Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/07/08/ferrari-changes-official-team-name/
Saturday, 9 July 2011
Ferrari changes official team name
Not many people have yet noticed that the oldest and most famous team in F1 has changed its name this weekend, as the news has not been officially announced. For Silverstone and beyond Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro has reverted to its … Continue reading
Prius sales to beat 2010
Despite diminished volumes from an earthquake earlier this year, Toyota anticipates better Prius sales figures vs. 2010. The full story inside.
Source: http://feeds.worldcarfans.com/~r/worldcarfans/Jxfz/~3/nM8tozR6bAs/prius-sales-to-beat-2010
Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews
1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda
When it was first introduced, I fell in love with Plymouth's 1970 Barracuda series. Especially the 'Cuda with it's 340 4-bbl. and all the way up to the awesome 426 Hemi! 1971 came and the 'Cuda became gaudy with the billboard graphics, fender vents and ugly grille. About a month ago, I saw a model of a '70 'Cuda and the builder says it was made by Monogram. What?!! Monogram?!! How can that be? The builder described his build as a '71 Hemi 'Cuda with the front and rear pieces from the '70 AAR 'Cuda. The more I looked, the more I wanted to build one for myself. Why didn't I think of this before???
I happen to have both of these models sitting on the bookcase, coated with dust, and in need of repair. I will deconstruct both models and turn the '71 into a '70 using the AAR pieces and fill in the fender side vents. I'll wire and plumb the engine and lower the suspension. I will turn the AAR 'Cuda into a phantom '71 AAR 'Cuda later. This is gonna be GREAT!
BTW, I am well aware of the issues with both these kits and I refuse to discuss them here. My advice is to not start any discussions about it on this thread. Start your own thread elsewhere!
More to come...
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/961819.aspx
Friday, 8 July 2011
Audi Q3 RS prototype gets driven [video]
Audi has been relatively quiet about the Q3 RS, but company recently gave Sportbilen an exclusive glimpse at a prototype. 
'66 Impala to Caprice conversion.
Hello every one I'm here to try and convert a Revell: '66 Chevy Impala into a '66 Chevy Caprice. I have started on the rear roof work as well as the chassis and engine..
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/965167.aspx
Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi
Will Hamilton frustration prompt Red Bull move?
Lewis Hamilton's frustration with life as a McLaren driver has been palpable in recent weeks.
There was his outburst after finishing sixth at Monaco, the result of a messy weekend at a race he was hoping to win.
There was the supposed-to-be clandestine visit to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner on Saturday afternoon in Canada, a matter of hours after qualifying a disappointing fifth for another race he was hoping to win.
There were the messages over the team radio as he laboured in fourth place, struggling with tyre wear, during the European Grand Prix. "I can't go any slower," he said to his engineer after being asked to look after his tyres. And a few laps later: "I can't go any faster," when asked to try to make up some ground.
So will Hamilton still be a McLaren driver in 2012?
Although he has a contract that lasts until the end of that season, someone leaked to the Mail on Sunday that there is an option for Hamilton to leave if either he does not win the drivers' title or the team do not win the constructors' championship this year, neither of which is likely to happen. McLaren will not comment on the veracity of the Mail report.
On Monday the Independent published an interview with McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh, who said: "Lewis loves this team and he knows the car is capable of winning races.
"He's sat with me in the last 10 days and explained his passion, enthusiasm and desire to remain part of this team.
"I've known him since he was 11. I don't think he would look me in the eye and say that if he didn't mean it."
Hamilton remains one of the biggest stars in F1 despite some disappointing moments this season
But someone who has spoken to Hamilton about his future recently says that the 26-year-old is not happy at McLaren, and would leave if he could.
And in the last few days, a source with intimate knowledge of the driver market told me that Hamilton had been having "extensive negotiations with Red Bull".
The catalyst for Hamilton's discontent is another year in a car that is again not good enough to mount a realistic challenge for the title - the third in a row now for Hamilton at McLaren since he won the 2008 drivers' title in his second season with the team.
Hamilton is widely regarded in F1 as the fastest driver in the world, and he certainly believes that of himself. So to watch Sebastian Vettel running away to a second consecutive title at Red Bull, in the fastest car on the grid for the third year in a row, is painful indeed.
Publicly, Hamilton continues to say positive things about McLaren. His most recent utterance on the subject of his future was to say: "Fortunately I don't have to make any decisions just yet. I still have a contract for another year and a half."
He has added that he sees no reason to leave as long as he has a competitive car.
Some would follow Whitmarsh in arguing that he does - had things gone differently, Hamilton might have won in Spain, Monaco and Canada in addition to his sole victory so far in China this year.
That would mean he and Vettel would have been tied on four wins each, in which case Hamilton may not have been eyeing the Red Bull quite so jealously.
Even had this happened, however, the Red Bull would remain undoubtedly F1's fastest car - its advantage in the races is far less than it is in qualifying, but it seems increasingly certain that is simply down to the fact that Vettel has to take it easy on Sundays to manage this year's delicate Pirelli tyres.
Hamilton could only go to Red Bull in 2012, though, if two things married up - he has to really want it, and so do Red Bull.
You can be sure Hamilton would think very carefully about engineering a way out of his contract with a team that has nurtured him from the age of 11.
Firstly, there is the personal loyalty he must still feel on one level, even if he might think he has paid a lot of it back with some of his stunning wins in recent years, victories McLaren would not have had without him.
Just as important, though, will be the knowledge that, historically, McLaren always win in the end.
Stay where he is, and Hamilton can be pretty sure he will get a title-winning car eventually - just as Mika Hakkinen did after sticking with the team through the difficult years of the mid-1990s.
Equally, it is not that long since Hamilton dismissively referred to Red Bull as a "soft drinks company". And while McLaren and Ferrari are in F1 for the long haul - it is their raison d'etre - no one can be quite sure how long Red Bull will stick around.
But that's the long-term view, and racing drivers, generally, are pretty short-term people - after all, they have limited shelf lives.
The short-term view is as follows:
The Red Bull is likely to remain the car to beat as long as the current technical structure under Adrian Newey remains in place - which is until at least the end of 2014.
By then, Hamilton will be 29. He will still have plenty of life left in him, but that is a long period to wait fighting the odds - and potentially without a title - when most people consider you the fastest driver in the world.
There are other issues in the mix, too.
Hamilton - and team-mate Jenson Button, it is believed - find the public relations demands of being a McLaren driver quite tiring - and they note the rather different requirements on Vettel and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, the other member of F1's big three.
Equally, McLaren are quite restrictive of drivers having their own personal sponsors, although Hamilton does have such a deal with sportswear company Reebok.
So in a lot of ways, a move to Red Bull might make sense for Hamilton. The question remains, though, does it make sense for Red Bull?
On the face of it, you might think not. They already have Vettel, their blue-eyed boy wonder.
Why unsettle him by sticking Hamilton alongside him in a match-up that is bound to be super-high-maintenance? And if they do, what is the point of their driver development programme, which is moving on apace with Red Bull prot�g� Daniel Ricciardo being given his F1 race debut in a Hispania this weekend at the British Grand Prix.
But if Vettel continues to dominate F1 in the way he is doing this year, is that really good for Red Bull? Yes, he is winning everything, but that is likely to turn off a majority of the audience, not excite them. And that is no way to sell cans of soft drink.
Red Bull seeks to project a cool, youthful, exciting image, and what could fit those qualities better than sticking Hamilton in the team alongside Vettel and saying to the world: "There you go. We're got two of the three most exciting drivers in the world and we're going to sit back and watch them go at it."
The reality is that any negotiations that may be taking place will likely be between Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz and Hamilton's new manager, Simon Fuller. Neither of whom routinely give interviews to F1 journalists.
For now, no one beyond that needs to know anything about it - not even Whitmarsh or Horner. So at the end of the day, it comes down to Hamilton and Mateschitz, and how much each of them wants to link up with the other. Time will tell.
UPDATE, 1600 BST: I have just heard from my old friend Gerhard Kuntschick on this subject. He is a journalist for the Austrian newspaper Salzburger Nachtrichten and knows Mateschitz as well as any reporter. Kuntschick spoke to Red Bull F1 adviser Helmut Marko on Monday, who told him: "Red Bull considers Lewis Hamilton as having a firm contract with McLaren and we don't interfere with other people's contracts. But you never know what will happen in the future."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/07/lewis_hamiltons_frustration_wi.html
Aston Martin V12 Zagato officially confirmed for production [video]
Destined to be one of the most coveted of the past 98 years, Aston Martin has officially confirmed production of the V12 Zagato concept as a road going version. 
Thursday, 7 July 2011
kustom 51 merc
heres my 51 lead sled not much done but kustom paint swapped the steelies for sombrero style wheels. i was gunna shave the taillights but decided to sand em smooth n make them flush with the body. comments welcome
Source: http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/forums/thread/966750.aspx
BMW 5-Series F10 'Black Bison' by Wald International
Japanese tuners like Wald International have never been the type to have any nationalistic bias with their programs. If there’s a car that’s ripe for a project, they don’t hesitate to put their boots on and get to work. That’s no more evident than with the 2011 BMW 5-Series, codenamed ’F10’. Despite being a German brand, Wald International nonetheless prepared a pretty slick restyling program for the sports car, one that includes fresh aerodynamic pieces forged from fiberglass-reinforced plastic.
Among the notable upgrades done on the 5-Series are a restyled front bumper with its own set of new air vents and LED daytime lights, a seemingly mandatory addition for just about every high-end tune-up on the market these days. Matching wits on the front end is a rear that sees its own set of fresh additions, including a complementing rear bumper, a new deck-lid, roof spoilers, side skirts, and the Japanese tuning company’s very own exhaust tailpipes. Added elements like a lowered suspension, new side skirts, a limited set of bespoke floor mats, and a set of multi-spoke alloy wheels gives the new 5-Series added cool points, making it one of the most freshly-styled 5-Series’ on the market today.
These changes, plus the car’s eight-cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo engine with 407 horsepower, makes it worthy enough to sit in any BMW fan’s garage.
BMW 5-Series F10 'Black Bison' by Wald International originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 7 July 2011 09:00 EST.
FIA confirms turbo V6 for 2014
The FIA has now formally ratified the decisions taken at the Formula One Commission prior to the European GP. That means a V6 turbo formula will come into force in 2014. Although the FIA has given no details, the V6 … Continue reading 
Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/06/29/fia-confirms-turbo-v6-for-2014/
Carlo Abate George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich
Looking behind the Williams-Renault headline
Tomorrow I shall be travelling for much of the day, so I thought I would leave you with a thought about the Williams-Renault deal that has just been announced. For me it is an obvious move for both parties. The Cosworth engine is clearly not a match for the others this year and looking into [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/looking-behind-the-williams-renault-headline/
Christian Danner Jorge Daponte Anthony Davidson Jimmy Davies
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
Abt Speedle preview renderings released
In the midst of developing a new "Speedy Beetle" tuning program for the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, Abt Sportsline has released these preview renders. 
Michael Bleekemolen Alex Blignaut Trevor Blokdyk Mark Blundell
Top Gear Season 17: Episode 2
Last Sunday, the second episode of Top Gear’s 17th season aired and like most of the shows these days, we were treated to some hilarious segments, a rather pointedly pointless car review, some canned and scripted studio jokes, and - for once - a surprisingly fast lap on the Kia Cee’d. Par for the course for Top Gear.
In this episode, James May will tell you things about the Aston Martin Virage that you already probably know. This is then followed by a highly-entertaining hot hatch triple threat madness along the streets of Italy that included finding a dog, an ice cube, and branch from a cedar tree.
Comedian Russ Noble also stopped by for a little chat with Jeremy - an entertaining interview by our measure - after which the former strapped on his helmet for his hot lap on board the show’s Reasonably Priced Car.
The show concludes with a sort of dream of dreams, at least as far as Jeremy Clarkson was concerned: three laps around the Monaco Grand Prix. It probably didn’t matter that the cars they were driving were the same three hot hatches they drove in Italy. At the end of the day - Clarkson especially - had a blast to finally drive their way around Monaco’s world famous street circuit.
Full details after the jump.
Top Gear Season 17: Episode 2 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 6 July 2011 13:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/top-gear-season-17-episode-2-ar112211.html
Mercedes E-Class coupe by Expression Motorsport
Dubbed the EX E, the DTM-inspired wide body kit has an aggressive front fascia, revised side skirts and extended wheel arches. 
Circuits weigh into engine row
UPDATED AT 1925 BST
After months of drawn-out and occasionally bitter wrangling, Formula 1's switch to 1.6-litre turbo engines for 2014 was rubber-stamped on Wednesday by the FIA world council, the sport's legislature. In theory, that should be the end of the matter.
But it may not be that simple. It has emerged in the last few days that many of F1's circuits share F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone's concerns about the new engines.
He believes the ear-splitting screech of the current 2.4-litre V8s is a critical part of the spectacle of F1 and that the introduction of the new engines, which will have a different and probably more muted sound, will reduce the sport's appeal.
Those with long memories in F1 have raised an eyebrow about Ecclestone's new concern for trackside spectators. This is a man who, until this latest political battle, appeared to some observers to have an eye only for the TV audience, from where much of the sport's income comes.
The circuits, though, are a different matter. Because of their contracts with Ecclestone's companies, the only way they can raise revenue out of F1 is through paying spectators. Costs are high and margins are tight. So if numbers will fall, they have a problem.
The circuits had already expressed their concerns privately to the F1 teams and the FIA but their worries became public courtesy of an article in a Sunday newspaper.
It claimed all the tracks apart from China and Korea had signed a letter to the FIA saying they would consider dropping F1 in favour of IndyCars if the new engines were adopted.
The story appeared in a newspaper to which Ecclestone often speaks, was written by a journalist who has close links with him and featured quotes from Ron Walker, chairman of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, who, you guessed it, is close to Ecclestone.
Neil England - the non-executive chairman of Silverstone, who deals with Ecclestone regarding the British Grand Prix - described the report as "a slight misrepresentation of the situation". Silverstone had not, he said, been signatories of any letter but they had made clear their discomfort about the new engine rules.
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England does, he says, see the "media value" of the new engine - Ecclestone himself has described it to me as "PR" - but says he would prefer to focus on the "things that make a difference".
He agrees that the noise is a large part of F1's spectacle and, while Silverstone support attempts to reduce F1's carbon footprint, they feel a bigger impact could be made in other ways, such as producing co-ordinated travel plans for spectators and teams.
England denies he has been lobbied or manipulated by Ecclestone. "He's concerned and has an awareness that it's a potential issue," England says. "I don't feel manipulated and I don't think that's what happened."
Someone on the other side of the argument had a succinct response to that. "Of course they've been pressured by Bernie!" he said. "They've read all his nonsense about engine noise for weeks and weeks and weeks!"
As I said, the argument has got a bit heated.
The new engines were the brainchild of the F1 teams and they have been enthusiastically embraced by FIA president Jean Todt - with whom, incidentally, Ecclestone does not see eye to eye.
The idea behind them was two-fold:
- to popularise and make 'sexy' a direction road-car manufacturers were already heading with their engines
- and to insulate F1, in a world of diminishing fossil fuels and climate change, from charges that it was wasteful by playing a role in the increased development and sales of more efficient road cars.
The idea is that, by using these engines in F1, the public will increasingly understand that an exciting car can have an efficient, small capacity engine and regenerate as much energy as possible. In addition, it will speed up the development of the technology by exposing it to the white-heat of F1 competition.
Those in favour of the engines, then, say that to dismiss the new rules as having only "media value" somewhat misses the point.
It may be true that persuading spectators to get more buses and trains to a grand prix rather than driving their private cars would reduce carbon emissions more effectively than changing the engines in the F1 cars themselves. But it could also be said that if a significant proportion of the world's car users switched to more efficient vehicles, the effect of that would be exponentially larger again.
Those backing the new engines counter the arguments about noise as follows:
- F1 previously used turbo engines of almost exactly the same size as those being introduced in 2014 back in the 1980s (1.5-litre turbos as opposed to 1.6-litre turbos). No-one complained about the noise then. In fact, that time is remembered as a golden era.
- Audi and Peugeot use turbo-diesel engines at the Le Mans 24 Hours sports car race and have done for several years. These sound infinitely less dramatic than the new F1 engines will do - they are diesel, for a start, and they rev much lower - but spectator numbers at Le Mans haven't reduced. The event still attracts around 250,000 people.
- Many of the 'rebels' are old romantics who hark back to the glory years of the 1970s and the sounds of some of the engines used then. But they forget that the supposedly evocative Matra V12 and Ferrari flat 12 revved to no more than 12,000rpm, exactly what had been the initial limit imposed on the new turbos.
- No one knows whether spectators will object to the sound of the new engines because no one knows what they will sound like. That's because they haven't been in a car yet.
Following the intervention of the circuits, the rev limit of the new engines has been raised from 12,000rpm to 15,000rpm.
According to someone intimately involved with the negotiations over the new engines from the very beginning, this was done in response to the concerns about the noise, "even though we were quite confident that the sound was not going to be anything like as bad as most people feared".
It remains to be seen whether this will assuage the concerns of both the circuits and Ecclestone, although the fact England called for a "period of consultation" suggests not.
But there are many in F1 who believe Ecclestone is devoting his energies and concerns in the wrong direction.
As Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn put it: "There are many considerations we have to make when we are changing the power-plant in F1. Obviously the technology in the automotive field is changing and the big question is how relevant do we need to be and how relevant do we want to be?
"The technology we're working on with these new engines is the technology that is going to become commonplace in road car engines in the future: small capacity, turbocharged engine, direct injection, special Kers systems.
"We don't want to end up as a dinosaur in five or 10 years."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/06/circuits_weigh_into_engine_row.html
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
Norwegian rap star borrows Lamborghini - bursts into flames at McDonalds
Rap stars love McDonalds. They also love their flashy supercars. Therefore, rap stars love to be at McDonalds with their supercars! 
Eugenio Castellotti Johnny Cecotto Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert
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