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Before Nicky Hayden was an international superstar making use of some of the best front brakes in the world on his MotoGP bike, he was just a kid from Kentucky who made a name for himself forgoing the front binder altogether and winning a ton of AMA flat track races. Back then he was known as the rookie, or the Kentucky Kid… On August 28th, that same kid from Kentucky will have officially come full circle (pun-intended) by returning to the track that helped launch his career.

Timing being everything, Mr. Hayden will be in Indianapolis working his real job as a Desmo pilot, which gave him the opportunity to accept the invitation to act as Grand Marshal of the AMA Pro Grand National Championship at the historic Indy Mile. Is it a coincidence that Nicky’s sponsor, Ducati, recently made some major in-roads to the Harley-Davidson-dominated world of flat track racing? Not likely, but the return of the Kentucky Kid to his childhood playground will no doubt be a special occasion for the racer and fans alike.

If you would like to read the complete event blotter, hit the jump. Nickey Hayden fans can join us in the hope that the trip to the Indy Mile will be a powerful reminder of what it takes to win races when he makes it back over to the big show at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

[Source:Ducati]

Continue reading Back to His Roots: The Kentucky Kid returns to the Indy Mile, but not to race

Back to His Roots: The Kentucky Kid returns to the Indy Mile, but not to race

Supercars and airstrips go together like Corvettes and gold chains. There are simply few other locations on this blue marble we call Earth that allow owners to legally and somewhat safely tickle the upper limits of their speedometers. That’s exactly why Zahir Rana, the owner of ZR Auto, has organized a charity event to allow supercar owners to have their time on the tarmac at the Canadian Forces Base in Cold Lake, Alberta. For the low, low price of $1,500 per car and $500 per passenger, drivers can ratchet their exotics all the way up to 185 mph or better.

There will even an exhibition in which Rana will put his twin-turbo, 860-horsepower Ferrari Enzo toe-to-toe with a CF-18 Hornet fighter jet, but the best part is that every last dollar will go to four charities. The Military Families Support Society, Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation, Bonnyville Health Foundation and Hearts for Healthcare will all benefit from the Race the Base event. There are only 100 slots available, so if you happen to own a car worth wringing out and have $1,500 Canadian burning a hole in your pocket, head over to the ZR Auto site for more information.

[Source: ZR Auto via The Vancouver Sun]

Race the Base fundraising event pits supercars against military jets

Koua Fong Lee can’t seem to catch a break. Lee was convicted of killing three people in 2006 when his Toyota Camry struck a vehicle at a stoplight, but he was later freed after prosecutors discovered that Lee may have been a victim of unintended acceleration. He served two and a half years in prison while the justice system ground along, and now Toyota has subpoenaed his 1996 Camry. The manufacturer wants Lee to turn the car over for an examination on the quick. Unfortunately, Lee no longer has the car. It’s been locked up in the custody of the St. Paul Police Department since the 2006 accident.

With Lee’s name clear, a total of four federal lawsuits have been filed against Toyota by the family members of those killed in the accident. Each claims that Toyota knew of the unintended acceleration issue well before the Lee accident and failed to follow up on those reports in any substantial way. Meanwhile, Toyota claims that the accident wasn’t due to unintended acceleration. You can see the conundrum here. If Toyota proves that the accident wasn’t the result of unintended acceleration, then it may be the case that Lee was at fault.

Lee’s lawyer has expressed obvious concern over allowing Toyota to examine the vehicle unsupervised. So for now, it remains in St. Paul PD custody.

[Source: The Pioneer Press Image: Ben Garvin, AP Photo/Pioneer Press]

Report: Toyota subpoenas Camry in Lee acquittal case

The power-driven minds at Callaway are looking to sink their teeth into the performance pickup truck market. According to PickupTrucks.com, the company has already laid its hands on a new Chevrolet Silverado 1500, complete with a 6.2-liter V8 cranking out 403 horsepower and 417 lb-ft of torque, and has begun exploring potential performance enhancements. We’re guessing that means there will be a crap ton more power coming from that mill by the time all is said and done, but there’s indication that the final product will be more than a truck with a blower.

Callaway has a reputation for turning mild-mannered Chevrolet vehicles into all-out supercars, complete with a host of suspension upgrades. Whether the company decides to put a Silverado on the ground in the same vein as the old Ford F-150 SVT Lightening or rework the springs for off-road domination in aims of toppling the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor remains to be seen. We’re personally hoping for the latter, but the truth is anything with the Callaway name on it tends to point our imaginations in the fun direction.

[Source: svt raptor remains to be seen. we're personally hoping for the latter, but the truth is anything with the callaway name on it tends to point our imaginations in the fun direction. [source: pickup trucks]“>PickupTrucks.com Image: Drew Phillips/Copyright (C)2010 AOL]

Report: Callaway working on high-performance Silverado

If you want a BMW M3 GTS, you’d better be ready to part with about $170,000 of your hard-earned greenbacks. That’s nearly three times the cost of the base M3, but the extra $100,000 will net you a 4.4-liter V8 capable of 450 horsepower, tons of racing add-ons and, perhaps most importantly, 419 fewer pounds to lug around. And the M3 GTS manages to improve its stats while at the same time looking mighty fine, if you ask us.

Those are some impressive stats, but how do they translate into track time? If the September issue of Sport Auto (via the M3 Post forums) is to believed, the GTS ‘Ring laptimes are less than earth shattering. The German rag reportedly claims that the GTS achieved a less than headline-grabbing 7:48 lap time on the Nürburgring. Okay, that’s a pretty impressive time considering the Lamborgini Gallardo Superleggera was reported to hit 7:46 for twice the cost, but at the same time we’re talking about an uber-upgraded M3 with a very fat price tag. Consider the fact that the Nissan GT-R can hit 7:29 for half the cost and the GTS appears to be a bit behind the (track) times.

The M3 GTS performed a bit better at Hockenheim, as its reported lap time of 1:12.5 was faster than an Audi R8 V10 Spyder by .2 seconds. The base E92 M3 finished a lap in 1:14.3. So is the M3 ready to take on all comers at The Green Hell? Apparently not, but still, at seven minutes and 48 seconds, we’re pretty sure the M3 GTS isn’t exactly ready for the slow lane, either.

[Source: M3 Post]

Report: BMW M3 GTS posts somewhat lackluster ‘Ring time

The long awaited countdown to rally superstar Ken Block’s Gymkhana 3 video has ended, and what was revealed today is a music video featuring a hip-hop group named The Cool Kids, with a little bit of Ken Block and his rally Fiesta sprinkled in.

Unlike the last two Gymkhana videos, which became instant YouTube sensations thanks to non-stop footage of Block doing amazing stunts behind the wheel of his rally Subaru Impreza WRX STI hatchback, Gymkhana 3: Part 1 is a straight up music video informercial that shows off Block’s DC apparel and products more than his driving skill. When we do see the rally Fiesta in its Gymkhana debut, Block is either doing donuts or driving it directly into – and not around – things like paint cans and fluorescent bulbs.

We contacted Ken Block’s crew to see what the deal is, and were told that the plan is to separate the marketing from what the kids really want, which is footage of Block doing things with a car that prove he’s superhuman behind the wheel. So Part 1 of Gymkhana 3 is the one with the marketing message, while Part 2 we’re told will be much more like Gymkhana 1 with just the driving footage. When we asked when we can expect Gymkhana 3: Part 2 to drop, early-to-mid September was the answer.

Check out Gymkhana 3: Part 1 for yourself after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Ken Block’s Gymkhana 3: Part 1 is not like the others, Part 2 coming in September

Ken Block’s Gymkhana 3: Part 1 is not like the others, Part 2 coming in September

There is an old axiom of hot rodding that still stands true today. You can only go so fast as your pockets are deep. We see quite a few outlandishly-tuned exotics come across our inboxes from one day to the next, each boasting supercar-besting power figures and price tags to match. It’s much more rare to see a shop create a car with serious power, a warranty, and a price tag that seems like a performance value.

But that’s exactly what Howard Tanner of Redline Motorsports and Dan Carlton of DeNooyer Performance have come up with in the Redline HTR-GS640/SC. Take your run-of-the-mill Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport with all of its factory handling, stopping and light-weight goodies, then throw a gamut of aftermarket go-fast parts at the engine. Tanner and Carlton bolt on an Edelbrock E-Force supercharger with long intake runners for big-time low-end torque. Throw in a new cam with more lift and duration, robust valve springs with titanium retainers and chromoly push rods. Ice that cake with a Borla exhaust and MGW short-throw shifter and you’ve got an $82,000 Corvette capable of popping the formerly almighty ZR1 in the eye.

DeNooyer Performance will even warranty the car for three years or 36,000 miles. Plus, you can remove the roof in the Redline HTR-GS640/SC. Not so much in the Blue Devil. Now if they could only come up with a sexier name for this blown Grand Sport… If you like what you see, Tanner and Carlton will be happy to put a set of keys in your hand. From what we hear, they even take trades and will work up financing. Check their site for more information.

[Source: DeNooyer Performance Division via Hemmings]

Redline HTR-GS640/SC asks: Why bother with a ZR1?

First Drive: 2011 Ford Edge

Sharpened Tech Claws More Than Scratch The Surface For 2011, Ford has given the Edge a detailed once-over, plopped a few new engine options under the hood and given the interior the kind of remake that doesn’t typically pop up mid-cycle.

IndyCar: 2010 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma [SPOILERS]

Just five races remain on the 2010 Indy Racing League IndyCar schedule, and only one of those is a road course. The final four rounds of the championship will all be contested on ovals – but this weekend the drivers took on Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

Video: Ken Block’s ADAC Rally prep is no match for mechanical failure

They don’t call it the World Rally Championship for nothing. The globe’s best and brightest descend on the pinnacle of the rally sport, and while Ken Block hasn’t fared as well as predicted this season, he’s at least made it to the point where he can step into the ring.

Also of interest:

• Ford Racing now selling supercharger that boosts new 5.0-liter V8 to 624 HP
• Identity of the Stig revealed… again [spoiler alert, maybe]
• Toyota lowers tow-rating of Tundra, but it’s a good thing
• Report: Forthcoming Nissan Murano convertible to be a two-door soft-top
• 2011 Nissan Murano unveiled with mild refresh, new SV trim

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 8.23.10

In 1992, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche briefly entered into a love affair that would produce one very special offspring: the Mercedes-Benz 500E. The car was to become the godfather of all super sedans, packing a 5.0-liter V8 with a staggering (for the time) 322 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Bolted to a four-speed automatic gearbox, the engine could scoot the big four-door to 60 mph in a mere 6.1 seconds. Something tells us that those power numbers were a little conservative. But where does Porsche come in to this dance?

Germany’s sportscar manufacturer was responsible for working the sheetmetal of the 500E into the shape you see above. Those healthy fender arches were all massaged into place by the gurus at Porsche before the body was shipped off to Mercedes-Benz for paint and final assembly. Once done, the whole kit and caboodle was shipped back to Porsche for final inspection. Needless to say, this was an incredibly limited production vehicle, with the two companies only creating around 500 examples per year.

This particular car has a grand total of 587 miles on the clock, having spent the fair majority of its years tucked away in a museum. Bidding is at $35,200 with the reserve not met and less than 8 hours to go as of writing. Follow the jump for jazz-tastic video walk around and check out pics in the gallery below.

[Source: eBay Motors]

Continue reading eBay Find of the Day: Porsche-built 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E is the timewarp sleeper of our dreams

eBay Find of the Day: Porsche-built 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E is the timewarp sleeper of our dreams

We suppose it was only a matter of time before mighty Morgan threw its cap into the electric car realm. With everyone from Mercedes-Benz to Audi toying around with motor-powered supercars, the eclectic purveyor of long-hood wonders was bound to follow suit. According to Autocar, we can expect to see a pair of new models to emerge from Morgan in short order. The first, called the LIFEcar 2, is especially mouth watering. The svelte coupe supposedly gets its power from a diesel-electric powertrain and will pack a range of around 1,000 miles. Despite its city car name, the LIFEcar 2 will be a sports car above all else.

As for the second model, Autocar was able to drum up very few details, other than it will be more extreme with a focus on entertainment.

If you’re thinking this sounds like the standard Brit-pub rumor mongering, think again. Morgan says it will bring the LIFEcar 2 from prototype to production, and that it will weight a scant 1,700 pounds when it hits the road. Hit the jump for the press release.

[Source: Autocar, Morgan]

Continue reading Report: Two new models coming from Morgan

Report: Two new models coming from Morgan

Yes, the past couple of months have been a little heavy on the supercar-dreamed-up-by-inside-dude’s-keister news, but this one is simply too compelling to pass up. A company called Star Electric Cars France is the European subsidiary of Star Electric Cars U.S. They make golf carts that look like Hummers and Rolls-Royces and the like, and the French firm also sells electric bikes and skateboards and a fascinating contraption called the Snow Rider.

The company also claims to “design unique cars built for presidents, kings and princes around the world,” and this would have to be one of them. Called the Aston Martin Super Sport, it’s a coachbuilt, mid-engined Aston powered by a 5.4-liter, twin-turbo V8 putting out up to 950 horsepower. The bespoke bodywork is carbon fiber and sports scissor doors, an alcantara-coated interior and Recaro buckets. Naturally, production is… up in the air.

The price of this imaginary slice of supercar pie, €7.5 million ($9.53M U.S.) – a sum so impossible to comprehend it deserves its own episode of Lost. According to the car’s developers, though, only eight will be made, with each color being unique. Word is that “sky blue is available immediately.” Of course it is… Hat tip to Bawlz

[Source: GT Spirit via Top Gear]

French electric golf cart company planning $9.5M Aston Martin supercar

Things just got a lot more interesting for owners of the 2011 Ford Mustang. This weekend at the Woodward Dream Cruise, Ford Racing released its new supercharger package for the new 5.0-liter V8, turning the already potent pony car into a serious drag-strip contender.

The supercharger system is available in three packages, each utilizing a 2.3-liter Whipple twin-screw supercharger, air-to-liquid intercooler and 47 lb/hr fuel injectors. The base package provides 525 horsepower and 470 pound-feet torque and comes with a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty when installed by a Ford or Lincoln dealer, while the second kit offers 624 hp and 536 lb-ft torque… but no warranty. Finally, those that want to build their own custom system can opt for the tuner kit, which comes with only the core components but needs to be independently calibrated to work with the engine’s computer. Hit the jump to see full details on both packages, and if you’re the owners of a 2011 Mustang, you’ve got some decisions to make. Top tip, Panayiotis!

[Source: Ford Racing]

Continue reading Ford Racing now selling supercharger that boosts new 5.0-liter V8 to 624 HP

Ford Racing now selling supercharger that boosts new 5.0-liter V8 to 624 HP

Numbers, in form of prices and horsepower, have been appended to the English sports car known as the Arash AF-10. Although the Corvette Z06 isn’t considered a supercar, its LS7 V8 is a certifiable star and has found yet another supercar starring role in the AF-10’s engine bay.

The base model gets 500 horsepower and requires €360,000 ($457,560 U.S.). The mid-range, which hasn’t been priced, will be tuned for 800 horses. The top dog shots up another four hundred notches to 1,200 hp, and gets slapped with a €1.6 million price tag ($2.03M U.S.). That’s the same horsepower as a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport with the price of a Veyron Grand Sport. In an alternate dimension we might call that “a bargain.”

As if that weren’t enough, the Arash site offers two more treats: the AF-10 configurator and a sketch of the Arash AF-8, a less extreme sibling. We’ll wait for the AF-10 to fully arrive and prove it knows what to do with 1,200 hp, but if you like its looks yet not its price, there might be hope on the way.

[Source: Autoblog.it (translated)]

Arash AF-10 gets one step closer to a 1200-hp reality

Hold on to your lugnuts, kids, because here’s a rumor that’s so far out it practically qualifies as science fiction. Taken straight from Gasgoo.com, which has provided plenty of worthy news in the past, is this nugget: Lamborghini “will import its super luxury four-door sedan, Lamborghini Estoque to China for local production in 2012 with a price tag of around 4 million yuan ($589,000).”

To be fair, it appears as though Gasgoo is just reporting on what’s being reported in other Chinese media. However, in case you haven’t been keeping up with the Estoque’s flirtations with production reality, first Lamborghini planned to make it after it was introduced two years ago, then the economic implosion supposedly killed it in early 2009, but Lamborghini quickly said that wasn’t true, then this month company CEO Stephan Winkelmann hinted about how a third model would help the brand.

To us, none of that means the 2008 Paris Motor Show traffic-stopper is going to be built at all. Somehow, though, the Chinese media have heard that not only is it going to be built, but it will be built in China as soon as 2012. On top of that, even though it hasn’t been developed, it’s already been priced, and at that price you could buy almost three Aston Martin Rapide sedans. Or, more accurately, three Rapides and an infinite number of leprechauns, gorgons, drop bears and the latest creature of fable, a Chinese-built Estoque.

Live photos copyright (C)2010 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL

[Source: Gasgoo]

Crazy Rumor of the Day: Lamborghini Estoque to be built in China

First Drive: 2011 Audi R8 V10 Spyder

The Audi R8 V10 Spyder is just too easy. Too easy to drive. Too easy to look at. And too easy to love.

2010 Woodward Dream Cruise: Autoblog’s Livestream starts Saturday, 10AM EST

We’re descending on Detroit to cover this year’s Woodward Dream Cruise, complete with streaming video, tweets from the street and dozens of gorgeous galleries.

Spy Shots: Next-gen Mercedes SL63 AMG beefs up

The next coupe to get AMG’s 571-hp 5.5-liter twin-turbo’d V8 is the SL63, and our spies have caught it in action.

Also of interest:

• Izaro GT-E eco-minded supercar takes shape
• Nissan Maxima, Sentra receive 2011 prices, minor changes
• The Ford Focus ST is dead, long live the Focus ST
• Going to Pot: Motive to unveil cannabis-composite Kestrel [w/video]
• Toyota’s event data recorders have a history of problems

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 8.20.10

If you’re on an LA freeway and traffic is especially miserable, look for a white Mazda pickup – the one with the yellow dudes in the back. What you’ve got is a mobile puppet show led by Joel Kyack, a Southern California artist who wants to explore themes like chaos, control, individual will and “negotiations of agency and resignation.” With puppets. In the back of truck. During rush hour.

There’s an FM transmitter in the bed, so anyone within 200 feet can tune in to the dialogues of Alexi the Eastern European iron worker or the unnamed Party Girls. You can find a sample show in the video after the jump, or if you want the real thing and you can’t get on the 405, there’ll be a closing exhibition at LA’s Hammer Museum on September 21.

[Sources: NPR, KTLA]

Continue reading Traffic jam puppet shows an interesting way to pass the time, All Things Considered [w/videos]

Traffic jam puppet shows an interesting way to pass the time, All Things Considered [w/videos]

If you’re on an LA freeway and traffic is especially miserable, look for a white Mazda pickup – the one with the yellow dudes in the back. What you’ve got is a mobile puppet show led by Joel Kyack, a Southern California artist who wants to explore themes like chaos, control, individual will and “negotiations of agency and resignation.” With puppets. In the back of truck. During rush hour.

There’s an FM transmitter in the bed, so anyone within 200 feet can tune in to the dialogues of Alexi the Eastern European iron worker or the unnamed Party Girls. You can find a sample show in the video after the jump, or if you want the real thing and you can’t get on the 405, there’ll be a closing exhibition at LA’s Hammer Museum on September 21.

[Source: NPR]

Continue reading Traffic jam puppet shows an interesting way to pass the time, All Things Considered

Traffic jam puppet shows an interesting way to pass the time, All Things Considered

With the generous and quixotic assistance of Google Translate we’ve been able to cobble together random bits about the Izaro Motors GT-E. The brand itself is a resurrected name founded in Madrid in 1922, the Izaro Electric Car Factory. This new company is said to be run by the original founder’s grandson, and in keeping with that continuity, his new creation is a sports car that will use either electric or hybrid propulsion.

Originally developed on a Factory Five chassis, at least one source claims that Izaro no longer has any relationship with said company. Izaro explains that the roughly 2,200-pound chassis they’re using is fabricated from basalt fiber, magnesium and high-strength steel, and will hide one of two engines: a 495-horsepower electric motor or a 416-hp hybrid combo.

Since current fashion dictates that planned electric supercars need to be accessorized with whopping projected specs, Izaro doesn’t disappoint: 0-to-62 miles per hour in under four seconds, a 150-mile range in the electric variant and 428 miles in the hybrid, with a €60,000 ($76,089 U.S.) starting price. Since you probably won’t see it anywhere else for a while (if ever), you can check it out in the gallery of high-res photos below.

[Sources: Izaro Motors (translated), Autoblog Spanish (translated)]

Izaro GT-E eco-minded supercar takes shape

Alright, fine; it wasn’t a sting operation per se, but we do love our pithy headlines. A sheriff’s deputy in Wake County, North Carolina recently found himself in an odd situation when a truck carrying bee hives broke down on U.S. Highway 64. While the truck had left for its destination before dawn, it ran into mechanical trouble, and when the sun came up, the bees came out. When the deputy pulled up to investigate the situation, the bees in the hives decided that they liked the officer’s Dodge Charger better than the back of the trailer, and set about establishing a colony by swarming the cruiser.

The hoard of bees was so thick that the deputy was forced to seek refuge inside the car, where he became stuck until help could arrive from the beekeepers of North Carolina State University. The keepers managed to talk enough of the buzzers off of the car so that the deputy could then drive away, scattering the stragglers.

Of course, this brings us to the most enjoyable part of this tale – our caption contest. We’ve levied a few of our own suggestions below to get you started, but feel free to leave your own in Comments after buzzing over to the jump to check out a video of the swarm.

• “Arresting Mr. Pooh for stealing honey doesn’t seem like such a great idea now, does it, rookie?”
  
  
• Dodge’s early attempts at a Superbee revival meet with mixed results.
  
  
• Krispy Kreme’s new honey-flavored donuts are creating quite a stir.
  
  
• Wake County: All your bees are belong to us.

[Source: YouTube via WRAL]

Continue reading Caption Contest: NC sting operation goes horribly wrong [w/video]

Caption Contest: NC sting operation goes horribly wrong [w/video]

The Idiot’s Guide To Driving Gorgeously Quick

Chas Murphy, until recently the U.S. product manager for Audi’s TT, R8 and RS sports cars, said of the R8 V10 Spyder: “You have to drive the car. It can’t be put into words.” Well, we drove it over the hills and through the woods of the Cleveland (Cali, not Ohio) National Forest, and we can put it into words. Rather, we can put it into one word: unfair.

The ways in which the R8 V10 Spyder is unfair leave us thoroughly taken with this open-air supercar and yet a little melancholy. You see, as good as the R8 V10 Spyder is – and there’s no doubt about that – when you look at it, what you behold is the dumbing down of driving civilization. On the upside, this particular kind of dumb is among the most rewarding, outstanding kinds of idiocy you could ever hope to achieve. Find out what we mean after the jump.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Audi R8 V10 Spyder

First Drive: 2011 Audi R8 V10 Spyder