Motorsports


LA 2009: Custom "Mazdaspeed2" tops the fun-per-pound charts in LA

As cool as some of those custom Ford Fiestas are at the LA Auto Show, these even tidier Mazda2 customs really jumped out at us. Okay, maybe not all of the concepts so much as the "Mazdaspeed2" you see above. The Active2 Surf and Active2 Snow barely registered when we saw this green and grey fun machine. Dubbed the 2Evil Special and not really an official Mazdaspeed2 at all, this concept blends weekend track car with urban commuter in just the right proportions. The other two concepts aren't quite as eye-catching as the 2Evil, but are fun ... Read more →

Essen 2009: 1,050-hp 1956 Mercedes Gullwing drag car Jonathon Ramsey

This ungainly little creature had an area all to itself at this year's Essen Motor Show. Built over four years by Swiss drag racer Stefan Winter – who is a roofer by trade – the most ...

Serbian team reportedly in talks to take over Toyota F1 Noah Joseph

Reports of Toyota F1's demise may prove to have been exaggerated as the latest rumors from the racing world suggest that the Japanese automaker is in discussions with a Serbian outfit about taking ...

Danica Patrick signs multi-year deal to stay in IRL with restructured Andretti Autosport Noah Joseph

There are plenty of reasons why Danica Patrick stays in the news. If it's not her famous temper, photo shoots for Sports Illustrated or racy television commercials, it's her impressive results on ...

Canadian GP back on F1 calendar through 2014 Jonathon Ramsey

It's official, Formula 1 and Montreal are in love again. Bernie Ecclestone's supersonic price increases in 2008 drove the Canadian venue (and North America entirely) off the map in 2009. It was ...

Rumormill: Volkswagen ponders becoming F1 engine supplier in 2012 4 days ago on Autoblog

There have been rumblings about VW getting into F1 by signing up with a specific team, but the chatter was always quashed. This time, reports suggest that VW is actively talking up the idea of getting into Formula 1 after 2012, but as an engine supplier to multiple teams. Hans-Joachim Stuck, ...

Bring the Noise: Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps reportedly safe... for now 5 days ago on Autoblog

Following earlier news that the Donington track, which was supposed to take over the British Grand Prix in lieu of Silverstone, had to declare bankruptcy comes a reversal of fortune for the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The longtime host of the Belgian Grand Prix looked to be in serious trouble ...

Chevron staging a comeback with new GR8 6 days ago on Autoblog

The history of the British automobile is littered with dozens upon dozens of small, independent cottage-industry automakers. Names like Lotus, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Land Rover have stood the test of time. And in recent years companies like Ascari, McLaren Automotive and ...

BMW reaches agreement to sell F1 team back to founder Peter Sauber 6 days ago on Autoblog

The future of Sauber F1 looks a little more secure. After BMW's announcement earlier this year that it would withdraw from its involvement in Formula one at the end of the 2009, the automaker has reached a deal to sell the team back to eponymous founder Peter Sauber. The new deal comes just ...

BMW continues curtailing racing programs 6 days ago on Autoblog

What would BMW be without racing? We could be about to find out if recent developments are any indication. The Bavarian automaker competed in F1, the World Touring Car Championship and various sportscar series, while running its own Formula BMW feeder series that has helped breed such talents as ...

ALMS champs Highcroft to run updated LMP2 Acura in 2010 7 days ago on Autoblog

2010 is bringing some changes to the class lineup in the American Le Mans Series, and defending LMP1 champions Highcroft Racing are adjusting. The new structure will combine the former P1 and P2 classes at all races except for Sebring and Petit Le Mans. As a result, Highcroft will campaign a new ...

Williams sells minority stake to Austrian investor 8 days ago on Autoblog

With all the money that goes into running an F1 team, and the limited opportunity to make any of it back, we can't see why anyone would view owning a team as a sound investment. Evidently Herr Toto Wollf feels otherwise, as the Austrian financier and gentleman racing driver has acquired a minority ...

Big Deal? VW racing chief, F1 drivers visit Homestead for NASCAR season-closer 9 days ago on Autoblog

This year's Sprint Cup was awarded this past weekend at Homestead, where Jimmie Johnson scored his record fourth consecutive championship with a fifth-place finish behind race winner Denny Hamlin. (Oh yeah, "spoiler alert".) Anyway, on to the interesting part: the oval speedway had some unlikely ...

SEAT dominates with second consecutive World Touring Car Championship 9 days ago on Autoblog

If you would have told us ten or twenty years ago that diesel would come to dominate motor racing, we probably would have laughed in your face. But since Audi charted new territory by dominating Le Mans with its R10 TDI, the competition benefits of burning oil is beyond reproach. Not satisfied to ...

The Baja 1000 - and Hummer vs. Toyota - has been decided 9 days ago on Autoblog

The 672.85-mile-long Baja 1000 race is over, and 328 starters were boiled down to just a handful of winners in various classes. The premier events were taken by Andy and Scott McMillin in the trophy truck category, in a modded Chevrolet Silverado. Andy won the race three years ago as a year ago ...

REPORT: BMW hoodwinked by fraudster in sale of Sauber F1 team 9 days ago on Autoblog

Questionable past acquisitions aside, you don't get to be as large and successful as BMW without having some business acumen. That assumption, however, is being cast into question as reports out of Germany suggest that the Bavarian automaker may have been duped in its sale of the Sauber F1 ...

Officially Official: Mercedes GP confirms Nico Rosberg for 2010 10 days ago on Autoblog

Following earlier speculation, the newly-acquired Mercedes Grand Prix team has confirmed its first driver for the upcoming Formula One season. As expected, Nico Rosberg will be switching places with Rubens Barrichello, the departing Brawn GP driver who moves to Williams for next year. 24-year-old ...

Flash Mob: Police reportedly bust illegal night race on Hockenheim circuit 10 days ago on Autoblog

We don't condone illegal behavior here at Autoblog. Heaven forbid. But if you are going to break the law, this strikes us as a good way to go about it. Reports out of Germany indicate that a group of some 100 people in 43 cars descended upon the Hockenheimring (host of the German Grand Prix) ...

REPORT: USF1 signs pay-drive deal with Jose Maria Lopez 11 days ago on Autoblog

Reports circulating the motorsport press indicate that USF1 has signed a provisional contract with Argentine driver Jose Maria Lopez to drive for the new team next season. The arrangement, however, depends on Lopez bringing with him $8 million in sponsorship dollars, of which the young South ...

Universal Soldiers: F1 aces Raikkonen, Vettel and Kubica lured by rallying 11 days ago on Autoblog

It used to be that a racing driver would pick his form of motorsport at the beginning of his career and stick with it for the duration. Sure, there have been a few notable exceptions – especially among the Finns – but these days, it seems as if the exceptions are gaining on the norm. ...

Salvation! Buell sportbikes reborn as Erik Buell Racing 11 days ago on Autoblog

Knee-draggers take heart: following the disappointing news that Harley-Davidson has killed the Buell brand, comes the announcement of its rebirth. Don't go looking for any new street bikes, though; the Buell name will carry on strictly through racing. According to the announcement, company ...

POLL POSITION: Who was the Best F1 Driver of 2009? Team Principals say Vettel 12 days ago on Autoblog

The principle of Occam's Razor states that, all things being equal, the simplest explanation is usually the right one. So it stands to reason that the driver who wins the championship must be the best, right? Well, that's assuming all things are equal, and of course in reality they seldom are. ...

Rare Aston Martin DB4 GT Lightweight going to highest bidder at RM's Arizona auction 13 days ago on Autoblog

With just 75 built between 1959 and 1963, the Aston Martin DB4 GT is a rare breed. Of those, a mere six are the coveted lightweight models that cut weight by using aluminum components (instead of steel) and delete items like the radio, speakers, and heater. It's not very often that one comes up ...

FerrariChat: P4/5 Competizione still aiming for Nürburgring 24 13 days ago on Autoblog

A few months ago, the internet started to rumble with rumors of a race car being built out of the incredible Pininfarina Ferrari 612 P4/5 that James Glickenhaus had commissioned at a staggering (but understandable) $4 million. A thread on Ferrari superforum FerrariChat.com put those rumors to ...

BREAKING: Schumacher likely to return to F1 racing with Mercedes 13 days ago on Autoblog

Say it ain't so, Schu! The Daily Telegraph is reporting that seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher is close to signing on with the newly formed Mercedes Formula 1 team. Mercedes is the new name of the former Brawn GP team, the current Constructors Champion. After a stellar rookie season ...

British GP track Donington Park declares bankruptcy 13 days ago on Autoblog

It's been one heck of a rollercoaster ride for Donington Park this year. The British racing circuit hosted a Formula One race back in 1993, and was set to take over the British Grand Prix from Silverstone until the race promoter fell on hard times. Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd signed a ...

Romeo Ferraris 500 Abarth packs 360 tarmac-munching Italian stallions 14 days ago on Autoblog

Think you've seen the most hardcore 500 already? Sure, Abarth has churned out some pretty wicked versions of the retro-hatch, but even the 695 Tributo Ferrari and R3T rally machine can't hold a candle to the beast above. Given the name, you might think this latest Cinquecento was the result ...

Valentino Rossi samples the BMW M3 GTS, drives away in M3 sedan 14 days ago on Autoblog

After securing his record ninth MotoGP title, there's little doubt that Valentino Rossi is the fastest man on two wheels. And BMW has acknowledged the Italian rider's speed by awarding him a brand-spankin'-new M3 sedan. The German automaker is a sponsor of the motorbike racing series, ...

Another day, another racing 911: Introducing the Porsche GT3 R 14 days ago on Autoblog

Over its nearly half-century of its existence, the Porsche 911 seems to have spawned nearly as many racing variants as production models. The newest one announced is the 911 GT3 R, which, as the name implies, is targeted at GT3 class racing worldwide. The GT3 R is the followup to the GT3 Cup S ...

REPORT: Renault could sell 40% of its F1 team to Russian investors 14 days ago on Autoblog

A few weeks back, Toyota announced its departure from Formula One, and it looked like Renault could follow. The team had lost its drivers, its team leaders, its sponsors and its reputation. The French automaker's board convened in France to discuss the matter, but no announcement followed, ...

Ford and M-Sport officially unveil Fiesta S2000 rally car [w/VIDEO] 15 days ago on Autoblog

Ford Motor Company and noted rally masters M-Sport have pulled the veil off their latest collaborative rally machine, the Fiesta S2000. It's their first global rally car, and as such will be able to compete in a whole bevy of international competitions ranging from IRC to the S2000 World Cup to ...

Mercedes Grand Prix searches for drivers while dispelling board's concerns 15 days ago on Autoblog

With two manufacturers leaving the series, four new teams joining the grid and a giant game of musical chairs amongst the drivers ensuing, the off-season between the 2009 and 2010 Formula One World Championships is packing in as much action as the racing itself. But few developments have garnered ...

Snow Drift: Dacia Duster debuts for Trophée Andros with Alain Prost 15 days ago on Autoblog

Let's set one thing straight here. The retirement of a leading Formula One driver is often portrayed as some sort of tragedy – for the driver himself especially. But the truth of the matter is that for a former World Champion, the world is his oyster. Retired F1 drivers can go on to ...

BREAKING: Jenson Button joins Hamilton for twin-champ McLaren "super team" 15 days ago on Autoblog

It's not every day that you see two World Champions teamed up together – especially not the two most recent. In fact, that bit has never happened before in Formula One history, but that's exactly what we'll see next year as McLaren has announced the teaming of Jenson Button and Lewis ...

REPORT: Ferrari figures Raikkonen, Schumacher and Montezemolo to leave their F1 posts 15 days ago on Autoblog

The times they are a-changin' in Maranello. As if the departures of Michael Schumacher, Ross Brawn and Jean Todt over the past few years wasn't enough to shake things up for the Scuderia, a new round of change-ups is looming on the horizon. First up is Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 World Champion ...

VIDEO: New Subaru Forester rally car getting warmed up for Dakar 16 days ago on Autoblog

Put the words "Subaru" and "rally" together, and you'll inevitably be flooded with visions of the Impreza WRX STI campaigning in the WRC. This isn't one of those times. Details are a bit on the scarce side, but what we do know is that Barattero Motorsport and YPF Elaion have teamed up (with a ...

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Autoblog Podcast #155: 'Twas the night before LA...

Chris, Dan, and Editor Paukert go over some LA Preview action and quietly whoop it up on the podcast.

 
 

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