Audi R18 e-tron Starts New Era on Pole

Audi R18 e-tron Starts New Era on Pole:

Just think, six years ago Audi changed the face of Le Mans when it entered a diesel-powered R10 prototype at Le Mans. Now it looks set to change things again.
The Audi e-tron quattro is the first diesel hybrid with all-wheel-drive. It will appear at Le Mans in June when it will race against a hybrid Toyota. Audi Sport is using tomorrow’s second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium as a ‘dress rehearsal’ for June’s Le Mans 24 Hours.
Unfortunately, the Toyota prototype was heavily damaged in a testing accident last month and the team was unable to get it repaired in time for tomorrow’s race so the two new Audi R18 e-tron LMP1 cars will only have their two teammates to compete against. They will be in a couple of R18 ultra prototypes that are powered by a 510-bhp V6 turbodiesel engine.
Today, in qualifying Allan McNish, set fastest time on the spectacular track in the Ardennes ahead of the other three Audis.
“Qualifying felt absolutely thrilling,” said McNish afterwards. “Our R18 e-tron quattro is making its debut, which is a very special moment for us drivers. Something like this happens only in the case of technological leaps like the introduction of the TDI engine six years ago or the e-tron quattro now, which is the next milestone. It’s great that Dindo, Tom and I are all the way at the front of the grid. The engineers gave us a strong, nicely balanced car in which I drove two good laps.”

In 2008, the Le Mans organizer ACO announced that the 2009 regulations would allow energy recovery systems for LMP1 cars. Audi says the complexity of the task has meant it has taken until now for the first manufacturer to field such an LMP1 vehicle in a race.
For the R18 e-tron quattro, Audi has developed a concept in which the V6 TDI engine drives the rear axle. On the front axle, the energy is electrically recuperated and fed into a flywheel energy storage system, which can return it to the front wheels during acceleration. There is no mechanical link between the front and rear wheel drives. The interaction is completely controlled by complex electronic systems.
The six-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps is not being broadcast in the U.S., however soon after the race ends in Belgium, Speed TV will present the television debut of “Truth in 24 II: Every Second Counts,” the third installation of the popular documentary series. The film chronicles the challenges overcome by the Audi Sport Team Joest at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race last year. After terrifying crashes claimed the two other Audi race cars, the third and final race car was left to hold off three Peugeots resulting in the team’s ultimate victory.
Here’s a trailer for the film that will be shown tomorrow (Saturday May 5) at 4:00 PM ET/1:00 PM PT. It will be available mid-May in high-definition on iTunes as a free download for viewing on any Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or on your HDTV with Apple TV. Based on the success of the first two films this should be worth viewing.

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Related posts:

1. Audi R18 Ultra Crashes During Testing
2. Audi e-tron Spyder Visits 24 Hours of Le Mans
3. Audi e-Tron Concept – 2010 Detroit Auto Show

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Inside a Hangar at Rendcombe Airfield with Nick Mason

Inside a Hangar at Rendcombe Airfield with Nick Mason:

Just 40 minutes drive from where I live, down narrow pockmarked lanes and well off the GPS track is an innocuous looking grass airfield. The buildings have a distinctly faded air to them, with peeled paint and the airfields name ‘Rendcombe’ barely visible on the rust red corrugated roof.

Despite the low cloud and persistent drizzle there’s the unmistakable drone of a radial engined biplane up above, but I am not here for the ‘planes but a JBL press conference (more on that in my next blog) But in the meantime let’s focus on our host, no less a man than Pink Floyd drummer and avid car nut, Nick Mason.


Nick Mason
Nick’s collection of classic cars, much pared down of late he tells, has been garaged here for some years.
Rendcombe was a WW1 training airfield and, until 15-20 years ago the buildings lay abandoned and the grass airstrip was farmland. In an almost unheard-of move, a local flying enthusiast bought the whole lot and restored much of it to its former glory.

Inside Nick’s hangars it’s really like an automotive Aladdin’s cave from the 1902 Panhard Levassor with its five-liter, four-cylinder engine ticking over at 30 rpm when fully warmed, through to the supercharged shrill of a Bugatti Type 35 Nick bought as a box of bits nearly four decades ago; one of his earliest classics.

Sandwiched by them was an early competizione Daytona that has been unraced for 25-30 years. While the Ferrari and Panhard obediently started the Type 35 refused to burst into life when called upon to do so – we had to wait a full 30 minutes before the hangar was reverberating to its 6000 rev beat, our eyes watering as the burnt methanol hit them.

Elsewhere on show was the Ferrari 512S used in Steve McQueen’s ‘Le Mans’ film that nearly toasted Derek Bell, a 1962 Birdcage 3-liter Maserati as well as a McLaren F1, to mention just a few.

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General Tire Mexican 1000 Rally – a Busman’s Holiday

General Tire Mexican 1000 Rally – a Busman’s Holiday:
Photos Copyright Trackside Photo

A few days ago I was in Baja with a bunch of racers who were participating in a rally where the keyword was fun. Even seasoned racers such as Robby Gordon made the trek for the sake of being part of an event without any chance of making money or gathering publicity for sponsors.

Old timers will remember with fondness how the first few Mexican 1000 off-road races, which were extensively covered by Road & Track at the time, were great fun and an opportunity to socialize with fellow competitors. However, like so many race series the big Baja races nowadays are ones that require a serious commitment of money, time and talent to win.

Three years ago Mike Pearlman, the son of Ed Pearlman who was one of the original founders of NORRA that organized the first Baja race back in 1967, brought the organization back to life and revived the Mexican 1000 Rally for vintage off-road race cars and others who wanted to run modern ‘non-race’ cars, such as pre-runners and rally cars.

Each year the event has grown in popularity and this year saw some 73 cars and trucks along with 20 bikes started the four-day event in Mexicali. Each day the competitors tackle two or three stages on dirt tracks where they are timed and then take transit sections on paved highways to the overnight stay at beautiful locations such as Bahia de Los Angeles, Loreto and La Paz on their way to the finish in San Jose Del Cabo.

Each night the racers and their support crews had an opportunity to socialize and bench race. On Sunday night, for example, old times showed up including Bruce Meyers with his original Meyers Manx and Vic Wilson who won the first race in a Meyers Manx. Neither of these old timers was actually competing this year but they still joined in the fun, sitting around a camp fire describing their adventures from four decades ago.

Other former winners did compete this year. Walker Evans, for example, returned to drive his 1977 Dodge pickup. Malcolm Smith, winner of the first race on a motorcycle, was helping his son compete on an old motorcycle. Bob Gordon another former winner, who along with Frank and Ryan Arciero won the revived Mexican 1000 the past two years in their 1988 Toyota-powered two-seat Chenowth buggy, did not fare so well this year as a broken transmission put an end to their hope of another repeat win.

Robby Gordon, also a three-time Baja 1000 winner, was down in Baja for “the fun of it” to help assist as a chase car for Clyde Stacy who was racing Gordon’s Dakar Hummer that was driven in the last Dakar Rally by Nasser Al-Attiyah. In case you’re wondering how a modern vehicle like this could run against vintage machinery it’s because there are several classes for modern vehicles and the Hummer is not as potent as a Trophy Truck. When we chatted with Gordon he said he wished he had entered the rally in his pre-runner buggy that he was using as a chase vehicle.


Bruce Meyers with his original Meyers Manx.
That’s the beauty of this event – it harks back to the days of old when you could literally bring any modified vehicle down to race on the roads and tracks of Baja. Heck, even people like SpeedTV’s Dave Despain took vacation time this year in order to enjoy the adventure. He hitched a ride with several teams to share in the adventure. Sadly you won’t be able to see a report on Speed as he was not covering it for the TV channel. However, a large contingent of top-notch cinematographers were filming the event using high-end HD cameras to make a film documenting the interaction between old and young racers. The crew was comprised of many who helped put together the Dust to Glory movie that was produced by Dana Brown (think Endless Summer) several years ago. It was certainly enjoyable to be with others on what can only be described as a “busman’s holiday.”


The campfire scene in Bahia de Los Angeles.

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Related posts:

1. Monster Minis Triumph – 2012 Dakar Rally
2. Dakar Winner Joins Robby Gordon’s Team for 2012 Dakar Rally
3. 2012 Dakar Rally Starts on Sunday

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Subaru x Puma: Dave Mirra’s New Rallycross Teammates

Subaru x Puma: Dave Mirra’s New Rallycross Teammates:

It looks like Puma has teamed up with Subaru to battle in the Global Rallycross Championship. The new Subaru Puma Rallycross Team will compete in six rounds of the 2012 season that starts on May 26, 2012 in Charlotte. Dave Mirra, veteran Subaru driver and X Games BMX icon, returns with two new drivers for the year. Who? Well, you’ll have to watch the teaser video to find out. Hint: one is a legendary X Games skater and the other, a multiple European Rallycross champ.

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Related posts:

1. Travis Pastrana and Dave Mirra to race for Subaru Rally Team USA
2. Pastrana and Mirra on SuperRally
3. Ford Triumphs in X Games Rallycross

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Nissan Juke-R Goes Into Limited Production

Nissan Juke-R Goes Into Limited Production:

Nissan has announced that its innovative Juke-R crossover will be made available to buy in very limited numbers on a build-to-order basis.
The 3.8-liter, 160-mph Juke-R made its global debut in Dubai in January this year, attracting enormous attention. As a result, Nissan has now received firm orders for three cars to be built. Two have come from “a high-profile and well-respected member of Dubai society.”

Nissan will build more Juke-Rs upon request and will be taking orders in the coming four weeks, before production starts in earnest.  Although no price has been announced, expect it not to be modest.
Respected race car builder, Ray Mallock Limited, undertook the design and engineering of the concept, with support from Nissan’s UK engineering center and design studio, and is expected to be involved in the limited edition production models.

While the original Juke-R was based on the MY10 GT-R running gear, the run of new cars will benefit from featuring the drivetrain and chassis of the MY12 GT-R and, with the build of the first cars underway, the first three cars will be delivered to their new owners in late summer.
Anyone wishing to register an interest in purchasing Nissan’s most innovative crossover yet should contact Juke-R@Nissan.co.uk.
To coincide with the announcement, Nissan is also launching a cinematic online movie today in which the Juke-R stars.

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Related posts:

1. Nissan’s Juke-R
2. First Look: Nissan’s New Juke Crossover
3. Nissan Juke Unveiled!

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Driven: Aston Martin DBS Carbon Edition

Driven: Aston Martin DBS Carbon Edition:
Photos by the Author


What better way to travel to the Bond in Motion exhibition at Beaulieu’s National Motor Museum than in an Aston Martin? To be precise a flame orange Carbon Fiber limited edition that, at just over £186,000 or nearly $302,000 is the marque’s most expensive production car if you ignore the $1.9 million limited-edition One-77.

Don’t let the Carbon Fiber moniker lull you into thinking this is some pared down, stripped out lightweight version of the DBS, it isn’t. Carbon fiber is restricted to trim elements such as the vents and grilles, mirror housings and taillight clusters, plus some interior items like the paddle shifts.

Apart from that, the 510-bhp V-12-powered supercar is pretty much unchanged and that’s part of its problem: the chassis can feel wooden at times and nowhere near as deft as say the new 911 at half the price.

Admittedly when you plant your foot on the loud pedal, it really feels as if you’ve just hit the afterburner as the car thunders down the road with NASA-like rates of acceleration. But, be ready to flip the paddles, as the ZF 6-speeder’s upshifts can be harsh and are nowhere near as subtle as its latest 8-speed gearbox which, presumably, the refreshed DBS will get later this year.

Sitting behind the wheel with a cabin swathed in leather, the DBS is a fine car to be in, but cast your eyes round the fascia and there’s a touch of yesterday about it, especially the Bang & Olufsen sound system’s graphics and, to a lesser extent, the instruments themselves.

No doubt all will be rectified later this year with the replacement car. One thing you can’t criticize the DBS for is its ability to turn heads wherever it goes and wherever you park it: if it’s not the dazzling seven coats of paint that takes 25 hours to polish, or the stunning exhaust as it fires up, it will draw attention and, mostly, admiring glances.

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Related posts:

1. Aston Martin Announces New Customer Race Car
2. Aston Martin Dragon 88 – 2012 Beijing Auto Show
3. Q by Aston Martin

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BMW’s Reports Record Q1 Sales

BMW’s Reports Record Q1 Sales:


2012 BMW 328i
Industry pundits – acting as financial analysts – predicted dire times for European auto manufacturers in 2012 as they said the world’s economy, and Europe’s in particular, was not in good shape and car sales would be affected.
Judging by the financial results for the first quarter of the year they were wrong. Just about all companies have reported good sales and even record profits. Last week, for example the three major German companies – BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen all reported healthy profits.
BMW in particular had an extremely successful start to the financial year, with a profit of $2.7 billion for a profit margin of 11.6 percent before taxes. “We have recorded the best first-quarter figures ever — for sales volume, revenues and earnings — in the BMW Group’s corporate history”, said Norbert Reithofer, the Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.
All three car brands – BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce – recorded record first quarter sales. In all 356,548 BMWs, 68,210 Minis and 770 Rolls Royce motor cars were sold worldwide during the first there months of the year.


2013 BMW X1
The BMW Group increased first-quarter sales volumes in almost all of the world’s regions. Sales in Europe edged up slightly by 0.5 percent to 201,063 units. New sales volume highs were recorded in both North America and Asia. Sales in the USA rose by 16.5 percent to 75,931 units. A total of 80,218 units (+36.6 percent) were sold in China. In Japan, the number of cars sold rose by 44.4 percent to 13,994 units.
BMW says the new 3 Series Sedan, which has only been on the market since February, also got off to a strong start with first-quarter sales up by 13.6 percent. It says the total number of BMW 3 Series vehicles handed over to customers during the period increased by 3.9 percent to 91,189 units.
BMW expects the rest of the year to continue to be as healthy as the first quarter and is predicting record sales for the full calendar year. This, of course, was stated last week before the French general election. Some say the results of that election will make the European economy worse. Others predict it will improve. Only time will tell who is right and who is wrong.

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Related posts:

1. Ferrari Reports Record Sales in U.S. and China
2. Audi and BMW Report Record Sales Worldwide
3. Audi Reports Record Results at Annual Meeting

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5-7-12: A Conflict for a Continent

5-7-12: A Conflict for a Continent:

With the 200th anniversary of the war of 1812 being celebrated this year, we’ll learn about the roots of the conflict with John Stagg, author of The War of 1812 Conflict for a Continent.



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Windows Phone Aalto

Windows Phone shipment to surpass BlackBerry in Asia Pacific by 2014
telecomlead.com
... development program at Aalto University during the next three years.
... In coming year, the Windows Phone shipments will be supported by the
...
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