Ferrari Might Drop F1 if FIA’s Standard Engine Rule Passes

FIA, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, is trying to push through standards for Formula One teams that will constrict competitive advantages, cut costs and make F1 a pure race for the best driver. Although many manufacturers and race teams are not opposed to measures that help reduce costs, most feel that cost reductions should not come at the expense of technological advancement. Ferrari, who has competed in Formula One racing since 1950, will seriously consider leaving the sport if standardized engines become a new regulation.

The Formula One Teams Association called a meeting Geneva a few days ago to discuss alternative options for cost reductions. Toyota agrees with Ferrari and firmly believes that “Formula One must remain a technological challenge” and that other means of cost reduction must be considered. If Max Mosley, President of the FIA, is able to pass this standardized engine measure it will go into effect no later than 2010. Hopefully FIA will come to their senses and not push away auto manufacturers that support the F1 sport.

Hit the jump to read Ferrari’s full statement.

Read more

Nissan Releases Second Video of the GTR Lapping the ‘Ring

After Porsche accused Nissan of cheating on the ‘Ring to get an unbelievable lap time of 7:29.03, Nissan released this second video to prove that the car was entirely stock and that it had the extra 100kg of recording equipment on board. Check it out, the speed of this car is incredible!

California: No to Cell Phones While Driving, but Dog’s on Laps are Ok?

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently vetoed a bill that would have outlawed people driving motor vehicles with a dog on their lap. This veto comes hot on the heels after the governor’s approval of two new laws that ban texting and talking on a cellphone while driving.

The ban on cell phones while driving makes sense as it is a real safety issue in state that is congested with traffic problems. So why veto the lapdog bill? Is it also not a safety issue? People should be able to have their dogs with them in their car, but a dog being on a person’s lap while driving can be just as distracting as talking on a cell phone. And if a person gets in an accident with a dog on their lap and an airbag deploy’s… I don’t even want to think about it.

In light of recent legislation this veto doesn’t make much sense to me, what do you think?

Source: Dogblog

Nissan Serves Up More Proof for Porsche & the World

Nissan wants to make sure nobody is believes Porsche’s claim against the GT-R’s time on the ‘Ring. I thought they had made themselves clear by making an official statement and sending out a press release, but nothing is better than cold, hard proof. Today Nissan released a second video of the GT-R running around the ‘Ring in 7:29 seconds and also included a photo of the tires that were used and currently on display in Sumitomo Rubber Industries in Japan. The video shows the GT-R Nissan before the actual lap, along with the 120lbs of tracking and video equipment that was used to measure and record the GT-R’s performance. The racing starts around the 4-minute mark, hit the jump to watch the whole thing.

Source: GTRBlog.com

Read more

Not a Rumor: Free Chipotle Burrito Saturday October 11! ASEC’s R.A.D.

I swear, this one is not a rumor, you can call your local Chipotle and ask. This is a “Green Friendly” promotion that Chipotle is offering in union with the Action Sports Environmental Association (ASEC). RAD stands for Roll Anything Day, so you can load up on the guac!  Some big names are backing this, professional surfers and skateboarders like Bob Burnquist, Danny Way, Geoff Rowley, Rob Machado, and more.

Their goal is to give away 100,000 burritos, but two conditions apply. You can’t go to Chipotle in a motorized vehicle, you have to be on a bicycle, skateboard, roller skates, etc. And you have to be in California, sorry 49 other states and Puerto Rico. You can read the whole email after the jump!

Thanks again Andrew, I owe you a free burrito!

Read more

Nissan Motors Smacks Porsche with Another Press Statement: Learn How to Drive

Hoping to set the record straight, once and for all, Nissan issued a press release today outlining the exact details of the GT-R’s record run around the Nurburgring. Not only did they clarify that the vehicle was completely stock, but also that using one-off specialty car to run around the ‘Ring would “have no meaning” to them. In case anyone wants to see the tires that were used to run that hot lap around the Nurburgring, the full set of Dunlops SP Sport 600 DSST CTT’s are on display at Sumitomo Rubber Industries in Japan.

Nissan also thought it was a good idea to let Porsche and any other auto maker know that Nissan does offer driving lessons to help people understand the full capabilites of the GT-R. Nissan also wanted to remind everyone that to ensure maximum performance from their GT-R, they should follow all break-in procedures, service schedules and routine maintenence. Sounds like Godzilla is confident that they will win this shoving match, hit the jump to read Nissan’s full press release.

Source: AutoBlog

Read more

Pollution Reducing Statues Erected in Minnesota

With the grand opening of the new St. Anthony Falls Bridge on Minnesota’s I-35 comes two new pollution reducing statues. The statues are made of a specially formulated photo-catalytic concrete which helps convert gases like carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides & sulfur dioxide to higher oxidized states by using ultraviolet sunlight to accelerate oxidation at the surface of the structure. This is similar to the operation of a catalytic converter as the byproducts of this oxidation are less harmful for the environment then the unchanged gases.

These new statues are 30-foot tall and resemble the international cartographic symbol for water. This is a pretty cool idea, it’s more thinking like this that we need to help reduce our overall impact on the environment.

Source: AutoBlog

Rumor: In-N-Out to Have Crazy Specials on their 60th Anniversary

After a hard day of bloggin, nothing hits the spot like an In-N-Out burger. I got an email today from a friend that said In-N-Out will be celebrating their 60th Anniversary on Wednesday, October 22nd and that “all hamburgers will be sold for 25 cents, Cheeseburgers 30 cents, Fries 15 cents, and drinks are 10 cents!!!” I hunted around the net to see if there was any truth to this and I’m apparently I’m not the only one who got this email.

While I was able to verify that In-N-Out’s 60th Anniversary is on the 22nd, there were mixed opinions about whether there would be discounted food. Some people even called In-N-Out’s customer service number and were told that no such discounts would be offered. Personally, I think they would want to keep something like this under wraps until the day before or the day of to maintain sales, so denying it would make sense. If you feel like contacting them directly, go to In-n-Out.com or call 1(800) 786-1000.

For now I’m classifying this as a rumor, but I’ll be there on the 22nd to do some first-hand investigative reporting. If you have an In-N-Out near you, I’d suggest you do the same.

Thanks for sending in the tip Andrew, I owe you a double-double!

Update: Check out the comments, this rumor is false.  While their anniversary is on the 22nd, there won’t be any specials on burgers, fries or drinks.  Either way I’m still gonna be there to celebrate their 60th Anniversary, but I expect to pay full price for my meal.

Ferrari California Wallpapers

The California is Ferrari’s latest and greatest. Featuring a 4.3-liter V8 producing 460 horsepower, it will prove to be no slouch in the acceleration department. The California is sold out through 2010, so it’ll cost you more than the $240,000 asking price to get one in your garage. Don’t have that kind of cash laying around?  Then enjoy these wallpapers free of charge.

Read more

Ford’s MyKey Technology to Limit’s Teens Freedom with Cars

You know that little chip that’s inside your car key, which is the reason replacement key’s can cost $100+. Well now that chip can do a lot more than drain your bank account. MyKey is based on technology that Ford has developed over the last decade, which allows the car to see what key is in the ignition and apply different driving rules for different keys. Here’s a quick breakdown of MyKey’s primary features:

• Programmable speed limiter
• Speed alert chimes at 45, 55, or 65mph
• Traction control cannot be turned off
• The seat belt warning chime sounds and the radio is muted until the seat belt is buckled
• Maximum radio volume can be limited to 44%
• Low fuel warning comes on when range is limited to 75 miles. This normally happens with a range of 50 miles.

MyKey will come standard on the 2010 Ford Focus and will be an option on many other vehicles made by the big Blue Oval.

Source: AutoWeek

Nissan Got the Memo, Says No to Cheating on the ‘Ring

The head honchos over at Nissan have responded to Porsche’s experiment with a GT-R on the Nurburgring. The official statement from Nissan is that the GT-R which ran the ‘Ring in 7:29 was running on the optional Dunlop tires, which are offered to all GT-R buyers. Furthermore, it was a standard showroom-spec GT-R which had no modifications to improve it’s power output.

So what about Porsche? Did they not opt for the better Dunlop tires? Were they running on the cheaper Bridgestone’s? Were they sandbagging and not pushing the GT-R as hard as they could? Maybe the driver they used just can’t drive as well as Nissan’s driver could.

Stay tuned, Porsche or Chevy should be chiming in soon.

Source: Drive.com.au

Ferrari Doesn’t Want a Piece of the Sedan Market

If you’re interested in a 4-door sports car made by one of the worlds premiere super car builders, you’ve got a couple of options.  From Porsche comes the Panamera, Aston Martin has their Rapide, and now Lamborghini has its Estoque.  But not Ferrari.  Ferrari isn’t interested because Ferrari hasn’t forgotten its roots.  Ferrari hasn’t forgotten that it is a racing team first and that the only reason it has a small production line on the side is to help fund its R&D.  A brave statement when the car industry is in it’s biggest slump in decades, but I applaud them for maintaining their focus and not diluting their brand.  Bravo Ferrari.

Source: Motor Authority

Porsche takes a Stand Against Nissan’s Lap Time on the ‘Ring

Ever since the Nissan GT-R ran around the Nurburgring in a blistering 7 minutes and 29 seconds, the auto industry has been ablaze. The GT-R is heavier and has less power than many of the cars it beat around the ‘Ring, but Nissan claimed it as their lap time in an official press release. Most people were shocked, many were stunned, but auto makers from around the world questioned the validity of the time, particularly Chevy. Now Porsche has done their own testing with a brand new GT-R they purchased from a US dealer.

Porsche claims their GT-R was completely stock, untouched with production tires and the fastest time Porsche could achieve was 7 minutes and 54 seconds, a full 25 seconds slower than Nissan’s claimed lap time. Porsche also ran stock 911 and GT2 models within two hours of the GT-R and got around the ‘Ring in 7:38 and 7:34, respectively.

August Achleitner, the 911 product chief at Porsche, stated “for us, it’s not clear how this time is possible. What we can imagine with this Nissan is they used other tyres.” If his guess is right, Nissan most likely used a semi-slick racing tire. Achleitner also wanted to be very clear that he was not speaking bad of the GT-R, in fact he commented that it was a very fast and consistent car, but the claimed lap time just didn’t make any sense to them.

This is a bold statement from Porsche and I for one can’t wait for Nissan’s response to it.

Source: CarsGuide

2008 Lamborghini Estoque – Details and Photos!

Lamborghini finally published a press release today highlighting their latest and greatest . It’s unlike any Lambo the world has ever seen: a 4-door luxury sports car with four seats and a trunk! Being only 1.35 meters tall and over 3 meters long, this Italian stallion will look ominous on the road. From the front, the styling screams Lamborghini, from the rear… well, I bet it just screams.

No specs have been released yet about the engine or performance figures, but I’d expect to see something potent (LP560-4) to carry all that extra weight. More details should be released tomorrow at the official unveiling of the Estoque at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. Until then, you’ll have to make due with this hi-res image gallery and the official press release.

Read more

Godzilla + Anime + Transformers = ?

The answer is Decotora, which is Japanese for “Art Trucks”. These highly decorated rigs are elaborately painted, adorned with chrome accessories from wheel to roof and the only thing that can compete with their neon hues is the 1980’s. Why do this? Well, why not… enjoy the photos!

Source: Dark Roasted Blend and Swindle Mag