It sounds like something out of a Bond film, but Goodyear has developed a new system which allows tires to automatically inflate themselves.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Goodyear announces self-inflating tires
It sounds like something out of a Bond film, but Goodyear has developed a new system which allows tires to automatically inflate themselves.
Infinit teaser no. 6 for the JX
JX Concept will debut later this month while the production model will be introduced at the L.A. auto show in November. 
Rising star Ricciardo relishing Hispania opportunity
At Silverstone
For a man making his grand prix debut this weekend, Daniel Ricciardo finds himself with an unusual amount of Formula 1 experience.
The Australian Red Bull protege has driven three different F1 cars in the last 12 months.
He piloted Red Bull's championship-winning RB6 car at a test for young drivers at the end of last season, and then became Toro Rosso reserve in 2011 before he was loaned out to Hispania as their race driver for the rest of this season just in time for the British Grand Prix.
Despite going from the fastest car on the grid to the slowest in the space of a few months, Ricciardo is viewing his promotion to Hispania race seat as a big step in the right direction.
"The car can't be compared to the Red Bull but it's still an F1 car," said the 22-year-old with an ear-to-ear smile. "It does some amazing things speed-wise and the potential under braking is still pretty strong. I'm definitely having fun.
"I was only 18 when I was picked up by Red Bull, and I knew there was still quite a few years to prove I could go through the categories and get into F1. It's only become a reality now."
The wet and windy weather that buffeted Silverstone on Friday meant Ricciardo did not have the best conditions in which to show his capabilities during his first full day of practice.
But he made a solid start, closely matching team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi in the morning and beating the experienced Italian by 0.209 seconds in the afternoon.
All drivers use the man on the other side of the garage as their initial benchmark but Liuzzi presents an interesting comparison for Red Bull as they assess Ricciardo. The team know just how far Liuzzi's talents reach because he drove for Red Bull in 2005 before joining Toro Rosso.
Does Ricciardo's future with the Red Bull family hang on whether he can regularly beat the Italian?
"It wouldn't hurt," responded Ricciardo. "I'll drive as fast as I can and where I end up will determine my future.
"Tonio is quite experienced and has spent more time with the team than I have. Going by the pace today I was quite happy to be in a competitive range and we'll see how it goes in the dry.
"The plan is to be around and to race in F1 for many years to come so with that I have to be fast and to prove myself."
Ricciardo asked fellow Aussie Mark Webber for some advice this weekend and there is even speculation that Ricciardo could be fast-tracked into Webber's seat in 2012.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has even compared Ricciardo's situation to Damon Hill's route into F1.
Hill stepped into a race seat with Brabham halfway through the 1992 season when he was a reserve for Williams. The next season, Hill was promoted to a race seat with Williams and four years later he won a world title.
So, does Ricciardo fancy a seat with the fastest car in the field?
"Having a connection and a link with Red Bull, it's somewhere in the back of my mind and it would be nice one day," said the Australian, who handily already lives near the team's headquarters in Milton Keynes.
"The news I got last week has filled up quite a bit of space in my head so I will just try and enjoy that at the moment.
"My main objective this weekend is to finish the race. Of course I'll push and try and get as much as I can from the car.
"I don't think we'll be fighting with Red Bull or Ferrari but I don't plan running at the back and having my own race. If I can be a few more places up the grid then of course I'll go for it. It would be nice to be involved in a good fight and I'll be pushing through all the race."
At the end of his first media session as an F1 racing driver, Ricciardo made another unusual gesture as he gathered up the dictaphones in front of him and handed them back one-by-one to each member of the media.
"There are a few more people here than I thought," said Ricciardo, with another trademark grin. "It's nice that people are taking an interest."
It's fair to say that there are plenty of people watching this space. After all, who's to say Ricciardo won't emulate former Red Bull protege Sebastian Vettel and rise through the ranks of Toro Rosso and Red Bull to become a world champion?
Mark Webber: ?Drivers still don?t learn??
Mark Webber was fourth in both sessions in Hungary today, despite running only 12 laps in the first session after a crash. The 2010 Budapest winner ran wide and spun into the barrier on the opposite side of the track, … Continue reading 
Best of the Beeb: The best moments of the BBC?s F1 coverage (videos)
With the news earlier in the summer that the BBC would share television rights with Sky prompting a barrage of criticism from fans in the United Kingdom, formula1fancast though it would be a good time to reflect on some of the stunning coverage Jake Humphrey, Martin Brundle and the rest of the gang have brought [...]
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Nine wannabe winners
That was another fabulous race in Hungary, with the top three teams fighting for the win but in every Formula 1 race there are 12 teams and 24 drivers.
I've been taking a look at how some of the smaller teams like Force India and Sauber are faring at the mid-way point of the 2011 season, as well as picking the nine drivers who have impressed me most so far.
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
If you are outside the UK, you can watch the video here.
Murray gives his thoughts on the new UK television rights deal here.
If you would like to comment on the new UK television rights deal, please go to the BBC's head of F1 Ben Gallop's blog on that subject
Marussia Virgin Racing Launch Their 2011 Car
Marussia Virgin Racing have launched their car to take on the 2011 world championship in a lavish London ceremony. The Marussia name now preceeds Virgin following a major tie up with the Russian sportscar manufacturer and the team at the end of 2010. �It has led to the new car being designated as the MVR-02. [...]
Journalists shocked at Korea award
 Scarecrows adorn the entrance to a barren Korean International Circuit |
Giovanni de Riu Richard Robarts Pedro Rodríguez Ricardo Rodríguez
Bernie Ecclestone - No plans to put the brakes on
 |
The way I feel at the moment, why stop? I do it because I enjoy it. And yesterday is gone. I don't care what happened yesterday. What else would I do? People retire to die. I don't get any individual pleasure because we don't win races or titles in this job. I'm like most business people. You look back at the end of the year and you see what you've achieved by working out how much money the company has made. That's it.
Harry Merkel Arturo Merzario Roberto Mieres Francois Migault
Circuit of the Americas welcomes November date | 2012 F1 calendar
The first race at Austin's Circuit of the Americas will take place on November 18th instead of in June.
Vitantonio Liuzzi Dries van der Lof Lella Lombardi Ricardo Londoño
Friday, August 12, 2011
Fernando Alonso shows off his acting skills! (Video)
Fernando Alonso has been in the news a lot this week. He has revealed that he would like to drive with Felipe Massa for many years and that every F1 driver has a desire to represent Ferrari. So, with the Spaniard in mind, we delved into the video archive and found an advert that put [...]
Jaguar wants in on the hybrid supercar arms race
Like a leaping cat joining in on the fun of hunting prey, the auto industry’s resident feline is getting ready to jump on the hybrid supercar market, and it’s got BMW in its sights.
Jaguar is preparing to challenge the standing big boy of the market, BMW AG, with a hybrid supercar and the BMW 3-Series with an entry level sedan. Ever since Tata took control of both Jaguar and Land Rover, the former has become aggressive in reinventing their company to become a little less stiff and a little more cutting edge.
"The company now revolves around the JLR unit and not the other way around," said Ashvin Chotai, Managing Director for Intelligence Automotive Asia. "The next challenge for both the brands is to keep the product pipeline going and exploring new product segments."
Tata Motors plans to invest 1.5 billion pounds, or $2.5 billion at the current rates, annually in the development of over 40 new vehicles or upgrades at Jaguar and LandRover over the next five years. From the looks of things, one of Tata Motors’ first orders of business is building a hybrid supercar for Jaguar that will roar into the industry, claws out and ready to pounce on the competition.
Jaguar wants in on the hybrid supercar arms race originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 12 August 2011 12:00 EST.
Indian farmers threaten to ?dismantle? F1 track | F1 Fanatic round-up
In the round-up: 300 farmers protest their loss of land to make way for India's F1 track.
Why Michael Schumacher Could Win The 2011 World Championship
Michael Schumacher?s 2010 comeback was somewhat abortive.� The results, the driving standard and the overtakes were well below par for the former champion.� He even let his team mate beat him for the first time in his career.� So why can Schumacher, the fallen Ferrari hero, win the world championship for an 8th time? It?s [...]
Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Keith Andrews Elio de Angelis
Some more muck?
The S�ddeutsche Zeitung newspaper is reporting that former Renault Formula 1 boss Flavio Briatore is also involved in the BayernLB bribery scandal. The newspaper is claiming that some of the money that was sent to Gribkowsky was sent via a company owned by Briatore and that the Staatsanwaltschaft, the Bavarian public prosecution service, is looking [...]
WIP - General Lee - '69 Dodge Charger
I'm waiting on a few last minute resin items to complete this, so here is what I can show everyone so far (without the flag showing...)
Clay Regazzoni Carlos Reutemann Lance Reventlow Peter Revson
2012 Toyota Camry unmasked with specifications
The 2012 Toyota Camry has been given an early unveiling thanks to a French-Canadian magazine. 
Patrick Tambay Luigi Taramazzo Gabriele Tarquini Piero Taruffi
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Formula One Goes High Definition
This week FOM, the Formula One Management company run by Bernie Ecclestone, has announced it will be providing native High Definition Formula One coverage for the very first time. �This heralds the entrance of the sport into the super clear broadcast territory. High Definition television has been available for some time now in the United [...]
AMT 2000 Millinnium Special Edition ?
Hello everyone,
I was just curious, as to if anyone purchased this edition for your collection? I talked about it but only purchased a select few of this set. Then a very dear friend gave this set to me for my Birthday, in 2000. He has since passed, so this set has a very high sentimental value to me.
I am curious how the staff at Ertl co. decided on the kits that went into this set , A '64 Galaxie curbside kit then a '63
the '64 Galaxie and the Dodge Dart stock car kits kind of seem like obscure picks to me.
5 Fords / 3 Chevys / 2 Dodge / 1 Studebaker and an AMT creation, nothing under '39 and nothing over '88 .
Kind of makes me wonder !
Any thoughts on this subject ?
kit # 30262 1939 / 40 Ford
30263 1950 Ford Convertible
30264 1951 Chevy Fleetline
30265 1964 Galaxie 500
30266 1955 Chevy Bel Air
30267 1963 Ford Galaxie
30268 1963 Studebaker Avanti
30269 1966 Chevy Nova SS
30270 1968 Plymouth
30271 Dodge Dart (stock car)
30272 1988 Ford Mustang
30273 AMT Amtronic
Carl Scarborough Ludovico Scarfiotti Giorgio Scarlatti Ian Scheckter
F1 film will be ?sizzling, sexy and entertaining? | F1 Fanatic round-up
In the round-up: Director Ron Howard on his planned F1 film on the 1976 season.
Hyundai releases official rendering of 2012 i30
Next-generation i30 is slated for a debut at the Frankfurt motor show next month. 
Sebastian Vettel?s assault on the F1 records | F1 statistics
After a scorching start to the season, Vettel is rapidly making inroads into F1's all-time records.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
'66 Impala to Caprice conversion.
Hello every one I'm here to try and convert a Revell: '66 Chevy Impala into a '66 Chevy Caprice. I have started on the rear roof work as well as the chassis and engine..
1960 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster
Hello all,
It's been a while since I posted anything new. I present today the biggest pain in the butt build I've ever completed...not because of added detail, but because of unusual kit manufacturing. It's an Italeri kit. There were practically no locator tabs to help with parts alignment, and several parts didn't fit quite right. Separate body panels that had to be attached, puttied and smoothed before paint weren't much fun either...especially since they made the chassis fit so tight. It's pretty much box stock except that I added a few home made decals to fill in the decal sheet, switched the kit tires for a set of Michelin's from a Fujimi custom wheel/tire set, and flocked the interior. I did have to narrow the wheels just a bit to get them to properly fit the new tires. It's finished in Tamiya paints: Light Gunmetal and Clear exterior with an Italian Red interior.
I didn't have the time or patience to detail it out as I had originally planned. I was working feverishly to get it completed for the Derby City Shootout this past weekend. When I started on it I wanted to fully plumb and wire everything, but as the build progressed I realized I'd be thrilled if it went together at all and looked like anything decent when finished. I got 'er done and it ended up taking 3rd place in the Imports class; beat out by two fully detailed builds: an Acura Integra and a Honda Civic. Both can be seen in my "Derby City Shootout 2011" album at the link to my photobucket pics below.
I'll spare the build up photos, those can be found in my photobucket albums, here she is all finished up:
Sebastian Vettel?s assault on the F1 records | F1 statistics
After a scorching start to the season, Vettel is rapidly making inroads into F1's all-time records.
Gerhard Mitter Stefano Modena Thomas Monarch Franck Montagny
Five hours and 15 minutes after the race?
This week’s Grand Prix + includes all the excitements from the Hungaroring, complete with pictures of the action and atmosphere in Budapest, where Jenson Button celebrated his 200th Grand Prix with a victory over Sebastian Vettel in difficult conditions. The 80-page magazine includes a new look at Le Mans 1955… the story of how McLaren [...]
Alonso and Button lead your Driver of the Weekend picks | Debates and polls
Sebastian Vettel has not been voted Driver of the Weekend so far this year.
VW up! ad - Something tiny this way comes [video]
New up! will be the Volkswagen brand's new entry-level city/minicar expected to debut at the Frankfurt motor show next month. 
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Local Motors Rally Fighter
You know those build-your-own kit cars that all of us loved when we were kids? How would you feel if we told you that you could relive those old memories on a real vehicle that’s the definite personification of a bad-ass ride?
We first saw Local Motors’ Rally Fighter at SEMA a few years ago where it predictably caught the attention of many a heads while flaunting its awesomeness during the event in Las Vegas. Since then, the Rally Fighter has become one of the most unique car purchases you can ever have, complete with the opportunity to help build the car from the ground up.
The futuristic off-roader is a self proclaimed "premium, authentic off-road experience, custom designed and built for the deserts of the American Southwest." Even better than that is the fact that this machine is completely street legal and is actually 50-state-emissions compliant.
Don’t mistake it for a bare-as-bones niche vehicle that is catered only to a specific market. The Rally Fighter is an all-purpose ride that commands serious attention from just about all walks of life.
Speaking for ourselves, we’d certainly want to have one to call our own someday.
Find out more on the Rally Fighter after the jump.
Local Motors Rally Fighter originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 9 August 2011 19:00 EST.
Second US GP destined for New Jersey?
New Jersey has once again emerged as a potential host for a second US GP, which would run in addition to the Austin event. The mayors of two neighbouring New Jersey towns have expressed an interest in holding a race … Continue reading 
Karthikeyan Makes Surprise F1 Return With HRT
Narain Karthikeyan has made a surprise return to Formula One after being announced as one of Hispania HRT’s drivers for the 2011 season. The Indian driver was unveiled as the first racer to be working with the Spanish based squad, who look likely to enter into a second season of racing despite on-going financial concerns. [...]
Mini Coupe
Only one day after BMW announced the official details on the new generation 1-Series, Mini has also joined in on the party by releasing details of their own for their much anticipated Mini Coupe . Last seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009 as a mere concept, the first two-seater in the company’s lineup will make its world debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show with sales to begin shortly after. Prices will be announced at a later date.
The new Mini Coupe will come sporting an entire lineup of four cylinder engines ranging from the base Coupe with 121 HP up to the John Cooper Works Coupe with 208 HP. It will also be the fastest-accelerating MINI ever with the highest top speed. The JCW Coupe, for example, will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds and will be capable of a top speed of 149 mph.
UPDATE 06/21/2011: Mini has revealed the official images for their latest model in the line-up, as well as pricing details for the American market. The base model will go on sale at a starting price of $22,000, while the S variant will cost $25,300 and the JCW will be priced at $31,900.
UPDATE 08/09/11: Want to play around and build your own MINI Coupe? Well, now you can get that opportunity! The German automaker has officially unveiled the online configurator for the car, which you can use to make your very own virtual MINI Coupe. Who knows, you might end up liking your work that you buy one for yourself.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Mini Coupe.
Mini Coupe originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 9 August 2011 13:00 EST.
CUP: Point Leaders Still Chasing First Glen Wins
Road courses remain puzzles for many Sprint Cup regulars?
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