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Audi S1 set for Paris debut, first S car without quattro

September 14, 2010 at 10:57 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Audi, Cars, International News

It is confirmed that next month’s Paris Motor Show will see the debut of the new Audi S1, the hot version of the A1 that will go after the Mini Cooper S. The four rings brand has yet to release tech details, although undisguised test mules have been spotted in Germany.

Autocar UK’s sources say that the S1 will be powered by a 1.4-litre turbo engine from the VW Group, producing around 180 bhp and 250 Nm of torque. Competitive with the Cooper S and sounds pretty much like the 1.4 TSI in the VW Polo GTI, which does 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds on to a 225 km/h top speed. Audi’s 7-speed s-tronic dual-clutch gearbox will be used, and steering paddle shifters will be standard.

The looks will be a sportier version of the standard car’s S-line package (pic above), including lowered suspension, 17-inch alloys and a small roof spoiler, while a larger exhaust will also feature. What one won’t find on the S1 is a quattro badge – this will be the first S badged car to do without Audi’s trademark AWD system.

The hot A1 should start selling in Europe early next year. Click here to see more of the A1.

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New Mazda BT-50 (Fighter) to debut in Australia

September 13, 2010 at 6:47 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Mazda

Mazda will be unveiling the next generation Mazda BT-50 pick-up truck at the 2010 Australian International Motor Show next October. The BT-50 is a model also known as the Mazda Fighter in certain markets. It’s essentially the Japanese counterpart to the Ford Ranger, sharing some DNA with the American-branded truck. No other information on the truck has been released so far but what we have right now is a sketch of the truck, which is shown above. An all-new Ford Ranger should follow shortly.

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Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Test Drive Review from Japan

September 13, 2010 at 1:51 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Mitsubishi, Test Drive Reviews

UPDATE: Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback 2.4 launched in Malaysia – RM129,363.00

By now, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that Mitusbishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) is a busy company for 2010 with a trio of new models for the Malaysian market. The legendary Pajero will be the first to debut later this month, and they’ve announced that the ASX compact crossover will be here in the fourth quarter, so here’s the last piece of the jigsaw – the Lancer Sportback that was recently snapped by some of you.

Launched in 2007, the Lancer sedan has very done well in Malaysia for a product out of the Toyota/Honda/Nissan triumvirate. Malaysian carbuyers are generally a distrusting lot, so our acceptance of the Lancer can be due to two main factors – the pent up desire for a “real Lancer” and the ninth-generation car’s hot looks.

Continue reading the report after the jump.
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MINI and Smart to unveil electric scooter concepts in Paris

September 13, 2010 at 1:48 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Bikes, BMW, International News, smart

Scooters seem to the in thing at Smart and BMW-owned MINI, as they both announced the presentation of electric models in Paris, at the end of the month.

Along with a few sketches of the concept electric model, MINI has revealed plans of showcasing the scooters in three different trims. One will even feature a design similar to the MINI E project, their plug-in electric Cooper.

No other details about the scooter have been released, but speculation has pointed to the use of lithium ion batteries in MINI’s bikes.

Similarly, apart from a few sketches of their scooter concept, Smart has revealed very little of its electric concept. We’ll definitely keep you updated as more information is released at the Paris show. Look after the jump for more pictures.
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Hispania pit mechanic got hit by F1 car and survives

September 13, 2010 at 11:17 am By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Formula 1, Motorsports, Videos

An accident occurred in the pit lane during yesterday’s Italian GP in Monza. The incident involved the Hispania racing team and it occurred when driver Sakon Yamamoto dived into the pits for a scheduled pit stop. Everything looked perfect for the team when the Japanese driver stopped in his pit box but things turned ugly after the tire change was completed.

The ever-so-important lollipop man gave the clear signal to the driver but at the same time there was a mechanic who was adjusting Yamamoto’s radio. He was standing in front of the rear right wheel. Given the clear signal the driver just accelerated away leaving the mechanic in harms way.

The mechanic got hit by the rear wheel and was pushed further to the left. He landed on the ground right away and the rest of the crew rushed towards him soon after. The race stewards then temporarily closed the pit lane to make way for a safe extraction.

According to another Hispania driver, Karun Chandhok the German mechanic named Marcel was rushed to the medical centre and thankfully he is stable at this point of time. Marcel who never lost consciousness is now awaiting more scans. Everyone knows motor sport in general is dangerous which is why there are countless rules and regulations in regards to safety.

However we have seen a number of accidents in the pits and something should be done to stop this. The Hispania outfit could receive a penalty from the FIA over this incident.

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Coolest truck in the world gets “digital mud” graphics

September 13, 2010 at 11:16 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Ford, International News

This writer isn’t the biggest fans of pick-up trucks, but I can’t deny the coolness of the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. Remember those monster trucks on TV long, long time ago? Here’s one you can own and drive (sadly, only if you’re in the USA), with a 411 bhp 6.2-litre V8 under the hood and a new for 2011 four-door SuperCrew body. There’s now an optional “digital mud” graphic pack too!

The pack consists of matte black graphics – including the F-150 SVT Raptor logo that runs along the hood. The digital mud, a combination of matte and glossy black paint, is splashed across the box side, meant to replicate mud that would be thrown from the truck’s tyres when off road.

“For off-roaders, mud on their truck is a badge of honor. Owners like to show what they have experienced with the amount of mud on their truck. But they also are proud of the condition their truck is in. Digital mud provides the best of both worlds, so even when the truck is clean, it still shows off its true nature,” said Bruce Williams, F-150 SVT Raptor designer.

“When I started looking at off-road racing history for inspiration, I noticed that a lot of Ford Broncos from the 1970s were running matte black hoods to reduce the glare. So it’s a protective graphic that has a functional benefit and ties in with our racing heritage,” he added.

More pics after the jump!
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Cosworth sets Lotus free from engine contract, path is now clear to secure Renault powertrain for 2011!

September 13, 2010 at 10:35 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Lotus, Motorsports

We told you last week that Lotus Racing was seeking to use Renault engines, and a deal has been agreed in principal, with the former’s three-year engine supply contract with Cosworth being the only hurdle. Well, it looks good now as Cosworth has announced that it will set Lotus free from the contract!

“Cosworth has reached an agreement in principle with Lotus Racing whereby the team’s Cosworth engine supply agreement will come to a conclusion at the end of the current Formula 1 season,” Cosworth said in a statement last night. “This agreement is subject to contract and until the agreement is signed, neither party will be making any further comment.”

With the termination of the deal with Cosworth, Lotus will be free to procure engines, gearboxes and transmissions from Renault, which also powers championship contenders Red Bull Racing.

In yesterday’s Italian GP, Heikki Kovalainen finished 18th while Jarno Trulli recorded a DNF thanks to yet another gearbox failure on lap 46. Fernando Alonso won the race in his first time driving for Ferrari at Monza, followed by McLaren’s Jenson Button and teammate Felipe Massa. Read our race report here.

On another note, Autosport reports that Lotus Racing will race under the classic Team Lotus name starting next year. This is after team boss Tony Fernandes purchased rights to use the name from former owner David Hunt. The announcement will come during the Singapore GP, it adds.

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Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso wins in Italy with Massa third!

September 12, 2010 at 9:17 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Formula 1, Motorsports

Ferrari and the tifosi have good reason to celebrate as double World Champion Fernando Alonso clinched victory at the Italian GP after starting the 53-lap race from pole position. The Ferrari ace became the first driver to cross the finish line ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button, who was actually ahead of the Spaniard prior to the pitstop. Although a Ferrari 1-2 victory in Italy would paint the perfect picture but Felipe Massa’s third place finish shouldn’t be considered as a shortcoming.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel only managed fourth today after losing out to both Ferrari and McLaren in terms of vehicle performance. Nico Rosberg made it a fruitful race for the Mercedes outfit with his fifth place finish. This was followed by Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg who drove a respectable race, Renault’s Robert Kubica and Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher. Rubens Barrichello from Williams finished in the final point-paying position, tenth.

It wasn’t really a good race for the Lotus guys despite enjoying a commendable qualifying yesterday. Heikki Kovalainen was only able to secure 18th place, behind Virgin’s Timo Glock. Jarno Trulli on the other hand became part of the retirement’s list no thanks to a transmission problem on Lap 46.

Jenson Button had a very good start after shooting off from second place on the grid. The World Champion managed to overtake pole sitter Alonso and went on to lead the race. Alonso on the other hand suffered from a poor start and nearly lost his second position to teammate Massa. Bad news for McLaren’s other driver, Lewis Hamilton. The Brit was challenging Massa for third place at the opening lap but his attempt to overtake the Brazilian failed after suffering from a damaged front suspension.

As the dust settled it was Button who was leading the race ahead of both the Ferrari drivers with Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg and Robert Kubica in fourth and fifth places respectively. The Red Bulls failed to make an impression at the start and by Lap 13 it was Nico Hulkenberg behind Kubica with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber in seventh and eight.

The race was pretty much incident-free but the battle among the top three made up for the slight lack of action. Alonso clearly had a quicker car but Button managed to position his McLaren on the right places and kept Alonso at bay. Massa was strong in third and through out the race the top three drivers exchanged fastest lap times. However Button’s lead ended following the pit spots at about Lap 36. Alonso stayed out on the track for an extra lap and managed to leap frog his rival.

Massa made his stop a lap later but only managed to cut his gap from Button short. The top three positions were maintained till the checkered flag was drawn although Massa was closing up to Button with Alonso increasing his lead. In the closing stages of the race, Alonso gave the tifosi a shock as he went off track after missing his braking point behind a back marker on Turn 1. Fortunately he got up to speed right away and eventually won the race.

Today’s race result has pushed Mark Webber back in the Driver’s Championship lead with 187 points. Hamilton drops to second with 182 points while Alonso is now third with 166 points. Button and Vettel are in fourth and fifth with 165 and 163 points respectively. Massa is sixth with 124 points. The battle for the title is still going on strong with 24 points between Webber and Vettel. Red Bull is still leading the Constructor’s Championship with 350 points. McLaren is just three points adrift with 347 and Ferrari is third with 290 points.

With five more races to go, Formula 1 now heads to Singapore for some tire burning action under the beautiful night sky. You can view the full race results of the 2010 Italian GP here.

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Alonso to start from pole for tomorrow’s Italian GP!

September 11, 2010 at 8:59 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Formula 1, Motorsports

Fernando Alonso has pleased the ‘tifosi’ and secured pole position for tomorrow’s Italian GP at the legendary Monza race track. The double World Champion became the quickest driver through out the session and will start the race ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button and teammate in the other scarlet Ferrari, Felipe Massa. Red Bull failed to break into the top three as Mark Webber only managed fourth place. The Australian snatched that position from championship leader Lewis Hamilton from McLaren in the dying seconds of Q3.

Sixth place went to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel while Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg, Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg, Renault’s Robert Kubica and Rubens Barrichello in the other WIlliams car will start the race from seventh, eight, ninth and tenth places respectively. Seven times World Champion Michael Schumacher only managed 12th for Mercedes. Yet again, the German failed to position himself ahead of his teammate and failed to get into Q3.

Lotus Racing did well today as both drivers achieved 18th and 19th places. Local driver Jarno Trulli is ahead of Hekki Kovalainen while Force India’s Vitantonio Liuzzi is 20th. He will start the race ahead of both the Virgin and Hispania drivers. Today was Ferrari’s first pole in Monza since 2004 with Rubens Barrichello.

Alonso’s pole which could also lead to a race win brings him back into the contention for the Driver’s title. He is exactly 41 points behind leader Hamilton. Its definitely cooking up to be an exciting race tomorrow as the championship is still open. Both Ferrari and McLaren will definitely have a good fight while one should not discount the Red Bulls too!

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Mazda applies KODO design to the Mazda2 and Mazda3

September 11, 2010 at 5:11 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, International News, Mazda, Videos

We recently featured Mazda’s new Shinari concept, which is the first embodiment of the new “KODO” design language for the company’s future models.

Mazda claims positive reactions from the media, industry and fans. Thus, they thought it would be a good idea to give the general public what the new design language featured on the concept car would look like on existing hatchback models like the Mazda2 and the Mazda3.

To do that, the company have released a video of just that. Not using standard 3D rendering, the video was created by projecting images and colours onto clay models. Like the Shinari concept, design of the car’s look very progressive and new, but don’t get your hopes up too much as this is barely a concept, just a preview of things to come. Enjoy the video above!

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