The hotest stuff on cars

Nov

Bono’s bike to be auctioned at the International Motorcycle and Scooter Show

Posted by galardo Published in Other

Anthony Kodack
Filed in: Ducati | International Motorcycle and Scooter Show | Celebrity Cars | auction

The award winning UK charity, Riders for Health is offering people the chance to own a motorcycle owned by the U2 lead singer and activist, Bono, in an auction to support their lifesaving work in Africa. This once in a lifetime opportunity is set to take place at the International Motorcycle and Scooter Show at the Birmingham NEC which runs from 23rd November – 2nd December.

The red Ducati 916 has a truly star-studded history having belonged to the late INXS front-man Michael Hutchence, and then Bono. The bike has also been owned by U2 member Adam Clayton. Now this motorcycle will be saving the lives of children in Africa by supporting Riders for Health.

Bono, a leading campaigner for Africa since the 1980s, donated the motorcycle to Riders for Health to raise money to help health workers in Africa reach rural villages with essential healthcare. He signed the tank of the bike with a touching personal message in memory of his late friend, Michael Hutchence, putting ‘For Michael, Bono’.

This is a unique chance to own a motorcycle that has belonged to three of the biggest names in rock music.

For more information on how to bid for this amazing lot people should visit the Riders for Health website at www.riders.org. Those eager fans wishing to attend the auction on 2nd December at the NEC Bike Show can book their tickets for the Show at www.motorcycleshow.co.uk. The auction will take place on the Black Horse Stage in the Arai Entertainment Zone at 12 noon.

Riders’ CEO, Andrea Coleman, said: ‘Bono’s commitment to Africa and his support for those living in poverty and ill-health is well-known. And for us at Riders for Health, reaching those people in rural Africa is our focus and is a major challenge. Riders for Health knows that you can’t save a child unless you can reach her. Bono’s support for our work is valued highly and we thank him.’
All the proceeds from the sale of this amazing lot will go to help support the work of the award winning UK based charity, Riders for Health. Riders trains African health workers in motorcycle riding and maintenance, enabling them to reach remote villages with the kind of regular, reliable healthcare we take for granted.

One public health worker in Africa is often responsible for up to 20,000 people over an area of up to 300km, so mobility is vital.

Three million people die every year in developing countries because of lack of access to treatment.

Four million African children each year die before their fifth birthday.

Riders provides health workers with properly managed vehicles that never break down so they can deliver healthcare day in, day out. The charity has programmes in Zimbabwe, The Gambia, Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania.

Riders for Health currently reaches almost 11 million people in Africa. The money raised in the auction will help to support Riders’ goal of reaching an extra 10 million people by the end of 2008.

Source: Internal

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Nov

It’s not over - Mclaren test driver questioned

Posted by galardo Published in Other

Ralph Kalal
Filed in: Mclaren | F1

McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa was questioned by Italian prosecutors yesterday, in a meeting arranged by them. De la Rosa is at least the second McLaren driver to undergo questioning. The authorities questioned Fernando Alonso earlier this month.

Neither driver is considered to be a target of the criminal investigation being conducted by police. However, questioning of de la Rosa focused on his knowledge of e-mails to McLaren containing secret Ferrari information, e-mails which were apparently accessible in some manner to McLaren team drivers, including test driver de la Rosa. Questioning of de la Rosa focused on e-mails between himself and Alsonso and between Alonso and Mike Coughlan, the McLaren engineer implicated with former Ferrari employee Nigel Stepney in passing secret information from Ferrari to McLaren.

The prosecutor conducting the questioning is the same prosecutor heading the investigation of Stepney, an investigation which encompasses both industrial espionage and industrial sabotage allegations. The questioning of de la Rosa, however, is thought to be more directly centered on the Italian investigation of several McLaren employees previously warned by the Italians that they were the subject of criminal inquiries.

Source: Internal

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Nov

Crown Vic prepares to give up its scepter

Posted by galardo Published in Other

Jonathon Ramsey
Sedans/Saloons, Ford, Mercury, Police/Emergency

click above image to view more pics of the Ford Crown Victoria

According to Ford sources who gossiped to Ward’s Auto, the Ford Crown Victoria won’t be available on retail lots after 2008. From 2009, the only folks who can buy one are police and taxi drivers. Even that frontier is being threatened, with police departments snapping up Dodge Chargers and Chevy Impalas. New York’s taxi fleet has to go hybrid by 2012, and Ford is pushing the Escape Hybrid to replace 2,500 Vics on Big Apple streets.

If you’ve got to have a full-sized rear-driver from the Blue Oval, the Mercury Grand Marquis will still be available. The Marquis is apparently much more popular with the public than the Vic, with nearly 38,280 Marquis’ sold by dealers in the first nine months of this year. Compare that to the Crown Victoria, which moved 3,000 Vics to retail buyers in all of 2006. I guess this means we’ll have to start looking out for Charger headlights in our rearview mirrors at night…

[Source: Wards Auto]

Gallery: Ford Crown Victoria

Source: Crown Vic prepares to give up its scepter

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Nov

Spied: 2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon

Posted by galardo Published in Mercedes

Our spies have snagged the first photos of the 2009 Mercedes E-class wagon, caught testing in Germany. The new E-class' overall styling takes cues from the C-class, the CLS, and the S-class, but promises to look a bit more chiseled and angular than those models, thanks to new squarish headlamps.

The new E — codenamed W212 — looks particularly elegant in wagon guise, as the car's long angular hood line and sharp windshield rake leads into a long and sleek silhouette.

It appears to capture some of the R-class' panache without its unfortunate minivan overtones. Mercedes engineers are reportedly still reeling from quality glitches and electronic gremlins that have plagued the current-gen E-class since its inception, so we expect some simplification of the W212's component-set.

Problematic items such as the current car's SBC electronic braking system will reportedly be ditched in favor of more conventional components.

The sedan version of the 2009 E-Class was spotted earlier this year.

Source: Spied: 2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon

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Nov

Scion’s full range at SEMA 2007

Posted by galardo Published in Other

Toyota chose to focus on its budget Scion brand at this year’s SEMA, which makes sense since the label is more orientated towards the youth market and the tuner scene than its parent. For this year’s showcase developers called upon both established tuners like Greddy and Five Axis Design as well as relative newcomers Team Koshak and Scion of Des Moines to create the field of varied show cars. They also hired artist Ron English to create a special version of the tC.

For the Scion xB professional tuner Greddy added its own prototype turbocharger and intercooler kit, installed a Type-RS blow-off-valve and Airinx high-flow intake system. To ensure the high-strung 2.4L engine runs smoothly, engineers modified the ECU, added a PRofec B-Spec.2 boost controller, Pro Iridium spark plugs and a cat-back exhaust system.

Five Axis Design was called upon to add a wide-bodykit to the Scion xD. In addition to the body work, the tuners also added 20in alloy wheels, Yokohama rubber and a Tein suspension kit.

The Ron English car was based on the sporty Scion tC coupe and was modified with the help of Franks Autobody. Some of the additions to the car include custom billet wheels by Coddington Wheels, Eibach springs and Ron English’s ying-yang artwork by Lit Media Group.

Other cars on display were another Scion tC by Scion of Des Moines, the Dalek xD, Cartel Rockstar Scion xB, the Team Koshak and Ridemakerz xB and the Auto Concept Elite xD, which you can see in our full gallery below.

Source: Scion’s full range at SEMA 2007

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Nov

A1GP and Ferrari

Posted by galardo Published in Ferrari

Jennifer

The beginning of the partnership between Ferrari and A1GP draws ever nearer : -

After the historic announcement last month that Ferrari will supply engines and consult on the design of the new car from next season, A1GP executives took time out to get a taste of Ferrari racing action last weekend in Italy.

Ferrari annually holds a celebration of its past season’s sporting activities at the International Mugello Circuit, and this year had special cause for celebration, with recently crowned Formula One world champion Kimi Raikkonen demonstrating his title-winning F1 machine to the large crowd, alongside team-mate Felipe Massa and the test drivers Luca Badoer and Marc Gene.

A1GP’s partnership with Ferrari only begins in 2008, but that didn’t stop A1GP chairman Tony Teixeira and A1 Team Brazil boss Emerson Fittipaldi visiting the circuit and watching the marque’s other racing interests. More than 30,000 partisan fans turned out in force to watch the displays, which also included the final rounds of the F430 Ferrari Challenge.

Teixeira and Fittipaldi watched as an array of Ferrari machinery from the past 60 years was displayed on track, as well as the F430 GT cars that took Ferrari to victory in the 2007 FIA GT2 and ALMS GT2 Constructors’ Cup.

While there, Teixera and Fittipaldi met with Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, vice-president Piero Ferrari, CEO Jean Todt and managing director Amedeo Felisa. They also attended Ferrari’s glittering gala dinner on Saturday night of the event.

A1GP’s partnership with Ferrari officially begins on 1 January 2008.

DFW Elite Auto Rental rents out the F430 and Spyder by the day. Visit them at www.dfweliteautorental.com.

Source: A1GP and Ferrari

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Nov

Crown Vic: Going the Way of the Old Taurus?

Posted by galardo Published in Other

Like the old Taurus in the waning days of its life, the Ford Crown Victoria will be available only in bulk to fleet customers in the 2008 model year. Dealers will not be able to sell them retail to individual customers.

That’s the same strategy Ford used with the old Taurus – put it in daily rental fleets and commercial fleets with no retail sales before pulling the plug altogether.

Ford says production at the St. Thomas, Ontario, plant that makes the Crown Vic will not change significantly as 95 percent of Crown Vic sales have been to fleets in recent years anyway. The large, rear-drive sedan is particularly popular with police departments.

Ford dealers have few 2007 Crown Victoria models in their inventories. The automaker hopes retail customers will move to the new 2008 Taurus (previously known as the Five Hundred) and the Fusion.

Source: Crown Vic: Going the Way of the Old Taurus?

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Nov

Heico S80

Posted by galardo Published in Other

Simona Alina
Filed in: heico sportiv Volvo | 2007 | SEMA Auto Show | volvo S80 | car tuning

Five years, five cars. As a commemoration to Volvo’s fifth straight year at the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) tradeshow, the Swedish manufacturer will show five highly modified versions of its vehicles.

Built purely as design concepts and prototypes, each car is decidedly different while still remaining uniquely Volvo. Once again, Volvo worked with Heico Sportiv in Germany to build the S80 T6 HPC and C30, while Caresto was tapped to build the C70 and hot rod. Creativity is a must at SEMA but Volvo has always insisted on one rule: all Volvo safety features must remain functional. Other than that, they were free to let their imaginations run wild.

Heico and Volvo are no strangers when it comes to SEMA, and the S80 T6 HPC is testament to how well both companies work together. The S80 T6 HPC features a 350-horsepower E85 bioethanol T6 engine that is routed through an all-wheel-drive system. It’s outside, however, that the S80 T6 HPC really shines.

A unique 7-layer “metal effect” paint scheme makes the car literally glow. Inside is a fully custom Mystic Blue leather interior with a sweeping aluminum center stack that arcs seamlessly from the top of the instrument panel to the rear bucket-style seats.

Source: Internal

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Source: Heico S80

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Nov

Facelift Mercedes SLK to be unveiled at the 2008 Detroit Motor Show

Posted by galardo Published in Mercedes

Simona Alina
Filed in: Mercedes | 2008 | Detroit Auto Show | Mercedes SLK-Class

In the next two years, a good part of the Mercedes models will get a facelift. After news about the CLS, SL and B-Class facelift, now there are rumors saying that a facelift SLK will be unveiled at the 2008 Detroit Motor Show.

The facelift SLK will feature a new front-end with revised headlights and bumpers, a slightly updated interior and new style alloy wheels.

The SLK 55 AMG will be replaced by the 63 AMG, a more powerful model, equipped with a 6.2 liter V8 engine with an output of 457 hp. The bad news is that we will have to wait another year after the first facelift SLK will be unveiled to see the SLK 63 AMG.

Source:Autoblog.it

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Nov

Audi Q5 coming to LA

Posted by galardo Published in Audi

Jonathon Ramsey
LA Auto Show, Crossovers/CUVs, Audi

The Audi Q5 is coming to the city by the sea in November. The big, upscale brother to the VW Tiguan sits on the Modular Long Platform from the A5, and enters the MMA ring with the BMW X3 and Mercedes GLK. It is expected to get a wide variety of engines, from the marque’s FSI fours, to diesels and perhaps even the 4.2-liter V8. It might also get a 6-speed manual, but no third row seating.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Source: Audi Q5 coming to LA

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