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Williams has not run 2012 car yet

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:02:00 +0000

Filed under: Formula One Contrary to reports, Williams has not yet debuted its 2012 car. It was said the British team ran the unlaunched FW34 at the Idiada facility near Barcelona, with tester Valtteri Bottas at the wheel. In fact, “the shakedown could not take place due to bad weather conditions,” a spokesperson is quoted as saying in the German press. Pastor Maldonado will instead give the newly Renault-powered car its maiden outing, at Jerez on Tuesday. With the rollout of the new Ferrari cancelled in Italy due to similarly bad weather, it means the Force India is the first 2012 car to have run on a circuit. Paul di Resta drove the VJM05 at Silverstone after its launch on Friday. “It looks good and it feels great and I look forward to running it again in Jerez on Tuesday,” the Scot is quoted by the Guardian.

Bentley Mulsanne: Road test review

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:05:00 +0000

Filed under: Road Tests The Mulsanne is a monumental car for Bentley , as it is the first bespoke model from the British luxury car manufacturer in 80 years. So, when I was given the chance to spend a week with this £269,110 (of which £43,210 was options) car from Crewe, I was keen to see if the Mulsanne could be the ultimate luxury saloon. On first look, the exterior styling of the latest Mulsanne is elegant rather than pretty. The biggest opinion divider has to be the front styling. Of course there’s the iconic, imposing grille and Bentley badge but you’ll either love or hate the huge head and sidelights. A design feature of modern Bentley models, the face-lifted Continental GT has similarly over-sized lights. There’s a defined swage line that runs along the side, from nose to tail. Along with a lower cut out, there is proper chrome detailing for the bottom of the doors and a chrome air intake at the bottom of the front wing. The neatest parts of the design are at the back, where the Bentley’s rear quarters seem to fold into the rear screen and the twin flat exhausts. The real beauty of the Mulsanne is in the interior, where traditional Bentley opulence meets 21st-century technology in harmony. This could be the most luxurious interior of any car I’ve ever driven. Few other manufacturers manage to mix wooden veneers and leather hides so well. The new technology which includes the latest Volkswagen Group sat-nav and a 2,200-watt 20-speaker Naim audio system, is also well integrated into the classic feel to the interior. Nice touches include the way the sat-nav screen appears from behind a wood panel on the dash and a tray to connect and hide your iPod. Talking of the panels, if there’s a shortage of veneer in the world it is probably because it’s all inside this Bentley. The Naim sound system has to be the best I’ve tried. The most powerful set up fitted to a production car, it has plenty of low end bass and top end treble. Inside, the driving position is good and the tall seats really comfortable. However, the windscreen pillars are thick, the unusual anti-clockwise dials are hard to read at first and it is a shame that the other auxiliary gauges in the centre console are out of the driver’s line of sight. The centre console is a bit button-heavy too, but the glass-like buttons are tactile and high quality. It might be based on a 50-year-old design, but with 505bhp, 752lbft of torque, a 0-60mph time of just 5.3 seconds and a licence-losing top speed of 184mph, the 6.75-litre, twin-turbo V8 in the Mulsanne is no slouch. Just don’t mention the Combined fuel consumption of 16.8mpg (I saw this drop to 9.7mpg in traffic!), or the C02 emissions of 393g/km. Still I’d doubt these figures will bother the type of buyer of this car. It might weigh 2745kg (despite the composite boot), but speed grows surprisingly quickly in the Bentley. The Mulsanne feels at its most dynamic in the sport mode, but if this doesn’t work for you there are three other positions for the Bentley’s Driver Dynamics Control system. The Mulsanne could sound better though, but is this because the interior is so well insulated? Show the Bentley a corner and there is some body roll, but there’s loads of grip that gives you confidence to push a car weighing over 2 tonnes harder than you’d expect. The steering is responsive too. Shame then, that even in the softest Comfort suspension, the ride on these optional 21-inch alloy wheels isn’t as silky smooth as you might expect. I think that the Rolls Royce Phantom is probably a more relaxing limousine. So, is it the ultimate luxury saloon? Well, almost. It is a great drive and has possibly the most luxurious interior of any production car I’ve driven. However, the styling won’t appeal to all and the ride should be super smooth but isn’t. Still, it is a Bentley after all and there is really nothing else like it. If I had the money and a long driveway (it is a substantial car) I’d still be sorely tempted.

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Bentley Mulsanne: Road test review

Video: Ferrari FF + rally champ + snow = win

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:09:00 +0000

Filed under: Humour Ferrari ‘s new FF has four wheel drive – a first for a Fezza. It’s also got a rather natty profile, room for four normal-sized people and their luggage. It’s the perfect car for a well to do family in the Alps. It’s also the perfect car to let Markku Alen loose in on the Arjeplog track in Sweden. Ferrari rarely does ‘viral’, but when the Italian company does have a go the results tend to be spectacular. This latest video sees rally champ Markku given license to ‘go nuts’ on the showy track. He doesn’t disappoint. Enjoy the video.

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Video: Ferrari FF + rally champ + snow = win

Audi going hybrid at Le Mans

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:05:00 +0000

Filed under: Motorsport At the end of February Audi is set to reveal its all-new Le Mans series car. It’s not like its world crushing diesel efforts of years gone by. It seems Audi’s gone all Toyota on us: its new car will be a hybrid. Audi is fielding two cars for the majority of the Le Mans season but will be adding another two into the mix for a few races – most importantly the 80th annual Le Mans 24 hour race in the summer. The cars at Le Mans will be numbered 1-4, with numbers one and two being the hybrid cars. Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich commented: “The first test results are very encouraging and we are intrigued to see just how this technology performs in combination with our ultra lightweight technology on the race track at Le Mans. “As before, we still, however, see potential with the conventional drive – just as our colleagues do in production development. This is why we are absolutely delighted that the ACO and FIA selection committee has accepted our entries and that we can join the grid with four cars at the commemorative running of the Le Mans race.” Audi will be fielding two British drivers this year – Allan McNish (42) who has won the race on two occasions and suffered a spectacular crash at last year’s event, and Oliver Jarvis from Cambridge. The other two drivers are Germany’s Timo Bernhard and André Lotterer. As Peugeot has removed its hat from the ring (as it were) there won’t be an epic Germany V France diesel battle , but as Toyota is entering the competition with a new hybrid racer we may see an exciting, competitive race yet.

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Audi going hybrid at Le Mans

Aston Martin DB4GT Coupe makes its million

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:59:00 +0000

Filed under: Classic cars An Aston Martin DB4GT Coupe offered by auction house Bonhams has met its estimate and made a cool million euros at auction. The final sale price came in at € 1,012,000 (nearly £842,000) at La Halle Freyssinet in Paris. Over 100 cars and motorcycles went under the hammer resulting in a total of €7,198,038 spent. Another highlight to be sold was a 1929 Bentley 6 1/2/8 litre Tourer which made a staggering €615,250. Check out the DB4GT Coupe below to see what the lucky new owner has driven away.

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Aston Martin DB4GT Coupe makes its million

Citroen DS5: The devil is in the details

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:05:00 +0000

Filed under: Comment Citroen’s bold new design statement has been captured with the DS5. A deceptively large car, it’s certainly imposing and although the styling similarities compared to the original DS are contentious, it could well make the same impact when it hits our shores on 2 April. The aeronautical theme is a prominent highlight throughout the car, from the striking propeller wheels to the aircraft-inspired cockpit roof with enough switches to keep you entertained in traffic. Thankfully, there’s nothing reminiscent of easyJet here. Instead the interior has a bespoke, premium feel and is a genuinely nice place to sit. A full glass roof is separated by individual sun roofs and the aluminium detailing against ‘watch strap’ tan leather seats are a real treat. Andy Cowell, British design manager for the DS5 , described how the model has the best finish of any Citroen in years, and is ‘Citroen’s answer to moving upmarket’. Cowell wiped the slate clean when sketching out the DS5 and explained how important it was to ensure quality was maintained throughout: “The quality of the material was very important for us. It took us a while to convince marketing but that’s what we had to do. Our competitors are now asking us how we’ve done it considering the cost of the car. “I spent my time checking and making sure car was perfect making sure grain finish quality came through, pieces from suppliers were of highest quality. We spent a lot of time weighting the switches properly to give them the best feel and choosing the instrument light.” The attention to detail certainly shows. In fact, the switches are some of the best we’ve seen and easily outclass some luxury models. “We wanted to break the rules with it, it’s very much citroen and its very much DS,” Cowell added. Apparently, the DS range is here to stay: “We’ll see DS evolving in their own ways over the next few years and they’ll be always passionate and euphoric.” With the revival of the DS range some 57 years after it was first built, surely it’s inevitable that the iconic 2CV will be with us in the future too? “We’ll see…the 2CV is part of our heritage too and it could be reinterpreted in many different ways, we’ll see.” We hope this could well be a hint of the return of the farmer’s favourite in our showrooms at some point, but until then the DS5 is more than enough to keep us excited. Check out the gallery for notable details on the model.

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Citroen DS5: The devil is in the details

Toyota Corolla is the best selling vehicle… ever

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:23:00 +0000

Filed under: Latest News For many years the Toyota Corolla has been the best selling car in history. Thanks to its global presence, low price and easy-to-get-to-grips-with drive people have been lapping them up. There was a problem, though. The Ford F-Series trucks were the best selling vehicles of all time. Being a truck, it’s classified as a small commercial vehicle, thus keeping the Corolla’s car-trophy safe, but still – it’s not worth being winner of one category when there’s a bigger prize out there, is it? Recently the F-Series’ luck ran out, possibly due to high ‘gas’ prices, the fact that hillbillies are dying out and people realising that they don’t NEED a giant V8 pick up/SUV/waste of space. As a result, the Toyota Corolla’s sales overtook it. The Corolla has now, globally, sold 37.5million units over its 35 year life span. Not only does it mean it’s the biggest selling vehicle of all time, but it also means a Corolla is sold every 40 seconds. So, over your average episode of Geordie Shore 45 Toyota Corollas will be sold. That’s a scary stat. The top 10 best selling vehicles of all time are… 10. Chevy Impala (1958-current), 14 million 9. Volkswagen Passat (1973-current), 15.5 million 8. Ford Model T (1908-1927), 16.5 million 7. Honda Accord (1976-current), 17.5 million 6. Honda Civic (1972-current), 18.5 million 5. Ford Escort (1968-2000), 20 million 4. Volkswagen Beetle (1933-current), 23.5 million 3. Volkswagen Golf (1974-current), 27.5 million 2. Ford, F-150 Series Pick-up (1948-current), 35 million 1. Toyota Corolla (1966-current), 37.5 million Source: 247wallst.com

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Toyota Corolla is the best selling vehicle… ever

Button wants to avoid retiring too soon

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:57:00 +0000

Filed under: Formula One While his teammate’s plans beyond this year are unclear, McLaren driver Jenson Button is sure his career is on the right track. Lewis Hamilton has been making headlines this week after saying he wants to think about his future beyond 2012 – when his existing contract expires – soon. “Probably, after the first couple of races, it’s something we will probably want to get out of the way, probably in the earlier part of the year rather than later,” said the Briton. 2011 championship runner-up Button, however, inked a new multi-year contract last season, now telling the Sun newspaper that at the age of 32, it is too soon to think about retiring. Agreeing that 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen’s return to F1 this year is good for F1, Button said: “It also tells me not to leave F1 too early.” Also among the six world champions on the 2012 grid is Michael Schumacher, who returned two years ago at the age of 41. “Two of the six champions have left and come back again. You always think the grass is greener but you’ve got to be careful about when you retire,” said Button. The quality of the 2012 grid is also making predictions about the outcome of the world championship particularly difficult. “It will be close,” agreed McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh. “It’s a massively competitive championship these days. “No one, in my view, is going to run away with this victory, not us, not anyone else.”

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Button wants to avoid retiring too soon

Button wants to avoid retiring too soon

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:57:00 +0000

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Button wants to avoid retiring too soon

Ecclestone backs Webber to shine in 2012

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:28:00 +0000

Filed under: Formula One Bernie Ecclestone has once again backed Mark Webber to shine in 2012. Australian Webber came close to winning the championship in 2010, but ultimately it is his young teammate Sebastian Vettel who is the reigning back-to-back title winner, having utterly dominated last season. And it is likely Adrian Newey has penned another field-beater yet again for 2012. “I don’t want Red Bull to dominate in the same way but I fear that’s what will happen. That’s why I put my hopes on Mark Webber’s shoulders,” F1 chief executive Ecclestone said recently. Webber turns 36 later this year and many tip Red Bull to replace him with one of rookie team Toro Rosso’s new chargers for 2013. But Ecclestone insists it is not too late for the Australian. “I think he could win, yes for sure,” he is quoted by the Herald Sun. “I think you are going to see a different Mark this year. What he has to do is come to appreciate that Sebastian is quick, and he has to make sure he is quicker. “(And) get it out of his head that people are not supporting him because they actually are.”

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Ecclestone backs Webber to shine in 2012