his films, and it even came with an authentic movie-correct CB radio and CB antenna. The red retro-rocket "Hooper" '78 Firebird, with a 403 cubic-inch V8 and a three-speed automatic, hammered for $88,000. By comparison, a gold 1978 Trans Am also offered at the Las Vegas auction but not connected to Reynolds fetched $27,500. The 1987 Chevy R30 pickup was a re-creation of the Indy Hauler pace truck seen jumping over a moving freight train in "Cannonball Run." It hammered for $49,500. The fourth car never appeared in any of Reynolds' films but is instead the only surviving example of two Trans Ams used to promote the Tampa Bay Bandits of the now-defunct USFL, having been driven out onto the field by Reynolds and his late friend and co-star, Jerry Reed, during opening day one season. It also sold for $49,500. At the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction in 2016, Reynolds accompanied a 1977 Trans Am used to promote "Bandit" onto the auction block. That car sold for $550,000. Related Video: Featured Gallery Burt Reynolds 2018 Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction Image Credit: Barrett-Jackson Celebrities Chevrolet Pontiac Truck Coupe Performance celebrity pontiac trans am pontiac firebird burt reynolds