The addition of photo galleries following each Grand Prix during the 2010 Formula One season was something new to AUSmotive this year. To help celebrate Christmas with you all here is a handy reference page that provides links to the galleries for all 19 Grands Prix.
It’s intended as a small present to say thank you to our loyal readers out there. Stay safe and all the best for 2011.
Blackbird fly!
Mercedes-Benz Australia is singing about selling its 1000th AMG vehicle for 2010. The honour goes to the stunning matte black SLS AMG “Gullwing” which premiered at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney last October.
The car has since been christened “Blackbird” and it was the first time anywhere in the world an SLS AMG in that colour scheme had been seen. Apparently, AMG has agreed to ensuring it stays that way too, promising never to recreate the designo magno Night Black and red combination.
What a great Christmas present. You can read the official release after the break.
Oh, that bright orange C63 AMG from the motor show is making a name for itself, as well. It will be up for auction after completing official duties at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix.
Here’s one story we had hoped we wouldn’t need to tell. Audi has no plans to build an immediate successor to its almighty RS4. AUSmotive heard this information several months ago, too, but we were hoping we were being led down the garden path. Despite earlier rumours to the contrary, it appears we weren’t.
Supposedly the 331kW RS5 is deemed to provide enough RS thrills on the current B8 platform (or derivative) of the current A4.
Assuming this latest word is correct, it need not mean the end of the RS4 nameplate forever. There have been two RS4 models created by quattro GmbH, one built on the B5 platform (2000–01), the other, and perhaps best of the RS models made to date, built on B7 architecture (2006–08). With any luck, we’ll see a B9 RS4 around 2014, give or take a year.
To remind you why RS4s are the business, even if the B5 wasn’t quite the real deal, you can access a couple of clips after the break.
[Source: Car and Driver]
The future of the Nürburgring Nordschleife is under threat thanks to some less than helpful and reportedly dodgy private management. While Sabine Schmitz might be all smiles and happy Christmas wishes in the above picture, she has just published a new video message to help promote the Save The Ring campaign.
In her message Sabine says, “I have to tell you something on behalf of the Nordschleife. We have really big problems here and to save the Ring, especially the Nordschleife, you have to inform yourself…
“We need your help very, very urgently. There are things happening you can’t imagine.”
Check out Sabine’s message in full after the break and don’t forget to join the Save The Ring group on Facebook. The Info page has more on this developing saga.
Back in July BMW released a press statement to acknowledge the 25th anniversary of their almighty M3. AUSmotive followed by trawling through BMW’s press archives to bring you an image gallery befitting such an occasion. Now, BMW has just released a new video to its official YouTube channel which celebrates, yep, you guessed it, 25 years of the BMW M3.
Check it out after the break.
Some ripping news for local Audi fans, with word from Speedcafe telling us that Audi Race Experience Team Joest will be sending two 2010 spec R8 LMS machines to compete in the 2011 Bathurst 12 hour.
Team Joest is effectively the Audi factory team responsible for the company’s nine Le Mans 24 hour victories. This is big news for local endurance racing. Lowndes will be joined by fellow V8 Supercar driver Warren Luff and Australian GT racer Mark Eddy. Of course, Eddy is already known to Audi after competing this year at the wheel of a 2009 spec R8 LMS (pictured above).
The second R8 will be crewed by Audi sportscar regular Marc Basseng, WTCC driver driver Darryl O’Young and 2009 FIA GT3 European Champion Christopher Heis. As you can see Audi means business.
“Racing in the Bathurst 12 Hour has been on the ‘to-do’ list for some time,” said five-time Bathurst 1000 winner Lowndes. “The R8 looks like a fantastic car and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel in February.”
The 2011 Bathurst 12 hour is scheduled for the weekend of 4–6 February.
[Source: Speedcafe]
Now that the Audi RS3 is done and dusted the lads from quattro GmbH are reportedly concentrating their efforts on an RS7 model, based on the A7 Sportback.
Wearing the usual Audi RS warpaint, or should that be stealth disguise, it’s understood the RS7 will be powered by a 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8. Sounds pretty good. And so does the near on 600hp expected from that engine.
The quattro system will likely steal a few ideas form the RS5, including the crown differential and torque vectoring. It’s being reported the RS7 could debut late next year. We’re not so sure about that timing and would prefer you to pencil in 2012, or even 2013. We used to a few years of teasing from Audi, after all.
[Source: Road & Track]
They say all good things must come to an end, and for those who like watching MINIs fanging around Australian race tracks that’s exactly what has happened. Following BMW Australia’s decision to withdraw its support for the category, despite beginning with a five-year plan back in 2008, the Round 7 action at Sydney’s Olympic Park was the last MINI Challenge race on local soil for the foreseeable future.
Chris Alajajian led the points table before the final round of the year at Homebush and he had to fend off the category’s most consistent competitor and reigning champ, Paul Stokell, to wrap up the title. “The Chris” was good enough to do just that and in doing so became the third man crowned Australian MINI Challenge champion.
To see how he did it just watch the highlights package after the break.
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.
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.
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]
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.