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AMG – official car partner for the Ducati MotoGP Team

November 19, 2010 at 4:02 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Bikes, Cars, Ducati, International News, Mercedes Benz

AMG’s sponsorship of the Ducati MotoGP Team marks the first step in a new joint-marketing journey. I guess the two companies think their target customers are quite alike – which pretty much can be summarized in a few words – rich men who love speed.

“I am very pleased that we are able to announce our strategic cooperation with Ducati today. AMG and Ducati ideally complement each other, as both companies share the same values: racing as the driving passion, and high performance plus exclusivity as the central brand messages of both AMG and Ducati. This long-term cooperation will help us to jointly access new customer groups,” said Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

“I am especially proud to have AMG as one of our sponsors for the MotoGP Team. I am also very pleased that our joint marketing activities are well under way. In AMG we have found a partner who perfectly reflects our brand values of high performance, motorsport, excitement and our sense of unmistakable style and design,” said Gabriele del Torchio, President and CEO of Ducati.

During selected AMG events, participants will be able to test ride Ducati motorcycles, and Ducati customers will similarly have the opportunity to try out the latest AMG high-performance cars at events. Joint events are planned for the members of the AMG Private Lounge, in which more than 13,000 AMG customers worldwide are registered.

What do you think – are Ducati riders more similar to AMG customers or BMW M customers? Not that such a marketing partnership would ever happen – BMW has their own Motorrad bikes to accompany their M vehicles, and that includes the new S 1000 RR!
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Move aside Monster, here comes the Ducati Diavel!

October 13, 2010 at 12:18 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Bikes, Ducati

Ducati has a way with names. Why a cocktail of letters and numbers (CBR1000RR for instance) when you can just call the thing by whatever feel it gives you. Case in point is this, Ducati’s new model that will make its world debut at the EICMA International Motorcycle Show in Milan next month. It’s called the Diavel, Bolognese for devil.

Pronounced Dee-ah-vel, the name was born early in the development process of the bike. When the prototype was wheeled out in front of a group of Ducati engineers and technicians for the first time, one man saw its rear silhouette and exclaimed in the Bolognese dialect: “Ignurànt comm’ al diavel!” or “Evil, like the devil!” in English.

From then on, Diavel became the internal nickname for the project, now made official. Apparently, this was also how the legendary Monster was named 20 years ago.

Built to have a commanding presence, lightweight and agile, the Diavel “will take the man-motorcycle relationship to the next level in absolute comfort”. It won’t be lacking in performance with a Testastretta 11° engine and just 207 kg to haul. Features include ABS, Ducati Traction Control and Ducati Riding Modes.

High res image after the jump.
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GALLERY: 2010 Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix

October 12, 2010 at 3:03 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Bikes, Motorsports

MotoGP made a quick stop at the Sepang International Circuit over the weekend and at the end of the grueling race, the Fiat Yamaha Team emerged victorious as Valentino Rossi took victory of the race and teammate Jorge Lorenzo secured the championship, with 313 points.

His closest championship rival Dani Pedrosa did not compete in the race after breaking his collarbone during the Japanese GP practice. While we wait for more action from the next round this coming weekend, you can enjoy some high-res images of the Malaysian GP after the jump.
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Rossi wins at Sepang as Lorenzo clinches championship!

October 12, 2010 at 2:07 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Bikes, Motorsports

Motorsport fans enjoyed a double whammy over the weekend as both the 2010 Japanese Formula 1 GP took place with Sebastian Vettel emerged winner and at the same time, the Malaysian round of the MotoGP was held at Sepang. Jorge Lorenzo, from the Petronas-backed Fiat Yamaha Team went on to win the 2010 championship, after starting from pole position.

Lorenzo managed to seal the deal with his third place finish, after losing out to second place man Andrea Dovizioso from the Repsol Honda Team. Lorenzo’s teammate Valentino “The Doctor” Rossi who gave the tittle to the former won the race.

Rossi suffered from a poor start on the opening lap and dropped to as low as 11th. The Italian who became world champion back to back in the past two years continued the fight and managed to sling shot himself into the lead midway through the way.

Lorenzo became the first Spaniard to win the MotoGP championship since Alex Criville back in 1999. “I was really impressed to be at the front and to not lose any time until the end of the race,” said the Yamaha rider. “When the tyres started sliding I thought to myself, ‘Today we have to finish the race and get the maximum a rider can get in the motorcycling world…’. Today is the happiest day in my life and we have to celebrate it,” he added.

The season isn’t over just yet. There are three more races to go, starting off with the Australian round in Phillip Island this coming weekend. The circus will then head back to Europe for the Portugal and Valencia races.

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2010 Petronas MotoGP Carnival kicks off in KLCC!

October 6, 2010 at 12:02 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Bikes, Local News, Yamaha

Petronas sponsors some of the top racing teams in the world, and celebrating the return of the Fiat Yamaha Team to its “home away from home” race, the national oil company kicked-off its 2010 Petronas MotoGP Carnival over the weekend. The nine-day event at the Esplanade in KLCC will run until Sunday 10 October. This weekend, Sepang plays host to the Malaysian round of the MotoGP.

The highlight of the carnival will be the special appearance by 2010 MotoGP championship leader Jorge Lorenzo of the Fiat Yamaha Team today (6 October) from 5.30 pm. Also making an appearance at the carnival is Malaysia’s very first Moto2 wildcard rider, Md Zamri Baba the following day. Lorenzo is favourite to win this year’s MotoGP. He leads the table with 297 points from Dani Pedrosa’s 228. The latter crashed in Japan last weekend and fractured his collarbone.

The two Yamaha YZR-M1 bikes of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo will be on display throughout the carnival. Other activities include a safety riding clinic by Hong Leong Yamaha and performances by local artistes. Daily trivia and contests offer visitors a chance to win attractive prizes. Buying VR46, JL99 and Petronas-Alpinestars merchandise gives fans a chance to win autographed Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi helmets. Tickets for the Malaysian GP will also be on sale.

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Smart releases offcial pictures of their escooter concept

September 23, 2010 at 12:04 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Bikes, Concept Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, smart

Smart has just released official pictures of their escooter concept. Looks wise, it sports LED lights, solar cells and a green/white paint scheme. The scooter uses a 48-volt lithium ion battery pack, which gives it an approximate range of 100 kilometres over a single charge. When juice does run out, a normal household socket could be used to recharge the batteries.

In terms of performance you can expect the scooter to reach a top speed of 45km/h, as it is driven by a disc shaped wheel hub motor in the rear wheel with an output of 4kW/5.3hp. Apart from the powertrain, Smart say that the chassis structure is based on the tridion safety cell of the Smart Fortwo”, with the use of swappable plastic body panels.

Other features available with the Smart escooter are anti lock brakes, Blind Spot Assist and an airbag that is tucked under the handle bar paneling. Just like the Mini E Scooter, the Smart escooter also has a compartment for an iPhone. It replaces the normal instrument panel and gives you speed, range, battery status and it can also act as a navigation system. An image gallery is available after the jump.
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Citroen Survolt concept takes on the Agni Z2 electric bike!

September 23, 2010 at 12:04 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Bikes, Citroën, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Videos

The battle of the electrics has commenced! The all-electric Citroen Survolt concept recently went head to head with the fully electric Agni Z2 motorbike, at UK’s Thruxton Race Circuit. Behind the wheel of the Citroen Survolt was none other than Le Mans racer Vanina Ickx and piloting the electric bike was British superbike racer Jenny Tinmouth.

The Survolt concept as we know, is capable of accelerating to 100km/h in under 5 seconds, going on to reach a top speed of 260km/h thanks to it’s 220kW/300hp twin electric motors. It’s 31kW lithium ion batteries allow the Survolt to offer up to 200 kilometers in terms of driving range.

The Agni Z2 is no slouch either, even if it only produces about 50kW/65hp from its electric motor, it gets to the 100km/h mark in just 3.5 seconds! The two-wheeler’s top speed is figured at 209km/h.

Catch the video of the two ladies of motorsport in action, as they take their electric monsters round the track. But don’t expect to hear the screams of roaring engines, just the whine of electric motors. Look for a picture gallery and a video after the jump.

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Mini E Scooter concept – official pictures revealed!

September 23, 2010 at 11:25 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Bikes, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel

BMW MINI have just released official pictures of the MINI electric concept scooter set for a Paris debut. The BMW-owned company is said to be showcasing the fully electric scooter in three trims. This will be made up of one that resembles the MINI E electric car, another sporting the classic British racing green and the final representing UK’s Mod subculture.

Up until now the only information we’ve got about the powertrain is that it will employ a lithium ion battery. Other features include headlights and mirror design that is inspired by the Mini Cooper. There will also be a compartment for you to slot your Smartphone, that can be used as a sat nav device.

Look for pictures 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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Valentino Rossi moves to Ducati, signs two-year deal

August 16, 2010 at 9:51 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Bikes, Ducati, Yamaha

The rumours have been circulating for quite some time, but it’s now confirmed that the seven-time MotoGP champ has left Yamaha to join Ducati, signing a two-year deal with the Italian team. Rossi has been with Yamaha for seven years, a successful period that saw him win four world championships and 45 grands prix. At Ducati, he will replace Casey Stoner who will go to Honda next year. Ducati’s other rider is American Nicky Hayden.

Rumours of Rossi leaving was first heard last autumn, when The Doctor sounded that Yamaha must ultimately choose between him or young hotshot teammate Jorge Lorenzo, as he did not believe in two equal number one riders. He hinted that Ducati will be the destination should he quit Yamaha. Here’s the romantic Italian bidding a sad farewell to his Japanese lover:

“It is very difficult to explain in just a few words what my relationship with Yamaha has been in these past seven years. Many things have changed since that far-off time in 2004, but especially ‘she’, my M1, has changed. At that time she was a poor middle-grid position MotoGP bike, derided by most of the riders and the MotoGP workers. Now, after having helped her to grow and improve, you can see her smiling in her garage, courted and admired, treated as the ‘top of the class’.

“Now the moment has come to look for new challenges; my work here at Yamaha is finished. Unfortunately even the most beautiful love stories finish, but they leave a lot of wonderful memories, like when my M1 and I kissed for the first time on the grass at Welkom, when she looked straight in my eyes and told me ‘I love you!’”

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