Sunday, February 24, 2013

ETC: Wrap your car in the loving and tender embrace of velvet

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In case you hadn't noticed, car wrapping has gotten more popular and more common in recent years. At this year's SEMA show, in particular, it was difficult to walk ten feet without seeing some custom wrap job or another. With matte palettes, metallic finishes and famous racing liveries so thick on the ground then, it was probably only a matter of time before we got to velvet. Call up Barry and Levon, baby - velvet is here.

The strategically named Velvet Cars is now offering partial and full body wraps, in 15 different shades of velvet, for your own personal dream car. The company will help you find a certified car wrapper in your area, who can follow up with a quote. For the DIY wrapping enthusiast (and velvet-fondling bon vivant), the company will also sell you the wrapping material itself; the 25-yard, full car wrap runs $1,500.

It's hard to say what this stuff looks like in real life, and we can't imagine that it wears particularly well, but the demo Fisker Karma sure does look huggably soft to us. Stay tuned for next year's SEMA show, where we fully expect a Scion xB to serve as a canvas for Velvet Car Dogs Playing Pool, and velvety renditions of Elvis.

Wrap your car in the loving and tender embrace of velvet originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Feb 2013 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/23/wrap-your-car-in-the-loving-and-tender-embrace-of-velvet/

Leslie Johnson Bruce Johnstone Alan Jones Tom Jones

Hines Takes Final Race in "Winter Dirt Games IV”

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2013/02/hines-takes-final-race-in-winter-dirt.html

Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica Nanni Galli

Mardenborough joins Carlin in F3

Nissan GT Academy graduate Jann Mardenborough will move to Formula 3 this season, as predicted by AUTOSPORT, having been signed as part of Carlin's European series line-up. AUTOSPORT revealed last month that Mardenborough was bound for F3 after a single year in car racing, having started out in the British GT Championship as part of Nissan's programme for computer gamers trying to break into real-life motorsport

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/mardenborough-joins-carlin-in-f3

William Ashton Lewis Jr Sterling Burton Marlin Mark Anthony Martin Jeremy Allan Mayfield

Travis Pastrana Prepares for an Epic Ride in 2013 with Roush Fenway Racing

Travis Pastrana - Photo Credit: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images for NASCARDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 20, 2013) – The neon yellow stripe on the back of Travis Pastrana’s No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang may blend in with the bright paint scheme that adorns the car, but little else about the action sports star blends in....more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/nationwide/02/20/travis-pastrana-prepares-for-an-epic-ride-in-2013-with-roush-fenway-racing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=travis-pastrana-prepares-for-an-epic-ride-in-2013-with-roush-fenway-racing

Sam Hanks Walt Hansgen Mike Harris Cuth Harrison

Reuss named Daytona honorary pace car driver

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/02/22/2699278/reuss-named-daytona-honorary-pace.html

Yuji Ide Jesús Iglesias Taki Inoue Innes Ireland

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Espargaro, Vinales top testing again

Pol Espargaro and Maverick Vinales once again went quickest in Moto2 and Moto3 pre-season testing at Jerez respectively. Rain and fog effectively spoiled the final day of the three-day test, with the worsening conditions sealing Espargaro and Vinales' places at the top of the timesheets. The pair also topped their respective categories in pre-season testing at Valencia one week ago

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/espargaro-vinales-top-testing-again

Heikki Kovalainen Kevin Harvick Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Clint Bowyer

Mogar DG Filho: Next Stop iWCGPS

As the opening round of the 2013 iRacing.com World Championship Grand Prix Series at Spa-Francorchamps on March 2 edges ever closer, we can look forward to seeing some new and familiar names battling for the most coveted sim-racing title in the world . . . and prizes valued at nearly $20,000.   One fresh-faced individual who will be debuting and looking to make his mark on the championship is Mogar Filho, who recently qualified for the iWCGPS by securing second position in the 2012 iRacing Road Pro Series in January. For Filho, it’s another step in a long-established online racing career that has seen him progress from blocky pixels to high definition. “I always preferred racing games when I started playing video games (back on Atari days), but always looked for [...]

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/mogar-dg-filho

Al Keller Joe Kelly Dave Kennedy Loris Kessel

NNS Pole Report: Trevor Bayne wins pole for DRIVE4COPD 300

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2013/02/nns-pole-report-trevor-bayne-wins-pole.html

Eddie Irvine Chris Irwin Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson

MATT ARTIN JOINS NHRA AS DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS

NHRA GLENDORA, Calif. (Jan. 4, 2012) NHRA announced today that Matt Artin, an eight-year veteran in media planning, advertising and promotions, has joined the world's largest motorsports sanctioning body as director of advertising and promotions....

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/matt_artin_joins_nhra_as.php

Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth

Yamaha and PETRONAS Conclude MotoGP Partnership

Yamaha Racing Sunday, 01 Jan 2012 As 2011 draws to a close it marks the end of a successful partnership between Yamaha's Factory MotoGP Team and PETRONAS....

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/yamaha_and_petronas_concl.php

Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica

PEAK Auto Products Lowers Sights, Signs Up with 24 Hours of LeMons

Using the same Svengali-like salesmanship that convinced this publication to sign up as the sponsor of the 24 Hours of LeMons, Chief Perp Jay Lamm has now convinced PEAK to arm-twist persuade some of their celebrity drivers to strap into total hoopties and team up with the scurviest hoons the LeMons world has to offer. [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/7mi1TioiDOQ/

Eddie Irvine Chris Irwin Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson

Hamilton tops rain-hit final morning

Lewis Hamilton capitalised on the break between rain showers to set the fastest time on the final morning of the Barcelona test week. Rain marred the first few hours of running, but at least offered a chance to sample the wet and intermediate tyres. A brief period of respite in the weather then allowed most teams to put in a reasonable number of slick-shod laps before the next shower shortly before the lunch break.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/hamilton-tops-rain-hit-final-morning

Cuth Harrison Brian Hart Gene Hartley Masahiro Hasemi

Button: 2013 tyres easier to understand

Jenson Button is certain the 2013 Pirelli Formula 1 tyres will offer a fair playing field despite their high degradation. Although the rate at which tyres lose performance has been a dominant theme of pre-season testing so far, Button said that there has been no problem understanding how to get the rubber working, unlike last year. "This year is more difficult in terms of graining than last year, but in terms of understanding the tyre it's a lot easier," he said.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/button-2013-tyres-easier-to-understand

Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr Sterling Burton Marlin Mark Anthony Martin

Friday, February 22, 2013

Cassidy to test with Manor at Estoril

Double Toyota Racing Series champion Nick Cassidy will test with the Manor GP3 squad on Friday at Estoril. The 18-year-old from New Zealand beat a field including European Formula 3 racers Alex Lynn, Lucas Auer and Felix Serralles to second his second straight TRS crown earlier this month.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/cassidy-to-test-with-manor-at-estoril

Jimmy Jackson Joe James John James Jean Pierre Jarier

Report: Ford, Toyota clean up in Best Car For The Money Awards

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The U.S. News Best Cars for the Money Awards picks winners by looking at the average transaction price, five-year total cost of ownership, the regard a car has from the automotive press, reliability figures from J.D. Power and Associates and safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The result, according to the magazine, is "the best combination of critical acclaim and long-term value."

Ford nabbed six of the 21 categories that received awards this year, the Focus, Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, Taurus, Escape and Edge getting trophies. Toyota and its Lexus and Scion sub-brands took another five, the Tacoma and Tundra owning the two categories given to pickup trucks. The other ten awards were split between Honda with three, Buick with two, and one each for Subaru, BMW, Hyundai, Chevrolet and Mazda.

Follow the link to see all the winners and read about why they were chosen.

Ford, Toyota clean up in Best Car For The Money Awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/22/ford-toyota-clean-up-in-best-car-for-the-money-awards/

Jacky Ickx Yuji Ide Jesús Iglesias Taki Inoue

De Jong to race in selected events

GP2 racer Daniel de Jong will make a handful of starts in Auto GP this year, racing a third car for MP Motorsport. De Jong finished fifth in Auto GP last year with the Dutch team, and also made eight starts in GP2 for Rapax. The 20-year-old has moved across full-time to GP2 with MP, which has taken over Coloni's entry in the series for 2013.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/de-jong-to-race-in-selected-events

David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch

Frijns to test Trident GP2 car

Formula Renault 3.5 champion Robert Frijns will drive for the Trident GP2 team in next week's test at Jerez. The Dutchman, who is yet to announce his plans for this year after securing the FR3.5 crown last season, will be joined at the team by Frenchman Nathanael Berthon.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/formula-cars/gp2/frijns-to-test-trident-gp2-car

Gerino Gerini Peter Gethin Piercarlo Ghinzani Bruno Giacomelli

Kevin Harvick Racks Up Another Daytona Win in First Budweiser Duel

Kevin Harvick, driver of the #29 Budweiser Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway on February 21, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Florida. - Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty ImagesKyle Busch Wins Race #2 in Second-Fastest Duel Ever DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Kevin Harvick and...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/sprintcup/02/21/kevin-harvick-racks-up-another-daytona-win-in-first-budweiser-duel/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kevin-harvick-racks-up-another-daytona-win-in-first-budweiser-duel

Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr

Dustin Morgan looking for smooth 2013 season

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2013/02/dustin-morgan-looking-for-smooth-2013.html

Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot

2014 Volvo S60: A Blander Face, More Technology, Still No Wagon for U.S. [2013 Geneva Auto Show]

Volvo’s S60 sedan is an enjoyable sport-luxury sedan, with saucy Scandinavian sheetmetal and fine driving dynamics in a right-sized package. Our 40,000-mile test of a 2012 S60 T6 AWD was a pleasant experience when the car wasn’t away due to a long, drawn-out electronics issue. But after three years on sale here in the U.S.—and [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/rDsRb0Fw6ag/2014-volvo-s60-photos-and-info-news

Bruce Halford Jim Hall Duncan Hamilton Lewis Hamilton

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Name That Shifter, No. 116: 1948 Chrysler Windsor

On Monday, we presented this week’s shifter and asked you to identify the make and model of the vehicle whence it came. We’re not sure how you came so close with your guesses this week—we figured we’d stump you for sure—but one of you correctly identified the make and model. That commenter was Jake S., [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/2A_QT8Z4Crc/

Brian Henton Johnny Herbert Al Herman Hans Herrmann

Bright leads V8 test, Nissan in top five

Jason Bright was fastest as Nissan proved immediately quick in the first official test of V8 Supercars' new era at Sydney Motorsport Park on Saturday. The official pre-season test day was the first time that all four marques participating in the 2013 championship had run together on track.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/bright-leads-v8-test-nissan-in-top-five

Hans Heyer Damon Hill Graham Hill Phil Hill

Emerson Emerges Victorious in The Netherlands

Round 3 of the iRacing.com V8 Supercar Championship Presented by Big Pond headed to the Netherlands and Circuit Park Zandvoort to take on the national layout for the first time in over two years. Justin Ruggier was the red-hot favorite heading into the main race as he had won all three online races before in dominating fashion. Ruggier underlined that form by qualifying on pole with a record breaking lap of 1:11.185, almost three tenths quicker then second fastest George Maris at 1:11.451 with John Emerson moving into third position on the grid in the final qualifying session with a 1:11.490. Madison Down would start from fourth with Joshua Muggleton and Rens Broekman fifth and sixth, respectively ahead of Vail Riches and Michael Fabian on Row Four as Mitchell McLeod [...]

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/emerson-emerges-victorious-in-the-netherlands

Howden Ganley Frank Gardner Billy Garrett Jo Gartner

Making Your City More Walkable? That’s Not “Zoning”

In last week’s Washington Post, Roger K. Lewis, an architect and professor at the University of Maryland, wrote an intriguing column suggesting that it’s time for a big rethink of the concept of zoning, which he says is a relic of the early 20th century:
Zoning traditionally served to separate businesses from residences. Image: Ann Arbor Chronicle
Zoning conventions [...]

Source: http://dc.streetsblog.org/2013/02/20/making-your-city-more-walkable-thats-not-zoning/

Stefan Johansson Eddie Johnson Leslie Johnson Bruce Johnstone

This Week: Mayoral Transit Forum, Brooklyn Greenway

This week, community boards in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island hear proposals from DOT on key bike connections, a new Slow Zone, and parking meter reforms. To cap off the week, mayoral candidates are invited to talk transit on Friday. Here are the details:

Tuesday: The MTA will present to Brooklyn Community Board 2′s transportation committee about [...]

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2013/02/19/this-week-midtown-bike-lanes-mayoral-forum-and-more/

Olivier Grouillard Brian Gubby André Guelfi Miguel Ángel Guerra

2013 World Tour of iRacing: Daytona 500

Round Three of the 2013 World Tour of iRacing – the Daytona 500 – is slated for Friday, February 22 at 9 PM Eastern (02:00 GMT Saturday, February 23) and Saturday, February 23 at 2 PM Eastern (19:00 GMT). The open set-up event features the Class A Chevrolet Impala for 200 laps of the Daytona International Speedway (daytime). Practice and qualifying begin on Tuesday, February 18 and will be open all week prior to the online race, with qualifying sessions consisting of two green flag laps starting every hour at 45 minutes past the hour minutes. Race splits will be set by iRating, order on the grid will be based on qualifying time. There will be 43 cars per split with full course cautions, and the top split will be [...]

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/2013-world-tour-of-iracing-daytona-500

Maurício Gugelmin Dan Gurney Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood

Webster moves into GP3 with Status

2012 McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award finalist Josh Webster will move into GP3 with Status in 2013. Webster, who finished runner-up in last year's Formula Renault BARC championship, made his debut for the team yesterday as pre-season testing commenced at Estoril .

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/webster-moves-into-gp3-with-status

Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott Jeffrey Michael Gordon

Official: Gray Designs' latest auto-influenced yacht dubbed Xhibitionist [w/video]

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Gray Designs' Xhibitionist yacht - profile rendering

Swedish designer Eduard Gray, who you've heard of via the Dartz Jo-Mojo and Pombron Nagel concepts and delightful Saab 92010 Sixten concept, is back at the drawing board penning boats and matching supercars. Following the Strand Craft 122, the Xhibitionist is a 75-meter superyacht with unmissable automotive cues, and it is said to be the inspiration for the Xhibit-G supercar.

The Xhibitionist is a multi-purpose watercraft whose inner spaces can be rearranged into a car showroom, a partitioned retail space or a luxury lounge for guests. The 'hood' at the bow opens up to release an array of solar panels that are sturdy enough to act as a platform for entertaining or as a helipad. Beneath that is a viewing deck, while out back, guests can enjoy the hot tub on the fly deck.

Motivation for the Xhibitionist comes from hybrid engines in the "powerplant gallery," but the carbon-fiber-bodied Xhibit-G supercar with its aluminum chassis gets more traditional gumption from a 630-horsepower V12. Oddly for a supercar, though, the car is limited to a top speed of 155 mph. Inside is white leather set off by black carbon fiber and chrome. The supercar is said to be for Zeus Twelve, a supercar brand working with Mansory and Lotus.

You can check out the video below to see how the Xhibitionist gets attention, and read more about it in the press release.

Continue reading Gray Designs' latest auto-influenced yacht dubbed Xhibitionist [w/video]

Gray Designs' latest auto-influenced yacht dubbed Xhibitionist [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Feb 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/20/gray-designs-latest-auto-influenced-yacht-dubbed-xhibitionist/

Lucas di Grassi Cecil Green Keith Greene Masten Gregory

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Zamparelli enters GP3 with Manor

Formula 2 frontrunner Dino Zamparelli will race in the GP3 Series this year with the Manor team. The 20-year-old Briton made the announcement via his Twitter feed, with the Marussia F1 team, which backs Manor's squad, adding: "With an eye to our GP3 ambitions, we've signed Dino Zamparelli and welcome the Anglo-Italian. Zamparelli began his car racing career in Ginetta Juniors, winning the 2008 title before switching to single-seaters.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/zamparelli-enters-gp3-with-manor

Mike Harris Cuth Harrison Brian Hart Gene Hartley

Moustakas & Humpe Master Darlington

Week Two of the NASCAR iRacing.com Class C Series (open setup) is arguably the most difficult week of the season. The series pays a visit to the track too tough to tame in Darlington Raceway for some beating, banging, and undoubtedly, some arguing. Over 400 sim racers took the green flag for at least one race during the week and it’s safe to bet that a majority of them weren’t happy with their results. Even though a lot the racers probably weren’t happy, there were at least two people happy after a long, long week of online racing. Last season’s champion Kenny Humpe (Ohio) returned to form this week as he took the checkered flag in dominating fashion over teammate Nick Neben (Plains) by 18.087 seconds in a caution free [...]

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/moustakas-humpe-master-darlington

Z Line Toyota Kyle Busch Toyota Kimmy Z Line Designs Toyota

Video: Jeep's new Chip Away commercial has us hunting Al Pacino's back catalog

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2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee in sand dunes - commercial screencap

Chrysler has done a pretty good job as of late turning its television commercials into pep talks or rallying cries, but for its first ad for the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, it turned to Al Pacino's inspirational speech from the movie Any Given Sunday. In the movie, Pacino's character talks about how football is a game of inches, but the commercial, titled Chip Away, focuses more on the attention to detail that Jeep has exhibited on its updated flagship SUV.

Centering around the newest Grand Cherokee model, the luxurious $47,995 Summit trim level, the commercial shows off some of the hand-stitched leathers and real metal and wood accents found inside the cabin. Check out the new 60-second spot by scrolling below.

Continue reading Jeep's new Chip Away commercial has us hunting Al Pacino's back catalog

Jeep's new Chip Away commercial has us hunting Al Pacino's back catalog originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/19/jeeps-new-chip-away-commercial-has-us-hunting-al-pacino/

Brian Henton Johnny Herbert Al Herman Hans Herrmann

Zandvoort Masters hopes for new date

The Masters of Formula 3 at Zandvoort is closing in on a new date of July 7 for this year's event. Organisers were forced to look for a new fixture after the F3 European Championship date at the Norisring was switched to July 13/14, clashing with the category's Dutch blue-riband event.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/zandvoort-masters-hopes-for-new-date

Kevin Harvick Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Clint Bowyer Zaxby s Chevrolet

Eyes on the Street: Road Collapse Closes Tillary Street Protected Bike Lane

The two-way protected bike lane on Tillary Street in Downtown Brooklyn is blocked. Photo: Trammell Hudson on Flickr
Tillary Street between Adams Street and Cadman Plaza East is a critical connection for cyclists from Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill and Red Hook to the Brooklyn Bridge, with a protected bike lane separating them from drivers on the [...]

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2013/02/15/eyes-on-the-street-roadway-collapse-closes-tillary-streets-protected-bike-lane/

Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota Jason Leffler

Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 172

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/sg9lJ0Ha7VM/

Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott Jeffrey Michael Gordon

Marquez surprised by his pace

Marc Marquez admits he was surprised by his rapid pace in last week's MotoGP test at Sepang. On the first day of what was only his third premier class test, the 2012 Moto2 champion lapped within five hundredths of a second of last year's championship protagonists Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/motorcycles/motogp/marquez-surprised-by-his-pace

Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr Sterling Burton Marlin

Kopecky’s programme set to increase

Jan Kopecky is set to add the next round of the European Rally Championship, the Canaries Rally, to his 2013 programme. The Skoda driver won the opening round of the season, the Janner Rally, in January and lies second in the championship, behind Jari Ketomaa. But he does not have a full-time programme in place for the remainder of 2013 , his participation in Rally Zlin his only other ERC entry for the year.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/kopeckys-programme-set-to-increase

Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith Georges Grignard Bobby Grim

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

2014 Kia Sorento First Drive: Freshened From the Inside Out

So just where is the semantic boundary between freshening and all-new? The 2014 Sorento crossover comes along at the scheduled time for a midcycle refresh, doesn’t look vastly different from its predecessor, and maintains the same 106.3-inch wheelbase (shared, of course, with the five-door Hyundai Santa Fe Sport). READ MORE ››

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/o0F40w-YtjM/2014-kia-sorento-first-drive-review

Danny Kladis Hans Klenk Peter de Klerk Christian Klien

Austin Dillon, No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet Camaro Daytona International Speedway Preview

Austin Dillon - Richard Childress RacingAustin Dillon No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet Camaro Event Preview Fact Sheet This Week’s AdvoCare Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 121 in the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway. This is a new addition to the RCR fleet that will be utilized for the...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/nationwide/02/19/austin-dillon-no-3-advocare-chevrolet-camaro-daytona-international-speedway-preview/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=austin-dillon-no-3-advocare-chevrolet-camaro-daytona-international-speedway-preview

Willi Heeks Nick Heidfeld Theo Helfrich Mack Hellings

Kiss Another NASCAR Record Goodbye as Danica Patrick Takes Daytona 500 Pole

Since June 19, 1949 there have been 2354 top-level NASCAR races called everything from Strictly Stock to today’s Sprint Cup and in every event there was a male driver starting on the pole. You can kiss that record goodbye. Danica Patrick, driving a Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing, put the car on the pole for next Sunday’s [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/JcUMFKbHg-k/

Yves Giraud Cabantous Ignazio Giunti Timo Glock Helm Glöckler

NASCAR Fantasy Fusion 101

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2013/02/nascar-fantasy-fusion-101_18.html

Jo Gartner Tony Gaze Geki Olivier Gendebien

Kyle Larson poised for stardom in NASCAR

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/02/18/2689853/kyle-larson-poised-for-stardom.html

Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood Mika Häkkinen Bruce Halford

Kevin Harvick Wins 2013 Sprint Unlimited At Daytona

RACE RECAP | SPRINT UNLIMITED AT DAYTONA Wreck on lap 15 took out Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch after Tony Stewart came down on the nose of Marcos Ambrose. SEG 1 WINNER – TONY STEWART SEG 2 WINNER – KEVIN HARVICK SEG 3 / FINISH [...]

Source: http://thefinallap.com/2013/02/16/kevin-harvick-wins-2013-sprint-unlimited-at-daytona/

Jean Marc Gounon Emmanuel de Graffenried Lucas di Grassi Cecil Green

Kyle Larson poised for stardom in NASCAR

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/02/18/2689853/kyle-larson-poised-for-stardom.html

Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage

2013 NASCAR Starting Lineup At Daytona: Budweiser Duel #1

Budweiser Duel #1 1 10 Danica Patrick # GoDaddy Chevrolet 2 21 Trevor Bayne(i) Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford 3 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 4 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota 5 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 6 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. National Guard Chevrolet 7 42 Juan [...]

Source: http://thefinallap.com/2013/02/17/2013-nascar-starting-line-up-at-daytona-budweiser-duel-1/

Heikki Kovalainen Kevin Harvick Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Clint Bowyer

Monday, February 18, 2013

Photos: 2013 NASCAR Daytona 500 Pole Qualifying Day

Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, celebrates with crew chief Tony Gibson after qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 17, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Florida. PHOTO CREDIT: NASCAR MEDIA

Source: http://thefinallap.com/2013/02/17/photos-2013-nascar-daytona-500-pole-qualifying-day-danica-patrick/

André Guelfi Miguel Ángel Guerra Roberto Guerrero Maurício Gugelmin

Kevin Harvick will race hard in final season with Richard Childress Racing

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/02/17/2688082/kevin-harvick-will-race-hard-in.html

Christian Klien Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig Kamui Kobayashi

Williams does not see Bottas as a rookie

Valtteri Bottas is effectively not a rookie driver heading into his debut season racing in Formula 1, according to Williams chief race engineer Xevi Pujolar.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/williams-does-not-see-bottas-as-a-rookie

Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth

Photos: NASCAR Daytona 500 – Practice

PHOTO CREDIT: NASCAR MEDIA

Source: http://thefinallap.com/2013/02/16/photos-daytona-500-practice-nascar/

Dave Kennedy Loris Kessel Bruce Kessler Nicolas Kiesa

Fisker may get $350 million bid from China's Dongfeng

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Fisker Automotive
may receive a $350 million acquisition bid from China-based automaker Dongfeng Motor Corp., Bloomberg says, citing people familiar with the process.

Dongfeng would buy about 85 percent of the California-based maker of the $100,000 Karma extended-range plug-in, the wire service reports. Fisker spokesman Roger Ormisher tells Bloomberg that Fisker's received proposals from "multiple parties in different continents."

Either way, a new majority owner would help Fisker pay back its loans to the US Energy Department. Fisker drew down a $529 million line by about $200 million before the US government froze the rest because Fisker didn't meet certain production targets.

Fisker hasn't produced vehicles for about seven months. The company couldn't get new batteries because supplier A123 Systems filed for bankruptcy and is going through its own bidding process. Additionally, Fisker's been renegotiating with Finland-based supplier Valmet, Ormisher told AutoblogGreen last month.

Fisker may get $350 million bid from China's Dongfeng originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 17 Feb 2013 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://green.autoblog.com/2013/02/17/fisker-may-get-350-million-bid-from-chinas-dongfeng/

Jean Marc Gounon Emmanuel de Graffenried Lucas di Grassi Cecil Green

TV Schedule: Feb. 15-17

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2013/02/tv-schedule-feb-15-17.html

Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica Nanni Galli Oscar Alfredo Gálvez

Wehrlein stays on with Mucke

Pascal Wehrlein will remain with Mucke Motorsport for this year's Formula 3 European Championship. The 18-year-old German has spent his entire single-seater career with the squad, winning the ADAC Formel Masters title in 2011 before stepping up to F3 last year and taking a shock runner-up spot in the Euro Series

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/wehrlein-stays-on-with-mucke

Copart Ford Denny Hamlin Z Line Toyota Kyle Busch

Get to Know: Joshua Laughton

If you want to talk about quick learners, then you’ve come to the right place. The driver I interviewed for this week’s Get to Know joined iRacing in mid-2008, but did not start using iRacing competitively and full time until 2010. When he got serious in 2010, he really got serious. How serious?  He went from a Class C license to an oval pro license in less than half a year. He then went on to compete in the second season of the NASCAR iRacing.com Series World Championship, running in 16 of the 18 total races. This week’s featured driver is Joshua Laughton. The 29 year old Laughton, who currently lives in California, has accomplished a lot on iRacing. In his case, appearances are deceiving.  From a glance at his [...]

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/get-to-know-joshua-laughton

Jean Pierre Jarier Max Jean Stefan Johansson Eddie Johnson

Sunday, February 17, 2013

ETC: Experimental mid-engine XP-819 Corvette going up for auction

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It seems to be commonplace that when a new Corvette is in development, rumors swirl about a possible mid-engine layout. As is the case of Chevy's most recent C7 Corvette, these rumors never pan out.

In any case, the idea for a 'Vette with an engine mounted behind the driver can probably all be traced back to a single car, the 1964 XP-819 prototype. Built as an "engineering exercise" back in 1964, the prototype was designed with a rear-mounted engine. History tells us that the idea of a rear-engine Corvette fizzled, and the XP-819 was eventually cut up into pieces and stored at a shop in Daytona Beach, FL.

After sitting for untold years, a restoration project started on the car, and while it isn't yet fully completed, the current owner of the car, Mid America Motorworks, will have the car on display at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance as a "driveable chassis" with hopes of having a fully completed car ready to bring to next year's show.

While we don't know many of the details behind this car, we can obviously see that it wears strong C3 styling details four years before the third-generation Corvette ever launched. We will be on hand at Amelia Island next month, so we'll bring you more coverage of this one-of-a-kind Corvette, but until then, check out the original images of the car above and the press release below.

Continue reading Experimental mid-engine XP-819 Corvette going up for auction

Experimental mid-engine XP-819 Corvette going up for auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Feb 2013 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/17/experimental-mid-engine-xp-819-corvette-going-up-for-auction/

Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage

Photos: 2013 Sprint Unlimited Practice

PHOTO CREDIT: NASCAR MEDIA

Source: http://thefinallap.com/2013/02/16/photos-2013-sprint-unlimited-practice/

Chris Irwin Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson Joe James

Video: Drifting on a frozen lake with a studded Lexus looks like fun

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Sometimes you come across a list of ingredients and you don't even need to know what's being made, you just know you need to be there when it's done. So if you saw a recipe for a Vimeo video that was one snow-covered frozen lake, one Lexus IS, four studded tires, two ice fisherman and one guy lounging on a couch, do you think you'd have any questions?

We didn't. The dish was cooked up by the Wide Open Drift Team and KSP Productions, and it's exactly what you'd think it is. Right down to the guy on the couch. We're glad we got to partake, and you can too in the video below.

Continue reading Drifting on a frozen lake with a studded Lexus looks like fun

Drifting on a frozen lake with a studded Lexus looks like fun originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/15/drifting-on-a-frozen-lake-with-a-studded-lexus-looks-like-fun/

Helmuth Koinigg Heikki Kovalainen Kevin Harvick Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet

One Year and 280+ Deaths Later, No Council Progress on NYPD Crash Reforms

Christine Quinn remains noncommittal on whether NYPD should investigate maimings and killings on NYC streets. Photo: James Estrin/New York Times/Redux
It was a year ago today that the City Council transportation committee, led by James Vacca and Peter Vallone Jr., convened a hearing on pedestrian and cyclist safety and the failure of NYPD to properly investigate [...]

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2013/02/15/one-year-and-280-deaths-later-no-council-progress-on-nypd-crash-reforms/

Denny Hulme James Hunt Jim Hurtubise Gus Hutchison

BMW unveils new Z4 GT contender

BMW has unveiled the car that will carry its hopes in the American Le Mans Series from this season. The Z4 GTE, which was revealed at the Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday, replaces the successful M3 GT that won the ALMS GT class drivers' title in 2011 and manufacturers' crowns in 2010 and '11 with the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing squad.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/bmw-unveils-new-z4-gt-contender

Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood Mika Häkkinen Bruce Halford

Rosberg denies Mercedes destabilised

Nico Rosberg is confident the late changes to Mercedes' management structure ahead of the 2013 Formula 1 season will not destabilise the team in any way.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/rosberg-denies-mercedes-destabilised

Jim Hall Duncan Hamilton Lewis Hamilton David Hampshire

Toyota Racing 2013 Sprint Unlimited Race Recaps

Toyota Racing LogoMATT KENSETH, No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 5th How was your car in the race? “I think we had a really strong car. The Dollar General Camry was extremely fast, I just couldn’t get back in that position — nobody was having any luck on the bottom....more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/sprintcup/02/16/toyota-racing-2013-sprint-unlimited-race-recaps/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=toyota-racing-2013-sprint-unlimited-race-recaps

Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica

MotoGP to use old pits at Silverstone

MotoGP will use the pre-2011 Silverstone pits and startline from this season rather than the 'wing' complex on the run to Abbey.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/motorcycles/motogp/motogp-to-use-old-pits-at-silverstone

Dan Gurney Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood Mika Häkkinen

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Today’s Headlines

More on Bloomberg’s Final State of the City: NYT, Post, WNYC
The Times’ Car Blog and TransNat Detail the Mayor’s Electric Vehicle Parking Plan
NY1-Marist Poll Shows Christine Quinn Still Not as Popular as Bike Lanes (CapNY)
Touting Car Theft Numbers, DA Richard Brown Has Nothing to Say About Traffic Deaths (Gazette)
Livery Cab Owners Sue to Stop Hail Apps (WSJ)
CUNY [...]

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2013/02/15/todays-headlines-1573/

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki

Gordon: New car demands more skill

Three-time Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon believes the new-for-2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup technical package will demand more driver skill in close racing.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/nascar/gordon-new-car-demands-more-skill

Theo Helfrich Mack Hellings Brian Henton Johnny Herbert

Espargaro, Vinales top Valencia test

Pol Espargaro and Maverick Vinales were quickest in Moto2 and Moto3 pre-season testing at Valencia respectively, while Moto2 title threat Tom Luthi suffered arm and collarbone injuries in a crash. Paddock rider Luthi, who has finished in the top five in Moto2 for the past three years, collided with Gresini's Ratthapark Wilairot on Thursday. Luthi was taken to hospital with a suspected broken right arm and collarbone, while Wilairot was treated at the circuit medical centre for a minor head injury

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/espargaro-vinales-top-valencia-test

Al Herman Hans Herrmann François Hesnault Hans Heyer

Legge to legally contest Dragon exit

Katherine Legge is planning legal action following yesterday's announcement that she will be replaced at Dragon Racing by Sebastian Saavedra for the 2013 IndyCar season. The Briton, who returned to open-wheelers with Dragon last season after three-year stint in the DTM, said in a statement that she signed a two-year sponsorship deal with TrueCar that she then took to Dragon for the 2012 season.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/indycar-news/indycar/legge-to-legally-contest-dragon-exit

Ignazio Giunti Timo Glock Helm Glöckler Paco Godia

Williams does not see Bottas as a rookie

Valtteri Bottas is effectively not a rookie driver heading into his debut season racing in Formula 1, according to Williams chief race engineer Xevi Pujolar.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/williams-does-not-see-bottas-as-a-rookie

Howden Ganley Frank Gardner Billy Garrett Jo Gartner

Spy Shots: Scion FR-S Convertible (in Toyota GT86 form) spied in South Africa

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Toyota GT86 convertible - spy shot - croppedThough the eventual existence of a convertible version of the Toyota GT86 (and its Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ versions for America) is a no-brainer, we've yet to get a glimpse of the real-deal car until now.

Spotted in Cape Town, South Africa, of all places, this completely undisguised GT86 convertible seems to be in a remarkably advanced state of development. The image seen here was obviously sniped from quite a distance and without the aid of a powerful lens, but we can still make out a production-ready looking piece of rear bodywork for the convertible top to hide away in, as well as a functioning trunk lid. It's hard to make out with any certainty, based on this evidence, but there does seem to be space retained behind the front seats for two, small rear chairs.

With the first car spotted, we'd expect to seem some more and better images of it flow through in the near future, and if not, Toyota has already confirmed a concept version for next month's Geneva Motor Show, dubbed FT-86 Open, so stay tuned. For now, click through to the FT86Club.com forum to have a slightly closer look at the images.

Scion FR-S Convertible (in Toyota GT86 form) spied in South Africa originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/15/scion-fr-s-convertible-in-toyota-gt86-form-spied-in-south-afri/

Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard

Mercedes-Benz AMG’s Turbo Four: Downsizing We Can Get Behind

With the launch of the A45 AMG and the upcoming reveal of the CLA45 AMG, Mercedes-Benz AMG is charging hard into the compact-performance segment. Back home in Germany, the AMG pair meet two established competitors: the outgoing Audi RS3 Sportback, producing 340 horsepower from a turbocharged 2.5-liter straight-five, and the BMW M135i, with a turbocharged [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/4kI4uAVqTj0/

Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr

Vettel upbeat on Red Bull reliability

Sebastian Vettel says he leaves the first winter Formula 1 test of 2013 feeling more comfortable with Red Bull's reliability than he had 12 months earlier. The reigning world champion believes his team will be better prepared for its latest title defence after a relatively smooth start to its running with the RB9. Asked how his feelings compared to the same point in 2012, Vettel replied: "A little bit better, because I think last year we had some issues with the reliability

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/vettel-upbeat-on-red-bull-reliability

Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth

Friday, February 15, 2013

2013 NASCAR Media Day Q&A with NSCS Ford Racing Driver Marcos Ambrose

Driver Marcos Ambrose poses during portraits for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Florida. - Photo Credit: Nick Laham/Getty ImagesMARCOS AMBROSE, No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion – WHAT HAVEN’T WE DISCUSSED ABOUT THE NEW CAR YET? “Well, the Gen 6 car is going to...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/sprintcup/02/14/2013-nascar-media-day-qa-with-nscs-ford-racing-driver-marcos-ambrose/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2013-nascar-media-day-qa-with-nscs-ford-racing-driver-marcos-ambrose

Roberto Guerrero Maurício Gugelmin Dan Gurney Hubert Hahne

Loeb admits Ogier was in control

Sebastien Loeb admits he was powerless to halt Sebastien Ogier's run to victory on Rally Sweden. The Frenchman, who will now not reappear until Rally Argentina in May, claimed an early lead when he won the superspecial but then surrendered more than 31 seconds on Friday.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/world-rally-championship-news/wrc/loeb-admits-ogier-was-in-control

Cliff Griffith Georges Grignard Bobby Grim Romain Grosjean

Report: EPA says it will more closely monitor fuel economy claims from automakers

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The unintended acceleration brouhaha at Toyota led to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration tightening the vise on recall procedures. Likewise, the fuel economy kerfuffle that blew up with Hyundai and Kia's admission of overstated fuel mileage claims could lead to the Environmental Protection Agency policing automaker assertions by performing more audits.

At least, that's what a senior engineer with the government agency said while in Michigan giving a talk, according to a report in Automotive News. What that actually means, however, is still in question. Just ten to 15 percent of new vehicles - something like 150 to 200 cars per year - are rested by the EPA to verify automaker numbers. The EPA's own tests include a "fudge factor" to adjust lab mileage for real-world mileage, and the agency still relies on automakers to submit data for tests that it doesn't have the facilities to perform. How much more auditing can the EPA really expect to do, or perhaps a more relevant question would be how much more accurate could the EPA's audits become?

The price of gasoline, the psychological importance of 40 miles per gallon to a frugal car buyer, an automaker wanting to further justify the price premium of a hybrid, all of these things contribute to fuel economy numbers that insist on creeping upward. Perhaps the senior engineer encapsulated the whole situation best when he said, "Everybody wants a label that tells you exactly what you're going to get, but obviously that's not possible. A good general rule of thumb is that real-world fuel economy is about 20 percent lower than the lab numbers." If the lesson isn't exactly 'buyer beware,' it's at least 'buyer be wary.'

EPA says it will more closely monitor fuel economy claims from automakers originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/15/epa-says-it-will-more-closely-monitor-fuel-economy-claims-from-a/

Jim Hall Duncan Hamilton Lewis Hamilton David Hampshire