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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber on pole position in Turkey

2010 Turkish Grand Prix

Mark Webber has qualified on pole position for the third successive Grand Prix at Istanbul. Webber’s time of 1:26.295 was 0.138 seconds faster than the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton and 0.465 seconds quicker than his Red Bull Racing teammate Sebastien Vettel.

This weekend hasn’t been easy going for Webber who suffered an engine failure late in yesterday’s final practice session. Speaking at the post-qualifying press conference Webber said, “Obviously Friday was a little bit disrupted, but not massively so, to be honest. This morning, also, we were not having the easiest P3.

“Getting ready for quali things started to get a little bit better. I was a little bit on the back foot going in. But I knew I could dig deep, keep going and get something out of it. In the end it turned out okay.”

Of the previous five Grands Prix held at Istanbul Park the pole sitter has won four times. Ominously for his rivals Webber expects his car to show better race pace than it did during qualifying, “I’m more comfortable with tomorrow than I am with out and out pace. So, I’m starting in the right place.

“We’ve got, potentially, one of the more interesting races tomorrow. We’re optimistic we can get a good result from there, for sure.”

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Drive Thru Jaguar Reviews

Drive Thru: Jaguar XF V6 Diesel S

Jaguar XF

The Jaguar XF is a beautiful car. From any angle, it doesn’t matter. It’s a good thing, too. Until the XF came along Jags had become a 1960s time capsule, while the rest of the world had moved at broadband speed into the noughties.

Styling cues such as the chrome grille and rounded headlights remind us of Jaguar’s great legacy. Importantly, though, Jaguar has shed tired clichés in favour of a new direction that enables it to compete alongside the established German players.

This would all count for nothing if its beauty was only skin deep. But it’s not. Step inside and, again, the interior is clearly defined by the century in which it was created. A pleasing mix of materials give the XF a New England feel.

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Categories
Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Horner expects Webber to drive for Red Bull in 2011

Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing

Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner has moved to end speculation over Mark Webber‘s future by claiming the Australian will remain with the team in 2011.

Webber is out of contract at the end of this year and rumours over his F1 future have been building. Horner, though, is expecting a fairly simple re-signing process, “When we sit down and talk about it, it will be straightforward. If it’s not broken why fix it? It’s clear where our and his intent is.

“It’s just a matter of sorting out the paperwork with his management. In the coming weeks that will be sorted”, he said.

One rumour doing the rounds late last year had Webber out for 2011 to be replaced by 2007 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen, who is currently busy avoiding trees in his Citröen that just happens to have Red Bull stickers all over it.

Again, Horner doesn’t see any reason for this to change, “Kimi has committed himself to rallying and seems to be enjoying that environment. So there’s never really been any discussion… We’ve been happy with the job Mark’s been doing so why would you change?”

[Source: BBC]

Categories
Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber drives virtual lap of Istanbul

Mark Webber, Red Bull Racing

Mark Webber is back with his latest installment of Red Bull Racing simulator gigs. This time he’s at the anti-clockwise Istanbul circuit ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix this weekend. Of course, Australian fans will be hoping Webber can post his third successive Grand Prix victory. If he does, it will be a shame that nobody will be trackside to watch it.

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McLaren

Twenty years of the McLaren F1

McLaren F1

One of the world’s most significant sportscars has just celebrated its 20th birthday. The car in question, of course, is the McLaren F1. The trainspotters among you will know the F1 didn’t actually have its official launch until 28 May 1992, and customer deliveries didn’t commence until 1993. But with this party McLaren Automotive honoured the date of the car’s immaculate conception, if you will.

It was in March 1990 that the McLaren F1 road car team first met. Twenty years later their creation still claims to be the fastest normally-aspirated production car of all time.

Just 106 F1s were made and 21 examples gathered at the company’s Woking headquarters in Surrey to celebrate the car’s birthday party. In production for less than 10 years the F1 achieved great success at whatever it turned its hand to, including winning the Le Mans 24 hour at its first attempt.

Not sure about you but the F1 is firmly entrenched in the AUSmotive top 10 list, to even get close enough to one to touch it would likely send this author into fits of convulsion. Something that did actually happen back at the 2005 Australian Grand Prix. To drive one, well, that’d be up there as one of life’s great memories.

More detail and pics from McLaren after the break. Hip, hip, hooray!

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Categories
BMW

BMW M3 GTS – Technical specifications

BMW M3 GTS

A couple of weeks ago BMW released news saying the M3 GTS was ready for its market launch. Overnight they released a set of technical specifications. You can download those specs after the break.

The GTS has an increased capacity 4.4 litre V8 producing 331kW. It has BMW’s latest 7-speed DCT transmission, to offer lightning quick gear changes. BMW say it can reach 100km/h in 4.4 seconds, that it can cover the standing kilometre in 22.5 seconds and go on to reach a v-max of 305km/h. To break it down further the M3 GTS asks each kilowatt to carry around 4.6kg. Its engine produces 75.9kW per litre.

They are some tidy numbers, but the only number that counts for Australian readers is 0. That is the total amount of M3 GTS models BMW have assigned for our market. It’s not a lot is it! Especially when you consider Car Advice reports around 30-40 M3 GTS examples will now be built in right hand drive. This is in contrast to original news that said the M3 GTS would be left-hand drive only.

However, we can thank our wonderful Australian Design Rules for ensuring the M3 GTS will not be sold down under. BMW Australia spokesman Piers Scott told Car Advice, “unfortunately, Australia’s ADRs prevent us from being able to licence it here,” explaining, “that it’s too loud and too low.”

This is rather disappointing given the aim of BMW M GmbH, according to its CEO, Dr Kay Segler, was to, “develop a model variant that would prove its outstanding potential both on the road and at club sport racing events.”

Bureaucracy strikes again! C’est la vie. More pics, words and a video can be seen below.

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Categories
Motorsports

24 hours in 19500 frames

2010 Nurburgring 24 hour race

Filmmakers Tim and Nick Hahne from Stereoscreen have provided motorsport fans with a real treat. Their short film 24 hours in 19500 frames captures the essence of this year’s Nürburgring 24 hour race and condenses it into 13 minutes of total brilliance. Click on the image above to load the film’s website and get ready for a visual feast.

Categories
Motorsports Porsche

The ultimate “run what you brung” weapon?

Porsche 911 GT3 RS

Driving your own car to a track day and home again after a couple of hours track time is one thing. But imagine driving from Stuttgart to Nürburg where upon arrival you spend 24 hours thrashing the car around the Green Hell in a race with around 200 other cars. At the end of that you pack up your things and head back to Stuttgart as if this was all in a day’s work.

That scenario is pretty much what happened with the #11 Porsche 911 GT3 RS at the Nürburgring 24 hour race this year. Driven by Roland Asch, Patrick Simon, Horst von Saurma and Chris Harris the GT3 RS started the race from 42nd position and finished in 13th place outright. The team completed 145 laps, nine behind the eventual race winner.

Asch says the car ran like a dream, “As planned, we replaced the front brakes during the race. But other than that, the mechanics concentrated on refuelling, tyre changes and cleaning the windows during the pit stops. The car ran like clockwork.”

More from Porsche after the break. Extra pictures from the race can be seen HERE.

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Categories
Subaru

Cosworth Impreza STI CS400

Subaru Cosworth Impreza STI CS400

After teasing us in March Cosworth have now released full details for their CS400 supercar killer. Those words have not been used lightly, either.

The Cosworth Impreza STI CS400 has a 295kW (400PS) 2.5 litre turbocharged four cylinder that propels the car to 100km/h in just 3.7 seconds. Only 75 will be made and they will only be sold new in the United Kingdom. If you want to get your hands on one you’ll need to cough up £50,000. Not cheap, for a Subaru. But daylight robbery for a supercar with the numbers this CS400 offers.

Full details and more pics after the jump.

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Formula 1

Formula One to be reborn in the USA

Formula One

The Formula One circus will return to the USA in 2012. A new permanent facility will be built in Austin, Texas which has been awarded the rights to hold a Grand Prix in a 10 year deal set to run from 2012 through to 2021.

Full Throttle Productions will promote the event and Managing Partner, Tavo Hellmund, said “We are extremely honoured and proud to reach an agreement with the F1 Commercial Rights Holder. We have been diligently working together for several years to bring this great event to Austin, the State of Texas and back to the United States.”

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was intent on providing a lesson on US Grand Prix history, “For the first time in the history of Formula One in the United States, a world-class facility will be purpose-built to host the event.

“It was thirty years ago that the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix was last held on a purpose-built permanent road course circuit in Watkins Glen, NY (1961-1980), which enjoyed great success. Since then, Formula One has been hosted by Long Beach, Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix all on temporary street circuits.

“Indianapolis joined the ranks of host cities in 2000 when they added a road course inside the famed oval. Lewis Hamilton won the last Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in 2007, signalling the end to eight years at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This however, will be the first time a facility is constructed from the ground up specifically for Formula One in the US.”

[Source: Formula1.com]

Categories
Audi

What could possibly go wrong?

Audi A1 rolls in Brussels

A publicity stunt for the Audi A1 went a bit pear shaped in Brussels last week. The A1 was supposed to drive along the half-pipe, come to a stop and then continue on its merry way. An exercise to highlight the nimble handling of the A1, no doubt.

It’s no surprise that out of the high number of successful attempts that one—well, it didn’t go so well, as the pics above show. Audi have done a pretty good job of keeping the clip off YouTube for now, but if you find one make sure you post a link in the comments section below.

After the jump you can see a couple of examples of what was supposed to happen.

[Source: Motor Authority | Pics: nieuwsblad.be | Thanks to Tom for the tip]

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Categories
Volkswagen

Evo drive the new Polo GTI

Volkswagen Polo GTI

Evo magazine have followed Autocar with their review of new Polo GTI. It’s a bit more promising than Autocar‘s first thoughts, too:

“Here is the best attempt yet at a convincing GTI-badged Polo, a car with its own personality freed from the shadow of the Golf. It looks right for the role, too, with its deep valances, honeycomb grille, red stripes and twin tailpipes, plus a mini-GTI interior treatment.“

The closing line about a manual transmission being a possibility is also very interesting. Although it is worth this directly contradicts an email conversation AUSmotive had with a Volkswagen AG representative last week that stated there is not sufficient space for a manual gearbox to fit in a Polo GTI. However, here at AUSmotive we want to believe a manual Polo GTI will be a reality, so let’s all hold hands and think happy thoughts.

[Source: Evo]