Subaru Releases Three Part-Epic Series: "2008 Impreza WRX: The Legend Reborn"

Don’t matter if it’s a Lada or a Ferrari, everyone needs a good promotion to kick off sales. Subaru on its behalf is betting on the online community to promote the all new 2008 Impreza WRX by releasing what it describes, as a “three-part epic-series” dubbed “The Legend Reborn”. The first part of the mini-series is called “The Preview” and it takes place in Japan. Not much, but we’ll wait for Subaru to release the next two episodes for our conclusions.

Opel Satisfies the Saturn in all of "US": Astra GTC Caught Testing In Colorado

Thanks to a watchful reader, the guys over at Jalopnik managed to retrieve some cold hard evidence that the recently facelifted Opel Astra GTC is running around here at the States. Heading to the U.S. as a Saturn this fall, the Golf sized euro hatch is wrapping up its last minute road tests in what appeared to be Leadville, Colorado. As a personal fan of dozens of European cars, I can’t wait to see and drive this thing. With rumors of Alfa Romeo coming to the states, I hope to one-day see a U.S. market flooded with European models. Dare to dream.

Posted by Dani

Via: Jalopnik

Top Gear Stirs Trouble In Bostwana

The speed demons and risk addicts over at Top Gear are stirring up trouble again. This time, they are being accused of “leaving scars across the Makgadikgadi salt pans in Botswana, Africa. Conservationists claim that the tracks left by the vehicles could remain for decades. There is also worry that the Top Gear people are setting bad examples for others to follow suit and race all over prohibited conservation areas.

Apparently, this isn’t the first time Top Gear is being accused of ruining nature. In 2004, the programme took a 4x4 vehicle a mountain in Scotland, causing substantial ecological damage. And of course, let’s not forget the injured co-host Richard Hammond who crashed while driving a jet-powered car at speeds up to 300mph last September. Despite the hardcore fans of Top Gear, many audiences disagree with the violent driving nature they suggest and ask the program to “cool it.”

Posted by Dani

Via: bbc

Porsche 911 GT3 Race Track Videos

After watching these two videos of a Porsche 911 GT3 doing what it was made for, where it was made for, a) I feel jealous, b) I still feel jealous and c) I’ll probably feel jealous all day long. What can I say; some guys actually do have all the luck. But that’s life, we can’t all be that auspicious. Follow the jump to see our second video clip of another driver in a 911 GT3 having fun at the Varano race track in Italy. -Continued: Click “Read More…” below

Via: Le Blog Auto

Nigel Mansell "Smokes" A BMW Sauber F1 Car At Silverstone

One time F1 World Champion and three-time British Grand Prix winner, Nigel Mansell, travelled us a few years back last Friday when the former F1 driver was invited to the BMW Sauber F1 Team Pit Lane Park at Silverstone Circuit. Mansell took the driver’s place in a 2006 BMW Sauber F1 car and performed among other things, several doughnuts which obviously thrilled the crowd.

Asked how many doughnuts he had completed, Mansell joked: "I lost count, but I had a fantastic time. It’s the first time I have driven a Formula One car and not had any problems with it!". As for the differences between today’s F1 cars and their ancestors Mansell said, "That took me back. The BMW drives in a similar way to the F1 cars of my era, but the technology advances that have been made since are phenomenal." -Continued after the jump

Over the weekend the '06 BMW Sauber F1 Team car was also driven by 1995 British Grand Prix winner, Johnny Herbert, and BMW Sauber F1 Team driver, Sebastian Vettel.

Fiat 500: Italians Are Studying SUV And SW Derivatives

Fiat’s is determined to capitalize on the momentum by planning to introduce several derivatives of the recently introduced New 500. The Italian firm has already announced that it will unveil an Abarth performance version equipped with a 1.4-litre Turbo engine at the Tokyo Show in October and a convertible in 2008 (most probably in Geneva, March). Now, Fiat is considering whether it should plan a full-head attack by developing two more variants, an SUV/Crossover obviously based on the Panda 4x4 mechanics and a Station Wagon (pic above).

“By the end of the year, we expect to decide on the New 500 Station Wagon and SUV,” a Fiat executive told Automotive News Europe under condition of anonymity. From the looks of things, Fiat is pretty darn serious about it as they showed the Station Wagon version in a video during the New 500’s media introduction last week. In the clip, Fiat 500’s designer Roberto Giolito displayed the station wagon version, giving journalists a taste of what they should expect if plans go ahead. Sounds like Fiat Group’s CEO Sergio Marchionne has learned his lesson well from BMW’s MINI renaissance. Now if he could just find a way to get the 500 into the North American market...

Via: ANE

Autobild Takes The BMW M3 For A Spin At The Ascari Racetrack

The guys over at the German magazine Autobild, kindly sent us the video they shot from last weeks’s media presentation of the E92 BMW M3 in Marbella, Spain. We know you’re probably fed up with all the publicity that BMW’s new M3 and 1-Series Coupe are receiving the past few weeks, however, an inside camera in a 420Hp strong sports coupe performing a couple of rounds at the Ascari racetrack does sound promising.

Thanks for the video Jan!