Archive for Motorsports

It seems that one by one all the Japanese manufacturers are pulling out of motorsports (Honda, Suzuki, Subaru, Kawasaki). The latest casualty is Mitsubishi’s Dakar rally team. Some expected this as Mitsubishi’s luck in the rally took a down turn this year after it won the event 7 times running. It could be the new V6 diesel-based Racing Lancer (shown above), or simply because its opponents got better.

“It is extremely regrettable. I am sorry for our fans. We were a good team too. Since 2004, we continued to participate in the rally even in difficult times by cutting costs. We gained much technologically during this time. It pains me to say we will no longer be able to participate,” said president MMC Osamu Masuko.

According to Mitsubishi, pulling out from the race will cost it some money but in the long run it would be saving money. This decision comes after announcing an expected net loss of 60 billion yen (670 million dollars) for the current financial year to March, attributed to dropping sales and a strengthening Yen.

The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR has been updated for 2009. From the outside, you’ll notice the larger air outlets on nose, which feed air into the radiators. On the rear you have a rear wing with a wider adjustment range. The brakes and wiring harness have also been “weight-optimised” (lightened) to improve handling.

The engine bay has gone through some big changes. For one, the 3.8 liter boxer-6 engine is now 4.0 liters, thanks to an increased stroke of 80.4mm compared to 76.4mm in the previous car. Peak engine power is now actually lower, putting out 450hp at 7,800rpm compared to the old car’s 465hp at 8,000rpm. The rev limiter is fixed at 9,000rpm although the engine has a maximum speed of 9,400rpm. Peak torque remains the same, with 430 Newton meters achieved at 7,250rpm. Porsche says the engine now makes more power at low revs, so for each RPM range the new GT3 RSR actually puts out more power despite the peak numbers getting a slight drop.

The interior has a new multi-function display located above the dashboard which can indicate optimum shift timing. The car is quite programmable, for example even the blinking frequency of the lights in the front apron can be infinitely adjustable to help pit crew recognise their car when it rolls in during a night race. For easier pit crew work, the new RSR also features an air-jack system. The oil filler has been moved to the rear lid, which provides for easier access.

The price? 380,000 Euros, not including VAT. Look after the jump for more photos and a full list of specifications.

Click here to read the rest of Porsche 911 GT3 RSR updated for 2009

This is the Williams-Toyota FW31, the AT&T Williams contender for the 2009 Formula One season. The team says this new car is the first major clean-sheet design in the past 30 years, mainly thanks to the massive changes in the sport’s technical and sporting regulations. The technical regulation changes mainly focus on reducing the role of aerodynamics and making overtaking easier, while the sporting regulations changes mainly focus on increasing racecar reliability and reducing competition costs.

According to Technical Director Sam Michael, the new aerodynamic regulations will have the most impact on lap times this year, especially in the first two thirds of the season. Teams will have to find the optimum weight distribution to maximize the performance of the new slick tyres. He also added that KERS could be worth between 2/10ths and 3/10s of a second per lap. KERS would not have such a big effect at first but later once aero performance between the teams converge, KERS will become more important as a differentiator.

Check out a hi-res gallery of the car after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Williams-Toyota FW31 2009 Formula One Racecar

The new BMW Sauber F1.09 Formula One car was unveiled in Valencia, and Robert Kubica was the first to take the car out for a spin at the Spanish circuit. Like its competitors, the new F1 regulations have ruined its aesthetics. The 3-piece front wing stretches across the full width of the car while the rear wing is now slimmer and is unusually high. The front axle has been modified and the rear axle is a new design.

“We have set ourselves the task of further improving our performance relative to the rest of the field. The 1-2 in Canada and a total of eleven podium finishes in 2008 set an exacting standard. In 2009 we are looking to maintain our first-class reliability record while at the same time enhancing our performance levels so that we can be at the front of the pack on a consistent basis. We are aware that we are aiming extremely high. This is the final step in our development, and that’s generally the hardest one to take,” said BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen.

The new car will also have the KERS system, which was developed in Munich under the watch of Markus Duesmann, Head of Powertrain. It isn’t quite ready yet but is expected to be ready by the Melbourne race. Chassis development was the responsibility of Walter Riedl along with his technical team based in Hinwil, Switzerland.

The first shake-down comprised of 73 laps and went smoothly without a hitch. Kubica said they’ve already learned alot about how the car is responding to setup changes, but there was a slight lack of grip than usual despite the slick tyres because there was only one car on the track, so it wasn’t sufficiently warmed up. The car will continue testing in Valencia until Saturday.

Look after the jump for a video of the unveiling and the maiden lap.

Click here to read the rest of BMW Sauber F1.09 does her maiden lap at Valencia

Will Proton make a debut in the World Rally Championship for the 2010 season? Apparently this is a possibility, and Proton is actually working at making this happen, according to Proton director Datuk Haji Abdul Razak Dawood. He says a successful WRC program could establish Proton’s brand and reputation in Europe the same way it helped Subaru in the 90s.

According to Datuk Haji, a Proton Satria Neo in the WRC could possibly turn it into a cult car with a following like what Subaru enjoyed with the WRX. If the proposed WRC regulation revisions to a “S2000+ spec” becomes official, it would allow Proton to compete in the WRC with a much smaller budget and compete against the big boys like Ford and Citroen. All that needs to be done is to upgrade the existing MEM Satria Neo S2000 (shown above) to whatever the S2000+ spec is.

2003 World Champion Petter Solberg is said to be in talks with Proton for a 2010 season. He will be testing the MEM Satria Neo S2000 car sometime in February, and according to him the Proton is a nice and detailed car. He says he has met with Proton but nothing about the proposed 2010 season has been finalised yet. There is also word about Solberg racing in a Citroen C4 instead, but he says that deal has not been finalised yet either.

Related Posts:
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VIDEO: MEM Proton Satria Neo Super 2000

Click here to read the rest of Proton in talks with Petter Solberg for 2010 WRC debut with Proton Satria Neo

The BMW Sauber F1 Team has released a teaser video of its yet to be unveiled BMW Sauber F1.09 race car. Brace yourselves for yet another ugly machine when the car is actually unveiled. The team seems to be presenting the online unveiling teaser in 3 parts, and this is the first video. The teams that have revealed their 2009 race contender so far are Ferrari’s Ferrari F60), Panasonic Toyota’s Panasonic Toyota TF109), the Mercedes McLaren MP4-24 and the Williams-Toyota FW31 from AT&T Williams.

Check the video out after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: BMW Sauber F1.09 Teaser Part 1/3

The second car manufacturer to reveal their 2009 Formula One car is Toyota, and here is their new TF109. Like the Ferrari F60 that was revealed a few days ago, the TF109 features a huge front wing and a small and tall rear wing. It measures 4,636mm long, 950mm tall, 1,800mm wide and it weighs 605kg including driver and camera.

The racer’s 2.4 liter (2,398cc) V8 engine uses Esso lubes and fuel, and puts out approximately 740 horsepower and revs all the way up to 18,000rpm, as required by FIA rules. Apparently the KERS system will not be available at the start of the season.

The TF109 has a huge task ahead of it, as the team hopes for the car to give it it’s first ever win, something that the previous car (and drivers) unfortunately have not yet managed to do. The TF109 will be piloted by Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, Kamui Kobayashi as the reserve driver.

While Honda has decided to opt out of F1 entirely for now, even though Toyota is going on with its participation, it is cutting down on costs here and there. For example, there was no launch ceremony for this new car, instead it was revealed on the internet in a virtual launch. Check out a photo gallery of the new car after the jump, as well as a video of the Toyota TF109 F1 car’s premiere.

Click here to read the rest of Toyota unveils TF109 Formula One racer car

The new Ferrari F60 is here, Ferrari’s new contender for the 2009 Formula One racing season, making Scuderia Ferrari the first team to unveil their 2009 race car, showing just how eager they are to wrestle the World title back from McLaren. The F60 name is a homage to Ferrari’s 60th consecutive season competing in the Formula One championship, which is basically right from the start, and is the only team to do so for each and every season.

The car looks bizarre as usual, as will all the 2009 race cars, but the car’s saving grace is its sexy red colour. The odd looks are thanks to the 2009 regulations on aerodynamics. We can spot the 2009 rules on the photos – the long front wheel, a short and high rear wing, sidepod-mounted mirrors, and slick Bridgestone tyres. What’s out of sight is the Kinetic Energy Recovery System developed together with Magneti Marelli, a refined suspension system, and a new Brembo brake system.

The large front wing has a flap that is driver-adjustable to reduce the loss of front downforce when following other cars. Hopefully this will promote overtaking.

“I am excited but also happy to take it onto the track for the first time. With all the new legislation I was expecting a different car, like 10 years ago with the huge spoilers, but I was surprised. I found the new F60 to be nice and small like an F3 car and nice-looking,” said Filipe Massa, Ferrari’s Brazilian driver.

This year’s season will begin down under at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, on the 29th of March 2009.

Look after the jump for more photos from the F60’s unveiling.

Click here to read the rest of Ferrari F60 2009 Formula One car officially unveiled!

Not surprisingly since even Formula One has revised their specs to reduce costs, the FIA will be revising the specifications of the World Rally Car to specs based on the S2000 specifications called S2000+, which is essentially S2000 specs but with added kit such as a turbo, a quicker shifting mechanism paired with steering wheel paddle shifts, and an aero package that consists of a front spoiler and rear wing. However, no electronic upgrades are allowed.

5 time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb has expressed his displeasure and says he will quit the sport if the S2000 spec cars officially come into place instead of the current WRC car specs. According to Loeb, S2000 car specs will not be interesting to drive. He may return to circuit racing instead. But he is okay with S2000+ specs instead of S2000 specs if S2000+ can result in a similiar power output to the current WRC cars.

MEM could add the S2000+ upgrades to its S2000 Satria Neo. Could we see a Proton Satria Neo Super 2000+ WRC car in the future?

If everything goes as planned, Formula One teams will have the option of using a standard low-cost (relatively) engine and transmission package in 2010 by Cosworth and two UK-based transmission specialists, Xtrac and Ricardo. The cost of buying this Cosworth engine and transmission combo is apparently going to be priced at less than half the cost of buying a 2008 Ferrari customer engine.

“We have completed the tendering process and are now in exclusive negotiations with Cosworth, together with Xtrac and Ricardo, to supply a complete Formula One powertrain starting in 2010. The engine will be a current Formula One engine [specification] while the transmission will be state-of-the-art and a joint effort by two companies that already supply most of the grid. The cost to each team taking up this option will be an up-front payment of $2.45 million, and then $8 million per season for each of the three years of the supply contract. This price is based on four teams signing up and includes full technical support at all races and official tests, plus 18,600 miles of testing. The annual cost will fall if more teams take up the option, for example to $7.29 million per team with eight teams participating. The cost will be less if less than 18,600 miles of testing is required. Neither the engine nor the transmission will be badged,” wrote FIA president Max Mosley to all Formula One teams (read the full letter after the jump).

Looks like the cars will be as ugly as hell on the outside and monotonous on the inside. Things may go back to normal in 2013, at least in the engine department.

The Cosworth contract is for 2010 to 2012. The plan is that beginning 2010, if a team does not want to use this engine it will have to build an identical engine themselves or use their existing 2.4 liter V8 engines detuned to match the Cosworth engine. But the only choice will be in the engine department, all transmissions will have to be the standard Xtrac/Ricardo transmission.

Needless to say, the manufacturer-backed teams are not very happy with this. It severely limits the areas where a manufacturer can be innovative and this may limit the progress of such innovations making their way into road cars. But nevertheless, F1’s idea is to help the less well-to-do teams survive the current bad economy.

Click here to read the rest of Cosworth engine and gearbox for F1 in 2010