Month: March 2012

Categories
Motorsports

Rubens Barrichello signs IndyCar deal

Tony Kanaan and Rubens Barrichello

Rubens Barrichello has put his sacking from the Williams F1 Team behind him by signing a new deal with the KV Racing Technology IndyCar team. He will join good friend and fellow Brazilian Tony Kanaan.

“I am thrilled, it is something very new to me,” Barrichello said. “I need to thank everyone involved, especially Tony because he has been involved for a long time.”

“This is a new experience, but I am very very happy. With all my experience I will start as a rookie, but I think I will get better as the year progresses,” added the 39-year-old. “My main thing is to be an addition to KV Racing Technology. They have been doing very well and Tony brought the team to a different level last year, so I hope with my contribution we can build on this and take the team to another level. I am extremely happy and have a big smile on my face.”

Kanaan finished the IZOD IndyCar Series in fifth place last year and he’s pretty happy with his new teammate. “I am very excited to be returning to KV Racing Technology not only with a two year deal but also to have Rubens Barrichello as my teammate,” Kanaan said. “We have always dreamed about racing together but never imagined it would actually happen and certainly not in the near future or in IndyCars.”

[Source: KV Racing Technology]

Categories
Ferrari

Ferrari launches F12 berlinetta microsite

Ferrari F12berlinetta

Ferrari has just launched a new microsite for the stunning new F12 berlinetta. First you have to listen to Luca di Montezemolo telling you how great the new car is, but soon after you can start to pick colours, change the wheels, listen to sound clips of the new 740hp V12 at full noise and more. Have fun!

[Source: f12berlinetta.com]

Categories
Toyota

Toyota 86 convertible given green light

Toyota 86 convertible rendering

The Toybaru will be going topless, according to chief engineer Tetsuya Tada. Speaking to Autobild, Tada said, “The GT 86 was designed from the outset [so] that we can build it as a convertible.”

Last year we showed you a rendering of a Subaru BRZ convertible. A decision is yet to be made on the production of a topless BRZ, but if Toyota does it you’d expect Subaru won’t want to miss out.

We’re not really sure if chopping the roof off the Toyota 86 is the way to go for this particular car, but we don’t make the decisions at Toyota HQ!

[Source: Autobild via WCF]

Categories
Formula 1 Lotus

Grosjean quickest on Day 1 in Barcelona

Romain Grosjean, Lotus E20, Barcelona pre-season testing

Romain Grosjean and Lotus have bounced back from their first pre-season visit to Barcelona by setting the fastest time in testing overnight. Grosjean sent the Lotus E20 around the Circuit de Catalunya in 1:25.252. That’s around one second slower than Kamui Kobayashi’s best lap from the first round of testing in Barcelona.

Jenson Button was a quarter of a second behind Grosjean last night, with Sergio Perez third fastest, almost six tenths back.

[table "4" seems to be empty /]

[Source: Autosport | Pic: Lotus F1 Team/LAT Photographic]

Categories
Audi

Updated Audi A5/S5 range now on sale in Australia

Updated Audi A5/S5 range

In July last year Audi gave its A5/S5 range a mid-cycle facelift. That range is now on sale in Australia. A revised list of prices and press information are available after the break.

Briefly, the new A5/S5 features Audi’s latest LED daytime running light design as well as other exterior and interior cosmetic enhancements. For the local range 125kW 1.8 TFSI and 130kW 2.0 TDI engines have been introduced. They join the familiar 2.0 TFSI, 3.0 TFSI and 3.0 TDI options.

Updates to the electromechanical power steering help reduce fuel consumption by as much as 0.3l/100km across the board. Who would have thought power steering systems would demand so much fuel?

Continue reading “Updated Audi A5/S5 range now on sale in Australia”
Categories
Audi Motorsports

Audi R18 e-tron quattro revealed

Audi R18 e-tron quattro

Early last month Audi revealed they would be racing four R18s at Le Mans this year, two of which would be using a hybrid drivetrain. Overnight the R18 e-tron quattro was announced. It will be joined by a development of the R18 Ultra which won the Le Mans 24 hour race last year.

As the name suggests the new R18 uses an e-tron hybrid system and brings a return of Audi’s famed all-wheel drive quattro system to top level motorsport. However, the quattro system will be unlike any we’ve seen on an Audi road car. For now at least.

The rear wheels will be powered by the latest incarnation of the V6 TDI, producing 375kW, which has brought Audi so much success. The front wheels will be where the e-tron fun happens. They will get their power from a flywheel accumulator which is charged by capturing braking energy from the front wheels at speeds over 120km/h.

Audi say the production applications underpinning the R18 e-tron quattro are their inspiration. “Audi has always consciously selected championships and categories in racing that have a close relationship to production and therefore have technical relevance for the Audi customers,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. “quattro, TFSI and TDI are three excellent examples of how motorsport has stimulated production development. A similar tendency is apparent with the e-tron quattro: we test a completely new technology on the race track before it’s introduced to the Audi production line.”

The R18 ultra has been further developed as well. Apart from the hybrid components it is idential to the R18 e-tron quattro. Both models now feature a new gearbox with a carbon-fiber composite housing.

Audi Sport Team Joest will compete in the 2012 World Endurance Championship which starts with the 12 hours of Sebring on 12 March. The R18 ultra TDI will race at Sebring before the R18 e-tron quattro joins the program for the 6 hour of Spa and the remaining races on the calendar. Including, of course, the 24 hours of Le Mans (16–17 June).

You can read more from Audi after the break.

Continue reading “Audi R18 e-tron quattro revealed”
Categories
Ferrari

VIDEO: Ferrari F12 berlinetta

Ferrari brings us two promo videos of its stunning new F12 berlinetta. The first is a digital flyover showing the car from all angles. After the break you can see Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa driving a development model around Fiorano.

Oh yeah, the F12 berlinetta can lap Fiorano in 1 minute 23 seconds. Apparently that’s the fastest road Ferrari lap ever recorded.

Continue reading “VIDEO: Ferrari F12 berlinetta”