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Most drivers who fail in F1 fail downwards – that is, they drop down to another form of motorsport and change focus. But if your name is Senna, you fail up.

Having tested for Honda before it closed up shop and quit F1, Bruno Senna took the only chance he had to get onto the grid when he debuted with the Hispania Racing Team. That didn’t work out so well – mostly, truth be told, because the team wasn’t up to speed – but after retiring from as many races as he finished and failing to score a single championship point, he was released by HRT.

The nephew of the late, great Ayrton Senna was then picked up as a test driver for the Renault team, which has now announced that it will be giving Bruno a chance to race again this weekend. He’ll be taking the place of Nick Heidfeld, who himself was brought in to fill in for an injured Robert Kubica.

That Heidfeld was actually doing better than his teammate Vitaly Petrov in the standings so far this season didn’t seem to deter the Renault strategists in their desire to shake up its driver lineup over the summer break. Whether Senna is kept on or replaced in turn will likely depend on his performance, so we’ll be watching this weekend and waiting until the team makes a more detailed announcement.

Bruno Senna to take Heidfeld’s place at Renault for Spa

Get stranded in the waters off a beach in Portugal, and this is what you’ll hope to see pulling up on the shore: the Volkswagen Amarok.

In one of its first applications as an emergency vehicle, the Portugese National Institute for Search and Rescue has ordered a fleet of 14 of VW’s new pickups for its lifeguards to rescue wayward surfers and swimmers.

The vehicles have been outfitted with emergency lights, surfboard racks and special livery derived from the design of the first Volkswagen SAR concept that previewed the Amarok at the commercial vehicle show in Hanover back in 2008.

You can check out the press release after the jump and the pair of high-resolution images in the gallery for a closer look, just don’t expect any slow-motion running shots of Pamela Anderson or David Hasselhoff in their swimsuits.

Continue reading Volkswagen Amarok goes all Baywatch with Portugese lifeguards

Volkswagen Amarok goes all Baywatch with Portugese lifeguards

Having the means to buy a performance automobile does not automatically come with the ability to drive it well. Few are as keenly aware of this correlation (or lack thereof) than Mercedes-Benz and its performance arm, AMG.

In addition to building some of the most capable performance cars on the market, AMG also operates the AMG Driving Academy at locations around the world to show its customers how to get the most out of their cars.

Courses ranges in price from $1,595 for a one-day ‘Basic Training’ class to $3,695 for a three-day comprehensive ‘Pro Training’ course. To give us a taste (and then some) of what’s on offer, AMG has released a ten-part video series on YouTube covering the basic elements of what a driver needs to know, everything from proper seat adjustment to how to drift.

The series is hosted by experienced racer, television presenter and instructor Tommy Kendall, and it’s worth taking the time to watch. Each segment is only three or four minutes long and can be found after the jump. Watch them, and you’re sure to learn a thing or two. AMG is also giving away a free day at the academy for you and three friends on its Facebook page.

Continue reading AMG Driving Academy publishes ten-part driving course on YouTube

AMG Driving Academy publishes ten-part driving course on YouTube

Audi has a hot seller on its hands. If we forced you to guess which model (and didn’t let you read the title of this post), you might assume that we’d be talking about the A6 or even the Q5. Nope. The four-ringed automaker is watching its all-new 2011 A8 flagship sedan doing its best impression of hot cakes.

In fact, the stylish luxo-barge is selling so well that it’s required Audi to hire more plant workers. According to Automotive News, Audi is boosting production of the A8 by 57 percent, and it needs more hands on deck to help keep the lines moving at the automaker’s Neckarsulm, Germany assembly plant. The A8 still has a ways to go in matching its German luxury brethren for global volume, but the new model appears to be on the right track.

Audi A8 a hot seller out of the gates, nearly 60% boost in production planned

You name it, Kimi Raikkonen has raced it. When the 2007 World Champion tired of Formula One, he switched to the World Rally Championship. When that got boring, he tried his hand at NASCAR. And now he could be gearing up for an assault on Le Mans.

The opportunity is reportedly coming from no less capable at team than Peugeot, the only team to beat Audi since the turn of the millennium (excluding Bentley, which raced with Audi’s support). According to Autosport, the Finnish driver is set to test their 908 prototype with an eye towards possibly driving for the team at Le Mans next year. Kimi himself is quoted as saying he wouldn’t want to compete at the solitary event without running other endurance races in order to practice, but working the races into his WRC and NASCAR schedule could prove tricky.

Raikkonen wouldn’t be the first F1 driver to drive for Peugeot. In recent years the team’s roster has included such former grand prix pilots as Jacques Villeneuve, Sebastien Bourdais, Pedro Lamy and Alex Wurz. Were he to win, however, he would be one of only a handful of drivers to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Formula One World Championship (as well as the Monaco Grand Prix, for that matter), joining the elite company of Graham Hill, Mike Hawthorn, Phil Hill and Jochen Rindt, and placing him as a serious contender for the elusive Triple Crown of Motorsport.

Kimi Raikkonen to test Peugeot 908 for possible Le Mans drive

Bentley is currently in the middle of a product update that started with the all-new Mulsanne and has now moved on to the Continental GT. We’ve gotten up close and personal with the 2012 Continental GT Coupe on more than one occasion, but we knew that more derivatives lurked in the future. The next one is now here, and it arrives in the form of the 2012 Bentley Continental GTC.

Sharing the same lower lines as its sibling hardtop coupe, the GTC opts to let the sun shine in via a power-operated retracting softtop. Under the hood sits the same 6.0-liter W12 engine that produces 567 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque in the coupe. Paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, the Continental GTC will run from 0-60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds. Keep your Church’s Warrik leather driving shoe pushed to the floor and 100 mph will pass by in 10.9 seconds as you proceed towards a top speed of 195 mph.

This second-generation Continental GTC boasts the same upgraded interior amenities as the coupe, including the (thankfully!) updated nav system, plethora of color choices and optional Naim audio. Twenty-inch wheels are the standard set, while 21-inch rollers are available as an option.

For those who have the means, Bentley is taking orders now, and lucky customers will take delivery towards the end of 2011. The rest of the world will get to see the car in person at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Ready to take a deeper dive into the world of the 2012 Bentley Continental GTC? Click past the jump for the full press release, then take a gander at the convertible from all angles in our gallery.

Continue reading 2012 Bentley Continental GTC goes topless as summer winds down

2012 Bentley Continental GTC goes topless as summer winds down

Racing is built on a foundation of tired sayings packed with monumental truths. Recently, few have been more poignant for the crew of the supercharged NC Miata we’re set to co-pilot in the 2011 Targa Newfoundland than, “You have to start before you can win.” Last week, Bill Cardell, our valiant pilot and part-time lumberjack, wound up accidentally felling an aspen tree on himself while doing some work at a mountain cabin. He’s currently awaiting a second set of x-rays to determine just how lengthy his recuperation will be, but either way, he’s facing a few long weeks out of the saddle due to a broken humerus. Cardell, while in seemingly good spirits, finds nothing funny about the situation. Needless to say, squeezing into the cockpit of a race car isn’t on his doctor’s prescription pad, which leaves Nancy and I without a driver.

In a moment of solidarity, your author managed to high-side my ‘82 Kawasaki GPz750 on day one of a two-week motorcycle ride. The next morning, one very haggard ER doctor told me that while my bones were intact, there’s a good chance that I’ve torn my rotator cuff.

“That’s bad,” I said.

“Yes. It’s very bad,” he agreed after a pause that conveyed a mix of disdain and admiration for my appreciation of the obvious.

Even so, I’ve regained much of the movement in my left shoulder, and the pain has subsided to an ever-present dull ache. If I can ride 2,300 miles on the arm, I can sure as hell use it to hold up pace notes. I’ll circle back with the medical establishment after our return from Canada.

Meanwhile, Cardell’s nephew, Brandon Fitch, will take over the forced-induction Miata’s controls. Fitch formerly served as crew chief for both vehicles and has worked with Flyin’ Miata for the past five years. As such, he’s had plenty of seat time with our car as part of his work in product development, and word has it he’s plenty quick to boot.

The race kicks off on September 10, and I’ve been ordered to stay indoors and intact until then. That’s advice I’ll likely heed. Our best get-well wishes go out to Cardell as he stitches himself back together.

The Road to Targa Newfoundland, Part 1: Bill breaks an arm

Bentley is currently in the middle of a product update that started with the all-new Mulsanne and has now moved on to the Continental GT. We’ve gotten up close and personal with the 2012 Continental GT Coupe on more than one occasion, but we knew that more derivatives lurked in the future. The next one is now here, and it arrives in the form of the 2012 Bentley Continental GTC.

Sharing the same lower lines as its sibling hardtop coupe, the GTC opts to let the sun shine in via a power-operated retracting softtop. Under the hood sits the same 6.0-liter W12 engine that produces 567 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque in the coupe. Paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, the Continental GTC will run from 0-60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds. Keep your Church’s Warrik leather driving shoe pushed to the floor and 100 mph will pass by in 10.9 seconds as you proceed towards a top speed of 195 mph.

This second-generation Continental GTC boasts the same upgraded interior amenities as the coupe, including the (thankfully!) updated nav system, plethora of color choices and optional Naim audio. Twenty-inch wheels are the standard set, while 21-inch rollers are available as an option.

For those who have the means, Bentley is taking orders now, and lucky customers will take delivery towards the end of 2011. The rest of the world will get to see the car in person at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Ready to take a deeper dive into the world of the 2012 Bentley Continental GTC? Click past the jump for the full press release, then take a gander at the convertible from all angles in our gallery.

Continue reading 2012 Bentley Continental GTC goes topless as summer winds down

2012 Bentley Continental GTC goes topless as summer winds down

It may be hard to believe, but the Audi R8 has already been on the market for five years. And while it was cutting edge then and is still eminently fresh and desirable by any account, sooner or later it’s going to need a bit of a touch-up up to keep ahead of the competition. And this could be our first look at what to expect.

Apparently leaked out together with some other photos, this solitary shot is believed to be a design mock-up of the front-end of the next R8. The nose features Audi’s latest hexagonal grille shape and a very sharp-looking set of all-LED headlamps that (with apologies to Bryan Adams fans) cut like a knife across the car’s face.

Mechanically, the new R8 is likely to carry over the existing choice of V8 or V10 engines with Quattro all-wheel drive, although prototypes have reportedly been seen with 2.5 and 3.0-liter TFSI engines driving the rear wheels only. What is understood is that the much-derided R-tronic transmission will finally be replaced with a better dual-clutch gearbox.

Sources speculate that Audi could be preparing to unveil the new R8 at the rapidly approaching Frankfurt Motor Show, but that could prove little more than wishful thinking. One way or another, we’ll find out soon enough, so watch this space for more.

Is this the face of the next Audi R8?

If you miss the classic wedge shape of the Lancia Stratos, there are a few things you can do about it. You could buy yourself a vintage example, which will set you back a pretty penny. Or you could have Pininfarina build you one based on a Ferrari F430, and run the risk of legal action from Maranello. Or you could buy a KTM X-Bow and bring it to the creative folks at Montenergy.

The Italian carrozzeria has developed a body kit for the Dallara-built carbon-fiber chassis called the Stratosferica that gives it the look of the Stratos with the handling of the Austrian motorbike company’s four-wheeled track monster. The conversion will set you back 12,000 euros (around $17,300 USD), but a simpler canopy addition called the Monte Carlo is also available and will take you most of the way there for less cash.

An engine upgrade is also available to boost the Audi-sourced TFSI four from 237 horsepower up to 310, which just sweetens the deal to a downright mouthwatering degree. Check it out in our galleries, or watch the pair of rudimentary video clips after the jump.

Continue reading KTM X-Bow gets a roof, thinks it’s a Stratos [w/videos]

KTM X-Bow gets a roof, thinks it’s a Stratos [w/videos]

Jay Leno seems to own just about every car he’s ever desired, but not even the late-night talk show host has a Bugatti Type 51. So we’re sure it was with great anticipation that Mr. Leno took delivery of a gorgeous, race-ready Type 51 for a few minutes in his envy-inducing garage.

Beyond the jump is the latest installment of Jay’s garage series. Leno is admittedly very fond of Bugatti models, and he seems to know an awful lot about the Type 51. He talks up the twin overhead cam engine, shows off it’s start-up process (it’s got more steps than Ikea furniture assembly) and demonstrates one of the sweetest engine sounds we’ve ever heard.

Hit the jump to watch the video for yourself. We’re guessing Jay will own the Type 51 by the time you’ve finished with the 12-minute clip.

Continue reading Jay Leno teaches us about the Bugatti Type 51

Jay Leno teaches us about the Bugatti Type 51

Earlier this morning, we showed you the first video of the coming Ferrari 458 Spider, but now we have a batch of images and more information to share with you.

Engineering a mid-engined exotic with a retractable hardtop is a bit tricky. Which is why it’s never been done before – that is, until now. Feast your eyes on what Maranello’s crafty engineers have wrought.

The convertible version of the 458 Italia fills the space left by the F430 Spider and the 360, 355 and 348 Spiders before it. But whereas those went with cloth roofs, the newest variation on the theme uses a folding – or more accurately, flipping – hard panel. The mechanism is similar to the one on the Superamerica, but whereas that model’s roof panel simply rests under the open sky on the rear deck, the 458 stows under the deck lid, protecting it from collecting dust or rain that would otherwise be deposited on the driver and passenger when deployed.

The function is simpler than most folding contraptions and resulting form is more pleasing to the eye as well, but the one disadvantage is that the 4.5-liter direct-injection V8 (with all its 562 prancing horses and trademark crackled red cam cover) is now hidden below decks instead of displayed as on the 458 Italia coupe. Which only goes to show that while you can come close to having your proverbial cake and eating it too, even this level of performance roadster has its trade-offs. This, though, strikes us as one we could live with. You know, if we really had to.

Follow the jump for the video and full press release, and be sure to scope out the initial batch of high-resolution images in the gallery as we gear up for the 458 Spider’s debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show just a few weeks from now.

Continue reading Ferrari drops the top, full specs on new 458 Spider [w/video]

Ferrari drops the top, full specs on new 458 Spider [w/video]

Earlier this morning, we showed you the first video of the coming Ferrari 458 Spider, but now we have a batch of images and more information to share with you.

Engineering a mid-engined exotic with a retractable hardtop is a bit tricky. Which is why it’s never been done before – that is, until now. Feast your eyes on what Maranello’s crafty engineers have wrought.

The convertible version of the 458 Italia fills the space left by the F430 Spider and the 360, 355 and 348 Spiders before it. But whereas those went with cloth roofs, the newest variation on the theme uses a folding – or more accurately, flipping – hard panel. The mechanism is similar to the one on the Superamerica, but whereas that model’s roof panel simply rests under the open sky on the rear deck, the 458 stows under the deck lid, protecting it from collecting dust or rain that would otherwise be deposited on the driver and passenger when deployed.

The function is simpler than most folding contraptions and resulting form is more pleasing to the eye as well, but the one disadvantage is that the 4.5-liter direct-injection V8 (with all its 562 prancing horses and trademark crackled red cam cover) is now hidden below decks instead of displayed as on the 458 Italia coupe. Which only goes to show that while you can come close to having your proverbial cake and eating it too, even this level of performance roadster has its trade-offs. This, though, strikes us as one we could live with. You know, if we really had to.

Follow the jump for the video and full press release, and be sure to scope out the initial batch of high-resolution images in the gallery as we gear up for the 458 Spider’s debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show just a few weeks from now.

Continue reading Ferrari drops the top, full specs on new 458 Spider

Ferrari drops the top, full specs on new 458 Spider

Today, Ferrari is unveiling the 458 Spider, and official video of the new sports car’s roof operation has already hit YouTube. It’s as simple as it is slick. The rear-hinged tonneau flips up, after which the Superamerica-style roof panel rotates back into the space behind behind the seats. After extending two small trim elements, the tonneau comes back down. It’s elegant and fast, and the car, predictably, looks beautiful. Keep an eye out for additional info on Ferrari’s newest addition later today. In the meantime, hit the jump to see the roof in action.

Continue reading Ferrari 458 Spider gets Superamerica-style roof

Ferrari 458 Spider gets Superamerica-style roof

Things happen in an orderly fashion in Germany. And so they do with the unveiling of new cars. The Porsche 911 most of all.

Every few years, Porsche makes enough substantial changes to its 48-year-old rear-engined sports car to categorize it as a new model. Then it begins rolling out one version after another until a couple dozen are out there, and the process starts all over again.

You may call it Sisyphean, but Porsche calls this progress. And even this process follows in an orderly fashion. So with the initial images already leaked out online and the new model’s debut scheduled for the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, it only follows in typical Teutonic logic that Porsche now release the first batch of official photos and information on its new staple model.

Continue reading 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera disrobes ahead of Frankfurt, priced from $82,100

2012 Porsche 911 Carrera disrobes ahead of Frankfurt, priced from $82,100

WRX drivers won’t like hearing it, but Subaru has got some catching up to do with Toyota. While the latter has unveiled several concepts to preview its version of the rear-drive coupe the two are developing together, the former has yet to show us anything more than a frame. But that’s about to change.

At the rapidly approaching Frankfurt Motor Show, Subaru will be unveiling a “technology concept” for its version of the sports car. And in announcing its plans, Fuji Heavy’s automotive unit has revealed the car’s name: BRZ.

The letters stand for Boxer Rear-drive Zenith, and will be worn on the concept called the BRZ Prologue. We’re not quite sure what to expect, exactly, of a “technology concept,” but hopefully, it’ll give us a better idea of what we’re looking at than what we’ve seen so far. Follow the jump for the press release and follow the link to the teaser site for more.

Continue reading Subaru names its coupe BRZ as concept heads for Frankfurt

Subaru names its coupe BRZ as concept heads for Frankfurt

Even the humble Nissan Juke isn’t immune to the recent epidemic of Black Edition models we’ve seen spread across the automotive landscape; Nissan has just announced the limited-edition Juke Kuro available only to UK buyers. Meaning “black” in Japanese, the Kuro comes equipped with 17-inch gloss black wheels, black door mirrors and handles for a sleeker appearance. Buyers will be able to drape their hatch in either Force Red or Pearl Black paint, though Nissan only plans to roll out 700 of the vehicles to maintain exclusivity.

Prices start at £17,395 ($28,700 at current conversion rates) for the 1.6-liter four-cylinder, though a direct-injection turbocharged variant is also available for £18,995. Both models are on sale right in the UK right now. Hit the jump to check out the full press release.

Continue reading Nissan Juke Kuro goes dark for UK buyers

Nissan Juke Kuro goes dark for UK buyers

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is coming to the United States, and we’re already eager for some seat time. And while Mercedes-Benz hasn’t outright confirmed an AMG variant, our spy photographers managed to snag a camo-clad compact wearing all sorts of bulgy bolt-ons. Our best guess is that some sort of AMG treatment lies beneath.

The large wheels and tires do nothing to hide the large brakes lurking just behind the rolling gear. A larger air intake is seen up front while larger exhaust pipes are poking out of the rear. Rumor has it that the Mercedes-Benz A-Class AMG will be powered by an engine producing between 320 and 350 horsepower, filtering its energy through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and running to the ground via all-wheel drive.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class spied in AMG guise

Sweden’s debt agency must’ve figured out the PIN to a handful of Saab bank accounts. In one of them, the agency found 5.1 million kronor, which translates to nearly $800,000 USD. That amount is enough to cover debts owed to the first four companies waiting for funds in the pay-me-now queue.

The debt agency has reached out to other banks holding Saab accounts in order to get the full picture of the automakers financial position. Though the 5.1 million SEK covers a quartet of major debt holders, the total amount owed is much higher. According to the agency, 23 claims have been posted against Saab with a total value of 50 million SEK. That works out to nearly eight million USD.

Depending on the findings of the agency’s probe, Saab could either be forced to pay off its loans or pushed toward the court with bankruptcy the likely outcome… unless regulatory approval is secured for long-term funding before that comes to pass.

Saab has cash to cover major debts according to probe by Swedish agency

Pebble Beach enjoyed a visit by a very special member of the Ford stable last week. Lincoln, along with the Edsel and Eleanor Ford house, displayed Edsel Bryant Ford’s freshly-restored 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster at the Monterey Concours d’Elegance.

Inspired by a visit to Europe in 1932 and penned by none other than E.T. Gregorie, Ford chief designer at the time, the Roadster began life as a 1934 Model 40 frame before going under the knife for substantial revisions. Stretched a full inch over factory dimensions and saddled substantially lower to the ground, the vehicle boasts a rear-pitched cockpit, long nose and custom aluminum bodywork. A classic Ford Flathead V8 powers the rear wheels.

After Edsel passed away in 1943, the vehicle made a few scant appearances around the country before vanishing. It surfaced again at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in 1999 and sold to a collector for a heady $1.76 million. When the collector died, the car was returned to the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House before receiving a full restoration to return it to its former glory. Hit the jump for a video of the car’s unveiling and for the official press release.

Continue reading Edsel Ford’s restored 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster struts its stuff at Pebble Beach [w/video]

Edsel Ford’s restored 1934 Model 40 Special Speedster struts its stuff at Pebble Beach [w/video]