Ferrari's New F1 Driver Kimi Raikkonen Interview

Ferrari's New F1 Driver Kimi Raikkonen Interview

Kimi Raikkonen's return to Ferrari is going better than expected based on the team's early experiences with him, claims its president Luca di Montezemolo. Although the Italian team and the Finn parted ways in difficult circumstances at the end of the 2009 Formula 1 season, they put their issues behind them earlier this year after agreeing a deal to reunite from next season. Di Montezemolo has been impressed with Raikkonen's attitude and expects the Finn will deliver a big boost to Fernando Alonso too. "Kimi has been better than what I expected," said di Montezemolo during a lunch with media at Ferrari's Fiorano test track. "He has been welcomed by the fans all over the world, he is far more popular with the fans, and that is important inside the team."

What Raikkonen has to do to succeed at Ferrari - Di Montezemolo has no concerns that the partnership will create any political tensions - and thinks that ultimately Alonso stands to benefit from Raikkonen's support. "What about [the comments that] putting them together - Alonso and Raikkonen - could be dangerous?" said di Montezemolo. "In F1 I accept the attitude to equalise everything, sometimes too much, but everything provides potential dangers. "I think Fernando knows that he drives not for himself but for Ferrari, and Raikkonen knows that he is in the second half of his career, and [there are] two very important years for him in front. Experience, responsibilities." The president expects Raikkonen to make a bigger difference to Ferrari's title prospects than predecessor Felipe Massa was able to in recent years. "I think that the main reason why I am positive is because Kimi in particular in the races is very strong, so will be in condition to get points off even some of Fernando's competitors to get points for the team.

"And he is a very correct guy. Since he has been with us we have not got even one moment of problems. Luca di Montezemolo - "They are responsible and I think the presence of Kimi will be extremely important and useful to not leave Fernando alone at the front of the grid to fight from the first lap to the end. Ferrari F1 Driver Kimi Raikkonen Interview Crash Test Ferrari Lamborghini Future Jaguar Drifting North American International Auto Show FT-1 Concept Car Cars Detroit Auto Show test drive premiere 2015 racing driving engine startup exhaust motor trend car and driver autoblog youtube New Race Burnout Mercedes-Benz 2014 Great Britain Hybrid energy efficient Ferrari F1 Driver Kimi Raikkonen Interview.

"[Stefano] Domenicali has spoken very clear to both of them, and they have the honour and the responsibility to drive for Ferrari. "Every driver while I have been here knows that he has to drive not for himself but for the team. "If some driver wants to drive for himself there are many possibilities, they can do their own team, they can go in a different team, but in Ferrari these are the rules - and that is very clear." Read more http://www.autosport.com/news/report....

Black 2014 Mercedes Benz E550 Coupe Cabriolet Convertible Luxury Car Driving

Black 2014 Mercedes Benz E550 Coupe Cabriolet Convertible Luxury Car Driving

The S-Class is the profit-per-unit world champion, Mercedes' stalwart E-Class is still the company's most reliable producer of profits. The latter tends to represent the model that most humans on Earth think of when they think of Mercedes-Benz. The taxi version of the E-Class sedan used in Europe and elsewhere is the usual reason given for this familiarity we all have with the E, but c'mon, it also happens to be a pretty stunning piece of work in its market segment. Today we're trying the upgraded and massaged fourth-generationMercedes E-Class Coupe (known internally as C207). Specifically we're driving the 329-horsepower E400 coupe that arrives in the US next summer (2014) to eventually replace -- in all body variants -- the current V8-powered E550. Starting price for a base E350 coupe should scare up $51,500 when it arrives a little later this year, while this E400 two-door will hit US soil at around $56,000 as a futuristic-sounding 2015 model.

BMW has found the cheap way to "expand" its product lineup by now calling its 3 Series coupe and convertible the 4 Series. Mercedes, meanwhile, put big development cash into the new W212 E-Class sedan and its wagon variant back in 2010, then took the smaller W204 C-Class-based coupe and cabriolet -- formerly called the CLK-Class -- and made them higher priced E-Class variants. Even now, as the recently tested midlife E-Class sedan changes pretty significantly, the coupe seen here and its cabrio sibling remain substantially similar to their 2010 counterparts. We've always found this product strategy a little fishy, and that definitely isn't going away with this midcycle updo. If we're paying for and expecting an E-Class, we'd sort of like to have an E-Class chassis, not a two-generations-old C-Class chassis. This, however, can get into a-little-too-picky territory, because the E-Class coupe and cabrio are swell machines that don't really offend a soul among their clientele as they drive along on the elder C-Class architecture. What helped make things even better for us here is that our E400 coupe test car was dressed in AMG Sport guise -- one fine trim for those who crave a lifestyle car like this. Also fitted were the optional, 19-inch, seven twin-spoke, AMG wheels and accompanying Continental ContiSportContact3 tires -- 235/35 ZR19 front, 255/30 ZR19 rear.

Up until now, the E-Class Coupe in America has not come with the availability of these 19s, nor with a formal AMG Sport package. At least for the E400 setup this will change, as it will eventually be the range-topper from sometime in 2015 onward after the 550 is sent on permanent vacation. (The new E-Class Coupe in Germany? Nine engine trims and eleven choices of alloy wheel design, three of which are 19-inch.) The new bi-turbo V6 is the really big story here, however. It's not just the engine's 329 horsepower at 5,500 rpm, but the bundle of 354 pound-feet of torque that is on full tilt between just 1,400 rpm and 4,000 rpm. As opposed to the E400 sedan we tested earlier this year, this coupe weighs 132 pounds less, has seven inches less length to deal with, a 4.5-inch shorter wheelbase, is almost three inches skinnier and is two inches lower in overall height.

Think of something close to an Infiniti G37coupe and you're not far off. Plus, there are the added benefits of the AMG Sport pack and E-S-M mode Dynamic Handling select button for the 7G-Tronic Plus automatic gearbox, said button also altering the throttle response and standard sport exhaust of the AMG trimmings. Though the roads we were on between "test drive" "world premiere" 2014 2013 2015 racing driving engine burnout f1 supercar sporscar startup "exhaust system" "motor trend" "car and driver" "autoblog" New Race Burnout Mercedes-Benz Lamborghini Ferrari Bugatti "Great Britain" UK "United States" America USA Hybrid "energy efficient" "electric car" "crash test""extremely fast" "fastest car" most expensive car" top review "in detail" dummy iihs "iihs crash test" "test results" exhaust sound startup "auto show" "motor show" nfs "need for speed" "top gear" 0-60 V8 V12 horsepower torque rpm sedan "2014 Mercedes Benz E550 Coupe" "2014 Mercedes Benz E550 Review" "2014 Mercedes Benz E550" "2014 Mercedes Benz E550 acceleration" "2014 Mercedes Benz E550 AMG"Hamburg in Germany and the Danish countryside were far less than challenging for this chic setup, the nimbleness gained by the coupe's tighter packaging was occasionally felt. The standard Agility Control adaptive dampers are good tech made even better by the optional sport calibration you can order. At this slightly smaller CLK-Class dimension, the coupe provided solid overall handling as we played with the feel of the electromechanical  Direct Steer.

EXTREMELY FAST SPORTS CAR 2014 Corvette Stingray Review 455HP 0-60 3.8 seconds TEST DRIVE

EXTREMELY FAST SPORTS CAR 2014 Corvette Stingray Review
455HP and 0-60 3.8 seconds TEST DRIVE

The Corvette, America's seminal sports car, turned 60 this year. After consistently expanding the performance and handling envelope of the sixth-generation 'Vette with standout variants such as the Z06 and ZR1, Chevrolet had likely reached the limits of that platform. Enter the Corvette Stingray, which literally stole the show at the Detroit Auto Show last January, headlining the seventh generation of General Motors' perennial halo car. This spectacular entrance was followed, shortly after, by the unveiling of the Stingray convertible at the Geneva Motor Show. The name Stingray has been given to very few production versions of the Corvette and was originally written as two words for the now legendary 1963 "split window" coupe.

The new Stingray coupe will be available first, in the last days of summer 2013. It is a Targa-type design with a carbon-fiber roof panel that can be securely stored in the rear cargo bay. Yet the new seventh-generation Corvette — aka the C7 — was designed from the start as a convertible. This variant will be available at the end of the year, with a new canvas top that can be opened or closed in about 20 seconds at speeds of up to 30 mph, or with the key fob while parked. Both versions share a new aluminum chassis that is 57 percent stiffer than the outgoing Z06 Corvette's, yet almost 100 pounds lighter. For the first time, the frame will be fabricated on site at the Corvette's dedicated plant in Bowling Green, Ky. The new Corvette is 2.3 inches longer and 1.3 inches wider. Its wheelbase has grown a full inch, and its front and rear wheel tracks are wider by 0.9 and 1.0 inch. But it is also half an inch lower — your eyes will make you swear it's smaller.

The Stingray feels smaller at all times from the driver's seat, due to smart touches such as a new steering wheel that is slightly smaller in diameter. In spite of the standard carbon-fiber hood and roof, stiff magnesium seat frames and systematic use of lightweight materials, this slightly larger Corvette is about 90 pounds heavier than its predecessor. That said, it is both quicker and more fuel-efficient. In addition to expected creature comforts, the standard kit includes a new 5-mode drive program selector with 12 variables, a new 7-speed manual gearbox with a clever rev-matching mode, full steering-wheel power adjustments, two 8-inch control and infotainment screens, keyless start, a 9-speaker Bose audio system with satellite radio and Bluetooth connectivity with multiple media connectors.

Optional packages can add a navigation system and plenty of additional luxury trim and comfort items, but the clincher is the Z51 performance package — an absolute steal at $2,800. To the engine, it adds dry-sump lubrication for safer high-load cornering and a "test drive" "world premiere" 2014 2013 2015 racing driving engine burnout f1 supercar sporscar startup "exhaust system" "motor trend" "car and driver" "autoblog" New Race Burnout Mercedes-Benz Lamborghini Ferrari Bugatti "Great Britain" UK "United States" America USA Hybrid "energy efficient" "electric car" "crash test""extremely fast" "fastest car" most expensive car" top review "in detail" dummy iihs "iihs crash test" "test results" exhaust sound startup "auto show" "motor show" nfs "need for speed" "top gear" 0-60 V8 V12 horsepower torque rpm coupe "2014 corvette stingray" "2014 Corvette Stingray Review" "2014 Corvette Stingray test drive" less-restrictive variable exhaust system that adds a touch more horsepower and torque.

You also get larger wheels, stickier tires, larger and tougher brakes, bigger shocks with special tuning, and a new electronic limited-slip differential with specific cooling. The engine remains an overhead-valve unit with an aluminum block and heads, but it is essentially all new, save for a couple of bolts or screws. Now with direct injection, continuously variable valve timing and a host of leading-edge technologies, the 6.2-liter LT1 V8 develops 455 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 460 lb-ft of torque at 4600 rpm — numbers that go to 460 horsepower and 465 lb-ft with the Z51 package. The standard gearbox is a new 7-speed manual with a clever rev-matching mode you turn on or off with steering-mounted paddles that are also used for the optional 6-speed automatic's manual mode. The first three gears of the manual are shorter for stronger initial acceleration. Chevrolet claims a scorching zero-to-60-mph time of 3.8 seconds for the Stingray.