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3 Ferraris to Debut at Goodwood

The Goodwood Festival of Speed was already packing a lot of heat, and the list of showcased performance vehicles just got longer with 3 Ferraris scheduled to make their UK debuts at the event. The Ferrari California, the limited-run Ferrari 430 Scuderia Spider 16M, and the Ferrari 599 GTB HGTE will all participate in the event due next weekend.

The Ferrari California 2-door convertible, which is the first Ferrari to mount a V8 at the front, serves as a preview. The car isn’t scheduled to start sales in the UK until 2011. Meanwhile, only 16 units of the Scuderia Spider 16M have been built as it commemorates the automaker’s 16th F1 constructor’s title.

The Ferrari 599 GTB HGTE, which stands for the Handling GT Evoluzione package, sports upgrades to the car’s handling and electronics on top of the 612-horsepower 2-door GT.

On top of the three debuts, Ferrari’s 2008 Formula 1 car will also be on hand at the show. The car will participate in a special demonstration with Marc Gene at the helm. There will also be an exhibition of privately-owned Ferraris that highlight the car’s rich racing history.

Joss Supercar to Take on Ferrari

Sorry if this comes out as Clarksonesque but Australian cars are not known to have the same shimmer of even some American badges and rivaling the pedigree of Italian exotica will remain a dream. That shouldn’t stop the Aussies from trying though. The Joss Supercar will be the first mid-engined sports car from down under.

Design by Matt Thomas, it was first shown in public five years ago. Thomas is now quite confident that the car will be good – good enough to compete with established automakers in the segment with names like Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini.

The car will be powered by a 500 bhp V8. Performance figures so far? 0-62 mph in 2.98 seconds (let’s call that a 3 shall we?) and a top speed of 211 mph. The car made its name after appearing in the popular racing game – Project Gotham Racing.

“We have been refining the mechanics of the business model and the car and are now satisfied that we have the right product and systems in place to move forward,” Thomas said. “This is now not just about producing an Australian first and world-class supercar, but ensuring the business is resourced adequately to meet pent-up production demand.”

Citroen DS4 MPV

The appeal of MPVs is primarily the practicality that it’s supposed to give. They should seat people comfortable, they should have enough cargo space, and they should be small enough to drive around city streets. These often come with certain drawbacks like compromises in design and performance.

Citroen unveils their latest offering in the DS range – the DS4. Citroen claims that it is a “radical” MPV inspired by the C-Sportlounge concept from back in 2005. The car will be based on the C4 platform but aside from the underpinnings, the body and exterior will be new.

The initial pics provide quite a good look at how the DS4’s styled and it does look quite promising for an MPV. It might actually be an MPV that even teens can drive. The DS4 is set for a 2011 launch.

The DS5 is also expected to be launched the same year as the DS4. The car draws from last year’s Hypnos concept The DS5, however, will drop the rear-hinged doors but will most likely to retain the diesel-electric powertrain.

BMW X1 Teaser Pictures Revealed

Oh boy. And here we are with more teasers. At least this one, it’s for the BMW X1 and they’re not as intricate as those videos from Bentley for the new Arnage or those from Jaguar for the XJ.

The X1 is the fourth model to be slot in BMW’s off-roader line-up behind the X6, X5 and X3. It is designed to take on the Ford Kuga and Volkswagen Tiguan in the CUV market.

The X1 will be closest to the X3 in terms of size (logical given the number designation) but will be 112 mm shorter, 64 mm narrower and 139 lower. Now this reduction in size especially the ride height makes you wonder how this car will be a suitable off-roader.

A concept version of the X1 was unveiled last year in the Paris Motor Show and the teased production version still looks the same as the concept. The X1’s underpinnings come from the BMW 3-series.

Source: Autocar

Marcus Gronholm Tests 780 BHP Fiesta

Finns do really have the best driving culture in the world if only for their driving tests and the number of motorsports champions they’ve produced. Marcus Gronholm’s one of them Finns, winning the WRC two times, first in 2000 and again in 2002.

Gronholm will be back behind the wheel again. He’s set to drive a 780 bhp Ford Fiesta at the Pikes Peak hill climb next month in the US. But before that, he had some test runs with the Olsberg Motor Sports Evolution team car.

“The car was quite good,” said Gronholm. “We have lots of power. It’s 800 horse power, which is very nice! But it’s not easy to get all of that power down, at the moment, it’s a bit like a switch, so we have some more work to do.”

At 780 bhp, the Fiesta will surely be a mad mean machine. The car will attempt to break the 10-minute mark up the 12.4-mile hill. If successful, Gronholm together with Andreas Eriksson (also in a Fiesta) will be the first ones to break the mark.

Fifth Gear Season 16 Episode 4

No matter what Fifth Gear claims their program to be, they’re not even a quarter the fun Top Gear is. However, I have to give it to them. They’re four times more sensible than Clarkson and the boys. More sensibility this episode? Tiff tests the new Aston Martin V12 Vantage, Jonny drives a Ghostbusters car, Tim explores the cheapest way of servicing your car, and Tom and Jonny tries making wheelie cars.

First up, a shootout between the Mini Cooper S and the Mazda MX-5. Jason pits the nimble soft-top Mini against the metal-roofed rear-wheel MX-5. Jason tries the Mini first and he observes the heaviness caused by chopping the roof off. Its quick lap time around the track: 45.3 seconds. As for the Mazda, Jason likes the lighter and nimbler feel of the Mazda. Its lap time: 45.9 seconds. Trumped by the Minis turbo.

Next up, Tim tries out self-servicing his car, comparing the cost of going to a self-service garage compared to bringing a car to a mechanic’s garage against the cost and clock. First he takes a car to a mechanic for a brake discs and pad change. Then Tim tries to do it his own. Mechanic: 1:20 (200 quid). Tim: 1:40 (130 quid)

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