Fans had been looking forward to it for years, and now it's come to a close. For 2007, Formula One stepped out of the dominating shadow of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, the first season since his retirement, and came to today's final race of the season in a close three-way battle between Ferrari's "iceman" Kimi Raikonnen and McLaren's feuding fraternity of defending champion Fernando Alonso and amazing rookie Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari's brave Brazilian Felipe Massa having fell out of contention earlier in the season.

The 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix was a thrilling end to a thrilling season and a gripping race in its own rite. SPOILER ALERT: Follow the jump to find out who won the race, who took the title and how it all went down.

Continue reading Three-Way Title Race comes to a close at Brazilian Grand Prix

Three-Way Title Race comes to a close at Brazilian Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Oct 2007 15:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

You can make a car that accelerates. You can make a car that brakes. You can make one that handles. One that corners. One with a high top speed. But to make one that does it all is a different story entirely. That's why automakers go to the Nürburgring. Its northern loop is twenty-two kilometers of twists, turns, dips, straights, chicanes...even a carousel. And it's got a new champion.

The Pagani Zonda F recently lapped the track that claimed Lauda's ears in a scant 7:27:82, edging out the previous ruler, the Porsche Carrera GT (which it also rivals for carbon-fiber content in its construction). The Zonda's hot lap shaved a mere two milliseconds off the Carrera's time, but those are two milliseconds the German supercar evidently couldn't muster on its own home track. How embarrassing, ja?

The specific model that hit the high time was a Clubsport version, which itself will be trumped by the even more extreme Zonda R before designer Horacio Pagani goes back to the drawing board for the Zonda's successor.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Gallery: Pagani Zonda F at Geneva 07

King of the 'Ring: Pagani Zonda F sets new Norschleife lap record originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Teams aren't teams in Formula One, they're constructors. It's part of the definition that makes F1 what it is: each team builds their own cars. Engines can be obtained from a major manufacturer - though BMW, Renault, Honda and Toyota have joined Ferrari in doing it all in-house - but in theory, at least, each team is supposed to have its own chassis.

That notion, however, is coming under fire. Red Bull and its satellite Scuderia Toro Rosso used a common design this year. Super Aguri is preparing a chassis acquired from its engine supplier Honda, and newcomer team Prodrive just announced it'd be fielding cars bought wholesale from McLaren. The potential result is being billed as "super teams", essentially giving several racing outfits four cars instead of two.

The jury is still out at the FIA as to just how "kosher" this development is, and in the process the fates of several teams lie in the balance. Never prepared to sit on the sidelines, Ferrari is rumored to be considering providing a complete car instead of just an engine to one of the teams it currently powers, though while the motorsport press is suggesting Toro Rosso as the potential recipient, its tie-in with Red Bull Racing might leave the recently sold (and soon to be renamed) Spyker team a more likely partner. For McLaren's part, however, having two teams in which to split their star drivers could prove the most convenient of all.

[Source: F1i.com]

Customer cars could lead to F1 'Super Teams' in '08 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Oct 2007 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading VIDEO: Step inside BMW's F1 wind tunnel

VIDEO: Step inside BMW's F1 wind tunnel originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 May 2007 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rendered Speculation: Lexus GS-F originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 May 2007 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Ferrari F430 CS surfaces again originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 May 2007 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the United States, racing fans get one chance a year to see F1 cars in action at the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis. Those willing to trek over the border get another shot at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, each pitting a couple dozen current Formula One single-seaters against each other in pursuit of the world championship. British fans, however, are in for an even sweeter treat in the form of GPLive, a spectacular display of over 200 historic grand prix racers that will take place at Donington Park later this month.

Running over the course of the weekend from May 18-20, GPLive will feature what promises to be the largest single gathering of F1 cars, spanning decades of the sport, in one fast-paced, high-octane retrospective. Dozens will be on display from the famous Donington Park collection, in addition to others from private collections. More than a hundred, meanwhile, will take to the track again to relive their glory days, including several former world champions' rides.

One of the highlights will undoubtedly be the four cars taking part from the private collection of 1979 world champion Jody Scheckter, including his championship-winning Ferrari 312 T4. Joining Scheckter's cars will be cars driven by past champions including James Hunt, Alan Jones, Jim Clark and Mario Andretti. Ayrton Senna's 1986 Lotus-Renault 98T, in full JPS livery and 1000-horsepower spec, as well as dozens more, will also be on hand for the enjoyment of the crowd of motoring enthusiasts, for whom this is shaping up to be the event of a lifetime.

Follow the link for more details of the historic racing machines to be included in the GPLive show.

[Source: Gizmag]

200 historic F1 cars head to Donington for GPLive originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 May 2007 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It seems you just can't make an exotic sportscar these days without offering a wristwatch to go with it. Bugatti's got one. Koenigsegg has two. McLaren and TAG Heuer are on their third. And Ferrari's got a whole series. Is it a shameless ploy to capitalize on the merchandizing potential of their supercars, or do their creators simply want to provide their moneyed customers with an adornment for their pampered wrists as bold and unique as the hand-made supercars in their garage? The complication, exclusivity and, if nothing else, sheer price on some of these limited-edition timepieces would seem to indicate the latter.

Enter Pagani into the fray with what seems to be the first licensed piece of merchandise the independent carmaker has produced since first releasing the original Zonda back in 1999. Made in partnership with a likewise new craftshop called Cvstos, the Zonda F chronograph draws its inspiration from its namesake supercar. The crown is patterned on the dials in the Zonda's cabin; the sub-dials on the face are arranged to mimic Pagani's signature exhaust pipes; even the rotating disc, visible through the clear case-back, recalls the Zonda's wheels.

The Cvstos Pagani Zonda F chronograph is available in pink gold, yellow gold or titanium, at an unspoken cost and availability suitable to a creation bearing the Zonda's name.

[Source: Sybarites]

The Pagani Zonda of Wristwatches originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Apr 2007 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Reports are beginning to circulate the web that Lexus is working on a high-performance version of the mid-level GS sedan to go up against German rivals in competing for the glory and the cash.

The performance GS would be the next candidate to receive the F treatment, after Lexus took the wraps off the V8-powered IS-F sports sedan at the Detroit show in January. Presumably named the GS-F, Lexus would shoehorn in a version of the V10 engine, detuned to around 450 horsepower, from the LF-A supercar the company is currently working on.

With the GS-F, Toyota would be aiming straight for the BMW M5. That's a mighty ambitious task, especially considering the view that Lexus missed the mark with the IS-F. Could they get it right in the big leagues?

[Source: The Hollywood Extra]

Enter the rumor mill: is Lexus working on a GS-F? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Apr 2007 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the image above to view 29 high-resolution images

So many have tried to independently build exotic supercars, but few have succeeded so remarkably as Horacio Pagani. The Argentinian-Italian once worked for Lamborghini, and gradually split off until giving birth to the Zonda, designed and built in house with input from such big names as Dallara, Mercedes-AMG and the late great Juan Manuel Fangio, after whom the Zonda was originally to be named.

Having recently revealed plans to build its latest iteration, the track-only Zonda R, Pagani featured a pair of Zonda Fs in Geneva: a deep-blue coupe and an awe-inspiring roadster of bare carbon fiber with vibrant yellow ostrich leather. The Zonda is not a car easily missed in any color, but even amidst all the glitz and glamour of the Geneva motor show, the exposed-weave Roadster F grabbed our attention like a bull by the nose.

Seeing is believing, and photographs don't do this beautiful beast justice, but humbly we offer these, our best attempts at capturing both Zonda Fs on display at Geneva in the gallery below.

Gallery: Pagani Zonda F at Geneva 07

Geneva Motor Show: Pagani Zonda F originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Looks like the oil-rich sheiks of Abu Dhabi are getting more serious about the prospect of hosting a Formula One grand prix than we thought. Last week we reported that they're adding an FIA-regulation race track to the Yas Island project that will also host the Ferrari World theme park, and with big question marks rounding off the one main restriction, they could be planning on hosting a grand prix very soon.

Continue reading Update: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix announcement may come Feb1

Update: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix announcement may come Feb1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Jan 2007 07:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It just doesn't stop - now every country and their neighbor seems to want to host a grand prix, and lucky Bernie Ecclestone gets to decide who gets one and who doesn't. Following recent reports of Singapore, India, Abu Dhabi and Portugal all seeking to bring Formula One to their countries, the latest to join the fray is Greece, where the government has pledged its support to seeking the establishment of a Greek Grand Prix.

This past Saturday, Greek President Karolos Papoulias signed a directive opening the door for race organizers to solicit funding from the Ministry of Development. The track would be built on a site at Orchomenos on the Greek mainland 75 miles northwest of Athens, earmarked for a racing track since 1992.

Last year Turkey struck a blow to Greek national pride with the Cyprus debacle at the Turkish Grand Prix, and got away with barely a slap on the wrist while being allowed to keep its race. Aside from the obvious boost to tourism that every grand prix hopeful nation seeks, last year's escalation in the Greek-Turkish détente might have added a little extra motivation for the government to finally support the bid and help get the project off the ground.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Greece gears up for Hellenic Grand Prix bid originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Jan 2007 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Asian push in F1 keeps growing stronger. After reports of Singapore edging closer to signing a deal with Bernie Ecclestone, and South Korea set to join the calendar for 2010, efforts to establish an Indian Grand Prix are firming up.

The plans for an F1 race in India hadn't been getting off the back-burner as potential organizers couldn't agree on a site on the subcontinent, not unlike the deadlock that kept F1 out of the US until its return at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Now Ecclestone seems confident that Delhi is the right place.

The new Asian grands prix in India, Singapore and Korea would be joining Turkey, Bahrain, Malaysia, Japan and China, bringing the number of races in Asia up to eight, the same as the number of European races on the 2007 calendar. That'd be a radical departure for a race series that has been heavily Euro-centric for decades, but Ecclestone is keen to bring F1 to new markets and Asia's where it's at.

[Source: F1i.com]

Delhi likely to host Indian Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 15:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The venues just keep on lining up for grands prix. After bringing you news of Singapore's impending bid and progress on India's plans, the next contender is Portugal, which had a grand prix at Estoril from 1984 to 1997 but withdrew from the F1 calendar after that due to prohibitively high costs to get the track up to spec. Rather than sinking more money into an old track, the coastal town of Portimao is moving ahead with plans to build a brand new facility.

The project has a reported budget of a staggering $250 million and includes a five-star hotel, apartment complex and trackside technology center in addition to the track itself and other supporting facilities. Parkalgar, a private contractor, is getting support from local and national governments who see the project as a priority for the Portuguese tourism industry and who are granting the contractors a 10-year tax break together with low rental fees for the 800 acres of land dedicated for the facility. Parkalgar aims to finish the facility by September 2008, after which they intend to bid for a Formula One grand prix.

The bid for a Portuguese Grand Prix is a bit of an uphill battle, set against the context of a general decrease in the number of European races. Germany and Italy have each had a race cut from the calendar; Belgium is alternating every other year; even France and England might have to alternate; while nearby Spain is bidding for a second race. It might be a tough sell with an already overcrowded race schedule, but it may just come down to how much they can afford to pay Bernie Ecclestone, who as always holds the lucrative commercial rights to the series.

[Source: GrandPrix.com]

Return to Portugal: Portimao building F1 track originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

'F' is for 'Fast' - Lexus' new performance arm originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Dec 2006 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pagani has been kind enough to grace us with this promotional video of the Zonda F...as in, F'n sweet ride. The video features some impressive cinematography of the beautiful supercar snaking through the mountains.

Definitely worth watching, but we could do without the uninspired (and uninspiring) soundtrack, and more of that sweet exhaust note coming out of the custom-built 7.3-liter 602-hp Mercedes-AMG V12.

[Source: Motor Authority]

VIDEO: Pagani Zonda F originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Sep 2006 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.