Webber as hungry as ever - Horner

Mark Webber could stay on at Formula One champion Red Bull after the 2011 season if he’s still as quick as he was in 2010, according to team boss Christian Horner.

The 34-year-old Australian, whose hopes of the title were dashed in the final race of 2010 by 23-year-old German team mate Sebastian Vettel, will be out of contract with Red Bull at the end of 2011.

He will be starting his fifth consecutive season with it when the championship starts in Bahrain on March 13.

Horner said: “Mark isn't approaching this year as if it’s his final year. We agreed to keep the contract on a yearly basis at this stage in his career because it's important for us to see that he's got the speed, the motivation, the hunger and commitment.

“All of which look undiminished at the moment. If anything, they’re burning brighter than ever.

“So we'll see how this season develops and obviously as we head towards the latter part of the summer then we'll start to talk about the following season,” added the Briton, whose team won both titles in 2010.

“If he's delivering at the same level as he did in 2010 then why not?,” he said.

Webber ended 2010 third overall after leading the championship and winning four races, including the showcase Monaco Grand Prix.

Horner said it had been hard for the Australian, who broke his leg in 2008 and then fractured his shoulder in another mountain bike fall in 2010 while leading the standings, to see Vettel triumph in Abu Dhabi as youngest champion yet.

“It was tough for Mark to take,” he recognised. “But Mark's mentally a tough competitor and I think he will use that inwardly as motivation to come back even more determined, more focused and I think he's come back leaner, lighter and extremely motivated.” Webber complained in 2010 that his Austrian-owned team was favouring Vettel but Horner dismissed that again and said he would have equal treatment again.

“I think if he didn't believe that, he'd stop,” he said. “He's a strong enough character that if he didn't believe it, he would have stopped at the end of the year.”

Red Bull reacts to Vettel backstab

Red Bull racing has given its blessing to world champion Sebastian Vettel joining Ferrari - but only when he's a lot more grown up and nearing the end of his Formula One career.

Vettel, the youngest ever champion at 23 years old, told Italian reporters on Tuesday that he dreamed of racing for Ferrari one day.

“I think any driver at some stage in his career would like to drive for the red team and we don't hold that against him,” responded team boss Christian Horner in an interview with Reuters at a Motor Sport magazine Hall of Fame event.

“But...for the foreseeable future we see him as a part of Red Bull, he's grown up within the Red Bull family and hopefully for many years to come. Just before he retires he can go to Ferrari,” he smiled.

“If he wants to go to Ferrari just before he retires, then that could be another 10 years away. Or in Michael (Schumacher)'s case 20 years away.”

Vettel's fellow-German Schumacher, a seven times world champion and former Ferrari favourite, made his comeback last year and is gearing up for another season with Mercedes at the age of 42.

The younger champion had told the Gazzetta dello Sport that he hoped one day to stand on the podium at Monza as a Ferrari driver but Horner, whose team won both titles last year, laughed off the comments.

“The Italians get very excited when world champions talk about Ferrari, so maybe he's been dreaming about Ferrari but I think that's about all,” he said.

“One of the things that we encourage is a freedom of expression and so on. Sebastian is his own person and he's got his own opinions,” said Horner.

Vettel has won 10 races in cars designed by Red Bull's Adrian Newey - one for Toro Rosso and the other nine for Red Bull racing.

He and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, a double world champion, both won five races last season but the Italian team were well beaten into third place overall in the constructors' standings.

The young German has repeatedly acknowledged his debt to Austrian-owned Red Bull, who have groomed him for greatness from an early age, and Horner expected the partnership to last.

“For the foreseeable future, and most importantly for the immediate future, he is very much committed to Red Bull and likewise Red Bull committed to him,” he emphasised.

“It's down to us to ensure that we are giving him a quick car and it's down to him to ensure that he's performing, and what driver in the pitlane wouldn't want to drive a Red Bull at the moment?,” said Horner.

“He's an important part of what we do and an important part of how the team moves forward but that is more than a piece of paper or a contract.

“That comes down to relationships, down to trust, down to feeling comfortable in an environment. He's grown up within the Red Bull family and all the success he has achieved within his motorsport career has come within that environment.”

Horner also said Australian Mark Webber, whose contract with the team expires at the end of the season, could stay on after 2011 if he was as quick as last year.

“If he's delivering at the same level as he did in 2010 then why not?,” he said.

Vettel lapped quickest on the first day of testing in Spain this year but other teams - Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault and Williams - have seized the limelight since that day. Horner said the times meant nothing, however.

“I think it's dangerous to follow the (television) monitor too much,” he said. “In fact sometimes I'd prefer it if the engineers would turn the timing screen off because the times are irrelevant. We are there to learn and go about our preparation and who knows.

“We'll focus on ourselves, which is the approach we have applied for the last two years, and then within a month we'll know where we're at.”

Red Bull won nine races last year, with 15 pole positions and four one-two finishes. The season is due to start in Bahrain on March 13.

“RB7 (the new car) has a lot to live up to but all the initial signs are encouraging,” said Horner. “The drivers like the feel of the car but it's impossible to say until we get to Bahrain.

“And even Bahrain probably won't paint the full picture. Form will ebb and flow over the course of the season and its going to be down to who does the most consistent job.”

The most frugal Range Rover ever

Land Rover has created a diesel-electric plug-in hybrid prototype and will be showing it off at the Geneva show in March.

The technology-packed 'Range_e' is one of many working prototypes currently being developed at Land Rover's design and engineering centre in the UK.

The super-efficient SUV is based on a Range Rover Sport and features a 3-litre TDV6 diesel engine with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.

However, being mated to a plug-in parallel diesel hybrid system, it can also run as a pure electric vehicle for up to 32km.

What's more, the 'Range_e' is the first capable 4WD model from Land Rover to achieve a CO2 emissions rating as low as 89g/km.

It's not a compromised slouch by any means, with a maximum speed of 192km/h and an overall range of 1104km - that's if you charge the battery and fill the tank with diesel.

Battery Boxster a short-range missile

Porsche has (almost silently) rolled out three Boxster E prototypes, each powered by two 90kW electric motors and a 29kW/h battery.

These are not concepts, says Porsche CEO Matthias Müller, but rolling laboratories that will be put into daily use to help solve the practical problems of electric vehicles in a real-world situation - and to adapt that world for electric vehicles.

No technical details have been released but Müller said the battery Boxsters would have about the same performance as the conventional models - 0-100 in five seconds and a 270km/h top speed.

Simple arithmetic, however, tells us that level of performance will run a 29kW/h battery as flat as yesterday’s souffle in about nine minutes.

Müller admitted: "Electric mobility is a central challenge of the coming years and we at Porsche have a part to play, to gain insight into requirements for future products and the inclusion of electric vehicles in the infrastructure.

The Boxster, he added, was the ideal platform for practical testing of electric drives.

“It's very light and its mid-engine layout allows the new components - electric motors, batteries and high-voltage technology - to be safely and accessibly accommodated while still providing the performance and dynamics expected of a Boxster."

Ford reveals faster Fiesta

Ford performance fans around the globe must be crying blue murder at the fact that Ford is taking so long to create an ST version of the latest Fiesta, but now the company is making the wait a little easier for European customers.

The new Sport+ limited edition might not have the street cred that an ST customer wants, but it is a step in the right direction, its enhanced 1.6-litre petrol motor now producing 100kW and 160Nm (up from the standard Fiesta's 88kW and 152Nm).

Factor in that the new Fiesta is lighter than the old one and that the latter ST model only produced 110kW and this new edition might not be such a bad compromise after all.

The tuned Duratec TI-VCT four-cylinder engine will, according to Ford, get the car from 0-100km/h 1.2-seconds quicker than the standard 1.6, in 8.7 seconds to be precise.

It'll have a different name depending on which market it's sold in, some European markets calling it the Sport+, while in Germany it'll be the Sport S and in the UK the S1600.

This sporty Fiesta also has the show to match the go compliments of 17-inch alloys and a bespoke body kit comprising of a restyled front bumper, a rear diffuser incorporating twin tailpipes and bolder side skirts and rear spoiler.

Rounding off the package in ST-like style is a set of contrasting racing stripes flowing over one of two available paint jobs, namely Performance Blue or Frozen White.

The cabin is kitted out with motorsport-branded scuff plates and floor mats as well as sportier seats complete with blue stitching.

Red Bull's Formula One World champion Sebastian Vettel continues to pay lavish compliments to Ferrari, joking he would finance a holiday for Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa so he could drive the red car.

Asked what he would do if he could not drive the Red Bull in 2012, Vettel said: “Probably I would offer a holiday to Alonso and Massa. Even if I'm not sure they would shake my hand.”

The 23-year-old German has often maintained it was every driver's wish to one day race for Ferrari but his continued comments make uncomfortable reading for title holder Red Bull, even if he thanked them for their work.

“My dream is to race one day for Maranello. Anyway, I'm still young, there's time. And for the moment I'm happy to be at Red Bull, without them I would never have arrived in F1.”

He added: “I would like a podium at Monza with Ferrari. And one day I hope to have a Ferrari in my garage. Despite being at Red Bull there are lots of Italians supporting me.”

Alonso finished second to Vettel in the 2010 championship but fellow Ferrari driver Massa had a difficult campaign and his future will be under scrutiny once the new season starts in Bahrain on March 13.

Like many drivers this season, Vettel is unhappy with the number of buttons he has to press with the re-introduction of the Kers energy recovery system and a moveable rear wing possibly creating more chances for overtaking.

“Drivers are born to drive, not to play with buttons. I'm not convinced it's a good thing,” he said after testing at Jerez which he said “went well”.

“I would prefer that overtaking remains difficult.”

The World champion also had words of support for Robert Kubica, badly injured in a rally crash, and his likely Renault substitute Nick Heidfeld.

“I was surprised because Robert can consider himself a rallying expert. We can't lock ourselves in cages,” Vettel added about Renault's willingness to let Kubica go rallying.

“In Jerez, Heidfeld worked well ... He deserves this chance.”

Jaguar planning a 3-Series rival

Hungry to boost is volumes under Tata ownership, Jaguar is working on a new 'entry-level' sedan that will do battle with the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

It's not coming cheap though. According to Autocar, the new Jaguar will compete at the expensive end of that segment and will be a high-quality and high-tech product in every respect.

To keep weight to a minimum it will use a version of the aluminium monocoque architecture that will also be shared with the next-generation Range Rover family of SUVs.

Meanwhile, the saloon is expected use the high-tech 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine found in the new Range Rover Evoque while petrol power is likely to come compliments of Ford's four-cylinder EcoBoost turbo petrol engines and Ford's Powershift transmission is also on the cards for certain models.

The new 'compact' sedan is expected to hit the streets in 2014, with a crossover version of this car also due around the same time, and the platform will also spawn the next generations of the larger XF and XJ saloons.

A8 panzerwagen shrugs off grenades

when the A8 was designed, Audi engineers already had a high-security version in mind, so all the extra features are built in, not added on, and it's difficult to tell an A8 Security from the “civilian” model.

The giveaway, if you must know, is the LED headlights, standard on the security version.

It's based, of course, on the long-wheelbase A8L and will be offered at launch (in the third quarter of 2011) with Audi's amazing 6.3-litre W12 engine. Another engine - probably a big diesel - will be available in 2012.

The security modifications are done by hand in a small, well-guarded workshop with specially secured doors, where the cellphones are strictly prohibited. It takes specially trained technicians about 450 hours to modify the standard A8 aluminium bodyshell, after which it goes back to the factory for final assembly.

The passenger cell is protected by about 720kg of hot-formed armoured steel, aramide fabric, ceramics, special aluminium alloys and multilayer glass.

The German government ballistics testing facility in Munich has certified that the A8 L Security will withstand close-range hits from full metal-jacket Nato rifle ammunition and the aluminium side sills have built-in solid steel sections to provide increased protection against explosive weapons - a growth area in the assassination industry in recent years.

The windows are all made of special glass - 300kg of it! - with a polycarbonate coating in the inside to prevent spalling. Electromechanical window allow the side windows to be lowered nearly all the way.

Each of the four doors weighs about 90kg and has a closing assist feature and a door-stop function to hold it open in any desired position.

The armoured floor, made of a special aluminium alloy, serves the same purpose and will even keep the occupants safe (if slightly deafened) from a military hand grenade rolled under the car.

An armoured “communication box” in the boot, with an aluminium frame and ceramic doors, contains the safety components and an additional battery; an armoured fuel tank is an extra-cost option.

A standard two-way communication system allows passengers in the A8 L Security to communicate with the outside world when the windows are closed, using a speaker behind the grille and microphones inside and out.

Extra cost options include an emergency exit system; pressing a tamperproof switch and pulling the inside door handle will blow the hinges off the body; the door can then be knocked out with a slight push.

The (also optional) fire extinguisher system is activated via heat sensors or by pushing a button, sending extinguishing chemicals from two canisters in the boot along two tubes under the floor to nozzles in the wheel arches, under the floor, on to the fuel tank and into the engine compartment.

The emergency fresh-air system operates from two oxygen cartridges in the safety cell; at the press of a button, fresh breathing is supplied to the interior from vents in the roof lining for long enough to get the car out of a danger zone, generating positive pressure inside the cabin to keep toxic gases out.

Paranoid plutocrats can also opt for security start, which allows the driver to start the engine remotely via a radio signal, a smoke extractor for the passenger compartment, an LED signalling system for convoy travel, flashing lights, a siren, preparation for professional mobile radio systems, a flag holder, a permanently installed telephone, an accident data recorder, an additional rear-view camera and a heated windshield plus partially heated side windows.

The A8 L Security is not only protected, it's also superbly comfortable, with four-zone auto aircon (including an ioniser to freshen the air) electric rear blinds, a Bose surround sound system and a TV tuner. Full lehter trim is standard and the two individual rear seats have power adjustment.

Also available are a (right side only) rear seat with a power-adjustable footrest, heating and massage, a full-length centre console with large storage compartments, a rear seat entertainment system with two 260mm displays, a folding table, a fridge and a parking heater.

A high-speed internet connection is available via an integrated UMTS module and a partnership with Google endows the car with innovative, intelligent functions. Passengers can connect their mobile devices to a wi-fi hotspot; separate telephone handsets are available as an option.

The direct-injection, 6.3-litre, W12 engine has four rows of three cylinders each, merged into two banks and is rated at 368kW and 625Nm. Audi quotes 0-100 in 7.3sec and an electronically limit top speed of 210km/h, at a cost of 13.5 litres/100 km.

It drives via an eight-speed tiptronic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive to 19” forged rims with a semi-polished, two-tone finish and special 255/720 tyres protected by a tyre-pressure monitoring system and synthetic rim-bands so the car can be driven at up top 80km/h even with completely flat tyres.

The chassis, brakes, adaptive air suspension and electronic driver aids have been beefed up and recalibrated to deal with the extra weight and dynamic steering is an option.

The Audi A8 L Security will be available to special order from the third quarter of 2011. Price isn't important; the taxpayer will be footing the bill anyway.

Full details: McLaren MP4-12C

With the first “customer car” already in the assembly bay at Woking, McLaren has finally released full technical details of its MP4-12C - and they make fascinating reading.

This is not just the launch of a new car, says McLaren Automotive chairman Ron Dennis, it's the launch of a new car company.

“McLaren's first and founding principle was to compete successfully in motor sport and particularly Formula One.

“That goal has taken us to great heights but we have also long held the dream of building a range of innovative McLaren sports cars, taking the elements of Formula 1 principles, processes and performance, and adding the requirements of quality, efficiency, comfort and reliability.

“McLaren's modern history began 30 years ago with 50 people dedicated to winning Grands Prix. McLaren now employs about 1500 people, all passionate about being the best - and about launching a new car company and our first car.”

McLaren Automotive managing director, Antony Sheriff, summed up the focus for McLaren Automotive: 'The overriding principle is that every car will be 'pure' McLaren. Each component has been designed and produced to McLaren's specification to meet the requirements of the 12C

There are no carryover components, because they just weren't good enough. Similarly, our test programmes and production processes are new. We considered everything from a blank sheet of paper; being “as good” as everybody else wasn't good enough - we had to be the best. This approach has given us a remarkable car with ground-breaking performance in all areas.”

The McLaren MP4-12C, he says, has redefined high-performance sports car benchmarks.

Headline figures include:

Power: 442kW at 7000rpm

Torque: 600Nm from 3000-7000rpm.

CO2 emissions: 279g/km (equivalent to 11.7 litres/100km).

Weight of carbon-fibre chassis: 75kg.

Dry weight (with lightweight options): 1301kg.

Power/weight (with lightweight options): 340kW/ton.

0 - 100km/h: 3.3sec (3.1sec on optional Corsa tyres).

0 - 200km/h: 9.1sec (8.9sec on optional Corsa tyres).

Standing quarter-mile: 10.9sec at 216km/h.

Standing kilometre: 19.6sec at 272km/h

Top speed: 330km/h.

100 - 0km/h: 30.5 metres.

Dick Glover, technical director at McLaren Automotive, explained how it was done: “The challenge for us was to set new performance benchmarks against our key competitors, some of the best sports cars the world has ever seen.

“In that respect, we work like a Formula One team, where you are constantly trying to improve performance not against fixed parameters, but to win against competitors who are also constantly developing and improving.”

The 12C development programme was conceived under the title “Project 11” in 2005, when McLaren decided to build the first “pure McLaren” road car. The team includes people with extensive experience in designing and developing successful McLaren Formula One and in the development and production of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

The first concept prototype 12C's were built in 2007 to test aerodynamic, powertrain, drivetrain and chassis configuration proposals, followed by more than 50 experimental prototypes and validation prototypes, which were tested in every regional market where the car will be sold, including Bahrain and Nevada in summer, and the Arctic in winter. Production prototypes are now entering a long-distance, real-world durability phase of 80 000km.

Head of testing Geoff Grose said: “Our teams have tested 12C prototypes in Sweden for cold weather programmes, Bahrain in summer dust storms, Arizona at temperatures above 45 degrees, South Africa for high-altitude testing and endless circuit and road testing in Europe.

“We've set up bases at Idiada in northern Spain and the Prototipo facility near Nardo in Italy where we run 24-hour sessions, as well as 18-hour sessions from 8am to 2am the next day. The remaining six hours allow time for a team to service and implement development changes ready for the next day's testing to begin without interruption.”

The 12C's M838T engine is a 3.8-litre twin turbo V8, designed by McLaren; it weighs only 199kg, and has dry-sump lubrication and a flat-plane crankshaft, so it can be mounted low in the chassis, lowering the car's centre of gravity and optimising handling.

High-level exhaust pipes exit from a mixing box rather than a conventional silencer unit, saving weight. An optional sport exhaust system made from Inconel, an extremely heat-resistant nickel-chromium-based alloy, further reduces weight and enhances the exhaust note.

Powertrain manager Richard Farquhar explained: “The decision to build a turbocharged engine for the 12C was taken early in the programme. We wanted low weight, bottom-end tractability, potent mid-range performance and extensive high-rev reach.”

It drives through a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission, which can be switched through three different settings: Normal, Sport and Track, operated by finger-tip controls on a rocker behind the steering wheel: upshifts are by either pulling with the right hand or pushing with the left, and vice versa to downshift.

If the driver enters a sharp corner too quickly, requiring a strong braking action, there is every chance he will not be in the best gear for smooth acceleration out of the corner. If the left-shift control is depressed and held, instead of “clicked”, while under braking, the transmission matches engine speed to the correct lowest gear.

Also available are Automatic mode, Launch Control and Winter modes, the latter changing all electronic functions to suit low-grip conditions and delivering maximum driver aid and support.

The suspension is based on double wishbones with coil springs. The dampers are interconnected hydraulically and linked to a gas-filled remote reservoir. It has driver-adjustable roll control instead of traditional mechanical anti-roll bars, maintaining precise roll control under heavy cornering while decoupling the suspension in a straight line for excellent compliance.

The principle is simple physics: dampers featuring an hydraulic system of high and low pressure valves are interconnected left to right, front to back. When high pressure meets high pressure under roll conditions, stiffness results; when high pressure meets low under heave and warp, there is more “give” and comfort prevails.

As with the transmission, but independent from it, the driver can select Normal, Sport or Track settings for the suspension, modulating roll control system pressure, adaptive damping and electronic stability control settings.

The brake steer system applies braking forces to the inside rear wheel when the car is entering a corner too quickly to make the desired radius - supporting either a driver who has misjudged the corner, or a skilled driver seeking the fastest possible entry and exit from a corner.

Under normal circumstances the car would tend towards understeer but brake steer makes it behave more neutrally, bringing its nose back on line by assessing the steering angle to determine the driver's intended course and applying the inside rear brake to increase yaw rate and resume the desired course.

The system also works on acceleration out of a corner when the inside rear wheel has a tendency to spin, allowing the driver to put power down more quickly.

The chassis is produced in one piece by a resin transfer moulding process, which begins with loading dry carbon-fibre into a complex 35-ton steel tool before it is pressed together, heated and injected with epoxy resin.

Using a steel tool is new to the manufacturing process: usually carbon-fibre moulding is done in “soft” composite moulds. The subsequent post-curing process hardens the resin, and the chassis then enters a booth where key surfaces are machined with great precision in preparation for assembly.

The carbon-fibre chassis of the McLaren F1 is produced manually and takes as much as 3000 hours to complete each unit. The bonded carbon chassis of the SLR reduced that to about 300hours - but the new process developed for the 12C takes only four hours each.

SPECIFICATIONS

Drivetrain: Longitudinal mid-engine, rear-wheel drive.

Engine: 3799cc, twin-turbo, all-aluminium V8.

Valvetrain: 32-valve, DOHC, dual VVT.

Compression ratio: 8.7:1.

Redline: 8500rpm.

Transmission: Seven-speed semi-auto, dual-clutch.

Chassis: carbon-fibre monocell with aluminium front a rear sub-frames.

Length: 4507mm.

Width: 1909mm.

Height: 1199mm.

Wheelbase: 2670mm.

Track (F/R): 1656/1583mm.

Dry weight: 1301kg.

Weight distribution (F/R): 42.5/57.5 percent.

Brakes: Cast iron discs with forged aluminium hubs (F: 370mm / R: 350 mm)

Rims: 19 x 8.5J Front / 20 x 11J Rear.

Tyres: Pirelli PZero 235/35 R19 / 305/30 R20.

Heidfeld on pole to replace Kubica

Nick Heidfeld is looking ever more likely to replace Robert Kubica at Renault after setting the pace in Formula One testing at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain on Saturday.

Heidfeld, already the frontrunner to stand in after the Pole suffered career-threatening injuries in a rally crash in Italy last weekend, seized his chance with both hands on his first day back in a Formula One car since November.

The 33-year-old, who was Kubica's team mate at BMW-Sauber for the best part of four years, ended the day with the fastest time and a best lap of 1min20.361 in the new R31 car.

Renault has said Heidfeld, vastly experienced with a decade in the sport and 172 starts, is on pole position to replace Kubica for part or all of the season.

Team principal Eric Boullier said on Thursday: “If we are happy with Nick then we keep Nick. We have to develop this car from scratch so the obvious choice of driver is an experienced one.”

Heidfeld said he enjoyed his experience on Saturday.

“It was fun driving the car although it obviously takes time to get used to things when it's your first time in a car and working with a new team,” he said.

“We had a good day, without too many problems, and luckily all the changes we made to the car went in the right direction and improved things so I was able to push harder and harder.”

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, whose presence caused traffic jams in the morning as thousands thronged to the circuit, was second fastest.

Alonso, Kubica's good friend and regular paddock poker partner, lapped with an image of the Pole's helmet on his own and did 131 laps.

Kubica had more surgery on Friday after a seven-hour session on Sunday and is sure to be out for at least the first three months of the season which will start in Bahrain on March 13.

Doctors said Kubica was likely to need one further operation

Hyundai Genesis Type R

While a lot of automakers these days have been struggling and scrambling to get their footing back in the industry, Hyundai has been one of the few bright exceptions. Continuing on its rapid ascent to the top of the industry, Hyundai’s momentum doesn’t appear to be slowing down - and probably won’t anytime soon.Powering the Genesis R-Spec model is a 5.0-liter Tau V8 engine that produces 429 horsepower at 6,400 RPM and 376 lb/ft of torque at 5,000 RPM and mated to the company’s in-house eight-speed automatic transmission. This particular engine represents the most powerful Hyundai engine in the company’s history and has been named as one of the Ward’s Ten Best Engines for the third successive year.

Lexus LFA - now more lethal

If the standard Lexus LFA supercar is not exclusive or powerful enough for your liking, Lexus may just have the antidote.

The Japanese luxury carmaker will be showing off the most exclusive version of its LFA supercar yet, for the first time in the flesh, at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

The Nürburgring Package will be available on a maximum of 50 of the 500 cars that are being built.

With a name like that, it would naturally have to provide more in the way of track day entertainment and to that end it provides additional aerodynamic features and technical revisions to improve handling and downforce.

The package also increases engine output to 563bhp(read merc's challenger the sls AMG)and speeds up gear shifts in the six-speed sequential transmission.

Gumpert unleashes 702bhp beauty

Gumpert, known for its Apollo supercar that happens to be among the fastest in the world, is set to release another stunner at the imminent Geneva show, albeit in concept form.

Designed by Touring Superleggera, the Gumpert Tornado showcar might just be a static style model for now, but it does preview a 2012 production model.

It will basically be an Apollo at heart but with a shapelier and more comfortable sports tourer packaging.

Featuring composite body panels, including a set of gullwing doors, over a light chrome-molybdenum steel space frame with carbon fibre monocoque, its key design targets were lightness and torsional stiffness.

Tornante has the genes of the Apollo and inherits its impressive V8 twin-turbo engine. The 4.2 litre unit delivers 702 bhp in its most basic form and is mated to the TT40e gearbox, complete with paddle shift control.

The built-in double- wishbone suspension system is also inherited from the Apollo, but has been adjusted to provide a more comfortable ride.

BMW releases the electric One

Not just some far-fetched concept car, the ActiveE electric 1 Series will go into production this year, with a test fleet of over 1000 vehicles to be trialled in the USA, Europe and China by select customers.

Its driving heart consists of three large lithium-ion battery cells feeding an electric synchronous motor that develops 125kW and 250Nm, enough to get the car from 0-96km/h in just nine seconds, according to claims.

This is not a car for Autobahn fans, however, with the top speed having been limited to 144km/h. BMW has not yet disclosed the car's range between charges.

To ensure that the ActiveE still possesses the dynamic qualities you'd expect from BMW, engineers placed the components in such a way that the centre of gravity is still low and a 50:50 front:rear weight distribution is still achieved.

This packaging has not interfered with cabin space either, BMW claiming that all four occupants have the same head, leg and shoulder room as they would in a standard BMW 1 Series Coupé on which the ActiveE is based - not that there was much cabin space to rob in the first place! They have stolen some boot space though, the ActiveE offering just 200 litres.

This BMW has been engineered so that when the driver takes his foot off the accelerator pedal the motor becomes a generator and feeds the electricity created from kinetic energy back into the vehicle battery, while at the same time braking torque is created, slowing the vehicle down. This recuperation of energy can increase the range by up to 20 per cent.

What's more, for the first time in a BMW Group electric vehicle, the ActiveE features an 'intermediate position' for the accelerator pedal that results in the car's own kinetic energy being used to move forward, without consuming energy from the batteries. In essence it is a 'gliding' mode.

The ActiveE is not dependent on a specific energy source and so can be charged using 32-ampere wallbox in five hours, or overnight from a conventional domestic socket. This allows greater flexibility allowing the car to be charged wherever there is an electricity supply.

While this is not a mainstream vehicle on sale to the general public, the knowledge and insights gained from the field trials of the BMW ActiveE will be fed back for the future development of the Megacity Vehicle, due to go into production in 2013.

Ferrari bows to Ford threats

Ferrari will only use the full name of its new car for the upcoming Formula One season following a trademark dispute with Ford.

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

Ferrari said Thursday in a statement that it hasn't used the abbreviated F150 name commercially but would now only use the full version to try and resolve the dispute.

“(Our car) 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,” the statement read. “Therefore it is very difficult to understand Ford's viewpoint on the matter.

“To further prove it is acting in good faith ... in all areas of operation, the abbreviated version will be replaced at all times with the full version, Ferrari F150th Italia.”

Ford's response to the statement was not immediately known. Ford had also been seeking unspecified damages from Ferrari.

The Michigan-based carmaker said in the lawsuit that its trademark was being harmed and asked for a judge to block Ferrari from using it in the United States.

Ferrari was the first F1 outfit to show off its 2011 car. The F1 season starts March 13 at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir

Hirvonen wins Rally of Sweden

Karlstad, Sweden – Finland's Mikko Hirvonen powered his Ford Fiesta to victory in the Rally of Sweden on Sunday, the opening event in the World Rally Championship.

Norwegian Mads Ostberg and Finland's Jari-Matti Latvala finished in second and third respectively to secure a podium sweep for Ford.

The 30-year-old Hirvonen was repeating his 2010 win in the only rally on the calendar staged entirely on snow.

This was the 13th WRC win for the driver who has twice finished runner-up to Sebastien Loeb in the title race, in 2008 and 2009. 

2011 Korean Radio-Controlled Street Drift Challenge

you have to watch this amazing drifting video at least twice to spot that the background is out of scale. This is actually the 2011 Korean Radio-Controlled Street Drift Challenge, on an incredibly realistic miniature circuit.