Ford announced yesterday that the 2013 Shelby GT500 would be fitted with a new launch control system, limiting wheel spin when the driver puts the pedal to the metal.
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| Photo: Ford |
"Launch control is essentially a special mode of the traction control system that integrates the brake and engine management systems to keep the tires balanced on the peak of the mu-slip curve in order to achieve maximum thrust," explains John Pfeiffer, senior engineer, SVT Vehicle Engineering.
"With so much more power and torque on tap from the new 5.8L V8, launch control makes it easier for drivers to take advantage of the performance."
All the driver has to do now is put the pedal to the metal and release the clutch as he would normally do on a standard start, the difference being the launch control system takes care of maintaining the revs where they should be for maximum acceleration without any wheel spin.
"We developed this system to enable 90 percent of drivers to be able to achieve very fast, smooth and consistent starts with the Shelby GT500 regardless of their skill level," said Eddie Khan SVT Engineering supervisor.
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| Photo: Ford |
From GMM
Robert Doornbos, the former Minardi and Red Bull driver, is being pursued for millions by a former sponsor.
The disgruntled backer, Harry Muermans, is demanding the Dutchman pay back a whopping EUR 11 million from their partnership between 2005 and 2008, claiming the money was in fact not sponsorship, but loans.
Doornbos, now 30, made his debut for Minardi in 2005, and he also contested a few races for Red Bull Racing at the end of the following season.
According to the Dagblad de Limburger newspaper, Muermans has won the first round of the court battle, a judge ruling that money paid to Doornbos' company - headed by his sister - was in fact in the form of loans.
Muermans is now seeking many more millions from Doornbos himself.
The driver, who reportedly denies Muerman's claims, did not comment.
According to the
Wall Street Journal, GM will no longer buy advertisements from social media giant Facebook.
The American carmaker will keep its Facebook pages however, to interact with customers and better support its own advertisers.
The news falls on Mark Zuckerberg's head at a less than ideal time. GM pulls out just as the multi-billion dollar company's much expected floatation plans were set to go forward, this Friday.
Source: WSJ
From GMM
Pirelli stands ready to supply special 'qualifying tires' to formula one teams next year.
With the emphasis of the sport's spectacle now relying on the complex and heavily degrading control tires, it was the qualifying session that suffered last weekend in Barcelona.
Arguably to the detriment of Saturday's spectacle, teams took an exceedingly strategic view of the fight for pole position, with some drivers sitting out the decisive 'Q3' runout altogether.
One solution, according to Pirelli's chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera, is the return of 'qualifying tires'.
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| Photo: Pirelli |
The proposal has been made following recent criticism, notably by seven time world champion Michael Schumacher, of Pirelli's 2012 product.
Tronchetti defended his marque's approach.
"What we have is many competitive cars, which is what the teams wanted -- opportunity for everyone who is able to win," he told Italian radio
Rai GR Parlamento.
"So it's fine if someone complains. We are available to the teams. We are ready to make qualifying tires tomorrow. But they are choices that are not ours."
From GMM
Toto Wolff has rubbished suggestions Williams might soon replace Bruno Senna with the team's rising reserve driver Valtteri Bottas.
Finnish commentator Mika Salo last weekend said that, following an interview with Sir Frank Williams, he sensed the team was thinking about ousting Senna in favour of 22-year-old Finn Bottas "this season".
"That story is bullshit," Wolff, who is not only a 15 per cent Williams shareholder but also Bottas' manager, told Austria's
Sportwoche.
The reports, however, sounded credible, given Brazilian Senna's recent struggle at the wheel of the FW34, which in the hands of Pastor Maldonado won from pole in Barcelona.
"Right now we need to get behind Bruno and support him," Wolff insisted. "Let's not mess up our strategy. We have a job to do and we'll keep doing it."
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| Williams' team celebrating Pastor Maldonado's victory in Spain. (Photo: Williams F1 Team) |
From wrc.com
Nasser Al-Attiyah has been forced to miss next month's Rally New Zealand due to his training commitments for the London Olympics - but rising Belgian star Thierry Neuville will replace him in the Qatar World Rally Team.
As well as contesting this year's FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia, Al-Attiyah is a regular in the Qatar Olympic team, representing his home nation in the skeet shooting competition. As the London Olympic Games draw near, the former Production Car world champion is unable to travel to the other side of the world for the Auckland-based round.
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| Nasser Al-Attiyah, Citroen DS3 WRC, in Portugal. (Photo: Qatar World Rally Team) |
“We are official entrants in the world championship and it is mandatory for us to compete in every round,” said Al-Attiyah. “It didn't take much thinking time to realise who should take my place in the number seven Citroen DS3 WRC! I trust Thierry [Neuville], but most of all I want him to be able to gain as much experience from taking part in this event as possible and for it to be beneficial to him. I am equally convinced that he is more than capable of scoring points for the Qatar World Rally Team.”
Neuville was not expecting to tackle the North Island event and was delighted to be called up.
“This is more than just a great opportunity, it is a real honour for me to be trusted in this way by the team,” he said. “Without this offer, I would never have been able to race on the legendary tracks of the Pacific coast. We will do everything in our power to defend the colours of the Qatar World Rally Team. I'd like to thank them for giving us the opportunity to experience such a great event.”
From GMM
Jerome d'Ambrosio is the latest name linked with struggling Felipe Massa's Ferrari race seat.
While Mark Webber or Sergio Perez are the Maranello team's more likely longer term solutions, Ferrari may be looking simply for a stop-gap solution, having reportedly run out of patience for Brazilian Massa's lack of pace and results.
The French sports daily
L'Equipe named d'Ambrosio, the Belgian driver who lost his Virgin/Marussia seat at the end of last season.
He is managed by Eric Boullier, and now Lotus' reserve driver.
Also named as potential substitutes for Massa in recent days were Nico Hulkenberg, Paul di Resta and Kamui Kobayashi.
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| Who to replace Felipe Massa? (Photo: Pirelli) |
But, according to
L'Equipe, d'Ambrosio "has the advantage of being immediately available, giving Ferrari time to find a more permanent solution" for 2013.
Also ready to step in now is Adrian Sutil, the former Force India driver who is putting his career back together after the Eric Lux assault affair.
"I have no money to offer," the German is quoted as saying. "After five seasons, people know what is my level. I want a normal salary, that's all."
General Motors will start a second shift in July with 600 workers at the Michigan plant that will make the new Cadillac ATS sedan, the company said on Tuesday.
Nissan began production Tuesday of the redesigned 2013 Altima sedan that it hopes will challenge the family-sedan supremacy of the Toyota Camry. The Altima has lagged for most of its 20-year life as the also-ran among family sedans.
GM stock gained as much as 4.3 percent, the most in almost a month, after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway disclosed it bought a stake in the automaker.
Don Petersen says he and Red Poling made a terrific team as Ford Motor Co.'s two top executives a quarter century ago -- even though they came from completely different parts of the business.
BMW announced that it will expand its 1-series lineup with the addition of the 2013 BMW 135is coupe and 135is convertible.
General Motors will stop advertising on Facebook, citing the ineffectiveness of the paid ads, The Wall Street Journal reported today. A GM spokesman confirmed the newspaper's report, according to Reuters.
Auto supplier ThyssenKrupp AG today agreed to sell its Waupaca foundry unit to New York private-equity firm KPS Capital Partners.
In addition to his career at Ford Motor, Harold "Red" Poling was involved in many volunteer and fundraising projects in Southeast Michigan.
Also in this episode: Chevrolet makes Trax with new small SUV, we take the Toyota Prius C for a spin, and safety officials check the airbags on the
DETROIT -- Harold "Red" Poling, the CEO who helped revive Ford Motor Co.
Volkswagen UK will fit digital (DAB) radios as standard to all 2013 models.
RM Auctions sold 87 percent of the lots it offered at its Monaco sale held last weekend at the Grimaldi Forum.
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