The inaugural set for Labor Day weekend next year has a new friend: the American Le Mans Series. ALMS will host a race the day before the IndyCars race, with trials being run the same day as IndyCar qualifying. Nothing else has been revealed at the moment, with the folks in charge, Baltimore Racing Development, having scheduled a press conference for September 2 to officially announce the double bill.
This will mark the first time in nine years that ALMS visits the D.C. area, and if ALMS communications director Bob Dickinson gets his way, it could be first opportunity for U.S. racing fans to diesel-hybrid running the series in anger. Hat tip to hoov23
Reeves Callaway makes the point that his company’s is extremely new by saying, “Anything I may have said in this conversation may not be true, ’cause I don’t know what I’m talking about yet.” Modest and super-nice, he’s emphasizing that our recent phone chat covering the details of Callaway Cars’ move into the realm of pickup trucks is about a project that’s still in its early stages of execution.
“We’ve got an outline of what we would like to do, now the task is do it, test it,” Callaway says. Having made its name building highly-modified Corvettes since the 1980s, Callaway Cars’ diverse endeavors have stretched from turbocharger kits for BMWs and Alfa Romeos to that race in the FIA GT3 European Championship Series, so a pickup truck shouldn’t be all that shocking.
“We’ve got all of the infrastructure in place to service the and ,” Callaway explains, “we figured it’s logical to do a pickup truck too, if for no other reason than the powertrain is already done. We have loads of experience with that.” While the tuning is obviously different between the V8s in the Corvette and the Silverado, they use essentially the same engine.
Callaway explains the development program has two main objectives. First, “make the power, which we looked at as the easier of the two.” Second, and perhaps more challenging, Callaway wants to do “something that nobody really has ever done, in my experience with a pickup truck, and that is [to] make it handle like a Corvette.” This is where you roll your eyes and say, “how are they gonna pull that off.” Follow the jump and keep reading to find out.
2010 Belgian Grand Prix – Click above for high-res image gallery
After the nearly month-long break that followed the , F1 fans around the world have patiently awaited the return to business as usual on the grand prix circuit. And by business as usual, we mean nail-biting, wheel-to-wheel action and bitter rivalries. With that much pent-up anticipation, it would take some spectacle to make up for the hiatus. Fortunately, this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix – held at the legendary Spa Francorchamps circuit – provided exactly that. Follow the jump to read how it went down.
Ivan “Ironman” Stewart has retired, and the legendary off-road racer didn’t play around when it came to getting out of the game. This weekend, from his 37-year racing career are being auctioned off, including the entire Pro Truck business he’s been running for the last ten years.
Items up for bid range from pieces of racing history like the restored Funco SS1 buggy (above) that ran the 1976 Baja 1000, to racing miscellany like and . Not bad if you want to sprinkle your souvenir room with a little bit of Stewart’s dust.
2011 Renault Latitude – Click above for high-res image gallery
Renault does well in Russia, and the market is important enough to the French automaker that it’s unveiled its latest car in Moscow. The Renault Latitude is described as a “business class” sedan, which translates to a crisply-styled, generously-sized car carrying luxury and tech features. The Latitude will spread into other markets this fall, and the European version will debut at the Paris Motor Show, carrying powertrains and some altered styling details from the Russian-spec versions that just bowed.
Powering the Latitude are a 2.0-liter, 139-horsepower four-cylinder backed by a CVT, or a 2.5-liter, 177-horse version of Nissan’s VQ V6 mated to a six-speed automatic. Drivers are attended to by massaging seats, and niceties like three-zone climate control, sound systems by Arkamys and Bose, and a Carminat TomTom navigation system are some of the equipment details. Chassis bits are borrowed from both Renault and Nissan cars; the front reportedly comes from the Renault Laguna and the rear multi-link setup is from the Nissan side of the family.
Buyers can start lining up to buy the Latitude at the end of September in Morocco and Algeria, and the car will be rolled out in Russa, Ukraine and Africa shortly thereafter. The Latitude is definitely coming to continental Europe, and a decision on whether to offer the Latitude in the United Kingdom will be forthcoming. Want to know more? The press release is posted .
2010 Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 from Chicagoland Speedway – Click above for high-res image gallery
It might seem that the 2010 IndyCar championship is a foregone conclusion. After all, Team Penske’s Will Power has a sizable lead in the standings and there are just four races left to run. Ah, but those four are all on ovals, and Will has never claimed the top step of the podium at an oval track. Plus, right behind Power in the race for the overall IZOD IndyCar Championship are Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon – two drivers who have considerably better luck than Power when everybody only has to turn left.
In fact, Dixon leads Franchitti in the new-for-2010 A.J. Foyt Oval Champion standings. Furthermore, Dixon basically owns this week’s venue – Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois – despite never actually winning there. That might seem like a contradiction, but Scott has been the bridesmaid on five separate occasions at Chicagoland.
IndyCar’s return to the ovals also means bigger fields, with 29 drivers lined up to run for the checkers on Saturday night. Among those 29 were a record five female drivers – Ana Beatriz, Milka Duno, Sarah Fisher, Danica Patrick and Simona de Silvestro. Would Dixon finally take the win in Chicago? Would Dario claim victory and close the gap on Power? Would one of the ladies break through and be the first across the stripe? to see how the 2010 Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 from Chicagoland Speedway played out.
Gallery:
[Images: Jonathan Ferrey, Streeter Lecka/Getty Images Skip Stewart, Nam Y. Huh, Warren Wimmer/AP]
We saw this one coming; the BBC has apparently sacked The Stig. Britain’s tabloid reports that the Stig, a.k.a. Ben Collins, has been let go by the BBC and that a new Stig has replaced him on Top Gear. In fact, the Mirror says it already have pics of the new Stig at a Nürburgring track event, wearing the signature white coveralls and smoked visor helmet. How does the paper know it’s not Collins in the photos? Simple: it had another photographer at Ben’s house – 1,100 miles away – watching Collins play with his children at the same time.
The firing of the Stig comes a week after , slated for release in September. have been trickling out for some time, including the recent discovery that Collins Auto-Sort, a company owned and operated by Ben Collins, claimed income from “driving services for the BBC, mainly in the Top Gear programme.”
Of course, this could still just be speculation, and Top Gear may have hired another driver just for that one track event. If Collins has indeed been canned and Top Gear follows form, a segment will be filmed showing the demise of the white Stig and the appearance of his replacement. At least that’s what they did when the original black-clad Stig, Perry McCarthy, left the show. Wonder what colors the new Stig will fly…
Pixar’s Carsproved what most of us have known since we were little kids: the front end of a car looks a lot like a face. A company named Car Lashes hopes to cash in on the whole “car as face” theme by offering big, curly headlamp eyelashes that would make Betty Boop jealous. Seriously. This aftermarket glamification is apparently available for $24.95, but that’s not all! If ridiculous eyelashes aren’t enough, you can add “Crystal Eyeliner” for an additional $19.95. That stuff appears to be made of clear rhinestone-style bling that attaches directly to the paint. We’re astonished and horrified.
Car Lashes’ e-commerce site has apparently endured some intermittent downtime due to elevated traffic levels, likely from a combination of genuinely (and inexplicably) interested window shoppers and people like us, who simply had to see it to believe it. You won’t find us placing an order – ever – but you can to view a pair of videos showcasing the brilliance of Car Lashes.
continues its executive shell game. The company has announced that Klaus-Gerhard Wolpert will take the reigns as its new chief product strategist. If you follow the comings and goings of auto execs, Wolpert’s name likely sounds familiar. He’s the hardy soul who brought the most successful model in history to life: the . Wolpert will slide into the void left by Matthais Mueller, who takes over as the new CEO of Porsche.
Stay with us, now – this where things get tricky.
Michael Macht, Porsche’s former CEO, will step into Jochem Heizmann’s old role as VW production boss. Heizmann, meanwhile, will stay on the company’s board as the head honcho over its truck division.
This sort of interbreeding between Volkswagen and Porsche was bound to accelerate once the two seriously joined forces. VW is well on its way toward taking over vehicle manufacturing operations at the sports car company, and in the future, we’re likely to see the two share platforms and even engines.
For a show from another country that only produces 14 episodes a year, Top Gear is everywhere. And it’s going to be even more everywhere soon, thanks to a licensed video game reportedly being developed for PC, console, mobile and tabletplatforms. There’s no word on exactly how the developers plan to game-ify the Top Gear television experience, but we guess we’ll find out soon enough – it’s due by the end of the year.
2011 Ram 1500 Hybrid captured by Rich Truesdell of
While recently shooting some cloaked and prototypes, Automotive Traveler’s Rich Truesdell came across several completely undisguised pickups the other day. As Rich tells it:
Upon closer examination, I figured out why: They are near-production-ready versions of the rumored 2-Mode Hybrid version. Judging by the complete lack of cloaking, I’d assume they are undergoing final validation, possibly to establish their published tow ratings. Don’t be surprised if the Ram is an early-introduction 2012 model to reach showrooms in the spring.
We’ve talked about these before, and if a schedule posted at is to be believed, will kick off production of this new on November 16, so they may be badged as MY2011 Ram 1500 Hemi Hybrids and not MY2012 as Rich supposes. Either way, the hybrid Ram is expected to employ the same 5.7-liter Hemi V8, two-mode hybrid powertrain that was used in the short-lived in 2008, backed by a transmission supplied to Chrysler by . Expected mileage ratings should be similar to GM’s hybrid trucks, with a city number of about 21 to 22 mpg.
Check out Automotive Traveler for more photos of the 2011 Ram 1500 Hemi Hybrid.
Mahindra Pik-Up – Click above for high-res image gallery
Mahindra’s is taking so many turns, it should get a telenovela on Univision. When we recently posted that the Pik-Up , GV and its dealer network were excited and ready to go. However, commenters on that post noted a indicating that the company’s relationship with GV was kaput.
Mahindra hasn’t said a word since, but Global Vehicles and the dealers have let folks know that they aren’t impressed and that they have no idea what Mahindra thinks it’s doing. Global Vehicles’ official response was, “such attempted termination is invalid under applicable laws of the United States and the State of Georgia, something which Mahindra continues to disregard.” And a dealer who’s got a showroom ready to sell Pik-Ups in December said, “If they’re still coming in December of this year like they’ve said they are, they’re coming through my dealership, and that’s all there is to it.”
GV has taken the unusual step of initiating arbitration in the United Kingdom, in the belief that legal action here could further delay the anticipated retail sale date. We’ll wait to hear what Mahindra has to say on the matter, and we’re sure that the folks waiting to buy a TR20 or TR40 Pik-Up hope Mahinda talks soon — and with some good news this time.
The insurance industry-funded Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is calling out its governmental counterpart, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for distracting drivers from genuine safety concerns.
Consumer Reports cites a release penned by IIHS president Adrian Lund as saying that unintended acceleration and distracted driving have drawn focus away from other threats, thanks largely to the efforts of NHTSA and the national media. Instead of focusing on runaway sedans and texting teens, Lund says that we should really be worried about speeding drivers and running red lights. IIHS says that last year, those two factors alone were responsible for 13,500 deaths and millions of injuries.
Compare that against the 6,000 deaths associated with distracted driving, and the IIHS point becomes clearer. So, why are the feds so concerned with an issue that’s (statistically, at least) half as dangerous as speeding and running red lights? Lund says it’s because the general public isn’t exactly warm to the idea of more legislation to curtail speed.
What do you think? Is the IIHS position more valid than NHTSA’s? Is it the other way around? for an informal poll on the matter.
The achingly slow striptease of the BMW 1 Series M Coupe continues with a 47-second-long spot of the camo-clad coupe bearing just enough sheetmetal to keep us interested.
The multi-spoke wheels, drilled discs and quad-exhausts are the only elements not left to the imagination, but the extra vinyl aft of the front wheels is sure to hiding a set of M-style fender vents while a ducktail spoiler is fitted out back.
As for mechanicals, the smart money is still on an upgraded twin-turbocharged inline-six (N54), channeling over 335 horsepower through a manual gearbox and down to the rear wheels via a torque-vectoring M differential.
We’re hearing rumblings that the Coupe could be unveiled at next week’s Oktoberfest BMWCCA event in Wisconsin, but in the meantime, check out the latest teaser and scope the . Thanks to everyone for the tips!
Heico Sportiv reworks the 2011 Volvo S60 – Click above for high-res image gallery
We got not long ago in renderings, now has taken its retuned to the track and brought us some souvenirs of the day. Changes are restrained yet aggressive outside, with added front lip components and a rear diffuser that wraps around four tailpipes, in addition to a set of attractive gunmetal Volution wheels.
Under the hood is where the real oomph resides, with power outputs hitting the 297 horsepower and 258 pound-feet in the 2.0T, and 330 hp and 339 lb-ft. in the T6. In the T6 model, that will get you from naught to 62 miles per hour in 5.8 seconds. Follow the jump for all the details and to see it in motion, and have a look at the gallery of high-res photos below.
There’s no better test of a minivan’s mettle than a summer vacation with the family.
Who is the Stig? That question is one of Google’s top queries, proving the world wants to know the identity of Top Gear’s masked racing driver. But… ask yourself again: Do you really want to know who the Stig is?
We’ve heard it before and now it’s rearing its high-revving head again.
Lotus Evora Cup Car GT4 – Click above for high-res image gallery
has set about proving that the is more than just a pretty face, just recently putting its Evora Cup GT4 and 2-Eleven GT4 racers through their paces at the infamous Nürburgring and most recently at Laguna Seca. Both cars were hooned ’round the Green Hell by none other than Olie Hancock, the Lotus rookie test driver. The company didn’t release any lap times for either car, but we’re guessing the two are plenty quick. Lotus has entered the Evora Cup GT4 in the European GT4 Championship, where it will campaign against the best and brightest of the sports car world.
In order to get the car fit for battle, the company trimmed a total of 441 pounds from the car’s curb weight, landing the track-going Evora at just 2,623 pounds. Throw in a 360 horsepower V6 and you’ve got yourself a recipe for tarmac glory.
Meanwhile, a total of four 2-Eleven GT4 racers will be entered into the same championship, two of which will be campaigned by NFS Racing Dubai. The other two will be flying under the Scuderia Giudici banner – the team that currently leads the GT4 Super Sports category.
Shocking, we know. What’s been called the second-worst kept secret in MotoGP has officially been confirmed. MotoGP rookie and current World Superbike champion Ben Spies (shown at right, with Yamaha’s Lin Jarvis) will be saddling up with the factory Yamaha crew starting next year. Rumors to that effect have been buzzing around the inteweb for some time and were recently fueled by from the Fiat-Yamaha stable in favor of the Ducati Corse team.
Spies has been an absolute terror on two wheels in MotoGP while riding with the Tech 3 Yamaha team. The Texan is currently 7th in the overall standings thanks to a slew of top 5 finishes, and even managed to podium at Silverstone. Not too shabby for the guy’s first year out. There’s some indication that he’ll be riding alongside Jorge Lorenzo, though Yamaha hasn’t solidified anything with the Spaniard just yet.
Those who follow the MotoGP world will have likely noticed the conspicuous lack of a certain prefix from this post. Interestingly enough, ‘Fiat’ was nowhere to be found in the Spies announcement. Odds are we’ll be hearing something about that from the former Fiat-Yamaha team sometime soon. Hit the jump for the full press blast.
An accounting rule, among other things, is ostensibly to blame for posting a loss and having to declare negative shareholder equity with more liabilities than assets. According to Automotive News, the new owner of had counted ’s $326 million in redeemable preference shares in the company . So with the company having just got its factory going in October and only having sold 10,500 cars in the first six months of this year, the hard numbers are a loss of €139.1 million ($177.2M U.S.) on €243.1 million in sales ($309.8M U.S.).
The good news is that sales for the same period last year, before Saab’s plunge into full out cardiac arrest, . The Swedish maker also has €280 million in cash (around $357M) and another €266 million ($339M) untapped from its European Investment Bank loan. Spyker has been saying for a while that profitability would come in 2012 and that it has enough cash and credit to get it there without needing to raise more money.
Its sales projections of 45,000 to 50,000 cars this year, however, might be on some downward pressure. Company CEO Jan Ake Jonsson said that they’re still looking to achieve that low number. Next year’s forecast and the company’s break-even point is understood to remain at 80,000 cars, with 120,000 as the long-term annual sales target.
[Source: - sub req'd Image: Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty]
