Alfa Romeo to launch eight new products by 2018, increase sales to 400K units

Alfa Romeo will go back to being the brand people admire, according to CEO Harald Wester.

After a few streams of news on the various brands in the Fiat Chrysler family, here's the deluge we've been waiting for – Alfa Romeo. The legendary Italian brand is being pointed towards a renaissance, as shown by the brand's five-year plan.

The engineering team will triple within the next 18 months, to 600 people. Their goal? Develop and launch eight, Italian-built products between now and 2018, covering everything from the C-segment (compacts like the Ford Focus) to the E-segment (midsize luxury sedans like the BMW 5 Series). These vehicles would be available with both rear- and all-wheel-drive layouts. Production is being aimed at the second half of 2015, with a sales goal of 400,000 units by 2018 (that's up from just 74,000 units in 2013).

As for what kind of vehicles we should be looking for, we can expect a new midsize sedan late next year. Also arriving in 2015 is Cloverleaf, a far easier to pronounce version of Alfa's Quadrifoglio Verde range. In the past, the cloverleafed cars have traditionally represented the top-of-the-line versions of their mainstream counterparts. It's unclear if the badge will continue to serve in that role, or if Cloverleaf will become Alfa's version of M or AMG.

From 2016 to 2018, though, Alfa will launch a real product onslaught, with two compact products, two CUV/SUVs, a specialty product (likely Alfa's version of the jointly developed Mazda MX-5), a second midsize sedan and a fullsize sedan. This new breed of Alfas will boast a number of qualities when they finally arrive. According to Alfa boss Harald Wester, we can expect 50/50 weight distributions, class-exclusive power-to-weight ratios and Alfa's trademark sense of style and design.

These new vehicles will also use new, advanced and Italian-built engines, according to Wester. Two six-cylinder gas engines will be built, one we'd guess is a diesel with around 300 horsepower and the other burning gasoline to the tune of 400 to 500 hp. The gas range will be rounded out by a high-output, likely turbocharged, four-cylinder engine with 200 to 350 hp. A four-pot oil-burner developing 100 to 200 hp will likely be the best choice for economy.

The goal here? "Go back to the Alfa Romeo that people admired," Wester said during today's presentation. We wholly support that. What do you think about this plan? Is this too ambitious? Is Alfa not planning enough? Let us know in Comments. 

 

Image Credit: Copyright 2013 Matt Davis / AOL, Alfa Romeo

Ferrari to launch new model every year, keep production limited

You've no doubt perused the big news coming out of Fiat-Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI today. But at the end of the brand discussions, Sergio Marchionne spoke briefly about an incredibly important, low-volume part of the Fiat-Chrysler empire: Ferrari.

"You do need one of these cars in your driveway," Marchionne joked. And while other brand heads today lined out detailed plans for future product, Sergio's words about Ferrari's next five years were very simple, and very vague.

Marchionne confirmed that Ferrari will launch a new car every year between now and 2018. The cars will have a four-year lifecycle, after which, "M" versions will be produced, with a separate four-year cadence. No specific models were mentioned during Marchionne's presentation.

Furthermore, the Fiat-Chrysler boss confirmed that Ferrari will not break its cap of limiting production to just 7,000 units per year. This is a "willful and intended" limitation by Ferrari, Marchionne said, but did note that the Italian automaker could ramp up production to 10,000 cars per year in the future.

Finally, Marchionne talked briefly about Ferrari's value as a whole, simply saying that the brand "is not for sale." Ferrari is a "phenomenal repository of value" for Fiat. Ninety percent of Ferrari's stock sits within Fiat and its shareholders, and as Marchionne says, "That's where it belongs." 

 

Image Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL

Behind the scenes of America's most important crash test

One Car's Trip Through The IIHS Small-Front Overlap Test

The car accident, for all intents and purposes, ends in less time than it takes to blink an eye.

Twice a week researchers here conduct some of the most advanced crash testing of new vehicles in America.

In 300 milliseconds, forward momentum has stopped. Airbags have deployed. Occupants have already been cushioned by them, and started reversing course toward their seats. After colliding with a gray slab of steel, the entire left front-quarter of the Nissan Juke has sheared backward. From the side, its turquoise paint makes it look like a flash-frozen ocean wave.

A crew descends upon the wounded Juke and begins cleaning up an assortment of fluids leaking from its underbelly. An acrid smell reminiscent of gunpowder lingers in the air. Shards of plastic and glass are scattered like confetti after a ticker-tape parade.

Twice a week, this is the scene at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety where, inside a building that resembles an empty warehouse in the middle of dairy country in rural Virginia, researchers conduct some of the most advanced crash testing of new vehicles in America. Of all the crash tests conducted here in the Vehicle Research Center in Ruckersville, the one the Juke underwent last month is perhaps the most important for everyday motorists.

Image Credit: Copyright 2014 Pete Bigelow / AOL

Volvo Trucks makes some pretty strong brakes

Often dashcam footage from Russia shows some of the worst driving imaginable, but this is an exception. The Volvo truck driver in this video definitely earned himself a drink or two at the end of the day after making it through this potentially horrific crash. As do the folks at Volvo that engineered those brakes.

The truck driver shows some fantastic reaction time as the silver hatchback suddenly pulls out of an intersection. It looks like he only has a few yards to bring the behemoth to a stop before demolishing the little car. While it's an impressive feat, the best part of the video has to be the driver's bow when he gets out of the truck. He looks like a maestro who just finished conducting a symphony asking for a round of applause.

Scroll down to check out this truck driver's skills and see if he earns his bow afterward.

News Source: Anton via YouTube

 

Porsche considering X6-style Cayenne coupe

It was practically unthinkable when Porsche introduced the Cayenne in 2002. An SUV... from Porsche? Purists balked, but customers flocked, and the Cayenne propelled the its holding company into such profitability that it practically took over the entire Volkswagen Group. It's now been twelve years since the original Cayenne arrived as the first production Porsche with more than two doors, and Zuffenhausen has since followed up with the Panamera, the Macan and the second-generation Cayenne. But it isn't about to stop there.

The latest intel coming in from overseas suggests that Porsche is in the advanced stages of designing a slant-back, five-door Cayenne coupe to take on the likes of the BMW X6 and upcoming Mercedes-Benz MLC. Though the business case (however solid BMW may have already demonstrated it to be) is still being considered, if approved it would join the upcoming third-generation Cayenne on the production line in Leipzig as early as 2018 – a year after the new Cayenne itself is expected to arrive.

The Cayenne coupe would share much with the more conventional MkIII Cayenne (and for that matter the next Audi Q7 and VW Touareg as well as the Lamborghini Urus and Bentley Falcon) but differentiate itself with a more stylish (if less practical) roofline and an altogether sportier attitude. Autocar reports that the design calls for tauter sheetmetal and sportier cabin inspired by the 918 Spyder. Pricing would be positioned a good 15-20 percent higher than the regular Cayenne, and the "coupe" version would likely be offered with most, if not all of the engines available in the conventional version – including gasoline, diesel, turbo and possibly even hybrid options ranging all the way up to the 550-horsepower Turbo S.

 

News Source: Autocar

Image Credit: Copyright 2014 Michael Harley / AOL

If you truly love cars this is the best 19 minutes you will ever invest

Last year Justin Lapriore made Born of a Blue Sky, a 16-minute film that brought us the best on offer from the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. This year Lapriore returned to that tuft of greenery just south of the Georgia state line and has put together A Certain Inertia, a 20-minute sweep over the Amelia lawns, ball rooms, runway and bridge.

With McLaren celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this year, Inertia's got plenty of time for the legendary orange cars after opening up proceedings with a Ferrari 330 P4. There are also words from founder Bill Warner on why the concours is more than just about expensive, old things, and so much exhaust noise you can practically smell the racing fuel. Enjoy it all in the video below.

McLaren set to try Lotus-style double nose in Spain

McLaren could fit a Lotus-style double-pronged nose concept to their 2014 cars during this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.

After a notable dip in form for the Woking based team, AFP news agency reports that bosses Eric Boullier and Jonathan Neale have recently overseen a raft of new signings.
Dan Fallows’ aborted move from world champions Red Bull is now the subject of a legal dispute, but Peter Prodromou is definitely joining in 2015.
And AFP claims that other prominent Formula 1 aerodynamicists – Sauber’s Tony Salter and Lotus’ Guillaume Cattelani – have also been signed by McLaren.
“McLaren is composed of brilliant individuals, they have been winning many races and have been fighting for championships,” said Boullier.
“I think it is just to make sure that the same people are working together in one way with strong leadership, strong guidance and at least it will help them to recover their past success,” he added.

Now, international publications Omnicorse and Speed Week report that McLaren’s 2014 car could be set for a dramatic aerodynamic overhaul this weekend in Barcelona.
Earlier, Williams’ Pat Symonds said he suspected other teams would be looking into designing their own versions of the innovative asymmetrical nose used at the front of the 2014 Lotus.
“Lotus have been haemorrhaging employees from all departments over the last few months, so I think all of the teams had an idea of where they were going,” he said.
Omnicorse claim that the solution has been in the wind tunnel at Woking for some time.
“We have also looked at several interpretations [of the double nose],” admitted Symonds, “but some of them simply did not fit with our car.” (GMM)
Subbed by AJN.

Does McLaren lack of performance comes from Mercedes ?

Wolff: I am convinced that what McLaren learns is being exchanged with Honda

Toto Wolff suspects that McLaren will pass on knowledge about the Mercedes V6 turbo engine to its 2015 engine supplier Honda, therefore maybe Mercedes is not offering its total package to Mclaren.

This year, Mercedes is in the awkward situation of being contractually bound to supply its industry-leading new technology to McLaren, whilst knowing the the British team are already setting up their new works relationship with Honda.
When asked by Auto Motor und Sport how much information about Mercedes has already passed from Woking to Japan, team boss Eric Boullier smiled whilst insisting: “Nothing!”
Indeed, correspondent Tobias Gruner insists Mercedes is “using every means” to prevent Honda from learning from McLaren’s final year with Mercedes.
But Wolff claimed: “I am convinced that what McLaren learns is being exchanged with Honda in the context of what is allowed.”



He said that McLaren’s own telemetry will allow Honda engineers to see information about things like torque, power delivery and drive-ability.
“And also what is needed for cooling, hydraulics, electronics – all these things are of course passed on,” said Wolff.
Wolff said he trusts McLaren – famously fined $100 million by the FIA for the 2007 ‘spygate’ scandal – to stick to what is allowed as it moves from Mercedes to Honda power.
“We have a very clear understanding of what can be disclosed and what cannot, but I am convinced that they acknowledge the partnership and the confidentiality that they enjoy as a client today,” he added.



Wolff also acknowledged that even the transfer of some information will not overcome Honda’s inherent “disadvantage” of only returning to Formula 1 in 2015.
“Honda has a natural disadvantage,” he said, “because they are coming into the sport when everyone else has already been [in the V6 era] for a year,” he said.
At the same time, he also thinks that rivals Ferrari and Renault will be closer to Mercedes next year.
“Our concepts are very different,” said Wolff, “but the others will certainly catch up a lot, because they have information about how our engine runs when they see it on the track.
“Next year the field will automatically be closer,” he added. (GMM)

Spain has been a happy hunting ground for Ferrari over the years

Fernando Alonso won the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix

Sunday sees the 44th Spanish Grand Prix take place at the Circuit de Catalunya and for Scuderia Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso it’s his home race.
A year ago he triumphed here after a winning drive, that was partly down to a very on-form F138, which also helped Felipe Massa make it to the third step of the podium.
Since the Spanish Grand Prix was first held in 1951 at Pedralbes, Barcelona, Ferrari has won the race 12 times, which is a 28% hit rate. The first victory came here in 1954, courtesy of Mike Hawthorn.
When the race returned to the calendar in 1968, it was held at Jarama on the outskirts of Madrid. Here in 1974, Ferrari won thanks to Niki Lauda who, at the wheel of a 312 B3-74. Niki also took pole position and the race fastest lap.

Gilles Villeneuve winner at Jarama in 1981

The last time the Spanish GP was held at Jarama in 1981, it produced one of Gilles Villeneuve’s greatest performances. At the wheel of a 126 CK, he drove an incredible race, holding up a whole train of cars that were faster than his in the corners, but not on the straights, where the Ferrari managed to hold its own.
In the Ligier, Jaques Laffite pulled alongside him several times through the turns, but on the straights, Villeneuve managed to keep ahead of the Frenchman. The race result paints an accurate picture of the race, as the top five all finished within 1.240 seconds.
In 1986, the Spanish Grand Prix made Jerez de la Frontera its home. Ferrari put its name on the winner’s trophy in 1990, with Alain Prost first past the flag, which opened up the title fight again with Ayrton Senna, who had to retire his McLaren.
The grand prix’s current home is the Catalunya circuit, at Montmelo, on the outskirts of Barcelona. Ferrari and Michael Schumacher racked up a lot of wins here, including the German’s first ever victory with the Scuderia, when he was majestic in atrociously wet conditions in 1996.

2004 Spanish Grand Prix winner Michael Schumacher

The Schumacher-Ferrari combination also triumphed in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. In 2007, victory went to Felipe Massa. On that day, Fernando Alonso got away well in the McLaren, with the Spaniard trying to pass the Brazilian at the first corner.
However, Felipe never lifted off, the F2007 and the McLaren collided and Alonso ended up in the run-off area. The following year, victory went to Kimi Raikkonen, with Massa completing a one-two for the Scuderia.
In its time, the Spanish GP has also been held at the Montjuich street circuit, again in Barcelona. Tragedy struck here in 1975, when five people were killed by Rolf Stommelen in the Hill.
The race was also notable as it is, to date, the only time a woman driver has finished in the points, that honour going to the Italian Lella Lombardi, who was sixth in the March. (Ferrari)

2013 GP2 Champion Fabio Leimer $14 million could not buy him a seat with Sauber

Even with a hefty $14 million in his hand, reigning GP2 Series champion Fabio Leimer could not buy his way into Formula 1 this season.
The 25-year-old Swiss, who will instead race sports cars in 2014, is substantially backed by his wealthy long-time sponsor Rainer Gantenbein.

The veteran correspondent for Blick newspaper, Roger Benoit, claims Gantenbein offered Sauber almost $14 million in exchange for one of the Hinwil based team’s race seats this year.
But Leimer has reportedly told some insiders that Sauber’s counter-proposal was no less than $28 million – slightly less than what Esteban Gutierrez’s Mexican backers pay.
Instead, Sauber signed the experienced Adrian Sutil to be Gutierrez’s new teammate. But Benoit claims that Sutil’s seat for 2015 is in doubt.

He said that Reserve Driver Giedo van der Garde and his Dutch sponsors are promising “many millions” to Sauber for a race seat next year.
A sign that the 29-year-old van der Garde may even have a “preliminary agreement” with Sauber is the fact that not only will he be in action on Friday morning in Barcelona, but also during the post-race test at the same Spanish Grand Prix venue. (GMM)

TUDOR: Van Overbeek takes pole for Laguna Seca doubleheader

Johannes van Overbeek Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Sports Cars TUDOR Championship TUDOR United SportsCar Championship

Sunday’s doubleheader will start at 1 p.m. ET with the PC/GTD race and will be followed by the P/GTLM race at 5:30 p.m. ET. (Photo: Scott R LePage/LAT Photographic)

Johannes van Overbeek captured the overall and Prototype class pole for Sunday’s Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix in his No. 2 Extreme Speed Motorsports HPD ARX-03b, in a thrilling battle with Richard Westbrook for the top spot.

Meanwhile Antonio Garcia took Corvette Racing to its second straight TUDOR United SportsCar Championship pole – after co-driver Jan Magnussen did so in Long Beach – in GT Le Mans.


Prototype:

“JVO,” who led second practice, and Westbrook in the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP traded fastest laps at a breakneck pace during the 15-minute session. But van Overbeek’s 1:18.561, set on his ninth timed lap, beat Westbrook’s 1:18.788.
Van Overbeek will share with Ed Brown, Westbrook with Michael Valiante on Sunday.
The second ESM HPD, of Ryan Dalziel and Scott Sharp, starts third with OAK Racing’s No. 42 Morgan Nissan of Gustavo Yacaman and Alex Brundle making it three P2-spec cars in the top four overall.

FL man facing $48,000 fine for operating cell phone jammer in his Toyota

Sometimes one man's great idea is everyone else's idea of a huge breach of the law. Using a phone while driving is completely legal in Florida, but it still bothered Jason R. Humphreys. He responded by allegedly operating a cellphone jammer from his Toyota Highlander for about two years until Federal Communications Commission officers and sheriffs finally caught him.

Humphreys' device wasn't discovered until a cellphone carrier noticed regular interference in its towers along a 12-mile stretch of Interstate 4 around Tampa, FL. The company contacted the FCC to investigate, and it identified the vehicle with direction-finding equipment. According to Network World, when sheriffs pulled the Toyota over, their radios stopped working to contact the dispatcher, and they found the jammer under a cover in the backseat.

While it may seem relatively harmless, operating a cellphone jammer is quite illegal in the US. Humphreys is charged with allegedly operating the device and causing interference. However, the FCC only fined him for one violation each, totaling $48,000. The organization could have levied as much as $337,000 because he blocked signals for so long.

 

News Source: Network World via The Truth About Cars

Image Credit: Roslan Rahman / AFP / Getty Images

How the UAW could still organize VW's Chattanooga plant

The battle for the unionization of Volkswagen's Chattanooga factory is far from over. So say a number of labor experts who spoke to Reuters about the UAW and its failed bid to organize the factory's workers. This report comes barely a week after the union surprisingly dropped its appeal of the original vote.

According to experts like Larry Drapkin, a labor attorney in Los Angeles, instead of pushing for a large, factory-wide vote, the UAW could attempt to infiltrate smaller sections of the factory that are segregated from the greater workforce. The body shop, which is apparently pro-union, could be a prime target for the UAW.

The downside to this plan is that, like a factory-wide vote, it couldn't be done until February 2015, thanks to the guidelines of the National Labor Relations Board. The other option completely cuts out the NLRB, in favor of a neutral third party. The vote could be held either with the factory's entire workforce participating or just a portion, and it could be held without waiting a year.

The UAW could also push for a mix of both the "private" election and the segmented approach, according to one professor, who spoke to Reuters. "Through a private election, the UAW might want to carve out a group of workers among whom it has considerable support. That's a possible strategy," said Gary Chaison, a professor of industrial relations at Clark University in Massachusetts.

Finally, the UAW could opt for a card check, which we've explained before. "The issue is do you use the government NLRB route, which the employer can insist on, or do you, as an employer and a union, agree to do some other method that legally may be used to determine the wishes of the employees," Ron Meisburg, a former NLRB member, told Reuters.

In the end, the best scenario for VW and the UAW might just be to wait a year, and hold a secret ballot vote with the backing of the NLRB, which Meisburg says has "the highest degree of integrity."

 

News Source: Reuters

Lotus names Jean-Marc Gales as new CEO

It's been about two years since DRB-Hicom took over Proton, and through it Lotus. One of its first courses of action was to fire the existing CEO, Dany Bahar, and proceed to scrap most if not all of his (arguably over-) ambitious plans. In his place they put one of their own – Aslam Farikullah – as Chief Operation Officer, but now the Malaysian-owned British automaker has attracted an industry heavyweight to lead it into the future.

That heavyweight is Jean-Marc Gales. The British- and German-educated Luxembourgian has spent the past couple of years running the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), but may be better known for his previous posting as CEO of PSA Peugeot Citroën between 2009 and 2012, during which time he introduced the Citroën DS line, amongst others, and increased the French automaker's sales. Before PSA he worked for Daimler, General Motors and Volkswagen.

As the new Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus, Gales will face the difficult task of growing a business based on three models – the Elise, Exige and Evora – that date back to 1996, 2000 and 2009, respectively. Whether he'll push for new models like his predecessor did remains to be seen, but he'd be wise to learn from Bahar's mistakes and avoid overextending what has always been a relatively small automaker.

News Source: Lotus

Prosecutors question Ecclestone’s blackmail defence

Bernie Ecclestone

German prosecutors cast doubt on assertions by Bernie Ecclestone that he had been the victim of extortion when the Formula 1 boss returned to court on Friday in a bribery trial where he faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

The 83-year-old Briton is accused of bribing now-jailed banker Gerhard Gribkowsky by channelling $44 million (26.08 million pounds) to him in return for smoothing the sale of a stake in Formula One to the private equity firm CVC, eight years ago.
They say that Ecclestone favoured CVC as the new owner because it was committed to keeping him on as chief executive of a business he had built into a global money spinner over the previous three decades.

Ecclestone admits making multi-million dollar payments to Gribkowsky but says this was to silence the German who he said was threatening to make false claims about his tax status that could have jeopardised his fortune.

“It was never really clear what form this threat could have taken,” said Martin Bauer, a public prosecutor who took evidence from Ecclestone after the arrest of Gribkowsky in 2011.
Bauer said that Ecclestone had spoken merely of Gribkowsky being able to “make things uncomfortable” for him without specifying how. Ecclestone, who denied wrongdoing when he went on trial last week, followed Friday’s proceedings through an interpreter.
Gribkowsky was the former chief risk officer at state-owned BayernLB which owned a 47 percent stake in Formula One before the sale to CVC in 2006.

Ecclestone’s legal team argued on Friday that the Briton should not have been accused of bribing a public official – a specific crime that carries a heavy penalty under German law.
“When you are standing by the side of a racetrack in Shanghai, you are not working as a civil servant any more,” said lawyer Sven Thomas, referring to the way Gribkowsky had become involved in the running of Formula One.

Bribery as part of a business transaction has a narrower definition under German law, something that could increase the chances of an acquittal.
The former used-car salesman, who is fighting to save his job and reputation, is required to attend every session in a case that will be heard once or twice a week to fit around his Formula One commitments and is set to run until mid-September.

CVC, the largest shareholder in Formula One, have said that they will dismiss Ecclestone if he is found guilty.

Despite his age, Ecclestone attends almost every grand prix race and remains central to the sport’s commercial success. He has always dismissed talk of retirement, and there is no obvious replacement when he does finally quit or is forced out.
Gribkowsky was jailed for eight years and six months in 2012 for tax evasion and corruption in relation to payments from Ecclestone. The German is expected to give evidence when the court sits next Friday.(Reuters)

Smirnoff added to Force India livery

Force India has added a major new sponsor to the sidepods of its 2014 Formula 1 cars.
Last month, the Silverstone based team denied that they were set to split with its title sponsor and co-owner Sahara, after the company’s  chief Subrata Roy was jailed for failing to pay refunds to investors.

At the same time, the sidepods of the VJM07 were changed from orange to black, and the ‘Sahara’ branding was initially removed before returning in China.
Now, Force India has revealed it will replace the Sahara branding on the sidepods with the word ‘Smirnoff’, confirming a new sponsorship deal with the well-known vodka label.
A team statement said that Smirnoff logos will also appear on the rear wing and top of the chassis.

Interestingly, Smirnoff is owned by the British alcohol multinational Diageo, who are bidding for full control of Force India owner Vijay Mallya’s spirits company United Spirits.

Diageo already owns 29 per cent of Mallya’s company.
The Hindustan Times newspaper explained that Diageo has recently been upping its presence in “emerging markets” like India, while Mallya is “burdened with huge debts” at his grounded airline Kingfisher. (GMM)

Matech Ford GTs to make U.S. debut at Carlisle

The only four Matech Ford GT1 cars left in the world will be presented in their original race liveries at the 2014 Carlisle car show. (Photo courtesy Carlisle Events)

Ford was already set to make headlines at the 2014 Carlisle Events in Carlisle, Pa. this June, with the company celebrating its 110th anniversary as well as the 50th anniversary of the Mustang.

Now add to that list the only four Matech Ford GT1 cars in the world, rolling out onto U.S. soil for the first ever time.
Matech Concepts build these cars in 2009, modeling them off of the modern Ford GT. It was the ambition of team owner, Martin Bartek, to have the Ford GT race again in the 24 hours of Le Mans.

Bartek’s ambitions were realized in 2010 when three of the Matech cars competed in the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans, with one of them placing in the top five in the LMGT1 division.
The cars since scored a 1-2-3 finish in the 1000 kilometers of Spa-Francorchamps, and F1 driver Romain Grosjean has taken one to victory in Abu Dhabi and Brno. Since then, the cars have been restored and repainted into their original 2010 race liveries.
The cars feature Roush-Yates 650 horsepower 5.3 liter V8s, full carbon fiber bodies, six-speed sequential gearboxes and are capable of up to 200 mph. These four cars are the only remaining Matech Ford GT1s in the world, as two others were destroyed during competition in 2010.

In addition to the unveiling and showcasing of the cars, there will be regular engine runs during the Carlisle Event, and Ford encourages fans to bring their ear plugs.

This year’s Carlisle Events will be held from June 6-8.

Maldonado paid $25 million to leave Williams

Maldonado during qualifying for the 2013 Brazilian GP, his final race with Williams. (Photo: Getty Images)

A $25 million termination payment from Pastor Maldonado’s sponsor helped Williams to drive back into profit.

The publicly-listed British team released its 2013 financial results on Friday, showing a $20m operating profit despite a poor season on track.


The British-based Telegraph newspaper said the result was helped by a one-off termination payment made by the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA, who wanted to move their backing of driver Maldonado to the Lotus team for 2014.

The report said the payment “is believed to be in the region of $25m,” in the wake of a more than $8 million loss recorded by Williams just a year ago.

“We made good progress commercially through the winter months and Williams continues to attract an enthusiastic and very loyal group of partners and fans,” team boss Sir Frank Williams said in Friday’s statement.

“These annual results demonstrate that we continue to manage our business in a fiscally responsible way and provide the foundation from which we can continue to grow.
“We have started the 2014 Formula 1 season well and hope we can continue to improve our performance,” he added.

FIA WEC: Toyota wins Six Hours of Spa

(Anthony Davidson, Nicolas Lapierre and Sébastien Buemi pick off the second consecutive FIA

 WEC victory for Toyota at Spa. (Photo courtesy Vincent Wouters)

Toyota earned back-to-back FIA World Endurance Championship victories with a commanding win in Saturday’s Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.

Nicolas Lapierre took the No. 8 Toyota TS040 Hybrid to a 1 minute and 13-second victory over Loic Duval’s No. 1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro, in a race that saw an early challenge from Porsche until both of the 919 Hybrids ran into trouble.


Audi, meanwhile, struggled in the early stages but showed encouraging moments in the second half. But it wasn’t enough to derail the Japanese manufacturer from another near-perfect run, in the dress rehearsal to next month’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Lapierre shared the winning Toyota with Anthony Davidson and Sebastien Buemi, whose middle stint solidified their advantage, just as the remaining contending Porsche faltered.
While the No. 14 Porsche stretched out into an early lead, the Neel Jani, Marc Lieb and Romain Dumas-driven entry lost its advantage by the second hour due to Lieb stalling the car in the pits, which propelled Buemi to the lead.

The real trouble, however, struck with two-and-a-half hours to go when Dumas slowed on track with electrical issues. With the guidance of his crew, the Frenchman managed to solve the glitch on-board but dropped from second to fourth as a result and crucially one lap behind.
Porsche’s misfortunes opened up the door for the No. 1 Audi, which along with its sister diesel-powered prototypes, struggled for speed and fuel mileage, to finish second in the hands of Duval, Tom Kristensen and Lucas di Grassi.

Source : Speed

Nurburgring 101 : Why you really shouldn't lift in the Foxhole

The Nürburgring Nordschleife is full of dangerous corners. But danger is proportional to speed and barrier proximity. And nowhere on a tourist lap of the 'ring is a corner faster or closer to the barriers than the Foxhole.

Today's first major track closure was the result of this driver's error. It's a simple one that I've seen more times than I care to remember.

Don't. Lift.

As the car runs wide (possibly a product of excess speed, incorrect line or a mix of the two) the driver comes off the gas. The weight throws forward, the back axle goes light. The steering is pointing left, the rear axle rotates into the grass and it's all over except for the Bongard truck.

A balanced to positive throttle is what you need to pull the car through. And if you were too fast, then there's not so much you can do except let it slide (but in a controlled manner).

Post-game analysis is easy to do. What's not so easy is pulling yourself out of a half-dozen airbags covered in broken glass.

My sincere thoughts and commiserations with the hapless driver of this Golf. He was up and about after the accident, but I still think he'll be sore in the morning.

Toyota GT86 turbo, convertible, sedan variants back on the table

 

Okay Toyota, make up your mind. Figure it out. Quit playing games with our heart. Either build a bunch of variations of the excellent GT86 (also known as the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ) or don't. At this point, we're just tired of the back and forth. After no shortage of denials, an Australian website is claiming that Toyota is reconsidering convertible, four-door, turbocharged and all-wheel-drive hybrid variants of the GT86. Kindly pass all the salt.

It's not that we don't want to believe the Aussies; we do. But when the story lists the same "sources in Japan" as a lot of the other denials and confirmations about GT86/BRZ/FR-S variants, well, there's a certain sense of the "Boy That Cried Wolf," here. Ignoring all that, then, what does Motoring.com.au claim to know?

Sources claim the GT86 Convertible will arrive in October 2014, while the turbocharged and hybrid sedans are slated for 2016.

Well, the GT86 sedan will be stretched by just a shade over 20 inches. It's unclear if this is in reference to the wheelbase or the car's overall length. It will also be 3.9 inches taller, while retaining the coupe's width.

Two engines will be on offer for this hypothetical four-door. The range-topping model will get a Subaru-sourced, 2.5-liter, turbocharged flat-four, with 295 horsepower. That sounds a lot like the WRX STI's engine. The boxer mill will be tied to an eight-speed automatic – it's not mentioned if a manual will be available. The same engine will make its way to the GT86 Coupe.

The other engine is a hybrid – likely a Toyota hybrid system that's been made to play nice with the flat-four in the Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid. In-wheel electric motors will deliver drive power to the front wheels, giving the GT86 Sedan all-wheel drive. Both models will arrive in 2016, although the turbo will precede the hybrid by a few months.

Now, the GT86 Coupe is already priced a few thousand US dollars higher in Australia, so if these alleged variants were to make it across the Pacific, we could expect slightly lower prices. Still, we imagine any $40,000-plus FR-S would be a tough sell.

As for the convertible, Motoring is claiming it'll arrive in October of this year, and will retain the coupe's 2.0-liter, flat-four engine, despite a 66-pound weight penalty, thanks to its electric canvas roof. This doesn't address Subaru's apparent refusal to do a convertible BRZ.

As we said, all of this should be taken with many, many grains of salt. We've been subjected to many rumors about Toyota and Subaru's sports car dating back to its very birth. So far, none of them have proven true (if they had, we'd have had a convertible by now). Still, if Motoring is correct, we could be in for a very exciting few years with this little rear-driver.

 

News Source: Motoring.com.au

LaFerrari XX coming early next year with F1 engine

With the embargo up on early reviews, the repetitively named Ferrari LaFerrari has become the supercar du jour. It has already been put through its paces by Top Gear and Evo. However, we know that Ferrari isn't done with development of its current halo model just yet. News continues to leak out about the even more hardcore LaFerrari XX track car.

Ferrari already confirmed directly to Autoblog that the XX is under development. There are even spy photos of it testing at the Nürburgring (pictured above). It reportedly clocked an astonishingly fast six-minute, 35-second lap at the historic track. The latest scuttlebutt about the track-focused supercar, according to Top Gear, is that it ditches standard car's hybrid 6.3-liter V12 engine with a combined output of 949 horsepower and 663 pound-feet of torque in favor of a Formula One-derived V6 turbo hybrid. That would be a huge change but would likely cut weight. The more insane LaFerrari could debut as soon as January or February of next year.

Ferrari says it's difficult to make the XX accelerate much quicker than a standard LaFerrari, but slick tires, revised suspension and aero changes should cut lap times. A version that doesn't have to worry about road car laws and just focuses on being fast could be truly mental.

 

News Source: Top Gear

Image Credit: CarPix

Callaway debuts its new C7 Stingray at National Corvette Museum

Callaway showed off its first tuned version of the 2014 Corvette Stingray at the National Corvette Museum last week, giving the rampant enthusiasts of America's sports car a look at the roughly 620-horsepower, supercharged rocket.

Unlike the Corvette SC610 we showed you back in January, this Stingray packs a fair bit more oomph. Horsepower is only up ten ponies, but torque has jumped from 556 pound-feet to "at least" 600 pound-feet. Neither horsepower nor torque is official quite yet, although Callaway is expecting to know just what its creation can do once testing and validation is completed later this month.

The 6.2-liter, supercharged V8 now boasts a new, three-element intercooler, which Callaway claims only allowed the inlet air temperature to increase by ten degrees Fahrenheit during dyno runs. Previous designs saw a 35-degree-Fahrenheit jump. The exhaust system has also been fettled with, and now is even less restrictive.

Aesthetically, the Callaway Corvette borrowed a styling cue from the C6 Corvette ZR1, with its engine protruding through the hood. It's a rather clean look, and Callaway claims it further improves heat transfer.

The total cost for the 2014 Callaway Corvette is $22,995, in addition to the cost of a donor Corvette.

News Source: Callaway

Former Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney killed in car crash

Nigel Stepney during his Ferrari years

Former Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney, who was sacked by the Italian Formula 1 team after being accused of sabotage and leaking confidential data to McLaren in 2007, has died in a road accident, his sportscar team has said.
The JRM team said that their technical director and team manager was killed on Friday morning.
Kent Police said in a separate statement that a 56-year-old, confirmed by the team to be Stepney, was hit by a truck at 1.28 am after stopping his van on the hard shoulder of the M20 motorway at Ashford.
“For reasons yet to be established, the man appears to have entered the carriageway and was then in collision with an articulated goods vehicle. He was pronounced deceased at the scene,” the police said.
McLaren were fined a record $100 million by the International Automobile Federation and stripped of all their constructors’ points in 2007 after being found guilty of possessing a 780-page dossier of Ferrari data.
Stepney and McLaren’s then-chief designer Mike Coughlan, who had the information at his home, were sacked by their teams.

Nigel Stepney with Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn in 2006

The FIA took no formal action against Stepney, since he was not a licence holder of the governing body, but recommended that teams should have no professional ties with him for two years.
He never worked in Formula One again.
Ferrari had also accused their employee of attempted sabotage, allegations Stepney denied. The team had claimed that a mysterious powder was found around the fuel caps of both their cars before the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix.
Some of the same powder turned up in Stepney’s trouser pocket but the Briton said that he was set up.
In 2010, an Italian court sentenced Stepney to a 20 months in jail, as well as a € 600 fine, but a plea bargain meant he did not have to serve any time.
Before the ‘Spygate’ affair, one of the biggest scandals to hit Formula One in the modern era, Stepney had an impressive Formula One resume.
He had worked with Brazilian Ayrton Senna at Lotus and was at Ferrari when Michael Schumacher won five world championships in a row between 2000 and 2004. (Reuters)
Subbed by AJN.

Top Gear : First drive the new Lamborghini Huracan

The Gallardo’s 602bhp replacement is here. Can it outgun the Ferrari 458 and McLaren 650S?

 

What is it?
It's a big one: Lamborghini's replacement for the best-selling car in its history. In over a decade of production, Lambo shifted 14,022 Gallardos, accounting for more than half of all the cars sold in the brands half-century existence. The all-new Huracan, then, has some pretty big boots to fill.

Is it really all-new?
It would be wrong to dismiss this as a refreshed Gallardo. Very wrong. In a marketplace containing the Ferrari 458 and McLaren’s 650S, anything other than a radical refresh of Lamborghini’s V10 formula would have the Huracan entering an automotive battleground severely outgunned.

So what's new then?
Pretty much everything. The Huracan features an all-new chassis structure, new suspension with new controlling electronics, new steering, a heavily revised engine and – maybe most significantly – a new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox to replace the Gallardo’s clunking robotised manual. There's a new four-wheel drive system and new cabin, too. Point is, while it might not look radically different from the outside, this is a completely new car.
The Huracan, like the McLaren, uses RTM carbonfibre for its rear bulkhead, central tunnel and the rear part of the sills. From the rear bulkhead backwards, the frame is aluminium, like the 458 and the 650S. It's also aluminium from the base of the windscreen forwards, while body panels are made from aluminium, too. The chassis, then, is 10 per cent lighter than that of the Gallardo, but 50 per cent more rigid.

Tell me about the engine...
The good news is that Lamborghini has stuck to its roots in the engine department. In a supercar world increasingly turning to forced induction for performance, the Huracan is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10, which delivers 602bhp to all four wheels through that new double-clutcher.
All of which means the Huracan will smash 0-62mph in 3.2sec, hit 124mph in 9.9sec, and reach a v-max of ‘over 200mph’, while drowning the surrounding countryside beneath one of the most iconic engine noises of the modern age, utterly unadulterated by forced induction. Good news.
Other good news comes in the form of the Huracan’s torque curve, with no less than 75 per cent of the V10's 413lb ft available from just 1000rpm. Proof, if you needed it, that you can have low-end torque without turbos. A dry weight of 1422kg sees the Huracan deliver a power to weight of 423bhp per tonne, well north of the 458’s 378bhp per tonne and just a fraction behind the 12C.

Doesn’t it look a bit… sensible?
Truth is, Lamborghini has been the victim of its own success in the design department. During more than a decade in production, the Gallardo spawned some 40 different iterations, sprouting ever more aggressive wing packs as it aged.
Throw in the motor-show headline acts that are the Veneno, Aventador J and the Sesto Elemento, and the design of the ‘base’ Huracan was always in danger of looking a trifle safe.
But surely it’s the Aventador’s job to be the shock and awe of the supercar world, a job it does mighty well? The Huracan must appeal to a broader church, and while initial pictures may not have had the hairs on the back of your neck standing up, in the flesh it’s far finer: subtle yet striking. But be in no doubt though: this is merely the start of a genus of derivatives that will mutate in ever more aggressive directions.

What's it like on the inside?
As you drop into the driver's seat you're met a familiar, effective origami of aggressive lines. The Audi underpinnings might have robbed Lamborghini of a little Italian originality, but this interior exudes a quality that used to be a distant dream for Sant’Agata.
There's a new full-TFT screen (shared with the Audi TT, but with Lamborghini's own bespoke graphics) that you can configure to major on the rev counter, speedo or nav. Very clever.
The interior is surprisingly button-light, with most key functions including indicators and wipers now nestled on the steering wheel, like the 458. At the bottom of the wheel lurks a button Lamborghini describes as ‘Anima’. This translates as ‘soul’ and features three settings: Strada, Sport and Corsa.
These alter the parameters of the magnetorheological dampers, steering and traction settings, with Strada and Sport modes also making the V10 pop and bang hilariously on the over-run. Nice.
Visibility through the rear-view mirror is virtually non-existent, but can be improved by optioning the glass rear deck. This not only improves your view, but far more importantly puts the V10 on full display.
Driving a Lamborghini should feel like an event, and the start procedure for the Huracan is pure supercar theatre. Slam the door, flick the red ‘missile arm’ toggle forwards to reveal the pulsating start/stop button, press and you send the V10 barking to life. All is well in the world.

So how does it drive?
Our first shot in the Huracan is at the Ascari track under the baking glare of the Spanish sun. I'm led out by a Lamborghini test drivers in a lime green Aventador Roadster. After a sighting lap the pace builds, and as I uncoil the Huracan, two things become immediately clear. First, that the Huracan has traded in none of the Gallardo’s trademark Lamborghini DNA. The V10 is a fabulous accompaniment to proceedings and the perfect advert for the purity of a naturally aspirated engine, snarling its way to the 8500rpm with relish.
Secondly, the Huracan has a suppleness to its suspension that distinguishes it from the opposition. As the laps accumulate and the speed builds, it’s a suppleness that inspires real confidence, helping TG to stay pinned to the back of that Aventador in all but Ascari’s longest straight. This is a seriously rapid car.
The instant response of the new gearbox is fabulous, and a quantum leap forwards from the Gallardo’s thunky transmission. As are the stability systems, which Lambo says utilise the same technology that keeps complex fighter jets aloft, a fiendish combination of three accelerometers and three gyros. Well, if it's good enough for the EuroFighter...
Confident in the fact that there's a 4WD safety net in place, it’s easy to dig into the Huracan’s chassis capabilities. Dive into a corner too deep and initially the front end will wash wide, but counter that on the throttle and the nose nips back into line as the four-wheel drive system juggles torque between front and rear, dragging you out of the bend and down to the next braking zone. The carbon ceramic brakes are fabulously strong, too, hauling the Huracan down from triple-figure speeds time and time again without fading.
The car we drove featured Lamborghini’s new active electric steering, which varies in rate depending upon ‘Anima’ setting, and can make minor adjustments to steering angle at the limit if necessary. Thankfully the active element is unobtrusive, and for 99 per cent of the time, 99 per cent of Huracan owners will merely be aware of a nicely weighted lightness to the steering in all types of driving.
After four track sessions it's clear the Huracan is a huge leap forward from its predecessor. This is a car that positively encourages you investigate the depths of its talents, and flatters you throughout the process. It's a car that knows its audience: those who want a car with huge potential, but enough of a buffer to encourage them closer to the limit.

What about on the road?
Just as impressive. The Huracan is as cheery pottering about at low revs in seventh as it is blistering down a mountain pass with a speed and surety that few can rival. It’s a car that’d destroy a trans-continental trek before eking every micron of grip from your favourite back road. It is, in other words, a supercar for the real world, if such a thing exists.
It was bone-dry during our time with the Huracan, but soon enough we'll find out how it handles a damp British B-road. I have no doubt it will shine. The pliancy of its ride, combined with the grip served through the 4WD and traction systems, could make this the supercar of choice for the UK. Time will tell. On the downside, those on-wheel indicator buttons are fiddly and annoying.

How does it compare to the Ferrari and McLaren?
According to the official numbers, the Huracan will split the 458 and 650S (on P-Zero Corsa tyres) on a 0-62mph dash, getting there a tenth of a second ahead of the Ferrari but two-tenths behind the McLaren. The Huracan’s top speed is identical to the Ferrari at 202mph, though the Lambo can’t match the McLaren’s 207mph max.

So if pub stats are all you care about, the 650S is a marginally faster braggin’ wagon. But supercars are about more than pure maths. They’re about drama, too, and Lamborghinis have been delivering high theatre since the 350GT first turned a wheel. The Huracan delivers more of the same.

Its uncluttered exterior might disappoint those who hoped the Huracan would be a production version of the Sesto Elemento. But the more time I spent with the shape, the more I loved it, and that sophisticated simplicity masks a car that oozes adrenaline from every pore.
By spurning the trend towards turbochargers, Lamborghini ran the risk of being outclassed in the performance credentials. No chance of that. The V10 is a masterpiece, not only dishing more than enough power to keep the 458 and 650S honest, but also delivering the life and soul of the Lamborghini experience. Chuck in that sublime new transmission, four-wheel drive, stability systems that can not only keep fighter jets in the air but subtly convince you of your own Driving God status, and it’s clear the Huracan is a mighty thorn in the side of the opposition.

-----
Lamborghini Huracan: the specs

Engine:
5204cc 40v V10, direct injection, 602bhp @ 8,250rpm, 413lb ft @ 6,500rpm
Transmission:
Seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, four-wheel drive
Performance:0-62mph in 3.2 seconds
Top speed:
202mph
Weight:
1532kg
Dimensions:
4459mm long, 1924mm wide, 1165mm tall

The best Senna tribute ever

Corinthians players paid the world's best Ayrton Senna tribute

Thursday 1 May marked 20 years since the tragic death of Ayrton Senna at the San Marino GP. Sportsmen and women worldwide joined in commemoration of the great man, with Brazilian football club Corinthians' tribute standing out as the very best.

The entire team walked onto the pitch, lined up and donned replica versions of Senna's trademark yellow-and-green racing helmet. Senna was a fan of Sao Paulo-based Corinthians, and the team appeared to summon his win-at-all-costs spirit in the ensuing, thrashing Nacional 3-0 in the Copa do Brasil.

Well done, chaps.

Infographic reconstructs Senna's miracle drive at Donington

Alonso and Raikkonen lead thousands of fans at Imola 1994 memorial

Thousands of fans joined Formula 1 drivers past and present on Thursday in marking the 20th anniversary of the death of Ayrton Senna at the Italian circuit where the triple champion crashed 20 years ago.
They thronged the track to observe a minute’s silence at the Tamburello corner at 2.17 p.m., the moment the Brazilian’s Williams ploughed into the wall while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
Many carried flags and some pointed to the sky, as Senna did when he won, in remembrance, before breaking into applause when the minute ended.
Austrian rookie Roland Ratzenberger had died the day before Senna, when he crashed during qualifying, and the two remain the last driver fatalities during a grand prix weekend.



The circuit near Bologna was opened to the public with tribute events scheduled in Imola, including a memorial football match and the naming of a square, over the next four days. According to organisers, some 20,000 people attended on Thursday.
A mass, attended by Ratzenberger’s parents, was held on Wednesday night.
“It’s so emotional for us because it’s a long time and still the love from the people is very alive,” Senna’s niece Paula, representing the family, told Reuters Television.
“It seems like Ayrton is living inside people’s hearts, so it’s beautiful.”
Current Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, as well as Senna’s friend and former McLaren team mate Gerhard Berger, were among those present at the track named after the late Enzo Ferrari and his son Dino.
“For me he was an idol. I was a kid who rode karts, and back then I watched the news and saw that it was always him winning with his yellow helmet on,” said double world champion Alonso, who was 12 when Senna died. “That was what hit me the most.



“I had his poster on my wardrobe and it’s a shame that I never got to know him or race against him, but the number of people here at Imola… is a testament to his impact. He will always be immortal.”
Senna’s favourite Sao Paulo soccer team Corinthians donned replicas of his distinctive yellow, green and black helmet before the start of a Cup match against Nacional in Manaus on Wednesday.
Social media was flooded with tributes, recollections and an outpouring of affection for a driver held up as one of the greatest, if not the greatest of champions.
“He was the best and most charismatic race driver F1 has ever had,” said Austria’s triple champion Niki Lauda, now non-executive chairman of the Mercedes team. “He had personality, he was fast and he had charisma. No wonder that he won everything.”
Italian MotoGP great Valentino Rossi spoke on Twitter of Senna as “an inspiration, and even if 20 years have passed his spirit lives on in all racing riders and drivers.”



Jean Todt, the president of the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA), said in an address delivered on his behalf that the fight to improve safety would never cease and that there could be no complacency.
“No matter how secure we may feel that injuries and fatalities are a thing of the past, the battle for completely safe racing is never won,” he said.
“The untimely deaths of these two superb sportsmen served as a wake-up call for all of us,” added the Frenchman.
“Perhaps the greatest legacy of Ayrton and Roland is that in the wake of that dark weekend in 1994, the pursuit of safer motor sport, in all its forms, received greater impetus than ever before.”

Villeneuve quickly gets up to speed at Speedway

By Dave Lewandowski 

 

Much has changed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and in the sport since 1995, when Jacques Villeneuve won the 79th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. But the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval remains the same -- challenging and fun.
It was Villeneuve's initial observation to driving on the racetrack after a 19-year absence during a special refresher program along with NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kurt Busch, who will be the fourth person to attempt the "double" of competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the stock car race in Concord, N.C., on May 25.

Villeneuve recorded 83 laps in the No. 5 Dollar General-sponsored car for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with a best of 217.742 mph. The first practice session for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" is May 11, with qualifications May 17-18.
"It took a while to get there. The first few laps were surprising because it felt like I was going fast and I looked and it was 180 (mph)," said Villeneuve, of Canada. "I thought, 'There's still a long way to go,' and then 190. And another 10 laps I started getting in the rhythm, and once you start going flat all around it becomes easy. I think your brain, your vision just needs to get used to driving at speed."

Click it: Get Indianapolis 500 tickets

In addition to demonstrating car control, placement and consistent driving pattern, the refresher program consists of 25 laps that constitute the second and third phases of the Rookie Orientation Program at speed intervals based on track and weather conditions.

"When I came here last time, I had already driven on ovals at high speed," said Villeneuve, who was the 500 Rookie of the Year in 1994 when he finished second. "It felt crazy fast back then and it felt crazy fast today. We weren't trimmed out yet, but there was no point with the (25 mph) wind and the track was very green. At the end, we even managed to work on the mechanical set-up of the car and that made it nicer."

Following the Indy 500 victory, Villeneuve went on to claim the 1995 season championship before moving to Formula One, where he won the 1997 World Championship and a total of 11 wins in 34 starts. He's currently an F1 commentator as well as competing in World Rallycross (this weekend in Portugal).

If Villeneuve qualifies for the race, he'll set a record for the biggest gap between starts held by Cy Marshall and Roland Free between 1930 and 1947. The race marked the 50th anniversary of track ownership by the Hulman-George family.

New Indy road course gets initial high marks

By Dave Lewandowski 

 

Reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Tony Kanaan was accorded the ceremonial first lap of the new 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, and quickly was joined by 24 other eager Verizon IndyCar Series drivers during an Open Test.

It didn’t faze Kanaan that the lap in the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car was unconventional – crossing the Yard of Bricks on the front straight in a clockwise direction. In fact, he said it was a thrill, and that observation reverberated throughout Gasoline Alley.

"Driving the car it doesn't feel strange because you're focused on hitting your marks. But every time I'm on pit lane and looking at the cars going out it just doesn't look right," said Ryan Briscoe, who was second quickest overall at 1 minute, 9.6558 seconds in the No. 8 NTT Data car for Ganassi Racing. "It's just a lot of fun to drive and fun to be learning a new track."

Five hours of track time provided drivers and teams an opportunity to get a baseline for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis practice sessions May 8, when lap times will be considerably more crucial. The three rounds of qualifications are May 9 and the standing start for the 82-lap race is at 3:43 p.m. (ET) May 10.

Click it: Combined Open test results || Track map || Open Test morning session results


Less than 24 hours later is the initial practice for the 98th Indianapolis 500 – in a counter-clockwise direction on the 2.5-mile oval.


Reigning series champion Scott Dixon jumped to the top of the time chart on the last of his 46 laps in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car at 1:09.5969, while Simon Pagenaud was third (1:09.7544) in the No. 77 Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports car and posted the most laps (57). Three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves (1:10.0209) was fourth in the No. 3 Verizon Team Penske car, and Ryan Hunter-Reay (1:10.0237) was fifth in the No. 28 DHL car for Andretti Autosport.


The top 19 cars were separated by less than a second.

Watch the Ferrari LaFerrari get put through its paces by Top Gear and Evo

Do you know what today is? Well, besides being the anniversary of the signing of the Louisiana Purchase (thanks France!), Consumer Protection Day in Thailand and Michael Waltrip's birthday, April 30 marks the expiration of the first of two embargoes on the Ferrari LaFerrari.

That means you're probably going to see quite a bit on Ferrari's hypercar in the coming days. One of the first things we've stumbled across is this video from our friends at Top Gear. Now, this isn't Jeremy, James and Richard playing with the ultra-powerful hybrid (although it's probably only a matter of time before the LaFerrari arrives at Dunsfold), it's the TG magazine crew. It's best to think of the Top Gear video as an appetizer, though.

The main course comes from Evo, which has a far lengthier and more detailed spot, running a full 10 minutes of fun. Dickie Meaden samples the 900-plus-horsepower monster on both the Italian roads and the Fiorano test track. We won't spoil the outcome, so be sure to take a look below for videos.

This 4.5-minute video of supercars and classics starting up is oddly mesmerizing

There's way more to cars than just about how they drive – any auto enthusiast can tell you that. While the way a car feels is vital, the way it sounds plays a huge role in making it exciting as well. Some cars, like the V12 of a '60s Ferrari, are famous partially because of the fantastic noises that they make when the engine fires. It seems that Nitto Tires understands this concept, because it has put together a video with a wonderful sampling of the startup sounds of a diverse group of performance machines.

There is something here for every enthusiast to enjoy, including classic European sports cars, modern supercars and vintage American muscle. The best part is that the video doesn't try to gild the lily with extraneous music or voiceovers. It just contains loving closeups, simple text and the acoustic joy of cars' exhaust notes. Plus, it's entertaining to compare the lumpy idle of a '68 Chevrolet Camaro to the staccato growl of a Jaguar F-Type.

You would expect a video from a tire company to try to sell some rubber, but it doesn't. In fact, most of these vehicles – many of them from the legendary Petersen Automotive Museum and more than a few with celebrity tie-ins– ride on competitors' rubber. Scroll down to watch the video, and to see a list of the cars and a few Easter Egg factoids. Just be sure to turn up your speakers to get the full effect.