Monday, December 7, 2009


2009 Porsche Cayman - Short Take Road Test

More displacement—and power—keep this luscious coupe on top.


2010 Kia Forte Koup SX - Short Take Road Test

Kia's first two-door is a looker with class-leading performance.


2010 Audi A5 2.0T - Short Take Road Test

One of the best turbo fours makes one of the sexiest cars more attainable.


2010 Toyota 4Runner V6 - Short Take Road Test

Pioneer of the SUV craze, the 4Runner sticks to its roots as a true, do-it-all 4x4.


2010 Ford Mustang V6 - Second Short Take

Dates back to George the First, but is a lot more fun.


2009 Mitsubishi i / i-MiEV Prototype - Quick Spin

Mitsubishi’s giggly minicars offer minimum fun, maximum freak-out potential.


2010 Lexus GX460 - First Drive Review

Lexus gives its posh off-roader more of everything except interior space.


2009 Cadillac CTS-V vs. 2010 Jaguar XFR, 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG - Comparison Tests

Rabids at Rest: A rare moment of inactivity finds the latest from Cadillac, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz rubbing fender wells to determine supremacy among 500-plus-hp luxury sedans.

2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo - Road Test

24 Hours of Dayton: One filthy Porsche Panamera Turbo! 500 German horsepower! One excellent waffle house! Four red-eyed drivers! 1078 miles of frightened Ohio motorists!

2010 Mazda CX-7 2.2 MZR-CD Diesel - Quick Spin

Mazda gives Europe a torquey turbo-diesel in place of our wheezy four-banger.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Porsche Boxster and Cayman
The hallmark of a true sports car is how well it involves its driver in the driving. Although the Boxster and the Cayman differ in character—roadster versus hardtop—they’re alike in terms of how well they communicate every nuance of mechanical information to the pilots and how accurately they convert driver inputs into response. This is the essence of the car-and-driver connection, and few sports cars do it better.

Volkswagen GTI


It’s been a quarter-century since the first GTI put an exclamation point on Volkswagen’s Rabbit lineup, and 25 years of continuous development through five generations have yielded a car that still defines the class it established in that other century.

Jaguar XF -

In our first hands-on report concerning this new car [March 2008], we described the XF as “an athletic five-seater that defies ancient traditions.” That’s a key point, because Jaguar had been mired in a styling rut, perpetuating past designs to the point of irrelevance. We’ve heard a few pundits suggest the XF “doesn’t look like a Jaguar.” To which we say: Right, and none too soon

Thursday, November 12, 2009


Mazda MX-5 Miata


Mazda modernized the concept of the classic British roadster with the original Miata in 1989, and two decades later, the process is still in progress. Suspension tuning strikes an inspired balance between everyday comfort and track-day readiness, there’s enough power to make a track day rewarding, the transmission is race-car crisp, and the steering provides that rare sense of connection that makes the car an extension of the driver’s will.

Monday, November 9, 2009


2009 Chevrolet Corvette


The big news in the Corvette camp this year is obviously the ZR1 supercar, the 638-hp rocket that’s the capo di tutti capo of Vettes. We’re seduced by Chevy’s new missile, but we can’t include it in our 2009 awards because it has a base price that’s some 34 grand north of our maximum base price of $71,000 (2.5 times the average transaction price for all light-duty vehicles sold in 2008). That cutoff (down $1000 from 2007) also eliminates the Z06, an ’08 listee whose ’09 base price has crept over the line.

2009 Cadillac CTS / CTS-V


Last year, the redesigned CTS was the second Cadillac to win a 10Best Cars award (the first was the 1992 Seville), and this year, it’s the first Caddy to become a 10Best repeater. We were impressed with its dynamics, its upscale interior, the performance of its optional 304-hp, 3.6-liter direct-injection V-6, its slightly softened but still distinctively edgy styling, its overall refinement, and the fact that it offers manual as well as automatic transmissions.

We’re still impressed. But impressed is a tame descriptor for our response to the V  version of this car. Overwhelmed is more like it. Like the CTS, the CTS-V is far more refined in its second generation. But that’s not the first thing that grabs the driver’s attention, particularly if his right foot is flat to the fire wall and he’s rowing through the six forward speeds.


2009 BMW 3-series / M3


What are the key elements of automotive perfection? From our perspective, the list of qualifications includes eager responses, supple ride quality, smooth power, supportive seats, athletic proportions with limited front overhang, attractive styling with familial features that endure through the generations, a car that is always entertaining to drive.

For us, the sum of those attributes is epitomized by the BMW 3-series. Not only is this true for 2009, the addition has been coming out the same way now for 18 years: a string of consecutive 10Best Cars appearances that’s unique in the 27-year history of these awards.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Rossi romped to his fifth win of the season

Valentino Rossi romped to his fifth win of the season in Brno to move a step closer to a sixth FIM MotoGP Championship.

The Fiat Yamaha star started the Czech Republic race on pole position ahead of team-mate and nearest challenger Jorge Lorenzo and the duo fought out a race-long duel before the young Spaniard crashed out with five laps remaining to all but end his title hopes.

Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa inherited second after Lorenzo's error with Toni Elias, Andrea Dovizioso and Loris Capirossi rounding out the top five.

With Casey Stoner beginning his three-race break to recover from a mystery illness, Mika Kallio stepped into the factory Marlboro Ducati team for his debut and was lying in a creditable ninth before crashing on the penultimate lap, while British rider James Toseland was ninth on his Tech 3 Yamaha.

Pedrosa led at turn one ahead of Rossi after a trademark quick start but the masterful Italian took just three corners to slide past to leave Lorenzo in third.

Lorenzo soon passed Pedrosa on lap three to chase down Rossi and the pair then exchanged a series of new lap records before Lorenzo made a fine move with seven laps remaining to take the lead.

Rossi then made a move at the same corner with five laps to go and Lorenzo buckled under the pressure to crash out and leave Rossi to streak away to a 102nd career win, some 11.766 seconds ahead of Pedrosa.

Lorenzo - who also crashed out at Donington last time out - is now 50 points behind Rossi with the absent Stoner back in third in the standings.

Rossi said: "For us it was a great race - nearly perfect.

"I got in front of Dani and then pushed very hard but Jorge was just as fast. When he went past me I thought, ok, now the battle begins again but unfortunately he crashed.

"But that was good for me because 50 points is a big lead. Now we must try to keep it up and look to win again."

For Elias the unexpected podium meant a great end to a bad week in which he was told he would not be retained by the Gresini Honda team for 2010.

He said: "I am really happy because for the last four races we have been close to the front and this was a great result.

"I needed a podium and it was a present for me because of Jorge's crash.

"At this moment I don't have a bike or a team for next year but after this I hope to sort something out."

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Rossi hoping for another good result at Brno

Fresh from a two-week summer break, Fiat Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo head to Brno in the Czech Republic this weekend riding high at the top of the championship. Despite a disappointing last round in the UK the pair remain first and second in the standings with seven rounds remaining, setting up a thrilling final seven-race run to the end of the season.

Brno is a special track for Rossi as the Italian took the first of his 101 career victories there, in the 125cc class in 1996. Since then he has added a 250cc win and four MotoGP victories to his tally, including a commanding one last year on the way to his eighth World Championship title, and three second places. The 30-year-old slid out of the lead in Donington last time out but remounted to finish fifth, meaning he managed to extend his lead at the top of the championship to 25 points from his team-mate.

22-year-old Lorenzo also has an impressive record at Brno, having won there in 125cc and twice in 250cc, both times from pole position. He finished tenth at the Czech track last year, a creditable performance considering that he was nursing broken bones in his foot sustained at the previous round in America. This year he arrives more or less in full fitness, having had a chance to fully recover from another foot injury, lying second in the championship and determined to put in a good performance to try to close some of the 25-point deficit to Rossi.

This year marks the 40th time a Grand Prix has been held at Brno since the 14km road circuit was first used in 1965. Today the modern track retains much of the character of the original road circuit, with its winding chicanes and dramatic elevation changes. The well-balanced nature of the circuit make it an ideal testing venue and the team will remain there after the race for a key mid-season test. Brno sees an important new rule come into existence, with all riders now restricted to just five engines for the final seven races of the season with a 10-point deduction for any rider who goes over his quota.

Valentino Rossi - “Rested and relaxed”
“The summer ‘holiday’ wasn’t as long as usual but anyway I’ve had the chance to recharge the batteries in the break and I’m feeling rested and relaxed. Last time out wasn’t ideal but in the end it was a positive day for us and we now have a one-race buffer at the top of the championship. Despite this breathing space we can’t afford to relax for a minute because our rivals are very strong and I expect everyone to be at their best in Brno. It’s a great track for me and I took my first ever win there; I’m hoping for another good result this time.”

Jorge Lorenzo - “Aiming to get back on the podium”
“I’m really excited about this race after what feels like a long time without one. It was good to have a bit of a break and I used the time to work on my fitness and to completely recover from the injuries I had after Laguna, in the gym and with my physiotherapist. The result is that I feel much better than I did in Germany and England and I’m excited to be getting back on the bike. I like Brno and I have had good results in the past there, including three wins. This time my aim is to fight hard and get back on the podium.”

Davide Brivio - “A good circuit for Valentino and Yamaha”
“After a short break, Brno is the start of three close races before the real season finale of the remaining four events. Brno is a good circuit both for Valentino and for Yamaha in general and we have to take advantage of this to manage and hopefully extend the 25-point advantage we currently have in the championship. Valentino has always been at the top there and it’s a track that’s full of important memories for him and for us, including in 2008 when it marked the start of us ‘completing’ the job of recapturing the title. At the moment we’re working very well and we are looking forward to maintaining the same high standard as much as possible. The competition amongst the top riders is very exciting and we hope we can offer everyone another great show.”

Daniele Romagnoli - “Great motivation”
“A little break to recharge the batteries has been useful for us all before the last seven races. This has given Jorge the chance to improve his fitness after his Laguna Seca injuries and he will be in good shape for Brno. All the team and Jorge want to forget the ‘zero point’ of Donington and we have a great motivation to catch Valentino at the top of the championship! From this Grand Prix the new engine rule will be applied but Yamaha has worked hard on engine durability and maintaining performance so we’re confident that it won’t be an issue.”

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Rossi claimed pole position for the British GP

Defending world champion Valentino Rossi claimed pole position for the British Grand Prix here on Saturday.

The Yamaha rider finished just ahead of Spaniards Dani Pedrosa (Honda) and his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo with only one second covering the first seven on the grid.

Rossi ensured pole for Sunday's race with the top qualifying time of 1min 28.116sec which gave the eight-time world champion's fourth pole of the season.

Pedrosa was fastest in practice in the rain on Friday and again in Saturday's early session only for Rossi to turn on the power when it mattered most to edge out the Spaniard by .095sec.

Former world champion Casey Stoner, Andrea Dovizioso and Colin Edwards will start on the second row.

"I'm surprised," was Rossi's initial reaction after bagging his 55th career pole but his first at Donington since 2005.

He suggested rain, a definite possibility on raceday, could well play a major part on Sunday.

"We're not at the maximum with the hard tyre, so if tomorrow is dry, we'll have to reconsider and modify out settings as I don't have much grip," he added.

Pedrosa was satisfied with his afternoon's work.

"Front row is good, as we've not been there in the last few races so that's important," said the Honda rider.

The flamboyant Italian is targeting his 102nd grand prix win at Donington, which is staging its last MotoGP ahead of next year's move to Silverstone.

In 250cc qualifying, Spain's Hector Barbera snatched pole from Italian champion Marco Simoncelli by .092sec with championship leader Hiroshi Aoyama of Japan and another Spaniard Alex Debon completing the front row of the grid.

Briton Bradley Smith gave the home crowd something to shout about after taking pole in the 125cc division.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

U.S. Grand Prix 2009 : Victory for Pedrosa

Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa stormed to a flag-to-flag victory in the U.S. Grand Prix before a sun-drenched crowd of nearly of over 46,000 on the challenging Laguna Seca circuit within sight of the Pacific Ocean in Monterey, California.

Starting fourth on the grid, the Spaniard jetted into the lead over the turn one crest and into the turn two left hand hairpin. Then he was gone. Pedrosa set one fast lap after another to pull away to what seemed a certain victory. But on the final lap Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) made a robust challenge to Pedrosa, closing onto his rear tire in the final turn. Pedrosa, however, was resolute, and used the power of the Honda RC212V to cross the line with a gap of .344s. Rossi was second and his teammate Jorge Lorenzo was third.

The victory, Pedrosa’s seventh in MotoGP and 30th career, was his first since the Catalunya Grand Prix on June 8, 2008. He was also able to solidify fourth in the championship after eight of 17 rounds.

What made the victory especially sweet, was that it showed he’d reverted to the form that can take him to victory after a very difficult set of races. Pedrosa injured his right hip in a crash in Mugello and for the following two races he couldn’t ride as he wanted. Today he was under no physical restrictions and showed what a powerful package he and the Honda RC212V can be.

Attrition took its toll on the field as they tried to complete 32 laps of the demanding
3.61k track. Only 12 made it to the finish, but four of the top eleven were Honda-mounted. San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Toni Elias finished a season best sixth and within .4 secs. of fifth placed Nicky Hayden (Ducati), who he chased to the checkered flag.

Randy De Puniet (LCR Honda) finished ninth, two spots in front of Alex De Angelis on the second San Carlo Honda Gresini machine. De Puniet had difficulty with traffic in the early laps before breaking clear. His fastest lap was the 18th of 32, by which time he was securely in ninth. De Angelis also found the early part of the race more difficult than the latter part. His fast lap was also on the 18th. And though he pressured Marco Melandri (Kawasaki), he couldn’t find a way past and was frustrated to miss out on a top ten finish by under a second.

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) was among the unlucky. The Italian was in a secure fifth place and on the tail of the lead quartet when his front end slid away in the left hand turn five on the seventh lap. Earlier he’d had problems with engine braking after inadvertently hitting his clutch lever on one of the plastic stanchions separating the pit lane exit from the track. But he took full responsibility for the crash, which happened after repeated warnings.

Earlier, Gabor Talmacsi (Scot Honda) had crashed out on the fourth lap. It was his first race crash in his third MotoGP race, and on his first visit to Laguna Seca.


Repsol took a narrow win in the 2009 US GP

The Repsol Honda rider took a narrow win in the 2009 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca over Fiat Yamahas Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

At the start of the 32-lap race, the young Spaniard managed to get the holeshot despite starting from the second row, followed by Marlboro Ducati’s Casey Stoner, Rossi, Pedrosa’s Honda teammate Andrea Dovizioso and Lorenzo. American riders Nick Hayden and Colin Edwards weren't far behind in the sixth and seventh slots.

As the riders funneled into the Corkscrew, Rossi would dive-bomb inside of Stoner to take over second place. However, a few laps later Stoner retaliated with an inside pass going into the ultra-fast Turn 1. Behind him, the racing action got dicey, as Dovizioso hit the front brakes too hard coming into Turn 5 and crashed his Respol Honda on Lap 6. Luckily, Dovi was unhurt. One lap later, Sete Gibernau crashed his satellite Honda in Turn 11 with a little too much front brake.

Up front, Pedrosa continued to creep away from the field with a string of fast laps in the 1:22-range. Rossi would retake second position over Stoner and made the pass stick as the Marlboro Ducati rider's pace began to lag. On Lap 11, Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s James Toseland got black flagged for allegedly jumping the start, thereby ending his race.

By midpoint , Pedrosa would be the first rider to break into the 1:21s, with the young Spaniard carrying a three-second gap over Rossi. As Stoner’s pace slowed, Lorenzo was able to move into the third-position. Meanwhile, American rider Nicky Hayden had muscled up to fifth, 11 seconds behind the leader.

With two-thirds of the race completed, Lorenzo was the second racer to break into the 1:21 range, as the injured rider tried to track down his teammate. With five laps to go, Gorgeous Jorge was within striking distance of Rossi and dove underneath the Italian in a daring move into Turn 11, but the 22-year-old ran wide on the exit, handing the position back to Rossi. The daring move killed the Spaniard's drive onto the front straightaway and Rossi immediately opened-up a one second gap. The next lap Rossi immediately upped his pace and also dropped into the 21s, ending Lorenzo’s chances of catching up.

By the final lap, Pedrosa was within Rossi's clutches. The Championship Points leader attempted to make an inside pass on the last turn but was simply too far away to make it happen. The two would motor down the straightaway with Pedrosa winning by three-hundredths of a second.

“I was able to make up time at the end,” Rossi said after the race. “I made some changes after the morning on the front end and they didn’t work so well. Once the fuel was able to come down and the tires to slide some I was much better and I was able to push and catch Dani. I was very close at the end in the last corner but a pass was not possible, too dangerous.”

Lorenzo would secure the final podium position, which is astounding considering his recent injury. Fourth would go to Stoner some 10-seconds back of the winner, with Hayden crossing the line another 10 seconds behind him in fifth, making the home-race a season-best for the American.

“It’s hard for me to say that I’m happy with fifth place being a two-time winner here, but honestly I’m pretty happy,” said the Kentucky Kid with his trademark million-dollar smile. “In the race I was able to get a decent start, but I really wish I could have got by Toni (Elias) earlier and try to get in that front group. I think I could have kept them in sight a little bit. They weren’t a lot faster than me. But, again, by far my best qualifying and my best race. I’m happy and I feel like we’re really slowly making some progress. We’ve come a long way with the guys on some settings and the electronics and I really hope we can keep it going.”

Edwards would collect a seventh place finish, behind San Carlo Honda Gresini's Toni Elias. Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen finished eighth.

Marlboro Ducatis Nick Hayden finished fifth at Laguna some 15 seconds behind winner Pedrosa.

Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix MotoGP Race Results:
1. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 44:01.580
2. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +0.344
3. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +1.926
4. Casey Stoner (Ducati) +12.432
5. Nick Hayden (Ducati) +21.663
6. Toni Elias (Honda) +22.041
7. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) +30.201
8. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) +32.857
9. Randy De Puniet (Honda) +40.325
10. Marco Melandri (Kawasaki) +48.028
11. Alex De Angelis (Honda) +48.810
12. Niccolo Canepa (Ducati) +78.531
DNF. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda)
DNF. Sete Gibernau (Ducati)
DNF. Loris Capirossi (Suzuki)
DNF. Gabor Talmacsi (Honda)
Excluded. James Toseland (Yamaha)

HONDA MotoGP RIDER QUOTES

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 1st, said: “This is a fantastic win for us and it’s a great feeling after such a long time without a victory. The start to the season has been really difficult and actually it’s been tough since Sachsenring last year because I’ve had a lot of injuries and I haven’t been able to ride at 100 per cent for a long time, or train properly. But my team and Honda never gave up and I’d like to thank everyone who’s been working really hard to help me get back to this position. I’d also like to thank the doctors who have treated me because there have been quite a few of them! I got a good start, I was able to get into a good rhythm straight away and my pace was a little better than in practice. Perhaps my only mistake here was to slow down too much on the last lap because I didn’t realize how close Valentino was. Anyway, it was a great race, a great day and it’s a great feeling. Now I just want to focus on each race and get the best results possible. There’s a long way to go in the championship but there’s also a big gap to the leaders so I’m just going to take it one race at a time.”

Toni Elias, San Carlo Honda Gresini:
6th, said: “It is not a bad result and we couldn’t have done much more than that because my race pace was exactly the same as in practice. I was able to go quicker for a lap or two in practice but generally we knew this was what we would be capable of today in terms of my own performance. To be honest I was hoping the front guys would be a little slower than that and allow us to challenge them but the pace was very quick so compliments to them. In general this weekend has been much better than previous races and so was the result, but we always want more.”

Randy De Puniet, LCR Honda: 9th, said: : “I am quite satisfied as it was hard to expect a better result starting from the fourth row on this “up-and-down” track. I struggled with grip problems since Friday and we tried to adjust our issues but at the end the bike was not at 100%. My start was not brilliant and found some traffic in the first laps but after that my rhythm was good enough to pass a few riders. We decided to go for a softer rear tire which was a good choice for the beginning of the race but grip from the rear tire dropped at ten laps to go. This is another productive result for me and the Team as I am holding the 9th place in the championship”

Alex De Angelis, San Carlo Honda Gresini: 11th, said: “We made some changes to the bike for today but with the conditions being so much cooler for the warm-up this morning than they were for the race in the afternoon, we hadn’t really tested them. I was really struggling over the first few laps and the bike was moving around a lot but the problem eased in the second half of the race and I was able to push harder. I honestly thought I could run with Vermeulen today and that would have been a battle for eighth place so it’s a shame we suffered this setback. Anyway, at least we picked up a few points.”

Andrea Dovizioso, Repsol Honda: DNF, said: “We were in good shape, I’d got into a fast rhythm and I’m sure we could have had good result today, so I’m very disappointed. Unfortunately I made a mistake and I have spoiled this opportunity. During the first laps, I was behind Valentino, I wanted to overtake him and I was very close at the end of the straight. It’s a blind
point and I was so close that I didn’t see the plastic poles that separate the track from the pit lane. I hit a few of them and in the impact the clutch lever bent, and from that moment on I couldn’t control the engine braking. It was my mistake as my line was too far to the left but after that it was tough to ride and change gear properly. Nevertheless, I tried to stay up with the leaders. Then I lost the front and crashed after having had a couple of warnings. I’m really disappointed because we are getting closer to front-running pace at every race and here we could have done well. Still, I believe in myself, in the machine and in my team, and I really hope to get a good result soon.”

Gabor Talmacsi, Scot Honda: DNF said: “I had a very good feeling with the bike, and a good start. Then suddenly, when I was 15th, I lost the front. I cannot say why. I'm fine, but it is really a pity because I was in a condition to get a good result. I stay confident for the next race.”

Monday, June 29, 2009

Rossi: 100th grand Prix victory in Holland

Valentino Rossi claimed pole position for the Dutch TT at Assen as he bids to record his 100th grand Prix victory in Holland.

The Fiat Yamaha rider and defending FIM MotoGP World Champion, who is tied at the top of the current points standings with team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and Ducati Marlboro's Casey Stoner, left it late in the qualifying session before claiming pole with a lap time of one minute 36.025 seconds.

Dani Pedrosa was second quickest on the Repsol Honda despite still being hampered by a hip injury.

Third on the grid is Rossi's team-mate Lorenzo who will be looking to bounce back after the Italian won a thrilling duel between the two of them at the last GP in Spain.

Lorenzo was leading on the last lap when Rossi forced his way to the front at the Catalunya circuit near Barcelona.

Lorenzo became the only rider to qusport tralify for every race of the MotoGP season so far on the front row after his best time relegated Stoner to fourth on the grid at Assen.

Veteran Colin Edwards had led the session but was eventaully relegated to fifth on the grid on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha as the times fell rapdily in the closing minutes.

Rizla Suzuki rider Loris Capirossi was sixth fastest and his team-mate Chris Vermeulen was next.

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda), James Toseland (Monster Tech 3 Yamaha) and Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) rounded out the top 10.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Brand New Ferrari F430 Cars
New Ferrari F430 cars available with discount pricing on selected models through our accredited dealers. View the full F430 specifications and range of safety features and select additional options to create a car that suits you needs.

Brand New BMW 650i Cars

New BMW 650i cars available with discount pricing on selected models through our accredited dealers. View the full 650i specifications and range of safety features and select additional options to create a car that suits you needs.
The 650i new car range contains 2 models.



Toyota Corolla 150 Series Hatch and Sedan

Bigger, and according to its maker, better, the tenth generation Corolla aims to tempt newcomers without losing its legion of fans

Sunday, May 24, 2009


The 2009 Nissan GT-R

The 2009 Nissan GT-R delivers the kind of supercar performance that stuns enthusiast magazines and consumer auto Web sites alike—at a price point that’s at least half of its true competitors. In the words of Edmunds, “The 2009 Nissan GT-R delivers true supercar performance in a user-friendly package for less coin than a base Porsche 911.”

Subaru To Tap Toyota Expertise For 2012 Hybrid

Subaru is looking to Toyota for assistance in developing a new gasoline-electric hybrid model that will be launched by 2012, according to remarks from Fuji Heavy Industries president Ikuo Mori, at the launch of the new Subaru Legacy in Japan. Based on early reports, it isn't altogether clear which Toyota platform, or which specific version of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive, would be employed in the new vehicle, but since meeting the tougher fuel-efficiency and emissions regulations is an issue, TheCarConnection.com points to the Prius as the most likely candidate.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Lorenzo victorious in France


Jorge Lorenzo heads Valentino Rossi after French MotoGP grand prix win

Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo's gamble on tyres paid off as he won the FIM MotoGP World Championship race in France.

But the real shock was second place for the Hayate Racing machine of Marco Melandri, who put his Ducati and Kawasaki nightmares firmly behind him.

Jorge Lorenzo has overtaken his Fiat Yamaha team-mate, the current world champion Valentino Rossi, in the MotoGP world championship after wining the French grand prix at Le Mans.

The Spanish rider finished 17.71sec ahead of Marco Melandri of Italy, with Dani Pedrosa of Spain beating Italy's Andrea Dovizioso into third place with a late burst of speed. Lorenzo leads the overall standings by a point after four races, with Rossi and Casey Stoner tied for second on 65 points.

Rossi had gone in early to switch to his second bike with slick tyres but that strategy proved to be his undoing as he slid off and then visited the pits several times – including once for a ride-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane – to get his tyre selection right.

Behind Lorenzo and Melandri were the Honda duo Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso, with the Ducati of Stoner in fifth.

Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) was sixth, Colin Edwards (Yamaha) finished seventh and Vermeulen's team-mate Loris Capirossi was eighth. James Toseland was ninth and Toni Elias (San Carlo Honda) 10th. Rossi came 16th and failed to score a championship point.

Melandri struggled to be competitive on the Ducati and also thought he might not be racing this season when Kawasaki pulled out of MotoGP.

A compromise deal struck by Kawasaki and series rights holders Dorna resulted in the Italian racing on machines supplied by the Japanese manufacturer and run under the Hayate Racing banner.

Melandri repaid the team with a fine second place behind Lorenzo, who had stayed out on the drying track with a bike running wet-weather tyres longer than most of his rivals.

Rossi could only finish 16th and failed to score a championship point, leaving the defending champion one point behind new leader Lorenzo in the standings and tied in second with Stoner on 65 points.

Jorge Lorenzo takes win in manic bike swap race

Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo took a stunning second win of the season in Le Mans today, negotiating varying track conditions and a change of bikes to lead from the first lap to the flag and take the championship lead. It was a doom-laden day for his team-mate Valentino Rossi however as the world champion slid off early on and then had a ride-through penalty to compound his misfortune.

With the track still wet from a rainy morning all riders started the race on rain tyres, with the mechanics readying the dry bikes in pit lane in anticipation of an early change as the track dried out. Lorenzo, starting from second, slipped a place at the start but had passed both Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa by the end of the first lap to take the lead. By lap five a dry line had begun to appear and a few riders chose to make early pit stops to change bikes. The 22-year-old Spaniard however was feeling comfortable and had an excellent pace on his Bridgestone wets and so he stayed out, constantly stretching his lead. In the end he was the last of the front-runners to pit, a gamble which paid off brilliantly as he was by then nearly 34 seconds clear and was able to rejoin the race in the lead on lap 13. Once he had bit of heat in his slick tyres the youngster put his head down and kept his nerve for the remaining 15 laps and he eventually took the chequered flag an impressive 17.710 seconds clear of second-placed Marco Melandri.

It was a day of stark contrasts on the opposite side of the garage, with Rossi forced to make an incredible four visits to pit lane. The Italian was in second behind his team-mate when he elected for an early bike change, coming in to swap onto his second M1 on dry Bridgestones after just five laps. The change went smoothly but the track was still damp in places and he went down on the next lap whilst trying to warm his tyres up. He returned to the pits next time around to swap back onto his other bike, with the rules stipulating that he had to keep one wet tyre with the second bike change, but a problem with his pit-limiter meant he was penalised for speeding on exit and forced to return once again two laps later to perform a ride-through penalty. His final visit to the garage came on lap 11 when he changed once again onto a fully-dry machine, but by then he was some two laps adrift and he finished in 16th.

Lorenzo’s 25-point haul takes him into the lead by one point and he now has 66 points to Rossi’s 65. Stoner has the same points as Rossi but lies third as the Italian has more second places, and Pedrosa follow in the standings. With just nine points separating the top four the next round in Mugello is sure to be a thrilling spectacle.

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 1 Time: 47′52.678
“Never in all my dreams did I imagine this situation today – winning the race and leading the championship. This season I have been much more calm and careful and so I was really upset after the crash in Jerez because I didn’t expect it! Today has made up for that though. I had a very good pace with both types of tyre and the strategy of our team worked perfectly. I felt happy to stay out on the wet tyres for such a long time and in the end I think we changed at exactly the right time for our race; there was some luck on our side but we were also strong, calm and careful and this paid off. It was the first time in my life that I’ve had to change bikes during the race and I was very nervous, but it went smoothly and I was able to rejoin in the lead. I’m sorry for Valentino because it was bad luck to crash, but now we are nearly on the same points and it seems like the championship is starting again! I want to thank my team because they were very clever today, I’m so happy to be here and to have won a third MotoGP race.”

Valentino Rossi - Position: 16th Time: +2 Laps
“I had difficulties from the start today and I really could not ride my bike to its best. Already by the fourth lap I felt that I was quite slow and that I couldn’t ride as I wanted. I decided to change bikes early because usually this strategy – being among the first to change the bike pays off. Of course I knew that I had to warm the tyres up a little bit but I crashed anyway in that corner because at that point the track was still wet and I just didn’t ride into it in a calm enough manner. Luckily I was able to make it back to the pits and I changed again, but the rule says that if you change the bike again then you have to use one wet tyre, and so this is what we did. When I started that time, the pit-limiter on my bike was not on and so I was given a ride-through for speeding, but by that time it was too late for our race anyway. We’ve had problems throughout the entire weekend with the set-up of the bike and today I was just hoping that I could stay with the riders in front and get some important points for the championship. Now we go to Mugello, my home GP, where I will perhaps be even more motivated than usual!”.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Race 5 Mugello Circuit, Italy - Race Result

Pos Riders Time
1. 47'52.678
2. + 17.710
3. + 19.893
4. + 20.455
5. + 30.539
6. + 37.462
7. + 40.191
8. + 45.421
9. + 50.307
10. + 53.218
11. + 53.550
12. + 56.647
13. + 56.688
14. + 1'11.299
15. + 1'15.385
16. 2 Laps

Monday, May 4, 2009

Rossi takes first win of the season


Valentino Rossi celebrates podium at Gran Premio bwin.com de España

A crowd of more than 120,000 fans at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit witnessed a victory for Valentino Rossi in the first European race of 2009.

Valentino Rossi took his first win of the season at the Gran Premio bwin.com de España on Sunday, beating Dani Pedrosa to the line by a 2.7s margin in front of a huge Spanish crowd in Andalusia.

Pedrosa led for the first half of the race having made one of his trademark strong starts from second on the grid, but Rossi took the lead with ten laps to go and did not look back there and his triumph gives him an 11 point lead in the general standings.

The rostrum was completed by Casey Stoner, who trailed Rossi by 10 seconds, the Ducati Marlboro rider moving into second place in the championship. It was the Australian’s first podium appearance at the southern Spanish track.

As was the case in the 250cc and 125cc races the Spanish rider who got underway in pole position crashed out when Fiat Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo lost control riding in fourth place with three laps to go, losing ground in the championship race.

An excellent performance from Randy de Puniet, meanwhile, saw the Frenchman bring his LCR Honda satellite machine home in fourth place, having qualified in fifth, to give himself a confidence boost ahead of his home GP in two weeks time at Le Mans.

Another excellent run from Marco Melandri gave the Italian another good points haul in fifth, the former Ducati and Honda rider improving on his good result from last weekend in Japan for the Kawasaki-equipped Hayate Racing team.

Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi rode steadily from sixth on the grid, to come home in the same position, meaning five different manufacturers were represented in the top six.

Monster Tech Yamaha’s Colin Edwards crossed the line seventh, whilst Andrea Dovizioso did well to finish eighth in his third ride for the factory Repsol Honda team having left the track at one stage. Toni Elías was the second best Spaniard in ninth for the San Carlo Honda Gresini team, with the top ten completed by Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen.

Sete Gibernau on his return to Jerez could only manage 11th for the Grupo Francisco Hernando team, whilst 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden crossed the line 15th.

The MotoGP stars return to action at the Grand Prix de France in a fortnight’s time.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Win for Stoner in Qatar Monday night race

The re-scheduled first MotoGP race of 2009 saw Casey Stoner take victory at the Commercial bank Grand Prix of Qatar.

As the action in the premier class of the 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship finally got underway, at the spectacular Losail International Circuit on Monday night, it was Casey Stoner who took the headlines, completing a hat-trick of season-opening wins in Qatar.

Following the exceptional postponement of the opening MotoGP contest of the year due to rain in the Arabian desert, Monday evening witnessed the first race in the new single tyre supplier era, but it was a familiar story with Stoner crossing the line first, ahead of World Champion Valentino Rossi.

A ruthless Stoner took the holeshot from pole and had built up a two second gap at the end of the first lap. The 2007 World Champion’s victory never looked in serious doubt as he controlled the race from the front, having been the fastest rider in every session over the weekend. Stoner’s winning margin was more than seven seconds at the end of a brilliant performance, casting aside any doubts about his fitness after winter surgery on his left wrist.

Completing the podium behind the front two was Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha colleague Jorge Lorenzo repeating his rostrum result from his MotoGP debut in the opening race of 2008, in his first race on Bridgestone tyres.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Colin Edwards started his seventh season in MotoGP riding solidly from sixth on the grid to finish fourth on his own Bridgestone debut, making it three Yamahas in the top four.

Also on new tyres and with a new factory bike Repsol Honda’s 2009 signing Andrea Dovizioso was fifth, fading slightly in the second half of the race having run in third place for several laps.

There was a good performance from Alex de Angelis, crossing the line sixth having qualified ninth at the start of his second year with the San Carlo Honda Gresini team. Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen also made a decent start to the year with his improved GSV-R machine in seventh.

An excellent MotoGP debut from satellite Ducati rider Mika Kallio, meanwhile, saw him end up as the best placed rookie in eighth for the new look Pramac Racing outfit.

On factory machinery and returning to the Honda Gresini team this year, Toni Elías may be disappointed not to have done better than ninth, whilst Frenchman Randy de Puniet brought the satellite LCR Honda RC212V home three seconds behind the Spaniard to complete the top ten.

Dani Pedrosa, riding with knee and wrist injuries, battled through the pain barrier to pick up some important points in eleventh spot. On his Ducati debut, Pedrosa’s former team-mate Nicky Hayden also did well to complete the race in twelfth, given the back and chest injuries he suffered in a huge highside crash in qualifying on Saturday. The brave 2006 World Champion even set his best time on the last lap.

Sete Gibernau finished 13th on his MotoGP comeback with the satellite Ducati Grupo Francisco Hernando team, unable to push into the top ten due to his ongoing shoulder injury.

Marco Melandri made his first appearance for the Hayate Racing Team and ran off track early on but battled back well to finish in the points in 14th.

Commencing his 20th Grand Prix season Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi crashed out on lap eight and was unable to rejoin the race.

After a weekend off the MotoGP riders next reconvene at the Polini Grand Prix of Japan for round two, which takes place at the Motegi circuit from 24th-26th April.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Stoner questions Qatar restart

Australia's Casey Stoner has questioned the decision to run the season-opening Qatar MotoGP race a day after it was washed out.

The race, due to have begun on Sunday night, was re-scheduled for 9pm Monday local time (2am Tuesday Perth time) after it was cancelled when torrential rain fell just minutes before the start.

Stoner had dominated all practice and qualifying sessions on his Ducati and had been set to start the race from pole position.

But officials had no choice but to cancel the race, leading to an organisational headache and massive extra costs in a sport desperate to save money.

"It's just unlucky with the weather,'' said Stoner, the 2007 world champion, who was bidding for a third successive win in Qatar.

"It can be a good idea or it can be a bad idea to race on Monday. A lot of money has been spent on keeping people here at a time when we are trying to cut costs.

"It's disappointing it's happened like this.''

"We wait six months for the first race of the season. But when you decide to have a night race, it's risky. No-one expected these conditions in Qatar."

Circuit organisers were preparing to use three special machines to clear the track of excess water throughout the day.

Qatar race live, postponed to Monday night


Grand Prix of Qatar was stopped at Losail International Circuit

A rare rainstorm at the Losail International Circuit on Sunday evening saw the first MotoGP race of the year put back to Monday at 9pm local time.

After the season-opening Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar was interrupted by rain on Sunday evening the MotoGP race had to be postponed and will now be run on Monday evening at 9pm local time, with an additional warm-up session beforehand at 6.30pm.Align Center
After shortened 250cc and 125cc races earlier in the evening the heavy rainstorm in the Arabian desert at 11pm on Sunday evening made it unsafe for the MotoGP riders to go out onto the 5.380km floodlit circuit.

FIM, IRTA, Dorna and the QMMF (Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation) have released the following statement on the MotoGP race postponement at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar.

Due to adverse weather conditions, the MotoGP race at the Commercial bank Grand Prix of Qatar has been postponed.

Following discussions between FIM, IRTA, Dorna and the QMMF, a proposal was put to the MotoGP teams to run the race tomorrow evening. Thanks to a huge effort from all parties concerned, and out of respect to fans of motorsport around the world, it has been decided that the race will take place on Monday 13th April, 2009.

The warm-up will run at 6.30pm local time (GMT+3), with the race scheduled to start at 9pm.

FIM Road-racing Commission President, Mr. Claude Danis stated, “For safety reasons it was not possible to race in the night due to the reflection of the lights on the track. This decision had already been taken a few years ago when we first decided to run a night race in Qatar. On behalf of the FIM I am very happy that we could postpone the race until tomorrow. It is important for the championship, especially at the first race, and I would like to thank Dorna, QMMF, IRTA and the MotoGP teams for helping reach this decision together.”

Dorna Sports CEO, Mr. Carmelo Ezpeleta added, “After the arrival of a large storm we had to cancel the race as it was unsafe. The QMMF offered us the choice to run the race tomorrow, and as it was a very important decision we wanted to consult with all the team managers. The postponement was accepted by a large majority. This has been an extraordinary decision in extraordinary circumstances.”

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

MotoGP Rules Cut Costs and Practices

The Grand Prix Commission has announced significant rules changes for the upcoming 2009 season. The amendments are twofold, including new bike restrictions and a reduced track schedule at each round.

First the schedule change. Friday morning practice sessions have been dropped altogether. Instead there will be one afternoon practice session, followed on Saturday by a morning practice and afternoon qualifying session. The traditional hour-long session time has also been trimmed to 45 minutes. All told, 105 minutes have been stripped out of the MotoGP program. The 20-minute Sunday warm up is unchanged.

MotoGP machines are not permitted brake disc or pads made of “ceramic composite materials.” And internal electronics have been stymied, with electronic suspension control and launch control forbidden. Other tech modifications include a new rule that only five engines may be used during the season’s final eight races (beginning with the August round at Brno).

Although it is not explicitly stated in the FIM release announcing the rule changes, the move has been made to trim competition costs.

The official FIM rule changes are listed below:

1. Standard time schedule

Friday
  • 13:05-13:45 125cc Free Practice 1
  • 14:05-14:50 MotoGP Free Practice 1
  • 15:05-15:50 250cc Free Practice 1
Saturday
  • 09:05-09:45 125cc Free Practice 2
  • 10:05-10:50 MotoGP Free Practice 2
  • 11:05-11:50 250cc Free Practice 2
  • 13:05-13:45 125cc Qualifying Practice
  • 14:05-14:50 MotoGP Qualifying Practice
  • 15:05-15:50 250cc Qualifying Practice
Sunday
  • 08:40-09:00 125cc Warm Up
  • 09:10-09:30 250cc Warm Up
  • 09:40-10:00 MotoGP Warm Up
  • 11:00 125cc Race
  • 12:15 250cc Race
  • 14:00 MotoGP Race
2. From Czech GP, maximum 5 engines can be used in 8 races. No changing of parts will be permitted except daily maintenance.

3. Ceramic composite materials are not permitted for brakes disc or pads.

4. Launch control system is not permitted.

5. Electronic controlled suspension is not permitted.

6. Only 2 post race tests at Catalunya and Czech GP for development purposes using test riders only are permitted.

Articles by: Bart Madson
www.motorcycle-usa.com

Melandri Back on Kawasaki in MotoGP

Kawasaki Racing's Marco Melandri testing in Valencia,
shortly before Kawasaki pulled the plug on their MotoGP team.

Kawasaki announces that after constructive talks between Kawasaki, Dorna and other involved parties, a new one-rider Team will participate in the 2009 MotoGP Championship season.

This decision was made after negotiations that followed Kawasaki’s January 2009 announcement to suspend its factory supported MotoGP activities due to the economic crisis. Rider for the new MotoGP team will be the Italian Marco Melandri.

The team will be equipped with Kawasaki motorcycles and supporting materials.

That Kawasaki has come to this new team approach is the result of on the one hand the need for a strong reduction of MotoGP racing investments and on the other hand the necessity to come to constructive solutions for all related parties.

The new team will disclose more details about its 2009 season’s plans on a short notice.

Courtesy of Kawasaki Racing

2009 Gresini Racing - Honda RC212V

Technical Specifications
  • Model: Honda RC212V
  • Overall lenght: 2.050 mm
  • Overall width: 645 mm
  • Overall height: 1.125 mm
  • Wheelbase: 1.440 mm
  • Road Clearance: 125 mm
  • Weight: over 148 kg
  • Engine type: liquid-cooled four-stroke DOHC 4 valve V-4
  • Cooling System: Liquid
  • Displacement: 800 cc
  • Maximum Power: NA
  • Frame type: Twin Tube
  • Wheels: Bridgestone
  • Front (inch): 16,5
  • Rear (inch): 16,5
  • Suspension: Showa
  • Front: Telescopic fork
  • Rear: New Unit Pro Link
  • Fuel tank capacity: 21 litres
  • Lubricants: Castrol
  • Sparks plugs: NGK
  • Tyres: Bridgestone
  • Chain: RK

Riders Complete First Ride In 3-day at Sepang

A three-day test at the end of last week, held at the Malaysian circuit of Sepang, saw riders from the MotoGP field for 2009 returning to action for the first time since the 'winter' test ban.

Off-season testing has been reduced compared to previous seasons thanks to the new single tyre supplier rule, as the teams have less requirement for experimentation with their new provision of Bridgestone rubber. This development in MotoGP has helped to significantly reduce costs for the teams and allowed them to concentrate fully on their 800cc machinery itself.

Coincidentally, the man to finish the Sepang test at the head of the timesheets was the first rider to win the MotoGP title on Bridgestone tyres, Ducati's 2007 MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner.

Australian Stoner is returning from surgery on his left wrist undertaken in November of last year, meaning that he kept his workload to a minimum over the three days, but as he gradually regains his fitness he is still capable of rapid lap times -as he demonstrated on Friday and Saturday.

The 23 year-old finished the last day just under a tenth of a second quicker than his closest rival, reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi, with a time of 2'01.043 - well inside Dani Pedrosa's 2008 pole position record time of 2'01.548.

Stoner commented: "Considering that I have recently had an operation and my wrist has still not full recovered, to be the fastest rider here is a dream to be honest. Now I have to work hard on improving my physical condition and recovering the level of movement I need to ride the bike properly without pain. The Desmosedici GP9 is a good bike and in every test we've done with it we've come out on top."

Affected more recently by a hospital visit, current MotoGP title holder Rossi was just off Stoner's pace on the final day, as he too rode through the pain barrier following a recent domestic accident.

The Italian tested in Malaysia with stitches in his left hand and foot having fallen onto a glass coffee table at his home in Italy last week. He stated on Saturday that "I am leaving Sepang feeling happy, because we've made a good start. We finished everything we wanted to do on the bike and the setting and the rhythm is quite good. My injuries are getting better each day because they're only cuts and they're healing fast. For sure we need to improve some more but since this year we have less testing, this performance has been very important."

Third fastest over the three days was Suzuki's Italian veteran Loris Capirossi who looked immediately more comfortable on his significantly remodeled 800cc prototype than with last year's machine. With Tech 3 Yamaha's Colin Edwards and San Carlo Honda Gresini's Toni Elias - on his factory spec 2009 RC212V- just behind Capirossi on the timesheets there was representation from four different manufacturers in the top five.

Capirossi's team-mate Chris Vermeulen was sixth in the combined three-day standings, whilst the early-departing Pedrosa was seventh overall courtesy of his best lap from the second day. The Repsol Honda rider left Malaysia 24 hours earlier than expected citing a lack of complete recovery from a knee injury which required surgery before Christmas.

The final Sepang top ten was completed by a trio of 250cc graduates, 2008 rookies Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha) and Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) and 2009 newcomer Mika Kallio (Pramac Racing).

Next on the timesheet was Nicky Hayden who continued his adaptation to the Desmosedici GP9 and Bridgestone tyres, riding for the first time in full Ducati Marlboro colours.

The American still has some catching up to do with his friend and teammate Stoner, having lapped 1.454s slower, and explained on Saturday that "Obviously I'm not happy with my lap times, I was expecting more from myself, but I have to stay positive. I've improved my lap times every day and we have gathered a lot of data to work from in the next test. The fact Casey is already so fast means that the bike has the potential - it can only be a good thing that he is going so quick."

Another high profile Ducati rider, returning hero Sete Gibernau, was also lower down the timesheets than he would have hoped, on his Guinea Ecuatorial team satellite machinery. Having finished thirteenth the former World Championship runner-up will be looking for improvements at the next MotoGP test which takes place on 1st-3rd March, under the floodlights at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.