Edwards: “We’ve got a good shot this year”

Colin Edwards closed the Sepang Test in Malaysia last week in fine form, both on the track and off it. The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider was left praising the overall performance of the M1 and its off-season improvements, having enjoyed his three days of work.

Edwards spent the majority of the Test configuring the chassis of his machine and came away highly satisfied with an improved front-end feeling, as well as a better corner exit and rear traction.
The American was also in confident mood about the 2011 season with the opening race in Qatar on March 20th, and said in the attached video interview: “I think we’ve got a good shot this year so I’m excited. I’m really happy with the package. To get in the top five this year I think will be a tall order for anybody. You have a lot of fast factory guys up there and there should be some entertaining racing.”
Edwards concluded: “I’m sure in 2011 Jorge would like to repeat what he did in 2010, but we’ll see. There’s a lot of stiff competition out there and there should be some good racing when it gets underway.”

(motogp.com)

Rossi to ride for Ducati in 2011

Ducati and Valentino Rossi have signed a two-year agreement for the nine-time World Champion to race with the “Rossa” of Borgo Panigale in the Ducati Team from 2011.
The arrival of Valentino in Ducati opens a new and exciting chapter in the Italian factory’s sporting history and, indeed, of the whole MotoGP Championship. The opportunity of lining up such an extraordinary rider and character is considered by Ducati to be of huge value to the whole Ducati MotoGP project.
“We are delighted to announce that Valentino Rossi will be with us from 2011,” commented Gabriele Del Torchio, president of Ducati Motor Holding. “He is a paragon of excellence in the world of motorcycling, coherent with our Italian company which is a standard bearer for ‘made in Italy’ excellence. These are key values for success in technology, design and sportsmanship. In addition to the strong and passionate intent of both parties, this agreement has been made possible by the committed support of our shareholder Investindustrial and all the sponsors associated with the Ducati Team, sponsors which have believed in this opportunity and share and support our choices.”
Filippo Preziosi, Ducati Corse General Director, said: “Firstly, Valentino is a great fan of motorcycles and so it has always been a pleasure for me to listen to his opinions. Until the Valencia GP he will remain a competitor, one so great that he has always given a special value to our victories, but as soon as he rides the Ducati for the first time we will work together on every single detail that will develop a bike capable of showing his huge talent. Working with Valentino is one of the most exciting things for every engineer, and it’s good to know we will have this great opportunity next season.”

2012 Honda Civic Si

2010 Honda Civic Si Coupe
On the market in various iterations for more than 26 years, the Honda Civic Si is still perched at the zenith of the ubiquitous automaker’s lineup of ubiquitous cars. Refreshed in 2009, the Si is the enthusiast’s Civic. Can it be yours?
Offered as a sedan and in the case of our tester, a coupe, it follows the old tried and true method of putting an engine with some power in a small car and making magic. Is the 2010 Si the real deal or is it the automotive equivalent of a candy bar with empty calories?
What is it?
A four-place coupe, with actually usable rear seats, the Civic Si coupe is a starting point for tuners or an end point for those seeking reliable, fun to drive transportation.
With its exclusive 197-horsepower transverse mounted four-cylinder engine, and a stellar six-speed manual gearbox, it fills the bill for both kinds of users.
The current Civic is most of the way through its life cycle, but it’s still a hot seller for Honda – and a perennial favorite among America’s diverse drivers.
What’s it up against?
The Civic Si’s coupe configuration is somewhat unique nowadays; put it up against the Scion tC and Volkswagen GTI if you’re looking for rivals.
Expand your list to four door models and you’ll want to cross shop the Mazaspeed3, Subaru WRX and Volkswagen Jetta GLI.

Honda Civic Si

Honda Civic Si

Honda Civic Si

Honda Civic Si

2012 New Honda Civic

Honda Motors is reportedly preparing to finalize the launch of the latest hatchback generation Honda Civic 2012. Car engine began to be marketed in 2011 was not changed compared to previous generations.
Honda claims to have complete Honda Civic 2012 with a number of new features on the exterior and interior of the car. Front grille that uses a honeycomb design, wrapping sheets Alcantra in interior leather, alloy rims of the GT version of the Civic, are among the new features which are owned by the Honda Civic 2012.
This hatchback car manufactured in this type of SE and Si. Both still use the 1400 cc engine and 1800 cc engine. Two types of first use are 16 inch rims. The 1,800 cc engine type using size 17 inches. Engine 1800 cc i-VTEC is called capable of generating power up to 140 horsepower. Honda Civic fuel consumption in 2012 only 6.7 liters per 100 kilometers and exhaust emissions no more than 155 grams per kilometer.
Honda did not mention the maximum speed that can be achieved by the Honda Civic 2012. However, the speed acceleration from rest to a speed of 100 kilometers per hour claimed in just 8.9 seconds.

New Honda Civic

New Honda Civic

New Honda Civic

New Honda Civic

2012 HONDA S2000

A wonderful sports car manufactured by Honda was S2000 that really shows what can result when a car manufacturer company makes the ultimate use of innovation.
Unfortunately, the production of S2000 halted in 2009 but car fans are keenly waiting for the release of S3000 or Mk2.
The S2000 2.0 NASP engine has been exactly tuned to practical perfection by Honda which makes this one of the most efficient production engines in the market. It is balanced nicely and the heads are very well setup that is a challenge of a professional gas flower for making a considerable improvement to the head.

The valves can possibly be a weak point for the engine which shows up when the service history of the engine has not been kept updated. Besides this, the S2000 is strong and reliable while also having an important fun element of an open sports car.
Regarding tuning tips on the S2000:
Only one choice of engine was available and as it was a very good one, there can not be any argument on it. It is a real challenge to improve the S2000.
Because of its nature of high revving, the car is mostly criticized of having a bit low down torque.
For addressing this, a high octane fuel can be used. Stronger valves can be fitted and the cam profile and timing can be altered a little make the torque curve flat. Usually this will be at the cost of the top end power but will make the car more accessible to VTEC drivers.
For maximizing the power peak of S2000, the head has to be ported and polished and a 3 angle valve job has to be done. This should be done by an expert with full flow testing and diagnostic equipment. Increasing the engine’s compression will additionally maximize the power gains.
The blueprinting and balancing of the engine will help in fully exploiting its top end power and will increase the rev limit beyond the foolishly high standard limits.
Other modifications than can be considered for S2000 engine are air intake, fast road cams and sports exhaust which includes a set of high flow headers on a 4 to 1 pipe rather than a 4 to 2 to 1. Then, some port matching can be applied.
The power crazy fans always have the option of installing a turbo or supercharger but compression ratio of the engine has to be dramatically reduced to make this work better. Another option that can be considered is adding nitrous injection kits that can alone add 50bhp additional power to the engine.
Other modifications:
Brake upgrades are ideal and a lot of S2000 big brake conversion kits have been seen. Installing larger allows will facilitate in fitting a bigger brake disc but low profile tires would have to be used for keeping the same rolling diameter on the car.
Handling mods are also ideal to consider for the S2000, it is recommended to get a fully adjustable suspension kits so this can be set up to suit the driving style. Some prefer the tail happy nature of the car but it can be tamed to an extent with the right kind of suspension setup.

HONDA S2000

HONDA S2000

HONDA S2000

HONDA S2000

2012 BMW X4

Yes, another X model from BMW is in the works, this time the BMW X4. It certainly seems like BMW is going after the crossover market, trying to compete with the models launched by BMW and Audi.
Based on the X3 softroader, the BMW X4 will have four doors but will come with a coupe styled roofline. The X4 is suppose to fit right in between the X3 and X5, but having a size closer to the 330i touring.
Even though the X3 has never been lived up to the BMW expectations, the german manufacture is still trying to force the market and test its customer’s loyalty with this new BMW X4, which specialists, including myself, don’t believe that it will be a “hit”. The X4 is rumored to be ready for launch in 2010.
Take a look at the pictures that Christa Lehmann with Hidden Image captured and let me know what you think.

2012 BMW X4

2012 BMW X4

2012 BMW X4

2012 BMW X4

2012 BMW X3

The BMW X3 is a desirable car for many of us, having four-wheel drive, partial off-road ability, whilst still being as sporty to drive as a BMW saloon. This vehicle, which is categorised by the Bavarian manufacturer as a SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle), is made all the more desirable after a visit to the workshop of the tuning specialist LUMMA from Winterlingen. The X3 is given an even sportier look and more power by fitting various body-styling elements, lowering the suspension, fitting a set of aluminium wheels and tuning the engine.

By fitting the D-Box, LUMMA breathes an additional 41 horsepower into the series-produced 150 kW / 204 bhp 3 litre six cylinder straight engine, giving it a total of 180 kW / 245 bhp. This diesel then has a powerful torque of 492 Nm – an extra 82 Nm. This power makeover costs € 750.

LUMMA has changed just about everything in terms of the external appearance. The front end is dominated by a front spoiler bumper for € 949. This generates downforce, thus giving the X3 better wheel grip. Larger air inlets ensure adequate cooling. Incidentally, the original fog lamps can still be used. A set of headlight lenses (exempt from TÜV approval) for vehicles with or without Xenon headlights is available from LUMMA for the price of € 79.

The sides of the X3 are adorned by a set of side sills including wheel arch extensions for € 950. The superb racing look at the rear end is produced by an apron with a diffuser, of which a version is shortly to be launched also for use with a tow coupling for the price of € 990. LUMMA has equipped the boot lid with an attachment for € 279, which simply clips on. Working its way up to the top of the rear end, LUMMA finishes off with a boot lid spoiler for € 349, which has a stabilising effect at high speeds.

For vehicles, apart from those with self-levelling suspension, LUMMA provides an H&R suspension lowering kit for € 349, which brings the X3 45 mm closer to the road at the front and rear. Stylish LUMMA/ATP wheels round off the external appearance of this SAV. The price for the complete set of wheels is € 5,896. LUMMA fits these chunky wheels in their 10 x 22 inch design with 285/30 tyres from Kumho.

Four pipes, each with a 76 mm diameter, allow the power of this X3 3.0d CLR X to be heard, providing the acoustic proof of the potency of this LUMMA-tuned BMW. They form part of a complete stainless steel exhaust system exempt from TÜV approval (with EEC type approval) for € 1,190.

LUMMA embellishes the entrance area with a four-piece set of stainless steel sill pad covers for € 189. LUMMA also lends the interior of the X3 a racing car feel by providing a set of aluminium pedals for € 159.

2012 BMW X3

2012 BMW X3

2012 BMW X3