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Audi Honda Mazda MINI Renault Video

VIDEO: I think I’m turning Japanese

Best Motoring - hot hatch shootout

If you’re not familiar with the work of Japanese magazine crew Best Motoring you’re about to see the hi jinx they get up to. They set to the track with a hero of hot hatches for a three lap shootout. In starting order, the cars appearing are, MINI Cooper S, Mazda3 MPS, Renaultsport Megane 225, Audi S3 and Honda Civic Type R.

Sure, this test doesn’t produce the most subjective of results, but it sure looks like the guys had had fun trying. Now, if only I was turning Japanese I would understand what all the in car banter was about.

Hit the jump now to watch the clip.

[Thanks to Robby for the tip]

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Accessories & Tech Motorsports Volkswagen

Volkswagen launches Dakar iPhone app

Volkswagen Dakar iPhone app

Volkswagen are not new to complementing their activities with iPhone apps, and now we can add another to the list with the launch of ‘Volkswagen Rally mobile – 2010 Dakar’. It’s a free application and is available for download now via iTunes.

‘Rally mobile’ will allow users to follow the progress of Volkswagen’s Race Touareg 2 teams during Dakar (1-17 January). Updates will include daily summaries, video reports and access to stage maps. Could be worth a look.

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Audi Ferrari Video

There’s a bear in there

Straight from the WTF file is this serious documentary about the phallic relationship man enjoys with high powered motor vehicles. Or maybe its just a viral clip for an LA car rental company. I’ll let you decide.

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BMW

BMW Concept 1 Series tii

BMW Concept 1 Series tii

With all the talk about a new ‘M1’/baby M-car, call it what you will, let’s take a look back at the concept car that started it all. This is the BMW Concept 1 Series tii as revealed at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. Of course, this modern tii badged machine, was inspired by the iconic 2002 model, first released in 1966.

The Concept 1 Series tii features a bunch of add on bits in the form of new wheels, rear spoiler and bonnet fins. A restyled front air dam and rear valance made from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic help to reduce weight over the standard car.

The original details from the Tokyo show didn’t reveal too much in the way of engine mods, rather went on at some length with lots of fluffy text about things that don’t really matter that much. Like the black, white and blue colour shceme, for example. Hey, whaddya know that’s the same colours as the BMW logo. Who’d a thunk it.

Anyway, over two years from its debut it finally looks like something will be made of this concept car. To refresh your memory you can see a full gallery of pics after the jump along with a two part press release, which includes a PDF download (link available below).

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Motorsports Video

VIDEO: Snail’s pace II

More super slow mo YouTubery from the same creator featured in the first Snail’s pace post. This one goes for longer and fits in more cars, more bikes and more overall goodness. Enjoy.

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Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz

BREAKING: Schumacher & Mercedes GP reach verbal agreement?

Schumacher agrees to drive for Mercedes GP in 2010?

German language news reports from Focus and Bild, along with countless Twitter posts, are abuzz with rumours that Michael Schumacher and Mercedes GP have verbally agreed to a one year deal that will see the seven time world champ to return to Formula One in 2010. Apparently the only hurdles remaining are the results of a medical and the willingness for Ferrari to release Schumacher from his advisory role with their road car program.

It is believed that the Schumacher-Mercedes deal could be announced as soon as this Monday. Reports suggest Schumacher, who turns 41 on 3 January, may earn as much as €7 million in his comeback season.

From what I have been able to gather it would appear that Andrew Benson’s blog about Schumacher’s comeback, posted yesterday on the BBC website, is very close to the mark.

If, or hopefully when, Schumacher’s return to F1 is confirmed it will be massive, massive news for the sport. Whether the second coming would last any more than one year will be the next piece of the jigsaw puzzle. However, speculation will most likely increase that Schumacher’s return will be a stop-gap for Mercedes until they can pry the 26th greatest F1 driver of all time, Sebastian Vettel, from Red Bull Racing when his contract ends after the 2010 season.

More on this breaking story as it comes to hand.

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Lexus

Sounds of ten

Lexus LFA website

Lexus is making some noise about the sound of its $600K supercar, the LFA. You can hear audio of the 4.8 litre V10 in the YouTube clip after the jump, or you can play with the sound animation (shown above) in the gallery section of the LFA website.

The LFA’s titanium silencer has a valve to keep things quiet at low revs. Above 3000rpm the valve opens up to release the full roar of the V10. Lexus engineers fiddled about with the induction and air intake to ensure optimum sound results, too. They call these results Resonated Complex Harmony. No, that’s not a joke!

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Formula 1

F1 drivers name Senna greatest of all time

Autosport.com greatest F1 drivers of all time

Autosport.com has taken on one of the most ambitious F1 polls of all time to discover who is recognised as the sport’s greatest ever driver. To establish the list they went straight to the source, the drivers themselves, asking 217 racers to list their top 10 greatest drivers. The definition of “greatest” was left to each individual.

The top three drivers won’t come as any surprise, although debate on their final rankings is likely to continue for years to come. There have been 60 World Championship seasons and the top three drivers account for 16 titles between them. An astonishing stat in itself.

As with any poll, controversy is never too far away. And perhaps it is no surprise that the most questionable results concern current drivers. Four active drivers made the list, with two-time champion Fernando Alonso finishing inside the top 10, in 9th place. 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton finds a home in 17th. Sebastien Vettel may be the sport’s youngest ever race winner, but with only three fully completed seasons behind him, even he would raise his eyebrows at being ranked the 26th greatest driver of all time. Reigning F1 World Champion Jenson Button fills 30th place. It is worth noting that WRC-convert Kimi Raikkonen is ranked 22nd in the poll.

Since the World Championship era began in 1950 a total of 32 drivers have been crowned champion. However, winning a world title was not an automatic entry to this exclusive group. In all five World Champions missed out—Mike Hawthorn (1958), Denny Hulme (1967), Jody Sheckter (1979), Damon Hill (1996) and Jacques Villeneuve (1997).

Stirling Moss (8th) was the highest ranked driver not to win a World Championship, with Ronnie Peterson (19th) the only other driver in the top half of the ranking not to have a title next to his name. Phil Hill (33rd) is the lowest ranked World Champion.

Great Britain is represented more times than any other country, with nine drivers making the grade. While Australia’s two champions earned enough votes to make the final cut—Jack Brabham (18th) and Alan Jones (31st).

The full list is available after the jump. Let the debate continue.

[Source: Autosport.com | Thanks to Mat for the tip]

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Formula 1

2010 Formula One calendar

Overnight the FIA released a revised calendar for the 2010 Formula One season. As expected, the Australian Grand Prix relinquishes its premiere status to Bahrain. Since hosting its first race in 1996 Melbourne has held the opening race of every season, with the exception of 2006 when it was pushed back to avoid clashing with the Commonwealth Games. Ironically, Bahrain was the location for the season opener in 2006.

The Canadian Grand Prix returns to the F1 calendar, coming back at the expense of the French race. Abu Dhabi will again host the final race of the year. An earlier calendar released by the FIA had Brazil closing out the year, but they have been switched back, and will be held just one week apart. That’s a lot of miles for the F1 circus to cover in seven days.

Now that Silverstone has been locked in as host of the British Grand Prix the only question mark remaining over this latest calendar concerns a new event. The Korean Grand Prix is scheduled to make its F1 debut at the end of October, but cannot be confirmed until the track has been approved by the FIA.

The full listing of races can be seen after the jump.

[Source: Formula1.com]

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Audi

Audi at the 2009 Festival of Speed

Audi at 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed

On my daily Twitter rounds I came across a tweet from Audi_online saying the Audi tv website has been updated. So I had a quick scout around and found a short clip for you all to enjoy. It’s a brief report from Audi’s time at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

They’ve managed to squeeze a fair bit into two and half minutes, the highlight being Walter Röhrl at the wheel of his Pikes Peak Quattro S1.

Check it out after the jump.

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BMW

Harder, better, faster, stronger

BMW Concept 1 Series tii

Earlier in the week evo reported that BMW have confirmed plans to build a new M1. Well, two, actually. One will be a supercar drawing heavily on the M1 Hommage and Vision EfficientDynamics concept models. The other will be a lighter, better, faster 135i. It seems likely the M1 badge will be reserved for the supercar option. That leaves us with the Tii nomenclature from the iconic 2002 as the current tip for naming the M-prepared 135 Coupé.

According to evo‘s report the baby-M will could pack a 300kW punch. It is also expected that, true to its Tii roots, the car will be shedding some weight—as much as 70kg from its current 1485kg figure. Add a 7-speed dual clutch transmission and tricky diff and you end up with an awe inspiring proposition. Whatever is going on inside BMW’s headquarters I hope it is along the lines of, let’s get this thing to market as quick as we can!

However, today’s news from Drive.com.au may also raise a few eyebrows. Apparently BMW Australia wants a (slightly) harder, better, fatser, stronger 135i as well. And it doesn’t want to hang around for the Fatherland to produce the goods. No, the Aussies want to prepare up to 50 enhanced 135is with a mild power increase, from 225kW to 240kW.

The extra power would come courtesy of a BMW Performance kit and BMW Australia would carry out the modifications locally, rather than importing them ready to run. BMW spokesman Toni Andreevski has confirmed Australia is already in discussions with Munich, and hopes to have a decision locked away on the manual only model inside three months.

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Porsche

Porsche Panamera draws praise

Porsche Panamera Turbo

The Porsche Panamera has polarised opinions from the moment it was announced. It’s bad enough that Porsche are making a four door saloon, some say, but, that it looks like that—well, that’s just the icing on the cake.

Trouble is, the big behemoth actually seems to be good. Very good, in fact. Reviewers from all over are singing the praises of the Panamera. Now, it has won a Car of the Year award, from Bloomberg, of all places.

It is their first year handing out such gongs, so perhaps they’re still finding their feet. Although, they did have this to say about the Panamera, “It drives wonderfully, has the best interior ever done by Porsche, and the rear seats are hugely accommodating and magically comfortable.

“The Turbo is the top of the line, but the (nominally) less-expensive S model with 400 hp handles and revs the most organically and is my personal pick. A perfect car for a Master of the Universe.”

So there you have it. The podgy Panamera might be another to prove that you can’t judge a book by its cover.

[via Autoblog]