Cars and other kinds of motoring gibberish

No more "new car smell"!?!? That's about the only reason left to want to buy one: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2018/11/19/ford-new-car-smell-patent/2052967002/

New F1 season, same team wins, but with a different driver.

Bottas wins season opener in Australia


1st Valtteri Bottas Mercedes

2nd Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +20.886

3rd Max Verstappen Red Bull +22.520

4th Sebastian Vettel Ferrari +57.109

5th Charles Leclerc Ferrari +58.230

6th Kevin Magnussen Haas +1:27.156

7th Nico Hulkenberg Renault +1 LAP

8th Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo +1 LAP

9th Lance Stroll Racing Point +1 LAP

10th Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso +1 LAP

11th Pierre Gasly Red Bull +1 LAP

12th Lando Norris McLaren +1 LAP

13th Sergio Perez Racing Point +1 LAP

14th Alexander Albon Toro Rosso +1 LAP

15th Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo +1 LAP

16th George Russell Williams +2 LAPS

17th Robert Kubica Williams +3 LAPS

DNF Romain Grosjean Haas

DNF Daniel Ricciardo Renault

DNF Carlos Sainz McLaren

A Porsche tuner business in Japan: https://rwb.jp/

^ Just to even things out, there should be a Nissan Z tuner in Munich. :P

LeClerc has problems with his engine, er, um, no correct F1 term "power unit", Vettel spins when pressured by Lewis, and the same two at the top of the podium.

Hamilton wins in Bahrain


1st Lewis Hamilton Mercedes

2nd Valtteri Bottas Mercedes +2.980

3rd Charles Leclerc Ferrari +6.131

4th Max Verstappen Red Bull +6.408

5th Sebastian Vettel Ferrari +36.068

6th Lando Norris McLaren +45.754

7th Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo +47.470

8th Pierre Gasly Red Bull +58.094

9th Alex Albon Toro Rosso +1:02.697

10th Sergio Perez Racing Point +1:03.696

11th Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo +1 LAP

12th Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso +1 LAP

13th Kevin Magnussen Haas +1 LAP

14th Lance Stroll Racing Point +1 LAP

15th George Russell Williams +1 LAP

16th Robert Kubica Williams +2 LAPS

DNF Nico Hulkenberg Renault

DNF Daniel Ricciardo Renault

DNF Carlos Sainz McLaren

DNF Romain Grosjean Haas

If you're wondering why that truck looks a lot like an F-150, Ford is investing half a billion dollars in this company to help it get started. And $69,000 may seem like a lot for a truck, but that might be more than offset by being able to thumb your nose at every gas station as you drive by: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGB3wufxrj8&fbclid=IwAR29aaL5PPyQAO67T1FBZ0cwAMNmeXUNi7bbiSf3Z6F_vwEQVvrtxj3Ae9E

A new car coming from China in 2020, depending on how the trade war with China works out. I wonder how many people will call it the "Zotz" after the Tom Poston movie from the '60s: https://www.autonews.com/future-product/zotye-compact-crossover-coming-us?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&fbclid=IwAR0sogh-FcMWPSBJ9E1jRnOm6JBoubmn6_v-7YK_Rebw-Hq9POUd1Ud_-x8

One of the all time greats is gone, Niki Lauda passes away at 70: https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/niki-lauda-passes-away-aged-70/4392728/amp/?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR1lWI0zDzKEbgxWOdT3dwCMcP_NzdiUDfKT8YIv7KBZag67WMVg6Obb0rE

Okay, it's an obituary, but where else would you put it? Lee Iacoccoa passes away at 94: https://jalopnik.com/auto-industry-legend-lee-iacocca-dead-at-94-1836060734?utm_medium=sharefromsite&utm_source=jalopnik_copy&utm_campaign=top&fbclid=IwAR3pf43wf2DP-3mPDLh6v3bbi5pZY2FIyXi5FesPwBkwUUb1C3Gf_wnsJV0&/setsession

Coronavirus affecting auto racing as well: https://www.autoweek.com/racing/formula-1/amp31272761/spectators-will-not-be-allowed-at-f1-bahrain-grand-prix-because-of-coronavirus-f

Sir Stirling Moss passes away at 90: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/13/motorsport/stirling-moss-tribute-formula-1-spt-intl/index.html

I think somebody might be interested in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htNgmX0RQsI&t=13s

gaijinmark wrote:I think somebody might be interested in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htNgmX0RQsI&t=13s

:victory:

As the saying goes, you can't win if you don't enter: https://www.omaze.com/products/1974-bmw-2002-turbo

They may have new owners, but unless they can find another Patrick Head or Adrian Newey, I don't think it'll make much difference: https://www.autoweek.com/racing/formula-1/a33750608/new-york-investment-firm-dorilton-capital-buys-williams-f1-team/

The next generation Z:https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2020/09/15/the-twin-turbo-manual-transmission-nissan-z-protos-heralds-the-next-z-car?refer=news&ut

The video is over an hour long so if you plan on watching it, bring a lunch.

gaijinmark wrote:The next generation Z:https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2020/09/15/the-twin-turbo-manual-transmission-nissan-z-protos-heralds-the-next-z-car?refer=news&ut

The video is over an hour long so if you plan on watching it, bring a lunch.

What is it with today's cars and ginormous front grilles?? :bleh:

Well, that didn't last long. Honda says, "Sayonara": https://us.motorsport.com/f1/news/why-honda-is-leaving-formula-1/4885333/

Corona virus not impressed, even if you're a 7 time world champion: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/01/motorsport/lewis-hamilton-coronavirus-uk-gbr-spt-intl/index.html

shin2 wrote:
the question arises: Is it the driver or is it the car?

I think we now have a definitive answer. George Russell is sitting in for Lewis Hamilton this weekend, Hamilton out after testing positive for Covid. In 35 previous GPs with Williams, Russell has yet to score a single point, his best finishes being 11th twice. But now, in the Mercedes, to paraphrase Bob Uecker, "Look who's on the front row."

Sahkir GP Qualifying results:

1 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes

2 George Russell Mercedes 0.026s

3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda 0.056s

4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 0.236s

5 Sergio Perez Racing Point/Mercedes 0.413s

6 Daniil Kvyat AlphaTauri/Honda 0.529s

7 Daniel Ricciardo Renault 0.580s

8 Carlos Sainz Jr. McLaren/Renault 0.633s

9 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri/Honda 0.777s

10 Lance Stroll Racing Point/Mercedes 0.823s