Year: 2012

Categories
Formula 1 McLaren Red Bull Racing

2012 Indian GP: Qualifying report

2012 Indian Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel has just edged out his Red Bull teammate, Mark Webber, to claim pole position during qualifying for tomorrow’s Indian Grand Prix. It’s no real surprise to see Vettel starting from pole, he was fastest in all three practice session leading into tonight’s qualifying. His time of 1:25.283 was just 0.044s faster than Webber.

Starting from P3 tomorrow will be Lewis Hamilton (McLaren, 1:25.544), with his teammate, Jenson Button (1:25.659), alongside him on the grid. Continuing the symmetry at the top, both Ferraris will line up on row 3; Fernando Alonso (1:25.773) in P5 and Felipe Massa (1:25.857) from P6.

Once again Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso, 1:26.777) edged out Jean-Eric Vergne (1:27.525). The latter was unable to make it into Q2 and will start from P18. While the young Aussie will line up at P15 tomorrow.

The front-row lockout for Red Bull is their third in succession. It’s the first time they have managed this achievement, despite their qualifying dominance in recent years. Fingers crossed Mark can make a clean start!

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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Categories
Ford Volkswagen

Yeah, but it’s bloody ugly

Ford Focus ST v Volkswagen Golf GTI

Ford has paid Ken Block and Vaughn Gittin Jr to “test” the new-generation Ford Focus ST against the old generation Volkswagen Golf GTI. Good for them.

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Categories
BMW

Don’t try this in Australia

BMW M135i autobahn

After impressing the European motoring hacks, the BMW M135i has just hit Australian shores. If you’ve just picked one up, or hope to have a closer look before buying, we suggest you don’t try this on local roads. But it would be fun wouldn’t it!

From the YouTube clip we have for you below the M135i, with 8 speed auto, returns the following results:

  • 0–100km/h: 5 seconds
  • 0–150km/h: 9 seconds
  • 0–200km/h: 16 seconds
  • 0–250km/h: 27 seconds
  • Standing kilometre: 23 seconds

These numbers won’t be completely accurate, of course, but as a rough guide, we’re impressed!

[Thanks to Tim for the tip]

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Categories
MINI WRC

Five questions with Chris Atkinson

Chris Atkinson, 2012 WRC Rally Italia

Chris Atkinson’s current employer Motorsport Italia has published a short Q&A interview following his sixth place finish in last weekend’s Rally Italia. It’s all pretty standard fare, tyre selection, happy with the result; stuff like that.

But the last question, and Chris’ response, tease at a possible extension of their working relationship beyond next month’s season-ending Rally de Espana.

Q: What are your expectations for the upcoming rally in Spain, the final WRC event of the season?

Chris: As always, we’ll do our best. We’re looking forward to the event. It’s always an interesting one with the switch between gravel and Tarmac set-up during the event. It’ll be a shame that the season’s over already though. It’ll be my fifth and final event this year with the team and it’s been great working with them. Fingers-crossed that soon well have something new and exciting to announce for next season!

Of course, this also gives at least some hope that Prodrive may not be the only team running MINI JCW WRCs in 2013, after BMW announced they were pulling the pin on the WRC.

[Source: Motorsport Italia | Pic: Motorsport Italia]

Categories
McLaren

VIDEO: McLaren in the night

McLaren in the night video

This video was brought to our attention via the McLaren Automotive twitter account. It features not one 12C, but two, roaming the empty streets of Sao Paulo. Those paying attention will put McLaren and Sao Paulo together and come up with Ayrton Senna. Something the makers of this film didn’t miss either.

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Categories
Aston Martin Bentley BMW Chevrolet Citroen Ford Land Rover Lotus Range Rover Renault Toyota

Infographic: James Bond’s car history

James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 as featured in Skyfall

As we near the global premiere of the latest James Bond flick, Skyfall, it’s quite timely that clever clogs Evans Halshaw has come up trumps with this infographic capturing the history of Bond’s garage in one easy to see location.

Thanks must go to Evans as well for encouraging the embedding of the graphic, which you can see in long form after the break. We also recommend checking out Halshaw’s website for the interactive version.

As you can see, it’s not all been expensive Aston Martins for 007.

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Categories
Audi

Next-gen Audi RS3 expected in 2014

2013 Audi S3 (8V)

The position of the new Audi S3 at the top of the 8V A3 model tree is expected to be shorter than usual with word filtering through that the new RS3 is on track for a 2014 debut.

Audi usually saves its cooking RS models for late in the model-cycle, but according to Stephan Reil, Quattro GmbH boss, the next RS3 will go on sale around 12 months after the S3. Pleasingly, Reil also said: “‘Let’s just say you will be seeing more of the five-cylinder engine.”

We wonder if Audi will be liberate any more power from the 2.5 litre turbo five, or if they’ll maintain the current 250kW/450Nm? At the very least we think they should offer the same 265kW/465Nm found in the TT RS Plus.

The best news about the new RS3? Well, after a few discussions with passers by at the motor show last week, we’re now quietly confident it will be offered for sale in Australia.

[Source: What Car?]

Categories
Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo 4C prototype spied in Turin

Alfa Romeo 4C prototype

Grainy spy shots of the latest and greatest car under development; is there anything better to build the hype and expectation for what lies beneath? Especially when inside the awkward disguise is the exquisite Alfa Romeo 4C.

This pic was taken in Turin recently and aside from serving as a reminder that the 4C is on its way, there’s not much else to tell you. And that’s okay, because we’re pretty sure nobody will ever tire of reading over the 4C’s predicted numbers. Here they are for you once again:

  • Kerb weight: 900kg or less
  • Engine: 1750cc turbocharged four cylinder
  • Power: 170kW–224kW (depending on who you believe)
  • Release date: Mid-2013

[Source: Marchettino]

Categories
News Volkswagen

VW Kombi to reach end of the line

Volkswagen Kombi

Amazingly, some 60-plus years after it debuted, the Volkswagen Kombi is still in series production. Known in South America as the VW T2, the only market where it is still sold, the world’s most loved people mover is about to be euthanised by Brazilian government legislation.

New laws to be introduced in Brazil on 1 January 2014 deem that all new vehicles sold must have ABS as well as driver and passenger airbags. It’s not feasible for Volkswagen to modify its Anchieta production facility in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to make the Kombi satisfy the mandatory requirements, so the jig is up!

It’s expected VW will make the most of their remaining opportunities, though, with the expectation the last Kombi will roll off the line on 31 December 2013.

[Source: Autocar]

Categories
Safety Issues Toyota

Toyota 86 fails moose test!

Toyota 86 fails moose test

The reputation of the Toyota 86 has been smashed in one fell swoop with this graphic footage of the car miserably failing the infamous moose test.

Or not.

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Categories
Bugatti

Galibier: “The best luxury sedan in the world”

Bugatti Galibier Concept

While poking around for extra info on yesterday’s R8 e-tron story we came across an interview with Wolfgang Dürheimer from late August, when he was still with Bugatti and just before he started with Audi. He’s been quite the mover and shaker in the Volkswagen Group, especially if we cheat a little and count his time at Porsche in that mix.

Anyway, we thought we’d share Dürheimer’s thoughts on the four-door Bugatti Galibier, which is not due until 2015 and will follow the next-gen Veyron. Dürheimer states the Galibier will be, “Simply the best luxury sedan in the world, the most beautiful large four-door in the world, powered by a 16-cylinder engine with over 1000 hp, and faster than anything on the market.

“And that includes tuning cars, which now stand at around 235 mph. And I can assure you that we will include a few innovative ideas that are a first in the automotive business as a whole.

“I thought I had seen everything after 10 years at the top of Porsche’s R&D.
I was wrong.”

Sounds impressive, hey.

[Source: Car and Driver]

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Categories
Audi Green Machines

Audi R8 e-tron production future in doubt

Audi R8 e-tron

Newly appointed Audi R&D boss Wolfgang Dürheimer is making his mark by calling a halt to the development of the R8 e-tron. It’s being reported the prohibitive cost of batteries is one of the major factors forcing Audi’s hand. Limited range is another.

There is a review of the R8 e-tron’s production future underway and and while the current cessation is deemed temporary there is a danger the R8 e-tron will be assigned to the scrap heap before it even hits the road.

For a project that promised so much in Frankfurt 2009, its crowning glory could be little more than a brief moment in the sun at the Nürburgring. In June Markus Winkelhock set an impressive 8:09 laptime around the Ring, which Audi claimed as a record for a production-based electric vehicle.

We’d like to hope that was just the start of the story, but that now appears to be in real doubt.

[Source: Car and Driver]