Pirelli to bid for Formula One tire contract
Pirelli has confirmed its plan to bid to become the race tire supplier for the F1 world championship starting next year, replacing Bridgestone Corp., which is withdrawing at the end of this season after four years as the series' sole supplier.
Pirelli said it plans to submit its technical and commercial offer for the contract by May 9, the date of the next Formula One race--at Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain, north of Barcelona--to the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and Formula One Administration Ltd. (FOA), the sport's governing bodies.
Pirelli will be in a bidding battle with Group Michelin and Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.'s Avon Tyres Motorsports unit, both of which have acknowledged being in discussions with the FIA and/or F1 teams about the contract.
Pirelli was an F1 tire supplier on at least two occasions in the past, the last time from 1988 to 1991. It also weighed bidding for the contract four years ago when it last came up for offer.
Porsche Recall Porsche
Famed German automaker Porsche had to issue a recall on all of its Panamera Grand Tourer vehicles. This recallcertainly puts a cloud over the model as it was recently launched.
The issue with the Porsche Panamera was with its faulty seatbelt tensioners, which has affected 11,300 vehicles in total. This latest Porsche model was meant to help increase sales of the Porsche brand by snaring customers from the Mercedes-Benz CLS – this will put a dent in their plans.
Reuters reports that Volkswagen is not happy about this latest development and could take quick action, as it could have an effect on them as a brand. It does seem a shame that more and more vehicles are now being recalled because of safety and quality issues, we do wonder which model will be next?
Auto Parts for Your Car
If you are leasing a car or else have recently purchased a new one, cars at all times need some part or another. Even newer cars require new batteries, new wind shield wipers, new lights and older cars need fan belts, fuses, caskets, additives and a host of other auto parts and spares.
I recently had battery trouble with my car. I had my spouse jump start my car last month and thought about going to an auto parts store later in the day to get a new battery. As I was leaving my house, the lady in the neighborhood came over and gave me an automatic jumper for cars. I had never seen anything like it. It was a yellow, plastic type box with a handle that had a positive and negative connector that hooked up just like when you jump start a car but a second car wasn't needed.
I didn't make it to the car parts shop that day or later that week but I managed the whole week and went everywhere using yellow automatic jumper each time. Then as soon as I got time, I bough got a new battery. It was a life saver. I am buying one of myself and also for my son. Except if your car is in mint condition, you will soon need to go to a auto spare parts shop sooner or later, but if you purchase the yellow jumper box it may save you lot of hassle at the most inopportune time.
Electric Mini laps the Nurburgring
Though it may not break any lap records it still impressed everyone. An electric-powered Mini has lapped the 12.9-mile North Course of Germany’s Nürburgring racetrack in 9 minutes, 51.45 seconds.
With former German Touring Car driver Thomas Jaeger behind the wheel, the electric Mini hit a impressive top speed of 115.9 mph.
Jaeger said, “The power of the electric motor has an incredible effect, as you can access its full reserves of torque at all times. Another element of this fascinating experience is the lack of noise from the drivetrain. All in all, that was certainly the cleanest and quietest race lap I’ve ever driven.”
For its Nürburgring run, BMW engineers equipped the car with a lightweight body and roll cage, a lowered and race-tuned suspension, and a reprogrammed powertrain controller. But Mini kept the original 204-hp electric motor and lithium-ion-battery pack from the standard Mini E, which is being leased to consumers in the United States and Europe.