Welcome to a new edition of Motorsport Weekend, our own feature where we talk about the most exciting motorsport events from the last three days.

This weekend, we were treated with quite a few interesting races. First off, the Formula 1 Hungarian GP was held at the Hungaroring track. Then the WRC Rally of Finland was organized in the Scandinavian country, while Nascar‘s Sprint Cup had the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 take place at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

So, curious to see how Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Mikko Hirvonen or Greg Biffle faired in their own races? Then hit the jump and find out.

First off, the Formula 1 Hungarian GP was set up to be another plain race, with Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber set to start in the first line. Luckily, things got extremely hectic in the first half of the race, after a crash led to debris on the track.

The safety car went in, prompting almost all of the drivers to head to the pits. This caused extreme havoc, with Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg exiting the pit with a loose wheel. It came off before he could do anything, and hit one of the mechanics from Williams. Renault’s Robert Kubica was signaled to exit the pit area right when Force India’s Adrian Sutil passed, causing them to touch.

Meanwhile, on the track, Vettel, who came out in second, behind Mark Webber, was penalized for not respecting Safety Car regulations, and charged with a drive-through. The upset German blasted race officials, eventually coming out behind Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.

The finish saw this exact formation, with Webber extremely pleased about the win, especially as the former overall leader, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, was forced to retire early due a gearbox failure.

Overall, Webber leads with 161, followed by Hamilton, with 157, and Vettel, with 151. We shouldn’t forget McLaren’s Jenson Button with 147, nor Alonso, with 141. Team standings see Red Bull in the lead, with 312 points, followed by McLaren, 304, and Ferrari, 238.

Moving on, the WRC Rally of Finland was eagerly awaited by fans, as the combination between massive jumps, tough Scandinavian gravel and tight, twisty courses meant thrills were guaranteed. The rally delivered early on, as local Mikko Hirvonen crashed his Ford Focus WRC after one of the jumps destabilized the car. We already shared a video of the spectacular crash earlier today.

The rest of the drivers were engaged in heavy fighting, but, in the end, it was still a native Finn, Jari-Matti Latvala. The Ford driver managed to keep Citroen works drivers Sebastien Ogier and Loeb off his back for the majority of the race, even though the lead was held, for a few stages, by Citroen privateer Petter Solberg.

Standings still show Loeb in the lead, with 166 points, followed by Ogier, 118, and Latvala, 105.

Moving on to the Nascar Sprint Cup, which saw the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 take place at the Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania.

The even was dramatic for Roush Fenway Racing driver Greg Biffle, who hit the wall right in the first turn of the race. This meant he was helpless against leaders like Jimmie Johnson or Jeff Gordon. Luckily, the final pit strategy, when he opted for just two tires as opposed to rivals who took on four, meant Biffle returned to the track in second position.

He then proceeded to overtake Sam Hornish Jr., and won the Pocono race with a 3.5 second lead. Runner up was Tony Stewart, followed by Carl Edwards.

Overall Sprint Cup standings show Kevin Harvick still in the lead, followed by Jeff Gordon, 189 points behind, and Denny Hamlin, 260 points behind.

Post published on Rpmgo.com

Motorsport Weekend: Formula 1 Hungarian GP, WRC Rally of Finland, Nascar Pocono race results

After plenty of spoon-fed details, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG performance limousine, with its brand new twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8, has finally been revealed.

As most of you know by now, the biggest change is under the bonnet, where the old 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 has been replaced with the aforementioned twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 with direct injection. While capacity may be down, power is way up, as the new engine develops 571 HP and 663 lb-ft of torque. 0 to 62 mph is achieved in 4.5 seconds, or 4.4, if you opt for the AMG Performance package.

For an improved ride handling, the old torque-converter equipped gearbox has been replaced with a multi-clutch unit, taken from the SL63. While EPA numbers have yet to be revealed, the 2011 S63 AMG is capable of achieving 22.4 US mpg on the European combined cycle.

Overall, if you want to go very fast with your high end limousine, then the 2011 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG will be more than happy to help. Check it out in the photo gallery below, as well as in a video, after the jump.

Photo Gallery: 2011 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG

Source: Mercedes-Benz

Post published on Rpmgo.com

2011 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG with twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 revealed

Without a doubt one of the most expected stages of the 2010 World Rally Championship season is the Rally of Finland.

The Scandinavian special stages are spectacular in nature, boasting a tough gravel surface with big jumps and perilous corners.

Even though he was racing on his home turf, the first day of the rally got the better of Ford driver Mikko Hirvonen, who crashed during one of the stages. Even though the accident was spectacular, the driver, together with his teammate, managed to escape without a scratch.

Check out the footage of the Hirvonen’s big crash after the jump.

Source: Automarket

Post published on Rpmgo.com

Video: See Hirvonen’s huge crash during the WRC Rally of Finland

Diesel models aren’t exactly favored by North American customers, but seeing as how more people are impressed by the frugality of the oil burners, as well as the ever increasing range of available models, things are changing.

They will also change for Porsche, who might be bringing a diesel version of its best selling Cayenne SUV to North America.

According to a report from Canada, Porsche is considering a diesel version of the new 2011 Cayenne, presumably with Audi’s 3.0-liter TDI. Reports about this move appeared some time ago, but the German luxury manufacturer declined to comment at that time.

Now, with the new generation SUV being lighter, and the diesel engine more powerful yet retaining a frugal nature, a Porsche Cayenne diesel might make a lot of sense on the North American market.

Nothing is official just yet, but the move will happen sooner or later.

Source: Times Colonist via Autoblog

Post published on Rpmgo.com

Porsche Cayenne diesel might appear in North America

It’s a bit hard to believe, but even though the Toyota Supra was one of the most iconic models the Japanese company ever had, the trademark for the Supra name was left open from 2006 until now.

Luckily for Toyota, nobody decided to apply for that name. Now, the Japanese company is back in possession of the Supra badge, and has three years to use it on a new model.

As you can imagine, this news started another batch of rumors, largely concerning the FT-86 concept, as well as the statement of Toyota president Akio Toyoda. The executive revealed a few weeks ago that he would love for a new Supra to be made.

Sadly, he also said that other executives won’t back such a proposal. Still, given the fact that the company once again applied for the Supra name is a statement that things aren’t quite so.

Let’s hop we will hear more news straight from Toyota, in the near future.

Source: Car and Driver

Post published on Rpmgo.com

Toyota once again trademarks Supra name

The 2011 Nissan Rogue crossover has finally been refreshed, boasting an upgraded look, as well as enhanced features and, most importantly, a slightly better fuel average.

As you can see above and below, the new Rogue has gotten the same type of front grille as the Murano, but also new fog lamps and revised spoilers for both the front and the rear. While two versions will be available, S and SV, custom accessories can be ordered, and two special editions, SL and S Kr?m, are also present in the range.

Eco-friendly customers are going to approve of the new low rolling resistance tires, available with the 17-inch chromed wheels, as well as a new underbody tray, which reduces the aerodynamic drag. These enhancements have made the Rogue more efficient by 1 mpg. The FWD 2011 Nissan Rogue achieves 22/28 mpg, while the AWD version gets 22/26 mpg.

Expect the 2011 Nissan Rogue to appear in showrooms in mid-August.

Source: Nissan

Post published on Rpmgo.com

2011 Nissan Rogue refresh revealed

Taxis are by far the most used cars in the world, and as such, according to new regulations, they need to be as fuel efficient and as eco-friendly as possible. That’s why big cities like New York are currently searching for replacements for the older cars like the iconic Ford Crown Victoria.

Still, this doesn’t mean the cabbies or the clients want the Crown Vic to go. According to a report from USA Today, both taxi drivers and the passengers prefer the old Ford model over newer, hybrid cabs.

The arguments for the Crown Victoria are plentiful. Cabbies prefer it to other models because repairs or check ups don’t cost as much, while customers favor the Vic for its increased space as well as its iconic image.

Still, no matter the preferences, the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission will announce the winner of its Taxi of Tomorrow competition at the end of the year. The winning car will be replacing all of the other taxi models currently on the streets of NYC.

Source: USA Today via Autoblog

Post published on Rpmgo.com

New York cabbies and clients prefer the old Crown Victoria over hybrids

We certainly have quite a lot of racing game franchises in the business, ranging from Need For Speed to Forza Motorsport or Gran Turismo.

Still, enthusiasts shouldn’t forget about the Dirt series of video games, formerly known as the Colin McRae rally titles. The franchise, developed by Codemasters, is getting ready for its third iteration in its brand new identity, and has released the first official trailer.

The video showcases the different terrains and weather the game will feature, and mainly features American rally driver and stunt man Ken Block, behind the wheel of his #43 Ford Fiesta rally car. Most importantly, however, is that the trailer also hints at a more special type of competition that you can play in the game: Gymkhana, made famous by Block himself.

Sadly, we still have to wait until 2011 for Dirt 3 to arrive, but until then, we’ll keep you updated with all the latest news about this exciting video game. Check out the first official trailer after the jump.

Source: Codemasters

Post published on Rpmgo.com

Video: First Dirt 3 video game trailer showcases Ken Block and Gymkhana

A few weeks ago, we revealed to you the first sketches of a mighty impressive one-off customization project: the 2011 Ford Mustang SR-71 Blackbird.

As its name suggested, the tuned Mustang borrowed styling cues from the iconic SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, and was set to be auctioned off at the EAA AirVenture event, to benefit the Young Eagles program.

The car was thoroughly customized by two of the biggest players in the business, Shelby and Roush Performance, together with Ford Racing. The result was a badder and more powerful Mustang, thanks to a new Whipple supercharger and other performance parts.

The whole package definitely struck a chord with AirVenture visitors, as the car sold for an impressive $375,000. In case you’re not the lucky guy or gal who got their hands on this unique Mustang, you can at least admire it in the photos above.

Source: Ford

Post published on Rpmgo.com

Unique Ford Mustang SR-71 Blackbird sells for $375,000 at the EAA AirVenture charity auction

After presenting the actual price the Chevrolet Volt will have when it will be launched on select markets at the end of the year ($41,000 without tax credit, $33,500 with the rebate), General Motors has now revealed more good news for fans of the extended-range electric vehicle.

It seems that while in 2011, only 10,000 models will be made, the production scheduled for 2012 has now been increased by the American carmaker. Instead of the estimated 30,000 cars, 45,000 Chevrolet Volt models will roll off the assembly lines, in order to satisfy the big demand for the plug-in electric model.

According to GM, the ‘Volt enthusiast list’ is now over 25,000 strong, meaning a lot of people want to purchase the new car.

The announcement was made during President Barrack Obama’s visit to the Detroit-Hamtramck plant, where the Volt will actually be produced. At the end of last month, the US president also visited the battery plant, where he checked out a prototype Chevrolet Volt.

Source: GM

Post published on Rpmgo.com

GM increases Volt production in 2012 by 50%, 45,000 cars will be made