Clemar Bucci Ronnie Bucknum Ivor Bueb Sebastien Buemi Luiz Bueno Ian Burgess Luciano Burti Roberto Bussinello
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Mecan (and mewill) make fun of the Porsche Macan.
I love the Germans, I really do. I spent half my professional life working with them, and I have the David Hasselhoff CDs to prove it. Most of my cars are German, and I even went to high school in the Vaterland. And so I feel I?m uniquely qualified to make fun of them. So [...]
First Drive: 2013 Acura RDX
Redefined and refined.
Acura's first-generation RDX crossover suffered from a bit of an identity crisis: it packed an exciting, enthusiast-oriented powertrain into a CUV, but trailed competitors when it came to ride quality, refinement, and sophistication. The entire package led one Automobile editor to suggest last year that Acura needed to "commit to competing against the big boys and develop a vehicle that can meet them head on."
Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2013 Acura RDX - Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: First Drive: 2013 Acura RDX - Automobile Magazine
Carlo Abate George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams Walt Ader Kurt Adolff Fred Agabashian
2007 Audi TT Coupe
How do you deal with an iconic but aging design? With plenty of care and caution. Such is the case with the Audi TT, which has existed basically unchanged since its debut in 1998.
How do you deal with an iconic but aging design? With plenty of care and caution. Such is the case with the Audi TT, which has existed basically unchanged since its debut in 1998. The new car, introduced on a live internet video feed on April 6, looks very similar to the outgoing model. It maintains the circle and dome motifs that made the little coupe famous, but proportion changes make the car look lower, sleeker, and more aggressive. The same is true of the interior, which, while completely redesigned, looks like a smoothed over version of the last edition.
Photo Gallery: 2007 Audi TT Coupe - 2007 New Cars - Automobile Magazine
Louis Chiron Joie Chitwood Bob Christie Johnny Claes David Clapham Jim Clark† Kevin Cogan Peter Collins
What do you display finished models in ?
I am at the point where I need to get some acrylic cases to get the built ups put away. They are on my TV stand right now. I had acrylics before and they kept the models near perfect. What do you use and can you suggest a good supplier for these. Maybe we can come up with a group buy for them.
Bill Brack Ernesto Brambilla Vittorio Brambilla Toni Branca Gianfranco Brancatelli Eric Brandon Don Branson Tom Bridger
First Look: Hyundai i30 Wagon
Would you buy Hyundai's European Elantra Wagon?
Hyundai has showed off photos of its new i30 Wagon that will make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. The all-new wagon will join the i30 hatchback in Hyundai's European lineup later this year.
Photo Gallery: First Look: Hyundai i30 Wagon - Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: First Look: Hyundai i30 Wagon - Automobile Magazine
Joie Chitwood Bob Christie Johnny Claes David Clapham Jim Clark† Kevin Cogan Peter Collins Bernard Collomb
Sneak Preview: Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce has more Ghost variants up its bespoke sleeve.
Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes is highly fit, dapper, and eloquent. But he's also very cautious with the press. When he revealed over lunch that Rolls-Royce is going to appoint a handful of new dealers, his voice was so hushed you'd think he was about to reveal the access code to Fort Knox. Known as TMOe within the company, the marketing expert joined the brand in the middle of a boom period that saw sales soar to more than 3000 units in 2011, thanks to the highly successful Ghost. The cagey and coy new chairman is the exact opposite of his predecessor, the outspoken and jovial Tom Purves. It took a long meal and a couple glasses of fine sauvignon blanc to coax TMOe into shifting from P to D. In the end, however, he came across as a man with a vision and some strong ideas on how automotive luxury may evolve in the coming decade.
Photo Gallery: Sneak Preview: Rolls-Royce - Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: Sneak Preview: Rolls-Royce - Automobile Magazine
Roberto Bussinello Jenson Button Tommy Byrne Giulio Cabianca Phil Cade Alex Caffi John CampbellJones Adrián Campos
2007 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
The hardcore 2008 Porsche 911 GT3 RS is finally coming to the US! Celebrate with us here.
The GT3 RS is a Porsche 911 for those with no fear. We didn't get the 996-series GT3 RS, but Yankee speed freaks soon will be able to flog the 997-series follow-up. The RS is lighter than the already svelte GT3 thanks to the use of carbon fiber for the car's hood panel and its adjustable rear wing. Wider rear fenders like those from the 911 Carrera 4 cover the RS's increased rear track. Sharing its 415-hp flat six and six-speed manual gearbox with the regular GT3, the RS will be offered with black or silver paint as standard, but buyers can pay extra to have their cars sprayed in funky, 1970s-style shades of orange or green. The 911 GT3 RS hits the track in early 2007.
Photo Gallery: 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 RS -New and Future Cars, Trucks, and SUVs - Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 RS -New and Future Cars, Trucks, and SUVs - Automobile Magazine
George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams Walt Ader Kurt Adolff Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr
2011: The Highs and Lows
After a year of driving lots of different cars, I?ve decided to cobble together a list of highs and lows. Rather than sticking just with new models, which would likely create a roster much like other Best lists, I thought of this instead as a recounting of cars that surprised me?either to the upside or [...]
Alberto Crespo Antonio Creus Larry Crockett Tony Crook Art Cross Geoff Crossley Chuck Daigh Yannick Dalmas
McLaren drivers out of title race
 Is it now a three-way battle for the title? |
?Focus and concentration will be of paramount importance and there is none stronger in this regard than Ferrari?s Fernando Alonso.?The Guardian?s Oliver Owen thinks that it is Mark Webber?s title to lose now, and that this may be the Australian?s last realistic chance of winning the title.
?He has driven beautifully. Monaco and Silverstone spring to mind. He has been an uncompromising racer, not giving Vettel or Lewis Hamilton an inch in Turkey and Singapore respectively. Most importantly, he has largely avoided the bouts of brain fade that can wreck a season ? his on-track hooning in Melbourne when racing Hamilton being the only exception. But there is a feeling that for Webber it is now or never, that a chance of a tilt at the title may never come again. He is certainly driving as if that is the case and that has been his strength.?According to The Mirror?s Byron Young, both McLaren drivers are now out of the title hunt after their fourth and fifth place finishes in Suzuka.
?McLaren's title hopes died yesterday in a weekend from Hell at Suzuka. Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth in a Japanese Grand Prix they had to win to have the remotest chance of keeping their title bid alive."The Sun?s Michael Spearman was of the same opinion, saying ?Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button's title hopes were in tatters after a shocker in Japan.?
Eric Brandon Don Branson Tom Bridger Tony Brise Chris Bristow Peter Broeker Tony Brooks Alan Brown
Millennial Approved: Chevy Rolls Out 2013 Spark, Sonic with Phone-Based Navigation
With its 2013 Spark and just-released 2012 Sonic, Chevrolet is looking to pique the interest of a new generation of car buyers. To help woo the millennials to the bow-tie brand, Chevy is introducing a new touchscreen infotainment center that is navigation ready ? all you need is an iPhone. According to General Motors, 90 [...]
Patrick Depailler Pedro Diniz Duke Dinsmore Frank Dochnal Jose Dolhem Martin Donnelly Carlo Abate George Abecassis
First Look: Volkswagen Up! Concepts
Whimsical Up! concepts head to Geneva.
Volkswagen must have a case of deja vu: although it displayed a batch of one-off Up! concept cars at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, the automaker is doing the exact same thing for this year's Geneva Motor Show. The cars shown here are once again merely design studies, and won't necessarily be placed into series production.
Photo Gallery: First Look: Volkswagen Up! Concepts - Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: First Look: Volkswagen Up! Concepts - Automobile Magazine
Felice Bonetto Jo Bonnier Roberto Bonomi Juan Manuel Bordeu Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais
Friday, March 30, 2012
rims
any one have a set of rims from this kit amt chevy 454 pickup 
Jo Bonnier Roberto Bonomi Juan Manuel Bordeu Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen
First Look: 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
A new face for Chevy's family hauler.
Despite debuting just four short years ago, Chevrolet has seen fit to give the Traverse an extensive exterior and interior update for 2013. The 2013 Traverse will be making its debut at the 2012 New York auto show in April, alongside its 2013 Buick Enclave platform-mate.
Photo Gallery: First Look: 2013 Chevrolet Traverse - Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: First Look: 2013 Chevrolet Traverse - Automobile Magazine
Tommy Byrne Giulio Cabianca Phil Cade Alex Caffi John CampbellJones Adrián Campos John Cannon Eitel Cantoni
Ferrari Launch Their 2011 Car The F150
Ferrari have become the first team to launch their 2011 Formula One car – named the F150. Thw F150 name comes from the fact it is 150 years since Italian unification, the flag bearer for the nation decided it was important to increase exposure of the major event in the country’s long history. �The cars [...]
Geoff Crossley Chuck Daigh Yannick Dalmas Derek Daly Christian Danner Jorge Daponte Anthony Davidson Jimmy Davies
Mecan (and mewill) make fun of the Porsche Macan.
I love the Germans, I really do. I spent half my professional life working with them, and I have the David Hasselhoff CDs to prove it. Most of my cars are German, and I even went to high school in the Vaterland. And so I feel I?m uniquely qualified to make fun of them. So [...]
Jim Crawford Ray Crawford Alberto Crespo Antonio Creus Larry Crockett Tony Crook Art Cross Geoff Crossley
New York 2012: Ram Teases Chrome Grille on 2013 1500 Ram Truck
Ram teased a chrome-filled grille teaser today of what we believe is the 2013 Ram 1500 truck, scheduled for a debut at �the 2012 New York International Auto Show. Ram plans to tease photos of the truck every day until its April 5 debut. Not surprisingly, Ram is using social media to post the photos [...]
Michael Andretti Keith Andrews Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella Mário de Araújo Cabral Frank Armi Chuck Arnold Rene Arnoux
First Look: Mansony McLaren MP4 12C
Mansory decks out McLaren MP4-12C.
It just wouldn't be a Geneva Motor Show without a wild Mansory-tuned vehicle - and sure enough, the tuning firm revealed it'll bring a customized McLaren MP4-12C super car to the 2012 Geneva Motor Show next week.
Photo Gallery: First Look: Mansony McLaren MP4 12C - Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: First Look: Mansony McLaren MP4 12C - Automobile Magazine
Lorenzo Bandini Henry Banks Fabrizio Barbazza John Barber Skip Barber Paolo Barilla Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels
Massa threatened with jail over team orders
 |
?A public raised on a diet of Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna were simply appalled and saddened in equal measure by Massa?s apparent lack of ambition.?
Alex Caffi John CampbellJones Adrián Campos John Cannon Eitel Cantoni Bill Cantrell Ivan Capelli Piero Carini
Subaru BRZ Sales ?Quadruple? Expectations in Japan; U.S. Pre-Orders Hit 1000
The 2013 Subaru BRZ sports coupe is proving to be one hot car: after just two months on sale in Japan, the BRZ has recorded almost four times the sales volumes initially projected. Subaru has sold 3551 copies of the BRZ in Japan in the last two months –despite the company predicting sales of just [...]
Marco Apicella Mário de Araújo Cabral Frank Armi Chuck Arnold Rene Arnoux Peter Arundell Alberto Ascari Peter Ashdown
2011 MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 - Four Seasons Update - March 2011
Rolling again.
With its freshly replaced clutch, our four-seasons Mini Countryman ALL4 is rolling again. And the new hardware has made a major difference in the driving experience.
Photo Gallery: 2011 MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 - Four Seasons Update - March 2011 - Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: 2011 MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 - Four Seasons Update - March 2011 - Automobile Magazine
Stefan Bellof Paul Belmondo Tom Belso JeanPierre Beltoise Olivier Beretta Allen Berg Georges Berger Gerhard Berger
Driven: 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupe 4Matic
The C350 now has all-wheel drive.
"I've never really driven on snow before, so this should be interesting." On the list of things you definitely don't want to hear from a driving partner you've just met when climbing into the passenger's seat of a smallish 302-hp coupe in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, this has to rank near the top. The calming news -- and the reason we're here in the first place -- is that the coupe in question, the Mercedes-Benz C350, now has all-wheel drive.
Photo Gallery: Driven: 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupe 4Matic - Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: Driven: 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupe 4Matic - Automobile Magazine
Eugene Chaboud Jay Chamberlain Karun Chandhok Alain de Changy Colin Chapman Dave Charlton Pedro Matos Chaves Bill Cheesbourg
General Motors Using LEGOs to Log Warranty Repair Progress
At General Motors, LEGOs aren?t just for kids, as the automaker says it?s created a three-dimensional visualization system around the colorful plastic building blocks that can track progress on pending vehicle repairs. Developed with WellStar Health System, a not-for-profit health group, the system will basically function as a visual to-do list to help GM prioritize [...]
Jimmy Bryan Clemar Bucci Ronnie Bucknum Ivor Bueb Sebastien Buemi Luiz Bueno Ian Burgess Luciano Burti
2013 Ford Explorer Sport revealed
Ford has introduced the 2013 Explorer Sport, ahead of its launch this fall. It features a twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine.Jim Clark† Kevin Cogan Peter Collins Bernard Collomb Alberto Colombo Erik Comas Franco Comotti George Connor
Thursday, March 29, 2012
More qualifying frustration for Rosberg
For the second Saturday in a row Nico Rosberg has compromised his grid position with a scrappy lap in qualifying. Despite showing impressive speed at times over the weekend, the Mercedes driver will start only seventh in Malaysia ? and … Continue reading 
Ian Ashley Gerry Ashmore Bill Aston Richard Attwood Manny Ayulo Luca Badoer Giancarlo Baghetti Julian Bailey
2007 Audi TT Coupe
How do you deal with an iconic but aging design? With plenty of care and caution. Such is the case with the Audi TT, which has existed basically unchanged since its debut in 1998.
How do you deal with an iconic but aging design? With plenty of care and caution. Such is the case with the Audi TT, which has existed basically unchanged since its debut in 1998. The new car, introduced on a live internet video feed on April 6, looks very similar to the outgoing model. It maintains the circle and dome motifs that made the little coupe famous, but proportion changes make the car look lower, sleeker, and more aggressive. The same is true of the interior, which, while completely redesigned, looks like a smoothed over version of the last edition.
Photo Gallery: 2007 Audi TT Coupe - 2007 New Cars - Automobile Magazine
David Coulthard Piers Courage Chris Craft Jim Crawford Ray Crawford Alberto Crespo Antonio Creus Larry Crockett
Bahrain and Formula 1
So a bunch of Formula 1 people have got together at a function in London and have said that Bahrain is a fine place to go; that there are no real problems there and that the media is to blame for the current situation. They say that protests are just being caused by a few [...]
Don Branson Tom Bridger Tony Brise Chris Bristow Peter Broeker Tony Brooks Alan Brown Walt Brown
Another AMG SUV? Mercedes-Benz GL Caught with Go-Fast Hardware
A reader from Motor Trend recently caught a Mercedes-Benz GL test mule while on vacation in Foley, Alabama. He speculates it could be an AMG version of Benz?s three-row SUV and his photos make a convincing case. The white test mule is wearing a bit of camouflage, but the reader points out the large, 21-inch [...]
Chris Bristow Peter Broeker Tony Brooks Alan Brown Walt Brown Warwick Brown Adolf Brudes Martin Brundle
No Time Wasted: 2013 Dodge Dart Hits Dealers in June
Dodge is wasting no time launching its most anticipated compact car, the 2013 Dodge Dart. Most Dodge dealers will have the 2013 Dart in showrooms before late June. Chrysler’s Belvidere, Illinois plant will begin cranking out about 2000 Dodge Darts in May, and another 8000 in June, Reid Bigland, president and CEO of Dodge told [...]
Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol Don Beauman Karl Gunther Bechem Jean Behra Derek Bell Stefan Bellof Paul Belmondo
2007 BMW 328i and 335i Sedans
Yes, you read that right. Only a couple years after their debut, BMW's 325i and 330i four-door sedans are slipping out the door with nary a wave goodbye. Taking their place are the 328i and 335i four-doors-powered by a 220-hp, normally-aspirated 3.0-liter six and a 300-hp, twin-turbocharged six, respectively.
Yes, you read that right. Only a couple years after their debut, BMW's 325i and 330i four-door sedans are slipping out the door with nary a wave goodbye. Taking their place are the 328i and 335i four-doors-powered by a 220-hp, normally-aspirated 3.0-liter six and a 300-hp, twin-turbocharged six, respectively. The 328i engine is essentially a differently-tuned version of the 325i/330i's six-cylinder, while the 335i sedan's engine is identical to the one found in the just-released 335i coupe.
Photo Gallery: 2007 BMW 328i and 335i Sedans - New and Future Cars, Trucks, and SUVs - Automobile Magazine
Peter Collins Bernard Collomb Alberto Colombo Erik Comas Franco Comotti George Connor George Constantine John Cordts
BMW M135i
 |
After debuting the M135i Concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, BMW is now testing its production version. BimmerToday.de has caught the car completely naked in a parking lot in Germany. The prototype was caught wearing a very cool Estoril Blue metallic paint finish, as well as black door mirror caps and black outer air intakes on the front apron.
The back of the M135i was seen with a Dark Shadow apron that accommodates two chrome-dark tailpipes in typical x35i arrangement. Just like the recently announced M550d xDrive, the future M135i will also feature a sport-tuned suspension with M sport brakes, a new set of 18-inch M light alloys with a double spoke design, and an aerodynamic body kit.
The new BMW M135i Concept was powered by a straight six-cylinder petrol engine that featured M Performance Twin Power Turbo technology with a power output of more than 300 HP. The engine was then combined with a rear-wheel drive system and a powerful sport suspension. We expect this setup to carry over to the production model as well.
The new BMW M135i is expected to make its world debut by the end of 2012.
BMW M135i originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 29 March 2012 12:00 EST.
John Cordts David Coulthard Piers Courage Chris Craft Jim Crawford Ray Crawford Alberto Crespo Antonio Creus
Alonso the new favourite
 Fernando Alonso is the new favourite for the title |
?He is the man with the momentum and, on the same basis that I backed Mark Webber to win the title before Korea, is now my favourite to claim the world title in Abu Dhabi on Nov 14. ?When the cars are so evenly-matched you have to back the man in possession. Especially when that man is a two-time world champion and arguably the finest driver of his generation.?The Mirror?s Byron Young drew comparisons between Alonso and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher as the Spaniard bids to become the sport?s youngest ever triple world champion.
?Like Schumacher, Alonso accepts no opposition within his team. Ultimately he fell out with McLaren over their refusal in 2007 to bring Lewis Hamilton to heel. ?He returned to Renault on condition he was No.1, only to be at the centre of the Singapore cheat scandal - engineered to hand him victory. ?The Spaniard has always denied involvement but at the German GP in July he was brazen enough to radio Ferrari to rein in team-mate Felipe Massa so he could start the winning streak that has taken him to the brink of history.?
Jenson Button Tommy Byrne Giulio Cabianca Phil Cade Alex Caffi John CampbellJones Adrián Campos John Cannon
McLaren unveil new car for 2012
At McLaren Technology Centre, Woking
Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button sat on the stage in front of the car they both hope will take them to the world title this year looking relaxed and happy.
Yet in their responses to apparently innocuous questions, both men revealed much about the different ways in which they approach the 2012 Formula 1 season.
They were asked how they had spent the winter. Button, fresh from arguably his best season yet in the sport, had spent some time in Hawaii. "Somewhere warm to chill out and train," he said, "but it's always the same - you spend a couple of weeks away and you are missing racing, so I was back on 5 January".
Hamilton's 2011, meanwhile, was self-admittedly his worst season yet in F1, with three superb wins interspersed with errors and controversy.
McLaren are set to compete for the title with their new car which was unveiled ahead of the beginning of the Formula One season due to start in March. Photo: Getty
His response to the same question was enlightening."The opposite of Jenson," he said. "I was over in the cold in the mountains in Colorado. I wasn't missing the car too much - it was nice to be away from it awhile, to refresh, start anew, and just getting back to training was great.
"I altered it a little bit this year, I think last year I was training too much. I had a good break and I was grateful to Martin (Whitmarsh, the McLaren team principal) for giving me such a good break."
Later, Hamilton revealed a little more about his desire to make amends for 2011 with a sparkling 2012.
Which race are you most looking forward to, he was asked. "Monaco is the one for me - I want to get back there and have a better race [in which he collided with two drivers and caused a storm with his post-race comments] than last year."
It was a stark illustration of just how much is at stake in 2012 for the man who many still regard as the most naturally talented and out-and-out fastest racing driver in the world.
Whether Hamilton has found the mental equilibrium he desires to enable him to perform consistently at his brilliant best remains to be seen, starting with the first race in Melbourne, Australia, on 18 March.
But much of it may depend on the reason he and Button were up on that stage - the McLaren MP4-27.
His team's failure - for the third year running - to produce a car with which he could consistently challenge at the front was one of the main causes for Hamilton's frustrations last year.
He knows exactly how good he is, so it was galling for him to see yet again that he was not realistically going to challenge for the championship.
As is the way of things, the launch of the new McLaren shed no light whatsoever on whether that will change in 2012.
The car looks nice enough - and it mercifully lacks the "platypus" front seen on the Caterham, the only other new car to break cover so far this year, as a response to new rules lowering the height of the nose.
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash Installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
There was a lot of talk about McLaren's focus on the aerodynamics at the rear of the car, which featured noticeably tighter packaging than last year, and particularly of the need to make the most of pre-season testing and start the season strongly.
That was where McLaren's campaign began to unravel last season - an over-complex exhaust system led to a terrible pre-season with a car Whitmarsh has described as "neither reliable nor quick".
This year's car contains no obvious stand-out innovations but the team were quick to deny suggestions that McLaren had reined themselves in an attempt to make sure the car runs in testing, which Whitmarsh described as "data-gathering".
Engineering director Tim Goss described the MP4-27 as "a complete re-work from nose to tail".
Technical director Paddy Lowe added: "The regulations are trimming us into narrower and narrower boxes so we don't see the big radical changes from one year to the next, so the car looks quite similar.
But there is a great deal of change underneath.
"There still are obvious innovations. We have done a lot of work around the back end, a lot more tidy packaging there. We have had to respond to the change in the exhaust regulations (banning the blowing of exhausts along the rear floor to boost downforce).
That's given the aerodynamicists a big challenge to come up with the (lost) downforce and the balance."
Lowe and Goss are old hands and they did a great job of straight-batting the questions on the stand-out features of the car and it was left to Whitmarsh to utter F1's dreaded c-word.
"I don't believe we've been inherently conservative," he said. "We've set ourselves some tough targets, targets that we think if we achieve them we will win the world championship. I think we will meet those targets, and if they are the right targets, we will win the championships."
To achieve that obvious aim, though, there is the small matter of having to beat the twin formidable forces of Ferrari and Fernando Alonso and, the combination expected to remain the one to beat, Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel.
Just as the car's tight rear takes more than a small bow towards the all-conquering Red Bulls of the last two seasons, it is clear that McLaren have had their eyes on other aspects of their rivals' dominance as well.
"It didn't go unnoticed that Sebastian Vettel put the car on pole a lot and then pulled the gap (from which he controlled the race)," said Goss. "We're aware of it; we've attempted to find ways to deal with it."
George Constantine John Cordts David Coulthard Piers Courage Chris Craft Jim Crawford Ray Crawford Alberto Crespo
Formula One gets ready for another enthralling season
Formula 1 2012 effectively starts now. The first race is not until 18 March, but by the end of this week the world will have seen two of the cars expected to be competing at the front - and one of them will have had its first run on the track.
The McLaren breaks cover first, with a launch at the team’s base in Woking, Surrey, before Ferrari reveal their new challenger in Maranello on Friday.
Ferrari plan, weather permitting, to run the car briefly at their Fiorano test track on Saturday ahead of the start of pre-season testing in Jerez, Spain, on 7 February.
On Sunday, the new Lotus (formerly Renault) will be unveiled on the internet – and F1 designers and engineers across Europe will be losing sleep about what they will see when the new Red Bull breaks cover in the same fashion on Monday.
Ferrari Formula One team and drivers including Fernando Alonso (right) of Spain and Felipe Massa of Brazil (left) take part in a winter training session in Lanzarote, Spain. Photo: Getty
These new cars will be pored over for hints of the key themes of the new season – and it will not just be to do with the cars.
At McLaren on Wednesday, the issue of Lewis Hamilton’s mindset will inevitably be raised after his wildly up-and-down season last year – indeed team principal Martin Whitmarsh has already delivered a robust, if familiar-sounding, defence of his driver in an interview last week.
Hamilton has kept a low profile over the winter, training in the US, and whether he can find the mental equilibrium to consistently access his very best form is already one of the talking points of 2012.
At Red Bull, Mark Webber says he has “had a good winter, recharging my batteries, and now I can’t wait to get going again”.
But can the Australian rediscover the form he showed in his title bid in 2010 and challenge team-mate and world champion Sebastian Vettel more strongly than he did last year?
Just as importantly, will Webber stay on at the team for 2013, or will he make way for either Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne, the Red Bull juniors going head-to-head at Toro Rosso, to prove they deserve a chance in the senior team?
Over at Mercedes, the pressure is on to start winning after two lacklustre seasons, while another question is whether Michael Schumacher will decide he wants to stay on beyond the end of his contract into 2013 - and will the team want him to?
Schumacher is so clearly a shadow of his former greatness and has only just begun to get on terms with team-mate Nico Rosberg, and even then only in races.
Already ex-F1 driver Gerhard Berger has said he cannot see his former rival continuing.
"I do not think he will extend his contract,” the Austrian told Auto Motor und Sport.
“He will be tired. I have to admit he drove better in 2011 than in 2010, especially in the second half of the season, and I can imagine he can improve even on that but still he has no chance against Rosberg.
“Schumacher will have to admit that, with an age over 40, it’s impossible to beat a young driver on the level of Rosberg.”
Ferrari, too, find themselves with serious questions hanging over the future of one driver – Felipe Massa – and a need to raise their game after a single win in 2011.
A lot hangs on the new car – and the early evidence is they have lived up to their promise to push the boat out in terms of aggressive design.
The veteran Italian technical journalist Giorgio Piola has produced one of his famous drawings based on leaked details of the new Ferrari.
Italian journalist Giorgio Piola has attempted to draw an image of Ferrari's 2012 Formula One car. Photo: Getty
“If the pictures are accurate,” BBC F1’s technical analyst Gary Anderson says, “Ferrari seem to have gone a different route by shortening the sidepods and having the crash structure (beside the driver) separate and in front of the sidepod.
“They’re trying to remove the blockage the sidepods create to the airflow coming off the front of the car.
“It’s a total concept thing – in that it is integral to the whole car design. So if it works, they’ve got one up on everyone else.”
It’s clear already, in fact, that the look of the new cars will attract even more attention than usual – and that’s because, as Anderson puts it, “the first thing that will stand out will be the ugly noses”.
These are the result of new rules that dictate lower noses to improve safety, but keep the height of the front bulkhead – the front of the chassis – the same.
A glimpse of these has already been seen on the new Caterham (formerly Lotus) – which features a kind of platypus look, with a long rectangular nose, ahead of an ugly lump on the chassis around the area of the front suspension.
The other major talking point will be how teams deal with the banning of last year’s must-have technology, exhaust-blown diffusers, where downforce was increased by blowing the exhausts along the rear floor of the car even when the driver was not pressing the accelerator.
Governing body the FIA has attempted to end this by stipulating that the exhausts must exit on top of the rear bodywork, well in front of the rear wheels, as well as heavily restricting ‘exotic’ engine maps.
But already there is talk of teams directing exhausts at the rear wing – either upper or lower – to try to increase downforce there.
“The exhaust acts like a compressor,” says Anderson. “It moves the air quite effectively, increasing the air speed, and that gives more downforce. The return will be small, but that’s always the case because the regs are so tight.”
This being F1, there is plenty to talk about – and that’s without touching on the politics, which will be intense as teams, the FIA and commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone negotiate a new Concorde Agreement, the contract that ties them all to F1 and which expires this year.
As ever there is a lot going on – and, as always, you can bet something else will emerge to surprise everyone, too.
Alain de Changy Colin Chapman Dave Charlton Pedro Matos Chaves Bill Cheesbourg Eddie Cheever Andrea Chiesa Ettore Chimeri
2014 Volkswagen Passat to be offered with new bi-turbo TDI engine - report
North American drivers have been enjoying a redesigned Passat, but their European brethren shouldn't have to wait too much longer.Jose Dolhem Martin Donnelly Carlo Abate George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich Philippe Adams Walt Ader
First Look: 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
A new face for Chevy's family hauler.
Despite debuting just four short years ago, Chevrolet has seen fit to give the Traverse an extensive exterior and interior update for 2013. The 2013 Traverse will be making its debut at the 2012 New York auto show in April, alongside its 2013 Buick Enclave platform-mate.
Photo Gallery: First Look: 2013 Chevrolet Traverse - Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: First Look: 2013 Chevrolet Traverse - Automobile Magazine
Jo Bonnier Roberto Bonomi Juan Manuel Bordeu Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen
First Look: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG
AMG's maniacal 12-Cylinder roadster lives on.
Mercedes-Benz is wasting no time showing off the full range of its all-new SL-Class. On the heels of the SL550 and the SL63 AMG is the mighty 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG, set to debut at next month's 2012 New York International Auto Show. Benz's range-topping, V-12-powered menace will be the fastest SL on the market once it arrives in showrooms later this year.
Photo Gallery: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG - First Look - Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG - First Look - Automobile Magazine
Louis Chiron Joie Chitwood Bob Christie Johnny Claes David Clapham Jim Clark† Kevin Cogan Peter Collins
Deep Dive: Mercedes Gives the E-Class a Major Mid-Cycle Update
We take the wraps off the 2013 E-Class.
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is selling in bigger numbers and the S-Class is earning bigger profits, but no other Mercedes is positioned closer to the core of the brand than the E-Class. An extensive reskin is slated for the 2013 model year and it eliminates most of the overly decorative styling cues while taking on numerous new technologies.
Photo Gallery: Deep Dive: Mercedes Gives the E-Class a Major Mid-Cycle Update - Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: Deep Dive: Mercedes Gives the E-Class a Major Mid-Cycle Update - Automobile Magazine
Louis Chiron Joie Chitwood Bob Christie Johnny Claes David Clapham Jim Clark† Kevin Cogan Peter Collins
2007 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT
The Sport GT receives an updated transmission and several other improvements over the standard Quattroporte. See it here.
Los Angeles, which is Maserati's largest market in California, which is in turn Maserati's largest market in the U.S., which happens to be--you guessed it--Maserati's largest market in the world, was the site of the U.S. launch of Maserati's sexy Quattroporte Sport GT. First shown in Frankfurt last September, the Quattroporte Sport GT was conceived as sportier version of the brand's big sedan--if not a more powerful one. With enhancements on the decidedly subtle side, the Sport GT nonetheless should help remedy the car's major malady--the clunky six-speed manu-matic transmission--as the car boasts a reworked gearbox that allegedly shifts 35 percent faster than the frustratingly slow-witted previous tranny. The Sport GT model also gets twenty-inch wheels, suspension tweaks, and special interior accoutrements such as carbon-fiber trim and blue and red stitching for the steering wheel and parking brake. A mean-looking, blackened crosshatch grille also adorns the Quattroporte Sport GT.
Photo Gallery: 2007 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT - 2007 New Cars - Automobile Magazine
Lucien Bianchi Gino Bianco Hans Binder Clemente Biondetti Pablo Birger Art Bisch Harry Blanchard Michael Bleekemolen
2012 Nissan Armada Platinum
Like many other truck-based SUVs, the Armada was created in another time, when bigger was better.
Like many other truck-based SUVs, the Armada was created in another time, when bigger was better, sacrifices were made to have three rows to not be in a minivan, and 20 MPG was wonderful but unnecessary. Sadly for the Armada, times have changed and it has not. Based on and developed alongside the Titan pickup, the Armada was Nissan's attempt to cash in on the full-size SUV market that the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Ford Expedition had long dominated. When the Armada hit the scene in 2004, the fact that it handled like and got the fuel economy of a truck mattered little to customers. Now, it's hard to justify the $55,000 price tag of our tester when its competition has advanced so much further. However, Nissan did get one thing right -- the front seats are very comfortable and surprisingly well-bolstered giving the non-sporting demeanor of this truck.
Photo Gallery: 2012 Nissan Armada Platinum - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: 2012 Nissan Armada Platinum - Editors' Notebook - Automobile Magazine
Duane Carter Eugenio Castellotti Johnny Cecotto Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert Eugene Chaboud Jay Chamberlain Karun Chandhok
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)