Filed under: Formula One Jenson Button was not involved in a road car accident after qualifying third in Hungary, his management and the McLaren team have clarified. Hackers gained access to the 31-year-old Briton’s personal website late on Saturday and posted a photo of a heavily damaged red car and information that Button is in a “critical condition” in Budapest’s AEK hospital. But a subsequent message said the news was “completely false”. “Suffice to say Jenson is safe, well and tucked up in bed looking forward to tomorrow’s race”, the website reads. “We can only apologise for any alarm this may have caused.” McLaren confirmed that Button’s website was “hacked”, and a spokesman for the driver told the BBC the story was a “distasteful hoax”.   See more here: Hackers say Button injured in road car smash Here is the original:  Hackers say Button injured in road car smash

Looking practically production-ready, pictures of the upcoming ML63 AMG have made the online world. To be introduced as a 2012 model, the thinly-disguised prototype showed a revised grill, new bumper contours and a quad-tailpipe exhaust, as if the rumble emanating from under the hood would not be enough to announce this SUV’s intent. It’s expected to have an uprated suspension, and big brakes can be seen at all four corners, behind the AMG-produced wheels. Seen in the environs of Mercedes’ Nurburgring test grounds, the ML63 is expected to be powered by Mercedes’ biturbo V8 which displaces 5.5 liters and generates around 520 horsepower. The torque rating of about 515 lb-ft should be more than enough to launch this SUV with alacrity and hasten tire life. Transmission would probably be the excellent Speedshift 7-speed MCT, which would accelerate this sport SUV to 60 mph in under 5 seconds. View original here:  2012 ML63 AMG Seen Near Nurburgring

Three camouflaged copies of the latest version of the “Tumbler” — the Batmobile from the past two Batman movies — were being driven this weekend around Pittsburgh for filming of the third installment, ” The Dark Knight Rises .” The best part? There’s video. Lots of it. More » See original here: This is the new Batmobile [Video] Read the original: This is the new Batmobile [Video]

Opening the doors on a forgotten barn or garage to reveal a dusty vehicle that needs little more than some elbow grease and a weekend spent in the garage to reverse the effects of sitting is the stuff of gearhead dreams. After reading about the trio of Italian barn finds this week, we started wondering what vehicle we dream of finding covered in dust more than any other. What is the barn find of your dreams? More » See the original post: What is the barn find of your dreams? [Question Of The Weekend] See the rest here: What is the barn find of your dreams? [Question Of The Weekend]

Back in 1969, the Apollo 11 mission put mankind on the moon. It was a massive accomplishment. Two years later, though, people were getting bored. 40 years ago today, it become the moon buggy’s job to make space fun again. More » See original here: How Driving On the Moon Made Us Care About Space Again [Video] Original post:  How Driving On the Moon Made Us Care About Space Again [Video]

Before the flaming war starts, allow us to set the context for this BMWBLOG photo comparison. First and foremost, we are the first to state that the following comparison is not only unusual, but somewhat …unfair. The two supercars are fundamentally built on different strategies and core values. While BMW is betting its future on sustainability and efficient mobility, Audi continues to produce supercars that turn heads and attract new customers to the brand. Second, the technology used in the BMW i8 and Audi R8 is entirely different, from engine to chassis and drivetrain. So what do the two cars have in common? The design. This is the common ground since both cars are and will be seen as two super sporty vehicles that cater to those looking for extravagant rides at exotic prices. Through the use of CFRP, the “layering” design principle, with which shapes take on clear functions, adopts a completely new form of expression in the new BMW i8. Due to its exceptional characteristics, CFRP is in itself robust and can be shaped into self-supporting structures. BMW i8 introduces for the first time “layered surfacing”, both in interior and exterior design. BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk says “layered surfacing” creates a more cohesive and harmonious appearance while also optimizing air flow. The layering design creates a visual lightness, along with physical lightness, in order to get sporty car performance with very little fuel consumption. Layering is a way of placing things over each other which translates into use of less parts. As the first mid-engine sports car of the Audi brand, the R8 interprets Audi’s design in a new, extreme form: the R8 emerges as a formal statement of sheer dynamism. “Our aim was to create a powerful sports car – but with an exceptional quality of elegance,” remarked Walter de’Silva, Head of Design of the Audi brand group. The design of the R8 makes use of concave and convex surfaces that describe a muscular body. By use of flow lines and surfaces, Audi’s designer adopted the “philosophy of light”. When it comes to power, the two high-end premium cars are far from even being classified as “third degree cousins”. The base 4.2 R8 has a 420 horsepower high-revving V8 engine...

Josh Clason’s most recent Depth of Speed episode profiles Craig Johnson and his well restored vintage Volkswagens. It seems especially appropriate to examine vintage Volkswagen culture today, exactly 8 years after the last classic Beetle rolled off the assembly line . More » Excerpt from: A tale of two Volkswagens [Video] Excerpt from: A tale of two Volkswagens [Video]

Saturday’s qualifying round for the Hungarian Grand Prix saw Rosberg and Schumacher qualify in 7th and 9th See more here:  MERCEDES GP PETRONAS: F1 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix Qualifying Round

If you needed another reminder why you really don’t want to get rear ended by a commercial truck while sitting in your car, here it is. This German crash test is intended to show what happens when a truck plows into cars parked behind another stopped commercial truck. More » View post: German crash test is a scary reminder of what happens when cars and trucks collide [Video] Read the original here:  German crash test is a scary reminder of what happens when cars and trucks collide [Video]

From the looks of it this old (1959 or 1960) International Harvester Travelall saw some serious work duty before it ended up in this Alabama Junkyard. Without any remaining signage to give us a clue we can only wonder what trade this rare IH was employed in before it retired. More » Originally posted here: Inactive International [Junkyard Porn] Read the original post:  Inactive International [Junkyard Porn]

Fast drivers, specially fast, highly-competitive drivers, think nothing of getting in a car and flooring the accelerator, reaching high speeds without batting an eyelash. Their internal wiring allows them to anticipate and control a car’s movement’s easily, oftentimes to the discomfort and wide-eyed unease of their passengers. Watch the video below as the tables are turned, where one of the sport’s more popular and well-known drivers receives a dose of discomfort. Despite being the winner of more than a dozen F1 victories and continuing his career as a DTM driver, we get to see a visibly uncomfortable David Coulthard hold on for dear life as he and current F1 driver Nico Rosberg hurtle down the Nordschleife in an SLS AMG. The newly-appointed AMG ambassador must have felt quite helpless as Rosberg, being the F1 driver that he is, put the SLS AMG through its paces. It’s one thing to be in control of a supercar, and another to be a helpless passenger, as our DC found out. Continued here: F1 Driver Rosberg Gives Ex-F1 Driver A Tour Of The Nurburgring

If you’ve always wanted the look of a vintage Jaguar but they were too big, left hand drive, unreliable or easy to get parts for in America, one Japanese company created a not so perfect solution. Behold the Mitsuoka Viewt. Built on the body of a Nissan March by a Japanese company that specializes in unique automotive design interpretations , this strange vehicle is currently for sale on Ebay. More » See original here: Miniature Nissan modified to look like vintage Jaguar on Ebay [Found On EBay] Read more: Miniature Nissan modified to look like vintage Jaguar on Ebay [Found On EBay]

Yesterday, BMWBLOG attended the official launch of the all-new and revolutionary BMW i3 and i8 . The first vehicles to emerge under the i sub-brand were introduced to the world in front of journalist from around the world. First i models will come to market starting in 2013 and bring with them a series of new technology and unique characteristics. With the BMW i3 and i8, the company places an emphasis on the use of CFRP, the lighweight material that will solve some of the weight problems of current vehicles, as well as providing impressive fuel consumption levels. Our own Hugo Becker had the opportunity to spend some time with the two vehicles, as well as interviewing BMW engineers and designers. More on this later, but for now, let’s have a look at the BMW i in our own images and commentary. Volt dancers by presenting a dance routine to setup the program. Their movements modified what looked like a digital stream on the screen (and at times the floor), showing the interconnectedness of man and software (presumably). But maybe it was just ‘Volt Dancers meets Tron’. Adrian van Hooydonk explains the design philosophy behind the i sub-brand. He admitted to BMWBLOG that his choice of suit and sweater was to mimic the color schemes of the concepts. At the press reveal BMW decided to upstage the The passenger cell of the i3 composed of CFRP. The bolts (seen sticking out of the red spots on the CFRP shell) are attachment points for the thermoplastic skin of the car. The three cylinder (500cc architecture) gas engine for the i8. It is connected to an automatic transaxle. The coordination between the electric motor at the front wheels and the IC engine at the rear requires that an automatic transmission be used. The chassis of the i3, batteries in the floor, has deformable aluminum structures in the rocker area to protect the ‘fuel’ container. It looks ready for production. The CFRP passenger cell is extraordinarily stiff and allows for the unique design and the pillarless access to the interior. Read more from the original source: BMWBLOG at the launch of new BMW i3 and i8

There I was, typing away on the computer in my office. Juggling Gmail, Facebook, and real work, unable to really concentrate; a typical afternoon – except this one was a little bit different. Anxiously waiting, knowing what was headed my way in only a few short minutes. I’ve been waiting over a year for this. Then it happened – I hear a knock coming from the other room and jump up from my chair. The brisk walk to my front door and my excitement remind me of my younger self waking up on Christmas morning and running down to see what’s under the tree. A peek out the window reveals the prize: a brand-spanking-new 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. I could imagine it wrapped with a big red bow tie. “Be cool, Chris.” I calmly open the door to the driver from Subaru handing me the keys. I look at them for a moment, as if it’s the first time I’ve seen a set of car keys, before looking back up and sloppily signing the sheet of paper that says a bunch of stuff about not driving drunk, no smoking in the car…the usual. I rush over and take a lustful glance over the new Subie. Luckily, Subaru brought back the 4-door sedan for 2011, along with its gaudy but charming wing. Normally I’m not a fan of either – but in this case, it works, for some reason. It’s blue, as every WRX should be, sporting attractive gunmetal 18-inch BBS alloys. Not the traditional blue/gold combo we love seeing, but they’re good wheels. An aggressive wide-body kit sets it apart from the comparatively bland Impreza, and the redesigned front and rear bumpers separate it from last year’s model. Seeing the hood scoop – knowing it feeds air directly into the high-cross-flow intercooler – is too much to bear. I must drive it. Now. Hopping inside is familiar and comfortable. Not much different from the 2010 WRX STI , although this one is the top-of-the-line Limited trim level, dressed up in black leather with red stitching (to include embroidered “STI” logos in the two front headrests,) a special STI steering wheel, and specially-designed electroluminescent gauges to give me all the vitals. Looking around, there isn’t much to see. That’s part of the beauty in this car. So few frills and doo-dads...

The German tuner Carlsson showed Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG’s new parts. The first one is the Carlsson lift Tronic ®, which is the first lift in the entire globe. That system can lift both the coupe and roadster variants by 40 millimeters on both axles by simply pressing a button. The kit, which can be combined with a coil-over suspension kit that can lower the vehicle between 15 and 35 millimeters is normally doing it for a height of 80km/h. The next feature of the car is the front wheel measuring 9.5 x 21 and the back wheel at 11 x 21 inch. These allow wheels are about 40% lighter that the normal wheels of the same size. Customers can also opt to pimp their SLS AMG’s interior, Nappa leather fitted to the dashboard, head restraints, center console, door panels and door handles. The leather is especially made only for Carlsson. A great thing about this is that customers can say what color of the stitching and piping they want without getting charged extra. See the rest here: Carlsson ‘Lifts’ the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG