ORIGINAL LAMBORGHINI MIURA TURIN SALON CHASSIS FOUND!

43 years after its Turin Show debut the one-and-only 1965 Turin Salon Lamborghini Miura chassis, designed by chassis genius Gian Paolo Dallara, and the raging bull company's first-ever transverse mid-mounted V12 engine (0293) has been acquired by Los Angeles based collectors.

The iconic show chassis had been stored for the past 30 years in Cyprus by that country's original Lamborghini concessionaire, Marios Kritikos. While visiting the Lamborghini factory in 1977, Mr. Kritikos took a fancy to the historic show unit. After successfully negotiating a future home for it, he arrived at the factory with his Range Rover and trailer, loaded it and drove away. That was in April of 1978. The original invoice for the chassis survives, together with unpublished period photographs of the chassis being built in 1965, on display at the December, 1965 Turin Salon, and at the Lamborghini factory in July, 1966. Mr. Kritikos documented his collection of the car on April 7th, 1978.

The 1965 Turin Salon Miura represents the very first mid-engined supercar theme for all marques, and is rightly considered to be the Holy Grail from which all road going supercars descend. Its re-emergence represents the most important Lamborghini discovery to date.

Thirty years later, in December of 2008 representing both parties and facilitating the transaction were Miura specialists Joe Sackey (Joe Sackey Classics: www.joesackey.com) and Gary Bobileff (Bobileff Motorcar Company: www.bobileff.com). Only one month after its discovery it has been imported to the US and now resides in the restoration facility of world-renowned Gary Bobileff, where it will undergo a complete refurbishment to bring it to its former show glory.

The last time the general public saw this automotive icon was 43 years ago on display at the Turin Salon.

It will make its USA debut in the summer of 2009. Details to be announced.

New! Lamborghini Miura Bible by Joe Sackey.
The ONLY book on the Lamborghini Miura to be published in the past twenty six years – and enthusiasts agree it is long overdue. Written by a world-renowned authority on the subject, featuring, among other things, a never-before-published factory chassis production register, technical illustrations, studio-supplied images and exclusive interviews with the designers of the car: this is essential reading for any Lamborghini fan.
Click here for more info about the brand new book.

VELOCE BOOKS IN OCTANE

ADRIAN DEWEY'S WORK IN MAX POWER MAGAZINE

Look out for the forthcoming Veloce book written and illustrated by Adrian Dewey -
How to illustrate and design Concept Cars

This book provides an easy to follow guide on how to draw cars like the professional design studios. Covers materials used from pencils to markers, airbrushes to computer generated drawings. The book features clear and concise step-by-step guides to drawing all external components of a car, and teaches how to render them in order to bring them to life. It also showcases work that demonstrates how these techniques produce great car art and design. Click here for more info about the forthcoming book.

FHI TO WITHDRAW FROM FIA WRC AFTER 2008 SEASON

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the maker of Subaru automobiles, has announced the withdrawal from the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) at the end of the 2008 season.

FHI has participated in the WRC together with Prodrive, a motorsports and automotive engineering group in the UK, over the past 19 years to pursue its goal and philosophy in motor sports activities to enhance Subaru brand awareness by showing that Subaru vehicles offer safe, comfortable and pleasurable driving no matter the weather or road conditions, featuring Horizontally-Opposed engine and the Symmetrical All-Wheel drive system as its core technologies, and to transfer results of race-tested technical improvements into Subaru passenger vehicles.

Subaru has won three manufacturer’s championship titles and three driver’s championship titles in its history of rally racing. This has helped enhance the value of the Subaru brand as well as the sales expansion of Subaru vehicles all over the world.

FHI considers it has achieved its original target in WRC participation. However, while considering positioning the WRC activity in Subaru branding strategy towards the future, our business environment has been dramatically changed due to the quick deterioration of the global economy. In order to optimize the management resources and to strengthen further the Subaru brand, FHI decided to withdraw from WRC activities at the earliest timing.

As regards future involvement in rally activities, FHI will continue to support teams and drivers that participate in P-WRC or the Group N category.
source: newspress

Highland Loading Ramps - Single & Dual

Loading ATVs, snowmobiles, and lawn equipment is easy with Highland's full range of loading ramps. Ramparts ramps feature 3 Styles of durable, rust resistant aluminum loading ramps to choose from: Bi-Fold, Tri-Fold and Center Fold. Highland offers full width top plate with non-marring, vinyl backing provides added stability and smooth transition between ramp and loading surface. Features dual stability chains with "S" hooks for securing ramp to loading surface.

Pickup Truck Portable Loading Ramps

Tough, strong and durable Pickup Truck ramps.

Don't struggle and break your back to load into your vehicle. Utilize these easy to use ramps with no drilling and ramps fold up easily for storage and portability. Choose between plastic or light weight aluminum loading ramps.

Hemmings Motor News

Company Overview

Hemmings, which has a circulation of 223,000, is the monthly publication for hobbyists and collectors of antique, vintage and special interest cars. Hemmings' brown kraft paper cover and tissue-thin advertising pages are distinctive features of the publication. The publication provides its readers with 650 to 750 pages of advertising each month for collector cars and parts, restoration services and tools, literature and car shows and rallies. As of 05/03/2002, Hemmings Motor News is a subsidiary of American City Business Journals Inc.

FORTHCOMING ALFA ROMEO MONTREAL BOOK

Click the image above to see some of the favourable comments the cover is receiving on flickr. Click here to find out more information about the forthcoming book.

yamaha r1 2009

2009 Yamaha R1

This is Update: 2009 Yamaha R1 Unveiled!
In 2008, Yamaha’s YZF-R1 reached the 10-year anniversary of its introduction. In 1998 the 150-horsepower R1 was nothing less than revolution. While being more vicious than the rest, it left the 143-horsepower 1998 Kawasaki ZX-9R for dead. Honda and Suzuki were nowhere near and got caught with their pants down. It took three full years for the others to catch up, and only Suzuki managed to take away the literbike crown with the all-new GSX-R1000 in 2001.
Product cycles for Japanese sportbikes usually follow a two-year pattern. The ’98 R1 was followed with a revised version in 2000, then with another revamp in ’02. An all-new R1 debuted in 2004, boasting a more oversquare (77.0 x 53.6mm bore/stroke) engine architecture and sexy new styling. It was such a successful design that Yamaha kept with the same platform until its update in 2007 that saw the introduction of a slipper clutch, variable-length intakes and a new four-valve cylinder head.

If the 2009 YZF-R1 looks as good as our concept sketches, Yamaha dealers will be challenged to keep them in stock.

If the 2009 YZF-R1 looks as good as our concept sketches, Yamaha dealers will be challenged to keep them in stock.
Or perhaps you prefer black…? We hope Yamaha can produce an under-engine exhaust system that looks as good as this one.

Or perhaps you prefer black…? We hope Yamaha can produce an under-engine exhaust system that looks as good as this one.

This meant that the 2008 R1 was basically a five-year-old design, so it shouldn’t be much of a shocker that the R1 finished in last place in our recent Literbike Shootout, in which we predicted Yamaha might have an answer in a new offering we should see this September.

To counter the current R1’s relative dearth of midrange and top-end power, Yamaha may reduce the bore of its new engine to somewhere close to its CBR and ZX-10R rivals’ 76.0mm, or perhaps even smaller to something approaching the Gixxer Thou’s 73.4mm bore. It will surely have the YCC-I variable intakes and YCC-T ride-by-wire throttle. We expect a claim of something near 190 crankshaft horsepower, which would put it above 160 ponies at the rear wheel.

The current R1’s undertail exhaust looked trick in 2004, but the tides are changing with regard to optimal exhaust designs. We predict Yamaha will fit an under-engine exhaust like the 2008 R6 and CBR1000RR, which places a heavy muffler and its required catalysts in a low location that has minimal negative effect on handling. Radial-mount brake calipers and master cylinder are a given, as is a refined version of its slipper clutch.

In addition to this new R1, Yamaha is expected to debut its long-awaited redesign of the iconic VMax. We showed you a concept of such a bike at our IMS event report, and we’re expecting to see a production version in the flesh sometime soon. It will continue with a V-4 engine, but we’re expecting a big boost in power to rival Suzuki’s Hayabusa-engined B-King.

2009 Yamaha YZF-R6S

MSRP*	$8,790 (Team Yamaha Blue/White) Available from July 2008; CA model from August 2008 $8,690 (Raven) Available from July 2008; CA model from August 2008
Engine
Type	600cc liquid-cooled inline 4-cylinder; DOHC, 16 valves
Bore x Stroke	65.5mm x 44.5mm
Compression Ratio	12.4:1
Fuel Delivery	Fuel Injection
Ignition	Digital DC-CDI
Transmission	6-speed; multiplate wet clutch
Final Drive	Chain
Chassis
Suspension/Front	43mm fork; fully adjustable, 4.7-in travel
Suspension/Rear	Single shock; fully adjustable, 4.7-in travel
Brakes/Front	Dual 298mm floating disc, 4-piston calipers
Brakes/Rear	220mm disc; single-piston caliper
Tires/Front	120/60-ZR17
Tires/Rear	180/55-ZR17
Dimensions
Length	79.7 in
Width	27.1 in
Height	42.9 in
Seat Height	32.3 in
Wheelbase	54.3 in
Rake (Caster Angle)	24.0°
Trail	3.4 in
Fuel Capacity	4.5 gal
Fuel Economy**	42 mpg
Wet Weight	410 lb
Other
Warranty	1 Year Limited Warranty

2009 Yamaha Raider – New 2009 Raider

Research the 2009 Yamaha Raider Cruiser with the information in our new motorcycle Buyer’s Guide. Our buyer’s guide provides new motorcycle pricing information, photos and colors, specification data and more.

Performance

Horsepower (bhp): N/A bhp
Torque (Ft Lbs): N/A lbs
Redline RPM: N/A RPM

Exterior

Body Material: N/A
Frame: Aluminum
Hand Grip Material: Rubber

Transmission

Number Of Speeds: 5
Transmission Brands: N/A
Transmission Types: Manual

Instrumentation

Speedometer: Standard
Tachometer: Not Available
Fuel Level Warning: Standard

Wheels

Rear Wheel Diameter: 18
Front Wheel Width (in): N/A
Rear Wheel Width (in): N/A

Bags & Storage

Tank Bag: Not Available
Saddle Bag(s): N/A
Lockable Storage: Not Available

Tires

Front Tire Speed Rating: N/A
Rear Tire Speed Rating: N/A
Tire Brand: N/A

Fuel Economy

US MPG (City): N/A
US MPG (Combined): 42
US MPG (Hwy): N/A

Brakes

Front Caliper Pistons: N/A
Rear Caliper Pistons: N/A
Rear Brake Rotor Width (mm): N/A

Suspension & Steering

Front Suspension Brand: N/A
Front Suspension Type: Telescopic Fork
Rear Suspension Type: Twin Sided Swing Arm

Seats

Seat Height (mm): 693.4
Seat Material: N/A
Seat Type: Two-Piece

Other Specs

Fuel Capacity (gal): 4.2
Number Of Speakers: N/A
Adjustable Handlebars: Not Available

2009 Yamaha Raider Base Specifications

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Yamaha Dealers

Identification
Model Type	Cruiser
BASE MSRP(US)
Dealers
Warranty	12
Insurance
Engine:
Engine Type	V Twin
Cylinders	2
Engine Stroke	4-Stroke
Cooling	Air
Valves	8
Valves Per Cylinder	4
Valve Configuration	OHV - Pushrod
Compression Ratio	9.5:1
Starter	Electric
Fuel Requirements	Regular
Fuel Type	Gas
Transmission:
Transmission Type	Manual
Number Of Speeds	5
Primary Drive (Rear Wheel)	Belt
Wheels & Tires:
Front Tire (Full Spec)	120/70-21
Rear Tire (Full Spec)	210/40-18
Brakes:
Front Brake Type	Dual Hydraulic Disc
Rear Brake Type	Hydraulic Disc
Technical Specifications:
Wheelbase (in/mm)	70.9 / 1800.9
Fuel Capacity (gal/l)	4.2 / 15.9