Gateway to the World of Cars and Racing

Rossi vs. Stoner Epic Reinforces Laguna Seca Mystique

2008-07-21T22:36:00.000-07:00

Among racing fanatics, Laguna Seca is probably one of the most popular tracks to date. This sentiment is felt even stronger by racing drivers.

The fame of the track can be rooted on one of the most demanding corners in racing: the "corkscrew".

Even the most courageous drivers can still have shivers tackling this turn. You approach it flat out going uphill. You don't see the turn immediately and anyone with less than iron guts could easily brake early (just ask Jeremy Clarkson when he took the NSX for a spin). But for those brave enough to hold their nerves and brake where they should, they are greeted with a steep plunge down the left-right chicane before going full-throttle.

Many racers agree that the corkscrew is the ultimate "rush". And now they have to repeat the pattern 30 more times.

That was what Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner did during the 2008 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. And they weren't just going through the corkscrew. They were taking it in the absolute limit setting consistently blistering lap times in the high 01:21 s mark. Exchanging leads and making daring passess (including Rossi's overtaking maneuver in the corkscrew it self that caused his prototype Yamaha to wobble more than he would have liked), the race was truly epic: one that fans would no doubt remember.

Stoner was the clear favorite to win the race since his Ducati seemed untouchable during practice and qualifying. But out of the blue, Rossi, riding the Yamaha, was challenging the status quo. The Italian took the lead as early as lap one to everyone's surprise.

Stoner, the reigning MotoGP world champion naturally fought back. But before he had a chance to pull away, Rossi, 7 times champion (5 for the premier class, 1 for 250cc, and 1 for 125cc), would find a way passed Stoner again.

Displaying great defensive driving, Rossi would disrupt Stoner's rhythm time and time again. Stoner would record slightly faster lap times, but he just couldn't find a way through. The two were literally driving nose-to-tail with only a-tenth of a second seperating the two riders. It was a true nail-biter of a show.

If ever there was one disappointment, it was a rare mistake from Stoner that caused him to run wide to the gravel trap and fall with nine laps to go. Stoner however was able to keep his bike running. He picked his 325 pound Ducati up by himself and started going. Talk about the amount adrenaline pumping in his body for him to bring his bike upright after a fall.

The pace of Rossi and Stoner opened an insurmountable gap between them and third placed rider Vermeulen. As a result, Stoner was still able to drive back still in second place. Unfortunately for him, Rossi was already 16 seconds ahead of him. With eight laps remaining, the victory of Rossi was sealed and a climactic last lap duel wasn't to be.

But even then, the race between the two champions throughout most of the race was still too good to be true. And it was a race that happened in the ever famous Laguna Seca.

GM Set to Deliver More Bad News

2008-07-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

GM CEO Ric Wagoner is set to announce more details on the company's second phase of its on-going restructuring plan. The plan basically inolves cost-cutting measures in an attempt to bring back minvestors' confidence due to lackluster sales.

'Cost-cutting' measures include the ever-so-familiar job-cuts that have become increasingly popular these days thanks to the dramatic oil price hikes. Because the developments of the company's next-generation full sized SUVs and pickup trucks have been frozen, white collar workers as well as the engineers specifically assigned for these projects are said to be the ones going to be affected the most.

It is the company's goal to adjust its product lineup to be more competitive when it comes to fuel efficiency: a trademark for a lot of the Asian car manufacturers.

In addition, the company is also said to specify its cash conservation strategy that will likely include te elimination of dividend payments. According to analysts, the GM is preparing to raise its capital to carry it over until 2010 when the company is going to benefit from huge savings due to the contract it signed with UAW last year: one of the few bright spots in an otherwise trying moment in the automotive industry.

Stock Prices Drop for GM, Ford

2008-07-03T00:04:00.000-07:00

With gas prices punishingly steep and with more and more people drawn towards more economical cars, GM and Ford Motor Co. continue to take major hits as their stock prices tumble.

GM shares closed at $9.98: the lowest value in more than 50 years. On the other hand, Ford Motor Co. shares closed at $4.39.

It is a dark time for the auto industry in general and the recent economic recession of the country has been a major factor. Right now, people's minds are focused more on necessities as well as finding all means possible to economize.

Light trucks and SUVs do not fit the economical category. The problem facing GM and Ford is that large vehicles have always been a staple in their production line-up. In the case of Ford, the F-150 Pickup truck has been its best selling vehicle for so many decades now. The sudden drop in demand for these types of vehicles is detrimental indeed.

According to a Merril Lynch analyst, bankruptcy isn't an impossibility even for the largest auto maker especially if the U.S. auto market continues its slumping trend.

Formula 1 and the Field of Medicine

2008-07-01T02:14:00.000-07:00

It is hard to think about Motor Sport and associate with the field of medicine. After all, motor sport is a risky business to begin with where the risk of injuries are always present: opposite to the main goals of medicine. In addition, the massive amount of fumes emmitted by racing cars are considered unhealthy by most environmentalists.

But for two members of the Great Ormond Street Hospital staff, Formula 1 could very well be the link to improve hospital procedures and improve safety.

According to a study conducted byProfessor Marc de Leval, the hospital 'handover' procedure, wherein a seriously ill patient is handed over from intensive care to surgery, is a point wherein patients are in the most vulnerable position. In the study, it is usually during the handover that determines whether an operation will turn out to be successful or not.

The obvious concern for Marc de Leval is how to improve hospital handover procedures.

That is where Dr. Goldman and Professor Elliot, practicing doctors in Great Ormond Street Hospital, come in. Both of them are Formula 1 fans who observed the incredible efficiency displayed by the pit crew during a pit stop. It was that type of efficiency that could drastically improve hospital handover procedure. A radical idea was created: why not have Formula 1 teams lend their expertise and streamline the hospital's handover procedure?

Currently, the hospital has worked with McLaren and Ferrari. And by the looks of things, results seem promising.

Formula 1 may be a risky business. But in the end, the sport has become significant to the medical field in the strangest of ways.

Driving Habits

2008-06-25T03:43:00.000-07:00

Fuel is very expensive these days and more and more people are looking to buy more economical cars. This trend has caused quite a ruckus in the auto industry. All of a sudden, trucks and SUVs were no longer in demand. Car manufacturers like GM, Ford and Chrysler LLC have suffered the most since a huge chunk of their profits had always come from larger vehicles. As a result, giant auto makers are forced to restructure their production to accomodate the ever increasing demand for smaller cars. But in doing so, profitability is also sacrificed. Analysts recently announced that GM could burn as much as $13 billion worth in cash by 2011.

The sudden change of demand is proof that fuel economy is very important to most motorists these days. The better the efficiency of the car, the more appealing it becomes.

However, a car's fuel efficiency is not written in stone. Fuel consumption may go up and down depending on a driver's driving habits.

An extreme example that shows how a person's driving style affected a car's fuel consumption was highlighted in the first episode of the 11th season of Top Gear. In that episode, they were able to make the 46MPG average Toyota Prius consume around 17MPG. Of course, in that episode, they were flooring the Prius all the wayaround their track for 10 laps.

No one can floor any car in public roads in that manner to have that kind of effect in fuel consumption. However, it still proves how driving style can affect a car's fuel efficiency. If you waste even as little as say half a mile per gallon, in 20 miles, you waste 10 gallons worth of fuel. That is the equivalent of wasting roughly around $41.

Therefore, it is important to always think about your driving style and assess whether or not you are maximizing the fuel effiency of your car.

As a general rule of thumb, always try, as much as possible, to keep your revs below 3000 rpm. Around the city or inside the village, it is even possible to make the car run below 2500 rpm. It is good not to accelerate too quickly. Simply let the car speed up smoothly with a gentle application on the gas pedal. If you are driving a manual, you can also try to shift gears a little earlier than you normally would.

During tough economic times, a controlled drive is a must.

Ferrari Back on Top: Scores Another 1-2 Finish in France

2008-06-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

After two lackluster races in Monaco and Canada, Scuderia Ferrari was back in its dominant form in France. Felipe Massa led the team's third 1-2 finish of the season with no other car on the grid able to challenge the two scarlet cars. With the victory, Felipe Massa now leads the drivers standings with 48 points ahead of Robert Kubica's 46 points and Kimi Raikkonen's 43 points. Lewis Hamilton, plagued by penalties during the race, was once again scoreless and dropos to fourth place in the standings with 38 points.

Felipe Massa has become he first Brazilian driver since Ayrton Senna to lead the championship standings.

However, the race wasn't all smooth sailing for Ferrari. Kimi Raikkonen's F2008 suffered from exhaust problems. The regning champion was running strong from pole and built a lead of more than six seconds in 38 laps. But after the mechanical problem, Raikkonen's pace dropped significantly and he had no choice but to let Massa through. With 30 more laps to go, it was uncertain whether Raikkonen would have the pace to keep his second place, or worse, be forced to retire for the day.

Raikkonen stayed on track. He was nearly 20 seconds down to his teammate. However, he still managed to finish almost 20 seconds ahead of the nearest rival. By the time Raikkonen parked his car, his F2008 looked as if it was shot by a cannon with a gaping whole at the car's body work. It could be said that Raikkonen was fortunate to come away with 8 points.

The drive of the day however should be Jarno Trulli's performance to bring Toyota back to the podium. A week after former Toyota Team Boss Ove Anderson was killed in a classic rally incident, Trulli drove an inspired drive fending off the much quicker cars of Heikki Kovalainen's McLaren and Robert Kubica's BMW Sauber. The three would finish nose to tail with Trulli leading the trio. After Trulli got out of his car, he pointed towards his black armband indicating that he was dedicating his podium performance to Ove Anderson.

Corvette ZR1 priced at $105,000

2008-06-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

Despite the demand shift for more fuel efficient cars, General Motors still managed to announce the sticker price of its upcoming gas-guzzling sports car: The all new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 to be available at $105,000 (base model). The sticker price already covers the gas guzzler tax as well as the shipping costs.

There will only be two extra options available: $2000 for chromed wheels and/or a $10,000 interior package that includes side airbags, leather sport seats, a navigation system and Bose audio. The full optioned ZR1 will be priced at around $117,000.

The Corvette comes equipped with a 632hp 6.2L LS9 V8 engine capable of going from 0-60 mph in just 3.4 seconds, 0-100 mph in an impressive 7 seconds and has a top speed of 205 mph: officially making it the fastest Corvette ever.

Although all that speed comes with a price. The Corvette has an EPA rating of 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway. And that rating only comes from the most economical drive. Get a little bit gas heavy every now and then, and you could be burning fuel below 10 mpg.

Considering the present state of the country, is there really anyone interested in buying the ZR1?

The answer is 'most definitely'. The Corvette is one of the most fabled cars in the country and it has a considerable following. Recession or no recession, the Corvette always has a place in the hearts of its targeted niche of car buyers.

GM expects to produce 2,000 units a year starting this summer.

BMW Confident With the U.S. Market

2008-06-15T22:44:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks were plagued by troubling news mostly associated with surging oil prices. Whether it was the fact that gas averaged $4 for the first time nation wide, or that the costs of commodities were also rising, companies were downsizing and of course laying off employees, the reality of a recession happening in the country is still hard to stomach.

But amidst all the economic issues surrounding the nightly news, there is at least still one company that expects brighter times ahead. BMW AG recently announced that it was investing $270 million to expand its U.S. operations. BMW sales chief Ian Robertson added in his statement: "These investments show that we are convinced of the continued long-term growth of the U.S. market despite the difficult economic conditions currently."

Last year, BMW sales in the U.S. climbed by 7.1% as the company sold 336,000 vehicles. The U.S. sales made up around 22% of the company's overall worldwide sales.

More sales mean more BMW car users which also means more clients to service. To be able to cope with the company's growth in the U.S. market, BMW is planning to invest $170 million dollars by the end of the year. The money will be used to build two new parts distribution centers in Pennsylvania and Illonois.

$100 million dollars will be used to expand BMW's U.S. headquarters in Woodcliff lake, NJ. The company predicts that it will be able to employ about 1,000 people in total.

Times may be hard at present, but there are still some groups that see some positive things going in the country.

Gas Prices Averaged $4 per Gallon for the First Time

2008-06-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

This was supposed to be vacation time. In the week that marks the peak for summer travels, vacationers were greeted by yet another news of rising fuel prices. For the first time ever, gas prices reached a national average of $4 per gallon. The unprecedented average came after the price of oil surged to a staggering range between $138-$139 per barrel.

As bad as the situation is, many analysts suggest that gas prices are still likely to rise even further.

People who have no choice but to use their vehicles on a daily basis have been feeling the brunt of increasing gas prices. So much so that more and more car buyers suddenly started to switch to smaller, lighter and more fuel efficient cars that triggered the huge shift in demand that caught the auto industry by surprise.

People driving diesel powered cars do not benefit from the better mileage diesel engines usually bring. The price of diesel is even worse compared to regular gasoline. Currently, diesel prices are at $4.76 per gallon.

But rising gas prices don't just affect ordinary motorist. Pretty soon, everyone will be feeling the brunt of surging fuel costs.

Increasing fuel costs also mean added costs for businesses that need to transport their goods. Hence, consumers will also feel rising costs in the market place as a side effect of soaring gas prices.

So much for having fun under the sun. A vacation just became that much more expensive.

Kubica scores BMW-Sauber's first win

2008-06-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

Goal for 2008: win at least one GP - Check

Last year, BMW-Sauber's goal was to be considered as one of the top three teams in Formula 1. This year the goal was to win at least one Grand Prix and establish themselves as a legitimate championship team.

After the Canadian GP, the team seemed to have met its goal convincingly. Not only did Robert Kubica win the Canadian GP dominantly, teammate Nick Heidfeld crossed the finish line in second place, securing BMW-Sauber's first ever one-two finish.

The result boosted Kubica on top of the drivers' standings with 42 points.

The win becomes even more impressive if you consider the fact that it was in Canada last year that Kubica suffered the worst shunt of his career. But rather than be flustered, the Polish driver came back to the famed venue with a dramatic victory.

Like Father Like Son

Not long after Anthony Hamilton (Lewis' dad) crashed a $600,000 Porsche Carrera GT into a ditch, Lewis Hamilton crashed his multi-million dollar McLaren Mercedes-Benz into the back of Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari F2008 in the pit lane.

The bizarre accident hapeened during the safety car period. The pit lane entrance was opened to allow the front runners, running in fumes by then, to have a much needed refuelling and tire changing stop. The exit however wasn't opened yet as the pit lane light still flashed red.

Kubica and Raikkonen were side by side in the pit exit waiting for the green light. Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, noticed the red light a little too late and failed to stop on time clobbering Kimi's Ferrari in the process. Both were forced to retire for the day.

Hamilton dropped to second in the standings with 38 points. He currently wins the tie breaker with Massa who also has 38 points after finishing fifth in Canada. Raikkonen drops to fourth with 35 points.

Formula Karma

Vijay Mallya, co-owner of Team Force India, wasn't at all delighted when Raikkonen lost control and crashed into Adrian Sutil during the Monaco GP. Sutil was currently running in an impressive fourth place with 9 laps to go. Had Sutil finished, Team Force India would have earned 5 valuable championship points. It would have been the team's first ever point scoring result.

But because of Raikkonen's mishap, Team Force India left Monaco still scoreless.

Raikkonen apologized, but Mallya still expressed his discontent days after the incident.

During the Canadian GP, however, Vijay Mallya may be quoting a lesson on Karma as Raikkonen now became the victim of Lewis Hamilton's error.

As for Hamilton, he will be given a 'plus 10' grid penalty in the following race in Magny Cours, France effectively diminishing his chances of winning and reasserting his position in the standings.

What goes around comes around I guess.

Another Four Way Battle:

The Bizarre Canadian GP left Formula 1 fans yet another four-way battle with Kubica, Hamilton, Massa, and Raikkonen currently neck-and-neck.

GM, Ford, and Chrysler Stagger in May

2008-06-05T19:27:00.000-07:00

$4 gasoline has reduced the big 3's U.S. market share for the month of May. The three combined for a 44.4% share: the worst ever showing for the leading American automakers. Including the Month of May, the past year saw the Big three go below a 50% market share five times. Back in 2004, the big three controlled 60% of the market share.

The lackluster sales allowed Japanese auto makers to cut the lead of the big three in the U.S. Led by Honda for the month of May, Japanese car manufacturers trail by just 1.9 points with 42.5% market share: a 5.7 points gain to end the month.

General Motors' market share fell bellow 20% for the first time in the company's history. GM faced a trying month as the company not only had to deal with the issues of rising gas prices and shifting demand, but also had to deal with internal problems such as the UAW strike.

Although Toyota's volume dropped by 4.3%, the company still increased its market share as it climbed to 18.4%. Toyota closed the gap considerably to GM, trailing by just 0.7 percentage points. During the same month last year, GM's lead over Toyota was 102,033 units. Now however, the lead is just 11,488 units.

Overall however, the auto industry is still struggling. In the month of May, car sales have dropped by as much as 10.7%.

SUVs and Pickup Trucks Rapidly Losing Value: End of an Era?

2008-06-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

There was a time when SUVs and pickup trucks were the kings of the road. They were big, sporty and powerful. Unfortunately, they tended to be fuel thirsty. And with gas prices soaring at nearly $4 per gallon, 13 MPG is just too impractical especially during trying economic times. Instead, Americans now prefer smaller and economical vehicles.

Just a few years ago, introducing the Smart ForTwo would have been seen as a corporate suicide. But because of rising gas prices, pumping fuel amounting to roughly $18 for the Smart car surely makes more sense than splurging $40-$80 worth of fuel for gas guzzling SUVs.

This situation has happened before. Americans tended towards smaller vehicles when gas prices spiked. But when things stabilized and gas prices came down again, America renewed its love affair with SUVs and pickup trucks.

But things are different now. Chances are, gas prices will stabilize at a high price and will never be cheap again. If so, why else would anyone want to buy SUVs or pickup trucks?

How bad is the decline of value for these vehicles? Last september, a 2005 Ford Expedition sold $16,350. Now, its worth $12,400. that's a 24% depreciation in just nine months.

Dealerships are finding it increasingly difficult to sell such vehicles. And current owners of either SUVs or pickup trucks are finding it increasingly difficult to sell or trade-in their vehicles.

The common sentiment is that people no longer want these Gas Guzzlers. Everyone is desperate to economize. So desperate that even the Geo Metro, a small car that has not been in production since 2001, has seen a revival in sales. Believe it or not, the value of the Metro even increased by more than 100%. The 1990 Metro used to have a price tag of $1,175. Now, it sells for $3000. the reason for the appreciation is that the Metro does 40 MPG (that rivals gas mileage of many hybrids worth more than $20,000).

In short, SUVs and pickup trucks have suddenly become obsolete. They no longer answer to the current wants and needs of people. This is the reason why no one wants to buy them anyore. Those who have them, want to get rid of them as though the vehicles were the plague (although many environmentalists do look at gas guzzling cars as a disease for our planet).

Is the end near for SUVs and pickup trucks? It seems very likely.

Gas Worth as Much as Your Blood

2008-06-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

Rising fuel prices has been a painful trend for some time now. How much more will the prices rise? No one could tell exactly. But most analysts are pretty sure that gas prices will shatter the $4 barrier sooner or later.

But for some people in Las Cruces Biological, fuel costs as much as a pint of your blood.

As it turns out, Las Cruces Biological is one of the lab companies that offer gas money to entice more people to become blood donors. All it takes is ten minutes.

The system is like a "quick cash" service. But rather than paying money to settle your debt, you give part of your blood.

The plasma from the donated blood will in turn be used by Pharmaceutical Companies to further R&D for future, potentially life saving drugs.

Not only do you get gas money, you also get to contribute to society.

Eligible donors are allowed to donate twice a week with each session garnering up to $40.

But before you start running towards a donation center that offers gas money for your blood, you have to be sure that you are eligible to donate blood. The general guidelines are as follows: you must be at least 110 lbs and it is adviced that you eat before donating blood. In addition, you must disclose any medications that you are currently taking.

Analysts Expect 10% U.S. Auto Sales Drop for May '08

2008-06-02T01:59:00.000-07:00

With gas prices bordering on $4 per gallon, analysts were quite pessimistic with their forecast for the month of May expecting a 10% U.S. auto sales drop compared to last year.

The rising oil prices have pushed car buyers from trucks and SUVs, opting for smaller and more economical vehicles instead. Hence, analysts also expect that America'a big three, GM, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC will suffer the largest declines considering that numerous pickups and SUVs have been a staple for these car manufacturers. Monthly reports will be disclosed by car manufacturers on Tuesday, June 3.

Analysts noted that aside from the ruckus caused by rising fuel prices, GM faced vehicle shortage problems due to the UAW strike. As a result, it is expected that GM sales would fall by about 22%-25% compared to last year's result.

Ford sales are expected to drop by around 22% while Chrysler sales are expected to drop by around 20%.

Some car manufacturers however will receive a little bit of good news.

Despite trying times in the auto industry, Honda Motor Co. is expected to have a sales gain from a year ago.

And although Toyota Motor Corp. has a projected drop in sales, the Japanese giant is still on target to increase its market share in the U.S. to a new level.

Valentino Rossi: Undisputed King of Mugello

2008-06-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

By the time Rossi secured pole position during Saturday's qualifying session, there was little doubt that a seventh consecutive win in Mugello was going to follow. There was a feeling that a script had already been written that would deliver an ending only 'feel good' Hollywood movies can offer. For an Italian crowd, that 'feel good ending' had to be the chance to celebrate yet another victory of arguably Italy's greatest motorcycle rider of all time (and arguably the greatest motorcycle rider of all time).

Indeed, Mugello always looked to be Valentino Rossi's favorite circuit. After all, he remains unbeaten in the venue since 2001. Yes, even when Michelin was heavily disadvantaged last year thanks to the rule changes, Rossi still managed to find a way to win.

Perhaps it is because it is in Italy in front of his fanatical follwing that Rossi just gets that little bit of extra motivation. But whatever the reason, the fact remains that Rossi has been untouchable in the famous venue.

Of course the script took an unexpected twist at the start of the race. Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa and reigning champion Casey Stoner had great starts while Rossi dropped back to fourth place. But it wasn't long before Rossi was picking off his rivals, setting them up before overtaking them decisively. By the fourth lap, Rossi would snatch first position from Casey Stoner.

Stoner of course would try to fight back, trying to prevent Rossi from running away. But the pace of Rossi seemed to be too much, with the Italian padding up his lead by almost a tenth of a second per lap.

Stoner could not find any answer to counter Rossi's blistering pace. Stoner would then make an error running wide in the first turn and then dropping down to third behind Pedrosa.

Pedrosa too could not match Rossi's pace and the Italian only extended his lead even more. The best Stoner could do was battle for second position as Rossi pulled away.

Stoner eventually grabbed second position from Pedrosa. But by that time, Rossi already had a comfortable three second margin. Once again, Rossi remained untouchable in Mugello.

The race would finish with Rossi winning, followed by Stoner, and then by Pedrosa.

It was Rossi's third straight victory of the season. With the victory, Rossi also increased his championship lead in the rider's standings by 12 points.

Clearly, Valentino rossi has cemented his reputation as the undisputed king of Mugello.

GM to Continue Restructuring

2008-05-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

According to the Associated Press, an anonymous source leaked info that the top managers from General Motors are set to further the company's restructuring plan to answer the increasing demand of car buyers for more fuel efficient cars.

It is believed that more cost cutting measures will be taken including the all too familiar story of cutting production of trucks and SUVs. Workers will then be moved from truck factories to car plants to increase the company's output for smaller and more economical vehicles.

Times have changed and car companies are forced to adapt. The leaked report shows similarities with Ford Motor Co.'s own recent announcement of restructuring. As fuel prices push to exceed $4 per gallon, the need to produce more economical cars is a must for auto makers to remain competitive with a budget coscious market.

Like what GM Rick Fisher said as quoted by the Journal, "Obviously these times dictate more actions, and Rick (Wagoner) and the team are about doing that. Rick and the team are looking at what things can be done and will be done."

GM CEO Rick Wagoner did not comment about the reports of the anonymous source of the Associated Press. But with gas prices expected to rise further still and with rival Ford Motor Co. already taking aggressive measures to focus production with a smaller vehicle line up, it is very likely for the report to hold true.

Hyundai Unveils New Luxury Sedan

2008-05-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

With Automakers scrambling to produce cars with better fuel economy to cope with rising oil prices and, of course, to appeal to tight-budgeted car buyers, Hyundai Motor America seems to be diverting some of its attention to a more upscale market.

The company recently unveiled its first ever luxury sedan: the Hyundai Genesis. The vehicle has a starting price of $33,000 that provides a 290hp 3.8 V-6 engine. The 4.6 V8 version will hit around $38,000. The V6 version has an EPA rating of 18 MPG city/ 27 MPG highway.

It is a car that is aimed to re-interpret the Hyundai brand by highlighting premium quality. The car's size rivals that of the BMW 7 series. Its performance is aimed to match the BMW 5 series. But you can get the Genesis for the value of the BMW 3 series. As it stands, Hyundai Motor America is trying to market the Genesis in the same category of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus.

Of course, only time will tell if the Genesis can provide the same features and luxury that established premium brands offer despite the genesis being priced for less than $40,000.

But what is quite strange is that American auto makers are striving to become more Asian (focusing on smaller and more fuel efficient cars and crossovers) because of tough economic times. Hyundai, on the other hand, is striving to be more Western.

Nurburgring Nordschleife: New GT5P DL Content?

2008-05-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

The most demanding race circuit ever built, the Nurburgring Nordschleife may be headed to GT5P. Of course, the Nurburgring being a downloadable content for GT5P is anything but certain. But the emergence of vids and pictures around the internet sure make these rumors seem promising.

Every GT fan is probably craving for the rumor to be true. After all, there is truly something about that track that just captivates everyone.

For one thing, it is an incredibly huge track with narrow roads, tight twisty sections, some sweeping areas and one ridiculously long (and fast) straight.

It is tough enough to memorize the track, but its layout is unforgiving due to the fact that run-off areas are lacking. One mistake could easily cost you the race.

It is the sheer challenge that this race track presents that make it the stuff of folklore. This is a track that brings terror to anyone who is serious in driving a car around it to the limit. Anyone's commitment is severely tested.

But to one who is disciplined enough to master the track, and is able to muster the inner strength to be fully committed, driving around the Nordschleife can undoubtedly be one of the most rewarding experience for any driver. Beating your personal best after an intense drive is surely satisfying as you can learn what you are truly made of.

It is no wonder why some Europeans buy high performance cars specifically to drive around the Nordschleife.

But for the rest of us who really don't have any access to that track, Gran Turismo is the closest we could ever get to it.

All the fans could do now is to plead to Polyphony Digital to make the rumors a reality.

Ford Anticipates Fuel Costs at $4.25 per gallon

2008-05-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

Ford Motor Co. executives recently retreated from their profitability outlook for 2009. In addition, they announced their drastic plans of production cuts.

The reason for all the sudden moves would be the fact that Ford Executives expect fuel prices to rise as much as $4.25 per gallon.

The tipping point that prompted a huge demand shift from large vehicles to cars, according to Ford CEO Alan Mulally, was when fuel prices reached $3.50 per gallon. With fuel prices expected to climb further, the era of trucks and SUVs may just have passed. For a company that has made much of its profit from pickup trucks (the Ford F-Series Pickup had been the best selling car for years), the sudden shift in demand can truly be felt.

Ford is now changing its production to accomodate a market more concerned with practicality. The company, therefore, is set to produce lesser trucks and way more cars: something that mimics the line up of Asian car manufacturers.

In simple terms, Ford is trying to keep up with the times. The challenge for the company is to be able to change its concept as quickly as possible to appeal to more budget conscious car buyers.

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren Bounce Back

2008-05-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

If ever McLaren had a chance of fighting back against Ferrari, the Monaco GP was going to be it. Ferrari has not won the tight street circuit since 2001 - Michael Schumacher's fifth and final Monaco GP victory of his career.

Ferrari however seemed to have broken the curse that has plagued them in the world's most glamorous principality by securing the front row of the grid: it looked to be like another Ferrari routine that we have become accustomed to this season. McLaren's chance seemed to be slipping away.

But then again, the Monaco GP was anything but routine. Light showers poured over the track making the roads very greasy and unpredictable. It was surely a recipe for disaster for some drivers.

Lewis Hamilton seemed to be one of the drivers to be caught off guard by the treacherous conditions. The McLaren driver, running in second, grazed the barrier and damaged his rear right tire forcing an early visit to the pits in lap seven.

Hamilton's error, as demoralizing as it was when it happened, turned out to be the best luck of the race. Hamilton was refueled heavily for a long drive. He then came out surprisingly in fourth place, carrying more fuel compared to his rivals. In addition, the safety car would be deployed allowing Hamilton to cut the deficit from the front runners.

In a sense, Hamilton actually gained so much time by pitting when he did compared to Massa and Kubica who was slugging it out for first and second position.

By the time Massa and Kubica made a pit stop, Hamilton was able to grab the lead in a relatively traffic free run. Massa and Kubica, on the other hand, came out behind a train of backmarkers. It allowed Hamilton to build a lead large enough to enter in and out of the pits for his second stop without relinquishing first place. At Hamilton's second stint, victory was practically secured.

Kubica was able to sieze second place from Massa after the second round of pit stops. The podium finishers ended Hamilton from Kubica from Massa.

What happened to Kimi?

Disaster! He had a poor start that dropped him from second to third as soon as the red lights went off. He was also given a drive through penalty because of a tire infringement made by his team. And then came two costly errors that resulted in two unscheduled pit stops. In the end Raikkonen could do no better than ninth place over all and zero championship points for the day.

Kimi Raikkonen relinquished the championship lead to Hamilton who now has 38 points. Raikkonen remains at 35 points, just one point clear from Massa with 34. BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica is also in the mix with 32 points.

The 2008 season just got interesting. It looked as though it was going to be a Ferrari dominated season. But after just one race, a four way battle for the title is suddenly brewing.

Ford Makeover

2008-05-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

In the light of current events such as rising gas and commodity prices, auto maker Ford Motor Co. is about to take drastic actions to combat these issues.

One of these drastic steps would be their recently announced production cuts. The company said that it was dropping their production in the second quarter by 15% compared to a year ago dropping its vehicle production to 690,000 units. The company also stated that it plans to produce 540,000 units in the third quarter before slightly increasing its production to around 590,000-630,000 units for the fourth quarter depending on consumer demand.

According to CEO Allan Mulally, "The challenge affecting the entire industry is the accelerating shift of consumer demand away from large trucks and SUVs to smaller cars and crossovers - combined with a steep rise in commodity prices along with a weak U.S. economy."

Ford's best selling car for decades was the F-Series pickup truck. The rapid decrease in demand for larger vehicles will no doubt have a huge impact on Ford's revenues.

Although Ford did record first quarter profits, the company is still backtracking on its 2009 profitability outlook. At the moment, Ford Motor Co. is still gathering data to assess exactly where U.S. market trends are heading. With rising gas prices pushing the demand shift to more economical cars, Alan Mulally said in a company statement "Unless there is a fairly rapid turnaround in U.S. business conditions, which we are not anticipating, it now looks like it will take longer than expected to achieve our North American automotive profitability goal."

The company's new light-vehicle sales forecast was trimmed from a sales range of around 15.0 Million to 15.3 Million just last April to a range of 14.7 Million to 15.1 Million.

The biggest hit however will still be Ford's lineup of pickup trucks and SUVs now that gas prices are bordering on $4.00 per gallon.

Decreased sales projection and production cuts, however, are also warning signs of even worse news: job cuts. The company will release specific details by July 2008.

Ford's production will also be altered. The company is going to favor the production of its of lighter vehicles such as its compact car and crossover line-up to cater to the growing demand for better fuel economy.

As it stands, Ford's current course of action may just be the start of the company's makeover. Known for its big, powerful and sporty trucks, the company is seemengly headed towards 'the small car, eco friendly' approach as it tries to compete for a market that now favors practicality more than anything else.

Honda Plans Fit Hybrid

2008-05-22T00:39:00.000-07:00

Fuel economy is the best bait for car buyers during hard times. The less dependent a car is from regular carbon emitting fuels, the more appealing they become.

Honda is currently toying with the possibility of a Honda Fit Hybrid. The Fit, a sub-compact car with a 27 MPG city/ 34 MPG highway gas mileage, is already one of the most economical cars in the U.S. A hybrid version of the Fit can only mean even better fuel economy.

There is, however, a dilemma regarding hybrid vehicles. It is the fact that hybrids are more expensive to produce. This means that hybrid cars need to have a higher base price for the auto maker to have profit.

Despite the relative lack of interior space compared to standard sized sedans, sub compacts are successful because they have a low base price to go along with their fuel economy. The current Honda Fit has a price range of $13,950 - $16,070 depending on the trim.

Hybrids on the other hand have base prices over $22,000. If a sub-compact was priced as much as a regular hybrid, it will not sell at all. Car buyers wouldn't spend that much money for a car with limited interior space.

If the Fit Hybrid is to be successful, Honda President Takeo Fukui said that the base price should be at most $2000 more than the standard Fit. Any more than that and car buyers might shy away from the Fit Hybrid.

If everything goes according to plan, the Fit Hybrid should be ready by 2015, coinciding with the Honda Fit's makeover.

Toyota Set to Launch New Credit Card by this Fall

2008-05-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

Rising gas prices play a role in decreasing car sales. Now, auto-makers have to be more creative to entice car tight cashed car buyers to purchase new cars.

Toyota's strategy involves launching a Toyota Credit Card similar to what they did with the Lexus Credit Cards released back in 2005. Basically, the Totyota Credit Card would allow consumers to collect points that can be used for future discounts for Toyota parts and maintenance services or for downpayments for buying a new Toyota vehicle.

There were around 50,000 Lexus credit cards issued by Toyota that resulted a total of 11 Million points for its users. 4.5 Millions of those points were redeemed by roughly 21,000 of the Lexus credit card users. 95% of the redeemed points were used for maintenance while 5% were used for buying a new Lexus.

According to Toyota Financial Services Vice President of Marketing, Product and Branding Mike Wells, Toyota expects to issue 140,000 credit cards starting October. In addtion, he stated that he expects more credit cards to be issued the following year due to the fact that Toyota user base is 10 times more than Lexus.

Wells also mentioned that Lexus vehicle owners with the Lexus credit car were more likely to buy a new Lexus than those who didn't have the credit card. The same trend is expected for Toyota vehicle owners.

Interested customers can apply for the credit card online or get an instant credit at a dealership. Toyota credit card balances will be carried through U.S. Bank.

"Z": a Nissan Trademark

2008-05-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

In cinema, the letter 'Z' is associated with "the mark of Zorro". In the movie "The Mask of Zorro", when Antonio Banderas' character Alejandro Murieta carves the letter 'Z' on the wall, it was a mark that the legendary vigilante, who fought for the poor people's rights against an oppressive and corrupt Spanish Government, had finally resurrected after so many years of absence. The legacy had lived on

Movies no doubt tend romanticize everything for the sake of drama and entertainment.

But in the auto industry, the letter 'Z' has made a dramatic mark even distinguished screen-play writers would love to have thought of.

The 'Z', of course, represents Nissan's highly successful sportscar series that has been a symbol of both the company's reinvention during the 60's as well as its resurrection from the company's trying times during the mid-late 90's. How one letter can symbolize so much value for a company boils down to the history of the 'Z series': a history that is nothing short of epic.

During the 60's, Nissan cars, known as Datsun, were seen as the typical Japanese 'econobox': affordable, thrifty, economical but basic and unexciting. They were cars that were solely built from going from point A to point B.

That image changed however with the introduction of the 'Z car'. the Nissan USA President at that time, Yutaka Katayama, wanted a next generation of sports cars that were fast and stylish but still affordable.

Released in October 22, 1969, the introduction of the Datsun 240z in America was an instant hit. The 240z was a legitimate sports car that could compete with the likes of more expensive European brands like Jaguar and Porsche but for the price of a lot less. The success of the 240z on the racetrack only boosted the car's reputation.

The popularity of the 240 Z however was just the beginning. The 'Z' series was going to be an ongoing commercial success in America with the 260z, 280z, 280zx, Z31, and Z32.

But then, disaster struck. Nissan Motor Company faced severe financial issues during the mid-90's and the company was Billions in debt.

The production of the Z car became too expensive at the time when the company was struggling to keep itself afloat. The Z series fell out of the radar.

However, there were attempts to bring the 'Z' back into production around 1999 with the modernized version of the 240z called 240z concept. The new concept car however failed to appeal to car enthusiasts with its four cylinder engine considered as a downgrade from the original 240z's straight six engine.

Nissan seemed to be a doomed sinking ship, drowning the famous 'Z'-series along with it.

Then came the alliance of Nissan with Renault wherein Renault Chief Operating officer Carlos Ghosn was appointed as Nissan's Chief Operating Officer.

Ghosn constructed a "Nissan Revival Plan" to turn the fortunes of the then struggling company.

A major part of that revival plan was the reintroduction of the Z series.

"Like most people in North America," Ghosn said "my impression of Nissan was based almost solely on one car: the 'Z'."

And indeed, the Z series reinvented Nissan's image back in 1969. The new 'Z' was supposed to be no different. Carlos Ghosn proceeded by saying: "Our bold new 'Z' has the opportunity to become an icon for Nissan once again."

The result was the 350z that coincided with Nissan's dramatic turnaround.

The 'Z' became a symbol of the company's revival. And according to Ghosn, "it (350 Z) is a concrete illustration of the new Nissan."

With random news scattering around with the all new 370z, one can only imagine how far the revitalized Nissan can go.

Nissan Planning Mass Production of Lithium Ion Batteries

2008-05-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn mentioned in an interview for BusinessWeek last April 2008 that he expected the sales of cars in the United States to drop this year and perhaps early next year before stabilizing. A reason for his estimates would be the economic recession currently plaguing the country and, of course, the ever increasing oil prices.

The best course of action for car companies would be to produce economical and cars since gas prices have now become a major factor for most car buyers when it comes to choosing what vehicle to purchase.

Car companies have various alternatives when it comes to producing economical cars. They can either produce smaller cars with smaller engines, produce hybrids, bio diesel or ethanol compatible cars.

Carlos Ghosn, even mentioned that rising oil prices creates a place for breakthrough technology for electric cars with zero carbon emission.

Of course, CEO's assess the market and make calculated predictions for the sole purpose of getting ahead of the competition. So when Ghosn talks mentions anything about "a place for a breakthrough technology for electric cars", he is subtly revealing his own plans for the future: a plan to get ahead for mass producing zero emission cars.

And true enough, a month after the interview, Nissan Motor Co. has unveiled its plans for mass producing Lithium Ion Battery to be used for the company's hybrid and electric cars. Nissan plans to have their low and zero emission cars available in Japan and America by 2010, Israel and Denmark by 2011, and worldwide by 2012. The batterties will be made by Automotive Energy Supply Corp., NEC Corp., and NEC Tokin Corp.

Among Japanese car manufacturers, Nissan has fallen behind Toyota and Honda in the race to produce 'green cars'. The production of Lithium Ion Batteries would be Nissan's trump card to catch up and, ideally for Nissan, eventually lead the competition .

Lithium ion batteries are lighter and more powerful than the nickel-metal composition of current batteries used in todays hybrids like the Toyota Prius.

According to Nissan's executive Vice President Carlos Tavares, the company is taking a zero-emission vehicle position and it is the company's goal to realize that vision as quickly as possible.

Toyota and GM also have plans of producing Lithium Ion Battery powered cars by 2010. However, it was Nissan that was the first to announce its production plans for the technology.

The race for the production of more affordable zero-emission cars is slowly heating up. Which company comes out on top would be anyone's guess. But having cars completely independent from gasoline may just be a reality that could happen sooner than what everyone expects.

90 Wins for Valentino Rossi

2008-05-18T20:07:00.001-07:00

2007 was a bad season for Valentino Rossi when he finished just third in the championship standings: his worst ever finish in the overall riders' standings in any season in his career.

Of course, a lot of riders would still be quite happy with third at the very least. But when you're Valentino Rossi, hailed as arguably the best of all time in MotoGP (many say even better than Giacomo Agostini), no less than first place is expected.

Well, certain rule changes did affect the standings when Bridgestone tires had a great advantage over the Michelin tires. Rossi's Michelin shod Yamaha was therefore outclassed by Casey Stoner's Bridgestone shod Ducati. Stoner eventually ended up winning the World Title.

To make matters worse for Rossi, Dani Pedrosa riding the Repsol Honda was able to grab second position overall at the last minute dropping Rossi to third in the standings.

All that however seems like a distant past. Valentino Rossi, now riding a Bridgestone shod Yamaha M1 has raced to victory in Le Mans: his second consecutive win this season and his 90th victory over all. The result propelled the Italian back to the top of the standings once again.

There are still 13 races left in the season and making predictions now would be foolish. But one thing is clear though, Valentino Rossi is still riding at the top of his game. And his racing form in France cannot deny that.

Despite a slightly dissapointing start that dropped him from fourth to fifth, Valentino Rossi battled his way into first place, picking his spots carefully and ovewrtaking his rivals decisively. The moment Rossi siezed first position, he slowly pulled away from Pedrosa and Stoner who was battling for second and third position.

There was nothing much Pedrosa and Stoner could do. Valentino Rossi was clearly 'in the zone' setting consistent blistering lap times in succession.

Nature however stepped in to make the race more interesting when light showers poured thereby making the track slippery and unpredictable. The pit lane was opened in case the riders decided to switch to bikes equipped with wet racing tires. No one except Marco Melandri pitted. The race became a balancing act where the riders had to determine which parts of the circuit they could still go flat-out and where they ought to feaher the throttle to avoid crashing out. The situation was perfect for trailing riders since race leaders ususally take more caution during unpredictable conditions.

Unfortunately for Rossi's rivals, the rain only reinforced Rossi's position even more. The Italian had an uncanny feel for the track conditions and managed to still keep the fastest pace on slick tires despite the track's diminishing grip levels. Rossi opened up a gap of around ten seconds.

Pedrosa and Stoner, on the other hand, significantly dropped in pace and were overtaken by Jorge Lorenzo (Rossi's rookie teammate) and Colin Edwards (riding for Tech 3 Yamaha).

Reigning champion Stoner would face even more problems as his Ducati suffered mechanical problems that dropped him down further to 16th place. As for Pedrosa, he couldn't recover his pace and had to settle for fourth place.

The rain would stop and the lap times would pick up again. But any late charge was all too little too late. Rossi was in cruise control taking a comfortable four second victory. Lorenzo finishing in second and Colin Edwards finishing third made it a Yamaha 1-2-3 finish.

Nissan GTR

2008-05-16T03:46:00.000-07:00

Billed as the supercar that doesn't have the limitations of a supercar, the Nissan GTR is a true masterpiece.

From an engineering standpoint, the GTR benefits from its Scientific design for better performance and handling. 0-60 mph in an astonishing 3.5 seconds, and a top speed of around 190 mph. The chassis is lightweight and it follows the principles of aerodynamics to produce downforce at higher speeds. It is truly built for racing.

However, it still drives like a normal car when you're not pushing it to its limits. It feels like an ordinary everyday vehicle you take going to the grocery or to work (up until you decide to floor the gas pedal). It is not overly big so you can drive the GTR during rush hour traffic without worrying whether or not you'd side swipe another car (or another car accidentally side swiping you). It is therefore a practical, driveable car meant to be driven any time.

This is not mentioning the fact that there is decent space in the cabin and the car's trunk is actually useful.

But all this practicality bit doesn't hide the fact that it is still a supercar. You only need to look at it's intuitive interface and you know you are dealing with a very distinct car: as distinct as a supercar can be. The interface, designed by Polyphony Digital, makes the car unsurprisingly feel like you're driving in a video game giving you various info presented in a hud any video gamer can easily interpret. And because of that 'video game' feel, there is some sense of playfulness that the car exudes. It is meant to be fun to drive the way supercars ought to be.

But supercars aren't common because, of course, they are way too expensive. But even the price issue has been resolved (at least if you're in Japan).

In Japan, the GTR costs roughly $58,443 dollars. You're talking about a 0-60 mph, 190 mph top speed car. The GTR can beat the likes of a Porsche 911 Turbo worth $123,695. Of course taxes will push the price higher than 58,000. However, it will still cost way lower than 123,000 bucks.

The GTR is still no doubt the more 'reachable' supercar without sacrificing its quality: truly a dream car within reach

Car Loans and Credit Scores

2008-05-14T02:08:00.000-07:00

Many car buyers don't check their credit scores before they apply for a car loan. Heck, many people don't check their credit scores at all.

Every person has three credit scores based on three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. They use different models to determine your credit score but any variations will be slight. It would be good however to know exactly what your score is for each because you will never know which standard creditors use when reviewing your credit history.

In any case, what you need to know are the important numbers. Credit scores range from 300-850. A person with a credit score of 680 or more is considered to have good credit.

This means that that person is reliable when it comes to meeting loan obligations. Hence, that person pose less risk for lenders. The reward would be lower interest rates. If you have a perfect credit score, you could even qualify for loans with 0% interest rates.

Therefore, the lower your credit score, the higher the interest rates.

Ideally, you'd want to have good credit to benefit from low interest rates. Unfortunately, majority of Americans have bad credit.

If you ask me, I'd say that it is always better to always work out your finances to improve your credit score until you are considered to have good credit.

However, it doesn't mean that you can't get a reasonable car loan if you have bad credit.

Nowadays, because of an increasing subprime market, there are many 'bad credit car loan' offers available out there offered by willing lenders.

There are online services that provide useful infromation and access to the various car loan offers. People can easily compare the rates and determine which one is the most reasonable.

Of course, you have to know your credit score to make an honest assessment since it is only through your credit score that you can more or less determine which car loan rates you qualify for. Knowing the terms available to you gives you better chance to avoid getting deals that require you to pay an even higher interest than necessary.

But then again, if you really have bad credit (like scores below 500), it is really best for you not to get a car loan or any loan for that matter. A Really low credit score is a sign that you should start managing your finances and stop applying for new credit. If you don't, you will just dig yourself a deeper hole that you may not get out of because really low credit means really high interest rates that are non-negotiable. Chances are, you will really get more into debt.

The sacrifice you pay for not having a car is less stressing than being in debt all your life. It is just not worth it to force the issue just to have a car.

The bottomline is that you must know your credit score so that you know what course of action to take.

Monaco GP: Turning Point for McLaren?

2008-05-13T02:15:00.000-07:00

After McLaren's seemingly dominant form in Australia, Ferrari have answered back by winning the next four races. Two of those races (Bahrain GP and Spanish GP) were 1-2 finishes by the famous Italian squad. At the moment, Ferrari is clearly the team to beat.

However, the past four races were held at circuits that suit the F2008's characteristics with fast sweeping bends. Last year, the F2007 also had success in such tracks (Ferrari did win the Bahrain GP, Spanish GP and Turkish GP last year). The 2007 campaign witnessed Ferrari dominate in Silverstone, Magny Cours, Spa-Francorchamps, Shanghai and Interlagos.

However, Ferrari did have a major weakness in last year's championship bid. That was the lack of competitive pace in slower, tighter circuits where McLaren had the edge. One only needs to watch review the Monaco and Hungarian GP to see how much Ferrari lagged behind McLaren in such circuits.

McLaren and Lewis Hamilton will have to hope that the same holds true for 2008. With the next race held in Monaco, a McLaren 1-2 (like what happened last year) should significantly close the gap to Ferrari and prevent the 'Prancing Horse' from running away in the standings.

However, Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali mentioned that the F2008 has already addressed last year's problems in tighter circuits. The solution was fitting the F2008 with a shorter wheelbase compared to that of the F2007. It is believed that the F2007's long wheelbase, good for improving handling and aerodynamics, was disadvantageous in tight, twisty tracks.

Only time will tell if the F2008 can perform as well in Monaco as it did in the last four GP's. If Ferrari still dominates, then this year's championship could easily be a one horse race. But if McLaren can still maintain it's edge it held last year, then Monaco might be a turning point in the battle for Formula 1 supremacy.

Hat-Trick For Felipe Massa

2008-05-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

Felipe Massa showed why the Istanbul Park Racing Circuit is his favorite circuit by winning the event for the third consecutive year. The win brings the Brazilian back in contention to challenge for the world title as he is now second in the standings with 28 points (tied with Lewis Hamilton ).

Lewis Hamilton finished in second for the Turkish GP while reigning champion Kimi Raikkonen finished third. Raikkonen still holds a seven point advantage in the drivers' standings with 35 points.

Turkish GP Fun Facts:

- Felipe Massa remains undefeated in the Turkish GP since Ferrari signed the Brazilian back in 2006 (yep, Massa's Maiden win was right in this very track). In addition, Felipe Massa has never been lower than pole position in Istanbul Park Circuit while driving for Ferrari.

- Before Felipe Massa, the last driver to accomplish a hat-trick was seven times champion Michael Schumacher who accomplished the feat in two racing circuits (Spanish GP '01-'04, Canadian GP '02-'04 while also driving for Ferrari). Before Schumacher, Ayrton Senna also accomplished the feat by winning the Monaco GP five consecutiver times from 1989-1993 (Senna won the Monaco GP a total of 6 times).

-The only other winner of the Turkish GP was Kimi Raikkonen during the event's Formula 1 debut back in 2005 (Raikkonen was driving for McLaren-Mercedes-Benz at that time).

-Like Massa, Raikkonen too won from pole position. Istanbul Park racing circuit therefore holds a distinct characteristic in that only the pole-sitter has won the event ever since the circuit was introduced in the Formula 1 calendar.

Tesla Roadster: Electric Car Breakthrough?

2008-05-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

Electric cars of the past had some stereotypes associated with them. They were thought of as slow and weird looking. In addition, trying to develop the habbit of charging your car every so often was quite of a hassle.

But it seems those stereotypes are just about to be thrown out the window now that the 2008 Tesla Roadster is now in production.

The tesla Roadster, despite being a 100% electric car, is considered by its makers as a sports car. And yes, the Roadster does have stunning looks that makes it look like a legitimate sports car.

But even better is the fact that it is a legitimate sports car. 0-60 mph in just 3.9 and the top speed of a little more than 130 mph. The car is also capable of delivering an amazing 13,000 rpm. All that without burning any fuel.

The car truly gives the best of both worlds. It gives the thrill of speed (its acceleration rate beats the Porsche 911 GT3) without the environmental and monetary side effects of a gas guzzling super car engine.

Other benefits include the fact that the Tesla Roadster can travel 220 miles before recharging. The elictrical cost to the owner would be roughly two cents per mile. That is like the equivalent of having a 135 MPG car that can still deliver the way performance oriented sports cars should deliver. It is one truly enticing car.

But before thinking about purchasing the tesla Roadster and applying for a car loan, the Tesla Roadster does cost $100,000: more than what the Dodge Viper SRT 10 costs. How many people own a Viper? Too little. If the average person can afford the cars like the Viper, then perhaps we can enjoy the emissionless benefits that the Tesla Roadster offers without sacrificing the fun in driving. But since such is not the case, a good performance oriented electric car is still out of reach.

The Tesla Roadster has proven that electric engines can deliver at the same level as the normal internal combustion engine. The problem lies with the fact that the technology behind the product is still too expensive. And for technology to be truly a breakthrough, it must be economically viable as well.

The tesla Roadster is not quite the breakthrough that can shift people to zero CO2 emission cars. However, it is no doubt a promising sign that being totally independent from oil is a possibility.

A Natural Racing Driver: Gilles Villeneuve

2008-05-07T19:44:00.000-07:00

Peter Windsor once recalled (in one of his 2005 features in F1 Racing Magazine entitled "Super Villanova") riding with Gilles Villeneuve in a VW hire car. Gilles was flooring the throttle, power-shifting, pushing that rental car to its limit.

It was Gilles Villeneuve's trademark: the uncanny feel for the limit of any car, even normal cars available for the average person. And never once did anyone doubt that Gilles Villeneuve was always on the absolute limit inside his Formula 1 car.

Villeneuve was a true natural, in every sense of the word. His driving could be described in two words: flat-out. He wasn't the type to think about tallying points, settling for second or third place finishes, if the six or four points were enough to maintain the championship lead. If he was in a position to overtake, he'd go for it in a heartbeat. The only time that he didn't was when he willingly chose to support his teammate Jody Scheckter to win the 1979 Italian GP and consequently, that year's drivers' title.

But team orders aside, Gilles always raced in the fastest possible way he could in any given scenario. Once during a very drenched practice session in Watkins Glen back in 1979, he recorded a lap time 11 seconds quicker than the second fastest man, his teammate Jody Scheckter driving an identical Ferrari 312/T4. That was the type of commitment he had. Where other drivers lifted the throttle to avoid any risk of a shunt, Gilles would floor the pedal the moment he could sense that it was possible to do so. If the back end of the car suddenly felt loose, Gilles would simply flick the steering wheel in the opposite direction, with his foot still pressing hard on the gas, bringing his Formula 1 car in a slide fit for rallying.

Others have criticized him for being crazy. But in Gilles' own words, it's a racing driver's job to go as fast as he/she can. If a racing driver isn't because of the fear of a shunt, than he/she wasn't a racing driver but simply a person who drives racing cars.

Six wins, two pole positions and no titles may look like a lackluster record compared to the racing stats put up by Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Juan Manuel Fangio. But Gilles Villeneuve is still easily among the elite.

If one looks beyond the statistics, Gilles Villeneuve was always driving the lesser car. He drove at a time when Scuderia Ferrari was struggling when ground effect and turbo engines took over the world of Formula 1. But despite any technological disadvantage, Gilles still found a way to win. His last two wins in Monaco and Jarama in 1981 were thought to be impossible in a Ferrari 126CK with terrible throttle lag. But Gilles still found a way.

When he did have a turly competitive car underneath him, he was killed in qualifying: a tragic accident in Zolder, the 8th of May 1982. The title that should have been never was.

But despite the lack of the title, Gilles Villeneuve was considered undeniably as the fastest racing driver of his generation. And until this very day, 26 years later, he is still remembered as one of racing's true greats.

Salut Gilles!!!

Possitive Effects of Rising Gas Prices?

2008-05-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

As a general rule of thumb, people hate any sort of price increase for any consumer item, especially necessities. Gasoline is one of them.

Unfortunately, gas prices have been steadily increasing reaching record highs heading into this summer. There is no telling when oil prices will go down since all signs point to the fact that oil prices will remain high for the years to come.

As a result, more and more American car buyers are purchasing smaller, cheaper and more fuel efficient cars. It is the only means by which people can ease the burden of rising fuel costs.

People now end up buying cars that can save them money, not necessarily buying what they want. Of course having to settle for something because of monetary constraints can be very frustrating.
At first glance, nothing good can be taken with this oil price hike.

However, rising oil prices may actually yield possitive benefits down the road.
For one, driving smaller more fuel efficient cars are actually better for the environment. Many environmentalists have urged people to cut CO2 emissions by purchasing smaller cars years ago. But now that gas prices are becoming too tight on the pocket, people have no other choice but to buy smaller cars.

Granted, the new trend doesn't bode well for American car manufacturers known for big sporty light trucks. But then again, this whole situation could be a wake up call for American auto makers to think forward into the future. The likes of GM and Ford have been in/ near the top for so long that the urge to innovate has somewhat stagnated. Now that Toyota is ready to overtake GM and Honda is also gaining more and more momentum as well as the other Asian auto makers in the U.S., perhaps American car makers can now go back to the drawing board and assess how they can move forward to win back the American market. To do so, American car makers have to be up-to-date. No longer can they simply rely on old formulas (like banking on SUVs and pickup trucks) because they are simply impractical for the times.

Hillary Clinton mentioned in one of her primaries that if Henry Ford were alive today, he would be shocked at how different the cars look nowadays. But he would also be surprised to see how little has changed with the combustion engine. For more than a century, majority of cars are still dependent on regular gasoline: and many American cars are very excessive when it comes to consuming gas. The message of the speech, is simply to motivate forward thinking ideas for more innovation to be less dependent or to be fully independent from oil.

In addition, Carlos Ghosn, CEO of both Nissan (NSANY) and Renault (RENA), expects that gas prices to normalize at a high rate. Producing fuel efficient cars is the way to go for the auto industry. He also mentioned that he expected a breakthrough in electric car technology.

What car manufacturer will come out with the breakthrough technology in electric cars? Who knows. But this new race could be a new opportunity for American car manufacturers. After all, the Tesla Roadster could be promising.

Perhaps, the hard times will force American auto makers to innovate for the future, to be independent from oil moving towards cleaner if not zero emission cars. Sometimes, pressure can be a good thing. It just depends on how people view the matter and how people handle the matter.

Demand for Small Cars May Hurt American Car Manufacturers

2008-05-06T04:10:00.000-07:00

*This is a follow up post on 'Car Buyers Prefer Smaller Cars'

Soaring gas prices have forced many Americans to shift to smaller, more affordable and fuel efficient cars. If before, engine size, horsepower and torque were selling factors, the important numbers car buyers consider now would be the base price of the car and its MPG.

Of course, small cars equipped with smaller engines best fit the new demand for economy and practicality. It is no wonder why smaller cars have been increasing in popularity in recent years.

For this year however, the demand for small cars have spiked in record numbers. In April 2008, one of every five cars sold were small cars, either a compact or a subcompact vehicle. The reason for the spike is directly related to gas prices nearing $ 4.00 per gallon.

This new trend for smaller cars is benefitting Asian car manufacturers like Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Hyundai: all of which had compact car models that were part of the top 10 selling cars last month. Because Asian auto makers are abundant with various compact and subcompact car designs, they are best equipped in servicing the ever increasing demand for smaller cars.

That is not the case for American car makers. Although American compact cars, like the Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus and the compact wagon Dodge Caliber have fared well against their Asian counterparts, GM, Ford and Chrysler still don’t have enough compact car models to compete with the variety of smaller cars offered by Asian manufacturers.

In addition, the sudden increase in demand for smaller cars means that sales of SUVs and light pickup trucks have plunged significantly. SUVs and pickup trucks accommodate a large portion of profit for America’s big three. The Ford F-Series alone makes up half of Ford’s profits every year. A decline in sales for such products is obviously bad news for these companies.With oil prices expected to remain high for the coming years, it is highly unlikely for car buyers to revert back to purchasing larger cars. And if such is the case, America’s big three are the ones under most pressure to cope up with the new demand of car buyers looking for more fuel efficient means for transport.

Car Buyers Prefer Smaller Cars

2008-05-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

Increasing oil prices has now taken its toll on the American market. More and more car buyers are now going for economy and practicality. Nowadays, people want the cheaper car with a better gas mileage. As a result, compact and subcompact cars are now the hot items in the auto industry.

This new trend is good news for Asian Car manufacturers.

Asian brands are abundant with compact and sub-compact car models. Car models like the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Hyundai Elantra have sold very well in just the past month. Chances are, the sales of such cars will only increase in the following months.

American car makers are also feeling the effects of the 'small car demand' trend. The Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cobalt and the compact wagon Dodge Caliber were the top selling American made cars with American SUVs and pickup trucks having below average sales.

Not too long ago, engine size, number of cylinders, horsepower and torque were numbers that easily enticed people to buy a car. Now, however, most car buyers would probably shy away from a car with a bigger engine and a higher HP output because they would only be reminded of the fuel costs that they'd have to shoulder. As it stands, cars with four cylinders have outsold models with six cylinders for the month of April.

Bizarre Sports Car: Ford GT

2008-05-01T17:40:00.000-07:00

More and more of the newer supercars are being designed to be more practical. Yes they are still capable of going much faster than the speed limit and can go from 0-60 mph in less than 4 seconds. But despite being built for the race track, these supercars also have the comforts of normal cars that provides enough practicality for everyday use. The benefits, after all, of practicality makes a car more appealing for purchase.

The Ford GT is one of those supercars. Inspired by the GT40 that garnered incredible success during the 70's, the Ford GT looks the same. The difference could only be seen when the two cars are side by side. The Ford GT is 3 inches higher than the GT40. The difference may seem small but three inches allow more people to fit in the car that are not necessarily as fit as prime racing drivers.

The interior is spacious for a car of its kind. The seats are comfortable. Visibility is decent. Gear changing isn't punishing (unlike the Countach). And the engine, despite being a monstrous 5.4L 550hp V8 mounted just at the back of the passenger, isn't bothersome for the passengers because the cabin does enough to mute the engine noise to tolerable decibel levels.

The car handles preety good and the suspension and shock absorbers are calibrated to be comfortable enough unlike full racing specs.

So yes, the Ford GT is a supercar that has practicality integrated into its design so that it can be used on a regular basis.

There is a problem however with all that practicality bit. First of all, the Ford GT is quite tricky when it comes to gas mileage. Sure,the brochure states 12MPG city, 19MPG highway. But those figures can only be achieved through a very controlled drive. Get seduced by that raw power a little bit by accelerating quickly here and there without necessarily going over the maximum speed limit and your gas mileage could easily go down to 4MPG. With a 17.5 gallon fuel tank capacity, the car's range is quite limited.

Secondly, there is another problem with the design of the door. Part of the roof of the car is actually part of the door. Hence, if you park it inside a parking lot where other cars are parked side by side, chances are, you wouldn't be able to get in/out of the car because of that extended roof on the door. Well you could, if you're flexible enough to duck below the roof and squeeze your legs inside the slight gap so you could slip inside/outside of the car. Unfortunately, going through so much trouble just to get in/out looks quite embarrassing that is not fitting for an owner of a supercar. The only parking place where you can avoid such troublt is if you park the Ford GT parallel a sidewalk. Hence, the places where you can actually take the car is also limited.

In some ways, the small dilemmas the car presents negates the impressive practical aspects of the car. For all its user friendliness, you still can't use it on a day-to-day basis.

Ayrton Senna: The Aftermath of His Death

2008-04-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that 14 years have already passed since that tragic race weekend in Imola.

First, there was the horrible shunt of Rubens Barrichello during Friday's afternoon practice session. Barrichello survived but suffered injuries that made him unfit to race. Come Saturday qualifying, rookie Roland Ratzenberger was killed after a damaged front wing broke off during his entry in the fast Villeneuve corner. Ratzenberger's car crashed into the concrete wall at around 189mph and died instantly.

Senna witnessed both events, shocked, saddened and ultimately compelled to action. He initiated a meeting Sunday morning with fellow drivers to push for better safety in Formula 1. As the then most senior driver, Senna took the initiative to lead the effort.

But come the race, Senna too was killed. His Williams inexplicably veered off the track upon exiting Tamburello and impacted the concrete wall at 135mph.

Arguably the biggest superstar the Sport had ever known was now gone. Best known for his profoundly introspective insights, unwavering commitment to push his car to the absolute limit, his superiority in racing under wet conditions and of course his three titles driving the Honda powered McLaren, Senna's death was a shock that ultimately changed Formula 1 for good.

His death led to more drastic means of improving safety within the sport. Gone are the days when risk and danger were part of the glamor of Formula 1.

Until this very day, Ayrton Senna remains to be the last driver to be killed while driving a Formula 1 car. The new culture in the paddock dictates that advancements in safety is just as important as improving the engine or the chassis.

Numerous shunts have taken place after Senna's death, all of which could have been easily fatal. But because of the pursuit of ever-improving safety, many drivers have been spared from death or seriosly debilitating injuries.

However, the pursuit for better safety wasn't all smooth sailing. A fire marshal was killed after an accident during the 2000 Italian GP. The following year, a volunteer marshal was also killed during the 2001 season opener in Australia when Jacques Villeneuve's BAR Honda collided behind Ralf Schumacher's Williams.

But like Senna's death, the tragedies were used as lessons to once again improve safety even more. And since 2001, no deaths have been recorded in the sport.

It's been 14 years since Senna volunteered to lead the cause for better safety. Ironically, it was his death that ultimately led to realizing that vision. In motor racing, it could be said that Formula 1 is also the pinnacle of safety.

High Performance Hybrid

2008-04-30T01:43:00.000-07:00

When people think of buying a hybrid, they think of fuel economy and practicality. And where fuel economy is concerned, speed is usually sacrificed.

Hybrid vehicles aren't associated with high performance.

A group of engineers however think otherwise.

Mercedes-AMG, the high performance division of Mercedes-Benz responsible for monstrous vehicles such as the S65 that boasted a V12 engine capable of delivering 604 hp, is planning to produce the first ever high performance hybrid car.

The new V8 in the company's lineup will have a Hybrid version labeled "Blue Power". Being a V8, the car is obviously performance oriented. However, the integration of the electric engine means that the car should still be able to have restricted zero-emission capability.

AMG Research and Development Director Wolf Zimmermann mentioned that he was excited with the challenge of being able to deliver a high end high-performance vehicle while still being able to meet ecological standards.

The project seems to be an attempt by Mercedes-AMG to respond to growing environmental concerns without destroying the division's essence.

It would be interesting to see how this whole project pans out.

Increasing Demand for Smaller Cars

2008-04-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

With gas prices increasing, more and more people are becoming convinced that smaller, lighter and slightly more economical cars are ther way to go.

Hence, smaller sedans have suddenly become a hot item. In addition, less powerful SUVs and Crossovers are becoming the more popular cars of choice for those who need to consider a large family.

If everyone had the money, getting hybrids would be a better option to cope against pocket heavy fuel prices.

But with the economic recession, most people also have to consider the initial cost of a car. That is why buying sedans, SUVs with smaller engines or crossovers become the best compromise.

This new trend has caused a demand spike for such cars. It could be said that no one in the auto industry could have predicted a drastic shift in demand for smaller cars. But thanks to the ever increasing oil prices, everyone it seems are considering economy above everything else.

So now, auto makers are bumping up production in significant levels to cope with the record breaking demands for smaller vehicles.

This sudden demand for smaller lighter vehicles however also has a drawback. For one thing, increased production for a commodity entails increase in cost. And since smaller lower end sedans don't really offer much of a profit for car manufacturers compared to premium models that offer all sorts of extras and luxury, buyers could lose some bargaining power.

For smaller vehicles, it would be difficult to negotiate for a significantly lower price compared to the sticker price. For most dealers, the difference from the invoice and the sticker price isn't that much to begin with. This means that a buyer wouldn't have that much room to haggle.

But then again, buying smaller vehicles is more of a long term strategy since smaller vehicles, being more fuel efficient, entails less cost when in use. Settling for the sticker price (or at least a price a little less than the sticker price) could be a small price to pay for a car not that fuel thirsty.

Lotus 79: A True Pioneer in Aerodynamics

2008-04-28T23:15:00.000-07:00

Aerodynamics in most high end performance oriented production cars are a given. A car's chassis is basically just as important, if not more important than the engine.

Of course there is really no way to definitively measure aerodynamics until you drive a particular car and feel just how much grip it gets at high speeds. Hence, engine specs and all other technological tidbits (ASM, TCS etc) are still used more often than not to entice a person to buy a car.

But even the best engine is meaningless if the car can't handle the power. And good handling is largely due to efficient aerodynamics that help keep a car stable on the road at high speeds.

The importance of aerodynamics is clearly seen in racing where many cars are more reliant on aerodynamic grip than mechanical grip. For the 2008 Formula 1 season for instance, the Scuderia Toro Rosso driven by four-times Champ Car Champion Sebastien Bordais and respected up and comer Sebastian Vettel utilizes a Ferrari engine. But those two aren't competing anywhere near the top. Instead, it is the Scuderia Ferrari F2008 that's dominating the current season. This is because the F2008 has a much better chassis with much better aerodynamics.

The definitive car that advanced aerodynamic technology would be the Lotus 79 designed by Martin Ogilvie, Tony Rudd, Peter Wright and, of course, Colin Chapman. And it spelled 'domination' for the 1978 Formula 1 season.

The Lotus 79 was coined as the "Wing Car". It's design basically generated a low pressure area underneath the car as it travelled. This meant that as air flowed, the car would be 'sucked' to the ground: hence ground effect.

In a sense, the Lotus 79 chassis was like an inverted wing. An aircraft wing would produce low-pressure above the wing to produce lift while the Lotus 79 did the exact opposite.

Although many open wheel racing cars as early as the 60s were already experimenting with wings fitted at the front and the rear to produce downforce, none of those cars used aerodynamic grip as efficiently as the Lotus 79. It was truly an aerodynamic car against old fashioned cars.

All of a sudden, the revolutionary Flat 12 engine of the Ferrari 312/T3 (designed to enhance handling due to a lower center of gravity) was helpless against the tremendous aerodynamic benefits of the "Wing Car"

Lotus stormed through the season winning the constructors' title with lead driver Mario Andretti winning the drivers' title. Teammate Ronnie Peterson, despite his tragic death after the Italian GP, remained in second place in the overall standings.

Although the ground effect design is now banned in Formula 1 and that current generation Formula 1 cars find different methods to produce downforce, there is no denying that the Lotus 79 was truly the first car in F1 to show the importance of aerodynamic grip.

And beyond Formula 1, aerodynamics is still one of the main staples in motor racing that is required for victory.

Cheaper Alternative: Hyundai Tiburon (Coupe)

2008-04-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

With the advent of games like Gran Turismo, Project Gotham, and Forza Motorsport wherein a gamer was allowed to drive realistically rendered versions of real life cars, many, it seems, have been spoiled.

A lot of the younger generation have now been exposed to countless of exotic sports cars only the super rich could buy. But because of such games, more people have been treated by the aesthetic qualities of an F430 or a DB9 and the raw power of cars like the F40 on a regular basis.

Brands like Ferrari, Pagani, Aston Martin and Lotus are now so reachable.

Unfortunately, real life dictates that exotic cars are still for those with seemingly unlimited supplies of cash.

After years of growing up accustomed to the likes of cars worthy of appearing in Bond films, shopping for cars for real becomes quite dissappointing. Now, I have to settle for the normal everyday cars. A lot of them are practical, which is great, but they lack the passion exuded by high end sports cars.

There is a decent compromise however. There are still some cars that look like a high end sports car with a very reachable price tag.

One good example would be the Hyundai Tiburon (Coupe). The price for the 2008 model ranges from $17,025 up to $22,525 depending on the trim.

Mind you, the car looks too good for such a price range. Its price tag rivals that of a regular family compact car and yet, the Tiburon looks special, the way a true sports car should feel. The profile of the car looks especially good.

The basic trim would provide a 2.0L 121HP engine. For a sports car, it is under powered. The lowest trim basically gives you the look and nothing else which kinda defeats the purpose of having a sports car in the first place. Fortunately there is a V6 2.7L version that offers a more decent 161HP. It may not seem like much, but for the car's size, it can hold its own pretty much. And if you're willing to get the highest trim that comes with a 6-speed manual transmission, the cars power would definitely be good enough.

It's no F430 thats for sure. Don't expect 0-60mh in 4.0s. The Tiburon however does deliver a better than average performance going from 0-60mph in 8.6s.

For what you have shell out, the Tiburon could be a bargain. After all, it looks good enough to make you look good.

Mclaren Improved but they still have much to Worry About.

2008-04-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

Mercedes-Benz powered McLaren Formula 1 team looked to be more competitive in Spain. Their car was good enough to propel Lewis Hamilton back on the Podium. Unfortunately, he was still behind the Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa.

Yes, the team improved, but not by much. McLaren was behind the defending champions throughout the race weekend from practice, to qualifying and the race. For a team gunning for no less than the world title, much work is clearly needed.

All they have proven is that they are still quicker than BMW Sauber. Beating "The Prancing Horse" is still the main objective however.

But that goal will be difficult.

For one thing, Ferrari has been known to hold the edge in tracks with fast sweeping corners. Sepang, Bahrain and Catalunya are tracks that suits ferrari's strengths. The next race in Turkey, which happens to be Massa's favorite track, will suit the Italian squad.

It would be difficult for McLaren to match that advantage in only two weeks time.

In addition, unlike last year, the post-Brawn-Todt-Schumacher Ferrari team is no longer suffering from reliability issues. With the exception of Australia, both Ferraris were able to race flat out at the front of the field showcasing unbelievable engine life (since every engine is required to last two full race weekends).

At about the same time last season, Ferrari was beating McLaren. However, only one Ferrari would make it to the finish line whereas McLaren had both drivers finish the race. That allowed McLaren to be able stack up points in the standings.

Now however, both Ferraris are quicker and both are finishing ahead of McLaren. That is no doubt a huge problem. McLaren has to solve its cars' lack of pace now rather than risk the possibility of Ferrari turning the season into a landslide.

Another area of concern would be Heikki Kovalainen's shunt. A front left tire blow out caused a huge accident that thankfully did not yield any injuries.

Two possibilities loom. The first is that the front left tire was defective and McLaren and Kovalainen were just unlucky. The second, which is more pressing for the team, is that their set-up caused the car to wear the front left tire more quickly. if so, McLaren has yet another factor to monitor during test runs rather than simply focusing on how to make the car faster.

Judging by the Spanish GP, it is highly unlikely for McLaren to turn things around in Turkey. The only time that the team may turn the tide would be in Monaco: where the tight street corners made McLaren unbeatable last year. If the team can maintain its advantage from last year, than the title fight may again get real competitive rather quickly.

But then again, Ferrari did mention that the F2008 has a shorter wheelbase to increase its pace and competitiveness in tighter circuits. Only time will tell if McLaren could indeed catch up to "The Prancing Horse".

Ice Cool, Firmly in Control

2008-04-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Kimi Raikkonen took a lot of heat after the Australian GP where the defending champion failed to score points.

But despite the harsh criticisms, the "Ice Man" kept his cool seemingly deterred by nothing. The results he compiled were three successive podium finishes that included 2 victories and a second place finish.

That is the trademark of the current generation "Flying Finn". When it comes to his driving, he rarely talks and rarely shows emotion.

To him, the past is history. Regardless of the previous result, whether good or bad, he isn't affected. All there is is the present where he would still naturally give his all.

So after the media drubbing at the conclusion of the Australian GP, Raikkonen answered his critics with a dominating win in Malaysia. Although things weren't working too well for him in Bahrain, the reigning champion still managed to squeeze out a second place finish using a set-up that didn't really suit his liking.

By the Spanish GP, Raikkonen was untouchable as he wound up with his 17th victory so far.

So much has been said with very few words.

The media however hasn't really warmed up to the monosyllabic and ever-evasive champion. The people of the press claim that a lack of personality isn't good for the ratings. What people want is drama: something that Raikkonen never really projects.

The media feasts on bitter rivalry, like that of Alonso and Hamilton last year. The media loves scandals like last year's Spy Espionage and Max Mosley's recent philandering.

Where there is controversy, there is always a colorful cliffhanger of a story that stirs up curiosity and intrigue. Drama is the media's best friend. Where press people are concerned, publicity is king. Something Raikkonen never truly cares about.

And it doesn't matter. Beyond the cold image and introverted persona, Raikkonen exudes the personality of the consumate racing driver. A personality that seemingly isn't bothered by anything. He is too cool to ever be worried. Among drivers, Raikkonen seems to be the only one who feels no pressure.

Hence, his character makes him tough to break: an attribute that is detrimental to all those competing against him.

As it stands, Raikkonen is the world championship leader with a nine point advantage over his nearest rival. It is still early in the season, but it is hard to deny that the ice cool Finn is firmly in control.

My Take on Sam Mitani's Take on GT5P

2008-04-25T00:42:00.000-07:00

Sam Mitani is the International Editor of one of the most recognizeable car mags out there: "Road & Track". For those who have purchased Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, you would also recognize him as the man who wrote "Gran Turismo and the World of Automotive Enthusiasm" for the GT5P manual.

Because of Mitani's position, he is one of the few people who actually gets the privilege of driving the real life counter-parts of Gran Turismo's cars and of course drive them on the actual race tracks.

Based on his opinion, he is so full of praise as to how GT captures the real life characteristics
of the real cars from the way they look, they sound and most importantly, the way they handle.

Comparison cars that he used ranged from the Honda (Acura) NSX Type S Zero, Nissan GT-R, Ferrari F430 and the BMW 135i.

For Mitani, the GT franchise is still the best when it comes to depicting reality. As accurate as it is, the game can actually be the ultimate car buyers' guide wherein you can examine production cars in virtual reality first.

And it's not just the cars that matches realism. According to Mitani, even the tracks are greatly resembled saying as much that you could learn the tracks by playing GT.

Yep, Sam Mitani is undoubtebly a fan.

But because of the nature of his work, his occupation does give credibility to what he wrote.

I am not going to contest his opinion. As a die hard fan of the game, I love what he wrote about the game.

Rather, I'll simply share what was going through my mind reading Sam Mitani's introduction: Blue NSX driven by Jeremy Clarkson in Laguna Seca.

That was one funny experiment from the comedic witty Brit from Top Gear. During that test, his GT lap time in Laguna Seca with the NSX was more than 10 seconds quicker than his actual lap time.

In racing, 10 seconds difference is more than eternity. That is the difference between a 599 Fiorano and a Toyota Corolla around the same circuit.

Judging from Jeremy Clarkson's run, the accuracy of the game takes quite a hit.

However, Clarkson still believed that the NSX was capable of matching the in-game lap time. The only reason for the 10 second difference was, according to Jeremy, his driving.

In fairness, the Laguna Seca is one of the most terrifying tracks out there. Like Spa Francorchamp's Eau Rouge and Istanbul Park Circuit's turn 8, Laguna Seca's Cork Skrew is one corner racing drivers always remember.

According to Clarkson, he just couldn't muster enough courage to push the car to its limit. He mentioned that racing drivers suffer from the lack/absence of imagination. They never think 'what if a wheel comes off, what if the brakes have gone, what if the steering column breaks etc'. They simply go out and race as hard as they could. In Clarkson's own terminology, racing drivers suffer from the "Mansell Syndrome".

Driving to the absolute limit is something reserved for the select few. The few who are willing to transcend their own fears to achieve something that most people can't. In a sense, racing is an ideal in itself.

Sam Mitani wrote that he became a devout disciple of the 'church of Gran Turismo' as a reference to the game's cultic like following. It was a joke obviously written to emphasize how well the franchise has sold.

But then again, because racing is about the pursuit to trancend one's own limits, it is like a spiritual experience in itself. It symbolizes that drive within people searching for meaning: searching for something more, something bigger than just one's self.

Perhaps, a reference to religion isn't that far fetched.

Benefits of a Boxer Engine and a Mid-Engine Layout

2008-04-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

People looking to get performance oriented sports cars are usually bombarded with figures. Of course, the common statistical figures would be Horse Power, Torque, acceleration, top speed, engine type and engine layout.

Most usually consider HP, acceleration rate, and top speed to determmine which car is "good". It is something like a "power centric" basis for judging.

But then again, power is only one part of the performance equation. For a sports car to be really 'good', it needs to handle well. An ill-handling car prohibits the driver from being able to utilize all the power that a car can give.

For a car to handle well, it has to be balanced and stable. When it comes to stability, weight distribution is important.

Hence, the weight distribution from the front and the back of the car has to be as close as possible. Too much weight in the front, the car would have a tendency to understeer. To much weight at the back, then you could suffer the 'pendulum effect' wherein the rear end wants to shoot forward in the middle of a corner.

When it comes to weight distribution, a mid-engine layout usually provides the ideal result. This is because the engine is easily makes up a huge chunk of the over all weight of the car. Having the engine mounted more towards the middle of the car makes it easier to 'centralize' the weight.

The ideal weight distribution of a car would be a 50/50 percent weight distribution. The mid-engined Audi R8 provides a 44/56 percent weight distribution. The result is that it handles really well.

Of course, a low center of gravity also adds to the stability. This is the reason why performance oriented sports cars are designed to be closer to the ground then the average car. A low center of gravity decreases the possibility of a roll during quick cornering.

A boxer/flat engine aids to the pursuit of having a lower center of gravity. This is because a boxer engine has horizontally opposed cylinders: hence it was termed as 'flat'. Again, because the engine makes a huge portion of the car's overall weight, a shorter engine (because of the flat layout) naturally leads to a lower center of gravity.

In addition of a lower center of gravity, a boxer engine also provides a better balance. Since the cylinders are opposed horizontally, the movement of the pistons counterbalance each other during the combustion cycle.

One of the notable sports cars that utilizes a flat engine would be the Porsche 911.

Other sports cars use both a mid-engine layout as well as a flat engine configuration such as the Porsche Boxster and the Porsche Cayman S.

Importance of Having the Correct Tire Pressure

2008-04-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

I was in a bit of a rush once and I wasn't able to inspect my car before I left. I just got in, switched the car on and tried to scram.

Unfortunately, the car wouldn't accelarate normally. It felt sluggish and really odd. I found myself pressing much harder on the gas to get it going. Plus, I felt that something was wrong looking out the windshield but I couldn't figure out what. The world around me seemed tilted in a way.

So I traveled really slowly thinking of what could be wrong. After around 7-10 yards of driving, a car caught up behind me. The driver of the car was honking the horn and flashing the head lights and pointing to the rear left of my car. That was when I got it: I got a flat tire. It turned out that my tire sustained a very slow leak the night before. And only 8 hours later did it fully run out of air.

A flat tire is probably an extreme example but it is also a good example to point out that when a tire is under pressure, it does slow down the car. They simply won't generate the traction it needs for the car to run efficiently.

Running on tires that are under pressure means that a driver is likely to step harder on the gas to compensate and get the car running on the pace the driver is accustomed to. In other words, a driver unwittingly consumes more gas than necessary.

Checking your tire pressures diligently results in improving your gas mileage.

However, you also have to be carefull in not over-inflating your tire. Too much air can result in disastrous consequences.

When a tire warms up, the air inside it expands. If there is too much air before the car gets moving, as soon as the tire does heat up, the tire won't be able to contain the expanding air and will simply blow-out.

Hence, it is important to always keep your tire pressures in their optimum levels. The basis for the optimum levels should be stated in a car's owners manual. Every car that you can buy should indicate the ideal tire pressures. This is because there is no standard tire pressure for all cars. Every car differs in its weight, chassis, suspension set-ups etc. and therefore require a distinct tire pressure level to run efficiently. Those who can determine that are those who designed the car.

When checking pressure levels, always use a reliable pressure gauge. Never cheat yourself by judging a tire's pressure more or less by how it looks. For some people, if they happened to have the right pressure the day before, they would simply look at the tires and feel it a bit and estimate if the pressure is okay.

Don't!

For one thing, you can't judge the levels accurately yourself. Not getting the accurate gauge means that you are also consuming more gas than necessary.

Secondly, different tires have different profiles. Some tires don't look flat until it already lost significant levels of air. Hence, you are simply increasing the possibility of getting flat in the middle of the road.

Bizarre Sports Car: Audi R8

2008-04-24T00:55:00.000-07:00

Last time I created a topic like this, I discussed about the Lamborghini Countach and its outrageous design that centered too much on its looks to the point that it sacrificed the car. The Countach was all about the image and nothing more: not even the car's performance.

This feature will be about the Audi R8: bizarre in an entirely different way.

Looking at the Audi R8, there is a sense of 'futurism' in its exterior design. However, it still doesn't scream "look at me" the way the Countach did. The R8 is more subtle. You know that it's a supercar, but it doesn't border on the outrageous.

There are however other sports cars/supercars that have an even more subtle look than the R8 like the Porsche 911 Carrera 2S for instance. The 911 however compensated with the way it delivered.

The 911's engine screamed the way a supercar should. Its handling is undeniably exciting thanks to its powerful flat 6 rear engine, rear wheel drive layout. You always had to be focused because at any moment, the rear end could just escape from you. But in no way is it an ill-handling car. Because if you did manage to concentrate well enough to tame the beast, the 911 could certainly make a driver look really good. And that was the point of the 911. It was gratifying to drive to the limit because it made you feel good about yourself.

The R8 however, doesn't seem to have that same type of panache. For one thing, the engine is so quiet. It's V8 is perhaps too good that 100 mph is way too easy that it doesn't break a sweat. A supercar must draw attention to itself. A quiet engine doesn't really do that.

It is mid-engine and all wheel drive, so the car could certainly be very tidy around the corners. You can throw the car around, drift it and what not and it will respond with ease. In a sense, it is very forgiving.

Because you could get away with just about anything, the car would definitely make you look better than you really are. But because it is so easy, it also doesn't satisfy as much as the 911 would.

Don't get me wrong. The car is far from bad. In fact, it is absolutely amazing. Good handling should never be a point against a car. The R8 is also very fast; you just hardly notice it because of how quiet the engine is.

In addition, the cabin is incredibly spacious and comfortable. For a car that's supposed to be concerned with performance, it sure didn't forget some of the basics of comfort.

The R8 basically drives like a supercar without negating the benefits of the normal cars available to the public. In short, it is a supercar that is still pretty practical.

Yes it is a great machine. Unfortunately, it just doesn't show off the way a supercar should despite being as good as it is. And that is what's bizarre.

Marco Andretti in Formula 1?

2008-04-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

Formula 1 hasn't been able to compete with the likes of Nascar and IRL for American viewers. Analysts have said that it was because of the lack of American participation in the sport.

Actually, it is more of the lack of significant American participation in the sport. In recent years, the presence of Scott Speed did little to improve ratings because he really had no chance of winning in a Toro Rosso. That plus the fact that Speed was most of the time smoked by his teammate.

Now that Speed is no longer in the line up and now that there is no USGP for this year, Formula 1 would find it harder to penetrate an American audience.

As it stands, the last American world champion was Mario Andretti back in 1978 when he drove the infamous Lotus 79 "wing car". Andretti, was one of only two Americans (the other being Phil Hill in 1961) who have conquered the Formula 1 scene.

However, Formula 1 may just be able to still make its way to the US. There have been reports from SPEED TV that Honda driver Rubens Barrichello have agreed to a driver swap with Andretti Green Racing. Barrichello would drive for Andretti Green while Marco Andretti would drive for Honda for the 2009 season.

If the reports were true, could Formula 1 break through American audience?

It's hard to say. Although Marco Andretti is no doubt an exceptional talent, talent alone does not ensure success.

Back in 1993, Marco's father, Michael Andretti, made his way to Formula 1 to drive for McLaren. During that time, McLaren was in a bit of a struggle to regain its dominant form. In addition, Michael Andretti's teammate was no less than three times world champion Ayrton Senna.

Without sufficient knowledge of the European tracks while driving a car that wasn't the best on the grid, Andretti struggled. To make matters worse, comparisons with the more experienced Senna only heightened the pressure resting on Andretti's shoulders.

Before the season ended, Michael Andretti quit F1.

Marco could possibly face the same problems. Honda after all is trying to get back to a more competitive form after a dismal 2007 season. Without a competitive car, winning races would be impossible. If Marco doesn't win, then there would be no point for many American viewers to wake up before the sun rises to catch Formula 1.

But then again, Honda does have Ross Brawn as its technical director. Ross Brawn has been credited to be one of the major reasons why Ferrari has become an elite team again. Before his stint with the Prancing Horse, he was also involved in propelling Benetton to the top of Formula 1. This guy knows what it takes to produce a winning car. If he can do miracles for Honda the way he did in Benneton and Ferrari, Marco's Formula 1 debut might be one that American would want to watch.

Improving the Traffic Light

2008-04-23T20:46:00.001-07:00

There's a saying: "tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are."

In motoring the question could be altered a bit: "tell me what cars you prefer and I will tell you if you are the type to beat the traffic light."

Of course, I can't be too sure. But what I do know is that some people really have a tendency to beat the red light. To determine if you are one of them, ask yourself this question:

When the yellow light flashes and you are relatively near the intersection, will you slow down or speed up?

The answer will obviously vary depending on the person since everyone has different driving habits. Others are more relaxed and reserved while others, myself included, have a continuing sense of urgency.

Chances are, I am the type who would try to beat a red light if I feel that I could make it. I don't think about beating the light. If I was already at the edge of the intersection, by instinct, I would speed up once the yellow light flashes.

I guess I value time a lot. If I could save some time, I would: and beating the red light would certainly save a few minutes if you do beat it.

If you don't, you lose more time explaining your actions to the cop that pulled you over. But despite that risk, I still find myself trying to beat the light if I felt that I could make it.

I admit that there is some danger involved with such an impulsive action. But it is precisely the fact that the action is based on impulse that I would, time and tie again, catch myself trying to beat the light. As mentioned, it's the instinct of someone who always feels in a hurry.

But then again, It's not just me. Many others share the same sense of urgency. I don't know but maybe that ADHD thing could be true.

People don't think about it. It just happens when the situation presents itself: the situation where you feel confident that you could make it through.

I am not trying to justify the action. What I am simply saying is that it will always happen anytime anywhere.

However, I do feel that this tendency of trying to beat the light could be managed better than the red light camera ticketing system.

I think that the best way to manage beating the light is to have traffic lights that counted down. Instead of a solid green light, the traffic signal could display a green number counting down to zero. So if the green light was around 20 seconds, the light would start from twenty and count down all the way to one. And then the yellow light would count down from 5 seconds down to one etc.

In that case, drivers would know exactly what time they have left.

Some may say that it will encourage speeding up when the yellow lights flash. But then again, the driver trying to beat the light would be more certain that he could make it before the red light because that driver would be able to judge the time left more accurately.

In addition, the 'counting down' traffic light would also convince the other drivers to simply just slow down and stop if they see that there really is no chance of making it. Numbers, as they say, are very hard to refute.

I really think that counting down traffic lights could be good.

Going Small: Is it Time to Rethink Our Preference?

2008-04-23T00:26:00.000-07:00

The Toyota Prius averages about 46 MPG. Considering that the average gas mileage in the US is 17 MPG, the fuel economy of the Prius is hard not to like. And indeed, the Prius is considered the most fuel efficient car in the country.

As a car, it is economical and at the same time, environmental friendly.

However, in Europe, the Prius isn't the least CO2 Emitting car. It is tied in second place along side the Diesel Mini Cooper. The least CO2 emitting car in Europe is the Volkswagen Polo 1.4 DTI and that car averages around 57-60 MPG.

Unlike the Prius that utilizes a modern hybrid engine to produce an environmental and economical performance, the Polo 1.4 TDI is very much a normal car. It takes in regular diesel. However, it is still more economical than the Prius.

Part of the reason for the Polo's fuel economy is the fact that the car is small and light. It only needs a small engine for it to be propelled. as the name suggests, the Polo 1.4 TDI engine is 1.4 liters with three cylinders capable of producing 75 hp and 144 lb/ft of torque at 2,200 RPM.

The power may seem dismal. But considering the car's size and weight, the car can reach a top speed of 106 mph. Acceleration is decent enough since it can go 0-62 mph in 13.6 seconds.

Because the car is small and the engine is small, it also consumes less gas and emits less CO2. Going small can actually be a good thing. It's economical and environmental friendly.

I guess, that philosophy is something that more people in the US should apply. This is because the general preference of most Americans is geared towards the big. The reason why the average gas mileage in this country is an embarrassing 17 MPG, is because more than half of the cars going around public roads are light trucks where engines range from a 3.7 liter V6 to a whopping 5.7 liter V8.

A lot of the cars for sale in the country also utilize engines that are 2.0 liters and up. Some sedans use up to 3.5 liter engines.

Of course, larger engines suit the demands of the freeway. The bigger the car, the bigger the engine it can carry, the easier it could cruise on the freeway.

But then again, smaller cars do not need big engines to be able to meet the speed required for the freeway. A good power to weight ratio should compensate for the engine's lack of power.

And indeed, there are fast small cars out there. With today's technology, small engines do not necessarily mean slow.

The bigger concern regarding small cars would be cabin space and luggage space. Many families won't fit inside the likes of a Polo or a Mini Cooper. Luggage space is also a problem if the family decides to go on a vacation.

However, how often do you really drive the whole family at the same time? The purpose of a small car is to be used daily: going to work and back. Chances are, a person is driving alone going to work. The size is also very practical for urban city driving. For everyday use to work, driving a small car is very viable.

In a sense, it would be nice if people had a small car as the workhorse, the pickup truck for the once in while events like camping or whatever. In that type of scenario, a person gets to emit less greenhouse gases.

Unfortunately, many economical small cars, cheaper than most hybrids, are not for sale in America. Again, it is because small cars don't really click in the country.

With the introduction of the Smart Car, maybe more Americans would warm up to the notion of going small.

Nowadays, going big isn't anymore practical. Perhaps, it is time to rethink our preference. Perhaps, we ought to see the beauty of going small.

Ethanol: Great Fuel with One Glaring Problem

2008-04-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

Ethanol, the wheat based fuel additive is gaining popularity in the U.S. Most Americans know the fuel as E85: a mixture of 85% Etahnol and 15% gasoline.

This fuel has many benefits.

Firstly, it is cheaper than regular gasoline. Lower prices are always beneficial to the consumer.

Secondly, because it is crop based, it could easily be domestically produced. Therefore, supporting ethanol as the fuel of choice may actually benefit the country's economy.

Of course, ethanol also spawns a cleaner burn: it is much better for the environment compared to regular gasoline.

E85 basically possesses all the benefits motorists and environmentalists want. It is no wonder that more and more Flexible Fuel Vehicles, cars capable of burning E85, are available for sale.

At the moment, there are around 6.8 Million cars and trucks that are compatible with E85.

Unfortunately, a lot of these cars are loaded with regular gasoline rather than E85. The real problem of ethanol as an alternative fuel source, is the fact that Ethanol pumps are too few. In fact, few is an understatement. Rare, scarce, and insufficient seem to be more accurate descriptions.

In Los Angeles, there is a grand total of one E85 station open for the public. It is one of three stations servicing the public for the whole state of California.

Why? with all the benefits of E85, it is a mystery that this product has not become the fuel of choice.

Danica Patrick: A First in a Very Exclusive List

2008-04-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

One of Mercedes-Benz's most famous ad campaigns is the one about lists. They stated that people love making lists in order to bring some order in an otherwise unpredictable world. And in every list, as the ad campaign goes, 'there is always a first'. And the first in the list of exclusive cars people want to buy, Mercedes-Benz always comes first.

Of course, the accuracy of such a bold statement is questionable. It is after all a commercial that intends to promote a specific brand.

However, the ad is still right about that fact that there is always a first on every list. And yes, in the history of motor racing, one person will be on top of a very exclusive list. That person is none other than Danica Patrick after being the first ever woman to win in Indy Car Racing.

Not too long ago, when a woman was able to earn a racing seat to drive for a team, it was already considered an achievement. There was always a case of "yeah, she's good, for a woman"

And indeed, many women pioneers in Racing, from Janet Guthrie in the IRL and Nascar to Lella Lombardi in Formula 1, have suffered from an innate bias. A bias that suggested a maximum limit for a woman driver: a limit that had lower standards than that expected of men. For as long as she qualified to compete amongst the best of men, that was already something to be proud of.

But with her victory in Twin Ring Motegi, Danica Patrick seemed to have broken that invisible barrier. No longer was a fourth place finish a "wow" moment. If a point was made during the Honda 300, it was the fact that Danica Patrick made her mark as a driver: a winning driver rather than a commendable 'female driver'.

Bizarre Sports Car: Lamborghini Countach

2008-04-17T23:31:00.000-07:00

One of the most recognizeable sports cars would be the famed Lamborghini Countach designed by Marcello Gandini. The car was in production from 1974-1990 during which the car gained a massive fan appeal.

The term Countach was derived from the romantic Piedmontese language as an idiomatic expression of astonishment: usually after seeing a stunningly beautiful woman. The car lived up to its name with teenage boys and young men salivating at the sight of the Countach as they would at the sight of their favorite actress or centerfold. And indeed, the Countach was like any famous hot woman since it had its own poster selling ridiculously well.

Perhaps it was the outrageous looks that brought the car so much attention and of course, its bizarre appeal. With flat edges, sharp angles and trapezoidal features, the car was a bold statement, distinctively unique and apart from everything else. And that boldness gave the car its aesthetic value despite its extremely unnatural design.

Unfortunately, the Countach only looked good if it remained an illusion. In a sense, the car could be likened to the experience of being disappointed after meeting your favorite star: the moment when you realize that the star is nothing more than just a mere mortal.

Upon seeing the Countach first hand, it becomes easy to realize how utterly average the car truly is. The space inside the car would be uncomfortable for anyone over the age of 10. A stiff neck, and a sore back should be expected if you decide to take the car out on a cross-country joy ride as you are probably trying to boast to everyone that you have a 'Lambo'. Unfortunately, you would probably also have strained arms and a strained left leg by the end of the trip since the steering is unimaginably heavy and the clutch is notoriously hard.

Then there is the issue of the lack of rear visibility: or the absence of it. The only way to park a car in reverse is to open the door and sit on the sill so that you could look back.

Something as foolishly complicated as that could be easily forgivable if the car's design drastically improved its performance. But it doesn't since the car's exterior design is hardly aerodynamic.

In short, the Countach is really useless as a car. Buying it would probably result to the worst case of disillusionment. At first you'd be happy that you were finally able to get the car of your dreams. And then, you'd feel depressed that you were actually stupid enough to splurge so much money on such a car.

As a product, buying a Countach isn't advisable since you can get great looking cars that are more practical for a lot less.

But then again, it is still undeniably a classic. And it is a classic all because of its looks that spawn a strong sentiment of individuality.

And since the whole gist of the car is based on its looks, there is no point in buying it. It is really meant to be seen and admired, nothing more. Having it will only spoil the romantic aura that is the Countach.

As such, the Countach is probably the only classic sports car that is at its best when it is not bought. And because of its strange dilemma, it truly is bizarre.

Green Initiative

2008-04-17T02:32:00.000-07:00

Last year, the Honda Formula 1 team unveiled its 2007 challenger and hyped it up as the 'earth car'. Painted with the sattelite image of the world, the car was supposed to be an attempt to increase environmental awareness to the many fans of Formula 1.

Honda's campaign however had mixed reactions. Others saw the move as inspiring since even corporate giants seem to be realizing the importance of sustainable development. Others, on the other hand, saw the campaign as hypocritical: stating that the campaign was nothing more than a marketing strategy to boost Honda's image. For the critics, the Formula 1 "earth car" was still going to burn 50 tons of CO2 during the course of the season: a case of just talking the talk without walking the walk.

But regardless of which side is more accurate, it cannot be denied that there is some form of a green initiative brewing.

Why?

Because the environmental approach is very marketable. With more and more people sharing the sentiments of environmentalists, any campaign that attempts to promote a message of 'preserving the world's natural resources' would get considerable attention: something that every marketer wants.

Motor racing is no exception. The very nature of the sport requires its participants to emit so much pollution. That very image is what could lead to its downfall. The best way to counter that image is by having a 'green initiative' campaign.

Just another Marketing scheme to get people to look the other way?

As a fan of Motor racing, I'd like to think that the sport does have a chance to live up to the call towards sustainable development. And personally, I think it's possible. Here's why: more and more car manufactures are coming out with more economical 'eco-friendly cars' for the public to buy. The name of the game is about improving MPG, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, compatibility with bio-fuels etc.

Although it's true that not everyone buys into the threat of 'Global Warming', improving MPG as well as having access to alternative fuels are easier on the pocket in the long run. In a monetary point-of-view, it still becomes more practical for a consumer. Going "green" therefore still has incentives for any car buyer.

In a world where times are difficult, people would want to be more practical and economical. "Green initiative" marketing strategies of auto-makers try to cater that want. If not, a car manufacturer could easily go out of business.

Some of these very car manufacturers also participate in racing events. And in racing events, winning becomes a great tool of advertising. An environmental friendly racing machine winning championships would definitely boost sales for their 'eco-friendly' production cars.

But then again, it's one thing to campaign, it's another thing to act. The Honda 2007 Formula 1 'earth car' was not viewed by its critics as some ground breaking machine that minimized its pollution to an environmentally friendly level.

However, whatever the limitations of the 'earth car' as an eco friendly machine doesn't mean that racing cars will never be environmental friendly.

Considering te media buzz that the "earth car" made, the FIA may just be having plans of rewriting the rule books yet again to force manufacturers to produce more eco-friendly racers.

Some may ask about the feasibility of that happening.

But don't forget that engineers used to think that diesel engines weren't a good option for racing cars. But the Audi R10 had a diesel engine powering it to victory during 2006 24 hours of Le Mans.

And diesel engines are actually more environmental friendly than regular gasoline engines.

Perhaps, it is truly possible for Motor Sport to walk the path of sustainability. And that possibility boils down to the car manufacturers.

Driving Question: Manual or Automatic?

2008-04-15T23:40:00.000-07:00

I always wonder why most people, if given the choice between a manual or an automatic version of a certain car, would choose the automatic.

I guess people naturally like convenience. And a car with an automatic transmission is certainly easier to drive, hence more convenient.

Unfortunately, I still think that 'convenience' is a very shallow reason to buy an automatic over a manual transmission car.

It's like the saying: "if you want something done, you gotta do it yourself". Sometimes, it is much more convenient to tell your 10 year old kid to get you a glass of water. But kids, being kids, can sometimes be clumsy. And behold, your kid just dropped your glass because he/she tripped or slipped or whatever excuse they dish out.

What happens next? You get the broom and the dust pan, sweep the broken glass on the floor, throw away the shattered pieces into the trash can and then get yourself the glass of water.

It would have been better if you got the glass of water yourself right at the very beginning.

And that's precisely it. An automatic is basically a car that does the driving for you. For as long as it's in drive, the car will move and shift through its gears on its own as soon as you step on the gas. Yes, it is very convenient because it is very easy.

However, it is also clumsy.

That is because the car will shift gears only when it wants to. You are at the mercy of the decisions of your engine. And that is a shame, really.

In a manual transmission car, a driver has more control over the vehicle. And that is a good thing because you have more room to adjust your driving.

For instance, you could upshift slightly earlier than normal to help minimize your engine's revs. By doing so, you allow the car to run on higher gears sooner thereby improving your mileage slightly.

Although manual transmission cars already have the benefit of better fuel economy than their automatic counterparts because of more forward gears (5-speed MT compared to 4-speed AT as is usually the case), manual transmission allows the driver to improve on the fuel economy even more.

It also works the other way around. Manual transmission cars allow the driver maximize the full range of power of the car. But then again, unless you're racing, I doubt if you'll need ever find a need to maximize your engine's capability. So I will simply stick to the fuel economy advantage.

With rising gas prices, trying to minimize fuel consumption on a daily basis becomes very practical and wise. You could do that better with a manual transmission car.

Consider this: Manual transmission cars usually have a lower initial cost which is good. In addition, you have more leverage in improving your gas mileage. So throughout the duration of the car's life, you could potentially save more because you are spending less for gas. All that for a cheaper version of a car. How is that not a good deal???

All you need really is just to have more effort in pressing and depressing the clutch pedal as you drive. Inconvenient? Considering the fact that you could potentially save money on gas, hell no!

Bond Car Diary 4: Citroen 2CV (deux chevaux)

2008-04-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

Actually, it would be more appropriate if the title was "anti-Bond Car". Because if truth be told, 5 times Bond film Director John Glen really intended to use the most ordinary of cars that could easily be purchased by the most common of commoners. The car had to have absolutely no hint of extravagance brought about by class or sophistication. In other words, he wanted a car that was the exact opposite of Bond.

As it stood, "For Your Eyes Only" was the movie that attempted to bring James Bond back on the ground. Bond film makers feared that after "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "MoonRaker", succeeding films of the franchise might end up being overblown and way too unrealistic. Rather than follow the trend of upping the technology for the next film, they simply decided to do away with the gadgets to emphasize Bond's uncanny wit.

So there it was, after a strange twist of events, the Lotus Esprit was blown to smithereens leaving Bond with no ride for his escape. Instead, he was forced to use the car of Melina Havelock: a very down-to-earth Citroen 2 CV painted in a very visible bright yellow.

The 2CV was devoid of any defensive weapons that Q-Branch modded cars enjoyed. Moreover, it severely lacked horsepower; very much unlike the Ford Mustang Mach 1. Inside the 2CV, Bond was pretty much an easy target to hit.

But despite the ridiculous odds, Bond still managed to escape from certain danger by utilizing every facet of his driving skills.

Yes, the 2CV is too bland, too ordinary and extremely unexciting. But it is because of its flaws that highlighted why Bond is still the world's best 'secret agent'.

And after 27 years since it first appeared on the big screen, the car chase sequence of "For Your Eyes Only" featuring the Citroen 2CV has been recently voted as the best car chase sequence of the entire Bond film franchise.

Not bad for an "anti-Bond" car!

The Toyota Way

2008-04-08T21:39:00.000-07:00

Given a question - "what car would you like to have: a Ferrari 599 Fiorano or a Toyota Altis?"

I'd automatically choose the 599. Heck I'd choose any Ferrari over a Toyota any day. Ferrari cars drive much faster, are equipped with Formula 1 technology, and most of the time look cooler compared to most other cars. In addition, a Ferrari heightens one's status because of all that image of exclusivity.

An acquaintance of mine however altered the question a little bit: "who would you want to be: Enzo Ferrari or Kiichiro Toyoda?"

I still chose Enzo because he founded what is still the most exclusive car brand out there. Having a Ferrari is a privilege reserved for the select few. Not to mention that Enzo met motor racing's most memorable figures like Tazio Nuvolari, Juan Manuel Fangio,Phil Hill, John Surtees, and Gilles Villeneuve to name a few. That honor would have been a blast for a Formula 1 fanatic like me.

My acquaintance however gave a much simpler answer. He said "I choose Kiichiro Toyoda, because his Toyota empire is WAY richer than Ferrari"

He told me that I could have all the exclusivity and glamor I wanted if I was Enzo. But he told me that he would have way more money as Kiichiro Toyoda.

Of course, no one can contest Toyota as one of the World's largest car manufacterers. It currently ranks number two, overtaking Ford in the process. But what is even more impressive is that analysts believe Toyota will eventually surpass GM as the largest car manufacturer in the world; sooner or later. It seems people always have a reason for buying a Toyota

Ferrari, on the other hand, isn't anywhere near that status. And that is not surprising

Just look around the free way and count how many cars have that Toyota emblem. You'll notice quite a lot. Then try counting how many Ferrari cars are there. You get the picture.

Of course, the image of exclusivity comes only when something is not common. Hence, seeing a Ferrari is not common. When you do see one, it becomes a special occassion. And that is the whole point of owning a Ferrari: the chance to feel special.

But then again, fewer cars on the road also means less inflow of cash. It is true that the value of just one Ferrari sale is worth a lot more than one Toyota sale. But Toyota sales are just way more than Ferrari sales day in and day out.

Toyota is not about exclusivity. It's about practicality. Toyota cars answer everyday needs more than any other car brand out there. They may not be exceptionally quick, or have all the high tech stuff equipped in a Ferrari, but Toyota cars are ultra reliable for everyday driving.

Seriously, you wouldn't drive your Ferrari over bad roads would you? Despite being eqipped with the best technology to improve car-handling, grip and what not, you still would go out of your way to choose a route that has the best roads out there. The car is just too precious. The slightest bumb is magnified because you naturally want your Ferrari to remain immaculate.

In the grinding everyday life, a Ferrari may just be not driveable. It's there parked in your garage for your friends to drool over. Can you drive it? You could if you wanted to. But you won't: only on really special occassions. You don't want subjecting a Ferrari to the risk of getting bumped, dented and dirtied up. You need it to look good all the time.
It's there to make you feel special.

Toyota bears none of that 'exclusive brand imaging'. Their cars are bought to be driven straight away. Their cars are basically usefull. Toyotas are reasonably priced and, more importantly, very dependable.

Ferrari answers the want, Toyota services the need. And in a world where practicality is a virtue, the Toyota is the one that is purchased more often than not (compared to all other vehicles).

An average person may look out the window and continue to dream of owning a Ferrari or any other exclusive car for that matter. But chances are, it is a Toyota that is parked in that person's garage used to go to the office and used to take the kids to school and back home.

In the real world, Toyota beats just about everyone else.

I still want a Ferrari though!

BMW Sauber in the Mix

2008-04-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

BMW has had its fair share of success within Formula 1. Their motor racing division, BMW Motorsport, has supplied engines for Formula 1 from 1982-1987 and 2000-2005.

Within that time period, the BMW powered Brabham propelled F1 Hall of Famer Nelson Piquet to his second title back in 1983.

The BMW powered Williams team was also regarded as one of the elite teams that came close to winning the constructors' crown during the 2003 season. In that same year, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya also came close to winning the drivers' title.

But the group had bigger things in mind. By 2005, they ended their engine supply agreement with Williams and proceeded to negotiate a deal that would enable BMW to takeover Sauber-Petronas Formula 1 team.

The deal materialized and by 2006, BMW was not just an engine supplier in Formula 1. They were their own team.

Of course, Formula 1 spawns the fiercest competition among GP constructors. Having an abundant supply of funds doesn't guarantee success. Just ask Toyota F1. That team has no problems with funds. But since its debut in 2002, Toyota F1 hasn't established itself as a legitimate front-runner in Formula 1 with up-and-down seasonal stats.

But in their season debut, BMW Sauber was already able to finish on the podium twice: thanks to stellar performances from their drivers: Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica. The team finished a decent sixth in the Constructors standings.

By 2007, BMW Sauber improved even more as it was poised to finish third in the constructors' standings. Such feat was already impressive considering that the team was just in its second season. But after the McLaren espionage scandal, BMW Sauber inherited an even better second place.

Now in their third year, there are no signs that the team's progress is slowing down. After the first three races of the season, BMW Sauber is currently the only team to have finished in the podium in all of the races so far. Nick Heidfeld placed second in Melbourne, with Kubica placing second in Sepang and third in Bahrain. The team also recorded their first pole position in Bahrain.

In addition, reigning champion Kimi Raikkonen even debunked the popular notion that the race to the constructors' title was a two horse race. As far as he was concerned, BMW was also a threat.

And with BMW sauber clearly outpacing the McLarens in the past two races, it's not hard to see why the world champion came to such a conclusion.

As it stands, BMW currently leads the constructors' standings by one point ahead of Ferrari and two points ahead of Mclaren.

Although the gaps are small and the positions of the three could easily change from race to race, the mere three year old BMW Sauber F1 team has still managed its way to keep itself in the mix among F1's elite teams.

If they continue to progress the way they have been improving, it might not take very long before they start winning their first title.

Who knows, maybe by the time you decide to purchase the BMW 3 series' E93, perhaps their would be a badge somewhere on the dashboard or on the chassis with the label "World Champions".

Robert Kubica, Impressive in Bahrain

2008-04-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

Following his best ever finish of second place in the Malaysian GP, Robert Kubica once again made headlines when he secured BMW-Sauber's first pole position during Q3 for the Bahrain GP: edging out Felipe Massa by a hair raising 0.027s. Although Kubica dropped to third position in just one lap (excessive wheel spin problems at the start and lack of grip thanks to oil on the track), F1's first ever Polish driver still managed to impress by keeping second placed Kimi Raikkonen under pressure throughout most of the first stint.

Of course, the Ferraris were simply quicker than everyone else and therefore ran away with a 1-2 finish. There was no way the BMW-Sauber could challenge The Prancing Horse. But that fact should take nothing away from Kubica's performance.

Kubica after all edged out his more experienced teammate Nick Heidfeld for the second straight GP. During the Bahrain GP, Kubica gambled on a light fuel strategy for the first stint of the race while Heidfeld took a more conservative approach with a heavier fuel load. By the end of the race, Kubica's gamble gave him a three second cushion over his teammate.

Compared to the best finishing McLaren, Kubica made the Woking based squad look like a second rate team after he built a gap of 21.8 seconds from Heikki Kovalainen.

But such a result shoudn't come as a surprise. He did have a third place podium finish in just his third race during the 2006 Italian GP. By the end of the 2006 season, Kubica managed to tally six points for BMW racing in only six GP's. The true value of Kubica's debut could clearly be seen when you factor in the fact that former F1 champ Jacques Villeneuve managed to tally seven points in 12 races driving the same car. Kubica's talent was therefore never really in question.

Sixth place in the overall standings of the 2007 season may not sound like much. But his long absence due to a terrifying shunt in Canada was the only reason why Kubica didn't collect more points.

Now that he has a more consistently competitive car underneath him, Kubica is able to prove that he is indeed among the best of Formula 1's young guns alongside the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Heikki Kovalainen.

And if BMW-Sauber continue their progress and eventually provide a legitimate race winning car, expect Kubica to one day challenge for the title.

What's Up with Lewis Hamilton's Fist Raising in Bahrain?

2008-04-07T02:10:00.000-07:00

First, Lewis Hamilton bogged down his start. Starting from third on the grid, the Briton relinquished seven places even before he even reached the first turn. One lap later, he then crashed into the rear wing of Fernando Alonso's Renault. Hamilton's front wing was shredded in the process, forcing the Briton to make an early pit-stop. By the time he came out of the pits, he was way behind his rivals.

It was clear right from the beginning that Lewis Hamilton was going to have a bad day.

One of the benefits of Formula 1 Championship Edition for the PlayStation 3 is that you could simply restart a race gone whack (if you're concerned about your 100% race record). Reality however is much more difficult. A Formula 1 driver is required to drive as hard as he could regardless if he is out of contention (for the sake of that data collecting bit in the job description of a racing driver).

It's not a good feeling driving a proven race winning car near last place. You could imagine the frustration compounding inside Hamilton's head as he went through the motions.

I get it: Lewis Hamilton was not a happy man since lap 1 of the Bahrain GP.

What I don't get however is why he was raising his fist on certain drivers during the race.

Mind you, there are two types of fist raising. One signifies contentment (usually happens after winning the race or after one hell of an overtaking move). The other signifies anger towards another driver (occurs when backmarkers fail to respond to blue flags ASAP).

Hamilton's fist raising looked like the latter.

The on-board cam caught Hamilton raising his fist when he overtook Takuma Sato's Super Aguri Honda and Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella. Both drivers as it were gave Lewis Hamilton a really hard time to overtake.

In addition, both cars were also significantly slower than the McLaren which only added an already forgettable race for Lewis.

BUT WHY RAISE YOUR FIST?

Both Fisichella and Sato were entitled to defend their positions as much as they could. They had track position against Hamilton. Fisichella and Sato were simply doing their jobs as well as they could. They didn't employ dirty tactics or anything. They only tried to defend the racing line.

If indeed his fist raising was to air out his frustrations on Sato and Fisichella, then Hamilton's conduct was definitely inappropriate. It was as if he expected drivers of lesser teams to move over for him: a McLaren driver.

Bad day or not, Hamilton's fist raising hand signals were quite arrogant on his part.

McLaren's Reality Check

2008-04-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 team was on top of the world after the first race in Melbourne. But since then, the Woking based team hasn't really lived up to their world championship standards. Other than Heikki Kovalainen's third place podium finish in the Malaysian GP, McLaren's results weren't at all impressive.

Since Hamilton's season opening victory in Australia, the Briton managed only fifth in Malaysia and a woeful 13th place finish in Bahrain.

Kovalainen's fifth place in the Bahrain GP wasn't all that great either. The Finn was after all roughly a staggering 30 seconds down from race winner Felipe Massa.

Main rivals Ferrari, despite their lackluster start to the season, are clearly the team to beat this year. But what should concern Mclaren even more was the fact that it was even outpaced by BMW-Sauber the last two races. Robert Kubica scored a spectacular second place finish in Malaysia and followed it up with a third place finish in Bahrain. Nick Heidfeld, barring his low-key sixth place finish in Malaysia, was fourth in Bahrain, 18.3 seconds ahead of fifth placed Kovalainen.

What has gone wrong the past two races?

It's hard to say really. The McLaren-Mercedes is a proven fast car. After all, Heikki Kovalainen did record the fastest lap of the race in the Bahrain GP.

But despite the car's inherent speed, both Mclaren cars couldn't compete for pole position. The team settled for a second row start (third and fourth) in Sepang Malaysia. Bahrain qualifying results were slightly worse when the team qualified third and fifth.

Come raceday, the team wasn't able to do anything significant to improve their positions. Kovalainen's fastest lap in the closing stages of the Bahrain GP was more like a case of too little too late. The average pace of the car was much slower than that 'fastest lap'.

McLaren is a team that is suffering from compounding effects of a series of unfortunate events. For the past two races, the team couldn't seem to find the right balance for their race trim. As a result, they end up settling for the second row (or worse) during qualifying. In adition, a less than ideal race trim usually means a compromised race pace that leads to losing even more ground during the race. Kovalainen, in a relatively trouble free race, still finished almost 30 seconds behind Massa's Ferrari.

But what was worse was the fact that McLaren was also the victim of race incidents. Lewis Hamilton bogged down his start and dropped from third to tenth even before he even reached turn one. Hamilton commited a second error shortly after his poor start by crashing his car in to the rear wing of Alonso's Renault. All Hamilton could do was finish the race in a humbling 13th position.

McLaren's woes, sadly for them, appear to be worse than they should be. They already have the main ingredient for a championship bid: a fast car. They just couldn't use it to produce results.

What they desperately need to work on is figuring out the ideal race trim for the coming races. Judging from the team's reputation, McLaren is certainly capable of doing that.

They also need to hope for better luck for their drivers in the next few races!

Felipe Massa Refutes Critics with Race Win

2008-04-06T20:29:00.001-07:00

Ferrari driver Felipe Massa was under heavy scrutiny after he failed to score points in the first two races of the season. His scoreless results were rooted to driver errors.
The most notable mistake was when he spun out of contention in the Malaysian GP after clipping a kerb a little too hard. Massa was running second behind his teammate (and reigning champion Kimi Raikkonen) at that time.

Both Ferraris were way ahead of their rivals and were therefore under no threat or pressure whatsoever. That was why it was hard to fathom how Massa could make a mistake and squander eight valuable points.

Many critics began questioning the Brazilian's talent and focus claiming that Massa was only good with driver aids. Now that electronic traction control was banned, critics suggested that Ferrari's number two driver would find it difficult to collect valuable constructors' points.

Hence, the speculation that Ferrari was already looking for possible replacements for 2009 started spreading. The main candidate was no less than former two-time champion Fernando Alonso. It was deemed that Alonso would once again quit Renault by the end of the year due to the French team's lack of competitive pace. If so, Ferrari would gladly grab Alonso ditching Massa in the process.

Such scenario would give Ferrari an unprecedented line up of two world champion caliber drivers.

When asked about the rumors, Massa merely stressed that his new contract secured him of a race seat in the Italian team until 2010. For the Brazilian, the rumors were nothing more than rumors for the sake of publicity.

In addition, Ferrari President Luca Di Montezemolo reiterated that he had no intentions of dishonoring Massa's contract despite the Brazilian's recent slump.

Both statements however did absolutely nothing to stop the rumors. Critics always argue that a Formula 1 driver's only security is his ability to produce results. And according to critics, Massa, with the new ban on electronic traction control, was incapable of producing championship caliber results.

Or so they thought. After a dominating victory in the Bahrain GP, Felipe Massa surely proved that he was not dependent on driver aids. In addition, Massa demonstrated stunning pace in all practice sessions, and all qualifying sessions in the days leading up to the Grand Prix. Only the short-fueled BMW-Sauber of Robert Kubica prevented Massa from securing pole position. But that didn't matter because Massa stormed to take the lead as soon as the red lights went off.

From that point onwards, the Brazilian dictated the race pace, pushing hard when he had to and backing off to preserve his engine. Massa's performance was blisteringly quick and well calculated as he led the team's first 1-2 finish of the season. It was, by all means, a performance that suited the Championhip winning Ferrari.

Why did he produce such a result just now?

According to Massa, everyone has their 'bad days'. In his case, he said he had two. But those two days were nothing more than 'bad days'. Never once did the Brazilian doubt his talent.

After a strong and almost faultless performance at the Bahrain GP, it is wise to take Massa's word for it.

GT5P vs. Real Life

2008-04-03T02:53:00.000-07:00

When the original Gran Turismo first appeared for the PS1, many critics hailed it for its impressive physics engine. The hype, as it were, was centered on its realism.

For 10 years now, the Gran Turismo franchise is still selling extremely well. However, through time, the limitations of the game were also being exploited more and more.

The most common criticism was the games' lack of crash physics. The car simply bounced off the barriers when it crashed into them. The same thing happened when a player crashed into other cars. With the proper angle and good timing, a gamer can actually set record lap times by simply bumping other cars: hardly realistic for "the real driving simulator".

Other criticisms were centered more on the acuracy of the driving physics as well. For instance, some gamers argue that the Gran Turismo games (being developed by Japanese programers) give special preference for Japanese car manufacturers. Players felt as though the Japanese cars over performed in the game while the non-Japanese brands felt a tad bit underrated. Other complaints centered on the issue that the in-game handling was too slugish. Others, on the other hand, claimed that the steering was too sensitive.

Of course, unless you have the means to drive the real-life counterparts of vehicles to the limit in actual tracks (like Jeremy Clarkson's experiment in Top Gear) and compare your lap times, the issue regarding the car-handling physics of Gran Turismo will remain debatable.

But it's ok, because I'm not one who has the energy to spend time trying to confirm or refute the realism of the most popular racing game franchise. That debate is never ending.

Rather, I'd like to focus more on the other aspect of Gran Turismo's realism: its visuals.

Indeed, more and more topics keep popping out in the net with photographs comparing real-time graphics (both cars and environments) to the real thing.

Without question, GT5P is one racing game that can fool a casual on-looker.

Although it has to be said that there are some graphical limitations to the game. The most notable one would of course be the trees that are still made up of two crossed polygons. The other issue would be the anti-aliasing within the game.

But then again, such issues are only noticeable when a player frequently pauses the game to search for all of the visuals' short-comings. Gran Turismo's camera work is designed in such a way that all the elements would blend in to produce a natural look thereby creating the illusion that every object is three-dimensional. And for the most part, the background does look good.

Besides, the background's short-comings are easily forgiveable by just the sight of the cars in the game. Boasting 200,000 plus polygons per vehicle including realistic renditions of the interiors.

Details of the interior include the most minor of details like the distinct stitches woven in Ferrari leathers. The cars in GT5P truly captures the aesthetics of their real-life counterparts.

In fact, to some extent, GT5P even adds to the aesthetics of real-life cars. After all, all the cars in GT5P don't have any sort blemish. In simple terms, they are always showroom ready: good enough to be used by retailers to sell their cars.

And I haven't mentioned yet about Kimi Raikkonen's championship winning Ferrari F2007 in the game. That car is just immaculate. GT5P makes you forget some of the reliability woes that plagued it in the first half of the 2007 formula 1 season.

For most mortals firmly grounded on the reality of scarcity, GT5P is the tool for escapism: a world where you can own the most exotic and exclusive cars and bask in their extravagance. It is a world where car buying seems so easy.

As such, GT5P, currently the most realistic looking racing game, may very well be the closest most people will ever get to driving exotic cars. That sounds more like fantasy than reality.

But that's not the game's fault; it's the fault of reality!

Bond Car Diary 1: Aston Martin DB5

2008-04-03T00:03:00.000-07:00

Movie: Goldfinger
Year: 1964

Arguably the most recognizeable car in the Bond film franchise. The DB5 ranked number 7 in Discovery Channel's top ten greatest sports cars of all time; edging out the Lamborghini Countach, Nisssan Skyline, and Chevrolet Corvette Stingray in the process. It is also the only Bond Car to make the list.

Not bad for a 44 year old vehicle. But if truth be told, the DB5 was hardly a perfect car. For an exclusive vehicle that heightened one's elite status, the car had some sloppy features. The wipers for instance did not automatically stop at the bottom of the wind shield. Rather, they stopped at precisely the moment when the wipers were switched off. The driver therefore had to time the switch just to have the wipers stop at the default position; which frankly, was quite tricky to do. In addition, the power windows didn't work all the time. And the brakes left something to be desired.

But its minor flaws didn't matter one bit. They were simply overshadowed by Q's mods. Equipped with Bullet proof windows, forward firing machine guns, smoke screen, oil slick and an ejector seat, the car became an icon of the 60's. It was the epitome of cool reserved for the dashing, suave and sophisticated alpha male.

It could be said that Bond Mania during the 60's proppelled the status of the DB5 more than it deserved. But then again, other car models have been chosen to be Bond cars as well. However, none of the other Bond cars achieved the same type of iconic heights that the DB5 reached. And up to this very day, the DB5 is still revered among car enthusiasts.

Value of Auto Insurance

2008-04-02T22:05:00.000-07:00

When a certain woman lost control of her car, she raised her legs to protect them incase of a front-end impact. Naturally, the car was totalled since no one was stepping on the brakes to slow the car down.

Rather than acting to prevent the crash, the woman simply braced for impact. If ever there was a bright side to the accident, the woman suffered no injuries.

The accident could have been avoided, had she acted appropriately. But then again, most people do act strangely when they panic.

Unlike pilots who are not only trained to fly the aircraft but are also trained to tackle different air crash scenarios, the average driver is only taught how to drive the car accordingly on public roads.

If something unexpected happens, the average driver might very well be panic-stricken, devoid of any ability to react sensibly.

The disturbing reality is that driving on public roads is relatively dangerous. It's just that driving is so common that we have been somewhat desensitized to the inherent risks involved in the activity.

But the numbers don't lie. In the United States Alone, more than 6 Million car crashes are reported every year. The cost of damages amount to more than 200 Billion dollars. Almost 3 Millon are injured from the accidents and more than 40,000 are killed. On the average, 115 people die everyday because of a car crash. That is the equivalent of 1 death for every 13 minutes.

When it comes to driving on public roads, it is not just a matter of avoiding accidents by following rigidly all the safety guidelines. Sometimes, accidents find us.

Having a quality auto-insurance is a good way to minimize the negative effects of car accidents.

If you do not have one yet, it is good to search for one immediately. After all, it wouldn't hurt you to be insured.

It's the Man, Not the Machine

2008-04-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

I remember seeing a picture of Gilles Villeneuve negotiating a corner with his Ferrari. His maneuver seemed faultless as his car was perfectly angled for a fast exit. The one thing odd that struck me was the fact that his front tires were pointing the opposite direction: an indication that Villeneuve was in a controlled slide.

All I could think of in my mind was 'WOW'. Drifting a Formula 1 car was the stuff of legend.

But with the ever-increasing advances in technology, Formula 1 drivers never had the same opportunity to highlight such skills: especially during the traction control era.

Traction Control Systems (TCS) allowed the drivers to be more relaxed in a way. Rather than masterfully controlling the throttle, they would step on the accelerator as though it was a button. It was either full throttle or no input at all.

Drivers had nothing to lose. The TCS would hinder unnecessary wheelspin anyway; preventing any loss of time. Only ridiculously bad errors caused scenarios that the system (and other driving aids for that matter) could not compensate for.

As such, many racing fans have voiced out that nowadays, the machine had taken over the man.

For the 2008 Formula 1 season however, the FIA has banned the existence of driving aids in an attempt to re-emphasize driver skill. The pinnacle of Motor Sport should be reserved only for racing's elite, the cream-of-the-crop and the best-of-the-best. Surely the world's greatest drivers do not need any driving aid whatsoever.

And so it happened, the pinnacle of Motor racing, to establish itself as the undisputed pinnacle of the sport, have gone backwards in a way.

Usually, advancements in the racing scene would make their way into production cars to enhance speed, comfort and safety. More and more cars are being equipped with TCS, ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) and ESC (electronic stability control) systems.

In the case of Formula 1, it is doing away with such advancements. Not when it is interfering too much with the 'man'.

Of course, the fans are satisfied. The races have become more exciting and unpredictable.

The Malaysian GP would have been a sure Ferrari 1-2 victory a year ago. But with the abscence of driver aids, a slight error from Felipe Massa caused an unexpected retirement as he spun out of contention.

Yes, by going backwards, Formula 1 has returned to its own unforgiving self: intolerant to even the slightest mistakes. It has returned to being a sport that demands only perfection from its participants. It has become once again a sport that promotes the extreme idealism of unsurpassed excellence the way Gilles Villeneuve drifted his Ferrari.

Cars Tailored for Cinema

2008-04-02T00:54:00.000-07:00

Somewhere along the peaceful roads of Geneva, James Bond drove his Aston Martin DB5 leisurely. His relaxed mood masqueraded the inherent danger that surrounded him. Of course, knowing Bond, he wasn't on vacation. Rather, he was on a mission, tracking down a notorious smuggler.

But out of the blue, a 1964 Ford Mustang swept by, overtaking the Aston Martin as though it was parked still.

Bond downshifted and revved up his engine to match the pace of the Mustang. He did so, not because he was out there to prove the brute strength of his car, but because the driver of the Mustang was an irresistable woman that suited Bond's liking.

Upon noticing that his focus was centered on chasing the woman rather than chasing the criminal, Bond gradually lifted his foot off the throttle. "Discipline 007" he told himself "Discipline".

Bond parked his car, went outside and positioned himself at the side of the hill. He had a perfect view of his target. But during his reconnaissance, a shot was fired: the source was at the summit. The bullet narrowly missed Bond who instinctively ducked for cover. Bond looked towards the source of the gunshot. To his surprise, he saw the Mustang; and that attractive woman who was getting ready to scram.

Bond dashed to his DB5 and pursued the Mustang. At that moment, it was Aston Martin vs. Ford.

Die hard fans of the James Bond films will immediately recognize that the scene depicted above was from Goldfinger which premiered in 1964. The fans should also know what happened next: The DB5 shredding the whole right side of the Ford Mustang thanks to the modifications that Q fitted in the Aston Martin.

Of course, in a British movie, the British car will naturally triumph over the American car. But biases aside, there was no denying that the cars of cinema were given some sort of personality. The cars projected the romance of adventure. In essence, the cars that tailored cinematic standards were practically classified as stars. Indeed, the Aston Martin DB5 and the continuous line of Ford Mustangs are still cemented deeply in pop culture.

Nowadays, movies attempt to glamorize certain cars like the old days. To a certain degree, cars do get 'star' attention. The latest Bond movie Casino Royale, showcasing the DBS, is proof that the trend will never end.

However, despite decent screen emphasis, I feel that exotic cars in cinema fall short of the glamor of their predecessors.

The DB5 was iconic during its day. The DBS however, never had the same type of reception. People may argue that the DB5 showcased cool gadgets while the DBS didn't.

Maybe so. But the V12 Vanquish in Die Another Day also showcased an extensive array of gadgets (it turns invicible for crying out loud). But the Vanquish still did not receive the type of reception that graced the DB5.

Perhaps it's because times have changed. Back in 1964, sports cars were a product of passion exuded by their manufacturers. The cars displayed a very distinctive personality.

Nowadays, the cinematic car's glamorous image is rigidly scripted into corporate marketing plans.

In Goldfinger, Aston Martin was Aston Martin and Ford was Ford. During the time of Casino Royale however, Aston Martin was still owned by Ford (Although even after the sale, Ford still owns $70M worth of Aston Martin shares) that drove through streets crawling with Jaguars and Land Rovers (which happened to be products also owned by Ford).

Watching the DBS in Casino Royale, I couldn't help but notice the subtle advertisements that continually popped up. Yes the DBS looks kick-ass, but it was still 'just' one of the tools that advertised the corporate giant known as Ford. In a sense, the DBS was never truly segregated from the Jaguar S-Type or the Land Rover. The DBS seemed to be the lead choir member singing the same tune that the Jaguar and the Land Rover sang.

- the song of "FORD!!!"

Minimizing Risk in Car Loans

2008-04-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

For most people, buying cars straight out is just too impractical; not with all the other expenses involved in daily living. A person may choose to save for the amount of cash required to buy a car. Such an option is risk free. However, saving takes time. And for a lot of people who need a car now, availing a car loan becomes the preferred option.

However, like all kinds of loans, a car loan has some considerable risk involved. After all, a car is not truly yours until the loan is completely paid off. Until that time, the consumer still faces the possibilty of losing the vehicle.

Searching for the right car loan however greatly minimizes the risk of losing your car.

What is the right car loan? One that has reasonable rates that you are sure you can pay for. But of course, one must be diligent in searching the most reasonable deal whether it be for a brand new car or for a used car. No one needs to go through unnecessary anxiety after finding out that you could have gotten the same vehicle for a lot less.

However, choosing the best car loan may still not be enough. There are times when fortuitous events happen. With such events, what was once a reasonable loan may suddenly be unaffordable. Hence, it is important to be aware of refinancing car loans. Refinancing loans can be a good way to compensate for the unwanted effects of unforeseen/unexpected circumstances by changing payment terms to consider the present state of the customer. A good refinancing offer may help a person fulfill payment obligations and therefore allows the person to keep the vehicle.

Car Buying as Easy as Gran Turismo?

2008-04-01T04:28:00.000-07:00

The Gran Turismo franchise is all about one thing: collecting cars. You do so by winning races. The more races you win, the more credits you earn. The more credits you have, the more cars you can buy.

The game has a simple premise. Yet, the simple nature of the game still managed to consume hours and hours of people's lives. Car collecting is an easy hobby to get into.

Unfortunately, car collecting is also extremely expensive. Unless you rake in money like Jay Leno or Simon Cowell, collecting vehicles will remain a dream lived only in the virtual world of video games.

In GT, your cars earn you money. In the real world, a car will cost you your money. You need to pay for registration tax, gas, maintenance, insurance and what not. For the common non-professional driver, a car can really be heavy on the pocket.

But there is still some good news however. Despite the expensive nature of buying and owning prefered vehicles, cars can still be readily available for the common person. The key is to manage your funds wisely. With the right deal, you can own the vehicle that you'd like without necessarily feeling the brunt of the expenses associated with the cars.

The question therefore is what is a good deal? If you are searching to buy a new vehicle, or have questions on the different options available for purchasing a vehicle, then this is the perfect place for you.

Max Mosley, Max Scandal

2008-04-01T02:11:00.000-07:00

It wasn't long ago when Lewis Hamilton became a victim of racist remarks of a few Spanish fanatics in Circuit de Catalunya. During the height of the scandal, the FIA took a strong stance against such abuse by pressuring the local organizers to deal with the matter and prevent future racist acts. If the Spanish Organizers failed to do so, then Spain risked losing one of its Formula 1 events in this year's calendar: either the Spanish GP in Circuit de Catalunya or the European GP in Valencia.

The FIA made it clear that the sport of Formula 1 had no place for any sort of racial abuse.

Unfortunately for the FIA, its president, Max Mosley is now caught up in an even more sensitive racist scandal. Caught by a hidden camera, Max Mosley was allegedly seen engaging in a Nazi role playing orgy session with five prostitutes in a London Apartment.

The whole allegation is controversial enough. But when you consider Max Mosley's father, Oswald Mosley, who according to the Times of London was the former leader of the BUF (British Union of Fascists) and whose wedding was attended by no less than Adolf Hitler, the scandal becomes outrageously shocking and ridiculously tabloid friendly.

Indeed, even passing comments from leading Formula 1 figures like triple champion Sir Jackie Stewart, 1979 champion Jody Scheckter and Martin Brundle as well as various Jewish groups show the ever-increasing pressure hounding the FIA President.

What does this news contribute toFormula 1? According to Formula 1 chief Bernie Eccelstone, nothing really. He downplayed the issue by telling The Times that the news should not affect the sport because the report was about a personal matter: "Assuming it's all true, whatever people do privately is up to them."

But then again, any issue involving the FIA president DOES affect the sport. As an organization that took such a strong stance against the racial acts in Spain just a few months ago, such controversy is like a slap on the governing body's integrity. A damaged reputation limits the organization's influence in monitoring the events in the sport.

Regardless of the fact that such is a private matter, or if whether or not the whole session was 'just a joke', such a tactless act merits no acceptable excuse. People in positions of power have to be more careful and mindful on what they do and say because their actions resonate and affect others more than the average person. Such is the sacrifice of a public figure.

If such reports are true, then there will be no option for Max Mosley other than resign.

Introduction

2008-04-01T00:35:00.000-07:00

It is a known fact that cars are part of our everyday life; deeply integrated into the post-modern culture. On their own, cars fit stereotipical cliche's used to define established traditions of present civilization.

Why?

Because cars encompass both of what society classifies as good and bad.

For instance, cars are objects of necessity and vice.

A car can be an object that simply serves a need for the benefit of society: eg transportation. It can also be a fashion statement that feeds on the instictive vanity found in some people who constantly feel the need to prove their own individuality.

It is a product of masterful human ingenuity, and creativity (599 Fiorano springs into mind). But it is also a product of human tragedy (safety flaws that brought about countless untimely deaths).

Cars have been the tool that introduced modern day heroes (Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Gilles Villeneuve, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and the like). But cars were also tools that defined tragic figures (James Dean, Liberace)

The abundance of cars has become one of the leading issues of the problem of unsustainable development (pollution and the ever-scandalous tobacco ad campaigns associated in motor sports). But cars are also the stage that highlights the future (since some cars show the promising efficiency of hybrid technology and solar technology).

The bottomline is that cars are everywhere and they affect everyone either in a positive or in a negative way.

This blog basically attempts to tackle such diverse issues: whether it be the practical (issues related to buying and/or selling cars), entertainment (the world of motor racing) and even the virtual (video games and on-line gaming).

You name it. If it's about cars, chances are, what your looking for is here.