Articles tagged with "Automotive"
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British F1 GP: McLaren 1st and 3rd but Alonso/Renault extend lead
July 10, 2005 McLaren’s Juan Pablo Montoya took his fifth career win here at Silverstone, but the real story played out on the lower podium steps where Renault’s Fernando Alonso took second place and extended his championship lead over third placed Kimi Raikkonen. For Montoya, it was his first ever win for West McLaren Mercedes (indeed his first ever podium with the team) since he joined at the start of this season. Kimi Raikkonen put in another gritty drive, overcoming a ten place penalty on the grid due to an engine change after qualifying, fighting his way up from 12th on the grid to third at the flag. (read more...)
Rare racing cars in Goodwood sales
July 5, 2005 One of the global highlights of the automotive year is the Goodwood Festival of Speed – an event that draws the cream of the world’s auto and motorcycle racing machines and talent of yesteryear. And one of the highlights of Goodwood each year is Bonhams Festival of Speed auction where extremely rare and impeccably credentialed Grand prix machines change hands. This year the highest priced sale was a pre-war Grand Prix Bugatti which realised GBP 1.32 million (US$2.32 million). Other notable sales included a 1929 Bentley 4-litre Le Mans Sports for UKP3 97,500 and a 1911 Delage 3-litre Type X Two Seat Racer for UKP 331,500. Each of the cars has a unique story behind it, as have two very special Grand Prix winning Bugattis that will go under the hammer in September. The car pictured will sell in September - it is the winning car from the very first Monaco GP in 1929 (read more...)
Mitsubishi Concept E-boost Wins 2005 Idea Gold Award
July 4, 2005 Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) has picked up a Gold 2005 Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) gong for its E-boost concept vehicle. The Gold Award was given in the category of Design Explorations. Presented for the last 25 years by the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA), this year's IDEA competition is prominently featured on the cover of BusinessWeek and on businessweek.com web site with more images, additional information and an interactive slide show. The Mitsubishi E-boost concept car introduces a new direction for sports car design, demonstrating the possibilities for expanded performance hybrid systems of the future. E-boost combines the look and performance of an exotic car with sport-coupe fuel efficiency. Many of the design innovations in the E-boost are found in its mechanics with the electric motor also doubling as a performance-enhancing device. The car's evocative appearance and soft, athletic lines are a unique departure from the current automotive trend toward heavy, sharp, boxy forms. The exterior color features a specially developed pigment that appears to glow from within to create the effect of molten metal, while the interior styling is forward thinking with a clean, uncluttered instrument panel centered around an LCD screen. (read more...)
Open-air Porsche duo with all-wheel technology
July 4, 2005 Porsche has announced a new generation of open 911 versions with all-wheel drive. The 911 Carrera 4 and 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolets will be shown for the first time in October this year with the 280 km/h Carrera 4 Cabriolet powered by the 239 kW (325 bhp) 3.6-litre six-cylinder boxer engine and the 288 km/h 4S model powered by the 261 kW (355 bhp) 3.8-liter engine. As is already the case with the coupe version of the Carrera 4, power transmission in the Cabriolets is by all-wheel drive with a Visco multi-plate clutch, which consistently brings between five and 40 percent of the driving power to the road via the front wheels. (read more...)
French F1 GP: first French victory for a Renault car in 22 years.
July 4, 2005 Fernando Alonso took a dominant victory for the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team in yesterday’s French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours. The Spaniard took pole position and led every lap of the race to take his fifth victory of the season from ten starts, and the first for a 100% Renault car in the French Grand Prix since 1983. In winning he extended his lead in the drivers championship by two points, and now has 69 points, 24 ahead of nearest rival Kimi Raikkonen. All three of the main contenders for the drivers title finished on the podium with Raikkonen scond, Michael Schumacher third and Jenson Button finished fourth, giving the BAR Honda team its first points of the year. (read more...)
How Renault F1 uses Advanced Digital Manufacturing to enhance competitiveness
July 3, 2005 Renault’s Formula 1 team has made massive headway in recent years, coming from a distant third place in the 2004 Formula 1 constructors title to dominate the 2005 title to date. Now before you skip over this story thinking it’s about motor racing, it’s not – it’s about Advanced Digital Manufacturing. Renault’s F1 budget is considerably less than Ferrari or Toyota yet it has won six of ten races this year. Earlier this week it was revealed that the team had installed a Sinterstation Pro SLS rapid 3-D printing, prototyping and manufacturing system at its Advanced Digital Manufacturing (ADM) Centre in Enstone, England. This is the first of these systems to be installed in Europe and Renault has found that it has reduced the time taken to manufacture a part for the F1 car by an incredible 90% - quite an advantage in a world where a tenth of a second a lap can make the difference between winners and losers. (read more...)
Audi Q7 SUV portal signs prospects by the thousand
July 1, 2005 Multiple medium promotional campaigns using internet sites as the campaign hub continue to grow in functionality and capability and response, as the world penetration of internet connectivity trends towards ubiquity. Accordingly it has been interesting to watch the surge in traffic to Audi's online Broadband portal, “Q7 Globe” - it's the biggest multi-channel marketing project ever undertaken by the company for the launch of a new model and although the Audi Q7 SUV will not have its premiere until the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the "Q7 Globe" online portal has already signed up 110,000 prospects. (read more...)
BMW to compete in Formula 1 from 2006
June 23 2005 BMW is striking out on a new path in Formula One. After acquiring a majority shareholding in the Swiss Sauber team, a BMW managed team will be contesting the Formula One World Championship as early as 2006. This was decided by the BMW Board of Management on Tuesday. It means that, for the first time in company history, BMW will be competing independently in Formula One. The principle BMW association in Formula 1 in recent years has been since 1997 with the Williams BMW team with the BMW engines among the fastest, though no championship has been forthcoming. BMW formerly supplied engines to F1 constructors in the mid-eighties, winning nine Grands Prix and a championship with their road-car based turbo engine in Nelson Piquet's Brabham. BMW's participation will strengthen the Formula 1 grid. (read more...)
Suzuki GSX-R/4 Concept update for Tokyo?
June 22, 2005 Rumours emanating from Japan suggest Suzuki might be ready to put the GSX-R/4 concept machine it first showed four years ago into production with an announcement due that this year’s Tokyo Motor Show. The multi-featured GSX-R/4 concept car combined Suzuki's automotive and motorcycle technologies to create a one-of-a-kind high-performance vehicle using the 1.3-liter 173 horsepower engine of the GSX1300R Hayabusa motorcycle to create a high-tech, aluminium-framed, light weight 640 kilogram two-seater sportscar capable of 140 mph and motorcycle-like acceleration. With the rumours already strong that a production version of the outrageous B-King concept motorcycle will be announced at the show with a 1500cc motor, use of the same motor would see the GSX-R/4 with more than 200 horses plus the same array of intelligent electronics that adjust the car to the driver’s style. (read more...)
The toughest bus on the planet
June 18, 2005 “Route Irish” is the local name for the heavily travelled, and highly dangerous road between the secure Green Zone in Baghdad and Baghdad International Airport. There have been so many ambushes and IED explosions on that route that all U.S. State Department personnel were forbidden from travelling the route by road last December (2004) and must use helicopters instead. If you don’t have a helicopter at your disposal in Baghdad, as nearly all Military and civilian contractor personnel don’t, there’s really only one certain option if you wish to remain alive and that’s to travel in one of the heavily armoured Rhino Runner buses. Without a shadow of doubt, the Rhino Runner is the toughest bus on the planet – when the human value of the cargo is V.I.P. and above, it is the military’s vehicle of choice to provide safe ground transportation. Regular users of the vehicle in Baghdad include U.S. Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, General Dick Myers, Saddam Hussein and all other V.I.P. prisoners. The stories surrounding the massive attacks that Rhino Runners have withstood border on the preposterous. (read more...)
F1 - Canadian GP: Raikkonen & McLaren again
June 12, 2005 McLaren Mercedes driver Kimi Raikkonen won today's Canadian Grand Prix to gain ten important Championship points and move back into contention for the World Championship with 37 points as points leader (63) Fernando Alonso failed to finish. Raikkonen’s win brought McLaren to 63 points in the Constructors' ranking just 13 points behind Renault. It was also a day of the resurgent Ferrari team, with Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello scoring strong second and third places and bringing Ferrari into a five way fight for the Constructors championship. (read more...)
The Bionic Car project
June 9, 2005 Bionics, the combination of biology and technology is a recent field of research which has nonetheless already made remarkable progress possible in different areas. Nature has provided ideas for high-strength materials, dirt-repellent coatings and even Velcro fastenings and this has lead to an interdisciplinary project combining biologists and engineers the Mercedes-Benz Technology Center (MTC) to develop the Mercedes-Benz bionic car - a concept vehicle based on examples in nature. Engineers looked for specific example in nature whose shape and structure approximated to their ideas for an aerodynamic, safe, spacious and environmentally compatible car. Using these examples, the team designed and constructed a vehicle with intelligent lightweight construction and extraordinary aerodynamics. (read more...)
The Rinspeed Porsche 997 "Gullwing"
June 1, 2005 Swiss automotive design customizing Rinspeed has given us some of the most innovative four-wheeled designs of the last decade, usually with cars that morph from one shape or purpose to another, such as the Presto, Bedouin, Splash and Senso. This time there's no morphing, just a new and exclusive look for the Porsche 911 (997). Whether Carrera or Carrera S, Coupe or Convertible, Rinspeed has an aerodynamics package for these models, with the highlight being the reworked original doors now swing upwards instead of laterally, for the distinctive gullwing look. (read more...)
European F1: last lap heartbreak for Raikkonen
May 29, 2005 West McLaren Mercedes’ Kimi Raikkonen looked set to take his third consecutive win of the season at the Nurburgring today, until a mechanical failure saw him crash out on the very last lap when in the lead. With the principal challenger eliminated and the win inherited by championship leader, Fernando Alonso of Renault, Alonso now holds a 32 point lead with one third of the season gone and the championship looks safely in his keeping. Williams’ Nick Heidfeld scored his second podium in a row and Ferrari returned to the podium with Rubens Barrichello third and Michael Schumacher fifth. (read more...)
Bugatti Veyron: soon to be the world's fastest production car
June 2, 2005 Ettore Bugatti produced machines that set world speed records for planes, boats, trains and cars, built the most successful racing car in history and the most expensive car in history. The marque has been revived after 50 years and the new car recently exceeded 400km/h in testing. Its engine has 16 cylinders, eight camshafts, four turbochargers, 64 valves and produces 987 horsepower. When the Bugatti Veyron goes on sale later this year it will cost 1,000,000 Euros and only 300 will ever be built. It will also claim the title of the fastest production car in history, exceeding the McLaren F1’s record of 386.4 kmh (240.1mph) which stood for seven years, and the recent record established by the Koennigsegg CCR of 387.87 kmh (241.01 mph). Last month, a prototype Bugatti Veyron was officially measured at over 400 km/h (248.5 mph) at the Volkswagen Ehra–Lessien proving grounds reaching this speed several times and in both directions, as required by official measuring procedures. (read more...)
Leblanc Mirabeau: world's quickest production car
Swiss supercar builder Wysstec has already built one of the most remarkable cars in automotive history. Although it only has a four cylinder motor, the turbocharged 512 bhp Leblanc Caroline is one of the quickest road cars ever recorded because it weighs just 785 kg. Now the company has produced what is almost certainly the quickest (fastest accelerating) roadcar ever – the new Leblanc Mirabeau is the closest you’ll ever get to a race car for the street. Constructed of Kevlar, carbon fibre, and assorted unobtanium, it weighs just 812 kg and its powerplant comes from what was until recently the world’s fastest roadcar – the Koenigsegg CCR was recently timed at 387.87 kmh. That might not mean much if you’re not unhealthily familiar with supercar specifications, so we’ll help with some perspective. That’s less than two thirds of the weight of a Porsche Carrera GT or Saleen S7. It’s also a whopping 358 kilograms lighter than the car from which it borrowed its engine, 570kg lighter than a Ferrari Enzo and half the weight of the car that will become the fastest (top speed) roadcar when it is released later this year, the Bugatti Veyron. Read all about it … (read more...)
First details and pics: new Porsche Cayman S
May 23, 2005 Porsche will be launching the new Cayman S on November 26, 2005. This sporty two-seater, based on the Boxster series, boasts a newly developed six-cylinder boxer engine with a capacity of 3.4 liters and an output of 295 bhp (217 KW). The assembly delivers an impressive performance: high and constant propulsive power at lower and medium speeds. The sports car’s maximum speed is 275 kilometers per hour. With manual transmission and a centrally placed engine, the Cayman S accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. (read more...)
Monte Carlo Formula 1: McLaren and Raikkonen win and bring title back to life
May 22, 2005 MAJOR PICTORIAL COVERAGE OF RACE & FESTIVITIES: McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen drove an impeccable race to completely dominate the World’s most famous motor race, the Monaco Grand prix today, and in so doing, breathed life into the championship race and gave hope to McLaren that it could catch the early season form team of Renault and Fernando Alonso. The Williams of Heidfeld and Webber finished second and third bringing to five the constructors with a realistic hope of winning the constructor’s title though bookies installed McLaren as favourites following the race. Though both Ferrari’s finished in the points, Michael Schumacher’s chances of winning the title for a fifth straight time now look completely gone. (read more...)
The Star Wars Red Bull F1 Promotion
May 22, 2005 When it comes to doing things on a grand scale, a strategic alliance between George Lucas and Red Bull’s Dietrich Mateschitz always threatened to be a bit over the top. And so it came to pass. Lucas and Mateschitz partnered for a week of global promotional hype on the Cote d’Azur with stunning success. The tie-up between Red Bull Racing and the latest Star Wars movie finally reached its conclusion on Saturday night in Monaco when the last (and first) film in the series, “Revenge of the Sith” was screened for the benefit of guests from the world of Formula 1. The screening, which took place in the Grimaldi Forum was followed by a party, attended by several stars of the film and its director, George Lucas. There were plenty of sore heads in the Monaco paddock this morning, after a crowd of around five hundred F1 movers and shakers attended the biggest bash of the weekend in the Grimaldi Forum last night. Then the Red Bull pit crew did its stuff decked out as Star wars characters and around 500 million people around the world were reminded about the film’s premier. (read more...)
Radical British MBR EOS 3-seater Supercar
May 13, 2005 New to the ranks of supercar manufacturers is MB Roadcars (MBR) which unveiled its first offering, the unique 3-seater EOS (‘Exigence of Speed’) supercar at the prestigious Top Marques Motor Show in Monaco last weekend. Engineered by a consortium of Formula 1 designers, EOS benefits from some radical aerodynamicsthat provide 40% more downforce than its closest competitors, plus a range of the latest technologies and materials taken directly from Formula 1 and the aerospace industry. The EOS will sell for UKP340,000, have a top speed of approxiumately 325kmh and a remarkable power to weight ratio of 0.5bhp per kg. EOS features a three-seat layout with central driving position, and its advanced aerodynamic shape, with a two-element front wing and side winglets, has been designed from the outset using the latest F1 computer-aided-design and computational fluid dynamics technology. Of major importance was the announcement of an engine supply agreement with Mader Racing, who will develop a bespoke engine for EOS based on the all-alloy V8 race engine currently used in the new GP2 series. (read more...)
The 350 km/h 700 bhp Fulda Maybach Exelero
May 15, 2005 The Maybach Exelero high-performance show car unveiled to the world for the first time this week is a remarkable car with an even more remarkable story behind it. The 700-hp V-12 biturbo two-seater is a unique custom model produced for tyre manufacturer Fulda Reifenwerke, which is using the Maybach Exelero as a reference vehicle for a newly developed generation of wide tyres. The German manufacturer of luxury cars built the unique model as a modern interpretation of its legendary streamlined sports car from the 1930s, thereby forging a link with the historical predecessor, which at that time was likewise based on a powerful Maybach automobile (SW 38) and used by Fulda for tyre tests. Highly recommended reading. (read more...)
Volvo YCC Concept Car wins major design award
May 6, 2005 The Volvo Cars' YCC team has received the Torsten och Wanja Soderbergs Pris (Torsten and Wanja Soderbergs Prize), one of Scandinavia's most prestigious design awards. The YCC is a Volvo concept car with unique features designed exclusively by women and it impressed the judging jury. "For their solutions for storage, accessibility, vision and the possibility to personalize the interior, the group has in a convincing way shown possible solutions for future cars," wrote the jury. (read more...)
World 100,000 mile record: 140 mph for 30 days averaging 40 mpg
May 3, 2005 With so much competition for global car sales, it helps to launch a car into the market with a significant impetus and there’s no greater testimony to the speed or reliability of a car, or boost to the desirability of a car than a world record. Accordingly, Mercedes Benz used such a feat to launch its new V6 CDI diesel engine. It had three cars picked at random off the production line, sealed, taken to a track in Texas and run continuously for 100,000 miles. Each E 320 CDI car ran flawlessly for 30 days while averaging 224 kmh (140mph) and 40 miles per gallon while satisfying all Californian CARB emission standards and stopping for a regular service - each car was serviced ten times during the run. The 26-strong team of mechanics changed the engine oil, air and diesel filters during each service stop. That should make the showroom punters take notice! Read on for the full story. (read more...)
BMW dominates French round of World Touring Car Championship
May 1, 2005 The prediction that BMW would dominate at French round of the World Touring Car Championship at the weekend (1 May 2005) at Magny Cours was born out by a total German domination in both races. In race one Jorg Muller lead the BMWs home after a spectacular start that saw Andy Priaulx overtaking Alfa Romeo's Augusto Farfus and Rickard Rydell before entering the first corner. The 2004 FIA ETCC title holder did not surrender this advantage and crossed the line in second place 2.882 seconds behind the winner. Rydell represented SEAT Sport on the podium by finishing third in his SEAT Toledo Cupra after an exciting duel with Gabriele Tarquini's Alfa Romeo. Antonio Garcia, Dirk Muller, Jordi Gene and Farfus filled the other point positions, while Peter Terting made a daring move on the very last corner of the race to overtake Fabrizio Giovanardi, enabling the German rookie to claim ninth place. (read more...)
San Marino F1 GP - Fantastic duel between Schumacher and Alonso
April 24, 2005 Fernando Alonso made it three wins in a row when he won the 62 lap San Marino Grand Prix at Imola on Sunday, but the real excitement came from his fantastic duel with Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari over the last 11 laps of the race, the pair being just 0.2s apart at the end. BAR Honda’s Jenson Button completed the top three to open his score in the championship. Though the RS25 V10 fitted to Fernando Alonso’s car became the first engine in the modern era of Formula 1 to win two consecutive races, the real message from San Marino was that Ferrari is back and that Ferrari and Michael Schumacher now have the speed to fight to retain the title. McLaren Mercedes and BAR Honda have also caught up to the speed of the Renault and the season looks set to be a pearler! (read more...)
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