What’s the best way to market new performance sport tires? We don’t really know for sure, but holding a special invite-only event where invitees could take a car out for a spin at night should be high up on the list. That’s exactly what BF Goodrich did with its Awesomecross event held recently, meant to show off the company’s new g-Force Sport COMP-2 summer tires. Awesomecross is a play on Autocross, events where drivers compete one at a time as they are timed, running through a predetermined course usually in airfields, parking spaces, and other similar paved locations. What makes Awesomecross so awesome? For one, it’s done at night. Add to that the nuances of having to learn the course in the dark and it makes for a really exhilarating race. The manufacturer wanted to show that the tires perform to make driving more fun. To do this, the organizers have wired the drivers to track their reactions as they drive—something like a test to see the correlation between the new tires and an individual’s driving experience. Judging from the videos, it looks like mission accomplished for BF Goodrich and its marketing team. Disclaimer: This post has been sponsored by BF Goodrich, but all thoughts are my own Excerpt from:  Sponsored Video: BF Goodrich Shows Off Sport Comp 2 Tires in Awesomecross Event

Alright, I am gonna go out there and say it. The ZHP is a special BMW. The Performance Package, option code “ZHP,” created by BMW Individual was available only in the United States as a $3,900 option package on the 2003-2006 BMW 330i. This outfitted the 330i with many BMW Performance Parts as part of a comprehensive application that changed to overall performance and handling as well as enhanced its looks. BMW proclaimed that the ZHP “brings track-inspired excitement to your daily drive.” I can definitely attest to the accuracy of that statement as I own a six speed ’05 Imola Red ZHP. It works great as a daily driver and can handle itself quite well at an autocross or on track. I had the good fortune to attend BMWCCAʼs Octoberfest at Barber Motorsports Park last fall and had a blast autocrossing as well as driving on track in my ZHP. At the autocross there were no less than 5 ZHPs out there! I wasnʼt the fastest out there but found the ZHP provides a track capable blend of the patented solid BMW feel, great feedback through its steering rack and yet still offers four door year round practicality. How about winters, you ask? Well I live in the snow belt and have dedicated snow tires and wheels and picked a ZHP with heated seats, so no problem. For the ZHP, changes hit nearly every aspect of the 330i. The exterior has the M-Tech II body kit complete with small deck lid spoiler. The ZHP was the only option package in the 3 series to offer the Motorsport color, Imola Red. BMW lowered the ride height by giving it a modified suspension with firmer springs, special control arms and stiffer dampers as well as -0.5 degree negative camber. It even has a unique light weight front underbody cross brace. The ZHP has distinctive 18” M-badged 135 style double-spoke wheels with 225/40 fronts, 255/35 rears which are beautiful to look at but a pain to clean. Interior upgrades include an Alcantara clad M badged sport steering wheel, a much copied ZHP shifter knob and shifter. By that, I mean you will find that many other BMW enthusiasts buy the ZHP shift knob and install it in their BMW. For late 2005 production models BMW fitted the steering wheel with perforated leather instead of Alcantara. My 05ʻs Alcantara wheel has held up quite well in its 55k...

You should be, BMW. Mercedes have triumphed in Sunday’s Grand Prix of Shanghai, and have trophies on the shelf to show for it – that is, if Norbert Haug is finished drinking champagne out of his constructor’s trophy (watch the race win ceremony…). From pole position to the final lap, Mercedes performed a flawless race weekend (save for Shumi’s race-ending wheel nut mishap), and Nico Rosberg drove a perfect race. To Mercedes and Nico, we say, congratulations on a hard-earned victory! Mercedes-Benz had not won a Formula 1 race as a factory team since the Italian Grand Prix of 1955, held at the famous, high-speed Monza track. Juan Manuel Fangio piloted the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Formula 1 car to win the high-speed race. As the story goes, Mercedes knew of the unique high-speed demands of Monza and hence altered the bodywork to reduce aero drag at this race. They also brought along a long-wheel base car, allowing better stability through high-speed corners. Track-specific aero packages were not the norm of the era as they are today, so clearly Mercedes-Benz were ahead of the times, and the result clearly showed – putting the Ferraris to shame. If history is due to repeat itself, then Mercedes will find themselves collecting a few more trophies this year, on the way to a world championship title. Fangio took the Formula 1 championship crown after dominating both the 1954 and 1955 world championships behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz. Clearly, Mercedes have plenty of rich motorsport history to live up to, and it’s about time they do so in the realm of Formula 1. The celebrations inside Stuttgart must be ongoing, and rightfully so. After a 55 year absence from the sport, Mercedes returned to the grid in 2010 after buying the Brawn team from Ross Brawn – wisely keeping him at the helm. No doubt Mercedes expected out-of-the-box wins considering the remarkable dominance of the Brawn cars which won the 2009 world championship, but as they often do, teething problems posed problems for the team, causing them to recede their performance advantage. Falling victim to the Red Bulls, Mclarens and Ferraris, which bullied their way to the top 3 spots, Mercedes were left off the final podium spot in 4th once the dust settled at the...

[ad#block] Most readers of Automoblog will be familiar with the issues that have been in the media surrounding the Chevy Volt. The Volt has been hampered by a number of issues, including customer confusion over its gas-and-electric technology and a government investigation into post-crash-test fires, which ultimately vindicated the car. For 2012, Chevrolet has added structural enhancements to the Volt to reduce the risk of battery damage in an impact. Seldom mentioned is that the fires occurred two days or more after the Volts were crashed, and after the cars had been left sitting without the post-crash storage steps recommended by Chevrolet. The most recent issue involved General Motors announcing it was replacing the cord and charging device that lets owners charge the car from a 120-volt household outlet.  Some Volt owners have complained that their 120-volt charger “overheats during use and have even documented online videos of melted 120-volt chargers.” But Consumer Reports has said it has not had the problem in its testing of the car, and even put the Volt on its “recommended” list. When you take away all the negative news, the 2012 Chevrolet Volt is an impressive engineering achievement. When the car made its debut, much of the general public and media assumed the Volt was a pure electric car. But that is a total misconception. The Volt is essentially a plug-in hybrid, and will run much faster and farther under electric power only, than a normal hybrid vehicle. In the Volt’s case, this means up to 100 mph and anywhere from 25-50 miles without using any gasoline. This gives many commuter’s the ability to drive to work and back, plug in the Volt when they get home, and essentially never need to buy gas. The Volt is a four-door, four-seat hatchback that is laid out with two bucket seats in front, two in the rear and a center console running the full length of the cabin. The Volt feels quite roomy in front, and the front buckets are handsome and some of GM’s best seats ever. The Volt’s hatchback design allows for convenient loading of cargo, and with the rear seats folded flat, cargo capacity is increased. [ad#block] The 2012 Chevrolet Volt accelerates quickly from a stop light and once up to speed it is quick and responsive. The Volt...

Wander around racing chat rooms and you can find more bile being spilled regarding the DeltaWing entry at Le Mans than just about any racing car since Enzo Ferrari ridiculed the mid-engined Coopers in the late 1950s. When I first saw it, in the infield of qualifying at Indy in 2010, the first thing that ran through my mind was, “GM Firebird”. Its tall vertical stabilizer is a direct echo of the GM concept car. The DeltaWing is certainly radical looking. And radical and ridiculous aren’t that far away from each in the dictionary. When you view something as visually radical as the DeltaWing, the first thought is, “who would think of something like that?” The who, in the case of the DeltaWing, is Ben Bowlby, no stranger to race car development. He was the Chief Designer at Lola after all – and if you don’t know Lola . . . So why did someone steeped in current racing car technology come up with a design that one wag described as, “something an 8 year old boy drew in a bored moment during class”? Actually the question should be why hasn’t this been done before. There IS a good reason for this design. The DeltaWing was designed to fix the failure of current race car aero tech, and that’s the current tech’s inability to provide real ‘racing’, passing in and around the corners – not just ‘passing in the pits’. Aero grip was a development, along with modern tire technology, of experimentation in racing sports cars in the 1960s. One of the first to explore aero grip was Jim Hall of Chaparral fame. The huge rear wing on the Chaparral 2E (which was a moveable device – operated by a pedal in the cockpit) was the beginning. And there’s a direct line from the Chaparral 2E to the F1 cars in service now. The problem is that the aero grip generated by the front wings on cars washes out when a car comes up behind another. Without the aero grip, the car understeers like a pig and the trailing car loses ground to the car ahead of it. That’s the problem that Ben Bowlby was trying to solve with the DeltaWing. The DeltaWing has much less frontal area than other racing cars, and doesn’t rely on the nose for any aero grip. It can come right up behind another car and not get washed out. Which means...

February has decided to be a pal to me this year and grow an extra day, which I really appreciate. I’m glad for this freak 29th appendage because I really wanted to commemorate Black History Month before it ended with this post about one of my favorite drag racers, Kansas City’s Roy Drew. More » Go here to read the rest: The Rocket-Powered Beetle-Driving "Mr Pitiful" Is A Black History Month Mystery [Secret Cars] More here: The Rocket-Powered Beetle-Driving "Mr Pitiful" Is A Black History Month Mystery [Secret Cars]

For some time BMWBLOG has been a proponent of M diesels. Why? Because we knew they could do it, and well. Also, because we have a hankering for ungodly sums of torque. Torque is fun. M cars are fun. So why not a diesel M car? Sports car drivers and performance drivers (not often synonymous) are a very demanding sort. In our world, cars must become greater than the whole of their parts. They must transport us to a magical place of acceleration, neck straining cornering, and otherwise mind-bending performance. They must dance with us as willing partners on the racetrack or over a curvy road. They should wink at us naughtily from the sidewalk. And their sound should raise fine dorsal hairs. Sports cars, must steal our hearts. Why else would we buy them?! They are depreciating, impractical assets only slightly less foolish than boats. The obvious question is this: can a diesel be sexy? Posing this question more than a decade ago would have mustered laughter toped with scorn. But times have changed, and so have diesels. The mainstay of commercial heavy equipment and ’18 wheelers,’ they have been heavily developed by the Germans. Well, that is somewhat of a redundant statement since the Germans developed the diesel engine in the first place. Our friend Rudolf Diesel gave us the first diesel engine in 1893, and the monstrous single cylinder whacking at the ground like a pile-driver was impressive and maybe even a bit thrilling (for fear of your life should you get too close), but nothing close to sexy. In the decades that followed the diesel became porridge ordinary and fell well under the radar of sports car designers. The next most obvious question in succession would be: what makes an engine sexy? There’s a freebie for the comment section – go nuts. In my opinion, high revs are a key ingredient in the sex appeal. I want my engine to scream all the way to a lofty redline. Loud screaming is exciting, frankly. And yes we’re still talking about cars. Next, the engine must connect with the chassis and give it life – vibrant, exuberant life. This kind of vitality requires high output, so naturally, high horsepower and torque figures bring cachet and appeal to a sports car. We mentioned screaming in the context of revs, but the sound of...

The 2012 Dakar kicked off to a dramatic start Sunday as Argentina’s coastal dunes overtaxed several trucks and even a quad, resulting in multiple fires. The rally is now on its third of 14 stages, covering over 3,000 miles off road in Argentina, Chile and this year, for the first time, Peru. More » Continued here: The Dakar Race Looks Pretty Much Like A Post-Apocalyptic Hellscape [Video] View original here:  The Dakar Race Looks Pretty Much Like A Post-Apocalyptic Hellscape [Video]

The perfect tire would stick to any surface, never go flat, run in any weather, provide plentiful steering feedback, and wear forever. Fat chance we’ll ever get a perfect tire because a big set of those features are mutually exclusive. So tires are about compromise, compromises between traction and wear, traction and wet performance, traction in hot weather and traction in cold. Oh, and they should generate no noise, no vibrations, nor add any harshness to the ride. Impossible. Tires range from wide and sticky for racing slicks and narrow and hard for low rolling resistance e-mobility specials and then everything in between. Putting the right tire on the car for its intended use, and finding a suitable tire that will minimize NVH, increase fuel economy, and yet deliver appropriate traction in dry and wet/hot and cold is the stuff of nightmares. Once the appropriate set of compromises are reached, the tires reach the public (on suspensions tuned to that specific tire – in the case of high performance and luxury cars). And up until recently, that was five tires per car, then four tires and a donut spare, and even more recently, four run flat tires. The run flat tire allowed manufacturers to save weight by eliminating the spare tire, jack and accessories. The weight savings would help with fuel economy, every pound shed adds up to fractions of MPG – the more weight lost, the more MPG improved – and car makers will take MPG gains wherever they can find them. The manufacturers could accurately claim that the use of run flat tires as improves safety. After all, it is dangerous to change a tire on the side of the road. But they could not claim that they improve feel, that ever elusive notion of road information being transmitted from the contact patch up through suspension bits, and finally emerging in the driver’s fingertips. In addition, they couldn’t deliver the ride comfort expected on a luxury car (and of course the suspensions of cars had to be tuned to deal with the harshness of a run flat). And from an enthusiast’s point of view, they just didn’t feel good. The reason they didn’t feel good was the compromise required in the sidewalls of the tire that provides the run flat capabilities. They are extra stiff/thick to provide...

During our recent coverage of the F30 BMW 328i launch in Barcelona, Spain, we were smitten by the new turbo 4 cylinder on offer. It’s a phenomenal engine – checking off all the boxes systematically. Power? Check. Efficiency? Check. Refinement? Check. Reliability? We expect so, but time will tell. International engine of the year awards? We’d bet the farm on it. For a closer look at BMW’s all new 3 series live from the launch in Spain, check out our road review, and racetrack review articles. As we inch closer to the launch of the new F30 BMW 335i model, the question looms larger in our windshield: Which BMW is the one to buy – the turbo 4 or the turbo 6? Consider the following food for thought: The 328i is said to give up only 2 tenths of a second in acceleration from 0-60 mph to its bigger brother, the 335i. For that very marginal performance advantage, you sacrifice significant efficiency when purchasing the 335i. You will also pay more for insurance premiums, and you will pay more in the initial purchase price. Most drivers would be hard pressed to feel the difference of 2 tenths from 0-60, and the turbo 4-cylinder is so torquey, flat across the rev range, that most drivers would also be hard pressed to determine which car sports the 6 in a double blind test. Not only does the 328i offer superior efficiency with similar performance, but it also triumphs at the track with a lighter front end and slightly lighter curb weight – all of which make for a more nimble car on-track. The plot thickens. As if the above was not enough to convince you, BMW even kept the 328i badge so as not to humiliate you with the 320i moniker – sure office-fodder and back yard BBQ ammunition for the nosy Nancys in the group, and jealous neighbors. Still unsure? We highly recommend a test drive once the 328i is available at your local dealership. You’ve got to feel this engine to understand its performance, flattered by the brilliant 8-speed ZF-sourced automatic transmission. A 6-speed manual transmission is still on offer (thank you BMW, and the Driving Gods). Stay tuned for BMWBLOG’s live coverage from the new 335i launch in due time. Would YOU chose BMW’s new 328i or 335i? Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please...

It’s been some time since we’ve talked winter tires – three seasons to be exact. For those of us living in the Northern hemisphere, snow and ice have given us the gift – or curse – of slippery roads. I say gift because slippery roads can be fun-filled treasures covered in solid water. If you have a wild side that loves to explore the performance of your car, then you likely look forward to a good snow fall. In fact, you may even hope for it, checking the weather periodically to see if the sky’s ultimate gift to winter roads is on its way. A slippery road surface decreases the traction coefficient such that you can reach the limits of grip at much slower (and safer) speeds. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to drift, or control understeer, no better venue could be had than a snow covered road or parking lot. It’s the perfect time to learn performance driving, this blustery time of the year. Being the procrastinating sort that I am, I’ve still got the Yokohama Advan Neova AD08′s firmly wrapped to my car. These, after countless track days and months of on-road driving, are looking somewhat worn. Summer performance tires should never be driven in the cold, much less over snow or ice. There is simply, no grip. Worse yet, on the phone with Yokohama, a chemist told me that my tires will actually shatter if I hit a bump well below 0′ Celsius. The nano technology engineered into these tires for wicked high-temperature grip means that at low temperatures, they will literally solidify as water turns into ice, and shatter, forever destroyed. That sounds so cool I almost want to try it – minus the expensive price tag that experiment would carry. And so, for a second year I am prisoner to the cold, only able to drive my car when it’s warm enough not to shatter my tires. I need to sneak down to Southern Ontario where my Blizzak LM-25s are stored, carefully orchestrating my schedule with the weather forecast. Once they’re mounted, the winter is mine to enjoy. I should probably get on that, as the Detroit Auto Show, better know as the NAIAS is soon to be underway, and on January 9th, I’ll be there reporting live. I’ve never been to a Detroit Auto Show where it didn’t snow –...

Drivers longing for simpler ways of buying fuel at the gas station pump, there may be good news. A gasoline station in Saginaw, Mich., is testing a new pump technology called Post-Pay that allows cash-paying customers to unlock the gas pumps with a mere swipe of a driver’s license. When they’re done fueling the car, drivers can pay for fuel with cash at the station’s register. But, if they “pump and run” without paying, the information captured from the license swipe is transferred to the police. Post-Pay eliminates the need for station customers to first pre-pay—say, with $60—to fill up with fuel and then return to the register for change—because they only needed $52.36 for a completely full gas tank. Bob Hohn, president for Paxson Oil Company and inventor of the Post-Pay system says information from a driver’s license can’t be viewed by the cashier in the store nor is the data recorded in any matter. That is, unless a driver attempts a pump-and-run theft. So far, the technology—which Hohn has applied for a patent—is being tested only at two gas stations owned by Paxson Oil. ABC News report on Post-Pay technology from WJR-TV in Flint, Mich. Gas drive-offs drastically reduced with new invention [WJRT-TV ABC12 News] New pump technology prevents gas theft, lets you pay after pumping [Autoblog] Read the original: Fill-up your car with gas…by swiping your driver’s license?

Drivers longing for simpler ways of buying fuel at the gas station pump, there may be good news. A gasoline station in Saginaw, Mich., is testing a new pump technology called Post-Pay that allows cash-paying customers to unlock the gas pumps with a mere swipe of a driver’s license. When they’re done fueling the car, drivers can pay for fuel with cash at the station’s register. But, if they “pump and run” without paying, the information captured from the license swipe is transferred to the police. Post-Pay eliminates the need for station customers to first pre-pay—say, with $60—to fill up with fuel and then return to the register for change—because they only needed $52.36 for a completely full gas tank. Bob Hohn, president for Paxson Oil Company and inventor of the Post-Pay system says information from a driver’s license can’t be viewed by the cashier in the store nor is the data recorded in any matter. That is, unless a driver attempts a pump-and-run theft. So far, the technology—which Hohn has applied for a patent—is being tested only at two gas stations owned by Paxson Oil. ABC News report on Post-Pay technology from WJR-TV in Flint, Mich. Gas drive-offs drastically reduced with new invention [WJRT-TV ABC12 News] New pump technology prevents gas theft, lets you pay after pumping [Autoblog] Original post:  Fill-up your car with gas…by swiping your driver’s license?

The holidays are upon us and while you may be searching for last-minute gift bargains for the family, it’s also a good time to find a holiday deal on a new car. The end of the year can be a good time to buy and take advantage of manufacturer incentives and rebates. Dealers are anxious to sell what they can now because the winter months are typically their slowest season. Plus, automakers, too, are hoping to close the year with strong sales. All these factors put the car buyer in a good position to negotiate and come out with a great deal on a good car. For our December selection, we have listed CR recommended 2011 and 2012 models that offer the best discounts. Prices on the models selected are between 15 percent and 20 percent below MSRP, but dealers may be interested in negotiating further if inventory is available. A few of the models — Chevrolet Traverse, Honda Pilot, Lincoln MKZ, and Mazda6 — have been on lots over 100 days and are ripe for negotiations. Buying a 2012 model instead of a leftover 2011 might get you the latest safety features and technology and more inventory to choose from at the dealership. However, buying a 2011 model may get you the best price as dealers are more willing to negotiate an outgoing 2011 model. Of course, the downside to buying a leftover 2011 is that it already has a year’s worth of depreciation under its belt. But if you drive your car a long time, short-term depreciation won’t matter much. The models listed below are just a few of our Best New Car Deals, meaning there are notable discounts on models that meet Consumer Reports’ criteria to be recommended. These vehicles scored well in our testing, had average or better reliability in our subscriber survey, and performed well in government or insurance-industry safety tests, if evaluated. See our full list of deals for 2011 and 2012 models. Make & model Expires MSRP Invoice price Customer rebate Dealer incentive Bottom line price See original here: Best new car deals for the end of 2011

The holidays are upon us and while you may be searching for last-minute gift bargains for the family, it’s also a good time to find a holiday deal on a new car. The end of the year can be a good time to buy and take advantage of manufacturer incentives and rebates. Dealers are anxious to sell what they can now because the winter months are typically their slowest season. Plus, automakers, too, are hoping to close the year with strong sales. All these factors put the car buyer in a good position to negotiate and come out with a great deal on a good car. For our December selection, we have listed CR recommended 2011 and 2012 models that offer the best discounts. Prices on the models selected are between 15 percent and 20 percent below MSRP, but dealers may be interested in negotiating further if inventory is available. A few of the models — Chevrolet Traverse, Honda Pilot, Lincoln MKZ, and Mazda6 — have been on lots over 100 days and are ripe for negotiations. Buying a 2012 model instead of a leftover 2011 might get you the latest safety features and technology and more inventory to choose from at the dealership. However, buying a 2011 model may get you the best price as dealers are more willing to negotiate an outgoing 2011 model. Of course, the downside to buying a leftover 2011 is that it already has a year’s worth of depreciation under its belt. But if you drive your car a long time, short-term depreciation won’t matter much. The models listed below are just a few of our Best New Car Deals, meaning there are notable discounts on models that meet Consumer Reports’ criteria to be recommended. These vehicles scored well in our testing, had average or better reliability in our subscriber survey, and performed well in government or insurance-industry safety tests, if evaluated. See our full list of deals for 2011 and 2012 models. Make & model Expires MSRP Invoice price Customer rebate Dealer incentive Bottom line price Original post:  Best new car deals for the end of 2011