Alex Julian
Filed in: | Nextel Cup | Phoenix International Raceway

There’s just one race of the Nextel Cup Series, the Miami Speedway race, and Jimmie Johnson, after his fourth win in row, is feeling the title in his hands; and Jeff Gordon is trying his best to ruin Johnson’s plans.

Johnson took command of the Nextel Cup championship Sunday, winning at Phoenix International Raceway to open a daunting lead over his teammate in the race to the title. It was his 10th win of the season – most since Gordon won 13 in 1998 – and barring a collapse in next week’s finale, Johnson will become the first driver to win consecutive championships since Gordon did it in 1997 and 1998.

The defending Nextel Cup champion, heads to next week’s season finale at Homestead, with a comfortable 86-point lead over Gordon. He needs to finish just 18th or better to win his second championship in just six seasons.

Jimmie Johnson

Jeff Gordon realized that he almost lost all his chances to win the title and declares: "It’s over. Even if we win it, it’s because they have problems. While we’ll accept it, we don’t want to do it that way. Those guys have flat-out killed everybody. And you’ve got to give credit where credit is due."

Johnson declared regarding to the next race: "Homestead is going to be a stressful weekend. We’ve got seven more days, I’m just going to try to keep my mind clear and focus on the things we need to do. This is kind of where we were last year. We just have to go down there and be smart and see how it shakes out."

Greg Biffle finished second and Matt Kenseth, his Roush Fenway Racing teammate, was third. Tony Stewart was fourth and was followed by Ryan Newman, Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr. Jeff Gordon had a disappointing performance and finished tenth.

Jimmie Johnson & Jeff Gordon

Checker Auto Parts 500 - Results

 

Pos.

Driver

Make

1.

Jimmie Johnson

Chevrolet

2.

Greg Biffle

Ford

3.

Matt Kenseth

Ford

4.

Tony Stewart

Chevrolet

5.

Ryan Newman

Dodge

6.

Kevin Harvick

Chevrolet

7.

Martin Truex Jr.

Chevrolet

8.

Kurt Busch

Chevrolet

9.

Jeff Burton

Chevrolet

10.

Jeff Gordon

Chevrolet

 

Nextel Cup Series - Standings

 

Pos.

+/-

Driver

Points

Behind

1.

-

Jimmie Johnson

6572

Leader

2.

-

Jeff Gordon

6486

-86

3.

-

Clint Bowyer

6331

-241

4.

-

Kyle Busch

6185

-387

5.

+1

Tony Stewart

6169

-403

6.

+4

Matt Kenseth

6103

-469

7.

+1

Kevin Harvick

6093

-479

8.

-1

Jeff Burton

6089

-483

9.

-4

Carl Edwards

6067

-505

10.

-1

Kurt Busch

6056

-516

11.

+1

Martin Truex Jr.

6009

-563

12.

-1

Denny Hamlin

5973

-599

Source:Nascar

Source: Johnson one step closer to the title after his fourth win in row

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Simona Alina
Filed in: Nissan | 2007 | Los Angeles Auto Show | crossover | Nissan Murano

Nissan will unveil the second-generation Murano at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week. The all-new 2009 Murano will go on sale early next year.

Compared to the first generation, launched in 2003, the new Murano is more balanced and aggressive. It is available with 20-inch wheels and features new LED taillamps.

The interior was also redesigned. It features: a pushbutton start system, Intelligent Key, a Bose audio system, a DVD navigation system coupled to a 9.3GB music hard drive.

Under the hood, the 2009 Murano has a 3.5-liter V-6 that delivers 265 hp.

It will be offered in five different trim levels: S and SL with front- or all-wheel drive; and the LE, which is only offered in all-wheel drive.

Source:The Car Connection

Source: Nissan Murano

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Simona Alina
Filed in: Audi | roadster | Audi R8

We just found this images of the R8 Spider. Source said they are official images of the R8, but we suppose is just a simple photoshop. In any case, the car looks amazing!

The R8 spider will be powered by the same 4.2-litre V8 naturally aspirated engine found in the RS4 and R8 tin-top. The maximum output is 414 hp.

Source: Internal

Source: Audi R8 Spider - official images?

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For all those who can’t get enough configurating, the 2008 MINI USA online confirgurator is rumored to be going online this Friday. It will include not only the updated pricing for the 2008 MINI Coupes (R56) but also the new MINI Clubman (R55) as well.

So keep one eye open and a finger on the refresh button.

Written By: MF Staff

Source: 2008 MINI USA Configurator

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Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc., EV/Plug-in, Green Daily

The popular Motley Fool investment site today published a list of “3 Stocks That Missed the Mark.” One of those is the common AutoblogGreen presence Altair Nanotechnologies. Now, AutoblogGreen doesn’t get into investment tips or anything like that, but the Fool is not the only one to dampen the good news that Altair puts out. Part of the problem, writes Anders Bylund of the Fool, is that, “One key customer reportedly delayed a $3.2 million order for Altair battery packs while waiting for the federal standards wheels to grind out a battery interface specification.” It’s no secret that Phoenix Motorcars is a Altair customer, and is keeping the company’s nanotech batteries for the Phoenix SUT, but in smaller versions than previously announced.

Bylund also says that “Altair keeps burning cash at an alarming rate” and that investors looking to fund nanotech companies might want to look elsewhere.

[Source: Motley Fool / Anders Bylund]

Source: Motley Fool sez AltairNano stock “missed the mark”

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Ford has released the first promotional video clip of the 2008 Mustang Bullitt that will make its public debut at the 2007 L.A. Show on November 16. The latest iteration of Steve McQueen’s Stang is equipped with a track-tuned suspension and a slightly modified version of Ford’s 4.6 V8 engine producing 315 Hp. For details and a high-res image gallery of the 2008 Mustang Bullitt, click here.

Via: Diariomotor

Source: 2008 Mustang Bullitt Promo Video

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One lucky industrial design student in the U.S. will have her vision of a 2018 Mazda3 transformed into a full-scale clay model live at this week’s Los Angeles Auto Show. The concept was created by 21-year-old Mallory McMorrow and was picked from a field of other designs submitted in an online competition on Facebook. McMorrow will now work with Mazda’s North American design Chief Franz von Holzhausen to bring the concept to life in the carmaker’s booth.

To enter, contestants submitted a 150-word description of their vision of the 2018 Mazda3 and an optional sketch drawing. The Mazda Design team then judged each entry, choosing 10 semi-finalists. The final was judged and voted on in a second round by fellow Facebook members.

The car is described as being neither a sedan nor a sports coupe but something that combines the best of both.

Mazda will also showcase the new 2008 CX-9 crossover SUV, three-row, six-passenger Mazda5 MPV, the 40th Anniversary RX-8 and the first rotary vehicle that started it all, the 1967 Cosmo Sport.

Source: Designers to build 2018 Mazda3 concept live in L.A.

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Don’t worry, it’s nothing like the Roush 600 RE Ford GT we showed you the other day - this is just a fender bender, if that. But when you’re talking about the fender of a car that runs somewhere above $1.5 million, any accident is major. In the video clip you’ll see the unfortunate Veyron being put through some very amateur hoonage, thankfully on a track with tires lining nearly every inch of barrier. Video after the jump.

[Via: Autoblog.it]

Source: Bugatti Veyron gets backed into a barrier

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By Bill Visnic

NORTHVILLE, Mich. – There is probably nothing less sexy than brakes. The gritty components that make up a typical disc-brake system are the antithesis of where most auto-industry suppliers want to be: brakes are low-tech, low-value commodity items. Hardly the stuff around which vaunted brands are built.

However, Brembo S.p.A., is the rock star of the brake business to the point that at one aftermarket trade show in France, we saw what amounted to a mini-riot among kids barely able to drive, when Brembo stopped handing out freebies and attempted to shut down its booth at the end of the day.

The fact the brake business even has a rock star is due entirely to Brembo’s existence. Almost since its inception in 1961, Brembo single-handedly has been responsible for making brakes cool (figuratively and literally).

Expanding Its Lead

Last week, Brembo North America Inc. completed the purchase of the Automotive Brake Components division of Hayes-Lemmerz International Inc. The division operates plants in Homer, Mich. and Apodaca, Mexico, to manufacture brake discs and drums, and will augment existing Brembo North American manufacturing in Puebla, Mexico.

The $58-million acquisition gives Brembo an annual brake-rotor production of 7 million units to add to its global output of about 32 million brake rotors annually. Adrian Smith, general manager of Brembo North America, says the new production will continue to supply original-equipment contracts, as it did under Hayes-Lemmerz.

The deal makes the company far and away the world’s largest manufacturer of brake rotors. But Brembo didn’t need the newly acquired capacity to achieve the No. 1 spot: Brembo sources say the closest competitor is Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz unit, which annually produces about 8 million rotors – one-fifth of Brembo’s output.

Building a Brand

But market dominance in volume is only half of Brembo’s success. Elevating its brand to rock star status is the other.

Brembo’s brand building took a major leap forward around 1975, suggests Smith, when Brembo accepted Ferrari’s S.p.A’s invitation to supply brakes for its Formula One racing team. That stamp of approval gave Brembo the performance credentials it has built into an empire in a business where most established suppliers – including some of the industry’s biggest names, such as Continental, Bosch, Delphi – have struggled just to hang on.

“It’s about passion,” says Smith, a United Kingdom native who oversees Brembo’s North American arm from a small office near here. He says Brembo’s long history of exceeding the expectations of the world’s revered performance- and racing-car manufacturers, as well as those automakers’ customers, has built Brembo into the empire it is today. The company has a presence in 12 countries and operates 23 production and business facilities.

He agrees the business of making “foundation” brake components – including the disc-making production purchased from Kelsey Hayes – is not the sort of thing that typically inspires auto enthusiasts. But he says Brembo’s experience with the high-performance braking for which it is famous translates perfectly to a business case for making foundation components with the same amount of precision and expertise.

In short, knocking out almost 40 million brake rotors that, for most, are no more worthy of notice than a wiper blade, doesn’t damage Brembo’s premium position with clued-in enthusiasts.

“We’re using the value of the brand,” he tells AutoObserver regarding the high-volume part of Brembo’s business. He says Brembo’s reputation for high manufacturing standards fits perfectly for expanding its position in the foundation-brake market, whether it be at the OEM, aftermarket or replacement-component level.

Brakes as Jewels

“The jewel in the crown of Brembo is its production facilities,” he says. “We’ve got control.” And that means Brembo typically can use its reputation to command more attractive margins than its competitors.

This part of Brembo’s business is not a secret, he says, although most of enthusiasts, and certainly many auto-industry insiders, would not guess of the company’s commanding lead as a producer of commodity brake components. He says even in the market, Brembo reinforces its premium position – every box or package prominently displays the Brembo name.

Smith says in addition to the passion imparted from the brand’s origins, that history also imparted a genuine performance reputation that only has become stronger, as makers such as Porsche, Ferrari – and now even more mainstream Japanese and U.S. automakers – commonly partner with Brembo to leverage the Italian company’s performance credibility. Have a vehicle that proports to be performance-oriented? You use Brembo brakes, no questions asked.

Finally, he says, Brembo has taken advantage of the market’s desire for improved aesthetics. Displaying the name of performance hardware has become an enthusiast staple.

“The product (painted brake calipers with Brembo’s name and logo) is almost jewelry,” he says.

Photo by Nissan

Nissan 350Z sporting Brembo brakes.

Source: Brembo: Rock Star of Brakes Expands Further

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Simona Alina
Filed in: | Mercedes SLR | car tuning

Since 1989, RENNtech has been producing some of the most powerful and refined performance cars on the market. Recognized as one of the world’s premier tuning firms and America’s foremost authority on Mercedes Benz, Hartmut Feyhl (president of RENNtech and ex-technical director at AMG North America) is also an avid kart enthusiast.

It was this passion for karting that led to RENNtech’s latest foray into motorsport: RENNtech Karting.

RENNtech Karting is the exclusive importer for the Aixro XR50 rotary kart engine, which RENNtech has been developing for stateside applications. The compact engine was designed as an alternative to 2 stroke shifter karts, which are being phased-out worldwide due to increasingly stringent emissions regulations. The Aixro is as green as the best racing 4-strokes, while delivering significantly more power (48 "base" hp).

"It’s really an incredible design. I can’t get enough of it." explains Feyhl - who, after years of getting extreme horsepower figures from Mercedes and AMG cars, isn’t known for getting excited.
 
The Aixro rotary, however, seems to be the kind of thing everyone is getting excited about, including members of the exclusive SLR.CLUB.

The SLR.CLUB holds many of its events at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, under the heading SLR.SAFETY and SPEED ACADEMY. These 2-day events allow SLR owners to get together and culminates in a chance to drive their exotic cars at speed on the historic track. First, though, club members receive professional instruction from well-known drivers (including David Coulthard and Jochen Mass) and familiarize themselves with Paul Ricard in purpose built "SLR" kart chassis provided by Swiss-Hutless.

In the beginning, the club experimented with
different 4 cycle engines, but these didn’t provide the excitement or reliability SLR.CLUB members were looking for. "It was a matter of not enough speed, and too much downtime," offers Feyhl. "When they had a chance to drive the track with the rotary, they were totally hooked by the smoothness and the power."

With almost 50hp from the light, 32 lb. package - that’s hardly surprising! SLR.CLUB has been running the karts through the summer, and intends to expand its SAFETY and SPEED ACADEMY events to several historic European tracks next spring.

Source: Internal

Source: RENNtech SLR Kart