Friday, February 24, 2012
Schumacher: W03 showing good signs
Michael Schumacher believes it is too soon to know whether the new Mercedes W03 can be a winner but says that it did give him the right messages when he shook it down for the first time at Silverstone last week. Mercedes unveiled its 2012 challenger at Barcelona on Tuesday morning, having completed a private test with it at the circuit on Sunday. And Schumacher says he can't wait to get a better picture of its true potential this week.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
New Honda gets maiden test run
Honda's new Civic British Touring Car hit the track for the first time at Brands Hatch on Tuesday. Defending champion Matt Neal, who will again be partnered at the Team Dynamics-run Honda Racing squad by Gordon Shedden this year, completed around 50 laps of the Indy circuit in the NGTC-spec machine, which is, like its predecessor, powered by a Neil Brown-prepared turbo engine. Team principal Steve Neal told AUTOSPORT: "It was more of a shakedown than a proper test.
Virginia Commonwealth University Ford Brian Scott BigSpot com Toyota
Hulkenberg encouraged by early form
Nico Hulkenberg says the adaptability of Force India's VJM05 added to his feeling of optimism after topping the timesheets following the second day of pre-season testing in Barcelona. The German ran at the sharp end of the field throughout the day, before establishing himself at the front after changing to Pirelli's super soft compound in the final stages of the morning running. While Hulkenberg admits he was pleased to register a good time, he said he was also encouraged by the VJM05's baseline set-up and its resulting ability to adapt to different compounds.
2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0 Hatch CVT Tested: Trading Performance for EPA-Rated Efficiency
In the sea of economy cars, the 2012 Subaru Impreza swims among some fairly appetizing competition. The new Impreza?s styling alone helps it better stand out among big fish?such as the Ford Focus, the Volkswagen Golf, and the Honda Civic?than did its predecessor. But the previous car?s biggest handicap against its competition wasn?t its looks, [...]
Report: Why the Fiat 500 isn't the flop it's being made out to be
The poor Fiat 500. The adorable three-door hasn't exactly been the resounding success Fiat had hoped, missing sales projections by a wide margin. As you may recall, the company managed to sell just 17,945 units between March and December of 2011. That's a far cry from 50,000 units annually the company projected before the 500 landed in dealerships. But, according to Polk, things may not be as bad as they seem. While it's true that the 500 managed to pull down just four percent of the subcompact car segment, the results look a bit rosier when you compare the 500 to other three-door B-segment offerings.
In that admittedly small group, the 500 did quite well, pulling down 27 percent of all sales and landing in second place behind the Mini Cooper. The plucky Italian even manged to best the Hyundai Accent and Toyota Yaris. Still, as Polk points out, that's a good portion of a very small corner of the total subcompact segment, and an even thinner slice of the American car market.
The upcoming five-door 500 will likely give Fiat an extra edge, though whether the vehicle helps the automaker crest its 50,000 unit goal remains to be seen.
Why the Fiat 500 isn't the flop it's being made out to be originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsEric McClure, No. 14 Hefty� / Reynolds Wrap� Toyota Camry Daytona Preview
No. 14 Hefty� / Reynolds? Toyota CamryEric McClure No. 14 Hefty� / Reynolds Wrap� Toyota Camry Event / Date: DRIVE4COPD300 Saturday, February 25, 2012 Venue: Daytona International Speedway Race Notes and Quotes This Week?s Hefty� Reynolds Wrap� Camry at Daytona Int?l Speedway? Eric McClure will race chassis no. 5 from the TriStar Motorsports stable in...more»
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)