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Audi R15 dominates first day of Sebring testing

See that blurry race car behind the Peugeot 908HDi in the above image? That's the new Audi R15, and when the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race gets underway this weekend, don't expect these two cars to be in this order very often. After Monday's first full day of official testing at Sebring, Audi's third-generation Le Mans racer, the R15, proved that it was the car to beat. Audi is fielding two R15s this year, and the No. 2 car driven by dream team Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Dindo Capello scorched the field yesterday with a fast lap of 1:43.596. That was a full half second quicker than the other Audi R15 driven by Marco Werner, Lucas Luhr and Mike Rockenfeller, and 1.406 seconds quicker than the fastest Peugeot. Acura is also joining Audi and Peugeot in the top LMP1 class this year, though its cars fielded by two private teams were another 0.1 and 0.8 seconds slower than the Peugeots.
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posted : 6/1/2009 @3:59:54 PM
Barrett-Jackson to auction first 2010 GT500, two concept Mustangs in Palm Beach

Ahh, Barrett-Jackson. What would it be without a charity Mustang going up for auction? In the case of the upcoming event in Palm Beach in April, there will actually be three historic Mustangs going across the block with all proceeds being donated to worthy causes. First up is lot #665, the first retail 2010 Shelby GT500 that was initially supposed to be auctioned at the Scottsdale event back in January. The car comes in Kona Blue with white stripes, a color combination specifically chosen by Carroll Shelby.
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posted : 6/1/2009 @1:12:19 PM
Top BMW designer Karim Habib defects to Mercedes-Benz

Both Mercedes-Benz and BMW have seen recent design-chief departures, and now there's been a defection. Karim Habib, who had a hand in the F01 7 Series while at BMW, has left the Roundel for the three-pointed star. Habib's move to Mercedes has him overseeing Mercedes' advanced design studio in Stuttgart, working with MBZ design chief Gorden Wagener. Tasked with the brand's F cars, Habib's work will be looking two generations ahead, to the cars after the next new ones. Let's hope that the F700 goes on the same kind of de-uglification program as the 750 went on before it becomes an S-Class.
posted : 6/1/2009 @1:01:08 PM
Attention, Canadians: BMW wants you to drive 8 of its cars in 120 minutes... for free

The BMW 3 Series is one of the most fun cars to drive for under $50,000, and if you live near Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, you may be eligible to try out the entire lineup at no cost to you. BMW is inviting select Canadian registrants to drive all flavors of the 3 Series for two hours and compare them to the competition from Lexus, Audi and Mercedes. The fun won't be relegated to yourself, either, as BMW encourages you to bring a friend along, as well. The goal, obviously, is to sell more BMWs, so the German automaker will pick only registrants that are found worthy (or able to afford) a fine piece of German engineering. In other words, if you're 19 and currently driving a Dodge Neon, don't wait by the mailbox. The BMW train stops in Vancouver from April 17-19, in Montreal from May 8-10, and in Toronto from May 29-31 and June 5-7. More information, including registration information, can be found on the BMW Canada website.
posted : 6/1/2009 @12:58:31 PM
Google Street View catches flock of Ferraris in natural habitat

Man, the Google Street View Driver got an eyeful the day he drove by this Maranello Moment. And he captured it all for posterity (and Google Maps) to boot. The gaggle of F430 Scuderias and 360 Challenge Stradales is impressive enough. Throw in the five F40s, three Enzos and a lone F50, and you have yourself a proper stampede of prancing horses. The Street View photos do two things. First, they reinforce our belief that the F40 is infinitely cooler than both its hyper-exotic successors. Second, they have us thinking that on this particular day, Rome's Piazza Santiago del Cile was probably the best-sounding place on planet Earth.
posted : 6/1/2009 @12:51:30 PM
Audi drops a whole collection of new images of the R15 TDI

The Audi R15 TDI should be hitting the track competitively for the first time next week at the 12 Hours of Sebring. The new diesel-powered racer will be running against the Peugeot 908 HDi and Acura's new ARX-02a next Saturday. The oil-burning Audi and Peugeot will be competing under modified LMP1 rules that have cut their wing widths by 40 mm (for all P1 cars) and reduced the size of their air restrictors and amount of turbo boost pressure for the diesels. The new R15, which replaces the very successful R10, has been optimized with a reduction in weight, radically new aerodynamics and an all-new powertrain to work with the new rules while still trying to outrun the Peugeots.
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posted : 6/1/2009 @10:18:37 AM
2002 in 2012: Next BMW 1-series taking retro cues, turbo'd fourWhen BMW trotted out the 1-series coupe at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007, the jumbo-tron was awash in videos and stills of the 2002 as the automaker attempted to associate the new 128i and 135i with BMW's iconic coupe. Almost two years later, it's clear the 1-series isn't the 2002's spiritual successor, but new reports continue to surface saying BMW is hard at work on a range of Ones to bring the magic back. In addition to a turbocharged four-cylinder model wearing the Super Sport moniker and the five body styles on the drawing board, CAR is reporting that an entry-level model – tentatively dubbed the 115i – is in the works and due to debut in 2012. On the other end of the spectrum is the aforementioned Super Sport variant that's expected to feature round headlamps in a homage to the 2002, along with a new coupe body style also slated to arrive in the latter half of 2012. The SS model will slot in between the 135i and next M3, and is likely to pack a turbo'd 2.0- or 2.2-liter four-pot putting out 300 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque. A dual-clutch transmission will be optional and a reduced curb weight is part of the package. While we've heard these claims before, with Audi stepping up its own weight loss program, BMW needs to compete, and we're hoping the next 1-series is an indication of what's to come.
posted : 6/1/2009 @10:15:24 AM
GM recall affects 277,000 models with shifter problem

Citing a defect that can cause a parked vehicle to roll away, General Motors is recalling 277,000 cars and trucks. The models involved, all built for the 2009 model year, may have a loose clip on their transmission shift cable. The failure of the clip to be locked into place may prevent the transmission from moving into Park – even if the driver moves the shift lever into the proper position. GM has told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that dealers will inspect the transmission shift cable and replace broken units. Affected models include the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Cobalt, Chevrolet HHR, Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Pontiac G5, Pontiac G6, Saturn Aura and Saturn Outlook.
posted : 6/1/2009 @10:14:34 AM

2014 Audi S4 and S5 to get turbo'd four-pots, massive weight reduction

Car and Driver sat down with Audi's global head of product engineering, Michael Dick, to discuss the future of the automaker's offerings and how it plans to tackle the ongoing issue of weight. While all automakers cite consumer demand and government regulation as one of the major reasons overall vehicle weight has skyrocketed in the last 20 years, Audi is actively pursuing its "smaller-is-better credo." To that end, the automaker currently has a next-generation A5 prototype running around that's 880 pounds lighter than the current car. Dick told C&D that the mule is using an increased amount of aluminum, magnesium and high-strength steel to reduce mass, and says while the current TT is 69% aluminum, the next A6 (due in 2011 or 2012) will have even more, and the next A4/A5/S4/S5 will feature more still when they arrive in 2014.
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posted : 6/1/2009 @10:12:24 AM
First images of Lamborghini Murci�lago LP 650-4 Roadster

Lamborghini has just released the first batch of official images showing its latest limited run special, the Murciélago LP 650-4 Roadster, which follows the LP 670-4 SuperVeloce that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. The LP 650-4 Roadster is definitely not for those who deny their follicle deficiencies by wearing a rug on their head. With a top speed of 205 mph, anything not firmly connected to your scalp will be lost to the winds. The crew in Sant'Agata Bolognese have pumped some extra shots of espresso into this bull – the 6.5-liter V12 now produces 650 hp and 487 lb-ft of torque through all four wheels. That's enough to leave 62 mph in your wake after just 3.4 seconds. Lamborghini is only planning to crank out 50 of these roadsters at an as yet undisclosed price, which means the high-res images in our gallery below are likely the closest you'll ever get to one.
posted : 6/1/2009 @10:04:11 AM
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