SpeedTV has piped Le Mans racing action to American television sets since 1995, and with the signing of a new multi-year television deal, the annual Frankish displays of 24-hour madness will continue to have a home on the cable network. The length of the deal wasn’t disclosed, but it does include expanded digital rights, which we’ll hope is network code for “live streaming.” Now you know where to turn on June 16.
And in case you didn’t know, the channel also for 30-minute recaps of each day’s action this year, starting with this weekend’s Rally Argentina. It will also be covering the MotoGP race in Spain this weekend and live-streaming qualifying on Speed2. So double hurray and yay for SpeedTV emerging yet further from its NASCAR shell.
Want to sell cars in Argentina? Be prepared to get into the wine business. Or the rice, peanut, chicken feed, biodiesel or bottled water businesses. Or anything else of value, really.
Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (pictured above) has enacted a program to increase the country’s exports and boost its economy by requiring automakers to match, dollar for dollar, the price of its vehicle imports by exporting some other product from Argentina.
While the plan will surely accomplish the goal of increasing exports, some experts are wary of its impact on the auto market. Marcos Ferrario, an economist who tracks the Argentinian auto industry, told Bloomberg: “It’s very difficult to counterbalance imports of luxury cars, which are worth about $150,000 each, with sales of olives or wines.”
As long as Argentina’s auto market is growing by about 30 percent per year, we’d expect automakers to do their best to keep dealerships stocked with vehicles. Long term, though, this sounds like a plan that’s nearly impossible to sustain.
Argentina has apparently brought stock car racing to Antarctica for the very first time. The Asociacion Corredores Turismo Carretera recently teamed up with the Argentina Air Force and the interior ministry to bring one racer to the frozen continent. Hugo Mazzacane, vice president of the racing organization, piloted the car down 3,937 feet of runway in temperatures of four degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. We aren’t exactly sure of the motivations behind the stunt, but our Google Translator informs us that the trip had something to do with bringing renewed passports to those already stationed on Antarctica.
Then again, if you have to ask why, you probably shouldn’t be anywhere near motorsports in the first place. There’s no indication as to what kind of preparations were taken to ensure that the car could perform in the cold or what kind of driving suit Mazzacane had to don in order to keep from freezing himself out of the cockpit. Still, looks like a fun time to us.
The used in the Back to the Future movie trilogy may be the single most memorable movie vehicle for anyone who grew up in the 1980s (as did the vast majority of the staff here at Autoblog). And so, whenever we hear anything having to do with the car, the movie or its main characters, we sit up and take notice.
No surprise, then, that a company may want to make use of all that nostalgia to market itself – apparently, even one based in Argentina that we’d never heard of called . The superstore apparently has all manner of high-end gadgetry, and it’s hocked the skills of one Christopher Lloyd – forever known to BTTF fans as Doctor Emmet L. Brown – to help sell them.
You may remember a couple of videos that were a little while ago featuring Doc Brown and his time-traveling gullwing. It seems those were viral teasers intended to drum up some nostalgic interest ahead of the real deal.
We’ll get this out of the way right off the bat… these are just commercials for an Argentinian electronics store and aren’t going to set your BTTF-filled world on fire. Regardless, it’s good clean fun, and it gives us yet another reason to ogle over a certain nuclear-powered DeLorean and its flux capacitor (which is what makes time travel possible…). Check out the vids .
Finally, for more on the actual car used to film these commercials, . We also think it’s cool that Garbarino is setting up a way for patrons to make donations to to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
is in the midst of reshaping its entire family. The new look starts at the top with the redesigned , has shown itself on the A7 and A6, and will now filter its way down through the rest of the lineup. Next in line to get the updated look is the , and spy photographers managed to capture a cladding-covered prototype on vacation down in Argentina.
We don’t yet have a clear shot at the front end, but you can expect a large gaping maw paired with bright LED daytime running lamps, similar in shape to what we see on the A6, no doubt. The real family resemblance, however, can be seen in the character line running down the length of the car. That sharp accent is now a family trademark, and lets the world know you’re looking at an Audi (as if the LED-everything didn’t tell you already).
Don’t get too used to this three-door shape, though. When the next-generation A3 goes on sale in the United States, it will be a four-door sedan, as Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen . The five-door configuration will still be available in other markets, but Stateside, Audi believes a proper four-door will be what makes customers swoon.
originally appeared on on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our .
General Motors has announced that managed to sell a total of 2.35 million vehicles across 120 countries in the first half of 2011, marking the best half-year in the company’s history. That figure marks an increase of 286,499 vehicles over the same period last year thanks to record sales in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Columbia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, South Africa and Turkey. The automaker also says that the swell is due in part to sales increases across its top five markets. Those include the U.S., Brazil, China, Russia and Canada. In other words, sales are up… pretty much everywhere.
Russia saw the greatest increase with its Chevrolet sales up 54 percent compared to the same time period in 2010. General Motors attributes the increase to a wave of new models that include the , Spark, /Aveo and the Orlando. All told, the company managed to move a staggering 330,000 Cruze models in the first six months of 2012, globally, which is a 132-percent increase over last year. Since the company has sold nearly 800,000 Cruze units since the model’s debut in 2009, Chevrolet expects to break the 1 million unit barrier by the end of this year. for the press release.
can now lay claim to another world record thanks to the efforts of off-road driver Rainer Zietlow and his team of adventurers. The crew packed into a and covered the entire span of the Pan-American Highway from start to finish in 11 days, 17 hours and 22 minutes. The trip covered 14 countries and 16,000 miles of near non-stop driving. TÜV NORD Mobility verified the time, which beat out the previous record holder by a full three days.
The journey began on July 2 in the southernmost portion of Argentina and clipped through a variety of challenging conditions. The team faced a sandstorm in Chile and treacherous muddy roads in Alaska, but preplanned fuel stops helped cut the team’s time down as much as possible.
Zietlow and his teammates also played a bit of a philanthropic role by donating 10 cents for every kilometer traveled to two Latin American villages to help combat childhood poverty. and full press release.
Chevrolet Cobalt Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
The lives. Well, not here in the United States, where the has thankfully banished all memories of GM’s last uncompetitive compact, but at least in Argentina. Alongside the , is displaying the Cobalt Concept you see here at the Buenos Aires International Motor Show.
We’re pretty sure this new Cobalt is a Cobalt in name only, as it doesn’t appear to share anything with the previous model that is no longer in production and, though no dimensional details are provided, seems smaller than the Delta platform used by its erstwhile namesake. Perhaps it uses the Gamma architecture used by the new and global ?
In any case, this Cobalt, though officially a concept, seems destined for production in South America and possibly other emerging markets around the world. The automaker says it will offer a range of engines from 1.3 to 1.8 liters that will run on either ethanol, gasoline or diesel.
As far as the styling goes, we can see the current Chevrolet design language front and center, with a two-tier grille up front flanked by sweeping headlamps. The flanks are highlighted by downward-pointing swage lines front and rear. Out back, LED lights punctuate some questionably large, chrome-surrounded lamps.
Inside, this Cobalt Concept is impressively finished with leather seating surfaces and door panels. A unique woodgrain accent highlights the steering wheel. LED lighting in a soft blue is a welcome touch, as is the in-dash navigation system and twin seven-inch LCD screens in the headrests, which we doubt would make it into production.
Check out our high-res image gallery for all the pics.
Chevrolet Colorado Rally Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
The production version of the next-generation ChevroletColorado has yet to be revealed, but auto show crowds in Argentina got a peak at the possible lines of the upcoming pickup. picked the Buenos Aires International Motor Show as the stage on show off the new Colorado Rally Concept.
An aggressive and strong style are the immediate visual cues given off by the Rally Concept, which is meant to handle some serious off-road driving. A pair of integrated winches, one up front and one out back, will help should you actually manage to get the Colorado Rally Concept stuck. That should prove to be a difficult task, thanks to the 305/60R18 BFGoodrich Mud Terrain tires, long-travel suspension and 2.8-liter diesel engine.
Keeping up the aggression, the interior of the Chevy Colorado Rally Concept is equipped with racing seats and five-point harnesses. The driver or co-driver can adjust tire pressure and suspension settings from the cabin, while either can also enjoy some fresh air from the vents cut into the acrylic side windows.
To say that this truck is built to run off-road is an understatement.
Every racing series has its iconic race. F1 has Monaco. NASCAR has Daytona. Indy and Le Mans hardly need any elaboration. And rallying has Monte Carlo. The thing is, the Monte Carlo rally hasn’t been part of the World Rally Championship for several years now. But that’s about to change.
The legendary event – organized by the same Automobile Club de Monaco that puts on the Monaco Grand Prix and a number of vintage racing events – dates all the way back to 1911, and aside from notable breaks for a couple of world wars, has been held pretty much ever year since. From 1973 through 2008, it was an integral part of the World Rally Championship, but after that it went to the rival Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
A landmark announcement, however, reveals that the Monte Carlo Rally is returning next season to the WRC, but not at the expense of the IRC. Instead, the round will act as the season opener for both rally championships.
The Italian Rally is also scheduled to return next season. An anticipated rally in Abu Dhabi, however, was excluded from the 2012 WRC calendar, which encompasses 13 rounds mostly in Europe. The Jordan Rally, which was so this season, was also excluded, with overseas rounds held only in New Zealand, Mexico and Argentina. However, unlike F1, whose schedule is also set by the FIA, the Latin American rounds are not paired, but instead punctuated by a return to Europe for the rally in Portugal. for the full schedule.
Former F1 champion Kimi Raikkonen made his NASCAR debut yesterday, driving the No. 15 Perky Jerky Toyota Tundra in the Camping World Truck Series NC Education Lottery 200.
Starting from the 31st position, Raikkonen finished 15th, crossing the line on the same lap as the race leaders. At one point, Raikkonen ran as high as seventh, but fell back when he missed a crucial pit stop. Along the way, he survived several close calls as multi-car collisions unfolded in front of him and he picked his way through the debris. Raikkonen’s teammate Kyle Busch took the win.
What’s next for Raikkonen? The Finn plans to return to Charlotte next weekend to run the Nationwide Series race. He’ll pilot a fielded by NEMCO motorsports in partnership with Kyle Busch Motorsports.
The NASCAR race conflicts with the WRC rally in Argentina, but Raikkonen isn’t scheduled to contest that round. His next WRC appearance will be at the Acropolis Rally in June. As for F1, the former champion hasn’t ruled out a possible return if the conditions are right, but for now he appears to be taking things one step at a time.
According to the Los Angeles Times, new car sales in South America are skyrocketing, thanks to wage hikes, more jobs and easy credit terms. Last year, there were 3.5 million new car and light truck purchases in Brazil alone, representing an 86-percent increase over 2006.
While Brazil leads the charge in terms of new car sales numbers, Peru topped the heap in terms of per capita market growth, moving 106,000 new cars in 2010, or three times its 2006 total. Argentina and Columbia also experienced car-buying booms, with their markets growing by 25 percent and 50 percent respectively over 2006.
Despite car-buying increases in Argentina, Brazil, Columbia and Peru, the trend doesn’t ring true in Mexico, where new car sales have dwindled. In 2006, Mexicans bought 1.2 million new cars, as opposed to just 820,000 in 2010. Dealers blame the decline on Mexico’s opening the market to used American cars. Venezuela saw a decrease, too, after import duties were increased in an attempt to stem inflation.
The trend is obviously good for automakers like , who move plenty of metal in Latin America, and need all the help they can get from expanding markets. Importantly, the upward trend in new vehicle sales also shows that at least some South American economies are beginning to stabilize. Easy credit, longer loan repayment periods and consumers’ increased disposable income indicate that the region as a whole is on the rise.
Road trips are fun. We recently and had a great time running up the California coast. That was three days of adventure. The Zapp family of Argentina also enjoys a good road trip, and they’ve been on their current journey for the last 11 years.
Herman and Candelaria Zapp set off on a trip back in 2000. The couple left Argentina in their 1928 Graham-Paige Model 610 and headed north towards Alaska. Eleven years and 145,000 miles later, the Zapp family has grown by four. Pampa was born in the United States, Tehue in Argentina, Paloma in Canada and Wallaby in Australia. The children are “home-schooled” out on the road, and that allows the Zapps to keep on exploring.
Though the Model 610 can’t go over 40 miles per hour, the Zapps have taken it throughout North America, to parts of Asia and down to Australia. It’s a truly amazing journey and you can .
Pagani Huayra – Click above for high-res image gallery
Given that the Pagani Zonda was one of the most prolific vehicles in terms of model variants over the course of its 11-year production run, it would be safe to assume that the new Huayra will follow a similar path. The most obvious, you might guess, would be a convertible version. And according to the latest reports, that’s precisely what’s coming down the pipeline.
In speaking with our Argentinean compatriots, Horacio Pagani himself reportedly confirmed that a Huayra Roadster will arrive on the scene in about three years. Why so long? Your guess is as good as ours. Presumably, the Huayra was engineered from the drawing board to accommodate this sort of roofless behavior, but maybe Pagani wants to satisfy existing orders before rolling out an even more desirable version to let all that soft Italian sunlight shine through.
Pagani also revealed that his original name of choice for the new car was Da Vinci, but since the name was already registered – don’t ask us by whom – he went with the virtually unpronounceable name Huayra, which was shared by the sports prototype Huayra Pronello that rocked the Argentinean racing scene in the late 60s. As for a baby brother to the Huayra, Pagani says it could be in the cards, but that working his company’s technology into a cheaper package would be a difficult task.
Ken Block crashes his Fiesta WRC car – Click above to watch video
At the Rally of Portugal, Ken Block and teammate Alex Gelsomino were in the midst of shakedown runs when things suddenly got messy. Block clipped the inside of a turn and it sent his Ford Fiesta WRC car flying sideways.
The Fiesta rolled once before smacking the ground and rolling several more times. It was a violent accident that sent Block and Gelsomino to the hospital, though both men are reported to be uninjured. The car, however, is toast.
This gives Block a bit more time to prepare for the next leg of the WRC circuit, which will take place at Rally Argentina. In the meantime, you can to see the reason he won’t be competing at Rally of Portugal.
Ferrari FF unveil video – Click above to watch video
has dropped the introduction video for the company’s new FF onto the YouTubes and the short flick shows off the extensive testing that the four-seater underwent on its way toward becoming a full-fledged production model. Engineers flogged prototypes of the FF in nearly every corner of the globe, from dirt roads and frozen paths in Argentina to tracks in France and Italy. The Prancing Horse even spent some time in Sweden to iron out any kinks that might arise during severe cold weather. The result of all that abuse is the company’s first four-wheel drive, V12, four-seat sports car.
Ferrari says that its 4RM part-time all-wheel drive system is lighter than standard units, helping give the FF its 47:53 weight balance. Speaking of weight, the newest horse in the Ferrari stable weighs in at less than 4,000 pounds and packs a start/stop system help conserve fuel. Somehow we’re guessing that fuel consumption isn’t on the top of your priority list if you’re itching to park one of these things in the garage. to see the full video.
According to Automotive News, Think North America Vice Chairman Richard Canny has left the company. Canny has officially resigned his post with the electric vehicle maker and will part ways with his former employer at the end of this month to pursue “a new adventure and challenge.” Beyond that cryptic explanation, there’s little indicating why the former executive would leave the company after helping to salvage the automaker from near ruin. Canny helped Think start European production in Finland, re-ignited European sales, and led the EV-maker to purchase and refurbish a plant in Elkhart, Indiana among other feats.
While speaking with Automotive News, Canny said that he has a range of other opportunities open to him, but for now, he plans on taking some time to be with family in Australia. He has previously served as the worldwide director of strategic planning for Ford, president of Ford South America, president of Ford Argentina and the managing director of Ford Malaysia.
1949 Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta chassis # 0024 M – Click above for high-res image gallery
As far as go, it doesn’t get more authentic than this. What you’re looking at is a 1949 – the first model made by Enzo Ferrari after setting up shop under his own name – with custom Barchetta coachwork by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan. And it’s going up for auction.
Chassis number 0024 M – the 10th of only 25 examples made – was originally displayed at the 1949 Paris Motor Show in Argentina’s official racing colors, yellow and blue, before being sent off to South America to win the 1950 Mar del Plata. True to its name, it was also campaigned in the 1951 Mille Miglia rally, and has since undergone a thorough restoration – including the red paint job you see here.
This authentic piece of Ferrari history is set to cross the block at on January 20th, where it is expected to fetch upwards of $2 million. Details in the press release after the jump.
Vitaphone Maserati MC12 claims victory in the 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship – Click above for high-res image gallery
If there was any doubt as to who dominates the international sportscar racing circuit, let those doubts be put to rest. After taking top honors in the now-defunct FIA GT Championship with little exception every year since 2005, has claimed overall victory in the inaugural FIA GT1 World Championship that has replaced it this year.
Driving duties were handled with mastery once again by Michael Bartels and Andrea Bertolini for the Vitaphone Racing Team behind the wheel of the Maserati MC12. The Trident duo took the checkered flag at four out of the ten rounds that comprised this year’s championship, more than any other team, claiming 138 points in the drivers’ standings to runner-up Thomas Mutsch with 119 in the Matech GT, and 195 in the teams’ standings to the Hexis squad’s 177. Other contenders included GT1-spec racers based on the , and .
Hexis won the final round in San Luis, Argentina, by a considerable margin with their Aston Martin DBR9, but it wasn’t enough to steal the title from the Vitaphone Maserati team, crowning the MC12 as the undisputed king of the hill. for details in the press release.
X-Raid Mini All4 Racing – Click above for full-size image
is going to Dakar, or at least the 2011 Dakar Argentina-Chile race. Monster Energy has partnered up with the X-Raid Team to bring a diesel-powered to the sands of South America in just 90 days. The team started on the project last month, and the reworked Countryman has to be in Argentina before the New Year. Between now and then are hours of wrenching and a few shake-down runs in France on December 13 and 14.
X-Raid has previously campaigned a , helping the team to nab three FIA World Cup titles for cross country racing, and last year the vehicle helped the team walk away with fourth and fifth place finishes in the 2010 Argentina-Chile race. To that end, the team will be using a turbo-diesel engine borrowed from the bad Bimmer. With 315 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque, the engine brings a substantial bump in power to the table while using the same architecture as the lump found in the 2010 X3CC.
Switching to the Countryman has a number of benefits, including better handling from the vehicle’s lower center of gravity and shorter wheelbase, though the team says that ingress and egress is a little more complicated compared to the . Look for the Mini All4 Racing during this year’s Argentina-Chile this January.
