Report: Hot Wheels accused of stealing Icon FJ40 Baja design

Filed under: Classics, SUV, Government/Legal, Toyota, Toys/Games, Specialty, Design/Style, Off-Road

In a perfect world, all of our favorite companies would get along merrily. But sadly, we do not live in a perfect world. Icon, the company behind some of the most lust-worthy vintage off-roaders and street machines in existence, is accusing toymaker Mattel of stealing the FJ40 Baja Edition design for a Hot Wheels die cast toy. According to the most recent Icon newsletter, Hot Wheels lifted a photo of the heavily modified FJ40, slathered a quick Photoshop job over the image and called it a day. Except Mattel reportedly never asked Icon for permission to use the image or the vehicle design in its marketing or products.

Icon reportedly reached out to Mattel to no avail. That's about when the custom builder turned to its lawyers, prompting the attorney for Hot Wheels to say the company wanted to settle the matter out of court. A month went by before Icon once again tried to reach out. Mattel allegedly dismissed Icon, effectively challenging the smaller company to try to sue the toy monolith if Icon thought it stood a chance.

Hot Wheels hasn't spoken out on the issue. With five of the tiny diecasts on our desk and five hundred in a box downstairs, we've had a life-long relationship with the toymaker. But that doesn't excuse the reported bully tactics. Here's hoping this one gets squared away sooner rather than later. Check out an excerpt from the Icon newsletter below.

Continue reading Hot Wheels accused of stealing Icon FJ40 Baja design

Hot Wheels accused of stealing Icon FJ40 Baja design originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/05/hot-wheels-accused-of-stealing-icon-fj40-baja-design/

Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie

Sato: No animosity with Franchitti

Takuma Sato says that there are no hard feelings between himself and Dario Franchitti about their final-lap crash while fighting for the lead in last weekend's Indy 500.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/indycar-news/indycar/sato-no-animosity-with-franchitti

Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Clint Bowyer

VINTAGE: Corvette Research Car Induction

The legendary CERV-1 created by Zora Arkus Duntov is selected for the Bloomington Gold Great Hall honoring the most influential cars and people in Corvette history.

Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/vintage-corvette-research-car-induction/

Carl Edwards Copart Ford

LeMons Colorado Day 1: RX-7 Leads, Hyundai Accent Tops In Class C

Even with a long delay for an apocalyptic afternoon hail-and-lightning storm, the racing went on and on and on at High Plains Raceway today. The Ghetto Motorsports Mazda RX-7, winner of the 2010 and 2011 Colorado 24 Hours of LeMons races, took a two-lap lead early in the session and held onto it for the [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/yUmweVeSB54/

Kerry Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr

Shane Lewis to Make Dubai 24H Debut

Shane Lewis Dubai 24H DUBAI - December 29, 2011 American to Start 31st Career 24-Hour Race at Middle East's Premier Event Shane Lewis began his career running open wheel races that lasted 30-minutes. Today, he has become one of the...

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2011/12/shane_lewis_to_make_dubai.php

Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard

Report: Hyundai gets 20,000 applicants for 877 jobs in Alabama

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Hyundai

Less than a month ago, Hyundai announced it would be adding a third shift at its Alabama assembly plant, resulting in an additional 877 jobs. You'd imagine with Alabama running a 7.2-percent unemployment rate in April - ranking right in the middle of the 50 states - competition for those jobs would be pretty serious. But nobody, least of all Hyundai, expected this. As of May 22, the automaker had received some 18,500 applications, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.

To put that into perspective, the Montgomery metropolitan area has an adult population of just over 282,000, meaning the applicant pool at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama represents more than six percent of nearby residents. Hyundai was so flooded with applicants that it temporarily shut down the process on May 18, warning job seekers that any applications it received after that date would likely go unprocessed. Hyundai only expects to screen between 6,000-7,000 applicants according to the report.

The company began seeing applicants on May 14, and by working 13-hour days, it has been processing roughly 200 each day. Applicants are asked to take a multiple-choice test during the 90-minute interview and those that get asked back will be given a six-hour training course, according to the report. Hyundai expects the hiring process to be completed by mid-July, in advance of launching the third shift after Labor Day.

Hyundai gets 20,000 applicants for 877 jobs in Alabama originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/01/hyundai-gets-20-000-applicants-for-877-jobs-in-alabama/

Al Herman Hans Herrmann

Phoenix boss says A5 ready to win

Audi's A5 DTM machine is now fast enough to win this weekend's Spielberg round, according to Phoenix Racing team boss Ernst Moser, the man who guided Martin Tomczyk to last year's drivers' title. Tomczyk broke a 10-year win-less streak in the DTM for Phoenix at the Austrian circuit last year, but has since joined BMW to defend his crown

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/miscellaneous/dtm/phoenix-boss-says-a5-ready-to-win

Brian Gubby André Guelfi

Transit-Free Tappan Zee Bridge Financial Plan: It’s “Dynamic”!

Not shown on Thruway Authority director Tom Madison's timeline: paying for the new Tappan Zee Bridge.
The Cuomo administration plans to select a team to build the new Tappan Zee Bridge this summer and begin construction this year. So it’s about time for the governor to say how he plans to pay for the bridge, right?
Luckily, [...]

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/05/29/transit-free-tappan-zee-bridge-financial-plan-its-dynamic/

Bruce Kessler Nicolas Kiesa

Pro Cup Racing Into Holiday Weekend At Ace Speedway

“Pre-Race Concert, Fireworks All Part Of The Show This Saturday” All-American 250 LogoALTAMAHAW, N.C. – The CARS Pro Cup Series will celebrate Memorial Day weekend in style this Saturday with a party like no other at Ace Speedway. Not only will the top drivers from the CARS Pro Cup Series be battling it out for...more» Related Stories:

1. Roush Yates Engines Earn Multiple Wins over Holiday Weekend
2. Jeff Burton, No. 29 Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express Chevrolet Impala SS, Texas Race Preview
3. Jeff Burton, No. 29 Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express Chevrolet Impala SS, Lowe’s Motor Speedway Race Preview

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catchfence/~3/st6rRN6KQjE/

Clint Bowyer Zaxby s Chevrolet

James Buescher, No. 30 ABF Chevrolet Impala Charlotte Motor Speedway Preview

James Buescher Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw / Getty Images for NASCARJames Buescher No. 30 ABF Chevrolet Charlotte Motor Speedway Raceway History 300 May 26, 2012 No. 30 ABF Chevrolet News and Notes This Week’s Impala… The No. 30 ABF Chevrolet Impala team will bring chassis TMS-326 to the Charlotte Motor Speedway for Saturday’s 300-mile race....more» Related Stories:

1. James Buescher, No. 31 EXIDE BATTERIES Chevrolet Silverado Charlotte Motor Speedway Preview
2. James Buescher, No. 30 Turner Motorsports Chevrolet Impala Bristol Motor Speedway Preview
3. James Buescher, No. 30 Turner Motorsports Chevrolet Impala Las Vegas Motor Speedway Preview

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catchfence/~3/UZr5Sj4i3dk/

Boy Hayje Willi Heeks

Patrick says she's learning, but it will take time

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/27/2094507/patrick-says-shes-learning-but.html

Billy Garrett Jo Gartner

2013 Ford Flex AWD EcoBoost Tested: A Big Box Filled with Surprises

An entertaining subtext in the ongoing saga of the automobile is the phenomenon of a box with wheels that can dust at least two-thirds of the traffic mix at any given stoplight. In the case of the EcoBoosted Ford Flex, two-thirds may be conservative. Make it 80 percent. Maybe even higher, given the ambush factor: [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/cy-IaIPyLVc/2013-ford-flex-limited-awd-ecoboost-test-review

Mike Hailwood Mika Häkkinen

2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Long-Term Test: Halfway Through the 40,000-Mile Gauntlet

For most of its history, the Volkswagen Jetta was the three-box version of the two-box Golf hatchback, which also meant that the performance-oriented Jetta GLI was simply the sedan version of the coveted 10Best-winning GTI. The Jetta’s sixth-generation makeover, however, included plopping the four-door onto new underpinnings. The idea was to give it a bigger [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/ztSBygLMm-A/2012-volkswagen-jetta-gli-long-term-road-test

Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V

Almirola a surprise at top

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/24/2088438/almirola-a-surprise-at-top.html

Bobby Grim Romain Grosjean

Williams ready for Monaco despite fire

Williams engineering chief Mark Gillan has praised the efforts of his staff - and offers of help from other teams – in getting his outfit ready to run in Monaco this weekend after its garage fire in Spain. The Grove-based team lost most of its garage infrastructure and IT equipment in the post-race fire at Barcelona that gutted its garage – less than two hours after Williams driver Pastor Maldonado had taken his maiden Formula 1 victory.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/williams-ready-for-monaco-despite-fire

Z Line Toyota Kyle Busch

Mikkelsen rules out fighting Ogier

Volkswagen Motorsport driver Andreas Mikkelsen has ruled out any chance of another thrilling battle with team-mate Sebastien Ogier on this week's Acropolis Rally.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/world-rally-championship-news/wrc/mikkelsen-rules-out-fighting-ogier

Lucas di Grassi Cecil Green

Mini JCW Lineup to Adopt Revised 1.6-Liter Four and Available Six-Speed Automatic

The entire line of John Cooper Works Minis—Countryman, hatchback, Clubman, Convertible, Coupe, and Roadster—will be equipped with a slightly revised version of the 1.6-liter powerplant found in the previous generation of JCW models. Those revisions result in an output of 208 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, the same as the last JCW powerplant. Read [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/-uDI7304QTE/

Gimax Richie Ginther

Marciello wins again at Brands

Raffaele Marciello moved to within a point of the lead of the F3 Euro Series after taking his second win of the Brands Hatch weekend on Sunday morning. The Italian teenager lay second initially, but was gifted the lead when his leading Prema team-mate Daniel Juncadella was given a drive-through penalty for lining up ahead of his pole position marking on the grid

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/marciello-wins-again-at-brands

Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs

Earnhardt Jr. not depending on fan vote

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/05/earnhardt-jr-not-depending-on-fan-vote.html

Dave Kennedy Loris Kessel

2012 Iowa Nationwide Series Starting Lineup – Elliott Sadler On Pole

1 2 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Chevrolet 23.523 133.911 2 12 Sam Hornish Jr. Detroit Genuine Parts Dodge 23.632 133.294 3 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Cargill Ford 23.664 133.114 4 18 Michael McDowell(i) Pizza Ranch Toyota 23.669 133.085 5 31 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet 23.771 132.514 6 3 Austin Dillon # Advocare Chevrolet 23.789 132.414 [...]

Source: http://thefinallap.com/2012/05/20/2012-iowa-nationwide-series-starting-lineup-elliott-sadler-on-pole/

Hans Klenk Peter de Klerk

Huttu Wins as Luis Rolls Out Of Championship Lead

Putting his early exit at Okayama a fortnight ago in the annals of history, Greger Huttu claimed maximum points at Road America this week in Round Six of the iRacing.com Grand Prix World Championship Series.  Avoiding a huge start line crash that saw pre-race championship leader Hugo Luis retire after barely crossing the start line, Huttu took a pole-to-flag victory in a strategic charge to the finish line. As the green flag dropped on the 47 lap race, Team Redline’s Luke McLean struggled to control his virtual Williams-Toyota FW31 as it wheel-spun off the line from second on the grid. After slewing from right to left, McLean finally regained control in front of My3id’s Luis as he got up to speed. The pair connected, sending Luis into the path of [...]

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/huttu-wins-as-luis-rolls-out-of-championship-lead

Jimmy Jackson Joe James

Darlington NiSWC Gallery

Baldwin (52) led 67 laps and finished sixth.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/galleries/darlington-niswc-gallery

Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven

Post-qualifying press conference – Spain

TV UNILATERAL Q. Lewis, McLaren's 150th Formula One pole position today.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/post-qualifying-press-conference-spain

Roberto Guerrero Maurício Gugelmin

Daly earns maiden GP3 victory

Lotus GP's Conor Daly scored his maiden GP3 victory in the second race of the opening weekend of the season at Barcelona in Spain. From third on the grid, Daly outsprinted polesitter Robert Visoiu (Jenzer) via the grass into Turn 1, as front row starter Tio Ellinas of Manor took the lead having blatantly jumped the start

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/daly-earns-maiden-gp3-victory

Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven

Report: Poland's Arrinera supercar hits the road with 650 HP, $160K list price

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, MISC

There are a handful of countries where you'd expect most any supercar to come from. Italy, Germany, England... and even these United States have produced their fare share, and there've been a handful from Japan. Even France and Sweden have produced some notables. But Poland?

Hardly the first country that would come to mind, but the folks behind Arrinera Automotive aim to fix that. We first reported last year on the supercar the Polish outfit has been developing, and now they've released a whole slew of details - including specifications and pricing.

The as-yet unnamed vehicle (aside from the Arrinera marque, anyway) is powered by a 6.2-liter V8 that's been supercharged up to 650 metric horsepower (641 by our measures) and 605 pound-feet of torque, driving through a Graziano gearbox for a 3.2-second sprint to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) and a claimed 340 km/h (211 mph) top end.

Lee Noble - the talented engineer behind supercars marketed under the Ultima, Ascari, Rossion, Fenix and Noble names - has set up the suspension, with 380-millimeter brakes providing the stopping power up front and 350-millimeter discs in the back. The 1300-kilogram (2866-pound) package is made up of a high-strength steel frame with bodywork that's carbon-intensive and similar in appearance to a Lamborghini, but that's no bad thing.

Production is slated to begin later this year, with pricing starting at £100,000 (about $160,000 at current exchange rates). Scope it out in the extensive and fresh gallery of high-resolution images above.

Poland's Arrinera supercar hits the road with 650 HP, $160K list price originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/11/polands-arrinera-supercar-hits-the-road-with-650-hp-160k-list/

Kerry Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr

Pic on pole again for race two

Arthur Pic made it two poles from two races as he topped qualifying for the second Formula Renault 3.5 race of the weekend at Aragon. The DAMS driver had a torrid first race after his car struggled to pull away from pole, later crashing out after a collision with Jake Rosenzweig. However, he bounced back on Sunday morning to dominate second qualifying

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/pic-on-pole-again-for-race-two

Copart Ford Denny Hamlin

Mike Wallace and Restaurant.com Chevrolet team seek Lady in Luck at Darlington Raceway

Mike WallaceGAFFNEY, S.C. (May 8, 2012) – If there was ever a team needing to avoid a “Lady in Black” right now, it would be the No. 01 Restaurant.com Chevrolet team of Mike Wallace and JD Motorsports. Trailer fire and top-five run cut short after being run over at Talladega in the closing laps all...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2012/nationwide/05/08/mike-wallace-and-restaurant-com-chevrolet-team-seek-lady-in-luck-at-darlington-raceway/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mike-wallace-and-restaurant-com-chevrolet-team-seek-lady-in-luck-at-darlington-raceway

Divina Galica Nanni Galli

The Eyes Have It

Week Five of the iRacing.com saw the Skip Barber Racing School Premier Series visit historic Watkins Glen, NY for half a dozen races on the 3.4 mile, 11 turn “Boot” version of the circuit.  Despite seeing his undefeated streak broken at Road Atlanta two weeks ago, Christian Aranha arrived at The Glen in complete control of the overall standings   . . . and eyeing the grand prize of the series:  a 3 day racing school courtesy of Skip Barber. On the other hand, 92 sim racers had their eyes set on Aranha in Week Five.  Suffice to say, with his performance at Watkins Glen he was able to re-claim his nickname, the “Flawless Floridian”. The morning race (10:00 GMT) was an eye opener for the field, as Aranha marked his [...]

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/iracing-news/the-eyes-have-it

Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III

Force India ordered to pay court costs

Force India has been ordered to pay £650,000 costs in relation to its legal action against Caterham, Mike Gascoyne and Aerolab over potential copyright infringement. Back in March, the High Court awarded Force India £21,000 in damages after ruling that parts of its 2010 car had been used in the design process of that year's Lotus contender.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/force-india-ordered-to-pay-court-costs

Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig

2012 NSCS Aaron’s 499 Starting Lineup

Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont 20 Years Chevrolet, signs the the Coors Light Pole Award board after qualifying for pole position for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday in Talladega, Ala. - Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCARFor the 20th consecutive NSCS season, Jeff Gordon,...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2012/sprintcup/05/05/2012-nscs-aarons-499-starting-lineup/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2012-nscs-aarons-499-starting-lineup

Paul Goldsmith José Froilán González

Tutumlu makes WTCC exit

Isaac Tutumlu has quit this year's World Touring Car Championship after a dispute with the Proteam Racing squad.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/touring-cars/wtcc/tutumlu-makes-wtcc-exit

Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte

Hinchcliffe calls for restarts rethink

Andretti Autosport's James Hinchcliffe has called on IndyCar officials to tighten up double-file restarts in order to prevent some drivers from getting an unfair advantage. The Canadian finished sixth in last weekend's street race in Sao Paulo, but felt that he could have been higher had he not been shuffled back prior to restarts by rivals who jumped early. "It was a catastrophe from the fourth row back," he told AUTOSPORT

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/indycar-news/indycar/hinchcliffe-calls-for-restarts-rethink

Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth

Tuscher beats the rain for F2 pole

Matheo Tuscher took his second Formula 2 pole position of the season in a rain-affected qualifying session at Algarve. The session started in damp conditions, but there was a real sense of urgency to get out on circuit as quickly as possible, with an already burst cloud clearly on its way from the mountains. In actual fact, there was only time for two timed laps before the rain and hail descended

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/tuscher-beats-the-rain-for-f2-pole

Alan Jones Tom Jones

Season 8 “American Idol” winner Kris Allen to sing “Star Spangled Banner” for June 3, 2012 “FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race

Kris Allen - Publicity PhotoKris Allen set to release brand new album “Thank You Camellia” on May 22 on 19 Recordings/RCA Records DOVER, Del. – RCA recording artist Kris Allen, the season 8 winner of “American Idol,” will perform the National Anthem prior to the start of the June 3 “FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks” NASCAR...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2012/sprintcup/05/02/season-8-american-idol-winner-kris-allen-to-sing-star-spangled-banner-for-june-3-2012-fedex-400-benefiting-autism-speaks-nascar-sprint-cup-series/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=season-8-american-idol-winner-kris-allen-to-sing-star-spangled-banner-for-june-3-2012-fedex-400-benefiting-autism-speaks-nascar-sprint-cup-series

Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood

HAYDEN INJURED IN TRAINING ACCIDENT

DUCATI HAYDEN INJURED IN TRAINING ACCIDENT Thursday Dec 29 2011 Nicky Hayden's winter vacation was marred on Tuesday, December 27, when he broke his left scapula and fractured two ribs while training near his home in Owensboro, Kentucky. Hayden was...

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2011/12/hayden_injured_in_trainin.php

Innes Ireland Eddie Irvine

Lorenzo worried by tyre degradation

Jorge Lorenzo said his Yamaha suffered from tyre degradation in practice for MotoGP's Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez. Lorenzo leads the championship after passing Honda's Casey Stoner for the lead in the latter stages of this season's opening round in Qatar, but he has concerns in Spain after he and team-mate Ben Spies suffered from tyre problems in the mixed conditions of practice

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/motorcycles/motogp/lorenzo-worried-by-tyre-degradation

Bruno Giacomelli Dick Gibson

Talkin' Trucks with Paulie Harraka: College and NASCAR go hand in hand

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/04/talkin-trucks-with-paulie-harraka.html

Miguel Ángel Guerra Roberto Guerrero

Quick Hits From the 2012 RPA Regional Assembly

The tri-state area’s transportation and infrastructure leaders are gathered at the Waldorf Astoria today for the Regional Plan Association’s annual gala. For a few years now, the proceedings at the Regional Assembly have been haunted by the death of congestion pricing and bridge tolls in Albany, and lately the complete gridlock in Washington over a [...]

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/04/27/quick-hits-from-the-2012-rpa-regional-assembly/

David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss

F1: Red Bull Not Ready To Resume Dominance?

Red Bull isn't overly confident after winning in Bahrain...

Source: http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-red-bull-not-ready-to-resume-dominance/

Narain Karthikeyan Ukyo Katayama

Snegirev returns to Formula 2

Max Snegirev will compete in the rest of the Formula 2 Championship, starting at the Algarve circuit next weekend. The 24-year-old Russian finished 18th in the series last year, but has started 2012 in Auto GP and missed the F2 season-opener at Silverstone earlier this month as it clashed with the latter championship's Valencia event. "I am pleased to return to Formula 2 this year and look forward to driving the updated car," Snegirev said.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/snegirev-returns-to-formula-2

Zaxby s Chevrolet Brad Keselowski

In The Hunt with RCR: Kansas

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/04/in-hunt-with-rcr-kansas.html

Jim Hall Duncan Hamilton

Travis Pastrana, No. 99 Boost Mobile Toyota Camry Richmond International Raceway Preview

RAB Racing with Brack Maggard LogoTRAVIS PASTRANA No. 99 BOOST MOBLIE TOYOTA NASCAR K&N EAST SERIES AND NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES Richmond International Raceway Preview CORNELIUS, N.C. – When Travis Pastrana makes his much anticipated NASCAR Nationwide Series debut Friday night at Richmond International Raceway, he’ll have one goal in mind – finish on the lead...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2012/nationwide/04/25/travis-pastrana-no-99-boost-mobile-toyota-camry-richmond-international-raceway-preview/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=travis-pastrana-no-99-boost-mobile-toyota-camry-richmond-international-raceway-preview

Michael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch

Lotus splits with two IndyCar teams

Lotus has split with two of its IndyCar teams, reducing the number of full-time Lotus-powered cars from five to three for the remainder of the season. Bryan Herta Autosport and Dreyer & Reinbold have both parted with the manufacturer following a difficult start to the season, with the lateness of Lotus's deal to join the series and consequent lack of testing having resulted in an engine that has proven to be both unreliable and underdeveloped. Bryan Herta Autosport had already announced its intention to miss this weekend's race in Sao Paolo and will not use the Lotus engines from this point on, while Dreyer & Reinbold will run the unit in Oriol Servia's car for the final time in Brazil

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/indycar-news/indycar/lotus-splits-with-two-indycar-teams

Fred Gamble Howden Ganley

MATT ARTIN JOINS NHRA AS DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS

NHRA GLENDORA, Calif. (Jan. 4, 2012) NHRA announced today that Matt Artin, an eight-year veteran in media planning, advertising and promotions, has joined the world's largest motorsports sanctioning body as director of advertising and promotions....

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/matt_artin_joins_nhra_as.php

François Hesnault Hans Heyer

Carella's 2011 World Title Turns a New Page in F1 H2O Series!

F1 H2O / F1 Powerboat News ABU DHABI - January 2, 2012 Italian Alex Carella of the Qatar Team used both his driving skills and youthful exuberance to overtake his wily veteran teammate Jay Price of the USA with a...

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/carellas_2011_world_title.php

Howden Ganley Frank Gardner

What I’d Do Differently: Jim Hall

C/D: How’s your health these days? JH: Pretty good. I had both knees replaced with metal and plastic [to repair injuries sustained in a 1968 crash at Stardust Raceway]. They  work good. Keep Reading: What I’d Do Differently: Jim Hall – Interview

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/6hAWB9jUmXs/what-id-do-differently-jim-hall

Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Clint Bowyer

Give to Streetsblog This Spring – You Could Win a Schwinn From Ride Brooklyn

We’re launching our spring pledge drive here on Streetsblog today, and we have some exciting prizes to give away to contributors. Before I get to that, I thought I’d share a few points about the importance of reader donations to Streetsblog and the impact your gift will have…

Thanks to support from our readers, we’ve produced [...]

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/04/18/give-to-streetsblog-this-spring-you-could-win-a-bike-from-ride-brooklyn/

Jesús Iglesias Taki Inoue

Edmunds: Honda and Acura best brands for retaining value

Filed under: Car Buying, Acura, Honda

Honda and Acura have had their fair share of issues over the last few years - from earthquakes, tsunamis and floods to important new models not being all that well received - but that hasn't stopped them from claiming top honors in Edmunds' 2012 Best Retained Value Awards.

According to Edmunds, on average, Honda vehicles are expected to retain 47.9 percent of their value after five years; Acura is just behind with 44.6 percent, taking the win in the luxury segment. In the mainstream category, Toyota and Mazda each got honorable mentions while Lexus and Cadillac to secondary honors in the luxury stakes.

Interestingly, despite not scoring the win in the mainstream class or even managing an honorable mention, Ford had the most individual wins in Edmunds' categories with five, beating Honda's four class victories. The vehicle expected to retain the most value after five years out of all classes is the Toyota Tacoma.

Want more? Click here for the full rundown from Edmunds.

Edmunds: Honda and Acura best brands for retaining value originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/19/edmunds-honda-and-acura-best-brands-for-retaining-value/

Duncan Hamilton Lewis Hamilton

Alonso convinced sixth was possible

Fernando Alonso is convinced he could have finished in sixth position in the Chinese Grand Prix at the very least, had it not been for the traffic.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/alonso-convinced-sixth-was-possible

Al Herman Hans Herrmann

What I’d Do Differently: Jim Hall

C/D: How’s your health these days? JH: Pretty good. I had both knees replaced with metal and plastic [to repair injuries sustained in a 1968 crash at Stardust Raceway]. They  work good. Keep Reading: What I’d Do Differently: Jim Hall – Interview

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/6hAWB9jUmXs/what-id-do-differently-jim-hall

Cuth Harrison Brian Hart

Toyota May Return to World Rally Championship with Turbocharged Yaris

Toyota has had a pretty stodgy reputation for the past decade or so, but recently the automaker has been trying to regain the sporty mojo it once had. (Remember the 1980s and ’90s?) The Lexus LFA supercar was the first high-profile instance of the company’s efforts, followed by its collaboration with Subaru on the rear-wheel-drive [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/MrrdyPhkHSw/

Max Jean Stefan Johansson

Hamilton ‘proud’ of Rosberg after pole

Lewis Hamilton has congratulated long-time rival Nico Rosberg on taking a maiden pole position in Formula 1. Rosberg and Hamilton have raced against each other for over a decade, dating back to their karting days, and the McLaren driver was delighted to have qualified alongside his old rival despite the gearbox penalty that will prevent them sharing the front row on Sunday. "Congratulations to Nico," said Hamilton, who will start seventh.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/hamilton-proud-of-rosberg-after-pole

Brian Henton Johnny Herbert

Webber: RBR will stick to new exhaust

Mark Webber expects Red Bull Racing to focus on the latest specification exhaust package in the long-term despite team-mate Sebastian Vettel reverting to the team's original 2012 set-up for the Chinese Grand Prix. Red Bull decided to run one package on each car in China on Friday to gather comparative data, and Vettel opted to continue with the older version because even though it produces less downforce, it creates a more consistent balance

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/webber-rbr-will-stick-to-new-exhaust

Nicolas Kiesa Leo Kinnunen

2013 Toyota RAV4 Spied: New Styling for Toyota’s Little Crossover

What It Is: An extensively camouflaged prototype of the next-generation Toyota RAV4 compact crossover, the current version of which debuted in 2006. The RAV4 was mildly refreshed for 2009, but it’s ripe for a redesign. These spy photos show that the next RAV4 is going to change quite a bit from its current form and [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/70M9LkbUr4M/2013-toyota-rav4-spy-photos-future-cars

Eddie Keizan Al Keller

Schumacher resurgence ‘great for F1′

Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn says Michael Schumacher's improved form in 2012 has come as no surprise, and believes the seven-time champion's return to the front will boost Formula 1's popularity. Schumacher's F1 comeback has at times looked ill-advised, with the German legend yet to get on the podium for Mercedes and regularly beaten by team-mate Nico Rosberg

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/schumacher-resurgence-great-for-f1

Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig

MATT ARTIN JOINS NHRA AS DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS

NHRA GLENDORA, Calif. (Jan. 4, 2012) NHRA announced today that Matt Artin, an eight-year veteran in media planning, advertising and promotions, has joined the world's largest motorsports sanctioning body as director of advertising and promotions....

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/matt_artin_joins_nhra_as.php

Kyle Busch Toyota Kimmy

MWR Weekly Wrap-Up: Changes have paid off early into the season

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/04/mwr-weekly-wrap-up-changes-have-paid.html

Horace Gould Jean Marc Gounon

Hamilton ‘proud’ of Rosberg after pole

Lewis Hamilton has congratulated long-time rival Nico Rosberg on taking a maiden pole position in Formula 1. Rosberg and Hamilton have raced against each other for over a decade, dating back to their karting days, and the McLaren driver was delighted to have qualified alongside his old rival despite the gearbox penalty that will prevent them sharing the front row on Sunday. "Congratulations to Nico," said Hamilton, who will start seventh.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/hamilton-proud-of-rosberg-after-pole

Z Line Toyota Kyle Busch

2012 NNS O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 Final Practice Session Speeds

2012 NSCS Ricky Stenhouse - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCARIt was Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., with a lap speed of 182.556 mph, once again showing the fastest way around Texas Motor Speedway during the final NNS O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 practice session. Second fastest with a lap speed of 180.868 mph, was Paul Menard,...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2012/nationwide/04/13/2012-nns-oreilly-auto-parts-300-final-practice-session-speeds/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2012-nns-oreilly-auto-parts-300-final-practice-session-speeds

Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida

Colin Monahan Named Marketing Coordinator at Infineon Raceway

Infineon Raceway SONOMA, Calif. (Jan. 4, 2012) Colin Monahan has been named Marketing Coordinator at Infineon Raceway, raceway officials announced....

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/colin_monahan_named_marke.php

Z Line Toyota Kyle Busch

Marinescu stays in F2 for 2012

Romanian driver Mihai Marinescu has committed to a third season of Formula 2 ahead of the opening rounds at Silverstone this weekend.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/marinescu-stays-in-f2-for-2012

Ernst Klodwig Kamui Kobayashi

NASCAR returns to Rockingham with Truck Series

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/04/11/1994733/nascar-returns-to-rockingham-with.html

Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch

Photo: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s NASCAR Unites – An American Salute Daytona Paint Scheme

Dale Jr. and other NASCAR drivers will carry patriotic paint schemes at Daytona International Speedway this July as part of the “NASCAR Unites – An American Salute” program. Check out Dale Jr.’s No. 88 National Guard / Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet! Source: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Facebook Page

Source: http://thefinallap.com/2012/04/09/photo-dale-earnhardt-jr-s-nascar-unites-an-american-salute-daytona-paint-scheme/

Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki

Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 130: 2012 Hyundai Equus

On Tuesday, we posted an audio recording of a mystery car’s exhaust note. To hear it again, click play above. No one figured out that this week’s sound came from the 429-hp, 5.0-liter V-8 in the 2012 Hyundai Equus. Like that sound? Download the MP3 and quiz your friends, make your own ringtone, or just [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/nRe54gkxnig/

Georges Grignard Bobby Grim

Who's ready to race with Denny?

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/04/09/1990527/whos-ready-to-race-with-denny.html

Jean Pierre Jarier Max Jean

Ryan Truex to Drive the No. 09 Grime Boss Toyota for RAB Racing at Texas

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/04/ryan-truex-to-drive-no-09-grime-boss.html

David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss

Greg Biffle, 2012 NSCS Samsung Mobile 500 Race Preview

Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 3M Ford, looks on during practice - Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCARGreg Biffle – NSCS ADVANCE Team:          No. 16 3M / Filtrete Ford Fusion Crew Chief:  Matt Puccia Chassis:      Primary: RK-809   Brand new chassis; Backup: RK-786    Last ran Homestead – finished 35th Biffle on racing at Texas Motor Speedway: “I’m jacked up going...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2012/sprintcup/04/10/greg-biffle-2012-nscs-samsung-mobile-500-race-preview/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=greg-biffle-2012-nscs-samsung-mobile-500-race-preview

Damon Hill Graham Hill

Next stop for NHRA: 4-wide racing at Concord’s zMax Dragway

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/04/07/1985905/next-stop-for-nhra-4-wide-racing.html

Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson

Friendly Rivalry Between Richard Petty and Trace Adkins Ends in Truce With $100,000 Donation from Goody’s and BC at the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 for Goody’s® Fast Relief 500

Goody's Headache Powder spokesman Richard Petty and BC Powder spokesman Trace Adkins share a moment back stage at the Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway just before BC and Goody's make a collective 0,000 donation to two of their favorite charities, ,000 for Petty's chosen charity Victory Junction from Goody's, and ,000 for Adkins'...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2012/sprintcup/04/06/friendly-rivalry-between-richard-petty-and-trace-adkins-ends-in-truce-with-100000-donation-from-goodys-and-bc-at-the-goodys-fast-relief-500-for-goodys-fast-relief-500/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=friendly-rivalry-between-richard-petty-and-trace-adkins-ends-in-truce-with-100000-donation-from-goodys-and-bc-at-the-goodys-fast-relief-500-for-goodys-fast-relief-500

Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty

Viper to return to sportscar racing

Chrysler will return to endurance racing later this year after the manufacturer announced a new racing programme for the SRT Viper in the American Le Mans Series. SRT Viper Racing is set to make its debut mid-season with an SRT Viper GTS-R, officials announced at the New Your Auto Show on Wednesday.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/viper-to-return-to-sportscar-racing

Olivier Grouillard Brian Gubby

Report: GM's Ewanick mulls turning Chevy ad campaign into sitcom

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, GM

If you haven't noticed, NBC's The Office has really jumped the shark since Steve Carrell left the show at the end of last season. Or maybe the beginning of the end was Pam and Jim's wedding during the sixth season. Regardless, the point is that the show is no longer very funny or edgy, nor does it ever make the audience uncomfortable in the way the brilliant original BBC version did. Rather, as the main characters in the American version of the show have become caricatures, The Office has grown predictable and formulaic.

And this is why Chevrolet can launch an ad campaign like its "Under The Blue Arch" series. Despite the brief, 30-second running times of the ads, the characters are instantly recognizable and the "plots" are easy to follow. Although the scenes set in a Chevy dealership play with the tropes created by the Emmy Award-winning series, they do so to little comic effect. Because comedy isn't the point - these are ads, after all, full of ham-handed product information and designed to sell cars.

If anyone should understand that it's Joel Ewanick, General Motors' Chief Marketing Officer. Yet he told Automotive News at the New York Auto Show that GM has "talked about turning this into an actual show because we've got so much material."

Well, that Chevy product line isn't nearly the joke it once was, but if you say so...

Let's just chalk this one up to Ewanick being a bit starstruck. "Under The Blue Arch" was created by Randall Einhorn, one of the directors of The Office, and it "stars" Wayne Wilderson, who appeared on the NBC show in 2006.

Click past the jump, where you can watch a few of the ads.

Continue reading GM's Ewanick mulls turning Chevy ad campaign into sitcom

GM's Ewanick mulls turning Chevy ad campaign into sitcom originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 07 Apr 2012 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/07/gms-ewanick-mulls-turning-chevy-ad-campaign-into-sitcom/

Horace Gould Jean Marc Gounon

2014 Chevrolet Impala Photos and Info: Good Looks, Three Engines, French Stitching! [New York Auto Show]

Dare we say it? For the first time in a while, Chevrolet has created an Impala that might excite someone other than fleet purchasing agents. Keep Reading: 2014 Chevrolet Impala – Official Photos and Info

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/IavEZjZrA5M/2014-chevrolet-impala-photos-and-info-news

Bruce Johnstone Alan Jones

iGPSWC Indianapolis Gallery

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/galleries/igpswc-indianapolis-gallery-2

Bruce Kessler Nicolas Kiesa

Raikkonen: Lotus just needs better luck

Kimi Raikkonen believes Lotus has what it takes to race at the front this year, even though it has not been able to show that form in the first two grands prix. The new Lotus E20 has shown good flashes of speed in qualifying and the races, but incidents have meant neither Raikkonen nor team-mate Romain Grosjean have yet shown what the car is fully capable of. Raikkonen though has faith that the potential is there - and that a weekend of no penalties or misfortune will finally allow him to deliver.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/raikkonen-lotus-just-needs-better-luck

Yuji Ide Jesús Iglesias

Front Row Report: Goody's Fast Relief 500

Source: http://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2012/04/front-row-report-goodys-fast-relief-500.html

Denny Hamlin Z Line Toyota

Crutchlow plays down practice pace

Cal Crutchlow insisted he would not let his expectations get carried away after going second quickest in MotoGP free practice in Qatar. The Tech 3 Yamaha had appeared near the head of the order several times during the weekend before being beaten only by works Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo in Friday's final session. But despite his strong form so far, Crutchlow was adamant that talk of a pole or victory challenge would be unrealistic

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/motorcycles/motogp/crutchlow-plays-down-practice-pace

Eddie Keizan Al Keller

GLOBAL iPRINT NAMED OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF NHRA

NHRA GLENDORA, Calif. Jan. 4, 2012 Global iPrint, a premier printing and distribution company, has signed a three-year agreement to become the "Official Print Sponsor" of NHRA....

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2012/01/global_iprint_named_offic.php

Bill Homeier Kazuyoshi Hoshino

Power takes Barber victory

Will Power came through from ninth on the grid to win the Barber Motorsports Park IndyCar race. The Penske driver made it to the front by the final stint, and was eventually able to edge away after a tussle with Ganassi's Scott Dixon.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/indycar-news/indycar/power-takes-barber-victory

Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage

Tony Stewart ‘Smokin’ Early

No Waiting Around For Stewart This Time Smoke’s smokin’ – and the calendar has just flipped over to spring. Rarely a fast starter, Tony Stewart is the 2012 season’s first double winner following his victory in Sunday’s weather-shortened Auto Club 400 in Southern California. In his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career, Stewart never had won [...]

Source: http://thefinallap.com/2012/03/30/tony-stewart-smokin-early/

Peter Hirt David Hobbs

New IndyCars test at Indianapolis

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/04/04/1980544/new-indycars-test-at-indianapolis.html

Bill Holland Jackie Holmes

Allmendinger celebrates best result

AJ Allmendinger celebrated his best Sprint Cup series to date, finishing second at Martinsville after surviving chaos in the closing laps. The Penske driver was in the shadows of his team-mate Brad Keselowski for most of the race at the half-mile track, but was able to avoid getting involved in the multi-car incident that unfolded after the penultimate restart, moving up from ninth all the way up to second. Having started his day ill, requiring a visit to the track's infield care center, Allmendinger drove a solid race and saw his persistence rewarded with his best ever finish in the Sprint Cup series.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/nascar/allmendinger-celebrates-best-result

Al Keller Joe Kelly

2013 Bentley Continental GT / GTC V-8 Prices Announced; Cheaper, Still Hardly Affordable [New York Auto Show]

Bentley announced pricing of its 2013 Continental GT V-8 and GTC V-8 today at the New York auto show. Shoppers of the V-8 Continentals can expect to pay roughly 90 percent of the 567-hp, 12-cylinder version’s sticker, despite receiving only 66 percent of its cylinders. The Continental GT V-8 coupe starts at $176,725 and the [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/57FsOjrAdrQ/

Brian Gubby André Guelfi

Kahne on pole at Martinsville

Kasey Kahne became the first repeat pole-winner of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season at Martinsville. The Hendrick driver narrowly beat Richard Childress Racing's Kevin Harvick, Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin, Michael Waltrip Racing's Clint Bowyer and Stewart-Haas' Ryan Newman to the top spot. Harvick had come close to adding Cup pole to his first-place starting position for the supporting Truck Series race, before Kahne deposed him.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/nascar/kahne-on-pole-at-martinsville

Cecil Green Keith Greene

Land Rover Debuts Limited-Edition LR4 and Range Rover Sport Supercharged [New York Auto Show]

Land Rover is no stranger to releasing special-edition models, and showed off its proficiency in the trade by bringing a pair of new ones to the 2012 New York auto show. The first—and yes, both have really long names—is the 2013 Range Rover Sport Supercharged Limited Edition and the second is the 2012 Land Rover [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/bfII_lmIBg4/

Z Line Toyota Kyle Busch

EXCLUSIVE: Jost Capito, Head of SVT and Performance Vehicles, Leaving Ford to Lead Volkswagen Motorsport [UPDATED]

Ford and its director of Global Performance Vehicles, Jost Capito, are parting ways, the company confirmed to Car and Driver this afternoon. During an 11-year tenure with Ford, Capito oversaw the development of the SVT Raptor and the upcoming Focus ST and Fiesta ST. Working in Europe from 2001 to 2009, Capito ran Ford’s RS [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/p1sI-yCpAo4/

Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty

Reutimann apologises for late caution

David Reutimann apologised for causing the last-minute caution which triggered chaos in Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Martinsville, after Hendrick Motorsports drivers had looked poised to claim a milestone 200th victory for the elite squad. Reutimann had been black-flagged as he ran off the pace in the closing laps while trying to make it to the finish, but his car eventually stopped three laps from the end just as a side-by-side battle for the lead was unfoldding between Hendrick drivers Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/nascar-news/nascar/reutimann-apologises-for-late-caution

Fred Gamble Howden Ganley

Official: 2013 Buick Enclave debuts with new look over same drivetrain

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Crossover, Buick, GM, Luxury

The Enclave has been a boon for Buick since it arrived in 2007, with impressive sales complemented by profitable transaction prices. And even though the big Buick has gone without a refresh since its debut, the Enclave managed its best year ever in 2011, with a segment-leading 58,000 units sold.

Buick is hoping to stretch that streak with the Enclave's first refresh for 2013. The tweaked three-row crossover will receive several updates, starting with a new front fascia that includes a black chrome waterfall grille and redesigned hood. The front also includes a new headlight design with standard Xenon headlamps and LED daytime running lights. Out back, the 2013 Enclave features new LED taillights and a fresh design with integrated exhaust outlets.

Overall, the exterior redesign is evolutionary, but more dramatic changes await inside. The Enclave's cabin was fast becoming outdated, but Buick upped its game with a fresh dash that includes more modern-looking materials and contemporary center stack. There are also tasteful wood treatments, a smattering of chrome accents and attractive stitching throughout. The cabin also features blue LED ambient lighting that accentuates the size of this voluminous crossover.

The 2013 Enclave will also inherit Buick's IntelliLink infotainment system, which offers a brilliant LCD and interactivity with smart phones via Bluetooth and USB connections. The Enclave also features tri-zone climate control and an industry-first front center airbag for additional crash protection.

Buick engineers hasn't made any changes to the tried-and-true 3.6-liter V6 or the six-speed automatic, but the ride and handling setup has been given a bit of love. The front and rear dampers were revised for a smoother ride, with adjustments that also ensure big bumps don't loosen your fillings. The ride has also received more "Quiet Tuning," (read: insulation) which keeps even more unwanted road noise out of the re-imagined cabin than before.

The 2013 Buick Enclave will make its official debut at the New York Auto Show tomorrow. Scroll down to read over the press release from Buick and peruse official high-resolution images in the gallery above.

Continue reading 2013 Buick Enclave debuts with new look over same drivetrain

2013 Buick Enclave debuts with new look over same drivetrain originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/03/2013-buick-enclave-debuts-with-new-look-over-same-drivetrain/

Hans Heyer Damon Hill

Brendan Gaughan Finishes 10th at Auto Club Speedway

2012 NNS Brendan Gaughan - Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCARBrendan Gaughan and the No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet team finished 10th in the Royal Purple 300 at Auto Club Speedway. Gaughan started the 150-lap affair from the eighth position and was scored sixth by the race’s halfway mark. Crew chief...more»

Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2012/nationwide/03/25/brendan-gaughan-finishes-10th-at-auto-club-speedway/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=brendan-gaughan-finishes-10th-at-auto-club-speedway

Zaxby s Chevrolet Brad Keselowski

Official: Google Maps regains ability to estimate your trip duration with traffic

Filed under: Etc., Technology

Google Maps has reinstated the feature letting you know how long a trip will take in current traffic. According to Autoblog's sister site, Engadget, the previous algorithm didn't pass muster, so the updated calculations uses both historical and current traffic conditions to arrive at an estimated time of arrival. It appears on the journeys for which information is available beneath the no-traffic estimate.

If the map can't find information on your chosen roads, you can assist The Goog and your fellow travelers by turning on My Location if you have a Google Maps for Android. Your phone - and a bunch of others - will update home base as to your velocities and help fill in those traffic blanks.

Google Maps regains ability to estimate your trip duration with traffic originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/03/google-maps-regains-ability-to-estimate-your-trip-duration-with/

Duncan Hamilton Lewis Hamilton

Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 130

Hit play for an audio recording of a mystery car’s exhaust note, and then share your guesses or get a few hints from other visitors in the comments below. Be sure to check back on Thursday for the answer!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/nRe54gkxnig/

Aldo Gordini Horace Gould

Full Rally Finland route revealed

The full route for this year's Rally Finland has been revealed and it retains only three stages in identical form from last season's event.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/world-rally-championship-news/wrc/full-rally-finland-route-revealed

Bruce Kessler Nicolas Kiesa

Q and A: Latvala on Portugal disaster

Jari-Matti Latvala third mistake in four rallies in Portugal cost him another likely win and left him 38 points behind championship leader Sebastien Loeb and 34 points down on his Ford number two Petter Solberg. Latvala spoke to AUTOSPORT about his run of accidents and how he can try and rescue his World Rally Championship season

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/world-rally-championship-news/wrc/q-and-a-latvala-on-portugal-disaster

Fred Gamble Howden Ganley

Saavedra commands Lights race

Sebastien Saavedra took an emphatic win in Sunday's Indy Lights race at Barber Motorsports Park. The Colombian, who returned to the series this year after a season in IndyCar, started from pole and never looked threatened. During the mid-point of the race the Andretti racer's lead had stretched to over 2.5 seconds over the pursuing Tristan Vautier, but a couple of late caution periods bunched the field up and reduced his final victory margin to 0.6s.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/saavedra-commands-lights-race

James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears

Official: Cadillac CUEs up improved 2013 SRX

Filed under: Technology, Crossover, Cadillac, GM, Luxury

Cadillac is updating its best-seller for the 2013 model year, with the SRX crossover getting several technology enhancements, including CUE, the luxury brand's new infotainment system.

The acronym stands for Cadillac User Experience, which uses a capacitive touchscreen for control of numerous functions, including interfacing with a driver's smartphone. While other systems like CUE already exist, none offer proximity sensing and haptic feedback such that the display changes as a driver's hand nears it and gives feedback to his selection. We've already posted a deep dive with CUE here.

The other big upgrade is the availability of new safety technology in conjunction with Cadillac's Safety Alert Seat, which we wrote about here. Two packages will be offered, one called "Driver Awareness" and the other "Driver Assist." The former is focused on crash prevention by way of providing driver alerts, while the latter will also include vehicle intervention.

Cadillac has also added active noise cancellation to the SRX for 2013, along with redesigning the steering wheel and shifter and updating the instrument cluster to accommodate CUE. Some new USB and SD card ports, minor rear-seat entertainment upgrades, standard HD radio, and new interior color combinations round out the changes.

Click past the jump to read the full press release.

Continue reading Cadillac CUEs up improved 2013 SRX

Cadillac CUEs up improved 2013 SRX originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/02/cadillac-cues-up-improved-2013-srx/

Tony Gaze Geki

2013 Lincoln MKZ Shows Off a Big Retractable Glass Roof [New York Auto Show]

Lincoln has released a video of its 2013 MKZ flaunting the car’s new retractable glass roof. But this isn’t your ordinary standard-issue sunroof. This one is, well, huge. A 15.2-square-foot section of the roof—basically everything between the A- and C-pillars—slides back to create an opening that is almost two feet long by two-and-a-half-feet wide. The [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/EvXmWEdV8-A/

Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Fred Gamble

Larini edges Liuzzi in practice two

Andrea Larini topped the times in the second International Superstars Series practice session at Monza, with Tonio Liuzzi making it a Mercedes 1-2 ahead of today's qualifying session. Larini jumped to the top of the times mid-session with a 1m55.798s lap, a time that proved good enough to be the benchmark for the second session. However, his time was still 0.7 seconds slower than the best time set by Francesco Sini in free practice one earlier on Saturday.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/larini-edges-liuzzi-in-practice-two

Joe James John James

2013 Acura RDX First Drive: A More-Mature Compact Luxury Crossover with V6 Power

Acura’s first RDX launched in 2006, in hot pursuit of some dude named Jason. Who’s Jason? An aggressive, competitive (and fictitious) 30-year-old architect who typified Acura’s notion of an “urban achiever.” By 2010, Acura realized that “Jason” prefers “other types of  vehicles” (and possibly  “blondes”). Actual RDX buyers are “DINKs” (double income, no kids) and [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/0H4ReN11SVE/2013-acura-rdx-first-drive-review

Carl Edwards Copart Ford

Video: Ford straps engineers in 2013 Taurus SHO with Carl Edwards, hilarity ensues

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford

Ford put nine of its own engineers inside of a new car they helped create, the 2013 Ford Taurus SHO, so they could experience its capabilities for themselves. Nothing out of the ordinary there, but Ford also thoughtfully put NASCAR driver Carl Edwards in the driver's seat, and it turns out that the boffins didn't realize how capable their car was until the Sprint Cup driver showed them.

In a new series of TV and internet spots called "Rocket Science," Edwards spends most of his time going tire-smoking sideways while engineers discuss the features of the hotted-up all-wheel drive Taurus, like the blind-spot assistance system and its 475-mile range. There's a press release with the particulars, but you'll want to click past to jump to check out the vids showing a string of very nervous engineers in the hands of a very professional driver on a very closed course.

Continue reading Ford straps engineers in 2013 Taurus SHO with Carl Edwards, hilarity ensues

Ford straps engineers in 2013 Taurus SHO with Carl Edwards, hilarity ensues originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/02/ford-straps-engineers-in-2013-taurus-sho-with-carl-edwards-hila/

Copart Ford Denny Hamlin