video credit © Copyright 2010 The Detroit News
Saturday
Thursday
CLASSIC AT A CLASSIC
The Porsche 934 is still a potent race car at more than 30 years old, evidenced by the following video filmed during the 2009 Nurburgring Classic. Piloted by German race driver Oliver Mathai, the 934 turned a strong 9 minute, 23 second lap, including runs up to the top speed of 190 mph.
video credit: motorsporttv.com
wikipedia
Tuesday
TWO WHEELED ROCKET
Vyrus 987 C3 4V V
The name Vyrus may not be familiar to motorcycle enthusiasts when they begin reading this article, but by the end of it, there’s every chance it will be at the top of their list of “dream bikes.” The small Rimini-based Italian company is currently best known for producing the Bimota Tesi 2D, but the company's new, top-of-the-range, Vyrus 987 C3 4VV naked superbike is just about to propel it to even greater world renown, leapfrogging past a gaggle of superbikes to become the most powerful production motorcycle in the world. It's more powerful than Ducati’s Desmosedici RR, MV Agusta’s F4 312RR, Suzuki’s Hayabusa or Kawasaki’s ZZR1400. The hub-centre-steered Vyrus runs a 211 bhp supercharged 1198cc 1098R Ducati engine, weighs just 158 kg and costs EUR 65,000 (US$91,700).
The 4VV is the lightest and most powerful of four Vyrus variants.
edited text and photo credit
© gizmag 2003 - 2010
© gizmag 2003 - 2010
ENGLAND ON THE 27TH
1932 BSA
1932 NORTON
VINTAGE AND COLLECTABLE MOTORCYCLES
by Bonhams
The Royal Air Force Museum
Hendon, United Kingdom
+44 (0) 8700 273 616
1936 INDIAN
1935 DKW
photo credit: bonhams.com
Monday
NEW JERSEY ON THE 26TH
1969 MERCEDES 280 SL
1939 FORD
ATLANTIC CITY CLASSIC CAR SHOW
by G. Potter King
Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City, New Jersey
1-800-227-3868
1966 PORSCHE 912
1966 AUSTIN HEALEY
photo credit: © g. potter king and its consignors
CALIFORNIA ON THE 26TH
1948 PACKARD
1933 FORD
PALM SPRINGS EXOTIC CAR AUCTION
by Keith Mc Cormick
Spa Resort Casino
Palm Springs, California
1-855-227-1544
1957 BUICK
1972 DeTOMASO
photo credit: palm spring auction inc. and its consignors
© Palm Springs Auction Inc.
CONCEPT OF DELTA WING INDY CAR
A glimpse at what a race car of the future might be for the Indy Racing League, the DeltaWing IndyCar Concept looks like a cross between a dragster, landspeed racer and, well, a crime-fighting jet car. It weighs 1,000 pounds including the driver (about half as much as a current IndyCar) and has a very slippery 0.24 coefficient of drag. This combination allows the car to reach a top speed of 230 mph using a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, instead of the 650-horsepower 3.5-liter V8s currently in use. The DeltaWing is one of four concepts submitted for the IRL's new car design, which is set to debut in 2012. This summer the IRL decides on the winning design.
photo credit: © 2010 microsoft
edited text: © 2010 microsoft
Sunday
CAR THAT MAKES YOU MONEY?
U.S. researchers unveiled a vehicle that earns money for its driver instead of guzzling it up in gasoline and maintenance costs.
The converted Toyota Scion xB, shown at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science here, is the first electric car to be linked to a power grid and serve as a cash cow.
The presentation of the box-like, unassuming looking Scion was the researchers' way of introducing the "vehicle-to-grid" (V2G) concept as it begins to gain momentum in the United States and around the world.
V2G projects with hybrid cars that use electricity and gas to store energy in their batteries and feed it back into the power grid are up and running in the United States, and the drive now is to produce all electric vehicles to plug into the power grid.
A V2G car is connected via an Internet-over-powerline connection that sends a signal from inside the car's computer to an aggregator's server.
The aggregator acts as the middleman between the car owner and power grid management companies, which are constantly trying to keep electricity output at a constant level.
When the grid needs more power due to a surge in demand, power companies usually draw from traditional power plants, which in the United States are often coal-fired and leave a large carbon footprint.
When V2G becomes more widespread, the power could be drawn from millions of vehicles plugged into sockets in home garages or from commercial fleets, such as the U.S. Postal Service's vans, for a much smaller footprint than that of the power plants.
Grid management companies like PJM Interconnection currently pay around 30 dollars an hour when taking power from a car.
V2G is still a new concept, but it is gaining ground in the United States and Europe.
They will be meeting in the coming weeks in Paris with heads of European grid management companies about V2G.
AC Propulsion of California has designed an electric drive system for V2G, and car manufacturers including Renault/Nissan, Mitsubishi and BMW are producing all-electric vehicles with an eye on the V2G market.
video credit: © YouTube LLC
edited text and photo: Copyright © 2010 Discovery Communications, LLC
Saturday
FORMULA ONE PROBLEMS - USF1 MAY NOT MAKE IT
With the news of the last few nights that the USF1 Formula One team, led by Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson, looks doomed, I thought that I would round up all the ramifications of the team's expected failure to make the grid this season.
First, the whole USF1 concept gathered a lot of European skepticism ever since Windsor announced the team on Feb. 24, 2009, because they could all see the difficulties that the team has had over the last couple of months.
Foolishly perhaps, I wanted to see the team make the grid. Therefore, I have followed its progress (or lack there of) throughout the offseason just as much as I've followed the progress of the other new teams who have also suffered problems.
Campos Meta, run by Adrian Campos, has also had their problems. But according to creditable sources, they have been rescued by a new investor that is rumored to have secured the team's place for the new season. This new investor, ironically, is rumored to be Chad Hurley: the founder of YouTube. Hurley is one of the main investors in USF1 with the millionaire annoyed at the team's lack of progress looking to move onto the struggling Spanish team.
The main criticism of USF1 was always the fact that being based in America would hurt them in the long run. Why? Because they would be away from F1's European heartland, and would be behind other teams in car development.
I think that’s a valid argument. But at the same time, after the initial announcement in February when the team was launched, they had a few more months even before they were announced as one of the new teams.
That being said, both Windsor and Ken Anderson have lots of connections in the world of Motorsport. And knowing that the team was going to be based in America, when they were announced as one of the new teams, they still had plenty of time to pull things together.
One of the main problems was the fact that the team was called "USF1," which implied that the team would be fully American despite the fact that Windsor, of course, is British. Although the team said it wouldn't favor American drivers, with the team having '"US" in the title it would (and has) make the team look slightly weaker if they didn't have an American driver in their lineup or at least an established name in the sport.
Of course, a driver’s nationality is not the most important thing to an F1 team. However, it's good for national pride if you have a driver from the same nationality as the team.
Perhaps looking back, the team should not have called it "USF1." It could still have maintained its "American" background, but not as boldly as it did. Looking around the Internet over the last couple of weeks, there are not too many American/North American drivers with an FIA Super Licences.
Every driver needs a Super license in order to race in the sport, although in recent years when push comes to shove (eg. Kimi Raikonnen in 2001) a driver does not necessarily need one to compete.
In fact today, Lotus Racing's test driver, Fairuz Fauzy, qualified for his FIA Super license by completing a required amount of laps driving the team’s 2010 car at Jerez. With that in mind, it shows that had the team gotten its car finished on time, it could have turned up for the tests. Also, the team's driver(s) could have completed sufficient laps to earn that license.
The signing of Jose Maria Lopez brought a few snickers from the media. Lopez had been racing in Argentina for the last couple of years at Touring Car Level after being released from the Renault Drivers Development scheme in 2006.
Lopez is not necessarily a bad driver, but with USF1 even at the time of Lopez's appointment looking shaky in terms of making the grid in Bahrain, perhaps the team should have appointed an older wiser driver. It would have given the team some credibility with the media and fans.
With drivers like Jacques Villeneuve, Giancarlo Fisichella, and Christian Klien all on the market, the team perhaps should have taken a risk and gone out for one of them. Having someone of that caliber would have been good for the development of the car, which is so important for a new and small team.
But it would have also made things easier in attracting sponsors to invest in the team. With a credible driver leading the team, it would have attracted more national and local media exposure.
Villeneuve would have been the team's dream driver, and with his popularity in the States, Europe, and in F1, he would have brought immediate income to the team. Also, with an established driver on board, it would have made it easier to sign a second driver for the team.
Of course, the team never had the money to sign an established driver and it had to go for the "pay driver" in Lopez, who was backed by the Argentinian government and other minor sponsors. Had the team planned the project better, it would never have gone for someone of Lopez's quality and would have ensured that their driver choice would have been focused more on quality than "money" quantity. That's not to say the team didn't try that, though.
The team also promised that its car was going to be designed and built with innovation in mind and that it would be different than the other teams'. It was claimed that they would be bringing in concepts that had been used on Indy/Champ Cars and that they would be using these within the rules.
Formula One is a sport that showcases itself as the most technically advanced sport in the world. In terms of the sport, it is always interesting to see different ways of building a team car, and not only potentially be interesting for the sport, but for the automobile industry which has strong relationships within the sport.
In terms of the American market, which for years Bernie Ecclestone has never been able to master: It’s a big blow, as American companies might not want to get involved. The news also means that any future bid by an American-owned F1 project will just be laughed at and won’t gather any support worthy of selection as a future F1 team. It’s a shame for the American public who have been treated badly, as have the workers at the factory in Charlotte, N.C.
Windsor promised that the team would look to have a great relationship with the fans and as well as the team having a Web site, they have also stepped into social media like Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter.
Videos of the development of the car and interviews were put on YouTube whilst photos and short messages were put on Facebook and Twitter to help gather the team some support. Even with that, very little has been heard on those networks in the last couple of weeks when it looks from the outside that the team does not care about the supporters, who are losing interest in the team. That, of course, does not look good for prospective investors in the team, who may see little real need for the team to exist.
With Formula One looking to move away from its historical European base, this was a great opportunity missed for the sport to increase its profile in the 21st century. There could have been countless big American-based multinational companies looking to get involved in the sport and of course with USF1 involved the chances of a US Grand Prix would also have greatly improved.
The sport has never really recovered after the disaster that was the 2005 Grand Prix at Indianapolis, Ind. In that Grand Prix, Michelin had tire issues and only six cars raced in front of a nearly sold-out crowd.
There are more than a few American drivers waiting in the wings for a chance in the sport like JR Hildebrand, Jon Summerton, and Alexander Rossi. Rossi is clearly a future star and is doing well in the GP2 Asia series.
Ex-Torro Rosso driver Scott Speed should not be forgotten either. He is experienced and now, as a mature driver, could have been tempted back in the future.
Following in the footsteps of Villenueve is the young Canadian Robert Wickens who is racing in the FIA F2 Championship. He is an option for the sport in the near future as well.
However, perhaps all the blame shouldn't rest on Windsor and Anderson's shoulders. The selection process that the FIA used in selecting the new teams should also come into question, as with Campos and USF1 struggling it appears that other candidates such as Lola, Prodrive, and Epilson Euskadi should have been accepted.
Another problem that all the new teams had to deal with was the fact that the actual regulations for the 2010 season were not finalized until the FOTA/FOM argument was settled over the summer. This definitely did not help USF1 or Campos and certainly set them back. There were also issues with Cosworth engines not being delivered on time.
Overall, it looks like it is going to be a sad and complicated end to the USF1 project that looked slightly flawed at the start. It is a real shame for the American public who I am sure would have taken great pride in seeing a car designed and built in the United States representing them on the world scale.
If the team does fold, it's a shame for the sport, which will as a result suffer in the short and long-term in the States. Fans unfamiliar with the sport will lose interest, and sponsors will not be willing to get involved.
First, the whole USF1 concept gathered a lot of European skepticism ever since Windsor announced the team on Feb. 24, 2009, because they could all see the difficulties that the team has had over the last couple of months.
Foolishly perhaps, I wanted to see the team make the grid. Therefore, I have followed its progress (or lack there of) throughout the offseason just as much as I've followed the progress of the other new teams who have also suffered problems.
Campos Meta, run by Adrian Campos, has also had their problems. But according to creditable sources, they have been rescued by a new investor that is rumored to have secured the team's place for the new season. This new investor, ironically, is rumored to be Chad Hurley: the founder of YouTube. Hurley is one of the main investors in USF1 with the millionaire annoyed at the team's lack of progress looking to move onto the struggling Spanish team.
The main criticism of USF1 was always the fact that being based in America would hurt them in the long run. Why? Because they would be away from F1's European heartland, and would be behind other teams in car development.
I think that’s a valid argument. But at the same time, after the initial announcement in February when the team was launched, they had a few more months even before they were announced as one of the new teams.
That being said, both Windsor and Ken Anderson have lots of connections in the world of Motorsport. And knowing that the team was going to be based in America, when they were announced as one of the new teams, they still had plenty of time to pull things together.
One of the main problems was the fact that the team was called "USF1," which implied that the team would be fully American despite the fact that Windsor, of course, is British. Although the team said it wouldn't favor American drivers, with the team having '"US" in the title it would (and has) make the team look slightly weaker if they didn't have an American driver in their lineup or at least an established name in the sport.
Of course, a driver’s nationality is not the most important thing to an F1 team. However, it's good for national pride if you have a driver from the same nationality as the team.
Perhaps looking back, the team should not have called it "USF1." It could still have maintained its "American" background, but not as boldly as it did. Looking around the Internet over the last couple of weeks, there are not too many American/North American drivers with an FIA Super Licences.
Every driver needs a Super license in order to race in the sport, although in recent years when push comes to shove (eg. Kimi Raikonnen in 2001) a driver does not necessarily need one to compete.
In fact today, Lotus Racing's test driver, Fairuz Fauzy, qualified for his FIA Super license by completing a required amount of laps driving the team’s 2010 car at Jerez. With that in mind, it shows that had the team gotten its car finished on time, it could have turned up for the tests. Also, the team's driver(s) could have completed sufficient laps to earn that license.
The signing of Jose Maria Lopez brought a few snickers from the media. Lopez had been racing in Argentina for the last couple of years at Touring Car Level after being released from the Renault Drivers Development scheme in 2006.
Lopez is not necessarily a bad driver, but with USF1 even at the time of Lopez's appointment looking shaky in terms of making the grid in Bahrain, perhaps the team should have appointed an older wiser driver. It would have given the team some credibility with the media and fans.
With drivers like Jacques Villeneuve, Giancarlo Fisichella, and Christian Klien all on the market, the team perhaps should have taken a risk and gone out for one of them. Having someone of that caliber would have been good for the development of the car, which is so important for a new and small team.
But it would have also made things easier in attracting sponsors to invest in the team. With a credible driver leading the team, it would have attracted more national and local media exposure.
Villeneuve would have been the team's dream driver, and with his popularity in the States, Europe, and in F1, he would have brought immediate income to the team. Also, with an established driver on board, it would have made it easier to sign a second driver for the team.
Of course, the team never had the money to sign an established driver and it had to go for the "pay driver" in Lopez, who was backed by the Argentinian government and other minor sponsors. Had the team planned the project better, it would never have gone for someone of Lopez's quality and would have ensured that their driver choice would have been focused more on quality than "money" quantity. That's not to say the team didn't try that, though.
The team also promised that its car was going to be designed and built with innovation in mind and that it would be different than the other teams'. It was claimed that they would be bringing in concepts that had been used on Indy/Champ Cars and that they would be using these within the rules.
Formula One is a sport that showcases itself as the most technically advanced sport in the world. In terms of the sport, it is always interesting to see different ways of building a team car, and not only potentially be interesting for the sport, but for the automobile industry which has strong relationships within the sport.
In terms of the American market, which for years Bernie Ecclestone has never been able to master: It’s a big blow, as American companies might not want to get involved. The news also means that any future bid by an American-owned F1 project will just be laughed at and won’t gather any support worthy of selection as a future F1 team. It’s a shame for the American public who have been treated badly, as have the workers at the factory in Charlotte, N.C.
Windsor promised that the team would look to have a great relationship with the fans and as well as the team having a Web site, they have also stepped into social media like Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter.
Videos of the development of the car and interviews were put on YouTube whilst photos and short messages were put on Facebook and Twitter to help gather the team some support. Even with that, very little has been heard on those networks in the last couple of weeks when it looks from the outside that the team does not care about the supporters, who are losing interest in the team. That, of course, does not look good for prospective investors in the team, who may see little real need for the team to exist.
With Formula One looking to move away from its historical European base, this was a great opportunity missed for the sport to increase its profile in the 21st century. There could have been countless big American-based multinational companies looking to get involved in the sport and of course with USF1 involved the chances of a US Grand Prix would also have greatly improved.
The sport has never really recovered after the disaster that was the 2005 Grand Prix at Indianapolis, Ind. In that Grand Prix, Michelin had tire issues and only six cars raced in front of a nearly sold-out crowd.
There are more than a few American drivers waiting in the wings for a chance in the sport like JR Hildebrand, Jon Summerton, and Alexander Rossi. Rossi is clearly a future star and is doing well in the GP2 Asia series.
Ex-Torro Rosso driver Scott Speed should not be forgotten either. He is experienced and now, as a mature driver, could have been tempted back in the future.
Following in the footsteps of Villenueve is the young Canadian Robert Wickens who is racing in the FIA F2 Championship. He is an option for the sport in the near future as well.
However, perhaps all the blame shouldn't rest on Windsor and Anderson's shoulders. The selection process that the FIA used in selecting the new teams should also come into question, as with Campos and USF1 struggling it appears that other candidates such as Lola, Prodrive, and Epilson Euskadi should have been accepted.
Another problem that all the new teams had to deal with was the fact that the actual regulations for the 2010 season were not finalized until the FOTA/FOM argument was settled over the summer. This definitely did not help USF1 or Campos and certainly set them back. There were also issues with Cosworth engines not being delivered on time.
Overall, it looks like it is going to be a sad and complicated end to the USF1 project that looked slightly flawed at the start. It is a real shame for the American public who I am sure would have taken great pride in seeing a car designed and built in the United States representing them on the world scale.
If the team does fold, it's a shame for the sport, which will as a result suffer in the short and long-term in the States. Fans unfamiliar with the sport will lose interest, and sponsors will not be willing to get involved.
It's also a huge blow to the FIA, who will have missed out on a huge opportunity as well, which will embarrass them greatly. Regardless of USF1, I hope that an American driver does get involved in the sport.
story by Adam Dennehey / ©bleacher.com
Tuesday
OKLAHOMA ON THE 19TH
1967 HONDA S 600
1953 CHEVY 210
LEAKE CAR AUCTION
by Leake
Oklahoma City Fairgrounds
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1-800-722-9942
1960 WILLYS JEEP
1990 COBRA REPLICA
photo credits: leake auto auctions and its consignors
Monday
BUILT FOR THREE....OR FOUR
In the period prior to WW2, the automobile was beyond the financial reach of the average family and motorcycles with sidecars were commonplace as family transport. Enterprising Czech engineer Albin Liebisch embarked on a different philosophy, creating three and even four seat motorcycles sold in Germany under the brand Böhmerland. The 1937 Langtouren (long touring) model pictured is a three seater with two gearboxes, the second one requiring a passenger to change gears. The cast wheels were also a first for motorcycles.
The long 1937 Böhmerland Langtouren used a 603cc single cylinder engine with exposed valve gear, two gearboxes, two petrol tanks (both at the rear of the bike on either side) and a very long wheelbase, though it must be said that the roadholding behaviour of long wheelbase motorcycles is far more predictable and easier-to-use than motorcycles with sidecars.
Around Cyprus, and a lot of other countries, it is not uncommon to see three and four people on a single seat scooter.
photo by bonhams
edited text by gizmag.com
Friday
Thursday
ENGLAND ON THE 17TH
1936 AUSTIN
1938 BENTLEY
COLLECTOR'S CARS
by H & H
The Pavilion Gardens
Buxton
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 8458 33 44 55
1950 MG YA
1939 ROVER P2
photo credits: H & H and its consignors
AUSTRALIA ON THE 15TH
1990 CITROEN 2CV6
1996 PORSCHE 911 'WIDEBODY'
2010 SHANNONS SYDNEY SUMMER CLASSIC SALE
by Shannons
65 Reserve Road
St. Leonard, Sydney
Australia
+61 2 8019 4116
1955 MORGAN
WILLYS OVERLAND
photo credit: shannons
ENGLAND ON THE 14TH
CLASSIC CARS, MOTORBIKES AND AUTOMOBILIA
by Charterhouse
Royal Bath & West Showground
Shepton Mallet
United Kingdom
http://www.charterhouse-auctions.co.uk/
+44 (0) 1935 812277
by Charterhouse
Royal Bath & West Showground
Shepton Mallet
United Kingdom
http://www.charterhouse-auctions.co.uk/
+44 (0) 1935 812277
FRANCE ON THE 14TH
1931 PACKARD
1962 MERCEDES 190 SL
CLASSIC AND RACING CARS
by Artcurial
Palais des Congres
Paris, France
+33 (0) 6 07 09 09 07
1963 JAGUAR LIGHTWEIGHT 'E'
1957 AC ACECA
photos by artcurial and its consignors
©Artcurial
Wednesday
Saturday
ONLY TWO SEATS LEFT...
Mercedes GP (confirmed)
Michael Schumacher
Nico Rosberg
Red Bull (confirmed)
Sebastian Vettel
Mark Webber
McLaren (confirmed)
Lewis Hamilton
Jenson Button
Ferrari (confirmed)
Felipe Massa
Fernando Alonso
Williams (confirmed)
Rubens Barrichello
Nico Hulkenberg
Force India (confirmed)
Adrian Sutil
Vitantonio Liuzzi
Renault (confirmed)
Robert Kubica
Vitaly Petrov
Toro Rosso (confirmed)
Sebastien Buemi
Jaime Alguersuari
Sauber (confirmed)
Kamui Kobayashi
Pedro de la Rosa
NEW TEAMS
Virgin Racing (confirmed)
Timo Glock
Lucas di Grassi
Lotus F1 (confirmed)
Jarno Trulli
Heikki Kovalainen
Campos
Brunno Senna (confirmed)
USF1
Jose Maria Lopez (confirmed)
With only two of the new teams needing to fill the second seat Formula One is just about ready to roll, BUT...and a big BUT too, one or two of the new teams may not be able to start. Now it comes out that one of the regular teams is also in trouble. We shall see.
Michael Schumacher
Nico Rosberg
Red Bull (confirmed)
Sebastian Vettel
Mark Webber
McLaren (confirmed)
Lewis Hamilton
Jenson Button
Ferrari (confirmed)
Felipe Massa
Fernando Alonso
Williams (confirmed)
Rubens Barrichello
Nico Hulkenberg
Force India (confirmed)
Adrian Sutil
Vitantonio Liuzzi
Renault (confirmed)
Robert Kubica
Vitaly Petrov
Toro Rosso (confirmed)
Sebastien Buemi
Jaime Alguersuari
Sauber (confirmed)
Kamui Kobayashi
Pedro de la Rosa
NEW TEAMS
Virgin Racing (confirmed)
Timo Glock
Lucas di Grassi
Lotus F1 (confirmed)
Jarno Trulli
Heikki Kovalainen
Campos
Brunno Senna (confirmed)
USF1
Jose Maria Lopez (confirmed)
With only two of the new teams needing to fill the second seat Formula One is just about ready to roll, BUT...and a big BUT too, one or two of the new teams may not be able to start. Now it comes out that one of the regular teams is also in trouble. We shall see.
Friday
ENGLAND ON THE 8TH OF FEBRUARY
1961 JAGUAR MkII
1964 JAGUAR E TYPE
CLASSIC COLLECTORS & SPORTS CARS
by Barons
Sandown Park Exhibiion Complex
Esher, Surrey
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 8454 306060
1971 JENSEN
1976 MERCEDES 350SL
photo credit: barons auctions and its consignors
Tuesday
YEAH! CANADA IS BACK ON THE GRID.....
video credit:© Copyright 2009 Scuderia Toro Rosso
© YouTube LLC
Monday
SECOND SEAT AT RENAULT
VITALY PETROV
Second seat, first Russian. He had been offered a seat a the new team Campos who he drove for in the Formula Two series. When Renault asked him how could he refuse. He has been driving for the last 10 years and is only 25 now.....this season is going to be interesting.....am I repeating myself?
photo credit ©Grandprix.com / Andrew Hone
TWO MORE FOR THE TRACK....
TORO ROSSO STR05
©YouTube LLC
©YouTube LLC
RENAULT R30
© Grandprix.com, Photo: Andrew Hone
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