Topgear News

Renault is now favourite to lure the services of Kimi Raikkonen to replace McLaren-bound Fernando Alonso

Renault is now favourite to win the services of Kimi Raikkonen to replace McLaren-bound Fernando Alonso.

The Finnish star remained tight-lipped throughout the Canadian Grand Prix, but his management team are believed to be close to concluding a deal with the French outfit.

This could be announced over the French GP weekend in the middle of July, the time that Renault traditionally reveals its driver line-up. It has already re-signed Giancarlo Fisichella and is expected to place highly rated Finnish test driver Heikki Kovalainen with Red Bull Racing next season. Raikkonen, twice a runner-up in the world championship, endured a torrid weekend in Montreal.

Some juicy details from the Mercedes Press Release on their 2007 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class:

Intelligent Light System: five lighting functions to match driving and weather conditions

The Intelligent Light System, which makes driving even safer in the dark, is equally unique. Together with bi-xenon headlamps it forms part of the standard specification for the new CL-Class and provides five different lighting functions that are activated to match driving and weather conditions: the new country road mode illuminates the driver’s-side edge of the road more widely and brightly than the existing low-beam headlamps. Motorway mode, which comes on automatically when driving above 90 km/h, delivers a uniform cone of light that illuminates the entire road width. In the centre of this cone the driver is able to see around 50 metres further. The enhanced fog lamps are also new, which Mercedes-Benz uses to provide better orientation in adverse weather conditions. Active light function and cornering light function are also part of the standard-fit Intelligent Light System on the CL Class.

You can’t get much more offbeat than this four-seater
Written by PETER BLEAKNEY for thestar.com)

Weirdly wonderful. Strangely beautiful.

If there is one car that proudly marches to the beat of a different taiko drummer, the Mazda RX-8 is it. There is not too much “normal” about this rotary-powered, clamshell-doored, four-seat sports car.

Let’s start with the obvious. The six-speed manual RX-8 is powered by a 1.3-litre twin-rotor Wankel engine that puts out 232 hp at 8500 r.p.m. and 159 lb.-ft. of torque at 5500 r.p.m. (The no-charge six-speed auto car makes due with 212 hp.) With no pistons or valves to go up and down, the very compact unit will happily rev to 9000 r.p.m. (7500 for the automatic). Yes folks, that’s more spin than a White House press agent can whip up.

Selected roads of this popular resort town long barred for traffic may soon open for at least tiny, battery-operated cars to aid senior citizens.

The town’s civic body has prepared a proposal to allow electric battery operated cars to ferry the old and needy on the roads currently being open only for pedestrians as well as VIP and emergency vehicles. The proposal is awaiting the state government’s approval.

More than half the roads in this hill station are closed to vehicular traffic, often forcing the old and sick to walk on these roads.

There is no contest when it comes to handing out parking tickets – the Lon­don borough of Westminster is streets ahead

There is no contest when it comes to handing out parking tickets – the Lon­don borough of Westminster is streets ahead. The authority slapped 702,116 fixed penalty notices (FPN) on vehicles during 2005/2006. No other area, even within the capital, comes close.

Across the UK, Birmingham – with 175,000 tickets – Brighton (168,000), Manchester (136,000) and Liverpool (110,000) are among the parking fine high-fliers. But the penalties they dish out are dwarfed by Westminster’s.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

SYNOPSIS: In the end, the resistance to hybrid technology is an expression of fear of change.
Last summer, when gas first hit $3 per gallon, I bought a hybrid vehicle. Although I had been planning to make that purchase before gas prices hit the roof, now that they are once again soaring, I have to admit a bit of smugness has set in.

You see, I took a lot of flak when I bought the hybrid. I was bombarded with such comments as: “It’s not worth it.” “You’ll never make your money back.” “These cars don’t get the mileage that’s advertised.” And on and on.

Drivers could lose vehicles for good…

(BY DAVID BRUCE
CHIEF CRIME REPORTER for leedstoday.net)
Hot road drivers who turn up for ‘car cruising’ sessions in West Yorkshire could end up with their cars being crushed – by police.
The revelation emerged after a recent clampdown in which more than 20 police officers sealed off Guiseley Retail Park following complaints from angry local residents over the noise and nuisance caused by the drivers carrying out dangerous driving manoeuvres on the car park.
About 30 cars turned up to carry out tyre-burning and hand-brake turns while friends stood cheering.