Formula 1: Peace on Shaky Ground as Moseley Cries Foul

Max Mosely is apparently aghast that the Formula One Teams Association have made “deliberate attempts” to mislead people and the media concerning the terms of the agreement that was agreed upon in the last meeting with the FOTA, the FIA, and the World Motor Sport Council.

“I was astonished to learn that FOTA has been briefing the press that Mr Boeri has taken charge of Formula One, something which you know is completely untrue,” said Mosely, in a letter addressed to FOTA chairman Luca di Montezemolo. “That I had been forced out of office, also false; and, apparently, that I would have no role in the FIA after October, something which is plain nonsense, if only because of the FIA statutes.

“Given your and FOTA’s deliberate attempt to mislead the media, I now consider my options open. At least until October, I am president of the FIA with the full authority of that office. After that it is the FIA member clubs, not you or FOTA, who will decide on the future leadership of the FIA.”

Moseley asked for a retraction from FOTA prior to its June 25th press conference, but FOTA made no such retraction.

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