Filed under: Formula One Yet again, he finds himself staring at the rear end of a Red Bull. At the Nürburgring, Lewis Hamilton had Mark Webber in front of him on the grid; in Hungary it will be Sebastian Vettel. For most of qualifying, it had looked as though the McLaren driver would grab his first pole position of the year. But at the last moment, Vettel booked it for himself. So Hamilton will now be starting from the dirty side. Is this going to be a problem for the 26-year-old? “It’s not so bad,” says Hamilton calmly. “I’ve already done that a couple of times before on this track. Anyway, our KERS packs a bit more punch than Red Bull’s.” He believes that McLaren can get a result providing they get off to a good start. “We are strong contenders,” he adds with conviction. “At the Hungaroring, it is hugely important to come out of the first corner well placed,” he explains, “because it’s so difficult to overtake here. With DRS, it’s perhaps a bit better to sit on the tail of the man in front for a couple of laps.” However, Hamilton sees tyre management as the key factor for success in the last race before the summer break. Pirelli have once again supplied the supersoft compound which has reacted with hypersensitivity in the past: “We had a good long run yesterday with them, which fills me with confidence.” McLaren were consistent throughout Friday, so Hamilton is hoping for a good points haul. “Hopefully we can nick a few off Red Bull and Ferrari,” he adds with a chuckle.   See the original post: Hamilton: Nicking points off Red Bull and Ferrari Read the original post:  Hamilton: Nicking points off Red Bull and Ferrari

If you had other ideas when “they” told you to go into medicine, the strikingly new 1981 Monte Carlo was the car for you. Chevrolet built it for people that were so proud of who they were it could only be expressed through drum solos and Monte Carlo ownership. More » See the rest here: 1981 Chevrolet Monte Carlo makes you want to do drum solos [Video] View original post here:  1981 Chevrolet Monte Carlo makes you want to do drum solos [Video]

According to a recent report, Toyota is set to launch a Prius coupé by 2014. In a twist to the story, the Prius coupé will apparently underpin the forthcoming Lexus GS , which for one, seems like an odd candidate as the upcoming FT-86 sports car can support a hybrid powertrain, or Toyota could shorten the regular Prius hatchback. Whatever the basis, the car is rumoured to have plug-in technology, lithium-ion battery pack, and a manual transmission. Toyota will be rapidly expanding the Prius line-up with a MPV called Prius+, a sub-compact variant for the U.S market called ‘Prius C’, and a possible SUV. A coupé variant of the Prius has been rumoured since 2010 when an insider spilled the beans. Read more from the original source: Toyota Prius Coupé to arrive in 2014 Go here to see the original:  Toyota Prius Coupé to arrive in 2014

Japanese car makers are beginning to overcome the difficulties of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that caused havoc in March. Nissan, Honda and Toyota are all bouncing back after the disaster caused widespread devastation in Japan earlier this year. Leaf and Juke maker Nissan this week announced an impressive operating profit of £1.12bn for the first quarter of 2011. Globally the manufacturer sold an incredible 1,056,000 vehicles in the first three months of the year – up nearly 11 per cent on the same period in 2011. “Our rapid recovery from the natural disasters in March once again shows the power of Nissan in responding effectively and decisively to crisis,” said Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn. Toyota has been working hard to get its production levels back to levels seen before the earthquake. At the end of June the firm was running at 90 per cent and said it expects to be back to full production levels by November. The maker added that it would be build an additional 350,000 vehicles from October this year through to March 2012 to make up for lost production due to the disaster. A spokesman for Toyota GB said: “In the UK we see every chance of hitting pre-earthquake targets in part thanks to new models, like the Yaris.” Meanwhile Honda has also been concentrating on getting its factories back up to speed. Production in Japan was nearly back to normal in June while outside of the country its other plants are expected to recover in September. A spokesman for Honda UK told Autoblog: “Our major facilities (Suzuka/Saiama) are now back to normal production rates. In the UK, our plant at Swindon is currently on a reduced production plan, but will return to normal from early September. “While our production facilities were not damaged by the earthquake and tsunami, the biggest impact for Honda has been parts supply. In very basic terms this has meant that for a period we were unable to build a number of models.” The fall in production has resulted in Honda reducing its forecasts for overall revenue down on the previous year by seven per cent to £65.32bn. “Decline in operating income compared to the previous fiscal year is mainly because of a decline in automobile unit sales due to the...

    Presently the leading news story transpiring in the United States is a political battle in the nation’s capital. Attempting to concoct a working plan to control federal government spending, the ability to best manage the taxpayers’ money is placed into question. While managing government finances has proven to be a difficult and contentious issue, the Obama administration gathered an agreement providing savings of a different kind. Assisting motorists of American roads, a plan to mandate fleet fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 has been approved by auto manufacturers and government agencies. Since 1975, the United States government have policed the fuel economy of vehicles sold in the region by requiring automakers uphold a fuel mileage benchmark. Called the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), vehicles produced by an auto manufacturer must produce average fuel consumption above a set number. First set at 18 miles per gallon in 1975, the passenger car CAFE standard had stood at 27.5 miles per gallon since 1990. As erratic gasoline price hikes damaged the global economy and caused a hardship for many drivers, the United States government under President Bush pushed meaningful improvements for the CAFE regulated number in 2007. Among the biggest adjustment was a crackdown on the light truck vehicle category. The 54.5 mile per gallon mandate for 2025 also includes for massive improvements in light truck fuel consumption. Rising from a 2016 CAFÉ target of 35.5 miles per gallon previous set by the President Obama government in 2009, the 54.5 mile per gallon benchmark will be reached through a gradual fuel economy improvement of 5 percent from 2017 to 2025. The 2025 fuel economy improvements will also provide a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from future vehicles lessening environmental impact. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) applauded the new agreement. “This is another important step toward saving money for drivers, breaking our dependence on imported oil and cleaning up the air we breathe,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P Jackson citing also American demands for cleaner vehicles that does not increase the cost of motoring. The EPA and the Department of Transportation had previously lobbied for a...

    Presently the leading news story transpiring in the United States is a political battle in the nation’s capital. Attempting to concoct a working plan to control federal government spending, the ability to best manage the taxpayers’ money is placed into question. While managing government finances has proven to be a difficult and contentious issue, the Obama administration gathered an agreement providing savings of a different kind. Assisting motorists of American roads, a plan to mandate fleet fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 has been approved by auto manufacturers and government agencies. Since 1975, the United States government have policed the fuel economy of vehicles sold in the region by requiring automakers uphold a fuel mileage benchmark. Called the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), vehicles produced by an auto manufacturer must produce average fuel consumption above a set number. First set at 18 miles per gallon in 1975, the passenger car CAFE standard had stood at 27.5 miles per gallon since 1990. As erratic gasoline price hikes damaged the global economy and caused a hardship for many drivers, the United States government under President Bush pushed meaningful improvements for the CAFE regulated number in 2007. Among the biggest adjustment was a crackdown on the light truck vehicle category. The 54.5 mile per gallon mandate for 2025 also includes for massive improvements in light truck fuel consumption. Rising from a 2016 CAFÉ target of 35.5 miles per gallon previous set by the President Obama government in 2009, the 54.5 mile per gallon benchmark will be reached through a gradual fuel economy improvement of 5 percent from 2017 to 2025. The 2025 fuel economy improvements will also provide a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from future vehicles lessening environmental impact. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) applauded the new agreement. “This is another important step toward saving money for drivers, breaking our dependence on imported oil and cleaning up the air we breathe,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P Jackson citing also American demands for cleaner vehicles that does not increase the cost of motoring. The EPA and the Department of Transportation had previously lobbied for a...

As if the new Actros trucks did not possess enough features to make them among the most technically advanced commercial trucks to date, Mercedes has announced that all new sales of the Actros in Europe will be fitted with the Fleetboard vehicle management system. FleetBoard EcoSupport provides drivers with analytical tools which give feedback on the driver’s driving style in real time, and provides direct feedback. The EcoSupport system gathers inputs based on criteria for economical driving, such as steady-state speed, pedal movements, use of wear-free brakes, roll behaviour and similar vehicle parameters. For a subscription fee, FleetBoard also monitors the due dates for impending servicing to minimize downtime, enables remote transmission of diagnostic data, and provides remote monitoring of the entire fleet. Upon initial acquisition, the FleetBoard program provides free driver training to make best use of the system, where short term savings have been found to range from 5 to 15%. Because of the more economical driving style, vehicle and engine wear is noticeably reduced, resulting in a significant extension of service intervals. Here is the original post:  FleetBoard System Reduces Fleet Costs Significantly

As if the new Actros trucks did not possess enough features to make them among the most technically advanced commercial trucks to date, Mercedes has announced that all new sales of the Actros in Europe will be fitted with the Fleetboard vehicle management system. FleetBoard EcoSupport provides drivers with analytical tools which give feedback on the driver’s driving style in real time, and provides direct feedback. The EcoSupport system gathers inputs based on criteria for economical driving, such as steady-state speed, pedal movements, use of wear-free brakes, roll behaviour and similar vehicle parameters. For a subscription fee, FleetBoard also monitors the due dates for impending servicing to minimize downtime, enables remote transmission of diagnostic data, and provides remote monitoring of the entire fleet. Upon initial acquisition, the FleetBoard program provides free driver training to make best use of the system, where short term savings have been found to range from 5 to 15%. Because of the more economical driving style, vehicle and engine wear is noticeably reduced, resulting in a significant extension of service intervals. More here:  FleetBoard System Reduces Fleet Costs Significantly

Munich/Washington, DC. – July 29, 2011… The BMW Group is in agreement with the direction outlined today by President Obama and his Administration on proposed new fuel economy standards for the period 2017 – 2025. The proposal is a result of extensive negotiations between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and will result in one national standard for regulating future greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy. Josef Kerscher, President, BMW Manufacturing: “Regulatory consistency is critical to synchronize product development with government rules. This way, companies have the time necessary to develop technologies that fulfill the requirements while remaining profitable and sustainable.  The path from 2017 to 2021 is now clearly marked and we are ready for the challenge.” The BMW Group supports the approach the US Government has taken, integrating the potential of numerous technologies to play a role in reducing GHG emissions, thus providing flexibility to achieve the ambitious targets that have been proposed. All implications of the upcoming regulation can be assessed only when all the details of the regulatory framework are finalized. The BMW Group can build upon its extensive technological expertise and innovative know-how in developing new environmentally friendly technologies such as those that have already enabled the company to reduce its carbon output and increase fuel efficiency over the past several years. In Europe, the BMW Group has achieved a CO2 reduction of 30% between 1995 and 2010. That reduction is the largest among premium auto manufacturer. Such achievements have enabled the BMW Group to be ranked as the most sustainable automotive company in the world for the past six consecutive years in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. The BMW Group has achieved these impressive results through its longstanding EfficientDynamics principles. EfficientDynamics applies to every model within the company’s worldwide fleet.  Since 1995, EfficientDynamics has introduced many industry-leading technologies such as Valvetronic throttle-less engine control, on-demand coolant and hydraulic pumps for reduced...

Munich/Washington, DC. – July 29, 2011… The BMW Group is in agreement with the direction outlined today by President Obama and his Administration on proposed new fuel economy standards for the period 2017 – 2025. The proposal is a result of extensive negotiations between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and will result in one national standard for regulating future greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy. Josef Kerscher, President, BMW Manufacturing: “Regulatory consistency is critical to synchronize product development with government rules. This way, companies have the time necessary to develop technologies that fulfill the requirements while remaining profitable and sustainable.  The path from 2017 to 2021 is now clearly marked and we are ready for the challenge.” The BMW Group supports the approach the US Government has taken, integrating the potential of numerous technologies to play a role in reducing GHG emissions, thus providing flexibility to achieve the ambitious targets that have been proposed. All implications of the upcoming regulation can be assessed only when all the details of the regulatory framework are finalized. The BMW Group can build upon its extensive technological expertise and innovative know-how in developing new environmentally friendly technologies such as those that have already enabled the company to reduce its carbon output and increase fuel efficiency over the past several years. In Europe, the BMW Group has achieved a CO2 reduction of 30% between 1995 and 2010. That reduction is the largest among premium auto manufacturer. Such achievements have enabled the BMW Group to be ranked as the most sustainable automotive company in the world for the past six consecutive years in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. The BMW Group has achieved these impressive results through its longstanding EfficientDynamics principles. EfficientDynamics applies to every model within the company’s worldwide fleet.  Since 1995, EfficientDynamics has introduced many industry-leading technologies such as Valvetronic throttle-less engine control, on-demand coolant and hydraulic pumps for reduced...

Cadillac tightens its focus on the Lexus RX. The Cadillac SRX’s lead development engineer, Steve Kline, kicked off the debut of the 2012 Cadillac SRX by telling us, “If we’d told you back in 2009 that the SRX would move from number nine in the segment to number two behind the Lexus RX, you probably would have laughed.” Kline is right. C/D loved the previous, CTS-based SRX. Its rear-drive dynamics and interior packaging allowed it to win a comparison test and multiple 5Best Truck trophies, but failed to endear it to customers. We would not have believed that a front-drive-based SRX would rocket up the sales charts, but that’s exactly what happened. Keep Reading: 2012 Cadillac SRX – First Drive Review Originally posted here: 2012 Cadillac SRX First Drive: A New V-6 Cures the SRX’s Ills Excerpt from: 2012 Cadillac SRX First Drive: A New V-6 Cures the SRX’s Ills

Since the two Petronas GP drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher are already in Hungary for the Hungarian GP, they took the time to visit the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kecskemet. About 1,200 employees of the plant gathered around them and greeted them. The two responded very well to their ‘fans’. They also answered some questions regarding the newest happening in Formula 1 race. After that they went on and signed autographs. That was a very fun day for the staff at the Keckskemet plant,and for sure , it will refresh and inspire them as they prepare for the A and B class to roll off the plant’s assembly lines. The Mercedes-Benz plant is estimated to be bigger as its goal is to have about 2,500 employees by the year 2013 and they are targeting to produce 100,000 cars per year. Here is the original post:  Rosberg and Schumacher Visited Mercedes-Benz Plant in Hungary

In a preview held of the results of brainstorming exercises held in Mercedes’ Advanced Design Center in Como, Italy, facets of the new interior for the upcoming B-Class were presented. Immediately noticeable was the fact that many of the detail elements previously reserved for the high-end vehicle segments were present in the new interior of the B-Class. For example, the dash that was stitched with ARTICO man-made leather may make it to production. Other high-class details like the large, three-dimensional decorative element spanning the entire dashboard can be observed, as well as a galvanised surface contrasting with a piano black background for the display panel that takes pride of place in the center of the dash. These elements are the result of studies done by Mercedes in the field of perceptual psychology, where the perception of high quality brings out positive emotional responses from the vehicle’s occupant. Part of the preview also showed unfinished models of the interior design elements, where the select journalists where able to see the designs as pure form. In this guise, components such as the dash vents and steering wheels looked more like sculptures than functional automotive art. Read more from the original source: Mercedes Previews Upcoming B-Class Interior

New Jeep GC: It’s a Long-Term Thing Jeep overhauled its Grand Cherokee for 2011, redesigning it from the contact patches to the roof and transferring it to the same platform that hosts the Mercedes-Benz ML-class . The Benz-derived structure is solid, but it also adds about 200 pounds versus the previous Grand Cherokee. Still, our first impressions were positive—we awarded the Jeep first place in a four-truck comparison test —so we ordered one up for our long-term fleet. Keep Reading: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo V6 – Long-Term Road Test Intro See the rest here: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo Long-Term Intro: Satisfying Despite the Headaches See the rest here: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo Long-Term Intro: Satisfying Despite the Headaches

Mercedes’ third-gen SUV lounges lazily in the lap of luxury. Off-roading? A little. Fun? Not much. Before the recession, Mercedes-Benz had no trouble selling 34,000 MLs in the U.S. each year. For 2011, the company’s best-known SUV is back on track to hit 30,000 sales. Right now, in fact, ML sales are up 14.5 percent. “It puts us in a funny position,” confesses Mercedes U.S.A. president and CEO Ernst Lieb. “We’re spending millions to replace a car that remains a huge profit center.” It’s like replacing Yankee Stadium’s hot dogs with, say, toaster waffles. Are you sure you want to mess with a good thing? Keep Reading: 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-class / ML350 4MATIC / ML350 BlueTec – First Drive Review Originally posted here: 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-class First Drive: The Cushy Cruiser Gets Updated See the original post: 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-class First Drive: The Cushy Cruiser Gets Updated