Categories
Formula 1

A sneak peak at the Williams FW32

Williams FW32 spy shot

The Williams F1 team aren’t due to reveal the FW32, their 2010 racecar, until Monday’s first 2010 test session at Valencia. But that hasn’t stopped a couple of intrepid wannabe spies from posting some spy footage to YouTube (available below after the break). The video was filmed recently at Silverstone and shows the car being unloaded from its transporter before technicians worked on the car from a makeshift tent. The team’s rookie driver Nico Hülkenberg then took the FW32 for a brief shakedown. Watch the clip and tell me what you reckon of the car’s engine note.

All eyes to Valenica then, which will see the reveal of the Sauber and Renault cars tomorrow before official testing begins on Monday. That’s when we will see the FW32, officially, for the first time, along with the new Mercedes GP silver arrows.

In other news Williams have signed 20-year-old Finn Valtteri Bottas as the team’s test driver.

Continue reading “A sneak peak at the Williams FW32”
Categories
Formula 1 McLaren

McLaren unveils 2010 F1 car

McLaren MP4-25 launch

Last night Vodafone McLaren Mercedes launched their 2010 Formula One racecar, the MP4-25. The event was covered live on McLaren’s website and if you missed it you can see some highlights jump. The clip features brief interviews with drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, as well as team boss Martin Whitmarsh.

Aside from Michael Schumacher the McLaren story for 2010 is one of the most eagerly anticipated. How will Jenson Button go now that he has moved into Lewis’ digs? Can the two work together in harmony. For now, both men are talking up their friendship. Let’s wait and see if they’re still singing from the same hymn sheet on 14 November after the last race of the year in Abu Dhabi.

For more on the MP4-25 check out McLaren’s online press pack.

Continue reading “McLaren unveils 2010 F1 car”
Categories
Top Gear

Google blurred The Stig

The Stig at Loch Ness

Earlier this week we brought you the news that The Stig had been spotted alongside Loch Ness in Scotland. Now, for some inexplicable reasonthe chums at Google Street View have decided to blur little Stiggy’s image. As you can see above they’ve not done a terribly convincing job, either. From other angles, though, and further distances the blur effect is much greater.

If anyone has any theories as to why this would have been done, please post them all in the comments section.

Categories
Mercedes-Benz

New ‘Gullwing’ production starts – Australian delivery by mid-year

Mercedes-Benz SMS AMG 'Gullwing'

The new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG ‘Gullwing’ is about to go into full production mode. Mind, to make a car that can drive upside down you can’t use any old production line. As such the Gullwing will be hand-built across three facilities—the aluminum body is made by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria; engine production is carried out by AMG at Affalterbach; and final assembly takes place at AMG’s Sindelfingen factory.

The European market launch is all set for 27 March and Mercedes-Benz Australia reckon the SLS AMG ‘Gullwing’ will fly down under around mid-year 2010. Not sure about anyone else, but I can hardly wait.

Continue reading “New ‘Gullwing’ production starts – Australian delivery by mid-year”
Categories
Volkswagen

Rumour: Volkswagen to launch R GmbH at Geneva

Volkswagen R badge

Several motoring blogs are reporting the news that Volkswagen will launch a new and separate performance division at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. It is understood the company will be titled simply ‘R GmbH’, following in the footsteps of the family’s similar Audi performance branch Quattro GmbH.

R GmbH will be responsible for building performance models with less compromise than can be afforded under the Volkswagen umbrella.

One quote currently doing the rounds allegedly confirming this news stems from Inside Line, who claim a Volkswagen exec told them this, “BMW has its M, Mercedes has AMG, and our sibling Audi has Quattro. This new R division will be our Quattro.”

It is also being suggested that Volkswagen will release a Jetta R, based on the Compact Coupé. If true, this will make the third model to boast ‘R’ bragging rights, joining the Golf R and Scirocco R.

Presumably the existence of R GmbH would indicate a succession of ‘R’ models to follow, including the likes of Passat, Polo, Touareg and more. Sounds good to me.

Categories
Ferrari Formula 1

Ferrari unveils 2010 F1 car

Ferrari F10 - 2010 F1 car

Ferrari have just released these images of their 2010 Formula One car, codenamed F10. They are the first team to show their 2010 racecar to the public, with a raft of reveals to follow ahead of next week’s testing at Valencia.

There’s no surprise in the livery and prominence of Santander sponsorship, that was pretty much confirmed last week. Rumours of Ferrari taking design cues from the 2009 Red Bull RB5 have proved correct, too, with this new Ferrari. Especially on the nose cone. Generally speaking, the 2010 car is a lot more rounded than last year’s F60.

Team principal Stefano Domenicali spoke at the launch, and here’s a bit of what he had to say, “This championship will be very important for us. We have two new drivers; Fernando Alonso, is a twice world champion.

“Felipe, we are talking of a new version of Felipe, but after such a dramatic championship like last year with the accident in Hungary and such a fantastic season, Felipe has all the assets to prove that he is a very successful one, he can prove that he wants to restart his pathway that destiny interrupted it in Hungary. Good luck to both of them.”

Ferrari were planning for Felipe Massa to give the F10 a brief shakedown at the company’s Fiorano circuit today, but that has been called off due to poor weather.

UPDATE: Video from today’s launch is now available below (thanks to Axis of Oversteer).

UPDATE 29 January: New images added, along with statements from Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Luca di Montezemolo.

Continue reading “Ferrari unveils 2010 F1 car”
Categories
BMW The European

The European: Blind truth

AUSmotive.com - The European
BMW 5 Series

The new BMW 5 series has recently been unveiled to the motoring press in Portugal. As luck would have it, The European was there to sample the new F10 first hand. That’s me above and, thankfully, the editor agreed to put boxes over my face to protect my identity.

The great post-Bangle debate has already begun the as Adrian van Hooydonk emerges with a new language for this most iconic of sedans. As other scribes chair that agenda, I would like to quietly offer readers of this blog an exclusive first drive instead. Don’t ever say we here at AUSmotive fail to bring you the very latest European automotive news.

Sitting in the new Five is much like the old, with a stylish wraparound dash that is more driver focused than the previous model’s, the driving position just so. As soon as we’re underway it’s apparent that the Five has evolved into perhaps the ultimate expression of BMW’s driving experience with perfectly weighted controls and excellent response to all inputs. Some worried that the move to electric rather than hydraulic steering would diminish the sort of tactile feedback that BMW has worked so hard to perfect but they need not have—it’s sensational and a lesson to others who have tried and failed to inject any sort of feel into their systems (are you listening Mercedes?).

Continue reading “The European: Blind truth”
Categories
GM Saab

Spyker set to take control of Saab

Saab

Great news for Saab fans with confirmation that Spyker Cars and General Motors have finally reached an agreement for the sale of Saab. Spyker will form a new company call Saab Spyker Automobiles and the deal could be closed in around two weeks.

In a statement released by GM, John Smith, vice president for corporate planning and alliances said, “General Motors, Spyker Cars, and the Swedish government worked very hard and creatively for a deal that would secure a sustainable future for this unique and iconic brand, and we’re all happy for the positive outcome.”

Earlier this month GM had started the wind down process for Saab even though negotiations for a sale were still ongoing. The wind down process been suspended with immediate effect, pending finalisation of this deal.

Continue reading “Spyker set to take control of Saab”
Categories
BMW

2010 BMW X1 – Australian pricing

2010 BMW X1

BMW Australia have just announced the pricing and predicted model range for the new X1. The little BMW SUV, sorry Sports Activity Vehicle, will go on sale locally on 10 April and list pricing starts at $43,500 for the rear wheel drive only sDrive18i manual. The line up will be topped by the all-wheel drive xDrive23d auto priced from $59,280.

You might be wondering why BMW, who have just given us the MINI Countryman, are releasing yet another soft-roader in this small-car market? The answer is obvious, as this sentence straight from the press release points out, “The BMW X1 is the first premium vehicle of its kind to offer the driving pleasure so characteristic of a BMW X model in the compact segment.” Okay, then.

Further details and a whole heap of X1 images can be viewed after the jump.

Continue reading “2010 BMW X1 – Australian pricing”
Categories
Ferrari

Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta

Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta

Towards the end of last year details emerged about this one-of Ferrari known as the P540 Superfast Aperta. It’s all a bit of an odd story, really. With the car based on an even more odd 1968 film called Toby Dammit. Anyway, if you’d like to see what endless supplies of money can do to a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano then Jalopnik has a heap of pics.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Categories
Formula 1 Red Bull Racing

Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo one step closer to F1

Daniel Ricciardo

Twenty-year-old Australian and current British Formula 3 champ, Daniel Ricciardo, has been signed for Formula One reserve driver duties with both Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso. Joining Daniel, in what will be a shared role, is 20-year-old New Zealand driver Brendon Hartley.

Both men took part in the F1 end of season testing at Jerez in December 2009. Ricciardo made a name for himself by topping the time sheets driving the Red Bull RB5, while Hartley also impressed at the wheel of the Torro Rosso TR4.

Even though in-season testing for Formula One has been drastically reduced in recent years Ricciardo and Hartley will get a great opportunity at learning the ropes through marketing roles and participation in team meetings.

It’s a great step for both guys who are also members of the Red Bull Junior Team. The shared role will see the drivers alternate their appearances on a race-by-race basis.

[Source: MarkWebber.com]

Continue reading “Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo one step closer to F1”
Categories
Volkswagen

The hills R alive…

Volkswagen Golf R

Volkswagen have taken to the hills of Austria with their eagerly anticipated 199kW all-wheel drive Golf R. Providing music to the ears of Australian fans of this car, we know the new R will be coming, but we don’t know when. Depending on who you ask, the estimated time of arrival varies from as soon April-May, to as far away as October. My educated guess, based on comments from VW Australia’s MD,  is we will see the Golf R down under somewhere around the middle of the year. To cover my bases a bit, let’s allow a couple of months either way.

As for Australian pricing of the Golf R, again, speculation is rife. Some people reckon the car will be in the low $50K range. Frankly, I think that is overly optimistic. If I was planning to buy a Golf R I’d be budgeting on a starting price for a 3-door manual around the $56-59K range, with on-roads and options to be added.

One thing is sure, when Volkswagen Australia lets us know the real deal, you will be able to read all about it here on AUSmotive. Speaking of reading all about it, after the jump is a mega-press release from Volkswagen AG, as well as a dozen or so new images. If you want this car it might be a sound idea to bookmark this URL as the info provided will serve as a great reference point while you’re waiting for your new pride and joy to arrive.

Continue reading “The hills R alive…”