Monday, November 27, 2006
Cruising with the Carrera Tuner
Bathed in the blue neon lights the Nissan slipped past the trendy club....
...a new nitrous bottle on display in the back dash gave fair warning that this ride was no one to mess with.
Cosmetics....the latest Nissan 350Z is all about the look of the car. A bright blue/silver/orange paint job really makes this car look completely different from the recent Fast & Furious Nissan Tuner. The first Nissan featured a flat gray/black paint job, this latest tuner Carrera has chosen a very different direction. The blue car's details are almost easier to see than with the first tuner Nissan. In the latest car the hood details really jump out at you.
The first tuner, the body panels were the first thing that you saw. The blue car is a slightly more "accessable" car because of the slightly more toned down graphics. This car is a very pleasing shade of blue with metal flake to catch the light.
The color that does grab the attention is the coral detail spread around the body. The detail printing, while a bit spartan by race car standards, is crisp and well done. Here a Nissan badge is seen on the side of the car, very clean, very simple detail but it's perfectly executed.
The wheels stand out on this car much more so than the first tuner... which is good news since this wheel design is well done.
Moving inside the car you can see the facial sculpting on the drive is more detailed than some models, the painting on the eyes is a bit...um...large!
Under the car...the usual dual magnet with sliding front magnet and fixed rear magnet.
And how well does that magnet system work to stick the car to the track?
Carrera's tried and true E200 and standard gearing are in place to make sure this car car rocket around the track as a brisk pace. Around the 17-foot Fast & Furious set track I managed to get times down to a speedy (but not blistering) 2.1 seconds fastest lap time. I tried the magnet in both the forward position and the rear position by sliding it back-and-forth...I saw no real change in lap times. The car was quick, fast enough for a street car...but where's the button for that nitrous bottle anyway?
...a new nitrous bottle on display in the back dash gave fair warning that this ride was no one to mess with.Cosmetics....the latest Nissan 350Z is all about the look of the car. A bright blue/silver/orange paint job really makes this car look completely different from the recent Fast & Furious Nissan Tuner. The first Nissan featured a flat gray/black paint job, this latest tuner Carrera has chosen a very different direction. The blue car's details are almost easier to see than with the first tuner Nissan. In the latest car the hood details really jump out at you.
The first tuner, the body panels were the first thing that you saw. The blue car is a slightly more "accessable" car because of the slightly more toned down graphics. This car is a very pleasing shade of blue with metal flake to catch the light.
The color that does grab the attention is the coral detail spread around the body. The detail printing, while a bit spartan by race car standards, is crisp and well done. Here a Nissan badge is seen on the side of the car, very clean, very simple detail but it's perfectly executed.
The wheels stand out on this car much more so than the first tuner... which is good news since this wheel design is well done.
Moving inside the car you can see the facial sculpting on the drive is more detailed than some models, the painting on the eyes is a bit...um...large!
Under the car...the usual dual magnet with sliding front magnet and fixed rear magnet.
And how well does that magnet system work to stick the car to the track?
Carrera's tried and true E200 and standard gearing are in place to make sure this car car rocket around the track as a brisk pace. Around the 17-foot Fast & Furious set track I managed to get times down to a speedy (but not blistering) 2.1 seconds fastest lap time. I tried the magnet in both the forward position and the rear position by sliding it back-and-forth...I saw no real change in lap times. The car was quick, fast enough for a street car...but where's the button for that nitrous bottle anyway?
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Zanardi makes F1 comeback with BMW.
SCNews Wire-Valencia (Spain). Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) has made motor racing history once again: At the DELL Formula BMW World Final, the leg-amputee successfully returned to the cockpit of a Formula One car. On Saturday morning, he completed a total of 12 laps at Valencia’s “Circuit de la Comunitat”. The 40-year-old’s fastest lap was clocked at 1:21.63 minutes. The 1999 Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji had been the last of his 41 races at the pinnacle of motorsport. In 2001, Zanardi lost both legs in an accident, but made a spectacular racing comeback with BMW only two years later. Since then, he has managed to win two rounds of the FIA World Touring Car Championship for BMW Team Italy-Spain, thereby making a name for himself once again as a touring car driver.
“This is a special opportunity for me,” said Zanardi. “I saw some very happy faces; everybody was surprised that everything was working so smoothly. BMW always gave me maximum support, especially in the WTCC. Driving the Formula One car is another step. I am very proud that I am doing this. The car was fantastic. Everything is so precise; I was really amazed – because usually you need more time to work on all the details of the car. I expected the car to be much rougher. But it feels rather like a beautiful BMW 7 Series, not like a Formula One car.”
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen said: “After just a few installation laps on Thursday, Alessandro Zanardi had far more time today to enjoy his Formula One comeback. I was impressed with how well the modifications on the car are working. Alessandro felt comfortable from the word go, which has also been proved by his lap times. It’s obvious that he is no Formula One newcomer. He has not forgot how to drive a race car like this at the limit.”
Because Zanardi can generate more force with his right limb, the engineers had moved the car’s braking pedal from the left to the right side of the cockpit. The right prosthesis is fixed to the brake pedal via Velcro tape. In order to make the most effective use of the narrow space in the cockpit, Zanardi uses specially made prostheses. They are considerably smaller than the ones he uses normally. He shifts gears with a paddle on the right rear side of the steering wheel. On the left side there is another paddle, which is used to accelerate the car.
On Sunday, Zanardi will complete more laps on the 4.005-kilometre track. The highlight of the weekend, the DELL Formula BMW World Final, will get underway at 14:30hrs (13:30hrs GMT). In total, 37 talented drivers will be fighting for title glory and an attractive winner’s prize: a Formula One test drive with the BMW Sauber F1 Team.
Copyright 2006 The News Market/BMW-used with permission on SCNews. No reuse without their permission.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Honda's F1 team to start testing Tuesday
SCNews Wire-The Honda Racing F1 Team will commence its preparations for the 2007 Formula One season next week when the winter testing programme gets underway at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on Tuesday 28 November.
Running on Bridgestone tyres for the first time since their sole supply came into effect, the main focus for the Honda team will be the evaluation of the tyre characteristics as well as developing an in-depth understanding of how the RA106, last season’s race car, performs on the new tyres. In addition, the team will be running development items in preparation for the debut of the 2007 car early next year.
Rubens Barrichello, newly appointed Test and Reserve Driver Christian Klien and test driver James Rossiter will conduct the driving duties.
Jenson Button is currently en route from Japan where he attended the Honda Racing Thank You Day at the Motegi circuit on Thursday. There he met some of the 26,000 Honda customers invited to a special celebration of Honda’s motorsport participation. He recently sustained two hairline cracks to his ribs whilst participating in a karting test scheduled as part of his winter preparation. As a result, Jenson will not take part in next week’s test to ensure that the condition is not further aggravated.
Following the three-day test in Barcelona next week, the Honda Racing F1 Team will be conducting a further six days of testing before the Christmas break at the Circuito de Jerez from 6-8 and 13-15 December.
A daily report and lap times from the tests will be available every evening on HondaRacingF1.com
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All news used with permission from HondaRacingF1.com. Photos copyright Steven Tee/LAT Photographic no reuse of news or photos posted here.
Running on Bridgestone tyres for the first time since their sole supply came into effect, the main focus for the Honda team will be the evaluation of the tyre characteristics as well as developing an in-depth understanding of how the RA106, last season’s race car, performs on the new tyres. In addition, the team will be running development items in preparation for the debut of the 2007 car early next year.
Rubens Barrichello, newly appointed Test and Reserve Driver Christian Klien and test driver James Rossiter will conduct the driving duties.
Jenson Button is currently en route from Japan where he attended the Honda Racing Thank You Day at the Motegi circuit on Thursday. There he met some of the 26,000 Honda customers invited to a special celebration of Honda’s motorsport participation. He recently sustained two hairline cracks to his ribs whilst participating in a karting test scheduled as part of his winter preparation. As a result, Jenson will not take part in next week’s test to ensure that the condition is not further aggravated.
Following the three-day test in Barcelona next week, the Honda Racing F1 Team will be conducting a further six days of testing before the Christmas break at the Circuito de Jerez from 6-8 and 13-15 December.
A daily report and lap times from the tests will be available every evening on HondaRacingF1.com
------
All news used with permission from HondaRacingF1.com. Photos copyright Steven Tee/LAT Photographic no reuse of news or photos posted here.
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