Automotive

The Bugatti Divo: We’re Not In Akron, Ohio Anymore

The Bugatti Divo: We’re Not In Akron, Ohio Anymore Bugatti has decided that what the world needs is a hot rod version of its Chiron hypercar. It’s called the Divo and is, essentially, everything a “normal” Chiron is, only more so. To which I say, who cares?
Look, all modern Bugattis are amazing cars. The Veyron, Chiron, and now the Divo are technical marvels of the first automotive order. They all produce fantastic amounts of energy and apply it to the tarmac with amazing efficiency. They are the car to have if you’re a prince from a nation swimming in oil or the heir to some serious olde money or a quarter-talented marketing exercise for a record label.
The maintenance schedule is slightly worse than a Soyuz and only 3.46 times more expensive.
Bugatti Chiron Sport. Photo: Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
Heavy Handed
Let me put it this way: When was the last time you saw a modern Bugatti at a track? That’s right, you don’t. For all of their gee-whiz record holding and bedroom poster potential, for me, the latest Bugattis are kind of lackluster.
The reconstituted Bugatti is a division of Volkswagen and they are designed, built, and maintained by Germans. That alone is enough to make Ettore turn over in his grave, but the fact they don’t race is probably enough to make the old man flop over face down in his coffin so Der Deutsch could kindly embrasse son cul.
And so now we have the Divo, which is said to be lighter, generate more downforce, and pull higher Gs than the Chiron it’s based on. That is all very well and good, because, first off, let’s face facts: All new Bugattis are pigs. They are way heavier than they should be, the Chiron tipping the scales at an SUV-challenging 4,400 lbs. No wonder they crank out so much power, eh?
Albert Divo won the famous Targa Florio mountain race twice for Bugatti. Photo: Pubic domain/provided by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
Whip It Good
The Bugatti Divo is named after Albert Divo, the French race car driver from the 20s. He’s best known for winning the famous Targa Florio in Sicily, twice. That is no small accomplishment, but he was driving Bugattis, Type 35Cs no less, both times, so that was a help. Oh, and just so you know, the Bugatti Divo is pronounced deeVO, not DEEvo.
Devo are those guys from Akron, Ohio. There’s no connection between the two. At least that I know of.
Bugatti says since they are naming this car after the guy that won that race, and since the Targa is like a 30 mile long AutoX course lined with rock walls, precipitous drop-offs, and crazed Sicilians (is that redundant?) the Divo will be “light and nimble and will boast enormous downforce and g-forces.” Huzzah! But since they give no specs, “light” is going to be a subjective term here. Sort of like saying Jackie Stewart is “taller” than Peter Dinklage.
“Happiness is not around the corner. It is the corner,” said Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. and I, for one, am not going to argue with that. Winkelmann continues, “With this project, the Bugatti team has an opportunity to interpret the brand DNA in terms of agile, nimble handling in a significantly more performance-oriented way.”
Sure . . . agile, nimble handling. I bet Lotus is laughing pretty hard right now.
Targa Florio circa 1929 with Albert Divo at the wheel of the Bugatti Type 35. With the Type 35, Divo won the race in both 1928 and 1929. Photo: Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
Limited Edition
The Bugatti Divo will be made in a limited run of only 40 vehicles, which for Bugatti, doesn’t sound all that limited. The net price is €5 million, or around 6 million dollars. And no, I have no idea what “net” price is. Does that mean that’s what it’ll run you out the door? With taxes and titles and dealer prep included? Whatever.
The Bugatti Divo will be unveiled at 11:20 a.m. Pacific (a curiously specific time) on August 24th 2018 on the lawn at The Quail – A Motorsports Gathering in California, part of the Monterey Historics. If it were me, I’d blow this off and spend more time over at Laguna Seca watching the real cars race.
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
Photos & Source: Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.

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2018 Ford F-150 Power Stroke Diesel Review

2018 Ford F-150 Power Stroke Diesel Review When Ford announced it would offer a 3.0-liter diesel in the 2018 F-150, it got the attention of truck buyers. Ford designed and engineered this all-new V6 diesel engine to the specific needs of U.S. F-150 customers, with 250 horsepower, 440 lb-ft., of torque, an estimated 30 mpg on the highway, and 11,400 lbs. of towing capacity.
Ford says these numbers are best-in-class, though there’s not much competition. The only other half-ton pickup to offer a diesel engine is the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, with 240 horsepower and 420 lb-ft. of torque.
This weekend, we drove the 2018 Ford F-150 Power Stroke Diesel in a 4×4 SuperCrew configuration.
What’s New For 2018
Ford offers their smallest Power Stroke engine to combine fuel economy and towing prowess for those who haul frequently.
Features & Options
The 2018 Ford F-150 Power Stroke Diesel (4X4 SuperCrew – Lariat) comes standard with 18-inch wheels, keyless entry and ignition, power-adjustable pedals, dual-zone automatic climate control, driver’s seat memory settings, ambient lighting, leather upholstery, and ventilated front seats. Other options included the upgraded mirrors, remote tailgate release, and front-facing spotlights.
Our F-150 tester was a pre-production model and not for sale. Ford did not release exact pricing. Depending on the configuration and trim level of the truck, expect an up-charge of $3,000 to $4,000 for the Power Stroke engine.

Interior Highlights
Our tester came with the Lariat’s power running boards that slide out when you open the door. It’s a good thing because the F-150 requires some effort, even for the average adult, to climb in. They made it easy for my wife to climb up into the cab.
The Lariat’s interior is luxurious with heated and cooled, power-adjustable leather seats we think are the most comfortable in the segment. The F-150 is America’s best-selling truck for a reason. It’s solidly built and, despite its fancy interior, is ready for heavy-duty work. There’s plenty of space inside and taller or shorter drivers won’t have any issue finding the perfect driving position. Large and tall passengers will find plenty of space to stretch out in the cavernous back seat.
The SuperCrew’s back seat will comfortably fit three tall adults, with plenty of head, leg, and shoulder room. Overall, the F-150 Lariat gets high marks for everyday ease of use and interior quality. Combined with high ratings for comfort, it’s a pleasant place to spend a full day on the road.
Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs
Ford’s new Power Stroke features a variable-geometry turbocharger to reduce turbo lag and a common-rail fuel injection system. A high-pressure, 29,000 lbs. per square inch injection calibration enables smoother, quieter operation while reducing emissions. The new Power Stroke is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.
EPA estimates come in at 22/30 city/highway and 25 combined mpg.

Driving Dynamics
For those who remember the noisy, smelly diesels of the past, this new 3.0-liter Power Stroke is surprisingly quiet. You won’t know it’s a diesel aside from the initial telltale diesel clatter when you first hit the push-button start. Inside and underway, this Power Stroke sounds far more like a mild-mannered gasoline V6 than a heavy hauler.
As we powered the F-150 up I-70 at 8,000 ft. altitude west of Denver, the 3.0-liter V6 had all the grunt needed to pull hard with peak torque available at just 1,750 rpm, coupled to a 3.55:1 rear-axle ratio. The F-150’s Power Stroke features a mechanical, engine-driven fan and dual radiator shutters to boost high-altitude performance. When needed, we could slip the shifter into manual mode, which allowed us to select a gear for optimum engine braking while rolling down the steep mountain.
The 10-speed automatic gearbox worked in concert with the Power Stroke engine. It made smooth shifts and never had to hunt for the right gear. Our tester came with Normal, Sport, Eco, Tow/Haul, and Off-Road modes, meaning the truck’s powertrain characteristics change depending on the kind of work you need to do.
On the open road, the ride was remarkably smooth, controlled, and quiet, in spite of keeping our foot in the diesel powerplant. My wife had to remind me that I wasn’t in a sports car.
Conclusion
Full-size pickup buyers looking for a high-torque engine to pull a trailer full of snowmobiles or ATVs, or a camping trailer for the weekend; this one will be the ticket. And taking the family along is an easy chore with the luxurious and large cabin.
Denis Flierl has invested over 25 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. Follow his work on Twitter: @CarReviewGuy
2018 Ford F-150 Gallery

2018 Ford F-150 Official Site.
Photos: Ford Motor Company.

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When To Change Your Tires? New Study Suggests Sooner Than We Think

When To Change Your Tires? New Study Suggests Sooner Than We Think Tires can be an “out of sight, out of mind” component on your vehicle, but worn tires can be hazardous, especially during an unexpected downpour. New research from AAA finds that driving on relatively worn tires at highway speeds and on wet surfaces can increase stopping distances by nearly 90 feet.
That’s more than the length of an eighteen-wheeler.
Survey Says
In partnership with the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Automotive Research Center, AAA conducted testing to understand performance differences at highway speeds between new, all-season tires and those worn to a depth of 4/32″ on wet pavement. The study examined both passenger cars and light trucks.
When the rubber met the road, the passenger car exhibited an average increased stopping distance of 87 feet, versus 86 feet for a light truck. The study also found a 33 percent reduction in handling for a passenger car and 28 percent for a light truck.
“Tires are what keep a car connected to the road,” explained John Nielsen, AAA’s Managing Director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “Even the most advanced safety systems rely on a tire’s basic ability to maintain traction, and AAA’s testing shows that wear has a significant impact on how quickly a vehicle can come to a stop in wet conditions to avoid a crash.”
“Traction is your last line of defense,” added Brandon Grade, Service Advisor at Findlay Toyota in Las Vegas, Nevada. “Traction control systems can only do so much when the mechanical grip has been removed.”

By The Numbers
Current industry guidelines and state regulations often recommend tire replacement at 2/32″ depth, if there are any guidelines at all. AAA’s research found such recommendations can vary greatly from state to state. During my time as a Service Advisor, our dealership in South Dakota suggested replacement at 3/32″ but AAA says at 4/32″ stopping performance has already decreased.
And when it comes to wet pavement, the lower the tread depth, the more likely a vehicle will hydroplane.
“AAA’s testing demonstrates the impact that tire tread has on safety,” said Megan McKernan, Manager of the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Automotive Research Center. “If tested side-by-side at 60 mph, vehicles with worn tires would still be traveling at an alarming 40 mph when reaching the same distance it takes for vehicles with new tires to make a complete stop.”
If during a routine oil change, your tires are found to be worn, should you replace them immediately? Budget permitting, yes, but if you cannot that day, it’s best to schedule it as soon as you can.
“I agree that 4/32″ is the time to start paying attention to the handling characteristics of your vehicle and replacement should be at 3/32″ depth,” Grade said. “At that point tires cannot effectively remove water or keep traction.”
“With newer cars going longer intervals between routine maintenance at automotive service facilities, drivers may not become alerted to the fact their tires are too worn until it’s too late,” Nielsen warned.

Selecting The Right Tire
While AAA’s research determined tire performance fluctuates by brand, price is not necessarily an indicator of quality, which might come as a relief to some consumers. According to AAA, once worn, performance for all tires tested deteriorated significantly, even those priced higher. AAA says to research tires carefully and never buy one brand based solely on price.
“I disagree with that. Usually higher priced brands are that way for a reason,” Grade explained. “That may be because the tire is meant for a specific use like off-road or racing. The reason for the cost difference is because of the technology put in to the tire.”
Grade also notes that certain vehicles require certain tires.
“Specifically, the Toyota Prius uses tires that are designed to have less rolling resistance,” he said. “I have had customers go elsewhere to get a better price, only to come back complaining about a loss in fuel mileage due to having the wrong tire.”
As for finding the perfect tire, the best route might be to simply get a feel for what others are saying.
“I believe customer reviews are the best,” Grade said. “People will give you real world experience rather than hypothetical, perfect scenario results.”

Tips & Advice
In order to reduce your chances of a collision during rainy weather, AAA recommends reducing your speed and to avoid hard braking and sharp turns. Drivers should also keep their distance between vehicles in front of them and resist the urge to use cruise control in order to respond more quickly if needed. If you start to hydroplane, gently ease off the accelerator and steer in the direction the vehicle should go until traction is regained.
Do not brake forcefully.
There are a few home remedies you can employ too.
“Buy a tread depth gauge, have someone show you how to use it if you need, and keep it in your glove box,” Grade said. “When you check your tire pressures monthly, check the tread depth. Make sure to do it on the outside edge, center, and inside edge.”
If you don’t have a tread depth gauge, grab some loose change.
“Slip an upside-down quarter between your tire grooves and look at Washington’s head – if you can see all of it, it’s time to start shopping for new tires,” Nielsen said.
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.

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2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Heads To U.S. Dealers

2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Heads To U.S. Dealers Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) says the first shipment of Eclipse Cross CUVs has arrived in the United States. The vehicle was unveiled in December and will begin making its way to U.S. dealers from Port Hueneme on the West Coast. The Eclipse Cross is Mitsubishi’s second all-new vehicle to hit the U.S. for 2018. The new Outlander PHEV arrived in dealerships at the end of last year and is currently on sale across the country.
Available Features
The new Eclipse Cross features a 1.5-liter direct-injected turbo engine, creating 152 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 184 lb-ft. of torque at 3,500 rpm. All-wheel drive is available for additional traction via Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control system. Other features include an available panoramic sunroof, heads-up display, and lane departure warning. The Eclipse Cross also comes with Mitsubishi Connect, which includes a Telematics Control Unit, a 4G LTE cellular modem, and a GPS system.
“2018 represents an exciting next chapter for Mitsubishi Motors, and the all-new Eclipse Cross is a large part of that story,” said Don Swearingen, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, MMNA. “The Eclipse Cross builds on the strong Mitsubishi heritage of automotive performance, technology, and fun-to-drive dynamics revived in a CUV.”
2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross arrives in the United States. Photo: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.
Pricing
The Eclipse Cross goes on sale early next month with a starting MSRP of $23,295. Trim levels include ES, LE, SE, and SEL. Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. is responsible for all research and development, marketing, and sales for Mitsubishi Motors in the United States, and operates through a network of approximately 360 dealers.
“We’re excited to add the Eclipse Cross to our established CUV lineup and know it will continue to fuel the brand’s current sales momentum,” Swearingen added.
Photos & Source: Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.

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Hyundai Motor, Autotalks Begin Partnership Centered On V2X Technology

Hyundai Motor, Autotalks Begin Partnership Centered On V2X Technology Hyundai Motor has begun a strategic partnership with Autotalks, a technology company that specializes in the manufacturing of Vehicle to Everything – sometimes stylized as “V2X” – communication chipsets. V2X technology allows vehicles to communicate with each other, as well as road users and infrastructure.
Officials say the strategic partnership comes as a result of a direct investment from Hyundai to accelerate the development and eventual deployment of V2X technology for autonomous cars.
Connected Approach
In human-operated vehicles, V2X systems relay important information in the form of alerts and notifications, and can also actuate the vehicle in dangerous situations. In self-driving vehicles, V2X complements existing sensors, allowing them to make more informed decisions on busy roads.
“Connectivity is one of the core technologies that can be applied to smart city business models, as well as autonomous driving and infotainment,” explained Yunseong Hwang, director of open innovation business group at Hyundai Motor Company.
“Having a top global car manufacturer such as Hyundai invest directly in Autotalks is not only a vote of confidence in the company, but a testament to the growing V2X market,” added Hagai Zyss, Autotalks CEO. “Hyundai’s pursuit of cutting-edge communication and safety technologies is a perfect match with Autotalks’ leading V2X capabilities.”
Existing Platforms
Earlier this year, Hyundai announced a strategic partnership with Aurora to bring self-driving vehicles to the market by 2021. The automaker was already granted a licence in Nevada in 2015 to test automated vehicles on the state’s public roads, and last year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Hyundai publicly demonstrated their autonomous technology.
“Hyundai Motor will continue to invest in disruptive technologies that are in line with Hyundai’s current and future strategic pillars,” Hwang said.
The Automoblog Staff contributed to this report and can be reached anytime.
Photo & Source: Hyundai Motor Company.

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Inside The Street Legal Race Cars From Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus

Inside The Street Legal Race Cars From Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus

Remember Cameron Glickenhaus? He was that rich, but seemingly very nice guy that, a while back, took a Ferrari 458 Italia, re-bodied and tweaked it here and there and made what he called a “continuation” of the Ferrari P4 prototype racers from the 60s. Yeah, it wasn’t nearly as pretty as the P4 (what is?) but it was very, very quick and Ferrari was cool with him making and racing it. Turns out that Mr. Glickenhaus hasn’t even thought of slowing down, let alone stopping his fiddling with high-powered cars.
Minor Miracles & Model Lineups
His racing outfit, Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (rolls of the tongue, don’t it), has been out there ever since, pounding around the world’s race tracks, and doing okay. They have, like a lot of us, a slight obsession with the Nurburgring, and always compete in the 24 hour endurance race there every year. Anyway, seems that Glickenhaus, both the guy and the team, wasn’t content with that, oh no. Seems like they wanted to put their race cars into series production and, I hope you’re sitting down, even make a road legal version. So they asked the U.S. Government if that would be okay and The Government said yes!
To make this minor miracle all the more sweeter, Glickenhaus will be making not one, but three series production cars; two of them will be road legal. No, they will not be cheap. No, they will not be making many, but who cares at this point? Gearheads can dream, can’t we?
Photo: Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus LLC.
SCG003S Stradale
Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (also known simply as SCG) will manufacture the SCG003S, SCG003CS, and SCG003C. The SCG003S is the Stradale, the SCG003CS is the Competizione Stradale, and the SCG003C is the full-blown Competizione. The preliminary specs for each are knee-weakening in what they portend.
Take the “basic” (and I am using that word very loosely) SCG003S Stradale. It is a fully trimmed, road legal GT hypercar. The SCG003S is powered by a twin turbo 4.4 liter reverse flow V8 engine, putting out more than 750 horsepower and more than 590 ft-lbs. of torque. That grunt is put to the pavement through a 7-speed electro-hydraulically actuated dual disk clutch gearbox, complete with paddle shifters. All of this resides within a carbon fiber chassis and the whole shee-bang tips the scales at less than 2,866 pounds. The suspension is a front and rear double wishbone push rod and rocker operated setup with adjustable dampers – just what you’d expect from a racing team.
Stop? Oh yeah pal, this thing will stop like you threw out an anchor thanks to Brembo carbo-ceramic discs.
The performance specs are just as mind-reeling as the overall design. Zero to 60 mph in less than 2.9 seconds. Speed tops out at more than 217 mph (which Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus charmingly lists under the engineering term “VMax”). The skid-pad number is a gray-out inducing 2.0Gs plus, and the aero downforce is rated as being greater than 1,550 lbs. at 155 mph. In other words, this thing is going to go, turn, and stop unlike any other road car out there. The performance numbers are closer to something you’ll find atop the podium at Le Mans or Sebring.
Photo: Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus LLC.

SCG003CS Competizione Stradale
For those of you that find the SCG003S lacking in “oomph” and overall performance, the SCG003CS Competizione Stradale is your ride. Then again, if you are one of those people, I’d want to check and see if you have a pulse, because you just might be dead if the SCG003S isn’t enough. The Competizione Stradale will be trimmed closer to the outright racing version, the Competition Model SCG003C.
However, the SCG003CS will still be fully road legal with similar specifications to the SCG003S. In case you want to lay your eyes SCG003S, the first road registered example will be displayed at The Quail Motorsports Gathering on August 18th, part of the Monterey Vintage Races, which you should really attend if you ever get the chance.
SCG003C
Although sadly it is not road legal, it is still a full-blown race car you can buy. And this is not some half-thought out ride that would make Porsche and Ferrari laugh with derision, oh no. The SCG003C took the pole and finished first in class at the 2017 24 Hours of Nurburgring, running a 6:33 lap on the Nordschleife. That lap is within sight of Niki Lauda’s outright record. Let that sink in for a while. Put your feet up. Slowly shake your head. Now do you get it?
Photo: Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus LLC.
Pricing & Availability
The Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus S, CS, and C will be priced at 2 million in American dollars and will be rolling out of the works in New York. 2018 production will consist of 4 to 6 cars; the 2019 run will be about 8 to 10 cars. SCG notes: “we will likely sell out our productive capacity very soon.” I bet they will. I will be getting one, and so will management here at this publication. That only leaves another one to three left for the rest of you plebes, so call now.
“SCG may also develop other models and is considering offers to raise additional capital to fund this development, as well as additional racing and the building of a second U.S. manufacturing facility capable of producing 100 cars per year,” reads a statement from the company.
Thank goodness they’re making these things in such small numbers and asking so much money for them. Any less and Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus wouldn’t be able to weed out the nutzos and ya-yas. If they made these things by the dozens and cut the price in half, it would be like handing out bazookas at a daycare. You’d get flaming rubble within seconds. At best.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Photo: Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus LLC.
Photos & Source: Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus LLC.

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How Formula 1 Teams Move About The Planet

How Formula 1 Teams Move About The Planet

There’s an old phrase in military colleges: “amateurs think about tactics, professionals think about logistics.” I’ve been around racing my entire life and, by and large, Grand Prix has been at the top of the heap for me. So I have known, for a very long time, that these teams have gotten larger and larger over time, and that the races have gotten much more far flung. Ergo, I know, on some level, that moving all the people and materiel from one track to the next is a real hassle, but now that I’ve delved into a recent ingenious infographic, courtesy of our friends at Storage Centres in the United Kingdom, I realize this is far from a hassle.
This is a logistical nightmare for any given Formula 1 team to contemplate, let alone envisage on a week in, week out basis. Now realize there are ten F1 teams. It’s like coordinating the Normandy landings every couple of weeks. This is how they do it.
Packing Frenzy
For simplicity’s sake here, let’s just say we’re looking at this process from the end of any given race. All the cars finished, there were no accidents, and nothing was destroyed.
First, the teams start to pack up everything except the cars. The cars are kept in parc ferme conditions, that is, impounded, so they can pass through tech inspection to make sure no one cheated (no lightweight cars or something goofy like hydrazine in the fuel). While the cars are being checked over by the race stewards, everything else is being packed up, most of it into these totally cool anvil-like flight cases you see rock bands use on tour. Jacks, laptops, spares, spares, spares (racing teams carry spare everything) alignment plates, crew helmets, the lot.
By the time the cars roll out of parc ferme about three hours later, most, if not all of the accouterments are crated and ready to move.
They start unbolting everything – okay, most things – into smaller, more easily wrapped and transported bits and pieces. So, the front and rear wings, for instance, get pulled and inspected for any race related damage or fatigue issues, then swathed in bubble wrap to protect their delicate aero surfaces. The mirrors are pulled off as are the wheels and tires – the tires are given back to Pirelli to be examined, checked for flaws, wear damage, and the like, then recycled or, in some cases, sold after the season to collectors (I had a pair of Damon Hill’s tires from the Canadian GP for many years, they made a great coffee table base). The steering wheel is pulled, checked, then placed in its own flight case. I know that seems excessive, but a modern F1 steering wheel runs you around $55,000, so you don’t want to screw it up.
As the car gets broken down further, you get to what’s known as “integral parts.” That’s another way of saying “very important and expensive parts,” and is also a way of saying “the stuff the FIA (the sport’s governing body) watches very closely.” This includes stuff like brakes, suspension pieces, the engine and gearbox, and finally, down to the chassis itself.
Photo: Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile.

Expensive Endeavors
As a way to keep costs down, the FIA limits the number of engines and gearboxes a team can use during the year. I know, it seems kind of silly, you say. “How many engines can a team go through?” you might ask. The answer to that, as it turns out, is as many as they can buy. And since F1 teams have suitcases full of money, you’d be amazed at what they will spend it on, given the chance. Even a small team these days has a yearly budget in the hundreds of millions of dollars. You can imagine what Ferrari or Mercedes-Benz or McLaren spend.
Before rules like this were put in place, teams were known to run special “qualifying engines” for that extra little advantage. They were referred to as “grenade engines” because they were good for three, maybe four laps at full song before blowing up like, well, just like a grenade. They cost $250,000 each. So what? We’ve got a budget of two million dollars a day (that’s no exaggeration), who cares what they cost? Put another one in, let’s make another run for the pole. Before the FIA cracked down on this, there was talk of some teams making entire cars just for qualifying. Cars that were right on the edge of what the composite tubs and structures could withstand. They would only survive for around 10 laps max before they were thrown away. Multiply that by the numbers of drivers on the grid (in today’s case, that would be 20) and you could see where operating costs would grow so high that even NASA would shake their head.
Photo: Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile.

Careful Movements
The brakes are completely disassembled and inspected. The pads and discs are checked and analyzed for wear and stress before being junked (they last for one race, and cost about $100,000 per corner X 4 corners X 2 cars per team X 10 teams X 20 races = The GDP of Burundi). All the fluids from the car are drained, checked for particulate content, then recycled. The suspension: A-arms, bell crank bits, wheel tethers that hold the wheel/tires to the car in the event of an accident, are completely taken down to the individual components. Everything is inspected. If it’s damaged, it’s junked. Foam spacers are inserted into the A-arms to prevent them from expanding and contracting while being flown to the next race.
Material engineers (and top teams have more than one, I assure you) want to keep the usage cycles to a minimum. The engine and gearbox are separated, drained of all the oil, fluid, and gunk. They are inspected for signs of wear leading to possible failure, put under FIA seal, and loaded into their individual flight cases. The chassis, although not taken down to the bear tub, is pretty well stripped down, then wrapped in its own, custom tailored Lycra cover for protection. Carbon fiber, although very strong, is susceptible to puncture damage, so an inattentive swing of a mechanic’s arm with a screwdriver can trash the whole thing.
Photo: Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile.
Logistics & Assembly
Once everything is disassembled, packed, and crated, the teams turn their stuff over to DHL, F1’s logistics partner for getting it from this track to the next. For DHL, this requires transporting 600 tons of materiel, nine days worth of planning, 240 employees, and 100 trucks just to move the stuff to the airport.
Once at the airfield, the parts are loaded onto different planes. One plane gets the critical parts – the cars themselves, engines, gearboxes, IT rack-mounted gear, electronics, things along those lines – and some of the non-critical parts are loaded onto those cargo modules you sometimes see at airports. From the ramp at the next location, it takes DHL around 4 hours to get all the gear through customs and to the next track using 30 freight containers that amount to, on average, about 30 tons of stuff per team. Remember, there are 10 teams.
The non-critical stuff – fuel, marketing swag, work benches, tool carts etc. – gets shipped in 40-foot containers, 4 per team via sea routes or over-the-road. This works out to around 1,000 tons of stuff per team. If a team needs something fast, DHL can overnight it directly to the pit garages, anywhere in the world.
Once teams show up at the new track, it is, as the U.S. Army would put it: “assembly is the reverse of disassembly.” Up to 40 mechanics per team are there just to see stuff unloaded and put in its proper place in the garage while other mechanics start bolting stuff back together again. All the while, car parts and components are checked, checked, checked, and checked again. The last thing a team wants is for a “bad” piece – something beyond its useful life or something damaged – to make it onto a car and break, possibly costing the team a win or injuring the driver.
See? Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy! The handy graphic below from Storage Centres explains more.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
How F1 Teams Move Across The Globe In 48 Hours by Storage Centres.

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Clean Trail Grant Program Advocates Conservation, Benefits Off-Road Clubs

Clean Trail Grant Program Advocates Conservation, Benefits Off-Road Clubs

Off-road going types really enjoy the great outdoors. Many of the Jeep enthusiasts I know can’t wait to get out of the office on a Friday afternoon. They have pictures of Moab on their desktop or a Wranger poster in their cubicle; they even have a Jeep hat or coat draped over their chair. Our friends at ExtremeTerrain are like this – they eat, sleep, and breath the off-road lifestyle, so much so, they turned their passion into a profession. Over the years, we have gotten to know the team at ExtremeTerrain by working with them in various capacities during that time.
The Pennsylvania company provides aftermarket Jeep Wrangler parts for the off-road enthusiast. While Jeep parts and accessories are their passion, so is the conservation and protection of our nation’s great trails.
Restoration & Improvement
ExtremeTerrain is accepting applications for their Clean Trail Grant Program, an initiative advocating the responsible use of recreational trails. The Clean Trail Grant Program provides eligible groups the opportunity to have their next trail improvement project funded, be it clean up, restoration, or expansion. To date, ExtremeTerrain has approved over 22 grants for trail improvement projects, totaling nearly $10,000. This year, an additional 10 grants have been approved with more expected.
Eligibility & Requirements
Various Wrangler outfits, 4×4 groups, and Off-Highway Vehicle Organizations (OHV) are eligible, provided five or more members are currently active. Publicly and privately owned off-road trails are eligible to apply as well. The Clean Trail Grant money can be used for purchasing the tools associated with trail cleaning, restoration, and expansion; promotional materials to recruit volunteers, food for said volunteers, and to cover over miscellaneous expenses.
“We you can get the tools you need to clean, restore, or expand your local trails, helping to maintain the trail system and improve it for future off-roaders,” reads a statement from ExtremeTerrain.
Recent Clean Trail Grant winners and participants include The OffRoad Misfits, Onslow County North Carolina Boy Scouts, Dauntless Jeepers, and the Kentucky Off-Roaders. The grant money for these individual entities was used for a range of things, from dumpster rental and cleaning supplies, to purchasing a camera to catch litter bugs in the act. Along with the grant money, industrial strength trash bags for garbage and debris removal were provided.
Those interested in applying can do so by filling out a brief questionnaire. The Clean Trail Grant Program was established in 2015.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.
Cover Photo: FCA US LLC.

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The Evolution of Automotives: Part 2: Thowbacks, Dream Machines, And Pretty Girls

The Evolution of Automotives: Part 2: Thowbacks, Dream Machines, And Pretty Girls

Automoblog’s Katie Kapro examines how imaginative thinking and creative risks have influenced the modern automobile in this three-part miniseries. Part one of this series here.
Every vehicle is made up of certain fundamental elements — the engine, tires, frame, and even a windshield if you want to get really fancy. These things are to a car what the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth are to the human face. They exist to serve a utilitarian purpose to be sure, but their variations from one “model” to another is the stuff of individuality and intrigue.
It’s what keeps the road, and the world, interesting.
Automotive styling over the years has taken some wild twists and turns. From the awkward, lady-only Dodges of the 1950s to the deja-vu inducing Chevrolets of the late 1990s, time has proven that some styling choices stand the test of time better than others.
Assumptions Gone Awry
There are three kinds of car: one built to be a utilitarian workhorse, one built for speed, and one built to be, for lack of a better word, sexy. Ford pretty much cornered the utilitarian market with the Model T tractor adaptation back in the day, while ever-increasing speed has been an aspiration of car manufacturers for as long as wheels have been attached to axles. In terms of design, the more utilitarian the vehicle, the chunkier its styling. The faster it needs to go, the lower, sleeker, and more reptilian it becomes. It’s the sexy cars though which historically get automotive marketers and stylists into trouble.
Essentially, the problem they’ve run into is one of poor assumptions. Trying to tap into a group identity is a challenging enough endeavor on its own, but when your audience is a giant swath of humanity, aka all drivers everywhere, the opportunity for falling flat on your face is pretty high.
Take for example the failure that was the Dodge La Femme. The automotive stylists of the 1950s created it thinking it would be a woman’s dream: Regal Orchid finish, loop pile carpeting, and of course built-in purses for those lady passengers who just never could remember to grab them when they ran to the grocery store for that gallon of milk they oh-so-absent-mindedly also forgot. Insert era-appropriate giggle and eyelash flutter. Trying to understand what women wanted in a vehicle was just too large a task for the time, and it’s not simply the fault of a few misguided designers.
Photo: FCA US LLC.

Practical Over Pretty
The La Femme is representative of the times. Not only did chauvinism run rampant in the 50s, but the design engineers still had a lot to learn about customers. They had just begun to understand the importance of asking their target audience questions about what they wanted and taking their responses into consideration when styling the newest model. But what they had yet to figure out was how to translate that information and find the underlying desire and need behind their customer’s responses.
When a woman in the 50s said, I want a practical car, she meant a vehicle with a mechanically sound engine and reliable tires. Radial tires — tires with cords arranged in the direction of travel — were the newest rage and safety feature in USA-made cars of the era. A female driver in the 1950s wanted something to get her around safely. Not something to hold her makeup. If the car designers of the age hadn’t fallen prey to their own assumptions and really understood the underlying desires of their customers, they probably wouldn’t have made the mistake of creating a purse on wheels.
The back page of the brochure of the 1956 Dodge La Femme. The La Femme package was offered in 1955 and 1956 and was marketed toward female buyers. It was painted pink and white and came with a makeup bag and umbrella. Photo: FCA US LLC.
The Throwback
Tapping into the emotion that a car evokes, when done in just the right way, can be a powerful design tactic. It’s called the throwback. The Chevy Silverado, when launched in 1999, was a truck built for comfort and personal use. It was capable of hauling big loads and navigating rough terrain, but also had a cushy interior suitable for passengers and long trips. The Silverado was far from the first truck to try and meet the needs of comfort-seeking drivers. In fact, the first was Chevy’s Advance Design half-ton pickup, the first completely redesigned GM vehicle to hit the market after World War II.
Owners of pre-WWII pickups asked for a roomier, more comfortable cab. Not only did they get it, which of course led to increased truck sales for Chevrolet, but the style lines of models like the 1955 Task Force became synonymous with post-WWII prosperity, hard work, and security. It’s no coincidence the design of these particular trucks has made a comeback in the last several decades. The design of Chevy trucks has come to represent nostalgia for more prosperous times in the U.S. and our collective aspirations for the future.
In terms of design choices, the throwback works because it raises a vehicle to the emotional plane. Drivers inherently trust a vehicle that looks like a reliable truck of the past.
1955 Chevrolet 3300 Series Standard Pickup. Photo: GM Media Archive.

The Dream Machine
The final play in the vehicle design and styling game is to give drivers a car that feeds their desire for speed and imagination — aka every concept car ever. Speeding head-first into the future is as invigorating as it is inspiring, and as technology continues to advance, there are fewer limitations than ever before.
One might think the future dream machine is a driverless car, and perhaps it is for a certain segment of the population, but for people who truly love driving there’s no reason to be hemmed-in by gravity. Instead, they can set their sights on the sleekest and most aerodynamic vehicle of all: a flying car. There will be some kinks to work out before flying cars are commonplace — like figuring out how one goes about insuring a flying vehicle and how exactly to bring the price tag down from the multi-millions — but those logistics can be saved for another day. For now, a driver’s greatest dreams are often a reality thanks to today’s technology; all that’s left is to imagine zipping through the sky in a vehicle that would put even the sleekest sports car to shame.
Vehicle design is for the bold of spirit. It takes vision and creativity to reach into the emotional past and future for design inspiration. Not every attempt will be a success, but hey, it’s what keeps the road, and the world, interesting.
Katie Kapro spent her childhood handing her dad tools under his Datsun. She loves thinking about the social aspects of motoring, and dreaming about the future of automotives. Follow her work on Twitter: @kapro101
Cover Photo: FCA US LLC.

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