![299142524913317.tn Chevrolet unveils ultra violet Volt artwork [video]]( http://cdn3.worldcarfans.co/2012/5/18/thumbnails/299142524913317.tn.jpg "Chevrolet unveils ultra violet Volt artwork [video]")
Created by automotive artist Ian Cook, the ultra-violet ad is based on a nocturnal image shot by car photographer Dominic Fraser. It was made using Camaro R/C cars that were driven over UV paint.
Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty
May 12
18
Gearing up for the new F1 season
Hello there? How’s your winter been? I hope this blog finds you well, my friends, and that 2012 is being kind to you. It’s certainly about to get kinder for us F1 fans as the season gets under way this weekend.
My winter flew by faster than Seb in qualifying as I juggled various TV commitments, along with the usual jobs such as visiting the dentist, watching Norwich City (amazing!) and doing a spot of gardening (thankfully my garden is tiny) – all things that between March and November there just isn’t time for!
Thankfully, just a couple of weeks ago I managed to grab a week in the Maldives with my wife, and that break will be valuable as I jump onto a treadmill that will carry us to the end of 2012.
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For me it’s the start of the F1 season, off to the European Football Championship, the British GP, two weeks at the Olympics and then the end of the F1 season followed by Sports Personality of the Year. So time to take a deep breath and dive on in as the stories develop, the drama unfolds and air miles continue to clock up.
As you know this weekend is the start of a new era of F1 coverage on the BBC, and the job for the team over the winter has been to best deal with the cards we’ve been dealt in terms of the broadcast rights.
Having sat through various production meetings, having exchanged emails, swapped ideas and planned how best to bring the season to life, I’m confident we will deliver a new-look season that you will enjoy.
It’s been like the first day at school for some of the new faces to our team this weekend. Gary Anderson and I got the tram together to collect our accreditation when we arrived in Melbourne on Thursday morning and it was great fun being regaled by stories of F1 from the days when Gary was designing race winning cars.
He also had a few decent stories about being employed by Eddie Jordan but I think they’re best left out off the blog – as entertaining as they were!
I’d also really like to welcome Ben Edwards to the fray. Ben is a great commentator who has raced cars himself and spent the last few years commentating on all forms of motor racing.
He’s passionate, informative, hopefully likes a night out and a beer, and best of all he’s as much a journalist as he is a fan. Good luck keeping David Coulthard in check Ben!
Talking of DC, we had our first dinner of the new season together last night as we both headed out for some Japanese food and a drop of sake here in buzzy, beautiful Melbourne.
Pastor Maldonado, Bruno Senna and Lewis Hamilton were all in there tucking into sushi and sashimi while working out whether to chat to each other or act cool and bag an early psychological advantage ahead of a year when the competition will be intense.
They mainly opted for the latter by the way. I’ll post a blog later in the season about how the drivers live and work together while still being rivals – it’s fascinating.
Meanwhile on radio we’ve got a whole new team – and it’s a great line-up of commentator James Allen, pit-lane reporter Jennie Gow and co-commentator Jaime Alguersuari, who brings real insight having just stepped out of an F1 car himself.
So, what have I learned so far this week? Well I’ve been told that the two new drivers at Toro Rosso have made Mark Webber feel more motivated than ever.
I chatted to Jenson Button who (if it’s possible) seems even more chilled out than he did in 2011.
I’ve also been to the other end of the paddock where Caterham say the decision to put Vitaly Petrov in the car instead of Jarno Trulli is the right move regarding both finances and the future – and I’ve heard plenty of speculation and gossip surrounding HRT and Marussia, who have not run at all in pre-season.
Anyway, it’s amazing how quickly we all get back into the swing of F1. My ‘no crisps’ rule lasted all of 30 minutes, the first running order for Saturday’s qualifying show has been written, and I’ve got a date with Chris Moyles on Radio 1.
We’re delighted to be back, I’m really happy DC and EJ remain part of the team, and this weekend don’t worry about setting your alarm.
We’ve got highlights of qualifying at 1pm on Saturday, and a full two-hour highlights show from 2pm on Sunday. We’ll have all the important action, and plenty of driver interviews and race reaction.
Three years ago I started these blogs – there will be plenty more coming your way in our fourth season of coverage. But what you get is up to you – what do you want to see here during the season..?
Have a great weekend. We’re back!
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jakehumphrey/2012/03/gearing_up_for_the_new_f1_seas_1.html
Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth
May 12
18
Kobayashi eyeing Monaco GP podium
Kamui Kobayashi thinks Sauber could be in the hunt for a podium finish at the Monaco Grand Prix with the team having delivered a good step forward in pace with its latest update. The Japanese driver bounced back from a hydraulic issue in qualifying for Spain, which left him ninth on the grid, to finish fifth – and he reckons the team can expect even more on the streets of Monte Carlo. “I think our car will be better in Monaco than it was last year because it has improved in slow corners,” said Kobayashi
Hans Klenk Peter de Klerk Christian Klien Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig
May 12
18
BMW M6 Coupe MotoGP Safety Car
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In 2006, BMW’s M division formed a partnership to provide the official safety cars for the MotoGP championship. Last year, a BMW 1-Series M Coupe was the official safety car at the Indianapolis MotoGP, but this year this role will be reserved for the brand new BMW M6 Coupe.
The new BMW M6 Safety Car will make its first public debut during this weekend’s (May 19-20, 2012) Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race in Germany, a warm up for the upcoming M Festival’s M Corso event.
BMW hasn’t revealed any details on their brand new M6 Coupe Safety Car, but we believe it will get the same treatment as all the previous safety models. This treatment will include plenty of carbon fiber elements to make it lighter, an adjustable rear wing for improved downforce, a rollover cage, and new front racing bucket seats. There will also be a special exterior finish and lots of LED lights.
More details about the new M6 Coupe MotoGP Safety Car will be revealed during the weekend. Stay tuned!
BMW M6 Coupe MotoGP Safety Car originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 18 May 2012 10:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/bmw/2012-bmw-m6-coupe-motogp-safety-car-ar129666.html
Timo Glock Helm Glöckler Paco Godia Carel Godin de Beaufort Christian Goethals
May 12
18
Monaco tunnel DRS ban to remain
Formula 1 drivers will once again be banned from using DRS in the tunnel at the Monaco Grand Prix on safety grounds, AUTOSPORT can reveal. Last season, drivers campaigned in the build-up to the race for DRS to be disabled through the Monaco tunnel because of concerns that it could put them in a dangerous situation if they were forced to use it there throughout practice and qualifying.
Nico Hülkenberg Denny Hulme James Hunt Jim Hurtubise Gus Hutchison
May 12
18
Monaco grid penalty for Schumacher
Michael Schumacher will lose five places on the starting grid for the Monaco Grand Prix following his crash with Bruno Senna in Spain. The Mercedes driver crashed into the back of the Williams when fighting for position at the end of the straight on lap 13, with both drivers retiring. The stewards deemed the seven-time champion was to blame for having caused the collision and he will be dropped five places on the starting grid at Monaco.
Geki Olivier Gendebien Marc Gené Elmer George Bob Gerard
After winning their first Grand Prix in eight seasons, Williams celebrations were interrupted by a garage fire that injured several crew members.
Source: http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns24116.html
Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne
Suzuki Germany has announced the Swift X-ITE special edition is now available from 15,490 euros. The three-door hatch is equipped with many extras that focus on giving prospective owners sporty styling options.
Ken Kavanagh Rupert Keegan Eddie Keizan Al Keller Joe Kelly
According to a recent report, Bentley will enter the 2013 Dakar Rally to promote their upcoming crossover.
Roberto Guerrero MaurÃcio Gugelmin Dan Gurney Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood
Spanish GP – Qualifying Report
Source: http://www.grandprix.com/race/r863q1report.html
Jerry Hoyt Nico Hülkenberg Denny Hulme James Hunt Jim Hurtubise
By CHRIS LINES AP Auto Racing Writer
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil
Double R Racing will make its F3 Euro Series debut at Brands Hatch this weekend with a pair of cars for regular British championship drivers Geoff Uhrhane and Fahmi Ilyas. Anthony Hieatt’s team is using the event, plus the following round at Spielberg, to allow its drivers to gain experience of the Hankook rubber that will be used at the Norisring event in July, when both the British championship and Euro Series run together for the first time. “We’ve never done a European championship round before so we’re really looking forward to giving Geoff and Fahmi some extra time in the car, especially as it’s our home track,” said Hieatt, “The team always likes racing at Brands and the mileage will be good for both drivers, their deals were done very late so an extra race meeting can only be good for them
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/double-r-joins-euro-series-for-brands
Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith Georges Grignard Bobby Grim Romain Grosjean
May 12
18
Newgarden sets day five pace at Indy
Josef Newgarden topped Indy 500 practice for the third time this week, although the Sarah Fisher Hartman racer also earned the distinction of being the first driver to hit the Brickyard wall in 2012. Newgarden topped the charts with a 40.2977s lap (222.785mph), putting him just ahead of Andretti Autosport trio Marco Andretti (222.108mph), Ryan Hunter-Reay (221.763mph), and James Hinchcliffe (221.638mph). But his day ended when he lost control of his car just 16 minutes before the end of the six hour session and spun through 720 degrees before glancing against the barriers
Fred Gamble Howden Ganley Frank Gardner Billy Garrett Jo Gartner
Spanish GP – Practice 2 Report
Source: http://www.grandprix.com/race/r863p2report.html
Ernst Klodwig Kamui Kobayashi Helmuth Koinigg Heikki Kovalainen Kevin Harvick
Sebastian Vettel’s behaviour during and after the Malaysian Grand Prix has been causing a bit of a fuss in Germany over the past few days.
The media have lapped up his response to his collision with backmarker Narain Karthikeyan, in much the same way as their British counterparts would have done with a similar incident involving Lewis Hamilton, and Vettel has come in for a fair bit of criticism.
On the BBC after the race, Vettel called Karthikeyan an “idiot” for his role in the collision that cost the world champion fourth place.
Speaking in German, the word he chose was “cucumber” – a common insult in that country for bad drivers on the road.
Vettel faces increased competition from outside and inside his Red Bull Team. Photo: Getty/AFP
It has also been pointed out that shots from Vettel’s onboard camera appear to show the 24-year-old Red Bull driver giving Karthikeyan a middle-finger salute as he drives past. This has led some to call for him to be punished by governing body the FIA, which so far is keeping a low profile on the matter.
Comparisons have been drawn with McLaren’s Jenson Button – who also failed to score any points in Malaysia, but who reacted with his usual calm.
Vettel, some in Germany have said, doesn’t know how to lose.
They point out that last year he won 11 races on his way to one of the most dominant championship victories in Formula 1 history. Failing to win four races in a row in that context, the critics say, should not elicit this kind of reaction.
Vettel has not spoken in public since leaving Malaysia, and Red Bull are shrugging it off.
After the race on Sunday, team principal Christian Horner defended Vettel’s driving in the collision with Karthikeyan, saying that it was the Indian’s “responsibility to get out of the way of the leaders as he is a lapped car”.
Although the stewards penalised Karthikeyan for the incident, others are not sure it’s quite so clear-cut.
One leading F1 figure told me: “It was completely Vettel’s fault – he needed to give Karthikeyan more space. He only had to clear the last inch and he cut across the front of him. He was showing a bit of frustration and it bit him.”
Certainly Vettel has found himself at the start of 2012 in a situation with which he is not familiar.
Vettel has had the fastest car in F1 since at least the middle of 2009, and he has used it to good effect.
But now things are different. Red Bull’s new car is not a match for the McLaren, and it has also been behind one Mercedes and one Lotus on the grid in each of the first two races.
For a man who is as driven to win – to dominate even – as Vettel is, that will not be a comfortable situation.
Nor will it have escaped his attention that team-mate Mark Webber has so far out-qualified him in both races this year – again, quite a turnaround from 2011, when the Australian managed it only three times in 19 grands prix.
It is early days, but so far the comparison between the two Red Bull drivers looks much more like it was in the first part of 2010 – before the team started fully exploiting the exhaust-blown diffusers that dominated the last 18 months and which have been banned for this season.
Webber was never that comfortable in last season’s Red Bull – and while he came to match Vettel on race pace in the second half of last season, he never really got on terms with him in qualifying.
Much of that was to do with the behaviour of the car on corner entry, where the exhaust-blown diffusers were so powerful in increasing performance.
Red Bull’s decline has also coincided with the stiffening of the front-wing load test, an attempt to stop teams allowing the ends of the wing to droop towards the track at speed to increase downforce. Red Bull were noticeably better at doing this than the other teams.
It may be an unrelated coincidence, but this year’s Red Bull suffers from understeer, a lack of front-end grip – a handling characteristic Webber is comfortable with, while Vettel prefers oversteer.
This is not the first time Vettel has been criticised for letting his emotion get the better of him when things are not going his way.
There was the infamous ‘nutter’ sign he directed at Webber following their collision in the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix.
There were also mistakes in Britain, Belgium and Singapore that year as he very nearly gifted the world title to Ferrari and Fernando Alonso, who lost it only after a strategic error in the final race.
Such was Vettel’s domination in 2011 that it never arose- leading some to say he had reached a new level of maturity both in and out of the car.
The truth of that claim looks set to be tested this year, as Red Bull and Vettel struggle to regain a position that the driver at least seems to consider is rightfully his.
Meanwhile, his rivals will have been watching with interest.
Webber, Alonso, Button and Hamilton remember Vettel’s behaviour in 2010 all too well.
Betraying his emotions in such an obvious way will be seen by them as a weakness – they will look at it and think he is rattled.
So it is true to say on the one hand that Vettel’s reaction proves he is a winner.
But it is also the case that learning how to lose gracefully – as Button and Alonso, particularly, have learnt in recent years – has its benefits as well.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/03/vettel_collision_a_champion_un.html
Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Fred Gamble Howden Ganley Frank Gardner Billy Garrett
The FIA stewards have rejected McLaren’s claim after taking pole position in Barcelona. Hamilton will therefore start from the back of the grid with Pastor Maldonado taking pole.
Source: http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns24114.html
Lewis Hamilton David Hampshire Sam Hanks Walt Hansgen Mike Harris
Peugeot has announced plans to offer two new Roland Garros special editions in the United Kingdom.
François Hesnault Hans Heyer Damon Hill Graham Hill Phil Hill
Spanish GP – Race Notes
Source: http://www.grandprix.com/race/r863racenotes.html
Johnny Herbert Al Herman Hans Herrmann François Hesnault Hans Heyer
May 12
18
Monaco preview quotes: Caterham
Heikki Kovalainen: “Monaco’s the race everyone in F1 wants to win, and it’s not just a famous F1 race, it’s one of the biggest annual events in the world. For drivers it’s a pretty hardcore race, in and out of the cars, but it’s a challenge I really enjoy and racing around the streets is one of the real highlights of being an F1 driver
James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman
Valentino Rossi warned that Ducati seemed to be losing ground again at Le Mans following a difficult Friday practice ahead of the French Grand Prix. The Italian legend felt his struggling team was starting to move in the right direction after he finished seventh at the last MotoGP round in Portugal, but he was only ninth quickest at Le Mans on Friday, admitting that Ducati was having particular issues on worn tyres.
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil
May 12
18
1969 Cougar Eliminator – Finished !
Next on the bench:
I opened the box (shrink wrapped) to find there were only 3 tyres inside! Lucky I have spares/options – not sure what I'll do yet. Might use the tyres out of another kit – we'll see
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/1014098.aspx
Paul Goldsmith José Froilán González Oscar González Aldo Gordini Horace Gould
Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 3M Ford, looks on during practice – Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCARGreg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M/American Red Cross Ford Fusion, has never won the Sprint All-Star Race, but his season is off to a good start as he leads the series in points. Biffle…more»
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catchfence/~3/YfZsJxH0dZA/
Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines
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
Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota Jason Leffler David Carl Allison
May 12
18
Perez revels in success
Fernando Alonso raced home to clinch first place in the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday, but you might argue that for all his joy at winning, there might have been someone just slightly happier at Sepang that day. Step forward Sergio Perez. The Mexican might not be a household name just yet but, aged 22, [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/-_7itVK0ToQ/perez-revels-in-success
Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte
Albert Park, Melbourne
Statements of intent do not come much more emphatic than the one Jenson Button made with a dominant victory in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
Crushingly superior in a straight fight with McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton, Button got off to the perfect start in a season that promises to be very different from Sebastian Vettel’s one-sided championship win last year.
There were fears after McLaren’s one-two in qualifying that they would run away in the race – and they proved to be half right.
Button left Hamilton behind and never looked like losing the race. It was a win as comfortable as any of the six in seven races he took at the start of 2009 to lay the foundations for his championship year with the Brawn team.
Jenson Button has won three of the last four Australian grands prix. Photo: Getty
Button admitted to BBC Sport after the race not only that he always gets “nervous-excited” before grands prix, but that he was more nervous before this one than perhaps any other.
One assumes it was founded in the knowledge that after starting his first two seasons at McLaren with cars that were off the pace of the Red Bull, he now had a real chance of getting his year off to the best possible start.
Contrary to appearances, that nervousness led to a slight error at the start. After a superb initial getaway, Button went for second gear too early, which delayed his charge to the first corner.
Luckily for Button, Hamilton had also had a bad start, and with the inside line, the corner – and, as it turned out, the victory – were his.
Ironically, the win bore more than a slight resemblance to many of Vettel’s in 2011.
Button went off like a frightened rabbit in the first two laps, the aim being to be far enough ahead at the start of lap three – when the drivers are first allowed to use the DRS overtaking aid – to ensure he was out of reach of his pursuers.
Rather than ease off, though, Button just kept going, a succession of fastest laps moving him more than three seconds clear within six laps, after which it stabilised.
So dominant was Button that even had Hamilton converted his lead at the start into one at the end of the first lap, it is difficult to imagine that the result would have been any different.
Hamilton cut a subdued figure after the race, giving short, quietly-spoken answers to questions. He admitted he “didn’t generally have great pace” and, after producing a stunning lap in qualifying to take pole, was clearly not expecting Button’s demoralising
performance.
Hamilton’s mood will not have been helped by losing out on second place to Vettel, largely through bad luck.
After leaving the two cars out slightly too long before their first pit stops, McLaren did exactly the right thing in stopping them one after the other for their second.
It was Hamilton’s bad luck that he was delayed by the introduction of the safety car on the very next lap, allowing Vettel to sneak ahead.
Vettel said after the race that he would have “had a crack” at Hamilton even without that stroke of good fortune.
But the two cars were evenly matched and if Hamilton, whose car was faster on the straight, was not able to pass Vettel it seems unlikely that Vettel would have been able to overtake the McLaren.
The manner of Button’s victory – Vettel described him as “unbeatable” – led to inevitable questions about whether McLaren will now dominate this season in the way Red Bull did last.
But as Hamilton said, it is “too early to tell” if McLaren are comfortably ahead of Red Bull.
“In qualifying we’re quite quick and competitive,” he said, “but they were massively quick in the race. I think they’re still a force to be reckoned with.”
Vettel, meanwhile, proved once again how ridiculous it ever was to suggest he could not race – his move around the outside of Nico Rosberg at Turn Nine on lap two was hugely impressive.
Behind the top two teams, an intriguing race has set the season up nicely.
Romain Grosjean made some errors befitting his semi-novice status as he squandered his excellent third place on the grid, but his Lotus team look like they could have the pace to challenge close to the front if they have a clean weekend.
Mercedes’ race pace was a disappointment after their impressive form in qualifying – which extreme was the true representation of their competitive position remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso dragged his Ferrari up to fifth place with a typically resilient and impressive performance, although the car’s lap times once the race settled down suggested the team still have a lot of work to do.
The mixed-up grid, caused by typical early seasons problems for Red Bull, Alonso and Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen in qualifying, led to some superb battles throughout a race that seemed to confirm the impression of pre-season testing that the grid has closed up this year.
“We all think this is a special year in F1 with six world champions and so many competitive teams,” Button said. “F1 is in a special place and it’s a great sport to be a part of.”
Malaysia next weekend will provide further evidence of what lies ahead. Button and Hamilton, for very different reasons, will be anxious to get on with it.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/03/albert_park_melbourne_statemen.html
Olivier Gendebien Marc Gené Elmer George Bob Gerard Gerino Gerini
New Jersey F1 circuit layout details revealed in official plans is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Plans for the street track in New Jersey which will host America’s second F1 race next year have been revealed online.
New Jersey F1 circuit layout details revealed in official plans is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/oThJBpq86YI/
Tom Jones Juan Jover Oswald Karch Narain Karthikeyan Ukyo Katayama
Spanish GP – Qualifying Report
Source: http://www.grandprix.com/race/r863q1report.html
Hans Klenk Peter de Klerk Christian Klien Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig
May 12
18
Painting engine
Hey guys I've been painting an engine gloss orange. I've done two coats so far and it still looks really light on. It's gonna need about 5 coats to get the full colou. Is this normal or is the paint I'm using? I am using humbrol tinned paint brushing it on to.
Cheers XxStevexX
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/1015183.aspx
Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV
Suzuki Germany has announced the Swift X-ITE special edition is now available from 15,490 euros. The three-door hatch is equipped with many extras that focus on giving prospective owners sporty styling options.
Masahiro Hasemi Naoki Hattori Paul Hawkins Mike Hawthorn Boy Hayje
May 12
18
’49 Chevy Fleetline Kustom.
I started this one by removing a few inches from the top.
I cut thru the windscreen and door pillars then around the boot lid opening line at the back.
After removing the desired amount from the pillars I trimmed the boot lit until it all fit back together neatly.
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/1016862.aspx
William Ashton Lewis Jr Sterling Burton Marlin Mark Anthony Martin Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray
May 12
18
Sunday Press Conference
Spanish GP – Sunday Press Conference
Source: http://www.grandprix.com/race/r863sunpc.html
Paco Godia Carel Godin de Beaufort Christian Goethals Paul Goldsmith José Froilán González
May 12
18
No. 48 team reigns supreme
May 12
18
Massa insists he has Ferrari support
Felipe Massa has no doubts that Ferrari remains fully behind him in his quest to find a way out of his current difficulties. The Brazilian is under pressure to turn around his campaign, after scoring just two points in the first five races of the season
Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III
May 12
18
Williams not getting carried away
Williams has promised not to get carried away and believe it can challenge for wins at every track now, despite Pastor Maldonado’s dominant performance at the Spanish Grand Prix. The Grove-based outfit ended an eight-year victory drought at the Circuit de Catalunya, with Maldonado brilliantly holding off Fernando Alonso for his maiden F1 triumph.
Yuji Ide Jesús Iglesias Taki Inoue Innes Ireland Eddie Irvine
Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Chrysler, Dodge
![040412kesselmannyiassrthr0126 opt 2013 SRT Viper to require dealer certification; hardcore model planned? [w/video]](http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/04/040412kesselmannyiassrthr0126-opt.jpg "2013 SRT Viper to require dealer certification; hardcore model planned? [w/video]")
On Thursday night’s Autoline After Hours, SRT boss Ralph Gilles sat down with show hosts John McElroy and Peter DeLorenzo, along with Autoblog and AOL Autos staffers to talk all things Viper. Among the interesting tidbits disclosed about the 640-horsepower supercar are plans for a new dealer certification process designed to encourage the sort of purchasing, service and ownership experience that buyers of six-digit cars have come to expect.
According to Gilles:
“It’s going to be a qualified dealer situation… The ones who do the dealer training in terms of the tech. I want a tech. I want a display car. I want all these things. There’s going to be a list. It’s not going to be impossible, it’s just that someone has to put in the extra effort and say ‘I’m an SRT dealer.
Off the air, Gilles told Autoblog that Chrysler officials have already approached a number of dealers with a strong record of Viper and SRT sales to discuss how the certification process will work, gaining valuable feedback in the process. A document outlining the new certification program will go out to Dodge dealers next month.
Chrysler has yet to announce official pricing and the Viper won’t go on sale until sometime in the fourth quarter of the year, but that hasn’t stopped a queue of customer deposits from piling up. According to Gilles, one particularly strong Viper dealer already has around 90 such deposits in-hand. Considering that Viper sales averaged about 1,600 units in past years, that’s a substantial figure.
In other news, Chrysler officials have been making a big point of talking about the 2013 Viper’s newfound refinements, from reduced NVH to nicer interior materials and improved drivability thanks to the institution of technologies like stability control and traction control. Gilles says that great care has been taken to ensure the model’s core personality still shines through, but given that much of the Viper’s mystique is centered on its raw, leg-burning, hairy-knuckled persona, we couldn’t help but wonder aloud if the new model’s refinements have left room for a stripped-out hardcore version for Viper purists and racers. With raised eyebrows, arms gesturing wildly and stifling a smile, Gilles wryly said: “I love how you think. Next subject!”
To watch the Autoline After Hours episode in its entirety, scroll down.
Continue reading 2013 SRT Viper to require dealer certification; hardcore model planned? [w/video]
2013 SRT Viper to require dealer certification; hardcore model planned? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/18/2013-srt-viper-to-require-dealer-certification-hardcore-model-p/
Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty
Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Europe, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Misc. Auto Shows
Slammed Skodas, Seats, Audis and Polos are all well and nice, but at the end of the day, the annual gathering of Volkswagen performance enthusiasts at Lake Wörthersee in Austria is about the GTI. That much isn’t lost on Volkswagen, so in addition to bringing the new GTI Cabrio along with all the aforementioned corporate cousins, the German automaker has rolled into the lakeside expo with the tricked-out concept car you see here.
Called the GTI Black Dynamic, the show car is the work of nine lucky (and apparently talented) student interns at Volkswagen. The team dropped the suspension 35 mm lower than stock, bumped the output up by 150 horsepower to a prodigious 360, upgraded the gearbox and brakes to cope with the extra power and fitted an 1,800-watt sound system.
Of course all that kit couldn’t go unnoticed, so the Black Dynamic GTI was also treated to a deep black paint job with matte anthracite trim and red detailing. The team even went so far as to hand-craft the GTI letters on the lift-gate and gave the car a custom interior, too. You can read more about it in the pair of press releases below, or better yet see it from all the angles in the high-res image gallery above.
Continue reading Volkswagen interns roll into Worthersee with GTI Black Dynamic show car
Volkswagen interns roll into Worthersee with GTI Black Dynamic show car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/17/volkswagen-interns-roll-into-worthersee-with-gti-black-dynamic-s/
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McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh probably summed up the new Formula 1 season best in the wake of Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
“Who’s going to predict who’s going to win the next race?” Whitmarsh pondered after Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel had become the fourth different driver, for the fourth different team, to win in the first four races. “It could be Red Bull, Lotus, Mercedes, Ferrari, us.”
A Formula 1 season has not started in such an unpredictable fashion for 29 years.
Back in 1983, Brabham’s Nelson Piquet, McLaren’s John Watson, Renault’s Alain Prost and Ferrari’s Patrick Tambay were the men in question. Only Watson did not go on to be a major contender for the rest of the season, which featured a four-way title fight between Piquet, Prost, Tambay and the second Ferrari driver Rene Arnoux.
Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari may not be the best car, but he is making it a contender. Photo: AFP
This year, the winners have been McLaren’s Jenson Button, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg and Vettel.
Paradoxically, though, on the balance of form over the four races, you would probably say that of those four only Button and Vettel will definitely be championship contenders.
Rosberg’s Mercedes car is clearly quick, at least in qualifying, but its race pace has been inconsistent. Alonso has been driving brilliantly in the Ferrari – but on current form the car is nowhere near good enough to mount a title challenge.
THE SEASON SO FAR
For all the unpredictability of the results, and the thrilling spectacle of the races themselves, the same drivers and teams who have dominated F1 in recent years fill the top five positions in the championship.
Victory in Bahrain vaulted Vettel into the lead, ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, Red Bull’s second driver Mark Webber, Button and Alonso.
Of those, Alonso’s position is the most remarkable.
At best, the Ferrari is the fifth fastest car behind the Red Bull, McLaren, Lotus and Mercedes. And there have been times when it was probably the seventh fastest – behind also the Williams and Sauber.
Yet the Spaniard has won a race and conceded only 10 points to the world championship leader after four grands prix.
This stunning demonstration of consistency and skill is why it would be hard to look past Alonso if there was an award for driver of the year so far.
If he is to be a title contender this year, though, much depends on the major car upgrades Ferrari are planning to introduce for the next race in Spain – and which will be tried out for the first time at the official F1 test in Mugello next week.
If these do not give Ferrari a significant boost in performance, even Alonso will drift out of contention and, presumably, be overtaken soon by the drivers immediately behind him in the championship – Rosberg and Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen
MOST IMPROVED TEAMS – AND OTHERWISE
Just as Alonso is artificially high in the championship – at least in terms of the quality of the car he is driving – so Raikkonen and, arguably, Rosberg are artificially low.
It has been clear from the beginning of the season that the Lotus is one of the very fastest cars on the grid – but scrappy weekends at the first three races prevented the team from scoring strong results.
In Bahrain they finally got it together, and Raikkonen and team-mate Romain Grosjean finished second and third behind Vettel. As BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson explained in his race review, the Finn might well have won.
According to figures compiled by Anderson, Lotus are second only to Caterham in a table that compares their performance last year to this.
Mercedes are some way down the list – but have definitely made more progress than any of the other traditional top teams. Ferrari are at the bottom.
The difficulty in assessing Mercedes’ potential, though, is that for all their impressive performance in taking pole and victory in China, their form in the other races has been poor.
The Mercedes is quick in qualifying – thanks in part, no doubt, to its controversial ‘double DRS’ system – but they are the team whose performance deteriorates the most from practice and qualifying to race.
You can be sure a lot of their work at the Mugello test next week will be focused on this phenomenon.
The next-worst team on this criterion, incidentally, are McLaren.
THE TITLE BATTLE
Ferrari are the most consistent top team (and behind only Sauber) in terms of form from practice to race – a measure of how close a team gets to extracting the maximum from their car.
Red Bull are pretty close behind, even though it took the world champions until the fourth race of the season to record their first win.
One of the reasons teams have been struggling with consistency – both from race to race and within a weekend – is that they are finding it difficult to get the best out of the Pirelli tyres this year.
As Button has said: “Last year, we knew the tyres had high degradation but we understood them. This year, I don’t really know what to make of the tyres.”
Teams are struggling to keep the tyres in the right window of operating temperature, and different cars work them better in different ambient temperatures. Circuit characteristics also play a role.
Mercedes, for example, have been suffering problems with rear-tyre usage. So China was perfect for them. It was run in cool conditions on a circuit that is ‘front-limited’ – the front tyres tend to go off first.
Red Bull, by contrast, were struggling to get their car to work properly in China, and the result was their worst qualifying performance of the year. The race was less problematic, but Red Bull’s race pace has been strong all year.
In the hotter conditions of Bahrain, on a ‘rear-limited’ track, Mercedes struggled and Red Bull shone.
Until Bahrain, McLaren had coped pretty well with the varying conditions from race to race, but their struggles with rear tyre wear in Bahrain will have set alarm bells ringing.
PICKING A FAVOURITE
Vettel predicted in Bahrain that, because the teams are all so close in terms of competitiveness, changing conditions will continue to have an effect on form throughout the season.
His team principal Christian Horner added that the season would “ebb and flow”.
“It is a matter,” Horner said, “of trying to be consistent at the races you can’t win and take the maximum out of them. And at the races you can, you need to deliver.”
So who is the favourite?
Before Bahrain, you would probably have said one of the McLaren drivers. Now, you might be tempted to say Vettel.
But what about Webber, who has had the edge on Vettel in three of the four races? Or Raikkonen? Or even Alonso, if Ferrari can effect a turnaround with the car.
One thing is clear – it’s all very different from last year, when by this stage it was already blindingly obvious that Vettel was going to be champion.
As to who it will be this time, as Hamilton has said: “It’s anyone’s at the moment.”
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/04/four_different_winners_-_now_p.html
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Filed under: Concept Cars, Performance, Europe, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Misc. Auto Shows
Slammed Skodas, Seats, Audis and Polos are all well and nice, but at the end of the day, the annual gathering of Volkswagen performance enthusiasts at Lake Wörthersee in Austria is about the GTI. That much isn’t lost on Volkswagen, so in addition to bringing the new GTI Cabrio along with all the aforementioned corporate cousins, the German automaker has rolled into the lakeside expo with the tricked-out concept car you see here.
Called the GTI Black Dynamic, the show car is the work of nine lucky (and apparently talented) student interns at Volkswagen. The team dropped the suspension 35 mm lower than stock, bumped the output up by 150 horsepower to a prodigious 360, upgraded the gearbox and brakes to cope with the extra power and fitted an 1,800-watt sound system.
Of course all that kit couldn’t go unnoticed, so the Black Dynamic GTI was also treated to a deep black paint job with matte anthracite trim and red detailing. The team even went so far as to hand-craft the GTI letters on the lift-gate and gave the car a custom interior, too. You can read more about it in the pair of press releases below, or better yet see it from all the angles in the high-res image gallery above.
Continue reading Volkswagen interns roll into Worthersee with GTI Black Dynamic show car
Volkswagen interns roll into Worthersee with GTI Black Dynamic show car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/17/volkswagen-interns-roll-into-worthersee-with-gti-black-dynamic-s/
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I am doing this a little different…………………
More coming soon………………….
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/1015623.aspx
Piercarlo Ghinzani Bruno Giacomelli Dick Gibson Gimax Richie Ginther