Automotive

Report: The end of the Volkswagen Beetle and Scirocco might be near again

Report: The end of the Volkswagen Beetle and Scirocco might be near again Two of some of Volkswagen’s most iconic models have a questionable fate for the near future.
What’s going on?
Some new information surfaced regarding the fate of some iconic Volkswagen models surfaced recently. After AutoCar scored a chance to speak with a VW board member, the outlet learned that the Beetle and Scirocco may be no more for the near-future.
In grave efforts to try and recuperate losses from the Dieselgate scandal, Volkswagen’s on a driven quest to overhaul its lineup and future plans. The potential result of this is that Volkswagen might have to axe the Beetle and the Scirroco once more.
“The Beetle and Scirocco are representatives of an emotional and appealing class of vehicles,” said VW board member, Arno Antilitz, “…but it [VW product planning] is not always about continuing cars from one generation to the next.”
…but the Beetle and Scirocco were just resurrected!

Yes! The current Beetle launched as a 2012 model year car. The current Scirocco, although not available in the US, debuted in 2008. So both cars are nearing the end of their production lifespan.
But Antilitz noted while both the Beetle coupe and the Scirocco might end soon, the Beetle Convertible will continue production until the end of its production cycle.
Rumors of the Beetle coming to an end have also been floating around for quite some time.
Where’s Volkswagen going?
According to some of the latest reports, Dieselgate really changed things for Volkswagen. As a result, VW plans to focus more on production electric vehicle programs and the continuous growth for SUVs and crossovers. Some of these efforts are already taking form, as seen with the Volkswagen Atlas SUV.
Current predictions suggest the Volkswagen Beetle should come to an end sometime in 2019.
– By: Chris Chin
Source: AutoCar

The post Report: The end of the Volkswagen Beetle and Scirocco might be near again appeared first on egmCarTech.

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Memory Lane: Remembering Gilles Villeneuve

Memory Lane: Remembering Gilles Villeneuve

Over 28 years ago, on a rainy and cold October day, I was in attendance when Gilles Villeneuve won his first F1 race. To the delight of the cheering crowd, he did it on his home course in Montreal, which would later be renamed in his honor. Thousands upon thousands of spectators were jumping with joy when the checkered flag came down and the red Ferrari 312T3 number 12 was the first to cross the finish line.
The miserable weather didn’t matter anymore. The only thing that counted was Gilles had won.
“Seasoned” Champion
I began following his career when he was racing snowmobiles. He raced Skiroule machines. They had been designed after Bombardier’s success with Ski-doo. Skiroule was eventually sold to the Coleman Company, famous for its camping gear. Gilles became the Snowmobile World Derby champion in 1974.
One summer, he did some drag racing with his Mustang, but going in a straight line bored him. He attended the Jim Russell Racing School to obtain his professional license. Despite driving an older Formula Ford car he purchased after mortgaging his house, much to the dismay of his wife, he won seven out of the ten races he entered. It was enough to win the regional championship in the process.
The following year, he moved to Formula Atlantic. It was raining heavily when he won his first race in 1975. In 1976, he was crowned North American champion by winning all but one race during that season. And the sole race he didn’t win, he came in second. He tried to jump to Formula 2 in Europe, but a contract didn’t materialize, so he returned to Formula Atlantic.
My brother and I used to go see him race on weekends. The two-day spectacle included the preliminary races to Formula Atlantic which showcased the Honda Civic, Formula Ford, TransAm, and Can-Am. Gilles also did some Can-Am races for Wolf Racing.
Finding Home
In 1976, there was a celebrity Formula Atlantic race that included F1 stars. Gilles won the race. In doing so, he impressed James Hunt, one of the participants who would become the F1 champion that year. James Hunt recommended the Formula Atlantic champion to McLaren, for whom he was racing, and it was the beginning of Gilles Formula 1 career. He lied about his age for fear of being considered too old to be an F1 racer.
Although promising at first, things didn’t pan out with McLaren nor with Wolf Racing; the other team that was interested in Gilles for their F1 effort and for whom he had driven Cam-Am cars. Walter Wolf recommended Gilles Villeneuve to Enzo Ferrari. The Commendatore took an immediate liking to Gilles Villeneuve whose stature reminded him of Tazio Nuvolari. Ferdinand Porsche called Nuvolari the greatest driver of the past, the present, and the future. Mr. Ferrari decided to give Gilles a chance and eventually signed him to a contact.
Despite a poor showing in the beginning, problems with the Michelin radial tires, and calls from the Italian press to get rid of him, the Commendatore kept him on Scuderia Ferrari, much to the delight of supporters like me. Mr. Ferrari grew to love Gilles like a son. He said of Gilles, “with Villeneuve, you win, even if you lose.”
Photo: Ferrari S.p.A.

Track & Television
My brother and I kept going to the local races after Gilles Villeneuve had made it to F1. Paul Newman was a team owner, then. I’ll never forget an accident during a race when one of his cars plowed head on into a concrete barrier at full speed. Paul Newman stood nearby, anxious. After what felt like an eternity, they extricated the driver from the wreckage. His legs were mangled. We later learned that he had eventually been flown to Switzerland for medical care, but his legs had to be amputated.
We watched Gilles’ races on television too. He was called the wet weather master for a reason. One simply has to watch the start of the 1979 Watkins Glen race to see how he maneuvered on a wet racetrack. He started fourth on the grid and before the first turn he was in first position. He credited his snowmobile racing days for his ability to handle slippery surfaces and driving conditions where visibility was minimal.
Thanks to the web and people who post videos, you can see footage of his racing prowess. Gilles once said he couldn’t hurt himself, but he could hurt the car. That’s how confident he was. Who can forget the duel between René Arnoux in his Renault twin-turbo and Villeneuve in his Ferrari at the 1979 French Grand Prix? It was unbelievable racing. That same year, he was voted fastest F1 driver by his peers who included mechanics and team directors.
Living On
When that fatal day happened in 1982, when he hit a slow car during a practice run, a little piece of us also died. Seeing pictures of him by the fence as track officials try to revive him breaks your heart. He was 32. But sadness gives way to rejoicing for all that he has accomplished – he was voted best Ferrari driver ever by Motor Sport Magazine. His son went on to become Indy (CART) Champion and F1 Champion.
So, with a new F1 season underway, I remember you, Gilles Villeneuve. Thank you for all the excitement you have provided your fans. I’m glad I was able to see you race in person and to be there when you won your first Grand Prix. Your memory lives on.
Michael Bellamy is the author of our Memory Lane series. He enjoys driving his 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC and until an untimely collision claimed it, his 2001 Ford F-150 7700.
Cover Photo: Ferrari S.p.A.

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Hyundai Santa Fe: The Second Endurance

Hyundai Santa Fe: The Second Endurance I was enamored with Sir Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance Expedition in middle school. Our history class covered a unit on famous explorers and the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition easily captured mine and my classmate’s imagination. How exhilarating, yet so undeniably terrifying to have been stranded on Earth’s most barren place. Antarctica.
The photos of the ice-locked Endurance are still stunning to this day. And how the crew maintained morale, and conditioned their survival to their eventual rescue is nothing short of a miracle.
“We were aware of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s story and as a company felt a resonance with his courage and pioneering spirit,” said Scott Noh, Head of Overseas Marketing Group, Hyundai Motor Company.
Disclosure: This article is sponsored by Hyundai. All views and opinions expressed here are my own. Check out our advertising guidelines to see why we’d never steer you wrong.
Captain’s Log
To honor this monumental voyage and make history again on Antarctica, Hyundai teamed with Patrick Bergel, Shackleton’s great grandson. Bergel piloted a wicked looking Hyundai Santa Fe, traveling from Union Camp to McMurdo and back again, successfully completing the journey his great grandfather began over 100 years ago. This is the first instance where a passenger vehicle has traveled across the continent, and back again. At first glance, it doesn’t seem Bergel fits the family mold, especially as a technology entrepreneur.
“I’m not a polar explorer; I’m an indoor guy, so it was a big cultural shift,” he said.
During the 30-day trek, Bergel covered 3,600 miles of icy, unforgiving terrain as temperatures dipped to negative 28. At times it was dangerous because nothing was as it appeared.
“When you’re driving through a total white-out you start hallucinating, seeing things that aren’t there,” Bergel said. “Our brains often confused us into believing we were going uphill rather than down.”
Photo: Hyundai Motor UK.
Fractures & Cracks
Vehicle durability was another factor given the conditions. The Hyundai Santa Fe piloted by Bergel featured a low gear ratio of 1.5:1 for maximum performance in the snow. The suspension, links, mounts, and axle shafts were all rebuilt, although no modifications to the engine or its computer were made.
“People who have a lot of experience in Antarctica know what it does to machinery: basically, anything and everything falls apart,” explained Gisli Jónsson, Chief Developer, Arctic Trucks. “Even the big machines crack up and break apart.”
Jónsson has numerous Antarctic expeditions under his belt, including a record breaking double traverse, totaling nearly 6,000 miles in one season. Jónsson has encountered about everything, but Hyundai’s mission was an entirely new endeavor for the seasoned traveler.
“This was the first time a full traverse has ever been attempted, let alone doing it there and back,” he said.
Jónsson remains an authority on driving in Antarctica and lead Hyundai’s expedition. The journey was carefully plotted on GPS and dangerous areas were identified and reviewed with experts at Union Glacier before departure. New paths were mapped across floating ice caps that had never been subjected to a wheeled vehicle. The team later encountered a giant crevasse field where vehicles were roped up so if one fell, it could be recovered.
“We had one scary moment there – but we managed to get through okay,” Bergel said.
“A lot of people thought we would never ever make it and when we returned they couldn’t believe we’d actually done it,” Jónsson added.
Photo: Hyundai Motor UK.
Family Legacy
Having tried to reach the South Pole, Shackleton was beaten by Roald Amundsen in 1911. Thus, crossing Antarctica was now the primary objective and the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition was planned accordingly. Aboard the Endurance just a year later, Shackleton would have his opportunity but the unpredictable terrain would trap and ultimately claim the ship. Shackleton and five men sailed 800 miles over open, stormy seas to South Georgia, where a successful rescue was conceived.
“Getting to the South Pole was a special moment. The fact that this was a place my great grandfather tried to get to more than once and I was there, it felt like a genuine connection,” Bergel said. “It was quite something to have been the first to do this.”
Photo: Hyundai Motor UK.
Magnificent Creations
One of the highlights of the journey was the scenery, which very few people will ever see. The team traveled from Union Glacier to the South Pole then followed the Leverett Glacier and the Trans-Antarctic Mountains, to the Ross Ice Shelf, and McMurdo. Seeing Mount Erebus was particularly special.
“My great-grandfather was the first to climb Erebus and I’d seen pictures of it as a child,” Bergel said. “It is quite spectacular, with plumes of smoke coming out, and it was pretty special to be driving and see it come out of the cloud.”
Passing the Trans-Antarctic Mountains was when reality set in.
“That was the point at which nobody in a wheeled vehicle had been beyond,” Bergel added.
Preserving Memories
Seeing things like this – a team of people trekking across the most isolated part of the world – gives me hope and inspiration. It’s easy these days to lose that – just login to the nearest social media account if you’ve already forgotten what pandemonium and commotion are. The world needs more of this kind of adventure; this kind of exhalation. The world needs more Hyundai Santa Fe models with big tires blowing through snow like no tomorrow . . . man, I always liked the Santa Fe anyway, but now . . . but now . . .
Hyundai made a film that chronicles the expedition and highlights some of the remarkable moments experienced by the team. The Shackleton Returns website is fascinating too, with more details on the journey, Shackleton’s background, and performance specs on that oh so sweet Santa Fe.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.

Photos, Video & Source: Hyundai Motor UK.

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2018 Indy 500 Notebook: Part 9: Moving On

2018 Indy 500 Notebook: Part 9: Moving On Tony Borroz opens up what has been dubbed “The 2018 Indy 500 Notebook” for an unedited look at The Greatest Spectacle In Racing. The 2018 Indy 500 Notebook is an unfiltered look and what makes the Indy 500 so alluring in the first place. The series concludes with this final installment, Part 9: “Moving On.”
The prologue can be found here.
Part 2: “Hey Hinchcliffe, Wanna Race? Then Go Faster!” here.
Part 3: “Carb Day” here.
Part 4: “By This Time Tomorrow” here.
Part 5: “On The Fly – Before The Green Flag” here.
Part 6: “On The Fly – Everything That Matters” here.
Part 7: “A Modest Proposal: The EV 500” here.
Part 8: “Letters” here.
The Indianapolis 500, as big as it is, is a thing of the past. Or at least now it is. The dust has barely settled and the teams have all moved on to the next round, a double-header race set on the beautiful Belle Isle Park in Detroit, with Will Power riding a wave of considerable momentum. At this point, I’d say Power is now the favorite to win the series championship, but this whole thing is far from over.
Power always seemed like he was running closer to an emotional edge than most other racers in the series. His last race, or few races, always seem to affect what’s coming next more with Power than with his competitors. That’s why winning this year’s 500 will have such a big impact going forward for him, both this season and in years to come. After chalking up a big win at Indy – two, actually, since you should also count his win on the Indy road course – Power will most likely be able to parlay that into enough wins, places, and shows to notch up another championship.
His joy at winning The 500 seemed like more than that, more than just elation at (finally) winning one of the crown jewels in all of racing. Along with all the screaming, gesticulating, furtive twitching and such, Power displayed a sense of relief that was almost worrying in its intensity. It became easy to stitch together a bunch of stuff in Power’s past with his Victory Circle response.
With his victory this year, Will Power became the first Australian to win the Indianapolis 500. Photo: IMS LLC.
Call Me Will
Up until winning Indy, you could see that it was Bugging him with a capital B; I mean Bugging him the way not settling the score with Moby Dick was starting to bug Ahab. We’re all complex creatures, we humans, and some of us are very complex indeed. Will Power seems to fall into that latter half of humanity. Having a certain level of drive and determination is part and parcel of being a racer at this level. Roger Penske or Michael Andretti or Josef Newgarden didn’t get to where they are because they had nothing else better to do. You don’t back into anything at this level. So having a certain amount of dogged determination to “succeed” is to be expected.
But, like anything else in life, it’s when you get on the other side of that power curve of determination that I start to worry. Captain Ahab is not a heroic figure. There is nothing fine and noble and valiant at attaining your goals at the cost of your humanity. I’m not saying that Power was going full Ahab here, but I am saying that his palpable sense of relief at finally winning worried me that he was edging closer to that.
Cats In The Cradle
I’ve seen it before, and far too many times at literally every level of this sport. I’ve seen drivers so blindly determined to win that they slowly lose everything along the way. Racing, as an activity, is riddled with broken relationships, snapped bones, burned out friendships, twisted frames, destroyed families. Some disabilities are not physical. Some drivers (and team owners) become so fixated, so focused on Winning, that literally nothing else matters to them.
Normal, healthy relationships with their spouses or children or close friends? They can be jettisoned with nary a backward glance if they are in the way of “winning.” Not winning can be the worst thing in the world. Not winning can Cost You, and you won’t know what the final bill is until it’s far too late in your life to be able to truly pay it.
And that’s why, in retrospect, I’m as relieved as Will Power over his 2018 Indy 500 win. Looking back, I can see how Power could have let missing another 500 win affect him. It would gnaw at him, and the pressure would mount, and build, and, like 90 percent of the other racers out there, he would have responded the only way racers know how: work harder, try harder, sacrifice more, risk more. When you buy into the mindset that your racing results define who you are as a human being, then results are all that matter.
Will Power in disbelief after winning the 102nd Indianapolis 500. Photo: Karl Zemlin.
Changing Places
That is, obviously, seriously unhealthy. Eventually, the results have got to stop. Eventually, the spotlight fades and the applause dies down and you are left with time on your hands. And if you’re one of those people who don’t know how to balance out all aspects of your life, even the big aspects of your life, like being a racing champion, then that time can stretch out before you like a yawning chasm. You can turn into one of those irascible old jerks at the local bar; one of the “remember-whens” and “I used to . . .” people.
No, Will Power finally winning The 500 wasn’t his “cure” for that. It never is. But what it hopefully will do for Mr. Will Power is give him some peace. Now that he has ticked off the “Win Indy 500” box, maybe he can get some perspective. Now, maybe he will realize he’s working, not from a place of accomplishment (although he surely is working from that as well), but from a place of peace and calm and quiet and he can move on and live a more balanced life.
Sure, this will make him a much stronger racer, especially in the short term, but eventually this will also make him a much stronger person, and we are all better off knowing that.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. His forthcoming new book The Future In Front of Me, The Past Behind Me will be available soon. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.

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FCA Expands Partnership With Waymo For Greater Autonomous Mobility

FCA Expands Partnership With Waymo For Greater Autonomous Mobility FCA US LLC and Waymo are expanding their partnership further, this time with an agreement to add up to 62,000 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans to Waymo’s self-driving fleet. Vehicle deliveries are expected late this year, and both companies are discussing the use of Waymo’s self-driving technology, including potentially licensing it, in a FCA-manufactured vehicle available to retail customers.
Innovation & Accessibility
Earlier this year, FCA US LLC delivered 500 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans to Waymo to boost the tech company’s autonomous driving program. To date, FCA has delivered 600 Pacifica Hybrid minivans to Waymo.
“FCA is committed to bringing self-driving technology to our customers in a manner that is safe, efficient, and realistic,” said Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. “Strategic partnerships, such as the one we have with Waymo, will help to drive innovative technology to the forefront.”
“Waymo’s goal from day one has been to build the world’s most experienced driver and give people access to self-driving technology that will make our roads safer,” added Waymo CEO John Krafcik.
Photo: FCA US LLC.
Future Goals
One of the goals for FCA and Waymo was to develop an autonomous vehicle for mass production. The partnership paired FCA and Waymo engineers together who devised ways to implement Waymo’s automated technology into the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Leaders from both companies say leveraging each other’s strengths, experiences, and resources is critical for the successful and safe implementation of autonomous driving.
FCA and Waymo engineers have continued working together to support Waymo’s expansion, and to advance the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid with autonomous technology. Waymo’s self-driving system includes a powerful hardware and software suite honed over 6 million miles of on-road testing.
Later this year, Waymo will launch a self-driving transportation service, allowing the public to use Waymo’s app to request a vehicle.
“We’re excited to deepen our relationship with FCA that will support the launch of our driverless service, and explore future products that support Waymo’s mission,” Krafcik said.
The Automoblog Staff contributed to this report and can be reached anytime.
Photos & Source: FCA US LLC.

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SoftBank Vision Fund To Invest Over 2 Billion In GM Cruise

SoftBank Vision Fund To Invest Over 2 Billion In GM Cruise The SoftBank Vision Fund will invest $2.25 billion in GM Cruise Holdings LLC, a move aimed at strengthening the company’s plans to commercialize and scale autonomous vehicle technology. General Motors will also invest $1.1 billion in GM Cruise upon closing of the SoftBank Vision Fund transaction.
“Our Cruise and GM teams together have made tremendous progress over the last two years,” explained GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “Teaming up with SoftBank adds an additional strong partner as we pursue our vision of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion.”
Increased Flexibility
The SoftBank Vision Fund’s first tranche of $900 million will come at the closing of the transaction. The second installment of $1.35 billion (with regulatory approval) will be completed by the Vision Fund when the Cruise AV vehicles are ready for commercial deployment. The SoftBank Vision Fund will then own a near 20 percent equity stake in GM Cruise. Officials say the relationship will allow increased flexibility with respect to capital allocation.
“We’re excited to be joining forces with a tech leader who shares our belief that AV technology will change the world,” said GM President Dan Ammann. “We look forward to partnering with SoftBank as we work toward deploying this technology safely and in massive scale.”
“GM has made significant progress toward realizing the dream of completely automated driving to dramatically reduce fatalities, emissions, and congestion,” added Michael Ronen, Managing Partner, SoftBank Investment Advisers. “The GM Cruise approach of a fully integrated hardware and software stack gives it a unique competitive advantage.”
General Motors President Dan Ammann (left) and GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra (right) give SoftBank Investment Advisers Managing Partner Michael Ronen a closer look at the Cruise AV on Wednesday, May 30th, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. Photo: Steve Fecht for General Motors.
The GM and SoftBank Vision Fund investments are expected to provide the necessary capital to reach commercialization at scale, beginning already next year. Earlier this year, GM filed a Safety Petition with the Department of Transportation for its fourth-generation self-driving Cruise AV. The petition says the Cruise AV would be the first production-ready vehicle to operate safely with no driver, steering wheel, pedals, or manual controls.
“We are very impressed by the advances made by the Cruise and GM teams, and are thrilled to help them lead a historic transformation of the automobile industry,” Ronen said.
The Automoblog Staff contributed to this report and can be reached anytime.
Photos & Source: General Motors.

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2019 Acura RDX Hits Dealerships: A Brief Walk Around

2019 Acura RDX Hits Dealerships: A Brief Walk Around The 2019 Acura RDX, which debuted at the New York International Auto Show earlier this year, has landed on the showfloor. This new RDX is the product of an extensive overhaul, being designed and built under Acura’s Precision Crafted Performance mantra. The 2019 RDX features a VTEC Turbo engine, 10-speed transmission, and an available torque vectoring all-wheel drive system.
The A-Spec variant is there for those who want a bit more flash and flare.
Design & Technology
The 2019 RDX is the first to fully encompass Acura’s new exterior and interior design language – diehard fans may remember the Acura Precision Concept and Acura Precision Cockpit – it is, in essence, a combining of those two elements. Acura opted for a more athletic stance, achieved by the longer wheelbase, shortened front overhang, and overall wider track. The brand’s signature diamond pentagon grille is seen as are the NSX-inspired front air curtains.
Authentic brushed aluminum, stainless steel, and Olive Ash wood accents grace the inside to compliment the sport seats and panoramic moonroof. Opt for the Technology Package and the Advance Package and receive a literal boatload of amenities: 16-way power adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, a 10.5-inch full-color heads-up display, birds-eye view camera, and a 16-channel, 710-watt premium audio system among others.
On-board 4GLTE Wi-Fi enables a variety of cloud-based services like emergency roadside assistance, remote locking/unlocking, stolen vehicle tracking, and geofencing. Acura’s True Touchpad Interface combines conventional touchscreen and remote-based approaches from its perch atop the center console.
Photo: Honda North America.
Power & Performance
Every cake has icing and the 2019 Acura RDX is no exception. The icing here is the direct-injected and turbocharged engine under the hood. The 2.0-liter, 16-valve powerplant with its patented DOHC VTEC valvetrain creates 272 horsepower and 280 lb-ft. of torque. It’s mated to the segment’s only 10-speed automatic transmission and delivers a whopping 40 percent more low-end torque than the outgoing V6.
Where the RDX cake really gets sweet is with Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, an available torque vectoring system often written as “SH-AWD.” It’s not the most creative name but we give Acura props for being blunt. SH-AWD does exactly what it says: makes the handling superb.
This next-generation SH-AWD system ups rear-wheel torque capacity 40 percent over the prior model. Now, up to 70 percent of the available torque can be distributed to the rear wheels, and up to 100 percent of that torque can be distributed to either the right-rear or left-rear wheel. This will give drivers a feeling of stability, security, and control.
Available drive modes include Snow, Comfort, Sport, and Sport+, each one changing up the overall dynamics of the vehicle to suit differing road conditions. The drive modes utilize the Drive-by-Wire throttle, transmission, electric power steering, traction and sound control, and if equipped, the SH-AWD system accordingly.
Photo: Honda North America.
Pricing & Manufacturing
The 2019 Acura RDX is available now with a starting MSRP of $38,295. The new RDX was designed at the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles, California, developed in Raymond, Ohio, and is manufactured in East Liberty, Ohio.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan. He studies mechanical engineering at Wayne State University, serves on the Board of Directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation, and is a loyal Detroit Lions fan.
2019 Acura RDX Gallery

Photos & Source: Honda North America.

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2018 Indy 500 Notebook: Part 8: Letters

2018 Indy 500 Notebook: Part 8: Letters Tony Borroz opens up what has been dubbed “The 2018 Indy 500 Notebook” for an unedited look at The Greatest Spectacle In Racing. This new series will span the days leading up to and after the 102nd Indianapolis 500. The 2018 Indy 500 Notebook is an unfiltered look and what makes the Indy 500 so alluring in the first place.
The prologue can be found here.
Part 2: “Hey Hinchcliffe, Wanna Race? Then Go Faster!” here.
Part 3: “Carb Day” here.
Part 4: “By This Time Tomorrow” here.
Part 5: “On The Fly – Before The Green Flag” here.
Part 6: “On The Fly – Everything That Matters” here.
Part 7: “A Modest Proposal: The EV 500” here.
One of the things about being a car guy, and I’m sure this comes as no surprise, is that you become the de facto font of all car knowledge at the office, the bar-b-que or wherever. Once this year’s Indy 500 was over, I got a few emails from an old friend of mine, Blaine. We were in punk bands together and have worked off and on in the intervening years on video games and museum designs and a bunch of fun stuff. Blaine’s a great guy, but not what one would call a gearhead. Here’s what he asked:
“TB what was one of the most surprising things about this race, and what was one of the best things?”
Well, it was kind of unsurprising if you gave it some thought.
Hot & Heavy
The known parameters going in were this: completely new aero package that had never been run at these sustained speeds before AND had never been run in traffic. There weren’t many rookies, so that’s a blessing, but really, everyone was very pragmatic for the first 2/3 of the race. On top of the new aero questions, it was also hot as blazes – high 80s – so everything was going to be loose. And that follows through to most of the accidents.
Most people went out by themselves, usually in turns Two or Four; the back end would step out, the better drivers might have half-caught it, but eventually the whole thing let go and spun into one or more walls.
And one of the best things was actually two things.
The first was Alexander Rossi passing two and three-wide on the outside. That was impressive.
And the other was seeing Will Power win the thing. He seemed so relieved. I know this was his 10th try, and in retrospect, I can see it was weighing on him, like an incomplete mark on his school records.
Will Power upon winning the 102nd Indianapolis 500. Photo: Karl Zemlin.
Maybe It’s Time We Shake Up The Monaco Grand Prix?
“TB what do you think about this article? The comments of course are pretty funny, but in the serious world what do you think?”
Okay, here is an immutable fact: Monaco is a terrible place to have a car race. I don’t just mean currently, I mean it has always been a terrible venue to go racing.
That’s what makes it work, the complete batshit craziness of it all.
When he got out of his car after practicing for the first time, then-rookie Nelson Piquet was asked, “Well, what’s it like?”
“What’s it like? It’s like flying a helicopter around your goddamned living room, that’s what it’s like!”
But I get their point . . . did you know they used to race the same car at Indy that they raced on tracks like high school running tracks (1/4 mile crushed clay)? They don’t do that anymore, do they? No, they don’t, and with good reason.
What should they do at Monaco? You got me.

Indy 500 Car Leaves Pits On Fire But Extinguishes It With Speed
One more from Blaine: “The guy on the right with the fuel line is awfully casual about BEING ON FUCKING FIRE!”
Oh yeah, Zach Veach.
He could be a real problem, and I mean a problem of prodigy-esque proportions.
He’s 23-years-old, stands less than 5 foot 4, weighs around 140, and looks like a child:
Zach Veach, Twitter.
Boy Wonder
He is preternaturally fast, has tons of mechanical sympathy, and is as cool under pressure as Neil Armstrong. I am not fucking kidding.
If I was racing against him, I’d be worried.
One of these days I want to go to The 500 with someone who knows absolutely nothing about it. Somehow it makes me notice things I’d otherwise take for granted.
Part 9: “Moving On” concludes the 2018 Indy 500 Notebook and can be found here.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. His forthcoming new book The Future In Front of Me, The Past Behind Me will be available soon. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.

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2018 Indy 500 Notebook: Part 7: A Modest Proposal: The EV 500

2018 Indy 500 Notebook: Part 7: A Modest Proposal: The EV 500 Tony Borroz opens up what has been dubbed “The 2018 Indy 500 Notebook” for an unedited look at The Greatest Spectacle In Racing. This new series will span the days leading up to and after the 102nd Indianapolis 500. The 2018 Indy 500 Notebook is an unfiltered look and what makes the Indy 500 so alluring in the first place.
The prologue can be found here.
Part 2: “Hey Hinchcliffe, Wanna Race? Then Go Faster!” here.
Part 3: “Carb Day” here.
Part 4: “By This Time Tomorrow” here.
Part 5: “On The Fly – Before The Green Flag” here.
Part 6: “On The Fly – Everything That Matters” here.
Do you know why they have the Indianapolis 500 physically in Indianapolis? It’s because, back in the day, Indianapolis was pretty much right in the middle of where U.S. car manufacturing was concentrated. At that time, 1909, there were more than one-hundred independent automotive manufacturers within a certain radius of the middle of Indiana. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built as a test track and then it turned into a race track. And I think it is high time to use it as a test track and a race track simultaneously.
I think we should hold a 500 mile race for electric vehicles.
No. I’m serious.
Photo: IMS LLC.
You want people to drive EVs? Yes, yes we do. Then we have to make them more fun, we have to make them drive farther, and we have to let people know that. Racing is the best way to do both with one swing. Racing improves the breed, right? That being the case, then it’s obvious we should start racing electric vehicles. Yes, we already are. Yeah, I know, Formula E, but who cares? Sprint races on city streets where you have to swap cars due to battery drain? Yawn. They’re just trying to cram existing technology into an entertainment format.
I say go at it the other way around. We already have a pretty entertaining racing format, let’s just have EVs compete in that, it’s the best way to force the electric technology to be practical.
The spec we race under is this:
All EV drivetrain
No battery swapping
1st car to run 500 miles wins
Winner gets a great big pile of money
All EV Drivetrain
No hybrids. No internal combustion engines. It’s got to be batteries and electric motors; as many batteries as you want, as many motors as you want, but they have to be electric.
No Battery Swapping
None. The batteries you start with are the batteries you finish with. Period. You have to go the entire race distance with these batteries, charging and discharging, and recharging them over and over and over again. Figure out a way to do it. If you figure out a way to do that better than your competitors, you’ll win!
1st Car To Run 500 Miles Wins
Simple. No sliding scale, balance of power, index of efficiency type stuff. Just go out and race.
Winner Gets A Great Big Pile of Money
And I mean a great big pile of money. Millions. Many millions. Why? If you dangle a big enough prize out there, the big money will attract big teams and big manufacturers. You get manufacturer involvement, then the technical improvements you gain in racing (longer range batteries, faster recharge times, etc.) will make it into the everyday EVs we can buy.
Set the technological bar stratospherically high, and dare teams and car makers to beat it.
That’s what happened at the first Indy 500 mile race more than a century ago, and look at how it improved the cars we all drive today. Apply that same mindset to electric vehicles, and 10 years from now, we’ll have hot rod EVs to tool around in. Let’s make it happen.
Part 8: “Letters” is forthcoming.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. His forthcoming new book The Future In Front of Me, The Past Behind Me will be available soon. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.

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http://carsecret.atspace.eu/blog/2018-indy-500-notebook-part-7-a-modest-proposal-the-ev-500/