Sunday, March 28, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Lexus LFA to compete in the Nurburgring 24 Hours endurance race
For Nurburgring 24 Hours endurance race in May, Lexus is currently working on two LFA supercars that are set to participate in the races. Lexus aims to be considered as a prime challenger in the standard production car category. It should be noted that development versions of the LFA were previously raced in two outings in the event.
The Gazoo Racing team who prepared the two cars for the race claims that due to the car’s advanced, lightweight composite construction and 552bhp mid-mounted V10 engine, it will be able to sprint to 62 mph in only 3.7 seconds and hit a top speed of more than 200 mph.
Continued after the jump! Leading the team is Toyota master test driver Hiromu Naruse. The team members boast to having excellent GT and endurance racing experience.
There are four Japanese members in this team. First, there is Takayuki Kinoshita, a six-time winner of the Super Taikyu Endurance Series, and holds the distinction of having competed more often and having finished higher (fifth overall) at the Nurburgring 24 Hours than any other Japanese driver.
Akira Ida was overall winner of the Tokachi 24 Hours in 1995 and 2007, and both Juichi Wakisaka and Kazuya Oshima have consistent success in Japanese Super GT 500 and GT 300 competition. There are three German drivers: Armin Hahne, winner of the Spa 24 Hours in 1982 and 1983; Jochen Krumbach, who finished second overall in the 2008 Nurburgring 24 Hours; and Andre Lotterer, Super GT 500 champion in 2006 and 2008.
The Gazoo Racing team who prepared the two cars for the race claims that due to the car’s advanced, lightweight composite construction and 552bhp mid-mounted V10 engine, it will be able to sprint to 62 mph in only 3.7 seconds and hit a top speed of more than 200 mph.
Continued after the jump! Leading the team is Toyota master test driver Hiromu Naruse. The team members boast to having excellent GT and endurance racing experience.
There are four Japanese members in this team. First, there is Takayuki Kinoshita, a six-time winner of the Super Taikyu Endurance Series, and holds the distinction of having competed more often and having finished higher (fifth overall) at the Nurburgring 24 Hours than any other Japanese driver.
Akira Ida was overall winner of the Tokachi 24 Hours in 1995 and 2007, and both Juichi Wakisaka and Kazuya Oshima have consistent success in Japanese Super GT 500 and GT 300 competition. There are three German drivers: Armin Hahne, winner of the Spa 24 Hours in 1982 and 1983; Jochen Krumbach, who finished second overall in the 2008 Nurburgring 24 Hours; and Andre Lotterer, Super GT 500 champion in 2006 and 2008.
GM scrapped plan to reshape its Cadillac dealer network in the image of Lexus
To the sound of millions of General Motors Co. dealerships and customers breathing a sigh of relief, the carmaker has announced that it will no longer go through with a plan to cut the number of Cadillac franchises by two-thirds.
Previously, GM has said that it wanted to reshape its Cadillac dealer network similar to that of Lexus. This meant that from 1,422 dealerships on Jan. 1, 2009, there would only be about 500 left by the end of this year. This lean network would be similar to import luxury brands, which only require a few hundred dealerships that focus on coastal urban markets. Continued after the jump!
It’s becoming apparent that GM is reinstating dealerships to rebuild its small-town network. Automotive News interviewed several dealer representatives who said that 55 of their 75 clients that are to be reinstated are rejected Cadillac showrooms. A big number of those Cadillac dealerships are located in rural areas or small towns.
Ernie Manuel, president of the Fontana Group, a financial consulting firm for dealerships, believes that GM has realized that terminating these dealers would not lead to increased sales since many loyal Cadillac customers would be left orphaned. The 922 Cadillac franchises targeted for closure in the reorganization accounted for almost half of the 2,000 GM stores affected. Last year, GM planned to close 1,350 dealerships and another 650 franchises at dualed stores. Dealer lawyers and consultants said that since GM’s bankruptcy last June, the company has been pushing Cadillac sales in large metropolitan areas on the East and West coasts while closing dealerships in less populated regions.
BF Performance GT600 based on Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
The Swiss-tuning company BF Performance has come up with its own version of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4, which it claims to be “too innocent” and “neither dynamic nor individual enough.”
BF engineers are saying that its GT600 package offers just the solution. The performance of the car’s 5.2-liter V-10 engine is raised from the stock 575 hp to 600hp. In addition, torque figures increase from 398 lb-ft to 424 lb-ft. BF claims that the power boost, along with the weight reduction of 95 pounds, makes this car outclass the Murcielago LP670-4 around the Sachsenring track.
The GT600 is differentiated from other Gallardos due to a carbonfiber body kit that supposedly improves the car’s handling. Continued after the jump!BF designed for the body kit to have a new front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser, and rear wing to increase downforce. BF still didn’t think that this was enough and its engineers opted to include “scissor doors,” which are currently used only on the Murcièlago. BF also modified the car’s interior.
We see that sport bucket seats were added. BF also installed a steering wheel, door handles, air vents, instrument panel trim, and a center console made of carbonfiber. Owners can choose the color they want for the carbonfiber. For those who intend to use this car on the track, BF could also install five-point harnesses, a roll cage, and carbon-ceramic brakes. BF also intends to convert the car to rear-wheel drive, a feature only seen on the limited-edition Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni edition.
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