FIA in blown diffuser clampdown

Formula 1's competitive order at the front of the field could be thrown on its head in this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix with the FIA having made a major change to the exhaust blown diffuser regulations, AUTOSPORT has learned. With the design and execution of blown diffusers being viewed as a key area of the 2011 development race, teams have been pushing hard with their concepts to try and eek out any competitive advantage they can. One aspect that has been worked on a lot is in ensuring that a flow of exhaust gases keep pumping through the diffuser, to help increase downforce, even when the throttle is not in use

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/fia-in-blown-diffuser-clampdown/

Mike Hawthorn Boy Hayje Willi Heeks Nick Heidfeld Theo Helfrich

Stoner leaves action behind in France

Casey Stoner took his second win of 2011 in the French Grand Prix, but the action all took place in his wake as Marco Simoncelli was penalised for an incident that ended Dani Pedrosa's race, and Valentino Rossi took his first podium with Ducati in third behind Andrea Dovizioso. Stoner did not have an ideal start and was third into the first corner behind his fast-starting Honda team-mates Pedrosa and Dovizioso.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/motorcycles/motogp/stoner-leaves-action-behind-in-france/

James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears

2012 Chevrolet Cruze quietly gains 2 miles per gallon *UPDATE

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2011 Chevrolet Cruze RS - Click above for high-res image gallery

We're not entirely sure how they've done it, but those miserly engineers from General Motors have managed to eke out an additional two miles per gallon from the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze - at least in certain configurations.

According to the official Online Ordering Guide for the 2012 Cruze (via Cheers and Gears), GM's compact sedan, when equipped with the 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission, will be rated at 38 miles per gallon on the highway. We see no indication that there will be an improvement to the car's 24-mpg city rating. By way of comparison, the Eco model manages 42 mpg on the highway.

We're not sure how Chevrolet has managed to improve the highway fuel mileage of the Cruze for 2012, but then again, we're not complaining, either. Click here for the full spate of details of the 2012 Cruze. Thanks for the tip, Drew!

*UPDATE: Green Car Reports reports that the mileage increase was achieved by lowering the final-drive ratio to 3.53 from 3.87. We don't yet know what that means for acceleration or top speed.

2012 Chevrolet Cruze quietly gains 2 miles per gallon *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 May 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/17/2012-chevrolet-cruze-quitely-gains-2-miles-per-gallon/

Toyota Kimmy Z Line Designs Toyota Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota

Sutil to face criminal complaint

Force India driver Adrian Sutil is to face a criminal complaint for physical and grievous bodily harm from Eric Lux, CEO of Renault F1 team owners Genii Capital. The complaint relates to an incident that took place in a Shanghai nightclub on the night of this year's Chinese Grand Prix.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/formula-one-news/f1-formula-one-news/sutil-to-face-criminal-complaint/

Howden Ganley Frank Gardner Billy Garrett Jo Gartner Tony Gaze

Audi recaptures Zandvoort

AUDI Motorsport Ingolstadt/Zandvoort, May 15, 2011 - First DTM victory for Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller - Martin Tomczyk in year-old A4 on podium too - Five Audi racers on eight point-scoring positions A great motorsport weekend for Audi: A...

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2011/05/audi_recaptures_zandvoort.php

Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth

Cadillac ATS to show how much GM learned from the BMW 3 Series

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Cadillac ATS spy shots
Cadillac ATS spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors wants so badly for the upcoming Cadillac ATS to rock our worlds on all markets (i.e., not just in North America) that a source within the automaker has told us that the BMW 3 Series has been a prime focal point for benchmarking the Baby Caddy.

We always suspected this should happen, but then GM hasn't had much of a tradition of reacting quickly until recently. According to our source, teams at GM have basically stripped various 3 Series cars down to bare naked chassis bits and pieces, and fully intend on emulating an awful lot of what they see there, while, it can be assured, making it all correct for the Cadillac brand.

Sounds intensely good to us. Jeez, mega-millions for Bowling Green to hopefully try and finally keep Corvette interiors from smelling like toxic plastic in the hot summer sun, and now a smaller Cadillac that will actually drive and feel like the Standard of the World? Is it too good to be true?

Cadillac ATS to show how much GM learned from the BMW 3 Series originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/16/cadillac-ats-to-show-how-much-gm-learned-from-the-bmw-3-series/

Jerry Hoyt Nico Hülkenberg Denny Hulme James Hunt Jim Hurtubise

Neuville stretches Corsica lead

Thierry Neuville will start the final day of the Tour de Corse with a 23.4-second lead after a commanding Friday afternoon performance. Though the opening stage of the latest loop of three had to be abandoned following Ari Vatanen's accident in the course car, once the action resumed with the delayed SS7, Neuville stamped his authority with a pair of stage wins.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/3rdparty/neuville-stretches-corsica-lead/

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil

GM Adds Solar Array to Chevy Volt Assembly Plant

General Motors is adding a 264,000-square-foot solar array to its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, the facility where it assembles the Chevrolet Volt. While the move clearly showers the Volt?s assembly process with the same warm and fuzzy environmental consciousness exuded by the Volt itself, the solar array also makes keen financial sense, according to GM. Unlike [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/HZ3QKrfVP3A/

Kerry Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott