Motorsport Workshop: Does Anybody Still Race 10/10ths These Days? (Shakedown)

Leo takes a look at the strategy behind modern racing and how it doesn't always equate going flat-out around a circuit.

Video courtesy of Drive.

Wallpaper of the Week. #6

Image courtesy of AP from the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

What to watch this New Year's Eve weekend (Dec 27th - Jan 2nd)

• Touring Car Racing Double Play: WTCC & BTCC (Round 5). Saturday @ 5pm - 7pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airings from 12'
• German Touring Car Championship (DTM). Round 5 from the Norisring in Nuremburg, Germany. Sunday @ 12pm - 1pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airings from 12'
• FIA GT1. Round 5 from Autodromo International do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal. Sunday @ 6pm - 7pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airings from 12'
• Wheeler Dealers. Marathon. Monday @ 9am - Tuesday @ 6am (VelocityHD) replays
• Chasing Classic Cars. Marathon. Tuesday @ 9am - Wednesday @ 6am (VelocityHD) replays

The schedule for the next few days is a slimmed down version of the usual suspects, which is to be expected for this time of year; you should be socializing with beverages and watching bowl games. Be safe out there for those of you hittin the road to celebrate New Years. Drive like your life depends on it, because it does.

Video courtesy of VFMCMedia.

Quick Vid: Porsche 911 (1965) vs Porsche 991 (2012) review (CarMagazine)

The team at Car Magazine compares the character traits of the original 65' 911, to the newest 12' 911, in the Swiss Alps.
Video courtesy of CarMagazineTV.

Motorsport Workshop: Spa 24 Hours: Behind The Scenes With The McLaren MP4-12C GT3 (Shakedown)

Leo Parente takes us behind the scenes of Gulf Racing McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Works team, competing at the 2012 Spa 24 Hours race. Happy holidays everyone.

Video courtesy of Drive.

Car Pron: BMW M135i v Audi RS3: Road, Track, Drag-race. (Drive)

Chris Harris brings us another exciting comparison between small sports cars. This time around we compare the 2013MY Audi RS3 and BMW M135i. In white.

Video courtesy of Drive.

Wallpaper of the Week. #5

Image courtesy of AP from the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

What to watch this Xmas weekend (Dec 20th - Dec 26th)

• Legendary Motorcar. Marathon. Thursday @ 8pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) replays
• Wheeler Dealers. Marathon of recent seasons. Friday @ 6am - Saturday @ 6am (VelocityHD) replays
• Touring Car Racing Double Play: WTCC & BTCC (Round 4). Saturday @ 5pm - 7pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airings from 12'
• German Touring Car Championship (DTM). Round 4 from the A 1 Ring in Spielberg, Austria. Sunday @ 12pm - 1pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airings from 12'
• FIA GT1. Round 4 from the Slovakiaring in Bratislava. Sunday @ 4pm - 5pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airings from 12'
• Goodwood Festival of Speed. BTCC legend Anthony Reid goes for the win in the Top 20 showdown. Sunday @ 8pm - 9pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) replay
• Goodwood Revival - Annual historics race. 75th Anniversary of the Silver Arrows. Sunday @ 9pm - 10pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) replay
• Top Gear (UK). Season 16 Special. Monday @ 8pm - 9:30pm (BBC America/BBC America HD)

The schedule for the week ahead is full of the usual suspects. We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday week. Enjoy some classic DTM as a gift from ROTL. Gotta love 80's production quality!

Video courtesy of VFMCMedia.

Quick Vid: How to make the perfect BMW M3 (Autocar)

Autocar peeks at the new BMW M3, coming in 2014, by first looking at it's predecessors.

Video courtesy of Autocar.

Motorsport Workshop: Volkswagen MotorSport Has A Plan (Shakedown)

Leo Parente speaks with VW's Director of Motorsport, Jost Capito, and discusses the future of VW Group's racing programs. Included in this conversation is VW's WRC involvement with the Polo R. Enjoy.

Video courtesy of Drive.

Hillclimb Pron: Best of Bergrennen 2011 Vol.1 (MPZracevideo)

It's that time again for a hillclimb fix. On this trip up the mountain we have just under 20mins of MPZRV's best Bergrennen footage from 2011. Turn up the volume and enjoy.

Video courtesy of MPZracevideo.

Wallpaper of the Week. #4

Image courtesy of AP from the BMW Museum in Munich.

What to watch this weekend (Dec 14th - Dec 19th)

• Goodwood Festival of Speed. BTCC legend Anthony Reid goes for the win in the Top 20 showdown. Friday @ 9pm - 10pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) replay
• Goodwood Revival - Annual historics race. 75th Anniversary of the Silver Arrows. Friday @ 10pm - 11pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) replay
• Touring Car Racing Double Play: WTCC & BTCC (Round 3). Saturday @ 5pm - 7pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airings from 12'
• German Touring Car Championship (DTM). Round 3 from Brands Hatch Circuit, England. Sunday @ 12pm - 1pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airings from 12'
• FIA GT1. Round 3 from Circuito de Navarra, Spain. Sunday @ 4pm - 5pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airings from 12'
• Top Gear (UK). Best of Season 11-12, part 3&4. Monday @ 8pm - 10pm (BBC America/BBC America HD) new
• Rallying: The Killer Years. Monday @ 10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) replay
• Motorweek. Hyundai Veloster Turdbo. Tuesday @ 8pm - 8:30pm (VelocityHD)
• Legendary Motorcar. Charity Vettes. Tuesday @ 8:30pm - 9pm (VelocityHD) new
• Chasing Classic Cars. Need for Speed. Tuesday @ 10pm - 10:30pm (VelocityHD) new
• Wheeler Dealers. Jeep CJ7. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) replay
• Fifth Gear (UK). Season 21. Porsche (991) 911S track test. Wednesday @10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) replay

The V8 Supercars season ended with Ford (Will Davison) taking the last checkered flag in the era of Ford and Holden (Chevy). Jamie Whincup took the crown before this last race, so he simply received his trophy. When I speak of the era of Ford vs. Holden ending, I'm talking about the future of V8 Supercars. Two new entrants are on horizon. Mercedes Benz is bringing a V8-powered E-Class to the party, and Nissan is bringing a V8-powered Altima. Not sure why Nissan didn't use the Maxima (remember the four-door sports car campaigns?), but it probably has to do with the performance benefit of a relatively smaller chassis. There are a bunch of new re-aired touring car and GT1 races, per usual, but new motorsport events have come to an end until 2013. Goodwood specials on Friday are solid replays and new Chasing Classic Cars next week. Enjoy your weekends, and don't rage on anyone while trying to get your holiday shopping done.

Video hosting courtesy of massaalonzofan1.

Quick Vid: 2013 Audi RS4 Avant review (Autoblogger)

Our friends from the Netherlands review the newest iteration of the B8 Audi RS4 Avant. Enjoy.

Video courtesy of Autoblogger.

Current Events: 2012 Essen Motorshow (Autoweek)

The team at Autoweek (NL) brings us a great look at this years Essen Motorshow in Germany. Subtitle translation from YouTube isn't great, but you can still enjoy visually.

Video courtesy of Autoweek.

Car Pron: Mercedes SLS GT AMG: Hockenheim Track Test (Drive)

ROTL favorite Chris Harris brings us a hard look at the latest iteration of Mercedes AMG's flagship, the SLS GT AMG. Enjoy.

Video courtesy of Drive.

Current Events: Porsche 911 GT3 Cup: Character refinement

Porsche has already released pictures, but now they've released video, of the all new 991-based 911 GT3 Cup Car for the 2013 race year. We can't wait to see it in RSR trim with lets say...a Falken Racing livery.

Video courtesy of Porsche.

Wallpaper of the Week. #3

Image courtesy of AP from the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

What to watch this weekend (Dec 6th - Dec 12th)

• Mecum Auto Auctions. Muscle Cars and More 2012. From Kansas City, MO (Part 1 & 2). Thursday @ 4pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) new; replay at 11pm
• Rallying: The Killer Years. Thursday @ 10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) new
• Mecum Auto Auctions. Muscle Cars and More 2012. From Kansas City, MO (Part 3 & 4). Friday @ 4pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) new; replay at 10pm
• Mecum Auto Auctions. Muscle Cars and More 2012. From Kansas City, MO (Part 5 & 6). Friday @ 2pm - 8pm (VelocityHD) new; replay at 7pm
• Touring Car Racing Double Play: WTCC & BTCC (Round 2). Saturday @ 5pm - 7pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airings from 12'
• German Touring Car Championship (DTM). Round 2 at the Lausitzring. Sunday @ 12pm - 1pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airings from 12'
• FIA GT1. Round 2 from Zolder Circuit, Belgium. Sunday @ 4pm - 5pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airings from 12'
• Australian V8 Supercars - Telstra 500. From Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit in Sydney, Australia. Sunday @ 5pm - 7pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) re-aired action from 11/30-12/2
• FIA WRC. Year in Review. Sunday @ 9pm - 10pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Top Gear (UK). Best of Season 11-12, part 2. Monday @ 8:30pm - 10pm (BBC America/BBC America HD) new
• Motorweek. Volvo S60 T5 AWD. Tuesday @ 8pm - 8:30pm (VelocityHD)
• Legendary Motorcar. 56' T-Bird Swap. Tuesday @ 8:30pm - 9pm (VelocityHD) new
• Chasing Classic Cars. 2x the Fun. Tuesday @ 10pm - 10:30pm (VelocityHD) new
• Wheeler Dealers. Alfa Romeo Spyder. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) replay
• Fifth Gear (UK). Season 21. Stability Control Off. Wednesday @10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) replay

A big weekend of action ahead, but the crown jewel is the final race of the year in V8 Supercars Series. Look for Touring Car action, Mecum Auctions, the regular favorites and if you didn't notice a special on the most deadly years of International Rally racing, TONIGHT. I wouldn't make such a big deal about it, but I don't see any replays scheduled within the next several days. Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of V8SupercarsOfficial.

Quick Vid: Bugatti Head of Design's Personal 911 Project (Driven)

This is one of those vids that gets me motivated. Hopefully it does the same for you.

Video courtesy of Drive.

Quick Vid: Nismo 380RS vs 997 GT3 (Best Motoring)

Nissan's performance arm, Nismo, goes into the creation of their ST-1 class inspired street version of the (then) 350z. Engineers brought displacement up to 3.8 litres and output to 350hp (from 287hp). The 380RS is then pitted up against a variety of Japanese sports car heavyweights and the benchmark in both the ST-1 series, and sports car market, the Porsche (997) 911 GT3.

Video courtesy of GTchannel.

Car Pron: The 1140hp Koenigsegg Agera R (CarAndDriver)

Car and Driver abroad brings us a look at the ludicrous 1140hp Koenigsegg Agera R, in Sweden. 0-200mph in 17 seconds. Is it faster than a Bugatti Veyron? Can it handle a fast corner? Let's find out.

Video courtesy of CarAndDriver.

Wallpaper of the Week. #2

Image courtesy of AP from USGP 12'.

Michael Schumacher pushes through Turn #5 to make Q2 at the Circuit of the Americas, in the second to last F1 race of his illustrious career.

What to watch this weekend (Nov 29th - Dec 5th)

• Porsche Supercup. Rounds 8-10. Saturday @ 1:30pm - 2pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Touring Car Racing Double Play: WTCC & BTCC (Round 1). Saturday @ 5pm - 7pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airings
• Australian V8 Supercars - Winton Race; from the Winton Motor Raceway near Victoria, Australia. Saturday @ 8pm - 10pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airing from 11/16-11/19
• Formula 1 Debrief. Recap of the 2012 season. Saturday 10pm - 11pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Top Gear (UK). Best of Season 11-12. Monday @ 8:30pm - 10pm (BBC America/BBC America HD) new
• Motorweek. 25th Anniversary Callaway Corvette. Tuesday @ 8pm - 8:30pm (VelocityHD)
• Legendary Motorcar. 1957 Mercedez Benz 300SL Resto. Tuesday @ 8:30pm - 9pm (VelocityHD) new
• Chasing Classic Cars. Horse Trading. Tuesday @ 10pm - 10:30pm (VelocityHD) new
• Wheeler Dealers. 911 Targa. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) replay
• Fifth Gear (UK). Season 21 Ep.2. Mercedes SLS AMG vs Aston Martin vs Jaguar vs Bentley. Wednesday @10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) replay

The F1 season is now over and for those of you who follow the sport, it was a bit anti-climactic while being one of the most exciting races of the season. Hams had his race ruined by an accident directly related to the fluctuating weather conditions at Interlagos and Button took the checkered flag. Massa finished the season on a high note, taking 3rd position behind his teammate (probably could've held second if didn't race for Scudaria). Schumi exited the season like the true champion he is and Alonzo handled his loss in the championship, by a mere 4 points, in the same fashion. Class acts all around. Vettel spun early and unbelievably made his way back to sixth to spoil Alonzo's last effort at the crown. You have to tip your cap to a champion who earns it. And on to 2013...Perez to McLaren and Hams to Petronas. The landscape will change more in the lower end teams, so stay tuned.

V8 Supercars action this weekend from Winton, more delay-airing motorsports from earlier in the year as well as a few cool specials to check out. It's going to get warm again in the Mid-Atlantic area this Sunday, so make sure to get another car wash in. I think I'll use the fair weather to get my winter tires installed. Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of V8SupercarsOfficial.

Quick Vid: Nissan GT-R vs Porsche 911 Carrera S (Motortrend)

The guys at Motortrend do a really interesting comparison between the 2013 R35 Nissan GT-R and the 991 Carrera S. You may initially think, why is a 550hp awd car being put up against a 400hp rwd car, but it goes deeper than that.

Video courtesy of Motortrend.

Motorsport Workshop: Christian Horner and Red Bull Racing (Shakedown)

Leo Parente brings us the latest in racing news, including an exclusive interview by JF Musial with RedBull Racing's Christian Horner. Enjoy.

Video courtesy of Drive.

Quick Vid: Volvo S60 Polestar review (Autoblogger)

Our friends at Autoblogger review the newest Polestar tuned version of the Volvo S60, boasting 508hp. I drove a diesel slushbox S60 when I was in Germany and found it to have a pretty capable chassis. With AWD and 500+ it must become quite the spicy meatball.

Video courtesy of Autoblogger.

Wallpaper of the Week. #1

Image courtesy of AP from USGP 12'.

Mario Andretti's 1978 Championship winning F1 car took on a beautiful lot of F1 classics during last Saturday's Historic F1 Race at the Circuit of the Americas. While Mario was in attendance, and even interviewed the winners of the USGP on Sunday, I don't believe he piloted it during the event.

What to watch this Thanksgiving Weekend (Nov 23rd - Nov 28th)

• Formula 1 - Brazilian Grand Prix; from Cicuito Carlos Pace-Interlagos, San Paolo, Brazil. Practice #1. Friday @ 11am - 12:30am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live; replay at 12am
• Chasing Classic Cars. Marathon of past and current seasons. Saturday @ 4pm - 12am (VelocityHD) replays
• Formula 1 - Brazilian Grand Prix; from Cicuito Carlos Pace-Interlagos, San Paolo, Brazil. Qualifying. Saturday @ 11am - 12:30pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live; replay at 2:30am
• Formula 1 - Brazilian Grand Prix; from Cicuito Carlos Pace-Interlagos, San Paolo, Brazil.  Race. Sunday @ 10:30am - 1pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live; replays @ 4:30pm & 11pm
• Top Gear (UK). Top Gear Uncovered. Monday @ 8:30pm - 10pm (BBC America/BBC America HD) new
• Motorweek. Porsche Cayenne Diesel. Tuesday @ 8pm - 8:30pm (VelocityHD)
• Legendary Motorcar. A Boss 302 comes full circle. Tuesday @ 8:30pm - 9pm (VelocityHD) new
• Chasing Classic Cars. Still Racey. Tuesday @ 10pm - 10:30pm (VelocityHD) new
• Wheeler Dealers. Cobra. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) replay
• Fifth Gear (UK). Season 21 Ep.10. The sounds of Jaguar, Audi and Bentley. Wednesday @10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) new

There's only one thing to be thinking about during your Thanksgiving dinner this evening, and no it's not your extended family getting along or your plans for purchases during Black Friday. The only thing that matters is if Alonzo can keep Vettel from winning a third championship. For those of you who saw the majesty of McLaren Mercedes last weekend, you know that while RedBull Racing Renault wrapped up the Manufacturers championship already, Lewis Hamilton claiming P1 means that Alonzo has one more chance to get the better of RedBull and Sebastian Vettel. Fernando was awful proud of that third place podium spot, but it all makes sense leading us into Brazil for the final showdown. F1 seasons decided on the final race in Brazil are always worth the price of admission (just think about Kimi in 2007) and this should be no different. Make sure to get a nice slice of pie, put gravy on both your turkey and mashed potatoes, and enjoy your holiday weekends.

Video courtesy of WatanukiF1.

Quick Vid: How Shelby beat Ferrari (Drive)

Our friends at Drive/The Road Testament discuss Carroll Shelby's legacy and how he went about beating Ferrari in the 60's. Enjoy.

Video courtesy of Drive.

Quick Vid: Porsche 2012 (991) 911 Carrera vs 2013 Boxter S (CarAndDriver)

Now that the all-new Boxter S is polished and grown up, can it take out the base 911 Carrera on the track? The gang from Car and Driver (Abroad) aims to find out.

Video courtesy of CarAndDriver.

Quick Vid: Audi S8 vs BMW Alpina B7 (Motortrend)

Motortrend compares two big-body sporting saloons; the Audi S8 and the BMW originated Alpina B7.

Video courtesy of Motortrend.

Dope. #130

Image courtesy of AP from Deutsche Classic 12'.

What to watch this weekend (Nov 15th - Nov 21st)

• Mecum Auto Auctions. Muscle Cars and More 2012. From Anaheim, CA (Part 1 & 2). Thursday @ 6pm - 12am (VelocityHD) new; replay at 12am
• Formula 1 - US Grand Prix; from Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Practice #1 & #2. Friday @ 10am- 11:30am & 2pm - 3:30pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live
• Mecum Auto Auctions. Muscle Cars and More 2012. From Anaheim, CA (Part 3 & 4). Friday @ 6pm - 12am (VelocityHD) new; replay at 12am
• Formula 1 - US Grand Prix; from Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Practice #3. Saturday @ 10am - 11am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live
• Mazda Motorsports Hour. MX-5 Cup: Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA - Race #2 (Episode #17). Saturday @ 12pm - 1pm (VelocityHD) new
• Formula 1 - US Grand Prix; from Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Qualifying. Saturday @ 1pm - 2:30pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live; replay at 12am
• Mecum Auto Auctions. Muscle Cars and More 2012. From Anaheim, CA (Part 5 & 6). Friday @ 4pm - 10am (VelocityHD) new; replay at 11am
• Porsche Supercup. Rounds 5 - 7. Saturday @ 4pm - 4:30pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Formula 1 - US Grand Prix; from Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Race. Sunday @ 1:30pm - 4pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live; replay @ 11pm
• Top Gear (UK). Top Gear Apocolypse. Monday @ 8:30pm - 10pm (BBC America/BBC America HD) new
• Motorweek. Ford Fusion. Tuesday @ 8pm - 8:30pm (VelocityHD)
• Legendary Motorcar. Shelby convention at Watkins Glen. Tuesday @ 8:30pm - 9pm (VelocityHD)
• Chasing Classic Cars. The curve ball. Tuesday @ 10pm - 10:30pm (VelocityHD) new
• Wheeler Dealers. Porsche 914. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) replay
• Fifth Gear (UK). Season 21 Ep.9. Ferrari Aluminum. Wednesday @10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) new

As you can see above we've got a loaded weekend and probably one of the last big ones before the winter. I haven't done a F1 wrap up in some time, so I'll use this opportunity to recap the last two races: 

India Grand Prix -
Whoa. Vettel lead from pole to flag again, but some other interesting things took place. McLaren Finally had both cars finish the race in the top ten, Hams grabbing 4th and Button snagging 6th(?). Alonzo faught his way into 2nd place; Ferrari seemed to do the best job setting up their car for Budh's long straights, having the top-end game in a headlock. Shuey DNF'd for the eighth time, Senna grabbed a championship point and the current top five is as follows: Vettel, Alonzo (-13), Raikkonen (-67), Webber (-73), Hamilton (-75).

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix -
Hams takes pole like a big dawg and redbull has nothing but problems. After the smoke cleared, Vettel had to start from the back of the field and an opening was given for those fighting for third currently and more importantly for Alonzo who was now trying to take the championship lead back before the US Grand Prix. Rosberg and Karthikeyan came together in an amazing crash that left both drivers discussing the incident afterwards; thankfully it wasn't worse given the speed of the incident. Meanwhile in McLaren-land, they still can't put two reliable cars out there. Unfortunately for Hamilton, it was his turn to have a car failure and lose out on his ability to get into the driver championship chase discussion. Not surprisingly as he's leaving next year, he handled it like a professional. Alonzo and Ferrari's reliability seemed to have put them on top...then Vettel just about pulls a Button in Canada (circa 2011) and ends up on the podium. Unbelievable. The bright spot? The Iceman, Kimi Raikkonen, picks up his first win since coming back to Forumla One, which the Lotus Renault team has been fighting for all season. Alonzo and Vettel are siamese twins once again, finding themselves next to one another. Alonzo was only able to gain three points on Vettel and he'll only have two more chances to wrestle the championship away from the young phenom. The failed attempts at censoring Kimi and Seb during the Coulthard podium interviews were also entertaining. Current top five: Vettel, Alonzo (-10), Raikkonen (-57), Webber (-88), Hamilton (-90).

This brings us to Austin, Texas. The brand new Circuit of the Americas facility, with paint still wet, is now open to host the second to last race of the 2012 F1 season. Enjoy your weekends; we'll do our best to get some good material for you fine folks while we're down there. Don't expect BGP coverage ha, we're just going as race fans.

Video courtesy of NARLtv.

Quick Vid: 2013 Aston Martin DB9 (Autocar)

Our friends at Autocar review the all new Aston Martin DB9. Mhmm.

Video courtesy of Autocar.

Hillclimb Pron: Action from Berg Cup Bergrennen Oberhallau

We haven't had any hillclimb action in a while, and our friends from MPZracevideo never disappoint. Here's a playlist they've recently compiled of assorted footage from Berg Cup Bergrennen over the last few seasons. The first vid features a virtual who's who of our favorite European compacts and wheels. Enjoy.

Videos courtesy of MPZRaceVideo.

Car Pron Feature: Lamborghini Aventador Factory

Ever wonder what goes into building the all new Lamborghini flagship, the 700hp V12 Aventador? Wonder no longer my friend.

Video courtesy of TVExpat.

Dope. #129

Image courtesy of AP from the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt.

What to watch this weekend (Nov 10th - Nov 14th)

• Porsche Supercup. Rounds 1,2 & 4. Saturday @ 3:30pm - 4pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Australian V8 Supercars - The Yas V8 400, from Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Sunday @  4pm - 6pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airing from 11/3-11/4
• Building the Circuit of the Americas. A look at construction and US's return to F1. Sunday @ 6pm - 6:30pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD) new
• WRC - Rally Catalunya (Spain). Sunday @ 11pm - 12am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) recap the weekends action 11/8-11/11
• Top Gear (UK). 50 Years of Bond Cars. Monday @ 8:30pm - 10pm (BBC America/BBC America HD) new
• Motorweek. Hyundai Elantra GT and Coupe. Tuesday @ 8pm - 8:30pm (VelocityHD) replay
• Chasing Classic Cars. You don't see THAT everyday. Tuesday @ 10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) new
• Wheeler Dealers. Willys Jeep. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) new
• Fifth Gear (UK). Season 21 Ep.8. 2013 Subaru BRZ. Wednesday @10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) new

With the motorsports season coming to a close, there's still plenty of sweet action out there. WRC action from Catalunya and V8 Supercars action in Abu Dhabi (this was the opening act to last week's F1 race at Yas Marina). There are also some cool specials, including the 50 years of Bond Cars Top Gear show on Monday and a Circuit of the America's mini-doc on Sunday afternoon. Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of Rallymedia.

Car Pron: Hero Cars - Porsche Carrera GT (Autocar)

Our friends at Autocar do us all a favor and review one of the all time greats -- the Porsche Carrera GT.

Video courtesy of Autocar.

Quick Vid: 2013 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Driven on Canyon Roads (CarandDriver)

Car and Driver's Basem Wasef brings Aston's V12 Vantage to California's canyon roads to see if it was as good as it was when he drove it overseas. Predictable result? Yep.

Video courtesy of CarandDriver.

Car Pron Feature: Urban Outlaw (Mosmedia)

We've been waiting for this short-film on Magnus Walker since we first saw the preview months ago. Urban Outlaw was released this past summer through Reelhouse, but if you haven't seen it yet you're in for a treat. Sit back and enjoy.

Dope. #128

Image courtesy of AP from BMW Museum.

What to watch this weekend (Nov 1st - Nov 7th)

• Formula 1 - Abu Dhabi Gran Prix; from the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi in UAE. Practice. Friday @ 9am- 10:30am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live
• Formula 1 - Abu Dhabi Gran Prix; from the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi in UAE. Qualifying. Saturday @ 9am- 10:30am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live
• Formula 1 - Abu Dhabi Gran Prix; from the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi in UAE. Race. Sunday @ 7:30am - 10am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live; replay @ 4:30pm
• Top Gear (UK). Top Gear at the Movies. Monday @ 8:30pm - 10pm (BBC America/BBC America HD) new
• Wheeler Dealers. Jaguar Mk2. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) new
• Fifth Gear (UK). Season 21 Ep.7. AMG vs. M. Wednesday @10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) new

Thanks to Hurricane Sandy I didn't get to watch last weeks F1 race before this post, so look for a possible update here once I do. In the meantime, for our readership in the coastal Mid-Atlantic/Tri-State area, I hope you have electricity and internet at a home with insignificant damage. I just got my power back this past Tuesday after 30+ hours without and I realized what I take for granted, once again. Enjoy your weekends, invest in a generator, and make sure you tune in to see the F1 action going down at the always amazing Yas Marina Circuit.

Video courtesy of YasMarinaCircuit.

Quick Vid: Mercedes-Benz SLS runs the Mille Miglia (MotorTrend)

MotorTrend's Epic Drives takes us on a nostalgic trip through the famous Mille Miglia course through northern Italy, while simultaneously providing a history on Mercedes' performances in the event. In this recap of motorsport history, then Mercedes' driver legendary Sir Sterling Moss, is interviewed about his 1955 Mille Miglia victory.

Video courtesy of MotorTrend.

Motorsport Workshop: F1, DTM and Touring Car in the US (Shakedown)

Leo Parente and Mike Spinelli talk DTM, Japan Super GT, F1, V8 Supercars, WEC, the relationships between them all and the idea of U.S. hosting all of these motorsport series in an ultra-huge-super-mega-event. We think this is a notion worth sharing; all but the Senna references.

Video courtesy of Drive.

Car Pron: Porsche 918 Spyder: A Ride in Porsche's Hybrid Hypercar (Drive)

Chris Harris takes a look at the production version of the Porsche 918 Spyder. Oochiewawa.

Video courtesy of Drive.

Dope. #127

Image courtesy of AP from the BMW Museum in Munich.

What to watch this weekend (Oct 26th - Oct 31st)

• Formula 1 - Grand Prix of India; from Jaypee International Circuit in Greater Noida, near New Delhi. Practice. Friday @ 4:30am - 6am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live
• Mecum Auto Auctions. Muscle Cars and More 2012. From Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, IL (Part 1 & 2). Friday @ 4pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) new - replay @ 10pm
• Formula 1 - Grand Prix of India; from Jaypee International Circuit in Greater Noida, near New Delhi. Qualifying. Saturday @ 4:30am - 6am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live
• Mazda Motorsports Hour. MX-5 Cup: Coronado Festival of Speed from San Diego, CA. (Episode #15). Saturday @ 12pm - 1pm (VelocityHD) new
• Mecum Auto Auctions. Muscle Cars and More 2012. From Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, IL (Part 3 & 4). Saturday @ 2pm - 8pm (VelocityHD) new - replay @ 8pm
• Formula 1 - Grand Prix of India; from Jaypee International Circuit in Greater Noida, near New Delhi. Sunday @ 5am - 7:30am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live; replay at 2pm
• Shelby Cobra 50th Montery Race. Gathering of Cobras at Laguna Seca. Sunday @ 4:30pm - 5pm (VelocityHD) replay
• Australian V8 Supercars - The Gold Coast 600. From the Gold Coast street circuit in Queensland, Australia. Saturday @ 11pm - 1am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airing from 10/20-10/21
• Top Gear (UK). Top Fails Volume 2. Monday @ 9pm - 10pm (BBC America/BBC America HD) new
• Motorweek. Acura RDX. Tuesday @ 8pm - 8:30pm (VelocityHD) replay
• Chasing Classic Cars. Buy. Sell! Hold? Tuesday @ 10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) new
• Wheeler Dealers. Cobra replica. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) new
• Fifth Gear (UK). Season 21 Ep.6. Testing Bently's Continental GT. Wednesday @10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) new

The race in Korea didn't tell us much that was new. McLaren can't score with both drivers at once, Vettel is pretty damn good, Ferrari consistently put's out a well setup car and races are ended quickly with mistakes. What was surprising though was that Kobyashi made a Shuey-esque braking move that took out Button the very next race after he made podium. Massa was faster than Alonzo...do you understand? Massa also was signed by Ferrari for another year; I think they made a wise decision. Vettel finally eclipsed Alonzo in the Driver's Championship standings, but only by a small amount as Alonzo made podium beside him. Hams' car seemed to eat through front tires like nobody's business, but everyone dealt with that issue to some degree in Korea. Now we're in India and the remaining races have shrunk to four, inclusively. It'll be interesting to see who can manage to separate themselves from the field.

The weekend is full of cool specials as well; new Fifth Gear, Chasing Classic Cars and Wheeler Dealers. New Mecum auto auction specials on Velocity and new V8 Supercars action. Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of f1fanatic2.

Quick Vid: 2013 VW Golf Mk7 Review (Autocar)

Our friends at Autocar review the 7th-Gen Volkswagen Golf. The VW Golf looks quirkier and quirkier every time a new one is released and this is no exception. I wonder if they made the trunk even smaller than the Mk6's this time around.

Video courtesy of Autocar.

Almost Event Recap: H2o International 2012 (VagScene)

Uh yea...we didn't go. Here's a video from the weekend though!


H2Oi presented by C2 Motorsport & NGP Racing from VAG Scene on Vimeo.

Neo-Vintage: MB Silver Arrows at Goodwood Revival

The Goodwood Revival is a special event that serves as a throw back to the motorsport and automotive magic of yesteryear. Earlier this year, in 2012, ten original Silver Arrows from Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union (now known as Audi) took to the Goodwood race track with legendary racing drivers in tow.

Video courtesy of MBTV.

Dope. #126

Image courtesy of AP at BGP 12'.

What to watch this weekend (Oct 19th - Oct 24th)

• American Le Mans Series. 2012 Petit Le Mans. From Road Atlanta Raceway in Braselton, Georgia. Saturday @ 11:15am - completion (ESPN3.com) replay Sunday @ 1p on ABC/ABCHD
• WRC - Rally Italy. Sunday @ 11pm - 12am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) recap of three days 10/18-10/21
• Top Gear (UK). Top Fails Volume 1. Monday @ 9pm - 10pm (BBC America/BBC America HD) new
• Motorweek. Lexus LS. Tuesday @ 8pm - 8:30pm (VelocityHD) replay
• Chasing Classic Cars. Wayne's apprentice. Tuesday @ 10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) new
• Wheeler Dealers. Jaguar XK8. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) new
• Fifth Gear (UK). Season 21 Ep.5. Gasheads. Wednesday @10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) new

The ALMS season comes to an end this weekend with the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, so this should be a good one. This is a Le Mans qualifier as well as a final run towards points for the manufacturers championship. As usual this 1000 mile (~9 hour) race will be streamed live online and will be aired, in abridged fashion, on Sunday afternoon. There's WRC Rally action from Italy and for once it's from the same weekend of action! Top Gear UK is showing outtakes Monday night and new Fifth Gear, Wheeler Dealers and Chasing Classic cars. Enjoy your weekends and try to wash that car one last time before the winter cold rolls in.

Video courtesy of HighcroftTV.

Baltimore Grand Prix 2012: Sophomore Year.

Teams and drivers get ready to start the procession to the starting grid on Sunday.

A lot has happened since the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix (BGP) in 2011. The organizing body for 2011, Baltimore Racing Development LLC, essentially took the money and ran. Left in their wake was investor debt and serious doubts of an encore the following year. Fortunately for the event, Andretti Sports Marketing stepped in and essentially took what had been a nice car (ruined by it's new young owner), and sought to restore it. They took the neglected auto to the body shop, interior guy, and factory parts supplier in order to return it to former glory. The outcome was better than expected - the product was significantly improved compared to last year.

University of Maryland College Park's marching band made a surprise visit.

IndyCar Paddock inside the Baltimore Convention Center.

When comparing the event layout of 2011 to 2012, there were minor tweaks all around. There weren't more bridges to cross the track during hot laps, but they were larger and allowed more people to cross simultaneously. Of course there were some bottlenecks on race days for IndyCar and ALMS, but nowhere close to the issues from the previous year. There were many more gates for entry onto the grounds as well; 7 gates allowing entry in 2012, compared to just 4 from 2011. While you may not think this matters much, when you find yourself re-entering the event and being greeted by a 100+ person line, you'd wish there was another gate closer than a half mile away. The grandstand layouts were changed a bit too, reducing seating in some areas, but increasing the size of the stands that remained. The broad strokes stayed the same; the ALMS paddock and IndyCar paddocks remained in their respective locations, which made navigating on memory (for second-time visitors) pretty seamless. The family fun zone moved from just outside the convention center, to a large air-conditioned spot inside. This made perfect sense as the late summer sun was strong on Friday and Saturday.

Motorsport fans line up to cross over ALMS paddock bridge before the race Saturday.

The MARC train was still on time, but this loading zone was closed.

Baltimore's finest on duty for ALMS Round 8.

There were a variety of events around the BGP grounds to provide entertainment value. On the side of the Baltimore Convention Center, facing Camden Yards, there was a large stage setup for live bands throughout the day. On Saturday afternoon the University of Maryland marching band had several impromptu performances. If you walked into the Baltimore Convention Center's lower level you got to the IndyCar Paddock, which also included both IndyLights and Star Mazda teams (IndyCar feeder series'). This was especially cool on Sunday, as you get to see all of the teams working out the kinks before the race gets underway. In the southwest portion of the grounds there's the ALMS Paddock area where the P1/P2/PC/GT/GTC teams have their trailers, tents and vehicles. One of the treats of being in the ALMS Paddock at the right time is seeing the cars entering the pits through the runoff area at Turn 8. I was able to catch the ALMS teams lining up for Friday's practice session, and got an up close and personal concert from all of the different powerplants and their respective exhausts. While the Patron sponsored Ferrari F458 Challenges screamed the loudest, the Corvette C6R's sounded the most brutal. Walking back towards the entrance the ALMS Paddock, there was a go-kart track for the kids and a welcome surprise in the form of a small booth with the word 'McLaren' printed on the tent. McLaren brought a single MP4-12C down to the BGP to get it a bit more exposure. Seeing the craftsmanship of the MP4-12C's carbon-fiber monocoque in person, alone, was worth the price of admission.

Carbon fiber tub.

This pushrod nightmare sounded mean, but finished second to a flat-six.

The Baltimore Grand Prix's Inner Harbor street circuit remained essentially unchanged in 2012. There were small changes to the flow of turns 5 through 7, but the infrastructure established in the inaugural event and topography of the city just about dictated current course layout. When you look at the front straight on the new map, you don't see any mention of the chicane used to keep cars from going too fast over the light-rail tracks crossing Pratt Street, but don't be mislead; it was there once again, but simply executed better. During ALMS qualifying and practice the race officials played with a number of options, and settled on a chicane similar to last year's but with the addition of bounded tires on the chicanes' entry to keep drivers from straddling it. What usually happens, as the drivers are getting acclimated to the chicane, is an entry speed too fast to make the chicane exit after successful entry. The result of getting this part of the track wrong is damaged under-body aero, on the crowned tarmac, and/or putting the car into the jersey barrier after a sloppy chicane exit. Even with the tire stack and chicane there was more than a handful of ALMS and IndyCar's that hit the barrier after the aforementioned chicane, in most cases due to severe suspension rebound and loss of traction.

Pratt St. chicane semi-broken down after ALMS race Saturday evening.

Flying Lizard Motorsports' GT3RSR builds the pace during Friday practice.

The command center.

In addition to the bouncy landscape surrounding the chicane on Pratt St., which claimed the cars of Tony Kanaan and Simona De Silvestro during IndyCar Round 14, the drivers had to be on their game on just about every corner. The tire barriers on turn 4 collected more than one car during the IndyCar race and yellow flags were an almost predictable occurrence all weekend. Street courses rarely give a lot of room for passing, so qualifying positions proved essential for the IndyCar and ALMS races. The streets we locals use to cut through downtown Bmore were as bumpy as ever, leading to both improperly and properly set up cars to skate all over the place. The cars that succeeded here were those who were set up to be compliant and neutral, with a driver whose fire suit contained the cojones to push the limit of braking zones to pass regardless of available grip. The SRT (Dodge) factory racing team, running two brand new Forza Motorsport SRT Viper GTS-R's, learned about the deficiencies of their chassis the hard way. The #93 car took a beating in its third ALMS race of the year (primarily from playing bumper cars with the Patron F458 Challenge car), while the #91 car retired after a weekend-ending  accident during practice. The worst part about the tricky track conditions was the sheer volume of caution laps due to race incidents. In the end, the ALMS race felt like it finished under caution; about 1/4 of the race was run with the Porsche Panamera pace car leading the field.

Takuma Sato takes off after a tire change.

Pickett Racing's Muscle Milk P1 car returning to base after practice.

Falken Motorsports' GT3RSR getting prepped for the first drive of the weekend.

Level 5 Motorsports' P2 driver celebrates the overall ALMS victory.

From our correspondence with the marketing group, entering the gates, dealing with security and staff around the event while working, and general atmosphere from fans and drivers, the entire weekend was pretty orderly. There were the typical issues with security, concerning access (not just us -- for full-time media with access too) during races, but nothing out of the ordinary for a race event. On the whole, we felt the entire weekend was run much better than last year. The staff and security seemed sharper and better aware of what was going on around them. Walking around the grounds wasn't the headache it was last year, especially during races. Some of this improvement was due to the lower turnout this year, but as with all new events turnout consistency comes with (quality) repetition. When you know a destination is going to be enjoyable, you'll want to visit again. When you know an event will be there year after year, you can plan on attending in advance. When people can plan on attending in advance, you have consistent turnout. And if you haven't noticed already, the 2013 Baltimore Grand Prix is already scheduled.

Gettin' down outside of the Mr. Tire booth.

Star Mazda series race on Sunday morning.

IndyCar interview with Josef Newgarden in the IZOD Fan Village. Josef was recovering from a hand injury suffered in the Grand Prix of Sonoma the week before.

Long lines for autographs with the young talent of  IndyCar. From left to right: Will Power, Ryan Brisco, Graham Rahal, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti.

I'm looking forward to next year's event for two reasons. For one, road-racing makes my world go round. More importantly though, I'm hoping the overall turnout is closer to year one. Reason being, I want the BGP to be a profitable, stable, dependable enterprise. However, I don't want to revisit the attendance catastrophe of the first year. There were media outlets stating 'sophomore slump' before the weekend was even over, but I don't think it's reasonable to expect the same (or bigger) turnout after all that followed the inaugural event. Most of the grandstands were full for the IndyCar race on Sunday, but for the ALMS race on Saturday, the seats had noticeable gaps in them. From walking around the grounds Saturday it seemed more people opted for the general admission viewing areas (see map) and spent more time on the infield or lined up on fences to watch the action. People were even stopping their cars along I-395 to get a better vantage point. The overall number of people around the grounds all weekend seemed to be down about 20% from 2011. The benefit was a noticeable ease in which you could walk from one part of the grounds to another. Compared to the human traffic jam on IndyCar Sunday in 2011, this was a welcome change. Outside of economic reasons, there are a lot of auto-enthusiasts I know that couldn't make the BGP due to traditional friend/family outings that have always taken place on Labor Day weekend. The question that remains is if the BGP can turn into a traditional event for greater Mid-Atlantic area piston-heads. Only time will tell, and hopefully I'll be there to find out.

-AT


Current image set here. Video clips here.

Car Pron: Porsche Performance Drive (Porsche)

Porsche brings us action from an event they organize called the Porsche Performance Drive. Ten contending teams rally from Istanbul to Budapest in Factory supplied cars.

Video courtesy of Porsche.

Current Events: Paris Autoshow 2012 (Autocar)

Autocar brings us the 2012 Paris Autoshow. Audi and Porsche have their own coverage as well. Enjoy.

Video courtesy of Autocar.

Dope. #125

Image courtesy of AP @ Vag Fair 2012.

What to watch this weekend (Oct 12th - Oct 17th)

• Formula 1 - Korean Grand Prix; from the Korea International Circuit in Yeongam, Korea. Practice. Friday @ 1am - 2:30am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live
• Shelby Cobra 50th Montery Race. Gathering of Cobras at Laguna Seca. Friday @ 7:30pm - 8pm (VelocityHD)
• Formula 1 - Korean Grand Prix; from the Korea International Circuit in Yeongam, Korea. Qualifying. Saturday @ 1am - 2:30am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live
• Mazda Motorsports Hour. Star Mazda: Laguna Seca, CA. (Episode #14). Saturday @ 12pm - 1pm (VelocityHD) new
• Continental Sports Car Challenge. ST race at Lime Rock Park. Saturday @ 1pm - 3pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Formula 1 - Korean Grand Prix; from the Korea International Circuit in Yeongam, Korea. Race. Sunday @ 1:30am - 4am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live; replay at 3:30am
• Continental Sports Car Challenge. GS race at Lime Rock Park. Saturday @ 1pm - 3pm (SPEED/SPEEDHD)
• Australian V8 Supercars - The Bathurst 1000. From Mount Panorama in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. Sunday @  11pm - 1am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) delayed airing from 10/7
• Top Gear (UK). Marathon of Season 11 & 15 episodes. Monday @ 8am - Tues @ 6am (BBC America/BBC America HD) great replays
• Motorweek. Porsche Boxter S. Tuesday @ 8pm - 8:30pm (VelocityHD) replay
• Wheeler Dealers. Renault Alpine. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) new
• Fifth Gear (UK). Season 21 Ep.4. 2012 911 Carrera S Track Test. Wednesday @10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) new

Last weeks race at Suzuka raised some interesting questions. While Hams explained that he didn't do that great a job helping engineers tune his car for the track, he still finished fifth...right behind Button. This is the first time McLaren has had both cars finish in the top ten in quite some time. Meanwhile Vettel is chopping away at Alonzo's lead in the driver's championship; Red Bull Renault has a vice-grip on the constructor's championship. Privateer driver and all around good guy, Kobayashi, pulls off a 3rd place win; he held off Button in the last four laps. Much like Force India this season, Sauber F1 shows that another 'little' guy in the paddock can compete this year. The parity and consistency from known quantities make this 2012 season of F1 unique, and I'm really interested in seeing how the next 5 races shake out. Oh and lets not forget poor Massa. He finally get's a podium, second place to be exact, and there's no doubt that he's still in the hot seat. Why though? Perez is gone to McLaren, there aren't many people that know what driving for Ferrari means and even Alonzo is sticking up for him in interviews. He could be doing so just because with Massa there he always knows who number two works foooor. This weekend's race in Korea should be another good one.

There's plenty of Continental Sports Car Challenge racing to watch this weekend, and the Bathurst 1000 is being delay-aired on SPEED this upcoming Sunday night (as it took place last weekend). Why SPEED didn't show the Bathurst 1000 live this year is beyond me. I thought V8 Supercars did a great job promoting the event with DW last year, and this is the biggest race event on the Aussie calendar. Hopefully it's not because NASCAR feels threatened by what is, let's be honest, a better series. That'd be cowardly, but hey FOX Corp. has to make their numbers. In other news, New Fifth Gear, Wheeler Dealers and a couple other cool specials are on the docket. Enjoy your weekends.

Video courtesy of AMFForumVideo.

Current Events: Secrets of Japan F1 And Bathurst V8 SuperCars (Shakedown)

Leo talks motorsports and takes a closer look at this past weekends Grand Prix of Japan (spoiler alert!), and the F1 car technologies that competed in it. He then looks at the V8 Supercars that competed in this past weekends Bathhurst 1000 (Will be airing delayed on SPEED later this month -- spoiler alert x2).

Video courtesy of Drive.

Quick Vid: Turner Motorsport's 535hp Frozen Gray BMW M3 (Tuned)

Turner Motorsport's supercharged E92M3 is highlighted in this latest episode of Tuned with Matt Farah. He also checks out TM's E92M3 based Grand-Am racecar, which won the 2011 Continental Sports Car Championship (GS class).


Video courtesy of Drive.

Car Pron: Track Culture's E46M3V10 (Driftworks Ltd)

This video is the fruit of one of our Web Entertainment recommendations, Track Culture. E46M3's are really starting to speak to us, and ten cylinder swaps don't make that voice any quieter.

BMW E46 M3 with M5 V10 Engine - TrackCulture.com from Driftworks Ltd on Vimeo.

Dope. #124

Image courtesy of AP from Bimmerfest East 12'.

What to watch this weekend (Oct 5th - Oct 10th)

• Formula 1 - Japanese Grand Prix; from the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan. Practice. Friday @ 1am - 2:30am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live
• Formula 1 - Japanese Grand Prix; from the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan. Qualifying. Saturday @ 1am - 2:30am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live
• Formula 1 - Japanese Grand Prix; from the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan. Race. Sunday @ 1:30am - 4am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) live
• Fifth Gear (UK). Season 21 Ep.1. SLS AMG vs. the field. Sunday @10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) new
• WRC - Rally France. Sunday @ 11pm - 12am (SPEED/SPEEDHD) recap of three days 10/4-10/7
• Top Gear (UK). Marathon of past seasons. Monday @ 8am - Tues @ 6am (BBC America/BBC America HD) great replays
• Motorweek. Honda Accord. Tuesday @ 8pm - 8:30pm (VelocityHD) replay
• Chasing Classic Cars. Mini-marathon. Tuesday @ 8:30pm - 9pm, 10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) replays
• Wheeler Dealers. Porsche 914. Wednesday @ 9pm - 10pm (VelocityHD) new
• Fifth Gear (UK). Season 21 Ep.3. Stability control-off. Wednesday @10pm - 11pm (VelocityHD) new

F1 returns to give us the next chapter in the endless waltz we call the 2012 season. Hamilton scores pole once again only to have a mechanical failure...and Jenson makes podium to once again prove McLaren can't compete with more than one car at a time. Force India makes Q3 once again (and finished fourth in Singapore) showing they not only have talent in Paul Di Resta, but also have a winning formula (ahem) chassis. Vettel finds a way to take another checkered flag, but with Alonzo making podium (now maintaining a 29 point lead) his benefit wasn't as big as it could've been. Redbull may or may not have figured out the alternator issue, but when they're reliable they can always wreck havoc on the field. Massa, who finished 8th last time around, still seems to be playing the 'can I keep my job' game with Ferrari; I'm not even sure a single podium will make a difference on whatever decision they make for next season. And lastly, Shuey makes another critical misjudgment of car location in Singapore, taking Vergne out in lap 39. He received a ten grid spot penalty to be enforced this weekend. This brings us to Suzuka, Japan. We'll see how things shake out with the standings after sunrise this Sunday. Remember this race starts at 1:30am EST.

No new Top Gear (US) this week, as they're on break for the rest of the year. There are new episodes of Fifth Gear and Wheeler Dealers on the schedule. Enjoy your weekends.

Video hosting courtesy of Mooorteeen.

Event Recap: Bimmerfest East 2012

The start of Bimmerfest's cross-country venture, that we call Bimmerfest East, was like the proverbial gift horse for those of us in the Mid-Atlantic area. For those of us in northern-Maryland, it was a no brainer regardless of whether it was good or not. Thankfully for all of us it was a good show, had a huge turn out (mainly due to the number of BMW fanatics in the part of the US) and was organized pretty well. There were a couple kinks that needed to be worked out to handle the numbers that frequented the vendors, as you may remember from my recap of Bimmerfest East 2011, but much to my delight the organizers fixed the kinks and brought a much improved product to the people.

Food on the left. Food on the right.

The line for food last year was incorporated with the t-shirt/merchandising lines and ran parallel with the Turner Motorsport and Bimmerworld display traffic. This year Bimmerfest East organizers moved the food lines to the front of Ripken Stadium's entrance. And there was not just one line, but two. The vendors for the show grew in 2012, and they extended them towards the show entrance in a very logical manner. Getting from one side of vendors to the other, which was roughly from the 'front' of the lot to the 'back', was a linear and painless process. One set of vendors new to Bimmerfest East was ROTL friends 8380Labs and Guten Parts. They tag teamed a large spot on the front side of the vendor area and provided a nice blend of cool apparel, suspension and adapters, as well as stock/upgrade BMW parts and accessories. While I was hanging out I picked up some E30 stuff from GP for the red coupe, as well as some car spares.

Now that the logistics have been addressed, lets talk about the cars. Much of what I said last year is still true, but that's less a reflection of the show itself and more about the kind of cars that are being built and showcased these days. The typical hammered E36s where there, plenty of E30s in all different flavors including a handful of well sorted E30M3s, and a wide variety of every other BMW model out there. In the back part of the lot there was a row of nothing but E38s (7series), a row of only E53 & E70 (X5s), and plenty of fully blown show-cars sprinkled here and there. While there were plenty of semi-beat driver cars, it was a bit easier to find the goods this year than last. I spent about 1.5hrs doing laps to see all that was there and ended up shooting less than I typically do...by design of course.

Kick me while I'm down, why don't ya.

Bimmerworld and Turner Motorsport brought out their 18 wheeler's, racecars and street tuners. The was also a lovely blend of legacy and brand new BMW models, including an Sakhir Orange F13M6 (behind him on the road in) and Monte Carlo Blue F10M5, a completely restored Diamond-Schwartz E30M3 (that was like a kick in the project motivation nutsack) and a few other cool driver-cars in the booths. BBS had their own booth at the show too, which was very cool to see. They had a couple F1 wheels along with their more popular road-car wheels on display.

The much dreaded rainy day spot aftermath on one of my favorite wheels.

One of our most enjoyed cars in attendance. Did I mention we liked E30M3's?

All in all it was a nice afternoon. The weather held out, I got to see some cool stuff and some of my friends and associates in the game, and aside from the lack of grouping for showcars, it was a tightly run ship with good management and security (ahem). Some of the young crowd figured out how many cops were actually there while trying to show off @ exit, much to our delight. The turnout was great and by all indications the show will continue into the foreseeable future. Unless the ancient Mayans are correct, we'll be there next year.

The pre-album is here.