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2011 Chinese Grand Prix packs the action into Shanghai [spoilers]

Filed under: Motorsports, China

2011 Chinese Grand Prix

2011 Chinese Grand Prix – Click above for high-res image gallery

After a solid month’s worth of previews, the Shanghai Motor Show will finally open its doors this week. And when it does, it will feature an unprecedented number of world debuts. But as central as the Chinese port city has become to the international auto show circuit, the expo wasn’t the only event of worldwide interest occurring there this week.

Shanghai also played host this weekend to the Chinese Grand Prix, the third race in this year’s Formula One World Championship. And with rivalries so closely contested, it was still anyone’s guess as to how it would unfold. Follow the jump for the full play-by-play.

Gallery: 2011 Chinese Grand Prix

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2011 Chinese Grand Prix packs the action into Shanghai [spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Kia Sportage SX Turbo packs 256 hp, priced from $25,795

Filed under: Crossover, Kia

2011 Kia Sportage SX Turbo

2011 Kia Sportage SX Turbo – Click above for high-res image gallery

Kia has dropped all the juicy details on its 2011 Sportage SX Turbo. The vehicle will hit the streets with a 256-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that’s also good for 264 pound-feet of torque. That makes the Sportage the second vehicle in the Kia lineup to take advantage of the automaker’s all-new direct-injection engine, the first being the 2011 Optima. The forced-induction four-pot will come bolted to a six-speed automatic transmission, which should help the Sportage SX nab 27 miles per gallon on the highway in front-wheel-drive guise. The automaker says that the figure gives its CUV better fuel economy than any of its competitors.

In addition, the Sportage SX Turbo will use a firmer suspension compared to its naturally aspirated kin, and a host of aesthetic changes will set the vehicle apart from the rest of the Sportage line. Look for special 18-inch wheels, dual exhaust and a different grille to adorn the new turbo model.

Prices start at $25,795 for the front-wheel drive version. Opting for all-wheel drive will set you back an additional $1,500. Both prices exclude a $695 destination charge. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

Gallery: 2011 Kia Sportage SX Turbo

[Source: Kia]

Continue reading 2011 Kia Sportage SX Turbo packs 256 hp, priced from $25,795

2011 Kia Sportage SX Turbo packs 256 hp, priced from $25,795 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Helmut Deimel packs 50 years of rallying into 90 beautiful minutes

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Videos

Rallying, evolution of the drifting angle screengrab

Evolution of the Drifting Angle (Half a Century Sideways) – Click above to watch video after the jump

Helmut Deimel has been involved in the sport of rallying since the Seventies. During that time he has participated and interacted with some of the all-time greatest drivers to ever click into a racing harness. Deimel’s involvment has also allowed him to cultivate a vast archive that spans 50 years of rallying history. He’s put it all together into one amazing 90-minute video called Evolution of the Drifting Angle (Half a Century Sideways).

Black-and-white footage gives way to color just as rear-wheel-drive yields to all-wheel-drive. Deimel’s film traces the history of a sport where drivers often find themselves driving through the side window. It’s a rather long video to watch over the internet, but it’s worth sitting through every second. You know you already wasted plenty of time on the Internet so click past the jump, let the video load and spend the next hour-and-a-half watching an excellent video showing the evolution of one of the most exciting forms of motorsports.

[Source: YouTube via ColdTrackDays]

Continue reading Video: Helmut Deimel packs 50 years of rallying into 90 beautiful minutes

Video: Helmut Deimel packs 50 years of rallying into 90 beautiful minutes originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage S packs more power, attitude

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Aston Martin, Luxury

Aston Martin V8 Vantage S – Click above for high-res image gallery

Aston Martin has found a way to turn up the heat on its V8 Vantage with a new S model. The coupe packs the same 4.7-liter V8 under the hood as its predecessors, though the mad scientists in Gaydon have managed to wrench a full 430 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque from the eight-pot. The engine is now bolted to a tweaked version of the company’s seven-speed SportShift II transmission with even shorter ratios than before and the combined effect should be more than enough to snap your neck in style.

The engineers also bolted in a quicker steering rack, huge rotors and six-piston calipers up front to ensure this machine can take whatever level of flogging you deem appropriate.

The design crew at AM specifically lifted cues from the even mightier V12 Vantage and the race-bred Vantage GT4. That means buyers can expect to find a carbon fiber splitter low on the front fascia and a pair of wildlife-swallowing inlets designed to feed those massive stoppers. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: Aston Martin V8 Vantage S

[Source: Aston Martin]

Continue reading Aston Martin V8 Vantage S packs more power, attitude

Aston Martin V8 Vantage S packs more power, attitude originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris 2010: 2011 Fiat 500C Abarth EsseEsse packs quite a punch

Filed under: Performance, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Fiat

2011 Arbath 500C esseesse

2011 Fiat 500 Abarth EsseEsse – Click above for high-res image gallery

At this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Abarth-tuned versions of the Fiat 500C and Punto Evo debuted, adding some cajones to the cute-as-a-bug Fiat 500C and the no-less-lovable Punto. Now, at the Paris Motor Show, the mark of the Scorpion brought us even hotter versions of both, and our reaction was that the difference between 500C, Abarth 500C and Abarth 500C EsseEsse is much more than just shades of gray.

Wearing a gray-on-gray paint job and carrying the EsseEsse postscript – Italian for “SS” – the Abarth 500C gets a substantial boost in output and a variety of upgrades to match. In the case of the 500C, it picks up 22 tiny ponies under its curved bonnet to bring the total to 160 horsepower. That’s good for a 7.6-second sprint to 62 miles per hour. Perhaps not record-breaking, but just look at it; cute as a button and pretty darn quick.

The EsseEsse also features an array of upgrades to the suspension, brakes, rolling stock and more, plus Blue&Me connectivity and Record Monza exhaust. Full details can be found in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Arbath 500C esseesse

Paris 2010: Arbath 500C esseesse

Continue reading Paris 2010: 2011 Fiat 500C Abarth EsseEsse packs quite a punch

Paris 2010: 2011 Fiat 500C Abarth EsseEsse packs quite a punch originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Belgian Grand Prix packs in the action [SPOILERS]

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe

2010 Belgian Grand Prix

2010 Belgian Grand Prix – Click above for high-res image gallery

After the nearly month-long break that followed the Hungarian Grand Prix, F1 fans around the world have patiently awaited the return to business as usual on the grand prix circuit. And by business as usual, we mean nail-biting, wheel-to-wheel action and bitter rivalries. With that much pent-up anticipation, it would take some spectacle to make up for the hiatus. Fortunately, this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix – held at the legendary Spa Francorchamps circuit – provided exactly that. Follow the jump to read how it went down.

Gallery: 2010 Belgian Grand Prix

Continue reading 2010 Belgian Grand Prix packs in the action [SPOILERS]

2010 Belgian Grand Prix packs in the action [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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