Lowndes beats FPR pair to pole

Craig Lowndes put Holden back on top in qualifying for the second V8 Supercars race of the weekend at Symmons Plains. After setting a record pace in morning practice, the Triple Eight driver put in an unbeatable 51.0408-second lap halfway through the 20-minute qualifying session for Sunday afternoon's 200-kilometre race. Ford Performance Racing had dominated Saturday's qualifying session and race, but had to settle for second and third with Will Davison and Mark Winterbottom in this session

Hans Herrmann Cliff Griffith Mack Hellings François Hesnault Willi Heeks

Official: McLaren delivers 25 MP4-12C GT3s to customer racing teams for 2012 racing season [w/videos]

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Racing

When a McLaren hits the race track, the competition had better watch out. The British outfit is, after all, one of the most successful in Formula One, having won 176 grands prix, a dozen drivers' championships and eight constructors' titles. But McLaren's prowess extends beyond F1. The Woking firm was a force to be reckoned with in Can-Am in the late 60s, and the last time it built an endurance racing sportscar - the famed F1 GTR back in 1995 - it trounced even the advanced prototype racers to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Now, McLaren is back in the sportscar racing game with the new MP4-12C GT3. Based on the MP4-12C road car, the GT3 racing version took only a year to develop, and McLaren GT has delivered 25 examples of its racing car to independent racing teams around the world. Included in the purchase price are test sessions organized by McLaren and access to the team's advanced driving simulator and deep expertise in all things motorsport.

The cars are set to compete in the Blancpain Endurance Series (where the MP4-12C also serves as safety car), the VLN series at the Nürburgring, German'y ADAC GT Masters, the International GT Open and the FIA GT1 World Championship. The first of these are set to take place in Germany this weekend at the Nordschleife and Oschersleben, where the MP4-12C will be making its parallel race debuts. Can't wait that long? We've got two high-quality video clips of the car undergoing testing for your viewing pleasure (together with the full press release) after the jump and a fresh crop of high-resolution images added to the gallery above.

Continue reading McLaren delivers 25 MP4-12C GT3s to customer racing teams for 2012 racing season [w/videos]

McLaren delivers 25 MP4-12C GT3s to customer racing teams for 2012 racing season [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tom Jones Divina Galica Oscar González Christian Goethals Cuth Harrison

Video: 2013 Lincoln MKZ reveals its extra large panoramic roof

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Sedan, Lincoln, Luxury

We've been showing you spy photos of a prototype 2013 Lincoln MKZ sporting a very large retractable roof for months now, and today, the automaker has pulled back the curtain on this very unique feature.

While giant sunroofs are nothing new, the retractable panoramic roof that will be available for the 2013 Lincoln MKZ covers 15.2 square feet, which Lincoln says makes it one of the largest retractable glass roof panels in a production sedan. We can't think of any larger than that, though manufacturers usually don't supply the square footage of their sunroofs. Bonus points, then, for whoever can name a larger one in the comments.

Lincoln says it takes two motors just ten seconds to either open or close the roof, which rides along parallel rails located on the outer edges of the roof and along each side of the rear window. When fully retracted, Lincoln says the opening is about two-feet deep and two and a half feet wide.

That's all we know until the production 2013 Lincoln MKZ debuts next week at the New York Auto Show, but we're fairly certain this special roof will be optional equipment and likely pricey. We'd also be surprised if the automaker's marketing team didn't give it a more catchy name like "PanoScreen" or "MyLincoln See."

Scroll down to see video of the MKZ's retractable panoramic roof in action.

Continue reading 2013 Lincoln MKZ reveals its extra large panoramic roof

2013 Lincoln MKZ reveals its extra large panoramic roof originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yves Giraud Cabantous David Hampshire Michael Duane Bliss Joseph Francis Nemechek III Mika Häkkinen

Perez soars, Vettel slides in Malaysia

Sergio Perez surged to an all-time high in the Castrol EGDE Rankings on the back of his outstanding drive in a remarkable Malaysian Grand Prix. The Mexican came within a small mistake of his first ever grand prix victory, as bold calls in changeable conditions thrust him into a spectacular and unlikely fight for the lead with Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard had looked likely to drop behind Perez such was the latter's pace in the Sauber, but seven laps from the end - and within DRS range - he touched the kerb on the approach to the back straight and ran wide, effectively ending his victory bid.

Hubert Hahne Jean Marc Gounon William Clyde Elliott Elmer George Masten Gregory

Portugal?s final Friday stages called off

The final three Friday stages in Portugal have been called off as a result of the poor weather in the region. Torrential rain had hit the area in the morning, leading to a dramatic first loop in which Ford team-mates Jari-Matti Latvala and Petter Solberg both crashed while leading, and many other frontrunners either went off the road or suffered technical problems related to the level of water.

Richie Ginther Miguel Ángel Guerra Matthew Roy Kenseth Carl Edwards Yves Giraud Cabantous

France moves closer to F1 return

The French Grand Prix's return to the Formula 1 calendar is expected to move a step closer on Friday, with the country's Prime Minister Francois Fillon planning to make an announcement at Paul Ricard about the event. On the back of months of talks about a return of the French GP, which has been absent from the F1 schedule since 2008, media have been invited to the circuit in the south of France for a press conference to talk about the future of the race. Fillon will be joined by Hubert Falco, president of the local Toulon province.

Ken Kavanagh Danny Kladis Jeffrey Tyler Burton Bill Homeier Dick Gibson

2012 NSCS Goody?s Fast Relief 500 Pre-Race Q&A with Toyota Motorsports Driver Brian Vickers and Team Owner Michael Waltrip

Brian Vickers& Michael Waltrip Press Conference - Photo Credit: Tyler Barrick/Getty Images for NASCARBRIAN VICKERS, No. 55 RK Motors Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing What is it like to be back at the track? “Thanks to Michael (Waltrip, team owner) — to be back in the seat. Obviously, Bristol was a great weekend for us...more»

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Ingo Hoffmann Olivier Grouillard Al Keller Jeremy Allan Mayfield

2013 Ford Explorer Sport: The Closest Thing to an Explorer SHO

Ford is adding a new, sportier model to the 2013 Explorer lineup called, appropriately, the Sport. (Blue Oval utility freaks should note that this is still based on the regular four-door, three-row body style, and isn?t a revival of the old two-door Explorer of the ?90s and 2000s.) After scanning the Sport?s particulars, however, we?re [...]

Mika Häkkinen Randy Joseph Lajoie William Ashton Lewis Jr Naoki Hattori Romain Grosjean

Da Costa gets Carlin GP3 seat

Antonio Felix da Costa will stay in GP3 after Carlin confirmed him as its second driver for the forthcoming campaign.

Terrence Lee Labonte Brian Henton Gene Hartley Jacky Ickx Peter Gethin

2012 Auto Club Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Starting Lineup ? Denny Hamlin

1 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota 38.626 186.403 2 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota 38.807 185.534 3 55 Mark Martin Aaron’s Toyota 38.807 185.534 4 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 38.812 185.510 5 5 Kasey Kahne Quaker State Chevrolet 38.812 185.510 6 39 Ryan Newman US ARMY Chevrolet 38.850 185.328 7 29 Kevin [...]

Jean Pierre Jarier Helm Glöckler James Christopher McMurray Alan Jones Hubert Hahne

Greg Biffle, 2012 NSCS Goody?s Fast Relief 500 Race Preview

2012 NSCS Greg Biffle - Photo Credit: Jerry Markland, Getty Images for NASCARGreg Biffle ? NSCS ADVANCE Team:����������No. 16 3M Ford Fusion Crew Chief:��Matt Puccia Chassis:������Primary: RK-807���Brand new chassis;�Backup: RK-759����Last ran Phoenix as the No. 6 ? finished 33rd QUOTES: Biffle on racing at Martinsville Speedway: ?Believe it or not, I?m actually looking forward to...more»

Parker Kligerman Peter Hirt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Denny Hamlin Taki Inoue

2014 McLaren MP4-12C Spider Rendered: Less Roof, Same Incredible Performance

What It Is: McLaren?s gorgeous, mid-engined MP4-12C Spider, which is being readied for 2014; when it arrives, competition will include the Ferrari 458 Spider, among others. Arriving just a year ago, the surprisingly livable 12C coupe has already toppled Ferrari?s fixed-roof 458 in a comparison test despite not having the raw soul of the prancing [...]

Mike Hailwood Eddie Keizan Phil Hill Parker Kligerman Peter Hirt

MORE THAN 1000 FANS CELEBRATE MATT HAGAN'S 2011 FUNNY CAR CHAMPIONSHIP IN HIS HOMETOWN

MATT HAGAN 2011 FUNNY CAR CHAMPION CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (Dec. 19, 2011) More than 1000 fans and friends celebrated Matt Hagan's 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car championship at the special event hosted by Shelor Motor Mile in...

Kyle Busch Chris Irwin Helmuth Koinigg Innes Ireland Trevor Bayne

Reduced penalties leave Jimmie Johnson confused (Yahoo! Sports)

Wire Service, Distributed By The Sports Xchange FONTANA, Calif. -- In the aftermath of Hendrick Motorsports successful appeal of penalties imposed on the No. 48 team for a Daytona rules infraction, Jimmie Johnson made a bold assertion Friday at Auto Club Speedway.

Ryan Joseph Newman Loris Kessel Leslie Johnson Kyle Eugene Petty Walt Hansgen

Raikkonen: Lotus has front-row pace

Kimi Raikkonen believes his Lotus had the potential to be inside the top two in qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix, had not made a mistake on his Q3 flying lap at Sepang. Raikkonen will start from 10th on the grid in Sunday's race after the team was forced to change his car's gearbox, but Raikkonen believes his pace was good enough to contend for pole; on paper, at least

Kyle Thomas Busch Georges Grignard Peter de Klerk Boy Hayje Jeffrey Michael Gordon

?Majority? of teams agree new F1 deal

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has announced that a 'majority' of teams have committed to the sport beyond 2012.

James Christopher McMurray Alan Jones Hubert Hahne Jean Marc Gounon William Clyde Elliott

Lotus hospitality unit destroyed in fire

Lotus has been forced to relocate itself in the Sepang paddock after a fire destroyed its hospitality unit overnight. In the early hours of Saturday morning, a suspected electrical fault in a fridge caused a fire that eventually destroyed the team's hospitality unit and kitchen facilities. AUTOSPORT understands that the team was able to save some of its drivers' kits - including overalls and boots - from the private rooms of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean

Eddie Keizan Phil Hill Parker Kligerman Peter Hirt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr

Conway heads damp warm-up

Mike Conway has gone quickest in the final warm-up session ahead of today's IndyCar season-opener at St Petersburg. On a track drying from overnight rain, the AJ Foyt driver produced a best time of 1m03.2891 to put himself just a few hundredths clear of Rahal Letterman Lanigan's Takuma Sato, who'd held the top spot earlier in the session. The tricky conditions prompted a cautious approach throughout the field, which was reflected in the times - of the top six qualifiers, only Ryan Hunter-Reay figured anywhere near the top of the timesheets, while polesitter Will Power finished up 20th

Jim Hurtubise Mike Harris Gary Hocking Carel Godin de Beaufort Juan Jover

Calado wins second Sepang race

James Calado scored his maiden points-paying GP2 victory at Sepang on Sunday to add to the non-championship win he claimed at Yas Marina last year. The British driver started from pole position on the reversed grid and went on to dominate from once again

Hans Herrmann Cliff Griffith Mack Hellings François Hesnault Willi Heeks

Jackson Heights Public Plaza, Thursday Afternoon

Courtesy of Clarence Eckerson, Jr., here are some more scenes from the Jackson Heights pedestrian plaza that don’t fit the New York Times’ preferred narrative. Clarence says he passed through the plaza three times yesterday and it was bustling each time. On a Thursday.
Related posts:

The Jackson Heights Plaza Photo the Times Doesn’t Want You to [...]

Dan Gurney Gus Hutchison Kyle Busch Chris Irwin Helmuth Koinigg

Mark Martin?s Plans for His Twitter Hacker: NASCAR Fan View (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Mark Martin has revealed his plans to get revenge on the person who hacked his Twitter account and changed the name to Epic Swag. Although Mark Martin has been able to recover his account, he plans to use Epic Swag as his name on the No.

Paco Godia Billy Garrett Brian Hart Terrence Lee Labonte Brian Henton

Valsecchi takes blame for ?lost? win

Davide Valsecchi claims that he did not deserve to win the opening GP2 race of the season after making a bad start from pole position. The DAMS driver recovered from a sluggish getaway to take second place behind race winner Luiz Razia, who charged away at the front unchallenged after capitalising on Valsecchi's error. "The team and my car deserved the win so it's a shame that I lost it," said Valsecchi.

Theo Helfrich Heikki Kovalainen Z Line Designs Toyota Jean Pierre Jarier Helm Glöckler

Colorado LeMons Racers: B.F.E. GP Entry Deadline Is This Saturday!

The thin air and crazy elevation changes at Colorado’s High Plains Raceway‘s road course make for some great racing action at the annual B.F.E. GP 24 Hours of LeMons. It’s one of our favorite events of the LeMons season, but time is running out if you plan to enter! Taking place a month before the [...]

Masahiro Hasemi Jackie Holmes Floyd Anthony Raines Joe James Emmanuel de Graffenried

2012 Auto Club Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Starting Lineup ? Denny Hamlin

1 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota 38.626 186.403 2 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota 38.807 185.534 3 55 Mark Martin Aaron’s Toyota 38.807 185.534 4 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 38.812 185.510 5 5 Kasey Kahne Quaker State Chevrolet 38.812 185.510 6 39 Ryan Newman US ARMY Chevrolet 38.850 185.328 7 29 Kevin [...]

John James Tony Gaze Nanni Galli Gimax Graham Hill

Raikkonen gets five-place grid penalty

Kimi Raikkonen is to lose five places on the grid for the Malaysian Grand Prix after a gearbox change following the second free practice. Shortly after the session concluded, Lotus wrote on Twitter that an issue with the Finn's gearbox meant it would be changed before the start of the third and final practice session. The team confirmed the change to AUTOSPORT, meaning Raikkonen looks set to lose five places

Jean Pierre Jabouille Denny Hulme Nick Heidfeld Charles Robert Hamilton IV David Carl Allison

Concerts for the Iowa Speedway 2012 Race Season

“Local Bands, Pre-Race Concerts to Drive More Fans to Attend” Iowa-Speedway ThumbnailNEWTON, IA. ? March 22, 2012 ? As part of the initiative to improve the already great fan experience, Iowa Speedway is moving this year?s concert acts to the pre-race festivities ? allowing more fans an opportunity to attend. Also new for this year:...more»

Cuth Harrison Jean Pierre Jabouille Denny Hulme Nick Heidfeld Charles Robert Hamilton IV

Ayrton Senna's rookie-season F1 racer heads to auction

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Auctions, Europe, Celebrities, Specialty, Racing

Motorsports history buffs take note: an important piece of racing nostalgia has come up for auction. The Toleman TG184-2 Formula One Car Ayrton Senna drove in his rookie season is available for bid in the Silverstone Auctions Spring Sale.

This is the car that carried Senna to his second-place "victory" in the rain-drenched 1984 Monaco GP, as well as third and seventh-place finishes in the British and Canadian GPs, respectively.

Silverstone Auctions hasn't announced what the vehicle is expected to fetch. The Toleman has been completely restored, and the 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine behind the cockpit is in top running order.

The auction will take place at the Silverstone circuit in The Wing building on May 16th. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

Continue reading Ayrton Senna's rookie-season F1 racer heads to auction

Ayrton Senna's rookie-season F1 racer heads to auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Z Line Designs Toyota Jean Pierre Jarier Helm Glöckler James Christopher McMurray Alan Jones

Mercedes sure it can sort tyre issues

Mercedes has faith that it can get on top of the tyre degradation issues that hampered its race performance in the Australian Grand Prix. Although Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg were contenders for pole position in Albert Park last weekend, the pair were unable to keep that pace up in the race. The Brackley-based team has expressed some surprise at the way it suffered with its tyres - especially because its long runs in winter testing had been so positive ? but is confident that it will be able to address the situation

Kevin Michael Harvick Keith Greene Virgil Ernest Irvan III David Hobbs Max Jean

No Charges for Alleged Drunken Hit-and-Run Death of Brooklyn Woman

Contrary to media reports, the Domino’s Pizza delivery driver accused of killing pedestrian Margaret Myers in Brooklyn earlier this month is not facing charges for her death.
Margaret Myers. Photo via New York Post
NYPD sources told the Post and Daily News that Videsh Badal was drunk and driving with a suspended a license when he ran [...]

Heikki Kovalainen Z Line Designs Toyota Jean Pierre Jarier Helm Glöckler James Christopher McMurray

In The Hunt with RCR: Week Four- It's Bristol, Baby Otis!

Brad Keselowski Juan Pablo Montoya David Lee Blaney Charles Robert Hamilton V Paul Goldsmith

Brawn: Technical structure paying off

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn believes his team's approach of having multiple technical directors is already paying off - and thinks the benefits will only increase in the future. Although some rival outfits have poured scorn on the Mercedes approach ? with the team having Bob Bell, Aldo Costa, Geoff Willis and Brawn all pushing on the technical side ? the man in charge is delighted with the way things are panning out. "They are getting on very well, gloriously well," explained Brawn

Jeffrey Michael Gordon Karl Kling Kurt Thomas Busch Out! Pet Care Toyota Olivier Gendebien

Force India must pay wind tunnel company (PA SportsTicker)

By CHRIS LINES AP Auto Racing Writer

Richard Allen Craven Mike Hawthorn Maurício Gugelmin Bruce Kessler Brad Keselowski

California Drivers Doing Battle at Auto Club Speedway

The last two spring races at Auto Club Speedway have been duels between El Cajon?s Jimmie Johnson and Bakersfield?s Kevin Harvick. Johnson ended up in Victory Lane with the Harvick-dubbed “golden horse shoe” in hand in 2010. Harvick earned the title of “The Closer” a year ago by edging five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion [...]

William Clyde Elliott Elmer George Masten Gregory Clint Bowyer Brian Gubby

G-Oil Helps Power Pair of TriStar Motorsports Drivers to Top Ten In Nationwide Series Points

No. 19 G-Oil� Toyota Camry(Celebration, FL) When the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) season opened at Daytona Beach four weeks ago, G-Oil made history by becoming the first bio-based full synthetic oil used in NASCAR competition. Jeffery Loch, President and CMO of Green Earth Technologies, Inc., said, ?We came to NASCAR to prove that our...more»

Denny Hulme Nick Heidfeld Charles Robert Hamilton IV David Carl Allison Eddie Irvine

Michael Annett, No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang Auto Club Speedway Preview

No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang (Michael Annett) - Photo Credit: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images for NASCARMichael Annett? No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang - Annett has five career starts in the Nationwide Series at Auto Club Speedway - Annett enters Fontana in eighth-place in the Nationwide Series driver point standings -...more»

Emmanuel de Graffenried Toyota Kimmy Lewis Hamilton Travis Wade Kvapil Kerry Dale Earnhardt

Chevrolet Colorado Pickup Still Coming to the U.S., Launch Date Was Never Firm

Speculation regarding delays to the domestic launch date of the Chevrolet Colorado replacement has been swirling. Although GM confirmed some time ago that the new mid-size pickup would be built and sold in the U.S., it still hasn?t given a firm date for the new truck?s arrival. Designed largely in Thailand, the new Colorado will [...]

Kenny Dale Irwin Jr José Froilán González Bruno Giacomelli Marc Gené Frank Gardner

Nissan Revives Datsun Brand for Use in Emerging Markets

Nissan is bringing back the Datsun brand name?but don’t get any ideas of a reborn B-210 or 510 in your driveway. At an event in Indonesia, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn announced that the Datsun badge will be applied to simple, low-cost cars to be sold in developing countries. In addition to Indonesia, he specifically mentioned [...]

Mike Harris Gary Hocking Carel Godin de Beaufort Juan Jover Narain Karthikeyan

Video: Watch and hear a Porsche 918 Spyder running chassis with Evo

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Europe, Technology, Videos, Porsche, Luxury

We can't quite explain why we're so drawn pre-production test mules. Maybe we just like the thought of seeing a vehicle as it grows from concept to reality or being able to take a peak into the engineering behind a car that will hit production soon. Either way, videos like the one after the jump flip all the right switches for us. Like Wired, EVO recently got the chance to ride along in an early version of the 2013 Porsche 918 Spyder. With two electric motors and kicking V8, the car is good for a dizzying 770 horsepower combined.

EVO gives us our closest look yet at the vehicle's driveline, including the 80-kW electric motor in the front and the 90-kW motor in the rear. Interestingly, as Evo points out, the 918 can be powered purely on the front-mounted electric motor that drives the front wheels. That's right, this is the first production front-wheel drive Porsche, even if it's only likely to operate as such a sliver of the time. Even with all the technological whizzbangery on board, the 918 still sounds like a true Porsche when the 570 horsepower V8 barks to life. Porsche has worked to keep as much of the vehicle's weight below the center line as possible, and as a result, the engineers had to resort to some cleverness when it comes to exhaust routing and the like. Hit the jump to see what we mean.

Continue reading Watch and hear a Porsche 918 Spyder running chassis with Evo

Watch and hear a Porsche 918 Spyder running chassis with Evo originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kazuyoshi Hoshino Lucas di Grassi Jim Hall Paul Hawkins Ignazio Giunti

Unconventional Wisdom

Conventional wisdom has it that races are not won on the first corner, only lost.� Evidently Hugo Luis has never heard of conventional wisdom.� Round Two of the 2012 iRacing.com Grand Prix Series World Championship at Circuit Park Zandvoort saw the defending champion make a blinder of a start to grab the lead from pole-sitter Luke McLean into Turn One (aka Tarzanbocht).� From there, Luis motored into the distance, leading all but a handful of laps during the pit stop shuffles in an emphatic rebound from a disappointing result in the opening act in his title defense at Watkins Glen. Rest assured, McLean didn?t take Luis? surge lying down.� Having thrown away a potential podium finish at the Glen, the Aussie never put a wheel wrong at Zandvoort and kept [...]

Ignazio Giunti Kasey Kenneth Kahne Piercarlo Ghinzani John James Tony Gaze

Subaru EyeSight Driver-Assistance System Coming to 2013 Legacy and Outback [New York Auto Show]

Subaru is bolstering its nanny-tech chops with the introduction of its EyeSight system at next month?s New York auto show. We first previewed this new technology in the Impreza concept at the 2010 L.A. auto show, although it?s been available on the Japanese-spec Legacy since mid-2008. EyeSight is a driver-assistance system that purports to act [...]

Kevin Michael Harvick Keith Greene Virgil Ernest Irvan III David Hobbs Max Jean

Kovalainen plays down cost of penalty

Heikki Kovalainen says he has accepted his penalty for passing behind the safety car in the Australian Grand Prix, and does not think it will make too much difference to his and Caterham's Malaysian GP chances. The Finn is confident he will swiftly be able to regain the places he loses when he is demoted five places on the Sepang grid

Nico Hülkenberg Jesús Iglesias Ryan Joseph Newman Loris Kessel Leslie Johnson

Chevrolet Founder Louis Chevrolet ?Busted? in Switzerland

To honor the legacy of one of its most celebrated sons, the Swiss town of La Chaux-de-Fonds is installing a giant, polished-steel bust of Chevrolet founder Louis-Joseph Chevrolet. Commissioned by the company bearing ol? Louis?s name to commemorate the brand?s centennial, the winning sculpture was selected from four entries by an international jury. The proposal, [...]

Randy Joseph Lajoie William Ashton Lewis Jr Naoki Hattori Romain Grosjean Kevin Michael Harvick

California Drivers Doing Battle at Auto Club Speedway

The last two spring races at Auto Club Speedway have been duels between El Cajon?s Jimmie Johnson and Bakersfield?s Kevin Harvick. Johnson ended up in Victory Lane with the Harvick-dubbed “golden horse shoe” in hand in 2010. Harvick earned the title of “The Closer” a year ago by edging five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion [...]

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Ingo Hoffmann Olivier Grouillard Al Keller Jeremy Allan Mayfield

Mercedes-Benz Kills Slow-Selling R-Class in the U.S.

This year marks the end of the road for Mercedes-Benz’s R-class crossover in the U.S. A Mercedes-Benz spokesman says that the company can no longer make the business case for the R, sales of which have dropped precipitously since it was introduced in 2005. Sales of the Tuscaloosa, Alabama?built R-class peaked in 2006, its first [...]

Johnny Herbert Tom Jones Divina Galica Oscar González Christian Goethals

Report: Subaru targets 100,000-unit goal for BRZ, Toyota GT 86 and Scion FR-S production

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Performance, Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Scion, Subaru

It looks as though Subaru will be producing considerably more BRZ, Toyota GT 86 and Scion FR-S units than previously thought. According to FT86club.com, Yasayuki Yoshinaga, president of Fuji Heavy Industries, has announced that his company will produce 100,000 units per year at the Subaru plant in Ota City, Japan. (That figure accounts for every iteration of the sports coupe.)

So far, Toyota has seen around 7,000 orders for the GT 86, while Subaru fans have raised hands for 2,500 units. Those numbers are seven and 5.6 times more than each company's monthly sales goals, respectively.

Last we heard, Subaru was only planning to sell 6,000 BRZ units in the States in the first year. With the new production figures, it remains to be seen if the company plans to alter that figure to satiate the apparent demand. While some of the pre-order buzz will certainly die down after the vehicle has been around for a few months, we'd like to hope that sales will remain strong.

Subaru targets 100,000-unit goal for BRZ, Toyota GT 86 and Scion FR-S production originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Damon Hill Jimmy Jackson Kamui Kobayashi Jo Gartner Bob Gerard

Button ecstatic about strong start

Jenson Button was elated after celebrating what he labelled as a very special start to the season following a commanding win in the Australian Grand Prix.

Theo Helfrich Heikki Kovalainen Z Line Designs Toyota Jean Pierre Jarier Helm Glöckler

Hyundai Releases Images of All-New Santa Fe [New York Auto Show]

The next product to be revisited or replaced by Hyundai is the Santa Fe. These images preview the third-generation crossover, which will be shown in New York next month. Hyundai says it has developed a new design concept for the vehicle called ?Storm Edge,? which is supposed to capture the images created by nature during [...]

Bruno Giacomelli Marc Gené Frank Gardner Zaxby s Chevrolet Timo Glock

2013 Kia Sorento Gets Option Packages Shuffled, New Available Features for Base LX Model

Today?s exciting news flash: Kia has tweaked the Sorento?s optional and available equipment for 2013, following last year?s more comprehensive cosmetic and mechanical updates. Leather seating surfaces are now standard on Sorento EX trims, and a third-row seat (which increases seating from five to seven passengers) is now standard for the LX V-6 trim. For [...]

François Hesnault Willi Heeks Bill Holland Jim Hurtubise Mike Harris

Why the 12 Hours of Sebring Still Matters: Innovation

Racing fans likely have heard about the penalties NASCAR levied on the Hendrick Motorsports team of driver Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus, stemming from a car brought to the Daytona 500. Supposedly?despite the insistence from Hendrick that the car had passed inspection in 2011 with no issues?the covers for the C-pillars were too [...]

Cliff Griffith Mack Hellings François Hesnault Willi Heeks Bill Holland

Di Resta blames out-lap traffic

Paul di Resta believes that traffic on his out-lap prevented him from fighting to make the top 10 on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix. The Force India driver had to settle for 15th on the grid after he was unable to join team-mate Nico Hulkenberg in getting through to Q3

Yves Giraud Cabantous David Hampshire Michael Duane Bliss Joseph Francis Nemechek III Mika Häkkinen

Quinn Deal Reduces Parking ? and Housing ? at St. Vincent?s Site

A birds-eye view of the St. Vincent's site redevelopment. Under a deal struck by Christine Quinn's office, the number of parking spaces at the site will be reduced by a third. Image: Rudin Management via DNAinfo
Responding to requests from the community board and advocacy groups, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn did what neither the City [...]

Juan Jover Narain Karthikeyan Carl Michael Edwards III Joe Kelly Christian Klien

In The Hunt with RCR: Week Three-Las Vegas

Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Mike Hailwood Eddie Keizan Phil Hill Parker Kligerman

Today?s Headlines

Thruway Director Says State Can’t Afford TZB Transit, Yet Doesn’t Know Cost of Bridge (LoHud)
Dilan to State: Add Transit to Tappan Zee Bridge, NY Works Fund (MTR)
Politicians Want to Reopen Shuttered Elmhurst LIRR Station, and MTA Is Listening (News)
Packed Midtown Workshop Generally Positive About Bike-Share (DNAinfo)
Ratner Exec Declares “Her Mission” Is to Reduce Barclays Center [...]

Olivier Grouillard Al Keller Jeremy Allan Mayfield Casey James Mears Dan Gurney

2012 NNS Ford EcoBoost 300 Starting Lineup

Joey Logano / GameStop - Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty ImagesJoey Logano, with a qualifying lap speed of�124.210 mph, captured the 2012 NNS Ford EcoBoost 300 Coors Light Pole Award at Bristol Motor Speedway. This was Logano’s first series pole of the 2012 season, his seventeenth series career pole and his first series pole at Bristol...more»

Christian Klien Bertrand Gachot Richie Ginther Miguel Ángel Guerra Matthew Roy Kenseth

Hamilton leads all-McLaren front row

Lewis Hamilton got McLaren's bid to topple Red Bull in the 2012 Formula 1 title race off to a flying start as he took a commanding pole position for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, ahead of team-mate Jenson Button, while world champion Sebastian Vettel was only sixth. Hamilton's 1m24.922s lap in Q3 put him 0.7 seconds clear of his rivals at first, and proved unbeatable. Romain Grosjean took a spectacular third for Lotus on his F1 return, while Michael Schumacher achieved his best qualifying result for Mercedes in fourth, and the Red Bulls had to settle for row three, with Mark Webber outqualifying Vettel.

Dave Kennedy Hiroshi Fushida Leo Kinnunen Gregory Jack Biffle Nico Hülkenberg

The Other Guilty Party in a Traffic Crash: Road Designers

The design failures of the intersection where an Arkansas cyclist was struck this week are highlighted at around the 2:15 mark.
When a bicyclist is killed or injured, many times you can assign fault to the motorist — after all the car itself is what makes the situation so perilous.
But Tim McKuin at Network blog Move [...]

Dave Kennedy Hiroshi Fushida Leo Kinnunen Gregory Jack Biffle Nico Hülkenberg

Fan?s View: Five Hot Drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the toughest tracks on the NASCAR circuit - and the most exciting as well, for both fans and drivers. It takes a certain style to be successful at Bristol, a 0.533-mile bullring with banking at over 26 degrees in the turns - aggressive yet smooth,...

Bertrand Gachot Richie Ginther Miguel Ángel Guerra Matthew Roy Kenseth Carl Edwards

Judgment day comes for Chad Knaus

Christian Goethals Cuth Harrison Jean Pierre Jabouille Denny Hulme Nick Heidfeld

Frijns sets the pace at Paul Ricard

Reigning Formula Renault Eurocup champion Robin Frijns set the fastest time on the first day of pre-season testing for the new Formula Renault 3.5 car at Paul Ricard on Tuesday. The Fortec Motorsports driver snatched the top spot away from the more experienced Alexander Rossi and Jules Bianchi in the closing stages of the day, with fellow rookie Richie Stanaway (Lotus/Gravity-Charouz) joining him at the top just before the end

Nicolas Kiesa André Guelfi Paco Godia Billy Garrett Brian Hart

Zanardi confirmed for Paralympics

Alex Zanardi has been confirmed as a member of the Italian team for this year's London Paralympics. The two-time CART champion and former F1 driver, who has spent the past few years competing successfully in marathons and time trials in the handbike class, will be one of 10 athletes to make up Italy's paracycling team. He has long held an ambition to compete at London, but was uncertain whether he would be selected due to heavy competition for places

Theo Helfrich Heikki Kovalainen Z Line Designs Toyota Jean Pierre Jarier Helm Glöckler

Domenicali: Ferrari will be in the fight

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali is adamant Ferrari "will be in the fight" when the season kicks off in Australia this weekend. Although the Italian conceded the Maranello squad has not reached its pre-season goals in terms of performance, he insists the situation is far from clear ahead of the first race of the season.

Joe James Emmanuel de Graffenried Toyota Kimmy Lewis Hamilton Travis Wade Kvapil

NSCS Pole Report: Kahne gets first pole with Hendrick

Danny Kladis Jeffrey Tyler Burton Bill Homeier Dick Gibson Hans Klenk

Sam Hornish Jr., No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger R/T Bristol Motor Speedway Preview

No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger R/TSam Hornish Jr. No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger Ford EcoBoost 300 Bristol Motor Speedway ? Bristol, Tenn. March 17, 2012 TV- ESPN @ 1:00 p.m. ET; Radio ? MRN/Sirius 90 @ 1:00 p.m. ET No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Team News and Notes - Sam...more»

Eddie Keizan Phil Hill Parker Kligerman Peter Hirt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr

Today?s Headlines

State Senate Votes to Axe MTA Capital Funds (Daily Politics, 2nd Ave Sagas)
Senate Transportation Bill Includes Restoration of Commuter Transit Benefit (TransNat)
Related: Bloomberg to Explain to Eric Cantor How Cities Work (TransNat, Capital NY)
Report Finds New York World’s Most Competitive City (WNYC, Crain’s)
Curb-Jumping Cabbie Pins Pedestrian to Building in Midtown (Post, DNA)
Should Cab Drivers Be [...]

Floyd Anthony Raines Joe James Emmanuel de Graffenried Toyota Kimmy Lewis Hamilton

Audi R8 LMS ultra to fight for World Champion's title in 2012

AUDI Motorsport Ingolstadt, December 20, 2011 - GT1 World Championship to be held with GT3 cars in 2012 - Team WRT from Belgium is set on battling for championship - Two new Audi R8 LMS ultra cars on the grid...

Charles Robert Hamilton V Paul Goldsmith Hans Heyer Theo Helfrich Heikki Kovalainen

Sam Hornish Jr., No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger R/T Bristol Motor Speedway Preview

No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger R/TSam Hornish Jr. No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger Ford EcoBoost 300 Bristol Motor Speedway ? Bristol, Tenn. March 17, 2012 TV- ESPN @ 1:00 p.m. ET; Radio ? MRN/Sirius 90 @ 1:00 p.m. ET No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Team News and Notes - Sam...more»

Miguel Ángel Guerra Matthew Roy Kenseth Carl Edwards Yves Giraud Cabantous David Hampshire

Report: The Saga Continues: Consumer Reports' Fisker Karma gets new battery pack

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Etc., Technology, Fisker, Electric

Send a $107,000 Fisker Karma to the dealer - after an incredibly public breakdown - and get a new battery pack in return. That's the lesson that Consumer Reports learned over the weekend and the repaired vehicle is now "operating fine at our test track" after 48 hours offline.

All that CR is saying about the problem is that the Fisker dealer said that a "fault was found in the battery and inverter cable. Both were replaced as a unit." Also, while lots of dealers wash your car after you take it in for servicing, CR's dealer also charged the brand-new pack. How kind. With everything back on track - for now - CR will get to what it intended to do days ago: put the Karma through its paces.

CR's Karma is not the only one with issues. All Karmas were affected by two recalls (due to a software glitch and then battery issues) and, as we discovered last week, owners are posting about their own problems over on FiskerBuzz.

The Saga Continues: Consumer Reports' Fisker Karma gets new battery pack originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 6 Cargill / Blackwell Angus Ford Mustang Bristol Motor Speedway Preview

No. 6 Blackwell Angus / Cargill Ford MustangRicky Stenhouse Jr. ? Ford Ecoboost 300 Advance Team: No. 6 Cargill / Blackwell Angus Ford Mustang Crew Chief: Mike Kelley Chassis: RK-708 ? primary ? new Nationwide chassis RK?672 – backup ? last ran at Dover ? finished first. Stenhouse, Jr ? Bristol Motor Speedway: Race Event...more»

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First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 4Matic

Filed under: Coupe, Mercedes-Benz, First Drives, Luxury

All-Wheel Drive Sans Compromise



One can hardly mutter the words "German," "luxury" and "all-wheel drive" without invoking visions of Audi. The company has worked hard to make its Quattro all-wheel-drive system synonymous with each of the phrases above, and its tireless marketing, successful motorsports programs and loyal fans have inextricably married the Four Rings to the power of all-wheel drive luxury. But Audi isn't the only German manufacturer putting power to all four wheels. Buyers have been happily bringing BMW xDrive models home for years, and Mercedes-Benz has a long and storied history of grips-at-all-four-corners innovation as well.

From vehicles like the globe-conquering Unimog to the somewhat more civil G-Class, the Silver Arrow has more than a little experience when it comes to overcoming uncertain terrain. Beyond four-wheel drive systems, Mercedes has sold over one million 4Matic all-wheel drive vehicles in the U.S. since the system's debut here in 1989. These days, Benz offers 4Matic on 10 of its vehicle lines in a total of 21 variations, and for 2012, luxury coupe buyers can rejoice in the inclusion of both the E350 4Matic Coupe and the C350 4Matic Coupe to the horde. With rivals like the Audi A5 and BMW 335i xDrive Coupe already default choices for two-door shoppers who prefer the foul weather capability of all-wheel drive, will the newest additions to the Mercedes-Benz stable be able to keep the pace? We took to the C350 4Matic Coupe to find out.

Continue reading 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 4Matic

2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 4Matic originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Global Vehicles' plans for Mahindra in the U.S. officially toast

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Truck, Government/Legal, Work, UK, India, Diesel

It appears that a British arbitration panel has shattered any hopes of seeing a small diesel Mahindra pickup truck in the States. According to PickupTrucks.com, the panel ruled in favor of the Indian automaker in Global Vehicles' lawsuit against the company, saying the contract between the two companies had expired. Furthermore, Mahindra was not found to have violated any U.S. laws. The ruling is the final chapter in a saga that began six years ago when the companies announced that Global Vehicles would distribute Mahindra T20 and T40 compact diesel pickups in America.

In 2010, the deal began unraveling, with Mahindra saying Global Vehicles allowed the contract to expire. Global Vehicles, meanwhile, pointed the finger right back at its former Indian partner. It wasn't long before the American company then sought arbitration.

Global Vehicles has been ordered to pay court costs.

In a separate case, a group of would-be Mahindra dealers sued the Indian company in U.S. District Court, but that suit was thrown out after the judge ruled Global Vehicles was not the recognized agent for Mahindra in the United States.

Global Vehicles' plans for Mahindra in the U.S. officially toast originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Touring Superleggera Celebrates 1950s Alfa Romeo Disco Volante with 8C-Based Concept [Geneva Auto Show]

Among the most celebrated and unique designs to emerge from storied Italian design house Carrozzeria Touring are the 1950s Alfa Romeo 1900?based Disco Volantes. The name literally means ?flying saucer??perfectly suited for cars so wide, low-slung, and visually striking. A single open-topped car and two coupes were created; it is the latter body style that [...]

Dick Gibson Hans Klenk Dave Kennedy Hiroshi Fushida Leo Kinnunen

Smith, Menard escape injuries in Colorado road accident

Jean Pierre Jabouille Denny Hulme Nick Heidfeld Charles Robert Hamilton IV David Carl Allison

Smith, Menard escape injuries in Colorado road accident

Patrick Gaillard Masahiro Hasemi Jackie Holmes Floyd Anthony Raines Joe James

Dan Wheldon to be on 2012 Indy 500 Tickets

Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr Sterling Burton Marlin Al Herman Bobby Grim

Video: Such A Tease: Watch a Porsche 911 GT3 RS take on a Yamaha R1... on ice

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Videos, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Motorcycle

You've seen plenty of motorcycle-versus-car contests that take place on public roads or dedicated race tracks. But you've probably never seen one where the two machines are wearing Blizzaks... or even studded tires.

French motorcycle publication Moto Journal has decided to turn the two-wheeled contingent on its head by moving the battleground to the frozen stretches of Lapland on a replica race track of Le Castellet, also known as Circuit Paul Ricard, cut through the snow and ice. In the first round, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS goes up against a 1,000cc Yamaha R1. Up next is a Mitsubishi EVO IX against a Yamaha WR450F. Yes, this is going to be good.

If the idea of watching an R1 hit 160 miles per hour on the ice isn't enough to make you watch, perhaps we should mention that its rider is donning an Evel-Knievel-style cape, and that this appears to be just a teaser of a longer video or possibly even a series. Enough talking already. Check out the video in its entirety below.

Continue reading Such A Tease: Watch a Porsche 911 GT3 RS take on a Yamaha R1... on ice

Such A Tease: Watch a Porsche 911 GT3 RS take on a Yamaha R1... on ice originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Billy Garrett Brian Hart Terrence Lee Labonte Brian Henton Gene Hartley

Video: Video: The Mile celebrates supercars and charity in Philippines

Filed under: Videos

What's better than supercars? Supercars getting together for charity. To raise money for the Red Cross after Typhoon Sendong hit the Philippines, a group of enthusiasts who dub themselves "Track Hos" rented an airstrip at Subic Bay, where they assembled a large collection of supercars and got down to the business making smoke and high-speed runs.

The action was captured by Sid Maderazo and cut into four minutes of exotic sights and sounds called The Mile. If we ever make it to the Philippines we know whose car club we're asking to join. Follow the jump for the video.

Continue reading Video: The Mile celebrates supercars and charity in Philippines

Video: The Mile celebrates supercars and charity in Philippines originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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