Categories
MINI

VIDEO: Sticking it to the Americans

MINI Becoming a manual

MINI USA has been embarking on a campaign to convert lazy automatic drivers into manual. The campaign is called Becoming a manual and uses cheesy 1950s style instructional techniques to get the point across.

‘Driving stick’ as Amercians uniquely call it is one of the world’s great cultural divides with almost everywhere else in the world able to manage the simple pleasure of choosing when to change gears. Americans, it would seem, have struggled with the concept for generations. We doubt this MINI campaign will have a lasting impact, but applaud them for having a go.

Their two-minute instructional video can be seen after the break.

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Ferrari Motorsports Oh the humanity

Ferrari Enzo crash: ‘This is just a boo boo’

Ferrari Enzo crashes at Targa Newfoundland

Spare a thought for amateur racer Zahir Rana who put his edo competition tuned  Ferrari Enzo into the drink during the recent Targa Newfoundland rally. Luckily he and navigator Roland Linder walked away unharmed. The poor Enzo, though, has some good drying time ahead of it.

Rana seems confident his car can be repaired. But would you trust a Ferrari with flooded electrics?

After the break you can watch how the incident happened; it was surprisingly low speed actually. You’ll also see brief interviews with both Rana and Linder.

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Accessories & Tech Audi Motor Shows

Frankfurt 2011: Audi MMI technology

Thanks to cnet Car Tech we can take a closer look at Audi’s developing Multi Media Interface (MMI) systems on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

In a large saloon like the new S8, for example, there’s plenty of room on the centre console to fit all the gadgets that control the car’s on board systems; navigation, stereo, climate control and the like. But can we expect the same level of control in a much smaller car, like the urban concept or A2?

Categories
Alfa Romeo

Frankfurt 2011: Alfa Romeo 4C Concept

Alfa Romeo 4C Concept

In addition to last week’s news that a production version of the Alfa Romeo 4C will be on sale in Australia by 2014, we bring you these pics of the concept model from the floor at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. All can be viewed at 2000px super sizing by clicking on each image.

We’ve also added the pics from the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. That’s 17 images in all of one of the prettiest sports coupés around.

Categories
Eterniti

Frankfurt 2011: Eterniti Hemera

Eterniti Hemera

It’s just a blinged up Cayenne. That’s right this new Eterniti brand, for now, takes a Porsche Cayenne adds a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic body kit and says voila—a brand new car!

To be fair they say they do a chassis-up rebuild of the car, including a bespoke interior. They also manage to find in excess of 620hp lurking inside its 4.8 litre twin-turbo V8 engine (compared to 500hp in the Cayenne Turbo).

Production of the Hemera will start early next year with deliveries expected by mid-2012. You’ll need around £150,000 to get your foot in the door, but we suspect the options and customisation possibilities will see many prices well beyond that. So around double the price of a Cayenne Turbo, then.

To help give the brand some credibility, Eterniti is being assisted by former race engineer Alastair Macqueen and former F1 driver Johnny Herbert. Most will be up to speed with Herbert’s 10-year F1 career as well as his Le Mans success. Macqueen has likewise experienced victory at Le Mans, as a race engineer for Jaguar and Bentley.

Eterniti say they have more plans in store, including a high-performance car from which a racing program could be developed. So, what of this Hemera then, and of Eterniti as a brand; are they onto something? Can this Cayenne on steroids really be a Hemeraroid—a pain in the backside to the major luxury players?

Categories
Audi

Audi RS4 spied

Audi RS4

While the world had its eyes on the Frankfurt Motor Show last week, Audi set its sights on the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife. They were there with a very well disguised RS4 Avant prototype.

Previous speculation has suggested the new RS4 would source its power from the same 331kW used in the RS5. However, we’d not be surprised if quattro GmbH simply turns up the wick on the new 4.0 litre twin turbo V8 now found in the S6, S7 and S8.

When tuned for the S8 the 4.0 litre unit offers 382kW (520hp), that’s a pretty good place to start for an RS4 we reckon. We just hope there’s a proper manual transmission offered.

[Source: Autoblog]

Categories
BMW

BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé spied

BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe

In 2010 BMW presented the Gran Coupé concept at the Auto China show. Recently this 6 Series Gran Coupé prototype was seen circulating at the Nürburgring.

The car you see here will be on sale in mid-2012 after making a show debut at Geneva next March. So, if you really like the Audi A7 Sportback but prefer a BMW badge, then this 6 Series derived “coupé” is for you.

[Source: Car]

Categories
Motorsports

Alex Zanardi: 10 years on

Alex Zanardi

Yesterday marked the tenth anniversary of Alex Zanardi’s horrific accident in a CART race at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz in Germany. Despite having both legs amputated Zanardi returned to professional motor racing less than two years after his crash.

The Race of Two Worlds website reflects on Zanardi’s career and remarkable comeback to motor racing. It’s well worth a read. Here’s a teaser; follow the source link below for more:

The permanent CART safety team performed miracles to even save his life; there was less than a litre of blood left in him when they made the transfusions that rescued him from the abyss. In typical Zanardi style he jokes that with all that German blood in him they should give him a passport!

[Source: Race of Two Worlds | Pic: alex-zanardi.com]

Categories
Ford Motorsports

VIDEO: Ken Block’s Gymkhana down under

Ken Block down under

Here’s some video highlights of Ken Block’s Gymkhana down under tour. The event was held at Melbourne’s Calder Park earlier this month. Made possible due to Ken’s visit for Rally Australia. There’s a video showing how the rally went for Ken as well.

Categories
Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo 4C expected in Australia by 2014

Alfa Romeo 4C concept

The stunning Alfa Romeo 4C will be on sale in Australia by 2014 according to a report published by GoAuto.

Currently on show in Frankfurt in a spectacular ‘fluid metal’ body colour, the 4C has been confirmed for RHD production by Alfa Romeo CEO Harald Wester.

“Alfa Romeo is going to be present in all markets in the world. If there’s enough interest in this kind of special-edition supercar it will be either left or right-hand drive, but there will definitely be a right-hand drive,” he told journalists in Frankfurt.

Neville Crichton, Ateco Automotive Governing Director, spoke to Australian journalists in Frankfurt and said he expects the 4C to be on sale down under by 2014.

It’s understood the 200hp 850kg sportscar will be a replacement for the Brera. If the 4C can be positioned at the same pricepoint of around $65,000 then Alfa Romeo will likely have a worldwide phenomenon on their hands. We reckon they may well struggle to meet demand.

[Source: GoAuto | Pics: GTspirit | Thanks to Craig for the tip]

Categories
Motor Shows Porsche

Frankfurt 2011: Porsche 911 Carrera

2012 Porsche 911

With Porsche having already released images and details about the new 991 911 we bring you a selection of videos from the car’s world premiere in Frankfurt.

Jacky Ickx and Walter Röhrl might be on the Porsche payroll, but you still get the sense they mean what they say. Michael Mauer, Head of Porsche Design Department is definitely on the books at Stuttgart, but his analysis of the new 911 is very much worth watching.

Australian readers and buyers will get a look at the new 911 in March next year.

Categories
Volkswagen

Frankfurt 2011: Volkswagen Beetle R concept

Volkswagen Beetle R concept

Volkswagen has shown the serious side of its new Beetle by presenting a Beetle R concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Featuring some bling 20″ Talladega alloy wheels and a ‘Serious Grey’ paint scheme the Beetle R is no cute love bug. A revised and widened body kit completes the transformation from cute to purposeful.

Power would come from the 2.0 litre turbo four cylinder found in the Golf R and Scirocco R. We can’t say if it would match the 195kW on offer in the two-wheel drive Scirocco R or perhaps be knocked back a peg or two to the same tune found in the 173kW Golf GTI Edition 35.

While no great detail has been provided by Volkswagen as yet, it’s been suggested R GmbH will leave its hi-po Beetle to be driven by the front wheels.

More after the break, including a short YouTube clip filmed in the halls of the Frankfurt show.