Autoblog

CNN catches up with champion handcyclist Alex Zanardi

Jeffrey N. Ross — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 10:01:00 EST

Alex Zanardi has faced many challenges since a devastating 2001 accident at a CART race in Germany left him a double amputee, but the 46-year-old Italian is in excellent spirits these days after coming off a gold-medal performance in the 2012 Summer Paralympics. In a video interview on CNN, Zanardi acknowledges that he cheated death in auto racing, and he is now seeing how far he can push himself in his latest sport, hand-bike racing.

He first began cycling in 2007 as way to keep fit, although his competitive spirit quickly kicked in as he looked for ways not only to race but also to improve the sport, such as helping develop the carbon-fiber body for his hand bike. Zanardi averages about 28 miles per hour on the machine, which is far slower than the 200+ mph of his CART race car, but still faster than the 25-mph speed limit for motorcycles in Italy.

In comparing his bike to his former open-wheel racer, Zanardi says that the "dashboard" display on his hand bike is more complicated than the gauges he would see in a car. While he is still looking to get back into car racing, it seems that he's thoroughly enjoying his new role in competitive paracycling.

The interview is posted below.

Continue reading CNN catches up with champion handcyclist Alex Zanardi

CNN catches up with champion handcyclist Alex Zanardi originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 04 Nov 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paralympic gold medalist Zanardi trying to get BMW DTM ride

Jeffrey N. Ross — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:03:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, BMW

Alex Zanardi just can't get racing out of his system. Despite losing both of his legs in a CART crash back in 2001, Zanardi has stayed competitive in auto racing (as well as Paralympics cycling), and according to Auto123.com, the Italian racer is now looking to join BMW in the DTM racing series.

BMW has confirmed that Zanardi is interested in the series, but it was vague as to the possibilities of him joining the team. The report says that nothing is likely to happen for this season, and even after that, there is plenty of variables that will play into whether this becomes a reality... especially safety.

This wouldn't be Zanardi's first stint behind the wheel of a BMW racecar as he won four races between 2004 and 2009 for the automaker in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) using a car with hand-controlled brakes and throttle.

Paralympic gold medalist Zanardi trying to get BMW DTM ride originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ex F1 racer Zanardi wins cycling gold at London Paralympics

Zach Bowman — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Celebrities

Former Formula One racer Alex Zanardi took the Paralympic gold in para-cycling earlier this week by laying down a time of 24:50.22. Para-cycling pits competitors against one another in handbike races. On taking the checkered flag, Zanardi slid from his carbon-fiber bike and hoisted it above his head with one hand in triumph. The victory underscores just how far the former race car driver has come since September 15, 2001.

Nearly 11 years ago to the day, Zanardi was competing in a CART race in Lausitz, Germany when a horrific crash saw a competitor clip across the front of his car at nearly 200 miles per hour. The impact took both his legs, and the racer lost over 70 percent of his blood before he got to the hospital. Miraculously, he survived, and while doctors cautioned of a lengthy recovery, Zanardi was walking again in months. Dissatisfied with his prosthetic legs, he designed a set of his own, and it wasn't long before he returned to auto racing in specially-modified cars.

Originally, Zanardi began hand biking to stay in shape, but slowly began competing. This week, he bested former gold medalist Oscar Sanchez for the win.

Ex F1 racer Zanardi wins cycling gold at London Paralympics originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alex Zanardi's hand-bike racing previewed in inspirational film

Zach Bowman — Sat, 05 May 2012 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Europe, BMW, Celebrities

Alex Zanardi is an impressive person. Despite losing both his legs (and almost his life) in what many assumed was a career-ending crash during a 2001 CART race at Lausitzring, Zanadari wasn't content to accept that fate. After being disappointed with the prosthetic limbs doctors offered at the time, he designed his own and it wasn't long before he was back behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Two years later, he returned to competition using hand-operated throttle and brake controls on the same track that almost took his life. He's since competed in a wide range of automotive racing events. Now Zanardi has turned his focus to hand-bike racing, and BMW has produced a video previewing this new chapter in the determined competitor's ongoing story. Hit the jump to watch.

Continue reading Alex Zanardi's hand-bike racing previewed in inspirational film

Alex Zanardi's hand-bike racing previewed in inspirational film originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 May 2012 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW pits M3 against X5 M at Laguna Seca in Zanardi-esque promo

Jeff Sabatini — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, SUV, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, BMW

It's nice to see that someone at BMW apparently has a wry sense of humor when it comes to the X5 M. We are not shy about admitting that we find it hard to take the 550-horsepower SUV seriously - we famously called it a "2.7-ton Miata with a lampshade on its head and a serious coke habit," when we reviewed it back in 2010. But this little 30-second spot pairing it with the M3 has us tickled with nostalgic memories of the 1996 CART finale at Laguna Seca.

Sixteen years ago, there was no Mazda in the storied track's name, just a heck of a battle through all 11 turns of the final lap of the season. Rookie-of-the-year Alex Zanardi made one of the historic racing moves, passing Bryan Herta on the inside of the downhill "Corkscrew" turn, running through the dirt to make the lead change stick.

If you're wondering what this might have to do with the X5 M, click through the jump to see both the BMW ad and the vintage CART footage.

Continue reading BMW pits M3 against X5 M at Laguna Seca in Zanardi-esque promo

BMW pits M3 against X5 M at Laguna Seca in Zanardi-esque promo originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW continues curtailing racing programs

Noah Joseph — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, BMW

BMW 320si WTCC, BMW-Sauber F1.07 and Formula BMW FB02 - Click above for high-res image gallery

What would BMW be without racing? We could be about to find out if recent developments are any indication. The Bavarian automaker competed in F1, the World Touring Car Championship and various sportscar series, while running its own Formula BMW feeder series that has helped breed such talents as Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel. The automaker announced its withdrawal from Formula One at the end of this year, and reports now indicate that they'll be severely curtailing their participation in the World Touring Car Championship as well.

BMW mounted a concerted comeback effort in the WTCC this year, only to narrowly lose out again to SEAT. Whether the decision is directly related to the upset or not is unclear, but reports out of Europe say that BMW will be reducing the number of its cars in the championship next year from five to two. That means eliminating the national teams system it had in place, consolidating and putting its WTCC-spec 320si in the hands of Team Schnitzer (the erstwhile BMW Team Germany), which gains triple champion Andy Priaulx from BMW Team UK to partner with multiple race winner Augusto Farfus. Two-time CART champion and double amputee Alex Zanardi, who was racing for BMW Team Italy-Spain, is moving to the Superstars Series. (Touring car fans should also note that SEAT's 2008 champion Yvan Muller is moving to Chevrolet to replace the retiring former F1 driver Nicola Larini.)

What remains to be seen is whether BMW will continue cutting its racing activities in other series as well, or if they'll have cut enough expenditures from their F1 and WTCC programs to let its sportscar programs and Formula BMW survive the cutbacks.

Gallery: BMW 320si WTCC

[Source: OmniAuto.it]

BMW continues curtailing racing programs originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Introduction to Karting: Part 1

Tim Stevens — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.

Introduction to Karting: Part 1 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Michael Schumacher. Ayrton Senna. Jeff Gordon. Alex Zanardi. Danica Patrick. All great drivers and all learned their trade in buzzy little racing karts with no suspension, no downforce, minimal protection, and arguably more grins per dollar than any other motorsport in existence. The underpowered machines at the local putt-putt course give karting a bad reputation; a 2.5 horsepower motor in a 300-pound chassis rolling on ten-year-old tires is a $7.50 distraction for kids. But move up to a machine that can do 0-60 MPH in under four seconds, hit 125 MPH on the straight, pull 3 g on the skidpad, and do so for well under $10,000 -- that's serious.

Karting is the safest, cheapest and, arguably, best avenue into motorsports for those with the desire to compete, yet lacking the financial means to get into a top-tier series. Sadly, it's also a dizzying sea of classes, chassis, engines, tires, tracks, rules, and affiliations, some of which are tightly controlled by global organizing bodies. So finding the right way in and getting the most for your money can be tough. That's where we come in.

Autoblog is going karting, jumping in as rookies and making some rookie mistakes so you won't have to. We'll tell you where to start, how much you'll need to budget, where you can save some bucks, and where you should just take a deep breath and hand over the credit card. This is the first in a series, an introduction to the sport that will give you the basics of where to start looking. In subsequent pieces we'll cover driving lessons, go kart shopping, talk setup, and finally go racing. So, without further ado, let's get rolling.

Gallery: Famous karters

Continue reading Introduction to Karting: Part 1

Introduction to Karting: Part 1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda releases very limited S2000 RJ in Europe

John Neff — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Europe, Honda

The S2000 soldiers on as Honda's hottest whip with nary a significant nip/tuck or overhaul since it was introduced over seven years ago. It's inevitable demise is in the cards, but Honda's still proud of its little 2.0-liter terror and there's at least one more special edition planned before it goes. The S2000 RJ celebrates Honda's history in F1 racing, and as such features the signatures of Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button, Honda Racing's pair of F1 drivers, on the audio head-unit's flip down lid. Apparently Honda thinks the S2000 is already F1 enough, so no changes were made to the car's actual performance hardware. Instead we get Pearly White Premium paint as an exclusive paint color and a red and black interior. An Alex Zanardi NSX this is not. Regardless, Honda will only be producing 50 copies of the S2000 RJ (just like the Alex Zanardi NSX), all of which will be sold in just France, Italy and Spain for quite a premium.

[Source: Honda via LeBlog Auto]

Continue reading Honda releases very limited S2000 RJ in Europe

Honda releases very limited S2000 RJ in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Dec 2006 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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