Autoblog

Bring the Noise: Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps reportedly safe... for now

Noah Joseph — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:25:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Government/Legal

Following earlier news that the Donington track, which was supposed to take over the British Grand Prix in lieu of Silverstone, had to declare bankruptcy comes a reversal of fortune for the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The longtime host of the Belgian Grand Prix looked to be in serious trouble with local authorities when nearby residents got fed up with the noise emanating from the track. Government officials threatened to shut down the circuit if the situation wasn't addressed, but now they appear to be singing a different tune.

According to the latest reports, the regional environment ministry has given Spa an exemption from noise regulations in light of the economic benefits the Belgian Grand Prix brings to the region. There are a few conditions, though. First of all, while they're willing to overlook the noise issue for the F1 race (and possibly a few other events), authorities will crack down at other times, even shutting down the track completely during parts of the summer. Beyond that, they've appointed a third party to monitor the noise levels, warning the track owners that their exemption will be up for review again within two years. So, while race organizers and fans can breathe a sigh of relief, it'll be a short breath, proving once again that racing and bureaucrats don't mix.

[Source: Autocar | Image: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty]

Bring the Noise: Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps reportedly safe... for now originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Introducing the Expression Motorsport Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG Widebody

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:28:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, SUV, Europe, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Expression Motorsport ML63 AMG -- Click above for high-res gallery

Those of you well heeled Halo players looking for an upmarket version of the Warthog, here you are: the Expression Motorsport ML63 AMG. Hailing from Belgium, the gents at Expression planned to "differentiate this ML from those of a more traditional variety," and to that we say, "Mission Accomplished!"

Things get a bit tricky up front with a snowplow masquerading as a front air dam, then Lorinser-esque around the front wheels, and just plain thick and juicy in back. Speaking of wheels, we will give Expression credit where it's due: nice wheels, guys. To check out the rest of the kit, look no further than the gallery of high-res photos below.

Gallery: Expression Motorsport Mercedes ML63 AMG

[Source: Expression Motorsports]

Introducing the Expression Motorsport Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG Widebody originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Spa-Francorchamps circuit nearly has racing revoked license until 2026

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe

Seems like every day brings something new in Formula 1, and lately none of it's been good. Now we hear that our absolute favorite track on the calendar, Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps circuit, is on the brink of having its license stripped for - get this - 17 years.

Why? Because residents didn't appreciate that high-octane wailing brought on by the F1 circus, so the local Council of State instructed the circuit to conduct an environmental impact study. From the sounds of it, someone tried to get the study done the night before it was due, because the Council found it "seriously inadequate and incomplete." Instead of issuing a simple detention, the Council said "No race for you!" until, *gulp,* 2026.

Thankfully, Spa's director, Pierre-Alain Thibault, now says that "the situation has changed" since the original noise complaint was filed, that the circuit has worked with residents and lowered the decibels. Next year's race is provisionally scheduled for August 29, which gives Thibault a fair bit of time to talk to residents and challenge the Council's actions. A day's wrangling has given the circuit some breathing room to address all of the legal issues before it is officially closed, but it looks like they gotta lotta 'splainin' to do before they can guarantee a 2010 race. For the sake of F1 race fans everywhere, we hope Eau Rouge isn't taken from us. Hat tip to Ryan.

[Source: Crash.net | Image: nmajoros via CC 2.0]

REPORT: Spa-Francorchamps circuit nearly has racing revoked license until 2026 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You didn't think the battle for Opel was over, did you? Belgium reportedly asking EU to investigate

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:36:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Government/Legal, GM, Opel, Canada

When GM decided to hand 55% of Opel to Magna, you didn't think the Belgians were just going to have some waffles and call it quits, did you? Oh no. Belgium's prime minister made a call to the EU president about the deal, and the EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes told a Belgian newspaper, "If something happens against the rules, I will take action."

According to the prime minister, however, the rules have already been broken. Even though Magna has said it will need to trim more workers than expected, the Belgian leader said, "Financial aid given by a country that guarantees that the factories in their country don't close is against EU rules." The sale to Magna has observers screaming, "Politics!" but has made German Chancellor Angela Merkel look very good in the run-up to elections on September 27; with EU scrutiny all she really needs to hope for is that it takes them longer than two weeks to come to an adverse finding, if that should happen.

Opel labor, however, isn't so pleased anymore now that Magna has said it will need to eliminate more jobs than it originally proposed. Initial estimates put job losses at 2,500 workers in Germany; now the Canadian company is saying 4,100 jobs could be lost. It appears that Opel workers plan to assert themselves if Magna does anything differently than it said it would. In addition, labor wants "a veto right over job cuts, transfer of production or plant closures," which are the kinds of rights VW labor unions have. If you ask us, the dust on this one is nowhere near settled.

[Source: Automotive News, sub req'd]

You didn't think the battle for Opel was over, did you? Belgium reportedly asking EU to investigate originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda S2000 gets bizarre custom European widebody conversion

Noah Joseph — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Performance, Etc., Europe, Honda

Custom widebody Honda S2000 - Click above for image gallery

This European Honda S2000 roadster has been subjected to a rather controversial-looking widebody conversion that replaces the Japanese design's crisp lines with an amalgam of shapes and ideas. The front end receives headlamps that may or may not have been borrowed from a Mercedes-Benz SLK and the car's entire aesthetic has been radically altered - even the closer-to-stock rear end has a bigger bumper and spoiler.

It isn't clear if this is a one-off job or if it's a kit that we haven't seen before, but our part, we'll stick with Honda's design, thank you very much. However, should you live in Belgium and feel differently, it's up for sale online for 25,000 euros, or about $36k in American greenbacks. The party continues in the gallery below.

Gallery: Custom widebody Honda S2000

[Source: Vlanauto.be via The Real JDM]

Honda S2000 gets bizarre custom European widebody conversion originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SPOILER ALERT: Reversals of Fortune at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix

Noah Joseph — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:07:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe

2009 Belgian Grand Prix - Click above for high-res image gallery

You asked for it, you got it, racing fans. For decades, Formula One has been dominated by a handful of teams. The world titles have been shared between Ferrari, McLaren, Renault (formerly known as Benetton) and Williams since 1984. And the fans complained: Not enough competition. The small teams stand no chance of winning. Bigger budgets mean bigger trophy cases. And so on and so forth. Well this season has certainly shaken things up. Teams that were once relegated to the back of the field have been winning races, while that quartet of formerly elite teams has been scrambling to keep up. But while Jenson Button and Brawn GP's dominance at the start of the season came as a huge, almost entirely unprecedented surprise to everyone inside or outside the world of grand prix racing, nobody could have anticipated what happened this weekend.

Those who tuned in on Saturday for the qualifying sessions at the Belgian Grand Prix were shocked to find Giancarlo Fisichella and his Force India car sitting on pole. Yes, Force India. The team that never scored a single point, never crossed under the checkered flag in any position better than ninth, and seems to retire from as many races as it finishes. Behind him on the starting grid came fellow Italian Jarno Trulli in his Toyota, followed by BMW's Nick Heidfeld. The big names, meanwhile, were scattered down the order: Rubens Barrichello, fresh off his victory in Valencia, qualified fourth. Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen, sixth. Red Bull's pair of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber - the main challengers to Brawn's title lead - placed eighth and ninth, while defending champion Lewis Hamilton, two-time world champ Fernando Alonso and title leader Jenson Button qualified twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth, respectively. That's one heck of a messed-up starting grid, especially on a circuit as universally loved by the drivers as Spa Francorchamps. But how the race would unfold would prove just as surprising. Follow the jump to read on.

Gallery: 2009 Belgian Grand Prix

Continue reading SPOILER ALERT: Reversals of Fortune at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix

SPOILER ALERT: Reversals of Fortune at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Belgium: Dodge wants you to steam up the windows in the Journey

Alex Nunez — Sat, 31 May 2008 12:16:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Crossover, Dodge

Click above for a gallery of the Baby Made on Board promo materials

When we read the tip from reader Thijs B. telling us that in Belgium, Dodge is planning a Journey launch promo centered around backseat baby-making, we thought it was a big joke. So we started using our Google powers to see what else we could dig up. And guess what? It's legit.

If you go to babymadeonboard.be, you'll be greeted by the screen above, which features a play on those annoying "Baby On Board" window signs that were ubiquitous during the 80s. It's paired with a countdown timer that will zero out on the weekend of June 14, which is when the Dodge Journey officially launches in Belgium. A quick WHOIS lookup on DNS.be reveals that the site's domain name is registered to someone at the Brussels office of Proximity BBDO, a BBDO partner. BBDO is Chrysler's ad agency.

More Googling led us to a Dodge press release posted on a Belgian media portal. The car is being targeted toward men, and its launch slogan roughly translates to "Become a father, stay a man." According to the PR, Dodge suggests that "everyone try out the back seat of the Dodge Journey in a little unorthodox manner." Well, that's one way of getting folks to look past Chrysler's lamentable interiors. People whose "backseat trial" is successful and subsequently produce a newborn child 9 months after the car's launch weekend have a chance to win themselves a new Dodge Journey, and the baby's picture will be posted to the website.

We don't think that Dodge really wants people taking special test drives out of Belgian dealerships for the purpose of steaming up the windows the old fashioned way (we can imagine porters quitting en masse on June 13th if this were the case). This particular assignment can probably be completed at home, too. To help encourage people to take action, however, all Journey floor models will have those "Baby Made on Board" signs in their windows. If you're in Belgium, are planning a family, and are in the market for a new car, you might want to (ahem) get to work on or around June 14. Maybe earlier. After all, a little practice never hurts. Thanks for the tip, Thijs!

Gallery: Dodge Journey - Baby Made On Board

[Source: Dodge Belgium]

Continue reading Belgium: Dodge wants you to steam up the windows in the Journey

Belgium: Dodge wants you to steam up the windows in the Journey originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 May 2008 12:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UPDATE: The Stig NOT revealed... in Belgium?

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:35:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

UPDATE: Thanks to a handful of readers, we received the image above showing Schrick and the Stig embodied in separate meat vessels. That means one of two things: Schrick is NOT the Stig or Top Gear employs several Stigs.

Certain mysteries aren't meant to be solved, and when it comes to the Stig, ignorance is bliss. But when we got a tip about Top Gear's top test driver caught walking around without his trademark white helmet, we were simultaneously skeptical and intrigued.

The Top Gear crew was caught on one of its legendary crap can races, this time with stripped-out compacts strapped to the roof, when someone wielding a video camera outside of the racetrack caught a glimpse of an unmasked driver wearing what is assumed to be the Stig's white racing suit and carrying a matching white helmet. The blurry shots appeared on Autoblog.nl (no relation) and the speculative efforts of the Dutch enthusiast community pegged the man behind the mask as ace test driver Tim Schrick.

Schrick has had his fair share of publicity, primarily doing reviews for a few German television shows (we've posted a video of him caning the Porsche Carrera GT after the jump), and although the screen captures above doesn't give us a clear view of Schrick (we think he looks a bit older), it's the most plausible theory available.

The question that always pops into our minds when we hear about another spotting of the Stig is whether Top Gear employs different drivers for different segments of the show. Jeremy, May and Hammond were on the set, so it's conceivable that Schrick is the "real" Stig, but unless other evidence is offered, we remain comfortable assuming that the Stig is part man, part machine and all bad-ass. Thanks for the tip, Laurens!

[Source: Autoblog.nl]

Continue reading UPDATE: The Stig NOT revealed... in Belgium?

UPDATE: The Stig NOT revealed... in Belgium? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 May 2008 16:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brussels 2008: Invicta unveils revised S1 600 GT 2+2

Noah Joseph — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:17:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Europe, Misc. Auto Shows, UK

Click on the image above to view in high resolution

While our crew in Detroit was busy bringing you all the latest from the 2008 North American International Auto Show, across the pond the Belgians were holding the European Motor Show. And with all the major automakers putting on the ritz in Detroit, smaller manufacturers took center stage in Brussels.

One of the vehicles making its debut in Belgium was the Ivicta S1, a British-made GT that recently underwent some revisions. Whereas the previous version was strictly a two-seater, the revised interior on the new S1 now includes rear seats. A range of Ford-sourced V8s are available, with the top-of-the-line version producing 600 horsepower and capable of propelling the S1 600 to 60 mph in under four seconds. Invicta's engineers have moved the engine rearwards in the bay and sandwiched the fuel tank under the rear seats to improve the S1's balance, as well. The car's body is made from carbon-fiber, bonded to a tubular steel spaceframe chassis that optimizes rigidity and crashworthiness while keeping the car's weight down to 1,380kg.

Invicta originally began making cars in 1925 but closed in 1933, before the original S1 resurrected the name in 2002 at the Birmingham auto show. The company only makes one product, and only builds one per month.

[Source: Invicta via Motor Authority]

Gallery: Invicta S1

Brussels 2008: Invicta unveils revised S1 600 GT 2+2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Ford Mondeo rolls off the line

Dan Roth — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Ford

The first Mondeo has made its way down the production line at Ford's production line in Genk, Belgium. The Genk plant has undergone a big upgrade and is one of the most flexible in Ford's production arsenal. The plant was already building S-Max and Galaxy vehicles, and now with the Mondeo added to the mix, there are five different body styles being turned out at a maximum rate of 1,200 cars per day. Keeping it interesting for the workers, the different body styles can come down the line in any order, as well. It looks like Ford's investment of over 700 million Euro will be paying off as they ramp up full production on their lauded European offerings. While 98 percent of the Genk plant's output will be for export, the United States is not one of the 60 countries these cars are headed. A shame, as we really dig the Euro Fords.

Press release after the jump

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading First Ford Mondeo rolls off the line

First Ford Mondeo rolls off the line originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Champ Cars return to Europe

Noah Joseph — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe

It's been almost four years since the Champ Car series has raced in Europe, but organizers are planning on bringing it back. 2003 was the last season the declining American open-wheel series raced in Europe, when French ace Sebastien Bourdais - now three-time Champ champ - won both the races at Brands Hatch in England and the Lausitzring EuroSpeedway in Germany.

The latest reports suggest that the 2007 season will include two new races in Europe, though not at the same venues as previous seasons. On September 2, Champ Cars will be racing around Holland's Assen circuit, a former road track that has since been developed into a full facility. A week later, the second European race will be competing with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza when Champ Cars race at Zolder, once the site of the Belgian Grand Prix.

The two new European venues bring the Champ Car calendar up to a very full 17 races around the world, joined by events in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and China. By comparison, the competing IndyCar series also has seventeen races scheduled for 2007, though the Motegi race in Japan stands alone as the IRL's only race abroad. If you were a driver aiming to climb up the ladder to Formula One, which would you choose?

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Champ Cars return to Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EU announces investigation into planned GM aid

Chris Paukert — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 07:04:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Government/Legal, GM, Earnings/Financials

The European Commission announced yesterday that it is investigating a $6.6 million dollar subsidy grant planned for General Motors of Europe. The aid package was to be supplied by the Belgian regional government in Flanders and go towards training employees at the EuroGeneral's plant in Antwerp.

EU authorities are openly skeptical that the funds would actually go towards funding training, fearing that the hefty subsidy would be used for other non-approved ends. Under state trade rules, national and/or regional governments are banned from giving aid to a non state-owned entity if such arrangements upset EU competition rules.

[Sources: Associated Press via Forbes; paed.uni-muenchen.de]

EU announces investigation into planned GM aid originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Apr 2006 07:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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