Johnny Herbert will contest three Superstars rounds this year, the championship has announced. The three-time grand prix winner raced in the saloon series in 2011, taking sixth in the standings, and had been expected to return for this year’s Donington Park event on 19-20 May
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/herbert-gets-three-superstars-outings
Alain de Changy Eric Brandon Roberto Bonomi Bernard de Dryver Timo Glock Kevin Cogan
Dani Sordo will be allowed to score points on his Intercontinental Rally Challenge debut on the Tour de Corse this weekend. The Spanish WRC regular is driving an SMG Motorsport-run Mini S2000 on the Island event and was not initially a nominated point-scoring driver. However, as Mini has declared its intention to the IRC to register as an official manufacturer in the near future, the series promoter has granted the Spaniard and his co-driver Carlos del Barrio to allow the pair to score points in the drivers’ and co-drivers’ championships.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/sordo-allowed-to-score-in-corsica
Bill Moss Damien Magee Massimiliano Papis Desmond Titterington Umberto Maglioli Harry Merkel
Alexander Rossi – 21st: “I am very pleased with how this morning’s session went. We completed the program the team had set and I acclimatised quickly to the step up to F1. This isn’t my first time working with the team, I already have a day at the Abu Dhbai young driver test last year under my belt, but coming into a full race weekend is a very different proposition to the young driver test.
Graham McRae Roger Loyer Yannick Dalmas Tony Shelly Carl Scarborough Georges Berger
Filed under: Car Buying, Earnings/Financials
April showers may result in May’s flowers, but it didn’t result in great car sales numbers.
Overall, sales in April only climbed 2.3 percent compared to April 2011, leaving some carmakers and observers scratching their head. Of course, the raw numbers, as provided by AutoData Corp., also note that there were three fewer selling days due to that occasional month with five Sundays in it. Imagine the pain people paid on the 1st and 15th had to endure?
So the numbers may not be as bad as a first glance might suggest, and in my opinion, the slow pace of growth is better for automakers. Rather than big ups and downs that leave dealerships empty of popular vehicles and overstocked with others, a steady mild increase means it’s easier to match production to demand.
But there are plenty of outliers in the pages of spreadsheets when you look inside the numbers. So here are the 10 things I think I know about the auto industry based on April’s sales.
Continue reading Digging Deeper: April 2012 sales figures
Digging Deeper: April 2012 sales figures originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/11/digging-deeper-april-2012-sales-figures/
Paul England Kurt Kuhnke Graham McRae Roger Loyer Yannick Dalmas Tony Shelly
Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/11/2058316/brake-failure-contributed-to-mcclure.html
Robin MontgomerieCharrington Eddie Sachs Chico Serra Brian Gubby Mack Hellings Bill Moss
Filed under: Toyota, Earnings/Financials
Now that the title of world’s largest maker has become a clear and eager battle, we can expect more regular updates on the progress of the combatants. Bloomberg reports that Toyota snagged the #1 crown in Q1, taking it away from General Motors with 2.49 million units sold across its five brands compared to 2.28 million for GM. Volkswagen was just another tenth down at 2.19 million units sold.
What all three might appreciate even more than the crown – except for VW, who is monomaniacal about the No. 1 tag – is that sales volumes and profitability are up, at least in America. Toyota’s sales rebound from the catastrophes of last year (and indeed, the last few years) is being underlined by its performance here, where the Prius Plug-In is the third-best seller against a background of the nation’s best car sales market in five years. Even with double its usual fleet sales in Q1, Toyota expects this financial year’s profits to double.
The year isn’t over yet and it remains close, but for now it looks like there’ll be good news for everyone. Well, until 2016, when Volkswagen is predicted to vanquish all challengers at the top of the podium, two years ahead of its own ridiculously ambitious schedule.
Toyota takes title of World’s Largest Automaker… again, for now originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/11/toyota-takes-title-of-worlds-largest-automaker-again-for-no/
Larry Crockett Rene Arnoux Tom Bridger Ignazio Giunti Geoff Duke Toshio Suzuki
Before I get to this week’s excellent pledge drive giveaway, a note about tonight: We hope to see you at Red Lantern Bicycles in Fort Greene (Brooklyn’s only bike shop café) for an evening of conversation and livable streets videos. I’ll be there along with Clarence, Elizabeth, and Robin from Streetfilms. Please RSVP if you’ll be [...]
Johnny Claes Patrick Friesacher Gunnar Nilsson Pablo Birger Joie Chitwood Bob Said
2012 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race LogoNASCAR SPRINT PIT CREW CHALLENGE, NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES RACE LEAD INTO ALL-STAR WEEKEND ON SPEEDÂ SPEEDÂ SOCIAL GARAGEÂ HEADLINES MASSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTÂ SPEED rolls into its sixth season as the exclusive home to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 19 with live coverage of the day beginning at…more»
Alex Blignaut Myron Fohr Azdrubal Fontes Bayardo Olivier Beretta Bob Christie Georges Grignard
Caterham has decided it will not use the exhaust layout it tested at Mugello in this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. The team trialled a new exhaust/floor configuration during testing at the Italian track last week, but it did not prove to be beneficial to the performance of the car
Andrea Chiesa Jimmy Davies Ian Scheckter Gino Bianco Jose Froilán González Jud Larson
Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/05/caption-this-miss-sprint-cup-and-clint.html
Mark Donohue Don Edmunds Bertrand Gachot Keith Greene Vitantonio Liuzzi Harry Blanchard
Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/05/nascar-in-heels-these-boots-are-made.html
Vitantonio Liuzzi Harry Blanchard Al Herman Michael Bartels Pedro Diniz Rudolf Schoeller
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Europe, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury
Mercedes-Benz has rolled out a new video for its vicious C63 AMG Black Series. The 510-horsepower machine spends a little time frolicking through an industrial complex before taking to an open stretch of track for a little more fun. The entire clip is appropriately shot in black and white and set to the riotous tones of the hefty 6.2-liter V8 banging off the limiter. Not a bad way to blow two minutes of your day.
As you may recall, Chris Harris recently lined the C63 AMG Black Series up against bruisers like Porsche 911 GT3 RS and the BMW M3 GTS for a little German showdown. Harris found the C63 to be a willing dance partner with appropriate levels of presence on the street, but still found the machine out gunned by the track-bred Porsche. Scroll down to check out the Black Series video for yourself.
Continue reading Mercedes-Benz shows off the dark side of the C63 AMG Black Series coupe
Mercedes-Benz shows off the dark side of the C63 AMG Black Series coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 May 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/09/mercedes-benz-shows-off-the-dark-side-of-the-c63-amg-black-serie/
Jorge Daponte Jos Verstappen Robin MontgomerieCharrington Eddie Sachs Chico Serra Brian Gubby
MotoGP’s post-race test at the Estoril circuit has been cancelled because of the poor weather at the track.
Mark Donohue Don Edmunds Bertrand Gachot Keith Greene Vitantonio Liuzzi Harry Blanchard
Dale Earnhardt Jr is optimistic that Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega could be the event where he finally brings his long winless streak to an end. The Hendrick Motorsports driver, a five-time winner at Talladega, has been a top contender in recent restrictor-plate events, pushing team-mate Jimmie Johnson to victory a year ago at the 2.66-mile venue and most recently finishing second in the season-opening Daytona 500
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/nascar/earnhardt-talladega-is-my-chance
Toshio Suzuki Ernst Loof Bob Drake Phil Cade Pedro Lamy Helmut Niedermayr
Sauber believes only a small improvement to its car will be enough for the team to get back in the hunt for podium finishes over the remainder of the season. The Hinwil-based outfit has had a mixed start to the campaign – with the highs of Sergio Perez’s challenge on victory in Malaysia contrasting with its failure to score any points in Bahrain. However, chief designer Matt Morris thinks that although the fluctuations in form have been quite dramatic, he thinks the underlying competitiveness of its C31 means it can target further good results.
Alain de Changy Eric Brandon Roberto Bonomi Bernard de Dryver Timo Glock Kevin Cogan
Sandro Cortese scored his second pole position of the 2012 Moto3 campaign with an emphatic showing at Estoril. The 22-year-old German had set the pace for much of the session, but with eight minutes to go was displaced at the top by Spain’s Maverick Vinales.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/cortese-takes-estoril-moto3-pole
Olivier Beretta Bob Christie Georges Grignard Nino Farina Tomáš Enge Paolo Barilla
Filed under: Sedan, Buick, GM, New Car Reviews
Baby Buick Makes Quiet Case As An Almost-Luxury Car
The Verano has only been on sale here for a few months, but as you might expect, U.S. buyers aren’t quite as excited about the latest Buick offering as our Chinese counterparts, at least not in the early going. March sales came in at a modest 2,497 units (the Excelle family scored 23,179 April sales in China), making the Verano the least-purchased Buick for that month, while April’s 2,989 units were just enough to beat the Regal in Buick’s sales portfolio. Do Chinese buyers know something that we don’t, or does the littlest Buick just need time to win us over?
Continue reading 2012 Buick Verano
2012 Buick Verano originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 May 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/09/2012-buick-verano-review/
Ben Pon Alain de Changy Eric Brandon Roberto Bonomi Bernard de Dryver Timo Glock
Scott Dixon set the pace at the latest IndyCar oval test at Texas Speedway on Monday. The two-time series champion led a 1-2-3 on the timesheets for the Ganassi squad as he took his Honda-powered Dallara around the track in 24.664s on what was the DW12′s first outing at a 1.5-mile high-banked oval “For the first time coming here, you’re open-minded as you try to figure out what the car’s going to be like, and until you get through the first couple of runs you’re not sure what to expect,” said Dixon, who completed 104 laps and set his best time in the morning session. “The cars have a range of options, which I was pleasantly surprised with.
Paul England Kurt Kuhnke Graham McRae Roger Loyer Yannick Dalmas Tony Shelly
Brad Keselowski claimed his second victory of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season as he left Kyle Busch behind in the last dash of a green-white-chequered finish at Talladega. The Penske driver got the decisive push from Busch on the penultimate lap when the green waved for the last time, following a multi-car incident ignited by Keselowski’s team-mate AJ Allmendinger, who made contact with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin. The Roush Fenway duo of Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle had been quickest off the line and pulled away initially until they got disconnected, losing their momentum while watching the Dodge/Toyota tandem pass them
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/nascar/keselowski-beats-busch-to-victory
Bernie Ecclestone Giovanni de Riu Mark Donohue Don Edmunds Bertrand Gachot Keith Greene
The Aston Martin DBS as we know it will go out of production this year. To celebrate this DBS generation before it’s replaced in 2013, Aston Martin is building the final 100 examples as Ultimate editions. As we told you a couple of weeks ago, the DBS Ultimates will command a hefty premium over the [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/sKc0ofBgMQI/
Giovanni de Riu Mark Donohue Don Edmunds Bertrand Gachot Keith Greene Vitantonio Liuzzi
Ford has revealed the base price for the upcoming 2013 Focus ST: The turbocharged hatchback will start at $24,495 when it goes on sale later this year. The company also announced that the ST’s SAE power ratings are higher than the original estimates. When the ST debuted at the Frankfurt auto show last year, Ford [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/ys3k5ZUuxDo/
Mark Webber David Walker Larry Crockett Rene Arnoux Tom Bridger Ignazio Giunti
Formula 1′s stock market flotation remains on course to go ahead in Singapore, according to a board member of the sport’s commercial rights holding company Delta Topco. Austrian Peter Braback-Letmathe has been tipped to run the flotation.
Allen Berg Jackie Holmes Chet Miller Luis PerezSala Giorgio Francia Ralf Schumacher
Adrian Quaife-Hobbs claimed his third Auto GP pole position in four races at the Hungaroring on Friday afternoon.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/quaife-hobbs-takes-comfortable-pole
Martin Donnelly George Abecassis Jochen Rindt Helm Glöckler Alberto Uria JeanLouis Schlesser
Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/07/2050149/eric-mcclure-released-from-alabama.html
Ricardo RodrÃguez Piero Carini Bill Aston Roelof Wunderink Jacques Swaters Ian Stewart
Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/05/faith-on-frontstretch-invocation-for.html
Max Jean Vincenzo Sospiri Geki Sebastian Vettel Emilio Zapico Alberto Crespo
Formula 1′s stock market flotation remains on course to go ahead in Singapore, according to a board member of the sport’s commercial rights holding company Delta Topco. Austrian Peter Braback-Letmathe has been tipped to run the flotation.
Chico Serra Brian Gubby Mack Hellings Bill Moss Damien Magee Massimiliano Papis
Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/06/2048655/race-rewind-looking-back-at-the.html
Ian Scheckter Gino Bianco Jose Froilán González Jud Larson Philippe Alliot Felipe Massa
Ducati expects to introduce a complete new engine package for the United States Grand Prix at Laguna Seca in July, as it bids to tackle the driveability issues that its riders believe are at the heart of its tough start to the 2012 MotoGP season. Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden have suggested that the Ducati is currently incapable of making use of all the power its 1000cc engine delivers, and that a reduction in power would actually make the bike easier to handle and therefore more competitive
Sebastian Vettel Emilio Zapico Alberto Crespo Giancarlo Fisichella Danny Ongais Stefan Bellof
Nine Racing Inc. Brownsburg, Indiana January 4, 2012 Nine Racing, Inc. is pleased to announce the signing of three excellent drivers for the 26th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals Presented by General Tire midget event that will take place…
Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/nine_racing_to_feature_th.php
Pedro Lamy Helmut Niedermayr Howden Ganley Ken Miles Oscar Larrauri Jorge Daponte
Eric McClure, driver of the No. 14 Hefty®/Reynolds Wrap® Toyota, is stable and alert following a late-race incident yesterday (Saturday) during the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Talladega Superspeedway. He is undergoing tests and remains under observation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham hospital. McClure and his family would like to express their thanks [...]
Oscar Larrauri Jorge Daponte Jos Verstappen Robin MontgomerieCharrington Eddie Sachs Chico Serra
Arthur Pic led the way in Formula Renault 3.5 practice at Aragon on Friday, topping both sessions at the Spanish track.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/pic-quickest-in-aragon-practice
Al Herman Michael Bartels Pedro Diniz Rudolf Schoeller Mauro Baldi Max de Terra
Jamie Whincup beat race one winner Mark Winterbottom to pole position for race two of V8 Supercars’ Barbagallo triple-header on Sunday morning. Ford Performance Racing team-mates Winterbottom and Will Davison held the provisional front row slots approaching the end of the 15-minute session, for which hard tyres were mandatory.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/whincup-on-top-in-race-two-qualifying
John CampbellJones David Brabham Francois Migault Adolf Brudes Max Jean Vincenzo Sospiri
Will Davison resisted huge pressure from Mark Winterbottom and Jamie Whincup to take his second victory of the day in the weekend’s third V8 Supercars race at Barbagallo.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/davison-wins-thrilling-race-three
Jan Flinterman Chris Amon Jimmy Reece Paul England Kurt Kuhnke Graham McRae
Pirelli believes its decision to have a double gap in tyre compounds at the Spanish Grand Prix should help throw up some pretty varied strategies – and perhaps deliver Formula 1′s fifth winner of the season. For the first time this season, Pirelli is not bringing tyres that are next to each other in the compound range.
Otto Stuppacher Bruno Giacomelli Jean Lucienbonnet Jimmy Stewart Pete Lovely Dave Charlton
Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/05/hendrick-garage-talladega.html
Howden Ganley Ken Miles Oscar Larrauri Jorge Daponte Jos Verstappen Robin MontgomerieCharrington
Driving on a track is serious fun, but if you really want to get the most out of your car and your talent, feedback is key. The latest affordable GPS data recorders shown here take lap timing to the next level, providing info such as g-forces, predicted lap times, and lap sections (a.k.a. splits). And [...]
Vitantonio Liuzzi Harry Blanchard Al Herman Michael Bartels Pedro Diniz Rudolf Schoeller
Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/07/2048947/video-brad-keselowski-wins-aarons.html
Alberto Crespo Giancarlo Fisichella Danny Ongais Stefan Bellof Brian Redman Nino Vaccarella
Mark Winterbottom secured his second straight V8 Supercars race victory by winning the first leg of the Barbagallo triple-header. But while one Ford Performance Racing driver won, the other lost the championship lead, as Will Davison was caught up in a first-lap incident. Winterbottom’s afternoon had got off to an odd start when contact with poleman Garth Tander as the cars formed up on the dummy grid mangled the FPR Falcon’s door
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/winterbottom-takes-race-one-victory
Umberto Maglioli Harry Merkel Tiff Needell Jenson Button Basil van Rooyen Ricardo RodrÃguez
Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/05/tight-race-fuels-2012-sprint-fan-vote.html
Ian Scheckter Gino Bianco Jose Froilán González Jud Larson Philippe Alliot Felipe Massa
BMW claimed its first DTM pole position since 1992 as Bruno Spengler and Augusto Farfus locked out the front row at Lausitz. Spengler had sewn the seeds of his pole in Q3, the Canadian having only completed two laps on his way to setting the third fastest time
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/miscellaneous/dtm/bmw-sweeps-front-row-at-lausitz
Francois Picard Tom Jones Tom Belso Naoki Hattori Joe Kelly Sam Hanks
Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/04/2044900/mike-ford-sees-building-confidence.html
Heini Walter Jackie Pretorius Danny Kladis Joachim Winkelhock Nanni Galli Enrico Bertaggia
Danny Watts believes the fight for unofficial petrol honours in Saturday’s six-hour World Endurance Championship race at Spa will be close as the weather looks set to unpredictable and predominantly wet throughout the event. The Strakka driver, who qualified the HPD he shares with Jonny Kane and Nick Leventis sixth on the grid, splitting the two Rebellion Lola Coupes, believes that while the Audi diesels will be untouchable, the fight behind them is too close to call.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/watts-petrol-fight-too-close-to-call
David Purley Danny Sullivan Piero Drogo Gijs van Lennep Marshall Teague Ben Pon
Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/05/talkin-trucks-with-ty-dillon-champion.html
Michael Bartels Pedro Diniz Rudolf Schoeller Mauro Baldi Max de Terra Gregor Foitek
Martin Tomczyk led a BMW one-two in the opening free practice session ahead of this weekend’s second round of the DTM at Lausitz. The 2011 champion, who was an early retiree from the Hockenheim season-opener, put his RMG BMW at the top of the timesheets with a lap in 1m20.118s with 22 minutes of the 90 remaining, knocking Mattias Ekstrom’s Abt Audi off the top spot in the process
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/miscellaneous/dtm/tomczyk-tops-first-practice-for-bmw
Derek Warwick Johnny Claes Patrick Friesacher Gunnar Nilsson Pablo Birger Joie Chitwood
Lucas Ordonez will drive the Nissan DeltaWing in the coming weeks after being added to the programme’s test and development line-up. The 27-year-old Spaniard has close links with Nissan, having began his racing career in its GT Academy in 2008 and helped the Nissan-powered Sigantech squad clinch last year’s LMP2 crown in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Now he will join DeltaWing race driver Marino Franchitti at Magny-Cours and Aragon as the test programme ramps up ahead of the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/ordonez-joins-deltawing-test-roster
Desmond Titterington Umberto Maglioli Harry Merkel Tiff Needell Jenson Button Basil van Rooyen
Audi dominated the first free practice session for the World Endurance Championship six hour race at Spa Francorchamps with Benoit Treluyer setting the pace in one of the R18 e-tron quattro hybrid cars. The French driver’s time of 2m04.434s was not quite matched by compatriot Romain Dumas in the conventional R18 Ultra – which was 0.044 seconds slower
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/audi-hybrid-leads-first-spa-practice
Nino Farina Tomáš Enge Paolo Barilla Philippe Streiff Gerhard Berger Adolfo Schwelm Cruz
Chevrolet has issued an appeal against the judgement upholding IndyCar’s decision to make a parity-based change to the single turbocharger used by Honda.
Jacques Swaters Ian Stewart Andrea de Cesaris Alan Jones Mike Hailwood Patrick Gaillard
Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, Nissan
Nissan has already begun spinning wrenches on the company’s crowd-sourced project 370Z, and the automaker has been kind enough to craft a well-made video documenting the build. Fans of the brand chose a GReddy twin turbo kit, which should crank up the 3.7-liter V6 to the tune of around 500 horsepower. The Stage One clip follows the build as technicians dismantle the front of the sports car, yank the engine and bolt on the aftermarket goods. Fans also chose a GReddy Ti-C catback exhaust to help the engine breathe a little easier while hustling down the track, so the pipes go on next.
Nissan plans on documenting the full build before unveiling the project at the upcoming ZDayz 2012. If you’re curious about the creation, you can follow along on the Nissan Performance Facebook page. In the mean time, scroll down to check out the video for yourself.
Continue reading Getting to know the crowd-sourced Nissan 370Z
Getting to know the crowd-sourced Nissan 370Z originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 May 2012 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/04/getting-to-know-the-crowd-sourced-nissan-370z/
Desmond Titterington Umberto Maglioli Harry Merkel Tiff Needell Jenson Button Basil van Rooyen
Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/02/2039083/how-hot-will-it-get-at-talladega.html
Ivan Capelli Andre Milhoux Manny Ayulo Derek Warwick Johnny Claes Patrick Friesacher
Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/04/2044807/mcreynolds-rides-last-lap-pass.html
Bill Moss Damien Magee Massimiliano Papis Desmond Titterington Umberto Maglioli Harry Merkel
Audi is rapidly expanding its crossover range, with the Q3 recently joining the Q5 and Q7, not to mention the BMW X6-rivaling Q6 that’s in the pipeline. But now, according to Auto Express, Audi is working on an entry-level Q2 crossover that would take on the likes of the Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman.
Auto Express has come up with a rendering of the Q2 (pictured right, click to see the full deal), which we’ll reportedly see in concept form sometime in the next 12 months, and – surprise, surprise – it looks like a sportier Q3 or, more to the point, a high-riding A1. Because of its small size, powertrains will likely be plucked out of the A1 range, meaning a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four and a 1.6-liter diesel four will be offered.
Audi will also reportedly take a cue from Mini with the Q2 launch, encouraging owners to personalize their small CUVs in a number of ways. According to the report, buyers will be able to opt for contrasting roof and mirror colors, as well as different-colored major interior trim bits, including the seats and steering wheel.
The Q2 will ride on the same MQB architecture that is set to underpin the full range of Volkswagen Group small cars. That said, Auto Express reports that the Q2 will launch before the rest of the small cars are facelifted in 2014.
Audi Q2 to take on Nissan Juke? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 May 2012 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/04/audi-q2-to-take-on-nissan-juke/
Brian Hart Luigi Taramazzo Alex Blignaut Myron Fohr Azdrubal Fontes Bayardo Olivier Beretta
Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Mini
There’s good reason this Mini more than doubled it’s pre-sale estimate, and it’s not because Neil Armstrong once drove it. No, Lot 307 at Bonhams’ Hendon, U.K., sale was bid up to $65,100 because it’s an exceptionally rare early Mini, just the eighth of the iconic cars ever manufactured, according to the auction company.
The seller was clearly able to capitalize on the current collector car trend of finding unrestored survivor cars – those gems that have somehow escaped not only the ravages of time and oxidation, but five decades of enthusiastic collectors armed with an attitude that tearing it down to the base metal and building it back up, “better than new,” is the only way to enjoy vintage iron. The auction company advertised this 1959 Austin Seven (the Mini name wasn’t applied to the Austin version until 1961) as the oldest unrestored Mini, saying that only three earlier cars are known to exist, one of which is in the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust museum.
Unrestored cars have achieved their recent popularity in part because they serve as records of how the cars originally came from the factory. Production standards in the ’50s and ’60s were much more lax than they are now, and written records can be hard to come by, hence the need for cars like this to direct historians and restorers alike.
The Mini, of course, is one of the most popular cars of all time, remaining in production with few changes from 1959 through 2000. Over 5.3 million of the cars were produced over that period, before BMW shut down production to launch its modern version of the car.
Scroll down to read Bonhams full catalog description.
Continue reading Why did this Mini sell for over $65,000?
Why did this Mini sell for over $65,000? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 May 2012 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/04/why-did-this-mini-sell-for-over-65-000/
Jenson Button Basil van Rooyen Ricardo RodrÃguez Piero Carini Bill Aston Roelof Wunderink
Ben Spies was quickest for Yamaha in a damp first practice session for MotoGP’s Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril. For the second week in succession, Friday morning practice saw little activity as Jerez’s tricky conditions were replicated in Portugal. With the track never fully wet but too tricky for slicks until the closing minutes, for most of the morning the spectators just had a handful of CRT bikes to watch
Paolo Barilla Philippe Streiff Gerhard Berger Adolfo Schwelm Cruz Kurt Adolff Juan Manuel Bordeu
PHOTO CREDIT: NASCARMEDIA (USED WITH PERMISSION)
Jose Froilán González Jud Larson Philippe Alliot Felipe Massa Stefan Johansson Nello Pagani
It’s hard to imagine a street in more dire need of a safety upgrade than Fourth Avenue in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Lined with schools, senior centers, subway stations, churches and stores — and situated in one of the city’s top walk-to-work neighborhoods — the street is a magnet for pedestrians of all ages. It’s also [...]
Graham McRae Roger Loyer Yannick Dalmas Tony Shelly Carl Scarborough Georges Berger
Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/05/dale-earnhardt-and-no-3-goodwrench.html
Ken Miles Oscar Larrauri Jorge Daponte Jos Verstappen Robin MontgomerieCharrington Eddie Sachs
A stretch of 23rd Street closed to traffic yesterday as a result of the Occupy Wall Street May Day protests. Image: Philip Winn
New Yorkers got an unusual taste of what car-free streets feel like yesterday, thanks to the combination of Occupy Wall Street’s May Day march and the New York Police Department.
To mark the labor [...]
Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/05/02/eyes-on-the-street-summer-streets-may-day-edition/
Bertrand Gachot Keith Greene Vitantonio Liuzzi Harry Blanchard Al Herman Michael Bartels
Casey Stoner has dismissed suggestions that he is likely to retire at the end of the 2012 MotoGP season – but says he has not yet made any decisions at all about his future. The reigning champion’s contract with Honda ends after the current campaign, and a report in the Spanish press this week suggested that retirement from racing was a realistic option for the 26-year-old Australian, who recently became a father for the first time
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/motorcycles/motogp/stoner-denies-retirement-talk
Bill Aston Roelof Wunderink Jacques Swaters Ian Stewart Andrea de Cesaris Alan Jones
Ford has revealed the base price for the upcoming 2013 Focus ST: The turbocharged hatchback will start at $24,495 when it goes on sale later this year. The company also announced that the ST’s SAE power ratings are higher than the original estimates. When the ST debuted at the Frankfurt auto show last year, Ford [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/ys3k5ZUuxDo/
Bob Drake Phil Cade Pedro Lamy Helmut Niedermayr Howden Ganley Ken Miles
Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/02/2039942/shank-releases-jay-howard-from.html
Vitantonio Liuzzi Harry Blanchard Al Herman Michael Bartels Pedro Diniz Rudolf Schoeller
Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/04/victory-at-richmond-caps-off-winning.html
Umberto Maglioli Harry Merkel Tiff Needell Jenson Button Basil van Rooyen Ricardo RodrÃguez
Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/02/2039488/chasing-the-usual-nascar-suspects.html
Ken Miles Oscar Larrauri Jorge Daponte Jos Verstappen Robin MontgomerieCharrington Eddie Sachs
Rob Huff put his World Touring Car title challenge back on track by scoring his first victory of the season in a convincing drive in race two at the Slovakia Ring. The Briton bounced back from a disappointing opening race, in which he posted his first retirement in two years, to hold off RML Chevrolet team-mate Yvan Muller by two seconds at the chequered flag. An intense battle for second between Muller and Slovakia Ring race one victor Gabriele Tarquini’s SEAT Leon WTCC provided a fitting climax to the championship’s first visit to the venue.
Sebastian Vettel Emilio Zapico Alberto Crespo Giancarlo Fisichella Danny Ongais Stefan Bellof
F1 H2O / F1 Powerboat News ABU DHABI – January 2, 2012 Italian Alex Carella of the Qatar Team used both his driving skills and youthful exuberance to overtake his wily veteran teammate Jay Price of the USA with a…
Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/carellas_2011_world_title.php
Patrick Gaillard Fred Agabashian Divina Galica Bobby Rahal Mike Thackwell Mikko Kozarowitzky
Takuma Sato has been issued a 10-place grid penalty for an unauthorised engine change going into Sunday’s IndyCar race in Sao Paulo, although its impact is negated by the fact that he would have started from the rear of the grid anyway after failing to make it out for qualifying. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan team opted to make the change after second practice, and the weekend’s condensed scheduled did not leave enough time for the job to be finished for qualifying
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/indycar-news/indycar/sato-given-engine-penalty
Harry Merkel Tiff Needell Jenson Button Basil van Rooyen Ricardo RodrÃguez Piero Carini
Qatar Moto2 race-winner Marc Marquez maintained his strong start to the season by securing pole position at Jerez. The Spaniard broke clear of a group of six riders, all of whom had been trading fastest times, with a 1m43.355s just under 20 minutes from the session’s end. It was always likely that would be bettered, and so it proved as Marquez twice went faster, shaving more than three tenths off his benchmark.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/marquez-secures-home-moto2-pole
Sam Hanks Gerino Gerini Mark Webber David Walker Larry Crockett Rene Arnoux
Red Bull Racing Thursday 5 January 2012 Red Bull Racing is pleased to confirm that Sébastien Buemi will continue his relationship with Red Bull as Red Bull Racing’s test and reserve driver for 2012. The 23-year-old joins Sebastian Vettel and…
Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/seb_web_and_seb_red_bull.php
Ken Miles Oscar Larrauri Jorge Daponte Jos Verstappen Robin MontgomerieCharrington Eddie Sachs
AJ Foyt Racing Mike Conway London, UK – Tuesday 20th December 2011 Long Beach Grand Prix winner Mike Conway has signed with AJ Foyt Racing to drive the No. 14 ABC Supply Honda in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series….
Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2011/12/mike_conway_signs_with_aj.php
Azdrubal Fontes Bayardo Olivier Beretta Bob Christie Georges Grignard Nino Farina Tomáš Enge
Panther Racing CEO John Barnes has been fined and put on probation by IndyCar after using Twitter to criticise the way the series handled the recent turbo controversy. On Thursday morning, a few hours before a panel met to hear Chevrolet’s protest against a decision to allow Honda to make a parity-based change to its turbo unit, Barnes tweeted: “Today is the day to resolve TURBOGATE! I hope @indcar [sic] gets their act together
Bill Aston Roelof Wunderink Jacques Swaters Ian Stewart Andrea de Cesaris Alan Jones
Nine Racing Inc. Brownsburg, Indiana January 4, 2012 Nine Racing, Inc. is pleased to announce the signing of three excellent drivers for the 26th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals Presented by General Tire midget event that will take place…
Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/nine_racing_to_feature_th.php
Mauro Baldi Max de Terra Gregor Foitek Clemar Bucci Brian Hart Luigi Taramazzo
Filed under: GM, Earnings/Financials, Diesel
General Motors initially wanted to buy one-third of Isuzu Motors Ltd, which would give it the right to veto board decisions, but has scaled back how much of the Japanese company it might try to buy, according to a new Reuters report.
At current stock prices, GM would have paid more than $3 billion for a controlling share of the truckmaker, which specializes in small trucks and diesel powertrains. GM is now considering buying a 10 percent share, anonymous sources tell Reuters, which would make it the largest single owner of stock in the company. Toyota and Volkswagen both have smaller shares of Isuzu.
GM once owned nearly half of Isuzu but sold off its last 7.9 percent of the company in 2006.
The GM/Isuzu partnership helped bring vehicles to the U.S. like the Geo Storm, Chevrolet LUV, GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado. But there’s no reason to expect a new small pickup for America this time around.
The potential deal, which sources tell Reuters is “very much preliminary”, could open up the Southeast Asia market, where GM is currently a bit player. Additionally, GM could help Isuzu develop a hybrid or other environmentally friendly vehicles. It’s almost enough to make us wonder why they ever sold it in the first place.
GM first proposed $3B controlling stake in Isuzu originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 May 2012 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/02/gm-first-proposed-3b-controlling-stake-in-isuzu/
Manny Ayulo Derek Warwick Johnny Claes Patrick Friesacher Gunnar Nilsson Pablo Birger
Kyle Busch claimed his first NASCAR Sprint Cup win of the season by holding off a charging Dale Earnhardt Jr in a short sprint to the finish at Richmond. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Busch took his fourth consecutive victory at the track’s spring event, making the most of a quick final stop from his crew which allowed him to lead the field during the final restart, ahead of reigning champion Tony Stewart
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/nascar/busch-beats-earnhardt-to-victory
Fred Agabashian Divina Galica Bobby Rahal Mike Thackwell Mikko Kozarowitzky Heini Walter
NHRA GLENDORA, Calif. (Jan. 4, 2012) NHRA announced today that Matt Artin, an eight-year veteran in media planning, advertising and promotions, has joined the world’s largest motorsports sanctioning body as director of advertising and promotions….
Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/matt_artin_joins_nhra_as.php
Brian Redman Nino Vaccarella Jo Bonnier Birabongse Bhanubandh David Purley Danny Sullivan
Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Technology
Google Inc. wants self driving cars on the road sooner rather than later.
It knows its autonomous vehicles work – engineers have already put its fleet of self-driving vehicles through 250,000 miles of testing. And they’re planning to put another 750,000 testing miles on their expanding fleet.
Now, executives are approaching car makers about building the self-driving vehicles, according to The Detroit News.
“From giving the technology away to licensing it to working with Tier 1s, Tier 2s, working with the OEMs, building a car with them, everything is open and we’re trying to figure out which paths make the most sense,” said Google project manager Anthony Levandowski last week at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit. “We’re talking to basically every car company to see what their level of excitement is and how do we work with them.”
A Google spokesperson later added, “We’re talking with lots of auto companies about a variety of topics, but we haven’t decided how we may make our technology available to consumers. As Anthony said at the SAE conference in Detroit, ‘all options are open.’”
Levandowski says Google is racing forward to get self-driving vehicles on the road as soon as possible. It has begun talking to insurance companies to figure out how much it might cost to insure a self-driving car, according to CNET. One of the sticky issues: If a self-driving vehicle causes an accident, is the driver responsible or the company that made the vehicle?
Google officials say they expect to mathematically prove that computer-driven vehicles are safer than those operated by humans, thus insurance prices should be lower. No word yet if that logic will fly, but insurance companies do love math, algorithms and actuary tables…
Google approaching automakers to help build self-driving cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 May 2012 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/01/google-approaching-automakers-to-help-build-self-driving-cars/
Roberto Bonomi Bernard de Dryver Timo Glock Kevin Cogan Erik Comas Domenico Schiattarella
Casey Stoner says he must take a share of the blame after qualifying just fifth for the Jerez Grand Prix – his worst starting slot since Malaysia 2010. After ending almost one second down on works Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa in qualifying, Stoner blamed both himself and the inclement conditions which hampered set-up work throughout practice. After qualifying fifth fastest, and almost one second down on works Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa, Stoner blamed both himself and the inclement conditions which hampered set-up work throughout practice
Patrick Tambay Raymond Sommer Cal Niday Riccardo Paletti PierreHenri Raphanel Gastón Mazzacane
Filed under: Etc.
Newsflash: Americans are fat. And no, we’re not just big boned. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions over the past couple decades, and as a result diabetes, heart disease and just about every other health issue are on the rise.
The Atlantic reports that the amount of fuel we’re using is on the rise as well, as heavy occupants need more fuel to get from Point A to *insert drive-thru joke here*. A 2006 study shows that Americans weigh so much more than they did in 1960 that we’re using up an additional billion gallons of petrol every year.
That’s about $4 billion a year at today’s gas prices, and nearly one percent of overall fuel usage. And that was back in 2006 – as we continue to plump up, the dollars continue to pile up. Inside Line reports that each pound we gain as a population adds up to another $39 million. It’s too bad we can’t get stop/start tech for our appetites.
America’s obesity problem equals a billion gallons of gas per year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 May 2012 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/01/americas-obesity-problem-equals-a-billion-gallons-of-gas-per-ye/
Eddie Sachs Chico Serra Brian Gubby Mack Hellings Bill Moss Damien Magee
Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/04/ford-hired-as-almirolas-new-crew-chief.html
Ricardo RodrÃguez Piero Carini Bill Aston Roelof Wunderink Jacques Swaters Ian Stewart
NHRA GLENDORA, Calif. Jan. 4, 2012 Global iPrint, a premier printing and distribution company, has signed a three-year agreement to become the “Official Print Sponsor” of NHRA….
Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/global_iprint_named_offic.php
Nino Vaccarella Jo Bonnier Birabongse Bhanubandh David Purley Danny Sullivan Piero Drogo
