Casey James Mears Charles Robert Hamilton IV Cecil Green Roberto Guerrero Terrence Lee Labonte Eddie Johnson
Saturday, 30 June 2012
Tincknell scores Norisring victory
Harry Tincknell held off Felix Serralles at the Norisring to claim his second reversed-grid British Formula 3 International Series victory of the season. Tincknell earned a breathing space on the opening lap as Serralles battled past first Pascal Wehrlein into the first corner, then Felix Rosenqvist when the Swede ran wide and brushed the wall exiting the S-bend.
Video: Ford shows off Mustang Shelby GT500's new launch control
Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Technology, Videos, Ford
Listen to the sage words of the late Carroll Shelby: "650 horsepower? Nobody else has it." We're guessing this footage was recorded a little while back, before the final certified rating of the 5.8-liter supercharged engine in the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 came in at 662 horsepower and 631 pound-feet of torque.
Indeed, there isn't a single car anywhere near the sticker price of the 2013 GT500 - not even the stupid-fast Chevy Corvette ZR1 - that offers as many horses under the hood as the most powerful production Mustang in history. Suffice it to say, reeling in 662 galloping ponies and sending them to the rear tires isn't an easy conundrum to solve.
And that's where launch control comes into play. It's a cool system, allowing the driver to alter the RPM held by the engine with the clutch depressed. Drop the clutch and, instead of watching your Goodyear F1 Supercar tires go the way of the Dodo, you hook up and take off down the drag strip.
Or, ya know, you could turn the system off and smoke bomb your neighborhood. See examples of both launch techniques in the video below, because whenever a video starts off with a prominent disclaimer, you know it's going to be good.
Continue reading Ford shows off Mustang Shelby GT500's new launch control
Ford shows off Mustang Shelby GT500's new launch control originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsCharles Robert Hamilton V Dale Arnold Jarrett Fred Gamble James Hunt Trevor Bayne Racing news
Pedrosa leads rain-hit final practice
Dani Pedrosa was quickest for Honda in the rain-disrupted final practice session for MotoGP's Dutch TT at Assen. Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo's Yamaha was second fastest, while Pedrosa's team-mate Casey Stoner crashed heavily during a rain shower, but escaped serious injury and was able to rejoin later.
James Hunt Trevor Bayne Racing news Piercarlo Ghinzani Jimmy Jackson Jason Leffler
Dieter Gass to reinforce Audi Sport
AUDI Motorsport Ingolstadt, December 19, 2011 - New position: Head of Racing Commitments - Engineer is returning to Audi family - Experience from eleven years in Formula One Audi is tackling the 2012 motor sport season with an extended leadership...
Frank Gardner Nico Hülkenberg Willi Heeks Aldo Gordini Juan Jover Timo Glock
Official: Audi R8 E-Tron laps 'Ring in record-setting 8:09, celebrates silently
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Audi, Electric, Luxury
Two months ago, the Audi R8 E-Tron was caught at the Nürburgring, getting its gumption up for what everyone has come to consider The Obligatory Timed Lap of Destiny. The lap has been completed with Markus Winkelhock at the wheel, and the result is a world record for a series production electric car: eight minutes and 9.099 seconds. If you believe in Wikipedia's list of 'Ring lap times, that puts the R8 E-Tron with its 375 horsepower and stupefying torque 25 seconds behind the R8 V10, five seconds adrift of the eight-cylinder R8, and in the same company as the Audi RS4 and previous generation BMW M6.
If we ignore the fact that you can't buy an R8 E-Tron yet, the hot lap car "corresponds in every detail" to the one you will be able to buy at the end of this year. Well, not exactly: customer cars will be speed-limited to 200 kph (125 mph), but for the 'Ring run, the limiter was raised to 250 kph. More practical numbers for civilian jaunts are the 0-to-62 mph time of 4.6 seconds and a 134-mile range when fully charged.
More important to all of us will be the video footage of its triumph, which we hope to see very soon. In the meantime, there's the obligatory press release of destiny below.
Continue reading Audi R8 E-Tron laps 'Ring in record-setting 8:09, celebrates silently
Audi R8 E-Tron laps 'Ring in record-setting 8:09, celebrates silently originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsKeith Greene Brian Hart Juan Pablo Montoya Peter de Klerk Cars Gimax
Hayden thinks Ducati has tyre solution
Nicky Hayden is optimistic that Ducati has a solution for the high tyre wear that he feels was the major factor in his disappointing result in the last MotoGP round at Silverstone.
Driving info Charles Robert Hamilton V Dale Arnold Jarrett Fred Gamble James Hunt Trevor Bayne
Stoner: New chassis harder to ride
Casey Stoner says the new chassis Honda brought to Assen in the hope of reducing its chatter problem has made the bike more difficult to handle. Honda has been struggling to find a solution to its chatter troubles all season, and the situation became worse when Bridgestone recently introduced a new specification of tyre.
Taki Inoue Howden Ganley Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Frank Gardner Nico Hülkenberg Willi Heeks
Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 141: 2013 Acura ILX 2.4
On Tuesday, we posted an audio recording of a mystery car’s exhaust note. To hear it again, click play above. A few of you figured out that this week’s sound came from Acura’s new-for-2013 ILX with the higher-output 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. The zingy motor is shared with the Honda Civic Si, and makes 201 hp. [...]
Kevin Paul Lepage Oscar González Rupert Keegan Carl Michael Edwards III Kevin Harvick François Hesnault
Friday, 29 June 2012
Transpo Bill Rumor: DeFazio Says Conference Committee “Gutted” Bike/Ped
Here’s the latest transpo bill news that has filtered through the tight little seams in the armor around the conference committee.
Rep. Peter DeFazio reports that there's a "deal" in the works to allow road widening to go forward, free of pesky things like public comments or environmental reviews. Photo: WyEast
First of all, the House voted [...]
Rep. Peter DeFazio reports that there's a "deal" in the works to allow road widening to go forward, free of pesky things like public comments or environmental reviews. Photo: WyEast
First of all, the House voted [...]
Yuji Ide Travis Wade Kvapil Bruno Giacomelli Graham Hill Leo Kinnunen Parker Kligerman
Mercedes-Benz Reveals the Not-a-Station-Wagon 2013 CLS Shooting Brake for Europe
Mercedes-Benz has finally launched a spin-off we’ve long known was coming, the new CLS Shooting Brake. The Shooting Brake is a long-roof wagon variant of the company’s swoopy CLS “four-door coupe,” so Benz naturally refers to this five-door as a coupe, too. We’ll now point out that this new CLS wag—er, coupe-with-a-liftgate, is neither a [...]
Bob Gerard Virgil Ernest Irvan III Drivers Lucas di Grassi Ignazio Giunti Johnny Herbert
Toyota and Gazoo Racing Twincharge a GT 86 for Goodwood
If there’s been one complaint levied against the Scion FR-S and the Subaru BRZ, it’s that their 2.0-liter boxer engine produces just 200 hp. The complaint was levied against Toyota again when it and Gazoo Racing—Toyota’s partner in sports car racing—entered the GT 86 in the 24 Hours Nürburgring. Prior to this weekend’s Goodwood Festival [...]
Howden Ganley Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Frank Gardner Nico Hülkenberg Willi Heeks Aldo Gordini
McLaren bullish after record pitstop
McLaren has no doubts it is on the right path with its pitstop performances in 2012, even though a problem in the Valencia pits overshadowed the team's delivery of the fastest Formula 1 pitstop in history earlier in the day. After much focus on the team's performances in the pits this year, the McLaren pit crew completed a 2.6-second stop at Lewis Hamilton's first stop in Valencia to set a new benchmark in F1. However, that achievement was followed shortly afterwards by Hamilton losing time at his second stop when the front jack failed after its release mechanism was triggered by the car hitting it
Jean Pierre Jarier Chris Irwin Kazuyoshi Hoshino Casey James Mears Charles Robert Hamilton IV Cecil Green
BMW Spreading 750i’s Higher-Output V-8 to 5-series, 6-series for 2013
Following an announcement for Europe, BMW has confirmed that the output for the U.S.-spec V-8–powered iterations of the 2013 5- and 6-series will increase by 45 hp and 30 lb-ft of torque. Specifically, the 2013 550i, 550i GT, and 650i coupe and convertible will inherit the same higher-output version of the brand’s twin-turbocharged V-8 as [...]
Juan Jover Timo Glock David Lee Blaney Karl Kling Sterling Burton Marlin Jesús Iglesias
Hall Grabs First NiSWC Win at Kentucky
Robert Hall captured his first career NASCAR iRacing.com Series World Championship win at Kentucky Speedway, using pit strategy with 18 laps remaining to take a lead he would hold to the finish. While erstwhile leaders Ray Alfalla and Steve Sheehan played it safe and took four tires on the final round of pit stops during a caution, Hall and teammate Kevin King took just two tires apiece and exited the pits first and second. With the help of two more cautions in the last 15 laps, Hall held the competition at bay despite not having the best car or the freshest tires. “I really can’t believe I actually won one of these things. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever made a good call in the pits,” Hall said. [...]
Ukyo Katayama Jim Hurtubise Jeffrey Michael Gordon Leslie Johnson Al Keller Randy Joseph Lajoie
Thursday, 28 June 2012
2012 Road America NASCAR Nationwide Series Starting Lineup – Piquet On Pole
1 30 Nelson Piquet Jr.(i) Qualcomm/Autotrac Chevrolet 133.066 SEC / 109.516 2 18 Michael McDowell(i) Pizza Ranch Toyota 133.380 SEC / 109.258 3 5 * Ron Fellows AER Manufacturing Chevrolet 133.641 SEC / 109.044 4 22 Jacques Villeneuve Discount Tire Dodge 133.671 SEC / 109.020 5 33 Max Papis Menards/Rheem Chevrolet 133.799 SEC / 108.916 [...]
Helm Glöckler Gregory Jack Biffle Dan Gurney Mack Hellings Kevin Paul Lepage Oscar González
Driver Matt Kenseth Talks About His Move From Roush Fenway on ‘NASCAR Race Hub’
SPEED LogoDriver Matt Kenseth, the 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, joined host Steve Byrnes and NASCAR Race Hub on SPEED tonight following yesterday’s announcement that he’s slated to leave Roush Fenway Racing at the end of the 2012 season. Kenseth, who’s also the current point’s leader, talked about the move, what the rest of...more»
The post Driver Matt Kenseth Talks About His Move From Roush Fenway on ‘NASCAR Race Hub’ appeared first on Catchfence.
Taki Inoue Howden Ganley Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Frank Gardner Nico Hülkenberg Willi Heeks
Vincent and Hastings win at Spa
Nineteen members of the Red Sox Racing League traveled to Francorchamps, Belgium for the “Armco Crash Barriers Presents Circuit De Spa 30″at the world famous Circuit De Spa-Francorchamps road course of the seventh race in the 2012 Season Two schedule. The track’s modern configuration offers a scenic 4.35 mile layout containing nineteen corners. Home to more than 40 Grands Prix, an annual 24 hours endurance race, and the Fun Cup’s 25 Hours of Spa, the twisting and hilly track is one of the most technically challenging circuits in the world. Brad Vincent, leader of the Class A HPD championship points race, arrived in Belgium with an impressive six race winning streak and confident his success would continue at Spa. Corey Hastings, leader of the Class B Corvette championship points race, [...]
Kasey Kenneth Kahne William Ashton Lewis Jr Innes Ireland David Hobbs Sam Hanks Z Line Designs Toyota
Neal wins opening race at Croft
Matt Neal continued Honda's domination of the British Touring Car Championship by taking the spoils in the opening race of the weekend at Croft on Sunday. The champion had to battle ahead of the fast-starting Andrew Jordan and the fellow factory Honda of Gordon Shedden to assert himself at the head of the pack on lap 12.
Walt Hansgen Kevin Michael Harvick Copart Ford Zaxby s Chevrolet William Clyde Elliott Nascar updates
Lorenzo bullish about Assen chances
MotoGP championship leader Jorge Lorenzo heads into this weekend's Dutch TT bullish of his chances of stretching his run of victories to four in a row. The Yamaha rider, who has a 25-point advantage over world champion Casey Stoner, says he is confident of continuing his run at Assen
William Clyde Elliott Nascar updates Naoki Hattori Jim Hall Jean Pierre Jarier Chris Irwin
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Dieter Gass to reinforce Audi Sport
AUDI Motorsport Ingolstadt, December 19, 2011 - New position: Head of Racing Commitments - Engineer is returning to Audi family - Experience from eleven years in Formula One Audi is tackling the 2012 motor sport season with an extended leadership...
Christian Goethals Jean Pierre Jabouille Billy Garrett Scott Russell Riggs David Carl Allison Brian Gubby
Dieter Gass to reinforce Audi Sport
AUDI Motorsport Ingolstadt, December 19, 2011 - New position: Head of Racing Commitments - Engineer is returning to Audi family - Experience from eleven years in Formula One Audi is tackling the 2012 motor sport season with an extended leadership...
Michael Duane Bliss nascar info driving news Bill Holland Taki Inoue Howden Ganley
2014 Chrysler 100 Spy Photos: Interior Shots Reveal Plenty of Tech
What It Is: Chrysler’s compact hatchback, which probably will be called the 100. Development cars have been driving around for several months, but this first glimpse of the interior shows that Chrysler is planning some traditionally upscale features for this car. Close-ups of the dash show nicely labeled switches for adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, [...]
Loris Kessel Stefan Johansson Damon Hill racing info Georges Grignard Brad Keselowski
First Drive: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
Filed under: Budget, Hatchback, Hyundai, First Drives
Adding More Fun And Function To A Winning Formula
Truth be told, we've always had a soft spot for the Hyundai Elantra Touring. Rather than being just another compact hatchback, the Touring was a bona fide small wagon - the sort of thing commonly reserved for the European market. It was a less-expensive alternative to the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen with an impressive warranty, though its milquetoast demeanor and somewhat odd styling never really made it a hit with the masses.
Nowadays, also-ran status is absolutely unacceptable for Hyundai, especially with anything in the Elantra family. After all, the compact sedan was named the 2012 North American Car of the Year and has been selling like hotcakes ever since it launched. So when we got word that a successor to the Elantra Touring would be on deck, out interest was indeed piqued.
Well, here it is - the 2013 Elantra GT. And while it's wholly different than the Elantra Touring that came before it, Hyundai hopes that its new GT will appeal to the buying public in a much larger way, even besting stiff competition from the likes of class-favorites like the Ford Focus and Mazda3.
This new five-door certainly has a lot riding on its (hatch)back. But does it deliver? We hit the roads outside of San Diego to find out.
Continue reading 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
2013 Hyundai Elantra GT originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsDavid Lee Blaney Karl Kling Sterling Burton Marlin Jesús Iglesias Driving info Charles Robert Hamilton V
2012 Cup Series At Sonoma Starting Lineup Marcos Ambrose On Pole
Here is the starting lineup for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350K 1 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford Stanley 95.262 75.203 2 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Drive to End Hunger 95.067 75.357 3 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s 94.795 75.574 4 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M / US Stationary 94.722 75.632 5 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota NAPA [...]
Heikki Kovalainen Z Line Toyota Masahiro Hasemi Bob Gerard Virgil Ernest Irvan III Drivers
Tony Stewart – Things That Go Bump In The Night
Tony Stewart in car - Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesKANNAPOLIS, N.C., (June 26, 2012) – Ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties aren’t the only things that go bump in the night. Kentucky Speedway in Sparta also is home to things that go bump in the night, namely, 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers thundering over...more»
The post Tony Stewart – Things That Go Bump In The Night appeared first on Catchfence.
Nico Hülkenberg Willi Heeks Aldo Gordini Juan Jover Timo Glock David Lee Blaney
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Kristensen set for Spa 24 Hours debut
Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen is to make his debut in the Spa 24 Hours in the last weekend of July. The 44-year-old Dane, an eight-time winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours, will join recent double la Sarthe winners and Audi team-mates Marcel Fassler and Andre Lotterer in one of Team Phoenix's R8 LMS ultras. "I'm hugely excited, because it's something completely new for me," said Kristensen
Damon Hill racing info Georges Grignard Brad Keselowski Gary Hocking Jeremy Allan Mayfield
Mike Conway signs with AJ Foyt Racing for the 2012 Indy Car season
AJ Foyt Racing Mike Conway London, UK - Tuesday 20th December 2011 Long Beach Grand Prix winner Mike Conway has signed with AJ Foyt Racing to drive the No. 14 ABC Supply Honda in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series....
Jerry Hoyt Bruce Halford Yves Giraud Cabantous Kasey Kenneth Kahne William Ashton Lewis Jr Innes Ireland
Reduced penalties leave Jimmie Johnson confused (Yahoo! Sports)
Wire Service, Distributed By The Sports Xchange FONTANA, Calif. -- In the aftermath of Hendrick Motorsports successful appeal of penalties imposed on the No. 48 team for a Daytona rules infraction, Jimmie Johnson made a bold assertion Friday at Auto Club Speedway.
Kyle Eugene Petty Paul Goldsmith Eddie Irvine Hiroshi Fushida Ukyo Katayama Jim Hurtubise
Official: Ford SVT Raptor gets beadlock wheels, HIDs for 2013
Filed under: Truck, Ford, Off-Road
In addition to the standard and new Limited models, Ford's freshening of the 2013 F-150 has extended to the no-job-too-big SVT Raptor, as well. Look closely and you'll see the new (optional) high-intensity discharge headlamps, the special beadlock wheels available through Ford Racing and the brand-new exterior color, called Terrain. (No, not that Terrain.)
About those wheels: Ford Racing will offer a beadlock ring kit as an option to SVT Raptor buyers. For serious off-roaders, this type of wheel is immensely helpful when the going gets rough. As Ford puts it:
The Raptor's interior gets a slight tweak for 2013, as well, with the addition of a 4.2-inch multifunction LCD screen in the instrument cluster that's paired with the automaker's MyFord Touch infotainment system, still housed in the eight-inch screen on the center console. The powertrain has remained the same, but that's just fine - we're perfectly happy with the 6.2-liter V8, pumping out 411 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque.Beadlock wheels secure the edges of a tire to the wheel between two surfaces so the tire is unlikely to roll off the rim if it's aired down to very low pressure, providing extra grip on the trail.
Scroll down for the full details in the press blast.
Continue reading Ford SVT Raptor gets beadlock wheels, HIDs for 2013
Ford SVT Raptor gets beadlock wheels, HIDs for 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsPeter de Klerk Cars Gimax Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith Peter Hirt
Schumacher investigated over DRS use
Michael Schumacher's podium finish in the European Grand Prix is under investigation after the German was summoned to see the stewards to explain why he used his DRS in a yellow flag zone at the end of the race. Schumacher secured the first top three finish since he returned to F1, but he may not keep the result if the stewards deem that he was wrong to have used the DRS in the closing stages of the race while yellow flags were out. Sebastian Vettel was penalised for using DRS under yellow at the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this year
Bruce Halford Yves Giraud Cabantous Kasey Kenneth Kahne William Ashton Lewis Jr Innes Ireland David Hobbs
Mitsubishi Plans a Plug-In Hybrid Outlander for September’s Paris Auto Show
Mitsubishi announced today that we’ll see a plug-in hybrid version of its third-generation Outlander crossover—itself just introduced this past February—at the Paris auto show in September. The company says the Outlander plug-in will offer drivers a choice of settings: full EV, EV with a range-extending gasoline engine (like the Fisker Karma), or parallel hybrid (like [...]
Kamui Kobayashi Helmuth Koinigg nascar news Bruce Kessler Jacky Ickx Alan Jones
GLOBAL iPRINT NAMED OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF NHRA
NHRA GLENDORA, Calif. Jan. 4, 2012 Global iPrint, a premier printing and distribution company, has signed a three-year agreement to become the "Official Print Sponsor" of NHRA....
Alan Dennis Kulwicki Christian Goethals Jean Pierre Jabouille Billy Garrett Scott Russell Riggs David Carl Allison
Harvey fends off Jaafar in race one
Jack Harvey claimed another British Formula 3 International Series race win to kick off his Brands Hatch weekend in fine style, after soaking up immense pressure from Carlin team-mate and championship leader Jazeman Jaafar in an absorbing race. Harvey got a break on the first lap when Alex Lynn, from third on the grid, got a great start to beat Jaafar into the first corner. But the Malaysian braved it out around the outside of the Druids hairpin to reclaim second.
Max Jean Emmanuel de Graffenried Robert Allen Labonte Mika Häkkinen Paul Hawkins Kerry Dale Earnhardt
Monday, 25 June 2012
Video: Ken Block releases barge-tastic Gymkhana 5 trailer
Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Ford, Celebrities, Racing
Ken Block is a talented man, no doubt about it. Though we wish - and we're sure he'd wholeheartedly agree - that his talents led to a few major race wins, Block is nothing if not an effective marketer of his own brand. And, as any budding internet video machine (over 140 million YouTube views for Block's Gymkhana series) can tell you, a web video is hardly a web video unless it's first been teased.
And so we bring you the video below. Yes, it's a teaser for Block's upcoming Gymkhana 5 video. Yes, it stars Ken Block and his Ford Fiesta H.F.H.V. rally car. And, if you couldn't tell from the screen capture above, it all takes place on a barge in San Francisco Bay. If you don't care about any of that, perhaps you'll be swayed to watch when we tell you it's all set to the glorious tunes of Europe's "The Final Countdown."
The video is waiting for your prying eyes below. It's 37 seconds long, and only about 10 of those show Block's car in motion. So, um... enjoy? And stay tuned for the whole shebang on July 9.
Continue reading Ken Block releases barge-tastic Gymkhana 5 trailer
Ken Block releases barge-tastic Gymkhana 5 trailer originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsAlan Dennis Kulwicki Christian Goethals Jean Pierre Jabouille Billy Garrett Scott Russell Riggs David Carl Allison
Tough Day for Tommy Baldwin Racing at Sonoma
Tommy Baldwin Racing LogoDrissi finished 38th in the No. 10 Ice Age: Continental Drift Chevrolet; Blaney finished 37th in the No. 36 Chevrolet SONOMA, CALIF. (June 25, 2012) – Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) had a tough day in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Sonoma on Sunday. Tomy Drissi made his series debut in the No....more»
The post Tough Day for Tommy Baldwin Racing at Sonoma appeared first on Catchfence.
Gregory Jack Biffle Dan Gurney Mack Hellings Kevin Paul Lepage Oscar González Rupert Keegan
First Drive: 2013 Ford Focus ST
Filed under: Performance, Hatchback, Ford, First Drives
Screaming Yellow Zonker
We're having a strong sense of déjà vu, and it isn't just because we find ourselves in Southern France. Yes, we've driven these very roads that drape over the region's Edenic mountains like doctors' signatures several times before. They're some of the best in the world, replete with tight switchbacks bookending snaking climbs and descents interrupted only by the occasional masochistic cyclist or tour bus. The Mediterranean vistas don't exactly suck, either.
We've even navigated some of these routes around Nice in a performance-minded Ford Focus. Two years ago, Blue Oval operatives brought us to this same area for an early drive of their C-Max people mover, spicing up the trip by giving us a short stint behind the wheel of their then-new Focus RS500, a limited edition matte-black monster marshaling a scarcely believable 345 horsepower and 338 pound-feet of torque through the front wheels. Today, though, our 2013 Ford Focus ST driving companion is toned-down but no less outré thanks to its Tangerine Scream paint.
Compared to the RS500, the ST drops a cylinder in favor of a less powerful 2.0-liter EcoBoost four generating 252 hp and 270 lb-ft. Fortunately, it's also a lot less costly, starting from just $24,495 delivered - a price that shades the far less powerful 200-hp, five-door Volkswagen GTI ($25,365). In fact, the ST is nearly as powerful as the Golf R while offering more torque (VW's all-wheel drive hot hatch registers 256 hp/243 lb ft) for a lot less money - the R starts around $35k. Subaru's AWD WRX is an interesting option, too, with more power (265 hp) but less torque (244 lb-ft) for more money ($26,345). The ST's closest natural rival, however, is the Mazdaspeed3 - ironic, as it rides atop the last-generation Focus' platform. The Mazda carries a marginally bigger stick, though: 263 ponies and 280 torques, coming in at $24,795.
Continue reading 2013 Ford Focus ST
2013 Ford Focus ST originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsBrian Gubby Eddie Keizan Kyle Thomas Busch Jackie Holmes Joe James Denny Hamlin
Lotus not disappointed despite no win
Lotus boss Eric Boullier thinks there is no reason for his team to feel disappointed that its drivers did not have the pace to win the European Grand Prix - despite its high hopes before the race.
Al Herman Floyd Anthony Raines Mike Hawthorn Walt Hansgen Kevin Michael Harvick Copart Ford
This Week on the C/D YouTube Channel: Car Meet Convenience Store, Demo-Derby Mods, 1000 Miles in the McLaren MP4-12C, and More
New episodes of The Full Hoon, Battle of the Beaters, Driver Rehab, and Car and Driver: Tested are headed your way. You can check out all the action on our YouTube channel; hit this fancy subscribe link so you don’t miss a thing. Monday: The Full Hoon sees cars crashing through convenience stores, two miserably [...]
Brad Keselowski Gary Hocking Jeremy Allan Mayfield Toyota Kimmy Yuji Ide Travis Wade Kvapil
John Phillips: Interrogating Friends, Colleagues, and Heroes Is Part of My Job
One of the perks of my job is that I can just call famous folks willy-nilly and ask them personal questions, citing my job as justification. Last month, I called the vehicle line exec for the new SRT Viper and said, “I pretty much need to know everything you’ve done in the last two years.” [...]
Graham Hill Leo Kinnunen Parker Kligerman Paco Godia Hubert Hahne Oscar Alfredo Gálvez
Volvo Debuts 508-hp, 186-mph-plus S60 Polestar Concept
Volvo’s relationship with its racing partner Polestar has inched ever closer in recent years, and that’s a good thing—especially if this new S60 Polestar concept is anything to go by. Last year, Polestar introduced a series of output-boosting tuning kits for Volvo’s turbocharged inline-five and inline-six-cylinder engines—neat, but the S60 Polestar raises the bar several [...]
Rupert Keegan Carl Michael Edwards III Kevin Harvick François Hesnault Miguel Ángel Guerra Mark Anthony Martin
Sunday, 24 June 2012
Full Test: $399K, 2.7-sec Champion Motorsport Porsche 911 Turbo RSR
Naveen Maraj, 34, is president of Champion Motorsport, a branch of the Maraj family’s sprawling Champion Porsche dealership in Pompano Beach, Florida. It was Maraj’s intention to scoop a $161,650 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S right off the showroom floor, boost its output by 110 horsepower, and bolt on the bodywork from a full-race GT3 [...]
Masahiro Hasemi Bob Gerard Virgil Ernest Irvan III Drivers Lucas di Grassi Ignazio Giunti
2013 GMC Terrain Denali 3.6 First Drive: Heading for the Mountains, and More V6 Power
There’s not a whole lot you can do to change the look of a cardboard box, but that won’t deter a resourceful kid. He’ll grab a handful of Sharpies and liberate a few cushions from the sofa, and before you know it—voilà—he’s turned a discarded appliance container into a sophisticated motorcar. GMC apparently followed that [...]
Charles Robert Hamilton V Dale Arnold Jarrett Fred Gamble James Hunt Trevor Bayne Racing news
Making Lawmakers Answer For Pedestrian Deaths In Their Districts
Rep. James Lankford, a Tea Party Republican representing Oklahoma City, probably wasn’t responsible for any of the 118 pedestrian deaths in his district between 2001 to 2010. And it’s unlikely Rep. Steve Southerland of Panama City, Florida was behind the wheel when any of the 164 people were killed while walking in his district during [...]
Cars Gimax Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith Peter Hirt Theo Helfrich
2012 Road America NASCAR Nationwide Series Starting Lineup – Piquet On Pole
1 30 Nelson Piquet Jr.(i) Qualcomm/Autotrac Chevrolet 133.066 SEC / 109.516 2 18 Michael McDowell(i) Pizza Ranch Toyota 133.380 SEC / 109.258 3 5 * Ron Fellows AER Manufacturing Chevrolet 133.641 SEC / 109.044 4 22 Jacques Villeneuve Discount Tire Dodge 133.671 SEC / 109.020 5 33 Max Papis Menards/Rheem Chevrolet 133.799 SEC / 108.916 [...]
Nascar Cuth Harrison Loris Kessel Stefan Johansson Damon Hill racing info
Envisioning a Neighborhood Bike Plan for East New York and Brownsville
After local residents and community organizations began organizing to bring bike lanes to East New York and Brownsville last year, NYC DOT is developing a plan to stripe the first bike routes directly through these neighborhoods, and more could be on the way.
Mapping out the next phase of East New York bike routes. Photo: Ben [...]
Mapping out the next phase of East New York bike routes. Photo: Ben [...]
Kazuyoshi Hoshino Casey James Mears Charles Robert Hamilton IV Cecil Green Roberto Guerrero Terrence Lee Labonte
2012 NNS Sargento 200 Starting Lineup
Nelson Piquet Jr., driver of the No. 30 Qualcomm / Autotrac Chevrolet, celebrates with the Coors Light Pole Award after posting the fastest speed (109.516 mph, 133.066 secs.) during qualifying for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Sargento 200 at Road America on June 23, 2012 in Elkhart Lake, Wisc. - Photo Credit: Tyler Barrick/Getty Images for...more»
The post 2012 NNS Sargento 200 Starting Lineup appeared first on Catchfence.
Peter Hirt Theo Helfrich Kurt Thomas Busch Horace Gould Heikki Kovalainen Z Line Toyota
Europe Friday quotes: Marussia
Timo Glock - 21st: "I have to be quite pleased with the work I have done today, as it has not been an easy day of Free Practice for me. I seem to have picked up a stomach bug over the last couple of days and for a time I have to say I was feeling quite unwell. Back in the car today I have felt a little better and I am hopeful that I am on the mend.
Denny Hulme Marc Gené Richie Ginther Mike Harris Helm Glöckler Gregory Jack Biffle
Saturday, 23 June 2012
Ericsson fastest in GP2 practice
Marcus Ericsson topped free practice on Friday ahead of this afternoon's qualifying session for round six of the GP2 Series, as the resurrection in fortunes of former series champion iSport continued at the Valencia Street Circuit.
Carl Edwards Ryan Joseph Newman Olivier Grouillard Gerino Gerini Alan Dennis Kulwicki Christian Goethals
Making Lawmakers Answer For Pedestrian Deaths In Their Districts
Rep. James Lankford, a Tea Party Republican representing Oklahoma City, probably wasn’t responsible for any of the 118 pedestrian deaths in his district between 2001 to 2010. And it’s unlikely Rep. Steve Southerland of Panama City, Florida was behind the wheel when any of the 164 people were killed while walking in his district during [...]
Nanni Galli José Froilán González Elmer George Dave Kennedy Hans Klenk Keith Greene
Hanninen leads, Mikkelsen goes off
Juho Hanninen holds a 26.8-second lead over seven-time event winner Freddy Loix in the Ypres Rally after Andreas Mikkelsen went off the road on the opening evening. Skoda driver Hanninen has led the event, round six of the 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge, from the outset, steadily edging away from Mikkelsen (Skoda UK) through the opening stages. The gap was up to 11s before Mikkelsen slid into a ditch on stage five, dropping a minute and falling to fifth place
Juan Jover Timo Glock David Lee Blaney Karl Kling Sterling Burton Marlin Jesús Iglesias
Long-Roof Gran Coupe: BMW 6-series Wagon Rendered
As far as we know, BMW isn’t working on a long-roof version of the 2013 6-series Gran Coupe, but if it were, it could look like the car pictured above. Recently, BMW spun off the four-door Gran Coupe from the 6-series coupe and convertible lineup. A 6-series wagon at first may not seem like the [...]
Max Jean Emmanuel de Graffenried Robert Allen Labonte Mika Häkkinen Paul Hawkins Kerry Dale Earnhardt
2013 Mini Clubvan Official Photos and Info: Toting Eclipse of the Heart
Imagine you’re a Sweet 16 princess, and your flotilla of cupcakes shows up in the back of a Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, or something equally boxy and dumb. The shame! We can hardly blame you for that epic meltdown. Cry no longer: Mini has revealed its production Clubvan (it first bowed as a concept at [...]
Hans Heyer Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr Carel Godin de Beaufort Lewis Hamilton Bertrand Gachot Ruby Tuesday Dodge
Seven Sonoma Races, Seven Sonoma Winners
Who’s Next To Join Road Race Winners’ List? If there’s an eighth different Sonoma winner he could be Clint Bowyer or Brad Keselowski. Both are battling to retain top-10 points positions and each has a knack for turning left and right. Bowyer, ninth in the standings, finished seventh in Michigan. He owns the third-best average [...]
Dave Kennedy Hans Klenk Keith Greene Brian Hart Juan Pablo Montoya Peter de Klerk
2012 NASCAR RACE #15 RESULTS, MICHIGAN – DALE EARNHARDT JR. WINS
1 17 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. DietMtnDew/TheDarkKnightRises/NtnlGuard Chev 2 8 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 3 6 17 Matt Kenseth Ford EcoBoost Ford 4 3 16 Greg Biffle 3M/Salute Ford 5 10 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet 6 28 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet 7 13 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota 8 [...]
Ken Kavanagh Jo Gartner Max Jean Emmanuel de Graffenried Robert Allen Labonte Mika Häkkinen
Report: NHTSA opens investigations on Chrysler 200 and Ford Explorer
Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Crossover, Chrysler, Ford
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened new investigations concerning the Chrysler 200 and Ford Explorer. All of the vehicles in question are from the 2011 model year, with 87,000 200s and 83,000 Explorers being investigated.
NHTSA's Chrysler investigation concerns possible stalling problems, with the organization stating that it has received 15 complaints of the 200's 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 stalling. "All 15 incidents reported stalling without warning during low-speed decelerations such as braking for a stop sign or traffic light," NHTSA's official release states. This investigation does involve both the sedan and convertible models.
Moving to the Explorer, NHTSA is investigating reports of power steering failure with the electric power-assisted system. In some instances, owners have complained that the system completely stops working, while other drivers simply noted greater effort being needed to turn the wheel. NHTSA writes:No accidents have been linked to either the Ford or Chrysler issues."Some of the complaints indicated observing a power steering warning message when the failure occurred. In some cases, the condition was corrected by turning the vehicle off and restarting. However, some reports indicate the condition returned after restart."
Keep in mind, these investigations are not recalls - merely a way for NHTSA to probe a certain model and determine if an official recall is actually necessary. Click here and here to read both of the NHTSA investigation reports.
NHTSA opens investigations on Chrysler 200 and Ford Explorer originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jun 2012 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsGerino Gerini Alan Dennis Kulwicki Christian Goethals Jean Pierre Jabouille Billy Garrett Scott Russell Riggs
Friday, 22 June 2012
Aston Martin Vanquish Partly Revealed in a Peep Show
Even though we’ve already gotten a glimpse of Aston Martin’s DBS successor, which we know will be called the Vanquish, the company launched a peep show featuring the AM310 concept previewing the soon-to-be-released model. Read full story »
driving news Bill Holland Taki Inoue Howden Ganley Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Frank Gardner
Andretti leads opening Iowa session
Marco Andretti topped the opening practice session for this weekend's IndyCar Series race at Iowa Speedway. Andretti, who won last year's race at the 7/8th mile oval, set the pace with a best lap of 184.832mph to finish up just ahead of Sarah Fisher Hartman's Josef Newgarden and Bryan Herta Autosport's Alex Tagliani. Ryan Briscoe (Penske) and Scott Dixon (Ganassi) completed the top five
Oswald Karch Bobby Grim Ernst Klodwig Clint Bowyer Motorsport Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet
Boxer and Mica Release Vague Reassurance of Progress
Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. John Mica just released this statement:
The conferees have moved forward toward a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on a highway reauthorization bill. Both House and Senate conferees will continue to work with a goal of completing a package by next week.
From what we’re hearing, whatever deal they’ve reached only applies to the [...]
The conferees have moved forward toward a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on a highway reauthorization bill. Both House and Senate conferees will continue to work with a goal of completing a package by next week.
From what we’re hearing, whatever deal they’ve reached only applies to the [...]
Stefan Johansson Damon Hill racing info Georges Grignard Brad Keselowski Gary Hocking
Webber: Results will decide 2013 plans
Mark Webber says his future with Red Bull Racing will be decided entirely by results - and the better he does the more likely he is to stay. Despite the Australian being strongly linked with a seat at Ferrari for 2013 on the back of some strong race showings this season, Webber believes there is every chance he will not even talk to other teams outside his current employers if he keeps doing well. "The situation depends on the results I get this year," he said in an interview with Autosprint
Joe James Denny Hamlin F1 info Gus Hutchison Michael Duane Bliss nascar info
NASCAR Tickets Are ‘Ready and Waiting’ for President Obama at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway's Executive VP and GM,Jerry Gappens, Holds Race Tickets for U.S. President ObamaVisit to Granite State on Monday to Include Stop at ‘The Magic Mile?’ LOUDON, N.H. (June 22, 2012) – Though White House staffers are officially calling it a “campaign visit,” New Hampshire Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager...more»
The post NASCAR Tickets Are ‘Ready and Waiting’ for President Obama at New Hampshire Motor Speedway appeared first on Catchfence.
Robert Allen Labonte Mika Häkkinen Paul Hawkins Kerry Dale Earnhardt Duncan Hamilton Tom Jones
LeMons DC Day One: Mercury Cougar Leads, World Turned Topsy-Turvy
With 130 entries in the third annual Capitol Offense 24 Hours of LeMons, you figure that maybe you’ll get a better shot at a race leader not drawn from the usual pool of Neons, BMW 325s, and various Honda Civic family members… but nobody expected to see a Fox-platform Cougar beating all the other cars [...]
Sterling Burton Marlin Jesús Iglesias Driving info Charles Robert Hamilton V Dale Arnold Jarrett Fred Gamble
Lotterer: Two wins very different
Double Le Mans 24 Hours winner Andre Lotterer said coming out on top of the epic 2011 battle with Peugeot meant he could handle the 2012 lead contest against his Audi team-mates and Toyota with a lot more confidence.
Tony Gaze David Hampshire Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Geki Narain Karthikeyan Kenny Dale Irwin Jr
Thursday, 21 June 2012
Siri Integration Explained: How Apple’s Eyes Free Feature Will Work
Apple’s new Eyes Free Siri integration, which will be a part of the iOS 6 software update, has generated quite a buzz since its announcement last week. Part of this is due to the limited amount of information that Apple and its partner manufacturers have provided. Basically, the new feature will allow users to access the [...]
Dave Kennedy Hans Klenk Keith Greene Brian Hart Juan Pablo Montoya Peter de Klerk
Latvala leads New Zealand qualifying
Ford driver Jari-Matti Latvala won the qualifying stage on Rally New Zealand - and reckons it could be one of the most important of the season. The Finn was quickest on Thursday morning's stage by 0.367 seconds from his Citroen-driving countryman Mikko Hirvonen.
Gimax Masten Gregory Cliff Griffith Peter Hirt Theo Helfrich Kurt Thomas Busch
Pirelli aims to stay in F1 after 2013
Pirelli is hopeful of continuing as Formula 1's control tyre supplier when its current three-year contract finishes at the end of 2013.
David Hobbs Sam Hanks Z Line Designs Toyota Olivier Gendebien Tony Gaze David Hampshire
Mini Dresses Up Rocketman Concept for 2012 London Olympics
Mini has heightened the Anglophilia of its Rocketman concept ahead of the 2012 Olympic games, which take place in London this summer. The Rocketman concept is smaller than today’s Mini Cooper and first debuted at the 2011 Geneva auto show. Essentially, Mini’s changes to the Rocketman amount to a new paint job and an updated [...]
Jacky Ickx Alan Jones Al Herman Floyd Anthony Raines Mike Hawthorn Walt Hansgen
Official: Skoda recreates Stonehenge out of old cars
Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, UK, Skoda
The UK has a burgeoning car market filled with all sorts of cars we don't get here. So to get buyers' attention, automakers need to make a real splash. To that end, Skoda has erected a fresh take on one of the island nation's oldest landmarks... only in a more automotive form.
Dubbed Citihenge, the installation is inspired by the ancient Stonehenge in Wiltshire, recreated out of old cars. It was built over the course of three months under the direction of renowned installation artist Tommy Gun, and put in place in less than 12 hours. Using eighteen scrap cars weighing a total of 36 metric tons, each of the henges measures five meters tall by five meters wide and is made to withstand force-12 hurricane winds. Still, it can be entirely recycled.
The installation was erected on the south bank of the Thames next to London's famous Tower Bridge just in time for the summer solstice, and marks the arrival of the Skoda Citigo (the Czech version of the Volkswagen Up!) in the British market.
Continue reading Skoda recreates Stonehenge out of old cars
Skoda recreates Stonehenge out of old cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsGerino Gerini Alan Dennis Kulwicki Christian Goethals Jean Pierre Jabouille Billy Garrett Scott Russell Riggs
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
2013 Audi SQ5 TDI: S Power, TDI Torque and Efficiency
Audi is getting serious with its performance line of SUVs. The RS Q3 concept debuted less than two months ago, and now the German premium manufacturer is using the 24 Hours of Le Mans race to launch the production version of a high-performance Q5 diesel called the SQ5 TDI. (more…)
Z Line Toyota Masahiro Hasemi Bob Gerard Virgil Ernest Irvan III Drivers Lucas di Grassi
2013 Honda Accord Sedan and Coupe Spy Photos: Now With Fewer Center-Stack Buttons!
What It Is: Cling-wrapped examples of Honda’s next-generation Accord in both sedan and coupe form. We’d previously spotted a parka-clad Accord sedan, but this is our first glimpse of the cars’ production shapes. The front and rear fascias appear quite toned down from those of the recent Accord Coupe concept, which presaged the new generation, [...]
James Christopher McMurray Maurício Gugelmin Oswald Karch Bobby Grim Ernst Klodwig Clint Bowyer
Alonso, Vettel ‘could coexist’ at Ferrari
Two-time world champions Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel could coexist perfectly at Ferrari, according to team boss Stefano Domenicali.
Jerry Hoyt Bruce Halford Yves Giraud Cabantous Kasey Kenneth Kahne William Ashton Lewis Jr Innes Ireland
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