Month: March 2012

Categories
MINI WRC

Prodrive pushing for Portugal podium

Prodrive MINI WRC

The Prodrive MINI WRC returns to action this weekend at Rally de Portugal and they have high hopes. It’ll be their first event since the BMW decided to shift their manufacturer alliance elsewhere and we rather hope Dani Sordo has a cracker of a race and sticks it up ’em, so to speak.

Pleasingly, the Prodrive cars will be displaying an increased level of support from BP. Disappointingly, there’s still no action for Kris Meeke.

In an official statement, Prodrive Team Principal, Dave Wilcox, explains the car has recently benefited from over 100 technical modifications.

“The newly homologated parts make a significant improvement to the car and should we run error free, I would certainly hope that Dani could be up there fighting for a podium.

“However, the competition does have the significant advantage of having already competed on gravel this year in Mexico, but Dani certainly knows the Portuguese event well and has achieved podium finishes here on his last three outings.”

We wish them well.

Categories
BMW

BMW issues worldwide recall for 5 and 6 Series (2003–2010)

BMW E60 5 Series

Details have emerged this morning of a massive recall to be undertaken by BMW. It’s estimated 1.3 million vehicles are affected, including models sold in Australia. The cars affected are all 5 Series and 6 Series models built between 2003–2010.

In delightful PR-speak this recall is being referred to as a “quality measure”. According to an official statement from BMW AG the fault is related to the battery cable cover.

“In some remote cases, the battery cable cover inside the boot of these vehicles may be incorrectly mounted,” the statement reads.

“This can result in the electrical system malfunctioning, the vehicle failing to start and, in some cases, to charring or fire.

“We are not aware of any accidents or injury to persons resulting from this fault.”

BMW Australia has made efforts to alert owners through twitter and Facebook updates. Apparently the inspection and repair should take less than an hour and BMW will be contacting owners through their nationwide dealer network to make arrangements.

Fair play to BMW, it’s good to see manufacturers getting on the front foot for these types of issues. Not all of them do.

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Categories
Nissan

It has a face only a mother could love, but…

Nissan Juke R

This is the Nissan Juke-R. If you’ve not been playing at home, Nissan has taken its, frankly quite ugly, Juke crossover, ripped the guts out and stuffed in a GT-R drivetrain. The twin-turbo V6 has been pegged back a bit to around 480hp (the latest GT-R now has 540hp) but that doesn’t seem to have negatively affected the driving experience.

After the break you watch Autocar scribe Matt Prior enjoy his time behind the wheel of the Juke-R on an empty track. He reckons it is brilliant. The engine, suspension and handling all get the thumbs up. The Juke has a shorter wheelbase than the GT-R and Prior says that helps make the Juke-R more alive and agile.

At this point in time the Juke-R is only ever likely to be a concept model. That said, we applaud Nissan for taking us on this journey. It’s daft, utterly pointless and that’s what makes it so great. A major manufacturer just having a bit of laugh. There should be more of it.

Oh, actually, we’re not sure if a mother could love that face.

Continue reading “It has a face only a mother could love, but…”
Categories
Porsche

Never mind, it’s just a wee fuel leak

2012 Porsche 911 (991)

In the United States Porsche is undertaking the somewhat embarrassing move to recall new 911 Carrera S models due to a possible fault which could result in a fuel line to become disconnected.

Over 1200 models, built between October 2011 and January 2012, could be affected. The recall notice reads in part: “A fuel leak could lead to the engine misfiring or stalling, increasing the risk of a crash. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could increase the risk of a fire.”

It’s probably not the headlines Porsche had in mind for its new 911. We’re wondering, then, would this affect your decision to buy a 991 911 if you were about to sign on the dotted line?

The full recall notice from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can be read below.

[Source: Autocar]

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Categories
Ford

VIDEO: World’s fastest standing mile record

Hennessey Ford GT standing mile world record

A fellow by the name of Sean Kennedy has entered the records books for achieving the highest speed in a standing mile run. It’s not a bad effort either, he drove a Hennessey-tuned twin-turbo 2006 Ford GT to a v-max of 257.7mph (414.7km/h).

That’s pretty damn fast, don’t you think. You can see a video of Sean in action after the break. It’s just a shame the video doesn’t do this feat any justice at all.

[Source: Autoblog]

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Categories
Caterham F1 in pictures Ferrari Lotus McLaren Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Toro Rosso

2012 Malaysian Grand Prix in pictures

Fernando Alonso, 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix

Here’s your fix of F1 pics from the watery depths experienced at the Malaysian Grand Prix. It was a shock result to see Fernando Alonso on the podium, never mind Sergio Perez joining him there. We’re still upset that Perez fluffed his best chance at a maiden GP win and think a Sauber victory would have been the story of the year… so far!

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Categories
Ferrari Formula 1 McLaren

2012 Malaysian GP: Post-race press conference

Fernando Alonso, 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix

The transcript from the official post-race press conference at the Malaysian Grand Prix can be read after the break, with thanks to the FIA.

Fernando Alonso now leads the drivers’ championship from Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. McLaren heads the constructors’ race from Red Bull and Ferrari.

[Pic: Ferrari]

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Categories
Formula 1

Fernando Alonso wins 2012 Malaysian GP

Fernando Alonso, 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso has put a miserable winter behind him and the Ferrari team to win a rain-affected Malaysian Grand Prix. More amazingly it was a race that probably should have been won by the car in second place, the Sauber of Sergio Perez. That’s right Perez finished second!

Lewis Hamilton, who led the early stages from pole position until heavy rain forced officials to stop the race until conditions improved, finished in third place. But the day belonged to Alonso and Perez.

In the early stages of the race Perez made the switch to full wets much earlier than the leaders. By the time they followed his move the young Mexican had made up enough ground to find himself in third place, behind the two McLarens.

After the restart the Safety Car led the field around for four laps. When racing resumed it was dry enough for the drivers to consider switching to intermediates, something Jenson Button did at the earliest opportunity. That move put him ahead of Hamilton, only for a clumsy move while lapping Narain Karthikeyan to send Button back into pitlane for a new front wing. He never recovered and finished the race in fourteenth place.

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Categories
Volkswagen

Mechanical LSD coming for new Golf GTI

Mk7 Golf GTI rendering

One of the main improvements for the upcoming Volkswagen Golf VII GTI is a mechanical limited-slip diff, Car magazine reports.

That follows news the Mk7 GTI is likely to make the most of its new MQB platform and weigh up to 100kg less compared to the current 1360kg weight Mk6 GTI (1380kg with DSG).

A modest power increase from 155kW to somewhere around 170kW is expected to be accompanied by a handy 25% increase in torque (up to 350Nm, from 280Nm).

A lighter, more powerful GTI with a proper slippery diff should help to keep it at the top of the hot hatch shopping list.

Green-conscious buyers may be pleased to learn that a Bluemotion GTI is also likely. Narrower tyres, longer gear ratios and a tailored ECU tune will help keep fuel consumption down.

The seventh-generation GTI is on track for a debut in around 12 months from now at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

[Source: Car]

Categories
Formula 1 McLaren Mercedes-Benz

2012 Malaysian GP: Qualifying report

2012 Malaysian Grand Prix, qualifying

Two races, two pole positions. That’s Lewis Hamilton’s record for McLaren so far in 2012 after he set the fastest time (1:36.219) in qualifying tonight at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Proving the McLarens are the team to beat in quali Jenson Button (1:36.368) locked out the front row for the Woking-based team. And in his best qualifying result since his comeback Michael Schumacher (1:36.391) wound back the clock to qualify in the top three for Mercedes AMG. Schumacher was sitting on the front row for a while, too, until Button knocked him off at the death.

Mark Webber (Red Bull; 1:36.641) once again qualified ahead of teammate Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull; 1:36.634). Webber qualified fourth, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus; 1:36.641). Although, as the times suggest, the pair could barely be separated. However, a five-spot grid penalty for Kimi due to a gearbox change will see him start from P10.

That means Vettel moves up one place to P5 and will start alongside Romain Grosjean (Lotus; 1:36.658). Sensing he did not have the pace to claim pole Vettel chose to run the final qualifying session on the harder compound tyres, the only man to do so in Q3, and it remains to be seen if that will prove to be a wise move.

Further down the field the Toro Rossos couldn’t match their results from Melbourne. Daniel Ricciardo (1:37.883) will start from P15 and he did at least make it into the second group of qualifying. Jean-Eric Vergne (1:39.077) failed to do that and will start from P18.

Conditions were warm and dry at Sepang and the drivers struggled with braking often locking the inside front wheel on the last corner. Things are unlikely to improve tomorrow with a mid-race rain shower predicted which will be sure to keep the teams on their toes.

The transcript from the official post-qualifying press conference can be read after the break, with thanks to the FIA.

[Pics: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes & Mercedes AMG]

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Categories
Subaru Toyota

Reality bites

Scion FR-S

The creation of the Toyota 86 and the mostly identical Subaru BRZ was designed to revive the enthusiast market keen to let rip in a relatively lightweight, back to basics, rear-wheel drive coupé. Given the global interest, and also right here in Australia, it’s fair to say things are going to plan so far.

Part of the car’s rationale was also to keep costs to a minimum. In its purest form the Toybaru won’t be a luxury cruiser, it will be a basic template for owners to build upon and tailor to their exacting needs.

At this point in time local pricing has not been announced, but it’s widely accepted you’re going to need somewhere in the vicinity of $40K to play ball. They might be less, but not significantly so.

In the United States the Toyota 86 is sold as the Scion FR-S and their entry-level pricing has just been announced.

$24,200.

It’s not the first time we’ve whinged about AU$–US$ pricing on AUSmotive, and with our still quite advantageous exchange rate it remains a bitter pill.

[Source: WCF]

Categories
Ferrari

Eric Clapton gets a new Ferrari

Ferrari SP12 EPC

This new Ferrari, called the SP12 EPC, is reportedly a one-off project built at the request of rock legend Eric Clapton. Indeed, the EPC intials at the end are Clapton’s own and it appears Slowhand has a liking for all things Ferrari 512 BB.

So, as you do, you then make a call to Ferrari and say, get me a 458 Italia and make it look like a modern 512 BB. Oh, and stick a V12 in while you’re at it.

Yes and no came the reply from Ferrari. That is, they were only too happy to send their Special Projects arm into action to create a new body, but were none too keen to drastically alter the mechanicals of the donor 458.

The SP12 EPC was photographed in the showroom of London prestige car deal HR Owen. It’s understood Mr Clapton’s new wheels will be officially launched later this year.

[Source: Top Gear | Pics: Luke Gilbertson Photography]

UPDATE: Shaky video of the SP12 EPC in the showroom and being loaded into a transporter has been added below.

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