The 2011 Formula One season is currently having a few weeks off before revving back into life at the Belgian Grand Prix later this month. To help kill the time here’s a fun collection of goofs, gaffs and laughs from the world of F1. It’s been on YouTube for a couple of years, so you may have seen it already. If you have, take another look, we guarantee it will make you smile.
[Source: F1 Retro]
At last year’s Paris Motor Show the spectacular looking Lamborghini Sesto Elemento was revealed. Now a new teaser released by Lambo gives hope that we’ll be seeing the Sesto Elemento in some form again at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
We’ve previously reported the carbon origami creation would be on sale in October, so it stands to reason we’ll see it again in September.
Lamborghini’s teaser says they are ‘racing towards Frankfurt’ and with the Sesto Elemento expected to be limited to no more than 20 examples it is quite possible the model will be built in race or track-spec only.
Remember, this car is expected to weigh 999kg, is powered by a 5.2 litre V10 knocking out an impressive 570hp. Bellissimo!
[Source: Autoblog]
If you don’t blink you can see a very brief teaser of the new 991 Porsche 911 Carrera S in the latest promo for computer game Need For Speed: The Run. Check out the promo below.
The glimpse of the 991 is actually pretty lame, but with the new 911 is due for a first public reveal at Frankfurt just over a month from now, we can’t wait!
[Source: Jalopnik]
Porsche has just updated its entry-level racecar, the 911 GT3 Cup, which will be used in one-make series across the globe in 2012 and 2013. Based on the 911 GT3 RS road car the Cup uses the same 450hp engine. It’s the first refresh for the 911 GT3 Cup since 2009.
The 911 GT3 Cup is also eligible for use in endurance races and a new 100 litre fuel tank has been added to increase range and safety. Deliveries will commence next month and you’ll need around €162K plus taxes to buy one.
If you want more from your 911 racing experience there’s always the FIA GT3-compliant 911 GT3 R or the top of the tree GT2-ready 911 GT3 RSR.
You’re looking at the world’s coolest sculpture. It’s Ayrton Senna’s 1991 McLaren MP4/6 which was dismantled in 1992 and re-assembled by artist Jay Burridge into the world’s largest ‘Airfix kit’.
The work of art is now up for sale and will be auctioned by Coys at the Nürburgring on Saturday 13 August. A sale price as high as £50,000 (AU$75,500) is expected, so best start raiding your piggy bank now.
This is an incredibly rare opportunity to purchase a McLaren F1 car, or parts thereof, as the auction listing explains:
McLaren have a policy of not selling any cars or parts of cars to collectors and all race cars are dismantled after each race in an autopsy and then used again or disposed of. No one owns a McLaren Formula 1 car or parts of a McLaren Formula 1 car let alone a Senna McLaren and this is a unique opportunity to purchase a piece of automotive history and art.
There’s more detail after the break, including a YouTube clip we found from Senna qualifying at Adelaide in 1991. You can also check the Coys website for more info on how you can buy.
[Pic: Adam Jacobs photography]
The all-new Jaguar XE will be on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show Autocar reports. Not only that, insiders are promising the E-type inspired roadster “will blow the rest of the industry away.”
It’s understood Jag wants to make some noise ahead of the car’s 2012 release. A major auto show in Germany where the new Porsche 911 will be the star attraction seems like the perfect opportunity for the British icon to ruffle feathers.
In truth the XE is likely to be priced at around £40K and be more of a Boxster rival.
[Source: Autocar]
British tabloid paper Daily Star is reporting that Top Gear host Richard Hammond wants to reshape his TV persona. It’s understood the 41-year-old is not happy to be simply known as “the cute little man who had a crash” and wants the show’s producers to take him in a new direction when Season 18 returns (on 29 January 2012).
Front man Jeremy Clarkson is well known for his forthright and often grumpy views. While James May aka ‘Captain Slow’ embraces his careful and fastidious identity.
Supposedly ‘The Hamster’ is feeling left behind his two colleagues and says it’s not fair. It’s been reported he has taken his complaints to the BBC’s top brass demanding action. So, when the next season of Top Gear airs on BBC2 later this year we can expect to see a more defined role for Hammond.
We think he’s having a bit of a whinge, just quietly and figure there’d be plenty of people willing to take his place on the iconic motoring show. Perhaps he’ll become known as the ‘whiney little man who had a crash’ instead.
[Source: Daily Star | Pic: TopGear.com]
Here’s your picsture gallery from the 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix. As you can see it was big milestone race for Jenson Button and a big congrats to him for winning the race to celebrate.
Best make sure you savour these pics. They’re the last bit of Formula One action you will see for almost four weeks. The next race is at the highly regarded Spa-Francorchamps circuit on 28 August.
Here’s a nice video showing a BMW 1 Series M Coupé driving around the Nürburgring Nordschleife on an open tourist day. It’s a pretty tidy lap as well, with the driver spending most of the time right on the tail of an E46 M3 CSL. We trust you’ll enjoy the next 9 minutes.
[Source: 1addicts]
Word on the street tells us the new BMW 2 Series, in particular the cooking M2, is being designed so that all the good bits from the next M3 can be used. That’s mainly referring to the F30/F32 suspension, but expect there to be more goodness where that came from.
The 2 Series will be the replacement for the current 1 Series coupé and convertible. The M2 is expected to again source its power from a 3.0 litre straight six cylinder engine. While the current twin-turbo set up could be developed further, there’s speculation BMW is considering a triple-turbo.
Dr Friedrich Nitschke is the new managing director for M GmbH and in an earlier interview with Auto Express he said, “In the 1M Coupe, we have a starter car for the M Division, and we are continuing to develop this project. Such models must be sporty, and offer extraordinarily low fuel consumption. This is something we could achieve with the M2. I think the 1M Coupe proves there is room for an M2, a coupe.”
[Source: BimmerPost | Pic: BimmerPost]
While talking about the F1 future of young Aussie Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing consultant Dr Helmut Marko revealed his belief that Mark Webber will “probably retire” from Formula One at the end of the 2012 season.
Marko told Australian TV station One, “As with the other Australian, he is probably going to retire in 2012. We need to find one of our juniors who can replace Mark Webber.”
Confirming Ricciardo’s F1 career is entirely in his own hands Marko continued, “First of all, he has to beat his teammate, and he has to progress.
“He is losing too much in the pit stops, and losing too much when he is being lapped so he must get the feeling.”
When Marko was asked if the young Western Australian was likely to get a seat with Toro Rosso he replied, “If he is doing well, yes.”
[Source: FoxSports]
Sebastien Loeb won his second Rally Finland event on the weekend, the first time a non-Finnish driver has won the rally more than once. Loeb finished 8.1 seconds ahead of Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala. Loeb’s Citroën teammate Sebastien Ogier was third.
Success in Finland gives Loeb his 66th career win and a healthy 27 point lead in the title race. In an ominous sign for his rivals Loeb says he is placed just where he wants to be in the chase for his eighth world crown and says the DS3 WRC is the best car he’s ever had.
“It’s one of the greatest wins of my career. But I had to work for it and it took a long time before it took shape. Sometimes you have to go beyond the limits to open up the gap. I felt really good on the roads with the Citroën DS3 WRC, even more so than in the past with the Xsara or the C4. My aim was to be in the lead in the world championship before the events on tarmac. I’ve achieved it, but there are still a lot of points up for grabs.â€
More from Citroën after the break. The WRC revs back into life at Rally Deutschland (18–21 August).