NISSAN GT-R - CAR OF THE YEAR AT JAPAN‘S MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AWARD

The NISSAN GT-R supercar has won the Most Advanced Technology Award, one of the highly coveted awards of Car of the Year Japan 2008-2009. The final selection was made from November 10-11 at Oiso, Kanagawa prefecture. The jury described the NISSAN GT-R “as a supercar that delivers powerful performance and clean emission, featuring an advanced new body structure combining carbon, aluminium and steel, in addition to its impressive dual-clutch transmission and the world’s first independent transaxle 4WD”.

NISSAN GT-R has been a global success since its launch on December 6, 2007 in Japan and July 7, 2008 in North America. The NISSAN GT-R will be arriving in Europe next spring.

Also, next year will see the release of the exciting forthcoming book from Veloce Nissan GT-R Supercar: Born to race by Dennis Gorodji.
This book contains rare pictures, schemas and graphs detailing the many unique qualities of the Nissan GT-R, a car that revolutionised modern sports car dynamics. Analysis of the motorsport history of the GT-R provides an original view of development of the models, and comparison of them with other sports and racing cars. It features an original and critical analysis of the new GT-R R35, and the R35 Spec V, which will be launched in the beginning of 2009, is also represented in the book. With over 400 colour photographs, this is essential reading for sports car fans.
click here to find out more about this forthcoming book

FORZA MINARDI! BY SIMON VIGAR - INTERVIEW ON BBC 5 LIVE

If you want to know what it's like to negotiate with Enzo Ferrari, chase Ron Dennis with a hammer, score points when everyone knows you shouldn't, and bring a Grand Prix promoter to his knees, read this book! In an increasingly grey, corporate paddock, where people were scared of their own shadows, Minardi harked back to a better time. Minardi, Stoddart, Ecclestone, Walker, Martini, Nannini, Campos, Fittipaldi, Mansell, Badoer, Fisichella, Gene, Alonso, Webber, Yoong, Wilson, Bruni and Albers are among the contributors, and that's before we get to fascinating insights from engineers and mechanics. This is the one and only inside account, with exclusive, comprehensive interviews with bosses, drivers and engineers. 145 unique photos complete this revelationary tale.

click here for more info about the book

GREY SKIES AHEAD

Drivers of grey cars are more likely to need roadside assistance than any other coloured vehicle, according to research by digital motoring magazine, imotormag.co.uk



With more blue cars on Britain’s roads than any other colour - over 7 million registered - they are nearly 15% less likely to call out a breakdown vehicle than their grey-hued counterparts. The research showed that green was the second most likely coloured vehicle to call for roadside assistance and Red was the least most likely.

Mat Watson, editor of imotormag.co.uk, said: “The results are genuinely surprising. One theory is that many hire and company car fleets choose grey vehicles as the colour looks newer for longer, with dents and scratches less noticeable. These vehicles are often exposed to very high mileage, so perhaps their chance of needing assistance is greater. Then again, grey cars could just be cursed!”

LA CARRERA PANAMERICANA BOOK REVIEW

New review of La Carrera Panamericana – “The World’s Greatest Road Race!” by By John Tipler.


Check lacarrera2007.blogspot.com for an ongoing look at the people, places and machines of the worlds most demanding open road race. The blog also features some fantastic video documentary which is well worth a look.

Click here for more info about this brand new book.

PROJECT SPLITWHEEL

World First - New Caterham To Be Created Online by the public.

A chance to be part of automotive history, people can join ‘Project Splitwheel' at www.splitwheel.com. From here, members from all over the globe are able to submit ideas and concepts for every single aspect of the new Caterham and discuss and debate them with other users, before ultimately voting on what makes it to the final vehicle.

The Splitwheel.com website will use a combination of articles, blogs, forum discussion, a Wikipedia-style user-edited knowledge base and a comprehensive voting system to turn user input into a workable vehicle design. Along with acting as a liaison with Caterham's engineering team, Project Splitwheel will also provide guidance and input from automotive industry experts as required.

Starting from a blank sheet of paper and with very few restrictions in place, the result should be an exciting and truly unique performance vehicle.

On the subject of designing cars, there is an exciting book on the way from Veloce. Next year will see the release of How to illustrate and design Concept Cars by Adrian Dewey.
The automobile seems to be as popular now as it ever was. Posters of cars still adorn many a child’s bedroom wall, and school exercise books are full of doodles of cars. This book takes those notebook sketches and teaches you how to develop them into the car designs you see in magazines.

Using simple to follow step-by-step drawings it guides you from pencil sketch to marker rendering, from doodle to highly visual computer generated artwork.

Adrian Dewey has worked on designs as diverse as small sports cars to double decker buses, modified motors to concept Formula 1 cars, using various techniques and styles. In this book, he uses his knowledge of the different styles to guide the reader in creating great artwork and designs of their own. The book shows in detail how to use different materials and how to get the most out of each one, whether it be a great pencil sketch or a photo realistic vector illustration.
Why not join the new group on Facebook to discuss car design, concepts and techniques!

click here for more info about the book. click here to visit the facebook group. click here to visit Adrian's auto-concept site.

WE'VE SEEN PANDAS, NOW WE HAVE.....BAMGOO

An electric car with a body made out of bamboo.





Researchers at Kyoto University have made this car from bamboo because of its light weight and toughness. Named BamGoo, the electric car only weighs 60Kg, which is lighter than most drivers and the battery will run for 30 miles.

WELL DONE LEWIS!

Fantastic news that a British driver has won the Formula 1 World Championship. Its been a long wait since Damon Hill last took the title in 1996!

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