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Monday, March 29, 2010
RPMGO.com (former Auto Unleashed) |
- Motorsport Weekend: Formula 1 Australian GP results
- Hennessey Venom GT presents its 1,200 HP $600,000+ self
- Cadillac finally reveals CTS-V Sport Wagon
- Lewis Hamilton in trouble with Australian police after drifting in his Mercedes-Benz
- Video: Ford teasing Focus RS500 limited edition
- BMW trademarks new car names, let the speculation ensue
- Ford reaches agreement to sell Volvo to Geely for $1.8 billion
- Facelifted 2011 Mercedes-Benz R Class photos leaked ahead of NY debut
- Hyundai starts teasing the Sonata hybrid before New York debut
- Americans straying from Toyota, falling in love with Ford, new survey shows
| Motorsport Weekend: Formula 1 Australian GP results Posted: 29 Mar 2010 04:12 AM PDT  Hello and welcome to a new edition of Motorsport Weekend, our feature in which we present the latest results from the biggest motorsport events taking place in the last three days. Without a doubt the Formula 1 Australian GP, taking place in Melbourne, was the biggest event, but Nascar fans were also scheduled to enjoy some racing goodness. Sadly, the rain which befell the Martinsville Speedway made organizers postpone the event until today. Luckily, the F1 race from down under more than made up for it, providing some interesting battles and dramatic events, even though it rained for quite some time. Curious to see how Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel or Fernando Alonso faired? Hit the jump and find out! What followed was another show of force by Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, while a lot of tough battles were going on in his back, involving Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa, Nico Rosberg and even Renault’s Robert Kubica. At this time Button made a very bold move, opting for slick tires as the rain stopped. At first the decision seemed foolish, with the British driver going outside the track on several corners. After the tires warmed up though, nothing could stand in front of Button. Nothing except Vettel though, who even though opted for a late tire change, was still unreachable by Button. Sadly for Red Bull fans, the German’s car once again failed mechanically, as a loose nut in his front tire caused him to crash, handing the lead to Button on a silver platter. Meanwhile, Renault’s Robert Kubica made a valiant effort by fending off Ferrari duo Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso for the later third of the race. The end was all about the battle between Alonso, Hamilton and Webber, all struggling for fourth place. With just two laps to go, Hamilton made a desperate move to overtake the Spanish driver, but Alonso was coy, stepping on the brakes before attacking a corner. This left no room for Hamilton, which, to Webber’s surprise, also slammed the brakes. This led to the Australian Red Bull driver crashing into Hamilton, much to the Briton’s disappointment after the race. The end results of the 2010 Formula 1 Australian GP are: Jenson Button (McLaren), Robert Kubica (Renault), Felipe Massa (Ferrari), Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Nico Rosberg (Mercedes GP), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India), Rubens Barrichello (Williams), Mark Webber (Red Bull), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes GP). Currently Fernando Alonso leads the overall standings, with 37 points, followed by teammate Felipe Massa with 33 points, and Jenson Button, with 31. In terms of constructors, Ferrari leads with 70 points, followed by McLaren with 54 and Mercedes GP with 29. Look forward to the next weekend, which will see the Malaysian F1 GP in Sepang. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Hennessey Venom GT presents its 1,200 HP $600,000+ self Posted: 29 Mar 2010 02:07 AM PDT  Many car fans, especially Americans, like the example the Shelby Cobra laid out a long time ago, by combining a British-built chassis and an American engine to produce one of the most exciting rides of that time. Now, that example will be replaced by the Hennessey Venom GT supercar, which has finally been unveiled by the famous tuning company. The British side of things is assured by the chassis of a Lotus Elise, heavily modified, lengthened and stiffened, while the Americans add the General Motors-built supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 V8 engine. The result of this unlikely combo? A mid-engined supercar capable of developing anywhere from 725 to 1,200 HP, and reaching 62 mph in under 3 seconds. Let’s elaborate: the Venom GT will be offered by Hennessey in three specs. The “slowest” sees the LS9 optimized to deliver 725 HP with 741 lb-ft of torque, while running on 91-octane fuel. Two other versions are currently being developed, which both see twin-turbochargers added to the LS9. Their outputs range from 1,000 HP and 900 lb-ft of torque, running on 93-octane, while the other develops 1,200 HP and 1,100 lb-ft of torque, with 109-octane fuel.  This massive amount of power will be fed through a Ricardo six-speed gearbox, with programmable traction control, to the rear wheels. In case you’re feeling reluctant to get behind the wheel, Hennessey adds a special “orientation program” for all new buyers with a special test driver, so that you won’t crash the beautiful car. In order to help the handling, a set of Brembo brakes with 15-inch carbon ceramic rotors have been added. The Hennessey Venom GT will start from $600,000 for the 725 HP variant, and will rise with the power output. For all that cash though you’ll be getting something with a better power to weight ratio than a Bugatti Veyron, and more exclusive, as just 10 will be sold each year. Want to more of the Hennessey Venom GT? Then hit the jump to see a presentation, straight from the company. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Cadillac finally reveals CTS-V Sport Wagon Posted: 29 Mar 2010 01:40 AM PDT  Cadillac is extremely careful with its CTS range, which has become emblematic of the luxury carmaker’s revival. While the regular models like the sedan, coupe or sport wagon are all fine and dandy, the V Series performance editions have gathered the most fans. That’s why the CTS-V, in its sedan and coupe body form, have impressed a lot of people. But ever since the introduction of the wagon in the regular range, some voices, albeit in a minority, have been clamoring for a V-badged performance version. For those people, we have good news, as your days of waiting are coming to an end with the start of the New York Auto Show, when Cadillac will officially unveil the CTS-V Sport Wagon show car. While badged as only for show, production is already speculated to start at the end of the year.  What will you be getting? In simple terms, a CTS-V sedan with extra space and hauling capacity. The 556 HP 6.2-liter V8 is still alive and kicking rather hard under the bonnet (551 lb-ft of torque), and the special features, from Brembo brakes, to 19-inch wheels wrapped in performance tires and even magnetic ride control are working fine. As we revealed above, the Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon will be showed off in New York, and exit the assembly line at the end of the year. Until then, wagon fans will need to save up some money, as rumors pin the start price at $61,000. Source: GM Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Lewis Hamilton in trouble with Australian police after drifting in his Mercedes-Benz Posted: 29 Mar 2010 01:22 AM PDT  As many Formula 1 fans certainly know, the Australian GP was held in Melbourne last weekend, with some of the best drivers and the fastest cars descending upon the Victoria province of Australia. According to a recent report though, it seems the action wasn’t limited to the track, as McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton saw his 2010 Mercedes-Benz model impounded by Victoria police after he was seen “driving in an over-exuberant manner” and “deliberately” losing traction of his sportscar (aka drifting). It seems that the police encountered Hamilton Thursday night, after he was leaving the Melbourne track and heading to his hotel. Due to Australian’s famous anti-hoon law, his car was impounded for two days, and he might face reckless driving charges. No other details were given at that time, and after the race Hamilton didn’t reveal anything besides saying he was sorry for his behavior, so perhaps things have been straightened out. Either way, I’m sure he can afford to drive a rental car at this week’s Malaysian GP. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Video: Ford teasing Focus RS500 limited edition Posted: 29 Mar 2010 01:01 AM PDT  Ford took the hot hatch concept to a whole new level with its 301 HP Focus RS model, but as you may have heard, an even more powerful edition is brewing for the Euro-only hatchback model. While we revealed that it might be called ClubSport, it seems the Blue Oval will stick to a simpler denomination, and has just started teasing the RS500 limited edition through a special microsite. Nothing certain is known, as we only have a nighttime lap of the Lommel Proving Ground in Belgium with the new Focus RS500, but it’s obvious that it will be limited to just 500 units (a 500 HP Focus is still a bit overkill). Also, many are pegging the new output of the 2.5-liter engine to be around 350 HP, a level reached by many tuning programs for the regular RS. Expect modifications to the styling of the car, the aerodynamics (a larger wing is seen at the beginning of the video) and many more. Hit the jump to check out Ford’s teaser video of the Focus RS500, which proves that it can still corner, even with that extra power. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| BMW trademarks new car names, let the speculation ensue Posted: 29 Mar 2010 12:19 AM PDT  Thought the car industry was boring? Well thanks to BMW’s new registered trademarks, we can now organize a guessing game about how and with what models will the new names be used. The Bavarian company has registered names like: i1, i2, i3, i4, i5, i6, i7, i8, i9 and E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8, E9, while things like M50d, Urbanic, Gran Coupe, Compactive, and Compactive Tourer were also trademarked in order to prevent other uses by rival companies. While you’re free to make your own guesses, we think the i lineup will be used with the future front-wheel drive city cars, while the E range will designate the electric models, as previewed by the BMW ActiveE electric 1 Series concept. The other distinctions are a bit trickier. Some voices say the M50d will be pinned to the future tri-turbo diesel engine, while the Urbanic will be a new trim line. Gran Coupe may designate a four-door coupe body style for the future 6 Series, while the Compactive names might hint at the possibility of slightly higher-riding crossover models based on the 1 and 3 Series. Do bear in mind this is just speculation, and BMW might not even be planning to use some of them, and just wants to mess with us. Either way, we still have some time to wait until we see these names pinned to any models. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Ford reaches agreement to sell Volvo to Geely for $1.8 billion Posted: 28 Mar 2010 11:58 PM PDT  Sale talks between Ford and Geely have finally reached an agreement, and there’s now a new reason to celebrate in Sweden, as Volvo will soon be owned by China’s Geely. In case you haven’t been following the proceedings, the talks between the two companies for the sale of Volvo have been going on for quite some time, and now an agreement has been reached, with Ford selling Volvo for $1.8 billion to Geely. The transaction is set to be finalized in the third quarter of 2010, but at least it is certain at this moment.
Ford will not retain any stake in Volvo, but will continue to collaborate for some time in terms of engineering and safety research programs. Also, the Blue Oval will continue to supply various parts, from engines to platforms for a limited time, until Volvo and Geely can find other partners.
Overall, while many will think this is a bad sign for Volvo, it was the only reasonable way to avoid bankruptcy. Also, it seems everyone is happy: Ford has gotten rid of a money-wasting subsidiary and has a lot of cash to invest in itself, Geely now has access to improved technology and is closer to establishing a global influence, and Volvo finally has more money to invest in its own vehicle lineup and try to make a profit in the following years. Hopefully we will hear only good things about the new Geely-owned Volvo. Source: Ford Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Facelifted 2011 Mercedes-Benz R Class photos leaked ahead of NY debut Posted: 28 Mar 2010 11:40 PM PDT  Mercedes-Benz is preparing to showcase a new and improved 2011 R Class model lineup at this week’s New York Auto Show, at least according to these leaked photos which ended up on the Internet last weekend. As you can see, this is a pretty major facelift, with MB radically improving the front fascia of the R Class, which as you may know, wasn’t exactly a best seller, due to its odd styling and small niche. With the new improvements though, we actually like what we see. The front end finally has a bit of personality, while the lenght of the people carrier isn’t as apparent as the original generation. No concrete details are known at this point, but it’s pretty obvious that the same V6 engines will be offered to consumers, and basically the same interior. An AMG styling package will no doubt appear, but don’t cross your fingers for any performance variants of the luxury station wagon. Stay tuned for more details at the end of the week when the New York Auto Show begins. Until then, check out the photo gallery below of the leaked pictures of the facelifted 2011 Mercedes-Benz R Class. Photo Gallery: 2011 Mercedes-Benz R Class
Source: eMercedesBenz via Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Hyundai starts teasing the Sonata hybrid before New York debut Posted: 28 Mar 2010 11:14 PM PDT  Hyundai is getting ready for the start of the New York Auto Show, where it will premiere two new versions of its 2011 Sonata sedan. The first is a range-topping model powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, while the second is the South Korean company’s first US-spec hybrid. As you can imagine, Hyundai is focusing more on the hybrid, and has just released the first teaser photo of the model, showcasing a part of its redesigned front end. It seems the company wants to give the hybrid Sonata a distinct personality, and will add in some influences from the Blue-Will concept we saw earlier this year in Detroit. No official details are known, but it is expected that Hyundai will be optimizing the 2.4-liter direct injection inline-four cylinder unit in order to make it more efficient, and combine it through a regular six-speed automatic gearbox with a 30 kW electric motor. Until the start of the NY show, at the end of the week, the guessing game is still open regarding the new Hyundai Sonata hybrid. Source: Hyundai Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Americans straying from Toyota, falling in love with Ford, new survey shows Posted: 28 Mar 2010 10:57 PM PDT  For quite a long time, Toyota was looming over the auto industry as an unbreakable Goliath, reigning supreme in both sales and quality, and forcing other carmakers to struggle for second place. Now though, the David-sized unintended acceleration scandal and a few other bad choices in management have made the Japanese company fall to its knees. During the fall of Toyota, other companies are slowly beginning to rise in the eyes of the consumer. Just what are those companies? To answer that question, Bloomberg issued a new survey, asking people what they thought of big name carmakers. The results aren’t all that surprising. The current leader, with 77% of people saying they have a good opinion about it, is Ford. A lot of factors probably weigh in on this decision, from the top quality products, to the fact that it hasn’t received government money like “those” other two carmakers. Trailing the Blue Oval is Honda, with a rather impressive 70% of favorable opinions. As opposed to the leaders, Toyota has seen some sharp drops, with just 49% still having a good opinion about the Japanese carmaker. What’s worse, 36% of those polled revealed that they would “definitely not buy” another Toyota model in the future. After fixing its recalled vehicles and solving its legal problems, Toyota has a lot of catching up to do in terms of public opinion, at least according to this survey. Source: Bloomberg Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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