Motorward

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• Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 Sold Out In Nine Days
• Polestar Volvo C30 Makes WTCC Debut In Brazil
• BMW Announced 2012 DTM Plans
• Jay Leno Masters Burnout In New Dodge Chager R/T
• 2013 Shelby GT500 To Get 600 hp
• Video: Walter Rohrl Manhandles Porsche 904 GTS
• Amari Design Bentley Continental GT
• 2011 Skoda Octavia Hatchback UK Price
• Vauxhall Corsa Headphones
• MINI Launched Funky USB Devices
• Porsche Leipzig Plant Expands For Cajun
• JTGrey Racing Lexus LX 570
• VW Promises Porsche Engines To Alfa Romeo
• Unsatisfied Customer Destroys His Own Lamborghini!
• Video: 2012 BMW M5 Prototype Driving Footage

Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 Sold Out In Nine Days Posted: 16 Mar 2011 11:38 AM PDT Yes, the Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 Limited Edition is sold out in just 9 days since they started taking orders, but then it was limited to just 300 units! That is still pretty good performance for the 3008. This car is so many things in one package. It is a minivan, a crossover, a sedan, and now with a hybrid powertrain it develops yet another talent. The thing is, cars that want to be good at so many things are usually not good at any! The 3008 HYBRID4 was offered at 41,500 Euro in the network and on the internet in 11 European countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. Unique features of this limited edition model include a highly exclusive finish: black headlight lining with chrome LED light strip, mother-of-pearl white colouring, two-tone leather trim, dashboard completely covered in leather, numbered aluminium plate, and… And as for the powertrain, it’s got a hybrid system that offers 200 hp and 99 g/km of CO2 in mixed cycle. It is also four-wheel-drive and can drive in Zero Emission pure electric mode for a couple of miles.

Polestar Volvo C30 Makes WTCC Debut In Brazil Posted: 16 Mar 2011 11:18 AM PDT The magnificent Polestar Volvo C30 might never see the daylight as a production car, but it’s signed up for a full season of World Touring Car Championship in 2011 as a one-car team. They don’t see this as racing so much as a commercial and technical evaluation ahead of 2012. In other words this year they won’t be focusing on result and try their best to fine tune the Volvo C30 DRIVe for 2012 season. The car already has multiple titles and race victories in the Swedish and Scandinavian Touring Car Championships. Polestar kicks off the season with the current two litre engine but then replaces it with an all-new 1.6 turbo engine, based on a completely new Volvo engine family. The first race of the year is also going to showcase a new livery of the Volvo C30 DRIVe racing car. The car is painted in the distinctive Polestar-blue, also featured on the Volvo C30 Polestar concept prototype car. The car will be piloted by Robert Dahlgren. “I am very much looking forward to the season start. The first race of the year is by no means going to be easy, especially with the high level of competition and the fact that we are new to the championship. But we have got a solid programme and we are ready,” said Dahlgren. Calendar – WTCC 2011 18-20 March – Curitiba – Brazil 22-24 April – Zolder – Belgium 14-15 May – Monza – Italy 18-19 June – Brno – Czech Republic 01-03 July – Porto – Portugal 15-17 July – Donington Park – United Kingdom 30-31 July – Oschersleben – Germany 03-04 September – Valencia – Spain 21-23 October – Suzuka – Japan 04-06 November – Guangdong – China 17-20 November – Macau – China

BMW Announced 2012 DTM Plans Posted: 16 Mar 2011 11:05 AM PDT BMW Motorsport announced details of their highly anticipated return to DTM in 2012 and confirmed that they won’t be involved in racing directly, but will provide technical and logistics support for three two-car teams, each running BMW M3 DTM cars. The BMW-backed teams include Team RBM, BMW Team Schnitzer, and Reinhold Motorsport GmbH. What’s important is that we finally get to see BMW cars back on DTM grid after like 18 years. Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters has been so boring this last couple of years as it’s a fight between Audi and Mercedes. These six new BMWs can spice things up a bit! The actual BMW M3 DTM is yet to be revealed, but since it’s based on the current M3 you know it’s going to be awesome.  Check out the press release below for more details and quotes from officials: Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director, says: “In recent months we have worked very intensely on the DTM project. The agreement with the teams was of paramount importance. We were pleased with the high level of interest and numerous applications and presentations received from a number of professional teams. The concepts presented by BMW Team RBM, BMW Team Schnitzer and Reinhold Motorsport GmbH ultimately convinced us. This is an excellent team line-up for BMW. For us, it is important that all three teams have absolute equal rights. We are looking forward to cooperating over the coming years – and hope to enjoy great success together.” Bart Mampaey, Team Manager of BMW Team RBM, says: “The DTM is one of the toughest and the most popular racing series in the world for production cars. From a sporting point of view this poses a great challenge – but an appetizing one. We are honoured to be able to continue our successful cooperation with BMW Motorsport, which has yielded many WTCC titles, in the DTM. We still have a lot of work ahead of us over the coming months, and are now looking forward to getting to grips with the project.” Stefan Reinhold, founder of Reinhold Motorsport GmbH, says: “In April last year, BMW announced its intention to compete in the DTM. From this day on, we have always wanted to be a part of this project. Shortly after the announcement, we presented our concept to BMW in Munich, and started to work on meeting the prerequisites for any potential cooperation. We are very proud to have been given the nod. To be part of the BMW Motorsport family with immediate effect and to strive for DTM success together is simply fantastic. We can hardly wait to get started and to vindicate the huge amount of trust BMW has placed in us.” Charly Lamm, Team Manager of BMW Team Schnitzer, adds: “We are really looking forward to tackling the DTM project together with BMW. Schnitzer Motorsport has enjoyed a successful past in the DTM and achieved many victories together with BMW. However, past success is no guarantee that we will also be victorious in the future. The bar is set really high in DTM, and our preparations will be intensive to meet this challenge. Every team is highly motivated and the anticipation is mounting every day as we get closer to the start of the 2012 DTM season.” BMW Team Schnitzer will run two BMW M3 GT cars for BMW Motorsport at the major endurance races in Europe and Asia. BMW Team RBM is involved in BMW customer racing projects, including the development of the BMW 320 TC and the further development of the BMW Z4 GT3. Mario Theissen says: “While the preparation for this year’s involvement on the endurance racing circuit with the BMW M3 GT is in its final phase, the DTM project has picked up pace over the past few months. In naming the teams, we have taken the next step. As well as developing the car, it is now a matter of assigning tasks and establishing structures and processes. The cooperation between BMW Motorsport and the teams, as well as that between the team bases and the race track, must be well established. Only then will we make a statement regarding the driving line-up.” BMW Team RBM in profile. In 2012, BMW Team RBM will compete in the DTM with three world championship titles to its name. Under the leadership of Team Manager Bart Mampaey, the team from Mechelen, Belgium, not only won the 2004 European Touring Car Championship with Andy Priaulx at the wheel, but also proved to be the team to beat in the World Championship… BMW Team RBM in profile. In 2005, 2006 and 2007 the celebrations after the final WTCC race in Macau all took place in front of the RBM garage. Bart Mampaey is now looking forward to the DTM. “Competing in the DTM will be a big challenge for our team,” he says. “We are delighted that BMW is putting its faith in us again. We will use the time leading up to the first race to prepare as well as possible. The whole team is extremely motivated and hungry to get on with the development work. It is fantastic to be on board right from the start when a manufacturer like BMW launches this kind of project. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, as the standards in the DTM are extremely high.” Efficiency is an important factor in daily work for BMW Team RBM. Mampaey is constantly striving to use time and resources efficiently, in order to extract the full potential of the car. The team profits from the infrastructure of the BMW dealership, which the Mampaey family manages under the name JUMA. Synergies and allows RBM to concentrate on the basics: the performance on the race track. JUMA stands for Julian Mampaey. Today’s RBM boss inherited his love of motor sport from his father. The JUMA team made a name for itself in the 1970s and 1980s, claiming three overall victories for BMW at the Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race. Nine years after the final JUMA race, Bart Mampaey stepped into his father’s footsteps in 1995. At first, RBM was responsible for the cars in the BMW Compact Cup in Belgium. Soon after that, the Mampaey family celebrated a successful comeback at Spa: the Group N one-two in the 1997 24-hour race was followed by overall victory with the BMW 318i one year later. This was also the last overall victory for BMW to date at the “Ardennes Rollercoaster”. RBM sent a BMW 320i to the European Touring Car Championship for BMW Belgium for the first time in 2002. One year later the team appeared for the first time in the colours of BMW Great Britain, and Priaulx was signed up to drive. After a year gaining experience in 2003, RBM caused a sensation in 2004 when Priaulx claimed the ETCC title in Dubai. Three World Championship titles show categorically that this victory was not a flash in the pan for Mampaey and his crew. “A change of scenery will do us good, particularly when we have the prospect of lining up in a successful series like the DTM,” Mampaey says. “Having won three World Championship titles, everyone in the team is looking forward to seeing how we fair against the other teams in the DTM.” Back to the future. Back to the future: this could be the motto of BMW Team Schnitzer for the 2012 DTM season. Charly Lamm’s team sported BMW colours in this series back in the 1980s and 1990s – and with great success. A Schnitzer driver crossed the finish line in first place in a BMW M3 on 17 occasions, and the team also claimed eight pole positions and set 18 fastest laps. BMW Team Schnitzer’s greatest success in the DTM came in its very first season, when Roberto Ravaglia won the 1989 drivers’ title for the team from Freilassing. BMW Team Schnitzer will make its DTM comeback in 2012, almost 20 years after its last victory in Hockenheim on 11th October 1992. “We lined up with the BMW M3 in the DTM for the first time in 1989, and were able to win the title with Roberto Ravaglia at the first attempt,” Lamm recalls. “The four seasons up to 1992 were a great time, with spectacular and thrilling races, which will always have a special place in the history of Schnitzer. Even back then, the DTM was extremely popular in Germany. It is now almost 20 years since our last DTM race. We are well aware that the series has changed dramatically. The level of competition is extremely high and the series has a far more international flavour to it. As a result, rookies like us face a huge challenge. However, we will approach the task in hand with great verve.” During the break from the DTM, the Schnitzer team continued to line up for BMW, adding many new chapters to the brand’s motorsport success story. In 1999 it claimed overall victory at the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours (FR) with the BMW V12 LMR prototype. In 2001, BMW Team Schnitzer won the drivers’, team and manufacturers’ titles in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) with the BMW M3 GTR. The team also has a very special relationship with the legendary 24-hour race at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (DE). BMW Team Schnitzer finished as overall winner in the “Green Hell” in 1989, 1990, 2004, 2005 and 2010, making it one of the most successful teams in the history of this classic race. Schnitzer also enjoyed success after success in the European Touring Car Championship between 2002 and 2004, as well as the World Touring Car Championship between 2005 and 2009. The team’s drivers crossed the finish line as winners on 45 occasions in the European and World Championships. In the last 50 years, Schnitzer has won 16 championships with BMW – including the 1987 World Touring Car Championship, three European Touring Car Championships, and championships in Germany, England, Italy, Japan and South East Asia. Lamm adds: “We will attempt to readapt to the DTM as quickly as possible. We have great respect for the current manufacturers and teams in the DTM. They have set the bar very high. From now on we will be working on equalling, or even surpassing, the standards they have set as soon as possible.” “Our greatest asset is definitely the people in our team”. Stefan Reinhold’s team, which will line up at BMW’s DTM comeback in 2012, may be a newcomer to the series – but its members are by no means lacking experience. The team’s great strengths are its individual know-how and the precise way in which it uses each member’s skills. “The crew comes from all areas of professional motor racing,” Reinhold explains. “From GT racing and the World Rally Championship, as well as DTM and Formula One. Almost all the team members have experience gained in several fields of motorsport. They are used to working at the highest level. Clear communication and the optimal use of experience and resources, as well as uncompromising commitment, are fundamental attributes of the team. Our greatest asset is definitely the people in our team.” The team structure started with a blank sheet of paper. Reinhold took the time to analyse the individual strengths of his crew and used this as a basis to assemble his team step by step. By the start of 2012, 25 engineers and technicians will be involved in the DTM project. Reinhold himself has Formula One and GT racing experience to his name and has been toying with the idea of launching his own racing team for a long time. When BMW announced its return to DTM this idea took shape and work began on the conception. “In late summer 2010 we started with the concrete planning and then applied to BMW with our concept in the autumn,” Reinhold recalls. “The fact that we won BMW Motorsport over with our concept is the perfect reward for the hard work we put in during this phase.” The team has moved into headquarters in Niederzissen. The proximity to the Nürburgring is not the only reason for motor racing being omnipresent on the team’s premises, as its former tenant was also a prominent name in motorsport: the Zakspeed team previously operated from this site and has now rented the facilities out to Reinhold. Over the coming months, Reinhold and his team will work at full speed on the team structure in order to be ready for the first test drive with the BMW M3 DTM. “Everything from the washers to the semi-trailer will be new in our team,” says Reinhold. “However, I do not by any means see this as a disadvantage. We are very keen to take on the established DTM teams and, along with our partner BMW, to be competitive as soon as possible.”

Jay Leno Masters Burnout In New Dodge Chager R/T Posted: 16 Mar 2011 10:45 AM PDT If you follow Jay Leno’s Garage episodes, which we too feature here in MW, you know that each time Jay gets to drive a high performance car he likes to end the review with a good old American burnout! But for his take on the new 2011 Dodge Charger R/T he needed some advice to pull it off properly. And the man at hand to teach him was no other than Ralph Gills, CEO and design chief at Dodge. You expect a CEO of a big company to be quite dull and boring, but Ralph is so cool and laid back! We wish we had more guys like him in the car industry. Cars would be more fun then. Enjoy some burnout, tire smoke and typical Leno humor in this video.

2013 Shelby GT500 To Get 600 hp Posted: 16 Mar 2011 10:26 AM PDT The cold war between GM and Ford continues as Chevrolet introduces the Camaro ZL1 with 550 hp. Obviously, Ford couldn’t just sit back and watch. So the next Shelby GT500, due in 2013, will get more than 600 hp! The Germans have apparently grown out of horsepower war, but it’s just begun for the Americans. According to sources close to the company, the new GT500 will let go of the 5.4 liter V8 in favor of a 5.8 liter which also gets a new TVS supercharger as well. For you to understand the differences between the two muscle cars – Mustang and Camaro – you know 2010 Mr Olympia, the ZL1 is like Victor Martinez but the GT500 will be Jay Cutler! Given the performance of the current Shelby, you can anticipate a sub 4-second 0 to 60 acceleration for the 2013 model and a top speed in excess of 190 mph. What we like about Mustang,s acceleration is that it’s like an event every time you floor the throttle. The nose rises, you get pushed to the seat and the V8 begins howling like a muscle car should, fantastic! So, in terms of performance the next GT500 will be just as brilliant as everyone expects. But we are a bit skeptical regarding its design, as Ford officials have said that they’re going to dial down the retro factor and give it a more modern and contemporary design. We don’t want Mustang of 1990s back! via: Car&Driver

Video: Walter Rohrl Manhandles Porsche 904 GTS Posted: 16 Mar 2011 09:48 AM PDT Porsche factory driver and former rally champion, Walter Rohrl is possibly the best driver of all time! The man is like 140-50 year old, but still drives like a God. I first encounter him driving a Porsche Carrera GT. Now handling a CGT is no joke as this beast will kill if you get it anywhere near the limit. Rohrl is one of the few people that can reach that limit and way way beyond it! Further proof of his excellence can be seen in this video as he practically wrestles with a vintage GT racer, the 1960s Porsche 904 GTS and beats it. If there were a competition to choose the ultimate Stig, Herr Rohrl would easily won it!

Amari Design Bentley Continental GT Posted: 16 Mar 2011 09:17 AM PDT Amari Design is the tuning arm of Amari Supercars UK, a company in supercar business. Their latest program is a handsome body kit for the Bentley Continental GT. The design of the kit is rather simple and yet imposing. The front bumper which appears to be designed by a ruler features a carbon fiber spoiler lip that expands at both sides forming a massive chin that gives the GT an even bolder presence. Then there is the smoked lights, neat side gills and side skirts, a big and manly rear diffuser and a pronounced rear spoiler. The Continental has been around for many years now and there’s no shortage of good body kits for it, but Amari’s manage to stand out by being simple and elegant. The car also benefits from AD1 (ADV1?) wheels in deep concave form which are absolutely magnificent. They offer the wheels in different finishes to satisfy customer’s every need. For the interior Amari provides Nappa leather and Alcantara upholstery as well as carbon fiber parts in place of the wood veneer. For that little extra something, Amari also decided to tune the engine. They might have overdone it a bit because they’ve arrived at a massive 750hp! via: WCF

2011 Skoda Octavia Hatchback UK Price Posted: 16 Mar 2011 09:03 AM PDT Skoda is taking reasonableness to the next level with their offer on the new Octavia Hatchback! This fine and generously equipped car is available right now at £10,995 on the road or from just £149 per month with Skoda Finance. The model you get for with this offer – saving of £3,735 (25%) off the normal price – is the 1.6 MPI SE specification with a frugal but gutsy 102 PS engine and a decent amount of kit that makes it a very good value for money car. What’s more, Skoda is actually cooler than the Suzuki and Subaru models in the same price range. The list of standard equipments include 15" alloys wheels, ABS, airbags, air conditioning, front and rear electric windows, a touch screen stereo with six-CD changer, trip computer and electric heated door mirrors. The offer is limited to 2000 units for the entire country. The Octavia already has a reputation as a great family car thanks to its combination of style, reliability, comfort and class-leading interior space. But don't just take our word for it – the Octavia was recently awarded by What Car? readers as the Best Small Family Car. Škoda also picked up the award for Best Manufacturer, and came out top in the Auto Express Driver Power Awards.

Vauxhall Corsa Headphones Posted: 16 Mar 2011 08:53 AM PDT Car makers apparently think those who buy their small cars are all geeky people with mental age of around four! We just been looking at MINI’s USB stuff, and now check this out: Vauxhall headphones in the shape of a New Corsa. Whaddaya Think of That! They are not for sale, yet, as the only pair of this bespoke headphones will be awarded to the winner of Vauxhall UK Beatbox Championships the grand final of which will be held on 11th June 2011. This is the fifth consecutive year Vauxhall sponsors this event to find the best of UK beatbox talent. The winner of the competition will also get a real New Corsa SXi to go match the headphones! The regional heats will take place in London, Liverpool and Nottingham.  Heat winners, decided by both the crowd and judges, will then head to London for the grand final. Unleashing their vocal artistry at the renowned O2 Islington Academy, each finalist must use their full array of tricks and rhythmical prowess to impress the roaring crowd and judges. Loud-mouth legend, Stig of the Dump will be conducting proceedings and for 2011, the crowd will also be treated to performances from some surprise star guests and judges. Wendy Towler from Vauxhall Motors, comments: "Vauxhall Motors is proud to sponsor the Vauxhall UK Beatbox Championships, and offer a platform for Britain's best young beatboxers. The Corsa headphones are a fun and stylish way to celebrate the five year sponsorship in which Vauxhall has been delighted to aid the growth of the British Beatbox scene."

MINI Launched Funky USB Devices Posted: 16 Mar 2011 08:38 AM PDT Mini Lifestyle collection unveiled a range of new new branded USB devices including Flash drives and Mouse. They are designed to appeal to Mini fans, or more realistically their children! The MINI USB flash drives come in two forms, one in the shape of an actual MINI car key while the other one is like a cartoon dog! Now, we know that Mini buyers are kinda trendy and funky people because they’ve bought a trendy and funky car, but a Bulldog USB drive? Really? There is also a liquid mouse! Again, kid stuff. Here’s more details if you like these Mini Lifestyle items. They can be obtained at www.MINI.de/shop and at selected MINI dealers. The MINI USB Stick "Key" is the ideal storage medium when you are on the move. It comes in the inimitable design of the MINI ignition key. The red LED ring illuminates when the stick is connected to the computer. Thanks to the storage volume of 8 gigabytes, it offers more than enough data storage space for music, films, photos, etc. There's also a practical neck strap, protective cap and a separate USB cable. The extravagant MINI Liquid USB Mouse belongs on every writing desk. Inside the optical computer mouse, a white MINI miniature swims around in a two-tone, transparent orange liquid. The upper side of the mouse bears the words "DO NOT STARE AT MY BOOT." Two keys and a scroll wheel make the mouse easy to use. The MINI USB Stick "Bulldog" is also available in the shape of a bulldog to reflect the brand's British heritage. The exceptional model shows the dog from the side in a 2D profile and has 4 gigabytes of storage capacity. The dog can be pulled apart at the centre in order to get at the USB connection. A lanyard with MINI prints and an additional USB cable complement the stick.

Porsche Leipzig Plant Expands For Cajun Posted: 16 Mar 2011 07:47 AM PDT Since Porsche confirmed production of their new baby SUV called Cajun, there has been some speculations that it might be built under contract in Austria or Finland. But now it’s official that the Cajun will be a fully-fledged ‘Made In Germany’ product. And the production site for the Porsche Cajun will be the Leipzig plant, which will expand and get new body assembly line and paint shop specially for the Cajun. The production of the new model also creates at least one thousand new jobs in in Leipzig, and additional new jobs at Porsche in Zuffenhausen and Weissach. Since its inauguration in 2002, the highly modern Leipzig plant in Saxony, Germany, has been producing the Cayenne. After its first expansion, the four-seater Panamera Gran Turismo has been built there since 2009, which is produced in a model mix with the Cayenne. To date, Porsche has invested around 280 million euro in Leipzig. As for the Cajun itself, the car will be a rival for the new Range Rover Evoque with the same sort of size and sporty appearance. It’s not confirmed yet, but it’s very likely for it to get a two-door version as well. It is ought to be sporty and agile and efficient, so you can already tell that in the options list you will find front-wheel-drive and hybrid powertrain. Note: The picture above is just a Cayenne that we’ve rendered into a two-door version. Th Cajun does not exist yet. "During the production of the Cayenne and the Panamera, our Leipzig plant has impressively proved that it can produce premium vehicles of highest quality," said Matthias Müller, chairman of the Porsche AG board of management. "The decision in favour of this location is proof of our trust in the skills and qualifications of our Leipzig associates, and at the same time another contribution to the economic advancement of the region." Uwe Hück, chairman of the group works council, said: "We had tough but fair negotiations. The employees' representatives have always been convinced that it is worthwhile to make the 'Cajun' at our Saxony plant. At the end of the day, the high flexibility and productivity of our colleagues has convinced the management board and the supervisory board to produce the 'Cajun' in Leipzig. We are therefore very happy that the supervisory board authorised the board of management to plan the expansion of the Leipzig plant and turn it into a fully-fledged factory. The production of the Cajun is a very good sign for Leipzig. However, we cannot rest now but have to start talks about a further expansion of the Zuffenhausen plant in order to adapt our parent plant to future growth, too." Burkhard Jung, mayor of the city of Leipzig, said: "The decision of the Porsche AG proves yet again that Leipzig with its professional city administration is an attractive, cosmopolitan city and, therefore, an international business site with a future."

JTGrey Racing Lexus LX 570 Posted: 16 Mar 2011 06:42 AM PDT Following their victory with JTGrey Racing team at 2010 SCORE Stock Full Championship, they’re coming back for the new season with a new LX 570 off-road racer. Lexus of course is not the first name that springs to mind when thinking about off-road capability, but they actually know how to make such cars. And the proof for that is the respectable performance of the team last season which included first place in the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, SCORE Terrible's Las Vegas Primm 300, the MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, and Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 races and second place in the Tecate SCORE Baja 500. The modifications that the V8-powered luxury LX 570 has received in order to become a tough racer include 37-inch BF Goodrich Baja TA projectrace tires, custom King Racing shocks, Sparco race seats, and nine KC Hilites HID's. "The JTGrey Racing team demonstrates just how capable, reliable anddurable the Lexus LX 570 is," said David Nordstrom, vice president of marketing, Lexus division.  "It's exciting to see the LX 570 conquer therugged and extreme desert terrains with the same nimbleness and dexterity it has when it navigates city streets.  Its off-road mastery combined with its powerful 5.7-liter V8 are sure to be a winning combination again this year." JTGrey Racing Lexus LX 570 upcoming events: • Mastercraft Safety SCORE San Felipe 250 Race, March 11-13 • 43rd Tecate SCORE Baja 500, June 3-5 • 16th SCORE Las Vegas Primm 300, August 26-28 • 44th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, November 17-20

VW Promises Porsche Engines To Alfa Romeo Posted: 16 Mar 2011 06:25 AM PDT As you know Volkswagen is desperately trying to acquire Alfa Romeo brand but the Italians are reluctant to let it go, at least not easily. The Germans latest offer to trick them into the deal is promising new Porsche powerplants for Alfa cars. Volkswagen says if Fiat sells them Alfa Romeo they will provide a new flat-four Porsche engine which can very well be used for the upcoming 4C or other entry-level sportscar, as well as mainstream models. Such engine that provides a balance between performance and fuel economy is actually what Alfa needs quite badly. If you think about it, none of their gorgeous models in recent years came with an equally good powertrain. The benefits of this deal for VW will include maximizing production potential and getting closer to their 2018 goal of becoming the world’s largest manufacturer. It will also help Porsche’s engine production business. Fiat – the current owner of Alfa Romeo – however is not interested one bit in selling one of Italy’s most charismatic brands to the Germans. They’ve already expressed it with anger a couple of times before. As a Fiat spokesman puts it: "We shut the door in their faces and now they're trying to get in the window," source: Autocar

Unsatisfied Customer Destroys His Own Lamborghini! Posted: 16 Mar 2011 06:06 AM PDT What would you do if the dealer drove you to the edge of reason and didn’t resolve your car’s issue? Most people would shout at the manager, or complain about it on forums and weblogs. This Chinese Lamborghini owner however took a more aggressive approach when the local dealer didn’t manage to fix his Gallardo properly. He realized he cannot damage the dealer’s properties because that would do more harm to him than good. So on World Consumer Rights Day he hired a couple of guys to destroy his own car with sledgehammers in public! This way he put an spotlight on the Lamborghini dealer’s incompetence. This might be a bit dumb, but we cannot think of a cooler way to express objection. Good man!

Video: 2012 BMW M5 Prototype Driving Footage Posted: 16 Mar 2011 05:56 AM PDT Another teaser video for the 2012 BMW M5 F10 has popped up showing the car on the move with more details. It is still in the snow like previous teasers, and it is still camouflaged, so don’t expect to see much of the car. But you do get a firm grasp on some of the car’s technologies, specially the ones that give it great traction even on extremely slippery surfaces. Mind you, the commentary is in German. But you don’t need any words to realize how awesome 600 hp is, do you!

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