Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/03/the_two_kimi_raikkonens.html
Saturday
GMC Terrain Denali
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General Motors has officially revealed the highly anticipated 2013 GMC Terrain Denali ahead of its public debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show. Not only does the Terrain finally get the Denali trim as an option for the 2013 model, but it also gets a bigger, more powerful engine. The current 264 HP 3.0L V6 option gets replaced with a new 301 HP 3.6L direct injected V6. Those who want to stick with the standard Ecotec 2.4L four-cylinder will get the best of both worlds; best in class fuel economy and, thanks to the Denali trim, the most luxurious SUV in its segment.
The Denali trim has been very successful for GMC vehicles, and the Terrain has been eagerly waiting to wear the Denali emblem ever since the very first one rolled off the assembly line in late 2009. The Terrain is already GMC’s hottest seller with the 2012 model’s sales up 37 percent from 2011, and adding the Denali trim will only boost sales further. Last year, over half of all GMC Yukons and Yukon XLs sold included Denali trim. GM global marketing chief Joel Ewanick calls Denali, which accounts for 15 percent of total GMC sales, "a brand within a brand."
The first Denali offering was revealed at the 1997 Detroit Auto Show with the 1999 Yukon Denali. It was GMC?s goal to set the Yukon apart from its Chevrolet counterpart. Over a decade later, GMC is still setting itself apart even though all of GMC vehicles are built on platforms shared with Chevrolet.
Hit the jump for more details on the 2013 GMC Terrain Denali.
GMC Terrain Denali originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 23 March 2012 16:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/gmc/2013-gmc-terrain-denali-ar126387.html
Bob Anderson Conny Andersson Mario Andretti Michael Andretti
Could the new Charger draw some teams to the Dodge camp?
Wishful thinking or harbinger of the future? Multiple voices inside the Dodge camp are insisting that several teams -- that's teams, plural -- have contacted them about running Dodge in 2013 now that Penske Racing has opted to switch to Ford.
Dodge SRT CEO Ralph Gilles and company spokesmen have used some variant of the phrase "phones ringing off the hook" in repeated public comments, starting with Sunday's revelation of the 2013 Dodge Charger. You can see it in the photo above; clearly that's a far cry from the current box that every team runs.
The unveiling was planned before Dodge got the news that it would be a lame-duck manufacturer. Still, the company is pressing forward with plans to remain in NASCAR, perhaps on multiple fronts. "We are going to take our time and come up with a plan that will hopefully see us return to Daytona next year with a new team," Dodge spokesman Dan Reid told the Detroit Free Press.
The question, of course, is which teams could even conceivably make the switch. Hendrick, Roush, Childress and now Penske are all locked in tight with their current manufacturers. Gibbs is a possibility, but Toyota has worked too hard to get into NASCAR to let a marquee team like that go free. It will cost Dodge tremendous money to lure a team away from another manufacturer, but if it were the right team, it could be a sound investment.
Perhaps a combination of smaller and second-tier teams, or battlefield promotions from the Nationwide Series, could serve, but one key will be Penske's performance this year. If Dodge can demonstrate that it can take the team from two Chasers to two legitimate championship contenders, then those phones really will ring off the hook ... or off the table, since nobody's phone sits on a hook anymore.
And so to KL
It is always a rush getting everything done in Melbourne, particularly since the event became an evening race and so Monday was taken up with getting everything written and then it was off to the airport for one of those flights that have to be taken to be believed, departing at 03.40 from Melbourne and [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/and-so-to-kl/
Juan Manuel Bordeu Slim Borgudd Luki Botha JeanChristophe Boullion
Friday
Create-a-caption: Suspended man walkin?
It's Appeals Tuesday in NASCAR, with all eyes turned toward the 48 team's appeal of suspensions, including that of crew chief Chad Knaus. So while we wait, let's have a little fun with the situation. What might be going on in this particular photo, snapped this weekend in Vegas? Have your say, friends. Winner gets to have Knaus "rework" his or her engine. Go!
Porsche 918 Spyder
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The 2010 Geneva Motor Show was all abuzz with the unveiling of the Porsche 918 Spyder Concept, a vehicle that, once it hit production, would be the successor for the Carrera GT. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long to receive confirmation that this concept would indeed be hitting the production block, and now we get to have a look at the first step to seeing the Spyder in its full form with this image of the first scale clay model.
Once that clay model turns into something a little less arts and crafts and a lot more mind-bendingly powerful, Porsche has announced that they will be investing around 150 million euros in a high-tech wind tunnel, that will help "to maintain Porsche’s top position in the fields of aerodynamics and design and to further extend our lead."
In a previous statement Porsche announced that the production version will deliver more power than the concept. Michael Macht, President and Chairman of the Board of Management of Porsche AG said: "Production of the 918 Spyder in a limited series proves that we are taking the right approach with Porsche Intelligent Performance featuring the combination of supreme performance and efficient drivetrain concepts. We will develop the 918 Spyder in Weissach and assemble it in Zuffenhausen. This is also a very important commitment to Germany as a manufacturing base."
UPDATE 01/16/2012: While Porsche has kept a little mum lately about the production version of the 918 Spyder, new details have emerged on the internet stating that the car will be making its world debut in 2013 at the Frankfurt Motor Show and that the first deliveries will be made in 2014. Also, the concept’s 3.4 liter V8 engine will be replaced with a new 4.6 liter version based on the RS Spyder LMP2 race car. This engine will deliver a total of 550 HP and will be combined with three electric motors that will increase the total output to an impressive 720 HP. The production version will also be about 5.8-inches longer and half-an-inch wider than the concept and will weigh somewhere under 3,700 lbs. (TeamSpeed).
UPDATE 03/23/2012: Evo Diaries’ Founder, Harry Metcalfe, was able to do as walk-around of the bare bones prototype of the future Porsche 918 Spyder. In this video, Metcalfe points out that the 918 Spyder will be the first production front-wheel drive Porsche due to the fact that it can be powered using only the electric motor, which sends its power to the front wheels. Check out the video of his review after the jump!
Read more about the production version of the Porsche 918 Spyder and the tedious ordering process it takes to buy one after the jump.
Porsche 918 Spyder originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 23 March 2012 12:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/porsche/2013-porsche-918-spyder-ar100648.html
Wreck of the week, featuring Kasey Kahne taking out everybody
Not much doubt about what the wreck of the week was this week, huh? Kasey Kahne caught Regan Smith by thiiiiis much, but in a place like Bristol, that's enough to cause multi-car carnage. Now, pretty much everybody involved in the accident got back out on the track, and Kevin Harvick even managed to stay on the lead lap. Still, this had a dramatic impact on the race, taking out at least four potential winners (Harvick, Kahne, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards) and putting Kahne in a must-run-well situation for the next few months.
For that reason, we give this wreck ... THREE Crazed Montoyas!
Thursday
Force India and Team Lotus
Following the publication of Team Lotus wind tunnel model pictures in November 2009, Force India Formula One Team lodged a complaint with the Criminal Court in Italy and subsequently commenced civil proceedings in the UK High Court, citing concerns in respect of Team Lotus, Aerolab and Mike Gascoyne illegally copying Force India Formula One Team [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/force-india-and-team-lotus/
Power Rankings: Greg Biffle ascends to the mountaintop
It's a new season, and that means a new year of Power Rankings. Each week throughout the season, we'll size up who's rising and who's falling, based on current standings, behind-the-scenes changes, expected staying power, recent history and general gut feelings. It is not scientific, nor is it meant to be. And remember, whoever your favorite driver is, we're biased against him and like someone else better. So let's begin with a guy we haven't seen around here lately ...
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Lucky Dog: Jamie McMurray. Zoolander returns! Time again for everybody's favorite frosted-tip/Ricky Bobby bird victim driver to return to the spotlight. A good solid run Sunday was anything but pathetic, and McMurray will need much more of that to hang onto his seat at Ganassi after this year.
DNF: Kurt Busch. Another week, another wrecked Phoenix Motorsports car. Kurt's certainly creating enough ashes for this phoenix to rise from, that's for sure.
Next up: Bristol! Fighter jets in a toilet bowl! Skittles in a gymnasium! Something like that. Anyway, send your comments to us via Twitter at @jaybusbee, via email by clicking here, and via Facebook. Go!
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2012 IRTA Moto2 & Moto3 Jerez Test Day 3 Press Releases
Press releases from the Moto2 and Moto3 teams after the final day of testing at Jerez:
Year:
2012
Wednesday
Denny Hamlin teaches us all to Dougie
Some fun awkwardness from the Bristol driver intros: Denny Hamlin, showing us all how to Dougie. Work it, white boy, work it!
I'm thinking the dance portion of the intros should become a mandatory component of every race's pre-race extravaganza. Who'd be the best with the moves, you think?
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/denny-hamlin-teaches-us-dougie-011629859.html
Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert Eugene Chaboud Jay Chamberlain
Don?t forget your GP+
Sign up today for GrandPrix+, Formula 1′s fastest e-magazine. This year there are going to be some events at which the magazine will be published BEFORE the race has been shown on television! GrandPrix+ features all the things one would expect from a classical F1 magazine: news, reports, features and perspectives of each F1 weekend, [...]
Source: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/dont-forget-your-gp/
Massa: The truth will emerge in Melbourne
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa has been speaking about his team’s preparations for the 2012 Formula 1 season. Check out our Ferrari review for 2011! The Brazilian – who will take part in testing this week – believes that he will try many new ideas as they look to find a winning formula for the season ahead. [...]
Kurt Adolff Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers
Danica Patrick, Jimmie Johnson remember Dan Wheldon, reflect on NASCAR?s safety
Five months ago, Dan Wheldon died during the inaugural running of IndyCar's Las Vegas 300. The events of the day haunted NASCAR then and now. As safe as the sport now is, with more than a decade since the last fatality, Wheldon's death was a shocking, painful reminder of how dangerous motorsports will always be.
Danica Patrick, now full-time in NASCAR, was in the field for the IndyCar race, and in her return to Las Vegas spoke in solemn tones about her memories of Wheldon and that weekend.
"My thoughts are still with Susie [Wheldon's wife] and the kids," she said. "There won't be a time when I come to Las Vegas where I won't think about Dan, and won't think about the family and hope they're doing well."
Patrick acknowledged that one simply cannot carry the pain of the day onto the track. "As race car drivers, our job is to drive the race car," she said. "We need to be able to do that with our whole heart and mind. It's in the moments where you don't have a singular focus, like walking up to the media center and seeing the Neon Garage, remembering the atmosphere [during Indy weekend] and where we pitted ... where you can have time to think about multiple things, [that's when] it gets to you."
"You try to push it out of your mind," Jimmie Johnson said. "You try not to think about it ... It's easier for us as drivers to say, 'Well, that was in a different car.� That was in a different style of racing.'� We just go out and do our jobs.� It was a very, very tough situation for motorsports and especially for the IndyCar drivers."
But Johnson touched on one of the key issues surrounding Wheldon's death. The fact that such an accident couldn't happen in the same way in NASCAR ? the driver's head isn't exposed, for starters ? means that NASCAR is safer, but by no means completely safe.
"The likelihood of clanging wheels, that doesn't happen in stock cars," Patrick said. "What made that accident happen doesn't happen with stock cars. You get too close to somebody and you bump somebody, you're just going to bump somebody. There's peace in that."
Peace, yes, but what about confidence? Even overconfidence?
"At times, especially when we go to plate tracks, we have to climb in and feel that we're indestructible because you know there's going to be a big wreck and the chances are that you're going to be in it," Johnson said. "The other tracks you feel like you're in a bit more control and you know you're going fast and things can go wrong, but I think we're wired to forget those things, to be honest with you."
Johnson got a firsthand look at exactly how vulnerable a driver can be with his wreck at Daytona (one which, incidentally, also involved Patrick).
"There's moments on track that still get my attention," he said. "Sliding down the middle of the race track at Daytona and knowing I was going to get plowed in the door, there was a lot of fear running through my veins at that point."
Johnson pointed out that there are still some small safety concerns with the car as it now stands: "The area above the driver's head. That's something from an intrusion standpoint and we see it more at the plate tracks where cars go tumbling ... you know it's a big, open area that is really just sheet metal up there. A bumper or something could come through there and make contact with the driver's head."
NASCAR has been fortunate to remain safe for the past decade. But safety innovations that are proactive are far better for the sport than ones that arrive after a tragedy. It's a testament to NASCAR that the drivers feel as safe as they do. Hopefully that'll be the case for years to come.
Tuesday
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin have words, trade paint
For about the first 71 laps, Las Vegas was one hell of a race for Dale Earnhardt Jr., since he led 70 of them. In a single afternoon, he totaled more laps led than he did in all of 2011.
But then a four-tire stop when many others took just two buried him back in the pack, and he was never able to get back to the lead. He cited a few problems, like tight handling, but overall just couldn't transition from running in clean air to running in traffic.
Still, there was one particular low point, when he rammed hard into former teammate Mark Martin, who proceeded to give him a little guff right back. To hear Junior tell it, though, respect for one's elders goes only so far.
"To me, personally, there is an unwritten etiquette ... when the guy is running the top," Earnhardt said. "I'm coming ten miles an hour faster off the top of the race track, you stay low. Don't knock a half second off my lap time being a jerk about it. Stay low. You are going to get it in the next corner and the position is going to be yours. Don't pull up in front of somebody when they are going to come off the corner ten miles an hour faster."
Martin, alas, did not offer any reply; his only postrace quotes both live and on Twitter were of the "rough day, should've been better" variety. Martin would end up 18th on the afternoon, dropping him four spots to 10th in the standings.
"I didn't really mean to put him in the wall, but from the cosmetic standpoint it didn't look like it hurt his car," Earnhardt said. "I was pretty frustrated at the moment before that happened, and that just kind of really sent me over the edge there. We just want to win really bad and felt like we should have finished better than we did today."
Earnhardt, for his part, now sits fourth in the standings. Now, fire away, Junior Nation and Anti-Junior Nation.
An Evening With INDYCAR
I am sure you will read pages upon pages of writing breaking down what happened at the state of INDYCAR presentation. There are many, better qualified word hacks to dissect what each and every item means, but that man is … Continue reading 
Source: https://anotherindycarblog.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/an-evening-with-indycar/
Toyota GT-86 Convertible
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Subaru and Toyota are continuing their sports car courtship by releasing drop top versions of their BRZ and GT-86 models in the next couple of years. We’ve already drawn up the BRZ Convertible, as well as Toyota’s more affordable Scion FR-S Convertible, but now it’s time for the GT-86 to get its turn on the drawing table.
Except for the roof, the GT-86 Convertible will feature the same design and technology as the coupe model. It will be a compact rear-wheel-drive sports coupe with an aerodynamic body that rides low to the ground to improve handling and allow it to cut through the air with ease. The fascia will be completely aggressive with long slit-looking headlights giving it a mean and intimidating look, as well as an enlarged lower grille and a bold "Scorpion" styling to the lower grille. Under the hood, it will feature the same 2.0 liter, naturally-aspirated petrol engine with 200 HP at 7000 rpm and 151 lb-ft of torque at 6600 rpm. This engine will be mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission.
The new Toyota GT-86 Convertible will be unveiled sometime in 2013 and will cost about $2,000 more than the coupe model. The Japanese market will be the first to receive it and they will be followed by the rest of the world.
Toyota GT-86 Convertible originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 19 March 2012 17:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/toyota/2014-toyota-gt-86-convertible-ar125810.html
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