Top Gear is most assuredly back! In the 14^th series opener, the boys went on a journey to Romania to try and find the best road in the world, there was a test between a Mercedes S63 AMG and a BMW 760LI and the actor Eric Bana dropped in.

I think the surprise of the night came when I found out that Eric Bana is Australian! I had no idea that he wasn’t an American actor. Well, I suppose that just goes to show how good he is. Also, he is a giant fan of motorsport and races GT cars regularly. It even came out that he has not taken a movie project because he would rather go racing. His prowess on the track really came through when it came to his lap in the reasonably priced Suzuki Liana. Even though it was extremely wet and even though he missed a gear change, he still managed to put in the fastest wet lap of all time, which is damn impressive. All of his lines were spot on and you could tell from the video that he was going to be fast. All in all, a very good lap from a surprisingly Australian person.

The test round the track that took place involved James, for once, testing out some hot super sedans. The Mercedes S63 AMG and the BMW 760LI both feature huge engines, a 6.2 liter V8 in the Merc and a 6.0 liter, twin-turbo V12 in the BMW. Both make generous amounts of power and torque, but the BMW is faster in both a straight line and around a track. This surprised me because I would have thought that the BMW would have been the softer of the two, given that the AMG is usually thought to be a brutish sort of car, and the BMW 7 series generally isn’t thought to be all that sporty. But the Bimmer was better able to put the power to the ground without completely lighting up the back tires around every corner like the AMG. And though the BMW won the battle, it was still decided that both cars were wastes of time and money because they are overpriced and overpowered and don’t know what they really are. They are supposed to be luxury limos, but also try to be sports cars, and that just dilutes them from being truly one or the other. And I have to say, I agree with their verdict on this one. If I want a sports car, I’ll go buy a Porsche or something and if I want a big luxury saloon, I’ll get a Jag, but I don’t need them to be put together and then pay more than I would for both of them combined with the one car.

On to the main event now. In what can only be described as a hair-brained scheme to find a road they could have simply gone to right off the bat, the boys traveled through the country or Romania in search of the Transfagarasan Highway. This is the highest, and most dramatic paved road in the country and looks very similar to the Stelvio Pass that they visited a few series ago. Of course, it wasn’t just about the road though. The cars that they brought were supposed to be the best grand touring roadsters in the world, and so Clarkson brought an Aston Martin Volante, Hammond showed up in a Ferrari California and James brought a Lamborghini LP560-4 Spyder. They then bickered and did what they do best by driving around, getting lost and competing in challenges that don’t really settle anything at all. Of course, since they were in Romania, it was only natural that they should see a ton of Dacia Sanderos. For those who don’t know, James is obsessed with this car. He feels it is a cheap car with no frills that is actually pretty good. So, Clarkson bought him one. And, as happens with all their gifts, you just knew that it had to get ruined somehow. This time, a large semi-truck backed into it and completely destroyed it after James had parked it “conveniently.” I know it was set up, but it was still great to see, because I think that James actually did like that car. After that, the boys followed May and, of course, got lost out in the Romanian countryside where James had a fender bender with his Lambo. But, after all of that nonsense and tomfoolery, they finally reached the road, and it turned out to be an epic thing. Clarkson even commented that the road was a combination of all the best corners of all the best race tracks in the world, and there is no greater compliment than that.

Overall, the episode was a good one for the start of the series and it can, hopefully, only go up from here. I wish I knew what was coming up on the show next Sunday, but they did not tell the audience. I’m assuming that it will be a big surprise. I will say that the one car I am hoping to see on this series is the new Noble M600. I want to see what it can do around the track, because it is supposed to be devastatingly fast.

A couple of items caught my eye today. First, the Brawn GP has been bought out by Mercedes and will be branded, from now on, as Mercedes Grand Prix. As for McLaren, that team will be phased out, sort of, and will eventually become an independent team, much like Brawn was last season, with Mercedes supplying engines, but totally sovereign from them. Brawn (or Mercedes Grand Prix) will then become the actual factory backed team from Mercedes. Does this mean, then, that McLaren will be forced to the sidelines and won’t be as competitive as they have been previously? Of course not. In fact, I believe this gives McLaren even more motivation to beat the factory cars, as the new customer set up. Plus, the real rivalry is still McLaren vs. Ferrari. Brawn can have their little Red Bull spat, but everyone knows that McLaren vs. Ferrari is where it’s at.

The second bit of news is a little embarrassing for the Prancing Horse from Maranello. This past weekend, Ferrari held a little get together in Valencia known as the Ferrari World Finals. It featured a parade of Maranello’s finest and even introduced Fernando Alonso to the Spaniards as the newest Ferrari Formula One driver. However, the Ferrari California that was driven by Luca di Montezemolo ended up being beached in a sand trap, as he either forgot how to drive, or simply felt that the car could get closer to the crowd without being stuck. Whatever his inclination, it was a mistake and the baby Ferrari became stuck in it. Here are a couple of videos of the little snafu that must have been one of the most embarrassing moments for him. I hope that Fernando isn’t thinking this is a great way to start his Ferrari tenure, having the boss beach him in his own country. Oh well, this could only really happen to Ferrari couldn’t it. They seem to be full of miscues lately and this is probably just the start of many more to come.

The quality of this video kind of  sucks, toward the end, some dude driving a Ferrari California in Sofia, Bulgari screws up and slams into a bulldozer. Oops.

[streetfire id=93f2187b-8c96-41c1-82a2-9cc20092e8d9 w=428 h=352]

Although this blog has become mostly about Formula One, that wasn’t what I set out to do with it. Well, now, after many posts about F1, I have a new topic (although it also involves F1). A few months ago, I was in a little principality you may have heard of called Monaco. This is a place of glitz and glamour and the cars and the city did not disappoint. I arrived there on a day that started out raining extremely hard, but as we pulled into the principality, the skies began to clear and the sun briefly shone through. The main reason that I wanted to go to Monaco was to walk the Formula One track that has become so famous. You may have watched it on TV, seen it in a movie or even played it in a video game, but unless you go there, you cannot believe how close to the buildings these guys get to drive. The second reason I wanted to go to Monaco was to see all the great cars these super wealthy people drive. As the day started with that aforementioned rain, I was not expecting too much, but I was surprised at what I did see.

We parked waaaaay up at the top of some hill that I probably couldn’t even find again. Luckily, we had a GPS system with us and it really came in handy. As I said, we parked way up the hill, as Monaco is sort of built into the side of a mountain (or at least some very tall hills). This leads to the city being a bevy of apartments, all built right on top of one another. Another thing this leads to is lots of stairs; thousands of them, in fact. However, we had another stroke of luck in that we parked near an elevator. Because the town is built so vertically, they have elevators that you can use to go up and down throughout the city to get to your destination. This not only saves time, it keeps you from killing yourself trying to climb up all those stairs. As it happened, we came down an escalator that opened up onto a street with a view directly toward the harbor. And again, as luck would have it, this street also contained the Formula One store and the Ferrari dealership. How fortuitous is that?

Obviously, I had to check both of them out. First, we took a trip inside the store. This place has everything…almost. Other than an actual car being inside the store, they had helmets, suits, an engine, exhausts, wheels and models galore! The walls were lined with models and hats and actual racing suits. I have been in other Formula One stores before, and though the one in Toronto comes close, this one is right in the heart of the action and is the place to go if you want some great merchandise. I will say that the one in Toronto has a very awesome Ayrton Senna helmet, but this one in Monaco is actually in Monaco! You can’t go wrong with that. I wish I had taken pictures of the inside, but I never thought to do so. I have this one of the outside, and the address is 15, Rue Grimaldi, should you ever be in the neighborhood. Originally, I wanted to get a car model or something that would be very Monaco-ish from the store (like a Michael Schumacher Ferrari F1 car), but all of the stuff they had – surprise, surprise – was really expensive. I ended up looking around the store and just taking it all in and then leaving to go explore the town with my dad.

The next stop was the Ferrari dealership just down the street, toward the harbor. This store had pretty much everything, bar an Enzo. Outside, in the rain, was a new California, a 599 GTB, a couple of 360s  and even a rare (in that it didn’t sell very well) 456. Inside the showroom was a 430 spider as well as an F430 Scuderia. This car is unbelievable to look at and the interior is pure racing car. Welds out in the open, no carpets, upgraded seats, Alcantara all over the place; a true beast of a car. I snooped around here for a bit and then we moved on down toward Port Hercule.

Port Hercule is the port that is so famous because of all of the gigantic yachts in the harbor during the grand prix. These yachts in these photos are just little things compared with what shows up on that weekend. It really is amazing that there are so many wealthy people out there who can not only live in Monaco, but be able to still afford to eat, let alone own a boat that is larger than my entire house!

Of course, right next to the port is the front straight of the actual track. Right on the street that all the cars drive on you can see the grid positions where they line up every year. It’s an amazing thing that an entire city/country can be shut down just for a bunch of cars to drive at ludiculous speeds through the town. At the corner of the first turn, called St. Devote, there is a large statue of a car drifting through that turn. Then it is up the hill toward the casino and the square. This hill is so much steeper than it appears on the television, it’s hard to get across in pictures, but it is like walking up stairs without the benefit of steps. And when you get to the top of the hill, it is a completely blind left turn that seems to go on forever, until you get into Casino Square.

And what a square! If you love to watch cars, this is one of the very best places in the world to see supercars up close and personal. There are two good reasons for this. The first is that the casino attracts many high rollers of course, but the other reason is that the Hotel de Paris is right next door. This is where high rollers stay, racing drivers sleep and celebrities frequent. Outside of the hotel, there were approximately 8 Bentleys waiting to take people wherever they wanted to go. And pulled up in front of the casino were multiple Porsches, Ferraris, an Aston Martin and an Audi R8. In fact, as I walked up to the Casino for the first time, I saw a convertible SLR McLaren leaving the scene. It is one of the many cars in the world that I wish I could have gotten a picture of, but, alas, I was not fast enough.

Going on from here, you take a right turn around the mirror in the middle of the square and head down the hill to Mirabeau. This is the corner where Lewis Hamilton crashed in qualifying for the 2009 GP. I took these pictures of the hairpin from his crash spot. Here you can see just how much of a drop in road height there is from the top of this spot to the bottom.

Once you get down there, you take a succession of quick right hand turns and enter the spectacular tunnel. I walked the entire track, and at the end of the tunnel, there was construction, but that didn’t stop me from walking out near the traffic and continuing on. Another car that I missed taking a picture of, mostly because I didn’t want to be hit by it, was the new Lotus Evora. Once you are down here, you are literally right next to the port again. While there are barriers blocking the cars from splashing into the ocean, or crashing into multi-gazillion dollar yachts, it is still only about five or 10 feet from the actual marina. Then it is a left around Tabac and then the quick piff-paff of the swimming pool. Once you are past the pool, you can see right down to the Rascasse restaurant and corner. This corner is famous for a couple of reasons. First, it is a famous restaurant, but also, it is where Michael Schumacher “lost control” of his Ferrari in trying to lock out pole for the 2006 race. Just about where this white van is sitting is where Schumi parked his car. SUCH HISTORY!

From here, the cars blast through Antony Noghes and back onto the start-finish straight. The lap is one of the coolest things you can do in Monaco, because it only takes a couple of minutes (barring any unforeseen stopping to ogle cars) and is a great way to get a sense of the history of the track and to feel just how close they actually come to buildings and spectators. We then took a look at the Automobile Club of Monaco. Since we were not members, we only went into the doorway to see the trophies and the names on the plaques, but behind one of the windows are three formula one engines for all to see.

Unfortunately, we did not spend the night in the city (expensive much?) and moved on. But before we did, I figured that since I would probably never be back to the city, I we should stop back at the Formula One store that we went in earlier. I already had something in mind that I wanted, and luckily, I got there just before they were about to close. In fact, about five minutes before they were about to close! I ran in the back and grabbed a hat. In all the years I have been watching Formula One I have never owned a Michael Schumacher hat, so I grabbed the final edition of his world title winning hats and took it up front. The woman that worked there was kind enough to answer my questions as well. The main one being, “Who is that in the picture?” She then rattled off names like Jarno Trulli, Sylvester Stallone, Sebastian Loeb and more that had all been pictured inside of the store. There were pictures of many people up there, all of them very famous racing drivers or celebrities. This store has a lot of history in it and should be on your list if you are a fan of motorsports and are in Monaco. With this track now crossed off my list, I have been to seven Formula One circuits around the world. Monaco is a beautiful place to visit, and should certainly be on your list of places to visit if you love F1.

The Times publicate ieri un top marca Jeremy Clarkson cuprinzand “cele mai tari” 12 masini ale anului 2009.

Realizatorul emisiunii Top Gear a gasit de cuviinta sa nu se rezume la doar 10 masini el propunand un top de 12 masini care mai de care mai “speciale”, mai sport, mai scumpe, mai luxoase  ori mai futuriste:

1 .Volvo XC90

2. Range Rover TDV8 Vogue SE

3. Alfa Romeo MiTo

4. Jaguar XKR decapotabil

5. BMW Z4 sDrive35i

6. Jaguar XF 3.0 Diesel S Portfolio

7. Lamborghini Gallardo 560 Spyder

8. Skoda Octavia Scout

9. Mazda MX5

10. Audi TT RS Coupe

11. Ferrari California

12. Argo Avenger

Maranello, May 13th 2008 – The first official photographs have been published of the Ferrari California, the latest addition to the new generation of Ferraris launched in 2004 with the 612 Scaglietti and added to more recently with the 430 Scuderia.

The Ferrari California joins the Prancing Horse’s 8-cylinder family which has always been defined by power and performance. It also flanks the flagship 612 Scaglietti in the prestige sporty Grand Tourer segment.

The new Ferrari California will satisfy even the most demanding of owners in term of its superb vehicle dynamics and driving pleasure. The new model will be available exclusively as a convertible with a folding hard top. Both chassis and bodywork are aluminium, in line with the rest of the current range. The California will be powered by a new V8 engine mounted for the first time in the marque’s history in the mid-front position.

In line with Ferrari tradition, the new model also features several innovations. Apart from its folding hard top, these include the original 2+ concept which guarantees exceptional versatility of use in the rear of the car. The California’s 4,300 cc V8 engine features direct fuel injection and a “flat” crankshaft. It generates 460 CV at 7,500 rpm with a torque curve that enhances vehicle dynamics and provides maximum driving pleasure which is typical for Ferrari.

As per the traditional Ferrari transaxle layout, the engine, which allows the Ferrari California to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 4.0 seconds, will be coupled to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission that boosts the car’s performance while enhancing the driving pleasure, improves ride comfort and reduces fuel consumption and emissions (c.310 g/km CO2). The comfort is further enhanced by a new multilink rear suspension system. The Ferrari California is also equipped with the exclusive F1-Trac traction control system which made its debut on the 599 GTB Fiorano and has been further honed to suit the typical driving conditions expected for this new GT. Brembo brakes featuring carbon-ceramic material disks as standard guarantee superbly efficient braking.

In addition to sporting the marque’s classic styling cues, the cabin has also been beautifully trimmed using quality materials by Ferrari’s own skilled artisans. New accessories and equipment, such as the seats, steering wheel, instrument panel and infotainment system, together with optimised aerodynamics ensure that this is a highly ergonomic and enjoyable car to drive regardless of whether the top is up or down.

The Ferrari California is aimed at owners who desire a car which embodies everything the Prancing Horse represents in terms of sporty design and innovation, but also seek a car with greater versatility than ever. The car will be officially unveiled to the public at the Paris International Car Show. However, over the coming weeks, new photographs and further details about it will also be published.

Based on the Hornet car in Sega’s Daytona USA as featured on the cover of the too-late, too-twitchy Dreamcast version.

Note: All the pictures are 1280×720 if you save them.

So last time the Japanese Exhaust tuner Kreissieg decided that the Ferrari California could do with a sexier sound. This time they set their sights on the Ferrari Scuderia Spider. Enough said, check out the video!

And Another!

One More!

Hottttttt.

Para quem estava no aguardo de maiores novidades sobre o jogo Forza Motorsport 3, preparem-se: O jogo está pronto! Seu lançamento está previsto para o dia 23 de outubro na Europa, para Xbox 360. Para quem está ansioso com isso, a demo do jogo estará disponível na Xbox Live no dia 24 de setembro. Confira os automóveis presentes na demo:

- 2007 Porsche #80 Flying Lizard 911 GT3-RSR
- 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro
- 2009 Ferrari California
- 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR
- 2009 Mini John Cooper Works

Jogando com esses carros na demo, poderemos ter a vista de dentro do cockpit, e experimentar batidas e capotamentos com grande realismo, e um dos melhores recursos do jogo, que é o de “rebobinar” a imagem, enquanto aprecia seu passeio pelo circuito.

Postado Por:  Edersonbs

Para quem estava no aguardo de maiores novidades sobre o jogo Forza Motorsport 3, preparem-se: O jogo está pronto! Seu lançamento está previsto para o dia 23 de outubro na Europa, para Xbox 360. Para quem está ansioso com isso, a demo do jogo estará disponível na Xbox Live no dia 24 de setembro. Confira os automóveis presentes na demo:

- 2007 Porsche #80 Flying Lizard 911 GT3-RSR
- 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro
- 2009 Ferrari California
- 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR
- 2009 Mini John Cooper Works

Jogando com esses carros na demo, poderemos ter a vista de dentro do cockpit, e experimentar batidas e capotamentos com grande realismo, e um dos melhores recursos do jogo, que é o de “rebobinar” a imagem, enquanto aprecia seu passeio pelo circuito.

Postado Por:  Edersonbs

Para quem estava no aguardo de maiores novidades sobre o jogo Forza Motorsport 3, preparem-se: O jogo está pronto! Seu lançamento está previsto para o dia 23 de outubro na Europa, para Xbox 360. Para quem está ansioso com isso, a demo do jogo estará disponível na Xbox Live no dia 24 de setembro. Confira os automóveis presentes na demo:

- 2007 Porsche #80 Flying Lizard 911 GT3-RSR
- 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro
- 2009 Ferrari California
- 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR
- 2009 Mini John Cooper Works

Jogando com esses carros na demo, poderemos ter a vista de dentro do cockpit, e experimentar batidas e capotamentos com grande realismo, e um dos melhores recursos do jogo, que é o de “rebobinar” a imagem, enquanto aprecia seu passeio pelo circuito.

Postado Por:  Edersonbs

Midway’s 2010 Ferrari California

The latest in a long line of prestigious sports cars produced by the legendary Italian sports car manufacturer, Ferrari. The Ferrari California is without a doubt a one-of-a-kind machine. The 460 hp and 7 speed transmission will have you at the edge of your seat while either on business or pleasure in California. The best part is that these vehicles are scarce commonity but Midway Car Rental has them available throughout Southern California. So whether you’ll be in LA or San Diego, you’ll find a location that car have the car delivered to your door at the hotel or villa that you’re staying in.

Xế hộp mà tân binh của MU đặt mua được xem như món quà anh tự thưởng cho bản thân sau khi gia nhập đội bóng thành Manchester.

Mẫu xe Ferrari California mà Owen mua.

Ferrari California thuộc dòng xe thể thao mới nhất của hãng sản xuất nổi tiếng Italy. Nó mới được giới thiệu tại Paris Motor Show năm ngoái và có thời hạn bán đến năm 2012, với giá 170.000 bảng. Vận tốc tối đa mà siêu xe này đạt tới là 310 km/h.

“Owen muốn tự thưởng cho bản thân, sau khi được gia nhập MU”, một người bạn của anh tiết lộ.

Để dọn chỗ cho chiếc California, tiền đạo 29 tuổi quyết định bán con 599 GTB Fiorano F1 dù mới chạy được 16.000 km. Đây là chiếc Ferrari cùng dòng với siêu xe mà Cristiano Ronaldo “phá” trong vụ tai nạn gần sân bay Manchester hồi đầu năm.

Cựu tiền đạo của Liverpool và Real Madrid mới chuyển đến MU đầu hè năm nay. Anh hưởng mức lương tuần khoảng 50.000 bảng, kèm điều khoản phụ tùy vào khả năng đóng góp.

Hà Uyên tổng hợp

Bài viết liên quan

Bất ngờ “tân binh” Ferrari 458 Italia

MU “thiết đãi” khán giả Trung Quốc bằng “bữa tiệc” bàn thắng

Rộ tin đồn MU liên hệ mua Michael Owen

Man City giành được Santa Cruz

Nguồn: viencanh.com Michael Owen sắm siêu xe Ferrari

Ferrari Califórnia deixa Lamborguini e Camaro de coadjuvantes

Como se destacar no meio de Porshes, Camaros, Maseratis, Mustangs, Ferraris e até uma Lamborghini? Fácil, seja uma Califórnia. Ou melhor, seja o último brinquedo lançado por uma das mais cultuadas fabricantes de brinquedos do mundo.

A Ferrari Califórnia conseguiu atrair a atenção de todos (mortais, mecânicos, pilotos e donos de outros briquedos) que estavam no Autódromo de Interlagos. A babação foi tanta, que o dono do modelo teve que cercá-la com uma faixa para impedir o toque.

O carro é maravilhoso. Já tinha ouvido comentários de pessoas que a tinham visto e alguns não eram promissores. Diziam que ela era desproporcional. Que o capô avantajado destoava da traseira curta. Agora posso dizer: desproporcional é o ciúmes deles. A machina é perfeita, belíssima, uma obra de arte.

Se vocês não acreditam, ou duvidam do meu gosto  deem uma olhada na seção de fotos aqui do lado e confiram. Depois vocês me dizem.

Uppföljaren till min absoluta favorit-Ferrari har presenterats i bildform. Den heter Ferrari 458 Italia och presenteras på riktigt på Frankfurtsalongen i september. Men hur ser den ut!? Ahhh, jag är väldigt kluven måste jag säga. Första tanken var bara nej, nej, nej!! Men å andra sidan tänkte jag samma sak om Ferrari California som kom tidigare. Den har vuxit rejält hos mig. Kan även denna bil göra det?

Mycket möjligt, men jag måste nog ge den lite tid. Tror dock att jag fortfarande kommer hålla F430 absolut högst. Speciellt Scuderia-modellen.

Känns som att det är på tok för mycket linjer åt alla håll. Samt att strålkastarna är lite får högt uppdragna. Ferrari Enzo har aldrig varit någon favorit hos mig och den här tycker jag påminner lite för mycket om den. Mjaa, jag får nog återkomma när jag sett riktiga bilder på den.

Men! Den ser faktiskt bättre ut nu än för 10 minuter sen då jag fick syn på den. Kanske bådar gott.

Vad tycker ni?

When CarDomain was preparing to get our first test car last year, I remember all the editors had to fill out a bunch of paperwork and agree to have our driving records checked over. And since I’d gotten my first speeding ticket in almost ten years just days before I was handed the forms, I was a little nervous. But everything worked out, and while I’ve certanily had my share of uncomfortable conversations with Rob, I never had to call from jail or report that I’d gotten a tester impounded. Unfortunately, one journalist Down Under recently got a little carried away with Ferrari’s new California. He was popped for doing 142MPH, which resulted in the brand-new Cavallinio getting impounded. Good luck getting your hands on another tester buddy! More over at Jalopnik.

WA police impound $475k Ferrari California near Toodyay | PerthNow.