2010 September | Japanese Cars

Audi A1 and A5 Sportback win “Autonis 2010″ design award

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

INGOLSTADT, Germany - Dual distinction for Audi in the “auto motor und sport” (ams) reader survey; a level of success unmatched by any other brand. The Audi A5 Sportback and Audi A1 outpaced top-class contenders from Germany and abroad.

Leaving the competition trailing in the “mid-size” category, the Audi A5 Sportback was also voted the hands-down favorite of all categories overall by 79 percent of survey participants. The Audi A1 got top marks from 67.8 percent of ams readers, landing it in first place by a clear margin in the “small car” category.

In all, 21,066 readers of the specialist magazine “auto motor und sport” took part in voting for the “Autonis – Best Design Innovations 2010” awards. 88 cars in eight categories were up for selection.

In an evening ceremony at Solitude Castle near Stuttgart, ams Editor-in-Chief Bernd Ostmann presented the awards to Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, for the A1 and to Michael Dick, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Technical Development, for the A5 Sportback.

Source: http://www.audiusanews.com/newsrelease.do?id=1949

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China Automobile T10 electric vehicles the fourth leading group working meeting was held in Beijing

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

Chinese auto companies T10 electric vehicles in Beijing Leading Group held the fourth working conference. T10 electric car business leadership group members and relevant staff, the Executive Vice President and Secretary General Automobile Association, Dong Yang, Assistant Secretary-General Yesheng Ji, and technical staff of the Ministry attended the meeting. Ministry of Industry and Equipment Department was invited to the meeting, Deputy Director Wang Fuchang guidance.

Dong Yang, executive vice president and secretary general first introduced the recent development of energy-saving and new energy vehicles overall, the meeting highlighted the implementation of the T10 to promote energy conservation and new energy vehicle development plan is of great significance.

Deputy Director Wang Fuchang introduced energy-saving and new energy automotive industry development plans and progress of special programming to development goals, the joint development of common technology platforms and so described.

Ye Shengji Assistant Secretary-General briefed saving and new energy automotive industry development plan relevant content, leading to the T10 electric car business members of the group reported a low-speed electric vehicle research work.

Meeting, T10 business leaders to energy-saving and new energy automotive industry development plan, low-speed electric vehicle development, and so a lively discussion. Speak freely, express their opinions and put forward a series of constructive suggestions, and energy saving and new energy vehicles joint venture issues lively discussion. Next meeting also T10 electric car business and made arrangements for joint action items.

Source: http://caam.org.cn/xiehuidongtai/20100921/0905045950.html

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Gullwing takes to the racetrack for the first time: Racing debut for the SLS AMG GT3 on the legendary Nürburgring “Nordschleife”

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

This first racetrack appearance of the SLS AMG GT3 at the VLN event (VLN = Association of Nürburgring Endurance Cup Organisers, with 10 motorsport clubs) is a fixed part of the development and testing programme which commenced in June 2010. The four-hour race on the legendary “Nordschleife” (”North Loop”) of the Nürburgring will test the gullwing model under realistic racing conditions. The focus will not only be on fast lap times, but also on the durability of all components, service-friendliness and smooth procedures during pitstops and driver changes. During this race on the 20.8-kilometre long Nürburgring “Nordschleife” – which is acknowledged to be the world’s most demanding racetrack – the chosen suspension setup will be assessed under racing conditions for the first time.

Developed according to the GT3 rules of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), the SLS AMG GT3 will take to the starting line for the VLN race in prototype class E1-XP.

Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Norbert Haug: “The Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 will start a new era in Mercedes-Benz customer motorsports. This car is an exciting and spectacular sporting tool for committed private teams and talented private drivers. Together with our well-proven sports and touring car partner HWA, AMG will establish a customer motorsports department, and ensure the usual high level of Mercedes service for its motorsports customers.”

The drivers for this racetrack debut of the SLS AMG GT3 are Bernd Schneider (46) – who has been a Mercedes-Benz works driver for many years and is also an AMG brand ambassador – and Thomas Jäger (33). With five DTM titles, one ITC championship and one FIA GT championship to his name, Bernd Schneider is one of the most successful German racing drivers. Thomas Jäger is the reigning Porsche Carrera Cup (Germany) champion, and drove in the DTM for Mercedes-Benz between 2000 and 2003. This season he is lining up in the ADAC GT-Masters (Germany). Like Bernd Schneider, he is a member of the instructor team at the AMG Driving Academy.

Source: http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/0-921-1283095-1-1335305-1-0-0-0-0-0-11700-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0.html

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First Travego with New Touring Coach Seating Handed Over to Bohr Omnibus GmbH

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

Stuttgart/Hanover – At the 63rd IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hanover, Winfried Heckt, Head of Bus Sales at Mercedes-Benz Germany, handed over the original Travego M show vehicle to Günter Bohr, Managing Director of Bohr Omnibus GmbH, on September 24, 2010.

The show vehicle is the first Mercedes-Benz Travego touring coach to feature the new generation of seats. The seats are manufactured in-house and set the standard within the industry in terms of safety, comfort and design details. The design of the new seats is both attractive and practical. Aluminum is used for the side trim for instance, providing an overall stylish, high-grade, and lightweight finish. A large, clearly labeled rocker-type switch provides effortless, intuitive lateral adjustment of the aisle seats and adjustment of the backrest angle.

The armrest for the new seats has an elegant shape as well as a large and ergonomic surface. The extremely simple and easy-to-use pivoting mechanism for folding away the armrest is a patented development. The backrest and the seat cushion also have a new shape. The seat cushion rests on a sprung system for the first time and can be easily removed for cleaning or repairs.

Source: http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/0-921-657305-1-1335628-1-0-0-0-0-0-11700-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0.html

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Final Disappointment But Force Holds Fc Lead

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Ennis, Texas — Matt Hagan hijacked John Force’s fairy tale ending Sunday with a final round victory in the 25th annual O’Reilly Super Start Batteries Fall Nationals at Billy Meyer’s Texas Motorplex.

Force’s drive to retribution on the track that almost claimed his life ended just short of the 1,000-foot finish line where his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford shook, shuddered and lost traction, opening the door for Hagan and the Die Hard Batteries Dodge to reach the NHRA winners’ circle for the third time this year.

With the win, Hagan moved to second place in Full Throttle points, 25 behind Force and 43 ahead of Ashley Force Hood as the NHRA’s Countdown to 1 now moves to Reading, Pa., for the 26th annual Toyo Tires Nationals, Oct. 7-10.

It was a classic final: Ford versus Dodge, John Force Racing versus Don Schumacher Racing, experience versus youth and, this time at least, youth was served. Hagan was clocked in 4.155 seconds at 294.63 miles per hour. Force slowed to 4.491 at only 203.74 mph in a disappointing end to his 211th NHRA final round.

Even though it ended short of the ultimate goal, it was Force’s best performance on the all-concrete Texas track since he was airlifted out in 2007 following the most serious accident of his 33-year career.

At the end of a winning semifinal race with Kenny Bernstein, Force’s Ford blew a front tire and made a hard right turn, colliding with Bernstein’s Dodge at 300 mph. Caught up in the tangle of metal, carbon fiber and rubber, Force suffered a compound fracture of the left ankle, broken bones in his hands and feet, his fingers and toes, a severely dislocated wrist and other injuries that kept him in a Dallas hospital for 29 days and in rehab for three months.

“I really wanted this win here at Billy Meyer’s Texas Motorplex,” Force admitted. “I wanted closure on my crash [but] Hagan got the win. I’m going to come to this race track until I am 100 years old until I get closure on that day I flew out of here on that helicopter. I have a good race car [and] I’m going to stay in the fight.”

Source: http://www.fordracing.com/news/detail/index.asp?article=38443

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Allmendinger Mashes Monster

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Dover, Del. — Team Ford Racing driver AJ Allmendinger has had better Cup finishes, but he’s never run as well as he did in Sunday afternoon’s AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. In fact, except for a flat right-rear tire near halfway the Richard Petty Motorsports driver likely would have challenged for the win.

“Coming into this race he was one of the guys we were thinking about,” said race-winner Jimmie Johnson. “They’ve been running better lately, so we knew they’d be good. He did a really good job today.”

“Good” is putting it mildly. Allmendinger qualified second and led three times for 143 of the first 171 laps. He began by leading laps 14-40, lost it briefly during the first round of green-flag pit stops, and then led laps 42-112. He lost it again during another round of green-flag stops, but was ahead again for laps 127-171. He was running strong and building his lead when his right-rear tire began going down around lap 160. He slowed dramatically and quickly pitted under green, losing two laps. He spent the rest of the afternoon getting back on the lead lap, and then he raced his way back to 10th.

“He did a great job all day,” said team owner Richard Petty. “But it just wasn’t our day. I’m pretty happy with how we ran and how the driver and the crew did. But that flat right-rear tire just took us out of it. Not much we could do about it. I’m pretty happy with how we did all day, even coming back like we did.”

RPM general manager Robbie Loomis said the No. 43 team began coming together after Allmendinger confirmed in August that he was staying with the Ford-based team.

“He’s clearer on what he wants and Mike [Shiflett, crew chief] and the guys are making good adjustments based on what he’s telling them,” Loomis said. “That flat right-rear about half-way through the race really hurt. He would have been right in there, battling for the win, with a shot at ‘em. The communication is getting better and there’s no uncertainty about where he’ll be next year, and that’s helped a lot. Teams always have distractions when people don’t know what’s going on.”

Source: http://www.fordracing.com/news/detail/index.asp?article=38442

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Running Out Of Time

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Dover, Del. — Barring several near-unfathomable developments, Team Ford Racing mainstay Carl Edwards will finish second in this year’s Nationwide Series standings. Following Saturday afternoon’s race at Dover, the Roush Fenway Racing star and 2007 champion was 320 points behind Brad Keselowski with seven races left. Even Edwards knows his chances are slim and bordering on none.

“But there’s still a glimmer of hope,” he said, “and you know racers—a glimmer is all we need.

“And every race is its own challenge. Each weekend is its own deal, separate from the big picture. Man, a win here at Dover would have been a huge deal, whether I won the championship or not. Trying to win every race I enter is really why I do this.”

But like everyone else, Edwards never had a chance on Saturday. Second-starting Kyle Busch led three times for 191 of the 200 laps in the Dover 200, missing only 1-3 (to pole-winner Joey Logano) and 137-141 (to Ryan Newman on pit strategy). Despite slowing in the final laps, Busch easily beat Logano, Edwards, Reed Sorenson, Kevin Harvick, Trevor Bayne, Paul Menard in a Ford Fusion, Jason Leffler, Justin Allgaier and Newman.

The win was Busch’s 11th this year, breaking the previous Nationwide record he shared (2008) with Sam Ard (1983). He now has 81 NASCAR wins in less than seven full seasons: 41 in Nationwide, 21 in the Camping World Truck Series and 19 in Sprint Cup. He’s won 19 of them this year: 11 in Nationwide, five in Camping World and three in Cup.

Like all racers, Edwards laments the ones that get away more than he celebrates the ones that don’t.

“We broke an axle during a pit stop at Texas [in April],” he said. “We wrecked at Talladega the next weekend and we blew up running good at Watkins Glen [in August]. That’s 300 or 400 points right there, and we didn’t have to run any better than we were at the time to get them.

Source: http://www.fordracing.com/news/detail/index.asp?article=38429

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Wilkerson, Force Hood Lead Qualifying

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Ennis, Texas — A lengthy rain delay and the NHRA’s somewhat controversial decision to scrap a fourth and final Funny Car qualifying session has set up a first round showdown in Sunday’s 25th annual O’Reilly Super Start Batteries Fall Nationals that pits reigning Full Throttle Champion Robert Top Gun Hight against boss, teammate, father-in-law and points leader John Force.

The No. 8 qualifier, Force and his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang will pick their lane against Hight and the Auto Club Mustang in a first round match that represents a worst case scenario for John Force Racing Inc.

Meanwhile, veteran Tim Wilkerson completed a worst to first turnaround by driving his Levi, Ray and Shoup Ford Mustang, a non-qualifier last week at Concord, N.C., to the No. 1 qualifying position at 4.079 seconds, 305.77 miles per hour, a performance that sends him against Dale Creasy Jr. in round one.

Even after Wilkerson started a chain reaction shake-up in the qualifying order, under normal circumstances Force and Hight would have had an opportunity to improve their performance and positions in a fourth and final session. But they never had the chance.

While drivers in the other three pro categories were afforded their full complement of four qualifying runs, the NHRA opted to cancel the final Funny Car session even though, after a five-hour rain delay, it had a dry race track on which to operate. It was a bizarre decision on a bizarre afternoon.

After three pair of Funny Cars went down the track early Saturday afternoon, the race was halted for rain. Five hours later, the NHRA announced that it would run the remaining six pair of Funny Cars and then would run fourth round qualifying in Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Stock and Top Fuel—but not Funny Car.

“That’s why I carry all the [sponsors’] logos on all my Mustangs,” Force said of his match-up with Hight. “We don’t like it but [that’s] drag racing. We’re going to go up there and punch it out. Robert needs every point he can get to run for this title and I need every point I can get to stay in the lead.

“I’m going to wish Robert luck because he just wished me luck. We are family still, but tomorrow we’ll have to fight. Hopefully, one of us will get Ashley in the final and we’ll have to fight there, too.”

Source: http://www.fordracing.com/news/detail/index.asp?article=38426

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Aaa Texas, Hight Hot At Texas Motorplex

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Ennis, Texas — Robert Hight and his AAA Texas Ford Mustang raced to the No. 4 provisional position Friday night at the 25th annual O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex.

Hight blasted down the all-concrete race track in 4.183 seconds at 287.66 mph. He was paired with provisional No. 1 Cruz Pedregon who tripped the finish line timer at 4.129 seconds, 299.25 mph. With header flames shooting nearly eight feet out of their respective Funny Cars the fans were given quite a show.

“Normally you would not be happy to be No. 4 especially in the Countdown but in this instance, I am happy because everybody that is [qualified] ahead of me is behind me in points or they are not in the Countdown.

“As tricky as this place was and when you consider the position we were in after the first run today it had to go. Now [crew chief] Jimmy [Prock] looked at that and he really believes what Cruz ran is achievable if you wanted to push that hard. We will pick it up everywhere. It is not that bad. We would have liked to have gotten some qualifying bonus points today but I bet you see us getting points tomorrow,” said Hight a three-time Fall Nationals No. 1 qualifier.

Hight was buoyed by his good run under the best conditions of the day. He knew that posting a solid time would give his AAA Texas Mustang team more freedom to race hard.

“It is do or die. It is all or nothing. Friday night going down the track takes the pressure off tomorrow. We can go out there and be a little aggressive. We weren’t in that position in Charlotte. We weren’t qualified after the night session.

Source: http://www.fordracing.com/news/detail/index.asp?article=38420

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The all-new S60 and V60 R-Design - even sportier design and driving properties for connoisseurs

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Introducing the all-new S60 and V60 R-Design - designed with true sports-car feel and featuring a specially developed chassis to ensure that the driving experience matches the car’s appearance.

“The all-new S60 and V60 are our sportiest models ever. With R-Design they are even sharper. They’re the natural choice for true connoisseurs,” says Magnus Jonsson, Senior Vice President Product Development at Volvo Cars.

Sporty, sportier, sportiest - in order to keep the superlatives in check Volvo Cars has taken an holistic view of the all-new S60 and V60 R-Design, with the design and chassis being developed in parallel into a single cohesive offer.

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“These cars have been specially developed for buyers who want to put their very own stamp on their car. And with R-Design, we are attracting a younger target group. We expect that 10 percent of all S60 and V60 customers will choose the R-Design option on markets where it is available. We aim to win over one-third of these customers from competing brands,” says Magnus Jonsson.

Volvo Cars’ chassis experts have taken the next step on the road to a more and more exciting driving experience. “In the R-Design chassis we’ve sharpened the steering, the agility and the solid overall impression still further compared with the dynamic chassis in the all-new S60 and V60,” says Stefan Sällqvist, manager of vehicle dynamics at Volvo Cars.

Source: https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/enhanced/en-gb/Media/Preview.aspx?mediaid=34551

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Archive for September, 2010

Audi A1 and A5 Sportback win “Autonis 2010″ design award

China Automobile T10 electric vehicles the fourth leading group working meeting was held in Beijing

Gullwing takes to the racetrack for the first time: Racing debut for the SLS AMG GT3 on the legendary Nürburgring “Nordschleife”

First Travego with New Touring Coach Seating Handed Over to Bohr Omnibus GmbH

Final Disappointment But Force Holds Fc Lead

Allmendinger Mashes Monster

Running Out Of Time

Wilkerson, Force Hood Lead Qualifying

Aaa Texas, Hight Hot At Texas Motorplex

The all-new S60 and V60 R-Design - even sportier design and driving properties for connoisseurs