Categories
Ferrari Formula 1

Alonso: We will have a better show for everybody in 2011

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari

The Ferrari Press Office has released this interview with its top dog Fernando Alonso. For now, Ferrari’s apparent number two driver, Felipe Massa, is nowhere to be seen.

Alonso starts by reflecting on the 2010 season, stating, “we had a very good integration in the team, from day one I felt at home.” In regards to 2011, Fernando expects to improve and said, “when you drive for Ferrari, there is only one goal, which is fighting for the World Championship.”

The Championship runner-up says new rule changes in Formula One for the 2011 season, specifically the re-introduction of KERS and moveable rear wings, are expected to make overtaking easier. “I’m confident that next year, finally, the rules will help the overtaking and we will have a better show for everybody,” Alonso claimed.

Fernando also confirmed Ferrari will reveal their 2011 F1 car at Maranello in the last week of January. You can watch the full interview after the break.

Continue reading “Alonso: We will have a better show for everybody in 2011”
Categories
MINI

MINI Paceman Concept

MINI Paceman Concept

This is the MINI Paceman Concept. It’s just been revealed in picture form by MINI and will make its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Based on an all-wheel drive Cooper S Countryman, the Paceman is fitted with the 155kW JCW engine. It’s also the first Sports Activity Coupé in the small car segment, according to MINI at least.

It’s a nice looking car actually. Sure, it serves about as much purpose as tits on a bull, but as noted by MotoringFile, it’d make a ripping donor car for MINI’s WRC program.

We don’t know for sure if MINI will put the Paceman into production, although this concept probably does give us a few insights into future styling cues of other production MINIs. Notably the rear “baseball cap” style roof detail and spoiler that may be repeated on the MINI Coupé, which started production earlier this week.

Should the Paceman get the green light for production, expect a 2013 launch date, likely to be wearing a Canyon nameplate.

More pics and MINI’s desperate justifications for this attractive, but rather daft, concept after the break. Actually, we shouldn’t call it daft, don’t tell anyone, but we reckon one of these cars would look quite good in the garage at AUSmotive HQ.

Continue reading “MINI Paceman Concept”
Categories
Lamborghini

2012 Lamborghini Aventador specs leaked

Lamborghini Aventador ordering guide

A leaked ordering guide posted to the Teamspeed forums has given us an early preview of the final specs for the upcoming MY12 Lamborghini LP700-4 (aka Aventador). We already know the Murcielago replacement will be powered by a stonking 700PS 6.5 litre V12. And we also know the same car will be fitted with a trick 7-speed gearbox featuring new Independent Shifting Rod technology.

Now, it seems, the rumours of a 350km/h top speed and sub 3 second 0-100km/h time can also be confirmed. The document also states no pics of the LP700-4 will be released until the car makes its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2011.

There’s a few selected screen grabs of the guide after the break, but why not download the 615kb PDF for yourself.

[Source: Teamspeed]

Continue reading “2012 Lamborghini Aventador specs leaked”
Categories
McLaren Motorsports

McLaren announces return to sports car racing in 2012

McLaren MP4-12C GT3

McLaren Automotive has announced they will return to sports car racing in 2012. CRS Racing, in partnership with McLaren, will develop a GT3 version of the new MP4-12C. Targetted to European-based privateer entries, CRS will also coordinate sales and support for the 12C GT3.

Martin Whitmarsh, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Team Principal reckons their return to GT competition with the MP4-12C was an obvious move, “Racing is in our blood—it was natural to develop a GT3 car alongside the 12C road car.

“The 12C’s architecture and design was always aimed at high-performance and ease of maintenance—two key criteria for potential customers.”

As part of the development process McLaren and CRS will compete in a handful of GT races across Europe in 2011, with a view to offering a small number of cars ready to race in the 2012 FIA GT Championship.

More information will be posted in due course on a dedicated McLaren GT website. For now, you can read the official press release after the break. This is accompanied by an impressive promo video, based on McLaren’s last foray into GT racing, where they won the 1995 Le Mans 24 hour race on debut with the legendary McLaren F1 GTR.

Continue reading “McLaren announces return to sports car racing in 2012”
Categories
Mercedes-Benz

Baby Benz to mix it with 1M and RS3

Mercedes-Benz A Klasse AMG rendering

Autocar brings word that Mercedes-Benz are getting a bit sick and tired of all this 1M and RS3 talk from BMW and Audi. Even Volkswagen are being annoying with their Golf R. So Mercedes is going to put things right by giving the world a 320hp AMG-prepared A Class.

The three-pointed star hyper hatch will be powered by a 2.0 litre turbo four and will also feature an all-wheel drive system similar to the one used by Audi and Volkswagen. It will also feature a 6-speed dual clutch transmission. Codenamed W176 the model will be built on the third-generation A Class platform, which will not feature the clever, but heavy, collapsing sandwich floor structure employed by the first two generations of A Class.

It’s expected we’ll see a show car, likely to be badged A25 AMG, at Shanghai in April, before the car goes on European sale in the latter half of 2012.

[Source: Autocar]

Categories
MINI Motorsports

MINI All4 Racing at Dakar

MINI All4 Racing

More detail on the MINI Countryman-based Dakar racer has come to light, including a handful pics of what we now know is called the MINI All4 Racing. The car is being prepared by the X-raid team, who have been competing in the Dakar since 2005.

They’ve just completed a couple of days testing in the Burgundy region of France with driver Guerlain Chicherit and co-driver Michel Périn.

Chicherit, a four-time world extreme skiing champion, finished fifth at this year’s Dakar in January and said, “The handling is excellent, the engine is very responsive and it is well balanced at jumps because of the improved centre of gravity. The view out of the car is much better than we were led to believe when the car was being built. Visibility is good and there is no disadvantage compared to the BMW X3CC.”

There’s more pics after the break. You can also download the team’s press release HERE (290kb PDF).

[Source: x-raid via MotoringFile]

Continue reading “MINI All4 Racing at Dakar”
Categories
Safety Issues Subaru

A different approach to the road safety message

Jake's $8000 Subaru WRX STi

Here in Australia we’ve had some pretty confronting advertising campaigns to tackle the issue of road safety. This is especially in regards to targeting the young male audience, where graphic accident recreations are usually the norm. In fact, last year marked 20 years since the Victorian Government’s Transport Accident Commission began its crusade.

Young males generally don’t like being told what to do and conventional advertising methods don’t always have the effect the creators are chasing. Over in New Zealand they have taken a different approach, with thanks to some excellent creative from Ogilvy. You can see the results after the break.

Warning: Offensive language is used in the video.

[Thanks to Michael for the tip]

Continue reading “A different approach to the road safety message”
Categories
Ford Video

Ken Block kicks it just for fun

Ken Block

You might remember last year we had some footage of Ken Block and Chris Atkinson living it large in an old skool Mk2 Ford Escort. Well, some new footage filmed around the same time has just been released. It’s waiting for you after the break. And, if your name is Tom, you may want to slip into something more comfortable first.

No fronts, no tricks…

[via Autoblog]

Continue reading “Ken Block kicks it just for fun”
Categories
BMW

More detail on BMW’s front-wheel drive plans

BMW 1 Series FWD

Planning for the second-generation of BMW 1 Series is well underway and part of those plans, as previously reported, include a front-wheel drive platform. Fans of the current rear-wheel drive 1 Series need not panic, though, as Autocar brings word that the next 1er will include a sextet of models; two front drivers and four tail sliders.

One of the FWD 1ers will be a trad five-door hatch, aimed squarely at the Audi A3 (see rendering above). The other will be a wagon with quasi sporting intentions. These models go under the internal acronym of UKL (Unter Klasse or sub-class).

The UKL models will be repackaged following the usual method of transversely mounting engines. This will allow BMW to free up cabin space and match class leaders like the Volkswagen Golf. It’s expected we’ll be able to buy a front-wheel drive BMW sometime in 2013.

[Source: Autocar]

Categories
Formula 1 Lotus Renault

Dany Bahar talks about Lotus Renault GP

Lotus Renault GP

Amid all the controversy about the use of the Lotus name in Formula One, Group Lotus CEO, Dany Bahar, took the time out to speak to the press to explain, among other things, his company’s reasons for entering into a title sponsorship role with Lotus Renault GP.

Here’s a little of what Bahar had to say:

Q. You have also said RIP to Team Lotus. So will you be disappointed if there is a Team Lotus on the grid next season, and are you surprised Tony Fernandes is pursuing the route he is going?

DB: No. I cannot comment for Mr Fernandes, but if he believes he has all the legal grounds to own this brand, then he should use it. I don’t believe we are fighting this. What we are 100 per cent certain of is that we own the brand that is called Lotus, which is associated with the car manufacturer. And that Lotus brand has the right to enter in any sports activity. And if any chassis will be called a Lotus then it is our chassis, and no one else’s.

We don’t claim to have the name Team Lotus or to use the name Team Lotus. That is not what it is all about. We just don’t want other people to call their car a Lotus because the Lotus car is our brand and that is all.

Autosport has a full Q&A article on Bahar’s meeting, so follow the source link below for the complete text.

[Source: Autosport]

Categories
Lamborghini

Lamborghini Aventador prototype revealed

Lamborghini Aventador

We’re probably just a few months away from seeing a show car version of the Lamborghini Aventador. In the meantime, though, this pic of a development mule has been published on Facebook by the Lamborghini Club of Los Angeles.

The Aventador will be powered by a new 6.5 litre V12. With 700hp on tap it is the replacement for the Murcielago and we should be reading more about this car at the Geneva Motor Show in March next year.

[via Car Throttle]

Categories
Audi Safety Issues

Audi A1 granted 5-star crash rating

Audi A1

The Audi A1 is the latest car to be awarded a 5-star safety rating by testing authority Euro NCAP. The A1 scored 90% for adult occupants, 86% for safety assist, 79% for child occupants and 49% for pedestrian safety. You can read the full report on the Euro NCAP website. Meanwhile video footage and Audi’s press release are all your after the break.

Continue reading “Audi A1 granted 5-star crash rating”