International Engine of the Year Awards 2012

SOURCE: CLICK ME!

What a year it has been for Ford and its outstanding three-cylinder turbo engine. The Blue Oval finally broke its International Engine of the Year Awards jinx by collecting best New Engine and the Sub 1-litre Engine awards, but now the diminutive 999cc unit has gone one better and made it a treble by taking top spot in the race to be crowned the overall International Engine of the Year 2012.

Ford’s victory means that for the second consecutive year, a new name has been added to the International Engine of the Year Awards hall of fame, with Ford joining last year’s first-time winner Fiat, and previous victors Volkswagen, BMW, Toyota, Mazda and Honda.

Ford’s stunning success also means that since 2009, the overall winner has had a displacement of less than 1.4 litres - and in the past two years alone, the engine size of the winning International Engine of the Year Award has been below 1 litre - proof that downsizing is here to stay.

But Ford’s task in taking top spot was not easy. To qualify, it first had to beat last year’s champion - Fiat’s two-cylinder TwinAir - in the Sub 1-litre category.

And then, to take the overall title, it faced competition from GM’s range-extender powertrain and last year’s runner-up, Volkswagen’s ever-successful 1.4-litre TSI engine.

In the end, a crushing points victory among the European judges laid the foundation for its triumph in the overall International Engine of the Year Awards voting. Then, a solid endorsement from judges all around the world enabled the Ford to ease to first place, achieving a record tally of 401 points.

“This is a fitting victory for a truly remarkable engine,” said Dean Slavnich, co-chairman of the International Engine of the Year Awards and editor of Engine Technology International magazine. “For a three-cylinder to power a vehicle like the Ford Focus with such ease proves that the future is very, very bright for the IC engine. Power, response and very good real-world fuel consumption figures are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this engine and what it offers drivers today. Well done Ford!”

"InTERNATIONAL ENGINE OF THE YEAR WINNER", "NEW ENGINE winner" and "SUB-1.0cc winner": Ford 999cc 3 cyl turbo ECOBOOST

TECH SPEC.

Ford:
Displacement: 999cc
Number of cylinders: Three
Bore x stroke: 71.9mm x 82mm
Power Output: 123bhp
Compression ratio: 10:1

RESULTS

(Engine)	(points)
1. Ford 999cc three-cylinder turbo (Ford Focus)	401
2. Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger (VW Polo, Beetle, Golf, Golf Plus, Golf Cabriolet, Scirocco, Eos, Jetta, Tiguan, Sharan, Touran/Cross Touran, Passat CNG, Touran/Cross Touran CNG, Audi A1, Audi A3, Seat Ibiza FR, Alhambra, Cupra, Škoda Fabia RS)	288
3. Ferrari 4.5-litre V8 (Ferrari 458 Italia, 458 Spider)	224
4. GM 1.4-litre range extender (Chevrolet Volt, Opel Ampera)	212
5. BMW 2-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder petrol (BMW 125i, 320i, 328i, 520i, 528i, Z4 20i, Z4 sDrive 28i, X1 20i, X3 20i, X1 28i)	199
6. BMW/PSA 1.6-litre turbo petrol (Mini Cooper S, Clubman Cooper S, Countryman Cooper S, Coupe/Roadster Cooper S, Mini Cooper Works, Clubman Cooper Works, Coupe/Roadster Cooper Works, Peugeot 207, 207cc, 208, 308, 308cc, 3008, 508, 5008, 308 GTI, RCZ, Citroën DS3, C4 Picasso/Grand Picasso, C5, DS5, DS5, DS3 Racing, DS4, DS4 Racing)	162
7. BMW 3–litre turo six –cylinder gasoline (BMW 1 Series, M Coupé, 335is, Z4 35is)	160
8. BMW M 4–litre V8 (BMW M3 Coup&, M3 Convertible)	128
9. Audi 2.5–litre five–cylinder turbo (Audi TT RS, RS3 Sportback)	126

CATEGORIES WINNER:

1) International Engine of the Year,

1a) New Engine and 

1b) Sub 1.0 engine winner:
Ford 999cc 3 cyl turbo (Ford Focus)

2) Green Engine: Chevrolet Volt / Vauxhall Ampera 1.4 range extender

3) Performance Engine and Above 4.0 winner: Ferrari 458

4) 1.0 to 1.4: VW 1.4TSI Twincharger

5) 1.4 to 1.8: BMW/PSA 1.6 Turbo Petrol 

6) 1.8 to 2.0: BMW 2.0 twin turbo, 4 cyl petrol

7) 2.0 to 2.5: Audi 2.5L 5 cyl turbo (Audi TTRS, RS3 Sportsback)

8) 2.5 to 3.0: BMW 3-litre turbo in-line 6 cyl petrol

9) 3.0 to 4.0: BMW M 4L V8 (BMW M3)

Ferrari 599 GTO Crashes into Taxi and Motorcycle in Singapore, Claiming Three Lives

Car Crash: Three Killed in Singapore Ferrari 599 GTO Wreck

BY LAWRENCE ON MAY 13, 2012.

SOURCE: CLICK ME!

News is filtering through of an accident involving a Ferrari 599 GTO that happened yesterday morning in Singapore. Three were killed and two others were injured when the Ferrari ran red light, struck a cab which then hit a motorbike. The accident happened at 4:15 AM on Saturday night near Bugis Junction.

The driver of the Ferrari, Ma Chi, a 31-year-old Chinese businessman died at the scene of the accident. Reports indicate that a 20-year-old Japanese tourist, passenger in the cab, died later of head injuries while the 51-year-old taxi driver, Cheng Teck Hock, died earlier today in hospital. The passenger in the Ferrari, a 20-year-old female, suffered head injuries while the motorbike rider was treated, a Malaysian man, suffered from spinal injuries.

Various pictures have been posted from the scene of the accident. Perhaps the most harrowing of all is a GIF image reportedly taken at the moment the accident happened. You can see that here, however, we must warn you it is graphic.

The story does not end here though, according to Temasektimes, witnesses report seeing a man stealing money from the taxi passenger. A Mr Lim told a Chinese Tabloid:

I saw a Chinese man in his 30s standing besides the woman who was still conscious and crying for help. There were six fifty dollars scattered on the ground near the woman. The man picked them up and walked away briskly.

Thanks to Alex for the tip and Jalopnik for the video.

Update:

The following video is graphic…

[Pictures via AsiaOne]

ALSO READ:  

Taxi driver in Bugis crash was family's sole breadwinner

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_798699.html

Ferrari to use full name of new car

Ferrari to use full name of new car

Ferrari unveiled the car last month under the full name "Ferrari F150th Italia," reflecting Italy’s celebration in 2011 of the 150th anniversary of the nation’s unification.

Ford sued Ferrari in Detroit federal court, contending the Italian racing carmaker had violated its trademark over the pickup truck name F-150.

Ferrari says it hasn’t used the abbreviated F150 name commercially.

It said it failed to see the logic in Ford's viewpoint.

“Ferrari believes that its own contender in the forthcoming F1 championship cannot be confused with other types of commercially available vehicle of any sort whatsoever, nor can it give the impression that there is a link to another brand of road-going vehicle," it said in a statement.

"Despite this and to further prove it is acting in good faith...Ferrari has decided to ensure that in all areas of operation, the abbreviated version will be replaced at all times with the full version, Ferrari F150th Italia."

The F1 season starts March 13 at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

 -AP

Ford sues Ferrari for using F-150 name on race car

DETROIT (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co (F.N) sued luxury automaker Ferrari on Wednesday for trademark infringement after Ferrari named its 2011 Formula 1 racing car the "F150."

Ferrari's F150 logo bears striking resemblance to the one on Ford's F-150 pickup truck, the top-selling vehicle in the United States, Ford said in a complaint filed in federal court.

"Ferrari has misappropriated the F-150 trademark in naming its new racing vehicle the 'F150' in order to capitalize on and profit from the substantial goodwill that Ford has developed in the F-150 trademark," Ford said in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit.

Ford is asking the court to bar Ferrari from using the name. The automaker is also seeking unspecified damages, including damages of $100,000 under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act.
Fiat SpA (FIA.MI) has an 85 percent stake in Ferrari, and management control of Chrysler Group LLC, in which it has a 25 percent stake.

Ford and Ferrari could not be immediately reached for comment. According to the complaint, the two automakers have a "legendary history as rivals in auto racing."

Ferrari set up a website -- www.ferrarif150.com -- to promote the racing vehicle.

"The choice of name stems from Ferrari's desire to pay tribute to this year's one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the unification of Italy," Ferrari said, according to a January 25 press release posted on www.ferrarif150.com.

(Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)

WHATCAR?: CAR OF THE YEAR 2011!

 INTRODUCTION:
http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/what-car-car-of-the-year-awards-2011/254786

Your new car search starts here…

Welcome to the 2011 What Car? Awards – the 34th annual car Oscars celebrating the very best cars you can buy across 17 categories.

I can’t remember a more exciting year of car launches, with every car maker fighting harder than ever for your attention with loads of brilliant new models. There’s more choice, for sure, but there’s also more quality, more value and more fun to be had from your next new car.

What Car?’s tests have always been the most thorough out there, and we’re constantly tweaking our assessments, taking your needs and expectations into account.

So, after hundreds of thousands of miles of testing and analysis, we’re confident that the winners you’ll read about over the following webpages will put a smile on your face now and for many years to come.

Steve Fowler What Car? editor-in-chief
steve.fowler@whatcar.com

Without further ado, here are the Roll of honour:

AND THE OVERALL WINNER IS:


Where do you go when you need a city that can provide 16 different, but equally stunning backdrops? Liverpool.

The European Capital of Culture 2008
Liverpool was the perfect venue for our Car of the Year photography. It’s modern and cosmopolitan, yet steeped in history.

Wherever I took my camera there was a fantastic atmosphere – helped no end by the can-do attitude of so many of the locals.

My thanks to them, and I hope everyone enjoys the pictures.John Bradshaw

John Bradshaw Chief Photographer
John.Bradshaw@whatcar.com



END OF SOURCE...

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry. 

AP: Ferrari drivers: Cars have become too complicated

Associated Press (AP): Sunday, January 16, 2011 3:21 PM

Ferrari drivers: Cars have become too complicated

MADONNA DI CAMPIGLIO (Italy): Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa are worried they'll have too many buttons to press on their steering wheels following the latest Formula One rule changes.

Speaking at Ferrari's annual winter retreat in the Italian Dolomites last week, the drivers addressed the admission of adjustable rear wings, the return of the KERS power boost system, plus the switch to Pirelli tyres for this season, all combined with extensive testing limits.

"Without realising it, we're losing the focus on driving," Alonso said, adding that "the cars become tougher to drive when you have to make all these changes from one turn to the next."

Alonso (centre), Ducati Moto GP rider Valentino Rossi of Italy (left) and Massa (right) driving their karts during a race on an ice track in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, on Friday. The Ducati and the Ferrari teams are jointly meeting the media in this mountain resort of the Dolomites. - AP

The rear wings are perhaps the biggest novelty. While designed to facilitate more passing and appease fans, nobody is quite sure what effect they will have.

Drivers will be able to adjust the wings from the cockpit once they are two laps into a race, but the system's availability will be electronically controlled and it will only be activated when a driver is less than one second behind another at predetermined points on the track, then deactivated once the driver brakes.

"If you make the wrong choice and you have three cars behind you, you could fall from first to fourth in an instant," Massa said.

"We have so many things to do on the steering wheel but we still need to drive the car. We can do it, but from a driver's point of view it's not fantastic. On every (turn) there are three or four buttons to press. It's definitely a little too much."

The switch from Bridgestone to Pirelli as the sole tyre supplier could represent an even larger challenge.

"The tyres are essentially the biggest change for 2011 because that alters our style of driving," Alonso said.

"Everyone has the same brand so people talk about it less, but you have to adapt very quickly. Teams will have to resolve problems by the second or third race."

Alonso - AP

If it doesn't rain during one of the 15 days of preseason testing in Spain next month, teams could enter the third race of the season in Malaysia using untested wet tires.

The season opens with the Bahrain Grand Prix March 13, followed by the Australian GP in Melbourne - races generally marked by good weather - whereas it usually rains in Kuala Lumpur.

"Entering a Grand Prix with completely unknown tires would be very difficult for the teams," Alonso said.

Alonso entered the final race last season leading the standings only to lose the title to Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel after a series of strategic errors by Ferrari.

While nearly all Ferrari officials have acknowledged that the Red Bull cars were the fastest last season, Alonso surprisingly named Michael Schumacher as his most "dangerous" rival for 2011.

Having won five titles with Ferrari, Schumacher came out of retirement last season but struggled to a ninth-place finish with Mercedes.

"With five world champions on the track next season, if you ask me one name in January I've got to say Michael because he's a seven-time world champion and he's got nothing to prove," Alonso said.

"It was a difficult season for him in 2010 with new cars, a new style of driving and everything completely new in F1. But he's still a champion and if the car is right he will be the contender that we will fear."

Alonso also said he expected a tough challenge from Red Bull and McLaren.

"But hopefully our car will be fastest and my toughest rival is Felipe," he added.

"That would be very welcome news for us."

However, Massa struggled last season and is yet to prove he has regained his edge after a life-threatening accident at the Hungarian GP in 2009.

The Brazilian hasn't won a race the last two years after missing out on the 2008 title by one point to McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and there is speculation this could be his last season with Ferrari if he doesn't improve.

"You can feel the (pressure)," Massa said.

"But the most important thing is the pressure I put on myself. I know I can do a great job and if I drive the car like I want I will be there."
 -AP

Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi!

Updated: Tuesday October 26, 2010 MYT 2:36:23 PM

Ferrari World to open in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates: There are plenty of theme parks that take their inspiration from cartoon characters, superheroes and even horror movies.

But not until this month has there been one dedicated to a sports car manufacturer. The iconic Ferrari brand is first off the grid.

With a 200,000-square-meter (2.1-million-sq. feet) roof painted Ferrari red and a roller coaster that will be the world’s fastest at 240 kph (149 mph), Ferrari World is aiming to woo Formula One fans and their amusement park-loving families when it opens Oct. 27.

In this artist rendering released by Ferrari World, managed by Farah Leisure 

Parks Management, an overview of The Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Theme Park in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/ Ferrari World)

 

It will be just down the road from the Yas Marina Circuit which hosts the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November in the United Arab Emirates capital.

The park will also feature a tower ride that shoots riders 62 meters (203 feet) in the air with G-forces that a race driver might feel, the largest collection of classic and modern Ferrari race cars outside of the company’s Maranello, Italy, headquarters as well as an Italian restaurant inspired by Mamma Rossella, which is a favorite haunt of Ferrari drivers when they are in Italy.

Visitors can stroll through a Ferrari paddock, handle tools used during races and train to be part of a pit crew which changes the tires on an F1 car.

“It brings motor racing. It brings together beautiful GT cars. It brings nostalgia,” said Andy Keeling, the park manager of Ferrari World.

In this photo taken on Aug. 10, 2010, a roller coaster track is seen at The Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Theme Park in Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Italian automaker plans to rev up an arena more known for cartoon characters and superheroes when Ferrari World opens Wednesday with what the company says is the world's fastest roller coaster and a 20-story tower ride that duplicates the G-forces felt by race car drivers. (AP Photo/Nousha Salimi) 

 

“Let’s also not forget it is a great, fun place to go. It’s not a museum. It’s not a car salesroom. You ride great roller coasters. The icing on the cake is that it’s a Ferrari Formula One roller coaster.”
The decision by Ferrari to launch its first theme park in the Middle East in many ways shows how important the region is to the future of motor sports.

The Gulf already boasts F1 races in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, and Qatar is reportedly wanting to host a third.
Drag racing is taking off and desert rallies fill the racing calendar from Jordan to Saudi Arabia.
The growing popularity of F1 in the oil-rich Middle East can be credited to Gulf Arabs’ love of speed and their taste for luxury brands.

And with some of the highest per capita incomes in the world, Gulf fans offer plenty of enticements for a sport that has seen its fortunes suffer during the recent economic downturn with car manufacturers including Honda pulling out of the sport and several advertisers ending their sponsorship deals.

“The locals are very interested in cars, fast cars. You can see that when you drive around,” said Khaled al Qubaisi, of the United Arab Emirates, who is the only Middle Eastern driver competing in the lower-level Porsche Supercup Series.

“That is something within us going fast and outperforming in whatever we ride whether it be the horses or cars,” he said.

“If people are interested in cars, they are interested in car racing. If you give them the right product in motor sport, they will naturally be attracted and follow it.”

Racing has always been part of Arab culture. Tribesmen have raced camels and horses for centuries and Dubai hosts the world’s richest horse race in the $10 million Dubai World Cup.

This passion for head-to-head competition has since morphed into the four-wheel variety with the introduction of road rallies in the 1970s that picked up steam with the Middle East Rally Championship in 1984.
With the arrival of Dubai Autodrome racing circuit in 2004, the interest in motor sports has exploded.
The Automobile and Touring Club of the United Arab Emirates says the numbers of racing licenses has jumped from 200 to 800 in the past five years and Gulf Arabs are increasingly flexing their muscle on and off the track.

Sheik Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani, the son of the emir of Qatar, has invested $7 million in a new team that competes on the National Hot Rod Association drag racing circuit in the United States and an Abu Dhabi government-backed entity entered one of its top fuel dragsters in four NHRA races this year.
Sheik Khalid Al Qassimi of the United Arab Emirates is a rising star in the World Rally Championship while Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah finished second in this year’s Dakar Rally.

The Abu Dhabi circuit has also set up a drag-racing run aimed at developing Emiratis to compete at the sport’s top levels and plans to open a racing academy with the goal of putting an Emirati driver behind the wheel of an F1 car in the next decade.

“That is very achievable,” said Richard Cregan, the chief executive officer for Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management, which runs the Yas Marina Circuit, of an Emirati driver in F1.

“It’s a matter of providing opportunities for Emiratis to race and they will do so.” Among the F1 teams, Ferrari has been most aggressive in tapping into the popularity of racing in the region.

It opened a store at Abu Dhabi in 2007 selling Ferrari merchandise and last year unveiled its largest outlet in Dubai complete with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring former F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen and Ferrari reserve driver Giancarlo Fisichella.

On weekends, its huge store in Dubai is packed with conservatively dressed Emiratis shopping for everything from golf balls to perfume to children’s bikes - many painted Ferrari red and featuring the company’s prancing horse.

“I like F1. The race is like holding your breath,” said Asma al-Hammadi, who estimated she came to the Dubai store three or four times a month and spent 15,000 dirhams ($4,083) on tickets to an F1 race in Bahrain as a surprise gift to her husband.

Ferrari World is the company’s most ambitious effort yet in the region. At 80,000 square meters (861,120 sq. feet), it will be the world’s biggest indoor theme park and the first theme park in the Middle East with 20 Ferrari-inspired attractions, according to general manager Claus Frimand.

The roller coaster tracks are all that can be seen so far since they snake outside the air conditioned park.
And although entertainment is its main driving force, Ferrari’s head of new business, Michele Pignatti Morano, said in a statement that the park also should be seen as a “tribute to the passion, excellence, performance, technical innovation that Ferrari has established over the years and represents today.”

Frimand agreed, saying the park offered Ferrari a unique platform to share its storied, 81-year history and attract a legion of new fans.

“We are the ultimate brand experience for Ferrari,” Frimand said. “We tell the whole story of all the Ferrari victories over time and why it’s the biggest of the race teams.”-AP

Fancy a pre-owned Ferrari?

The Star Motoring: Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Fancy a pre-owned Ferrari?

 

Posted by: Anthony Lim

 

Naza Italia has started a Ferrari pre-owned programme in Malaysia, and the workings of the approved used car division is approved by Ferrari and is in-line with the Prancing Horse’s strict and thorough guidelines.

Under the programme, all Ferrari cars purchased via the previous franchise holder, Next Car, and Naza Italia will qualify for Ferrari’s Power Warranty, and is aimed at offering a powerful and consistent proposition to Ferrari customers.

All cars under the programme undergo a 190-point check that is in line with the Ferrari Approved Vehicle Specification Sheet, Template Content Guide and Functionality Guidelines. This multi-point inspection by the factory-trained technicians at Naza Italia include the 190 individual mechanical, electrical, bodywork and interior checks, along with a full road test.

Defects are repaired or replaced, using Ferrari genuine parts while a written vehicle evaluation report is presented to the future owner for a review and discussion. In addition, pre-owned cars purchased from the Ferrari pre-owned programme will enjoy a 12-month warranty as well as roadside assistance for the same period.

END OF SOURCE.

That's all folks, thanks for having the time and patience to read this blog entry of mine...

SOURCE:

1) http://star-motoring.com/blog/permalink.asp?id=1005