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Felipe Massa comes home to Maranello, meets the new 458 Italia, laps Fiorano, smiles for fans [w/VIDEO]

It doesn't seem like it's been that long, but for Felipe Massa, it must feel like it's been an eternity since he's been up to speed. The Brazilian Formula One driver hasn't been at work since July when he suffered a major blow to the head from some flying debris at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

A lot has happened since then: his mentor and former team-mate Michael Schumacher prepared for a comeback and then had to cancel it due to health concerns of his own, the Scuderia promoted test driver Luca Badoer for a couple of races before sending him home, and then Maranello hired Giancarlo Fisichella to fill in and stay on as a reserve driver for the future. Then they picked up Fernando Alonso to be Massa's wingman next year, and somewhere in the middle of it all, Ferrari launched its first all-new mid-engine production car in a decade. (Not to mention the new engine chief they hired, the senior executive they lost or the new designer who is said to be taking over).

Now, after his prolonged absence, Massa has returned home to Maranello for the first time since the crash. He got some practice time in the simulator before hitting the track in a privately-owned, retired F2007 with GP2 tires to reacquaint himself with his craft. And while he was at it, he stopped by the production line to check out the new 458 Italia.

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posted : 10/24/2009 @6:23:07 PM
New renderings of Jag's hush-hush supercarWill Jaguar's XJ220 supercar finally have a successor? Although Jaguar denies it, Auto Express thinks so, and we hope they're right. While rumors have suggested the return of the F-type as Tata's next project, Auto Express expects Jaguar to show an all-new mid-engine supercar concept within the next year. And they even have some rather artful renderings to back up their claims. This new Audi R8 competitor would use an all-new aluminum chassis, with the XFR's 503-horsepower, supercharged 5.0-liter V8 powering it from amidships. Expect performance similar to the mildly modified XFR that just ran an incredible 225 miles-per-hour at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Figure on a 0-60 mph run of well under four seconds as well. What's more, Jaguar is said to be thinking green with this new model too. The car is said to be capable of running on biofuels with CO2 emissions that should be less than 300g/km. With an alloy skin penned by Ian Callum, it should be a looker too. The supercar, which could be called the XE, could possibly be shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 2010.
posted : 3/28/2009 @5:42:03 PM
REPORT: Audi version of Volkswagen Bluesport in the works

It should come as no surprise that Audi is working on its own version of the Volkswagen Concept Bluesport, and according to Automotive News, the design has already been completed. In the lead-up to the Bluesport's unveiling, rumors (and simple logic) said that in order for Volkswagen to make the mid-engine roadster financial viable, the platform and all its associated underpinnings would have to be distributed across several models. A senior VW group exec told AN, "To make a strong business case for the new roadster, we need to share the investment with at least three brands." In addition to VW, one of those brands is Audi and the other is almost assuredly Porsche. While Skoda and Seat's budget-oriented image couldn't include a variant of the roadster – estimated to cost around €30,000 – Porsche might be interested in an entry-level model to slot in below the Boxster and help to reduce the automaker's overall CO2 emissions. Volkswagen is expected to announce a production decision on the Concept Bluesport in the next two months, and we're hoping that the completed version will bow in Geneva.
posted : 2/9/2009 @7:09:53 PM
Rumormill: Jaguar aims at R8 with new mid-engine supercar

Reports from across the pond regarding Jaguar's plans for a new supercar are coming out of the woodwork, but while Autocar contends that Jag is (still) working on the return of the F-type, AutoExpress reports that an all-new mid-engine supercar is coming in concept form within the next year. While under Ford PAG management, Jaguar cut back its development projects to its core products, but Tata figures there's more than one way to skin a cat. The F-Type was first shown as a concept car in 2000, but was subsequently shelved. However, under Tata's leadership more niche vehicles like the F-Type, which could hit the market by 2011, could make Jaguar a more compelling alternative brand to the big German automakers and help buoy Jaguar's image. Back in 2001, Jaguar unveiled the R-Coupe concept, which could influence this new Audi R8 competitor. Based on the current XK, and possibly named the XE, the mid-engine coupe would be powered by the XFR's 503-hp supercharged, 5.0-liter V8 and would be the first vehicle from Jag with an engine mounted amidships since the XJ220. According to Jaguar's managing director, Mike O'Driscoll, the "XK is the car that began a revolution for us, but it's not the end of the story. I firmly believe the best car we could build to compliment this is a flagship coupe." If it does come to fruition, expect the XE to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 2010.
posted : 2/1/2009 @10:08:51 PM
Brand new 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT on sale, just $35k!

So you're a Pontiac diehard, but you don't need the space of the G8 GT GXP and the Solstice GXP is just a bit too "me too." So what's a Big Chief enthusiast to do? Well, if you've got $35,000 kicking around in your automotive slush fund, how about a brand-new, never-titled 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT? The mid-engined, V6 Fiero that General Motors should have been building the whole time, but only got around to developing just before they sent they took the plastic-bodied model out back? Yes, that GT. Evidently thinking ahead, some enterprising chap found a fire-engine red example and promptly mothballed it. Quite likely the only "brand new" Fiero on the planet (GT or otherwise), this time warp rear-driver has just 221 miles on it, and is still on MSO. Heck, we're willing to bet that the cassette player has never even seen a copy of White Snake's Greatest Hits! If you're interested, the optimistically-priced but irreplacable Fiero can be found at Hinton Chevrolet-Buick in Lynden, Washington.
posted : 1/11/2009 @4:31:50 PM
Undead: Will Acura show NSX in Detroit even after killing it off?

Just two weeks after we learned that Honda had suspended plans to introduce a new V10 NSX sports car in 2010 comes word that we may see the car anyway. Sort of. The production program is still dead, but it is being reported that the previously scheduled "concept" will appear at Detroit's North American International Auto Show in a couple of weeks. In typical Honda fashion, a concept version of a new model appears a few months for the street edition. In this case, the NSX was set to debut next fall at the Tokyo Motor Show with the conceptual preview at the Detroit auto show. Since the concept was already prepared before Honda made the decision to scrap the program, they will show it anyway. Honda's presence in Cobo will still be low-key however, with its press conference having been canceled. The NSX and the production Insight will simply appear on the show floor.
posted : 1/1/2009 @9:16:22 PM
Conflicting details: Volkswagen's LA-bound mid-engine coupeCAR and Autoweek have tapped their sources within Volkswagen to get the scoop on a rumored mid-engine Elise-fighter that may debut at next month's LA Auto Show. But when working with unnamed insiders, information tends to get jumbled in the process and differing reports emerge that suggest it's all more speculation than hard facts. Both reports confirm what we've heard before: Volkswagen will limit the cylinder count to four, but that's where the similarities end. Autoweek's sources say that engine choices will be limited to either a 170-hp 1.4-liter Twincharger TSI gasoline engine or a new 125-hp 1.6-liter TDI sending power to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. CAR pegs displacement of the gasoline engines at between 1.2- and 1.4-liters, with output ranging from 105 to 160 hp. A 1.2-liter TDI producing 75 hp is also being bandied around. According to Autoweek, the mid-engine coupe will come to market in 2011, while CAR contends production won't begin until 2013. Additionally, CAR reports that VW won't use an aluminum architecture due to cost constraints, meaning that the Modular Sports Car (MSC) will come in at around 2,660 pounds (300kg heavier than the Elise). On the other hand, Autoweek is saying that the concept will tip the scales below 2,200 pounds by tapping Audi for its expertise with aluminum and opening the door to a four-ringed variant with a choice of a 211-hp 2.0-liter TFSI or a 204-hp twin-turbo'd 2.0-liter TDI. Not to mention the possibility of a Porsche 914 successor. A strut-based suspension will be employed instead of a Golf-derived multi-link arrangement, while parts cribbed from the rest of the VW line – ranging from steering components and brakes to electronics and transmissions – will be used to keep manufacturing costs in check. Autoweek is also reporting that both a coupe and roadster will be offered, which strikes us as totally unnecessary as VW would be better served offering a removable hard-top similar to that on the MSC's target, the Lotus Elise.
posted : 10/15/2008 @7:57:12 PM
No future for the mid-engine Corvette

With GM facing well-publicized challenges -- along with just about everyone else who needs a little thing called money -- certain high-profile and expensive programs are crowding up on the back burner. Even America's sports car, the Corvette, is not exempt, with CAFE regulations clouding the view inside the 'Vette Nation's crystal ball. Motor Trend, commenting on the C7 Corvette's delayed arrival, has said that the new coupe won't appear until the 2014 model year at the earliest. The mid-engined route has also been scrapped, since it would simply cost too much to re-engineer the entire car for the purpose of easier integration of fuel saving tech like cylinder deactivation. That means a six-cylinder is still being talked about -- by GM outsiders only, at this point -- as an option for the C7. If we take the Camaro as an example, that 2014 introduction date could mean late 2012, but that still only gives you four years to mentally prepare for a budget- and economy-minded V6 Corvette. Get cracking.
posted : 10/13/2008 @10:41:06 PM
Rumormill: Porsche developing Baby Boxster, a return of the 356Volkswagen is set to debut a mid-engine concept at this year's LA Auto Show, and an Audi R3 derivative that could replace the TT is reportedly also being considered. With Porsche's increased stake in VAG, it was just a matter of time before rumors of sharing this mid-engine platform between VW, Audi and Porsche began to surface, and a new model destined to slot in below the Boxster is the obvious conclusion. Once again, CAR is leading the speculative charge, with sources suggesting that Porsche will use the mid-engine architecture to revive the 356 marque – not the 914 moniker – to create a baby Boxster priced around £20,000-35,000 and produced in very small numbers. Unlike the stillborn Audi R4, the R3 and its Porsche sibling wouldn't encroach on Boxster sales due to their limited availability. Fixed roof and convertible versions of both models are planned, but engine choices would be limited to turbocharged four-cylinders displacing between 1.2- and 2.0-liters and ranging in output from 105 hp to 280 hp. Diesel variants could also be offered in the Audi, but Quattro all-wheel-drive wouldn't be part of package due to weight and friction penalties. It's a very compelling proposition, particularly since the new architecture is reportedly being developed to accept everything from electric drivetrains to hybrids, and with a curb weight around 2,200 pounds. But don't expect anything to come to market until 2012 or 2013 at the earliest, assuming that Porsche doesn't get cold feet and kills off the project before it leaves the drawing board.
posted : 10/3/2008 @7:13:09 PM
Audi considering mid-engine layout for next-gen TT?

Audi's next-gen TT may be getting a significant re-design, with a mid-engine placement if the swirling speculation around the interwebs is true. Now in its second-generation, the TT sits on Volkswagen's PQ35 platform (shared with the Volkswagen Eos and Tiguan) meaning customers are offered a front-engine chassis with a front- or all-wheel drive powertrain. When stacked against the front-engine BMW Z4 and mid-engine Porsche Boxster/Cayman, the current Audi TT holds its own... but that isn't keeping Ingolstadt engineers content. They realize that if they switch to a mid-engine design, like the one found on the amazing Audi R8, balance and handling will improve. Plus, Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system can be tailored with even more rearward torque bias. The third-gen TT, however, isn't set to debut until 2013. With Porsche moving closer to purchasing Volkswagen, a long lead may work to Audi's advantage as they'll have to convince the automaker from Stuttgart that a mid-engine TT won't chew into Boxster/Cayman sales.
posted : 8/7/2008 @8:02:08 PM
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