Tym Switzer 789-bhp Porsche 911 Turbo

I think Jeremy Clarkson’s ending segment in the last Top Gear episode bears quite a lot of truth. The Frankfurt Motor Show’s just around the corner and yet there aren’t too many announcements of new supercars compared to the buzz back in 2007.

With Porsche transitioning to be under VW, we might have to wait for any new 911s.

So it’s a good thing we have tuning companies to satisfy the general madness for more horsepower. Just check out this Porsche 911 Turbo tuned by Tym Switzer. It dishes out a biblical 789 bhp.

This was made possible by slapping on new intercoolers, remapping the ECU and bolting on a competition-style exhaust. Stock 911 Turbos only dish out 473 bhp so you’d know that what Tym came up with is really significant.

For good measure, the car sports a carbon clutch system and an electronic boost control. 0-60 mph comes in just under three seconds. If you fancy one, Tym Switzer already has the package available but prices haven’t been made available yet.

Formula 1: Teams Oppose Schumacher’s Testing

Michael Schumacher’s petition of trying out the F60 to prepare for Valencia will be denied, opposing teams say. This clearly shows that they will not be giving the seven-time champion (already a legend in his own right), any preferential treatment.

Schumacher still has to familiarize himself with the current car but FIA regulations state that circuit testing of current cars is not permitted. Eight teams of the FOTA are reported to be open to Schumacher’s testing but Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Williams said they would block any such attempt.

Ferrari’s petitions was addressed to the teams and the FIA. While Schumacher has remained as a consultant to Ferrari after his retirement, he hasn’t been active in team Scuderia and has yet to familiarize himself with the current car. He has just tested the controls via a simulator and settled for a 2007-spec car to go around the track.

“While we welcome Michael Schumacher back to Formula 1, the fact is that any form of in-season circuit testing is strictly prohibited, a regulation clearly laid out by the FIA and adhered to by all of the teams,” said team boss Frank Williams. Toro Rosso claims that they had a similar petition but was turned down so they will be opposing Ferrari’s move.

Audi R8 Spider Spied at Iron Man Set

There have been some spy shots of the Audi R8 convertible floating around the internet but all of them are just those of covered-up mules. Now we get a gratuitous (albeit blurry) shot of the car uncovered at the set of Iron Man 2.

You might remember Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr) driving an R8 in the previous movie. Now, Tony apparently purchased a soft-top version.

The Audi R8 Spider sports a traditional fabric roof instead of a detachable targa one to help keep weight down. The soft top can be stored away between the seat and the engine for easy storage and retrieval. Other cosmetic changes include the relocated fuel filler cap from the B-pillar to the rear quarter panel.

The rest of the car’s pretty much the same. The base Spider will pack the 4.2L V8 that dishes out 414 bhp and some engineering from Audi helped keep the 0-60 mph time and top speed (4 secs, 180 mph respectively). Convertibles usually add more weight due to increased supports to compensate for the roofless structure.

The Audi R8 Spider’s price expected to be at around $175,000.

Formula 1: Schumacher Gets Around Test Ban

Michael Schumacher does need to condition himself to live going at 200 mph again. Too bad for him, the FIA doesn’t allow testing using current cars this late into the season but wily Ferrari and Schumi found a way to get around the ban – to drive an old car.

Schumi will be replacing Felipe Massa for the rest of the season. Massa suffered a skull fracture from a freak accident in the last Hungarian Grand Prix. The injury put an end to Massa’s season and quite possibly, even his career.

The Valencia race will see Schumi back inside a Ferrari cockpit. At 40, the seven-time world champion thinks he still has it in him to win races.

Since he can’t drive the current the current car, he has to resort to using a simulator to learn the controls of the new car. For actual practice, he got his hands on a F2007. He’s just looking at more time inside an F1 car as much as possible before Valencia.

“Although those cars are not current or last year’s ones, I simply like to drive as much as possible, so this is a good option. The next weeks will be totally on preparation then,” Schumacher said.

Top Gear Season 13 Episode 7

The last episode of the series, everyone! (Aaaaw…) We better savor this Top Gear goodness while it lasts (for an hour). In this show (in the words of Clarkson) – Richard has a crisis, some sheep on the track, and Jezza and James go to the lavatory. What those actually mean all in this episode’s recap.

First up, some sensible consumer advise on large, fast, and spacious luxury saloon car. Richard takes on the task of finding out what’s bad and good with these cars. The segment opens with a shot of Richard in an Audi S4 where he talks about how luxury saloons have devolved to being businessmen’s uniforms and how BMW, Merc, and Audi have all gone the same route.

But Richard offers an alterantive – the Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst. The car packs a supercharged 6.2L V8 that features a “bi-modal” button that makes the exhaust roar louder. 0-60 takes 4.6 seconds with a limited top speed 155 mph. Well sure the other saloons can do the same, but followers of Vauxhall features on Top Gear knows that the VXR is one hell of a powersliding machine. And it still does with the Bathurst.

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Formula 1: Teams Sign Agreement to Compete Until 2012

Looks like the Formula One championship will be intact until 2012 and the FIA can breathe a sigh of relief. All but one of the current and new teams have signed an agreement indicating that they will be competing until 2012.

Disagreements with the budget cap drew the ire for teams under FOTA and threatened that they will be forming a breakaway championship come next year. A compromise has been reached between teams and the FIA regarding the budget.

Teams will be seeing budget cuts but they will be under the teams’ terms unlike Max Mosley’s initial proposal of a £40 million annual budget cap.

Of the 12 teams, only BMW Sauber has not signed the agreement yet. The team has initially stated that they will be pulling out of the championship come the season’s end. They have until Wednesday to sign the agreement.