Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/B3IZ4EDLExo/
Saturday, 31 March 2012
New Mopar Off-Road Parts Launching with Jeep Wrangler V-8 Conversion Kits and Portal Axles
When Jeep unveiled the six concepts it’s bringing to the 2012 Moab Easter Jeep Safari earlier today, it also announced that Chrysler’s Mopar parts division is gaining a new off-road unit to produce Jeep-specific parts. You may be asking, “but hasn’t Mopar been selling Jeep parts for years?” Yes it has, but the new division, [...]
Castroneves takes pole at Barber
Helio Castroneves followed up his St Petersburg win with pole position for round two of the IndyCar Series at Barber Motorsports Park. James Hinchcliffe was a close second for Andretti Autosport in his best IndyCar qualifying performance yet, with Scott Dixon third for Ganassi and underdogs Mike Conway (Foyt) and JR Hildebrand (Panther) starring with impressive fourth and fifth places. Champion Dario Franchitti struggled with his set-up and was a shock early departure in the group stages, ending up only 18th on the grid.
Jean Pierre Jarier Max Jean Stefan Johansson Eddie Johnson Leslie Johnson
Weather halts Rally of Portugal
The Rally of Portugal has been stopped due to the bad weather, with the leading crews being held at the service park in Faro. The event is expected to restart in the next hour, with the delay caused by the flooding of a river crossing after the sixth stage of the event
Emmanuel de Graffenried Lucas di Grassi Cecil Green Keith Greene Masten Gregory
Collard leads opening BTCC practice
Rob Collard topped the first British Touring Car session of 2012 with his turbocharged WSR BMW at Brands Hatch on Saturday morning. Rob Austin's rear-wheel-drive NGTC Audi A4 set the pace in the early part of the session before the BMW, now running a Neil Brown-prepared turbo unit for the first time, set a time of 48.932s.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/touring-cars/btcc/collard-leads-opening-btcc-practice
Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne
France still working on Formula 1 deal
France is closing in on a deal to hold a Formula 1 race again, the country's prime minister said on Friday, but work still needs to be done before a contract can be finalised. During a visit to the Paul Ricard circuit, Francois Fillon said attempts to resurrect the race, which was last held at Magny-Cours in 2008, were progressing but there was still further negotiations needed in terms of finalising financial terms as well as a venue to share the event with.
Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr
Austin to drive Audi at Brands
Rob Austin has confirmed that he will drive one of his own team's Audi A4s in this weekend's British Touring Car Championship season-opener at Brands Hatch. The team owner announced at last week's championship launch that one of his cars would be raced by series rookie Mark Hazell, and has now added himself to the Rob Austin Racing line-up
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/touring-cars/btcc/austin-to-drive-audi-at-brands
Peter Hirt David Hobbs Gary Hocking Ingo Hoffmann Bill Holland
Friday, 30 March 2012
Seattleites Predict A-Park-alypse If Parking Minimums Are Lifted
Kudos to Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn for proposing a smart regulatory reform package that would, among other things, eliminate parking minimums on new developments near transit stops.
Can Seattle civilization continue if parking minimums are lifted on new developments near transit? Photo: Seattle Photo Daily
Of course, not everyone gets why it’s good for the city [...]
Can Seattle civilization continue if parking minimums are lifted on new developments near transit? Photo: Seattle Photo Daily
Of course, not everyone gets why it’s good for the city [...]
Source: http://streetsblog.net/2012/03/29/seattleites-predict-a-park-alypse-if-parking-minimums-are-lifted/
Willi Heeks Nick Heidfeld Theo Helfrich Mack Hellings Brian Henton
How To: Mess With Your Buddies’ Cars
In recent years, we’ve learned that playing April Fools’ Day pranks on car companies, NASCAR, and the White House can result in some pretty intimidating legal threats. So this year, we’re targeting marks with lighter representation: our friends. Below are five quick and easy ways to get your buddies on April first. Keep Reading: How [...]
Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth
Power tops opening practice
Will Power led a Penske one-two in opening practice for this weekend's IndyCar Series event at Barber Motorsports Park. Takuma Sato completed the top three for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, ahead of Sarah Fisher Hartman's rookie Josef Newgarden - who had led the way in the opening half hour, reserved for drivers outside the top 10 in the championship. Rubens Barrichello was fifth in the fastest KV car
Ukyo Katayama Ken Kavanagh Rupert Keegan Eddie Keizan Al Keller
Joey Logano Takes Checkers at Auto Club Speedway, Grabs 10th-Career NASCAR Nationwide Series Win
Joey Logano, driver of the #18 Trans-Lux Toyota, celebrates with a burnout - Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCARPost Race Highlights: · Joey Logano won the pole for Saturday’s race in convincing fashion, clocking in nearly fourth-tenths of a second faster than the second-place qualifier. The pole was Logano’s second-straight in 2012 (he won...more»
Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty
Driver Interview: Aric Almirola
ARIC ALMIROLA – Kerry Murphey sits down for a chat with Richard Petty Motorsports driver Aric Almirola at Auto Club Speedway. We discuss the importance of driving the 43, getting the call from The King, the Bristol crowd, 48 ruling, his car for California, making the move from NNS to Cup, breaking the Cup news [...]
Source: http://thefinallap.com/2012/03/25/driver-interview-aric-almirola-richard-petty-motorsports/
Mike Hailwood Mika Häkkinen Bruce Halford Jim Hall Duncan Hamilton
2012 Jaguar XJL Supersport Tested: Long on Power, Not Just Wheelbase
If you’re looking at the Jaguar XJL Supersport with possible acquisition in mind, chances are pretty good that you have a little string of initials after your name, attesting to your economic status. Initials like CEO, or COO, or (most probably) CFO, for example. One glance at the price tells you this car isn’t exactly [...]
Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Long Term: 2011 Mini Countryman: March 2012
Filed under: Crossover, Mini, Long-Term Garage
When our friends at The Tire Rack told us they'd be sending over a set of Bridgestone Blizzak WS-70 tires mounted on 17-inch Sport Edition alloy wheels for our long-term Mini Countryman, our minds were immediately filled with images of the little blue hatchback bounding along snowy roads with razor-sharp precision and confidence. Instead, editors Neff, Paukert and myself can literally count on one hand the number of times we actually had to drive the Mini on snowy/slushy roads. So much for winter tire/all-wheel-drive snowy playtime.
To say that we've had an unusually mild winter here in the Midwest is truly an understatement (note: we are absolutely not complaining). In mid-March, we saw record-high temperatures in the mid-80s. As Neff said in last month's update, seriously, what the hell is going on?
So rather than wear down the tread on our Blizzaks even further, we took the Countryman over to Motor City Mini once again to have its stock Pirelli Cinturato 18-inch wheels and run-flat (boo!) tires put back on. Perfect timing, too, since the car was just about to roll over the 12,000-mile mark, meaning its first scheduled maintenance was due. The oil was changed, fluids were topped off and all of the other mechanical elements inspected, and thus, our Mini is now prepped and ready for spring and summer in The D. We griped about the harshness of the run-flat tires combined with our optional sport suspension already, so we'll spare you another round of grumbling. If there's one thing we'll miss about the winter tires, it's the smoother - albeit, slightly louder - ride.
With 12,000 miles now under our belts, the Countryman is plenty broken in. But after a quick math session with the car's logbook, it seems our observed fuel economy numbers are falling short of what the EPA suggests. I'll personally admit to driving the Mini more aggressively than most consumers likely will (hey, this thing is seriously fun to throw around), but even so, the fact that our observed fuel economy is only 24.9 miles per gallon is indeed questionable. The EPA rates the 2011 Cooper S Countryman All4 at 26/32 mpg city/highway and 28 mpg combined when fitted with the six-speed manual transmission, and our best recorded fuel economy is only a dismal 29.3 mpg. Either I'm not the only one with a heavy right foot or something is off here. We'll definitely be keeping a close watch over this as time progresses.Our observed fuel economy numbers are falling short of what the EPA suggests.
In the next month, associate editor Chris Shunk will put the Countryman to use as a family hauler, so we'll get a better idea of just how kid-and-cargo-friendly the four-passenger interior really is. Stay tuned.
Keep your eyes locked on the official Autoblog Facebook page for the majority of our updates, as well as the official Autoblog Twitter account (@therealautoblog, look for the #ablongterm hashtag).
2011 Mini Countryman: March 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/29/2011-mini-countryman-march-2012/
Georges Grignard Bobby Grim Romain Grosjean Olivier Grouillard Brian Gubby
Sims joins Status GP for ELMS
Sportscar newcomer Alexander Sims will race for the Status GP team in this year's European Le Mans Series alongside his role as test and development driver for the McLaren GT programme. Sims, who raced with Status in GP3 last season, will drive the team's LMP2 Lola B12/80-Judd/BMW in the full ELMS.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/sims-joins-status-gp-for-elms
Innes Ireland Eddie Irvine Chris Irwin Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson
Fry: Ferrari still feeling F2012 burden
Ferrari technical chief Pat Fry says the pressure on his team to deliver much-needed improvements to its car has not eased, despite Fernando Alonso's victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix. Alonso's success at Sepang on Sunday has lifted him to the head of the world championship standings after the opening two races of the campaign. But despite the encouragement that comes from the situation the team is in now, Fry says there is no escaping the reality that the outfit must deliver big gains in performance if is to launch a serious world championship bid with its troublesome F2012
Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson Joe James John James Jean Pierre Jarier
Stewart wins rain-shortened race
Tony Stewart claimed his second win of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season by passing Kyle Busch to dominate before rain forced the Fontana race to be halted 71 laps from the end. The reigning Cup champion claimed the lead from the Joe Gibbs Racing driver on lap 85, after Busch had been up front for most of the running. Once ahead, there was little challenge for Stewart as the race ran caution-free until the expected rain arrived
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/nascar/stewart-wins-rain-shortened-race
Nicolas Kiesa Leo Kinnunen Danny Kladis Hans Klenk Peter de Klerk
Barrichello learning IndyCar strategy
Rubens Barrichello believes that strategy plays a far greater role in the IndyCar Series than it does in Formula 1 following his US racing debut at St Petersburg on Sunday. The 11-time grand prix winner came home 17th in his first IndyCar race, having run out of fuel at the end after spending most of the season opener battling in the midfield
Jesús Iglesias Taki Inoue Innes Ireland Eddie Irvine Chris Irwin
All-Star race gets adjusted format
The 2012 NASCAR Sprint All-Star race will feature a revised format, rewarding the winners of each segment plus putting a premium on strategy before the final sprint. The event will be run over 90 laps split first into four 20-lap segments, where the leader at the end of each one will be allowed a place among the top-four in the order when the field makes a final mandatory pitstop that will dictate restarting positions for the final 10-lap sprint
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/nascar/all-star-race-gets-adjusted-format
Narain Karthikeyan Ukyo Katayama Ken Kavanagh Rupert Keegan Eddie Keizan
2013 Lexus ES Confirmed for NYC, Previewed in Photo [New York Auto Show]
Lexus has released a preview image of the redesigned ES, confirming that the car will appear at next week’s New York auto show. Although the image shows only a close up of a headlight and part of the grille, we already know more or less what the 2013 ES sedan will look like, thanks to [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/g4IQal6qXn8/
Lucas di Grassi Cecil Green Keith Greene Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith
2012 Jaguar XJL Supersport Tested: Long on Power, Not Just Wheelbase
If you’re looking at the Jaguar XJL Supersport with possible acquisition in mind, chances are pretty good that you have a little string of initials after your name, attesting to your economic status. Initials like CEO, or COO, or (most probably) CFO, for example. One glance at the price tells you this car isn’t exactly [...]
Joe Kelly Dave Kennedy Loris Kessel Bruce Kessler Nicolas Kiesa
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Photos: 2012 Sunday at Auto Club Speedway
PHOTO CREDIT: NASCARMEDIA (USED WITH PERMISSION)
Source: http://thefinallap.com/2012/03/25/photos-2012-sunday-at-auto-club-speedway/
Peter de Klerk Christian Klien Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig Kamui Kobayashi
Alonso holds off Perez to win at Sepang
Fernando Alonso held off Sergio Perez to take victory in a remarkable Malaysian Grand Prix, that saw changing weather, a long red flag, and a sensational lead battle between two unlikely contenders.
Taki Inoue Innes Ireland Eddie Irvine Chris Irwin Jean Pierre Jabouille
Cadillac CTS-V is a Winner
Last month, iRacing and Cadillac announced plans to build a virtual version of the Cadillac CTS-V for release in late spring of this year. Last weekend, the Cadillac CTS-V scored its first win of the season in the opening round of the Sports Car Club of America’s 2012 Pirelli World Challenge. Following an official review of Saturday’s race in the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg, SCCA Pro Racing officials awarded first place to Johnny O’Connell’s Cadillac CTS-V. Although O’Connell finished second on the road to the Porsche 911 GT3 driven by Lawson Aschenbach, a subsequent review revealed Aschenbach passed several cars at the scene of a local yellow on the final lap of the 27 lap race. Aschenbach was assessed a 60s penalty for his actions, promoting O’Connell’s [...]
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/cadillac-cts-v-is-a-winner
Tayler Malsam, No. 19 G-Oil Toyota Camry Auto Club Speedway Post Race Report
No. 19 G-Oil® Toyota Camry(Fontana, Calif.)– - Tayler Malsam made a solid first NASCAR Nationwide Series start at Fontana, as he drove the #19 G-Oil Toyota from the 22nd starting position to a 16th place finish in Saturday’s Royal Purple 300 at the Auto Club Speedway. Malsam and the #19 G-Oil Toyota are eighth t...more»
Jean Pierre Jarier Max Jean Stefan Johansson Eddie Johnson Leslie Johnson
Karthikeyan sorry for Button accident
Narain Karthikeyan has apologised to Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel for getting involved in incidents with them during the Malaysian Grand Prix. The HRT driver tangled with Button at Turn 9 shortly after the race restart as they battled for position, and then later on tagged Vettel's left rear as he was being lapped in the closing stages.
Paul Hawkins Mike Hawthorn Boy Hayje Willi Heeks Nick Heidfeld
Chicago’s Parking Requirements Are an Out-of-Date Relic
The good news: Demand for parking spaces is down among residents of central Chicago. But here’s the bad news: The city of Chicago still requires lots of parking.
Downtown Chicago apartment buildings have seen a decline in the percentage of residents who lease a parking space. Meanwhile, the city's minimum parking requirements haven't changed. Photo of [...]
Downtown Chicago apartment buildings have seen a decline in the percentage of residents who lease a parking space. Meanwhile, the city's minimum parking requirements haven't changed. Photo of [...]
Source: http://streetsblog.net/2012/03/27/chicagos-parking-requirements-are-an-out-of-date-relic/
Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr Sterling Burton Marlin Mark Anthony Martin Jeremy Allan Mayfield
Name That Shifter, No. 69
It’s Monday, and that means it’s time to present this week’s shifter. You’ll have until mid-day Wednesday to identify the make and model of the vehicle from whence this shifter came. The first person to respond correctly in the Backfires section below will win a Save the Manuals button and sticker*. Good luck! (* Offer [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/WexsPP9vOx0/
Jim Hall Duncan Hamilton Lewis Hamilton David Hampshire Sam Hanks
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Official: Jeep drops details on six Easter Jeep Safari Concepts
Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, SUV, Truck, Jeep, Design/Style, Off-Road
Jeep has released details on six new concepts the company crafted for this year's Easter Jeep Safari, including the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk Concept. And while that vehicle boasts a slew of off-road goodies, including tow hooks, aggressive Goodyear Wrangler rubber and a rear light bar, we're more interested in the wicked Mighty FC Concept pictured above.
Engineers built the Mighty FC as a tribute to the Jeep Forward Control that was offered between 1956 and 1965. Using a 2012 Wrangler Rubicon as a platform, the company stretched the wheelbase, stuck the cab ahead of the front axle and threw in a custom drop-side cargo box. Underneath, the Mighty FC uses a set of Mopar eight-lug portal axles, which offer a surprising amount of ground clearance without having to resort to a lift. If you like what you see, the axles are available for a combined price of $23,500. The truck rolls on 40-inch tires, and a King coil-over suspension handles the bumps and bruises of the trail.
Of course, the Jeep J-12 Concept (above, left) is equally delicious in its own right. An extended version of the JK-8 pickup, the concept began life as a 2012 Wrangler Unlimited, though the frame has been stretched a total of 18 inches. With a full six-foot bed, custom hood and unique fenders, the concept is straight awesome. Build it, Jeep.
The automaker also showed off an accessorized version of the standard Wrangler as well as a Wrangler Traildozer concept (above, right). The latter of the two was built by partnering with the off-road gurus at American Expedition Vehicles. With a 470-horsepower 6.4-liter V8 and a Getrag six-speed manual gearbox, the machine has the go-bits to tackle any trail. Dana 44 axles with electronic locking differentials at the front and rear are also part of the package.
Likewise, the Wrangler Apache concept (above, left) gets its power from the same fire-breathing Hemi, though that vehicle uses a Mopar conversion kit for the swap. With a beefy lift and 5.13 axles, the Apache should have no problem taking on the rocks of Moab.
Unfortunately, Chrysler has yet to release a full batch of official images for each vehicle, so went to their headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI, and shot them ourselves. Look below for the lot of them, as well as Chrysler's official press release.
Continue reading Jeep drops details on six Easter Jeep Safari Concepts
Jeep drops details on six Easter Jeep Safari Concepts originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/27/jeep-drops-details-on-six-easter-jeep-safari-concepts/
Jerry Hoyt Nico Hülkenberg Denny Hulme James Hunt Jim Hurtubise
Ericsson given grid penalty
Marcus Ericsson has been given a 10-place grid penalty for the next round of the GP2 championship at Sakhir for causing a collision during the Sepang sprint race on Sunday.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/formula-cars/gp2/ericsson-given-grid-penalty
AUTOS: Corvette Museum Motorsports Park Approved In Kentucky
Huge facility would include a double road course, an autocross pad and a quarter-mile drag strip; projected cost is $35 million.
Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/autos-corvette-museum-motorsports-park-approved-in-kentucky2/
Bruce Johnstone Alan Jones Tom Jones Juan Jover Oswald Karch
Adam Parr leaves Williams
The Williams team has announced that chairman Adam Parr will leave the outfit at the end of this week.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/adam-parr-leaves-williams
David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton
Valsecchi takes blame for ‘lost’ win
Davide Valsecchi claims that he did not deserve to win the opening GP2 race of the season after making a bad start from pole position. The DAMS driver recovered from a sluggish getaway to take second place behind race winner Luiz Razia, who charged away at the front unchallenged after capitalising on Valsecchi's error. "The team and my car deserved the win so it's a shame that I lost it," said Valsecchi.
Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/formula-cars/gp2/valsecchi-takes-blame-for-lost-win
Mack Hellings Brian Henton Johnny Herbert Al Herman Hans Herrmann
Study: Teen girls twice as likely to use cell phones while driving as teen boys
Research by the American Automobile Association's Foundation for Traffic Safety has revealed teenage girls are twice as likely as their male counterparts to use devices like cell phones while driving. The study used video taken of young drivers while they were behind the wheel to determine how teenagers engage in distracted driving. While talking on the phone and texting ranked among the highest sources of distraction, personal grooming and reaching for objects in the vehicle also played significant roles. Outside of using electronic devices, AAA found teens were distracted around 15 percent of the time while behind the wheel.
Girls were also found to be 10 percent more likely than their male counterparts to be engaged in other distracted driving activities. AAA found the young ladies to be 50 percent more likely to attempt to reach for something in the vehicle and 25 percent more like to eat while operating a vehicle.
Of course, driving with passengers in the vehicle also contributed to distraction, while having a parent or adult in the vehicle caused rates of distracting behavior to fall off. Shocking stuff we know. Hit the jump for the full AAA press release.
Continue reading Teen girls twice as likely to use cell phones while driving as teen boys
Teen girls twice as likely to use cell phones while driving as teen boys originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/26/teen-girls-twice-as-likely-to-use-cell-phones-while-driving-as-t/
Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica
Monday, 26 March 2012
‘Majority’ of teams agree new F1 deal
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has announced that a 'majority' of teams have committed to the sport beyond 2012.
Leslie Johnson Bruce Johnstone Alan Jones Tom Jones Juan Jover
Report: AT&T Labs, Carnegie Mellon investigating steering wheels with haptic feedback for navigation
Filed under: Safety, Technology
Any device or system that draws a driver's attention away from the road is inherently distracting, but some navigation systems are better than others. Now, AT&T Labs is said to be hard at work developing a steering wheel with haptic feedback that may allow more drivers to keep their eyes off of the center console screen. According to MIT's Technology Review, the system uses 20 small actuators to to create a pattern of vibrations in the wheel. When the wheel buzzes clockwise, the driver is meant to turn to the right, while counterclockwise vibrations suggest turning left. The company's research indicates that when the system is used with standard audio and visual cues, inattentiveness in younger drivers drops by around 3.1 percent.
Researchers defined "inattentiveness" as time spent looking away from the road in driving simulations. The haptics had no impact on older drivers, but a separate study by Carnegie Mellon indicated drivers over the age of 65 could see their inattentiveness drop by around four percent.
Even with the promising results, it will likely be years before a similar system could be adopted by automakers, if it ever reaches the market at all.
AT&T Labs, Carnegie Mellon investigating steering wheels with haptic feedback for navigation originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsParker Kligerman Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota Jason Leffler David Carl Allison
Marcos Ambrose, 2012 NSCS Auto Club 400 Post-Race Recap
Marcos Ambrose/DeWalt - Photo Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCARMarcos Ambrose No. 9 DEWALT Ford Fusion Marcos Ambrose started the 200-lap NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Auto Club Speedway from the 29th position. Ambrose finished the Auto Club 400 as follows: 21st—Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 DEWALT Ford Fusion Tony Stewart claimed the victory Sunday...more»
Gary Hocking Ingo Hoffmann Bill Holland Jackie Holmes Bill Homeier
House to Vote on 9th Transpo Extension Right Before Time Runs Out
Reps. John Mica, Dave Camp, and John Duncan have formally introduced a bill that would extend federal transportation programs until June 30, without any changes to funding, policy, or gas taxes. It is officially known as H.R. 4239.
House foot-dragging on passing a transportation bill is getting repetitive. Photo: The|G|uk/flickr
The 90-day extension would be the ninth [...]
House foot-dragging on passing a transportation bill is getting repetitive. Photo: The|G|uk/flickr
The 90-day extension would be the ninth [...]
Denny Hulme James Hunt Jim Hurtubise Gus Hutchison Jacky Ickx
CUP: Auto Club Speedway Power Rankings
Tony Stewart leads the FOXSports.com/SPEED.com Power Rankings...
Source: http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup-auto-club-speedway-nascar-sprint-cup-series-power-rankings/
Cuth Harrison Brian Hart Gene Hartley Masahiro Hasemi Naoki Hattori
Button says race is unpredictable
Australian Grand Prix winner Jenson Button reckons that quick thinking in the pits and being flexible on strategy will be vital in Sunday's race at Sepang, after admitting that he still does not know which Pirelli tyre compound will perform better in the race.
2012 NSCS Auto Club 400 Pre-Race Q&A with Team Chevy Driver, Ryan Newman
2012 NSCS Ryan Newman - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCARRYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 U.S. ARMY CHEVROLET met with media and discussed early morning practice, car set-ups, lines around Auto Club Speedway, and more. TALK ABOUT THIS MORNING’S PRACTICE ‘Our U.S. Army/ROTC car was good in practice. I’m really more excited about the second...more»
Miguel Ángel Guerra Roberto Guerrero Maurício Gugelmin Dan Gurney Hubert Hahne
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Mercedes-Benz Kills Slow-Selling R-Class in the U.S.
This year marks the end of the road for Mercedes-Benz’s R-class crossover in the U.S. A Mercedes-Benz spokesman says that the company can no longer make the business case for the R, sales of which have dropped precipitously since it was introduced in 2005. Sales of the Tuscaloosa, Alabama–built R-class peaked in 2006, its first [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/4NU2dboxx_I/
Paul Hawkins Mike Hawthorn Boy Hayje Willi Heeks Nick Heidfeld
Why Is Seattle’s Sound Transit Building a 500-Space Parking Garage?
In Seattle, the Parking Garage That Transit Built: Seattle’s Sound Transit must not have read our article the other day about how little-known regulations nickel and dime transit agencies, because it’s taking on additional expense beyond those costly mandates. Network blog PubliCola reports that Sound Transit is planning a 500-space parking garage to replace 100 [...]
Source: http://streetsblog.net/2012/03/22/why-is-seattles-sound-transit-building-a-500-space-parking-garage/
François Hesnault Hans Heyer Damon Hill Graham Hill Phil Hill
Ayrton Senna's rookie-season F1 racer heads to auction
Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Auctions, Europe, Celebrities, Specialty, Racing
Motorsports history buffs take note: an important piece of racing nostalgia has come up for auction. The Toleman TG184-2 Formula One Car Ayrton Senna drove in his rookie season is available for bid in the Silverstone Auctions Spring Sale.
This is the car that carried Senna to his second-place "victory" in the rain-drenched 1984 Monaco GP, as well as third and seventh-place finishes in the British and Canadian GPs, respectively.
Silverstone Auctions hasn't announced what the vehicle is expected to fetch. The Toleman has been completely restored, and the 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine behind the cockpit is in top running order.
The auction will take place at the Silverstone circuit in The Wing building on May 16th. Hit the jump for the full press blast.
Continue reading Ayrton Senna's rookie-season F1 racer heads to auction
Ayrton Senna's rookie-season F1 racer heads to auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/24/ayrton-sennas-rookie-season-f1-racer-heads-to-auction/
Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica Nanni Galli
Ford Racing, 2012 NSCS Auto Club 400 Post-Qualifying Recaps
Ford RacingARIC ALMIROLA – No. 43 Medallion Financial Ford Fusion – “We were just really tight right there and it’s disappointing. I thought we had a little better car than that, but we were just super-tight. We’ll get it ready for race practice. I think Greg (Erwin) has a few ideas to throw at it...more»
Narain Karthikeyan Ukyo Katayama Ken Kavanagh Rupert Keegan Eddie Keizan
Report: BMW nixes plan for M version of i8, but production car to have more power? [w/video]
Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Technology, BMW, Rumormill
The BMW i8 plug-in-hybrid sports car is just the sort of crazy project that could help redefine the BMW brand - and perhaps even the notion of what makes a car enthusiast - for the 21st Century. It's the sort of out-of-the-box thinking we've been waiting for some automaker to deploy, so these new details are exciting.
To start with, according to Britain's Car, the i8 will only be available as a plug-in hybrid - no conventional, internal-combustion-only version will be offered. That means no M version will be in the cards, at least not an M product in the way we currently define the BMW performance moniker. But the report says the i8 will have a more powerful gas engine than we've previously reported, with its 1.5-liter three-cylinder cranking out 223 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque through the rear wheels. The front-drive electric motor is said to be rated at 170 horsepower, giving the i8 a combined 393 hp and 406 lb-ft.
The report claims that the i8 will have a 20-mile all-electric range, a top speed of 156 miles per hour, and sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds. Curb weight is said to be just 3,125 pounds, which is less than most models of the new 2012 3 Series, thanks to the i8's carbon fiber body and aluminum chassis. Recharge time is said to be six hours, presumably on a 220-volt system. In all, a pretty amazing package.
But here's the kicker: Car says the i8 will be priced above €100,000, which is $132,600 based on today's exchange rates. We expect the i8 to hit the market as a 2014 model, and while that price is spendy by plebeian standards, the queue for the car will most certainly be long, at least initially.
Click past the jump if you've missed any of BMW's i8 videos.
BMW nixes plan for M version of i8, but production car to have more power? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/jK2UrDqLD5U/
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Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/formula-cars/gp2/ericsson-given-grid-penalty
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Source: http://thefinallap.com/2012/03/20/jimmie-johnson-48-team-points-penalties-overturned/
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The 90-day extension would be the ninth [...]
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Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/rosenqvist-heads-barcelona-test
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Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/nascar/hamlin-takes-pole-at-fontana
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Source: http://streetsblog.net/2012/03/23/the-hunt-for-the-worst-bike-lane-in-the-midwest/
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Source: http://thefinallap.com/2012/03/22/roush-vs-hendrick-the-battle-is-on-auto-club-speedway/
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/UIHdoNRJQIY/
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/WfOaLcbgeik/
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Source: http://thefinallap.com/2012/03/20/mark-martins-twitter-account-hacked/
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Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/sa-silva-returns-to-f3-euro-series
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Source: http://thefinallap.com/2012/03/21/michael-waltrip-racing-on-a-roll/
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